And Hello 2011.
Reflection is a big theme at the moment- which makes sense really.
I thought about the events of 2010 today. There were ups (a trip to Allenspark Lodge in CO to meet some wonderful equi-bloggers was THE HIGHLIGHT, hooves down!), and there were some serious downs (Dear Husband being ill, and the continuing battle for Johnny Reb with his health concerns). All of which are just too much for me to dive into now.
So instead, I worked outside in the warm sunshine, and contemplated a clean slate.
The house is clean.
The outside is tidy.
And today... today I took the final step that I NEEDED to take in closing a small part of this horse journey of mine.
I took down the paddock.
It sucked.
Instead of looking at it like a door closing- I have to look at it as a new beginning. Because we never, ever know what Life has in store for us.
My hope? Is that 2011 is filled with all kinds of equine interaction for me and the Locust Brothers. We shall see... we shall see.
But in the meantime, those of you who can, go out and spend a bit of time just listening to your horse eat their hay, and share some space with them. And may 2011 be simply amazing for all of you, and include sound horses and many miles together!
~MM
Friday, December 31, 2010
Tuesday, December 28, 2010
Dear FED EX...
Ah FED EX... You have let me down once again. Your Customer Service Reps are quite nice and polite, doing all they can to track a pretty important package for us, but your driver- not our USUAL driver mind you, who shoots at the range with Dear Husband and knows well where we live-- but a replacement driver... yeah-- she SUCKS. She apparently can not follow the carefully detailed directions, including mileage and landmarks. Now our USUAL driver? Mr. Don? Yeah-- HE ROCKS. But this chick? Is LYING to you. No, she did NOT ever call to verify the address and get directions. No, my phone did NOT send a blocked call message out because I don't HAVE call block ability. No, she was NOT out here yesterday. And most importantly, NO SHE WAS NOT OUT HERE TODAY. Oh-- and YES there WERE people around all THREE times the package was slated for delivery, who ALL know how to answer the phone and give directions! TA-DAAA!!! Still no package, FEDEX.
Guess what FED EX! You got a bonafide first class idiot working in Mr. Don's place! WHOOHOO! Yipee for all the people she is ignoring out this way! And to think you charged the sender of this package a LOT of money to make sure the package was DELIVERED.. but since you can not DELIVER the package, *I* personally think YOU need to send the sender a REFUND. Because the ONLY way we know the package will be safely arriving at The Asylum will be for Dear Husband to go and PICK IT UP himself. That does not quite say DELIVERY to me. Oh no.. that says PICKED UP to me.
So Dear FEDEX, do not expect any kind words or further business from us. In fact, I'm pretty sure that you just lost all of the business from The Range as well. Which really is a considerable amount of business. Will loosing that business sink you? No, probably not. But it WILL help your competitor UPS grow a bit more. Or Heaven Forbid-- it will help the US Postal Service hang on a wee bit longer as well.
Thanks pretty much for nothing, FEDEX. I'm happy that your customer service reps are polite and kind, and I appreciate that fact. But your delivery? Unless it is Mr. Don, the rest of the "delivery" drivers that have (NOT) been scheduled to "deliver" (by the way-- deliver means to actually take the package TO the receiver, OK?) The rest of the "delivery" drivers pretty much SUCK MOOSE.
Signed,
One Very Disgruntled FORMER Customer
Guess what FED EX! You got a bonafide first class idiot working in Mr. Don's place! WHOOHOO! Yipee for all the people she is ignoring out this way! And to think you charged the sender of this package a LOT of money to make sure the package was DELIVERED.. but since you can not DELIVER the package, *I* personally think YOU need to send the sender a REFUND. Because the ONLY way we know the package will be safely arriving at The Asylum will be for Dear Husband to go and PICK IT UP himself. That does not quite say DELIVERY to me. Oh no.. that says PICKED UP to me.
So Dear FEDEX, do not expect any kind words or further business from us. In fact, I'm pretty sure that you just lost all of the business from The Range as well. Which really is a considerable amount of business. Will loosing that business sink you? No, probably not. But it WILL help your competitor UPS grow a bit more. Or Heaven Forbid-- it will help the US Postal Service hang on a wee bit longer as well.
Thanks pretty much for nothing, FEDEX. I'm happy that your customer service reps are polite and kind, and I appreciate that fact. But your delivery? Unless it is Mr. Don, the rest of the "delivery" drivers that have (NOT) been scheduled to "deliver" (by the way-- deliver means to actually take the package TO the receiver, OK?) The rest of the "delivery" drivers pretty much SUCK MOOSE.
Signed,
One Very Disgruntled FORMER Customer
Friday, December 24, 2010
Merry Christmas!
Merry Christmas, Everyone!
With love from The Asylum-
Mrs Mom, Dear Husband/ Mr Mrs Mom, Wrecking Crew, Cub, J-Dog, Jo the Wonder Nanny Dog, Kitty Biscuits DAT, and Porch Cat too!
T'was late in the evening, on a cold Christmas Eve,
As I slipped to the barn, to check on my steeds.
Stockings were hung on stall doors with good care,
In hopes that St. Nicholas soon would be there.
The horses were tucked all snug in their stalls,
And visions of sugar cubes soon filled them all.
The cat in her bed, the dog by my side,
The mice in the loft, running to hide.
When voices I heard, all quiet and hushed,
Of many happy things, all the horses discussed.
