MAY 2022

MAY 2022




London 1894


Welcome to May!

It's Zebra week somewhere!

May 1st. Going back into ancient history, one of my high school teachers thought it would be a dandy idea to do a May Pole dance. That was a MESS! There is a specific sequence to weave the ribbons around the pole. I don't think we ever did get it right. LOL

Now that's one spiffy rig........and that photo of zebra mare and foal is GREAT.

Everyone have a great day and, thanks again ARK, for the board............

HAPPY MAY DAY to all.

Happy May!

Time to hit the Projects list and get things done. I started out yesterday with picking up the little branches and sticks that came down over the winter so I can mow the yard, and ended up tearing out a couple of bushes. The sticks and what not are still in the yard but was very happy with the the removal of the bushes. I refuse to mow my yard before May just on principal, but now that it's May I really need to get to it. I'll be off for two weeks starting next Monday and I have high hopes of getting a number of projects checked off my 'to do' list.

ARK glad to hear neither your riding partner nor her horse were seriously hurt. I think your friend was able to catch up so quickly due to the amazing effects of adrenalin. I think that experience falls in the category of " that that doesn't kill us, makes us stronger." with hopes of never experiencing it again.

Thanks, INDYAPP! It was definitely I ride I don't want to repeat. We've mowed twice already and need to again. Our grass is growing fast. Donnie thinks the hayfields will be ready in about 3 weeks. Lots to do before then, speaking of sticks....


Well, the nose poke test said I don't have Covid. A bruised brain, maybe, but not Covid.


I rode Ivan last night, we now have 24 miles towards our Virtual Tevis ride. We are slow, but may get there. My other riding challenge is to get 100 rides in before Dec.31. This last ride was #17 for the year. Like I said, we are slow.

It is 77 degrees today. Hot!

This afternoon, for the first time in days and days, we have warm sunshine. The temperature is still only 63°.
I haven't started mowing yet. Travis is going to do the upper yard sometime later this week. Then maybe a week from now I'll get going on the lower yard with the tractor. It's all tuned up and ready to go, complete with new blades. Handyman Kent spread fertilizer on it last week, so it should start growing nicely.
Everything is slower getting started this year with the colder and cloudier weather we've had.

Ark, I envy you being able to get out and ride. Keep going. The next thing you know you will have done the whole 100 miles, and more.
The only thing I ride is the golf cart or the tractor. In a few weeks the jet ski will be in the water, and I'll make sure to give it some exercise.

Guess I am still sleeping this morning. I stared and stared at the photo of the Zebra and couldn't see the foal until I read Graymares post. LOL LOL Good thing I have a eye appointment next Monday.

Our forecast is rain rain and more rain. I thought April showers bring May flowers not May daily rain. The seasons are mixed up here in PA.

Thank God it didn't rain on Saturday and George & Joel finished the electrical project from the spring house to the basement. Now I don't have to worry about George forgetting the line in laying on the ground and mows it into oblivion & electrocutes himself. LOL

I had a dentist appointment yesterday morning and right as I was ready to leave the house my dentist called and had to reschedule my appointment. Darn darn darn. I was cheering...she went to a dental conference and was around someone who had Covid tested positive and had to cancel all her appointments. I felt bad for her but happy for me...a short reprieve from mouth pain.

Have a blessed day.

ELLEN I'm envious, you had sunshine yesterday. Not here. Gray skies and sporadic mist. Today it's raining and all the little white petals are coming off the trees here at work. All the cars in the parking lot look like they've been sprayed with some sort of acid.

But even with all the rain and mud, spring is here. Last night I spent time grooming Monster and the floor was carpeted with horse hair by the time I was done. He really enjoys having the shedding blade used. I started at his ears and was working my way towards the back, but evidently not fast enough. All of a sudden instead of grooming his flank, his butt was facing me. He wanted his tail head scratched. Today when I went out to lunch there were a mama goose and a daddy goose taking their three little baby goslings on a walk in the rain down the sidewalk. The goslings would run a little ahead of the adults and then run back and then do it all over again. Momma and Daddy were just strolling along.

MANYGATES, I can relate to you and your relief of delaying the dental appointment. I am not a good dental patient, even for just a cleaning.

Indy, the sun we had didn't last very long, but was certainly welcomed while it was here.  The rain last night really woke up the trees and flowers.  Today, they are showing lots of color.  
A whole lot of years ago, we had a colt that LOVED to have his butt scratched.  People who didn't know him were very uneasy when he turned around and presented his fanny.  The apprehension quickly changed to laughter.

Hi.............

