Sunshine at last this week

This is my sweet brother in law known to most as L.E. but to us as Brownie. Today he retired after nearly 48 years. I would have loved to have been there for the celebration at AEDC and later at home. All three of their children and all of their grandchildren were there to wish him well. I could not find a larger picture. I snitched this from Facebook. He is a wonderful person and has taken wonderful care of my sister as her health has deteriorated. I will be seeing them in May. Can't wait.

The Albertsons pirate. He also had a large Rottweiler on a leash, Rocky. I have seen him around before but asked him today if I could take his picture. We stopped at the bank in Albertsons and he was out front. I think he said the bird was a Sunshine Conyer. It never moved from his shoulder. It went up and nestled closer to his face, but not a move to leave his perch.

I got some news today about Sage and an apology for it being so long before she got here. She will be her the 8th 9th. or 10th. of April. So less than two weeks and I will have her. If something screws up I am headed for Burns with the truck and trailer and get her myself. I wish it were sooner but at least I have an idea.

I found out there was going to be a small adoption in Colville, WA the first weekend of May at the Mountain Horse Stables. We will be going and helping.

I did find some interesting facts about Amelia. She is a Nevada horse from the Railroad Valley HMA which does not exist any more. I am going to Google it and see what I can find out. She is a different horse from the others in confirmation and size.

Have a good April 1st.

Another yukky day

I did not take a picture because I thought we would have a new baby calf I could show you. No not yet. And, we are supposed to have snow tonight. Poor Candy and poor baby. We are praying no twins this time. She is not nearly as large as when she popped them out. She had twins two years ago in a foot of much so guess this might be better. I don't know. The other cow has a little while to go.

I caught Rusty and put the Shreiners on her leg. Its about healed but still a place open and until that is closed we need to keep spraying it every day. She was naughty about me catching her. I got really aggravated with her. She didn't want me to tie her up to the trailer. Bob got home while I was having our argument. I got her tied up and told him what I thought of that little red headed horse. We left her there for a while and then he worked with her and I did the other chores. He put her in and out of the trailer and I don't know what else. She has to get over this stubbornness. If I did not know she wasn't afraid it would not bother me, but she is just stubborn and wants her own way. Tracey talks about (on her blog Mustang Diaries) her red headed terror. I think we have a match.

Bob thinks he might not have to work tomorrow. I hope not. We have things to do. And I want to go get Bob and small welder at Harbor Freight. It will be his Valentine, Easter and Fathers Day I imagine. Its on sale and he wants it. Its a coupon sale and I forgot it today when I went in to town. Drat. I did get an Easter outfit. Not just Easter of course but for my trip and dress up events. I did not get a dress. Probably should but I don't wear dresses. In fact I don't own one. A couple of skirts. Don't know why, I used to.

I am making Easter Baskets for my girls, little and big. Need to figure out what to do with the boys. Don't think they would like lace, jewels and ribbon. Oh well, I will. I should have started earlier. Didn't get the idea sooner.

Happy last Day of March.

Looking Back Monday

Today was a terrible day here. The wind blew 50 plus miles and hour and it snowed and rained and was just icky. So I just decided to just post some pictures from the past here. Some maybe have been posted before but I don't think most of them have.

This picture is our horses going out the lane to eat in the fog one morning. I loved that picture. The donkey is bringing up the rear.

Bob and I on a Mustang Club ride a couple of years ago. He is riding Pepper and I am riding Dixie. No days I ride Pepper and I gave Dixie back to her former owner. She was so thrilled to have her. I am so glad. She and I just did not connect too good. I could ride her but she wanted to go back where she came from.

My pony Wild Rose aka Rosie. She is my driving pony. She loves to pull a cart or the sleigh in the winter. Bob has used her for some light logging type activities too. If it pulls, she will do it. She also loves to have our grandaughter ride her. She isn't big on adults getting on her but babysits kiddos.

One of the horse's mane in the winter. I just loved the look. I think it is Raven but I don't know for sure.

These are Wynona Judd's horses. If you don't know Wynona is a country singer. Last year when I went to visit my sister, we went around and looked at the stars homes. Wynona's house is really on the next road but this is her pasture and her horses. The were very friendly. If I had had a carrot I would have fed them.