Carrots and apples, cookies and cakes,
And many new things they hoped for my sake.
Moonlight reflected through the windows behind,
As I listened very quiet, To the things on their minds.
A barn of alfalfa, feed that is sweet,
Good homes for them all, that can’t be beat!
As I stood there listening, my heart filled with awe,
A soft voice was speaking, and addressing them all.
The voice was gentle, so quiet and sweet,
It tamed my nerves, put me at ease.
"Now Jack, now Skippy,
"Now Lady and Stirling,
"Oh Fireball and Ruby,
"LaRosa and Summer,
"We must keep this low, lest our human hear,
"The bunch of us chatting- would scare the poor dear!"
Scare me indeed! The Fable was true!
The Gift to the animals bestowed by the Lord,
Of speech to the horses, this one night a year,
Deep, deep with in me, this fact struck a chord.
They spoke of favorite pastures, grasses so green,
Of trail rides, events, rivers, and streams.
They spoke of new life, and old ones passed on,
They talked of their lives, and of their dreams.
Slowly it hit me- this fact oh so clear,
Those who were speaking, had been gone many a year.
I crept forward a step, hoping to see
And what to my wondering eyes should appear?
Jack, Maria, Fire, and Skippy,
Ruby, Crystal, Champ, and Rebel,
Gone for so long, yet here they were.
Talking with LaRosa, Lady, Stirling, and Summer.
I could see them all there,
Bigger than life,
The light in their eyes, the shine on their coats,
Healthy and strong, those silly old shoats.
A noise escaped me, and Jack turned his head.
With a nod of his nose, and the wink of an eye,
He turned to the others, and bid their Adieu.
As they filed on past me, I stood in a trance,
Watching them go.
The barn grew silent, and oh so still-
I stumbled to the house, in the deep chill.
Rubbing my eyes, which were far from dry,
The ache in my heart making me cry.
I had seen them I swear, my friends of the past,
All of them loved so deeply by me,
Brought back by a Miracle, on this Christmas Eve,
To be seen at long last,
Truly made me believe!
I stood there in wonder for what I had seen.
Then in the deep quiet,
A strong voice rang out-
"Merry Christmas to All,
And To All A Good Night!"
With love from The Asylum-
Mrs Mom, Dear Husband/ Mr Mrs Mom, Wrecking Crew, Cub, J-Dog, Jo the Wonder Nanny Dog, Kitty Biscuits DAT, and Porch Cat too!
T'was late in the evening, on a cold Christmas Eve,
As I slipped to the barn, to check on my steeds.
Stockings were hung on stall doors with good care,
In hopes that St. Nicholas soon would be there.
The horses were tucked all snug in their stalls,
And visions of sugar cubes soon filled them all.
The cat in her bed, the dog by my side,
The mice in the loft, running to hide.
When voices I heard, all quiet and hushed,
Of many happy things, all the horses discussed.
Carrots and apples, cookies and cakes,
And many new things they hoped for my sake.
Moonlight reflected through the windows behind,
As I listened very quiet, To the things on their minds.
A barn of alfalfa, feed that is sweet,
Good homes for them all, that can’t be beat!
As I stood there listening, my heart filled with awe,
A soft voice was speaking, and addressing them all.
The voice was gentle, so quiet and sweet,
It tamed my nerves, put me at ease.
"Now Jack, now Skippy,
"Now Lady and Stirling,
"Oh Fireball and Ruby,
"LaRosa and Summer,
"We must keep this low, lest our human hear,
"The bunch of us chatting- would scare the poor dear!"
Scare me indeed! The Fable was true!
The Gift to the animals bestowed by the Lord,
Of speech to the horses, this one night a year,
Deep, deep with in me, this fact struck a chord.
They spoke of favorite pastures, grasses so green,
Of trail rides, events, rivers, and streams.
They spoke of new life, and old ones passed on,
They talked of their lives, and of their dreams.
Slowly it hit me- this fact oh so clear,
Those who were speaking, had been gone many a year.
I crept forward a step, hoping to see
And what to my wondering eyes should appear?
Jack, Maria, Fire, and Skippy,
Ruby, Crystal, Champ, and Rebel,
Gone for so long, yet here they were.
Talking with LaRosa, Lady, Stirling, and Summer.
I could see them all there,
Bigger than life,
The light in their eyes, the shine on their coats,
Healthy and strong, those silly old shoats.
A noise escaped me, and Jack turned his head.
With a nod of his nose, and the wink of an eye,
He turned to the others, and bid their Adieu.
As they filed on past me, I stood in a trance,
Watching them go.
The barn grew silent, and oh so still-
I stumbled to the house, in the deep chill.
Rubbing my eyes, which were far from dry,
The ache in my heart making me cry.
I had seen them I swear, my friends of the past,
All of them loved so deeply by me,
Brought back by a Miracle, on this Christmas Eve,
To be seen at long last,
Truly made me believe!
I stood there in wonder for what I had seen.
Then in the deep quiet,
A strong voice rang out-
"Merry Christmas to All,
And To All A Good Night!"
Thursday, December 23, 2010
Here I Sit...
It's well past my bedtime. I *should* be sound asleep by now, but... I'm not.
Instead, I tossed and turned. Too many thoughts have crowded my head all week long, too many things going on. Time to sit down and try to collect those thoughts has been scarce to say the least. Looks like tonight might be that chance.
