2008 Fjord Calendar
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Carol Tacey and Tony DiMuccio

A five acre wildlife rehabilitation station located in Southern Rhode Island. You can watch the horses run in their pasture along the Suckashean River from the art studio windows. Oil paintings of dogs, cats, and horses are my specialty and I give oil painting lessons in the studio two days a week.  In the past we have had creatures of every sort. The farm has been a short or long term home to wildlife in need and domestic pets that find them selves on hard times. You'll find peacocks, chickens, geese, ducks, doves, all free roaming the farm.  And best loved are the horses, Norwegian Fjord horses for trail riding, camping, and pleasure driving.

I'm 65 now and retired.  We no longer have a yard full!  Now, I have scaled down to two horses, one dog, and one parrot.  But I remember 30 years ago when my life on TOTEM FARM started. When I was thirty ... I got a divorce and bought a horse. I also bought a small farm which had lay empty for 25 years. The house was over grown with vines and shrubs, had no heating system, and a decided lean to the roof. We had our work cut out for us, myself and my three children. But inch by inch, Totem Farm became a pleasure to the eye and home to ... I can't count how many of Gods Creatures. No homeless fur or feather critter is ever turned away. My children are grown and now my new husband, Tony, is my happy helper in this "Gentle Woman's Farm",  TOTEM FARM.
 

PRINCESS

This is Princess, my first and best horse.
There has never been another like her. She died in 1978.

Shawnee is Princesses daughter, she became my riding horse when her mother died. Wonderful, gentle trail horse. She was unhappy being the only horse in the yard, so it was time to buy my daughter, Carolyn, her first horse, Shasha. "The Pinto", and Carolyn became a riding team. Carolyn was nine years old when she started to ride and we put on a lot of miles together.

 

Shawnee and Shasha were both put to rest in October 2000 at the ages of 33 and 36. Missed and loved still.

 THEN IT WAS TIME TO BUY NEW TRAIL RIDING HORSES

I looked and looked and finally chose the Norwegian Fjord for our new trail horses. The breed is known to be gentle, friendly, and easy to live with. Now that Tony and I are in our 60's, Fjords are a good choice. No fight, no hassle, just saddle and go. It took some time to decide on just the right two horses for us but we are finally sure, Flikka and Lilla are keepers. They are family now, and we spend many happy hours together.

LILLA

Meet LILLA our NFHR Fjord mare. Judged "A" Preemie Mare (8 in type) at the Vermont Kuering in 2000. She is 14.2 and 9 years old. Lilla is my favorite trail horse, slow and steady, you can really trust her. A great camper, knows how to slip off her halter (only takes her 1 minute) so we camp with a portable electric fence. If you tie her with a line she is loose in one minute, she doesn't go anywhere, just hangs around waiting for you to notice "I'm loose again". Lilla is a real people horse and more like having a big dog in the yard than a horse. . . Follows you around the field, always wants to be "with the people". Last spring she had a colt, very handsome fellow. Lilla was a wonderful mother, we loved watching her with her foal.

Lillas' foal was born April 15, 2001 Easter Sunday.
She gave birth at 9am on Sunday morning with the whole family watching, several neighbors too. It was our Easter Miracle Morning. Lilla is the sweetest most loving Mother and the "kid" . . . well he is a little pistol. Lilla's colt was sold when he was 8 months old to a wonderful home and Lilla is back to being our trail riding horse. 
Oh, did I tell you, Lilla is the boss of the barn.  She rules.  Always first for food and first for petting.  What a Momma!

FLIKKA

This is NFHR Flikka, 12 year old, 14.1 Brown Dun Mare. Flikka is a real lady, rides and drives. Well trained pony club veteran. She did us proud in the Equitana in Kentucky. She was great in the demo rides and a real cutie in the display stall, all the kids loved her. Flikka does it all, rides and drives.

We took Flikka to the Fingerlakes Fjord Show in New York 2004 and the Green Mountain Fjord Show in Woodstock, Vermont 2004.   She made us proud again, in the ribbons. But the BEST part of these Fjord horse shows are the people you meet. Fjord owners are the nicest bunch of folks, all ready to help one another. None of that "show" must win stuff. We made many new friends and plan to see them next summer at these shows. If you ever need a helping hand, ask a Fjord person, you'll get two helping hands. I saw some beautiful Fjords at the shows, all well behave and well trained.

www.northeastfjord.com
 

MORE CRITTERS FROM THE FARM

Yes, doves, peacocks, geese and many more.  I can't resist making pets out of them all.  A little kindness and FOOD is all it takes to have these critters eating out of your hand.  We have a squirrel who comes to the sliding door every morning at 8 sharp for his handout!  He has no tail, so his name is "No Tail" ... Should have named him "Lucky" ... he got hit by a car, lost tail, BUT lived.  Actually "No Tail" is a girl, 'cause SHE keeps bringing new babies to the house.

SQUIRT OUR TV STAR

"Squirt" our African Gray parrot is in my television show "Happy Painting".  He comes to all my oil painting classes and the students love him.  Talks like "the dickens". Sings songs, tells jokes, and is the star of my art classes. Some students come to class JUST to hear Squirt do his thing! Squirt thinks he is a human and runs the house and that's all there is to that!

OUR DOGS ARE SHIH TZU

We love Grace, our Shih Tzu dog, cutie, loveable, and the very BEST house dog. She is on the left, with her playmate "Peps" on the right.  When a Shih Tzu lives with you ... your bed is never empty!

NEW PUPPY HAS ARRIVED!  ZOE IS HER NAME

Zoe is 5 months old now, and boy is she smart!

LOVE WITH CAUTION

We take in and bottle feed lost or abandoned raccoons. The raccoon baby is truly adorable and a playful scamp.  We have spent many hours at home laughing over the antics of these busy little baby raccoons.  Caution: a wildlife rehabilitators license is necessary to care for wild animals. Wild animals can be dangerous. We always release them if and when we can. A baby raccoon is the CUTEST little critter in the world, but when they mature they get ATTITUDE and WILL bite you.
A mature raccoon does not make a good pet.

SPRING ON THE FARM

The most beautiful time of year.  The Wisteria which grows over the barn is in full bloom.  The Iris garden is starting to come into bloom ... and many new months to feed keep popping up!

TONY HAS A DREAM

It is true, as Tony will tell you ... If we did not have horses, he would have his OWN plane by now.  Tony is retired from the Army National Guard (full time personal) after 40 years service and is a veteran of the Gulf War.  Tony's dream is to own his own sport plane.   

For now,
he rents a plane
and cries in his sleep!

Oh, and he buys lottery tickets!

Carol Tacey - Tony DiMuccio at Totem Farm
West Kingston, Rhode Island, 02892 - 401-789-2062
www.painteasy.com ~~~~~ E-MAIL