This little horse is part of a stained glass thingy that hangs in my dining room window. I won it at a Back Country Horsemen event a few years ago.

I don't remember when this was. I do know it was at the top of HooDoo Pass in Montana. We went with a couple of other couples and camped. It was Labor Day weekend. So much fun. I was chicken to ride down to the lake but it was fun looking at it.

A year ago I went over to daughter Nikki's and one of the days we went up to Bellingham for Nikki to get a tattoo. My nieces son Phillip is a tattoo artist there. We drove around and this church stands out. We had such a fun day and she got a pretty tattoo. Sometime when we are over there Nikki and I are going back up to Phill's and I am going to have him fix up mine. I have a horse on my wrist that I got in Key West a couple of years ago and part of it is fading. My sister got it for me for my 70th birthday.

This little plaque hangs in my cousin Eloises back yard. She has a lovely yard. So peaceful and she is very artistic with it.

I loved this picture. We have such beautiful sunsets out here on the plain. This particular one is through the seat of a wagon that sits in our front yard.

Hope you aren't bored with my looking back. All these pictures just popped out at me as I looked through my albums.

Have a wonderful day. For Christians around the world this is the most Holy week of the Year. Hope yours is special.

Tacos with the kids

Two of my girls. Our youngest daughter Christyn and her oldest daughter Nikki. We had such a good time today. We talked and laughed and laughed some more. Then we collaborated on Taco's for lunch which turned into dinner. It was a good day. Nikki is diabetic and has been since she was 6. She is now 16.

Our bit excitement today had nothing to do with horses but with cows. One of our cows, Candy, somehow found some wire like electric fence wire. She had it wrapped around both hind feet and in between her cowtoes. We got the longest part off but she kept kicking at it. Bob got a rope on her and we got the squeeze chute open. The put her head in but she is due to have her baby this week and I did not think she would fit. So, with Bob warning me not to get kicked, as if I wanted to get kicked. I petted her and ran my hand down her leg like I would on a horse and with wire cutters I got most of it off. But there was some I could not get to without endangering my head. So, we put her in the chute even though it was a tight squeeze. Bob opened the bottom door and got it off. I just petted her and told her what a good girl she was and we let her out. She wasn't cut but would have been by morning. Bob had a message for everyone. If you were looking for a good farmers wife, look elsewhere, this one is taken. LOL.

Saw a message on a sign on our way to church today and it is worth passing along.

Families are like fudge. Mostly sweet and a few nuts.

I Pledge Allegiance

Today I drove to Ellensburg to the Washington State Horsemen board meeting. During the president of our organizations opening remarks he talked about what a tough week this had been for our country and we were going to open the meeting with a pledge of allegiance. It set my mind to thinking on the two and a half hour drive home. I turned the music off and let my mind go.

I thought of all the ugly things that have been said about both sides of the issue and it makes my stomach turn over. I hate all this rhetoric. Neither side needs to say such bad things and make such bad accusations of others just because they disagree with their opinions. Both sides have said things no one needs to say. This is America, the land of the free and the home of the brave. We are Americans. And I lift my proud head about that fact. I remember some years ago being in Washington DC. We had toured the capitol building and went out a door opposite of where we went in somehow. Can't remember. We crossed the street to the Supreme Court building and I looked back across the street through the leaves of autumn at the Capitol and sat down on those white marble steps and wept. The ladies with me thought something was wrong but I just looked at that awesome picture in front of me and thought here I am in the capitol of the most powerful nation on earth. I am just little old me from Spokane, Washington and I can go and walk around and no one is standing there with guns. Some of that has changed since 911 but you can still get around the city. I am so proud to be an American. I guess that is why all this name calling and finger pointing is bothering me so much.

My sister and I are on opposite sides of the issue but we are still sisters and love each other. She is my one and only. Bob and his brother are on opposite sides of the issue but they still love each other. He is his one and only. We are family. Most of our friends agree with our particular views but they would still be our friends even if they didn't. We are Americans. Both Bob and Brownie and Bob's brother served in the military. I don't think at that time in their life they gave a big whoop about such things.