'Tis the season. The season for insanity, commercialism, crabby people with glazed over eyes, fighting amongst themselves for the stupidest things. Too many forget the REASON for the season, and they find it impossible to look beyond what the television/ interwebz/ and radio scream at them to buy, Buy, BUY!!!
But there are some.. Some who can not, and will not forget that reason. They just won't. They don't want their names mentioned, accolades, pats on the back, medals or any form of recognition. We have met a lot of those people this week.
See, last Saturday, we had a house guest join us. Life jumped up and bit this man in a very bad way, and left him in dire straights. Whatever you may choose to call it- Fate, Life, etc- it left this good man in a position that was more or less incomprehensible to Dear Husband and I. Not being ones to sit by idly while a friend and brother struggles, we brought him home. Dear Husband, being who he is and never one to settle for the small stuff, spread the word that this man needed help. We were literally overwhelmed by the response. o-v-e-r-w-h-e-l-m-e-d. Anything our friend and brother needed, is arriving daily. Notes are popping up from all over in Dear Husband's in box- "Hey, this is what I've got- look for a box on XXX day."
The generosity of everyone- some of whom we have never met, never talked with, nothing.. we would not know each other to pass on the street- has had us all in tears at one point or another this week. (Yeah.. ok.. soooo more than once. Emotions have run high at The Asylum, and the Kleenex box has taken a heck of a hit mopping up the overflow.)
So to all the guys and gals at GeorgiaPacking.org, we say a huge, heartfelt THANK YOU, and MERRY CHRISTMAS. You have ALL helped make a tremendous difference in the life of this fine person. None of us know how to thank you all. You are truly a tremendous BROTHERHOOD. And you have, each and every one, shown what the TRUE Meaning of the Season is.
There is another group- this time of ladies- who have shown they too will not forget the Reason. Another online group made a big difference to a woman I don't think anyone had met in person. Not knowing this other person made no difference- one saw a need, had an idea, and BLAMO--- it snowballed and became a surprise that brought joy, love, and let another very fine person know they were treasured by quite a few.
It's groups like these random people that truly make MY Season. They remind me-- not all is lost. Not all turn into raving lunatics when Christmas carols play screechingly loud. Instead these folks pass the joy along in sometimes small ways, sometimes rather big ways, smile, and move on. They show us all what CHRISTMAS is.
Merry Christmas. May the Season reach out to you in a special way as well, and may YOU be able to pass that Gift along to others too.
Instead, I tossed and turned. Too many thoughts have crowded my head all week long, too many things going on. Time to sit down and try to collect those thoughts has been scarce to say the least. Looks like tonight might be that chance.
'Tis the season. The season for insanity, commercialism, crabby people with glazed over eyes, fighting amongst themselves for the stupidest things. Too many forget the REASON for the season, and they find it impossible to look beyond what the television/ interwebz/ and radio scream at them to buy, Buy, BUY!!!
But there are some.. Some who can not, and will not forget that reason. They just won't. They don't want their names mentioned, accolades, pats on the back, medals or any form of recognition. We have met a lot of those people this week.
See, last Saturday, we had a house guest join us. Life jumped up and bit this man in a very bad way, and left him in dire straights. Whatever you may choose to call it- Fate, Life, etc- it left this good man in a position that was more or less incomprehensible to Dear Husband and I. Not being ones to sit by idly while a friend and brother struggles, we brought him home. Dear Husband, being who he is and never one to settle for the small stuff, spread the word that this man needed help. We were literally overwhelmed by the response. o-v-e-r-w-h-e-l-m-e-d. Anything our friend and brother needed, is arriving daily. Notes are popping up from all over in Dear Husband's in box- "Hey, this is what I've got- look for a box on XXX day."
The generosity of everyone- some of whom we have never met, never talked with, nothing.. we would not know each other to pass on the street- has had us all in tears at one point or another this week. (Yeah.. ok.. soooo more than once. Emotions have run high at The Asylum, and the Kleenex box has taken a heck of a hit mopping up the overflow.)
So to all the guys and gals at GeorgiaPacking.org, we say a huge, heartfelt THANK YOU, and MERRY CHRISTMAS. You have ALL helped make a tremendous difference in the life of this fine person. None of us know how to thank you all. You are truly a tremendous BROTHERHOOD. And you have, each and every one, shown what the TRUE Meaning of the Season is.
There is another group- this time of ladies- who have shown they too will not forget the Reason. Another online group made a big difference to a woman I don't think anyone had met in person. Not knowing this other person made no difference- one saw a need, had an idea, and BLAMO--- it snowballed and became a surprise that brought joy, love, and let another very fine person know they were treasured by quite a few.
It's groups like these random people that truly make MY Season. They remind me-- not all is lost. Not all turn into raving lunatics when Christmas carols play screechingly loud. Instead these folks pass the joy along in sometimes small ways, sometimes rather big ways, smile, and move on. They show us all what CHRISTMAS is.
Merry Christmas. May the Season reach out to you in a special way as well, and may YOU be able to pass that Gift along to others too.
Tuesday, December 21, 2010
Holy Christmas Carols Batman!
For those who know us, you know that things are NEVER dull around here. OK so *maybe* there were a couple seconds here and there this fall that I was umm... understimulated/ b-o-r-e-d a bit, but ... it didn't last long. Not long at ALL.
