Mustang Dreams....

A week off work...

2012-01-25T18:13:00.000-06:00

I don't usually complain about work, but I am going to right now. This summer was rough. We have had the biggest turn over in employees in the past year than the whole 11 years of me being in that department. I usually get some time in the summer to take a few days off, and I usually get to go on storm duty. I did not get to do either....until now. January really is not the best time of year to take off, but I really needed it. Out of the week there was one day that was about 60, and Brian was home that day so we got a few things done that were on the to-do list. Other than that, cold and windy! Not the weather I hoped for, but I am still so so grateful to be able to take the time off to clear my head.

Friday the 13th Hemi went to the vet to get (shhhhh, don't tell him) 'fixed'. He is also up to date on vaccinations and he had his eyes checked. He had cherries removed from his eyes when he was younger and the vet had to do something with the tear ducts. My vet told me if the cherries are bad enough, they totally remove the ducts. Long story longer - he does not produce his own tears, and he is going blind. (We knew this when we agreed to bring him home with us) We know he can see shadows, but we think that is about it. Example: he will be at the bottom of the grass hill and I call him to me (kisses means come to me....I started doing that and it is working better than calling his name). He will head up the hill at an angle so I know he isn't seeing me, then I will call and kiss again, and he will correct his direction. At night - he can't see. He is learning where things are and it is amazing how much running and playing he does! Of course I cried when I thought of sweet little Hemi being blind...then I remembered that we as humans tend to have a harder time with stuff like this than they do. They go with the flow more than we do. So guess what? Hemi is just wonderful! :-)
He has another appointment in 3 weeks to check tear production. No matter what, he will be on a lifetime of eye drops of some sort.

We had snow and I think Hemi was wondering when he was going to get to go back to Virgina Beach and chase horseshoe crabs.

It was a little chilly but not too bad. The snow melted within a couple of days. I went out to play with the llama. He is learning to lead and looks quite handsome in Batman's purple halter. I also put the red halter on Jester the donk. That halter looks great on everyone so far!

Tandee is wondering why she doesn't get to wear the pretty red halter. She says she looks good in red too. :-)

Playing with Chase the llama and Juster the donk. Batman is supervising, Tandee is showing her disgust since she has not got to try on the pretty red halter yet, and Wyoming is making like he doesn't see us.

SMOOCH!!!
For those wondering, Chase spits all the time, but has never spit at Brian or I. I did get residual spit on me one day when he sent a wad flying at Wyoming, but other than that, we have stayed clean. He has belched right in our faces before....oh man...talk about rank! Ewwww!

Is it my turn to try on the pretty red halter yet?

We ended up with a very frosty morning and everything was sparkling. It was soooo pretty, and soooo cold!

The horses looked so pretty that morning with the sun coming over the trees, the frost on their bodies sparkled, and they all looked happy. Sure can't ask for much more than that. I love my life!

Nevada is such a doll baby...

Tripp sporting a frosty back.

Joker centered right in the middle of the green cedars and the sparkly surroundings...you can barely see his breath.

Nevada says "Hey! It is me again!"

Tripp and Ace before their play fight time.

Tripp going over the play fight rules with Joker. He says the rules are there are no rules. :-)

Brian spoiling Tripp..."ooohhhh that feels sooooo gooooooddddd"...

Nevada is very much a people horse. He will come up beside you and just hang out. I love that about him.

I kept saying it was too cold to ride. Heck, some of the week was in the 20's and windy...so yep, it was cold. Then a friend from our Mustang club mentioned that he got bundled up and worked one of his horses when it was 20 out. I thought "Oh heck, now I have to go out to do it while it is 30!" So I went out looking for my stuff and could not find any of it! After a slight panic, I realized I had it all packed in the truck for the Equine Celebration this past weekend (that I ended up not taking Tripp to) so I grabbed the pretty colorful halter to ride in! I love this halter! It is bright and festive!

Tripp and I doing our self portrait stuff....he is such a good sport!

Brian liked this one better. Yes, it is more centered, but I get more giggles out of the other one because I know what Tripp and I went thru to try to get pictures. He would get too close and fog up the lens, then I would have to start over. :-)

Batman nosing around...

Chase facing around...

Two nights ago we had some pretty strong storms come thru. This is hail! I sat up waiting for the storm to pass....internet and satellite was not working, and I was not taking chances on a rogue tornado. The storms stopped as fast as they started.

Nothing like a beautiful sunset to end the day...

It was a busy week but a nice one. I am hoping to do it again this summer.

Hope everyone is doing well so far this year!

Until later...Karen and Tripp who is laughing at Tandee because he gets to wear the pretty red halter.

Weekends just don't last long enough...

2012-01-10T05:42:00.000-06:00

I was flying solo this weekend. Brian took his kids up to his parents, and I stayed home to nurse an infliction of PMS and to take care of critters. I wonder how long I will be able to use PMS as an excuse to stay home....hee hee hee!!!

In between doing a whole lot of nothing and a whole lot of something, I needed to make time to ride.

Batman to Wyoming and Tandee: "Do not make eye contact with the girl! She is carrying something big, squishy looking and RED! Red just can't be good!"
Wyoming: "Not looking....not looking...oh so hard not to look...but not looking!"
Tandee: "Zzzzzzzzzzzz.....huh?"

Hemi: "I am not looking either....too busy basking in the sun beam. Move on...no need to mess with my productivity"

Hemi: "Now too busy taking nap. It is hard work to sit up for so long...in a sun beam."

Hemi: "Not making eye contact with the girl......snort snort....zzzzzzzzz....."

Tripp: "Oh oh, no treats in the box...this can't be good."

Tripp thinking to himself "If I just stand here and look cute, maybe she will forget that treats come AFTER work.....yep, just a little more cuteness and I got her!"

Tripp: "BAH! She is a tough one. But I am looking pretty good in my new squishy red pad if I say so myself!" (Insert music here: "I'm....too sexy for my pad...too sexy for my pad....tooooo sexy...."

Tripp: "Now the other side...note my ears are up, my tail is set nice and pretty, and I LOOK like I am having fun. If I LOOK like I am having fun and LOOK cute at the same time, maybe we will move on to the treats!"

Tripp: "I am very lucky...I would look great in bright green too!"

Tripp: "Yep guys, fuscia! I am very confident in may ability to pull off fuscia and still be a handsome dude."

Tripp: "Purple! Now we are talking! The color of Royalty. Mom calls it the color of Royalty for a Royal Pain in the 'BLEEEEEP'. Whinney snort snort....sometimes I just can't help pushing her buttons. Keeps her on her toes."

I also did a video of us. I set the camera on the bale of hay and worked with what I had. I thought I had done a video and I was pretty proud of what we did. Tripp was so good and we were both very comfortable and smooth. I checked the camera - NO VIDEO! ACK! So I tried it again and thought I messed it up again. So I had to do it a 3rd time. Well, by the 2nd time Tripp was done and had enough, and he was getting a bit cranky. We rode thru that silly ring several times without a hitch, and now he decides to balk. I did catch Boom peeking over the round bale from about 20-30 ft away making faces at us. Believe it or not, Tripp was responding to him.....ugh!

I know this is blurry....but it is still kinda neat. Thomas the cat walked across the road with me to watch the sunset. He plopped himself down and gazed that way for quite a while...I often wonder if animals appreciate stuff like that too....now I know. (There was probably a mouse moving around in the leaves...ha ha!)

The sunset Saturday night was beautiful! I never cease to be amazed at where all the colors come from, and how each sunset is original.

Sunday I headed to a friends and we rode in her arena. I took my camera intending to set it up for some video, but forgot. We rode about an hour and had a nice chat. It was good for Tripp to get out and about.

Until later....Karen and Tripp who says it would be way more cool to DRIVE something with a Hemi under the hood instead of hanging around with a wrinkle faced Hemi.

Video - Inside Nature's Giants - Racehorse

2012-01-06T19:48:00.004-06:00

WARNING: This video is of a dissection/necropsy on a racehorse. If you are sensitive about stuff like that, be happy knowing it was very interesting, and move on to something else. :-)

Now, this was amazing! It shows how the body works, and you get to see everything from the muscles and tendons to the lungs, heart, etc. It really was amazing and I don't know that I will be able to watch a horse run without thinking about this video and the mechanics.

For those who watch it, I hope you really like it!
P.S. It is almost 47 minutes long and normally you won't catch me watching a You Tube video 4 minutes long! I zipped thru this tonite - and no commercials!

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=QsvS6gEBJuE

There are all kinds of the 'Inside Nature's Giants' videos...I had not heard of them until someone posted this one on the Wholehorsehealth group I am on.

Until later, Karen and he who refuses to put his name on this post.

Summer running, had me a blast.....Summer running, happened so fast...

2012-01-04T19:30:00.000-06:00

Summer days driftin' away, to uh-oh those summer nights

Uh Well-a well-a well-a huh

Tell me more, tell me more...

From one of my favorite movies....Grease!

These are from July...when it was pretty and green....and everyone was shiny, fit and trim.

Wyoming - he says he can run the fastest.....

Batman - he says he is a mustang, and he can run just as fast....

WAIT! Who is this coming thru the haze? Look closely......could it be?

YES! It is Grandma Tandee and Batman!

Grandma Tandee still has it going on!

Everyone is impressed with Tandee....she isn't a mustang, and she is old, so how can she run so fast?

Because she is a proud Arabian and will not be shown up by a bunch of boys! That is why! :-)
Mustang or burro...no matter!

Even the llama is in on the action....he isn't one to pass up fun...

Tandee - I will slow down to let the boys catch up....I don't want them to feel bad. :-)

I have had Tandee since she was 5 yrs old...she is 30 here. Wow...25 years with her. There are some days she looks tired, but she is still proud. She and I covered a lot of territory together! I sure wish a little girl who knows how to ride lived close by. The little girl and Tandee both would have fun! And I would be so proud watching them....but I don't have anybody like that around here, so I have to be happy watching her rule the roost. She is not your typical babysitter horse - if you get on you better have a plan because she is ready to go go go.

Until later....Karen and Tripp who thinks Tandee is hot!

P.S. The hazy picture was an accident! I did not know anything showed up until I put it on the computer. My camera was getting fixed (big surprise there!) so I was using Brian's and the lens fogged up.

I like this time of year....I don't like this time of year...I like this time of year...

2012-01-03T18:28:00.001-06:00

I like this time of year because no bugs are buzzing around the horses (or me).
I don't like this time of year because it can get a little too cold for me.
I like this time of year because I can bury my face into the fuzzy neck of whoever is the closest...then I work my way thru the group wondering if each one smells different.
I don't like this time of year because the mud is frozen in sharp peaks, or mushy from a day of thaw.
I like this time of year because basking in the sun seems to be a special moment to the horses....and they know and appreciate it. :-) And for some reason it makes me feel at peace too.

Grandma Tandee, who as of 2012 is 31 yrs old, is hanging out with Batman in the sun.

Grandma Tandee says you can teach an old horse new tricks....there is something to this laying on the ground thing!

I got a neat picture of Tandee a while back with the sun setting behind her. I cut it in half and made a book mark out of it. Nevada doesn't know it, but he will be a book mark too.

Sunrise....

Susie, Brian's QH mare, has heard about this self portrait thing. She thinks this is fun! Wow....I look like crap! :-)

Boom was hanging out with Tandee and the donks. He was not aggressive, but he was the dominant one and I got worried about Tandee not getting enough time at the bale. She eats slower than the others and I don't want her doing without.....so Boom got booted out with the outside bunch. He has a couple of new girlfriends. He is also liking the extra bodies to get lost in when I come out there. So far he will still face up to me at a distance, but I am going to have to make more time to keep those lessons sharp. Perfect example of lots to do but not enough time....but no complaints. I am very lucky to get to wake up to horses in my back yard every day!
I was also surprised that the squealing between he and Tripp was at a minimum. They faced up and stomped, Boom did some kicking but only when someone got in the back side of his bubble, but all in all it went very well. Whew!

Boom and his new girlfriend, Wendigo. He is still very independent.

Stormy wanted in on the self portrait action.

Helllloooooooooo.........

Whatcha doing down there? Practicing falling off again?

I love early mornings...

Hellllooooooo......

My 2011 blogging was at a minimum...I really don't know what happened. Well, that isn't 100% true. I know part of what happened. Hopefully 2012 is better!

Until later....Karen and Tripp who is snickering because he didn't have to do a self portrait or funny face this time.

Ahhhh, the start of 2012....a new year...

2012-01-02T11:11:00.001-06:00

Chase, being the very conscientious Jolly Llama (sometimes known as the Drama Llama) that he is, is keeping a careful watch for 2012.

Back in 2009 we test drove Hemi the bulldog but it did not work out. Our dogs and Hemi did not mesh, so Hemi had to go back to his other home. They moved out of state and are very busy. Hubby is in the military, and Mom works full time plus, then comes home to her kiddos. There are rules at the base so Hemi could not stay outside in the yard...that made for a very energetic dog but no time to get him out and about. We were asked if we wanted to give him another try since we were down to the two girl dogs, and Hemi is a little older. There were a few times Brian mentioned missing Hemi, so I did not see a problem - and I was right. :-)

So Hemi has a new home with us, and so far so good. He is 3 yrs old now and a little more mature. The girls get along with him and Hemi doesn't bother the cats too much.

