Monday

Isn't he stunning? We went into Airway Heights this afternoon to Hicks Hardware and if you are in this area you know that Claude Hicks has everything and knows exactly where it is. After Bob got what he needed he said lets go over to the hospital in Medical Lake and look at the deer. If you are from this area you know the deer at the hospital are all over the place. This beautiful guy just laid there and looked at us. I don't have a long lens so I was this close to him. He wasn't too concerned. He is king of the Eastern State Hospital deer herd I think.

Bob and Tyler worked in the barn until after dark tonight. They are adding to the loft and putting more lights up. It will be great when they get it finished.

Dixie and Ditto were very funny. When I was out talking to the boys I heard horses trotting and my girls saw me and thought AHAAAAA. Its time to go eat. I made them wait a bit but then put in their grain and hay and watched them hurry fast to their respective stalls. They are so funny. Both of the nickering under their breath at me. Yuma and Rosie came with them but when I did not let them in they pouted all the way back out to the pasture. Yuma is so very funny. He stomps and pouts and gives dirty looks.

He appears

I can quit whining about Bob being gone. He arrived home this afternoon elk less but had a grand time and saw lots, and he took tons of pictures. So he considered it a good 9 days. Too bad I wasn't with him.

Rusty was glad to see him. I had worked hard and not been able to touch her but Bob walked right up to her and loved on her. She is definitely his horse. I would imagine he will be on her soon.

We figured our hours to turn in to Burns for volunteering. Way more than I thought. When we added up all our hours according to their list of what qualifies. I would love to be closer to Burns so we could do more but alas. Not possible. If we were younger I would not hesitate. I don't want to be so far from our kids, their kids etc.

I am rambling. Sorry. Am glad to have my hubby home.

A lonesome Saturday

Our horses this morning in the fog. Probably not a photo contest picture but I loved it.

Rusty has a very clean enlarged pen. Lena went home today and we moved a couple of the panels so Dixie can get to the water trough where the other horses drink. We fixed it when Sierra was here with a panel across the middle. Rusty immediately stuck her head clear down in it. I think she was glad to have something more than a large bucket to drink out of. She seemed to like the extra room. Tyler brought 3 tractor buckets full of sand to put in. So she has a nice clean extra big corral. She would not let me touch her though. I put her in the round pen when we were working on her pen and she snorted and bucked and ran.

I also cleaned Ditto and Dixie's stalls. Really stripped them bare and re bedded them. We need to get a new load of shavings. If Bob does not come home pretty soon I will call and order them myself. Had one bale of straw and Ditto got that. Have one more stall to clean and Tyler gets that. He won the drawing. I am going to make from scratch cinnamon roles tomorrow. So, he gets to do the last stall. Think that is only fair huh?

Not a word from the wayward hunter. If he was alone I would be scared. He is not. (alone)

Halloween

Our outside dog Maggie looking very sad because Bob has been gone a week. She thinks he has deserted us. Maybe I am too. He has been gone over a week now.

I had an experience putting my "girls" in their stalls tonight. Abby and Pepper got to the gate and pushed their way right out. So I had a mare in her stall (Ditto) and three other horses out. Dixie went to her stall sneaking so Abby and Pepper would not follow her. I caught Pepper with a hay string (Joy, a hay string is what they tied the bale closed with. A string on each side. They used to use wire but now its string) and got another string on Abby and got them back in. they thought they could take advantage of me. Of course Tyler is not here this evening. They would not have challenged two of us.

Another dog story. Skeeter, my year old poodle who is very attached to me wherever I go, was here in the bedroom with me. I have a box of Kleenex on the floor by my bed. I heard this noise and I looked over and he was methodically pulling the Kleenex out one at a time. It was so funny I could have watched him continue but thought perhaps he should know that wasn't what I wanted him to do. He is now laying at my feet.

No trick or treater's as usual out here. I always get a little candy just in case and leave the porch light on but not one that I can take a picture of. I used to have a little neighbor boy come by but he is all grown up now - or at least he thinks he is. He is 15.

Thursday

I think this is supposed to be the last day of our nice Indian summer weather. Hope not although we desperately need some rain.If a fire got going it would be really tough.

Our Inland Empire Mustang Horse Club met this evening. We had a good meeting. Had an enthusiastic new member come. Don. He has 2 free Kiger mares to give to the right person. Neither is broken to ride but very gentle. If anyone is interested let me know and I can give you his cell phone number. They are 2ND. generation horses, not branded. The club is not making any decisions about next year until our January meeting. We will not be meeting in November as our meeting day is Thanksgiving Day. In December we encounter the same problem so we decided to have a Christmas party on Dec. 13Th. at my house.

Tonight when I put Dixie and Ditto in I wished I had my camera with me. I called the girls in and Yuma (the burro) started for the barn at a gallop. They came after him and passed him up but he wanted to be in and get something special too. After I put the mares in, I took him out a handful of packer pellets and put them in the feeder for him. He was disdainful however and stomped back out to the pasture. He wanted in the barn. He is so funny.

Wednesday

A strange day. I slept in some. That was in itself was strange. I am not a real early riser but usually earlier than 8:30 and that is when I woke up. I would have probably slept longer if Skeeter had not been crying to get out of his crate.

Met my friend Helen for lunch. We had some Washington State Horsemen Steward rules to talk about. Not that we need an excuse to have lunch. Wanted some rules cleared up in my mind before going to convention in 2 1/2 weeks. Think I do now. I get so frustrated with myself when I know something is in the rule book but I can't find it. Helen and I are a 2 person support team. She works more than I do but that's OK.

I so wished I had a camera of my mares coming running when I called them again tonight. They can run like the wind when they know what is waiting for them. Dixie got sidetracked when she got up to the barn because Tyler was inside the pasture working on the fence. She wondered what he was doing inside her pasture. I put a hay string around her neck and she followed me into the barn. Ditto was already munching on her grain wondering what Dixie was doing still out there.

Tuesday

This is the scene we get in the evenings when the weather is nice. It is the main reason we don't want the property to ever be sold.

Well my mares who were so naughty -along with the others- earlier this week redeemed themselves. I don't give them grain during the summer but its time to start. Dixie has been coming in quite regularly but has always been a little of a twit about getting caught. Tonight they were all out in the very back corner of our place. I put their grain and vitamins in their stall feeders and went to the fence and called them. It took a couple of times for them to hear me. Ditto looked up and saw me with a can in my hand. She took off and Dixie was hot on her heels. They came running. Ditto went right straight to her stall and I put a hay string around Dixie's neck. I did not know if she would go to the right stall or not. I was so proud of them, I gave them each an alfalfa pellet. We will see how they do tomorrow.

Spent the day at the dentist. It will be a couple of weeks before I have to go back. I am glad I don't have to do the often.