brrr, glad I rode yesterday

Today it was cold and snowy this morning. Sunny now, but I'm at the office. Sometimes I really hate computers. We have to use a security wrapper to access any work cpu's from home. Somehow that wrapper is messed up. I can use it and connect to the main gateway, but then it blocks other internet traffic so I can't pull up the work email, or connect to a work cpu to launch a job or ...... So I drove 30 miles to the office because I needed a few jobs launched, even though I'm not in the mind frame to really work. Blech. I'll have to get the sys admin to work his magic on monday. Hopefully its not a bear for him to set things right.

But yesterday the sun was shining and I had a nice ride on Shade. She was not wanting to run, which is a bit odd for her, but I went with the flow and practiced sitting deep and heavy to cue slow from trot to walk and barely had to use the reins. It is good practice for me to do some body language work like that once in while. At the end of the ride I asked her to play 'trail horse' and let me get the newspaper and mail. She was pretty good. I would have got dinged in a class for her not sidepassing up to the box, in fact we had to circle a couple times to get close enough but she had no worries about the plastic covered paper. RazzMo was more spooky of it when I played that game with him on wednesday, so I had to forget about grabbing the mail as well with him. Shade was better about the mailbox after she realized what I was up to. She's a good mare.

of falling off horses and staying on

Saturday I rode Shade in the late afternoon after I put my new S-hack on her headstall. I've been using an ancient long shank mechanical hackamore for rides where I might need power brakes and a sidepull at home, but I was wanting more brakes sometimes at home and didn't need at much brake even when she was excited at a ride and wanted a hack with a smaller noseband and a grazing shank. Well I let Shade run up the hill a the end of the ride and stood in the stirrups in case the brakes weren't enough as we approached the turn. DOH, Shade did one of her bouncy stops and maybe a very mild duck and I popped right over her head. I 'know' to sit deep on this horse and sitting deep is better body language for I want you to slow down and stop soon. But nothing like hitting the ground to reinforce the lesson.

Today went much better. We didin't canter. Shade was so trembly at the end of the ride yesterday and I wasn't sure if it was all nerves or she over taxed her hind tendon that got bruised a few weeks ago when Razz and her were kicking at each other. So we went slow, I sat deep and centered and that with the slower pace meant my seat stayed solid as Shade spooked at some tumbleweeds caught in fences. I guess they look like mountian lions at first glance. Especially when you've never seen an actual mountain lion to get specifics. Then when we got home the wind was picking up so I turned the her and Sadie and the 4 horses in the bigger paddock out into the weedy 'pasture' to play and browse. Everybody ran full tilt so Shade gave the tendon a hard workout after all.

Had a trespasser this morning

Mia likes to come in after I do morning feeding and have an hour or so of warm napping. Today when I went to head back out to grain and polish things off there was a raccoon looking for food -I'd put Mia's dish up so Ole wouldn't eat all the high price special kidney diet stuff she's still getting about 50% (last bag I'm buying I hope --see how she does on the lamb and rice moderate protein stuff she's getting mixed in with the K/D stuff) So the coon was grubbing for spilled bits and then it decided it would take a nap on Mia's bed.

Must be the season for coons. Remudamom had one yesterday too.
see her blog entry about it here

Sorry, but our trespassing coon was not shot with a camera, but with a bullet. I was not taking any chances of it killing one of the cats or getting cornered by a dog and ripping them up; and while our trespasser just seemed bold as brass and not rabidly aggressive I'm not taking any chances with rabies. It really surprised me to have a coon. We are a full mile from the closest irrigation ditch -which still has water run through it every few weeks it seems but its not a regular water source, and we are farther from than that from any steady water source. No cornfields or anything.

Maybe some idiot in the subdivision thought they were having an exotic pet. Well whether it was feral and just too young to have any fear of people or dogs or someone tamed it and then let it wander it has crossed the bridge now.

My mom is such an Oh bambi. I asked her to get a gun out of the safe so I could shoot the coon and she was like, "I don't know if I can remember the combination, or get the right bullets ..... just call the neighbors" So I did, but I'm going to ask dad to show me how. Mom used to be the ranchers wife who could take care of things like this herself and I was the girl who'd never had to because we moved to an almost suburban area and I just have a desk job but I guess the roles are reversing.