Here is Hemi and I on the couch. He is a bulldog, so he 'bulls' right thru where he wants to go. We are working on manners. :-) This was the first night, and he crawled around behind me and I was working on self portraits.

Hemi was out patrolling the garden area....lots of new smells to explore.

Hanging out on the kitchen floor.

Hemi grew up with kids, and I really think he misses his kids a lot. Madison was here this weekend and loved on Hemi.

Hemi can be full of drama, and one of these days I will get his noises on video - they are hilarious! He also throws himself on his back and patiently waits for the belly rub he believes he deserves.

Oh my goodness....so much to do, so little time....but always time for a nap.

Harriett is a parrot we acquired a while back. She isn't tame, she talks a little bit, and squawks a lot. She is not Brian's favorite...in fact she annoys the heck out of him with the squawking. She also laughs a lot...and Brian says that makes him feel good knowing she came from a place that had a lot of laughter. I agree!
One morning I was up early feeding, and I forgot to shut her door (a first for me! I must have been tired!). Brian came out and I heard flying...I turned around and there she went, to the other side of the room. I got my glove knowing she bites and low and behold she stepped right up on my finger! I was so shocked - and happy! She still won't do it from her cage, but she did it twice that morning when she flew across the room. I don't half wonder if she surprised herself!

Thomas the cat....he is still here. He was an indoor cat that is a little mental, and he started thinking the whole house was a litter box. I even tried corn cob litter, and it worked for 3 days, then he gradually started going outside of the box again. We read everything we could on the behavior, we had the vet check him over and tried a couple different medications, but no change. He had always wanted to go outside but I was afraid the dogs would get him, and Thomas doesn't know enough to be afraid or to respect the dogs. But.....something had to happen and we were running out of options. I started letting him out on the back deck a few minutes at a time, then the times started getting longer. Now he is an indoor/outdoor cat, loves being outside, but loves coming back in to get burrs picked off him and to be spoiled like the Kitty of Royalty that he is.

Nakita the dog is the one that used to attack cats, and she was the main one I was worried about. She is older and moves around slow most of the time, and I think she has mellowed out. Well, that and the fact that I let Nakita in one night when it was cold and rainy, and Thomas walked up to her and smacked her right in the face, then walked behind her and hit her in the butt! No joke! As long as Thomas doesn't run - he is safe. And his inside accidents have decreased almost 100%! Yay!

I really don't know what happened to 2011...it went by so quickly. Welcome 2012! May it be bigger and better than 2011!

Until later...Karen and Tripp who thinks cats are stupid.

Beautiful Story about Love...

2011-11-22T20:13:00.000-06:00

I am sure that many of you have already seen this story...but I am posting it anyways just in case.

Until later....Karen and Tripp who says he has something in his eye...it is tearing up! ;-)

Because of Love

A brother and sister had made their usual hurried, obligatory pre-Christmas visit to the little farm where dwelt their elderly parents with their small herd of horses. The farm was where they had grown up and had been named Lone Pine Farm because of the huge pine, which topped the hill behind the farm. Through the years the tree had become a talisman to the old man and his wife, and a landmark in the countryside. The young siblings had fond memories of their childhood here, but the city hustle and bustle added more excitement to their lives, and called them away to a different life.

The old folks no longer showed their horses, for the years had taken their toll, and getting out to the barn on those frosty mornings was getting harder, but it gave them a reason to get up in the mornings and a reason to live. They sold a few foals each year, and the horses were their reason for joy in the morning and contentment at day's end.

Angry, as they prepared to leave, the young couple confronted the old folks "Why do you not at least dispose of 'The Old One'. She is no longer of use to you. It's been years since you've had foals from her. You should cut corners and save so you can have more for yourselves. How can this old worn out horse bring you anything but expense and work? Why do you keep her anyway?"

The old man looked down at his worn boots, holes in the toes, scuffed at the barn floor and replied, " Yes, I could use a pair of new boots".

His arm slid defensively about the Old One's neck as he drew her near with gentle caressing he rubbed her softly behind her ears. He replied softly, "We keep her because of love. Nothing else, just love."

Baffled and irritated, the young folks wished the old man and his wife a Merry Christmas and headed back toward the city as darkness stole through the valley.

The old couple shook their heads in sorrow that it had not been a happy visit. A tear fell upon their cheeks. How is it that these young folks do not understand the peace of the love that filled their hearts?

So it was, that because of the unhappy leave-taking, no one noticed the insulation smoldering on the frayed wires in the old barn. None saw the first spark fall. None but the "Old One".

In a matter of minutes, the whole barn was ablaze and the hungry flames were licking at the loft full of hay. With a cry of horror and despair, the old man shouted to his wife to call for help as he raced to the barn to save their beloved horses. But the flames were roaring now, and the blazing heat drove him back. He sank sobbing to the ground, helpless before the fire's fury. His wife back from calling for help cradled him in her arms, clinging to each other, they wept at their loss.

By the time the fire department arrived, only smoking, glowing ruins were left, and the old man and his wife, exhausted from their grief, huddled together before the barn. They were speechless as they rose from the cold snow covered ground. They nodded thanks to the firemen as there was nothing anyone could do now. The old man turned to his wife, resting her white head upon his shoulders as his shaking old hands clumsily dried her tears with a frayed red bandana. Brokenly he whispered, "We have lost much, but God has spared our home on this eve of Christmas. Let us gather strength and climb the hill to the old pine where we have sought comfort in times of despair. We will look down upon our home and give thanks to God that it has been spared and pray for our beloved most precious gifts that have been taken from us.

And so, he took her by the hand and slowly helped her up the snowy hill as he brushed aside his own tears with the back of his old and withered hand.

The journey up the hill was hard for their old bodies in the steep snow. As they stepped over the little knoll at the crest of the hill, they paused to rest, looking up to the top of the hill the old couple gasped and fell to their knees in amazement at the incredible beauty before them.

Seemingly, every glorious, brilliant star in the heavens was caught up in the glittering, snow-frosted branches of their beloved pine, and it was aglow with heavenly candles. And poised on its top most bough, a crystal crescent moon glistened like spun glass. Never had a mere mortal created a Christmas tree such as this. They were breathless as the old man held his wife tighter in his arms.

Suddenly, the old man gave a cry of wonder and incredible joy. Amazed and mystified, he took his wife by the hand and pulled her forward. There, beneath the tree, in resplendent glory, a mist hovering over and glowing in the darkness was their Christmas gift. Shadows glistening in the night light.

Bedded down about the "Old one" close to the trunk of the tree, was the entire herd, safe.

At the first hint of smoke, she had pushed the door ajar with her muzzle and had led the horses through it. Slowly and with great dignity, never looking back, she had led them up the hill, stepping cautiously through the snow. The foals were frightened and dashed about. The skittish yearlings looked back at the crackling, hungry flames, and tucked their tails under them as they licked their lips and hopped like rabbits. The mares that were in foal with a new years crop of babies, pressed uneasily against the "Old One" as she moved calmly up the hill and to safety beneath the pine. And now she lay among them and gazed at the faces of the old man and his wife.

Those she loved she had not disappointed. Her body was brittle with years, tired from the climb, but the golden eyes were filled with devotion as she offered her gift--
Because of love. Only Because of love.

Tears flowed as the old couple shouted their praise and joy... And again the peace of love filled their hearts.

This is a true story.

Willy Eagle

This is an Inspirational message sent to a small group of people. My hope is that it will make your day just a little bit better.

Summer and sunflowers...

2011-11-20T13:09:00.001-06:00

I love sunflowers! Each year we plant a few more, and this year Brian found a bunch of volunteers from the year before and put them around his new raspberry bushes. He says he won't do that again...but we will get them close. Since we have the bee hives, it makes me want to plant even more! We used to try to keep the garden weeded, etc., but now that we have the bee hives, we leave a lot of the flowering weeds so they have something to feed from close by.

Here are a couple of bumbles... I love watching them...they are always on a mission and my presence doesn't bother them at all.

Batman says I have not been out with the camera as much as I used to, and he is not feeling very special. So I went out to take a few pictures of the little guy playing. What a cutie!

Another bee...if you click on the picture to make it bigger, you can see the dew drops on the center of the flower.

Bumble sillouette...

This just makes me laugh! It looks like the bee's are getting ready to tailgate! We had a very hot dry summer and Brian was worried about the new style hive. It did great thru part of the summer, but I am sad to say it did not make it. We checked it and the comb was full of eggs and honey, and we were very excited. Then a month later the comb was dried up and most of the bees were gone. Brian thinks that it got too hot and they swarmed, which means the Queen decided to move on and the whole group goes with her. I don't feel as bad thinking they left. I just hope it wasn't too late in the year and they have time to get a stash of food for the winter.

This is the small pond behind the barn, and this is the first time it has ever dried up. This picture shows a mud pit in the middle, and where Brian is standing is still soft. It dried to the point where I was using it for a 'round pen' and I was riding across it.

These are our tomato ladders, and this year our tomatoes did great! We put them in a raised garden this year, put old horse manure that had turned into dirt in there, and they all flourished!

I love the sillouette shots....I just stand back and watch the clouds go over. It is a constantly changing picture.

This is the tallest sunflower we had. This is one of the kind that has many flower heads on it...they are all dried up now, but just the other night I was counting the flower heads and I quit at 47!

These are at the back side of the chicken house, and there are pepper plants in front of where I am standing.

This was the biggest flower head we had this year. They are so fun to grow and so pretty!

I thought I would sneak this in the group...Brian put these in the front yard.

It is hard to believe Summer is over...
Until later....Karen and Tripp who is happy the summer flies are gone!

Broom Corn...more than just making brooms...

2011-11-19T21:55:00.012-06:00

This year was our first time to plant broom corn...the seeds are very tiny compared to planting regular corn on the cob type corn. The original reason is Brian wanted to learn how to make brooms the old fashioned way. Here I was thinking it might grow 5 or 6 foot tall, look like a regular corn plant, you pluck the tops off and tie them off to make a broom. Wala - sounds easy, eh?

Here are a few facts about broom corn:

1. Broom corn belongs to the Sorghum family.

2. Orally, broom corn is used for digestive disorders (I have not personally tried this yet, and I am only passing on information I have found)

3. In foods, broom corn is used for a cereal grain.

4. The plants grow from 2 ft to 10 ft in height. We did not end up with any corn that was close to the 2 ft mark. It was all at least 10 ft tall, and there were a couple of plants that were taller than that! One other site I found said they grow 6 ft to 15 ft tall...now that is more like it!

5. (I thought this one was funny!) Phrases: “Flying off the Handle” …. A phrase for anger. Children playing indoors and with a stern “Go outside!” Ma would chase the children out of the cabin with her broom. Swish goes the broom and the straw portion of the broom sails off across the room.

6. Flat sewn brooms sweep a rough surface thoroughly well while a round sewn broom sweeps a smooth surface more thoroughly.

7. Brooms with untrimmed straw are softer. They sweep without as much dust which make them better for people with allergies.

8. Normal broomcorn yields range from 300 to 600 lb/acre, or enough to make 150 to 350 brooms per acre. (I have found other yield information that isn't so good...either way, I don't foresee us planting an acre of broomcorn)

These are just a few things I have found about broom corn. Now, what I do know for a fact is this stuff is fun to grow, it is hardy, and for you horse people out there looking for the bamboo pole or stick, the stems of this stuff are perfect for it! It will also make great Fall decorations. If you have a fence you want to block off from view, plant this stuff. It is attractive and a great 'fence'.

Brian is checking out his corn crop....

It grows tall and skinny...

Brian is proud of his crop...this is before the tops popped out.

After the tops bloom, it grows more seed. If you look close you can see the little red stuff on the ends of the brushy part...that is seed. We used a curry comb to brush some off.

When harvesting the stalks should not be this long, but Brian wanted to have enough of an end on it to tie it, then hang it inside the barn. When I was reading up on harvesting it talked about laying it flat....I think Brian's version of harvesting is kinda like me following a recipe. It just isn't going to happen. We make our own little changes along the way. I really don't know what we are going to do with this, or if we will get to do brooms this year, but it was fun to grow and the wild birds LOVE it!

While we were dragging out bundled stalks of broom corn and hanging it, a couple of the horses had to check things out.

I really do suggest growing this. It is fun and pretty, plus the birds love it. I wonder what Brian is going to dabble in next year...never a dull moment around here! :-)

Until later...Karen and Tripp who says the tips of the newly growing broom corn is YUMMY! (We will plant it farther away from their fence next year)

Brian's Pumpkins

2011-11-19T20:04:00.000-06:00

We didn't grow any pumpkins last year and it kinda bummed me out. This year I told Brian I wanted to grow pumpkins again. I didn't care what kind or how many, just as long as we had some. The leaves of the plants are huge, the blossoms are gorgeous, and when the fruit starts to grow I get a bubble of excitement inside me like a little kid!