I want people to stop pointing fingers, stop calling names, stop sounding like a bunch of spoiled brats.

Well that is my preach and my only political talk on this blog. What people do on their own blogs is their business but this is mine dear friends and I want Peace. And I want my horse. LOL

Flying Snowflakes, wind and 3 years.

The month of April will mark the start of my 4th. year of blogging. This is a picture of Dixie and I. She is who I was riding then. Ramona from the BLM took this picture and sent it to me. Little did I know if anyone would read this or not. If you noticed my counter on the right hand side, we passed 10,000 visitors recently. That absolutely blows me away that that many people would want to come and see what a slightly overweight, white haired lady had to say about her experience with mustang horses and other things that flit through my mind. Thank you all so very very much.l
This is a recent picture of Rusty and I. Bob has been working her the past week while I have been gimping around. When I went out today she would not let me catch her without a run down and Bob walks right up to her. I told him, she was his and he would have to find the time to work with her. I will spray the meds on her leg but she does not want me around her. At least today that is what I am thinking. Anyway, if Sage gets here next week like I would expect, Gary said by the end of the month, I won't have so much time and we have another mustang filly coming in for training. So he had better get with my program. LOL.

To celebrate my three years of blogging, I am going to send a gift to someone. All you have to do is to comment on my blog during the entire month of April and then I will draw a name. I made some gift boxes and I will fill it with some things. Don't just know yet, but it will be fun to get.

Thank you all so much for reading and commenting and making me feel loved and not old.

My word today is appreciation. That is what i feel.

Beautiful Day

The sun shone so great today. I just relished it with joy. I could not get out and do anything but enjoyed the warm. Today Skeeter got a bath and a haircut. He was a mess. I don't care, I love him so much. He is so sweet and he was so glad to see me. He has a pretty green scarf on. He looks good in green.

Again nothing outside except Bob could not get Pepper in his stall this evening, he just ran around the barn for Bob. I hobbled down there and got after him. He looked at me and went where he belonged. My sister said he missed me, Bob said he was being stupid and I think he just was tired of the way Bob does things. Rusty has liked Bob treating her leg though. And she expects her treats. I am going to try to get out there myself tomorrow.

My foot is still sore but it is healing. I am trying very hard to walk on it correctly. Then it won't get sore places it doesn't need to. It is still vivid colored.

Take care. You have put up with a lot of whining this week. I am sorry I am not usually a wimp but this hurt. Way worse than getting dumped in the water.

Still Limping Around

What is left of our cherry tree. Half of it was dead and we did not get any cherries from it. The birds got them and made big messes. So, down it came. Tom will get the rest of the wood next weekend when he comes out. They have a wood heater stove and can use it.

Oliver relaxing in the sun. His short horn seems to have healed up OK. He recovered fully from whatever he had that made him so sick a month or so ago. Now if Bob walks toward him and doesn't have food he runs. He thinks he might be going to get another shot.

I wonder what kind of hens these are. They have very round bodies and tails that are not pointy like theothers, they are rounded. And they have feathers on their legs and their feathers are kind of bushy around their heads.

Spot relaxing before she goes out to the pasture to eat again. I expect her baby will be born next week. That is when the full moon is. Candy is due about the same time.

I don't know what kind this rooster is either. He is huge. I mean really huge. We had a rooster when we got the 10 new hens and she had the rooster. She said she could not eat him so gave him to us. He was in a rabbit hutch type cage in the barn for Bob to butcher last Saturday. Friday morning when Bob went out our rooster was laying there dead. Bob said he died with a smile on his face. Don't really know what happened to him though. We had another one drop over of a heart attack a couple of years ago. So Big Boy had his life saved. He is now our rooster. I think we have 13 laying hens and one old hen that is blind in one eye and is lame that has survived 3 dog attacks so we named her Lucky and she can live her life out in peace with the other chickens.

I don't know if I will be able to get out to do chores or work with Rusty by tomorrow or not. I hope so. Bob is in such a foul mood tonight that I am glad he did not catch her. I am hiding out. LOL.

