Photo Op at OBS

Just before we headed to the airport in Florida to make our way home, and during our whirlwind tour of the countryside, we stopped by Ocala Breeders Sales, an equine sales facility.  They sell only Thoroughbred horses, and specialize in select, high-end racehorses.  Some horses sold there come with price tags well into the millions.

The facility has its own racetrack...

...And row after row of spotless barns.  The barns are laid out just like the back side of a typical racetrack, with tack rooms at each end and hot walkers in between barns for exercising horses.

There's a huge difference though: this place is beautiful.  The back side of most tracks is shabby and plain, weathered and sometimes downright seedy.  I've never seen the back side of a track look this spotless.

Ocala Breeders Sales is well kept, to say the least.  The day we were there, it was also deserted.  There were no sales going on, and we took the opportunity to stretch our legs before heading for the airport. 

I sometimes wonder if my baby will believe I was around when she was small.  There will be so little proof of it.  I'm almost always behind the camera, so there are not a whole lotta photos with me actually in them.

For this reason alone, every once in a while I acquiesce to a photo or two.

Here I was trying to explain to Beep "This is grass, Baby.  It's a color we call 'green.' "  Poor little drought baby.

This is a pretty typical pose- wherever I go, the Beep is parked on my left hip. 

My left arm is freakishly strong and I can hold Beep practically indefinitely.  On the rare occasion my arm does get tired, it is still agreeable enough to not only continue holding her, but it just goes to sleep.

This is also totally typical.  Baby and Mama at a barn together. 

We felt right at home, but all too soon it was time to leave this idyllic little corner of the horse world.  Back into the car we piled and off we drove, a trio of horse dorks.