sigh

I don't know what is going on with mom and have no clue how to discuss it with her. She doesn't like the staff meetings at her contractors job. So she's been sick, has a crappy next day any time she's overdone it. So what does she do yesterday on her birthday? Takes it easy most of the day watching tv, in her mold cave as I call the downstairs suite, but then comes out when I'm cleaning the 3 muskateers' pen and works hard shoveling for an hour to 90 minutes. NOPE she is not that much better, I heard her calling in sick to work this morning. I thought she was fairly comfortable with this organization and their philosophy so its only the dislike of meetings driving this stupidness. If she wants free of meetings she needs to get on the stick and start up a private practice utilizing horse therapy. Needs to stop with the "I'm so sick" and either do the extra work to be on her own or suck it up and do her job, including the part that isn't so much fun. Cant have it both ways.

apr 17. cheating and slipping in a whole 'nother sigh. Made a sort of apology to someone today. No bowing and scraping, as I really didn't feel I owed them any words at all, except I guess I did because it was going to niggle in the back of my mind if I just kept ignoring their email to me. Now I can drop it and move on. Which puts me way ahead of them; they hold on to every hurt forEVER and bring them up anytime a topic comes within spitting distance of being related to one of the many 'you done me wrongs' they feel they've suffered. I'm so glad I realized lifes too short for that.

some hours in the saddle this weekend.

Not as many as I should. Too much time sitting at the laptop. But I'm just not a superwoman. Saturday we went and fetched Calvary, the underweight TB. He might be a 2 on the Heineke scale. Might be lower, I let him into the bigger pen this morning and he liked it, but he layed down to roll or something and he couldn't get up. Scared me good. I went over and he was trembling and laying flat. I rubbed his ears and put my jean chaps under his head so he wouldn't scratch his eye. I needed to put Sadie and Grey away from their grain so I told him to just rest. When I got back he was sitting up again, he let me put his halter on and with a little extra forward pull from me when he tried again he made it up. Pshew. I also had to extract Sebastian's foot from the fence this morning so I got the electric charger on their fence this afternoon.

Saturday afternoon I did take a pretty decent ride on Shade. Call it 11miles for the training logs. Really meant to get 20 miles this weekend since I skipped riding on thursday. But I rode RazzMo for 2 miles today. He was a SNOT. Did a 180 and went running 20 yards towards home before I got him stopped. Lucky he really doesnt even know how to be bad. I sawed on his mouth with the thick mullen bit and he stopped and I turned him around. Then he tried again many times, but I either stopped him before he got started or spun him around a few times thumping him with my heel. Bratty boy. I decided if I was going to have to work so hard riding him we were really going to work on the dressage'y' stuff so we did a bunch of serpentines, made him do a collected trot down the hill, did some small circles at the walk asking him to curve nicely etc. Geez I think we were both more tired than after my long ride on Shade. Well maybe not as deeply tired. I recovered and fired up the tractor, moved the conveyor belting from Sadie and CJ's pen to Cindys. Hopefully it will serve more purpose there, then I cleaned a scoop out of Cindy's pen and worked on the 3 muskateers pen. I'd done a couple scoops and dumped one scoop of sand on the damp spot in their shed after cleaning that spot fairly good, when mom joined me to help. With the extra momentum from mom we got the shed really clean + hot spots by the feeder and next to Cindy's pen.

Baby pictures and I get to nurture.