Thankful Tuesday? I am thankful that my foot is a little better today. I am thankful for the sunshine. I am thankful for family. Even when we don't get along, we are still family.

Blessings to you all.

Limp Around Monday

No pictures today. I could not get outside to take any. Bob told me I missed some funny ones of the donkey's playing tug of war with a hose they found somewhere. I wanted to try to get down there but my foot hurts too bad.

It is swollen red and purple. That seems to be my colors of choice for the past three weeks. Man my foot hurt today. I tried to stay down and keep it up but one can only read so long and watch so much mindless TV. I got to thinking about things I had no business thinking of and worrying about until I had myself in tears. Tomorrow I am going to walk, hear me, I AM going to walk. Maybe I will even be able to get a sock on. This is ridiculous.

I did hear that my horse will not get here until the end of the month. Well that is just 6 days away so maybe next week. I hope so. I WILL BE WALKING BY THEN. I WILL. I want to just to be able to touch her. Probably won't happen as soon as I want but I will settle for just looking at her and talking to her and telling her how beautiful she is.

When God created the horse He said to the magnificent creature: I have made thee as no other. All the treasures of earth lie between they eyes. Thou shalt carry my friends upon thy back. Thy saddle shall be the seat of prayers to me. And though fly without wings, and conquer without any sword. Oh, horse.

The Koran.

I am a klutz even on Sunday

Yes, that is my foot. That is the bottom of my foot, that looks icky, I should have let Bob take a picture of the top. It HURTS. I am positive 2 toes are broken but nothing can be done. I dropped the cast iron lid of a cast iron pot. It hit right on the edge of the lid like a knife. That is what it felt like. DIL helped me this afternoon. Two Sundays ago, Pepper tossed me in the drink, last weekend on Saturday I fell down in gravel in Puyallup. Now this Sunday me foot. I may just take to my bed over the next weekend. And stay there.
This is my pride and joy. Sheya is a wonderful little horsemen. She has a great seat and is fearless. I got after Tom, her dad, because he did not get her helmet on her head. The next time she comes out we are going to go for a ride. She has been asking me all winter. I would have done it today but my foot kept me sitting. That is Rosie the Sheya is riding.

Maybe this is the week Sage will arrive.

Sunny Saturday

We are leaving soon and will be gone the rest of the day and into the evening. I will be too tired to write a blog so am going to leave you with a quote from Aesop's Fables, The Horse and the Stag: At one time the Horse had the plain entirely to himself. Then a Stag intruded into his domain and shared his pasture. The Horse, desiring to revenge himself on the stranger, asked a man if he were willing to help him in punishing the Stag. The man replied that if the Horse would receive a bit in his mouth and agree to carry him, he would contrive effective weapons against the Stag. The Horse consented and allowed the man to mount him. From that hour he found that instead of obtaining revenge on the Stag, he had enslaved himself to the service of man.

Have a great Saturday.

Friday

I got a new card reader so I can get the pictures off my camera. Hurrah.

Bob got home and I had Pepper all saddled for him to work with Rusty. I had done ground work with her earlier. She wasn't too excited about it but she will get used to it.

She did not like Bob being above her like that. So he will need to do this really often. Or, I will. I want to tell him how to do it but he won't like that. We do things quite differently and Rusty is used to me. At first she did not like me but now she is used to how I do things and its Bob she is leary of.

These are my spurs. Bob is hooking them up to the leathers as I write this. I hope they are enough for him to know I mean business. I don't want to carry a switch but that is the next step. He absolutely has decided he does not have to mind me. I rode today and it was enjoyable
as long as he was behaving. I tried riding bareback but he knew I could not make him mind so I came back and put my saddle on. I like to ride bareback some of the time. Not today though.

I told him he was still a butt head. I need to really clean up my saddle. I did not know it was still so muddy.

Gonzaga won their basket ball game tonight. Guess they play Syracuse tomorrow. GO ZAGS.

Thinking Thursday

Since I can't get pictures off my camera until I go tomorrow and get a card reader, I went through my folders and selected 6 pictures from the "past."

