I know. If you have seen one Canadian goose, you have seen them all. But every year, this one goose with the white head and orange legs/feet is back--so I have to assume it travels with the same group every year. They say 35 Canadian geese eat as much grass in a day as one cow (little known fact.)

No foals in 2011, but lots of baby geese. Here go one of the groups. Every year, the same Canadian geese return and usually have 2 to 3 dozen babies on our pond. It is fun to watch them grow up over a several month period--seeing them take their first flights--they get off the ground pretty easily, get into their V formation, fly out over the neighbors' farms, but the return landings are always a bit something to watch--it is definitely a "learned skill".

We started construction this summer 2010 on an additional 4 stall front breezeway barn. Stall size is 13' by 17', as we intend to use them for our broodmares, or others requiring a larger than normal stall. The barn sits next to our 7 stall older stable. A photo of the older stable is included. It was simply an open pole barn used for the prior property owner's cows. With the addition of a new shed row on the back, and a complete build-out of stalls, tack room and grooming area, it turned into a nice compact Western style 7 stall stable. As our horses are outside all day, the smaller stalls in the older stable are satisfactory for just overnight use.

As construction progresses on the new 4 stall barn, we will include photo updates.

On August 5, we took 3 mares with their foals to the Oregon Oldenburg Verband inspection. See the Nursery Page for the 3 foals born in July this year. All 3 did very well for their first outing-we had practiced loading a couple times before the day of the event, had moms and babies bathed [mom's also got braided for the first time] the day before, so that morning we loaded up quickly and set off for the hour's ride to Cedarwood Equestrian Center in Williams, Oregon. The day was sunny and the morning was not too hot. The foals got to see a brand new place and other foals! But they were very well behaved and stuck to their mom's sides like good kids.

All 3 mothers were inspected and entered into Marebook I of the Oldenburg Springpferdezucht Verband [OS]. And, all 3 foals were awarded OS Premiums. All in all it was a very good day.