Its Monday again

Why is it that pictures, at least the ones I take, don't ever show the sunsets like I see them with my eyes. The colors were so vivid. I took this yesterday evening.

This morning I rode my bike about a mile down the road. I was huffing when I got back but it felt good. When I got back and changed my sweaty clothes Bob and I went to the cattle auction. I always go, if its possible, with him to sit on his hands so he doesn't buy any more cattle. He was whispering he should have bought this one or that one that was cheap. We finally got out of there without buying any more cattle. The joke of the auction was a pigmy billy goat that smelled so awful every one, even the old guys, were holding their noses. He sold to some sucker for "$2.50. It was awful.

Later this afternoon, towards evening we went to Carstens to work horses. We just could not get there last week. Rebecca has been working with Target and that showed. More about Target in a minute. Teri has been handling Blondie and Bob had her working her for a while. It was good. When Bob took over, he got her to change directions both ways and that was a really huge accomplishment. She is a very one sided horse.

I was determined to get a saddle on Target and I did. She let me put the saddle on and cinch it up and just stood there. I was so proud of her. I moved her around the round pen with the saddle on. Then I tightened the cinch and just left her go ponder it by herself for a few. I wiggled the stirrups around on both sides. I put some weight in the stirrup and that was OK but when I got too far up, she said nope. She bucked a little. Made me get out of the stirrup really fast. Target was ridden two years ago for about 30 days so this isn't all new. We worked with giving to both sides and she is good at that. I need to take my helmet if I get a bug to get on her. That won't be for a while though.

On our way home we stopped by our neighbors house to say hi and she gave us some brocolli. She grew it but doesn't like it. I love brocolli. Steamed with butter on it. Yum. She also gave us a spagetti squash. Have never cooked one so am not sure how to go about it. We also came home with some green peppers and some onions. We are very greatful to Shannon. She is a really good neighbor. She rides big mules.

So not a bad day. Warm in the day, quite warm actually but is cool in the evenings. That is when you can really tell that the seasons are changing. I always hate to see summer go but I love fall. If only winter did not have to come next.

Remember: I have learned to ust eh word impossible with the greatest of caution. Werner von Braun.

lSunday continued

I don't know why things got all botched up. The computer just cut me off. Oh well.

The last picture is Wrangler in the trailer just before we pulled out with him for the ride home.

Not an especially relaxed weekend. With bee stings ect. It was good to see our son in law today and our grandson and family and Tom's Ryan came out to drum with Joel. It was fun to play with Lili and good to visit with the others. Tomorrow I will start painting the insides of cupboards. I won't get as much on me as Nikki and Lenna did though. And even if I did no one will be standing over me with a camera. LOL.

Sunday

Lilliana is our great grandaughter. She was jumping on the trampoline - one her knees - She is such a pistol. We have such fun when she comes out. She loves to swing on the swing.

This is Wrangler. He is mighty ticked off to be in the round pen by himself but we wanted him to settle in a bit before we put him out. He knows us and our horses. He wondered what Rusty was doing and why Cody was there but he introduced himself and all is well.

Tomorrow he will go out with the other horses. Pepper is going to have to adjust

Saturday

What does a husband get his wife when he has bought another horse. I asked him for a bike well over a year ago - just a plain old bike, no gears, no hand brakes, just a bike that I can ride down the road and try to build up my leg strength. It came home with him yesterday with a matching helmet. I rode it a little today but this has not been a great day. I love it. It won't take me away from loving to ride the horses but need something to help built up my stamina.

I got stung on the back of my neck this morning and of course Bob is gone working on fence where our cows are. I can have a pretty allergic reaction to a bee sting. I took two Benadryl and lay down for a while. Then my stomach started reacting so have spent most of the day laying on my bed and running to the bathroom. Hate that. Don 't get sick to my stomach very often but when I do its awful.

Remember: The meaning of things liesnot in the things themselves, but in our attitude toward them. Anoine de Saint Exupery

Friday

Today I made applesauce and froze some apple slices for pie or cobbler later. I can't remember the name of the kind of apples but they are HUGE. Giant something or other.

This deviced was my mothers. I hurries things up. I don't peel or core, just quarter and cook.

This was the finished product. I put 9 quarts into the freezer besides the slices. We will enjoy it this winter. Our apple tree is heavy with apples. We have the branches propped up so they don't break. So even though Nikki did not send me over but a small box, I will have lots and lots of apples later.

Boy oh boy, did we ever have a storm last night. I hate thunder and lightening and it woke us up. Me first. Then even Bob woke up. I thought he could sleep thru anything but that woke him up last night.

We will get Wrangler Sunday afternoon. Bob is really quite anxious to get him home.

Remember: To every disadvantage there is a corresponding advantage. Clement Stone

Thinking Thursday

These pictures are in the opposite order that I wanted them in but don't know how to change them. This is Bob and our "baby boy" Tom. I was thinking today how sick he had been since March. He was under terrific stress over something he did when he was 16. Kids need to remember their actions will follow them thru their life even when they are grown. He just got sicker and sicker and then the doctor told him they were thinking leukemia. They did all the tests. No, it wasn't leukemia, it was a severe ulcer. He is on some pretty p0tent meds and they are working. He had lost almost 50 pounds but has gained a little back.

While I have been thinking of Tom and the fear we all went through, I thought of his daughter Sheya. She looks (and acts) so much like her daddy at that age. I tell him he deserved her and Christy - her mother - says but what did I do to deserve her. She is a character.

Does she not look like Tom"? He was 4 in this picture. I wish I had kept that little outfit. He looked adorable in it.

So that is my thinking Thursday.

Carmen - Nikki's husband - came to do some taping of the drywall we had to put up around where we put the new door. I was surprised he brought her mother with her. I thought he would be going home since he brought her home but it was wrong assumption. My house is a fright because the kitchen is torn up. Oh well, thats just the way it is.

I had quite a time getting the horses in tonight. They decided to stop in the lane and eat. I was behind them on the four wheeler. Nothing I could do short of running into the last horse which was not an option, they would not move. I reved the motor up, yelled and waved. They just went on eating. I finally got off and threw rocks at the front horses. That did not hurry them too fast but at least they moved.

Bob made a big decision tonight. He bought back a big buckskin gelding. Wrangler is wild bred and was born about 2 weeks on our place. His mother was a buttermilk buckskin. We sold Wrangler when he was 5 months old to a friend. She had some real physical problems and we bought him back when he was 3. When he was 4 we sold him to another friend Perry. Now Perry has some problems and he can't ride. So Wrangler is now 9 and he is coming home. He is big, probably close to 16 hands. He is definately a man's horse and full of energy. Bob just could not stand for him to go to anyone else. I will get some pictures on Saturday when we go get him.

Remember: Things don't change. You change your way of looking, that's all. Carlos Castaneda