Coffee Clutch with Dutch Henry: 2014-06-01

Friday, June 6, 2014

"Feature Friday – Opus

Howdy Folks,

Opus Moon was founded by Cindy and Bill Loos to celebrate the wild horses of America. Putting their musical and photography skills to use they have written and recorded several albums of beautiful, meaningful and moving songs, and taken thousands of stunning photographs of our noble wild horses. Proceeds from the sale of their songs and photographs go to support efforts to keep wild horses running free.

Magnum and his offspring Siesta and Pistol

Opus Moon's efforts have been appreciated and noticed by many like minded individuals as noteworthy and eye opening, bringing attention to the plight of wild horses and burros at the hands of the BLM. One individual so moved was Joseph Piner, documentary film maker whose latest project the film, "Free Spirits – Saving America's Wild Horses" will be released this fall. So touched was he by their songs and efforts that he featured their music in his film.

Opus Moon owes its name to a late September evening when Cindy and Bill were settling into their campsite, after a day of searching for, and photographing the wild horses they'd come to know so well. A bright moon hung high overhead and the sounds of the open range night drifted into the campsite. So did the music of running wild horses. Opus is the coming together of artistic composition, and this night the artistry of the call of an owl, rustle of an evening breeze and wild horses running and nickering under that bright moon was truly artistic.

The Legacy Ladies of The Little Book Cliff

You can join Opus Moon on Facebook HERE and have a stroll through their website HERE where you can fall in love with their music, photos and stories.

You can also get to know Joseph Piner and have a look at his movie trailer HERE.

These are great folks devoted to celebrating and saving our wild horses and it's an honor to feature them today.

Gitty Up ~ Dutch Henry

Tuesday, June 3, 2014

"Coffee Clutch is back!"

Howdy Friends! – Coffee Clutch is back! – Today is the first day Coffee Clutch is officially back since my heart attack, surgery and recovery! And the Hummingbirds knew it and welcomed me with much fanfare, buzzing and squeaking all around the feeder just outside Kessy's bedroom. It felt so good to once again settle in my old chair next to the finest mare I've ever known, sip a little steaming Folgers (decafe) in my brand spankin' new Coffee Clutch mug sent me by our friend Darlene Hohensee (Thanks Darlene) and listen to her munch away. My new mug has a picture of our Coffee Clutch and my name!

First Official Coffee Clutch Day Back - With my new Coffee Clutch Mug -

Oh sure I've been out in the barn spending time with Kessy, brushing her and following Ravishin' Robbie as she does all the chores, for weeks already, even sat with Kessy in the barn and woods. But morning Coffee Clutch is a special time I've missed so dearly. Our barn is tucked in the woods bringing birds so close as they dine with the chickens at the cracked corn scatterings. Cardinals, Towhees, Chickadees, Titmice, and other seed eating birds swoop in to hop about and eat, and the chickens never mind their company. Most mornings the wild birds stay longer than the chickens!

This morning was a very active bird morning from hummers buzzing their feeder, to everyone at the cracked corn and treetops filled with Robins trilling, a Scarlet Tanager, and in the distance even a Wood Thrush joined in while a Bluebird sat high in a tulip tree letting go his sweet notes to float down to me.

Since walking every day is part of my morning routine now, and forever they tell me, I had to make an adjustment to my routine. Gotta get up earlier! Sometime just before six I roll from under the covers, head out and walk first lick. It's good right now to beat the heat and bugs at that time anyway. Our grassy trail through the woods is just over a half mile, which I now walk in 25 minutes. The bird watching is top notch there too, and I'd probably walk it faster if I didn't stop so often to search the treetops and underbrush.

Ravishin' Robbie, Saturday and I walk our "Recovery Trail" together then go to the barn. I'm helping a bit with the chores now, the easy light stuff like Kessy's soaked Timothy cubes (Kessy's on an all forage diet) and the chicken scratch. Walking and chores finished, I settle in my chair next to Kessy, and pour a cup (I'm only doing one cup now instead of a pot), and enjoy the start of another beautiful morning. It's so wonderful to be back where I belong!

God Bless, Thank you all for your prayers, love, cards, letters, and support! … Have a beautiful day, and life ~

Gitty Up,

Dutch Henry

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Welcome to the Coffee Clutch

Welcome to the Coffee Clutch, a happy place to visit. I write uplifting stories about a wide variety of subjects from horses to birds and nature, to love and family and friends. Sometimes I'll post excerpts from stories I've written for Equine Publications. Sometimes I'll post about writing itself. Coffee Clutch got its name because I often write while enjoying my morning coffee in the barn with my mare Kessy, and all our critters. Join us here for fun conversation and stories I promise will make you feel good.

It's For The Horses

This is not a book about riding, or training horses. It is a book on my thoughts, ideas and suggestions on how folks might find the joy in doing things for the horse, with the horses’ point of view as the leading guide. My hope is to help as many people as possible learn to hear the horse, feel their spirit, and in that way help horses everywhere. Over the years I’ve met and worked with remarkable people and horses who taught me about their feelings, their joys, their sadness, and their spirit. As a horse advocate everything I do is from the horse’s perspective, including this little book. Every story, idea, suggestion and thought on these pages will be to suggest and share thoughts and ideas on how to maximize a relationship between horse and human—from the horse’s point of view.

Tom Named by Horse

The only man ever to offer Tom respect is Red Cloud. The only woman to give him love is Red Cloud’s granddaughter. Struggling with his own personal demons, Tom finds himself wedged between honoring that friendship and staying true to the depths of his conscience. Amid a backdrop of tumultuous social upheaval, he finds nothing prepared him, the woman he loves or Chief Red Cloud, for the changes about to thunder into their lives, sweeping them helplessly into the tides of human conflict and historical drama. Available on Amazon.

From The Banks OF Little Bear Creek

The Tom Named by Horse Saga continues. Three years after the death of Tall Dog, Tom Named By Horse and Soft Cloud have turned the little soddy, the lands granted them by Red Cloud, and the lean-to barn into a thriving horse ranch, fulfilling Tom’s dream. The Plains Indians Wars, or Red Cloud’s war, is mostly behind them, and the lands have had their transformation as Red Cloud’s vision had warned years earlier. Trailing horses from the ranch to Denver city has become an annual event for Tom, Buck and the rest, and this is the story of that trail. In the spirit of a good old John Wayne movie, vengeance, cattle and horse thieves, a dirty sheriff and corrupt mayor, and a wedding make this year’s drive a ride you’ll want to tag along on.