I think my favorite photo this week is the one above of Smoke. I also really like the butterfly picture near the  bottom.
I haven't been getting very many new pictures and I haven't gotten much done on Whisper, but hopefully I will be able to get some more work done and put up an excerpt next week.

I have been wanting to ride bareback for a long time and I would, but usually just from one pasture to another...no long or fast rides.
But I've been riding Smoke bareback more often lately, determined to be able to ride her at faster speeds without falling off!
Two weeks ago, I finally was able to canter her confidently, but I still had to hang on to her mane, which impeded my balance a little. I really wanted to learn how to do it without hanging on.
And I finally succeeded on Saturday! I figured out how to use my legs effectively without giving her confusing cues.
Smoke was probably sick of cantering by the time I finished, but I think she still had fun. I know I did! It was great to ride her at a fast pace without feeling like I was going to fall and without a saddle between us. It is amazing to ride a horse with complete contact between you.
Mom came out and took some pictures and videos of me...I am very sore but it was so worth it! I'm sure Smoke and I will be doing much more riding without the saddle than with.
I rode Ashwin for the first time on Saturday as well. He was a little nervous but I was pleased. He neck reins and seems to have had some training, but not a whole lot. He felt a little stiff so we will have to work on loosening him up, but he seems steady. I just walked him the first time, but hopefully I can push him harder next time.
Before I rode him, I rode Smoke (with a saddle) and ponied (led) him to get a feel for how he handled. He didn't spook at a deer that jumped out of the cattails not five feet from us and he plowed right through ankle deep mud.
We were almost done riding when Ashwin, who was trotting behind me and Smoke, tripped and fell on his knees. His head went between Smoke's back legs...and he stood up lifting her on top of his shoulders.
Smoke was mad and starting kicking which scared Ashwin, so he pulled back suddenly and Smoke dropped down with a thud! It was pretty funny...I only wish someone had caught it on video.

Not a lot of photo's this week. I didn't have time to get out with my camera and get my usual shots so these will have to suffice! I hope to have a better selection next week! My favorite is Ashwin in the rain. It ruined a ride for us, but gave me a nice picture!

I am so excited about my progress on Whisper. I have never written a story this fast...it has only been a month since I started it and I don't have much farther to go...I'm hoping to have the rough draft finished by the end of August. 
 I am currently at 23,700 words. My goal is 30,000, but it may go over that just slightly. 
On Saturday, to unwind after a long, busy day, I sat down at my desk in the basement and worked on the story for about an hour.
I worked on it again Sunday afternoon and in about twenty four hours I wrote 5,000 words! That is a lot for me to do in one day and it actually took very little effort.
When I first began thinking of publishing this story, it was going to be a stand alone book.
I am thinking of doing a series with it. Each book will still stand alone, but they will be tied to the other books because of Rachel. I'm thinking that perhaps I could have each book feature a different horse that Rachel rescues and helps overcome their problems.
For each book, I could use a different horse that I am familiar with as inspiration so the stories will have a personal touch. Perhaps I can include a story on the horse the book is based on.
What do you think? Should I just leave Whisper as it's own story, or continue following Rachel as she helps other horses? Or should I have each book focus on a different horse and girl?
Whisper has gone very smoothly for me, but that might not continue on to other books. If it does, it could be a very interesting series. Or I could get part way into another book and decide it just won't flow. I'd love to hear your thoughts on this idea.
Anyway, enjoy the excerpt!!

    I felt tired. The emotional rollercoaster I had ridden the last half
hour had taken its toll. I scooted the bucket closer to the fence and leaned my head against one of the boards. I was thinking of my mare and the happy times we would have together now that I no longer had to worry about her being taken from me when I drifted off to sleep. 
           I was warm and comfortable. I felt a breeze blowing gently over my face and I squinted against the sun, wondering how long I had been asleep. I started to sit up, then realized that what I was feeling was not a breeze, but gentle breathing near my head. 
           Turning my head ever so slowly, I looked up to see my mare standing with her nose pushed through the fence, watching me with gentle eyes.
          I smiled and made a soothing sound low in my throat. "Hello, girl. You came to visit me?"
           The mare's eyes widened at the sound of my voice, but she blew out softly again and stayed where she was. 
           Very, very slowly I raised my hand until my fingers hooked over the board by my head. The mare moved slightly and I felt her whiskers brush my fingers. 
            Tears clogged my throat and blurred my vision. It was the first time I had touched her. 
          Gently, the mare lipped my hand, testing me. I held very still and allowed her to lick me softly. 
           She pushed her nose further through the fence and her velvety lips brushed my forehead. 
          I could see that her muscles were tense and that told me that she still didn't trust me fully. But the fact that she was allowing me to touch her, or rather, she was touching me, told me we had come a very long way and cleared a major hurdle. 
           The house door banged and the mare jerked upright, banging her face on the boards. Her muscles quivered and she looked from me to the house and back again. 
            I wanted to see who was coming, but didn't dare move. 
            The mare stood still a moment longer, then she turned walked swiftly away, but the fact that she had not bolted was
encouraging.

