April 9, 2009

A Monster - Look Out!



We have lots of oil and gas wells in northeastern Utah. A pumping unit, such as the one above, makes a loud clanking noise that can be heard for a mile.
Mischief is giving this one a careful look and pricked ears.
When Boss first saw a pumping unit in action, even though we were still a quarter mile away, he faced it with locked legs, prepared to run. Only considerable coaxing convinced him that it wasn't a monster about to attack.

In a more relaxed mode, here's Boss working out on the sand hills. Note that 3 legs are off the ground.

This imperfect shot shows the point in a canter when all 4 legs are briefly in the air.
For an abundance of beautiful skies all over the world, click here.

40 comments:

  1. oh my gosh! those ears are priceless! at first I thought they were fake bunny ears, you can see where my mind is at.
    & Wow 4 legs in the air, very exciting!

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  2. I always love your photos and I agree with Lily, those ears!!! Adorable! Happy Easter!

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  3. Hi Janie, I didn't know there were oil wells/facilities in Utah... Are there many????? How ugly they are! ha

    Lovely picture of Boss... One of these days, you can catch ALL four legs in the air!!! wouldn't that be neat?

    Have a great day.
    Hugs,
    Betsy

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  4. Are they just afraid of everything?! With some gentle coaxing they can walk on by.

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  5. Yes, that ears are great! I love best the second picture, it's so full of energy!
    Happy Easter!

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  6. It's worth noting that one of the very first primitive motion pictures was made to illustrate that a horse has all four feet off the ground during a ... I think that particular horse was in a full-on gallop, but it might have been at a canter.

    Never thought of Utah as an energy producing state, but I guess anywhere the dinosaurs roamed is fair game, huh?

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  7. Excellent photos as always.

    Have a great weekend
    Guy
    Regina In Pictures

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  8. Interesting style of pump jack--a little different from most. We used to climb up and "ride" them as kids.

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  9. I wonder what goes through a horses mind. ;-) You're probably right - monsters!

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  10. Great pics Janie. I just love Mischief's little ears there, so cute!

    And that pump is quite dramatic against your beautiful blue sky. Nice!

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  11. The top shot made me lol with those ears poking up. Cute and awesome.

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  12. I haven't seen an oil well in a long time. I like the ears, and other beautiful horse pictures!

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  13. Nice .. especially the ears in the first one ..

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  14. This noisy machine must be really a monster in the horses eyes. Great shot of the cantering horse with all four legs up. I do like the ears showing up; are you sure Janie, these are not bunnie's ears?
    Happy Easter to you and your family.

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  15. These are all wonderful shots. I had to laugh at the way Mischief's ears were pricked up in the first one. I am surprised at how I found the oil wells aesthetically pleasing in that shot. I've always been a bit on the here now and organic side of life, ha, so I wouldn't have expected that I would have liked the way an oil well looked but I did like that shot. I love how you caught the horse with it's feet off the ground. All three shots were very beautiful in their different ways.

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  16. Oh, your boys would LOVE to go for a run in the Zinder bush!

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  17. I love that first one with the pointed ears. ADORABLE! I can't say I blame them for being a little on edge around something like that - I'm sure I'd think it was a monster as well! ;)

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  18. We have tons of oil and gas wells here in Texas, too. Great photos! Happy Easter!

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  19. I thought they were dinosaurs the first time I saw them as a kid.

    Nice shots of the prancing ponies.

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  20. Great photos. I love the last. My daughter had a field trip where there were farm animals and they talked about different gaits and how many feet left the ground in each. Very interesting!

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  21. Great photos. Thanks for sharing with us all in sky watch friday and thanks for your kind comments on my post earlier.

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  22. A pumping unit! I spent several summers in West Texas tightening the packing gland on the polished rods, adjusting the rod whip, changing the counterweights, and greasing all the bearings. Memories...
    Great pictures of the horses in action especially the one with all four legs in the air.

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  23. Great pictures, as always. I love Mischief's ears in the first picture.

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  24. interesting post...amazing that the horses sense something is different than the norm when they approach...keen senses they have. i too...liked the ears ^..^
    have a wonderful weekend.

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  25. I love the last photo, the horse is gorgeous, I love all of your adventures

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  26. I quite like that "imperfect" shot. All are lovely.

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  27. Great photos of your four legged friends and I wish we could do without the noisy one. Thanks for sharing and have a wonderful weekend.
    Smiles

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  28. Janie: I do love the ruggedness of your country. Neat sky photos.

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  29. Absolutely gorgeous, you captured the horses so well

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  30. What a beautiful day it was. Great photos! :-)

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  31. That's a cool action shot! Lucky to catch it.

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  32. I wonder what the horses think they are...? The well does look a bit like it could leap up and come to life...or perhaps I have too much caffeine today!

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  33. The pictures are wonderful. Man and horse as one.
    Do the locals call the pumps Donkeys?
    Lovely pictures, thanks for sharing. Thanks too for your visit and comment.

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  34. Such contrast in those photos. Animal and machine against a backdrop of nature!

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  35. that photo with ears is fantastic, ha ha what a fun one, enter it in a competition, it will surely win...

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  36. I love your horses. The second shot is really great, nice control of the horse, and the levitating third is a sheer pleasure.

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  37. Such interesting pictures! Love the ears and the airborne cantor. I also did not know there were oil wells in Utah.

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  38. You have such wonderful pictures in this post and the ears was really cute! I loved the perspective!
    Happy Easter!

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  39. We have those pumps all over the place here in KS, and just south of us in OK also.

    Gorgeous shots of your horses! Looks like you guys get a lot of rides in!

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