This one is of our bathroom mirror. This is what I found on the mirror when I came home from the hospital after I had my little stroke a few years ago. It blessed me so much I have left it there. Tom did it.
This is Candy the cow and her tongue. She loves bread and would stand on her head for a slice of it. She is due to have her baby any day now. She had twins the last time. Hope not again. That was scary. They both grew up fine though and she raised three others besides.

Bob and our grandson Isaac puffing up marshmallows in the microwave. That is something they do whenever the kids are here. The little boys and their Grandpa have a good time seeing how large they can make them. I told them if they exploded them, they get to clean it up.

Our good friend Gene Bruce working on a project we were involved in on the Escure Ranch building some corrals and stuff. It is a great place to go and ride out from in the fall and spring. Pretty hot and a problem of rattle snakes in the summer. So, we don't ride there then.

Isaac and Grandpa with Pepper. He is a good little cowboy and not much afraid of anything. He has such a good time with the horses when they come and stick around for a while.

A fun place to go and watch. The Sandpoint Draft Horse and Mule show. These large draft mules were really quite awesome. We had such a good time that day. It was sunny and warm that day.

It was a pretty day here today. I worked with Rusty this afternoon but she didn't know we were working. I tied her up and brushed her mane and tail out and they are so pretty. I treated her leg. And she let me lift one of her hind legs and I held it a few seconds. I hugged around her neck from the off side and she turned her head around like she was hugging me. I got so excited but just stood there quietly. Then I lead her to the front yard and let her much on grass. Later, I took a couple of treats down and for the very first time, I said the very first time, she came up to me at the fence and let me give them to her. So, we are making progress. She is ready to put a saddle on but I can't lift any of them up without heaving them so it will have to wait until Bob is going to be home. In the meantime, just keep working at her trust.

I was sure Sage would be here this week but I am sure they are all involved in the Horse Affair in Albany this weekend so I know it won't be. I have bought and paid for her but its like I don't really have her. I can not wait to get started with her.

Wednesday

Well, ....................................... My card reader died today. So until I can get another there aren't going to be any pictures. I am sorry but nothing I can do about it. Dang nab it anyway.

I worked with Rusty a long time today and she was really quite good. So when she was so good I took her and I sat on a pile of tires and let her eat nice fresh green grass. She seemed to like it a lot.

I went down to tend the baby chicks today and four of them were dead. That is why I hate tiny baby chicks. They die so easily. The other six seem fine. The new hens are hiding out in the hen house. Could not entice them out at all today. Bob better find a market for the eggs.

I was in town running errands today and I went to Will Rogers (if you're not from here he is a tack dealer in his mid 90's and has anything you want). I got a pair of bright blue spurs to ride Pepper with. Had to get stirrup straps too. I wanted pink or purple but he was sold out so got blue. A certain black horse better get used to them. they are bumper spurs, no rowels.

Have a good evening.

Thankful Tuesday

Isn't her tail beautiful? I got it all brushed out today. She really just stood there and let me until I moved to the off side and then she had a little snit. I just kept at it though and with the aid of Cowboy Magic I got it all brushed out pretty. She was a little nervous about me working back there but stood and let me.

Earlier though we had a little near catastrophe. She pulled away from me and ran right out the driveway and down the middle of the road. I was horrified. Our road is pretty busy sometimes especially that time of the day. Fortunately, a guy on a motorcycle came down the road and saw her and herded her right back to our driveway and I caught her. I don't know what possessed her but that's what she did. I led her back over to the trailer where I was trying to tie her up when something jumped up and was going to eat her (at least that is what she thought). She was good the rest of the day.

Bob is gone this evening to get some chickens. I didn't think we needed any more laying hens but I was glad to hear we got a dozen baby roosters for fryers.

Today I am thankful for the warm weather, the sunshine, and coat less days. I am not so naive as to think we are over cold weather but we are edging that way. I am thankful for the green grass that is sprouting and the little buds on the trees where leaves will be. I am thankful we can leave the front door open and a little of the storm door .

My word for the day is sunshine.

Monday

The two mares with the long manes. Rusty did not much like standing there with another horse and Amelia didn't like Rusty being there. They managed to work it out OK. They both got wormed today, in fact, they all but Cody got wormed today. When his mom comes she can do that. We had to run Yuma down and Bob had to rope him to get him wormed but now all of ours are done for now. The shots should be here this week and then we will have those to give. I order them out of the Heartland Vet Supply catalog.

