My dog Harry’s propensity to eat inappropriate things about the size of a bar of soap has its precedents. (You may have noticed a lack of original photos lately?)
While I was here at the keyboard, Harry was under my chair chewing on his dog-bone. When Harry’s chewing on a bone that’s a very good thing.
After further inspection, however, I discovered Harry’s bone was my Nikon 560 camera. My second Nikon 560 camera — he ate the first one too. He didn’t actually eat them — just left lots of little pieces on the floor.
Maybe I need to try a different brand of camera.
LTD
Monday, July 26, 2010
Red River Ox Cart and Driver
Older horses were sometimes used to pull
the Red River ox carts.
Photo by Canadian, pioneer photographer C. W. Mathers
the Red River ox carts.
Photo by Canadian, pioneer photographer C. W. Mathers
circa 1891 - 1907
from
The Pageant of America Collection
Stephen A. Schwarzman Building. Fifth Avenue at 42nd Street. New York, NY
Metis?
Metis?
The Perfect Prairie Vehicle - Winnipeg Free Press
There is a nice photo here of a contemporary solid-oak Red River ox cart driven by members of the Red River Métis Heritage Group. The story shares interesting history about the Metis people. Click on the link below --- LTDSunday, July 25, 2010
4-H Member Explores New Project: Oxen
Erin Senger did a demonstration with her ox, Opry.
Photo:Troy Krause.
Redwood Falls Gazette
By Troy Krause, Editor
GateHouse News Service
Posted Jul 19, 2010 @ 12:04 PM
Redwood Falls, Minn. —
Erin Senger, a member of the [4-H] Loyal Scotties... raised and showed an ox.
Complete story and copyright information at:
Redwood Falls Gazette has no affiliation with Storybrooke: Ox and Dog Blog
Summertime --- Edward Potthast
The Ox Cart
Edward Henry Potthast
(American Artist, 1857-1927)
Summer Pleasures
Edward Henry Potthast
(American Artist, 1857-1927)
Edward Henry Potthast
(American Artist, 1857-1927)
Wash-and-Wear
Yesterday I gave Scout(the Ox) a bath. I soaped-up one side of him with a bar of homemade soap, and laid the soap on the grass. I scrubbed him and rinsed the soap off with the garden hose. When I turned around to retrieve the bar — for soaping the other side — it was gone. Harry(the Dog) was licking his chops; under questioning Harry had a sudsy, soapy grin.
So Scout is washed on the Haw side, and rinsed on the Gee side. (I wonder if he’ll walk in circles now?)
Harry’s been drinking lots of water — I expect he’s in his rinse cycle.
So Scout is washed on the Haw side, and rinsed on the Gee side. (I wonder if he’ll walk in circles now?)
Harry’s been drinking lots of water — I expect he’s in his rinse cycle.
Thursday, July 22, 2010
Wednesday, July 21, 2010
Sunday, July 18, 2010
Me and My True Love: An Ox Cart Ride
The Bonnie Banks of Loch Lomond
A Scottish folk song.
By yon bonnie banks and by yon bonnie braes,
Where the sun shines bright on Loch Lomon'.
where me and my true love were ever wont to gae
On the bonnie, bonnie banks o' Loch Lomon'.
O ye'll tak' the high road and I'll tak the low road,
An' I'll be in Scotland afore ye;
But me and my true love will never meet again
On the bonnie, bonnie banks o' Loch Lomon'.
'Twas there that we parted in yon shady glen,
On the steep, steep side o' Ben Lomon',
Where in purple hue the Hieland hills we view,
An' the moon comin' out in the gloamin'.
O ye'll tak' the high road and I'll tak the low road,
An' I'll be in Scotland afore ye;
But me and my true love will never meet again
On the bonnie, bonnie banks o' Loch Lomon'.
Wednesday, July 14, 2010
The Iron Ox
After the ox came the horse and after the horse came the tractor --- as first choice for farming the land.
I went to the Oklee Centennial Celebration to see Orlin Ostby's ox Pum, but the closest thing I could find was a tractor-pull in the alley off the end of main street --- and an inflatable jumping toy in the likeness of a blue ox. I was too late. Someone said the ox had been there and was the biggest animal she'd ever seen outside of an elephant at the zoo!
Pum and Ostby retraced the 400-mile Pembina trail as part of the Minnesota Sesquicentennial Celebration in 2008. I'm sorry I missed them here at the Oklee Centennial (so close to home!). Hopefully I'll catch up with Orlin and his ox Pum at some later date.
Tuesday, July 13, 2010
Grandkids Go for an Oxcart Ride
Scout the Ox is a little over 8 months old now. He pulls the cart like a champ, however he doesn't overlook an opportunity to head for the ditch to grab a few mouthfuls of grass. Get-up is mastered, he knows whoa but doesn't always do it. He needs a lot more work on gee and haw. In general he is more responsive to touch --- to push --- or to pull than to verbal cues. He does very well staying with the program --- if I'm walking near his head or shoulders.
Photos taken on July 2, 2010
Sunday, July 11, 2010
Friday, July 9, 2010
Sophia Puts on the Dog
Kitten and puppy play. This kitten was orphaned by the mother cat and put onto a dog nursing puppies. The dog pictured is not one of its littermates.
Tuesday, July 6, 2010
Our Doggy New Kitty
Sherry went to be with our daughter and the new grandbaby and came home with a new kitty. "Sophia" makes it into the Ox and Dog Blog because she was an orphaned kitten raised by a dog --- along with three puppies.
