We’re in a bit of a holding pattern as we wait for spring here. Our weather is going back and forth between super warm for this time of year and cold again, so there can be blankets one day and flies the next. It’s not unusual I guess but I’m finding it especially frustrating, as some of the things I want to move on with doing can’t be done until we hit an actual “real” spring!
A good time to focus on writing and other things, right?
On Friday I had a little (okay, big) scare. Keil Bay’s chiropractic vet was on the way for a regular maintenance adjustment. I opened the gate from the front pasture into the little barnyard to let Keil and his ever-faithful buddy Redford come through. I’m not sure what happened but when Keil reached the barn aisle doors he suddenly went down onto his knees. He hopped right up and seemed fine, though a bit spooked, and we stood in the barn aisle for a minute and I talked him down. A minute later, he and Redford were in the big barnyard grazing as if nothing had happened.
When his vet arrived I shared what had happened with her and she looked Keil over and started the adjustment. He has been being very clear with only a couple of “usual” adjustments needed each month, but on Friday he was out of whack from his atlas joint all the way to his tail. We don’t know if he had things out of whack before the fall, or if the fall itself created these issues. The only other thing is that he had been looking so good I backed his Equioxx off to every other day the week before this fall happened. I noticed nothing different in his behavior or movement with that dosage, but we agreed that I should put him back to daily and I also added his Duralactin back in.
On Saturday he looked better than he had before the fall and after the fall, so I was very grateful for that, and today he had his acupuncture + Legend injection and when I told the vet what had happened Friday, she asked if I could halter him and walk him out for her. The vet tech offered to do it and he ran from her! Ran meaning his big lovely trot in a nice 20m circle, so when the vet saw that, she said, never mind, he looks great.
Keil is keeping me on my toes for sure as he approaches his 33rd birthday!
We have another birthday boy celebrating this week - Redford! I’ll share a birthday photo on his day.
This afternoon I’m working at the desk in the bedroom, and the biggest benefit of this location in the house is seeing my herd hanging out with me while I work.
As much as I love my writing garret, that’s the only room in the house with no view of the pastures or barnyards, and sometimes I consider moving it to the other side of the house. Then I think about how much stuff I would have to move and that is that!
Otherwise there’s not a lot going on here. We’re starting to move compost from the grandfather compost pile to the shrubs and trees that we’ve planted over the past two years. After that I’ll start putting compost on flower beds and the potager. In March I’m going to do some leaf shredding with the mower in the pastures and then we’ll use the rest of the compost to feed the pastures. And then, as everyone with horses knows all so well, we’ll start adding to the compost pile again, and before you know it, we’ll have a mountain of it back there.
The dangerous thing about not being able to do some of the things I’m ready to do is that I fall into internet rabbit holes for things like horses and mules. Yesterday I found a gorgeous Welsh-x mare for my daughter and a handsome riding mule for me. Local, great prices, and then I stopped myself. Whoa, Billie. I’m not sure we’re ready for two new herd members right now.
Just remembered the thing that went on early this week - landscaper with huge deposit in hand to install the hollies and cedars suddenly backed out of the plan, so I have our arborist looking at this project on Friday while he’s here to see if he can take it on for us. I had already checked that off my list! Back it goes. Hope we can get at least part of it done if not all this season.
