Banjo's 30 Day Adventure! The Vet Clinic...

Aaaand we're back. So I've decided that Banjo's adventures will not be 30 consecutive days of going places. There are many reasons for this - illness, awful weather (4 inches of snow on the first day of spring? REALLY?), gas prices, and the fact that if I were to keep re-doing this every time I missed a day, this wouldn't get done for the next twenty to thirty years. I don't want you guys to have to keep seeing "practice shots" until 2041. That's just not right. So, after a few days of absence I finally present to you another adventure starring everybody's favorite Buckskin Paint.
So, on Saturday, my mom had to go to work for a few hours, so I figured Banjo and I would join her. Shmoozing with animals, getting out of the house, getting a few extra bucks to do some work, nifty pictures... why the hell not?
So instead of just sitting around being a nuisance I asked the employees if they needed any help or any odd jobs done. Sure enough, they needed about 10 years worth of X Ray charts to be alphabetized, sorted through to make sure no one had more than one chart, tossed out if the animal was deceased, you get the idea. This took up a lot of space, so while I worked, Banjo hung around the reception area by the charts, guarding my stuff.

He also did a splendid job making sure that my mom wasn't mauled by any wayward bears. (Hey, you NEVER KNOW).
So when I was done with X Rays and cutting out appointment cards, my fingers ready to fall off from the absurd and almost unrealistic weight of X Ray film in manila envelopes, the fun began!

This is Banjo and CD. CD is a Catahoula Leopard Dog that belongs to Dr Pete (who is the owner and also one of the doctors.) CD stands for "Clinic Dog", which is fitting, because during clinic hours CD is on the loose and has run of the place. He's very friendly and very mellow, and loves nothing more than to lean into clients while being petted and to visit patients.

This is Banjo and Taboo-Boo-Boo Bunny (yes, that is his real name). Dr Pete's wife is quite a Bunny lover, and keeps this little fella in the runs to keep the dogs company.

This is Banjo and Gino, one of the employee's dogs. Gino is what we call a Saint Blab, which is a Saint Bernard/Bulldog/Labrador mix. He's quite a large, wiry dog, but has good nature and no malicious intent even when he eats through three rubber mats over the course of two days (this happened while we were there, how he got ahold of them, we haven't a clue). This is actually one of my favorite shots. It captures Gino's excitement without him being out of frame (This was one of about five or six shots, because he wouldn't stop moving).

This is Banjo in one of the kennels. As you can see, he isn't too happy about being locked up, but I assured him, it was just a quick picture and then freedom.

That's right. Say NO. Especially when going to the mailbox in flipflops.

As if I hadn't had enough of X Rays for one lifetime, here's Banjo on the X Ray table! NOTE: It was not turned on. We didn't know how to turn it on and even so, I don't know how well that would have gone over.

Banjo and the anesthesia machine! This was not turned on, either. Guys, don't give anesthetic to your horse without a doctor being present. It's probably not a good idea.

WARNING!

HERE BE CREEPY CRAWLIES!

As we were in a veterinary clinic, it was only fitting to observe parasites. Here we have "Dug" the Grub.

And this is "Scotch" the Tapeworm! (bah-dum-tshhh) He was scolex-less. (A scolex is the head of a tapeworm. Not to be confused with this guy.) LITTLE KNOWN FUN FACT: I have a minor fascination with parasites, as long as they're not actually IN someone's body. I just think they're really cool, and it's interesting that something so tiny can wreak so much havoc.

END OF CREEPY CRAWLIES!

YOU ARE NOW SAFE.

Banjo learns about the canine pelvic bones!
So here ends our day at the clinic. Some other things happened while we were there, but I would rather not talk about them (sensitive subjects, y'know?) So, hopefully, before the week is out we'll be doing other things, but right now there's about 4 inches of snow on the ground, so we are going NOWHERE today unless it lets up. Much love from the oddball behind the screen wearing a surgical mask, see you next time!

Banjo's 30 Day Adventure! A boring day...

Well, today was a very long, boring day. I really didn't feel well again, and was very depressed. I was also kicking myself for not having called the woman who boards Tequila earlier this week to go see him. Also, I was going to go out but when I asked where to I got a very rude response. But, I wasn't gonna let Banjo go without a picture, even if it was just one. Well, luckily we got a few and got out of the house for a bit...
Like I said, it was a boring day despite the amazing weather. But Banjo still had an adventure to...

