June 2012...Summer time!

KATHI:
I hope you are feeling better! Your photo didn't post, I'll try to get to facebook to see it.


INDYAPP:
No, I don't keep a score card . I tend to remember animals better than most things, although still will get names mixed up on occasion. I just happened to remember you talking about Sophie.
How was your dindin? Sounds pretty good. Is the class going well?

CB:
Lots of good thoughts for Reno.....Did you get your MRI or is that tomorrow? Hopefully it will show wonderful improvement in whatever it is you are having checked out. Donnie went to his knee doctor today and his knee has improved over the past month on anti-inflammatory drugs. He says it feels better, too. The swelling has gone down and he is walking better. If need be, he will do another month on the drug and if it doesn't clear up then, he'll get a cortisone shot.

ELLEN and TRUDY:
You gotta see this! Cats in Space, I love it!

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=9DnQLI1XDzI&fb_source=message


Donnie trimmed Cactus Jack's feet this evening while I did barn chores. I got done before him, so put a halter and reins on Ivan and rode him around his drylot bareback. He did really well. I am thinking about getting him a hackamore, he seems to do okay with just a halter and reins and might enjoy not having a bit in his mouth all the time.

Lori is coming tomorrow evening for a lesson with him and Daisy, then we are going on another trail ride on Saturday. The weather forecast looks really good, clear and 70s. I hope Daisy gets her act together a bit this week, she was sure freaky last Saturday. Just because there was hay making equipment running everywhere, a tractor on the trail scraping it, bikes zipping by us, cows doing weird things in the woods, a Great Pyrenees dog barking at us, truck traffic noise from the interstate, digging machines doing house construction projects, and someone shooting a gun off just as we passed by... is no reason for Daisy to be nervous! I still can't get over how calm Ivan was about all that.

Got this from MISS LAURIE:

"Hi Dad,
Well, the DAR application is complete & Carolyn took it to get the registrar's signature on it & then its off to Washington DC for verification and approval at the national level! Thanks for filling in the questions for us this morning! I was glad you got to talk to Carolyn~ she can be a little long winded but she's a nice lady & has known me since we first moved to CA.
I was shocked at how much the initial application cost ($105), but that includes membership for 2 years so I guess it's not that bad. I think after that, it'll be @$60 a year. The neat thing about it is that I can confidently say that I AM a descendant of an American Revolutionary War veteran! How many people can say that? To know MY ancestor helped found this great country we live in is a very humbling & special feeling! I just hope we can find more information about Henry and possibly even further back....
Got a lot on my agenda this afternoon & then Jesse & I are going to Monterey next week for our anniversary. We will be celebrating 20 years married~ I don't feel old enough to be married that long!
Love you bunches! Xoxo
L

Sent from my iPad "

That may not be a big deal to a lot of folk, but is is to MISS LAURIE, and I'm for her.

Snoop & Rick

Rick, sounds like she is very excited about her ancestors andheritage, good for her! and also tell her congrats on her 20th anniversary...hope they have a happy time!

ARK, the cat scan was a total forgettable experience! They couldn't get the Iv in me..tried and tried....finally they gave me a shot on top of my xanax I had taken and then they couldn't get me to wake up after the procedure...I spent hours in the ER trying to get me awake...guess between the contrast they gave me and the stuff to relax me it was almost enuf NOT to have me wake up.ten hours later i was awake enuf to come home!
No more of THAT STUFF FOR ME!! I'm feeling pretty wrung out even tho Islept like a log...

Hubby left later to get back to NV than planned...but he wouldn't leave me until I could eat and drink something....all I can say is WOW I feel weak as a newborn kitten!

CB, Oh my gosh, it one thing for a scan to be a "non-event" because it was routine and boring, it's quite another to be drugged into a coma! Take care of yourself.

Last day in Chicago. I will be so happy to get home tonight. Still have 8 hours of lecture to get through first. Worst part is that the clock was set on Eastern time instead of Central time (I have no idea how that happened) So I ended up getting up an hour earlier than necessary this morning. I'm already tired.

