....and this concerns me how?

There is a bright orb in the sky that I understand from google is called the "sun".... apparently its a pretty big deal but since its so new to our neck of the woods, I'm treating it with the suspicion it deserves. In fact, I blame my moldy tack on it, I blame the mushroom blooms in my stalls on it and I certainly think its all because of this "sun" that the driving test booklet I have been reading all weekend is as "redonculus"( hip, high school term from the Vincent household, thanks A!) as it is. Can you say, written drivers test from hell coming up on Monday? I may be riding my horses everywhere, or walking on my stems for transport if i cant master this crapola! So far I've learned that passing a stopped school bus in the state of NC will cost you more points on your licence than a hit and run or reckless driving.......eh, okey dokey! Here's some more gems: If you are a mail carrier, or driving a tractor on the high way(wha?) or have a certified mental phobia you are exempt from wearing your seat belt...cause in a collision your body wont fly through the windshield like the rest of us mere mortals. If you have run out of room in the vehicle to restrain your child safely(all seats are taken) it doesn't need restraint either.....Am i missing something? Like the part that says, if there are no available seats leave your precious cargo at home, or make one of the free loaders taking up the spot for your kid, get the heck out and find a new ride? Ok, I'm procrastinating, and need to get back to this fascinating train wreck of a booklet....Fingers crossed for tomarrow.

Urp....

Today finds me laid up food poisoning. I haven't barfed that much since I broke my butt a year or so ago. So far Ive been able to eat a piece of toast and a cup of miso....there is some serious gurgling but its staying put. I have had lots of spaniel company and lots of sleep. Its an interesting way to spend a Sunday. Yesterday Tim worked all day on an electric fence install at Diana's, He did a fab job of course and has a little jingle in his pocket to pay for the massage he will need to fix his back! hahaha. In any case, the sweet man does like to feel useful. Diana is reseeding her fields in anticipation of Ollie coming to live all the way from Ca! Some of you knew Tim Hackbarts horse from our group trail rides, he's a sweet boy that will be perfect for Diana's hubby. We all look forward to fall trail rides, as long as all the bugs die before we hit the woods. Its now mosquito season again, or "the scourge two" as I like to call it. These are definitely different from the early mosquitoes we endured in the summer. These suckers( and i mean that literally... grin) are like darts! You can feel them hit you. Oh man! the welts, and the itching. What are geckos for I ask you? and all these frogs....Hello, would you anphibs please eat the mosquitoes? Actually the geckos are useful in stopping ones' heart momentarily. Tim has one living on his saw, and the thing has leaped on to him at more inopportune times than we care to remember. Although it is quite amusing to see the action from the window. Tim muttering and stalking around the pop up measuring wood to cut, then the saw gets cranked up and then Tim is hopping around the yard and cursing and you see a gecko leap off his neck into the grass! giggle, they are cold little boogers, very shocking on warm skin. Ah well, the adventure continues.

Rain and Rot

oops! pop up bites the dust....




What 10 inches of rain looks like...






I've gotten used to the smell of rotting. With the rain and all the ditches filled with water most of the time, there's alot of matter being broken down releasing their smells into the atmosphere. My barn has a certain "Oh-dear" that is not of the horsey variety. Its not all nice and saddle soapy or vetroliny or even horse hide smelly. Its, well...Moldy. In fact each day I go in there and with out even thinking I start breathing through my mouth. Its just more pleasant that way. That is until this weekend when I got my first load of hay from Maine. Its a very nice timothy and the twenty bales have completely changed my barn. I walked in there for morning feed and sneezed, forgot to breathe through my mouth and viola! My moldy cave had become a barn overnight. I could smell fly spray! I could smell hay! I could smell horses! OMG! Its fabulous....I wasn't sure I would ever get a nasal glimpse of the barn smells from my fondest memories again. Not bad for $200.

Tara has wheels and signs for thought

Proud papa! He is so cute!




Tara, the chicken tractor has wheels!

brilliant marketing or???? (read both signs....)

I've heard of BABcock but????

uhhuh! Need I say more?

WOW! we must have just missed him...

yeah, yeah 12 hail marys.... grin

so pretty.....

No "h"orsing around today

It labor day, not that we remembered or anything. The days seem to fly by in no particular order when one is on "leave" from his or her work! grin. Its raining like the dickens, so we are all inside with our noses pressed to the windows, looking out in wonder at all the different ways rain can fall from the skies. I asked Tim how this would be any different from a hurricane and he reminded me it would be windier. Oh yeah, I forgot about wind.... grin!

Luckily yesterday I worked with cuervo for a bit. We had a great time. The new sidepull setting Ive got his rambo bridle on is great. He objects way less to the pressure than on the under the chin setting. I have owned this horse over three years, I have about a dozen rides on him. Two in a bit and the rest in some version of bitless. I'm soooo freaking dense!!! In all this time of starting and stopping with him, I've been thinking he will get past his reaction to different bridles when he becomes responsive( reaction to response remember that?) uh, big old DUH! on my part....freaking horse is responsive! But becomes reactive to the over the top cueing from the very thing I'm waiting for him to tell me hes OK with. What I should have been doing is wondering why he only ever told me how NOT OK it all was. I believe this is called not being able to see the forest for the trees....haha. In any case since this bitless thingy is an experiment I reckon I'll be learning quite a bit more as I go. I'm just really grateful that a horse like this has come my way to teach me about it.

Something slithery this way comes....

I haven't seen a snake this big since....well....EVER! He and I met at the doorway to my barn. I went screaming one way and he went screaming another...I'm sure it was quite the sight. Anyway after my heart managed to get back in my chest and out of my throat, I cautiously approached the barn again and gave a little peek inside. Despite his cheetah like speed, Mr snake felt hiding was his best bet, so he did...behind my pitch fork.....er.... funny he lived to be this big huh? Well barn chores successfully put on hold by slitherings out of my control, I decided to find out if he was a dangerous snake. Apparently he is not dangerous but is"aggressive" and nonvenomous. He eats toads and frogs and lives primarily in water. Well, no wonder hes cruising the barn, the place is toad party central at night. Uh well, WAS toad party central. I guess the disco ball and conga lines gave them away. I kept finding toad sized thong undies and tiny drug paraphernalia...no one needs that kind of element living around their horses. teehee In any case my slithery enforcer cleaned up the joint and moved on. I'm glad I didn't have to pay him protection money or something. Thanks Mr snake, but next time could ya call first?

odds and ends

This morning the weather is fabulous. Its chilly enough that the horses have their hairs fluffed up, 65 wonderful degrees with a breeze...fall is coming and I have some homemade chili and a cold beer waiting for it! woohoo!

We have had a couple of fun interactions that i keep meaning to blog about but...well you know how it goes, then something more fun happens that I book mark, then more fun and more...etc etc. You'd think we where on vacation or something! grin..

The gas station: I'm inside paying for gas, no pay at the pump for diesel...a whole 'nother story... and a black gentleman walks in the door and then dramatically falls back against it and says loudly looking right at me...
'"uh-oh...I'm in trouble now!"

I'm like "wha?" wishing old Wanda giving me my receipt would hurry the hell up...

"You are a BEEEEAAUUUUTIFUL woman and my wife is real jealous"

So, I'm smiling like you would at any crazy person and trying to see if I can slip past him to the door.
Wanda the slow, behind the counter is chuckling now, so I immediately think there is a plot afoot. and Mr. man is not letting me out. He is holding the door like he will open for me but not opening it....

I notice there is a emergency door behind the coffee and pork rind counter( nothing like pork rinds with your coffee I always say) So I give the guy one of my best smiles and try casually sliding that way....

"I love you and when I leave my wife , she's gonna hunt us down and kill us!"
This is where Wanda chimes in with " uh huh!" likes she knows this as fact.

So I say" You cant love me, I may be the most hateful woman in the world!" sidling toward the door( notice i used the word "hateful" grin, one of my fav southern sayings)

Wanda is actually guffawing at this point " oh Chester," she says between snorts" You really in trouble now!" and she winks at me.

"that's OK," he says to me and opens the door he has been guarding" it would all be worth it! you have a wonderful day now you hear!"

winning smile- winning smile- eye contact- eye contact-sidle- sidle- whew! outside! " why thank you , er, Chester, you have glorious day too!" with that I sprint for my truck, giggling.....nothing like a good old fashioned southern teasing to make your day. I have to learn to relax.......


Tim at the small engine repair with our broken weed whacker:

guy behind the counter "what can we do ya for?"
Tim "what?"
guy " whatcha got there"
Tim"do you fix weed whackers?"
guy "whats this run off of?"
Tim" what?"
guy "this isn't gas..."
Tim "no, no it uses propane"
guy backing away from our weed whacker like its a bomb"PROPANE?"

"naw naw, we only fix gas....wouldn't know where to start with propane!"
another guy from in back" PROPANE?"
Tim" uh, OK, thanks"
another voice from in back" the thing uses propane?"

Tim closing the door behind him, "PROPANE?" we giggle all the way home as Tim recreates with all the appropriate facial and body expressions! We really must learn to keep all our OUTRAGEOUS green contraptions at home! Tim came home ,down loaded a manual off the Internet, took the thing apart and fixed it himself! grin

Ain't the south great? We think so!