..the mailbox! "If it fits, it ships!" But alas, my Banjo will never be for sale. Now, I know, it's not that exciting to you guys, but this horse hasn't been past the driveway (except in a car), so for him, it was exciting. FUN FACT: I think I picked up a tick when we went over there. I found one on my toe earlier this evening.

Let me tell you something about Pennsylvania... we have some very pretty sunsets. However, I'm only working with a point-and-shoot camera, so you guys don't get to see the pretty. And Banjo is very out of focus here. Maybe I'm just being anal. Anyway, he enjoyed the sunset.

This horrificly pale character is one of our garden gnomes. He thought he could replace the great Norm (who is out in the woods rotting, thanks for punting him, Dad), but he'll never amount to what Norm was (a possible serial killer). But I digress. Banjo had no idea what to make of this fellow, and wondered why there was a gaping hole in his head. -sigh- Garden gnomes are no match for the elements here in PA, so his hat fell off. And yes, there is a twig coming out of it. Long story. I wonder if I shouldn't just take the damn thing to the vet and put it out of its misery.

Pizza night! Our family celebrates (celebrates? I think it's probably observes) Lent, so we aren't allowed meat on Fridays (except for fish, apparently, but my stomach does not take well to fish). If you notice, there is no sauce on this pizza. That's because my dad didn't realize I was feeling okay enough to eat it with sauce today (sometimes my stomach does not take well to Pizza Hut's sauce, either. To tell the truth, I live mostly on bread products.) But it was still good. DISCLAIMER: We at Silent Hill Stables do not condone feeding your horse pizza. Yeah, some people do it, but some people also do illicit drugs. Horses' systems are not built for digesting milk products. Just... don't do it, okay? Please? Alright, good.

And this, kids, is how we end our night. The internet! What do you mean you didn't know that? Listen, it's 12:31 am right now, and the only reason I'm turning off the computer when I'm done typing this is because I have to go to 'work' tomorrow. Usually I'm up until about 3 AM just staring at Facebook or some mindless thing like that.
So, there it is, Banjo's 2nd day of adventures. He's watching me type this right now, and is probably anticipating our adventures for the weekend. So I leave you with this. I hope you enjoyed our short adventure and my sometimes sarcastic rambling on. See you tomorrow.

NOTE: I was going to get a shot of me and Banjo playing Parcheesi, but that would be much to time-consuming and I don't want that game to get boring. Sahrry. Maybe another night.

Banjo's 30 Day Adventure! At the park...

Happy Saint Patrick's Day! Today marked the official start of Banjo's 30 Day Adventure.
We had quite an exciting day. My parents had to stop at the bank, so I went with them and finally opened my own account! Finally, I'll be able to use Paypal and not have to worry about keeping my money in a little tin, where it's within reach and all too tempting. So, all but some change is now tucked away, safe from my greedy paws until I have enough for Kentucky. Meanwhile, Banjo hung out in my purse and waited patiently, guarding the Daffodils my dad had bought for me.
Then it was off to breakfast! We went to a local diner called the Trackside Grill, which Banjo seemed to enjoy the last time we went. When I was done, I left and began to walk towards Central Park (not that one... I wish!). What a great day for it, too. It was almost 60 degrees and very sunny, with a slight breeze.
On the way to the park, we had to make a pit-stop for a very special attraction. I have to ask you, readers, how many of you remember getting a magazine that had this somewhere on it?

I'm sure many of you got Highlights when you were kids... I was certainly one of them! Now, do you know where it's published?

Right here! Highlights is pretty much one of the only things my town is known for, other than birthing the Railroad system (which we will take pictures of!), and the song "Winter Wonderland".
So after Highlights we finally got to the park.

Now, I took this photo for a bit of a sentimental reason. The table that Banjo is standing on used to be on the playground at my old school.  It obviously brings back many memories. Well, the school had to close before the 2010 school year began due to lack of funding (it was a private Catholic school), and the tables were donated to the park. It's kind of heartbreaking, seeing these old things now covered in grafitti (which I didn't take photos of. This is about Banjo and me, remember. Besides, some of the drawings were quite vile.)

Anyone who is a friend of mine on Facebook has seen this picture! I personally think it's quite a good photo of the two of us. But maybe I'm just vain.

