Shake, Rattle, and RUN!!!!!!!

Progress is being made at our future home. We have been burning brush. 4 piles down, about 15 to go. No exaggeration. The house construction has still not begun. No electricity. And, I need documentation that the pipeline on the title policy is not actually on my property. You'd think the title company would get that straight. Or that the builder could clearly see that it is outside of my property line.

Now for the fun part. What lives in brush piles and rattles? We killed a 3-footer today. 9 segments on its rattle. Big lump in its belly. I will volunteer to drive the tractor in the future...sit up high. My new favorite job. We keep the tractor and sprayer close by to stop any runaway flames.

Gustav is heading east of us. There is no chance of rain in the forecast. I pray for the creatures in its path. And, I sincerely hope it sticks to the path they predict. I have a brand new uninsured barn. No one wants to insure it right now...can't even get a quote in between storms. Go figure.

I currently have 3 very cranky horses. They haven't gotten a good night's sleep in weeks. Mosquitoes are horrible. I spray them down with fly spray twice a day. Still, I hear them kicking the barn walls at night to knock off the bugs and voice their discomfort. No one wants hugs. They are in dire need of restful sleep. But good news, I think Diesel is ready to ride. Just a small scab left on his foot. If only I could find the energy. Not today. Regardless, my life is blessed.

Zzzzzz

I was so tired today that I was asleep by 5:30. Up at 7, finished with tomorrow's lesson by 10:00. It has been really hard for me to adjust to going back to work. I'm ready to go back to bed.

Adjusting is not so hard for Blue. He runs in every time I open the door. He even knows which door I am about to open. I think he is waiting under the house. As you can see, he is settling in well to the House Kitty life.

Can we ride already?

No.

But, we're getting there. Did I mention it rained ALOT again? I'll ride in my dreams for awhile.

Start the Day Right

How do you start the day? The right way is to begin with a relaxed and prolonged horsie snuggle. It is amazing. If I am rushed to get my hugs and kisses, the day is hectic all day. If I take my time and savor the moment, the day goes great. Funny, huh?

How do you end the day? You can see this coming. Relaxed, extended horsie snuggle time. Recharges the soul. Corny, but true.


Moments with our creatures is vital for our health. Today, I had the opportunity to nap with Spooky in a tight hug. Just a few minutes, but it energized me. Too bad I have to work all weekend to get ready for school on Monday. Doesn't matter. All I need is hugs. My life is blessed.

Where's D?

D is back to work. It is really fun these first few weeks. Demanding. Gotta learn everyone's names. Not my forte. I do recognize a few names. Great kids. It's gonna be a great year.

We got rain. Lots. The drought is over. Diesel's perverse swollen area is almost back to normal. Almost. And his cut heel is almost healed. Maybe a week or so more. The horses are all on the mend. Priss is sound. Bec is enjoying regular exercise.

The cats are all "fixed". Emmie was preggers. Blue is swollen and may not be aware yet that he is less his jewels. They both behaved like angels. And the best news- they still like me. Good thing.

Another good thing...starting back to work with a low-key week before kids. This work stuff is hard to get used to. I had an entire week of rest and relaxation. Six thirty AM comes way too quick.

Hope all is well with you. My life is blessed.

On a Positive Note

Diesel is coping. The swelling is the same. Still no pain. I think he'll be ready for a ride in 2 weeks. His foot is continuing to heal slow and steady.





Becca lunged today for 45 minutes with a great attitude the entire time. She looked great and even cantered a few times around. She looked sound. First time sound at a canter. I sat on her at a walk for 5 minutes of her cool down. Nothing better than sitting on a good horse. She is one wide horse. Completely sound bareback at a walk. I didn't push it. Felt good. What really felt good is getting on that gal bareback in a halter for the first time since the fall. She was not near as responsive as I expect her to be. Next time I will definitely ride with a bridle. Saddles are all too narrow. Love that gal.

