Martin Luther King Day

Dr. McKinley floating Ravens teeth. They needed it but did not cause the left side nerve paralysis that is making her muzzel look so funny. He put her on steroid shots for the next month. He says it usually goes away eventually and the steroids will help it. Bob and I both took a big breath when he said it would be OK and even if it doesn't we can still ride her. He said to watch her eating and see that food does not get stuck up on that side of her mouth.

Raven stood in the corner all the while Abby was getting her teeth done. She didn't care too much what went on around her. It took me several minutes to get her that far. She drug her toes and just sort of staggered the entire 10 feet. Reminded me of the drunk horse in the movie

Cat Ballou. Only she didn't lean against the wall and cross her legs. Am I dating myself?

She could not seem to keep her tongue in her mouth. She is a sweet mare and I told her I was sorry for laughing at her. We have had her a couple of years. She is from the Ravendale HMA in California.

Also today we took my saddle in to Pat McGowan at Indiana Harness to go over and fix all up. He told me what kind of a saddle pad I need to bring it up off Dixies shoulders. It is a very comfortable saddle. We also took my chink chaps in to have hooks put on it instead of buckles. I have trouble buckling them especially when my hands are cold and am wearing gloves. The buckles do not feel good under my legs either when sitting in the saddle. Hope this works to make them more useable. Also took our youth saddle in to be repaired. Bob put it on Rusty and she said not today and bucked it off and now it needs fixing. He won't use our grandkids saddle on her any more. We laughed but that is the best saddle for most of the kids. Its a 13" nice leather saddle.

That took up most of our day. I woke up with a headache and will go to bed with it I guess. Sinus, I can tell. It has been hanging around for a while. I may have to break down and go to see the doctor but don't want to.

I think we may go see our daughter Nikki this weekend. They are having a tough time and we think she needs a hug. I have a meeting in Ellensburg Saturday afternoon and I think we will go on over to Marysville. It will be a quick visit but it will be good to see her.

Remember Serenity Room's blog give away. It worth looking at.

Computer doing tricks

Sometimes it works, sometimes it doesn't. Mostly doesn't but at the moment it seems to be. My guru friend Jim is coming Tuesday to see whats up with it so I will struggle thru until then. So no one get worried if I disappear for a while, I will return.

It was like a fairy land this morning when we went to church. The sun was shining and all the trees are still white with frozen frost. It was beautiful. This evening when the sun went down it was cold out though, really cold.

Tomorrow is vet day for Raven and Abby. I hope its nothing serious for Raven. It sure looks funny for sure.

Today we had planned for our daughter Christyn's birthday and she was not up to coming. Her surgery is in just a week and is miserable. So we invited our neighbors Shannon and Ron and some friends Jim and Kathy to come to dinner. We had it complete with birthday cake and ice cream. I feel bad she was not up to coming but we enjoyed the fun and fellowship with our friends.

Don't forget that Barbara at Serentity Gate is having a wonderful giveaway for Valentines Day. Go check it out. Besides its a wonderful blog.

Oh yes, I meant to say Happy Birthday to our friend Sonny too. His birthday is the same as Chrissy's. His wife Patty is a follower of this blog.

No too much to write about today, Katie came out, our friends came and we had a nice relaxing day.

Saturday

Well, yesterday I was so angry I could see red and I am sure there was steam coming out my ears. THEN, when I sat down at the computer it would not connect to the internet. It would connect and then go right back off. Finally, when my head was pounding and I was at wits end I just turned it completely off and went to bed. Obviously it works this morning.

Maybe why it would not work was my anger. I still am but not the head pounding seeing red kind of anger. We work hard living quite frugally on a very small retirement and social security. Bob got an opportunity to go to work for two or three months with the Census Bureau at 1636 W. lst. in Spokane. He usually drives my car to work because it is so economical. I needed my car yesterday and Bob drove "the big blue truck" A 6 speed Dodge Ram 3/4 ton pickup. Some one in the building did not recognize it, supposed it did not belong to anyone there and called EVERGREEN TOWING and they came and towed it away. When they called me and I told them Bob worked there they towed it anyway. The government could not possibly have intervened. In order to get it back we had to pay 329.16 cash. Bob's office told him they would get him his money back but we are steaming. They should have made them returned the truck. They are looking at a law suit and they know that. From the owner of the buiilding, to Bob's high bosses to the towing company. We simply do not have that kind of money to give away for someone elses error.

So maybe that is why the computer would not work last night. I would have said alot more. I had to drive in to Spokane in pea soup fog to take him to the truck and then home in the dark alone in fog so thick you could barely see in front of the car. I was sick to my stomach and my head ached. It was AWFUL.