It seems that non-stop jingleballs to the wall is the norm this month. I.am.exhausted. No matter- we Cowgirl Up and drive on, right? Right.
Wait- lemme get a sip of this Christmas Rum Toddy... (KIDDING... I Am KIDDING. It's only 10AM -- Christmas Rum Toddy has to wait until at LEAST noon.)
I'll do Bailey's laced coffee instead.
What? No Bailey's either?
*sigh*
Dammit.
OK- straight coffee it is then.
Now where was I? Oh- right- trying to catch you all up on the chaosity of The Asylum.
I'll start with yesterday, since I remember it the most clearly. (No, I did NOT have Bailey's yesterday, or Christmas Rum Toddy either.) Yesterday was lovely. Warm sun shining down, good company, and some glorious horses. I got my fill -- for now-- of beautiful Appy kisses. The bad part? We were all having so much fun and so darn busy, none of us thought to get pictures of me getting those Appy kisses. But get kisses I did! It made my heart sing. He cuddled, he nuzzled, he sighed and blinked big, beautiful eyes at me. He stole my heart. *dreamy sigh, with big, sappy, love struck smile*
And I found out another favorite horse of mine, whom the owner calls "Happy" (and *I* call CLYDE) is for sale. Too rich for my blood right now, but darn tempting. Happy Clyde is a 4 yr old 15.3 hand chestnut Quarter Horse gelding, who has made his money on the racetrack. I love Happy Clyde. He is the fellow that loves to toss my braid around. The last time I saw Happy Clyde, he spent 45 minutes playing with my braid, giving smooches, talking to the Locust Brothers, and being just darn cute. No, he isn't an Appy, and has not one speck of white on him, but he IS darn CUTE, kind, well mannered and unfortunately, well out of my price range. Sucks, but it is what it is ya know?
It was all told an amazing day.
A couple days earlier, Dear Husband called a buddy of his to check on him. Just had one of those "gut feelings". Good thing he did too, as the man was in dire straights and needed help. Dear Husband to the rescue though, and we now have a house guest. Which is cool. The Locust Brothers love him, the dog loves him, even DAT loves him. It's alllllll good! The story behind this is long and painful, but things are on the up swing now for the fellow, who we'll call J-Dog. (It works- trust me.)
I like having J-Dog around-- at 6' 7", and 300 some odd pounds, walking around Wally World in the middle of the day is NOOO problem! People amazingly just get out of his way. Works for me... muwahahahahaaaaaa
The Locust Brothers... yeeowza. They're so excited about Christmas being *-------* THAT CLOSE... it makes living with their particular brand of crazy mighty darn interesting to say the least. They make my head spin with their energy and excitement, and just keeping up with them is exhausting in it's own right.
Wrecking Crew.. my sweet, kind, loving, stubborn as a mule (wonder where he gets THAT from) almost five year old boy.... Wrecker has a *thing* for cats. Like I do for horses, Wrecker LOVES cats. How do we know? Well, all the child has to do is say, "I love cats. Can we have another cat? I really really love cats." Standard answer? "NO--- Kitty DAT and Porch are all we need."
Yeah.
Right.
What to my wondering eyes appear?
But a black and white tom cat, with b@lls out to ---> here <----....
Sitting in Wreckers LAP.
PURRING.
Loving. On. Wrecking Crew.
Following him around adoringly.
Porch Cat. Hates. Him.
Wrecker calls him "Tummy Cat" because he has a white tummy.
DAT is afraid of him.
Technically, Tummy Cat lives NEXT DOOR. He HAS a home. He is fed. He is cute. He is sweet. He is an intact tom. I can not justify paying to neuter the NEIGHBOR'S CAT. *sigh* I guess Wrecker is going to have to be content being a part time pal of Tummy Cat, because I am not encouraging him to stay around. And neither is Porch Cat.
OK y'all, I hate to cut this short and so non-equine, but there is still a boat load of things needing my attention. As soon as I can breathe again I'll be back!!
MERRY CHRISTMAS!!!!!!!!!!!!
(And BRING ON THE BAILEY'S ALREADY!)
It seems that non-stop jingleballs to the wall is the norm this month. I.am.exhausted. No matter- we Cowgirl Up and drive on, right? Right.
Wait- lemme get a sip of this Christmas Rum Toddy... (KIDDING... I Am KIDDING. It's only 10AM -- Christmas Rum Toddy has to wait until at LEAST noon.)
I'll do Bailey's laced coffee instead.
What? No Bailey's either?
*sigh*
Dammit.
OK- straight coffee it is then.
Now where was I? Oh- right- trying to catch you all up on the chaosity of The Asylum.
I'll start with yesterday, since I remember it the most clearly. (No, I did NOT have Bailey's yesterday, or Christmas Rum Toddy either.) Yesterday was lovely. Warm sun shining down, good company, and some glorious horses. I got my fill -- for now-- of beautiful Appy kisses. The bad part? We were all having so much fun and so darn busy, none of us thought to get pictures of me getting those Appy kisses. But get kisses I did! It made my heart sing. He cuddled, he nuzzled, he sighed and blinked big, beautiful eyes at me. He stole my heart. *dreamy sigh, with big, sappy, love struck smile*
And I found out another favorite horse of mine, whom the owner calls "Happy" (and *I* call CLYDE) is for sale. Too rich for my blood right now, but darn tempting. Happy Clyde is a 4 yr old 15.3 hand chestnut Quarter Horse gelding, who has made his money on the racetrack. I love Happy Clyde. He is the fellow that loves to toss my braid around. The last time I saw Happy Clyde, he spent 45 minutes playing with my braid, giving smooches, talking to the Locust Brothers, and being just darn cute. No, he isn't an Appy, and has not one speck of white on him, but he IS darn CUTE, kind, well mannered and unfortunately, well out of my price range. Sucks, but it is what it is ya know?
