APRIL 2022

That's a great photo.  I was 7 years old, but I remember when Elizabeth became queen.  I felt sorry for her that her father died.  As soon as I learned that she loved horses, I was a fan.  
When the pandemic hit, it was the first time in 75 years that she didn't attend Ascot.  I loved seeing her arriving in a carriage.

It's the weekend.  HOORAYYYY  We had 4 inches of lovely (NOT) snow on Tuesday.  It was gone by Weds and tomorrow is supposed to be 70 degrees.  Gotta love good old PA weather.  It always surprises us.    George has been mowing grass already even though we had the snow.  He just couldn't wait to get the mowers out.  LOL  

My freind Ashley is still alive.  That girl is a fighter.  The doctors told her weeks ago she had 2 weeks to live.  She proved them wrong.  Only God knows when our last day on earth will be.  

Going to help my friend Dee start packing up her house.  She sold her house and is moving into a handicap apartment.  Thank God.  Taking care of her house has gotten to be too much for her and finding reliable help is so difficult.  No one wants to work.

Have a blessed weekend.  Enjoy the warmer weather.

Trudy, I hope there is a miracle and your friend fools them all and gets better.

After weeks of 40s and 50s, it is 83 today.  The boats have been busy on the lake today.  Piers are going in and the dock and lift business is thriving.  They make BIG money in the spring and fall.
Cousin's husband and "little" Alex (6' 2") will be here in a couple of weeks to put my dock and jet ski lift in the water.  I'll be ready for it.  I can do steps with both feet now.
I have enjoyed having the sliding door open all day.

Monday afternoon:  I was reading the local online news.  It seems that a pole barn built for hay one year ago was blown over by wind on Sunday afternoon.  We had some wind, but none that should have turned over a barn.  I'd be going after the barn builders.
The barn belonged to a hippo therapy place.  It's a beautiful facility and well maintained.  The barn was a gift from a donor.  It is well thought of, so I'm guessing they won't have much trouble getting it rebuilt.
None of the 17 horses were hurt.

Tuesday morning: After nearly 3 months my new sofa finally arrived. I love it! I'm so glad I got it. With the two recliners on the ends being powered, push a button, lay it nearly flat, try not to snore. LOL

Well, I made a big decision by accepting a job at church.............volunteer, of course. Our Sunday school
class needed a social director for meeting outside and inside the church..........This has gone on for
quite awhile. Nobody would volunteer. So I said to the class I would do it with the understanding that we're all older
now and need to be accountable to each other and participate. I stated I would not do it alone.
I got a big round of applause and, so far, it's in the beginning of regrouping. It's simply potlucks at the church,
going out for meals, movies, going hiking etc............we can do whatever we want to do and include everyone.
I'll see. Our group is wonderful. We (the women) do not want to have to make their house available and
do all the work and cooking needed. We will share the load and have a lot of fun doing it or quit. It's that simple.

ELLEN, glad you got your new couch.........sounds great. You snore away.

Still praying for Ukraine. Gads, can"t we just have world peace? I seriously don't understand warmongers.

Oh, my friend finished 2nd in the virtual Tevis cup out of 300. Evidently there was a 100 miler in
Washington state so my friend finished 2nd..........I was still proud of her try. They just have to
take your word for honesty as they can't wrangle cats. There is no big prize in solved, just fun.

Everyone have a good evening

Are we the only ones on the board ELLEN?

Graymare, it sure looks that way. I'm really sorry to not see more people participating. I miss them.

It's just us again.

I don't get it.........it makes me very sad, too.

Sorry guys...this has been a extra busy week here on the farm. Digging a ditch so we can reroute the electric line from the spring house to the cellar so we have water. Running to the hardware store for things we forgot the first 3 times. LOL

Son In law Joel drove up from Maryland yesterday to help with the project. He is Missy's husband, he brought his dog with him. A chocolate Lab. Really makes me miss my buddy Ace. Joel is so sad without Missy. Breaks my heart.