No more foals for me, but sis in ND bred her sorrel paint mare to a black and white paint stud. The little nibbler looks just like her mom. I need an updated picture, she's still got a bit of wobbly ankles in this first day pic. And in other news: Mom asked me this morning if she could borrow my trailer to run to T's place. --T is the breeder that she and V got their mini's from. Then announced that the reason to run over there is that T's partner has a TB there and apparently V feels that T wont feed it enough to keep it from starving. --well TB metabolism vs mini's he probably cant adjust even watching the horse get thin. So I said, well we are good at fattening up horses. (the hard part for us is not getting easy keepers too fat) I've been worrying about AJ, moms TB lately--he looks so thin behind his withers but today I decided he's just losing muscle there, I checked him thoroughly and he has really good flesh cover over his ribs, flanks and tail head, and he's always had prominent withers and 'skinny shoulders'. So now we'll have a horse that really DOES need some extra groceries for a while and I can get my 'nurturing fix'. It is really satisfying to get an underweight horse sleek and sassy.

back to ride journaling

I am just loving riding Shade this year. Today I used the LJ and just felt like I was so in balance and in tune with her. She is a smooth ride. If she were a solid, maintain the gait you've been put in, never shy type of horse anyone would love her. But since she likes to keep my seat honest by doing the occasional bouncy stop/slow down, or sidejump, or sometimes a full stop/180 move I suspect most folks would dis-like the ride. But hey, I sit in front of a computer over 40 hrs a week. I enjoy riding my spicy girl. If I worked at it I could probably cut her 'AY-RAB' moves by 90% or more but as long as she is not doing things that would be dangerous to me like bolting its more fun just to laugh it off and enjoy the ride. I rode 5.5 miles today and had a big grin the entire way.

What is this country coming to?

Variation from my usual ride journaling today. I did take a dressage lesson on RazzMo this morning. But I just have to get this out.

What is this nation coming to? Today I heard on NPR about another politician in trouble for lying to investigators. Guess what they were investigating. Not any kind of vote fixing. Not mis-use of public funds. Not taking bribes of any form. The big bad thing they had to investigate was whether he had an affair with his chief of staff. I did NOT hear any harassment allegation linked to this. Story ended with this mayor could get a sentence of up to 15 years for obstruction of justice. Just for LYING about his stinking AFFAIR. Good Lord one hears of rapists and even murderers getting lighter sentences --although this is the maximum possible, not what he'll neccessarily get it still boggles my mind.

Now on the one hand these politicians need to grow a backbone and a pair and tell anyone who asks that their private sex lives are no one else's dammed business. YesI know I spelled it wrong. But for pity's sake, up to 15 years in prison for being afraid of the wifey or of public opinion and lying about an affair?! --and just WHY did an affair between two grown, consenting adults need to be investigated in the first place?

And then there was former governor of New York and the talk of him possibly facing RICO? charges for setting up hidden accounts WITH HIS OWN MONEY from what I heard, to pay a prostitute in his attempt to keep that hidden. What is up with this extreme moral sexual code where we're going to toss people in prison for for having sex outside of their marriages. Geez are we trying to make points with the islamofacists? I realize we are not quite YET making it criminal to have sex outside of marriage, just making it criminal for politicians to try to keep their affairs private, but it feels like a step or two down a slippery slope that has morality laws where folks can face capital punishment for adultery at the very bottom of it. I know I don't want to go down that slope.

I found myself wondering, after hearing the radio report if the U.S. is more violent than Europe, not because of the gun law differences that are always waved about but because we have all this tension from the exaggerated sexual taboos we've set up in this society; plus having SO much sexual energy on TV and in the movies and advertisements. Maybe Europe is less violent because they don't make such a big deal out of nudity and sex so testosterone --ok perhaps I should be PC and say hormones--can find non violent outlets.