That was about my day although Katie did most of the worming. Bob and I finished this evening and then went to Wally World to get a clock and a few groceries. Now to bed. Hopefully to sleep better than either of us did last night.

Sunday and I am home

I had a great visit this past weekend, no only with Janet that I stayed with but didn't take a picture and my cousins who I had that seen for over 30 some years. Donna lives in Eatonville and Cindy lives in Auburn. We had breakfast at Applebees just S of Puyallup and had a great visit. It was sooooo good to see them. Don't know why we had lost track of each other. We have the advent of Facebook to thank for getting back together. They have one sister and 2 brothers that its been forever since I have seen too.
Our bench outside Applebees. An unsuspecting guy walking by got conned into taking our picture. Thank you young man, whoever you are.

He took two pictures. Appreciated it a lot. You never know when you are going out to eat who is going to accost you.

My mountain fix. I grew up looking at that view. And I still love it.

Primroses in the flower bed outside Applebee's. They are such a pretty gold.

The clinic I attended was OK. I thought it was too long and she may be a wonderful judge of big shows but she is a name dropper and the names of the world shows she has judged. That did not really impress me a whole lot. It was way more applicable if you are a judge but I am a steward and she does not work with stewards so much of it was a little on the boring side. I only have to do it every 3 years though so it was tolerable. I was blessed to have somewhere to stay because some had to stay 2 nights in a motel for a one day clinic.

Janet and I had a really good visit. She cooked some great food. And we ate it.

I felt really bad that Nikki and Carmen were over this weekend and I only got to see them about half an hour before I left on Friday. They did not come out today, they took Carmen's mother back to Colfax. She has been visiting up here I think. Then then went home from there. Even though Carmen still does not have a job some things are looking up for them. They have been this way for long enough there are some programs they can get I guess. I hope so. They came to see Nathaniel. He is almost 3 months old and Carmen had not seen him yet. I am glad
they got to come.

My sister and brother in law got back last night I think from their Paradise adventure. I can't wait to hear all about it. I do hope their weather is nice so its not too much of a culture shock for them.

I had an uneventful drive home and that is always a good thing.

Thinking Thursday

A snowy day, a rainy day, a cold day, a windy day, Take your pick of one or all of the above. Rusty got out of any training today and I go a lot done inside the house. That needed to be done too. Bob has to work Saturday so we are not taking stuff to the Tack Swap because he would not be home in time to go collect the money. Oh well, we will have a yard sale and sell it then.

I was going to post some old pictures on my thinking day but forgot about it until just a bit ago so will have to start that another Thursday. Instead of that, I am going to post a poem at the end of the blog that I found in my book - Quotable Horse Lover.

I leave in the morning for Puyallup. I am going to go to a clinic that is required by Washington State Horsemen, Licensed Official committee. I am a licensed Show Steward. It is all day Saturday. I am staying Friday night and Saturday night with a longtime friend. I will visit Bobs brother and wife for a while Friday afternoon and Sunday morning I hope to meet my cousins for breakfast someplace. I will call Donna tomorrow.

I may or may not be posting anything until Sunday when I get home. Hope your weekend is wonderful.

I on my horse, and Love on me, doth try

Our horsemanships, while by strange work I prove

A horseman to my horse, a horse to Love,

And now man's wrongs in me, poor beats!decry. The reins wherewith my rider doth me tie

Are humbled thoughts, which bit of reverence move

Curb'd-in with fear, but with gilt bosse above

Of hope, which makes it seem fair to the eye:

The wand is will;thou,Fancy saddle art,

Girt fast by Memory; and while I spur

My horse, he spurs with sharp desire my heart.

He sits me fast however I do stir,

And now hath made me to his hand so right,

That in the manage myself take delight.

