MARCH 2021

After an all day rain yesterday, today dawns bright and clear. It will be a good day to get out and about.

Beautiful sunny day here. Yesterday was not so much. It's that time of year. Wait a little while it's sure to change.

I went out to feed one morning just before the time changed like normal and all the horses met me at the gate but they were a little sluggish moving a round. Sophie and Tiberius both looked like they were warm, and had laid down in the sand and pine needles to roll and cool off. It was a little warmer the past couple of days than it has been and they still have heavy winter coats. I didn't give it much thought other than to think it must be warmer than I thought. I went ahead and fed them breakfast and went in the house to get ready for work. I saw on face book that someone had posted that there were 4 horses in the field behind my field was anyone missing any horses? Well I grabbed some halters and a went driving thinking I would help catch them and locate the owners. Never found them. I decided to take a walk around my fence line to check on things. Found a spot where it looked like the visiting horses talked to my guys over the fence and the ground was chewed up. Also discovered another tree had come down and I needed to work on that. I got back to the barn and locked my guys out of the field to be safe and went to work. Continued to monitor the facebook post to see if the horses were ever located etc. The person who posted the original announcement finally posted a picture she had taken that morning. Lo and behold the loose horses were MINE! They must have crossed where the tree came down and then came back home for breakfast! Sophie and Tiberius were warm because evidently they were the ones not smart enough to cross back in the same place they got out. The chewed up ground where I thought the visitors had been must have been when my guys were trying to all get back home before breakfast. I'm glad I locked them out of the field in the morning otherwise they probably would have gone exploring while I was at work.

I now have a brand new 4 strand electric fence up where there had previously been an old 5 strand barbed wire fence. I hate barb wire and it was the last of it on the property that I just hadn't gotten around to removing yet. It's all gone now. I sure felt silly about driving around looking for someone's loose horses only to find out they were mine that had come home for breakfast.

Horses always seem to provide us with unwanted entertainment. At least they didn't hurt themselves trying to get back home.

It has been a really nice day, and I decided to take myself out to dinner at one of the favorite places that has REALLY GOOD fried chicken. It will make for two more good meals over the next two days.

INDYAPP,
WOW! At least you didn't have to worry about them since you didn't know the wandering horses were yours! What smart horsies to come back and not miss a meal! Aren't they cute....

We had an inch of rain overnight, some thunder, but none of the bad storms they got south and east of us. Only my dog was nervous about the thunder. Cats and horses don't seem to care. We needed some rain, the ground was hard and dry. The grass is going to be growing fast now. Our horses are already restricted from it except for an hour a day. Air ferns.

Oh boy, busy busy week............taxes, drs appts, PT. I'm simply worn out. I sat and watched horses for
a long time today..............I also sold my Terrain as it was starting to give me fits. I chose the car and
have regretted for a long time. I really clicked with my other chevy so I'm not sure what I'm going to do.
Meanwhile, I can drive my truck which I like best anyhow.

I think people are going to complain about the horses across the street. I saw a man over there
counting heads. Then I saw a different man counting heads. In the meantime, we received our
accounting sheet from the state describing who lives in your house etc and how many animals
do you have state, not federal. Interesting that neighbors are that nosey. I guess I don't really care as I think if
it's your property you can do what you want within reason. We'll see. I sure hope I'm wrong as
we are only to have 2 horses per acre and they have 17.................they keep it clean tho so it
doesn't have any effect on me/us............ What's really odd is the two pigs that wander the neigh-
bor hood...........Someone should complain about them...........I'm afraid of them when they're out loose.
I just stay in my yard. I know they're supposed to be gentle but these are HUGE.....not the smaller
pot bellies.

Speaking of pot bellies, I have to go eat. Everyone have a good eveningng.

GRAYMARE:
 I would be more wary of those pigs, too.  I read somewhere that more farmers are hurt by pigs than any other livestock.  (I always think of Dorothy on Wizard of Oz when she falls backward into the pigpen...)  
 17 horses on one acre sounds like a lot of clean up work.  Good luck to them.  I don't think we have any regulations for horse numbers/acre here, but you can be sure someone would complain about it.

First day of spring!  ThunderPuff's 6th birthday.   I rode Ivan in the arena, but it was a tad chilly.  He spooked at some imaginary thing and did one of those spins he used to do.  He hasn't done them in a long time.  Luckily I stayed in the saddle.  I wonder if he was testing me....   Next ride we go back to the snafflebit,  he was in his hackamore today.  Other than that, he did well.  

I did find out that my arms aren't long enough to make a decent selfie with him...

ARK, the neighbors have 2.5 acres..............still way over but not my problem.............LOL

It'sbright and sunny today with a soft breeze. We'remgoing onside after we clean up.

Everyone have a good day............

It's a beautiful day here today. 62° and sunny. There are a few more boats out and about. More docks are being put in. The grass is just barely starting to turn green. I think I need to fertilize mine.