cant stop smiling

We had an inch of snow overnight. Possibly .2 inches of moisture with what melted in yesterday before it started accumulating, probably closer to only .1 though, it didn't seem like very wet snow, esp for march. Pretty much melted by 12:30. All the horses were dozing, so I gave AJ and Duke their grain and then Shade was up. She was such a good girl. Not an angel --this is Shade, had to hit the brakes for nothing much a few times and was a looky loo and would barely walk on a couple stretches but she was good. I went down a couple of ditch roads I haven't ridden in a couple of years. Then we went down one next to a newish subdivision. A mom and couple of kids were playing near the ditch right where there was a skeery V'd pipe across the ditch so I got off to lead Shade past. The kids wanted to pet the horsey. Shade was really good, she let the kids pet her and was aware of where they were. The mom didn't know any better and I was too slow to tell them not to go round behind her or stand right in front of her chest but Shade never bumped into them. She was starting to get a little restless right before we headed off but not too bad. On the way back we scared up a crane. Not very big, it flew up out of the ditch, and landed on the ditch 25 yards ahead of us and stood there. Shade is skeered of birds sometimes but she walked on towards the crane and didn't spook when we got about 1/2 way to it and it flew up again and went just a little way and landed again on the same side of the ditch as us. Well I didn't want to chase the crane out onto the highway crossing just a few hundred feet farther on so I went out in the summer fallow field and went around it. --Call it 10.5 miles for the conditioning logs.

Mom and dad were working on the manure pile when we got back so Shade had to go out with Sadie and CJ since the gates to her pen were open and Grey and Razz were in with Cindy. I gave them a teeny snack of hay, and then remembered I had promised Shade some horse cookies for being so good with the kiddos and crane but I'd forgot while I unsaddled, so I went out and gave her her cookies and hosed off the supracor pad. When mom finished up her spreading I opened gates between all three pens and let everyone mingle and romp. Sadie was being so arabian, racing around, with her tail flagged high. Not sure if CJ is taking the babysitter role very seriously or what but he ran after Sadie quite a few of the times. Unfortunately Cindy's in heat and CJ was running her around some. That was not theraputic for Cindy's sore foot -- Sadie kind of saved the day, CJ was chasing after Cindy and Sadie darted in there behind Cindy and CJ ran after her into the big pen so I shut the gate and let the 4 horses that wanted to clean up the hay scraps stay in the CJ/Sadie pen with CJ and Sadie in the big pen and access to Cindys pen until I was ready to feed and put everyone back in their standard pens.

I'm a lazy wimp today.

Typically for a saturday morning I was moving slow. Cindy had a 24 cure from her ouchy foot, from my very diluted iodone soaked cotton in the oversize easyboot treatment. THe boot fell off overnight. I caught her and cleaned her front feet out and put lots of my homemade hoof conditioner on them, really smeared a bunch into the frog grooves and back on the ouchy foot. She has some stocking up on that leg, looked like a small crack opened in the back of her hoof bulb, so I'm pretty positive I'm treating a bruise/abcess. Then I rested a bit, and was going to ride Grey and pony Sadie. Caught my boy, and brushed him up, threw on the LJ pad. Grabbed Sadie, gave her a quick grooming, Bridled Grey and decided with the cold wind that was coming up I would NOT pony Sadie. I have ponied her only once before, just a few minutes in the yard on Cindy and I just didn't want to deal with either sorting out horses to take her in the pasture, or taking her down the road in a cold breeze. So she got to hang out at the trailer and polish off some hay chuff while I took a very short ride on Grey Moun. Mia was BAD, chasing cars. I shouldn't have wished she would join me on rides. She is so hard headed and too much long hair for an electric collar to work so I don't know how I'll get her to quit, she might wind up just being locked in the yard when I go anywhere. Its routine if I'm taking a long ride on Shade. Grey was kind of a pill. He didn't want to go clear to the corner and then he wanted to rush home. I didn't feel any bobbles when he was trotting towards home the little flat strech I let him.