Good Grief

Now what? Well, I told you that Diesel is allergic to tick bites. Guess where he got one today? I found the bite mark but no tick. That can't be comfortable. I hope he can urinate. He didn't look like he was in pain and didn't kick when I examined him. Just fluid. Poor guy.





I swear I cannot go anywhere. I visited my cousin this afternoon. I was gone 7 hours. I returned home to find diarrhea on my floor and a big pee spot on the couch. That's the second time this week. I think the couch is trash. Then I found Diesel's problem. It's late. I'm tired. My scrubbed floor still stinks. What else?

Moment of Truth

Just how obese is Bec? Very.

Almost no feed and the pasture is mostly weeds- very little grass. Hour and a half of exercise a week...and working up to more. This obviously did not happen overnight. It began after my broken arm. Then, her fall in March. She was not this fat when I bought her. Back then she got no exercise. Insulin resistant? Thyroid issues? Dunno. Vet wants me to work on the exercise before more action is taken. She is NOT pregnant.

And for reference...

Diesel has such a little butt for such a big QH.

And since we are having a picture show. Here is Priss. She always has this cranky look on her face. She doesn't really mean it. But, look at that bootie. So beautiful.

Diesel's Lazy Boy Excuse

Diesel continues to have issues. He likes it. It means no work. No work to a lazy horse = holiday.

So, our biggest issue is the foot. The big, orange dork learned to stand on the fence to pull it down so he could eat on the other side. Itty bitty slip up means slice through the coronary band and we have major issues. We now have an electrified fence inside the fence. Problem solved. Foot healing slowly.

Next issue is the ticks. I use several products to prevent tick infestation. This is what happens when the Big Boy gets a tick bite.

He's allergic. Note the swelling in the vein radiating out from the palm sized swollen area. First time this happened I was very distraught. The swelling goes down in a few days. Still scary.

Today there was no horse work. I spent the entire day shopping for back to school clothes. Great sales. Supercool new stuff.

Meet the Meow

The 2 new cats have an appointment next week for the chop, chop. That makes them officially mine. And, I borrowed a camera and have new pics to share. So, meet the crew.

Pumpkin- who comes in the house for a few minutes a day but would rather not. Not a mean bone in her body. Unless you are a little furry creature that is good to eat.

Buddy- used to be untrusing and mean but has settled down and now sits in your lap. Tough cat who has broken a leg and had his ear almost torn off several times. Sticks close to home these days.

Blue- the loudmouth who is definitely a people cat. He hollers when he wants something. Which is alot. Blue snuggles daily but did not like his one inside experience. We're gonna work on that. Blue has blue eyes (that are cross-eyed!). And his tongue is too long for his mouth. Can you say inbred?

?????- She is shy and tough and secretly likes attention. Great mouser. Every evening I convince her I am her friend and she trips me to keep me from going in. The next time I have to convince her again that I am friend. Very petite little thing.

WHAT SHOULD I NAME HER?

Catch of the Day

I am up to lunging Bec for 20 minutes every other day. She does not break a sweat but does warm up pretty good. Why only every other day, then? Well, maybe the following will answer that.



The fishing is good. This is what we caught this morning. We have a cooler full tonight, too. Yesterday was just as successful. I've been busy getting my fishin' in. Just one more week before school starts. Where did the summer go?

One thing is for sure. I had way too many days with multiple lame horses. Diesel's foot is healing slowly. Otherwise, he is good to go. Maybe next month I will be able to ride. So depressing.

Motor Running

Get your motor running.....

I got everyone's motor running today. Everyone meaning all four cats. Man....four. Pumpkin always loves attention. Nothing new there. But, Buddy- that is what is amazing. Bud sat in my lap until I could sit no more. He purred and hugged and incredibly....relaxed. Buddy may sound like the name of a pretty cool cat. He got it from me saying, "Look here, Buddy! You better be nice or I'll kick your bootie.". Or something like that. He has a reputation for turning on you and biting and scratching leaving ample blood trails. He has been a very good boy lately. Only took 2.5 years. Pumpkin and Buddy are best friends (old lovers before the chop chop). They live on my front porch.

