MAY 2017

It's hard to say goodbye to something that has been part of your entire life, even when you know it's the right thing for everybody. But, you know where they are going and that they'll be alright.

You did the right thing CB to protect you & Harry AND your horses.
((((((((((((((((((((hugs))))))))))))))))) I'm glad it worked out so you know they will be fine.............

ARK, I saw the same thing in those new saddlebags on that cycle.
The picture is good, etc but fake as the cycle itself had been re done................it's worth a BUNDLE, for sure.  Your riding lesson sounded good, actually.  You are learning a LOT............

We came up to the mountains so computer services are iffy now & then.  PERFECT weather..........

Everyone have a super day...............

Still....im sooooo upset.

No Triple Crown winner this year. It was a good safe race. Exciting for some, disappointing for others.

AWWWWWWWW (((((((((CB))))))))) You know it was the right decision and you had no choice. It's a heartbreaker to let go of something we have loved since we were old enough to walk. I miss my boys everyday. My friends have my Mack horse and once in awhile they send me a photo of him, He is in good hands but it still makes me sad.

ARK: That's the one thing I don't miss. Putting up hay on the hottest day of the year. I hardly ever go into the barn, it's too sad for me. My son has all his painting stuff stored in the horse stalls, so he is in and out all the time. Plus George's mowers and the ATV. It's not a horse barn any longer.

ELLEN: I can't watch DWTS without my bad boy Maks. It just isn't fun without him.

Great news about Liz.

Back to cooler temps this week. YEAH....Busy dashing about week ahead too just in time for cooler weather.

I will live....not happy still. A part of ME is gone. Horses have been a part of my world for over 50 years....i use to walk to a girlfriends house just to ride her welsh ponies around and to hang with her too. She was my bridesmaid at my wedding. Still friends today. Im not a crafty or artistic person either, so am trying to think what do i do now for pitys sake. Miss them....just really miss them. 

I hate my husband right now. Thanx for letting me vent.

CB, when you get back to Texas where you are going to stay, look around for a stable that does therapeutic riding.  They would love to have you volunteer to help with the kids (and adults) who benefit from that.  They always need sidewalkers, and the place I volunteered was tickled to pieces that I came three days a week just to groom the horses and have them ready to work.  Not only would you be doing something to help other people, you get your horse fix.  They would love having somebody who knows horses, instead of junior high age girls who are horse lovers but don't know very much.
The place where I helped out had a cute little Haflinger gelding who was just right for the program, but he was a nut case about being sprayed with fly spray or anything else, to the point he would rear and turn himself upside down.  I made it my project to fix that, and did.  They even called me the following summer to thank me because the kids could spray him with water from a hose and he just stood there.
You get the horse fix without all the work and expense.

The plan is to be traveljng a lot and not in one spot...i need something to do while he is off fishing....which he plans to do lits of.....i fish, but not that much.
We did  volunteer at sunrises for a program, but the people who were jn charge, welllllll....someone got hurt falling off....harry and i both said that is a danger, but they knew better. Im not an expert, but when you have domeone telljng you thag they are and have been riding a year now....and then a child falls....we decided not for us.

The program that I worked with was very good. They had several people who knew horses, and they tested the horses thoroughly before accepting them into the program. Those horses were VERY well cared for. For all but a very few, there were sidewalkers on each side of the horse to make sure the rider didn't fall. It took three people, sometimes 4 for each rider. One handled the horse, one on each side to make sure the rider didn't fall, and then the therapist who determined how much activity the rider should get. The horse handler had the responsibility for telling the sidewalkers if there was a problem and the rider should be pulled off.
When I was there I was leading a pretty little Arab mare who had been in the program for a while. The therapist had a little boy who wasn't sure he wanted to be there. She told me to walk off as soon as she put the kid up there, which I did. He was yelling bloody murder, and the poor little mare thought she'd been attacked by a mountain lion. She didn't shy, but she was taking little bitty steps and doing her best not to panic. I just kept talking to her and walking. The kid began to quiet down, and so did the mare. By the time it was over, he was screaming he didn't want to get off.

I've heard of other programs that weren't as good.

An example of the benefits of the program, there was a little girl who wasn't able to sit up at the age of two. The therapeutic riding a few times a week, had her walking and even starting to run when she was four. She was a poster child for the success of the program.

Majority are good programs, bug going to equine schooling and riding a short time, doesnt equal yeara of learning. She mounted a child, large child, on a too small saddle for the kid to sit in, was sitting on...the cantle and over....we questioned this...before first step, the horse kind of shifted a bit, and the walkers werent ready...kid got over balanced and went over backwards off the side, kind of over the left edge of cantle before anyone could stop the fall. They were trained from the sides...as we were, but the saddle was too small, not safe. And they do not make the cinches tight enuf in my book, never a tie or buckle, just a wrap,...kid pulled saddle off to the side too...if the horse hadnt been calm, that could have been a blowup.
I think the saddles could be put on more securely. 
We just decided, dont think so.  If i had been working walker i wouldnt have done it for that particular child/saddle.