RICK:
Congrats to MS. LAURIE! Now tell us what the DAR does now days? Seems like I remember them sponsoring a patriotic speech contest in the high school I taught at a million years ago. What else do they do?

INDYAPP:
You can do 8 more hours! You can do it, you can do it!!!! I hope you have had some fun over the past few days, not just all work.

CB:
Yikes! Killing you doesn't sound like a good way to cure what ails you. I have never had a catscan (other than getting the evil eye from Kumquat who owns this house). Why do you need to be unconscious for it? Does it hurt? I am very glad you are still with us.

CAROL:
Ivan did great on a very technical trail ride today! We took him over to the private boarding stable where Lori keeps her horse and works. She rode her mustang, Tonto, and Ivan and I went with her up into the hills for about three hours. Ivan was incredibly good! He was on a loose rein most of the time and didn't spook over the cows, deer, or weird birds in the woods. He was very brave and went first most of the time. The views from the top were incredible. The trail was twisty and occasionally pretty steep. Ivan seems to do best on an ever changing trail as compared to the rails to trails type trail that the New River Trail is. He did good. I had a good time.





Donnie and I went to see Madagascar 3 this evening. Very cute movie. I had to go see it because: 1.) I love those penguins! and 2.) I needed to see how Marty the Zebra was dressed for the circus. Guess who is taking 3 white horsies to the Fourth of July parade dressed like Marty? I've already got the wigs....

Ivan and Daisy are so happy they aren't white.

ARK U wonn't....LOL....I think that would be sooooo wild!

I feel better tonight and soooo wide awake! I'm wired! I can see there won't be any sleep for me tonight!

I got a call to help a friend here in town with a sick horse this afternoon. She was broken out in hives all over, HUGE long hives.....weird....we hosed her with cold water, and made a baking soda and mud paste and slathered her with it all over her body....and gave her some bute and put her in a deep mud puddle to stand....gut sounds were good, no perceivable heat in her feet, and capillary refill was good, altho her temp was slightly elevated....I DO NOT HAVE A CLUE! But she seemed better in a short time and wanted to munch on some hay....she seemed to be fine by the time I left...go figure...looked for bees, looked for any weeds...pretty much a dry lot....no change in feed....crazeeeee....but she is better and I feel better...and I'm glad about that.

Ark ... My idea is that there was no big commotion going on to make him worry and he could just go along and enjoy the ride. He is a country boy and when you go to those big or bigger rides he maybe just gets scared..... I don't know for sure, but I would sure go with what you just learned yesterday for a while. Sounds like a GREAT ride to me. Good Luck ... You are doing a good job with him.

CB .. glad you are feeling better.

SNOOP says: SIT STILL, LADIES, and WATCH THIS: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=QqoV9mT23GA&feature=related

Rick says: "I'm gonna restrict him from the computer"

ARK: DAR...I haven't a clue about "today", but they do have some rather extensive genealogy records and that is one of the things Laurie wants.

Rick

Ark, I'm glad you had such a nice ride. Sounds like your boy needs a challenge to keep his mind busy.

My mother started doing our geneology many years ago, with the idea that I could be a DAR member. She then got into doing it just because it was interesting. And that's good, because I was never interested in being in the DAR, even though I could.

We FINALLY got a nice rain this morning. Maybe the grass will green up a little. We still need a lot more, but today was a good start.

Rose, I don't know if you check in here or not, but did you see Jr. win it today? What a convincing win for him! Nobody could even come close to him at the end.

ARK...she said kinda/sorta what you said..."patriotic stuff". Her local chapter meets on a Friday morning and that's kinda / sorta tough when you are a school teacher. I "think" she said they were NOT meeting during the summer.

Rick

Thanks, I'm feelin' more awake today!

INDYAPP, how did the classes go?