Blue and his unnamed lady friend live near the horse barn. These are my newbies. I call them mine but they chose me so I guess I am theirs :) Blue is a talker who loves his attention. His lady friend is shy. And that is an understatement. Today she tried to trip me while I was heading back to the house. Wanted more of the luvin'. Course, 10 minutes later she acted like I was a stranger and made me sweet talk her again into being my friend. Then, how dare I leave? I like her. I am trying to decide if I can afford them or if I need to take them to the shelter. Since Lady Friend is warming up I need to make the decision soon. That was the goal. Make her nice enough to be adoptable. It will be hard. Note how she went from lady friend to Lady Friend. I just can't guarantee a good home unless they stay with me. Why don't people fix their animals?

Another motor got running today, too. Becca. She came running up for dinner with a few bucks thrown in. If she can do that, she can walk-trot in the round pen. She looked good. I lightly cantered her in both directions. She was not lame, just a bit stiff to the right. Normal. I don't dare call her healed as she still shows swelling just behind her withers. However, she will not be sound until I get the weight off. Gotta start somewhere. I would love to ride her bareback in the round pen but it is still too soon to add weight. The good new is that we are working on her chunky monkeyness. I am such a bad mom to let her get so fat. She still is only fed her handful of grain a day plus what she picks up from the dribble of the others (more than her portion!). Stays fat on air. I'd feed her no grain except I need her to come up at night to check her for boo boos. The pasture only has nub ums of grass. All 3 goofballs prefer to go out to eat than eat nice hay in the barn. It takes 3 days to finish 1 flake. Crazy.

Prissy also ran up bucking and kicking. She was not lame on that front, right leg. I'll give her a few more days to be sure but am glad to have a sound horse to ride. 'Bout time.

Nothing much else exciting going on. Stinky dog has been at it again. Her butt is on double time with the funk. I expressed her yesterday after she expressed twice. And today, she left a big, stinky butt goo stain on the couch. How gross? Dad tried to put her out with the trash. No one needs a dog that stinky. But, I love her. She stays. My life is blessed.

Good end.

Bad end.

Update

Long day...went to Angleton to choose every color in and out of my house. I went with all neutrals since I will never be able to change it. Very happy with my choices. Six months from now I will invite everyone to see it all.

Just got in. Diesel's swelling has changed but not gotten worse. It has spread out and is not as "tight". I will keep a close eye on it. He continues to get hydro-ed and mineral iced. I expect it to slowly return to normal.

A big thank you to my dad for traipsing out into the pasture at lunch to check on the boy. Proof that he really does like the big boy. Busted.

Geez...Gimme a break

Now what? My horses....Diesel...cough, cough.... officially have an electric fence inside of their fence to keep them from getting tangled in it. Hope to solve injury problems. So what else could go wrong?

First off, the mosquitos are insanely bad. The horses are covered in them. I have sprayed and rubbed them down with the best I have and have sprayed the barn. Needless to say, they are all lumpy from the bites.

Secondly, I went out this evening to find Diesel with a palm sized lump on his neck that was not only swollen but extended into a small vein running down his neck. It was raised almost 1/2 inch. Coincidentally, I removed a tick from this area yesterday. Not good.

I gave him 2 gm bute and hydro-ed the area for 15 minutes. I also put mineral ice on it to help reduce swelling. I will get up extra early tomorrow to check on him. If it is worse I will call the vet. Stay tuned. Drama galore.

3 Down

None to go.

I've done it. I've upset the balance of the universe. I have 3 lame horses. I think Priss bruised her hoof. Lame at a walk. Bec is (I think) making very slow progress. Diesel's foot is healing. Still very bad but there is definite tissue healing.

