This friendly horse wanted a nose rub and a treat. I administered the former and was shy of the latter. I stumbled across these critters in the hinterlands of Garland County, Arkansas, west of Hot Springs. I stopped to photograph a pregnant Jenny (see her in our Weekly Grist Gallery) in the corral with the horses. The Jenny immediately headed toward me when I stepped out of the truck, but so did the horses — and they decided they wanted the lion’s share of my attention. The second horse friend and the Jenny hung back, but this one was ready to interact.

Sunday, July 3, 2011

Sometimes, that's not a bad thing — not getting what you want — particularly when you don’t have a clue what you wanted in the first place. Such was the case for yours truly when I struck out on the afternoon July 3, 2011, from my sister and brother-in-law's domicile a few miles east of Bismark, Arkansas, with not a clue about which way to head or what I might find.

Here's how it worked out. . . .

As I moved along the fence to get a better angle on the Jenny, my newfound friend followed me. These animals have seen nothing but kindness from human beings and expected no less from me. All of us could learn loyalty lessons from critters.

Still driving without a clue as to what might be around the next corner, I went 'round one and found this fine old barn on Ragweed Valley Road in Garland County. I looked for a way to get close but there was none — unless I became willing to commit blatant criminal trespass. So, long lens to the rescue. It sucks in light nicely when incarceration, or at least a stiff fine, threatens to darken the day.

The old barn presents a neat appearance tucked in behind the nice pasture in the foreground. The property looks well-tended, which probably portends well for the barn's lifespan. Weathered as it is, the structure may be standing there to demonstrate how things were for years to come. Good thing, since others are collapsing daily.

Most of the time we worry and fret about where we are going. That's not all bad. Applying a bit of forethought to our lives prevents angst we may suffer for failing to avoid mishaps. The trick is not to overkill and avoid the good stuff in the process. This simple trip served as a reminder that letting good things happen requires a moderate amount of risk. In this case, the reward far outweighed any risk.

N O T E S:  
Top horse picture, Nikon Coolpix 7000, ISO 100, 1/150@f2.8; second horse picture, same camera and ISO 1/125@f2.8; Barn Nikon D300, AF VR Zoom-Nikkor 80-400mm f/4.5-5.6D ED, ISO 200, hand-held, 1/800@f7.1. Post processed with Photoshop CS5 Extended and Perfect Resize Pro.

SEE MORE RESULTS OF
THIS AIMLESS WANDERING,
including a smiley barn,
a mountain highway scene,
a home place tree, another shot
of the horse, the jenny,
and a fool-proof
rural security system and more at Weekly Grist for the Eyes and Mind. Click and go!

Click the jump wings to see the previous Photo of the Week.

Click the camera for an index to every Photo of the Week.

Most of the time, there is more to the Photo of the Week story than can be told in an essay. And most of the time there are more pictures to be seen. Presuming that some folk will enjoy being privy to this trove of information, I have created a blog, “Weekly Grist for the Eyes and Mind,” where I am showing and telling “the rest of the story." There are also some blatantly commercial mentions of some of the things we do to earn our beans and taters. Click on the Weekly Grist logo and go to the blog.  — J. D.