Brian was the main garden person this year, and I did what I could to help him with his plans. He also found a few blogs from people who have the same goals we do - to be as self sufficient as possible. It takes time, but we are figuring out what is working and what isn't. Example: Potatoes! We have planted a lot over the past few years but harvested only a few. We have decided potatoes don't like our soil so we will just get them from someone who has Tater Happy Soil.

Brian decided if we were going to grow pumpkins, he was going to do it big! He ordered some of the Atlantic Giants. We didn't get any 1000 pound pumpkins this year, but we did get him one that won him a prize on one of the blogs he follows! He was pretty excited about it and I was proud of him. :-)

Here is Brian and his (OUR) pumpkins.

We are going to try again next year and try to figure out what the soil needs so they grow bigger. We did have a very dry summer so he thinks that played a roll in it. We only got a few but we are still happy about it.

Until later....Karen and Tripp who doesn't get it....

2011 ACTHA Ride for the Mustangs

2011-11-18T06:09:00.001-06:00

Wow! It has been a long time since I have blogged, and after loading all these pictures I remember why. It takes forever, and it takes several times to get the pictures to load. I am sure there are updates out there and I just have not made the time to go look for them. But....here I am!

The ACTHA Ride for the Mustangs was held on September 10th of this year. The original date had to be changed to 'protect the innocent' when a small outbreak of a horsey disease hit the airways. Better safe than sorry I always say...and it did work out.

The Midwest Mustang and Burro Saddle Club hosted a ride in Kansas, and April, who has ridden and judged several of these rides was the main person who got the ball rolling on this. She is a modest person, but I am going to say it anyways...it is my blog (hee hee!)... if it was not for her, our ride would not have happened. She knew who to talk to, what to do, who to delegate things to, and she rounded up a few volunteers to camp out and work the day. Unfortunately some people who could make it for the first date could not make it for this date. Maybe another time...

The pictures start out in order, then are somewhat random. I will say we had a great time and Brian and I wished we had someone to watch the critters so we could camp out with the small group who stayed the 2nd night. We arrived on Friday and got camp set up. That evening it stormed like a big dog! Wow! Then later that night the moon poked thru the clouds and the stars started to sparkle. The next day was absolutely beautiful! Awesome clouds and sky, sun, perfect riding temps....couldn't have asked for better than that!

Here is one of the signs to direct everyone into Eisenhower State Park just south of Topeka, KS.

Some of us shared a couple of camp sites.

Here are our tents pre-storm...

Look how oblong my little blue tent is in the middle...that is during the storm. Brian and I were surprised it stayed pinned down.

Pretty sky pre-storm...

Our ride photographer decided to make good use of the storm time...

Jessi helping to put up their tent.

How do ya like our camping chairs? They are AWESOME!!!! Quite comfy too...you can lay across the seat and prop your feet up.

Brian in his big chair...

Bryan, April's husband, is checking out the comfort level of the big chair...it passed his inspection.

Randy, Kristi's husband had to get a taste of the big chair too. They all think they need one. :-)

Here is where we all hid out during the storm...April and Bryans trailer.

After the storms we built a camp fire...it turned out to be a beautiful night.

Here is where pictures start to get out of order, but that is okay. Bryan's mustang Zip peeking under the hitching rail.

Amy and her mustang Cinco getting ready to head to their obstacle that they are judging.

Here is the Assistant photographer. Her Dad was the Trail Boss for the ride, and they let Beth the photographer use one of their horses. Beth got some tie-dye material and made up bandanas for the volunteers AND the horses! :-)

This was a barn we saw on the way to our obstacle...we judged obstacle #2.

Beth the photographer on Hootie. Hootie is awesome! He is older, been there done that, but still has the spunk of a youngster.

Group of riders getting ready to head out...

Kristy and Randy were two of the founders of the Midwest Mustang and Burro Saddle Club. Here is their mustang Isabella, a.k.a. Izzy. She is a beautiful chocolate mustang with light mane, tail and forelock. This is one special mare to a lot of people. She almost made that trip over the Rainbow Bridge...they were to the point of making the decision we all dread making, and on the way home from KU to lay her to rest, Izzy had a change of plans! And here she is today...

Riders at rider meeting.

DEMAND THE BRAND!!!

Diana and her 2007 Extreme Mustang Makeover mustang, Nikko. Diana trained Nikko for the very first EMM! We were there as spectators...almost 80 mustangs showed up to that one and it was awesome!

You tell 'em baby!

Everyone getting ready for the ride...

This gal and her big mustang were safety/escort riders. This is one of the mustangs that is used for therapeutic riding. I wish I would have gotten more information on what all they do. What I do remember them saying is how much the horses love getting out on the trails for a change of pace.

Riders ready to go.

Bryan and Zip. Bryan gets the award for Best Support Husband of the year! He did some obstacle building and whatever April needed, he was there. Not only for this ride, but others too.

Cindy Branham and her Supreme Extreme Mustang for 2010, Tucker. She said he was tough in the beginning because he didn't want to trust anyone, but you sure wouldn't know it now. He had his nose over everyone's shoulders at the picnic tables and the kids were loving all over him. He is quite a doll. And here is another little fact about Tucker...he was a 3 striker, which means he made it thru 3 adoptions without being adopted, so he has the hip brand and was headed for long term holding. Cindy and Tucker were also on America's Favorite Trail Horse. They made the cut of 100 out of thousands!

April's Bryan made a couple of saddle racks for prizes.

Diana brought her buddy along. This is a Boiviere.

Dona, the other founder of the Midwest Mustang and Burro Saddle Club just couldn't keep her hands off John Wayne! That is what her husband gets for going to a class reunion instead. :-)

Dona did say good-bye to John a little bit later so she could meet up with her husband. :-)

Ed and Ranger...Ranger also has a US brand on his shoulder. Ed McCarty is a horse dentist and did a demonstration on floating teeth. He does not power float...he does a manual float and has a way with horses. It was one of the most interesting horse dentist presentations I have seen.

Beth had t-shirts made up for herself and her helper, Cheyenne. Darn it, I know that her name isn't spelled like that, but I don't know how it is supposed to be spelled. Cheyanne? Hmmmm....she was a fun kid. Her Dad is the trail boss and their horse is Hootie, the gray that Beth is riding.

Here is our rescue nurse on her young Arab who has never been out to anything like this before. They are riding in a treeless saddle and bitless. Yay! They did great as a team, but she also helped out when there was an accident before Obstacle 1. A fellow got bucked off his horse and got knocked out. He was life flighted out and did show up later to get his horses. Had a few stitches in his ear, we were thankful to be able to throw a few jokes his direction, and his daughter who was riding with him is a trooper. She told someone that his ear was just 'hanging there'. Eww!!! Thanks to everyone who helped out Jay, his daughter and their horses! By the way, his horse has been there done that, so it goes to show that anything can happen at any time to anybody.

Look closely and you can see the helicopter coming over the hill. That is the view from our Obstacle 2.

It was such a pretty day! This was the view up the hill from our Obstacle...yes, we had to walk up that!

While Beth was at our obstacle waiting for riders, she was checking out her camera. Check out Hootie's rhythm beads. Jessi and I made those for Beth. :-) By the way, Beth just had a birthday and she now has a mustang of her very own! She is still Godmother to all other horses out there. Whew!

View from the mirror...riders behind us.

The horses were very curious about the boat that was pulling an inner tube.

This is Jazz, who has many different matching outfits! Jazz's Mom has her own business: http://shezablinginfool.com/ Jazz and Erika were on America's Favorite Trail Horse! They made the cut of 100 out of thousands! Woo hoo! I know of at least 3 of our riders who made the cut.

Lacey, one of the club members and volunteers. Her mustang buddy is Beau, but he couldn't be here this time. Those of us who showed up without horses were going crazy! But in a good way. :-)

Mary Lou and Nevada. Mary Lou used to be Nevada's person, then she let April adopt her. April and Nevada have made a great team and Mary Lou is grateful that Nevada went to such a wonderful home.

Mary, another one of our club members, put on a rope halter tying demo, and it was awesome! She showed us a couple of books that were totally worthless and complicated, then she showed us a book that was wonderful and easy to follow! I ended up with one of her red halters and it looks fantabulous on Tripp. I did get video of most of her demo...I will have to get it worked up and post it. The girl was a talkin' and a tyin'!

Brian and I were judging Obstacle #2, and this was at our obstacle. In the past we have been told to clean up and bring back as much as we can, etc. Always leave it looking better than when you got there. Right? Well, we thought someone from our club made the '2' because they are a very creative talented group. I told Brian if the post comes out easy, it is probably the clubs....so we brought it with us. Nope! It was MILE MARKER 2 on that particular loop! YIKES! It belongs to the park!!! So we took it back to the park office and asked for a post pounder so we can put it back...they said they would take care of it, which was very nice of them. :-) I don't know that we will ever live this one down.

After the storms the moon came out...I could see the moon and the brightest prettiest stars from our tent flap. Seeing as I was up most of the night (literally) I was lucky to have such a beautiful view.

Diana take care of Nikko after the ride.

Beth taking pictures at the last Obstacle 6. I didn't get many pictures of this one because she needed someone to hold Hootie, who was anxious to be done.

Here are our two youngest riders...and aren't they just adorable?! They were studying their hand-out at the riders meeting. How fun to be involved with something like this at their age..and on such cute ponies! Look close at the black one...he has his bangs in an 'up-do'. Ha ha! Love them!

And they are off!

Rod the trail boss and his friend, Shannon.

Self portrait at the top of the hill...our obstacle was at the bottom at the tree line. Right along this part of the hill is where I lost my glasses! Never did find them...

There are couple of yurts at the park to rent. Here is one in the background with a gorgeous sunset. We tried and tried to get a picture with Jessi's eyes opened...but it just didn't work.

Yurt and sunset...it was so pretty after the storms.

Here is an OTTB and this gal is riding a treeless saddle and a bitless bridle. Yay!

Tucker is socializing.

Beth in action!

Purdy horse!

Cindy did a demo with Tucker.

Here is another mascot.

This group is headed to Obstacle 1. We could not go watch because we had to head out to ours.

This group of friends do many ACTHA rides together.

The horses look like they are conspiring...

Another purdy horse.

Riders coming back from the ride.

Izzy...

What I would give to know what they are checking out...

Nevada wondering what I am doing down there...

One of the few pictures I got of Obstacle 6.

Yep, pix are out of order. This is the group getting ready to head out.

This ride could not happen without hard working volunteers.

After the ACTHA ride was over, it was time to relax. But just because the ACTHA ride was over didn't mean the fun was over! To add a twist another small obstacle was set up for the top point mustang and the top point domestic horse. The mustang is on the top and domestic is below. I heard so many great stories, but I am thinking that the domestic was a rescue, and let me tell you what, they are a wonderful team! CC and Shelby the mustang are too...that little horse really works for him. This was a fun thing to finish off the day. In each picture the rider is carrying a baby stuffed horse in front of them. The domestic ended up getting the prize, but they are both winners in my book.

Nevada is watching the final twist with the mustang and the domestic. She isn't bragging or anything...but she says she can do all that! :-)

It really was a fun time! Here is a funny on me....before the first group went out, there was a lot of energy and excitement from everyone, riders and non-riders both. I am getting all excited, all hyped up for the start, Dona and Mary Lou are getting everyone ready to start....it is time to go go go....I am ready...full of energy, waiting for the great departure....and there it was! FIRST GROUP OUT! At a walk! Yes, a walk. Okay, some people might be reading this thinking "Yeah, well, that is what it is supposed to be." But from someone who has been to an endurance ride and feels the energy before the start of the ride then feels it even more when everyone takes off...this was very different. Ha ha! Now I knew that this is more layed back, but for some reason my mind was someplace else. Brian just laughed at me...he could tell I was getting myself all psyched out...and the look on my face when they all walked away was priceless.

So, if you have not ridden one of these rides, I really do recommend it. Yes, there are some serious competitors who are very good, but that doesn't matter. You don't have to be good, you just have to try and have fun, and being able to introduce new things to your horse does nothing but make you both better. It is also a fun way to meet people with the same interests without that feeling of being in a 'pack'. And honestly, even the best of them have days where their horse says "No thank you, not today" so instead of scoring high, they got an A+ for the fun factor.

Most people treat their horses with respect but like any group of riders there is always at least one (two in this case) who took their frustration out on their horse and yanked on their mouths. Hard! It is disappointing to see this happen at any event (okay, it pissed me off!), and I just hope they are able to stand back and look at the wonderful horse that they are LUCKY enough to have in their life, and either put more training into themselves and their horse both, or just learn to go with the flow and enjoy the ride...

That is it for now...it has only taken me all week to get this done. :-)

Until later, Karen and Tripp who says the real reason he didn't go to Kansas was because he didn't think they were ready to see him looking so good being black and wearing his gold! MIZ-ZOU! ;-)

Blue the Coon Dog....

2011-09-08T05:49:00.000-05:00

This summer we had a coon dog show up at the house....he was laying under the bush in the driveway. I don't dislike coon hounds (or any hounds) but they are not the type of dog I gravitate towards. Well, there was something about the way this big guy looked at me that just captured my heart. He was gentle, loving, and he made himself right at home when I let him in the yard. The other two female dogs took a liking to him too (which is a miracle because they can be pretty witchy)....so he was allowed to stay.....unless someone claimed him. Of course I had to give him a name, so I called him the classic coon hound name - Blue. :-)

Blue got an introduction to self portrait time...he got pretty good at it!

