Eek 7 to go.

It was soooooooooooo hot today. Over 100 at our place. I took Bob to the doctor today hoping for a walking cast. He took the splint off and his foot swelled up huge. Don't know why. He had an xray and we will know tomorrow what from here. If its healing OK, he won't have a cast and will just be able to put a little weight on it. I guess its a waiting evening.

We have not had any rain for about 6 weeks and of course this is the weekend of our yard sale/fund raiser and its supposed to be cloudy, hot, dry lightening and perhaps some rain. We have it all ready to put out tomorrow. Have 2 grandchildren here helping. They are 12/14. Will be a lot of help. Our 9 year old grandson from Marysville will be here tomorrow too. Happy days, and 3 other cousins - all that and a yard sale, putting the finishing touches on Sierra and trying to retain my sanity.

Sierra is a little sore today and I found some scrapes but she cooperated with everything we did. It is hard for me to run and trot with her and it was so bloody hot that we only did it once. I am really getting knotted up over this. Can I do it, will my knee collapse in the middle, will I embarrass myself, will Sierra blow up, will my nerves affect her so she doesn't understand what I want and the list goes on.

Enough

My Sponsors

I have not figured out how to make a list of my sponsors to show on the blog so will just list them here. Each of them are very important to me and have each provided me with either a service of some kind or cash. Thank you so much for the bottom of my heart.

Lorisue Enterprises
Jed McKinley Equine Vet
Photo-image & Consulting
Nikki Edgerton
Kay Waller
Katie Marabello
Kim Marbo
Michelle Stemirick
Judy Ballenger
Angela Huston
Jim and Kathy Spring
Darlene Stevenson

I think I might have left someone out but don't know who. I will add to the list if it grows or if I find someone I have forgotten.

Day 8 to go was both scarey and great

I put Sierra in the arena this morning - she has been turned in there many times- to get some exercise before we had to leave for the vet. Before we left we had to move some just weaned calves to a pasture next door. Tyler had made a good aisle way with panels. Moving the young stock went well but Sierra wigged out pretty good with them running by the arena. She started running and bucking which was OK . However ---the arena is a 4' fence and big drive thru gate. She made a really really bad choice and thought she would jump the gate.

She isn't quite ready to clear 4' and got her front half over and then was stuck in the middle - half over, half not. Scared the bejeebers out of me. She just stood there on her tippy toes. I put a lead rope on the front half. Tyler dismantled the gate from under her. She just stood there quietly during the entire process. Then she walked away. I cried thru the entire process but it all turned out OK.

THEN I loaded her in the trailer for her first ride. I tied her in the first stall area and then worried all the way. However she stood like a trouper. When we got to the vet he asked me to unload her and she just stood there looking around. He examined her where she hung over the fence and said she might be a little stiff tomorrow but work her thru it. She let him draw blood and tried to take the paperwork right out of his hand. Jed McKinley is the best vet ever. He never minds working on our mustangs.

Sierra rode home the way she rode there. Such a great little horse.

Near catastrophe - 8 to go

Holy mackerel - Guess I did not think it would come so fast.

Today could have been a real catastrophic day. My heart nearly leaped out of my chest and I thought Tyler was going to collapse he was so upset.

Tyler was moving panels with the tractor thru Sierra's little pasture. And Sierra being Sierra decided to go thru the gate with the tractor. She got out into a pasture pen with hotwire on 3 sides. Tyler being inexperienced horsey person ran to head her off and of course that made her run faster. She went through the fence, broke off 3 fence posts and pulled the wire all over the place. That scared her worse of course and she went through another fence and tore it up. That put her in with our 6 horses that are in that pen. They wanted to get acquainted and that scared her and Raven tried to chase her off with her teeth bared.

I told Tyler to stop, just stop and the horses would quit running. They did. Pepper did try to protect her and got her behind him and just kept her there. It was really amazing. Truly Bob's wonder horse. I got Sierra's halter on and she was shaking. Went over her with my hands and there is only a little ding on her forehead but nothing else seems to be wrong. I put her her stall and let her settle down. Poor Tyler was sure I was going to really be mad at him for letting her get out. No way. He worked very hard and got new posts set and the fences all back. Just what he wanted to do on a very hot day. Felt sorry for him.

