November 2022

NOVEMBER 2022




And here it is:   

BEECH's Marshmallow Crossbow!!





Now how cool is that?  

BEECH, how cool is that? Positively lovely!!!

And INDY, I think we should call you "CAR 54"

I'm so thankful for all of you.

Everyone have a great evening............

That is really pretty. Good job!
I'll bet your brother has a ball with that.

Happy November everyone. Where on earth did October go? Time is flying by, hope winter flies by as quickly as summer did. Most of the trees are bare and scary looking.

Not one Trick or Treaters here either. All the kids in our neighborhood are grown up and moved away. Oh well, we will just have to chow down on the candy ourselves. No a problem there. At our church we had over 1,800 people at Trunk or Treat, some of that figure includes the volunteers.

BEECH: We love the Generac...it fires up automatically when the power goes out. No dashing about unplugging and plugging extension cords in. No filling up the gas fired generator & trying to pull start it. The entire house is hooked up to it.
It does a automatic test every other Tuesday so we know it's ready to fire up. It is set up with my phone and the Generac company so everyone can tell if it is operating properly. Of course, since we put it in our power has only gone out for a few minutes, but it is wonderful to know that in power failures we are covered.

It was very pricey and we didn't get the solar panels, couldn't justify the cost at our age. Ours is propane powered. It took almost ONE year after we placed the order to actually get the generator. Products were so backed up when we placed the order. But we had the back up gas generator while we waited for ours.

ARK: Love the pictures of the fawns hanging out with your horses. When my Jazz horse was alive he would play with and race the deer that ran along side of the pasture fence. They weren't brave enough to go into his pasture.

Have a great week everyone...

I've thought about getting a generator too, but they are pretty expensive. We don't lose power very often anymore; the power company is doing a better job of restoring power. I do have the gas fireplace that works really well to keep the house warm. My neighbor across the road has one. I can hear it running when it does come on. He's an electrician, so installation was free for him. And, he can get contractor discounts.

Thank you for the crossbow pic, ARK!

 I am as tickled that I figured out how to use the phone to send it as I am to have made it!

Though it still does give me a giggle. My brother and his family did love it, and now, he says, it sits in some prominent place in their living room where people fondle it and admire the craftsmanship. Which is amazing, because I used just whatever wood I had on hand, which included parts of an old bookcase and a bedstead and a drying rack. That's why there is a hole at the end of the handle. But it really does shoot that marshmallow a good 30-plus feet. I don't know if I said this already, but I made a second one in a big hurry for my neighbors for their informal wedding party, but it had a fatal flaw, so I kept it for myself and later fixed it. The rubber band that holds the energy is surgical tubing that I sent away for; when you press the trigger, the firing pin pushes it up so it lets go and whacks the marshmallow. I had a dream to make a batch of smaller versions to give/sell at Christmas, but that ain't agonna happen because I've got that generator cover to finish before winter. Now that I know how to get pics to kind ARK, I will try for some pics of that, too.

INDY, thanks for the shooting info, and that about your news situation. Same here, pretty much, though we have nobody keeping track privately on line -- that I know of anyway. The modern deaths of real newspapers are a huge loss to our culture in multiple ways-- and grandly ironic, since it's now so much easier for us to communicate personally with each other instantly all over the globe. But little organization or control there.

INDYAbout generators: MANYGATES is right on the money about the pros and cons.  Generac is the way to go if you've got the money. (Though maybe there are other companies who provide a similarly connected and automaticly-running product? I don't know. Worth some research.) I probably spoke too quickly when I said I should have gone that route. I will probably value my Champion once I get used to using it. Though I suspect that, if we have a prolonged crisis with no power, we'll all be in trouble until we get hooked up to solar, individually and communally. I'm not yet.

My brother celebrated his 94th birthday last week, and four days later (as planned) had his aortic valve successfully replaced. Family had to persuade him to undergo that procedure, so I wrote the attached doggerel to contribute my share. At least I'm going to try to attach it...ttyl...

I couldn't figure out how to send as an attachment, so here it is taking up a lot of space. Forgive me!  More giggles, I hope!


SOME LIGHTLY CONSIDERED MATTERS OF THE HEART
 
When Old Heart in its infinite wisdom
Announced it was quitting the system,
Old Head cried, "Oh,no!
Oh, no, no, no NO!
Hang tight 'til I've formed a commission!"
 
Old Liver jumped in, then Gallbladder, too,
And soon quite the whole motley crew,
Sighing, "Heart's not alone!"
"Oh,true!" yelled Old Bone,
As they worked out just what they could do.
 
Then they called in some surgeons with class,
Who could patch up Old Heart in a flash.
So he woke up one morn,
Said, "My word! I'm reborn!"
And all cried, as one body, "We'll last!"
 
The moral: Don't leap off Old Earth all too soon-um
When part of you's not in full tune-um.
Whole bodies work best when together,
And last longer (though never forever),
With faith in e pluribus unum.
 
 
 
Virginia L.Woodwell fecit,
(though she is embarrassed to say so).
 October 23, 2022.
 
(Written by his sister for George M. Woodwell on his birthday, and four days prior to his receiving a new aortic valve in his "Old Heart.")

Well done, Beech.
Medical science and skill have come a long way towards keeping going for a little longer.

Such a poet BEECH. And an Artisan too. Beautiful woodwork.

I don't mind being referred to as Car 54, but please not Barney Fife!

Thank you for the info on generators. I have 3 projects that I am considering: a generator, mainly so if I loose power the pump will run and I can water the horses, security cameras for the house, barn and outbuildings, and a water softener that will require me to replace my water heater at the same time and extra piping because I don't want soft water at my kitchen sink.
Just another example of home-ownership pick-a-project.

I've come up with a proposal that should be considered by the State. Elimination of property taxes for anyone who has owned their property for more than 25 years. Just sayin...

Indy, I'm all for that proposal!  My property has increased significantly in value since my dad bought it in 1953 and my property taxes sure show it.
And no.  You are not Barney.  LOL


Well, he did it again.  Cody's Wish made my face leak.  He will run in the Breeders Cup Dirt Mile on Saturday at Keeneland.  The Boy Cody doesn't live too far from there and they took him to see the horse again yesterday.  Once again, a rambunctious 4 year old stallion eased up to the boy's wheelchair and dropped his head in his lap.  He KNOWS.

Saturday: Faces all over the place were leaking when Cody's Wish won the Dirt Mile! Even the TV announcers. It was perfect!
The jockey said that the horse saw the boy in the saddling paddock and definitely reacted to him. The flower blanket was given to Cody, the boy. Cody is severely disabled and has no way to communicate other than through a tablet. But, after they gave him the blanket, there were tears running down his face.
His father was so grateful to everyone who had any part in it.

The breeder's cup race where Cody's Wish won was so special........good description, ELLEN.  Several announcers
said "It's a story right out of. Hollywood".  Let's see if anyone picks up on it and does a movie.

The last race was the best as there is now a new racing star, Freightline.  He was
going to be retired to stud but the owners are rethinking his career path.  Money money money.

The bad news of the storms in the south are stuck in my head........when are we going to
catch a break as a nation?

Everyone have a great evening.............

Addendum: I made a boo boo.......The horse's name Is Flightline, not Freightline............crazy typo.

I didn't get to see the last race. We were having a big windstorm that dropped a tree on a power line about half a mile from here and we didn't have any power. There were quite a few places around the area that didn't have power. They finally got ours restored a little after 2 AM.
The wind was pretty bad, but it wasn't all that cold. I turned on the fireplace and the whole house stayed comfortably warm.
I really appreciate the linemen who have to be out in all kinds of bad weather to repair the lines so that I can be warm and comfortable.

The wind on Saturday was crazy bad. Bill and I drove to Shipshewana Saturday morning, maybe 30 miles and there were times the wind about blew me off the road. I can't imagine being a trucker and driving in that. Again I had the top of a big pine come down and again I was fortunate it didn't do any damage. At some point I'm going to have to have one heck of a bon fire to get rid of all the downed trees. But until then....

I spent Sunday clearing a path big enough to get the tractor through the woods. There was one clump of trees that I decided was too big to mess with and was working on clearing a path around them when my neighbor took pity on me and brought his bob cat over with a grappling attachment and just yanked those trees out of the ground. He then picked the whole dang tree up and carted it off to the pile. Unfortunately the electric fence was sacrificed in the process. That will be an easy fix though. In the mean time I just close the horses off from the woods. I needed to do that anyway as gun hunting season starts this week. No one has permission to hunt in my woods, but that doesn't mean no one does. I figure it's better to be safe than sorry.

