Friday, January 30th

Rosie is a registered American Paint Pony. She is registered as Wild Rose but has always been Rosie since the day we got her. Bob owned and Operated Roto Rooter Sewer Servicer for 30 plus years. He was doing a job in Mead and this 3 year old pinto pony was in the back yard in a small pen. He asked about her and was given the owners name and phone number in Oregon. They wanted to sell her. That evening we went back and looked at her when he had more time. He hopped on her back and rode her around with just a halter and lead rope. The lady said be careful, she bucks. She has been with a trainer and they sent her back because they could not control her. Being the intelligent people we are, we bough her anyway. She has never bucked except when 3 larger grandkids tried to get on her and she said no thanks, and they went off. Actually it was pretty funny. Tyler and Katie were playing around one fall day with the ponies. They both rode with halters and leadropes. Rosie really is an awsome pony. She is 13 hands so a small adult can ride her and not be too much. She loves attention. She has had one baby. He was born on a stormy May evening and we named him, of course, Stormy. He is a with a young girl over on the coast doing beginner dressage and eventing.

She, we believe is half Welsh Pony and half Tobiano Paint. She was bought originally at a horse auction and was pregnant. She was too young and thankfull aborted the foal. She was bought at the auction by the people we bought her from

Rosie gets furry like a Yak or a Fuzzy Wuzzy Bear. She is way low on the totem pole in the pasture. She can be a stinker to catch if she thinks she has to go to work. She is an awesome beginner horse. If I am giving lessons to a beginner and they are small, she is who we start on. She will let kids hug on her and kiss on her and swing on her legs.

A couple of summers ago Bob and our grandson Ryan went on a packing trip into the Bob Marshall Wilderness. They took Rosie for a pack horse. In fact Bob has taken her 4/5 times. She is a sturdy critter and does not mind packing at all. This picture was taken off of the BCH Calendar our group is selling. Bob and Ryan ,Rosie Pepper and Raven had a wonderful time. She has had a couple of funny things happen. One time on a previous trip the pack got a little lopsided and she got off balance and finall laid down and with the packs ended up flat on her back with all four legs in the air. they were so busy getting her back on her feet no one took a picture. It would have been a good one.

She did lead line at shows for 2 years with Micheala. She won everything. Not the best pictures, I took them from other pictures. She carried her like she was carrying eggs.

But this is what she likes to do the best. I have all kinds of trophies, ribbons, placques that I wond driving her. I have 2 buggies and a sleigh. People in our neighborhood are used to seeing me go down the road with her. We have been known to load a grandkid or 2 and lunch and be gone most of the day just ambling the backroads here on the West Plains. She is about unflappable in harness.

So that is my Rosie. She will never leave here. I have turned down large amounts for her when I was showing her. It is very hard to find a do it all, gentle pony and we are blessed to have her. Her only fault is getting too fat. She is a very easy keeper.

Our Mustang Club met last night and planned some things. No for sure dates yet but when we have them all buttoned down I will certainly post them here.It is so good to get together with our mustangy friends and talk about and laugh about our horses and to just chat with our friends.

Don't forget Serenity Room Blog, its worthy of a look.

I think tomorrow will be Yuma.

The Life and Times of Ditto

This is my 28 year old mare. She is a registered Paint. Her registered name is Cuttin Loose. She is an own daughter of Tinky Spook. I got this idea from Linda. She is highlighting her horses. So I am snitching the idea. I have had her since she was 4. She took me too the top in both English and Western Pleasure. I even drove her a couple of years but she did not like that too much. Actually not at all. She is the smoothest horse I have ever ridden. She is wonderful with kids, just ambles around.

This is Ditto as she looks now. Well almost, now she is dirty and has a long icky coat. She is definitely my horse. She does not like men. She tolerates Bob. I call her grumpy granny. She has had 3 foals. I know where 2 of them are. She also had a set of still born twins and aborted one at 6 months. I was devestated at her losses. All of her babies were colored like her and she was always bred to a solid QH. It the market had been better I would have probably let her have more but it was hard to sell them even then.

She looks like a grumpy granny doesn't she? He is not as bad as the looks she gives you. She has not been an affectionate lovey horse. She tolerated me hanging on her but didn't love me back like others have. She would intimidate a stranger but never has done anything bad in her life. She wants you to think so too.

This is a picture that was professionally taken of her and me. You can not see the crack in the glass when it is hanging on the wall. It was in an exhibition of her work and it got cracked when I picked up and was on the way home. I think that was about 10 years ago.

She is my best horsey friend and knows every secret I have. Sometime I just have to go and ride her for a while. Just after this picture was taken I was riding out in front of our place and went down into the ditch when a big truck was going by. She stepped on a stick and ran it up in the sole of her foot into her navicular bursa. She was not rideable for about 3 years. She is not sound for long rides but does well around here. She will be here until she draws her last breath and then she will be buried next to Star. I know its not legal but I dare anyone to stop me.

