weekend list

My things to do this weekend:

-charge up the camera battery so I can take it outside and get some photos of the donkey boys in all their sleek summer glory

-clean the feed/tack room from top to bottom

There are more things I want and hope to do, but I'm not going to overwhelm myself with a long list.

I had the impulse last night to consider moving my computer and desk to a slightly less central spot in the house. I'm not ready to go up to my garret, which is now full of sandplay energy and always has a tray in progress these days, thanks to my children.

I considered borrowing the art studio since it has a nice window overlooking the front field, but I'm also thinking of the bedroom since it also has windows to the field and is not so "removed" as the upstairs.

Having my desk set up right in the thick of the household has been good this year, but now it's feeling like I can't quite settle in to work.

We'll see how it flows. I may be writing from a new location next blog post.

enjoying the break from heat

On Tuesday the temp dropped from the day's high of 97 to 77 in the span of only a few hours - a wind came through and it was possible to feel the heat dissipating. I watched the horses and donkeys come to life in the early evening - trotting in circles and cantering up and down the hill.

Yesterday we had some rain and cloud cover with a high of 83. It was nice to do barn chores with no sweat! It felt so good I did some extra cleaning in the barn, although I stopped short of what I really want to do - empty the tack/feed room out completely to de-web and get everything clear of dust, then put it all back. Hopefully I can do that this weekend.

We have a string of days in the 80s to enjoy before it goes back up to 90. And while I hope we don't get so much rain it gets mucky again, I'm loving the gentle rains that are keeping everything watered and green.

trim notes for august 2009

Rafer Johnson: trimming role model extraordinaire! Feet looked good, lots of growth this time. He went first today and then assisted with Salina and Redford.

Redford: Almost as well-behaved as Rafer, with good feet and good growth.

Salina: Noted for B. that she had abscess in July, left front, right at coronary band as per usual. However, she's going longer between the annual abscess now - first year it was April, then May, and this year July. HUGE amount of growth this time - she needed so much toe taken off it was a bit of an ordeal doing the right front, which is her stiffer knee. The donkeys stayed close for moral support!

Cody: Dubbing on rears nearly gone, which means the AlCar is working, he's not dragging hind toes, and his hooves got the best hoof award of the day. Yay!

Keil Bay: A lot of growth too, with some ragged edges due to me not being able to rasp this month. A bit fussy by the last hoof as he gazed frustrated at the goody bag.

Apache Moon: Fuss budget award goes to the pony, whose feet were typically good and he was really leaning and pulling and swishing his tail some. He had to be backed down the barn aisle at the end so there was something good to give him a treat for! We forgive him. It's the second hottest day of the year, the fly predators just went out yesterday, and right now the summer seems ENDLESS.

We are all awaiting the chill of autumn, the changing color of leaves, and the smell of woodsmoke. Thankfully tomorrow's high is 83 with rain!

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!

Philippe Karl's latest response to the German FN

This arrived in my box today.

It's Phillipe Karl's response to the letter the German FN wrote to him on June 15th.