Dang it all. It is summer and the time to ride off into the sunset. And I have no horse to ride. Just my luck.

Property update: My very best former student showed up today to drill my water well. Great kid. And I mean special- kind, quick-witted, observant, hard working. Mature beyond his years. Lord, help the girls when they figure this out. I'm pretty sure it's still a secret. His time will come. Tomorrow I should have a complete barn and water well- just no electricity to run it. Patience. My life is blessed.

Lollipop

AKA Sucker.

I currently am the proud mama of 3 horses, 3 dogs, 2 turtles, and 4 cats. Yep. Four. How did that happen? I had 2 last week. The answer is simple. I'm a sucker. Deep down in my heart I cannot resist feeding sad animals. Hence, there is graffiti on water hydrants everywhere. For a good meal, call Devra. One mile down and on the right.

Months ago I scared a little black cat hiding in the storage barn. It climbed the wall trying to escape. I saw it once more. Until last week. Now I see her morning and evening. The OTHER new cat is very friendly. He immediately sat in my lap and purred sweetly. His name is Blue. He's Siamese. Very cool cat. Convinced the black cat to be semi-friendly.

Now, I have two cats on the porch and two cats at the horse barn. The two crews tolerate each other. My dilemma? I cannot, CANNOT, afford two more cats. Boys are cheaper than girls and tend to be more affectionate. Do I keep the gorgeous, boy Siamese or the tender, shy, plain, black female? Blue would be much easier to place at the shelter. But, for the same reasons, I like him ALOT more.

I'd keep them both but I have just mortgaged myself to the hilt for the rest of my life. I need fence. I need curtains. I need food! (And, I secretly want to adopt a poor, old, nag of a horse to live out its days in my superhuge new pasture. Later. Much later.)

What to do? What to do? My life is blessed. Too blessed!!!!

Footloose

Haha. Get it? His foot is dangling loose. Not so funny. Just wanted to post a quick update. Diesel is lame, lame, lame. And he wants everyone to know it. Only slightly lame when he thinks no one is looking. But, lame nonetheless.

The soaking bucket is now a horse-eating monster designed to inflict horrible pain. And Diesel may be a jumper someday in the far, far future when he is sound and fit. He can rear up and hop on two legs while I hold one front leg. Impressive. In slow motion. I think he is tired of all of the ouchies. Me, too.

Monday when Dad comes back we are going to put up an electric fence all of the way around the pasture so that this won't happen again. Dad is not happy about this. We are way too busy with the new property to be fixing up the old one. But we have to survive until at least Christmas. When I say "we", I mean Diesel. He's the only one that climbs fences. Crazy boy.

On a pleasant note, I should have a completed barn at the new place by the end of next week. And a water well. But, no electricity to run the well. Can't have everything!

#!^$*@Bleep%@#$%!Bleep!@#$!^*(%

Why? Why, Why, Why? Diesel tried to slice his heel off again. AGAIN! This time it was deep. It cut through the coronary band but did not cut the heel off. Thank goodness. The horses are contained in field fence. As in the kind you use to prevent these kinds of injuries. Ha Ha. He keeps putting his foot through to eat over the fence and getting stuck. I have no idea where or what he is hurting himself on.

Why doesn't he learn? I have three horses with only the old nag sound to ride. Sorry Priss. The point in getting more horses was to give her a break. I better shut it before she gets hurt, too. Diesel has just barely healed from the last incident. It took forever to heal. Now it is worse.

I have got to get moved into the new place. I have to consider moving the horses before me. I hate to do that. There is no one there to check on them. And they trailer well. If anyone out there is getting any bright ideas about how to acquire a supercool, new horse...I suggest Diesel. He's pretty. And apparently accident prone :)

I do not have any pics of the wound. But, it is not as bad as some I have seen. It could be much worse. The question is...when is it going to happen? The big one is bound to happen. For now, I just look at my pretty, injury factory and hydro the heck out of his foot. Bleepidy Bleep.