Last night we went to a Back Country Horsemen committee meeting over in Post Falls. We were planning our years rides both work parties and fun rides. It will be a fun year. Tonight is our Mustang Club meeting at Perkins at Argonne and Mission. We will be planning our years activities too.

Don't forget to check out the give away at Serenity Room. Its a great blog and a great give away.

Tomorrow will be Rosies day.

Tuesday, January 27

This picture is for Nikki. She thought the one I posted yesterday was the most boring in the scrap book so this one is brighter. I love it Nikki no matter what page it is.

We had a very long day today. I went in to town early and had a perm. I was ready to pull out my hair or shave it off. Just hated it. No matter what I tried it just was blah. I am not talented with hair at all. Love the perm and now I can quit fussing about that.

Then I did my yearly shopping for the Northeast Zone of Washington State Horsemen banquet. It is on Sat. The year end awards recipients get their choice of a trophy, money, crystal or silver. I as of the past few years do the crystal or silver shopping. Silver was a little hard to find for our budget but got it done today. Have a little to do for another little thing we do at the banquet and then I can go and enjoy it. Katie is toing with me this year. Bob does not think they are as enjoyable as I do.

When I did the chores this evening I had to chuckle. I feed the mares first and put them in their stalls. Pepper has to stay out till I get their gates closed or he tries to get in and share their grain before he goes to his. So when I let the girls in and shut the gate on his nose, he runs laps around the paddock area slipping and sliding. He is so funny. He knows he is going in but he has to do his little circles first.

Bob and went to the casino for dinner tonight. It was good to go and relax. Ran into some good friends of ours that we had not seen for a long time. It was good to give them aa big hug.

Despite the business, it was a good day.

Monday and sunshine

This is a page out of my scrap book that Nikki made for me for Christmas. I love it. It is just excactly what I wanted when I told her that last August.

Didn't you love the sunshine today. If you lived around here that it. It was absolutely a beautiful day. However, it was a high of 18. That is not very warm. In fact NOT warm at all. Matter of fact it was COLD. It was Monday, and I am always slow on Mondays and we have traveled over the weekend and it made the inside of nose freeze when I put the dogs out. So I stayed in the house. Yes Linda, TV is a time waster and I wasted alot of time today. That and I took a nice long nap.

The horses did not seem to suffer with our absence. Katie did a good job feeding and tending to them. Raven is down to 1cc of steroid for 14 more days. I forgot to look at her nose when I was feeding this evening. Duh, I am sorry Raven. I will make a special trip before I go to town to see how it looks. She just stands there munching away when he gives her the shot.

Talked to Tracey today. Always love that. It always makes me with we lived closer. She would inspire me to ride more.

Our Mustang Club Meeting is on Thursday of this week at 6 at Perkins at Mission and Argonne just S of the freeway. If you are not on my e mail list, consider yourself invited.

Sunday the 25th. Of Jan.

We are home and tired but had a great visit with out daughter and their boys. It is always a joy to see them. We got our Christmas gifts. She made me a beautiful scrapbook of my time with Sierra Nevada. It is so beautiful. She also made her dad a book of our trip into Larabee Corrals at Craig Mountain last summer. It is so pretty also. He loved it, I loved mine and its wonderful.

I started breaking out in hives again coming home and took one of the pills they gave me for it and I am fighting going to sleep sitting here. I slept from Moses Lake where we stopped to eat to home and am drifting off again.

Tomorrow I promise a real entry and maybe even a picture. For now its off to bed to sleep this pill off. The hives went away anyway. Good to be home, good to read up on what you all are doing. Don't forget the give away on Serenity Room blog.

Friday

Not much this evening. We are leaving in the morning. I have a Washington State Horsemen meeting in Ellensburg and then we are going on over to our daughters home. It has been much too long since we have seen her. We will be home Sunday evening some time.

Katie is going to come out and take care of the outside critters. We will take both the dogs. I think that Bob and I both need to get away for a couple of days.

Sequoia's day

Our sweet pony Sequoia is going to a new home. We did not sell him but he is going on a use/lease agreement. They came and looked at him today. He is going to be the steed for a 4 year old named Gracie. I could not be happier. We have a good contract drawn up and it is for a year. Then we will see what happens. I am happy and I know Sequoia will enjoy being ridden almost daily.

I went and got some groceries and just got out of the house for a little while. That felt good. Bob will take my car tomorrow so house bound again but this time its fine. I need to get stuff together for the weekend and for the meeting on Saturday. He will do what he has to after work and gas up the car so we can leave first thing Sat. AM.

Raven just stands for her shot in the neck. She does not even lift her head from eating. There does not seem to be any improvement in her muzzle but she is eating well. When we aren't examining her face every day and not seeing her for a couple of days maybe we will see an improvement when we get back.

I am so worried about all this ice. Pepper went to his knees this morning after I put him out. It scared me silly. He did not like it but stood up and went on about his business. Dixie did that yesterday. I don't see it going away any time soon. I don't think we should use a chemical deicer on it where the horses are. There is really no place else to put them. Will have to think about that.

See ya tomorrow.