Prairie Days Parade

[altivo]

Mule team
Originally uploaded by Altivo

Up to Clinton, Wisconsin this afternoon to see the Prairie Days parade which always consists entirely of equine units. Participation was down this year with only about 45 units in the parade (compared to 90 or more in the past.) I imagine the high cost of fuel to haul horse trailers and equipment had something to do with it, combined with the fact that last year's parade was cancelled due to a tornado/severe storm warning. I've uploaded six selected photos, and you can see the entire sequence by clicking on the tag Prairie Days 2008. I'll add some more tomorrow if I can. Here you see a six mule team pulling a rare custom circus wagon. The weather was perfect.

[EDIT: Six more photos added, 6:00 am Monday, 18 Aug]

We ran into friends from the weaving guild there and got invited to see Juanita Hofstrom's Vavning Studio, a 150 year old Methodist church in Shopiere that has been converted to a learning center for the arts. It's full of dozens of working looms, antique rugs, superb black and white photography by Juanita's husband, and of course, Juanita herself who gave us a grand tour. A busy, rather unplanned day but worth it.

Comments

[soanos.livejournal.com]

Now THAT is what I call horsepower. Thank you. I wish that one day that will be a common sight :)

[altivo.livejournal.com]

You're welcome. Another six photos added this morning. Because I only have dialup, it takes a while to get them all uploaded.

[ducktapeddonkey.livejournal.com]

Nice picture. Mules are cute. :)


Too bad I've missed so many of the various "fests" around here this summer. I'll have to see if I can catch at least one of them.

[bonnie-tiler.livejournal.com]

"Juanita Hofstrom's Vavning Studio"...hmmmm
I detect my scandinvian tongue there.
"Juanita Hofström's Vävnings studio" Purrrhapps?
(said in a Londo Mollari way..lol)

[altivo.livejournal.com]

Yeah, I love those ears. And a recent study provided scientific proof that mules are smarter and have better memories than either horses or donkeys. It was just in New Scientist in the last week or two.

[altivo.livejournal.com]

Yep, I'm sure she took the name of the studio from Swedish or Norwegian. But on her signs and business cards the umlauts are missing. Hofström is her husband's name, of course, and from her own first name and appearance I think she's probably of Hispanic descent. :)

Her automobile license plate says "WEB LOOM".

[soanos.livejournal.com]

That Fjord is beautiful. Definitely one of my favourite breeds.

[luperion.livejournal.com]

Needs more enormous horses with enormous furry paws. ^_^

[altivo.livejournal.com]

There was one good Clydesdale in there. :) I think there was one Belgian and a couple of Percherons too, but they're only big, no feathers.

Total turnout was only half of what it has been in the past though. I think the high cost of fuel is the problem.

[cabcat.livejournal.com]

What a lovely lot of horses, all very well cared for by the look of things :)

[altivo.livejournal.com]

Yep. Of course, people with bony or abused-looking horses aren't likely to parade them in public.

The horses are always nice looking, but usually the rigs are even more interesting. In the past we've seen everything from antique fire engines to chuck wagons, a grocer's wagon, and a sleigh with wheels added so it could run on pavement.