The fog seems better this morning. I hope so. We have a Back Country Horse Meeting this evening in Hayden, Idaho. We enjoy that group of friends. I am ready for a nice ride somewhere - actually anywhere if we can get thru snow banks. If we had a heater in our small living quarters horse trailer we would go down to Escure Ranch south of Sprauge. It should not have snow. In my dreams maybe. Or down to Odessa to the BLM ranch down there. I am dreaming.

Congratulations again for Linda for winning the book.

AND THE WINNER IS

And the winner is LINDA of Beautiful Mustang. It was drawn just a little bit ago. We will figure out how to get it to you. Seems silly to mail something when I know you live in the area. Congratulations. I will do another drawing when I figure out what and how.

Freezing Fog

Rusty, isn't that a face? Beautiful to me, don't know if she can see out but love looking at it. The white on her main on the ends is frozen fog. I am sorry it did not show up as clearly in the picture. For those that don't know, she is from Beautty's Butte in Oregon.

I feel so bad for my blogger friend Barbara. She and her husband lost their beloved lab yesterday. Tai was 14 or 15 years old. It hurts so bad, I know.

Also my friend Andi in Burns, Oregon lost her mother last weekend. Feel bad for her. She was, and is, leaving tomorrow for Santa Fe, NM to help with things and she did intend to see her mother. Bless her heart. I know how it feels to lose ones mother. -

I don't want to gripe about this weather so I won't say I am sick and tired of looking out to see lots of white. Could not even see our mailbox just across the road in front of the house today. Makes one want to say something really bad. REALLY bad.

Pepper surely does try ones patience at times. Yesterday he nearly nocked me down getting by the mares coming in. SO, this evening I took the lunge whip with me when I went to let the girls in. I let the girls in and shut their stall doors before I let him in or he runs in with Dixie and tries to take her food. Now he knows where his stall is, so when I went to let him in he ran by me with his head up like stop me, I dare you. Then he stopped at the hay in the barn and looked at me like, this is where I am going tonight. He would no move. I popped him on the rear with the lunge whip and he trotted down and into his stall, swung around and stomped his foot at me. I laughed at him. He is such a character. He can be so naughty but he will pack any little kid around. Never doing anything bad. He does have a personality plus though.

Tonight is all you have to comment on the blog so you go into the drawing for the book. I know you will enjoy it. I will draw when I get up in the morning. Remember The Serenity Room blog is having a great giveaway too.

Do nothing Wednesday

When Bob takes my car to work then I am afoot. Well the truck is here but the clutch is weird and I can't drive it. I probably would not go anywhere but always think I might want to when the car is gone.

We have an appointment with Dr. Jed McKinley for Raven next Monday. That is the first time we could get her in unless we wanted to pay for a farm call. It is cheaper than most because we are one of his very first customers when he came here out of college. We appreciate that. It does not seem like an emergency but is weird. One side of her upper lip is puffed up and kind of hangs over. She puts her tongue out the other side of her mouth. She is eating fine and seems happy. She won't let us look at it too close. I think there is a splinter in it or cheet grass. He could have seen her tomorrow but Bob is working and I just can't manage a weird clutch in a 6 speed truck. Especially pulling a 4 horse trailer behind it. I don't want to try to twitch her with the problem being her upper lip so we will wait for Jed to do it. Sedate her I am sure.

My foot is black and blue but it will survive. I threatened Pepper with bodily harm if he tried his little trick again. He just gave me a blank look like "Me, I wouldn't do that". I told him he was a spoiled brat. That didn't seem to faze him either.

Just 2 days left on the book drawing. Be sure to comment on the blog and then I will add your name to the Mixed Nut can. Seemed appropriate to me. The more often you comment, the more often you name goes in. Go look at The Serenity Room. She has a wonderful give away for Valentines Day. I added a Links posting to her blog. At least that is what I think it is. Well I didn't do it. Nikki did it for me.

Tuesday

I showed Sequoia to a very nice lady. I don't know if she will buy him or not but we had a nice visit and she saw all our menagerie. I always like to talk to people who are horse people and to swap stories. She lives up between Springdale and Ford.

Katie came and played with Abby some. We began working again on showmanship details. She is going to show Abby this year. She should do OK if she can keep her nerves under control.

Pepper played a game with me this morning when I put him out. He wanted to stop and eat hay and when I wouldn't let him he deliverty stepped on my right foot. Its a might sore tonight. I slugged him on his shoulder to get him to move his foot. He looked at me like whats with you, I couldn't help it if your foot was there. Bad boy.

Other than going to Walmart to get some quilt batting and some things for salad this was just a day. Nothing exciting, nothing boring, just a day. Don't forget my book give away. I will draw on Friday morning.