This picture was a little on the difficult side to take. I'm a bit of a perfectionist at times, and photography is no exception. When I want to get a good photo of a model at eye-level, I will usually not hesitate to lay on my belly in the grass to get a good angle (of course, this is after making sure there isn't a critter or some droppings on the ground first). Well, that whole getting on the ground this has become a bit of a habit, and I attempted it in public in broad daylight. I can only imagine the looks I was getting from the lawyers taking a stroll, some strange girl with a point-and-shoot practically laying on the pavement to get a picture of a plastic horse. Unfortunately, sometimes one must endure the odd looks in the name of art.

"I thought today was St Patrick's Day..?" Yes, Banjo, it is, but there's something you must understand. We live in a town where people are too lazy to take down their Christmas decorations (and what with the weather, sometimes can't even get to the bloody things!). The county seat is no exception. Usually, though, when the weather is nice, the tree comes down and the fountain starts running again. FUN FACT: We later found a lone shoe in that fountain.

I love shadow-photos.

Let me start off by saying: I love the depth-of-field in this photo. For those of you who haven't sat for three hours in a photography course, Depth-of-Field is basically when the photo looks more three-dimensional. In this case, Banjo looks very crisp and clear, while the memorial in the background is out of focus, and the courthouse behind THAT is even fuzzier. Anyway, this is a memorial that was erected to honor those who have died in battle. Which battle, I'm not sure, and I can't remember for the life of me the name of the guy on top of it.

I don't think I need to explain much here. It's a time capsule. What's in it? No idea. Who's this Jessica lady? Beats me. All I know is that it's historic (in a sense), and there's only ten years until they open this baby.

Chilling on the bench in the sun, waiting for our ride. All in all, it was a good day. We took some nice photos, got a bit of exercise, and enjoyed the warmer weather and the sunlight. (What wasn't enjoyable was the absurd amount of 18-wheelers driving behind us... the park is really close to the road.) Oh, I also lost $5 to the Lottery Demon, but that's irrelevant. Hopefully tomorrow we can do some more fun stuff, but for now, I think it's time Banjo go to bed.

12 Steps for Model Horse Addicts

THE TWELVE STEPS

OF MODEL HORSE ADDICTS ANONYMOUS

1. We admit that we are powerless over plastic ponies - that our lives and spending habits are unmanageable.
2. We came to believe that a Power greater than ourselves could restore us to sanity. We also made clear that it was not a horse-shaped deity.
3. Made a decision to turn our will, our lives, and our Paypal accounts over to the care of God as we understood Him. No, not Epona, not Demeter, not the Uffington White Horse... God. 
4. We made a searching and fearless moral inventory. Unfortunaly, came up with such things as "152 Classics, 290 Traditionals, 3 Eberl resins, and a Jellibaby".
5. Admitted to God, to ourselves, to our dealers and to another human being the exact of our wrongs.
6. We were entirely ready to have God remove all these defects of character. Unfortunately, some asked that He specify to others whether they were LSQ, PSQ, shelf or body quality, and whether they had NAN cards.
7. Humbly asked Him to remove our shortcomings, and also the parts of our character that were in mint condition.
8. Made a list of all persons we had harmed, and became willing to make amends to them all. Many had trouble with this as they didn't know the names or identities of all those people in the Ninja Pit of Death/Doom.
9. Made direct amends to such people wherever possible, except when to do so would injure them or others. For this reason, the NPOD was avoided at all costs.
10. Continued to take personal inventory and when we were wrong or a little to close to Tractor Supply Co. for comfort, promptly admitted it.
11. Sought through prayer and meditation to improve our concious contact with God, as we understood Him, praying only for knowledge of His will for us and the power to carry that out. Had to stop one or two for asking for the going price of Alborozo on eBay.
12. Having had a spiritual awakening as the result of these steps, we tried to carry this message to Model Horse Addicts, and to practice these principles in all our affairs. However, some wayward patients attempted to carry the message, but instead became distracted by their friend's newly acquired Sue Kern piece.

UPDATE: Banjo's 30 Day Adventure

Alright, alright, I KNOW. I haven't updated in almost two weeks, and I haven't updated BTDA since then. Well, I have an explanation for that.

First of all, the seasons are changing. For those of you live in Sunny LA or somewhere else not in the Northeast, this means the weather in being the biggest bully you could ever imagine. Everyone in the area (including those who make thousands of dollars a year off of selling snowblowers or running ski resorts) is pretty much looking up to the Heavens and shouting, "UNCLE!" Hence, there are plenty of places that are still off limits thanks to mounds of snow that put the Great Wall of China to shame. So, now the weather is becoming nicer and we'll be able to go more places. That is, if they haven't been washed away because God sent a flood.

