June 2012...Summer time!

Are those Danes or Doxies, CB? Sure am glad they are O K...................and, I hope you are by now, too..................

GrayMare, they are doxies! I am out of the Dane business....my female was spayed her last litter, and I do have Dad, the blue male left...Bubba...he is such a sweetie and everyone I've had contact with love their puppies and say they are really nice dogs and loyal, good with kids...I think a lot of that came from Bubba. If I can find another female that is old enuf to breed and she comes to live with us, I may do it one more time!
I only have the two doxies I can breed now...two females and two intact males. I have 3 spayed females that arn't going anywhere...Shortstuff is my shadow.we didn't know if she would survive when she was born she was so tiny and had such an overbite...when she made it to six months we had her spayed, and she has been in my back pocket now since 08..my constant companion..
So I may breed doxies for awhile yet as the females are young....we'll see...but not until next year now! The fist 3 are ready to be sold.and I'll have 8 weeks to wait for this litter to be sold. They all have their dewclaws done, first shot, or more if I have longer, and wormed...they are healthy...and then I have to make a decision on buyers...whether or not I sell to them. If there is something that doesn't sit well with me, I won't. I've been threatened that they will take me to court, I've had the police called on me...I don't back down. My puppies and I reserve the right to refuse service! I'd rather keep the puppy than to know its going to go to a home that isn't a good one. And no ya don't always know...no one can do that...but I try. They are my babies, I get quite attached to them.
I have doxies in Denmark, a lady was visiting and came to see my pups, she took 3 back with her, becuz sheliked the colors, she said they don't have the colors over there like we have here.

Well, I've spent the better part of the day trying to get Snoop and I settled in our new-to-us ride for the summer.

I'm not going back to re-read what I might have told you, but I've been "recalled" back to truck driving at least for the summer.

Boss's wife, June, and I got Tim and his truck home...load delivered...reloaded last week. Also, boss's OTHER driver "became unemployed" on Friday. Until Tim is able to return to work, it will just be the boss and I...kinda like old times, but I'm NOT feeling nostalgic about it.

Hopefully ARK will be able to do her magic and insert the picture of some ugly old man and a big old truck into this posting. Pic made this afternoon.

A few humms, good thoughts and prayers would be appreciated as I try to take on this job. My emotional / mental health won't let me take on much stress anymore. I've already seen my share of white lines, weigh stations, C-R-A-Z-Y drivers, and DOT cops.

Love to all....Rick and SNOOP

CB:
Congrats on six new pups! Beans must be a very proud papa!


ROSE:
You figured out how to post!! Congrats! I thought we had lost you to FaceBook. I am very glad to see you! How old is Noah now? And how is Robin's horse, Sterling?


SUNNY:
Are you getting rain off the storm, Debbie? I don't know if it is a hurricane or tropical storm. My sisters just left the St. Petersburg area yesterday, so have missed all the weather fun. They were on vacation.

GRAYMARE:
What other things will you be doing instead of riding in the mountains? I am sure Faith will enjoy some down time. My horses LOVE down time

ELLEN:
There were some jet skis on the river the other day when we had the horses there. Noisy things, aren't they? Luckily none went under the bridge while we were walking the horses across it.

RICK:
Ummmm, now it's all summer? What happened to retirement? Do be careful out there. Nice looking truck!


I finally have access to the internet, Donnie's cellphone is finally home. Donnie spent all day yesterday, overnight, and into lunch time today doing the Amateur Radio Field Day with the local club. They seemed to have a good time, despite a few bugs biting them during the night. They made over 800 radio contacts, so did pretty well. Donnie did over 400 of them himself with Morse code while the other guys did voice work. Donnie is very tired, but happy with the efforts.

I do look forward to getting a new internet provider.....I spent the weekend taking care of the barn. Everyone I know is on vacation, so it's just me and the horses this week.

well, we are under a flood warning until tomorrow at 8 p.m Debbie is slow moving and dumping tons of water, it has been raining straight for two days now and they expect it to last until tuesday, it is very slow moving and not sure where it is going either toward florida or toward Louisana and Texas, we needed the rain but it would take years to get back all the water lost from housing developments and water parks, at least everything is green, humid, sticky, hot

Listening to the news channels, sounds like you are in for more rain SUNNY! Hope you don't have to go anywhere until things calm down and dry up a bit....

Made an appt for Jasper at the big Equine Vet Hospital for an xray...hubby (and I too) want to know for sure if he has navicular...hubby won't spend the money on fixing him this I know...but guess we should know one way or another. Also taking his mare in Maggie Mae...I think she has gone blind in her one eye...I'm not sure...but want to get her checked out too. He says he'll find her a good home to someone who wants to give her time to learn to ride that way....so....I want to know and I don't want to know...Please HUM for them both.

The construction guys are hard at it...making all kinds of noise on the road and making my dogs go nuts of course! They are working on the bridge real close to my house...behicles stopping and starting, big trucks sounding like they are coming thru the house! Will be glad when they get that done!

Someone tried to camp on my ditch bank road last night...I had to ask them to leave, I was scared they may drop a cigarette or match or god forbid have a campfire! The guy who I assume was the younger mans' father gave me a hard time...and I had to remind him it is a private road he used to get to the ditch bank and I could have him removed .....he said "OH" and a few cuss words and packed up and left....geesh....like I want strange men camping 15 feet from my back door! What some folks do...

Nancy Grace show made me cry tonight...a couple killed their two day old baby by trying to strangle it, drown it and then put it in the freezer to freeze to death...and the lawyers were saying it wouldn't be a death penalty charge cuz they have no record...COME ON! I shudder to think what that poor baby endured in two short days of its life. I couldn't even do that to an animal let alone a cute lil baby...what's wrong with these people! Sometimes that show is very depressing, but sometimes she does good...I don't watch all the time, as sometimes it really gets to me! I may be opening a can of worms here, not my intention, but in this case I do think they should both get the death pennalty cuz there is something seriously wrong with them both, and they don't need to be out in the public to hurt someone else.

CB:

Sheesh. You'd have thought with all the great outdoors of Idaho, they could camp somewhere besides in someone's back door.

I don't know what you are watching on tv, but I don't think I would watch that.....

I hope both your horses prove to be in better shape than you fear. I have a friend with a one-eyed TB who does very well with trail rides. In fact, the ACTHA ride in Lexington, VA named a prize after him called 'The Noble Spirit Award'...his name happens to be Noble. His owner just published a book with him as a major character...(and Kazi as minor character). You can look at it at www.anoblespirit.com. Anyway, I wouldn't write off your mare for possibly being blind in one eye, she could do very well.

SUNNY:
Don't drown! Yikes, it's feast or famine with the weather, isn't it? My sisters are soooo happy they had their vacation last week in Florida.


Well I don't need Ivan to throw me to the ground. I can do it all by myself. The peacock got out of the dome this evening, so I was trying to herd him back to the entrance, stepped in a hole, turned my ankle, and went flying head first down a slope, landing with quite a thump. I heard an ominous crackle or snap or pop, or some such strange sound, from my ribcage when I hit the ground. I think I have cracked a rib or pulled a ligament. Things are sore, breathing is more interesting, and I can't lift or push things too well. Donnie cleaned up the barn area,although the horses were strangely neat this afternoon and he didn't have to do too much. Not even one Daisy puddle to clean up, for a change. I hope this heals up soon, I don't like it much. Oh, and the peacock walked right into the dome without my help.

1st day out....a bit over 600 miles and I'm roosting tonight on the outskirts of Tupelo, MS....where Elvis was born. Will load tomorrow nearer Memphis and then light out for SE Pennsylvania (Avondale). I'll honk/toot/wave at ARK as I go by...probably on Wednesday morning.

Goodnight....love to all

Rick & Snoop

ARK, I trained a totally blind mare for riding when we were in Alaska...she did really well, but you had to cue or physically or verbally quite a lot...so a one eye mare wouldn't be hard, but I worry since she is very much a "pig eyed" mare about the other eye going also...we may keep her and breed her to a jack and get more mule babies...she has a much more pleasant attitude toward people than Charmin has in her one hoof. We'll see....but with hay price in texas being what they are, I don't know about feeding anything extra that we arn't able to ride except harry's mule baby. Finances will be tighter and I may not have a choice. I want to be able to care for what I have the right way and not just half way.