Awwww shucks.....she said I was cute!

I think I will give her the "I am a confident coon hound" look....

I told Brian that I knew good coon hounds were worth a lot of money, so someone was probably missing him and it was only right to put an ad out. We did - and we were very vague in the ad. We did not mention markings or color (they come in reds too)....just that he was very friendly.

I got the call at work and the girl mentioned the notch out of his ear, and a couple other things about his dogenality that made me KNOW it was him. It was her boyfriends dog.....she came to get him and we both cried. Her - because she is a girl (like me...hee hee!) and a huge animal lover, and she could see how comfortable he made himself here, and she was happy to get him back. Me - I loved Blue but was happy he found his people. I lost a puppy once and was literally sick to my stomach. He was returned to me from some people down the road where Phantom had wandered. We had visited the day before and they had small dogs....so they found Phantom playing with their dogs. So it was a mixture of emotions.

She said if Blue (come to find out that was his real name...ha ha!) came back that she would not tell her boyfriend - and he could stay. I let her know if he came back I would call her to let her know he was okay......well, I have not seen Blue so I am guessing he is doing okay.

Until later....Karen and Tripp who thought I was a little too chummy with Blue!

Bee Hive Update...

2011-09-07T06:45:00.000-05:00

Just a quickie update on the hives....we checked them last month and even tho one of them has enough honey to give us a little bit, we are going to let the bee's keep it for a food source for the winter. We can still take a little dab out for us...to say we have eaten our own honey. :-)

Here is a quick honey making fact: When the bees get back to the hive with the nectar, the worker bees help the field bees unload what they gathered. Nectar at this point is about 80% water. The honey is processed with enzymes...the conversion process is basically an evaporation process which works with warm temps and air movement. The bees control the air movement by flapping their wings...they know exactly what they are doing! The buzzing sound you hear coming from a hive, even at night, is the 'evaporation process' in action. The end result is a thick honey with a 17% to 18% moisture content. ONLY when the moisture content is low enough, will the bees put a waxy cap over the top. There is now pure honey in each capped cell.
This is just the quick version of what happens....isn't it just amazing?

Now, a few pictures....Brian set up a couple new hives this Spring, and this is one of the traditional white boxes. He tried something different and put a platform in the hive to hold the food bag. We started feeding our bees raw honey instead of sugar water. You know the old saying "You are what you eat?" I can't get that out of my head, and in my opinion a bee that eats honey is going to make true blue honey. In my opinion, feeding sugar water makes it harder for a bee to make honey, and when they do it isn't the real deal. F.Y.I. - I have talked to some people who do feed sugar water, but for only short periods of time IF there is a drought, not enough pollen and nectar sources, etc. Like most things, I don't know that there is a right and wrong....it is what we are choosing to do. I had another guy tell me that feeding raw honey is expensive.....um.....not if you are feeding them temporarily. We don't want to feed them too much because then they will turn into lazy bees. :-)

Anyways, when we checked on this new hive we saw that we should have checked it sooner. The bees are all over some new comb that they built on their own....

And here is what it looked like after we smoked the bees (they don't like the smoke so headed back down into the hive)....isn't it just beautiful and pure? Unfortunately we had to take it out. Some of the cells had new honey in them, so we took the comb out and put it outside of the hive for the bees to feed on.

I am sad to say that we did lose this particular hive. We were watching it and it just did not seem to be as strong as the other hives...not as many bees flying around, etc. We were reading up and there are many reasons this could happen....Queen left (but usually the rest of the colony will follow her), Queen died so the other worker bees took over and some of the worker girls can even start laying unfertilized eggs. Then there were things we could have tried to help the colony grow again, and that is to take a couple frames out of a strong hive and add it to this hive. The only problem is finding the Queen. If we accidentally take the Queen from the good hive, it won't stay a good hive and the new Queen and old one (if she is still in there) will fight to the death. Another thing was to take all the frames far away from the hive, brush off all the bees, put the frames back in the hive and the worker bees who took over laying eggs would not find their way back. Nope, too mean for me. So we opted to let nature take its course and see what happened....when we checked a while back, the hive was done. So we will save the boxes for next year. We are hoping to capture a 'swarm' of bees to put in that box.

This picture shows the larvae in the cells. One of the signs of the worker bees taking over is when more than one larvae is in a cell. There were a lot of cells with two larvae, which means they were creating drones. If you remember from a previous post, the drones are the boys who just sit around and do nothing except be fed by the girls. They are the couch potatoes of the bee world. :-)

The other hive is a different style. All we do is put plain pieces of wood across the top of the opening and the bees build their comb from the top down. They start out with the smaller comb like what is showing in the front, and gradually add to it. Some of the pieces of comb are the whole size of the inside of the hive. The bag at the bottom of the comb is raw honey...we put small slices into the bag and the bees feed off it.

This is the same picture as the other, except this one was not done with the flash. I could not tell which picture was better, so I decided to use both. They both show different things.

This comb has lots of babies in it, and a few capped honey cells.

So there you have it, the bee update. It has been a long hot dry summer so we have set containers of water all over the place, and I put small sticks or pieces of wood in them just in case the bee accidentally slides into the water. I also find I am not as anal about mowing the front driveway area as I used to be since I know the bees feed on the flowers....even the flowers of weeds. We are hoping for a good Fall flower crop for them to feed off of, but we sure are not seeing it yet.

That is all I know for now.....
Until later, Karen and Tripp who thinks we get a little too close to those bees for his liking!

Cicada kinda summer....

2011-09-05T20:31:00.000-05:00

This summer was a pretty big cicada year for us...they really are fascinating little creatures. There were so many of them hatching that you could not walk thru a parking lot without getting 'caught' by one or more. The males are the talkers, and when a male gets stuck in your hair and starts hollering, you know it! They are very loud and it sounds like a high pitched screaming. They have sticky feet like June Bugs....gives me the heebie jeebies.

There were empty 'shells' all over the trees and around our yard they were also in the grass.

Those eyes....I wonder if they really see out of the little black speck that we can see. And if so, what are they thinking?

Here are a few cicada fun facts that I found on the Internet...I just picked out a few.
Cicadas emerge after the soil temperature exceeds 64º F, which is usually in late May.
Only the male cicadas sing. They have sound-producing structures called tymbals on either side of the abdomen.
There are three different species of 17-year periodical cicadas that will not emerge in 2011.
There are four species of 13-year cicadas, which will emerge in 2011.
Adult cicadas do not eat solid food, but do drink fluids to avoid dehydration.
Adult cicadas do not sting or bite humans, and they do not carry diseases. But they can harm young trees when female cicadas lay their eggs in the tree’s new growth. It is not recommended that you spray to kill the cicadas, because they fly into a tree to lay their eggs and spraying will not kill these incoming cicadas. If you have a young tree, you can loosely wrap the branches with cheesecloth to keep the female from laying her eggs.

• Pesticides are not effective at controlling periodical cicadas.

• Periodical cicada years are quite beneficial to the ecology of the region. Their egg-laying in trees is a natural pruning that results in increased numbers of fruits in the succeeding years. Their emergence from the ground turns over large amounts of soil, and after they die their decaying bodies contribute a massive amount of nitrogen and other nutrients to the soil.

AND MY FAVORITE....FUNNY STORY....THERE WAS AN ICE-CREAM STORE IN TOWN THAT MADE CICADA ICE-CREAM AND THEY SOLD OUT! NO JOKE! THEN THEY GOT IN TROUBLE AND HAD TO QUIT...DARN LOCAL GOVERNMENT!

•Periodical cicadas are best eaten when they are still white, and they taste like cold canned asparagus. Like all insects, cicadas have a good balance of vitamins, are low in fat, and, especially the females, are high in protein.

Periodical cicadas are often incorrectly called locusts. Locusts are grasshoppers and cicadas are more closely related to aphids than grasshoppers.

There you have it....what part of our summer consisted of. The big hatch is over, so now there are just the normal cicada sounds and less chance of getting snagged by one. :-)
Until later....Karen and Tripp who thinks cicadas are too loud.

Mystery Brand

2011-07-04T22:43:00.000-05:00

Hi Becca,
Here is the brand I was telling you about. Thanks!

Wild Horse Program at the Hutchinson, KS Correctional Facility

2011-06-19T20:33:00.000-05:00

Here are just a few random pictures of the mustangs the inmates worked with, and how far they have come. Some of these horses were not put in training until early May, and Open House was June 10th and 11th.

The ball game is a crowd favorite!

The fellow on the pinto named Blick also started a pinto last year named Taco.

Here is my handsome dude! No silly people!!!! It is the black horse named Chub!!! I fell in love with this guy! Both days my eye went to him...he is one of my two mustang regrets...but that is okay. He went to a great place that will keep his training moving.

Here is Chub again...he looks and moves like a little Rennaisance horse.

Chub getting a head rub from Don.

The sorrel with the long mane was not in the adoption. He is going to be a mascot mustang. He is young and moves fantastic....just imagine what he will look like when he matures.

The guys getting ready for the adoption.

When I get time I will have these plus several other pictures on Facebook.

Until later....Karen and Tripp who reminded me what I DO have... :-)

Adopt a Mustang from Hutchinson, KS Correctional Facility!

2011-06-18T20:44:00.000-05:00

June 10th & 11th was the Open House at the Hutchinson, KS Correctional Facility and there were 9 saddle started mustangs and 3 driving teams up for adoption this year, along with the 'wild ones' they have in the pens. It is such a great program....not only helping find homes for mustangs, but helping the men find something inside themselves they did not know was there. I talked to a couple of the guys who served their time, but they still come volunteer. Last year I suggested they sell t-shirts...and sure enough, this year they had t-shirts! I will get a picture soon and post it on here.

Here are a few shots of some of the horses in the pens. If you want young ones, mature ones, big ones, small ones, colorful ones and ones a little more au natural in color...they have a horse for you! There are standoffish ones who only care about the hay bale, and others who are curious about you and think that you just might be okay! :-)

What a cutie!

April making friends with a mustang...

Cute little girl in the yearling pen...

Bentley - one of the saddle started stangs. A gal and her husband from our Mustang Club adopted him. He is tall and very very sweet. Moved as smooth as butter! Her husband is calling him Hot Shot. I am glad and here is why....anybody who knows me knows that I don't like changing an animals name, and they know why. I am okay changing it to something close, but all in all their name stays the same. Well, I have started watching Bachelorette for the first time - yes, it is a stupid show - and yes, I can't stop watching! A jerk on the show is Bentley, so I would have changed this stangs name in a heartbeat! I thought about mixing up letters like the game Boggle. Ha ha! But luckily I don't have to do that now. :-)

This little guy did not go thru the adoption. We are guessing he might have been in training so was tied up with the group. He was so cute and loved giving horsey kisses.

The same trainer that trained Taco the pinto last year got to start Blick the pinto. Blick is bigger than Taco was and more confident.

Brian making friends in the yearling gelding pen.

Charlie the stang...

Stang hooves....this is Lucky and Chub...

We love feathers...and Chub has them!

Flex is young and still has a baby face. I was told that the same people who adopted Flex adopted Blick the pinto.

There are 3 newborns on the facility grounds, and dang they are cute!

OH! Gotta show off my new shirt that I ordered a while back. Love it!

Stang in the wild pens...

Grocery time!

This is Hail Storm. Yep, we named him. :-) I got several pictures of this guy. We think he has been worked with and for some reason put back in the pens. When we would try to pet another horse, he would come over and nose in between the panels and the other horse. He never layed his ears back once at the others...he just hogged all the space along the panel. Brian picked up all 4 hooves, we found his wonderful itchy spots...he is a love bug.

Mare Pen - ages 2-4. The sorrel with flaxen mane and tale was the first one to catch my attention in that pen. She really stands out! Beautiful, built stocky, and got along with her pen mates.

Natalie volunteers at Hutch, and I am now calling her the Burro Whisperer...

Check out the speckled horse behind the sorrel face...and also check out the sorrel tail with the black tip to the right of the speckled horse...

Speckled horse from the front...

Blue eyed cutie patootie!

Gelding pen - had many friendly and some just curious fellows...

Hail Storm letting April handle his legs...

Palomino yearling filly...

What a huge compliment for the program. The U.S. Border Patrol has picked out 5 mustangs for the guys to start, and they will be back for 16 more. What an honor! We heard they were very interested in Jugg, a golden palomino, but he was the wrong color. They need darker colors for the night time work.

HA HA! Check out the little one on the left. This little guy was at the fence making faces and acting all tough...the one on the right was not impressed.

Here is my guy....Chub. He is solid black, stocky, like a miniature Rennaisance horse! I LOVED HIM!!! He will be my 2nd mustang regret...but he has gone to a good home that will give him the time he needs. I will have more pictures of him in the next blog entry.

The guys had not seen any of the pictures or the video I put together last year. We set up the laptop Saturday and the guys and their families loved it! It was really neat listening to the guys talk about their experiences, their feelings for the horses they worked with, and their experiences between then and now.