Boy do I feel dumb

I had spotted an ad on craigslist for a 2.25 acre place for only 169K. Which I could just barely manage a mortgage for that if I put a down payment that would leave me some savings cushion. I couldn't believe such a deal, close to a trail corridor, an endurance buddy lives there, has a boarding operation and hosts a ride twice a year so I'm familiar with the spot, and this is no appeal to me but its just a mile or less from a golf course ..... Today I clicked on the ad again, and I'm reading it and it says "this LAND includes outbuildings, parking pad, fenced, trees, ..... and went "uh oh, I think this is a REALLY $$$$ LOT, not a cheap price for a dilapidated small house on a couple acres." Google and yahoo maps are far from perfect but I don't see a house on the arrow for that address (link included in ad) so I emailed the seller just to make sure. It is hugely pricey for just a lot, they are selling bigger lots in what I think are better ($$$) areas for 1/2 that, but it is very close to a main road. So now I'm pretty sure that I am not going to have to decide if I should move ---except I saw an ad for 1 acre in Fort Lupton. Probably no riding access and not nearly the potential to appreciate and only 9K less asking price. I did broach the idea of becoming a co-owner to mom this morning. She was sick (of course) and didn't want to do anything but watch march madness and I'm not sure I want to commit to staying with them but whereas I used to feel like paying rent to the parents was keeping the money in the family and win/win since I wouldn't have to beggar my lifestyle to a house and they obviously get more money to enjoy life and build up their savings etc and I'll inherit their equity in the house eventually (they have their house in ND on 25 acres to sis and some cd's if mom has not spent them yet to my bro) ... lately I just feel like long term subletting space from them is just going to put $$ into the medical industry before the government has to take over paying for care. SIGH. I guess I should keep my eyes out for good deals and get to work on my land in WY.

Wake UP T,

Sheesh, I even slept fine last night. Delayed reaction to my toss and turn night a few days ago I guess. But must perk up and get to the bottom of some things. Dang it I, I do NOT recall asking for more interesting times wrt to work. Now I have to run MORE comparisons trying to sort things out. I just want to be able to say " Eureka, I came up with something good, keep me employed" without all this hair tearing, why am I seeing THIS? to be sorted out first.

But I rode this morning. Went west and rode a mile south thru the CRP section and back and then went a mile north down the dumped junk road and back. It was a good change up. I don't like to go west because the CRP is full of gopher tunnels and not a good hard track to stay safe on and I hate all the looky loo behavior going thru the junk but today I decided I should ride that way periodically to break up the routine and work on my weak area. Its really time I was able to say "yes I see the junk too, its no biggie lets continue working" And with that mindset and having 'warmed up' by riding the CRP first Shade did do much much better about keeping pace for me. -5 miles for my conditioning log.

I 'had' to make a quick batch of flax cookies this morning so I could give Shade her due portion of treats. Never start giving your horse homemade goodies --it ruins them for thinking the feed store horse treats are special. I quit baking years ago because I sure didn't need the extra calories and I didn't enjoy it, but these are not too bad since I don't mess with baking soda or any other rising agent, and can just rough measure my flax,bran,flour,sugar,oil and molasses amounts. + I don't have to time them since I want them to get dried out and crispy so they'll keep and be better for the critters' teeth.

The weather gods were smiling on me....

There's still snow where I work, but as I was driving home yesterday I noticed, hey I'm not seeing any snow. It was warm enough to melt the smaller amount we got. And it was pretty pleasant this morning so Shade and I got a 5 mile ride in. We did the road 35 hill starting out and on the way home. I don't have a lot of hills there and wanted to maximize our hill work as much as possible. Shade seemed ok with it. I don't want to get into too much of a grind with her, really must pony up and start hauling out on weekends. I should contact old endurance buddies and see if I can arrange some riding dates soon. Its hard to make plans with our wild spring weather though.

Just another manic monday .....

Really its pretty slow, but I actually did a last minute bid on ebay to get a fence charger. V's greedy geldings will get remedial fence lessons very soon, bwaaa ha ha ha. Hopefully they don't complete the hole they have started before it gets here. Oh well its really mom's ands V's responsibility and I really MUST QUIT taking on their stuff. I guess I should did out the crappy electric collar (version bought because mom was like, oh get the fence part too 3-4 years ago when we bought it for Ludwig. I KNEW that damm fence wouldn't get installed unless 'I' did it and that I didn't want to install it. Of course it didn't get installed and they even managed to lose the fencing part, with the manual and the video on how one is supposed to use the #*#* collar. Luckily we borrowed the neighbors collar for a while with Ole which was a better model of the same brand. --rechargeable instead of battery eater and longer range. But at least I was able to get ours limping along. Anyway I should see if works any for Ole and if not buy a replacement on ebay. I dont want to have to train DADS's dog, but if I'm going to let the pest come with me I need to be able to make him listen some times and since dad is actually still working, unlike poor mom who is too sick. Self induced if you ask me --nobody ever improved their stinking health spending so much time in a musty basement. But she doesn't want to hear that, thinks the moister air down there feels soothing. Maybe she is craving what she's allergic to like they say food allergy's often work. She could buy a heavy duty humidifier and try avoiding the basement for a couple weeks to see it would be worth some re-mediation effort but I doubt she will. I am tired of trying to nudge her to try things without losing my cool or nagging.