If you are having trouble breathing, GO GET CHECKED! specially if you heard weird noises...don't take a chance that you punctured a lung...we don't want that for any one of us!

You havn't watched or heard of the Nancy Grace Show? She is pretty well known for her talk show, in helping folks find missing kids and adults, and tearing up on folks who killed or hurt children. She speaks her mind!

Well, am going to bed early tonight, have a king sized headache!..
Sweet Dreams Y'all.

ARK, you and I are in the same boat, sort of. I too took a tumble, only mine was from Monster's back. I was able to prove that gravity still works. Bill and I were riding around the edge of a cornfield (with permission) when out of the tree line two big ol' German Shepherds popped right in under Monster's feet. Scared the bejesus out of Monster. Normally he could care less about dogs, it was just that suddenly they were THERE. Fortunately the ground was relatively soft from the tilling. Good thing was Monster circled around and came back. I climbed back on and we finished our ride, but boy am I sore. My back was already a little ouchy, now it takes me a couple of minutes to stand up and unbend. Good thing I already had a chiro appointment scheduled for tomorrow. The poor lady who was walking the dogs through the woods was so upset. First that her dogs scared the horse then that I hit the ground. It really was just a freak accident. We thought we were in the middle of no where in the cornfield and the lady thought she was in the middle of no where in the woods. Who'd a thunk the other was there?

I hope you two heal fast and feel better! Taking a spill of any kind kind of lingers awhile in our bones/joints/muscles longer than it use to! and we just never know what will happen out there.
My hubby use to have a horse that would spook at white rocks and he would buck everytime he saw one! He put hubby off 3 times and then we went and loaded up every sized white rock we could lift and put in his pen...he wnt nutso for a bit and then stood and snorted for hours and wouldn't even come eat for first couple of days...finally he got hungry enuf he came thru the rock pile to eat and that was the end of his white rock spooking/bucking. We left those rocks in there for 6 months! and had the horse for 19 years!

Indy, I'm glad you weren't seriously hurt. As all of us know, when we are dealing with animals we can expect the unexpected.

434 miles today but that was because of a holdup at the place where I loaded. They open at 8:00 to start weighing trucks inbound. However, that is CST and my logbook HAS to operate on EST...and I will be going BACK to EST tomorrow. I was truck #3 in line and it takes close to an hour to load. PLUS...there was a malfunction at the mill. Additional problem was a fender bender on I-40 in downtown Nashville, TN AT rush hour. I am beyond Nashville so I won't have rush hour tomorrow. Tomorrow night will be hopefully in Md. or PA. I'll wave at ARK when I go by.

Sure felt "strange" sleeping in the truck again last nite...hopefully I'll sleep more soundly tonight.

Love to all...Rick & Snoop

RICK:
If you go by and have time, give me a call and I'll meet you for coffee. Drive carefully!

INDYAPP:
Ouch. It is amazing how hard that ground is. I hope you are feeling okay today. On the NATRC ride I went to a few weeks ago, a woman got thrown by her horse when another woman's dog ran under her horse. They had to air lift her off the mountain.
Ivan isn't usually afraid of dogs, we live next door to a herd of them, but he didn't want anything to do with that weirdly groomed poodle last week. His eyes got bigger and bigger until he couldn't stand it any longer and he did a spin of 180 degrees and would have bolted out of there but wound up nose to nose with Daisy....who wasn't intimidated by that dog from outer space and just stood there. I did feel sorry for the poodle. He didn't do a thing but lean against his clueless owner...who stood in the middle of the path blocking our way.

CB:
Arkady was afraid of black cows. Not white or spotted ones, just black ones. It was hard to live with because we lived in a county full of black angus cattle and saw them everywhere. Finally, I put up a round pen next to a pasture with about 25 black cows in it who came over to watch Arkady freak out for awhile. I would let her rest next to the fence with the cows and she figured out that cows were not that scary after all...better than having to run around that round pen anyway.