CB:
I am so sorry you had to give up your horses. I can understand you being so upset. I hope you can find a way to be around horses that suits you. There are horse rescue places not too far from here that are always looking for volunteers. Also, the AERC endurance rides always need volunteers for many different jobs. No pay, but they usually feed you for the weekend and give you a cute t-shirt. I am not sure how NATRC uses volunteers, but they probably do. Also, there are pony clubs and 4-H clubs, and local horse shows that welcome volunteers, too. Look around, there may be the perfect match for you.... (Horse sitting for farms so they can go on vacation?)



We got our yard looking pretty good on Saturday. Donnie mowed and I weed-eated (weed-ate? ) as far as the electric cord would reach. Then we went out and bought 100 feet more of cord, so the rest of the yard will get it soon. Donnie hauled the clippings down to the manure/compost pile, then I spent my barn cleaning time keeping Ivan out of it. All that grass around his feet and he wants to eat off the top of the compost pile. Donnie is going to use his tractor to cover it up so the silly horse won't see it. None of the other horses were interested, just Ivan. That boy needs a job. I can't wait until he is cleared for me to ride again.

Lori is coming tomorrow for an Areion lesson, if it doesn't rain. It is forecast, though. There is a local horse show in town on Saturday that we may take Areion to, unless I get majorly lazy about it. Cleaning her up when we are surrounded by mud is always so fun.

Well...heres one for the books!  I was reading posts on a camping site, about midnight, hubby was just about asleep...when we heard fireworks....but then i realized hey, those flashes of light were coming at us!  Just then jaemi came flying up into our camper with her gun, hubby grabbed his rifle and we were about tofire, when we heard about 17 shots and all was quiet. Her scanner started going off, officer down, suspect not moving. Everyone was being called, cops, state cops, coroner, detectives...we can still see the flashing lights and officers walking around. They have started searching the mobile homes for victims that may have got caught in the crossfire...oboy what a night.

CB, do you have some kind of magnet that attracts events wherever you go? It seems like weird things happen wherever you are. Thank goodness none of you were hurt.

Officer releashed from hospital, suspect not so lucky, he was gone on scene.
I dont know Ellen, our trip and our stay has been uneventful, this is like a years worth of biring rolled into one night.
The crime lab was out there until 6 am...with generators and really bright lights.

I'm glad to hear the officer will be okay, and that nobody other than the bad guy were hurt. You'll probably be ready for a nap pretty soon.

CB: Holy cow (pun intended) your life is way to exciting for me. Glad you guys are all OK and the bad guy isn't. You guys need a rest from excitment.

The most exciting thing in my life this week was my printer kicked the can. The week before the Purple Heart Convention, right when we have papers that need printed. AAUUGGHHH Luckily our granddaughters finance is a computer geek and showed up here last night. The bad news is he couldn't fix it, so he is getting me a new one after work today and bringing it down. Can't complain about the printer, we got it in 2009 and only paid $70 for it so we sure got our monies worth outta it. Jessie is going to link my smartphone up to the new printer too. Yippeeee I couldn't figure out how to do that.

Today our Barnabas leader is telling the group that she has resigned. Very sad about losing her, she is such a sweet person. I'm going to miss her.

Off and running early this morning. The convention is sneaking up on us too quickly this year.

Idaho statesman or ktvb tv station will have the story both boise idaho, or mt. Home newspaper if anyone wants to read about it. We all slept soundly last night....no noise or gun battles.

Trudy i need a geek with patience.

Off to take drivers and motorcycle written tests this morning, we r claiming idsho as our home state. 

Joey, jessis hubby made master sgt. Under 12 years....thats pretty darn good. He loves the air force. Jessi gets to test next year for it. They are both such go getters. Proud mama.

Trudy, I need an affordable and reliable geek too. Two years ago, my cousins got me a nice printer. I got it home, followed the instructions to have it working wirelessly, and got to use it a few times. Then, for no known reason, I can't get the printer and computer to talk to each other. The computer says it sees the printer, but the printer can't see the computer. So, it's pretty much useless as a printer. Does okay as a copier.

CB, congratulations to Joey. I'm sure that will mean a pay raise too. With all the awards that Jessi has gotten, I'm sure she won't have any problems getting a promotion too. Those are things parents can be very proud of and brag about.
Did you both pass the motorcycle tests?

I did i did pass....took written 40 questions for regular idaho license, and 25 question for motorcycle test....now after we geg to ride and practice, the skills test.

ELLEN
A friend had a printer problem like what yours may be like. Turns out her router or modem had to be re-set, whichever one that connects to the outside interface. It's usually the device connected to the outside that has the problem.