We don't have internet at the new house yet, so I wasn't able to do a post on Saturday. We should be getting internet tomorrow, so I'll be able to post this week. I didn't have the time or the means to respond to all of you who commented, but thank you just the same!
Since I had to move the moving post to today, I will post an excerpt and an update on Whisper tomorrow.
Moving went pretty smoothly and by nine o'clock Saturday night we had a lot unpacked and the house began to looked lived in.
I am really enjoying my desk in the basement as well as all the open windows!!
We moved our house cat, Ranger, down there Saturday night and he had a fun time exploring ever nook and cranny.
It's beginning to feel like home and we feel like we have so much more room!
The two dogs, Shep and Maple, were a bit confused by everything. They go back and forth between the farm and the new house. Shep has been sleeping in the garage and Maple has taken up residence by the patio doors.
Here's some pictures of moving day! I didn't get as many as I would have liked because my camera battery died and I had forgotten the charger at the auction hall!

I love today's post! These pictures were all taken in the last two days and they were all taken with my phone!! I've been learning how a small part of an object, or larger image can say a lot. I've been experimenting with different parts of objects, lighting and editing options.

I'm going to have a really hard time choosing a favorite! I'm kind of in love with all of them, but I really love the clock mechanism at the top. I think my next favorite would be the stack of books. What's your favorite? Or are you like me and can't pick one! The dirty oil can is kind of interesting too.

Tomorrow is the big day! Tonight will be the last night in the old house and we plan to move all the essentials to the new house tomorrow. We will continue to sort and move other things for the next little while, but all the major stuff with be moved. If I can keep my eyes open by the end of the day, I will post of pictures of the move!

An excerpt from Whisper coming on Monday!

We are moving!
Yes, you read that right. It's still feels a bit unreal to me too, but it is true!
We are moving from a two story farm house down the road  a 1/4 mile to a ranch house with a full basement.
It feels very strange to me as we have lived in our current house for 17 years, so this is a big change!
The new house was the house Dad's grandparents moved into when they sold the farm to my grandpa. 
It has three bedrooms, three bathrooms, a den, living room, kitchen, dining room and a full basement with a work shop.
It has a lovely deck that is surrounded by woods. It will be different living in a house surrounded by trees!
We just bought the house six days ago and we have been working on moving the things we don't use every day down there little by little.
We plan to move completely on Saturday!
Since it is only a 1/4 mile from the farm, we won't move the animals right away, but will walk or drive down to do chores.
My favorite features are the fireplace in the basement and the deck. Those are two things that I have wanted for a long, long time so I am very excited that the new house has these things!
Once we get things unpacked and the inside is looking more like a home and less like a disaster zone I will post a photo tour of the house!
A new excerpt from Whisper coming soon!

I decided to do something a little different for this Photo Friday's post.
Some of these pictures are new and some are ones I took a while ago.
What I've done is put the original picture first, then the edited version.
Through Denalyn, who did a guest post recently with some of her pictures, I discovered an online picture editing program that has some really great options.
My favorites, of the edited versions are the dandelion, the wooden fence post, the black eyed susan and the goat kid.
What are your favorites? Do you like the originals better or the edited versions?

Here's another excerpt from Whisper. I'm at 16,000 words and much to my surprise, it is still rolling smoothly. I'm over halfway to my target word count so I expect to have the rough draft finished shortly and then the revisions can begin...always my favorite part :(

    I leaned on the top board, watching as Bethany rode the filly in
all kinds of crazy circles. Star just lowered her head and did whatever Bethany asked, even if the message wasn't too clear. 
    As I was watching them, I had the spooky feeling I was being watched. I turned around, my heart pounding, thinking maybe Ralph had come back, but there was no fancy car in the driveway and no Ralph…just my mare. 
            She was watching me from her pen, ears pricked. Her face seemed softer and there was almost a wistful look to her. 
           I stepped away from the fence and began walking toward her slowly, eyes down and shoulders round. 
           She watched me curiously and somewhat fearfully, but held her ground. 
            As I drew nearer, I began talking in a soft, soothing voice. Her ears flickered, but still she stood. 
           She was only about ten feet from the fence and I was quickly closing the distance between us. 
           Up until now, she had never let me approach her. If I was sitting on the bucket, she would come to me, but I was surprised she was letting me come to her. 
           I was about fifteen feet away from the fence when she began showing some agitation. Her muscles tensed and the whites of her eyes began to show. I stopped and turned halfway around. 
          Gradually she relaxed and much as I wanted to try to get closer, I knew I had pushed her far enough so I walked away. 
          Halfway to the barn, I turned and looked back. She was looking at me with a puzzled expression. She wasn't used to someone walking away from her and she hadn't expected me to walk away. 
           I felt a sense of accomplishment as I walked back to the barn. She had let me approach her and I had given her something to think about when I walked away. I hoped she wouldn't be as leery the next time I tried. 
            Dad met me at the barn door with a grin on his face. "Good job, honey. You quit at just the right time."
           I smiled. "She's never let me walk up to her before."
          Dad started walking down to the paddock where Bethany was still riding Star and I followed. "That was good progress. You let her tell you when she's ready for you to walk up to her again."

Quite a variety of shots this week. I like quite a few of them, but I think my favorite is the seagull in the picture below. What's yours?

These are some pictures from my phone...I really like the 2nd one