Later in the day we went out and went thru the trail items. She did very well, in fact her side pass was very good. She was glad to go back to her house. Tomorrow she goes to see Dr. McKinley and get her health certificate and perhaps a Coggins.

Single Digits - and music

Today was hard for me for some reason. My body was tired.

Sierra went out to eat a while and then came to me when I called her. Good girl! I took my elcheapo boom box, the CD and a LONG extension cord, and Sierra to the arena. My neighbors may bet really tired of hearing I will remember you, will you remember me? I don't have anything worked out but we did listen to it and try a few things. I do not have my heart set on needing it but do want to be prepared.

We worked on the usual things, backing, trotting, poles, the box, side passing = just the things we have been working on for a while. She was good and obedient and did not argue with me at all. Backing was great and so was the side passing from both sides. All the while Sara McLaughlin was singing loudly. Tomorrow, I will time it so I know 3 minutes.

Our neighbor Shannon came by and looked at her. Digressing a little, Shannon brought her big steer down. Cow-cow came walking beside her down the road with a red halter and lead rope on him. He was in a pasture and his pasture mates - horse and mules - came home. He broke the fence down and came home. He was lonesome. He is in with out cattle now. They seem to have accepted him just fine. Every evening he gets a gallon of goat milk as well as grain. When she came to feed him this evening she just called Cow-cow and waved a bucket so he could see it and he came trotting up to her. It was a riot. Anyway, that is why Shannon was here this morning. She took a look at Sierra and thought she was in top notch condition. She wasn't so appreciative about 6 weeks ago. Shannon does know horses (cows and goats too).

I should have gotten a picture of the pair walking down the road. Drat.

Sierras day or rest - 10 to go.

This morning we loaded up 2 of our mustangs - Pepper and my Dixie. We meaning our grandson Tyler, Bob and I. We headed for the top of 4Th of July Pass - just east of Couer d'Alene, Idaho. About 60 miles from home. We joined about 25 of our friends from our Back Country Horsemen group. Bob got settled in a chair to watch. Our friend April's husband Mark was not riding so he and Bob hung out together keeping an eye on every ones vehicles and trailers. The rest of us set out on Cross Country Ski trails. Nice riding in the summer. It was about a 12 mile ride - 3 hrs. My body hurt when we got back - think I need to ride more often and I am 70 after all. Darn.

Tracey liked her trail picture with her horses ears. So here are mine. No steep trail but it was fun riding.

Tyler enjoying Pepper. Peppers eyesight has gotten very much worse recently. He loves to go though and is still a babysitter horse.

And the last pictures is my sweet Dixie's face. She kept turning her head and looking back. Love the picture

My great granddaughter - 15 month old Lilianna just arrived, just to give her GG and big hug so gotta go do that.

30 to 40 mph winds - 11 to go

Did not think it was too wise to try to do too much with Sierra today. It was an ugly day, no rain, just clouds that looked like rain and WIND. Of course the West Plains is notorious for its wind.

I did put her out in her little pasture after her breakfast this AM. About 4 I decided to go get her and see what we could do in the round pen. It is sheltered a little. I set her off to trot over the poles and she set out in a gallop and didn't stop for quite a while. After she came down to a trot I told her whoa. Know what she did = nothing kept right on going so we changed directions for a while and tried it again, still no response. That went on for 45 minutes, whoa, change directions and off again. Finally she came down to a walk and she looked at me for the first time and said OH is that what you want and came right up to me. I wanted to bop her but instead petted and hugged her and told her good girl. We did some side passing. Some good, some not so good, yielded her hind quarters on both sides, gave me her shoulders and we called it quits.

I do have a CD player now - the cheapest Walmart has - and will start practicing with the music. I won't need it unless I am in the top 3 or 5. Have read both, and I just can't wrap my brain around finishing that high no matter how much we have practiced. Keep thinking I must have missed something.