It was all told an amazing day.
A couple days earlier, Dear Husband called a buddy of his to check on him. Just had one of those "gut feelings". Good thing he did too, as the man was in dire straights and needed help. Dear Husband to the rescue though, and we now have a house guest. Which is cool. The Locust Brothers love him, the dog loves him, even DAT loves him. It's alllllll good! The story behind this is long and painful, but things are on the up swing now for the fellow, who we'll call J-Dog. (It works- trust me.)
I like having J-Dog around-- at 6' 7", and 300 some odd pounds, walking around Wally World in the middle of the day is NOOO problem! People amazingly just get out of his way. Works for me... muwahahahahaaaaaa
The Locust Brothers... yeeowza. They're so excited about Christmas being *-------* THAT CLOSE... it makes living with their particular brand of crazy mighty darn interesting to say the least. They make my head spin with their energy and excitement, and just keeping up with them is exhausting in it's own right.
Wrecking Crew.. my sweet, kind, loving, stubborn as a mule (wonder where he gets THAT from) almost five year old boy.... Wrecker has a *thing* for cats. Like I do for horses, Wrecker LOVES cats. How do we know? Well, all the child has to do is say, "I love cats. Can we have another cat? I really really love cats." Standard answer? "NO--- Kitty DAT and Porch are all we need."
Yeah.
Right.
What to my wondering eyes appear?
But a black and white tom cat, with b@lls out to ---> here <----....
Sitting in Wreckers LAP.
PURRING.
Loving. On. Wrecking Crew.
Following him around adoringly.
Porch Cat. Hates. Him.
Wrecker calls him "Tummy Cat" because he has a white tummy.
DAT is afraid of him.
Technically, Tummy Cat lives NEXT DOOR. He HAS a home. He is fed. He is cute. He is sweet. He is an intact tom. I can not justify paying to neuter the NEIGHBOR'S CAT. *sigh* I guess Wrecker is going to have to be content being a part time pal of Tummy Cat, because I am not encouraging him to stay around. And neither is Porch Cat.
OK y'all, I hate to cut this short and so non-equine, but there is still a boat load of things needing my attention. As soon as I can breathe again I'll be back!!
MERRY CHRISTMAS!!!!!!!!!!!!
(And BRING ON THE BAILEY'S ALREADY!)
Friday, December 17, 2010
Leave it to the DAT
DAT
+
=
Fricken
Hilarity.
Decorating for Christmas has been a big goal around The Asylum these days.
Trees inside,
Santa,
a Nativity scene outside,
And
The
Deer.
The Deer Move.
Funniest blasted thing I have seen in AGES now.
DAT went out the door about two hours after the deer had been set up.
Instantly, (after stepping off the porch and wandering about the yard some,)
DAT sees something ... different... in the yard.
(No she isn't the most observant kitten around...)
She drops belly to the ground...
making her way slowly slowly towards the interlopers....
And the deer MOVED.
DAT about turned herself inside out.
She flipped herself around,
up in the air,
and hauled butt back home.
Once reaching the safety of the porch,
she had to re-assess the situation.
Carefully, she made her way inch by inch back to the moving deer.
This time though, she didn't flip and run.
This time, she inched up bit by careful bit,
Belly in the grass,
until she could reach out and sniff the deer.
It
Was
Hilarious.
I figure it is revenge for her beating the snot out of the Christmas tree inside.
Thursday, December 16, 2010
Kiss It Goodbye....
Hear that sound? No, it isn't the last of my sanity, fleeing at top speed. (Close though.) It is not the last of the year rushing by at lightening speed either. No, it is instead....A very loud....
*SMOOOOOOOCH*ing sound.
Because I kissed my Golden Hermit Status Goodbye for the year. It has been violated SO often this fall into winter, that there is NO CHANCE of getting in back before 2010 ends.I had a moment of weakness. And ventured into a *very* public place.
Yes, ladies and gents, I took the Locust Brothers...
To
The
MALL.
Our plan was to see Santa Claus in the mall proper. But, the jolly old elf was on break, and his elven staff were being p*ssants, sooo... we wandered off...To find *other* trouble...
Yeah, that was only part of the trouble. Our mall has one of my FAVORITE stores in it-- Bass Pro Shops. (Mikey- that gator shot is for youuuu! I tried to get one of the GINORMOUS catfish they have in the tank, but the water was murky today and I couldn't find him. Dangit!)
Turns out Bass Pro Shops had a Winter Wonderland set up for kids! And it was AWESOME!We played with trains, drove around a little NASCAR car, drove a RC monster truck...
And of course, we shot! The Locust brothers were THRILLED--- they get jealous when I go to the range, because they are not allowed on the range proper. So, today, THEY got to take turns with other kids and adults, pinging away at targets.And it was a blast.