Smarty Pants

I have not ridden in a few days...again. Lots going on. Prove it, right? Well, I have a road complete with culverts, a barn foundation that has been watered, a 1,000 ft. fence, and quite a few piles of brush that have been cleared. Impressive, huh? I'm dog tired. And the dogs are far from it. They are spending way too much time indoors.

I have been spending a few extra minutes each day in the pasture. I have a new friend. His name is Blue. He's a Siamese cat. Very friendly. Has tapeworms and ear mites, at the least. Treated for that today. If he sticks around he will be missing his man parts and may find himself living the good life indoors. Seriously cool cat. Unfortunately, he has a girlfriend who looks to be about his age and has the same face. Sister? Eek. I talked to her today and she may become friendly so she can find a new home somewhere else, minus her girl parts. We'll see. I first met her a few months ago in the barn- she climbed a wall to get away before my mind even registered that she was a cat and not the boogie monster hiding in the darkness. She is rarely seen. After that first day I did not see her for well over a month. This week she began lurking rather regularly. Blue is waiting for me day and night and screams when I go away. He sits in my lap and honors me with the opportunity to rub his tummy. He'd be stupid to leave, now. I'm a sucker for those blue eyes.

What Smarty Pants are we talking about above? Diesel, of course. I'm getting there. Diesel is a very attentive horse. He watches cars go by. He listens to the neighbors. He jumps to attention for the train that is a mile away. I'm not saying he spooks, he is curious. He pays attention to detail. He not only has a mischevious look at all times, but the brain to go with it. He finds trouble everywhere. He moves the ground poles, he dumps the mounting block, he eats any lead rope within reach. The crazy boy had a foot of lead rope in his mouth the other day when I realized what was going on. He actually turned his body to hide what he was doing. I pulled out the moist, warm lead to find quite a few edges frayed. And it was Prissy's lead! They were cooling off after our ride and Priss kept pinning her ears. I went to check it out and found the goofball sucking on her lead rope. He also eats trees. Hackberry, to be specific. They are trimmed up very high but he stands up and stretches to eat them.

Diesel is very jealous that I am spending time with the cat. He leans over the fence and lays on the charm. Ears perked, head bobs. He has sniffed Blue several times up close. The cat allows it but gives him a look that says, "Do what you must and go away". Wow, what that must seem like to such a small animal? Sometimes I'm in awe of Diesel's size. And Blue is not a very big kitty.

Not all horses think things through the way my boy does. You can see the wheels turning. He is smart and he knows it. Do you know any animals like that? Prissy is smart but is not affectionate. She doesn't seek the attention and so her intelligence is not so obvious. I definitely have a character on hand with the Big Orange Beast around. It makes me kinda proud to have such a unique animal. My life is blessed.

Yee Haw

The boy is back! Lazy bum. Slight issues with tying but with the help of my "other bud", Haley, he settled down nicely. "What? I'm not supposed to be afraid of lead ropes? Ok."

So....I rode him Western. And, Haley discovered that he neck reins. Not perfect but he does it. Go figure. How did I ride him yet Haley discover the neck rein thing? We trade. Musical horses.

Back to the Western thing...interesting, but not for me. I don't get it. My body doesn't get it. My seat is horrid. I ride it like a long- legged english seat. Can't....sit....back....ugh. Gimme my english tack, any day. I still had the mystery nerves tonight. Coming from nowhere. Maybe not exactly nowhere. Thinking back to yesterday when he was 20 feet in the air.

This horse needs miles. And a slightly more confident rider. He's not feeding off of my insecurity very much. And, that will go away with just a bit of riding. He stands still for me as long as I want. He stays relaxed. And, he's a character. He likes people. He likes riding. And he's hot. A hottie, hot, hot, hot. And the best thing about him...he snuggles and loves it. My life is blessed.