July 2015 !!

Not in myyyyyy car! I would haul chickens or baby goats in a cage in the back, we have a large cargo area in the journey.

Supposedly on the 5th of august the minis will be picked up....we will see. they had 10 bales of hay when she left. I've been buying grain, I don't give them much, but I felt like they were cough wracking their lil bodies I gave them a cup of sweet feed to give them some extra ooomph to fight it..and I bought banamine...but I did it for their sake, I can't stand to see an animal suffer if I can help them at all....we feed twice a day, she only fed once a day....they r in the smaller grassy area and they have niblets and always fresh cool water...man in this humidity water heats up fast, so 3 times a day they get cold water. the new mini bites the other mini and us and he kicks him too....he was such a bargain...NOT!

The horse auction was good...

The junk auction today was good bargains. now I need a nap...lol

Oh, yes, ARK, I would love to have an Ellen-buddy to ride with! I keep wanting to take off on Golden Girl to the coast for a picnic but can't find anybody else available, and am a little too scared to go it alone. But, actually, when I think of it, that can't really be true, because yesterday I biked alone to Biddeford to get my gum stitches removed -- and Biddeford is on the coast! I guess the real reason is that picnics are no fun alone, but biking on a great sunny summer's day helps make fun out of even a long solo trip to the dentist!

Your progress with both Ivan and Areion continues to be remarkable. Maybe you don't see it because it's come in small increments and been spread out over long time, but it's amazing. You know I'm a fan! And I love hearing about the haying, too -- it's one of the aspects of having a horse that I miss, that tie to the natural world with its old-fashioned dependence on, and knowledge about and respect for, soil and weather. Speaking of which -- and only in the interest of preserving some of that fast-vanishing knowledge -- will you permit me a small correction? It's "tedding," rather than "tetting." I wrote a long piece about haying once in which I tried to capture its essence on a small New England farm, and was flattered to learn that the guy who did the haying for me recently on our old farm had framed it and hung it on his office wall. I knew he worked at the Portsmouth Naval Shipyard and hayed only for the fun of it but didn't know exactly what his day job was. When I finally got around to asking him, the answer, voiced barely audibly, was "head nuclear engineer." Sheesh! Horses lead to high circles! Probably he and Donnie would hit it off, no??

Ok picture this ..3. old geezers laying 380 feet of septic line in a 10 inch wide ditch and 18 inches deep....heat index 100 degrees....we r muddy and hot and tired and sweat drippin......we sit on a fallen tree that we thought was attached all the way...and its up in the air about 2 feet.....all of a sudden 3 old geezers r flat on their backs staring at the sun....cuz the dang tree was actually 2 trees and one rolled off the other with our weight .....brother so seriously said uh oh i think we r movin...PLOP!. now we r scramblin and crawlin to get up before the guy on the ditch digger machine sees us all on the ground! oh our achin backs! geesh! I do wish someone had a camera tho we could have been rich. I laughed for about 3 seconds fore I scrambled cuz I thought oh dang I'm on chigger territory! those things really make u itch.

Anyway that's my chitty day.....how's yours.....

Ps I do not want to hear laughter from this far away....

I wouldn't laugh, CB. Well, not much. Well, maybe a little. (snicker chuckle guffaw)

Ok where is everyone? hmmmmmmmmmmmm? or is it me here in the boondocks with my iffy service?

I'm here too, CB. I was wondering where everybody went.

Thank goodness ELLEN....I hate being alone....now where is everyone else? come on out and play foops and foopettes....you are being missed.

Hello!! Sounds like everyone has been busy. I know I have been. I managed to make it to Shipshewana yesterday to get my harness modified so I was able to take Sophie out on her maiden voyage. She did really well. We had a little spook on the way home but not bad. I still have no idea what she spooked at. I took her out again tonight and she did very well. Biggest problem was that she wants to go, go, go. She hasn't figured out yet that she doesn't have to race the entire time. She'll figure it out. She did finally walk on the last stretch to the house. I haven't gotten any pictures yet. Hard to take pictures while steering and Sophie needs both hands on the wheel as she wanders all over the place otherwise. I'll find someone to get some and post them as soon as I do. I know I'm having alot of fun.

Indy, that sounds like a lot of fun for sure. We'll look forward to seeing the pictures.

