600th post came and went

I had planned to do something special for the 600th post here on camera-obscura, but then forgot and skimmed right by it... and I had also planned to put a Rafer and Redford photo up this weekend but didn't get quite the right picture.

As of today we're in the midst of a little heat wave - highs near 100 - and we opted not to take the pony to today's schooling dressage show because of the heat.

When I went out yesterday, Keil Bay had something going on with his left eye, so I checked it, rinsed it with some cool clean water, and applied some antibiotic eye ointment. I also gave him a dose of Banamine, as our first vet cautioned me that eye pain can be terrible on horses. I put his clean fly mask on, brought him into the barnyard with Salina and the donkeys, and stayed out to do a few chores while I kept an eye on him.

Within about 15 minutes he had removed his mask (he never does this) and came into the barn to show me his eye, which had stopped draining, was fully open, and now had a glob of eye goop in the corner, which probably had the offending irritant trapped inside.

Whew.

I also killed several horseflies as big as hummingbirds. Fortunately when they get that big they seem to also get slow, so the horses amble up, aim the part of their body needing rescue at me, and I smack and stomp.

I also decided that as green as it is right now - the dirt paddock is no longer accurately named, the driveway into the barnyard is now completely hidden in grass, we had to mow several areas that were just getting too overgrown - I would keep Cody and Apache Moon in for a few nights with access to the paddock and arena for some limited nibbling plus some soaked hay.

Keil Bay, Salina, and the donkeys went out to the front field through the little barnyard gate, and had access to the grass paddock and one stall. Guess where they all were this morning? Two big Hanoverians and two miniature donkeys were all in the one stall, awaiting breakfast hay and re-distribution.

I'm guessing we'll be doing baths today and tomorrow, since hosing will be on the agenda anyway and they could all use a good shampooing.

Hope everyone is enduring and enjoying the month of August!