My horses are so sweet. Someday I'll have to fix the latch to the hay room door in their pen but even the (literally) nosy geldings haven't nudged the door open yet and the eyebolt came out of the crappy wood that I'll have use putty or something to fix it several weeks ago. Course I definitely don't keep them on minimum rations but still I've been blessed there.

Oh I love my horses every day.......

CORNY I know. But I was singing this to myself while riding Shade today. I rode Grey Moun last night. Just a mile --I havent ridden him in several weeks. But he felt good. I was only going to walk but he snuck in a jog on the way home and I let him trot for about a minute to see if I could feel any unsoundness --DIDNT, YAY!. I made him walk afterwards but it was definitely a power walk. And I rode Shade again. She was very reluctant starting out. I think she was afraid the target shooters would be out again. But once we got going we went 8.5 miles and it was so fun. A cold wind came up while we were out. I was glad I had the polar fleece breeches and a balaclava under my helmet and wishing I had added my polarfleece vest under my windbreaker instead of just a sweatshirt. But it was warm when I started, I'd had to pull the balaclava down around my neck and unzip the windbreaker. So now my pad is sitting in my tub drip drying after I sprayed it clean. Realitys of early spring riding. Not warm enough to hose the pad and leave it outside to dry. I love being a 'bachelor' and not having to worry about anyone whining about the bathroom smelling like horsesweat. Its supposed to snow tonight or tomorrow 4-8 inches. We got a little moisture last night but could certainly use more.

Sadie being the watch mare ...

I'll never make a photojournalist. I didn't get the good shot of Sade being the watch mare. This one will have to do here, but she was standing with her head right over CJ, it was so cute. I only rode 7 miles on Shade today. The farmer is plowing the corn stubble field that I had been using to add mileage with a bit of slope and soft footing on weekend rides. It'll be too deep and clumpy to ride through now. I may have to cowboy up and start hauling out for some weekend training rides soon.

no ride today .....

and I was STILL crazy late getting on the road towards work. I hope this is just first week after time change sluggishness. Oh well I enjoyed the coffee I lingered too long over, and I got Sadie to put both front feet in/on the trailer (not at the same time but we'll call it progress that she let me lift that right foot in there -guess I should do more 'off side' work with her and she did leave the foot I lifted and set in the trailer in place while she started munching her horse candy each time. If I had to get her loaded it would not be difficult with a helper but I need to be able to do it solo. Baby steps are ok. She has pretty well figured out waiting for me to take the halter off when I put her away since I started asking her. --she had gotten into a mode of walking off when I was distracted shooing CJ back or keeping the gate controlled in a wind. She's sweet but she will take advantage of anything I let slide. She's going to keep me on my toes to not to teach her bad tricks by accident.

Sometimes I feel like I'm in the Army .....

Ok not really, but they used to have the slogan "we do more before 8 am than most people do all day" for advertising. Wellll I don't meet the by 8 am either. Not by a long shot lately. But I do feed 15 equines if I count the mini herd, mix different supplements and feeds for 8 horses and pull Sadie out for pellets, and Grey Moun out for his tendon supps and back lifts every morning. And today I also had a nice 5 mile ride on Shade. and scrubbed and dumped the big water tank. Well I guess I wont repeat everything I had before it got erased..... the ride is what I want to record.