Hail Storm and his friend Fire Storm. :-) Fire Storm was curious but not as lovey as Hail Storm...yet.

Friday Brian told me he picked up all 4 hooves on Hail Storm....I just smiled and said "Oh, that is nice..." then Saturday he showed me his stuff, then laughed at me because he knew I did not believe him! :-)

Hail Storm has this neat whorl on his neck.

The sorrel mare has the neatest freeze brand! It looks like artwork.

Rumps of Smokey and Bandi

Tango and Cash were giving wagon rides...

Partially blue eyed sorrel...

Jugg the golden...he was returned and put back in training. He did great - the Border Patrol really liked him but like they said "He glows in the dark" so he would not work.

"That is all for now folks!!! Come check us out!!! We have a lot to offer....that is my story and I am sticking to it! "

It was a good weekend. Adoption prices were down in my opinion, but I firmly believe it was not a reflection on how these horses were worked with. Just a sign of the times.

Until later...Karen and Tripp who wishes he could tell the Hutch mustangs stories of how great life can be out in the un-wild.

New comb in the bee hive...

2011-05-18T06:03:00.002-05:00

We love our new Top Bar hive. After one week we peeked in the observation window (no pictures turned out because of the glare) and they had already built 3 chunks of comb that was hanging from the top bars. They all looked like the little piece that is in the front of the picture here.

We are now about 2 1/2 weeks into it and they are doing great! I am so amazed. This picture here is without the flash, and I can't get over how neat the comb is that they built themselves! Click on the picture to make it bigger and you can see the detail. You can also see honey that they have put in some of the cells behind the little chunk of comb.

This picture is with the flash. These shots are at the 'back' of the hive so this is where they store their honey. Closer to the entrance, at the other end, is where they SHOULD be laying their brood (making babies). In about a week we will open it up again to check the front. From what we can see, they are happy bees and doing what they were made to do. :-)

Not a very clear picture, but you can still see the areas at the bottom of the comb where the cells are covered up. That is capped honey. At the very bottom of the picture is a bag of raw honey. That is what we have been feeding the new bees. Now that they have called the hive home and the Queen decided not to 'run away from home', we will stop feeding them. They ate a lot slower this week so that tells us they are flying out to find real pollen and nectar...the good stuff!

Brian just could not help himself - he had to lift out one of the bars. It is so neat how they attach their comb, which is pretty tough, to the top of the bar. Brian says that each piece of comb will be the shape of the inside of the hive when they are done.

The world of the bee....no welfare system....you have a job to do and by golly, you do it!

I just had to share these...thought they were so neat! Sure is different than watching stuff on Discovery channel! :-)

Until later....Karen and Tripp who thinks we are weird for liking bees. :-)

Batman has a Birthday!

2011-05-11T05:44:00.001-05:00

HAPPY BIRTHDAY TO ME!!! ME ME ME!!!! I turned 2 on May 9th. What do you think of my Parrot hat?

I had a party with my friends! Here is me wearing my awesome Parrot hat, Boom with his awesome tye-dye colored halter and Wyoming with his awesomely colorful necklace! I think they called it a lay, but I don't know why since he is standing. Silly humans!

I will cherish this picture forever! This is me and Grandma Tandee. Her birthday is next month. I wonder what the odds are of everyone getting their party clothes out again?

Wyoming wanted to make sure you got a good view of his pretty colors...I was told not to tell you this, but he was afraid of his necklace at first! (Snicker snort...) Yep, he jumped back, he looked at it all bug eyed...oh yeah, he is what I would call a CHICKEN! (Snicker snort SNORT!) He finally sucked it up and look at him now! All secure in his Mustanghood wearing pretty colors!

BOOM: Happy Birthday Mustang Batman!
BATMAN: Thank you Mustang Boom. Hey, our colors match!

WYOMING: Happy Birthday Mustang Batman! I have known you since you were a wee little one, and look at you now! You did grow up to be a mustang!

Look at me! I am a mustang! I am a mustang wearing a Parrot hat! The girl made me wear my own

smaller necklaces. These are called lays too...again....I am standing! Hello!

That Grandma Tandee is a party animal! I love hangin' with her!

Look! She could make the party hat float in the air next to her head! This is better than dancing on the tables naked!

Well, that about covered my evening. I had a great time and was still in bed by dark. It is hard to believe I have been here my whole entire life! I am one lucky mustang! Thanks to all my friends who told me I could be whatever I wanted to be when I grow up....I am a mustang!

P.S. Just because Chase the llama is not in these pictures doesn't mean we don't have a plan to get a hat on him! (Snort snicker!)

Until later...Karen and Tripp who was laughing at everyone behind their back! I think he was jealous!

Little bit of this and that....

2011-05-03T20:02:00.000-05:00

When my Mom and I went to Minnesota to visit Gramps, they had a lot of flooding. Here is a park close to the hospital that was flooded, and the signs made me giggle....

This was the same place two weeks later.

The pond water was like glass one evening...it was peaceful and beautiful...

Things are starting to green up so I let the small group into the yard....a perk of living in the country....no rules about road apples being on the lawn. :-)

Last night I was in the barn lot when I heard hooves pounding....Batman and Tandee (older Arab mare) were blasting around the back of the house. Tandee shaking her head and both of them kicking up their heels! Another one of those times I wish I had a camera ready! OMG! Just occurred to me...Batman will be 2 in a few days! :-)

Sonic Boom enjoying the grass. He wintered very well...such a handsome boy. We will be starting over again. He is an every day kind of horse for now, and after the long winter, we have not done much other than some petting and me reminding him how to yield hindquarters, etc.

We made a deal...he shows off his brand for the camera then I leave him a lone a while...

Last Sunday was a crazy weather day! Bright blue sky, sun shining, dark fast moving clouds...and rainbows! A few of them! This is one of the doubles we saw...

We could see the whole thing on the lower one, but the upper double disappeared in the clouds. Did not matter....it was awesome!

You know how I am with horsey noses....love them! I love this one - Joker has this perfect V.

Nevada coming to visit....I thought this was pretty with the dark clouds and the sun kissing the newly bloomed trees.

The eyes have it! Nevada checking things out...

Nevada wanted to give the suave and debonair look....isn't he quite handsome?

I was trying to get Millie and the other rainbow....then Nevada walked in and looked at me. Almost like a little kid who is trying to jump in the picture as it is being taken! Ha ha !

Tripp didn't want to lose his chance at the rainbow. He wanted it all to himself but the chicken wouldn't leave...

Tripp and the rainbow right before it disappears...

Tandee's nose....

It started pouring down rain but the sun was partially shining. It was so neat!

We have been so lucky with our weather! My heart goes out to everyone who has had to deal with loss - human and home. I really do hope the rest of the year settles down a bit.

That is all I know for now....
Until later....Karen and Tripp who has been gloating because he has been getting extra attention. :-)

My Grams and Gramps....

2011-05-02T18:22:00.000-05:00

This is my Gramps....he turned 90 in January and he won't be with us much longer. Not in this lifetime as we know it anyways...

I consider myself very lucky to have made a couple of trips up to Minnesota last month to visit him. Gramps is very tired but did joke and laugh. :-) The first visit with my Mom was awesome! He requested short visits from visitors but when we tried to leave him he would keep on chatting! The next trip that Brian and I took was not as good. He was very tired and slept a lot more. He still did manage to laugh and joke a bit...but we kept those visits very very short as requested, and he did not argue. Amazing what different two weeks can make, ya know?
Gramps is very lucky....he was working in his wood shop thru the middle of last year and did not start having big health issues until then, so he really did have a nice long life.

Here is me, my brother and two sisters with Grams. She passed a few years ago when she was 97 and she was just as tough and bull headed as she was years ago! Ha ha! She was the type to get fired up about things while Gramps was more quiet and low key. :-) When she started having sight problems she taught herself to crochet by feel...and did quite well!

They both had long full lives...can't ask for more than that.

Gramps says he is ready to be with Grams.... As sad as I will be that he is gone, I will also be so glad that he is where he wants to be.

Love you Grams and Gramps!!!!

Until later....Karen and Tripp who always has a horsey hug for his girl even tho he doesn't fully understand the emotions of humans...

We have added 3 more bee hives...

2011-05-02T06:27:00.001-05:00

It has been brought to my attention that I have not updated the blog since March 29th. Time sure does go by quickly....I knew it had been a while but did not realize it had been that long. So here is one update.

Brian got more bees. You know, because we don't have enough bees. Ha ha! We now have 5 total hives. Four of the traditional kind that you see sitting around and a new one called a Top Bar hive. But I need to back up a couple of weeks....

On April 17th we opened the hives to check everyone, and to add on another hive box called a Super. The super is the one that will be honey for us. This picture shows a wire grate looking thing on top of the frames in the hive. It is a Queen excluder, meaning the Queen is too big to fit thru it, so she can't go to the top level, the super, to lay eggs. She will do it below in the two bigger boxes.

Here is the difference now - the one on the left has not had the Super put on yet. The one on the right has and is ready for the bees to start making more honey. If we did not add the top box and the bees got too crowded, they might decide to 'swarm' and take off to a place with more room, so it is a win-win situation. We have added more room for them to do what bees do, and we will also get some honey this year for ourselves. Note: if the weather is bad and honey production is not that good, we will leave it for the bees to feed off of thru the winter.

We checked a few of the frames while we were changing things around, and they are doing very well. This frame shows a lot of 'brood', meaning bee babies.

This picture below is very cool if you make it bigger - you can see the larvae that will eventually turn into bees! When I was blowing up pictures to get a closer look I was so excited!

This is another neat picture. I am going to blow this up and print it....I want to take it to Brian's bee mentor to find out what all is going on here. When I blow it up I can see bee faces in the dark spots that are more towards the middle. We are thinking that the ones that are around the darker spots that look to be capped off are pollen that the bees feed from. On the left are shiny cells, and I don't know if that is nectar or honey. Like I said, when we were blowing up pictures we could see so much more and got all excited. The lives of bees are amazing...

This one here is pure honey in the making! When they fill the cells with honey they cap it off with wax, which you can see in the upper area of the frame. Once honey has filled the whole frame the entire thing will have that smooth layer of wax over the honey. To harvest it, some have heated knives and they gently cut off the layer of wax, then put the frame in an extractor to spin it to zing the honey out of the cells to the wall of the extractor, then down to the bottom to come out the spout.

The trip to Arts place is always an adventure. I have been out there to get supplies, but not to ever pick up bees. Everyone orders their bees by a certain date so all are delivered at the same time. But first things first....in a previous entry from last year I posted some pictures of emus at his place. Inside the store he had a container with ducklings - and a baby emu!!!! Oh my gosh, it is so cute! When I was trying to get a close picture of it, the ducklings came over to protect their friend. The emu chick is about 3 times as big as the ducklings but is younger than them. You know me....I am feeling the need to get an emu!

There is a greenhouse building attached to the store, and the bees for delivery were stacked up in the back by the back door. Each one of these boxes houses approx 10,000 bees.

Each hive needs a Queen to survive. You can either buy a Queen, or you can trust the hive to create another Queen. Here is a box of Queen bees. Our Queen is included in the box of bees, so no need to buy a Queen separately.
If the hive creates one, they just feed one of the egg cells Royal Jelly and poof - they have a Queen. Okay, not as simple as that but you get the idea....they can make a Queen.

This is cooler than heck! It is an observation hive INSIDE the store. To the bottom right there is a pipe that goes to the outside so the bees can come and go. I would love one of these in the house, but Brian isn't that warm to the idea yet. :-)

We got our 3 boxes of bees...time to take them home. We put them in the back of the truck and away we went...

See how all the bees seem to be 'hanging' in the center? This is a 'beard' and they are trying to get as close to the Queen as they can. In transit she is in her tiny box and lets out pheromones so they get to know her. If you try to put a Queen in the hive without keeping her separate first, odds are they will kill her....so she is introduced slowly. When we take the tiny Queen box out of the box, we put a small marshmallow in a hole which the other bees then eat through to free her. It gives them all enough time to get to know each other before she can get out of her little box.

A can like this is in each box of bees - it has sugar water in it to feed the bees in transit. To the right of the can is a small slice in the wood - that is where the little metal hanger is for the Queen and her box. We lift out the can and slide the Queen out, put the can back, place the Queen in the hive, then dump in bees.

Brian is dumping bees in one of the traditional hives...

After putting bees in both hives, we set up the boxes and the cans of leftover sugar water for the bees to feed off of. They will begin to take orientation flights to get their bearings, then will start foraging for food.

This is the Top Bar Hive. We are trying to take a more natural approach to bees and this is supposed to simulate a log. We are also letting the bees build their own comb instead of putting in the thin fake stuff to get them started. It will take longer but that is what they do...

We will start the bees in a smaller area in the center of the hive then make it bigger as they build their hive. It is a Top Bar hive - see the skinny boards on top of the hive? That is what the bees will build their comb on.

Brian took out the Queen and suspended her box in the center of the hive. On the bottom of the hive is a small baggie of raw honey for them to feed from. After we got the bees installed the bees had a beard hanging off the Queen box. She was letting off her pheromones and they were getting to know her. It was so neat!

Brian pouring the bees in the hive...