INDY..........WAY COOL. It sounds like all Sophie needs now is miles.
It will just get better and better. Can't wait for the pics.

ELLEN....have you gotten to swim & jet ski yet?

CB, has your weather settled yet? As I recall, you must be about a week off until you have some new puppies. Boy, I sure am enjoying ours (altho he is a lot older he was way behind in his socialization, obedience, etc.) He is
gaining and becoming one of the gang and age appropriate now. He really is a delight, but then, I think puppies/dogs are medicine for people.

Our weather brought strong wind, hail, and rain yesterday with the temp dropping 20 degrees. A friend, Rex and I were out in the Ranger about an hr and a half from here. We were on logging roads so while it was a fun "find out what this Ranger is made of" trip, we were glad to get home and jump into dry clothes and have hot coffee. So now, it's a memory and a good funny one at that. LOL, Hail hail, the gang's all here...........
Nobody thought I was funny. Well, glad for Rex, he thinks I am.

OK. Somebody write smoothng.............something. Arthritic fingers make for some funny stuff.

Everyone have a good evening. God bless. Prayers for ALL.

So glad Sophie is doing well for you Indy, it will be fun to go driving with her.

CB, you made me chuckle. But usually the foop troop does make me laugh.

Ellen, is it good watersport weather there? Pretty hot and humid here.

Graymare, I am so glad Rex is good company for you. Sounds just great.

And Ark, you and your horses are doing so great. So nice.

Not much going on here except Jim has got an itch. He is determined we are moving to Kingston in the spring. I just can't imagine that move with Mom and all her stuff. Oh my... I think I'm in trouble. Sure does give both of us a kick in the butt to purge our stuff and catch up on our home and garden improvements, so we can sell the house. Yikes.

Steff is having too much fun...............

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oops

That pic reminds me of the draft horses down the street from my grandparents. The dairy farmer came back after tethering them outside to eat hay in the sunshine, and found their manes like this, but with multicoloured ribbons tied in the braids. Not hard to guess who did it. Seems to me he maybe got scared about this little kid being up close to his beasties, because they were never tied out again while I was staying with my grandparents. Hehehe

Nice braids.

It's good swimming weather and water now. I've been in everyday for several days. But the jet ski is parked until the DNR decides the water has gone down enough. Since last Tuesday, it has gone down about 7 inches, so we should be getting close. MOST docks are out of the water now and MOST houses are in the clear. I'm hoping they'll lift the idle speed restriction within the next day or two.
I did take the jet ski down the lake and back at idle speed a few days ago just so it would have a chance to run a little bit.

Eli has a very nice set of braids. I would say that your horses are not being neglected while you are away.

So far, this has not been a very good summer for playing in and on the water, but looking a little better now.

It's good swimming weather and water now.  I've been in everyday for several days.  But the jet ski is parked until the DNR decides the water has gone down enough.  Since last Tuesday, it has gone down about 7 inches, so we should be getting close.  MOST docks are out of the water now and MOST houses are in the clear.  I'm hoping they'll lift the idle speed restriction within the next day or two.
I did take the jet ski down the lake and back at idle speed a few days ago just so it would have a chance to run a little bit.

Eli has a very nice set of braids.    I would say that your horses are not being neglected while you are away.  

Nancy, I sure don't envy you a move to anywhere. Moving is a whole lot of work.

So far, this has not been a very good summer for playing in and on the water, but looking a little better now.

Wow, you folks have been busy! Nice to see!

We put up 152 bales of hay on Saturday. Whew.....The upper field gets done next, hopefully without so much rain and "teddering" ( Where is spell check when you actually need it, BEECH?) We were running on fumes by the end of the day. We also rearranged interior walls of the barn to open the former goat stall up for hay storage.

So Sunday found me riding Ivan at Pandapas Pond Park with a friend for 2 1/2 hours. Ivan was so mellow and never gave the least amount of trouble. The heat may have helped with that, but I will take it! We had not been on a trail ride since January. We mostly walked, with Ivan not straining to run at all. I think he has figured out that not every ride is going to be a fast one.....at last! We got home and I immediately took a power nap. It was a physically tough weekend.

My computer's power supply has died and I can't post pix here. I did post some on Facebook, my iPod can do that.

I am off to take ThunderPuff to get his last baby shots. He won't like that.

