Watchful Pair

A pair of rescue horses at the Live and Let Live Farm in New Hampshire giving a watchful look. The horses at this farm are so well treated and very curious about everyone who stops by. These two came right over to me at the fence to check me out, sticking their long noses over the wire to see if I had a treat hidden in my coat. (Sadly, I didn't - missed opportunity to bond!). They live a peaceful, natural life here at this sanctuary. Thick coats keep them warm in their paddocks and shelter, and volunteers make sure they are socialized and tended to. 

I love the color of horses. The gray horse has a brindle coat - a bit of brown mixed in with the predominant black white and gray. Notice his tail is blonde!

Tweets

These two babies were taken to a local wildlife rescue rehab center for care, where they were successfully rescued, nursed to independence and returned to their natural habitat. One of the babies looks as though he is wrapping a protective wing around his brother as he peeks over his shoulder. Wounded animals and abandoned babies like these two are brought in to wildlife rehab centers where, as in the case of the our local York Wildlife Center, they get 12,000 calls a year. Interns, volunteers and trained staff work to rehabilitate these animals and return them back to the wild.

I was charmed by the protective wing around the brother bird, and the look over the shoulder provided such a sweet perspective of these two little souls. Knowing that these babies were properly and lovingly cared for makes this a portrait is a tiny tribute to the of kindness and hope these shelters bring.

Belgian Grazing

Driving 2 minutes out of the Portsmouth town proper in any direction will take you past a horse farm. I like that about New Hampshire and missed it when we lived in CT. Granted, I usually see the horses as I'm driving and they're usually grazing, head down and neck one long line to the grassy landscape. This day as I drove down a country road past homes tucked in the woods, I passed a small farm with a hilly pasture and two draft horses grazing below the road and I just sat and watched them for a while. The farm owners are elderly and werer very generous about allowing me to roam their farm, taking photos of the animals. They have two black cows and a barn full of kittens who were spooked by my presence and spent most of the time peeking at me from under a tractor. The setting, the animals, the old couple - such a charming, simple slice of heaven.