A rainy grey Saturday

Today was a non horse day for me. I met our oldest daughter and her friend Rita in Ritzville and we went to the Mennonite Country Auction. It was interesting. Lots of good food for sale. I missed the bread, it was gone by the time I got there. I did get a very good piece of blackberry pie though. The soup for lunch was good and New Years Cookies are out of this world. I want to know how to make them. The quilts were beautiful that they auctioned off but really out of my price range. Some of them went for over $2,000. The wind was awful but it only rained once to amount to anything. I was so glad I came back in and got my heavy winter jacket.

Bob and Tyler went on a Back Country Horsemen trail ride over in Kingston, Idaho today. My back would not have managed a 3 hrs. trail ride today but they had a good time and then had a steak dinner. Tyler ate so much he brought his cake home and ate it after they got here. Rusty had the day off. She will get a good workout tomorrow.

It was hard to believe today that on Wednesday it was 85. Maybe that is why it felt so cold today. If the wind is not blowing so tomorrow I am going to try my back out and ride a little. Sometimes it helps.

Friday

Do you think I have a thing about photographing the horses eyes? This is Rusty's and she did not much the camera that close and it flashed besides. I took a long string of pictures until she quit jumping.

I worked with her today. I got one front foot picked up and touched the sole of it. The other front foot was hers and I didn't get it. I would have done better but Bob was there telling me how to do it. It made me prickly. I know how.

She did let me walk up to her and pet her shoulder and neck and take a hold of her halter. That was a first time for that. She does wonderful in the round pen on a 30' line changing directions. She does that for me as well as Bob. She is such a nice little horse.

The other horses are fine. Riding Lena hurt my back. Makes me mad. She was so rough. I thought Dixie was but she is smooth as can be compared to that big mare. I wanted to ride today but didn't get there. Maybe Monday. If the weather is decent maybe the three of us can go to Riverside SP for a while.

October 1

This is the view out my kitchen sink window. Its pretty isn't it. Looks like October. I would like to visiting my sister in Tennessee when the leaves change. It is as pretty as the NE. I guess anyway. Have never been to the NE at leaf changing time. But I have been in Tennessee and it is beautiful.

Lena was really naughty when the people came to look at her. I wouldn't have bought her either. I need to spend some real quality training time with her if they want to sell her. Katie thinks if she had been here it would have been different but it would not have been. Lena did not like the gal for some reason AND she was a timid rider. That was enough to make her grab the bit stick her nose up and was naughty. I will have to ride her every day and I did not want to do that. Its Katie's project but she has to go to school and she doesn't have the know how to get that head down and nose in.

Bob had a very successful day working with Rusty. He was able to pick up and hold both her front feet for a few seconds. He leaned on her and hugged her over her neck and withers. AND she did come up to me when I reached out to pet her thru the fence. That was big progress in my eyes.

Tomorrow is October

Where has the time gone.

Rode Lena today. It is hard for me to get up on her but did it. A chair worked good. She has a big stride. I thought Ditto used to but not like this. I walked and trotted her. Cross your fingers that they buy her. She needs to go somewhere where they will love her and ride her often. She really is a beautiful horse.

Katie came out and worked with Abby. She had to go to work so did not ride her. Just some good ground work.

My friend with Wildairo and Echo has a very sick horse. Her old Morgan gelding Foxsun has Pigeon Fever. Please keep them in your prayers. That is nasty stuff. And contagious. She is worried about her mustangs.

Can this be the end of September

A beautiful day in our neighborhood today. Love these warm fall days.

This was house day. Changing the bed, etc etc etc. Made chicken burritos for dinner. Used my mothers recipe and I am still too full to think about dessert and a friend sent over a homemade apple pie this evening. It may be breakfast.

Bob changed the panels on Rusty's pen. She now has 5' panels. She has never challenged a fence at all. We borrowed the 6' panels from Cathy Johnson and we would not have needed to I am sure. Bob did not do too much with her today - Rusty - He did pick her right front foot up and held it for a second or so. Then she followed him around the round pen. No rope attached to the halter at all. He went up to her shoulder and put his arm clear over her back and she let him give her a hug. He was thrilled and then snapped just a lead rope on her and took her back to her new 5' tall panel pen.

The funniest horse thing today was when Bob was bringing the 5' panels up thru the little pasture where Lena is and she tried to help him Every time he slowed down a little she was in front of him. Looked him in the eye like "what you doing, huh, can I help, " She was really funny. There are some people coming up from Ritzville to look at her on Wednesday. It will be during the day and I will have to ride her. Hope she will let me use the stool to get on. I will try to ride her tomorrow. She is 15 hands 3 and I am short and old. I am not afraid to ride her, she is just tall.

I had the best surprise today. I got an e mail from Maureen who adopted Sierra and Sierra is doing real well. She can not be in too big a pen because she has turned out to be a fence jumper. And fat. That surprises me but I was thrilled to hear about her. She said she is sweet and loves attention and she takes her for walks in the foothills around their place in Reno. She promised to send me some pictures soon.

A lazy Sunday - the last weekend of September

No pictures today. Meant to take it to the round pen when Bob was working with Rusty but I forgot it and was too lazy to come back and get it. Sorry. I just could not seem to get motivated too much today. Took a nap after church and just sort of putzed around.

Bob did good with Rusty. Got both of her front feet picked up. First with the rope and then with his hand. Not too long but a good start. He is going to work on that most of all in the days to come because her front feet are awful and need to be trimmed. I think she is short striding on one side at a trot and he thinks its her feet. She will do much better for Bob so I may just have to back off until he gets feat accomplished. She did not even want to walk out of the round pen with me standing by the gate. She finally did. I kept telling her I loved her and talking softly to her but she does not trust me nor even like me for some unknown reason. I was the first to really touch her maybe she is still holding that against me. I don't know.

Tomorrow is another day. Hope the weather is as nice. I worked a little in the tack room today sorting and cleaning and putting away. Want to get more done and I got some wood stripper today to strip the wood on my shaves on my big cart. Bob should have the new body done soon. At least that is what he says. It is going to be really pretty all oak and brass. It will probably be spring before I get to use it but thats OK. I have waited a long time. I have used it alot and it needed to be rebuilt. It has big wheels. I am going to take the wheels to an Amish wheelright I think and have them gone over. I think there is one out near Springdale. Will have to look into that.

A great Saturday

Katie won second place in her age division at the Extreme Trail Challenge today. I think she was a might overwhelmed but did well. Was proud of her.

Everything else kind of went by today. I judged the side-pass area and other than the first person thru who had a very uptight horse that went over backwards with her. It was a 12 year old child. The horse landed on her with her shoulder across a small log. When I said call 911 her mother looked at me and said why? I nearly had smoke coming out my ears. There was an EMT or 2 in attendance. She was OK just terrified but not because her mother did anything but scream as loud as her daughter. A way I did not want to start the day, however the next 34 riders did OK. Only one got a really perfect score but others came close. It was challenging but not impossible.

The Rider Ranch provided us with a good sack lunch and the weather was wonderful. A perfect day for a ride thru the trees. It was up and down and over and around. Sounded fun to me. Tyler took Dixie and just rode her around. He was chicken to try the course but he did gallop her all over the meadow. Cracked me up. His long hair flying just having a good time. She is still too thin but don't know what else to do besides what we are doing. I think her teeth had been bad so long its going to take time. She certainly has gotten light riding this summer.