I checked the Derby horses...........If I read correctly, it's a field of 20.........there are 7 horses with odds of
30;1, and 6 with 20:1. That leaves the regulars. It should be a wild race. I hope one of the underdogs wins.

Glad to see everyone is coming back............

ELLEN, that would be Monster, he LOVES to have his bum scratched. And you're right it is a little unsettling to have him turn his butt to you as he is a true 17hh tall. He enjoys having a good grooming, but he LOVES his butt scritches.

Last night I came home to find that all of my hard work the night before of getting him all spruced up was for nothing. It looked as if he had spent the day wallowing in the mud puddles. He was a mess.

I agree with you GRAYMARE, I hope one of the underdogs win the Derby. I don't study the horses history, I pick them by their names. I like Smile Happy, Happy Jack (who I think must be related without looking it up) and White Abarrio. I guess we shall see.

Indy, they are actually not related. Smile Happy is by Run Happy who has proven to be a really good sire. Happy Jack has Tapit as an ancestor, who is also a great sire.
If you go to Equibase you can find all TBs.
I love seeing the long shots win, but it doesn't happen very often. A few weeks ago there was a 114:1 shot who won. I would have liked to have a couple bucks on him.
This week, Fox Sports 2 is showing horse racing from Churchill and Belmont all afternoon.

Well, related or not, I still like their names and they are my picks in no particular order. The most memorable name for me was a trotter who was racing at the county fair years ago named Lawnmower. I can still hear the race being called "and it's Lawnmower in the lead...."

Last night I went to my nephews first T-ball game. Ages 5-6. It was a hoot. Batters chasing after their own balls, batters not running after they hit the ball, kids getting side tracked running between 1st and second base. They seemed to do ok running second to third. Kids on the field playing in the dirt and sitting on the bases. The entire game was 2 innings.

T-ball and 3 year old soccer are always great fun to watch. They seem to find all kinds of ways to entertain themselves.

I usually pick the gray horses to win. They rarely win, though. Names would be my next reason to choose them. I am very scientific about racing...


Donnie's bike came in today. He has it almost assembled, he has to put an adapter on it to lengthen the pedal crank so he can bend his knee enough to get the pedals all the way around. He is having fun tinkering with it. He already has the adapters, they came in last week.

Happy Cinco de Mayo folks...............

Oh boy, those kids playing T ball must have been a riot. Ball games with little kids are always
a riot.

Glad Donnie got his bike and could make the right adjustments to make it a fit for him.

I'm still concerned about the current status of the USA............and still praying about Ukraine.........

Everyone have a good evening.

Horse racing all day on Fox Sports 2 from Churchill and Belmont.

I almost missed the Oaks. It was on USA channel instead of the usual sports channels. D. Wayne Lucas did it again. Secret Oath did a good job for him.

Hi everyone,

Today was horses all day. But, the best thing was D. Wayne Lucas. He's now 86 yrs old and still works
every day and gets on his horse every day. Holy jambe, yay for him. Anyhow, his client's filly,
Secret Oath, won the Oaks. It was a huge deal for all of them.

The blah blah blah was informative but boring after so much of it. Then they had a fashion consultant
that elaborated on current fashion for the race etc...............it was ridiculous I thought. Some of the
hats that women wore were very nice but dresses were awful.

My black happy boy was again the best horse in the park.........he's so ugly he's beautiful and very well
trained to do his job........and, I don't like appaloosas as a rule.

More to come tomorrow............

The story of Harley, the lead pony is kind of interesting. He was purchased as a weanling by a woman who has several lead ponies. Harley works 5 races a day. All the announcers love him. There is also a Breyer model of him.

Oh ELLEN, you gave away who the mystery lead horse is/was............I've referred to him twice on the board
and nobody wondered about whom I was referring.........it was my kind of humor. I think he's great.

There's an ambulance down three houses..........There's a big party there so I am nosey enough
to want to know what's going on..........I'll find out tomorrow morning.

Later gang...............

Graymare, what happened at the party?

A little boy (6 I think) fell off a swimming pool ladder.............banged and bruised, but will be OK.
I don't know any details.  He is back home today, I think.

Just saw the neighbor at the mailbox.........The kids had been
told swimming was over. One child caught the other climbing the ladder............when climber looked up, he slipped off.......probably on about 5th rung up. Child was a guest. We assume he's fine at home.

Okay,  I choose Mo Donegal first and White Abarrio second.  

Race starts in 5 minutes.  

Well, I have continued my unbroken streak of losing the KY Derby.... Did you see Rich Strike biting the heck out of the pony horse? Yikes.