Be back later......

G, Ellen, I tell my most embarrassing moment of the month and I think you were the only one who got to guffaw!

Sophie? did she wander when the trainer drove her? was it the same cart? if not I am wondering if your shafts are the same length as theirs was? just a inch can make a difference and be putting pressure on a shoulder that she may be moving from.....or I may be way off.....

Ark, glad you got your hay turned and up...and you had a nice ride.

Glad everyone is staying cool....this humidity has to go...ugh

Have funn everyone.

CB, we've had really bad storms up here wiping out our internet so my posting is irratic as I have no internet. I laughed hard at 3 duffers
flat in the back yard. Sorry you couldn't have posted a video of it. You would make $ on it.

Yeah GM where's a camera when it could make u some moolah, huh

HOORAY! The idle speed limit was lifted today! I've already filled the jet ski with gas and had a hot lap around the big lake.

CB
I loved the mental picture of you three and your unexpected dismount from your log! I told Donnie about it, but forgot to post here, sorry! A camera might have made your fortune....

ELLEN
Happy jet ski riding! Wow, it is nearly August and you are just now getting to swim. Strange summer. Have fun!

GRAYMARE
Eli's mane is gorgeous! Him, too! He looks so big. Hard to believe how fast horses grow.

BEECH
Donnie is really into hay making from an engineer's point of view. He would have lots to talk about with the fellow you interviewed. Donnie tests the hay for moisture content (unfortunately in my microwave), frets about weather conditions, and reads up on the latest news about machines, weeds, compost, and making the best horse hay. He is improving our pastures and already making the best hay we have had from our fields. I can barely believe his transition to Farmer Donnie! I am blessed! I do wish we both had the strength and energy we had 20 years ago to do this, though. It takes us days to recover. Our next field may be cut this coming weekend, if the weather holds.

SUNNY
How ya doing? It must be hot in FL, it sure is here.

TRUDY
I about to commence with the applesauce experiment, the tree is starting to drop big, juicy apples. Any advice? The horses have been making out well with all the windfalls....

RICK
Still on the road? We miss you here...

INDYAPP
How is Tiberious? I don't think you have mentioned him in awhile. How old is he now? Donnie has given ThunderPuff a middle name: ThunderPuff Tiberious Coleman . A mouthful of name for a kitten.

NANCY LEE
The thought of moving again would give me shivers. Just getting rid of the clutter would take months. How far away is the new location and what is its attraction? When would you do it?

I had a very nice lesson on Ivan last night. We got done at dark, Lori had car trouble. I rearranged Ivan's hackamore onto his old bridle on Sunday's ride and it seems to be working. Ivan has been very mellow and cooperative. We are still working on my body position while riding, trying to get turns and movements with minimal reins. Ivan will probably be a very old horse before I get it figured out. I really want a better grasp of how to do it before I ride Areion much. Ivan is the sacrificial horse for this project, poor horsey. Lucky he seems to accept his lot in life.....

The good news is, I am not having any hip joint issues after two good rides in a row this week!!

ARK, glad your hip is doing well.

Good deal ELLEN. Now you can get a good run each day.

POURING big storm here now, so internet might blow up at any time.

Everyone have a great evening. God bless. Prayers for ALL.

This morning, the water was quiet so we took the boys to the other lake to go tubing, and to ride the jet ski. It was a great morning for a good fast ride. One of the boys is light weight and the tube got airborne about 5 feet. He hung on and landed right side up, hanging on for dear life.
And now, after most of 4 weeks, I'm the only one here. The camper troops just pulled out about 10 minutes ago. Because my cousins are so conscientious, I have nothing to do. They always leave things better than they found it, so nothing for me to reorganize or clean up.
It was a fun 4 weeks for all of us.
Some of them are planning to come back the last week and weekend of September. It will probably be too cold to swim by then, but we'll find something to entertain us.

Wow, that sounded like fun! I bet he will remember that ride. Send your cousins here, my house is a mess.


Looks like we will be mowing the upper field on Thursday or Friday. No rest for the wicked.....

I just finished a really good book called "Stable Relationship", by Anna Blake. It is a story most of us can probably relate to as animal lovers. It is her life story and she did great job of writing it. I loved it!

Ellens house is clean, I vote we go visit her.....foop fest.....yeah.....................