Busy, Busy

The Barn has been sitting untouched for a while now and then Sunday somehow I lit a fire under my husband and we got something done. It's a good feeling to actually get something accomplished! Especially after this past few weeks of getting nothing done. And Sally and Random showed up just in time to help out us old folks, so we got more done than we thought we would!

I know in the pictures it doesn't look like much but it is a whole lot to me! and this stall is elephant proof thanks to my husband. I tease him about that all the time.

For right now I will store the feed and tack in here so I can clean the trailer out. He has started on the work to get the floor done in the tack/feed room so hopefully this will be a short temporary thing.

And thats how we spent Sunday. The sun even came out for a while! Was really good for the soul.

Something educational or at least useful!?

OK, something new. Cause these blogs have been really boring the past couple of times, I am going to try to do something educational, helpful, fun or just not boring!

First go:

Here in Oklahoma, most hay is wire bound. I know that isn't the way in all states, but that is how they prefer it here. It can cause problems, especially if you forget the wire cutters and it's a really tight bale.

Also when you open a bale, and this happens with any bale, no matter how it's closed, the ends flop over and sometimes you lose a flake or two. My solution to this is to bend the wire at a little more than 90*, (that's degrees).


Then, pull wire gently, so as not to pull it out...

and stick the end back into the bale. Do this to all 4 ends if necessary. It holds the bale together good enough to keep it from falling off the pile. It is not sturdy enough to stand on or move. For that you actually have to twist the ends back together.

This has helped keep hay out of mud, water or just from being wasted on the floor or where ever. Hope this was helpful. Of coarse, you all probably knew this already and I am way behind!

OK, be back with more..........Any suggestions?

It has gotten warmer in the past few days but there is still snow on the ground. Still dealing with frozen water, frozen mud, ice and just plain cold and yucky. The horses still manage to get into things. This is an innocent moment for Spot and Rachael but it usually doesn't last long. This weekend it is supposed to be near 60 degrees! Yea haw! Gonna have to do some riding and cleaning and catching up.



Red is sneaking around looking innocent at the moment but don't let that fool you. He has been playing with the others.

And finally, it is here. The pink princess has arrived!! Rascle's new blanket and neck cover are here and she really likes it I think. Now she officially looks like a Barbie horse. It gets lots of stares from the neighbors when they drive by and my husband says they get a good laugh from it at breakfast in the morning. But AAAHHHHH, ain't she cute. Patience hasn't been able to come see her much this week because of the cold, but the bus should be driving by any time now and she can see it from the bus.

It has been a long week but the weekend should be much nicer. Off this weekend, YEAH! Have more pictures to post and hopefully some of riding too!

ICE

Someone took "White Christmas" way to seriously. We have had that Christmas snow on the ground way to long. It's time for it to go away. It has been the coldest winter on record I believe, at least between Chistmas and January 8. The average temp has been 23.5. It got above freezing yesterday but there is so much ice the troughs were still frozen. The good news is it is supposed to get to 40 degrees today. I hope so, I have alot of catching up to do.

There are still schools out today in Oklahoma because of icey roads. I bet parents are really ready for kids to go back to school. I need to take down the Christmas tree. Thought Chris was going to but no such luck. Need to do laundry but the washing machine was leaking the last time so someone needs to look at that. The dishes are piled high, ussually are by the time I get a day off. Then the outside chores. Need to clean out the troughs thoroughly. Start at ground zero with the ice. And hopefully the creek will thaw some. I have never seen this creek freeze solid like this. It had to be 6 inches thick! Brought back great memories of ice skating when I was a kid though.

Garry was watching us play on the ice. She probably just wanted to know when she was gonna get fed. She's like that you know. Just a Diva, it's all about her, haha.

Fortunately, none of the horses attempted to walk out on this, that I know of. It would of held them but it could be a bad habit and horrible if they went through.

I was hoping this picture would turn out better. The ice was clear all the way to the bubbles and you could see how thick it was. Was neat to look through like that.

As you can see from this blog I am easily entertained and there hasn't been much entertainment going on around here. Not much horsey stuff, just survival. Hopefully with warmer weather that will change!

On a sad note, both swans are gone now. The male swan was killed about a month ago, probably by a coyote and then this week the lonely female swan was attacked by a dog, with the pond frozen she couldn't get away. And then what little ice everyone could break for her, she froze into the pond one night. My husband got her out but she just never recovered from the bite then the cold and the broken heart. Swans are life long partners you know. We will miss them.

Ok, this is crazy!