My ribs are sore, but I don't think broken. I suspect I pulled some ligaments attached to the ribs. Advil helps a lot. I cleaned the barn, if a bit slowly. Then I mowed the entire yard, which actually felt worse because of hitting bumps. We had a wonderful low humidity day with clear skies, 75 degrees and a light breeze. It would have been a perfect riding day, but I didn't want to push the ribs quite that far.

Hope you girls are feeling better tomorrow. Indy .... must have caught you moseying along kind of napping .... otherwise I think your instincts would have caught you up PDQ. I think I still ride pretty good, BUT, I am not nearly as strong as I used to be. AND, I do know not to take a nap on Ice .... LOLOL Perfect trail horse, but he is QUICK!!!! and he isn't spooky, so it would be easy for me to get caught that way too...... stay safe!!!!

Whee----will try,after so many times.

Yes, been browsing and wish more would post----It is one beautiful summer here in lower Indiana--Horses shine like new!!!

ARK you're a stronger woman than I. By the end of the work day yesterday I was walking with a decided bend to the right. Bill fed for me last night as lifting the bricks that I have to weigh the grain lids down with to keep the raccoon out was out of the question. I couldn't even bend down enough to put the catfood bowl down on the ground. Work up this morning able to stand upright, but kept the chiro appointment. First thing Dr. Ted said was "Fell on your right hip didn't ya?"

CAROL you're right, I was moseying. It's been a long time since Monster has surprised me and I got sloppy. My bad. It didn't help any that may back was already ouchy and I was babying it. Probably shouldn't have been riding at all, but it was such a beautiful evening.

Going to be HOT, HOT, HOT! then next few days.

That should be Woke up this morning.

Back from the big city vet...Jasper just has tender soles, the exrays didn't show any laminitis or navicula...thank goodness! Vet said his soles are super thin tho...and he'll need special thicker shoes on, no pads ..and get his soles to harden up by putting iodine on the soles. He needs to be trimmed short toes and more on the heels...and he shold be fine! That was great news.
But Maggie's eyes have cataracts on them both and the vet doesn't think removing them will help at all....so this isn't such good news...she can be bred, preferably to a quarter horse tho as appys have a tendency for this problems.

Off to grocery shope now...later y'all.

well, I was hoping that something would happen to keep us here in the house but it now looks like we will both be out by next month maybe a little later but not much we have done all we can to get money help but to no avail, there just is not anything out there for a single male not hispanic or have a child under 18 living at home and social security is taking there time hoping he will give up even though he won't, it will take anywhere from six months or more Kent has even hired a lawyer to help and even they are telling him it is going to take time and time is the one thing neither one of us have, Kent's brother won't talk to him even though his name is on the title of this house he just doesn't care, my family has been helping as much as they can but none of us have enough to help keep this place, we are going to fight until the end but after that we have no idea if you would say a prayer for kent he needs it, thanks guys,

RICK:
Sorry I missed you. The Southern States guy was here spreading fertilizer on our fields and I was down at the barn later than normal. Hope you are having a good trip!

SUNNY:
Where will you go? I really do hope something comes thru for you and Kent. ((((((Hugs))))))

CB:
I am glad to hear your horse doesn't have navicular! Hopefully the shoes will help him. I am sorry to hear about the mare's problems, though.
Our fox is back, I heard him last night. What a weird sound he makes, sort of a shriek. Having him do it in our yard tends to get our attention in the middle of the night.

OL'MAN:
There you are!! What have you been up to lately? Got your hay done?

INDYAPP:
You fell further than I did. I just fell off my own silly feet. You fell from a big horse! I hope you get to feeling better quicker than quick. My rib is still giving me problems, but I can tell it is better. It is probably good that Lori, my riding teacher, is off on vacation this week. I would be reluctant to bounce around too much right now. At least I can cough or sneeze now without feeling tortured.

CAROL:
That is how Ivan is, too. I have to ride every step, so he doesn't catch me unawares too often...knock on wood....On our last ride I actually caught myself looking at the scenery because Ivan was being so good, so INDYAPP's accident will keep me on my toes a bit better now. No dozing off on Ivan! That boy can turn on a dime.

