A good day

I am making white chili today. It is simmering on the stove. Hope it tastes as good as it smells. I think it might be a little more zippy than I thought. We are going to a chili feed tomorrow afternoon and Bob wanted to take something a little different. It doesn't look like chili but tastes like it.

Bob and I went to the Outdoor Show at the fairgrounds this afternoon. I enjoyed it but walking on concrete really huts my heels and knees. I did not know there were as many outfitters in the country, little lone in one place. Hunting and fishing trips to all over the world. I can not imagine hunting an elephant or a lion. Some of the deer, elk and moose horns were incredible in their size. I enjoyed a bird refuge area. They had a great horned owl that sat on their arm. She had lost a wing and could not fly. So instead of putting her down, they keep her at the refuge to educational purposes. They also had a screech owl. I did not realize they were so small. She was blind. Also a Red Tail Hawk which are prevalent around here. She only had one wing also and loved being talked to. She was sitting on a ladies arm. Of course they are on a tether lest they forget they can't fly. They also had a huge tank of glass that they were demonstrating fishing stuff. Didn't catch any when we were there but it was fun to watch those big fish swim around.

Sage tried to jump out of her pen when Bob was putting horses in. She likes to go first and Bob did her last. Maybe she is a little spoiled? Anyway, when he did go get her she was a lady about going in. If she had taken a run at it she probably could have jumped it but she tried it flat footed and just knocked her pen askew.

Maybe tomorrow I will get some pictures.

Blessings.

Basketball

Started out having lunch with a sweet new friend Lisa. We had such a good talk, I had to make myself say it was time to go home. She is an absolutely darling young woman. So alike are we.

This afternoon we went to a Middle School basketball game. Ryan's team lost. He was down in the dumps but that's life I guess. They played hard though. Also his younger brother Seth had a game earlier 6th. grade intramural. I didn't know whether to laugh or tell him good job. He said he scored all the points and they won but I didn't ask how many points. It was hard to remain serious.

Gonzaga won their first game in the NCAA tournament. Good game. I love watching them and the Cougars or WSU play. Don't care about anyone else. Probably doesn't matter to anyone else but I like it.

Sage was so calm when I put her in this evening it was nice. Sometimes she gets a little excited going back to the barn.

A funny story - at least for me. Bob got the tractor out yesterday and I told you, WELL its stuck again but not so bad. I just had to laugh.

Blessings

Its Unstuck

No pictures because my printer/scanner is fighting with me. Drat. Anyway it took Bob and our neighbor John 4 plus hours to get the tractor out. It looked to me like they were burying it deeper and deeper but they finally pulled it backwards to get it out. They both were covered with mud and Bob's boots were filled with water. I wanted to laugh but didn't think he would appreciate it. Neither of them.

Bob has trouble every time he is the one to move Sage from stall out/out into the stall. He was ready to swear this morning but when I got her in this evening she just walked along and was as polite as could be. She loves me what can I say.

Mostly I stayed in the house away from the two men. Got some things accomplished. Mainly the checkbook balanced. Hate that job worse than doing dishes but got it accomplished. Bob should not write checks under the influence of pain meds. At least I didn't make the mistakes this time. LOL.

Tomorrow I am have coffee with my sweet friend Lisa. That will be fun. She just grabbed a piece of my heart the first time I met her.

Blessings.

The joys of Mud

The chickens know their house is on the other side of the lake.
What happens when you try to cross where you shouln't have. I asked Bob is I could laugh. He said no.

She starts to wade across. The next step was much deeper and she fell in and managed to fly out. The brown one went to the barn.

The tractor is still there. He could not get it jacked up enough. A neighbor is coming down tomorrow with a large tractor and they will attempt to pull it out. He did get the cows fed first. He is muttering to himself but at least he tried to get it himself.