This has been a bad week, from bad weather to work. Just all the way around. Right now it is bone chilling outside. The low tonight is supposed to be -1. That's just crazy! And it's supposed to be like that for the next 3 nights!! The snow from Christmas is still on the ground and doesn't look like it's going anywhere real soon.

Yesterday was quite different too. I know I looked at that schedule several times the week before, I just know I did. But somehow I was on the schedule for a Bonus shift yesterday. I did not know this. I was out in the cold for 3 or 3 1/2 hours feeding and breaking ice and settling the horses. This included dealing with the water trough heaters. The little darlings wouldn't leave them in the troughs and one of them, they stomped on and broke all the hard plastic off. I had to break ice on the creek too, and it was thick enough to ice skate on. A running creek no less! It was a wonderful afternoon.

So I come inside and sit in a daze, trying to thaw out. It was about 6:00 or 6:30. Just sat there sipping on hot coffee. I thought I'll thaw a little and I'll take a shower and put on some warm jammies and relax the rest of the evening. It was right at 7:00 and my phone rings. It's work, "where are you, your supposed to be here!?!" "What, no I'm not!", "yes, your on the schedule".... Anyway, it was a strange conversation. So I grumbled and took a shower and went to work. Hadn't even eaten yet, and my shoulder hurt from breaking ice and I was tired and, and , oh well. So I went to work and it was a busy night. Bless Donna for going to 10 tower. See, they not only insisted that I come to work but wanted to pull me to another floor. After the afternoon I had had I wasn't going to be happy about that at all. Anyway, I did make it through the night barely, and Julie shared here supper with me. She always brings in good food. That did make it better.

We didn't get the snow they were predicting for last night, but we did get the wind and cold. Came home, put on WARM jammies and crashed real hard. When I got up this afternoon, my husband informed me that the little darlings had removed the water heaters again and that he had "beat them all with the cords." He was joking of coarse.... but it was a thought. So this afternoon it was back to breaking more ice. It wasn't real thick in the troughs because they did leave them in most of the day. So feeding did go easier this afternoon, not that 10 or 15 degrees is easy. I am still tired.

Well the boss calls at 5:00 this evening as I am thinking of shower and getting ready for work, cause I am on the schedule that I have for the next 3 nights. We're going to put you on call, there are 5 patients though so there's a real good chance that they will call you in. OK, I'll watch the championship football game and then probably go to work.

Well Texas lost McCoy in the first few plays and Alabama is looking real good at this point. After the half I dozed on the couch, confidant that as soon as I got real comfortable they would call. Sure enough, almost 11:00 and the phone rings, just as Texas is coming back, (maybe). It's Allyson and they need me to come in. I tell her I'll be there in just a little bit, going to take a quick shower... and off I go. My husband chuckles a lot when they do this to me. I think he secretly likes to see me tortured. Just as I am getting out of the shower he brings my phone in and says work is trying to call you, call them back. What, it's only been 10 minutes or less even.

Well they had Liz, an RN in resource pool working on 10 tower and they were getting ready to send her home because they didn't have enough patients so they were going to send her to the unit and I could just stay home. Wweeelllll, I just wanted to get up off the couch that was so warm and cozy and take a cold shower just for the heck of it. Anyway, now I am awake with no place to go.

Oh by the way, Alabama won! I was rooting for them because they were the underdogs and my husband was for Texas. Hey Allyson, you won. Her and her husband were doing the same thing. Girls win tonight!!

Sorry, don't have pictures. Cameras don't do good breaking ice in the tundra.

Creating?

Sally has been talking about when her husband paints her trailer, and what she wants to put on the outside. The ideas really sound neet. Well this evening I kinda worked on one of them. You see Patience's horse, her registered name is Ffire Danser so......

Sally took the fireworks pictures New Years Eve from her house. Not sure if it is the one they set off or a neighbors. Of coarse, don't know if I could paint that on her trailer but might think of something. Next..... on to Wynchester DB. It involves rifles. Aaahhhhh, my brain needed the dust or should I say snow blown off of it. I think cabin fever has set in this weekend. Can't seem to get out of the house, if for lack of will or to much snow to try to go anywhere if I don't have to. I'll post again if I come up with something for Chester!

By the way the horse in this picture is from: awhitehorse.com

Webgraphics Copyright, 2003 Stacey Mayer, AWhiteHorse.com

Hey, got it to work!