Sadie you WENCH

We've had lovely warm weather the last few days. My weekend horse time consisted of a brief ride on Razz on saturday and hauling discarded carpet on sunday to make a nearly sand free environment for Diamond on sunday. Well I did wipe out a couple of barrels sunday so I can buy some diesel while the price is relatively low and ground drove Diamond for 2 minutes, and helped take harness off Frosty after it slipped while he was wearing it for practice in his pen. Thankfully he did not break it and settled down well once mom and I got him into the little side pen and V and Diamond were there.

So today is another Indian summer day and I needed to ride before I bit off an innocents head. So I grabbed Grey Moun and Sadie and went out. They were enjoying the warm sun and green grass as I let them mosey and grab grass the first few hundred yards. Then we walked and trotted a ways and I turned around when we hit a longish gravel stretch, I baby them the week after trimming. So we are heading home and I go for a bit of trot/canter work. Well mistake #1, a yearling is not a good candidate to pony at faster speeds and I've been pushing my luck every time I've done it.

Mistake #2, I tend to give my horses too much line when I pony them and I didn't shorten my line up good before asking for a trot.

Result. My wench filly spurted in front of Grey Moun a little bit and kicked up her heels. Her left rear hoof connected with my right lower leg. OUCH. In fact its was ouch ouch ouch, #@! you Sadie, tight circle around and I kicked her in the ribs. Of course that had no force behind it since I was still mounted on Grey Moun.

So we walked the rest of the way home with Sadie on a much shortened lead. She put her ears back at Grey/me at one point and I yelled at her and then took her head right up to my lap for a bit of time-out. So ponying will have to be strictly slower speeds with her. Her and Shades pen is plenty big to run around in and she gets to play in the weed patch pasture once a week. And maybe I'll suck it up and do some oval pen work with her. Sigh, ground work is not my cup of tea.



On the 8th I had a better time with Sadie and Grey. Here's a pic from that day. We went over a pile of wood chips --spongy footing effect and up and down the bank into the dry irrigation ditch that day.

sleepy saturday

I've been almost nodding most of the day. Hope I'm not getting sick, I believe flu shot day at work is next week. Guess I'll get one if I don't feel sick right then. I opened the gate so the horses could play and browse in the bottom 5 acres. Grabbed Razz as the sun was geting low, which happens way too early now, and still over a month to the solstice.

I grabbed Razz because I didn't feel solid enough to ride Shade and he is easy to catch. He was a good boy, he got a bit jumpy when I tried and failed to swing on so I wouldn't have to walk up from the pasture -did I mention I was being lazy today. I would have failed even if he had stood statue still. We took the shortest of rides down the road and then I turned around because it was already getting so dark.

Decided to try to bring the horses into the dry lots and shut the gate before unsaddling and Razz was a bit unsure of this but he went along with my wishes. Shade and Sadie came up to see what was going on and Shade stayed up but I had to fetch Cindy, GreyMoun and CJ and Sadie swirled around being a young arab filly. I think Grey would have walked up when he saw me at the gate but Cindy wasn't coming and he was sticking with her. It was about like herding cats to get CJ and Cindy to go to and through the gate, but thankfully neither took off running the other way. Finally they all went thru the gate and took off running, which made Razz want to go too. I took him in an ess and stopped him and hopped off to get the gate shut. I just left the english rein over his neck and didn't ask him to stay with me -- For a second I thought Razz was going to go thru the gate before I got it closed but I waved him back and he decided to just sprint up to join the rest of the horses at the feeders. Now I have to go feed AJ and Duke. I forgot that mom told V that she is ready to feed now. I better find out if V is feeding all the mini's or we are haying Diamond and Frosty first. Better get going on that before I fall asleep in the chair. LOL

Politics again --what is happening to me ?!

Well if nothing else I think the last three 4 year elections are my slap upside the head from god/universe whatever that I cannot continue to simply stay on the sidelines while the politically enthused pick the candidates. I haven't had a presidential candidate I was excited about since I cant remember. Reagan maybe, but I was too young to vote in his first race and I think I hadn't gotten organized to vote when I was at college the second term.

I don't mind so much not having a president that thrills me if congress is working. I disliked how Clinton seemed to delay decisions or announcements until the polls showed acceptance but the country seemed to work pretty well with the republican congress as a counter balance.

But really the choices of candidates these last few times are as big a slap upside the head as a person could get. What did Bush have going for him besides nostalgia for Reagan and appeal to the religious right? Gore should have won between the two of them -- the country was happy with the status quo, but he came across as such an elitist snob (or at best we had Bore vs Gush ) that folks simply couldn't vote for him. I voted 3rd party. I voted for Kerry 4 years ago but I didn't really trust him fully and I felt the country was not going to elect a "Massachusetts liberal" Now I simply cant fathom how in Hades we went from Kerry = too liberal to Obama is just right.