I was scratching Jasper over the fence while I filled the water tubs, and he had his head so high in the air and lips all curved up on top...y'all know what I'm talkin about here, sure you've seen the look....he had his head up and leaned into the fence for support and when I stopped to turn the hose off, he like collapsed ontop the fence with a PLOPPPPPPPPPPP....and fell to his knees! Poor guy was in a coma of endorphins being released I guessed....he was so funny he just laid there with his head on the ground and sighed...I asked him if he was alright and his eyes popped open and he jumped up so fast! shook his self and looked at me like I was out of this world or something....funny horse. Guess I did a good job scratching his itches!

Still waiting on Bluey to pop thos pups out....she is taking her sweet time doing it...

Hope everyone had fun this weekend.

Home & Tired.

Classes were intense. Got a lot of information and a lot of tips on how to take the exam come July. There is a lot of strategy just in the technique of taking the test. Class got done a little earlier than scheduled and I was able to catch an earlier train home. Spent the afternoon entertaining family and friends for a Father's Day celebration and tried to relax. Got a little smattering of rain this morning. Still need a lot more. Had a number of little kids over today and got to talk horsie to kids that have never seen a horse up close. It always amazes me how curious and innocent their questions are. Also amazes me how the horses seem to know how careful they need to be around the little people. This next week is going to be hectic. I checked my schedule for Monday and Tuesday and they stacked the appointments on me like mad. I'm not sure how they expect me to prepare for the appointments when they're back to back, but we'll make it work. Wednesday I head back to Chicago for a conference and some continueing education for the insurance license I currently have. So if I'm lucky I'll get to pop in and read, if not I'll catch up next weekend.

Ellen ... I have a small brag for you .... I picked my first tomato tonight!!!!!! I bought a patio tomato plant from Nimchek's (down on the corner where I buy the early ones you like). It is just in a regular gallon type greenhouse planter with a cage ... I tied it up, of course, but I just make sure it has water and fertilize it every couple weeks. AND ..... I picked a beauty tonight!!!! it is nice and I WILL have a bacon/tomato sandwich with part of it. this is really early for a home grown one.

Aw, now Carol. That isn't fair, to tease me like that. We don't have home grown tomatoes yet. It will be another couple of weeks before those start showing up. I would love to know what kind of tomatoes those are. I still remember how good they were.

ACK...another fire near Mt. Home up the hiway from me....we had all the smoke come down our way! The interstate even got closed down after they had several pile ups...the power went out again and even the sherriff station was out of power until they got their generator up and going!
I filled every available water tub out there, and gave the horses a bit more hay to keep them calm, they did NOT like all the smoke...and nuzzled up close to me! Even Charmin nuzzled up to me! After the last time, they get a bit worried I think poor babies....heck I get a bit worried! Both girls have skanners so they can keep me posted...altho the last one we had, I had no puter or cell phone... Well, there went my nice quiet day eh? LOL

Ellen ... I will have to look and see if it has the tag on it. It is in a pot on the deck. I have put them in big pots on my deck before successfully, but this one is so darn early!!!!! When I got this plant it had blossoms on it and maybe a couple tiny tomatoes. They had a cage on it, just stuck into the dirt in the pot. I didn't think I could even get it home .... They laid the thing down on the back seat of my car. I took it out and set it up on my deck .... I did have to tie it up really well because it would tip over. You could do this too because you have nice spots for one to sit ..... It is called a patio tomato ... try it next year. This is just so much fun to have one this early .... It has been a wierd year though too.....

Carol, any chance you could slip a few seeds into an envelope and send them to me? I'm not too good at growing things, but it's worth a try.

I am sorry guys I just can not keep up. I have no idea where all my time goes but it does. I sometimes wonder what I did when I worked and really had no time. Plummer coming tomorrow to fix the kitchen water and the roof man is going to be here to and the cleaning lady. This ought to be a fun filled morning.

My grannie and aunts are all DAR. Mom and we three daughters opted to not join. Too right wing political for us even way back when I was a kid. A bit bigoted as well as my mother use to say. And I have been trying for yrs to get the plaque they were supposed to send us for my grandmothers grave. I finally gave up. I think they forgot she existed. Just paid her dues for 50 yrs or so.

