Word of the day

Appropriately brought to you by Garnier Fructis:



skullet:

"This subspecies of mullet refuses to let go of its cherished plumage. Too many years of Pabst Blue Ribbon and 7-11 hookers have made this mullet confused and nonsensical. What isn't on top, it more than makes up for in the back. It keeps its locks locked-up in a ponytail for good luck and to keep the chicks hot".

Jane: Bobby your daddy has a skullet!!!
Bobby: No he aint go no dog gone sku-let.
Jane: oh yeah he do Bobby
Bobby: Hey woman how bout you go get me a beer?
Jane: *heads for the fridge*



Image and text grabbed from Urban Dictionary

"No pictures please"

That is what she was saying as I took this photograph. I didn't really understand why until the horse got closer and I could see all the restraints it was wearing. Clearly this woman wasn't proud of what she was doing.
I was at this stable in California for a natural hoof trimming clinic, and the barn adjacent to where the lecture was being given was as quiet as a morgue. The word morgue is what keeps coming to mind because the horses that were in the stalls were alive but they weren't living, if you know what I mean. It was really, really sad.

When the people from the hoof clinic walked into that barn during the lecture break there was no nickering, no whinnies heard. Instead we saw horses tied to the walls IN THEIR STALLS, wearing these contraptions to "train" their tails to stay in this upward bent position. It was AWFUL!! The horses were miserable.

I started to feel this anxiety, and I couldn't understand why then I realized that it was coming from the horses. I left the barn and went as far away from it as I could to clear my head before the lecture resumed. For the rest of that weekend I stayed away from that barn.

How uncomfortable does this horse look? This is about as far from Parelli Natural Horsemanship as one can get. I think it's a perfect illustration of how humans inflict unnatural standards upon animals. "It should move like this, it should carry its head, and tail like that" etc.. I felt bad when I saw these pictures so I decided to post them so that everyone can see how gross and unharmonious this is.
Here is something much nicer to look at..
One night when I was driving home, I looked in my rear view mirror and saw this beautiful sight.

Fish lips

I met these small mouth bass in Florida, where they live in a very large home made tank that sits inside a partially enclosed shed that functions as a photography set. The man who owns these fish films bass fishing videos and commercials for fishing lures. The diffused sunlight coming in through the side window of their tank was the only light I had inside the shed, but it was enough light for the fish to see me moving around in front of their window, and as I moved from left to right to set up a photograph they would follow me. I'd never been followed by a small school of fish before.. except while snorkeling in the ocean.. But THIS was different- I was on dry land and these guys were following me. The greenish light in the shed and the splashing sound of their aerator would make for a relaxing place to hang out, and I would sit with them several times while I visited in Florida.




These guys live at the Chinese restaurant not far from my home. They don't have such a pimped out underwater palace as the bass do. They have a bright light shining down on them all day long. And they don't have much room to swim around in either. I hope they don't end up on somebodys plate one night.