Tuesday ride

Very sunny morning. Black smoke to the east looked like they were burning the irrigation ditch so I decided to go west and take Shade down the scary dirt road with the dumped matresses,carpets,sofas etc. I don't think our neighbors dump there but we don't organize neighborhood cleanups either --still beats living somewhere with an active HOA with a thick rulebook. But what with the sun and having to stop and snort so often Shade didn't get much of a cardio workout. I was about ready to throttle Ole, we met a neighbor walking her 2 dogs and Ole was quite sure he should follow her home and play instead of coming with me. I had to dismount and tie a twine to his collar and lead him for 3 tenths of a mile or so, then left the twine trailing to remind him he lives with and has to stay with us. 4.5 miles of leg work for Shade and vitamins D (sunshine not DOG for sure today) and H --the H is horse -even though Shade was acting like a dork, snorting about meeting the gal and her dogs --she could NOT be more blase about dogs in general so she was just cutting up because its the scary junk road. She settled down and we went across road 6 into the CRP section and down a dirt barely there 2 track alongside the utility poles. No scary sofas so she was able to be a decent horse. Los of prairie dogs and gophers so we just did medium/slow trotting and walking because I will happily go the rest of my life w/o another gopher hole tumble like we had last August at the HJ ride.

Dad to the rescue

He got the tractor pulled out from where mom and I had it jammed, and got it started. use HIGH gear. I cleaned Sadie and CJs pen into the garden cart earlier. Then he lifted up the flatbed trailer and I found a block and some boards. I took the flat tires off while he scooped the manure bay up. So then I went to clean my pen. Got the first bucketful loaded and Stalled the tractor, grr. So dad had to come out and start the tractor again. I got the 3 muskateers' pen fairly clean, took a break and the rode RazzMo. He's so smooth. He wanted to eat when we were almost back so I got off and led him. Big dufus kept jumping. First there was a car -waaay behind us, I don't think it set him off but he jumped so hard he jerked the reins out of my hand, ran 25 ft into the middle of the road, then swerved towards me and froze. I caught him, led him past the car which was waiting by this time. Then Razz jumped about 4 more times in the couple hundred yards home. I kept the reins thought. We get home and he was all stirred up by Peekaboo kitty, and was snorty when I grabbed the paper. Goofball. After I sorted all the horses out Mia went running to the driveway gate and I saw a little white JRT looking dog) boinking down the road. Perhaps he was stalking Razz earlier. Apparently those little monsters could bite his toes off or something?! Heres a pic of mom riding Razz from last summer

girls day out

After a lazy morning I had a nice ride on Shade, 10.5 miles for the workout log. Then after almost falling asleep having a quick brownie muffin and mug of tea I shook myself awake and took a wee short ride on Cindy. Sadie wanted to come too, but Cindy was her typical fire breathing self so I think I better stick to Grey for any ponying of Sadie. I may have to convince Grey to be nice to Sadie but he wont try to bolt for home on me when I have my hands full. Tomorrow I think I'll open gates and let them mingle while I try to get some pen cleaning done. Dang I wish the starter was fixed on the tractor. I spose I could buy myself a tractor or farm ATV with a dump bed, I'll need something in WY eventually. I'm watching craigslist but not shopping hard at this point. What I should do is to marry a handyman who wants to fix tractors as a hobby. Yeah, I bet there are lots of single men out there that fit that description --NOT. Well I need to finish my tea and feed horses while its still light. (I love how much longer that is now, but am not looking forward to the clock jump. Oh well I haven't been good about getting up and using the daylight so I guess it wont really make much difference. Oh I love flexible hours. Heres a pic of Cindy from november. --I never said this was a proper blog

Friday.

