Today's Project - Book Illustration

Here is a colored pencil drawing of Cajun and Scorch, which is the illustration for Chapter 1 of my new book, "Clifford's Bay." This will be Book 3 of my Clifford Horse Stories.

Cajun

It's with a heavy heart that I write this goodbye to my friend of nine years, the mighty Cajun. He had so much presence that it's hard to believe his life could end so abruptly in sudden illness.

He was in every way the perfect German shepherd. He was black and red, 80 lbs, a tall and imposing figure, but he was always gentle and completely reliable with kittens and little kids.

Cajun was a hero in his own right, having saved the lives of many other dogs during his years as a universal blood donor.

He was smart, strong and versatile. We never competed, but throughout his life Caje became adept at tracking, obedience, agility, flyball, and bite work. He played frisbee and swam. He knew lots of tricks and performed on stage with me in one of my plays. He was my bicycling and trail riding partner. He did everything asked of him with boundless energy. His energy level drove me nuts sometimes, but he kept me hopping and that was good for me. He was always happy and always ready to get moving. I hope that I have learned something from his zest for life. He was a hugely important part of mine.

Thank you Caje-man, for watching over the fur kids and me, for keeping us safe over the years. I hope you knew how much you were cherished. You did great.

Cajun von der Zalens
February 18, 1999 - May 22, 2008

Cajun and Rip

They really want to play outside, but are trying to be patient!

Cliffyana Jones

So I was watching, "Indiana Jones and the Last Crusade" last night. There's a scene where young Indiana Jones (played by River Phoenix) whistles and a horse comes running. The kid is preparing to jump off a ledge into the saddle, but just before he lands, the horse steps forward.



I had a flashback to that scene today, because Clifford was roaming around the yard while I cleaned stalls. I would look out the barn door periodically to make sure he was still in sight, and that the dogs weren't harassing him.



Basically, since his knee was diagnosed as arthritic, I have treated him like an invalid. But today he shot twelve feet straight in the air, snorted and launched a pseudo battle with the dogs. He eyed them wickedly, swerving his hindquarters toward them and shooting heels in the air.



Cajun and Rip know it's all a big joke, but they are careful of the heels. Clifford is clearly none the worse for wear. It doesn't hurt that it's sixty degrees here in Southeast Michigan.



I finished with the stalls, glanced out the barn door and didn't see him.



"Clifford," I said, in what amounted to a half-hearted yell. I knew he wasn't far. I turned around to fill the water bucket, and I could hear his hoofs pounding over the soggy ground. Ta da DUMP, ta da DUMP, ta da DUMP, just like Indiana Jones' horse.



He came clattering up the barn aisle, walked into his stall and stood rolling his eyes, nodding his head vigorously.



"Yeah, you're cute." I dumped his grain into his feed bin, rolled his door shut and snapped off the light.



I had no doubt that yes, he would move a step when I jumped.

Snow Day

Reminiscent of my days in Fairbanks, everything was covered in frost yesterday morning, with a soft low-lying fog that kept the weak winter sun from burning it off. The dogs love the cold weather! Rippy and Cajun had a great time romping in the snow.

A lot of people are surprised to find out that horses love winter! Trudy and Clifford are so happy right now. The only thing that bothers them is wind or freezing rain. Otherwise, there's no heat to contend with, and no bugs. They stand out in the pasture foraging for whatever is hidden under the drifts, and at mealtime they come charging in, blowing and snorting, all a-shivery and ears forward. They purr happy snorts while waiting for their grain and then settle down contentedly.

Horses "burn hay" to stay warm. With plenty of hay and an escape from the wind, they do just fine. They do drink a lot of water. I am so grateful for their electric buckets, because I don't have to break ice, but I have to fill them every day. As they consume more hay, they need to drink more, and that's fine because it keeps things moving.



With that in mind, I have a strong opinion that horses need to be outdoors as much as possible. Mine have free access to the outdoors at all times. On the rare occasions when Clifford is shut in his stall, the first thing he will do is go to his Dutch door and open it so he can put his head through and see outside.



I think as long as horses can keep moving, and put their heads down to graze or forage, their digestive system is healthier and they are less prone to colic. Plus, they are happier too.