Well, ain't that cool. Now I can put videos on here. Neat. Have to make a few this weekend. Well maybe if the mud, frozen mud goes away some. It's a mess around here and very cold. Can't work anything. There goes the umph to that new years resolution! Going to have to make changes, plans, think. OK, plenty of time to think when you can't do much outside. Guess I'll work on the web site and blog some. Go through pictures. Maybe even, dare I say, clean house. Oh, that's a thought, maybe fold some of those clean clothes. HEHE. Be back latter.

Something new....maybe

Just wanted to see if this video thing would work. This is a video of one of the 3 year old geldings, Nitez DB. He is out of SR Narida and by Winseck Whirlwyn.

What a Week

Where to start, I guess at the beginning, hehe.  The Friday before Christmas got up early and finished packing, fed the horses and jumped in the truck with my husband and headed for Missouri.  Of coarse on Thursday I drove Sally crazy with instructions and phone numbers and what to do if this happens and who to call if that happens and where everything was, and who would come and help if she needed it.  Thought she was going to choke me before it was over!  I just knew how much work taking care of the horses would be.

We headed up the highway, and after about an hour and a half, Marlin was ready for me to take over so he could take a nap.  See, I let him go hunting Friday morning before we left so he was out in the woods at 5 AM.  Gave me time to get everything ready to go.  We made it to Festus in good time, beating the school bus to their house.  Kaleb had been asking all week if we would be there before he got home from school.  Of coarse mom and dad told him when he got off the bus that we might not make it, just as he walked through the door.  He was surprised!

After everyone settled down, we opened Christmas presents.  I wanted to enjoy watching them enjoy their presents while we were there.  Kobe was more interested in the packaging than the presents but thats what you do when your one.  Kaleb loved his Mario Cart Wii game.  Justin and Sara were very surprised with their presents too.

Then gave my dad a call and we went to Petite Paree.  Marlin's first time.  It's a really nice resturant in Festus that the family has been going to forever.  The watresses know what we're going to order when we get there.  Fille Mignon, medium and twice backed, house salad.  The best steak around.  And the ambiance is wonderful.  Was nice visiting with dad, told lots of stories, caught up with all the happenings.

The next morning got to go watch Kaleb play basket ball at the YMCA.  He is in a leaque there.  It was very entertaining to watch kindergarten kids play this game.  Anyway, got some good pictures and videos and Kaleb scored the most points, not that they keep score cause they don't.  And Kaleb gets made if you clap for the other team, even though everyone dose.  This is a picture of Kaleb going down court, looks better in the picture, haha.

Went back to the house after the game and just hung out.  Worked on dad's Christmas present.  Bought him a digital picture frame and put all kinds of old family pictures on it.  He really liked it.

Saturday evening we went out to eat with Justin and Sara and family to an Italian restraunt that Justin had found.  It was incredible!  Was stuffed and took home doggy bags.

Got up Sunday and checked out of the hotel and went to say good by.  Never seems long enough, they just live to far away or maybe we just live to far away.  Any way before we left dad brought over some of his garden fair.  Canned tomatoes, canned green beans, strawberry freezer jelly and black berry jelly.  He has a really big garden that he works really hard on.  He's a good cook too!

Before we left got this one last picture, Kobe had gotten the marchmallows out of the pantry and was having a great time shaking them out of the bag and then eating them.  I showed mom the picture of what her youngest was doing while we were carrying stuff to the truck.  She just laughed.

Then it was back down the highway to home.  Unfortunetly, I got one of my migraines within the first 30 minutes on the rode and was pretty much useless on the trip back.  My husband is really wonderful, didn't bat an eye while I was getting sick.  But we made it home and after 20 hours of being either asleep or wishing I was asleep, I came back to life.

Then three crazy nights at work.  Christmas can be really strange at a hospital.  Of coarse the unit was full, only really sick people come to the hospital at Christmas!

The weather was a real trip.  On Tuesday we had thunderstorms  all day and it was 60 degrees.  Then Wensday morning the temperature dropped and the blizzard came.  6 inches of snow, with ice underneath!  It was a real mess at work.  You can't leave until the day shift nurse is there to take report of coarse and of coarse everyone was late.  The hospital had employees picking up people for work.  Well, Perry, who I was to give report to couldn't get her car started and they couldn't get ahold of the driver to go get her.  My husband hat taken me to work and was coming to get me.  I called him and asked him to pick her up on the way, cause I couldn't leave until she got there.  Bless him, he did.  Found her house and didn't get stuck, almost, but made it threw.  I didn't get home until 8:30 in the morning, which when you live less than 10 minutes from work and you are supposed to get off at 7:30, it seemed like a life time.  Plus it was Christmas morning and I wanted to be home for the big surprise!!!