And it was beautiful again this morning. I didn't ride, tried w/o success to load Sadie. I need to work on her leading, AND it will help to mess with this when she isn't thirsty and IS really motivated to work for a cookie. Then I took the dogs for a run. I feel so lazy taking the car but it just works so much better to haul Mia to a staring point and that way Ole gets to RUN. I walk a ways towards home to get Mia started, then go back and get the car. I wish Mia would just follow me to the corner and take herself home when I ride. She does it once in a great while but usually thinks she has to stay behind. Silly dog. Ole never thinks that way. He is getting to be a pretty loyal guard dog though. If Mia barks her 'intruders' bark at night or Ole hears something himself he has to go out and help her and I got tired of letting him out multiple times so I just leave him out anymore. He just snuggles between Mia & the house on her bed overnight and I guess he stays warm enough. He is in good weight. He never barks to come in. Mia will bark if she is out of food or its snowing and she figures she doesn't need to stay out and get wet. "I" can't tell the difference between her barks other than Ole doesn't react to the "I need food or to come in ones" only to the "intruder alert" barking. Horses are shedding I guess I can have a currying party this weekend.

Too pretty not to ride this morning

I thought it would be too cold since the overnight low was down there, but it was so inviting by 9am that I rode Just a 4 mile ride down to the ditch and along it for 1/2 a mile then we went down rd 35 to get some hill work. Its just a gradual sand hill but any hill is better than none. If the weather holds this weekend I should play with other horses too. Shades been getting some conditioning but the others have been getting bare minimums. --At least I 'have' to catch Sadie to get her pellets every day (she could live w/o them but I feel better with her getting the ration balancer ) and with Grey getting extra supps for his tendon I've been pretty faithful with his 'sit-ups' I can see them working too which didn't happen when I tried them before he had chiro work.

whee, windy ride today,

It was calm when we started but the wind really picked up. Shade was dodging tumbleweeds. Silly mare, I have ridden her through/over some in the past to remind her they are not monsters but today I just focused on being centered and having lots of leg contact so the suede full seat breeches on suede LJ would keep me on I started with a windbreaker over a sweatshirt and took off the jacket as I was plenty warm, then I got a bit chilled mid-ride and while we were walking the last 1/2 mile home I put it back on. Shade snorted a bit at that but I knew she was fooling and told her so; she's had plenty of jackets, ponchos etc flapping in the breeze on her back, we DO live on the windy high plains with chinook and other wind effects off the foothills. Belated photos from Feb 23 or 24. Shade's rolling sequence after a nice weekend ride.

How to spend a snowy spring day

Sven spotted a bird just outside the window. Its barely visible in the pic but I had to snap and share because he was so ready if the glass suddenly disappeared.

Kids and their hair

Good thing I think manes are just hair. Sadies forelock is in her eyes and look at that chopped section in the middle of her mane from her habit of sticking her head through the gate panels when she was younger.

Too warm today but a nice ride

I rode Shade about 10 miles today. Whew it got hot on our way home. I had on a turtleneck and mid weight breeches and I decided I wanted to stop and get some water on my neckerchief. Shade got some water on her neck too. Then I let her eat hay outside Sadie and CJ's pen when we got home and sponged her with water I left out before we took off. It was not warm but not as cold as from the hydrant and the weather was warm enough that Shade was content to stand munching and getting sponged. She usually moves off when I think I should sponge her. That was the good part of the day.

I twisted mom's arm to get up and pull me to start the tractor and still couldn't get it going! I dont know what I'm not doing correct, I have started cars that way and dad can get the tractor going when I pull it in the p/u but he had to go in to work after only getting home yesterday evening. Stupid Navajo, stupid tractor, stupid me for not making dad tell me exactly what he does to get the tractor to start when pulling it. I opened the gates bewteen Sadies pen and Shades and the one to Cindy's pen so those 6 horse all had some fun running around and eating leftover hay. I cleaned a cartload, some from Shades and mostly from Cindys, which barely made a dent in Cindys that has been frozen, yuck and a cartload from Sadies pen and then was tired and never got back to cleaning after taking a break. At least its was not too hard to sort the horses back out when I fed about 5:30. I should do something productive now but need more tea or something first.