I did my taxes online about 4 weeks ago. The refund came 11 days later. No, I haven't spent it yet. LOL

If the animals are clean and healthy and the property is clean, then it then I have no problems with the number of animals someone has. It's not a matter of space, it's a matter of care. I have 10 acres which in theory should support my 4 horses with no problem. However, I have very poor sandy soil so it comes no where close to supporting my guys. It does give them plenty of space to wander around.

I'm working on this huge spreadsheet project at work. We have to repaper all of our clients accounts so that all of the legal language is in the new company name. For some reason all the work I did Thursday afternoon did not save. I couldn't bring myself to work on it Friday. It has taken me about 4 hours so far today to redo the lost work.

INDYAPP:
Ackkk! I hate it when something like that happens. Hopefully you will remember enough to make it go by faster than the last time.


ELLEN:
It's about the same here today, 62 and sunny. Donnie is still out spreading manure compost and putting out grass seed. He's seems to be a happy camper on his tractor. I won't be able to let the horses up in that field for awhile, but hopefully the grass will come out nicely to make better hay.

GRAYMARE:
I have enough keeping up with three big horses and two little guys. No way would I want to do 17 and keep it spotless! It was amazing how much less I had to do when Kazi and Zippy died...not that I wouldn't take them back in an instant. I don't think I would want another horse now, though. I am lazier.

I found out about the new neighbors' horses. Two QH mares, one old and one only 2. The old one has a foot problem, so she can't be ridden right now, and the young one isn't trained. She bites and kicks. None of my horses ever offered to bite or kick after one try and most never tried. In fact only Zippy and Trinket ever bit anyone and never did it again after being chased all over the field. I hope this couple figures it out. They plan on training the filly themselves and are watching YouTube videos. The horses will arrive soon.

Ohhhh Indy.  I am so sorry about the lost work.  That would be soooo frustrating to have to redo a big project because a computer messed up.

It seems that too many people have too much time on their hands and want to manage other people's properties.  

Yes, I agree Ellen. Too many chiefs and not enough Indians.

Oh boy do we have a problem in our gang. One gal lent her car to another with the understanding it would
be back by today............the car borrower refuses to bring it back stating the car owner isn't fit to
drive. I'm out of the loop on this one. The car owner has no traffic violations and is practically ready
to shoot the trouble maker. I told her to call the police and have them accompany her to get her
car and keys. The borrower is a right fighter so this could get good. I personally am in shock.
So, as the world turns, another huge problem. Tune in tomorrow.

Everyone have a calm blessed evening.

Graymare, once again, a person decides they get to be judge, jury, and executioner over somebody else's life and property. I'm guessing borrower and loaner will no longer be friends.
Why is it so many people think they are soooooo much smarter than everyone else? Way too much of that going around.

Hello everyone.  Just checking in from good old PA.  The weather has been so nice, we have spent a lot of time outdoors.  Mowed down the corn stalks and cleaned up the garden.  Not sure if we are having a garden or not this year.  Still up in the air about all the manual labor it takes to maintain it.  The deer were devastated, they spent a lot of time in the garden cleaning up the old corn, they were standing up there just staring at the missing corn stalk area.  

GRAYMARE:  Your mind your own business story about the horses reminded me that I want to share this mask story.  Our great grand daughter Cameron, who is 3 and was a preemie and sometimes has a little difficult understanding things she doesn't enjoy, was not wearing a mask at Walmart.  A woman followed Courtney and Cameron around the store and was taking photo of Cameron, some of the shoppers went to management and told about the woman stalking them taking pictures.  Management called the police.  In the meanwhile Courtney was in line to check out and the woman was behind her snapping away...someone told told Courtney and she flipped out, grabbed the woman's phone and threw it on the floor and stomped on it.  The police showed up and arrested the woman with the phone, she had over 50 pictures of Cameron and 100's of pictures of other little kids without masks.  It's a good thing grandson Aaron wasn't there, he would have body slammed the woman and not just her phone. This mask crap has gotten outta hand MYOB is my mantra, leave people especially little kids alone.

Stay safe and healthy...

What is the saying about green rider + green horse = black and blue? ARK it sounds as if your new neighbors are possibly setting that young horse up for failure. I've only ever had one horse that bit or kicked and he came from a situation where the owner got him as a very young colt and thought it was 'cute'. It wasn't so cute as he grew into a 1,000 pound beast. SAPP retrieved him from that situation and he came to "evil Aunt Deb's" house to learn manners. I still remember his initial lesson of standing tied at the hitching post and getting groomed. I would be grooming him and he would either try to kick me or bite me and each time he did the offending appendage got smacked with a crop and a loud NO! and then I immediately went back to quietly grooming him. It took about two sessions, he had to test me the next day to see if the rules were still the same. He quickly learned that I really was Boss Mare. He ended up spending close to 20 years as a Park Police horse in DC. I was just notified that Smokey is being retired this year.

INDY, good for Smokey.........he turned into a hero horse. Training makes all the difference.