Wrecking Crew? Oh yeah.. we were leaving (read: Cub was walking politely, even if looking depressed, while I had to almost drag Wrecker out,) said to me, "Mom, I wish our HOUSE was in there! I want to LIVE in that store!"
Seeing Santa was.... well, *I* thought it was fantastic. But the boys? Yeah--- Santa was "OK" and they kept asking if they could go shoot now.You've got to be KIDDING me! What five and six year old kids DON'T want to hang out with SANTA????
Apparently..... MINE.
Mere DAYS from Christmas, and Santa was anticlimactic for them. Wrecker spotted a Daisy Air Rifle, just like the one in that Christmas movie that we watch every year.... and that was allllll the boy could talk about. Santa even told him, "You'll shoot your eye out!" Wrecker AND Cub looked at Santa like he was on crack with that statement. I had to laugh... (Of course, not thinking, I grabbed the first clean shirt I came to. What shirt was it? My range shirt... lol)We even hit the food court. We walked the mall. We window shopped.
Kiss.My.Status.Goodbye.
Monday, December 13, 2010
Cleaning OUT The Tack Trunk!
Wow- everything is sold! Thanks!!
I hate clutter. I hate being horseless, and having clutter from a horse that has not been used (even when I HAD a horse,) in over five years. So. Time for some of this stuff to GO. Outta here. Get RID of it. Not a lot, but enough that it will help ME feel better and de- clutter some.
First up on the block is a Parelli Bareback Pad. Black in color, thick, heavy, leather latigo straps, with suede surface that KEEPS your butt in place. Very comfortable, very grippy. This one is in excellent condition. (I'll edit in pictures later today.) Check it out- suckers sell new for $264. I'm asking $100 for this one, buyer pays shipping. SOLD!!!!
Next is a chestnut leather breast collar, with a small bit of silver in the center ring. Used twice. I think I paid $40 for it, I'm asking $20, buyer pays shipping.
Latigo straps, brown nylon. Used about three times. I paid $15, will let go for $7.50, buyer pays shipping.
I looked at one leather and silver halter. Seriously thought about taking pictures of it too, but... well, the sentimental side of me took charge and ... I can't. It was Jack's, my once in a lifetime horse. I might be able to use it on another horse, but.. I'm not ready to part with it. Yep. Mrs Mom is a SAP. Because the same thought went through my mind on Jack's headstall (which I do use still...), my favorite reins, several favorite bits, a saddle pad.... Yeah. I can't part with a lot of those yet. *sigh*.. Sap. SAP. SAP!!!
Don't like a price? Email me, I'll talk. Shoot, I might even trade- let me know what you have, and what you want, and we'll see what we can do!
email: swequine@yahoo.com
(same for PayPal Address, preferred payment method please.)
I hate clutter. I hate being horseless, and having clutter from a horse that has not been used (even when I HAD a horse,) in over five years. So. Time for some of this stuff to GO. Outta here. Get RID of it. Not a lot, but enough that it will help ME feel better and de- clutter some.
First up on the block is a Parelli Bareback Pad. Black in color, thick, heavy, leather latigo straps, with suede surface that KEEPS your butt in place. Very comfortable, very grippy. This one is in excellent condition. (I'll edit in pictures later today.) Check it out- suckers sell new for $264. I'm asking $100 for this one, buyer pays shipping. SOLD!!!!
Next is a chestnut leather breast collar, with a small bit of silver in the center ring. Used twice. I think I paid $40 for it, I'm asking $20, buyer pays shipping.
Latigo straps, brown nylon. Used about three times. I paid $15, will let go for $7.50, buyer pays shipping.
I looked at one leather and silver halter. Seriously thought about taking pictures of it too, but... well, the sentimental side of me took charge and ... I can't. It was Jack's, my once in a lifetime horse. I might be able to use it on another horse, but.. I'm not ready to part with it. Yep. Mrs Mom is a SAP. Because the same thought went through my mind on Jack's headstall (which I do use still...), my favorite reins, several favorite bits, a saddle pad.... Yeah. I can't part with a lot of those yet. *sigh*.. Sap. SAP. SAP!!!
Don't like a price? Email me, I'll talk. Shoot, I might even trade- let me know what you have, and what you want, and we'll see what we can do!
email: swequine@yahoo.com
(same for PayPal Address, preferred payment method please.)
Thursday, December 9, 2010
Not to Keep You Waiting Any Longer....
Friday, December 3, 2010
For You Junkies---
More Keeley and Legacy are up!
Click here for the latest....
Thank you for stopping in and reading along there, and for letting me know what you think! I've had so much fun with this project. It's great to know that you guys are enjoying it too!
Happy Weekend!
~MM
Click here for the latest....
Thank you for stopping in and reading along there, and for letting me know what you think! I've had so much fun with this project. It's great to know that you guys are enjoying it too!
Happy Weekend!
~MM
Thursday, December 2, 2010
Sorry For The Delay--
But for you faithful Keeley junkies, here is more!
Reckoning
This whole thing was *supposed* to be a short story. But it's grown beyond "short" now. It's pretty interesting to see how this process works, and how the story grows almost by itself. Thanks for taking this particular ride with me! You've all been a help in keeping it going!!
Reckoning
This whole thing was *supposed* to be a short story. But it's grown beyond "short" now. It's pretty interesting to see how this process works, and how the story grows almost by itself. Thanks for taking this particular ride with me! You've all been a help in keeping it going!!
