Well here I am after all of this time.  I am fine, Bob is fine.  Just a lot of computer problems and the dumb thing would not let me on.

Today is my 76th. birthday.  I never did believe I would live this long now did I think I would be still riding my horse.  The picture is yesterday on a 2 1/2 hrs. ride over some beautiful countryside.  We saw lots of wild flowers, geese with strings of baby following mama, we saw a bald eagle sitting on the lake shore, we saw lots of ducks and duck babies.  It was wonderful

Sage did very well.  Each trail ride is better.  She got a little nervous at a couple of rocks that wanted to eat her.  We crossed the top of a little dam over the end of the lake.  She went over it going but coming back she wasn't so sure.  Also there is one pretty steep little trail, not long at all.  It is really down through some brushy area and she could not see the trail.  Once she started down she was fine.  It was by far the best and most relaxed ride I have had on her.

Since I was on, our son Tom has moved in next door with his family.  We love it.  They can help and we can leave for a while and know our animals are taken care of.

We have not sold Chico and he looks awful.  Ditto has been in a pen next to him and we put her out on pasture and he has run himself bad calling and calling.  It is pathetic to watch.  He has rubbed hair off in places from hitting the fence.  I don't know what we are going to do.  We really need to sell him.  I hate him looking this way.

We have had six calves born and one still to go.  Four red ones and two black ones.  Abe,Bell, Claire, Danny, Easy and Fritz.  We bought Gracie and she is at Shannons living on goat milk.  We bought a bull and his name is Hank the Tank.  A nice looking hereford bulls. 

Oh, I really hope I will be able to get back on here.  Missed hearing from you all.  I love comments. 

Blessings to each and every one of you.

Lea

My face is pretty much healed up.  My nose is still a little tender. 4 more weeks before I can do anything where I might hit my face.  I am not doing yoga any more.  I am afraid of getting hurt more.  Instead I am riding the recumbant bike for half an hour, then I swim for half an hour and then sit in the hot tub 10 minutes, 3x a week.  That is my exercise routine.

Poor Sage feels so neglected.  We have been over in Marysville with our oldest daughter and in Everett with our younger daughter.  It was SO good to see my girls.  We came home to a foot of snow on the ground and Sage just stands and looks at the house.  I had so much to do today that Icould not get out.

We have our second baby calf.  She is named Belle and is red like Abe.  The third one should be here very soon.  This snow storm has really made us concerned. 

 This has not been a good month.  I will be glad for March to arrive.  First of all an old friend died up in Oroville.  We showed horses together.  Then a friend over in Hayden, ID died.  His wife is who I got my new saddle from.  Then last weekend my cousin who we were close to died.  I think a Pulmunary failure but I will miss Donna.  Then,  still reeling from that  our dear dear old friend from church that everyone call Grandma died.  This is a little much.  All but Donna was elderly and 2 had cancer but still.......its tough.

So maybe I will have the picture thingy fixed pretty soon. 

Blessings,

I know I have been gone for a while.  First just life gets in the way of things I want to do.  The dark days of winter are very difficult for me.  I find myself in a big slump that gets bigger as the dark days go on.  Now with 5 or 6 inches of snow on the ground its been worse.  However, we had some surprise sun today.  I did get outside for a bit.  That helps.

Secondly, while at the Yoga class I have been going to, I got suddenly very dizzy and fell flat on my face.  I think I might have passed out, I don't know but I know I could not move for a bit and my nose was bleeding like a faucet.  No one could have better friends than Lisa and Jen who got me up and out of the room.  Lisa went back and cleaned up the mess.  I was very embarrassed,   I did not go straight to the doctor and I should have.  When Bob forced me to go because I was vomiting one time after the other for 2 days.  I have a  concussion - surprise - but nothing is broken.  They gave me something for the nausea and that really helped.  Today is the first day I have not had to take it at any time.  I lost a few pounds not eating but I am sure it will come back. 

Tomorrow I lead the Bible Study and Bob won't turn me lose with the car so he will drive me.  Bless his heart.  We girls have a good time studying, crying, and laughing together. 

The picture is Rusty.  She wanted more carrots.  I took a handful of carrots for the rest of the horses and 2 big apples for my Princess Sage.  If I was all over from the thunking of my head I would have ridden her today.  But, Bob was not home and I think he might have gotten upset to come home and find me on her back.  Soon though, SOON.

I hope I can keep up better with this page.  Still am having trouble with picturess.  Need a grandson to come and spend the day.  Blessings.

Lea

 I sure do wish I could get the pictures off my camera.  It is so beautiful out.  Frozen fog heavy on the trees, fences and everywhere it seems.  It looks magical but of course it isn't.  We don't have any fog directly at our place but have.  Trees are breaking under the weight of it.  It is pretty though.