Harry the Hidebehind
When loggers failed to return to 19th century logging camps, the hidebehind (C. silvestris palinensis) was sometimes believed responsible for their disappearance. Although large enough to drag its human prey to its lair, it was capable of quickly hiding behind trees when someone looked in its direction. This illustration from the book Fearsome Critters (1939) looks a lot like Harry.
Oxcarting
Scout in fine form.
photo by sld
Temporarily abandoned beside the road is this boat on steel wagon wheels, one of which had come undone. Judging from the (black) sign, the wagon wheels, and the spelling, I suspect it may belong to one of the German speaking Amish families who live south of us.
Scout gets another break at water's edge.
Home again, Hannigan.
photo by sld
Yoke Headlights
Upcycled Bicycle Reflectors
(up·cy·cle [uhp-sahy-kuhl] Where old products are given more value not less.)
Monday, June 28, 2010
(Video #1 of 2) Hip-hop. . . .Back to the Drawing Board
Watch closely. One of the neck pieces drops out of the yoke surprising the ox. After the camera stopped his head went down and the yoke and the red strap ended up in a tangle around his head. Oh boy, was I glad he wasn't a horse! He stopped and waited for me to sort things out. I had made the neck shafts removable so I can widen them out as he grows. I see I'll need to pin them in place in the meantime. The next video will show a calm Scout as I get him harnessed up again.
video by sld
(Video #2 of 2) Re-Hitching the Oxcart
After the yoke falls apart and the whole mess gets tangled around the ox's head, he stands calmly while I get him reharnessed. He's such a good sport!
video by sld
Friday, June 25, 2010
Thursday, June 24, 2010
Oxcart: The Preferred Mode of Transportation. . . .
. . . .When Getting There Was Half the Fun.
Basque Ox-Team c. 1884
Source Unknown
Labrador Retriever?
Dr.Bob (Harry's Vet) believes Happy Harry's Landseer Newfoundland mother must have been bred by a Labrador Retriever --- this picture would certainly support that hypothesis.
Wading in the Water: A Special Reward For the Ox
After a hot, humid, and buggy day Scout the Ox enjoys wading in the water.
Monday, June 21, 2010
Bugs!
Biting insects are a general nuisance to the ox when yoked to the oxcart. Scout's on the way to the pit to go wading.
Saturday, June 19, 2010
How To (or not to) Make an Ox Yoke, Part II
Making My Single Ox His First Yoke
Addendem: These two videos will give you an overview of the basic skills and tools you might use to make an ox yoke. It was my first yoke, made on a whim with available materials. It served its purpose as a training yoke for an empty cart, and I learned some of the basic principles of yoke design --- first hand. Even after lowering the hitch points they were too high — under load the yoke tended to roll back. The narrowness of the yoke seat (from side-to-side)was criticized. However, I fail to see a problem with that. The dairy-calf has a very narrow neck. When the yoke didn't tip back, it distributed the weight evenly on the sides and top of the neck; it had no tendency to tip to the side, or to waggle.
Making the “bow” from two straight pieces joined at the bottom with a throat piece I deem as a success and I would recommend it to anyone interested in making a non-traditional yoke. It’s not rocket science, but there are a lot of dynamics at work in a properly functioning yoke. For anyone with a good set of tools and some basic hand skills I’d say — go for it! That there is some formula that must be followed for making an acceptable yoke is getting stuck on tradition — in my opinion.
That is not to say that there is anything wrong with the traditional ox yoke. In fact, if you have an ox for historical or re-enactment purposes — that would be the way to go.
My second yoke is also experimental in nature and can be seen here: http://storybrookeripples.blogspot.com/2010/08/did-you-hear-jailhouse-yoke.html
At this point in time (September 12, 2010) I am very pleased with the way it functions. You can leave your observations, critiques, or opinions by clicking on “comments” under any one of my blog entries. I’d be happy to hear from you.
How To (or not to) Make an Ox Yoke, Part I
Making My Single Ox His First Yoke
Addendem: These two videos will give you an overview of the basic skills and tools you might use to make an ox yoke. It was my first yoke, made on a whim with available materials. It served its purpose as a training yoke for an empty cart, and I learned some of the basic principles of yoke design --- first hand. Even after lowering the hitch points they were too high — under load the yoke tended to roll back. The narrowness of the yoke seat (from side-to-side)was criticized. However, I fail to see a problem with that. The dairy-calf has a very narrow neck. When the yoke didn't tip back, it distributed the weight evenly on the sides and top of the neck; it had no tendency to tip to the side, or to waggle.
Making the “bow” from two straight pieces joined at the bottom with a throat piece I deem as a success and I would recommend it to anyone interested in making a non-traditional yoke. It’s not rocket science, but there are a lot of dynamics at work in a properly functioning yoke. For anyone with a good set of tools and some basic hand skills I’d say — go for it! That there is some formula that must be followed for making an acceptable yoke is getting stuck on tradition — in my opinion.
That is not to say that there is anything wrong with the traditional ox yoke. In fact, if you have an ox for historical or re-enactment purposes — that would be the way to go.
My second yoke is also experimental in nature and can be seen here: http://storybrookeripples.blogspot.com/2010/08/did-you-hear-jailhouse-yoke.html
At this point in time (September 12, 2010) I am very pleased with the way it functions. You can leave your observations, critiques, or opinions by clicking on “comments” under any one of my blog entries. I’d be happy to hear from you.
Friday, June 18, 2010
Mountaintop Experience
Hey. . . .this is pretty steep! Don't ya think?
Surveying the land.
Better view over here.
I'm on top of the world.
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