Sally and family didn't get to our house until after I got home, made it.  Sigh of relief.  You see, Patience's Christmas present was at my house.  What she wanted for Christmas and knew she couldn't have was a horse of her own.  You should see the video of her opening her present at home, the confussion when she gets a grooming bag with brushes and a bright pink halter and lead rope.  Mom points out to her that there is more in the box.  An 8 x 10 picture of a little chestnut mare!  Her name is Ffire Danser, her barn name is Rascle.  This picture is actually from today, her mom will post more I am sure on her blog, http://www.arabianhorsefamily.com/

I also got to give Sally her present for taking such good care of the horses while we were gone.  It is so nice to have someone you know will do a good job.  You don't worry quite as much while your gone!  Of coarse Chester had other thoughts about this present and the others were quite entertained by it!!

Sally had been saving up for a blanket for him and it had to be red.  He has done very well with the blanket.  He was pretty much saying at first, "you have got to be kidding,"  but by morning everyone else was jealous.  By the way, I have been accused by some of dressing the horses better than my husband!  It's probably true.

Oh, and just for a good laugh, my husband asked me to go with him last night to just sit in the truck by the hay barn and look for deer.  Well, he got over confident and went farther that the hay barn and then we were stuck in the snow for 45 minutes waiting for Pete to come out of the woods and pull us out.  Fortunately  Pete saw us, and Pete and Joe came and got us pulled out.  Now they are teasing my husband about me not wanting to go on romantic parking trips with him anymore.  They might be right, at least not in the snow!!!!!!

Hello...

It has been awhile.  I believe since before Thanksgiving.  We celebrated Thanksgiving on Wensday because I had to work Thursday, Friday and Saturday.  It turned out pretty good.  Marlin's sons were there, Chris with his daughter Kylie, Clint and Casey.  Mom was there, and of course Marlin and myself.  The meal was good.  I fixed brocholi and cauliflower with homemade cheese sauce and the picky eaters didn't eat any which left it all for me!!  If they only knew what they missed out on.  It is a tradition in my family, and is served at all the good meals, except breakfast of  course.  They all ate plain green beans and turkey and dressing and crescant rolls and lots of mashed potatoes and gravy.  I made mom backed sweat potatoes because dad and her always wanted that for Thanksgiving.  I bought the pies this year just to save time and they were good.  Then after everyone was stuffed we sat around and visited for a long time.  Lots of laughs.  It was a good Thanksgiving, lots to be thankful for.

Then it was back to work.  Seems like lately that is all I seem to get accomplished, is making it to work on time.  It has been very busy, lots of pneumonia.  A few overdoses, it is that time of year.  Sad.

Haven't been working much with the horses even though I know I really need to get busy.  Horse show season will be here and I won't be ready.  With deer season, that seemed to last for ever, the barn has been on hold.  Can't ride while everyone is out in the deer woods with big guns either. 

The horses have been real energetic lately but they quit playing when I go out to video them.  I keep trying.  Have some short videos from one morning when I got off work.  Need to fiqure out how to put them on here.  Need to discuss this with my IT person......OOOOOHHHHHHHH SSSAAAAALLLLYY!!!  Oh well, she's at work.

Making plans for a possible endurance ride in May.  It's sounds like fun.  Have to see how it goes!  Oh yea, need to start working horses.  Hhmmmm.  Gotta get motivated!!!!!  Don't know whats wrong with me.  And now it is bitterly cold so I don't think they'll like that too much.

Getting ready for Christmas, and yes it is CHRISTMAS, NOT HOLIDAY or some such.  Drives me crazy when someone thinks that politily correct is the way to go.  Remember, THE REASON FOR THE SEASON, along with lots of gifts and family get togethers and visiting and surprises and........

Think it will be a good Christmas, hoping, wanting......

Well, that catches me up to tonight.  Marlin went to see the boys and stay at their appartment in Stillwater tonight, sooooooo, I am here all alone with the dog coco and the cats, Ms. Black and Earl Grey.  Have a fire in the fireplace, hot chocolate to drink and made a crockpot full of deer chili, MMMMMMMMMMMM....It is 13 degrees outside so these are all really good things!  Doubt I get much horse working done tomorrow, probably be breaking ice and thawing out water hoses.  Cold is always better with snow, at least it is pretty to look at out the window. 

Well, I think I'll get back to the address book and making out a Christmas letter for everyone.  Maybe pictures next time.