Bees after they are dumped in the hive. This was very different because they were all dumped into an open area, whereas the other hives have the frames so the bees can crawl around something.

Brian putting the bars on the top to shut in the bees...

This dandelion puff ball snuck into the blog...

Here is the really really cool thing! An observation window! We can watch the progress of the bees without disturbing them.

This is the view at the entrance of the hive. We put the box in the front so the remainder of the bees will go inside. Another cool fact - some bees will hang out at the entrance and flutter their wings to get the smell of the Queen to the other bees. When you make the picture bigger you will see a small metal thing on the bottom left part of the inside - this is the thing that will keep the Queen inside. Eventually this will come off, but right now it stays until she sets up house. If she would escape, the others would follower her.

Well, I just looked at the clock...and I am a little behind now. :-) Gotta run!
Will keep everyone posted on the bees...

Until later....Karen and Tripp who thinks the bees are neat OVER THERE!

Hung out for a couple hours at an Endurance Ride....

2011-03-29T20:46:00.001-05:00

Ozark County Endurance Riders - Spring Fling

This past weekend was an endurance ride and I wanted to go check things out! The weather turned off ugly...we missed the early morning departure but heard that it was storming, hailing, lots of lightning...just ugly out! But those tough riders went out anyways! We got there about 10:30 and it was pouring rain. We did not know anybody there....we were crashing the party! I asked Brian if he wanted to go check it out with me and I got a big fat NO WAY! Ha ha! He thinks they are crazy for riding 25 or 50 miles in that stuff. And when he saw the age differences...young to not so young...he was even more amazed!

I got out and stood around a while, then started chatting with people. I wish I could have stayed the whole weekend, but we were not prepared to camp out in weather like that. Here are just a few of the pictures I took....I think I would have just as much fun being a photographer for a ride as I would as a rider.

I got to see horse/rider teams go thru their vet checks, come in and get heart rates taken, new groups going out after mandatory rest periods, and other groups coming in....I loved it!!!

This was the warmest place on the grounds!

This horse reminded me of an Arab I had a long time ago...he had a canter like no other I have ridden and he had a heart of gold. I miss him.

Nothing but rain coats, helmet covers and blankets for the horses...very cold and windy!

Check out this rig! I am likin' it! LOTS!

This fellow was quite tall!

I love all the bright colors. I would go broke getting one of each! :-)

The little gray sticking his head out is Echo. Echo was saddled and ready to go this morning when his person decided that she would crew for her friend instead. She is one I chatted with for quite a while. How I wish I could have stuck around for more riding stories! Echo was not happy to see the other horses going out without him.

The heart rate taker is Echo's Mom.

I never did talk to this guy, and I wish I would have. Everyone was so busy taking care of their horses and I did not want to disturb them. I am sure I will see him at another ride. I loved his camo/hunter orange rump rug for his horse, plus I just think he is cute!

Loved when he smiled and waved as he went by. I think some thought I was the official ride photographer...I posted all my pictures to Facebook on their site, so hopefully enough of the riders see them and share.

This is my favorite one of the fellow....love the colors and the mystery of a lone rider going into the woods on a trail unknown...

Riders coming in from an 8 mile loop. The 50 miles had to do this loop twice. I am not sure how long the other loops were or how many there were.

I did get to hold a couple of horses...this one was more than happy to do self portraits! :-) The browband on the bridle almost looks like little goggles pushed up. Ha!

Wish I would have seen this saddle pad sooner. I don't know if she was a 25 or a 50 miler. Either way...that is a long way in weather like that on a pad.

These horses were very vocal about being left behind. Some riders chose to stay in on Saturday and ride only Sunday. I have not heard how the Sunday weather was. Radar showed snow.

After my two hours of horsey fun, we headed to Brian's bee seminar that was only 10 miles away. They had 4 cancellations so I got to sit in. It was a very fun full day! I can't wait to go to the next one! I really want to do this, and the big joke now is I have to learn how to ride a horse again! Ha ha! Seeing as I have turned scaredy cat, I am thinking that riding 1 mile out of 25 would not be so much fun. HA HA!!! No worries....I am working on it....and time will heal.

Until later....Karen and Tripp who says that Wyoming would be better at this than him. :-)

Pot Luck of Pix....

2011-03-29T17:20:00.002-05:00

Wyoming was peeking in the barn door at me....look at the boo-boo on his nose. Don't have any idea how he did it. Almost perfectly round (and almost healed).

We went to an auction and the place had this neat windmill. It actually worked! The faster that thing turned the more water came out of it...beautiful day....

Halo and I were playing on one of the nice sunny days. She thinks it is a good idea to rest her head on mine....

Okay, enough games....time for a Horsey Diva pose....Halo, not me! :-)

She wanted me out of the picture....did not want me to distract you away from her total cuteness.

Joker wants to join in the fun!

Millie says "WHAT ABOUT ME???"

Susie and Rico...Mom and son....

This is going to be a bookmark....

After a nice sunny day what do we get? Snow! This has been a weird weather season so far.

Even Millie is sick of snow....she was snoozing under the canopy when I came out that morning.

It was snowing and so pretty out! Time for a smoochy self portrait! I have to confess it really is hard not to laugh when we do this! :-D

Snow from my view in the passenger seat....

Brian clearing the car windows....

Wyoming wanted you to get a better view of his boo-boo. He still won't tell me what he did. Something about not being a tattle tale! Ha!

The weather has really been up and down. Cool sunny days, warm sunny days, cold and windy cloudy days, then more snow. We got more this past weekend and have more forecasted tomorrow night...but no accumulation. Whew! Flowers are starting to bloom so I am getting excited for Spring!

Hope everyone is doing well!

Until later...Karen and Tripp who is worried about my talk of 25 and 50 mile rides! :-)

An array of the past couple of weeks...

2011-03-19T06:16:00.000-05:00

We get some of the best sunsets....the beauty of them just makes me swell with awe and happiness inside.

Wyoming....

Boom....he is his old self. Most of the time looks away when he sees me pull out the camera.

Chase the Drama Llama, or the Jolly Llama....just depends on his mood. This time he was the Drama Llama...I was hearing him singing "I'm - too sexy for the sunset - too sexy for the sunset too sexyyyyyy!"

Ajax and Zjax are letting me know to hurry up...we are losing the pretty colors in the clouds and they are feeling a little short changed. Wyoming is in the background like the little kid who jumps in a picture at the last minute...minus the funny face.

WYOMING: "Hey! Watch this!"

WYOMING: "Rolling, rolling. wiggling to get the itch, rolling some more...."

Batman is a trouble maker. He and Chase were playing on a gorgeous afternoon and Chase was feeling more energetic than Batman. Batman, being the smart little guy that he is, pulled in and parked behind Boom, knowing that Chase will get popped if he pushes the issue!

Boom and Batman hung out for a while...

We put a Bale Buddy out for the burro/horse/llama group, and once it got eaten down a bit, Chase used it as a pedestal. He likes to be tall.
The Bale Buddy was a test for this group - we used this, and we used the round bale feeder that Brian made. There was MUCH less waste with the Bale Buddy. We will be putting a 2nd one in and pulling out the other feeder. I pull the sides down so the shorter ones can reach.

This is Chase giving his "I am cute and innocent and would never chase Batman to exhaustion" look.

Ahhhh yes, signs of Spring!

LOOK! It is a 2 headed horse!

Guineas on alert!

Nevada smooching on Brian....

Batman....this little guy is so cute and sweet (most of the time) that he literally brings tears to my eyes. I was sitting on a barrel reading a book, and he came up and watched...

I am reading The Shack, by Wm. Paul Young. I am almost half thru the book and I am loving it! Anyways, the day was gorgeous so I put up a barrel to sit on to enjoy the weather, enjoy the horses, and to enjoy the book. Batman cracked me up...it was like he was the little kid listening to the best story in the world! Even Wyoming came up and stood next to him for a while...that was before I was smart enough to grab the camera. :-)

Weather was good...running and playing was in the cards!

BOOM: "Yee Haw!!!! Out of the way!!! Coming thru!!!!"

WYOMING: Whew, that was a good run! Hey, look at us looking good!

WYOMING: "Race you to the llama!"

WYOMING: "It is over there!"
BOOM: "No, it is over there!"

WYOMING: "Maybe they won't notice I am here."

There is a lot more solid ground out there right now, which means traction is good, which means more playing! I can really see the difference in how they have acted the past few days...they are loving life!

Until later....Karen and Tripp who thinks he would look better with a pretty sunset behind him!

The bees are getting ready for Spring...

2011-03-18T23:22:00.000-05:00

Last year was our first year to have bees, and they have been pretty amazing to watch. God made them with a purpose and they take it very seriously. The girls work, and the guys breed the queen and hang out being 'comb potatoes' (you know...instead of 'couch potatoes'...ha ha!) until they are needed to breed again. Yes...that is all I need to say! :-)

Winter was hard on us because we had no idea what was going on in the hives, and we hoped that the bee balls were staying warm enough and also finding time to feed. We left the honey they produced last year for them to feed on, plus we also put pollen patties on top of the frames just in case they needed something extra. Yep, we spoiled our bees! :-)

Bee balls.....when the weather gets cold the bees form a ball to stay warm. They rotate from the inside of the ball where they are warm and feed to the outside...they all take their turn.

Spring is here, and the nice days have brought them out. They have been cleaning house...moving out all the 'junk' to prepare for the new season. We did notice that one hive (Brian's) was weaker than the other hive, but I still thought it was okay. They will lay enough eggs to make up for the loss as long as they have a good strong queen. Anyways, Brian could not stand it, and he took the lid off his the other day! YIKES! He found out that yes, the hive was weak, but it was strong enough for a bunch of bees to come rising to the top, and they were MAD!!!!! I turned just in time to see him put that lid back on and skedaddle himself away from there! HA HA HA!!!!!

The weather got warmer and he planned a day for us to come home early to open up the hives and see what was going on.

Here is his hive...not many bees on the inside of the lid, and not many walking around the top of the frames, but we could see plenty between the frames. The top box was very heavy, as it should be, so we knew they were working the way they should. Each frame should hold about 5 lbs of honey.

This is what had Brian stressed out...he could see a mouse nest from the entrance to the hive, and he had visions of the mice tearing apart the honeycomb. No worries....just a nest and Brian cleaned it out. He ended up putting some wire stuff on the entrance so the bees can come and go, but the mice can't. It works...we found a dead mouse on one yesterday. Made me sad...but we can't have them destroying a future food source.

Here is my hive! I call it my hive because I was the one who dumped the new bees into this hive. Look how many more of them there are on the top! I have one bad a$$ hive! :-)

Many of the bees gathered on the underneath side of the lid.

After Brian hit them with the smoker, a bunch of them went back inside the hive. The smoke is supposed to calm them. I don't know....they don't seem more calm to me, but I will go with it just in case. We did not pull any of the frames this time. Didn't need to...we knew they were full of honey because of the weight of the hive.

Brian got a phone call while we were out there, and it was his bee mentor! He suggested moving the bottom box to the top, and the top to the bottom. Long story short - all the food supply will be moved to the bottom. The bees will go to the top and clean out the old comb then lay eggs. Once eggs hatch, they will start producing honey upstairs again.

Here is me moving the bottom box off the 'floor' so we can put the top one on the bottom. We do NOT mix the hives! If we take take one box from one hive and put it to the other, they may kill each other, not to mention we don't know where the queen is. If both queens end up in one hive, the new one will be killed.

We wear rubber gloves like they wear at hospitals because the bees don't usually like to land on them. This was the first time I had one land on my glove and she stayed there a while. I just kept hoping she was in a good mood because she is able to sting thru the glove. She tired of me and moved on.

Brian is putting the bottom box on top. This is what I call the Bee Mansion. They will lay eggs on both levels but most of the honey will be 'manufactured' in the top one. The belief is that the queen likes to move up to lay more eggs, but doesn't like to go down. Swapping the first and second story gives them something to do so they will not swarm. If the queen gets the feeling that the hive is too full (like the top box originally was), she will take the swarm and move somewhere else.

Swarm: Most people think of a swarm as something bad like an attack of a group of bees. A swarm is a group of bees just like a bunch of horses is a 'herd' and a bunch of turtles is a 'flock of turtles'. (My sisters 6th grade teachers used to say "I am off like a flock of turtles" and I never forgot it! Thank you Mrs. Hannah! You were an awesome teacher and I hope you are still at it!)

I totally understand why Brian was worried. I was too but I had to bee brave...get it? BEE BRAVE....HA HA! The good news is the hives are well. Brian is ordering a couple more hives to set up this year. He is hoping to catch a swarm out in the wild. We met a man last Fall that has not bought bees for years. He puts up traps (wood boxes that look like bat houses or bird houses) and catches them that way. Cool!

I yammered on long enough...I tried not to talk so much but the bees fascinate me.

Until later...Karen and Tripp who say "The bees can stay OVER THERE!!!!"

The dry spot...

2011-03-18T06:50:00.001-05:00

As of a few days ago....this was the inner barn lot. It is muddy and gross, and even the critters are tired of it and we are all ready for some dry weather.

This is what I walk thru to get to the barn....