I just came in from playing with Sage for a bit and giving Rosie a treat.  Sage likes apples and Rosie will eat carrots.  They got one of each.  I need to catch Sage up and work with her but everything is still covered in ice or the ground frozen until it hurts their feet.  So until that lets up its an apple a day.  She loves them.

Bob has begun working with Rusty again.  AGAIN.  He needs to keep it up.  He wants to use her to pack this year.  She is short enough that it will be easy to load.  She and Rosie are about the same height and Rosie loves to pack.  Not as much as pulling a cart but she likes it if the lead horse is not going so fast that she has to trot all the time.  Pepper is a good one to lead off of.  He is pokey.

I went to Ellensburg on Saturday to a Washington State Horsemen board meeting.  It was a foggy drive but I really enjoy that group of equestrians.  Because I retired as a show steward this year, they presented me with a beautiful plaque.  I was so surprised and appreciated it lots.  It was good of them and I had no idea. 

I retired from being a steward because it was time to explore other things.  I liked it when I was doing it but it was time to move on.  I enjoy trail riding and enjoy the business part of WSH.  There are great people from all over the state involved.

I got hearing aids last week.  They may drive me nutty until I get used to them.  I have trouble getting them into my ear with the little doo dad that keeps them there in the right place.  I was surprised the batteries don't last as long as I thought.  I really needed them, more that I really thought.  I knew my hearing was getting dim but not as much as it tested.  Thank God for good insurance that paid for most of them. 

Hope I get a printer soon and can get pictures.  This is driving me nutty.

I am so much enjoying "my girls" that come to the Bible Study I am leading.  They are wonderful young women who want to study.  I love them all. 



Well, well, there will be no pictures for a while unless I can find some older ones.  My printer died, won't work at all now so have no way to read the camera card.  I should get a new printer in the next week or so however.

We are having a windstorm of all windstorms.  Since yesterday it has blown up to 70 mph here constantly.  We got some rain yesterday but now because the ground is frozen, we have standing water all over the place.  The arena is one large lake, there is a pond on the other side close to running into Ditto's pen.  May have to move her.  I think we will have to move Sage and Rosie tomorrow.  Its awful, then I suppose it will freeze and snow and we will be in a real fix. 

So that is my worry.  We had our Northeast Zone awards function for 2013 today.  We had an awesome turnout.  It was a light lunch and cake for $10.00.  It brought a lot more people that usual.  I know some people were disappointed we did not have a banquet but it turned out good.  It was certainly worth it.  I don't show any more but stay involved in the zone.  I enjoy being with horsey friends whatever they do with their horses. 

I sure am missing my girls.  I know we just saw them at Christmas but both are going through some trials and I want to hug on them.  Our boys live in Spokane but have not seen them longer.  Work schedules are a pain when mama's want to see their chilluns.

Take care,

Blessings

Lea

I guess if I wait until I have pictures to post, they will all be antiquie.  (Is that a word?)  I can not get my card reader to read my card and put the pictures on here. 

So we had a wonderful Christmas at our daughters homes.  We went to Everett on Monday to stay with Chrissy and to see Nikki in Marysville.  We had Christmas day at Nikki's with all her boys and their families.  It was a wonderful day.  I hated that they all had to work up to Christmas and then the days after but we had evenings and the 26th. Bob and I spent most of the day driving and moseying around the Everett waterfront.  The Aircraft Carrier USS Nimitz is in and was sitting in the harbor.  It was an awesome sight for sure.  I can not imagine airplanes landing and taking off on it though.

We were so amazed that there was no snow up on Snoqualmie Pass.  The ski slopes were mostly brown dirt, no snow to speak of.  I feel bad for the people who depend on the snow for their living in the winter.

We came home on Friday, dry roads all the way.  Loved being with family but it is always good to be home. 

New Years Eve was spent quietly at home.  I watched horse training video's until 11:30.  Woke Bob up from the couch, took carrots out to the horses and came in in time to kiss Bob Happy New Year and to fall into bed.  New Years Day was just like any other day. 

Line dancing classes start up tomorrow.  It will keep me with some exercise and Tuesday I am going to start Yoga classes with my friend Lisa.  We neither have done it before but it sounds like something I can do.  She has Fibermyalgia so it should help us both.

Next week I am going to start teaching a Bible Study.  I have not done it for a while but love it and it keeps my mind active.  We are going to do a study called Stuck.  Its about the things in ourselves that keep us from moving ahead spiritually and emotionally.  It looks very good, for the gals and the teacher too.  It is not a study at church, just some gals who want a bible study.  They go to different churches I think.  I am excited to do that too. 

So that is our life over the holidays and up to date.  Can't ride, its too icy but take carrots and apples out to the horses.  They come hurrying when I go out. 

So lest you think I ran off somewhere, no just no pictures and keep trying to figure it out.

Blessings,

Lea