Horse of a Different Color

This part of north central Florida is horse country, rivaling the blue grass state of Kentucky. In fact the top four horses at this year's Kentucky Derby had connections to farms or training facilities in Marion County. The civic pride in the thoroughbreds, jumpers, and quarter horses that are bred and trained here is expressed in a variety of ways, including the painted horses that can be found at farms, businesses and parks all over the county. Identical in size with only a few variations in form, each is painted by a different local artist or artisan to become unique in its own right.

My wife and I moved here from Maine seven years ago but we are still discovering horses we haven't seen before and it's always a surprise and a pleasure.

This morning I drove my wife into town for an appointment and, even though I've been to this particular complex of medical office buildings before, I took a walk to stretch my legs and found this big guy out under the trees. Having gotten into the habit of having a camera with my at all times, I knew I had my blip for today.

I wish it was always this easy .... and the adventure serendipitously continues.