This is from the perspective of the burros......You can count on the donks to make dry spots...here is one that was a work in progress. Ajax is protecting HIS dry spot.

JESTER: "Come on man, we were all raised the same way! It is polite to share. PLEASEEEEE can I use your dry spot?"
AJAX: "Nope, my dry spot. We were also raised to respect hard work, so you need to go make your own dry spot."
(Jester was actually head butting Ajax, but Ajax was not having any of it!)

JESTER: Thinking to himself...."I think there is enough room for both of us...if I just lay down and start moving my legs around a lot, Ajax will move....yeah.....this is working out just fine!"
AJAX: Thinking to himself...."WILL - NOT - BUDGE! HOLD - ON - TO - DRY - SPOT - TIGHT!"

JESTER: "YES! TOLD YOU SO! PLENTY OF ROOM! Oooohhhh this feels so good!"

JESTER: "Woo hoo!!! AAAWWWWWW....a couple more wiggles like this and I will get that itchy spot right in the middle!"
AJAX: Insert sarcastic copy cat response here.... "Woo hoo!!! AAAWWWWWW....a couple more wiggles like this and I will get that itchy spot right in the middle!"

JESTER: "Yep, there was room for both of us. Thank you Ajax!"
AJAX: "On no, thank you my friend...you made my dry spot bigger and better! MWAA HWAA HWAAAA! Oh yeah....this is good stuff!"

AJAX: "The lesson here today my friends....well, I am sure you figured it out! HEEEE HAWWWWWW SNORTTTTTT"

As of last night, there were 3 good sized dry spots out there! Yay!

Until later....Karen and Tripp who is still giggling over the trickery of Ajax!

Snowy Monday, March 14, 2011

2011-03-17T05:51:00.000-05:00

The night before the snow Brian and I went out to assess the mud situation. Did we want to try to put round bales out, or wait it out until the next evening? We were only forecasted for 2" of snow at the most....well, what was a good idea one afternoon was not such a great idea the next evening! We did not get this much snow at our house...it was melting almost as quick as it was coming down, but we still ended up with more moisture than we thought we would get.

These pictures are from our garden at work. When the weather is like this they do not open the gates to let people in to walk...so I made do with what I had. It really is beautiful during all the seasons...

The main gate from the driveway side....

Little bird tracks from the front gate....

To the right of the rock wall is a bridge that goes over a small running creek...to the left is a bigger pond that they put lilly pads in, and koi fish. It also has a beautiful water fall. But not today! :-)

This is another angle...to the left of the arch is a small rose garden. It is a very popular spot in the summer time...

And what is a blog entry without a self portrait? :-)
I just could not stand it! I was sitting inside at work and the flakes were so big and pretty, I just had to walk out to the garden to take a few pictures.

When we got home, our snow was melted out of the front yard, but only 2 miles down the road the fields were completely covered! We must have been riding the line of the snow front. There was a lot of grumbling from most people who are sick of snow, but I thought it was beautiful!

And for those who are curious about the round bales....no, we did not put any out. The mud is just too deep. I fed out of my emergency square bale stash for a couple of days.

Until later....Karen and Tripp who doesn't mind the snow...he just minds the mud after the snow melts.

Reflections of 2010...Video

2011-03-08T22:05:00.000-06:00

FINALLY!!! I have been working on this since January but have had computer problems...lost my photo video several times and had to start over....heck, by now most people don't remember 2010! Ha!

Many people were so glad to see 2010 go....all for their own reasons. The only reason I am glad it is gone is because I am excited to see what 2011 will bring.

I have spent most of my life as a hermit. I have done a lot of things by myself and am very comfortable doing that, while others thrive by being social. The last year I have broke out of my 'hermit shell' and have done more things socially than I ever have before. Most of my social adventures were fun and I can't wait to do them again, while others reminded me why being a hermit suits me.

I got to see what jealousy does to people, I got to experience people who would die before they will admit they made a mistake (always blame others), I got to experience outright meanness that hurts to the core. One of the meanest things that has ever been said to me.....I was told that I 'tricked' someone, and if she would have known what my idea of 'rescue' was she would have let Ace go to Mexico on the truck. No joke! I was told that, and it broke my heart! Her idea of an 'unwanted horse' and my idea of an 'unwanted horse' is totally different. I am just grateful that she was 'tricked' (however that happened!) enough to save that little horse from a horrible fate, and so is his adopter! Another sad thing...I thought we were friends, but all the signs were there. I am a positive optimistic person and she isn't. I should know by now that combination just doesn't work. I hope she finds happiness somewhere.

Wyoming coming home in the condition he was in was another heart breaker. Thankfully he is back home now and he has all the groceries he needs, and even those he doesn't need! Ha ha! He has really grown and matured...I am wow'd by him.

The above things were the ones that affected me the most at the time...then I heard a story about a little girl who is very ill. Reading the story of her and her family is a big big reminder that the above person just hurt my feelings....I healed quickly, and Wyoming might have come home thin, but he also healed quickly. This little girl is literally fighting for her life. A reminder of what is really important. I say a lot of prayers for her and her family.

I am very grateful that most of my year was a great one and I got to try new things. I volunteered for an ACTHA ride, I got to ride in an ACTHA ride, then I got to be a judge at a ride, I took a mounted shooting class, I had a couple of foster mustangs here and they went home and are doing well, we are lucky enough to have friends we can trust, which is why Flash the large pony is at his 2nd great home with kids of his own and a 70 yr old Grandma who rides him (the first home had family problems and they stuck to the verbal contract and he came back here), Tripp and I went to a couple of fun shows, one which was a charity show and to this day was one of the most fun I have been to, we went to Hutchinson, KS for the Correctional Facility Open House - the inmates work with mustangs and they adopt them out, in addition to participating in another EMM, we got to go to another one as spectators and met up with old friends and made a few new ones.

This years EMM preparation was something else! I was doing great and got bucked off, then fell off, then half way fell off got tossed off, and now I am a big chicken. For the first time in my life I am afraid and have anxiety attacks. I am working on it tho. The great thing is Boom and I made Top 10 for the in hand part of the competition! Once it sunk in, I was so proud of myself and Boom!

One of the great friends I met is Jay Miller. He loves Boom, and to get to Boom he has to go thru me! Ha ha! He really helped Boom and I a lot, and once I get over this crazy scaredy cat stuff, horsey life will be grand again.

I could go on and on but people don't like to read too much stuff....so I will sign it off here. I put together a picture video of some of the 2010 adventures.

Enjoy!

Karen and Tripp who is going to a one day riding clinic this Saturday! Woo hoo!

Tracks in the snow ......a story without words...

2011-02-06T16:49:00.000-06:00

During the snowy season one of my biggest joys is going out early in the morning with my flashlight and looking to see the new tracks that the night critters made. There are more rabbits and squirrels than anything else around the house, but every once in a while there will be deer tracks. They will be in circles and back and forth....just like they were playing a game. :-)

After this last storm, it was two full days before the animals came out to explore....

This is the area for the outside herd of horses. One set of tracks going around the dirt pile. I wonder who it was and what drew them that direction.

This is the other side of the dirt pile, and more of them joined in the journey.

Brian started digging out one side of the house and he dug me a path to the barn lot. I dug a path around the house on the other side and met his path. Then we dug a couple of paths to the barn. Now that I have paths, I am a happier camper.

Old wagon wheel in the snow....

Sonic Boom looking all handsome in the snow...

Ace and Tripp mirroring each other...

Ace and Tripp are play fighting. Ace has really matured a lot this past summer.

The whole outside herd...

Zjax with an awesome blue sky in the background...

Wendigo peeking over Tripp...

Rico nose nuzzling with me...

Ace running in the snow...

Batman kisses....

GOT IT!!!!

Batman likes to torment everyone and play, even if they are not in the mood. So I decided to torment and play with him while he was not in the mood. Hee hee! He might not be happy about it, but he always comes back for more. He said that is because he is a mustang, and mustangs don't quit!

Grandma Tandee and Batman...

Nevada...

I took a short walk to check out the tracks while the others stayed at the barn wondering what I was doing...

Wyoming muzzle loving on me...
There is nothing like the smell of a horse muzzle...

Wendigo is wondering what I am up to.

View between Wendigo's ears...

Wyoming and Boom running in the snow...

Chase the llama gets in on the action...

Batman thought he would play fight with Wyoming, so Wyoming turns the tables and goes after Batman...

Wyoming with a snowy nose...

Boom...

Time to rest...

Woo wee, that was hard work! Boom needs a nap...

Today was quite warm and the snow melted a lot. Okay, not really a lot, but all the new stuff that fell is gone, and the stuff that was falling this morning is gone. It really is pretty out there. I know everyone is looking forward to the snow melting, but I am not looking forward to it - all I see is mud in the future. Ugh! Oh well, gotta have mud in order to get to the season of flowers. I am ready for lots of flowers and grass, and am ready to start planning the veggie garden.

Hope everyone is doing well!
Until later...Karen and Tripp who has the sweetest smelling muzzle of them all...

Beauty after the Blizzard...

2011-02-06T09:45:00.002-06:00

It is amazing how it can be so dark and dangerous one day, and sun shiny sparkly beautiful the next! If it wasn't for the pictures and the deep snow, it would be hard to remember what the day before was like.

HAPPY GROUND HOG DAY!!! WOO HOO HOO!!!! If Phil was here, he would not even bother coming out.

I spent more time outside than Brian did, and every once in a while he came to check on me. It was so windy, if I would have fallen and hit my head, I would be drifted over in a matter of minutes, and he said that nobody would be here to fix him dinner. Yes! He really said that! Ha ha! When he did come out, look how he treated me! See that snowball coming thru the air? I was shoveling a path in the front yard and I hear him say "Hey, this stuff packs!" I turn around camera in hand because I had a gut feeling, and there you have it! Then look at the innocent wave he gives me afterwards! The things I put up with! :-)

Batman with a mouth full of hay - but still wondering if he can sneak by me to share some of Tandee's feed.

Our winter supply of hay...the plan is to have the row along the panels just in case it is too icy or muddy to get the tractor moving. Then we can roll them out. Unless we want to shovel, no rolling is going on here. I am so glad we put out new bales plus an extra the morning before the blizzard started.

I threw some squares around the canopy area to spoil them a bit. Even Boom is eating close to the donks. He has Brain Freeze too!

This picture is so deceiving. Truck doesn't look that deep. The snow in front of the vehicles is smooth. It all looks like one even shallow depth....until you walk in it. The snow actually was above the bumper of the truck, and you see what happened to the car. I had already dug a path to the truck and was trying to figure out my plan of attack for the driveway.

He Man came out to help. We got the truck dug out and we were not going to worry about the car. It would not make it out for a few days anyways. Then He Man decides he is going to start digging he car out.

AAARRR AAAAAR AAAAAAR!!! He Man makes like Rambo and gives the call of the wild while holding a shovel in each hand! Look how pretty that driveway is now. :-)

And this is why it is so pretty so quickly. A neighbor who lives about a mile down the road was out in his great big tractor helping to clear some driveways and trying to clear snow drifts. He said he got the drifts by his place cleared out but about got this thing stuck, and the drifts the other direction would not be impassable for a car. We cleared the driveway out and shoveled around the mailboxes, then guess who came down the road? Yep, the regular maintainers and then we had a 3 ft tall pile of snow in front of the drive and mailboxes. The guy at the bottom of the hill had just got done with his too. So we cleared out our drive and the mailboxes again, then headed down to help the neighbor with his. Thankfully the neighbor came back and helped to clear the neighbors 3 ft pile off and he cleared the rest of his driveway. Brian and I got his vehicle dug out after the tractor left, and all was good again.

Brian watching the tractor....don't even know what I did to get this shot, but I thought it was cool.

This is what the road looked like before the neighbor came thru. So pure... There are critter tracks across the road coming and going a couple of different directions. I wonder what they were doing and where they were going....

After the neighbor came thru, it was cleared enough to get a truck out, but not a car.
After the maintainer came thru, they took off the snow right down to the ice, and no matter how cold it is around here, if the sun is shining, it still melts a little bit - and it did. It was a sheet of ice! This was Wednesday, and it was Thursday at 1:30 before anybody tried going down the road. They turned around in our driveway and went back. We 'test drove' it at 3:30 that day and it was a little better. We would head back to work on Friday.

In the front and to the right of the gray trailer is the flatbed....it is covered. That is a tire and toolbox on top of it.

Halo and Red dug a path to their hay spot. We could not get in there to put a round bale, so I have been throwing them squares. They also have a path in the area to the right. I have to laugh because they are like people. They don't have as much room to move around and get away from each other, so they are starting to snipe a little bit.

Oh yeah, I had to try to be all tough with my snow shovel too. Aaaarrr Aaaarrr Aaaarrr!!!!
Wait, I think that was the sound of a pirate....

This is more me. Playing it cool while secretly taking a break. :-)

Snow around the propane tank. The clear area was made by the dogs.

Self portrait in the truck window.

The chairs are officially buried!

I love snow shadows....

Tandee and Batman. Batman did great in the snow. Right now he follows the path that I made out there - it is a big circle. The others have flattened out an area at the feeder, so he goes out there too. When he gets full of himself, he just plows thru the deep stuff. I went out one day and he had his face deep in the snow and was walking...just like a little bulldozer! I could not get the camera out quick enough. Darn it!