Last night Bob got a call from a vet and today he hauled a horse down to Wazoo for a lady. He probably has a broken hip but maybe not. Bob got this idea a while back to put his name out with some vets that he would haul horses when people didn't have trailers and they had emergencys. It was a good idea. The people today were so greatful.

When I put the horses out it was not raining and a few hours later it was pouring and they were glad to see me. Pepper is doing well, Sage is fine and Amelia is OK. She needs some pounds. Need to figure out some way to add calories to her diet. She gets vitamins, beet pulp soaked, a cup of corn oil and half a coffee can of Senior Feed night and morning plus alfalfa grass hay. Any ideas?

Blessings.

Swans

This what we saw on our way home from church yesterday. Have not seen swans like this before. I have seen them on the Turnbull Game Refuge but not in a wheat field. The entire view was awesome. All these pictures are at the same place.

Had fun taking the pictures. Swans, Geese and Ducks. We spent several minutes there watching and taking pictures.

Still nasty weather and lest I start complaining, I will just say......

Blessings.

Tack Swap Day

Today was the big 4H Tack Swap in Spokane. For me it always seems like the beginning of horse happenings. We took stuff out and bought some things. Bob found just the bit he had been looking for, for Wrangler and some boots that will fit most of the horses. They look like I might even be able to get them on. I got a halter for Sage and a pair of boots for me. Dress up boots. Just what I have been wanting. We spent more than we sold but that's OK. The dress boots I got are brand new and the other things were in great shape too. I think the purple halter is new too. We, disappointingly did not sell the 2 saddles we took but it did not look like a lot of them sold. It was fun to run into all kinds of people we knew from Lewiston on north and Moses Lake east to Spokane.

I did talk to the lady who is working with the Mustang Heritage Group that is doing Youth activities. They hope to have one in Spokane in 2012. I asked her to keep in touch and I knew we could help with that. Her daughter is the YaY (youth and yearling) thing last year with a yearling from Sage's herd. He was solid bay though. Big like her. I hope she will get in contact with me, I did not get her e mail. Dumb I know.

Bob is at a Gentlemen on Horseback dinner this evening with a neighbor. He is really trying to talk Bob into going with him next year down in Oregon. I am sort of iffy on whether Bob would enjoy it or not. He did like it when he went on the Chief Joseph (an appaloosa is a requirement to go) a few years ago but did not want to go any more. We will see.

Being without a phone stinks. I don't use it often but without it, of course I want to use it all the time. Aren't we silly creatures.

I saw four robins today, the very first ones. They are harbinger's of spring.

Blessings

Venting

No pictures. You don't want to see one of me with steam coming our the top of my head. But, let me start at the beginning.

When I got up and was watching the devastating pictures from Japan and knowing my oldest friend in the world had children in Okinawa, I went to my phone that had been charging all night and what did I have NOTHING. I shook and and wiggled the charger around and still NOTHING. We were going in town to consign some things at the Tack Swap so we stopped by the Wireless Store that is on our way in and my phone is DEAD and I mean DEAD. Nothing works at all. I called the customer service person and she said it was under warranty and switched me to that number. Well, she pushed the wrong button because they were talking Spanish and I know hablo and that is just about it. So I hung up and dialed again. This time I got English, however whoever I talked to did no speak good English. An hour later on Bob's phone and taking the battery in and out and giving her numbers and the color of little squares in little holes and verifying for the 5th. time my name and it is pronounced Lee not Leah and my address ect. I will have a new phone in five days or so. We do not have a land line so we have Bob's phone only. So there, I have vented. I did not drown it, I did not throw it anywhere, I just carry it around in my pocket. So if you need to get me in the next week, the Internet is the way you will do it.

Got all 59 of our items consigned at the tack swap. We will go in the AM and spend everything we might make. That is what we usually do. We did take a couple of saddles. We have an abundance of them. Its always fun though and we always see lots of our horsey friends that we have not seen all winter.

We had a day without rain so the horses all got our for a while. Back in tonight because the rain is coming back tonight.

Blessings.