CB
Too much excitement in your neck of the woods! Did you ever hear what was going on with the bad guy?
Congrats to Joey!!

TRUDY
It is raining, raining, raining. Flood warnings out. Is it coming your way?

No riding lesson yesterday, it rained.

Way to go, CB.

I am very frustrated with Google right now. I have always been able to very easily post pictures from Picasa to web albums. Click, click, click, done. They have "improved" it so that it is impossible to get pictures out of Picasa to anything else. Google won't even let me sign in. It's a total mess, and I am not a happy camper.
This evening, I went to Little Miss Scarlett's preschool graduation, which was cute as can be. Those two teachers do a great job rehearsing those little kids so that the whole thing went without a single hitch. I took quite a few pictures, but now I can't do anything with them.
Vent vent vent vent...... And, it's raining again. A lot. Another day or two and the docks will be floating, and I'll be down there filling buckets with water and setting them on top of the dock to keep it from floating off the posts.

WOOHOO my new printer is all set up and working. What a difference in the copies too. Guess the old one had been croaking for awhile, we just over looked the crappy copies it was printing in fear of having to get a new one. In a hour and a half, the printer, two laptops and my phone were all set up and ready to go. George & I would still be fighting over how to set it up.

Plus he took away the old printer and will recycle it at Best Buy and he is going to come back and take away all our old computer stuff that is hanging around in the tack room. Oh happy day...

.ARK: Yes, the rain has arrived. Just when we were finally drying out from the last rain storms, And the winds have returned.

CB: A huge congrats for Jessie and Joey. How wonderful to have young veterans like those two protecting our country.

ELLEN: Good luck with your printer. It is so hard to find someone who can work on these crazy modern things for us. We are blessed with 2 computer geeks in the family. Jessie is our son Kevin's protege, plus he used to work at Best Buy and has so much knowledge about computers. I'm firing Kevin and using Jess all the time now. Not sure who will be happier, me or Kevin. HAHAHAHA I'm sure I drive him crazy with computer questions and my lack of knowledge of computers.

It rained all day today.  Again....





I have to take our black, three-legged cat, Spookette, to the vet tomorrow afternoon at 3:45 pm in Blacksburg.  She has a serious sinus infection.  Poor kitty.  She is blocked from her eye to her nostril on one side and swelled up a bit.  

Then I have to race back home because Lori is coming at 5:30 pm to have a lesson with Areion.  It isn't supposed to rain tomorrow.  Uh-huh.... Of course, it is going to rain Saturday and Sunday.  No horse show for us this weekend.  I bet they cancel that horse show anyway, that arena doesn't drain too well.  They cancelled one a couple of weeks ago because of the waterlogged arena.

I sure know what you mean about rain, Ark.  Our docks are right on the verge of floating.  It hasn't rained since yesterday morning, so I'm hoping that the level will start dropping today.  The sun is shining this morning.  
The only ones happy about the high water being level with the docks are the turtles. They think it's a dandy place for a sun bath. One big one has about a 12 or 13 inch long shell; he really had to work at getting up there. The smaller ones can get up there more easily.
I love watching them, and the other wildlife around here.

Graduation got rained on but not out last night here in town....they hurried it up while the storm clouds rolled in, at 9 the skies opened up...was done....class of 2017, we could hear the cheers from across town, lol.
This weekend is crazee days, big carnival with rides, food...abd all the stores having sales, huge farmers market and flea market too. We will go early...havnt been here for it in a few years.
Had to take odie to vet yesterday....has a bulldog respiratory thing.....poor guy. On antibiotics.
Not much else is shakin here, pretty quiet, which is a good thing.
Have a safe memorial day weekend, y'all.
Thank you to our armed forces and their families.

"This is from this a.m. from Libby.

Liz Barnes, was at the hospital Tues evening, Wednesday, last night and heading back today. Each day is different. Her kidneys seem to be getting better, on antibiotics due to possible pneumonia, appears to be working as the cough seems to have subsided although the doctors have her on 2 more puffers. Her nurse practioner talked with me on Wednesday, lots going on. One side of her heart is not moving therefore causing the blood to backup, white blood count still high (may have something to do with an infection/pneumonia), potassium is low due to the water pills. However appetite is out of this world, such a major change. Wednesday morning she had me get her a chicken noodle soup from Subway at 10:30 and then she decided she would like my egg on a flatbread. From what she tells me she has had lots of company this past week. Now if we can just get her strength and walking in order should aid in the recovery process. She is very agitated and obviously frustrated. Her nurse, Jen, suggested that I sign Mom out from her floor today and take her to the cafeteria and patio for a change of scenery. Unfortunately the hospital is on overload, patients in the gym, auditorium and lounges, so there really is no place for patients to socialize with family/friends. I will update again tomorrow."