Tandee, Wyoming, Ajax and Jester all say to have a Happy Ground Hog day and be safe!

Until later....Karen and Tripp who always has a hug for me!

Surviving the first day of the February blizzard...

2011-02-05T18:54:00.001-06:00

Well, what can ya say besides "Wow!"? The radar showed the storm covering most of the country and knowing that snow being measured in FEET is on the way is a little...exciting! We got home from work Monday evening very relieved because the roads were already icy. Early Tuesday morning it looked like a false alarm and I was feeling a little bad about not being at work. Then it started, and it started fast and hard! The wind was cold and just crazy!

I got dressed and was ready to go check on everyone...plus I wanted to get some pictures. I don't know what I was thinking because with the wind and snow blowing the way it was, I ended up having to clear the lens a lot. BUT....I ended up getting a few good ones!

Me being prepared for the cold.

Wyoming just knows I have a treat in my pocket...

Mille says "Blizzard? What blizzard?"
Look at that corral panel - it used to be straight but she has bent it so she could get to a bale that fell apart. It is almost in half now.

Wyoming wondering why I have a funny fuzzy thing around my head...maybe it holds more treats!

Even Boom gets in on the snow action.

I had been outside for quite a while so Brian came to check on me.

This is taken out the back door to the deck...the chairs are about covered.

One unhappy llama...he usually stays outside, but he decided to hang out inside the barn with Tandee because the wind was just too much.

The chicken pen had just as much snow as the barn lot. A bunch of birds were hanging out in the rafters too.

Joker followed me to the barn, then headed back to the rest of the herd.

Millie helping me frame the picture. She is a great helper! :-)

Misty says she is not going to come out to say hello. I wonder why?

Stormy is the only one who hung out in the barn with me. I threw out some square bales under the canopy areas for those who wanted it.

Wyoming wanted in on the self portrait action!

The other dog house is rough and they don't usually use it. Nakita is the one who usually stays outside no matter what and I find her covered in snow. Not this time! Glad Brian had his kids put straw in there.

Walking back to the house...

Stormy was in a picture taking mood.

Boom munching on hay while Wyoming goes after the donks. He was very playful thru all the ugly weather, and he chased the donks around a while. When he was done, they assumed their position by the cedar trees.

Tandee had come out to greet me (I had the feed bucket) and she quickly realized the trip back to the barn was more annoying than the trip to meet me. The wind was blowing hard and the snow and sleet really hurt on impact. Batman just hangs out and waits.

Wyoming wanted to show off his new look. He looks happy even when he is packed with snow! This boy is really evolving into a new horse and I am enjoying watching the changes. It is hard to remember that he is still a youngster.

It was a dark ugly weather day, and I hoped and prayed that people who had to travel made it to their destination safe. We did get a lot of snow, a lot of drifts, and thankfully all the animals fared well.

Until later....Karen and Tripp who did not leave the round bales of hay...

Missouri Equine Horse Celebration in Columbia, MO

2011-02-04T20:01:00.000-06:00

January 2011....cold....and this year lots of snow and icy weather! YUK! Unfortunately the weather hit us a couple of days before the event, so not all the clinicians showed up. Thankfully several did and we had a pretty good event all things considered. I really look forward to this....it is a great way to get my horsey fix when the weather is icky out. Back in the day it was a great event! Parade of breeds, several people with short time slots showing different disciplines...etc. Then it fizzled out for a while, and the past few years little by little it is improving again. I really loved this year because I felt there was enough going on in different areas that I was not locked down watching something I really don't care about. In fact I was torn between a couple of things more than once.

The event was held January 21st thru 23rd, and this year is the first for a 3 day event. It is usually 2 days. Not only was this the first year for a 3 day event, it was also the first year for the Extreme Cowboy Race and I do believe it was a huge success! It was a lot of fun to watch the cowboys and cowgirls show us their stuff, not to mention it gave everyone great ideas for obstacles.

The past handful of years the big draw has been the Ultimate Equestrian Challenge, which is the MEC's version of a colt starting challenge. They were having problems finding trainers, so I got a call from a friend who asked if I knew anyone. Hmmmmm.....I just might.......so I shot Jay Miller (he is the one who helped me with Sonic Boom - and still is) a message letting him know about the event and I wondered what his time schedule was like. :-) He jumped at the opportunity! Yay! We were all very excited about it!

Jay hired Brian as his Ring Wrangler and I was the helper/photographer, which worried me because my camera does not take good inside pix. I have to tell ya, it was so exciting being a part of this with Jay and his wife Brenda! The Challenge has always been fun anyways and it is a great way to learn what works for me as a trainer and what doesn't. But knowing someone in the event.....Woo hoo!

The rules changed a bit this year. No noise makers such as shooting guns, cracking whips, etc., WHAT? I still don't see what the big deal is as long as all the trainers are in agreement to use these items, and to be courteous and let each other know when they are going to make loud crazy noises so no accidents happen. Oh well, their event...their rules.

All three horses have worn halters and would half way lead, but they had not had a saddle on, feet handled, etc. Jay picked a 3 yr old filly that has a lot of growing to do to fit into her body. Being up close to the pen while Jay was working with his horse was great because I could see the mares eyes and when she was stressed or relaxed. In the beginning she tolerated Jay but she was bug eyed! Jay could have roped her and started throwing stuff at her like another trainer did, but he chose to introduce himself to her first, let her think about what was happening, and he gave her the time she needed. He waited a while before he put the halter on, then he gently worked with her. I named her Roja. :-)

Brian the Ring Master....HA HA! Just kidding....I have been corrected many times that he is the Ring WRANGLER. :-)

Jay took time to rub all over Roja, talked to her, hugged her, he would lead her around then send her around, and it was almost the end of the first evening when he got up on her. She was not too keen on the idea and skedaddled sideways, but she eventually realized it was not going to hurt and she was not going to be eaten.

Roja experienced the rope around her belly to prepare her for the girth of the saddle.

Saddling was pretty uneventful. She was on alert and kept those bug eyes on Jay and the saddle, but she did not take off. On with the saddle...off with the saddle and pad....do something else, then back on with the saddle. Again, Jay took his time with her.

There is always time to flex....

End of the first evening....Jay gets on and they move around a little bit. He even stood up on her! Yikes! You all know what I was thinking .... "DON'T DO IT....DON'T DO IT!!!!" But he did it and she just stood there like a champ! She trusted Jay...
Jays wife Brenda just shook her head and told me that he was insured....she knows that the horses are his passion and is great support for him.

Here is Jay's Corner! Members of the Midwest Mustang & Burro Saddle Club and friends were in this corner to cheer Jay on. They also were trying to catch a free t-shirt! Hmmmm, who is that big kid in the front? Yep, that is April! :-) Jessi and Madison are behind her. Angela is on the phone and Chris J. and her niece are behind Angela and to her left (our right).
One of the people not in the picture is Beth. She is a member of the Mustang Club and stayed with us a couple of nights. And do you know that in all the fun we had, neither one of us got a picture of her and Batman together?

DAY 2 - The trainers were rotated to different pens, so Jay's wife Brenda, Jessi and Madison moved some chairs over so they could see his pen better.

Here is one of my gripes - where bleachers should have been and have been in the past, they had a big embroidery vendor trailer parked there! Right in the way! I did find out that they stay there for other events too. Okay, that is fine, but if there is going to be an event, people want to be able to see what is going on! Okay, I have spoke my peace. :-)

When Jay walked into the pen, Roja walked around exploring his saddle that was on the fence, and the pad that she had worn the night before. Again, Jay took his time meeting her, then they got to work.

After a little bit of ground work, on went the saddle. Jay had a couple of sticks that he was using as 'steering sticks', and she did FANTASTIC!!!! Jay kept the reins close by if he needed them, but most of the time he guided her with the sticks.

Out came the Hula Hoop! He put them on her back legs and brought it up over her rump.....

.....then he spinned it around her flank area and brought it to the front of the saddle.....

.....then he lifted each front foot and brought it thru the hoop. Okay, that sounds easy, right? But remember, here is a very very green horse getting her leg bent up tight to fit thru the hoop, and she just stands there. Each leg thru and she continued to stand.

It is break time (horses get mandatory breaks) and Jay and his wife Brenda talk about how it is going.

Getting back to work....Jay rubs on her gums and her tongue.

Head is low, and she is ready for the bridle.
The first night she wore the bit while he worked her in the halter. It gave her time to get used to the bit plus it kept her mind busy if her attention wandered off. I enjoyed watching her because when something would happen outside of the ring, her attention would go that direction, then she would visibly relax and start playing with the bit.

After some riding around time, Jay scoots behind the saddle. He did not slide straight off the back...he did play it safe and came off sideways. When he came down, she was standing in this same spot. What a girl!

Up in the saddle and touching her all over....

Oh...this one is out of order....this is Jay meeting her again on the 2nd evening. :-)

Other than her lifting her head in surprise, the flag was not a big deal.

Roja looks at Jay like he lost his mind....you want me to do what?

YIKES! What is he doing back there?

Ropes around her legs were never an issue. Again....trust....

Roja taking her time to explore the tarp with arena dirt kicked on it....

This is the 2nd time Jay stood up on Roja. She was much more relaxed and stood there like the winner she is!

RESULTS OF THE COMPETITION: Well, in the Indian world Jay would have the name "He who has no sense of time", and he did come in 3rd, but it was because he took his time, and he set out to do the obstacle that he chose, the way he chose to do it - with the 'steering sticks'. He could have did it like the others and pushed her, and honestly, she would have done just fine because she trusted Jay to guide her. He got so many compliments about how he handled Roja, how he rode her with the sticks, and how he took his time with her. Jay took time for her to trust him. Out of the three horses many people said that Roja had the better start and is ready for the next chapter of her life. Jay showed what a great trainer can do in a short amount of time. He and Roja did a lot, and he did not get in her mouth.

The winner is the same guy as last year. Now this is my opinion...he might have won the competition, but he did not win the trust of his horse, and he did not win as many fans as he could/should have. He spurred and whipped on his horse, and yes, he got results, but that horse was TOLD what to do and was not given time to think about anything. From the minute this horse was put in the pen, she was trying to escape. When back in the stalls she was rearing up over the wall. She never knew that it was okay and she would be fine. I will always wonder what that horse would have done with Jay or Tim, the other trainer I really liked.
It also reminds me that part of learning to be a trainer is also learning what NOT to do. I am not saying the winners technique is wrong - I am saying it is wrong for ME. Jay and Tim are both winners in my book.

Umm, yeah, I was getting a picture of Jay's shirt.....hmmm hmmm.....

A funny sign....I think I need to make one of these. Hee hee!

Jay got a vendor table since he was a trainer, and he offered to let the Mustang Club put stuff on there. Jay and Brenda brought a big banner of Levi (formerly blind) and his journey. It was on the table and got covered up by Mustang Adoption flyers, crayons and color sheets, brochures, photo albums, etc. I am now wishing I would have got some string so we could have hung up the banner so people could see that, then the other stuff would be left on the table. Learning experience for all of us...either way, it was still a good table that drew a lot of people. I am still amazed at how many people don't know that there are horses running wild out west, and yes, they can be trained. :-)

I snuck in a self portrait with Jay and Brenda.

There was a Miniature Horse clinic and I sat in on part of it. It was about how to stand up your horse and it really isn't my thing, but I watched a while anyways. This was like a big 3 day long classroom and I was going to learn as much as I could! Look at the little buckskin butt...he reminds me of a younger Batman. The little black horse on the far right was a hoot! She was a pushy little thing and had a learning session with the clinician. Hee hee! It sure did not take long for that little blue eyed black horse to realize that standing still was much easier than moving her handler around all over the place. The buckskin and paint stood still the whole time. It was fun....

Brian's daughter Madison made her own rope....

While the judges were tallying their scores, Jessi and Madison were playing with the Hula Hoop.

Then they talked me into playing....Jessi says "Can you spin it on your neck?" Ummm, don't know, I don't Hula Hoop. I did alright...but need lots of practice. :-)

I want to end this with a small blurb about the main clinician who was there. Steve Lantvit was a trainer in the Challenge last year. They brought him back this year as a clinician. I took Friday off work so I could watch his day long clinic, and I had such a great time! For someone like me who did not grow up taking lessons or close to someone to help teach me, it was awesome! I don't normally ask questions in a huge group of people, but he made me feel comfortable enough to ask questions, and if he was explaining something, and I was not getting it, he would have an example non-horse related to help it click. He did that with everyone's questions. He also put together the Extreme Cowboy Race. In my opinion he was very easy to listen to, he was funny but also educational. He also did some shorter sessions on Saturday and Sunday with the riders from his first day clinic, and they worked on things that the riders wanted to work on. I would love to ride in a clinic of his. He just got his own training show on the DISH Network, channel 9411. It is called "Sure in the Saddle". His web site is: www.SteveLantvit.com.

I was there all 3 days and was very excited to learn as much as I did. Great job Missouri Equine Council!

Until later....Karen and Tripp who is very relieved I did not sign up for Steve's clinic. :-)