I forgot to tell the entire story yesterday. When I originally heard the story of the car being kept from
the owner, I laughed and laughed as I thought it was a prank. We hadn't had one in a long time and
I thought how brilliant this one was. When I was told, "no, it's true", I couldn't believe it. The follow up
was the police got involved and the owner now has her car and keys. Be careful folks there
are some really nosey controlling characters out there. The officer explained the law to the old bird
and she just stood there dumbfounded. Because the police went to her house, her husband was incensed I never really never knew the problem person as I was only around her twice and that was back when I worked with young problem kids with the horses. She was/isa winter visitor down here so I never got to know her. I guess I didn't miss much. Anyhow, car owner
is relieved and on her way and my friend is still the good old gal that will do almost anything for a friend.
She set some limits last night................LOL. I'm calling this story "Who really has cognitive impairment?"

TRUDY, you're so right...........honestly, I can't believe some people.

Everyone have a good day............

Another self-proclaimed genius bites the dust. I don't know why there are so many people who are so sure they are right, so everyone else is wrong. I can't help wondering if she thought she was going to keep the car.

Yeah!!! It's raining... a little. We really need the rain. I'm already worrying that first cutting hay will be stunted / late.

I can see! I can see! LOL Yesterday, I had the cataract in one eye fixed. The next one will be next week. This morning when I woke up, I could see the details in the houses across the lake.
The place where I had it done is one of the biggest businesses in the state; one of three locations. They have several MDs and a bunch of ODs. They do 20-25 surgeries a day. I guess they know how to do it by now.
Because several of you had mentioned your successful experiences, I wasn't even apprehensive about getting it done.

Back to real life today. Clean house, clean the leaves out of the tulip beds, sweep the sidewalk.......

INDYAPP:
I remember hearing about Smokey. I didn't realize he was still there, that's quite a career! Congrats to him on his retirement. Any idea where he will go since Candace can't take him back?
About the neighbors: I don't think the husband knows much about horses, but he said his wife shows QHs, so maybe she does. I sure hope so!
Did you get your work redone?

ELLEN:
Is that eye place in Ft. Wayne? I went to an eye place there way back in high school where you could get glasses in one day. We lived in Muncie at the time. I think it was cheaper there, too, which was probable the reason we went there. Congrats on your new eye!! I was so amazed at well I could see after my surgery. I went to a big eye place in Roanoke, Va, that was sort of a factory for these surgeries. It went well. Just do all the drops!


GRAYMARE:
So did the car thief expect to keep the car? Wow! Did she expect your friend to keep paying the insurance, too? She is lucky your friend didn't have her arrested for car theft.

TRUDY:
I think we are going to try, once again, to make a garden. Last year's didn't do too well, we got a few carrots and tomatoes. We are so bad at it. Donnie says he is doing it again. Okay....

It's been raining off and on all day and we will have thunderstorms tonight. We needed some rain, but hopefully won't get the bad storms they have had in Alabama and Tennessee. Donnie spent about 16 hours of tractor time moving compost from the barn lot area to the upper field, then spreading and raking it. He was trying to beat the rain. He put out some grass seed, too. We have LOTS more compost to move. I wish we could sell it for what the garden stores get, we would be rich! Hopefully the hay will be thicker this year up there.

We're getting rain here too. We need it so, it's a good thing.

Ark, the place is right here in Warsaw, about 15 minutes from me. This area is one of the fastest growing areas of the state. A very large portion of the hip, knee, and shoulder shoulder prosthetics are manufactured here. Zimmer, Biomet, and DuPuy are all here.
Just since I moved here 14 years ago, most of the major chain restaurants and stores have come here. Popeye's Chicken will be here soon.
It's all lake country, so people like to come here. Even if they don't live on a lake, most have boats. Even many people in apartments have boats stored somewhere.
Property values on the lakes are really going up. $$$$$
There used to be a chain of places called "Dr. David Tavel" that sold instant glasses. Was that maybe where you went? They were everywhere.

I remember the story of Smokey too. I'm glad to know he's had a good useful life.

If anyone has time to read a excellent book try to find this one, Joey by Jennifer Marshall Bleakley.  It's the story of a blind horse.  How a blind rescue horse helped other learn to see.  It's a paperback about 270 pages and it is a tear jerker for sure.  I cried my way thru the book and could hardly put it down, I love horse stories.

Road to the Horse will be on RFDTV at 2:00 this afternoon. It's round 2. Craig Cameron, Ken McNabb, and Wade Black. It will be on tomorrow too.
It was on yesterday, but I didn't find it until it was nearly over.

Cole Cameron was the wildcard champion and Wade Black (Ray Hunt's grandson)won the championship........
And Jack Brainard award to Wade Black...........I have videos of Jack Brainard that are 30 years old...........

Am I really that old?

The horses the three guys had were so different. Craig's horse was stubborn and hard headed. Ken's was the easiest to get along with. Wade's was the most reactive. Other than not completing two of the obstacles, Ken's did the obstacles the best. Craig had to really work hard to get anything out of his. Wade's did the obstacles, but wanted to buck and cavort around.
For me that would have been hard to judge.
This was the first time I've been able to watch all of the event. The few other times I've seen it, it was just an hour or so of it.
It thought it was interesting that Jack Brainard was remembering Chris Cox's event, over all the others.