I missed some November Hill birthdays!! First let's celebrate Cody!

This is one of my favorite photos of Cody, our newly-13-year-old QH. It is out of season for us living on November Hill but for many of you it may be exactly what you're seeing out your windows this spring.

Cody came to us when he was coming 3 years old. He's been a wonderful addition to the herd here. My son rode him lightly the first couple of years and as he matured he had regular training rides with our trainer at the time, with me, and with my daughter as she started growing. He's done some Pony Club stuff with my daughter and mostly combined training work. Once we assured him we didn't expect the contracted, pinched Western Pleasure way of going that he'd originally been taught (at age 2!) he opened up and now uses his body in a beautiful way.

Cody is calm and steady for the most part, but in other ways he is my "problem horse." Only in the sense that he has PSSM and I have had to scramble to learn a lot about diet and nutrition and the way muscles work inside the equine body. Because of Cody I learned how to balance the equine diets individually and I've learned a lot more than I ever knew about bringing a horse into work and creating a routine that facilitates soundness under saddle and over time.

Cody was the horse chosen to babysit Rafer Johnson's first night here - Salina was over the top with mama love so she needed a day to settle down!

Cody is Keil Bay's best friend, Redford's most eager playmate, and the one equine who will play with the pony without getting too annoyed at his antics.

Years back when the neighbors shot off fireworks and the rest of this herd (including me) were running around like crazy it was Cody who walked to the middle of the arena and stood enjoying the show.

He's a wonderful horse. Responsive and sensitive under saddle, always eager to please. And now he's a teenager! Happy Birthday Cody!! We look forward to many years to come. 

the mystical-kit, congestive heart failure, update

This week has been a bit crazy here on November Hill. We've been visiting Mystic daily, supervising the construction of the fabulous front porch cat haven, and I've had two days of ACT (acceptance and commitment therapy) training this week so it's been a challenge to keep up with everything.

Thankfully Mystic has improved every single day since Monday. He was on a ventilator for two days and although he responded well and fast in terms of blood oxygen saturation, respiration rate, etc., obviously being on a respirator is a tenuous place to be for a cat. We were cautiously optimistic but also trying to keep ourselves prepared should things take a downward turn.

We got news today that he improved so much between our visit last night and today they are going to send him home tomorrow unless something comes up tonight for him. Since last night he's eating an drinking on his own and able to stand and walk, is alert, and the residual grogginess after the ventilator was removed has faded.

They also did a new ultrasound of his heart today and said there appears to be much less damage there than they originally thought. So overall, the prognosis is even better than it was a few days ago.

He'll come home with a couple of oral meds to a quiet recuperation space (we are well prepared for this upstairs in his domain) and lots of love and grateful hearts that he made it through this.

Once I get through the weekend I'm going to take photos of the cat haven - the tunnel from front porch to back yard is about halfway done - it will be completed on Monday. It is absolutely fabulous. The carpenter and his assistants took my ideas and made them happen in an even better way than I expected. I can't wait to see cats figuring out they can go from front to back through their own private highway. :)

Thanks to everyone for the good thoughts, prayers, light, and love. I have absolutely no doubt that all of that played a huge part in his recovery. Big hugs from me to you. 

And a couple of favorite Mystic photos - finally had a moment to go into files and pull them out!

Mystic needs your good thoughts

Since Friday Mystic kit-meow has been suddenly not feeling well, slightly off his food, then on Sunday night a weird coughing episode. Monday morning he seemed better but rapid breathing started up and I took him to the vet. Many tests later they felt it likely he had asthma and sent him home with Prednisone.

This morning he was worse and seemed suddenly to be going downhill so my husband took him to the vet school hospital where he had to be immediately intubated and was quickly diagnosed with congestive heart failure.

He's only 8 years old and we have decided given his good health right up until this weekend to move forward with treatment. He's on a respirator, sedated, and getting medication to drain the fluid from his heart and lungs. Prognosis is that if he makes it through this part of the treatment he'll be able to come home on medication that will allow him another few good years. We hope for that and more.

Construction of our front porch cat haven started this morning and I am hoping he comes home just in time to help break it in. 

We are grateful for all good thoughts.

Wednesday a.m. update:

His oxygen saturation is much better today on lower oxygen which is a very good sign. His red blood cell count has dropped but they think it's a measurement artifact and are retesting. They are removing several of his medications in preparation for the ventilation withdrawal at mid-day. Overall they are more than pleased with how things are progressing and are very hopeful. 

Thank you all for helping surround him with love and light! It means so much to me and my entire family. 

Wednesday p.m. update:

Mystic is breathing on his own now. The tube is still in as he hasn't woken up yet - sedation drugs still in his system. They will pull the tube out soon. His blood oxygen looks good. He has signs of infection probably due to stress on his system during this but are already treating with antibiotics. They expect him to wake up in the next hour or so. 

spring greening

I took this a few days ago, before the two rains we've since had. The amount of greening that has happened just since the rain is mind-boggling! The herd is keeping busy and I'm doing daily scraping of horse hair off bodies, checking for ticks (Keil Bay sported the first one of the season and I've pulled another one off him plus one off Cody), and trying my best to keep water troughs clean of pollen.

The front porch construction of the cat-proof screens and cat tunnel to the back yard begins on Tuesday and is projected to take two days to complete. I can't wait to see them explore this new area and regain the use of our front porch. Hopefully the pollen will have wrapped up by then.

I've harrowed the arena once and need to do it again tomorrow to get the footing back in shape. Garden is in process, I'm working on using saplings we thinned out to make a wooden fence around the garden and hopefully learn how to do it so I can tackle some larger projects with larger saplings. 

As usual I have a few too many projects underway. I seem to have launched into springtime projects instead of spring cleaning this year!

Tell me what's going on in your backyard right now. 

listening to what they say

Today when I fed Keil Bay his mid-day tub I put hay out for the herd and came back to his stall to see if he was finished. He was, but instead of going to his back door to be turned out with his pals he came and stood with me, curving his neck to my hands, standing quietly while I rubbed his neck.

When I stepped toward the back door he walked to his front stall door and touched it with his nose. He was asking for some time to himself in the barnyard, and some time with me as well.

I opened the front stall door and out he went. We made a pile of hay for him in the shade and I got the shedding blade and a brush and watched as c-shaped packets of Keil Bay fur floated off the blade and into the breeze with every pass.

The first tick of 2016 made its appearance, which required me to empty last year's tick jar and prepare it for this new year. A little Dr. Bronner's peppermint soap and water and in went the brown dog tick.

I checked Keil all over but there were no more to be found. Checked his ears and face and then sprayed him with the mix of fly spray I made up a few weeks ago. He was happy to have his time in the barnyard and chose to remain there when I came inside. 

The donkeys are not happy about that and are braying off and on to let me know one of their herd members is "missing."

In a little while I'll go serve the next round of hay and see if Keil is ready to rejoin his buddies. 

It's a sweet day on November Hill.