August 2013

Awww, CB. Big prayers that everything turns out okay.

I had to work today, then to the hotel for pizza, then home for a late evening swim with neighbor. It doesn't get any better than this.

OL MAN, I just wanted you to know I was doing a naked rain dance for all the wild fires to be put out! I was out there dancing my lil bitty heart out, doing my best, but so far no rain....

Come on now y'all....we have got to help...these fires are so bad....

Wednesday, tomorrow night....lets dance like we have never danced before and big HUMS to the rain goddess...

Thanks y'all.

CB ... hope everything is OK for you and Harry ......

Ellen ... if you get any of our weather you will get in some nice swim time..... very hot and humid .... a dip in your lake would feel pretty nice this week.

CB, prayers for you & Harry...........and ID fire victims....they are getting a grip on it according to the news.

CB: Prayers being sent up for Harry's operation today and the results of your biopsy. Hang in there girlfriend. The golden years HAH...

ARK: Areion is doing really good for Lori. You are going to have fun with her on the trails, she seems calmer than Ivan. Great photos.

ELLEN: The hot weather is back here too, Ace & I were loving the cooler morning walks. Hard to believe that Labor Day is right around the corner. Where did summer go?

RICK: Have fun on your trip.

My neighbor with the horse that is always at my house, had a stoke and is in the hospital. His wife called and asked me if I know of anyone who wants a "free" horse. I think they will have trouble even giving Blaze away, he really isn't broke to ride or anything. He is just a pasture pet with bad manners. We all know there is no such animal as a "free" horse.

I'm off to take my friend Barb to the dentist this morning. Thank God it's not me going to the dentist, just sitting in the waiting room makes me nervous. I'm such a chicken.

Have a wonderful day everyone.

CB - hope everything continues to go well for you, and for your husband today.
As Manygatess says... 'the Golden Years?' !!!  

RICK - you kept that trip a secret! I know you'll have a wonderful time, especially on that cruise. I've only seen them in photos but those Norwegian fjords look spectacular. I expect you might see whales and seals and penguins and if you get lucky, even a polar bear. right? Lucky you if it happens.

I'm looking at a smaller version of wildlife right this minute - my son's cat! My son (Dublin one) and his wife have gone on holiday and trusted me to look after young Ollie for 2 weeks - well, he's a bit of a wild cat at times, LEAPS onto the top of every cupboard, shelf, kitchen worktop, that he can find. I'm out of the habit these days of putting everything out of reach and have to remember to not leave food around the kitchen or he's right into it! And of course I have to keep him shut in the house, in case he might try to run off home, so I had to board up my old cat-door AND the fireplace in case he went up the chimney - yes, he's that type of cat!

But it's only for a couple of weeks. They've gone on a Big Adventure to Africa, to climb Kilimanjaro, and have been planning it, saving up, and getting fit for a year! When they brought Ollie over to me, they both said they were nervous of not making it to the top, after all the excitement and preparation. Apparently, because of the altitude being so high, quite a high percentage of climbers don't make it when they get altitude sickness and have to go back down.
And there is no way to prepare for that, they just have to see if they are OK with altitude when they get up that far.
So for their sake, I'm hoping they get right to the top. It takes several days and they will climb the last 1500 metres in one big push, starting during the night this Saturday into Sunday.
They are currently out of touch so I can't wait to hear how they have got on!

ELLEN - you sound like you are having a fun time this summer, hope you continue to enjoy good weather... hate to mention it, but over here I think it might just be getting a little touch cooler now.  

Hey, Ark. Where are you? It's been 5 days since we heard anything from you.

CB:
 Big hums for you and Harry!  Hopefully all will be well very soon.  I am sorry you had to downsize your horses, but it is sure understandable.  It sounds like the ponies got a good home.

RICK:
 Safe trip!!!  And try to keep in touch during the trip.  We live vicariously!

ELLEN:
 Ooops, has it been that long?  I have been reading, but not posting, I guess.  I am just fine, thanks.  I did just re-read last year's posts during the time I was sick.  Wow, that was a miserable time.  I am so thankful for all the thoughts and prayers during that time, I am sure they helped me recover.  

 Lori rode Areion around the round pen today.  She did great! Butter didn't melt in her mouth, she was so calm and relaxed about everything.  It was her best behavior during a lesson yet.  Areion didn't know to move forward at first, but Lori kept clucking at her and she finally got the idea to move.  It was fairly warm today, that may have been a factor about why she was so calm, but whatever it was,  Areion was wonderful.  Lori only walked her, didn't trot or canter,
but may next time.

     

 Then there was my lesson with Ivan.  We started out very good, he was lazy in the heat and slow trotted perfectly. After awhile I started to canter him and Ivan BUCKED!  I didn't come off, or lose my balance, but was fairly unnerved.  None of my horses have ever bucked with me on them.  So Lori rode him for several minutes, cantering his hiney off, and he did fairly well.  He did protest by shaking his head a little, but didn't buck.  So I got back on him, trotted a little,
asked for a canter and he BUCKED AGAIN!!  This time was a bigger buck.  I am giving a signal wrong, or he is telling me something, but it is unnerving to say the least.  I didn't fall off either time, but we will have to work on this.  There may be a lot more trotting in our future for awhile.