So I simply cannot join the dems, I don't see any good odds of wresting the party back? from the socialists who dominate it now. That leaves the republicans. I'd like another contract with America this time to get the entitlement monkey off our backs and if they don't get some sensible views I think they just wont get it -- IMO we have to limit who gets these entitlements, mainly with higher ages to be eligible. And I don't think an across the board rise in ages will work. It needs to be couched as affecting only the upper class. So I would propose something like -- minimum age X, OR X # of years contributing FICA taxes full time. Honestly scientists, middle managers etc that spent 4-8 years in college before joining the workforce are as a group much more able to work into their 70's than a coal miner or construction worker -- and if they would prefer not to, they are more likely to have saved up for retirement and they can manage a few years on their own before they need social security and medicare to cover the gaps.

Thinking in song lyrics

I find myself thinking in song lyrics quite often.

some titles of ones that resonate lately:

"If you're going through Hell" Rodney Atkins,

"Working man blues" Merle Haggard'

"Heres a quarter" Travis Tritt -(for about 60%)

Her new family sent a pic of Paloma, nee Lady,

The Paso Fino I bought from my friend Deby's mom in westhern KS this spring to rehome is doing well. The P family has found a place to keep her just a couple blocks from their house, and close to the highline canal. Shes done her first trail ride on the canal and met the mini donkeys. The pic was taken before they brought her down from their friends in Confier. Looks like she still loves her girls, I got a kick out of how she almost always had an ear cocked to her girl when they were coming here to ride her the first month on the lease to own.

took me a while but I'm happy with election results

Conventional wisdom is that that losing party goes more moderate to appeal to independent voters like me but I think Gore was green but not liberal overall. Kerry may not have been hardcore liberal but he kept his Massachusets base happy; then this year Edwards was behind from the start and I do recall that Hillary led the push to attempt national healthcare in 93, and she is on the short list of FOCA bill sponsors along with Obama; and well to anybody who thinks Obama is not very liberal perhaps you'd like to stay at our lovely Colorado beachfront property sometime and get some sand in your shoes.

I wish voters would have overturned congress as well this year; but if McCain had won this year congress would most likely have swung even more liberal through the next 2 elections. Since congress passes the laws and budgets, six more years of what we've had the last two years would be a scary thought to me. Now with no republican president to blame problems on, there is a very good chance that we can get a majority of fiscal conservatives into congress in 2010. Perhaps my fantasy will even come true and they will be socially conservtive only in the sense of believing that goverment should STAY OUT of people's private lives. What I consider the old school conservative style.

Oh and anyone who is liberal should be happy. You have two years to convince the me and/or the world -most of which is not starting in skeptical mode like I am; that your way works better. So far all I've heard from the left is pre excuses of how big the mess is; but hey if they get off their butts and make good things happen I'll respect that.

Voter Fraud --

There is no doubt in my mind that there was voter fraud in our U.S. elections which finished yesterday. This is not some conspiracy theory that the election was stolen, Obama's margin is definite. There was fraud but it was not that extensive.

However I feel like all law abiding citizens who vote their conscience ONE time need to demand that the fraud is stamped out before the next congressional election in 2010 when races may well be much tighter and especially before the next presidential + congressional elections in 2012. Now how can I work to help this along as a plain citizen who usually sees voting as a duty/chore. Just like feeding the horses I want it done right, so I do some basic research on the issues and candidates but I cannot see politics becoming a hobby for me. I like hobbies that remove stress from my life, like riding.

Thanks Grey Moun

I needed a quick spin this morning to chase off election + halloween candy hangover and my 20 year old best buddy equine friend came through for me again.   He's such a grand horse.   Believe me or not he has even more personality than shows in the picture. 

I'm getting power on my lot in WY

I bought this lot, thinking all the hills would be great to keep endurance horses fitted up.  Not thinking too much about easy building.   I'd probably be wise to buy another lot with more level ground.  Trouble is the lot that fits that bill borders the highway which I don't really like.  I'd like to buy just a few flatter acres next to my lot but the owners don't want to split off any so far.   We'll see what happens.   If I won the lottery buying an extra lot would be no problem.  But I seldom even play so thats pretty unlikely.     I love my land even with its challenges, it feels so peaceful there.