Sir Philip Sidney, "Astrophel and Stella," Sonnet IL

Its Wednesday

Rusty in the trailer with the divider closed after another battle. She is so strong willed. She is not afraid. If she were I would not keep pressing but she is just stubborn and wants to win. She leads OK as long as she agrees where we are going. Otherwise it is brakes on and feet planted hard. The only answer I have come up with is to turn her and back her up to where I want to go. It is a getting to be a pain. I am beginning to wonder what I need to do different with her. Some things just don't change. I will be gone this weekend and I told Bob he had to work with her and see what he can do with her.

This is Big Red. He will go home this weekend. A farrier is coming to work on his feet Saturday morning. They are really awful. Hes very friendly.

Other than work with Rusty it was a so so day. Bought groceries, put them all away and worked on some craft stuff. I need to clear off the dining room table before I leave on Friday. I have several projects going. One thing I did today was put a cover on an ugly old notebook that my Washington State Horsemen rule book would fit in. I could have sewn it but did it with fabric modgepodge and ribbon. No one will have another like it. I was going to buy one but Walmart didn't have any the right size and I discovered this one amidst the mess in the back room

but it needed something on the cover besides advertising so now it does.

Had a frustrating evening. Now I like company but not tonight. I made a good dinner which is not always the case. We fix what we want, it works for us but tonight I fried chicken, mashed potatoes, gravy and steamed broccoli. Well the neighbors showed up just as we were getting ready to eat. Didn't have enough for more people so we just ignored it. They stayed quite a while and the broccoli was mushy and everything else was cold. Grrrrrrr. Oh well, they are nice folks and had no idea.

Life goes on and I am tired. See you tomorrow.

Thankful Tuesday

The awful dark sky that we had today. A little sun but not even a little warm. I think our high was 38.
Spring is just a little over a week away. Is this not a sign of spring? There were dozens of them in the yard today. I told they they were going to freeze their little feet off. They didn't seem to listen.

I am much better today. The bruises keep appearing but are not hurting so much. Nothing broken and that was a big deal. We have the helicopter rescue insurance and one of the thoughts that went through my head was OMG I am going to have to ride in a helicopter and that scared me spitless. I was so glad I just rode the rest of the ride on a muddy horse.

I worked with Rusty this afternoon. She was a stinker again. She did let me work with her leg and spray the Shreiners on it. It is healing up beautiful. She did not want to do much of anything else though except follow me around. She leads well if she feels like it or otherwise she backs where I want her to go. She would not go into the trailer. It is in a different place. I worked about 3/4 of an hour before she went in. In and out, in and out and finally in to stand. She is a handful.

I thought sure I would hear about Sage yesterday or today. Maybe tomorrow. I want her here so bad.

I am thankful today for being unhurt in an accident that could have broken several bones. Although it was icky to be in, I am thankful for the mud that cushioned my crash. My friend Ramona said Pepper must have had a moment of Spring Madness. I agree. He really is a good horse.

A cold Monday

No photos today. I barely went out the door. My body aches and have places on my body that are colors that should not appear on the human body. Black/blue/purple and shades of all three. Somehow my left hand is puffed up but its really nothing serious. It will all be gone in a few days and I will feel better tomorrow.

After being in the near 60's for a couple of days, it was cold today. In the low 40's. When I went to put the horses out this morning I just wore a sweatshirt. I about froze so this evening I put my heavy barn coat on. Spring is coming though. Grass is coming up. As I was raking up around here on Saturday there was green grass sprouting under the winter stuff.

Tomorrow on my list of must do's is to get my old saddle cleaned up to take to the tack swap this weekend. Rather Bob take, I will be in Puyallup at a clinic. I love the tack swap and always enjoy being there even if I don't buy anything. It seems to always be the start of the horse season here.

Nothing outside today, just was not up to it but feel like it or not tomorrow I must get back to Rusty. We have a horse in the round pen for a neighborhood guy so I will have to do other things. That's OK. The horse in the RP is an almost 17 hand Tennessee Walker that John got for free. He is huge (the horse) -like in tall, not very wide. He is sweet. When I fed him this evening all he wanted to do was to be loved on. His owner was disabled and could not care for him. I think he is used to lots of loving on. I love horses like that. Raven is out lover. The others like it but she won't leave you alone if your are in the pasture. She just wants a lot of attention. Red seems that way. Hes about 15 I think.