Second, illness. I suffer from two things that are making my treks more difficult - depression and hypersomnia. I'm sure you all know at least something about depression... it's that disorder in your head that makes it impossible to get out of bed most days, decides to take away your motivation and not give it back for about a week (much like a playground bully), and all sorts of other fun things that I won't get into. Then there's hypersomnia... it's the opposite of insomnia. When you have hypersomnia, you're always tired. ALWAYS. And it causes you to sleep so much that 5:00 in the evening is when you have breakfast. Now, hypersomnia is easily treatable... if you're not on anti-depressants. Basically the meds I'm on make me super-sensitive to caffiene. Things get REALLY trippy if I drink too much of a soda from McDonald's. Maybe one day I'll tell you kids the story of when I was riding on a Wyvern in World of Warcraft and (SHUT UP THEY DON'T CARE)

So, anyway, that's that, BUT. I have decided to really crack down on myself and go places with Banjo starting today. The reason it wasn't yesterday, which would have been ideal since it was Monday, is because we only have two cars, and my mom's car is being a jerk. Again. So while my dad's at the Dodge dealership later today getting the piece of crap fixed, I will be wandering about armed with a camera and Banjo. THose other entries, consider them "practice". So, check back for updates later!

BTDA: Practice

So today was a practice day for Banjo's 30 Day Adventure (BTDA, or B30DA for short). On with the pictures!

Getting ready to go out. Banjo asked to borrow my mirror.

We went to the drive-thru ATM. I would have taken a picture of the actual machine, but I didn't want anybody seeing any personal information.

"Did you get my order?"

What a beautiful morning! We got McDonald's breakfast. What better way to start out International Pancake Day than with McDonald's pancakes? I ask you.

"Is that where food comes from?"

After arriving home and stuffing our faces, I became more bloated than Too Many Truffles*. So, I took a nap. We didn't do anything else today, so I decided to Blab and upload pictures...

"THIS is how you spend your day?"

"I don't understand this Internet thing..."

So all in all it was a good day. Not very eventful, but we have 29 more days to do much more stuff! See you next time!

Banjo's 30 Day Adventure!

An idea was proposed on Model Horse Blab that we all pick out one of our models, take it around the area where we live and take six pictures at the least. Well, I took this idea and the idea of the 30 Day Facebook photo challenge and came up with...


Banjo's 30 Day Adventure!!!

So what exactly IS Banjo's 30 Day Adventure about? Well, wherever I go for 30 days, I will have Banjo in my purse with me. If we stop somewhere neat or interesting or photogenic, we'll take a picture of him doing something!

Where will you go? Good question! The truth is, I don't know! Banjo and I could go anywhere in the area... the mall, grocery shopping, perhaps an appointment or two, drive-thrus, the movie theatre, a local salon, a farm, some local landmarks... we never know where our adventure will take us!

Why Banjo? There are multiple reasons. First, I think he's one of my most photogenic models. Second, Banjo hasn't really been anywhere. The only place he's travelled was from Texas to here, in a cramped little box on a mail truck, and that isn't much fun, I can imagine. Third, he was able to fit in a tote-bag. I had thought about Goffert, but he would have needed a small backpack! Fourth, Banjo is kind of like the Silent Hill Stables mascot. And finally, he was able to fit in the only halter I own that has a lead-line.

Why are you doing this? For fun, really. Just something to do, and something that can make errands a little more exciting. And who knows, we might be able to spread the world about the model horse hobby!

What about the weather? Currently, it's still kind of cold in Pennsylvania, so heat won't be any sort of issue. In case of rain, I have packed Banjo a little rug. If there's snow or ice, chances are we might stay inside, but that doesn't mean we can't have fun, right?

Was Banjo forced into doing this, or was he willing to do it? So far he has not complained.

What if people give you weird looks? Then they do! I've gotten odd looks all my life, I don't let them get to me anymore. Besides, it's just fun, it's not like anyone's getting hurt.

Are you being paid to go certain places, or to bring Banjo anywhere? No.

Will you take Banjo deep sea diving/Gorilla hunting/skydiving/volcano exploring/to the Water Buffalo rodeo/other dangerous activity? No. If there is any threat to either myself or Banjo, we won't do it. This is another reason Banjo will no be allowed to fill my dad's car with gasoline/pick out other horses hooves.

Will you be posting pictures or telling us about your adventures? Absolutely. You can check back here, or go to my Facebook for photos and stories.