Looking For Cards With A Distinctive Touch?
AND want to help out a great organization?
Central Virginia Horse Rescue (501 (c) 3) has some neat items listed on eBay to help raise funds for the horses. From a beautiful hand crafted necklace, to hand painted cards featuring the one and only Baby Huey, you can't go wrong with one of these! The cards are beautiful, and capture Baby Huey really well.
Central Virginia Horse Rescue (501 (c) 3) has some neat items listed on eBay to help raise funds for the horses. From a beautiful hand crafted necklace, to hand painted cards featuring the one and only Baby Huey, you can't go wrong with one of these! The cards are beautiful, and capture Baby Huey really well.
Wednesday, December 1, 2010
Thrush. It Stinks.
Composed of anaerobic bacteria, thrush is probably the most common issue horse folks deal with world wide.
Yes- I said WORLD WIDE. Because it is literally EVERYWHERE. Living in a dry environment is NOT a guarantee that your horse will never deal with thrush. Because if there is one little weak spot, one little area (usually in the central sulcus in the middle of the frog,) it WILL get in there and create problems. The issue may be small- but it may go from small to a very BIG issue, doing quite a bit of damage inside the hoof capsule, leaving you with a horse with heel pain, who is liable to be mis-diagnosed with Navicular.
How do you recognize thrush?
If it has attacked the external frog, you'll see a dark looking frog, with "mushy" areas. Black areas. And it will smell. In a really good case, you'll be able to still smell it two weeks later. (On your hands, in your sinuses, you know- all the fun spots.)
Examine the frog closely. If you see a crack in the middle, clean it carefully with a q-tip and explore how deep it goes up in the hoof. Deep tissue thrush is a challenge, and you have got to get medication up in the hole as far as you can.
Thrush can and will invade under retained sole and bar material as well. The main purpose of this? To break away the "old" sole/ bar, so that the "new" material has some place to grow. Left untreated it can cause an abscess to from. Treatment for this is to remove the sole that is ready to go and a good scrub with water and dish soap.
Treatments:
-First, keep your horse on a regular schedule with a GOOD hoof care provider. Exercise exercise exercise exercise. Why? Because it MOVES the foot. A moving foot is a healthier foot from the INSIDE out.
- Next, decide which treatment plan suits you best. There are quite a few, listed below.
White Lightning by Grand Circuit Products (gel form) is one of my favorites. Inexpensive, easy to use, and not as time consuming, White Lightning does a great job. Directions are easy to follow.
Alba-Dry. Can be purchased from Valley Vet, Jeffers, or feed stores. Under the dairy cattle section, Alba-Dry is a mastitis treatment. PenG in a tube. Place tip of tube in affected area (such as a deep cleft in the central sulcus,) and depress plunger. Some folks poke in a bit of cotton ball on top of it, some don't. Choice is yours. Works wonderfully, and not super time consuming.
Liquid PenG, and bits of cotton ball. Soak cotton ball bits in PenG, scrub the hoof out well, and insert soaked bits in holes. Works great, a bit more time consuming, but affordable.
Mixture of triple antibiotic ointment and Lotrimin (athlete's foot cream), also known as "Pete's Goo". Pete Ramey (amazing man- read his stuff!) mixes this up and treats away. Use q-tips to apply to affected areas and in cracks. Works well- takes a bit longer at times to clear things up, but still works good. Is a bit time consuming, but not that bad.
In a pinch with my horses now and again, I've used Listerene and sprayed affected areas religiously. Clears up mild cases, smells great. Easy as long as you have trained your horse to accept a sprayer.
In severe cases- where thrush has invaded sole and things are literally mush-like: sugardine paste. Mix table sugar with povodine until you have a paste consistency. Apply to whole sole, packing in around frog as well. Add a pad, (baby diapers work great in this case,) and duct tape in place. Change daily. Monitor closely.
I have heard about using essential oils- this is not something I have personally done, but Shirley has with Beamer. I'm hoping she can pop in and let us know how things work, and what she used.
I've also heard about people who use Apple Cider Vinegar for just about everything. I've used it now and again myself, and had.... so-so luck. ACV has it's place- don't get me wrong there. But I prefer the more aggressive methods above.
Thrush Prevention:
An ounce of prevention is worth a pound of cure, and when it comes to hooves this is even MORE applicable. EXERCISE your horse. Keep the feet moving, so that the internal structures can stay healthy. Keep your horse on a schedule with a GOOD hoof care provider. Clean stalls and don't leave your horse standing in manure and urine. Mud is mud- it too is world wide and causes less problems than the germ laden dirty stalls. (Why is mud not *as* much of an issue? Because if the foot is healthy to begin with, it will stay healthy. If you add in unsanitary living conditions, and the wet conditions create a softer area, THAT is when you get thrush. Not just because your horse walked through a mud puddle. There HAVE to be other factors.)
Scrubbing the hoof out once or twice a week with dish soap won't hurt either. Proactive treatments of White Lightning now and again will not hurt either.
So why did I NOT mention bleach and water in here anywhere? Because A) Bleach is corrosive. It creates burns, and added necrotic tissue, which feeds MORE bacteria. B) If you do NOT mix the bleach and water correctly, you WILL wind up hurting your horse. And when you hurt your horse, s/he is liable to hurt YOU. There are better options, that are safer, and will not hurt you or your horse. Which is also why I did not and will not endorse the use of formaldehyde. (That and it is a carcinogen.)
