kick-start the week

I woke up yesterday to discover that Salina had a swollen udder and was off her feed, so I gave her a dose of Banamine, set her up in the barn aisle where she could have some hay, stand by Keil Bay's stall, or graze the barnyard, and she rested there with her trusty companion Rafer Johnson while we did barn chores.

Once the Banamine kicked in, she seemed a bit better, and I hosed the udder mainly to see if there was a wound there - nothing. She sighed and stretched her legs out though, so I think the hosing felt good.

I got out my books and came up with a homeopathic remedy to try. Within about 15 minutes she was alert and in her stall munching on hay. The swelling lessened a bit, and over the course of the day I monitored her to make sure she was eating (she lined up at the feed room door for lunch), drinking, and using the bathroom normally. Everything checked out well. The udder remained swollen so I decided to use a different remedy in the pm. She was back to her normal self in all ways, and I'll be keeping a chose check on that udder today and will put a call in to the vet as needed.

My daughter had ridden the pony in the morning, so she tacked up Cody and rode the Intro A dressage test with him in the evening. When I got Keil Bay in the arena and mounted, she talked me into riding the Intro A test on the Big Bay. This is what I wrote elsewhere about our ride:

I had done some warming up and Keil was forward and alert, but the moment we entered at A and trotted down center line, he was so in front of my leg and on the aids we basically overshot the entire test. Working trot became extended, the circles were me keeping him at a trot instead of canter, and he wanted to blast down center line at the end so that by the time we halted we were practically in the "judge's " lap!

It was a terrible test but I was laughing out loud through most of it. Imagine my delight at having this big powerful tank moving out with energy and excitement, instead of me trying to get the engine rolling!

I ended up *letting* him do the big giant trot work (this is when he looks the best, but normally we have to warm up and I have to push him into this gear) and then we hand-galloped some - he was so wanting to MOVE.

Keil is in week 4 of his herbal regime, and the results are astounding. It's like riding the "best of Keil Bay" all the time.

Heading into a new week with new things to learn - udders, getting a powerhouse to do a dressage test, hosting the first pre/early teen hs'ing movie night.

I'll leave you with two little videos my daughter made over the weekend to kick-start the week and get it rolling:

funny little habit since owning horses

Last night I went with my husband to pick out a new dryer. I knew walking in to the store that we weren't getting the lovely green Duet steam washer and dryer I have ogled in catalogs and on random trips to Lowe's. I love the way the Duets look up on their stands, and the soft green against our terra cotta tile would be such a nice contrast of color in the laundry room.

And yet, standing there last night, calculating just how much it would cost for the Duet pair, plus stands, I kept thinking in my head:

Wow, that amount of money would buy a year's supply of hay.

Or two years of Adequan.

A shopping spree at Horsetech.

Saliva tests and accompanying herbs for every living creature in my family.

It would cover a County dressage saddle for Cody.

Make a good dent in the expense of getting the sink in my tack room hooked up, and putting in the wide plank wood floor I want in there.

It would buy new arena footing, pea gravel for my "hoof stimulation areas," or the gate for the front of our property.

Ever since owning horses, I have this little habit of calculating everything in terms of farm improvements, horse care, and riding tack/attire.

The funny thing is that most anything I see and "want" for its aesthetic pleasure isn't, in the end, worth anywhere near the pleasure I get from living with the horses. It was kind of nice to be reminded of that last night. And when we got home, and my husband installed the modest dryer, I tossed the latest load of clean clothes into it and turned it on. When the buzzer sounded, they were dry. And that's the important thing.

end of a week

Today will be spent awaiting the dryer repairman, who is set to come "between 8 a.m. and 5 p.m." -- so said the computerized phone call we got last evening. A fairly huge window, imo, for me to be waiting. But since the dryer is now inoperable (it screeches and moans like a dying banshee) and there are mountains of dirty laundry needing to be washed, I guess I'd better do it.

I've been considering getting one of those clothes-lines that spin around on a pole, so that I could hang the clothes right from the deck outside the laundry room. I don't mind hanging clothes out, but no one here likes the stiffness. Isn't there something you can do to avoid that? Anyone know what it is?

Otherwise, Keil Bay is back to work after time off due to chiro. Cody is back tomorrow. And if I can juggle the dryer repairman, the predicted afternoon thunderstorms, and getting a move on this laundry, I'll be out riding sometime today.

