Thoughtful Thursday

These are my thoughts today. These are questions I am wondering about.

Why do yellow jackets have it in for me. Got stung this afternoon again. The third time in a month. All I was doing was showing Katie something about braiding her horses tail.

Why the horses have to fight with one another over where they can standstand in the shade.

Why Skylor has to give his mother such a hard time?

Why so many of my dreams seem like pipe dreams?

Why our family is so spread out.

Why part of my body is getting older faster than the rest of it.

Why so many of our young people think its cool and clever to use such vile language.

Why so many young women seem to think wearing jeans with big holes in them is beautiful.

Why so many are out of work? I understand the economy but some have found jobs. Why is it so hard?

Why some liberals seem to be so critical of those of us who are conservative and make accusations because they disagree.

Why it was OK to criticize President Bush and be ugly but no one can critisize President Obama without being accused of being a screamer or a terrorist.

Why people forget to be respectful of others.

Why some groups send out such awful information about the round up in the Pryor Mountains. Most of it not true.

I wonder about:

How long I will be able to ride.

Will Bob ever slow down.

Will Jackie get to come home.

Will we get to go to the Mustang roundup.

Thankful Tuesday

Today I am thankful for God's beautiful creation. After a weekend spent out in the midst of it, I am more aware than ever of the beauty of it. The water, the beautiful Enchanted Forest that we rode thru, the huge cedar trees we rode by, the animals and birds. All of it. Thank you God for sharing it with us.

Labor Day Monday

We had a wonderful camping trip. Lots of fun despite the rain. It only barely sprinkled on us when we were riding and poured at night. Fun. This is me on Pepper. At the end of a 12 mile ride. My jeans were hiked up, my saddle pad has slipped and Pepper did not want to pose for pictures. He kept saying get off already. I rode in my new saddle and what a wonderful difference it made. It fit me way way better and it fit Pepper way better.

We stopped at this lovely lookout and Bob was watching a Mountain Goat across the valley. He forgot his binoculars in the truck so we just could watch a little dot of white way across the valley. This is in the Lola National Forest. It was so beautiful.

Bob and Katie ahead of me crossing Fish Creek one of many times in our two days of riding. Pepper was not too happy but did not refuse. The rocks are round and about football size so it was not such easy footing.

Not a real good picture but it is a cow moose and a calf. It was so cool to see them. She did not stick around for us to get many pictures. She told her baby- we are outa here.

This was such a quiet and peaceful area. We called it the enchanted forest. Not a sound anywhere. We could not even hear the creek at this point. Kept thinking we would see a deer but we didn't. It seemed almost like a sacred place.

Bob sitting by the fire at the end of the day. I think he got more sore than I did. He was tuckered out.

This is a ranch house that you pass on your way out. It is St. Claire Ranch. I believe I could live out my days there and never leave. The scenery, the wild life, Oh my. A dream huh?

This guy was right along side the road on our way out. It had been eating berries and we interrupted his brunch. It was a surprise. Had never seen a bear in the wild that close. We told him not to worry but he came down from the tree and left.

We had a really marvelous time. When we were almost home though a pickup, on the freeway darted out right in front of us and slammed on his brakes. We were traveling about 60 mph. Bob had to brake fast and the truck was all over. I thought it was going to roll with the trailer and three horses. God was with us, we did not hit any one and no one hit us. We got to the shoulder of the road and Bob checked on the horses. They were fine. I wanted to have hysterics but held on to it and cried quietly. Of course the pickup that caused it all went merrily down the highway oblivious probably of the chaos that they had caused. My stomach is still upset.

Other than that, we are safely home, trailer and truck unloaded, we have had baths and I washed my hair. Our long awaited weekend is over but the memories..........

Thursday

This won't be overly long. Tomorrow morning as early as we can we are bound for Clearwater Crossing for the Labor Day holiday and riding. We should get in a little ride tomorrow afternoon and then will do the fun stuff over the weekend. It is one of my favorite places to ride. Not hard but not roads either. Its the only big ride for us this summer.

My bee sting is still a mess, partly I suppose for its place on my body. Thank you Andrea for the pictures. Yes Yellow Jackets are nasty beasties.

And Sharon about the white watermelon. It did NOT tastle like watermelon. It tasted most like a cucumber. It was not very good.

So - see you all Monday evening. Hope your weekend is great.

I hate bees

The yellow jackets are vicious this time of the year. When I got stung on the neck a couple of weeks ago it was awful. WELL, this evening I was standing out by the horse pends talking to Bonnie - Cody's mom- one got in my blouse and then into my bra and stung me. I yelled at Bonnie to help me and started stripping. I didn't care. It really hurt and still hurts. I have taken Benedryl and have been laying down. Bob put a slice on onion on it and that seems to have helped but I smell like a hamburger. An old guy told Bob to do that when he got stung out getting hay and it helped. But Bob does not have a reaction like I do. Dang bees.

We were just talking to Bonnie for a minute and then we were going to go play with Blondie and Target but that did not happen. I had Targets evening planned too. Oh well. It may be next week when we get back to them.

Bob's work had a bbq today for their employees and families. It was fun and the food good. I had something though I had never seen or tasted before - white watermelon. I did not like it too much. I love watermelon but that did not taste like watermelon to me.

I went to Huppins to see about then long lense that was given to me and if it would work on my camera. It should but the guy told me something was wrong with it. The one that will work on my camera like it cost 200.00. I am wondering how I could earn that much so I could get it. Maybe Bob will relent and let me get it. It is a good thing I did not have my credit card with me or I would have gotten it. Maybe that is a good thing. LOL

Remember: You gain strength, experience and donfidence by every experience where you really stop to look fear in the face. You must to the thing you cannot do. Eleanor Roosevelt

Thankful Tuesday

These pictures are weird, I know that. They are small pictures to start with and I don't know what to do with them

Anyway this Tuesday I am thankiful for the horses I have had and the success I had showing them. The first one is Rosie. She not only was a leadline horse for several children when they started riding but she drives just wonderful. You can hitch her to anything and she will pull it. This picture is in black and white but my driving outfit was a deep burgandy velvet. We did mak a pretty picture. We won most everything possible in Washinton State Horsemen. I have a sleigh that I use in the winter. This picture is Dun In Glory. She is a red dun minimal white paint. We won alot together both English and Western. We did not hit it off too well and I sold her after a couple of years to a little girl in Oregon who rode her in walk trot and cleaned up.

Then there is Ditto. We were at the fair. That is the first place I showed her. She won alot and at the Open Shows too. I retired her when I got Glory but Glory was not a keeper. I still have Ditto. She is 28 and is going strong.

I have been blessed to have these particular horses. Could not find the pictures of Mellow Gold. He was a palomino appy. He was beautiful and I alway won at halter and showmanship with him. I sold him to a lady up in Okanogan.

My computer is being funny tonight and the phone has been out so this is my Thankful Tuesday. My weird pictures and all.

Monday, the end of August

Does it seem like August is over. In my mind that is the end of summer and the start of fall. I know that technically there are 22 more days but to my way of thinking its over. In the evening, it feels like fall. It is in the air. I can smell it. I love fall, its my favorite time of the year, BUT, I don't want winter to follow. Then can come spring. Well, If I was running the universe that is what I would do.

I worked all day in the living room. Does that give you an indication what shape it was in? Worked on the hardwood floors and threw a bunch of stuff out. Have a huge stack - maybe 3 years worth - of Western Horseman magazines. I am going to see if Katie wants them. If not, I will want to find anyone who does. I did not finish but will in the AM.

Today I found a stack of pictures of my sisters family starting in 1963 to a few years ago - prior to digital. I scanned them and put them in a file. They were kind of funny, sweet and wonderful.

After Bob got home we went over to work Blondie and Target. Blondie is coming along great. She goes both directions with the point of a finger, stops on a word, and looks at Bob with both eyes. She isn't too keen on being touched but can be talked into it. I put Carstens other horse, Penny, out of the area that the round pens are in and shut the goats out and took Target out of the round pen on her lead rope and we took a little walk. She came right along with me. I sat on a large waterer and we just sat and discussed it. She was soft and sweet. I tried longing her out in the open and she did a little but kept wanting to come stand by me. I pet her all over and was able to rub back over her hips dow to her hocks. Previously she had moved away when I did that but today she just stood there. Good pony. She has a cough. Sounds like a dust problem. We wet down her pen before we left and I wet her hay. I was going to leave a note for Terri but forgot. I want Rebecca to wet her hay to see if that gives her some relief. I didn't take my camera so just picture it all in your mind.

Remember: Love cures people - both the one who give it and the one who receives it. Dr. Karl Meninger