BEECH:
 I love the poem!!  I bet your family did, too!  That and the crossbow were wonderful gifts.  It's great you have such a good relationship with your brother!

Beech is a poet
And I didn't know it!  

That's the extent of my poetry making skills....

INDYAPP:
 Sorry about your trees coming down.  That was very nice of your neighbor to help move them.  

GRAYMARE and ELLEN:
 That story should be made into a movie.  I'd go see it!  What a great thing they have done for that young man.


We took Ivan to Pandapas Pond Park on Friday.  We rode with our regular riding friend and man who was riding her second horse.  
Ivan's streak of incredibly mellow rides continues, he was so great.  At one point we were crossing a 15 foot wide creek and right in the middle his hackamore  fell apart, leaving only his ears and throatlatch still connected. The nose piece was hanging down around his neck, still connected to the reins. I had a silent heart attack, had him finish crossing the creek and then he stopped politely when I asked. ( Look ma, no reins! )   I was kind of rattled and almost got off without unplugging my air vest, which would have provided even more excitement if it had deployed when I got off... I fumbled around and got unplugged, dismounted and figured out how to put that hackamore back together while Ivan stood quietly. I love this horse. We finished the 5 1/2 mile ride unscathed.

Indy, isn't it nice to have neighbors who have the good equipment to really help?  
Saturday my neighbors were going to take their 35 foot motorhome to a place for service.  It was so windy they decided to wait another day.  Having it blow off the road and turn over wasn't their idea of a good time.

Ark, it's time to play around with Ivan at home with no reins. It's fun. I had one horse that I played with a lot. I could ride him with nothing on his head.
I also remember seeing one race horse lead pony that only had a line around his neck. No bridle at all.

Today is gorgeous, if a little chilly. My neighbor called and asked me to help him load up his boat that he was pulling out for the winter. "Us horse girls" know how to back trailers. LOL That only took about 10 minutes, total.

I'm watching various voting returns and people..............how did we get to the top of the food chain?
We are all scarey................

Graymare, I have decided that evolution has stopped and devolution has begun. I'm not so sure that we are at the top of the food chain anymore.

People literally fighting all over the U S...........I can't believe it. Really. I'm too old, I'm certain.............

I just read that after running 6 times, Flightline will retire to stud and stand for $200,000! Not too bad.

I'm guessing they don't want to take the chance on injury...........they will still make mega bucks...........
He's a beauty for sure.............

The trainer wanted to keep racing him, but he is so valuable, and the syndicate of owners didn't want to take a chance on getting him hurt.

Makes perfect sense to me...........I'll be curious to see him settled into his home and surroundings.

In AZ it's politics politics politics................I'm sick sick sick of it all. Not the issues, just the hype
and anger over them. People in lines yesterday were shown arguing and fighting. People of both parties.
All of the young.

I would love to know the true disposition of Flighline............

Everyone have a good evening..........

This is an article about Flightline that was written last January.
https://www.thoroughbreddailynews.com/sadler-on-flightline-the-history-is-yet-to-be-written/

ELLEN:
 Nice video of Flightline!  I didn't see any of his races, but heard he is very good.  

GRAYMARE:
 I am sick of political ads and all the hoopla.  I will be glad when all are counted and done....for awhile anyway.  I must get 20 emails a day from politicians.


So here is something different... the fawns who have lived in our pasture this year:  

Lovely picture of the fawns. The neighbor who came to my rescue with his bobcat started raising deer last year. He had his first season of fawns this year. He has 4 fawns, 4 does and a buck, I think. Evidently raising deer for contained hunts is big money. They genetically breed the deer for big antlers. Who'd of thunk it? With all the wild deer out there the idea of contained hunting for big antlers is mind blowing to me.

One of the does got out a few weeks ago and came over to my place. I couldn't get close to it, but it didn't really run away either. Doesn't seem very sporting to me to hunt a relatively tame deer just for the antlers. I'm not against hunting because the hunter comes back with empty hands more often than not, so if he's able to shoot one, good for him as long has he is using the meat. But this contained hunting just does not seem right to me on many levels. On the other hand, if the deer were raised for meat like cattle are and sent to slaughter I have no problem with that. Go figure.