Last night Rafer Johnson threw a little donkey fit when it was time for Salina to eat her dinner alone and he was confined to the barn aisle (with us). He generally takes this in stride, but for whatever reason, he had a bucking/kicking fit last night. It looked very much like what I would call "donkey adolescence." It was intense and rebellious, and we pretty much let him wear himself out but did not allow him to aim that intensity at us. And then suddenly it ended. When it was over, he got some hugs and rubs.

This morning, we are nearing another developmental milestone, with Mystic, the growing-at-the-speed-of-light kitten. Dickens E. Wickens is outside the cat/dog door quite literally peeling it back so that Mystic can learn to get out! I can almost hear Dickens whispering: Come on, push. You know you want to be a junior cowboy. Just one little push and you're free to roam the range!



I am gearing up to get back to my novel editing. My notes and solutions are patiently enduring my late summer doldrums with writing. Fall will pick that up - it's my most productive time of year and boy do I need it this year!

Right now the sun is shining and the sky is blue, and it's time for Pilates before I head out to feed.


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The repairman arrived before I even had time for Pilates. New dryer is on the way this evening. Not the lovely color front-loader I want, but alas, it will dry the clothes and that's the important thing.

a number of paths

It's being a nice week. Sunday evening Keil Bay and I shed years off our respective ages and jumped a trot pole three times. Leave it to the Big Bay to show me we can both soar.

Monday I had a lovely ride on Cody. He is such a different ride than Keil; it teaches me an entirely different set of skills and when he really relaxes and settles into his stride, he's wonderful.



Later that afternoon, my daughter had her dressage lesson and as usual, I learn almost as much as she does just sitting there watching.

Pilates update: I am not planning to turn this into my own personal training journal, but I'm excited to report that not only have I kept up my daily Pilates, I am already losing inches in the waistline. It happens fast with the mat work. I'd forgotten.

And a labyrinth update: the first circuit is nearly done. We started an external circle path that shoots off from the actual labyrinth and goes around the outside. While this isn't a "true" feature of a labyrinth, I decided that with horses and the potential of having two at a time down there, it would be nice to have a way for one horse to be able to walk the labyrinth while another simply takes the bigger circle around. Eventually, the outer circle will also have another path feeding off it that goes up the hill and through the woods.



Chiggers notwithstanding, this labyrinth is going to be fun. I need to dust the path with DE, keep the foliage cut well back, and between that and fall, hopefully we will be chigger free. I think I forgot to say that late last week I made a huge error in judgment and worked on the labyrinth one morning, then wore those *shorts* and socks for several hours after coming inside. It was afternoon before I realized that I was being bitten by chiggers. Aiyiyi - this batch is about 4x worse than the first one. But the homeopathic ointment, remedy, and baking soda baths got me through it yet again.



Today we had the chiropractor here, and minimal issues. I found a crow feather in the arena, which really made my morning. And to top it off, it's 68 degrees out and we're getting a very soft and steady rain that feels wonderful.

one year ago this month

(I already had to add two new things!)


My daughter was having trouble with her pony, who was feeling pressured and starting to rebel. Tonight, she took him a snack in the front field while the older horses had their evening feed, and then vaulted up onto his back to sit with him while he ate. When he finished, she rode him in to the paddock, and I warned her that the horses' back doors were open and the pony was speeding up - he loves to sneak in on Cody so we normally close Cody's back door while he eats. Anyway, she sat back and said whoa and the pony did the nicest, squarest halt with nothing but the girl's request.

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This one is a bit longer ago. Five years ago I started back riding and jumped a mounting block totally by accident on the black mare Annie... about 25 years before THAT I was jumping my horse regularly.

Tonight, while riding Keil Bay, he was in such wonderful spirits and condition (thank you Patsy and your amazing herbs) he sailed over a trot pole three different times. Trotted in, cantered out. The last time he sailed pretty high, and we were flying. What a thrill! Husband said "He wants to be an eventer." Um - NO. :)


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I was getting down to the bones in my second novel. I suppose one could say that this year I am dealing with its muscle.

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We were just starting the Joss Whedon series Buffy the Vampire Slayer. Now we're just starting The Sopranos.

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We were living with 102 degree heat. Today it is 86.

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We celebrated multiple birthdays at my parents' house, with steak on the grill, Blue Moons and Cokes, an impromptu pomegranate martini for me, and sips of coconut rum all around. And cake and ice cream, of course.

This year my father is bedridden, with Hospice coming every day, but he can still talk and smile and enjoy cake and ice cream.

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There were hints of autumn and tons of butterflies.

Today I saw a tree completely changing color and the butterflies are swarming.

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I had a writing breakthrough and a trip to Weymouth.

This year I had a trip to Weymouth and THEN the writing breakthrough.

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And we met this little guy: