but you try not to care because it feels so darned good to be in the saddle.
You're moseying along, taking in the scenery, whistling a little, grinning a lot, and then you see it. A speck in the distance.
Out of place. A bright object that doesn't belong there. Your mind starts to wonder. Could it be?
You ride closer. Your heart starts to beat a little faster. You wish you were wearing your glasses.
You encourage your trusty steed to walk faster. She senses your excitement. Her ears prick forward. She picks up a jog.
Closer and closer you ride, still not sure. Maybe it is. Maybe it isn't. You curse your near-sightedness.
Then it comes, the moment of certainty. You drop your reins and raise both arms straight above your head.
SCORE!
You and your trusty steed have found another cow skull.
You quickly dismount to pick up your treasure. Your trusty steed shakes her head and rolls her eyes
but stands quietly while you tie it to the back of the saddle.
You have to wait to take pictures until you get home because somebody dropped her point-and-shoot in the dirt awhile back
and she was cameraless on the ride.
Lucy: So that's what was banging me in the butt all the way home.
Introductions were made. Smooch was skeptical at first but she warmed right up to him.
Smooch: Where'd the rest of you go?
The only decision to be made now is where to hang him.
27 comments:
What a wonderful find! Lucky you.
Huh, you and Georgia O'Keeffe with the cow skulls! Our old dog, Hannah, used to lie at the [figurative] feet of Elsie, our cow skull. She always looked like she was observing some worshipful ritual.
People outside of New Mexico just aren't the same about skulls, or are they? Let's just wait and see the comments on this post.
I love that last shot! All the textures and patterns are really neat!
Score! You and Lucy are too much!
Hang 'em high for all to see. Great find, Carson. Glad you are getting out for some riding with Lucy.
Best always, Sandra
I say "Hang him high".
Totally cool find!
May I suggest the outhouse ;-)
I think that what you found is a horse skull. Correct me if I'm wrong.
You're a strange one, Ms. Carson ... LOL That Lucy is one beautiful girl!!
Shirley, you had me worried there for a second, so I did a little googling. What I found is definitely a cow skull. Here's a horse skull, which totally creeps me out.
http://www.skullsunlimited.com/record_variant.php?id=3543
I have a buffalo skull with the horns hanging in my bedroom. I won't mind hanging a cow skulls along with it. I understand your fascination with the skulls as I find them beautiful. A horse skull would creep me out too.
I think the cow skull is cool, but that skullsunlimited website is totally creepy. I like studying anatomy and looking at bones, but that site gives it a definite ick factor. Your desert finds are much better. Are you ever going to start putting a whole skeleton together? It would be interesting.
Yippee Ki Yi Yea! Giggled when Shirley had you a bit worried.....LOL
I googled it, too, Carson. I wanted to learn what those patterns are that are so interesting. But there are sooo many skulls for sale out there (not necessarily real) that it was taking way too long to dig through the results. I'll have to refine my search and see if I can learn anything. Maybe those patterned areas are different thickness of bone covering the sinuses? One thing I did learn was that cows have sinuses, too.
Im still so jealous that you can just up and find those....wish we could around here. WA doesnt let you pick up sheds or skulls, they have to be left on the ground. How lame is that?
So glad to hear you are getting to ride...no matter what the condisions. Good for you Hugs
You're Too Funny!!
Gorgeous skull. Happy that you and Lucy could get in a late January ride too.
I think I used up the Georgia O'Keefe skull notecards first. Bought them in Santa Fe in the museum shop. Two boxes,one of landscapes and skulls. One of botanicals.
It has been over a decade since that trip, snif.
Doggone, for a while there I thought maybe you'd seen a UFO sparkling near your New Mexico trail.
Gee, I thought you'd found Amelia.
I guess she's following in her namesake's contrail, eh?
Geez. I feel sorry for the poor cow, dyin' out there all alone, havin' her bones picked clean. Sure, her skull has pretty squiggly lines in it...
Have you considered coloring in the little jigsaw puzzle pieces there on her forehead?
I love Georgia O'Keeffe, also. This definitely took me to her paintings.
Great find!
I admit it, I don't get it. I want no skulls around - even if it does look gorgeous against the sky and landscape.
I'm more curious about all the cows dropping dead and being picked clean to the bone by nature. Is it an epidemic or something?? Who's losing all the cows?! [concerned city girl]
— Bonz
Hanging the skull at the entrance gate looks great.
What a great find. I've found several cow bones in my pasture, but alas, the skull is not with them. I suspect it was carried away by a critter and another neighbor got it. I do have one of the vertebrae on the window sill over my kitchen sink. It's kind of decorative in a creepy sort of way. And good job Lucy, for packin' that skull home.
SCORE! I had no idea where you were going with what you saw. Chuckling big time. SCORE!
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