Ark, I saw where you posted on Fb about the horse cartoon. I saw that and thought of you and Ivan.

OK off to try and catch up. I do read and know you are all just as busy as I am.

SNOOP here with absolute, video proof of CB's superb dog training skills. Here in this 6+ minute video you will see where she has trained two dogs to have graceful manners. It is said that a "picture" is worth a thousands. If that is so, then this video is priceless. How does CB do this??

Here it is: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=EVwlMVYqMu4

man, another fire scare, but this time it was near larry's house near town...he is camping on the Happy Hoofer Campout in Oregon, what a blow that would have been, just losing Lyn and then lose a house. Kiddo Jaemi was on her scanner and volunteering EMT and she kept me updated, it was a close call to Larry losing his place but it was spared, over ten homes were lost in the blaze of a this wind swept wild fire. Our winds were raging at gale force and it was hard for firefighters to get a handle on it...sadly for some. They had 6 different fire companies out there. For pics you can go to KTVB TV Channel 7 Boise to see the pictures....scary stuff these wind driven wild range fires...its scaring the bejeebers out of me with the weed growth we have around us on the banks close to my trailer, and its state owned land. My yard is cut really short and around our paved driveway is mowed too. I m so afraid some idiot that stops on my ditch bank road will drop a match or lit cigarette when they take their breaks...and there is a rest area about 15 miles further on the interstate...

Rick I couldn't get into the site!! Bet it was a good one tho!

Got a phone call from my former boss this morning, and I'm going back on the road again for "awhile". One of his drivers had a medical emergency in middle Tennesee and was / is hospitalized. Boss's wife is going to take me to the truck tomorrow, and hopefully will be able to bring "Beagle Boy" home. It is a bit over 6 hours away. Load was headed this way and I should be home tomorrow night...make delivery on Wednesday...etc., etc.,. Now this is not just helping him out till "Beagle Boy" gets well, etc., but his other driver "Bandit" may be having some domestic issues and recurring alcohol and/or drug problems. Boss understands I'm retired and will not do this "forever and ever," but I WILL help him out till things settle down some. My former boss is also one of my dearest friends and I just could NOT say NO.

More later when I know more...

Love to all...Rick

CB: It is a YOUTUBE video. Search for "Two Dogs Dining" and hopefully you'll find it. IF you are successful, be prepared to "LMAOROFL"

Snoop

It is good of you to help him out Rick. That is a BIG deal for you to go back on the road again .... even for a short while. Those things have a way of stretching out. ((( ))) Don't let sitting in the seat for hours on end upend your not smoking cigs......

RICK:
Be careful out there on the road. I hope this doesn't take too much time.

CB:
Did the fire get put out? I hope you get moved to Texas soon!!

CAROL:
That tomato sounds yummy! Our entire garden last year was one tomato plant hanging upside down from our roof. We never did get any decent size tomatoes from it. We are so bad at gardening.

SUNNY:
We have your weather, you can have it back! It is supposed to be 90 degrees tomorrow. Too hot for me!

Remember the contest my riding instructor, Lori, and her mustang Tonto are in? Well they need our votes from now until Thursday to win against the other finalists!! I sure hope she wins, she is such a good instructor. If you'd like to vote, go to:
http://www.actha.tv/afth/6

and vote for Tonto and Lori!!! Thanks.

Lori and I rode Daisy and Ivan down in our lower hay field this afternoon. It was so hot. We all ended up covered in sweat. Daisy did better today than she did last week down there, despite Areion and Kazi continuing to scream for her. Daisy didn't answer today. She was a bit slow at responding to cues, but did much better. Ivan was pretty good, he gets carried away when trotting and wants to go as fast as he wants, so we have more work to do on that. He is good in the arena at trotting to the speed I want, but gets excited in other places. We are taking them on a trail ride on Thursday afternoon.