I hope to hear from Burns tomorrow. I am so anxious to get Sage here. ANXIOUS I say.

A day of surprises - not so good

Today we went for a ride with the Back Country Horsemen. It was a beautiful day. There were about 30 of us. A real surprise. Lots of mules on the ride. Am glad our horses don't came.

Pepper is always towards the tail. He wasn't too far back today but far enough the leaders had made a loop in front of us.

I was kind of in the middle at this point.

Now to the surprise. Not fun I can assure you. About half way into the ride there was a seep pond over the trail. Pepper goes through water without a problem. Well, not this time. He went in just fine. About half way across he dropped and was going to lay down. I got wet on one leg but got his pulled back to his feet. THEN he just flopped down on the other side and tossed me face first into the very cold, very muddy water. Physically I was not hurt, have lots of black and blue spots on my thighs and my left side but nothing serious. However, I was really embarrassed. I had to crawl, literally on my hands and knees out of the water. I could not get on to my feet. Pepper ran off, he new he was in very deep, I mean very deep doodoo. A nice man helped me to my feet, and out of the pond. Bob got back to me at that point. I was really starting to shiver. He began stripping my clothes. I kept grabbing them, what was going to do out in the middle of no where with no clothes. I got down to my undies, he put his jacket on me. My friend Marilyn, bless her heart had on two pair of pants and she gave me her outside pair and helped me get them on. I was shivering pretty good by that point. She also had on two pair of socks. They dried the inside of my boots with my shirt and I put on her socks.

Someone returned my horse, he had broken my favorite reins. Wiped the mud on my saddle, Bob tied my wet jeans, t shirt, sweatshirt and vest behind his saddle and off we went to finish the ride. I was pretty done by the time we got back. One good thing, my cell phone was in my vent pocket zipped in and it is OK but my small camera was on my wrist and it got drowned. It is dead, full of water. I did get the card out of it though and it is OK, that is where the pictures came through. I feel so bad because my sister got it for me a couple of years ago and I loved it. I love my big camera but I could take this one in my pocket places its difficult to take the big one.

While I was recovering, my sister called from Maui. I didn't talk to her. Bob had my phone in his pocket. She said they were having fun and it was beautiful. I would sure rather been there than crawling around in a giant mud puddle.

Lots of great people though that were concerned and stood around with their backs turned. I didn't care. Just had to get warm.

That is my word today WARM.

Sunshine and Saturday

These boys played off and on all afternoon. It was fun to watch them. I had trouble getting a picture because the lens kept focusing on the trees or the fence. Finally got an angle that worked. They are really good friends.
Wanna dance?

Oh, shes over there taking pictures. We had better behave.

Liberty laying in the sun this morning.

Oliver hanging out where the sun shone best for him. I took a picture of his broke off horn but it didn't work. It looks good now. He is shedding. See all the bunches of white hair. He rubs it off with his remaining horn.

Wrangler enjoying the sun this morning too. I put Pepper into the pen with him and the silly guy went over and made Wrangler get up. Naughty boy.

It was a great day, not only did we get along of stuff outside cleaned up and burned but we got some chores done that needed doing. Katie and Cameron came out and rode. She groomed a couple of the horses for me. Hair flying all over. She will come Monday and do stalls.

I worked on Rusty for about two hours today and she was awesome. I took my little stool and put it down beside her and she let me get up on it and lay over her. She was not tied anywhere, just had the lead rope in my hand. Put her in and out of the trailer a couple of times. Bob went and got some Shreiners for her leg. That is good stuff. Kind of spendy but it works good. She is beginning to get some proud flesh growing and that will not only heal her leg but stop that from growing. I led her all over, around things, over things and after we sprayed her leg we put her back in the trailer and put the divider in place. I tied her outside like I would any horse and then we cleaned out the tack room and did stuff around the trailer. She just stood there. After about half an hour I turned her out. It was a successful day with her. Soon, very soon we will put a saddle on her. I hope she does not remember bucking off one last year.

It was almost 60 today, same is predicted for tomorrow. Then snow by midweek. Freaky? Yes of course. But it is March in the northwest.