There you have it. A generalized breakdown of thrush. I'm sorry I didn't include pictures of this- I do have some but I am running way short on time. If I can, I'll edit this post and add them tomorrow.
Questions? Other options? Want to tell me I'm an idiot and talking out of my hat? Fire away!
~MM
Yes- I said WORLD WIDE. Because it is literally EVERYWHERE. Living in a dry environment is NOT a guarantee that your horse will never deal with thrush. Because if there is one little weak spot, one little area (usually in the central sulcus in the middle of the frog,) it WILL get in there and create problems. The issue may be small- but it may go from small to a very BIG issue, doing quite a bit of damage inside the hoof capsule, leaving you with a horse with heel pain, who is liable to be mis-diagnosed with Navicular.
How do you recognize thrush?
If it has attacked the external frog, you'll see a dark looking frog, with "mushy" areas. Black areas. And it will smell. In a really good case, you'll be able to still smell it two weeks later. (On your hands, in your sinuses, you know- all the fun spots.)
Examine the frog closely. If you see a crack in the middle, clean it carefully with a q-tip and explore how deep it goes up in the hoof. Deep tissue thrush is a challenge, and you have got to get medication up in the hole as far as you can.
Thrush can and will invade under retained sole and bar material as well. The main purpose of this? To break away the "old" sole/ bar, so that the "new" material has some place to grow. Left untreated it can cause an abscess to from. Treatment for this is to remove the sole that is ready to go and a good scrub with water and dish soap.
Treatments:
-First, keep your horse on a regular schedule with a GOOD hoof care provider. Exercise exercise exercise exercise. Why? Because it MOVES the foot. A moving foot is a healthier foot from the INSIDE out.
- Next, decide which treatment plan suits you best. There are quite a few, listed below.
White Lightning by Grand Circuit Products (gel form) is one of my favorites. Inexpensive, easy to use, and not as time consuming, White Lightning does a great job. Directions are easy to follow.
Alba-Dry. Can be purchased from Valley Vet, Jeffers, or feed stores. Under the dairy cattle section, Alba-Dry is a mastitis treatment. PenG in a tube. Place tip of tube in affected area (such as a deep cleft in the central sulcus,) and depress plunger. Some folks poke in a bit of cotton ball on top of it, some don't. Choice is yours. Works wonderfully, and not super time consuming.
Liquid PenG, and bits of cotton ball. Soak cotton ball bits in PenG, scrub the hoof out well, and insert soaked bits in holes. Works great, a bit more time consuming, but affordable.
Mixture of triple antibiotic ointment and Lotrimin (athlete's foot cream), also known as "Pete's Goo". Pete Ramey (amazing man- read his stuff!) mixes this up and treats away. Use q-tips to apply to affected areas and in cracks. Works well- takes a bit longer at times to clear things up, but still works good. Is a bit time consuming, but not that bad.
In a pinch with my horses now and again, I've used Listerene and sprayed affected areas religiously. Clears up mild cases, smells great. Easy as long as you have trained your horse to accept a sprayer.
In severe cases- where thrush has invaded sole and things are literally mush-like: sugardine paste. Mix table sugar with povodine until you have a paste consistency. Apply to whole sole, packing in around frog as well. Add a pad, (baby diapers work great in this case,) and duct tape in place. Change daily. Monitor closely.
I have heard about using essential oils- this is not something I have personally done, but Shirley has with Beamer. I'm hoping she can pop in and let us know how things work, and what she used.
I've also heard about people who use Apple Cider Vinegar for just about everything. I've used it now and again myself, and had.... so-so luck. ACV has it's place- don't get me wrong there. But I prefer the more aggressive methods above.
Thrush Prevention:
An ounce of prevention is worth a pound of cure, and when it comes to hooves this is even MORE applicable. EXERCISE your horse. Keep the feet moving, so that the internal structures can stay healthy. Keep your horse on a schedule with a GOOD hoof care provider. Clean stalls and don't leave your horse standing in manure and urine. Mud is mud- it too is world wide and causes less problems than the germ laden dirty stalls. (Why is mud not *as* much of an issue? Because if the foot is healthy to begin with, it will stay healthy. If you add in unsanitary living conditions, and the wet conditions create a softer area, THAT is when you get thrush. Not just because your horse walked through a mud puddle. There HAVE to be other factors.)
Scrubbing the hoof out once or twice a week with dish soap won't hurt either. Proactive treatments of White Lightning now and again will not hurt either.
So why did I NOT mention bleach and water in here anywhere? Because A) Bleach is corrosive. It creates burns, and added necrotic tissue, which feeds MORE bacteria. B) If you do NOT mix the bleach and water correctly, you WILL wind up hurting your horse. And when you hurt your horse, s/he is liable to hurt YOU. There are better options, that are safer, and will not hurt you or your horse. Which is also why I did not and will not endorse the use of formaldehyde. (That and it is a carcinogen.)
There you have it. A generalized breakdown of thrush. I'm sorry I didn't include pictures of this- I do have some but I am running way short on time. If I can, I'll edit this post and add them tomorrow.
Questions? Other options? Want to tell me I'm an idiot and talking out of my hat? Fire away!
~MM
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