ELLEN:
How is your company? That lake must be nice right about now. It is supposed to get in the mid-90s here for the next week. Too hot for me.

GRAYMARE:
Are you still at home? What will you be doing instead of riding when you go back?

I just did a naked rain dance for rain for the Colorado fires.....my dogs barked at me and the cats ran and hid....it must have been stunning performance so I hope it works!

Good morning everyone.

How bout a bunch of prayers for Sam/Ann/GDOLMARE.....she is having back surgery this afternoon at 2:30. She bent down to brush her dog and herniated two disks in her back. Surgery is at Rockford Memorial Hospital in IL. all prayers & cards will be appreciated.

Not much going on here in PA. The weather has been wonderful, the garden is going gang busters.

The Postal Service is still trying to get me to work a longer schedule. NO way...I like being "retired". Now they are offering me a 6 hour office to run. They should have realized when they offered the retirement offers there would be no one left to run the offices.

Saturday is the big 4th of July parade in Lewisburg. I'll have to wash the truck (his shoulder is still giving him problems) so George can drive the old Purple Heart guys in the parade. Hope it's not to hot on Saturday for the parade marches. It a 2 hour parade with hundreds of groups that come here to march. The largest parade in this area.

SUNNY: WOW it is amazing that our government won't help you guys. Of course, you don't fit any of the minority classes so you are screwed.

CB: Thank goodness the horse only has soft soles. That is a lot easier to treat that navicular. Too bad about the mare though.

RICK: Have fun being unretired for a short while. If you get close give us a call.

ARK & INDY: OUCH...the ground seems to be harder as we get older doesn't it?

Have a great day everyone.

Love & prayers to all.

Sunny .. Prayers for you and Kent. Sure sounds like you have your backs to the wall. I don't have any solution and I know there are lots of folks in the same boat ... Don't know what people can do to get help. Hugs and prayers headed your way.

CB .. glad the horse didn't have navicular!!!!! Sorry the mare has cataracts ..... with the way the horse market is though, I might just let her be a pasture pet rather than wind up with another baby. Hope she does OK with adjusting to her increasingly limited vision. ((( )))

A prayer for Sam/Ann today too.

Trudy .. don't let them talk you into any more work ... stay retired..... Let them hire a new postal employee with the benefits, etc. of a postal employee. Somebody who needs and want a job.

Carol, I need to justify Maggie being used for something...I really can't afford a pasture pet cuz we dry lot...I would love to but just can't. I like her personality with people but she is a witch toward other horses. Getting another mule baby would have been a good idea then we would each have one to work with and show and ride...but I thought I may get one already ridable for me so we could go and do some of the local shows now and we could share the ridableone until Missy Muleytude is big enuf to ride. But if we could get a baby out of her every year and sell it, it would constitute "business" going along with the puppies on my taxes. We have to show "business like practices" so no we probably won't get rich off of selling the babies in this horse market now...hoping it changes now they opened the meat packers back up. Prices here have gone up on good broke horses, but there is still free horses on Craigslist...I am still thihking on it...the vet says its possible it can be passed on, but nothing written in stone says its going to be. I guess we would know with the first offspring ...actually I've seen her first baby, almost bought it...and it wasn't piggy eyed. She was bred to a TWH stud. She is half walker and half appy.

TRUDY, you and George have fun in the parade! and don't let them talk you into full time! There has to be someon out there looking for a full time job to support a family with and make a career on. Hope George's shoulder feels better soon! and of course will send big HUMS Ann/sam's way. I read on FB she was having surgery just didn't know what had happened.

ARK, hope you are feeling better?

INDYAPP, how are you doing?

OL MAN, good seeing you post! come and tell us more of your jokes and whats going on with you and lovely wife!

Rick, safe travels! If you get near Bloomsburg PA Sept 22 thru 29 there is a big state fair that is worth taking in! I use to love that fair when I was younger!
So much fun! I would work all day in a food stand booth and then run around at the fair with friends just doing kid stuff! Those were the days!

Well, here's hoping COLO gets rain or my dance will have been for nothing except scaring the animals! but the weather was really nice and refreshing out there last night...kind of kissed the skin...beautiful night...