The glass hearts we ordered from Artful Ashes arrived yesterday. They are beautiful. I might not have mentioned that. You send them ashes from your cremated loved ones and they put them in glass blown hearts or orbs that are hand made. Artfulashes.com. Check out their site. They even show a video of how they make the hearts.

Keith came out to turkey hunt this morning. He bagged a HUGE turkey. It must weigh 25 pounds. The biggest one he ever got out here.

Monday dentist appointment. Oh yippeeeee can't wait.

GRAYMARE: That is wonderful you are volunteering at your church...it seems it's all us older folks that do the volunteering nowadays.

ELLEN: Congrats on the new couch. enjoy a nap or two on it. It's amazing how well I can sleep on the couch. LOL Glad you are getting around better.

Have a blessed weekend everyone...

Trudy, you've had a busy week.
We have wild turkeys around here too. Some of them are pretty big. I guess some people hunt them, but I haven't heard of any.

Graymare, I'm sure you and your friends will have a great time planning things to do.

Yesterday Neighbor Karen and I went to Shipshewana. I needed some bread flour and a store there has the best flour at the best price.
On the drive we saw a couple of brand new foals. At one farm a little girl was riding and driving a cute little cart being pulled by a cute little pony.
It was a nice way to spend part of an afternoon.

ELLEN:
 Congrats on the new couch!  Pix?   Glad to hear your hip is doing well!  My friend just had her second knee done,  she had a hip done a few years ago.  Bionic people!


GRAYMARE:
 Hurray for volunteering!  That should keep everyone happy and busy for awhile at church.   It is hard to get people to share in the planning of things, then those who do all the work get burned out.  So delegate the work!!  
 Congrats to your friend on her Virtual Tevis ride!  I am at mile 23.  I just passed Cougar's Rock.  


TRUDY:
  It is sad about Missy......     A friend takes on older labs who need homes instead of getting puppies.  She has them for a few years and the dogs have a good retirement home.    Something to think about.  


I have been busy, busy this week.   Ivan and I have been on two trail rides and a couple of mile long rides in the arena.  13 miles towards our 100 mile challenge.  The first trail ride was last Monday on the New River Trail with my pony farrier.   We were having a very nice, relaxed ride when two middle-aged bicyclists blew past us without slowing down and freaked my friend's QH out.  She jumped off as the horse was going over a steep bank.  The stupid bikers never slowed down as she went feet over head and landed in the dirt.  Her QH took off back down the trail in the direction we had come from.   Ivan didn't freak out over the bikes, but when the QH took off, that's where he wanted to go, too.   I managed to ask my friend if she was okay, she said she was, and then Ivan and I dashed off after her horse....making a land speed record for trotting.  I fought him the whole way so he wouldn't get into a totally uncontrolled gallop, and he didn't, but he wouldn't stop until we got within 75 or so feet of the QH.  I don't think I have ever trotted that fast.  He had on a soft hackamore that didn't slow him down at all.  Anyway,  we caught up with the horse before he made it back to the highway, about a mile from where the bikes freaked him.  He stood still as long as we didn't try to get  too close to him and waited for his owner to catch up.  That girl can make tracks, she got there fast.  Later I found out she was posting on FaceBook as she was rushing to catch her horse!   I rode a horse and was still trying to just catch my breath.  
The horse scraped his nose from stepping on his reins and pulling on his rather stiff, plastic hackamore, but other than that was okay.  She scraped her elbow and bruised her hip, but she was okay.  Ivan was okay.  I was exhausted.  We walked on back to the trailer and went home.

Then on Thursday,  Ivan and I went to Pandapas Pond park and rode with my friend and her new TB.  This ride was relaxing and made up for Monday's hectic ride.

 Friday I had a Covid test.  I think they gouged my brain with their nose probe.    I have a heart stress test next week.  After Monday's ride, I don't think I will have any problems passing that test.  

Donnie finally ordered his new bike today!  It should be here next week.  Hopefully he can go with me and Ivan on the New River Trail and I won't have to depend on others when I want to ride.  

Time to change the calendar. Go to:
https://horsefriends.forumotion.com/t130-may-2022#14286

or to "Basket", then "May 2022"