 Donnie is off for the next four days.  His birthday is Saturday, but he is actually getting off work to do hay.  If the weather cooperates, he is cutting the lower field tomorrow.  We will be picking out as much johnsongrass as we can after he cuts it and hauling that to the dump.  I am not looking forward to that, there is a fair amount of it, but it will make the hay much better.

 I got Donnie a canopy for his tractor for his birthday.  It is his 60th.  He is pleased to get the canopy, he said he had wished he had gotten one to begin with.  We also got him a speaker system for the stereo and tv.  Annie got him a John Deere hat and t-shirt and I got him a pocket knife with a hoofpick attachment, and a fossil (for my favorite fossil  ).    To go along with our John Deere theme,  Annie and I ordered a cake made with green icing and yellow trim...:-)

 I am sure he will be spending most of his birthday working the hay in the lower field.  It is our biggest field and should have at least 100 bales.  They will go in the barn loft, which getting them there is no easy feat.  Our uppermost field's grass is already 10 inches long, so Donnie thinks we can get one more cutting off of it in a couple of weeks or so.  The middle field will probably not be cut again and will be used for winter grazing.    That will probably be the end of hay making for us this year.  We will order another 200 bales to put in the garage extension after all our hay is up and we know how much room we have.

 Annie had a buggy adventure today under the apple tree.  It is her task to pick up the windfalls.  She had a bee, then a spider, and finally a large praying mantis all get on her and basically freak her out.  She had never seen a praying mantis before.  Luckily she didn't swat it and I put it up in the tree with the hope the chickens won't find it.  They are weird looking bugs.  Annie came shrieking into the house insisting I come look at the monster  .

NUTS! I posted this really long post last night and it disappeared, is anyone else having problems? Double Nuts! I've forgotten what I said!  

It looks like the fires are really bad and getting worse .... Pray for some relief for those folks ....

DWAT ....the thief stole my post again!

Happy Birthday (belated now) Donnie! You still be lookin pretty good there ol man!   

BRIEF swim this evening. The air temperature was warmer and the water felt colder. Oh well, we (neighbor) are enjoying it as long as we can.

CB:
Thanks, Donnie had a nice birthday, although worked all day on his tractor, too.  Annie and I spent 3 hours this afternoon pulling johnsongrass out of the field that is drying.  We have so much of it, but got much of it heaped up in piles where it won't get baled.  Tomorrow Donnie is baling the lower field.   It's going to be a long day, hopefully we'll beat any rain and get it all stored.

 Annie in the hayfield today


ELLEN:
 It is still a little chillier than normal here.  A friend took her horse to swim in the New River a few days ago and nearly froze...in August.   Strange summer.

Annie can consider pulling Johnson grass as part of her rehab on her wrist.  

ELLEN:
 That's what she said, too.   She never complained about it hurting, so her wrist must be feeling better.

Speaking of relatives, I have to show you what my other sister and her two daughters did.  They are all into running 5K races these days.  They did one called a Color Run where everyone starts out wearing white and gets plastered with colored powder as they are running.  Before and after pix:


 Before       After.

Note the tutu skirts  

ARK - sounds like you all enjoyed Donnie's birthday (I specially like the idea for the cake!) and despite you all working outside on the hayfields - bet you'll be glad about all that effort come the middle of winter!
But hopefully that is a LONG way yet! Here we're having another nice spell of weather again- still rain at times, but lovely and warm at around 18-20C (I think that's about 70F) and everyone over here is happy that at last we can say we've had a proper summer - best one for about 15 years.

Love all your photos too, Areion looks like she is such a good girl and trying very hard to learn her lessons! ... but IVAN - what is he thinking about!!! I'll bet you got such a shock when he bucked, just when you were getting so confident with him too. But I'm sure it is only a little set-back and he will remember how he is supposed to behave!
Have you tried feeling along his back (each side of his spine) with your finger tips? Just in case there is a little tender spot there which he might just be sensitive to, when he starts to canter?
That's what all the old Irish horsemen do when a horse bucks unexpectedly, so I just thought I'd mention it, hope you don't mind - although I know Western tack and 'English' tack sit differently, so it might not apply anyway.

The fires in the USA are even getting mentioned in our news now - especially the big one threatening Yosemite National Park, since that is such a well known tourist area. I always think about the wild animals though and hope that they can get away if possible....

CB - haven't seen a post from you in a while - hope everything is OK?

I am here.....just i'm doing my jobs and hubbys as well right now, and frankly I am tired by end of the day! Be glad when the ol' man gets back into his routine....but it will be awhileo

I just sold two puppies today....six more to go! And Bluey had her four two days ago....I have puppies coming out o
f my ears!

..everytime I try to post it jumps around on the post area or it disappears altogether. grrrrrrr...

Very humid today, but its getting less tonight....yesssss....

I wan to ride so badly, but can't tease hubby like that when he can't yet.

SILVERDANCER:
I use an English saddle with Ivan, but will try feeling his back. I am open to all suggestions! I suspect it is my fault, I think I may be nudging him a little too much when I ask for the canter. He doesn't appreciate being 'goosed'. If I ever used spurs he would probably send me to the moon  . Areion was really great last Thursday. I hope she is getting into training and really enjoys it.

I am glad you had a great summer! Ours has been rainy and cool for the most part. Those fires out west are really terrible. I can't imagine living thru all that.

We put up 147 bales of hay yesterday. Today I could barely wiggle. Donnie has plans for renovating that field, he wants to sculpt out the high places and fill in the lower places, then re-seed the entire field. That tractor isn't going to sit around doing nothing very much. Annie drove our truck in the field while the neighbor kid and I picked up the hay bales. She loved driving the truck! She doesn't drive and found it very exciting. Except for slamming on the brakes once and nearly sending me thru the rear window while I was in the back, she did very well. (She got the gas and brake mixed up.) She has designs on the tractor now. 

The barn is completely filled, now we need to fill the garage shed. We may get a bit more hay off our upper field, it is already 10 inches long, but that will be all we get off our land this year, probably around 50 bales. I need to buy about 150 more bales to fill the rest of the shed and then worry over hay will be done for the year!  

CB:
Congrats on the puppy sales! I hope Harry is feeling better soon.

We spent an enjoyable time in Tallinn, Estonia with our "adopted" daughter and her hubby and two boys. Today we caught ferry boat/ship and are now in Helsinki, Finland for the night. We were able to stow our luggage in a locker at the ship terminal except for one small piece that I've pulled around all afternoon.

Prices in Finland are VERY EXPENSIVE...thankfully we'll only be here one night. We board another ship tomorrow evening for an overnight trip to Stockholm, Sweden.

I will write another travel log when we get home giving info of what we've seen and done. In the meantime, Carol has opened a Facebook acct. just for this trip (user name is Carol Angell). I've told her I would recognize names of this group and she can then 'accept' the friend's request. She is "trying" to get something out daily and include a few photos she's made each day.

Be good and be on the lookout for Snoop. He's out and about trying to be a tourist!!

Our love to all...Rick, Carol & Snoop!!

OMG!!....SNOOP has added my name on FaceBook...Rick Angell. What has the world come to?

Rick

I used to be NOT so vertically challenged! My legs have about been walked down to nothing!! Carol is off on one last exploration and I am cooling my heels at the dock where we catch an overnight ship to Stockholm, Sweden.

I see that Snoop has announced my joining Facebook (Rick Angell) and I getting all sorts of email from a bunch of people I don't remember / recognize??? If you are one of those, please post a note to my regular email: rangell27028@yahoo.com to let me know.

Love to all,

Rick

Rick, I did answer your friend request. But you know my e-mail address.
One of my neighbors was born in Finland and brought here to the U.S. when she was a teenager. She is one of the nicest, sweetest people you could ever know. She and her husband went back to Finland three summers ago. She still has cousins there, and thanks to the internet, it's much easier for her to keep in touch with them.

We are here in Stockholm, Sweden after a nice smooth / quiet ferry ride from Helsinki last night. I figured we were "ferrying" for 17 hours!!

Only problem is that I've come down with a big head cold and really don't feel all that great. We saw a bit of the older section of Stockholm near the Royal Palace and Nobel Museum, but did not go in either. We did see the Vasa Museum with the old sailing ship from 1628. That was fascinating to see...and a LOT of walking, walking, walking! First thing we did was find tonight's accommodations and get rid of some heavy luggage!!

Right now, we are staying in a hostel on the Auf Chapman. It is a converted sailing ship. Carol...like the good nurse that she is...went out on a long walk to find me some cold meds while I snoozed and snorted trying to breathe! I gave her a foot massage when she got back! I'm beginning to feel 'human' again.

Tomorrow, we will be traveling...right through Krylbo, Avesta and part of the rural area of Sweden, etc. and will be in Falun for two nights. I'm looking forward to having our own transportation and getting out of the city into more rural areas. People have been very nice and polite everywhere we've been...but this old country boy has a hard time with cities. I've been "good" about it....so far!!

I've been buried under a bunch of names since I 'joined' Facebook...some names I just barely remember. I hope I haven't eliminated somebody I should keep. I'll get some "help" on this when we get home!!

Our love to all...Rick, Carol, and Snoop!!

RICK:
Sorry about your cold, it sure isn't a convenient time for that! Luckily, Carol will get you back to healthy. Your trip has been really fun to read about! I hope you recover quickly and can enjoy it more.

She is having real issues with the FB format...says it has changed or something like that. I know NOTHING about it. She says she can write, but posting of pictures seems to be the problem.

I kinda/sorta plan on doing a travel log after we get home using her scrapbook as a guide. Just be patient...It will happen.

My head cold is NOT fun...but I have to press on with the trip.

Rick

Rick, do you know a Debbie Wolaver from Mocksville?  She just won third in the Adequan Select championship show in Amarillo, in hunter hack.  Her horse is 24 years old.  He knows his job.
She is also in the working hunter prelims.  Have to wait until tomorrow to find out if she made it to the finals.

Posted a day later, Saturday. Debbie was reserve champion in equitation over fences.