If any one says the words "Saddle up" or "Let's ride", I am all over it. Just say the word and I'll climb on board my horse and be ready to go. The mere suggestion of going for a ride is all I need to round up my horse and prepare to head out.
Saturday started out cold and gloomy. It was 34 degrees when I fed Kabob at 5:30am. I had gotten the word from Marj to "come on down," so mid morning I loaded Roni in the trailer and drove to her place.
Roni was a hairy, muddy mess so I worked at grooming him for at least 30 minutes. Look at all the hair (which is full of dust) that I got off of him.
I helped Austin with stalls, lounged Roni, helped out a little more and then rode Roni. He was spooking at some things inside the indoor arena, which is not normally like him, but otherwise he did well.
As soon as I got home with Roni and turned him out with the other two horses, this is what he did. So much for a clean horse.
By the time I finished lunch it was after 1:00 and I was soon hit with fatigue. So, I didn't amount to much the rest of the day.
The sun came out periodically and I opened up the barn door for Kabob to see out and get some sunlight.
I let the cows into the "horse" side of the paddock so they could meet their new ally. Babe was the first to come see.
Stew took his time coming over to Kabob. He first had to investigate other areas in the paddock. He paused to scratch on the wood hitching rail and hay bin.
He finally made his way over, but was very cautious, taking his time to get a look at and smell of the new calf.
With the clouds and breeze, it was a bit drafty and cold still, so I ended the cow assemblage after an hour and had Joe get everyone back to where they belonged when he went out to work on driveway repair.
Joe made several trips back and forth with the tractor, carrying gravel to fill in all the potholes.
"Pull up a chair," as quickly said as done, by Brother or I.
I have been inviting Brother on to the front porch regularly. I am trying to encourage him to stay around here and not wander off any more.
Hercules went for a late afternoon stroll around the yard and saw something in the garage flower bed he felt necessary to scare off.
You silly turkey, it was just the flowers I bought and am waiting to plant once the ground dries up.
We ended the day enjoying watching the movie Life of Pi.
Lisa had e-mailed earlier in the week to see if I wanted to ride at Sand Ridge with her on Sunday. Just say the word. I had to work in the nursery and then rushed home to get Roni, and take him to Lisa's. He waited patiently while I loaded my gear into her trailer and she loaded Leo. 
It was a 75 minute drive to Merit's. Here, her daughter Haley, who trains horses, is working with Lisa on some possible bit options to use with Leo.
Lunch? No need to ask twice. We had pizza. Haley worked Leo in the round pen, showing Lisa some things to do, and I gave Roni a good brushing before tacking up. He waits patiently.
Then we hit the trail... Haley and Lisa on their quarter horses, Merit (with the hat) and I on our Paso Finos.
There were several branches and little trees down on some of the smaller side trails. Haley cleared many while on her horse. He has been trained to drag branches where and when asked.
This one tree was too big and not completely broken off so Haley got down to try to free it. Then Merit and finally Lisa tried. I stayed aboard Roni and held Leo for Lisa. We ended up going around the obstruction that could not be moved out of the way.
We took our time on the trail, stopping to chat or rest the horses. But we also pushed them up to faster gaits. 
The quarter horses trotted or loped together, while Merit and I usually gaited with our Paso Finos.
We returned to Merit's house to rest and water the horses, change bits on Leo, and Haley switched horses to work a greener one she has been training. In reality, horses should continually be in training, as we riders should too. There is always more to learn and improve on.
Anyway, Haley showed us this trick she has taught her well trained horse.
After five hours of horsing around, it was time to un-tack, load and go. Done - Don't say that word.
No one likes the "D" words - depart or deceased. When I went out to close the chicken coop Sunday night, I found Tiny, on her back, on the floor, dead. I don't know what happened, but suspect Kaysha might be to blame. Poor Tiny, I'll miss that cute little bird.
To say the word of God, or speak His words, we need to read them, know them, and keep them in our heart. We also need to be still and let the word of God speak to us.I was very sore from my riding Monday morning, especially feeling it during Water Lilies and walking. I used the indoor track knowing it would be too crummy to walk outside. It was a rainy day with showers off and on all day. It was enough to keep me in from gardening or working with the horses. So, I sat on the front porch with Brother and Kaysha, and read more from my Bible for a change. I think Roni was sore too because he was lying in the back pasture with Amigo and Zorro standing near by... something he never does.
Hearing about the terrorist attack at the Boston Marathon added to the dreary, dark, (More bad "D" words) depressing day. I got caught up with watching it on the news, which ate up my time for the remainder of the day. The storms Monday night had the dog barking fearfully. I tried to ignore her, but ended up getting up and giving her a tranquilizer at 12:20 am. I sat reading, downstairs, to help comfort the dog, but my need for sleep hit before Kaysha's medication, and I fell asleep on the office bed with the dumb dog quivering and panting with her tongue near my face.
Because of the cold wind, the horses were standing along
the snow fence that protects the weeping willow out in the back
pasture. It makes a good wind block for them. It was another
do-nothing-day for me, as I messed here at my computer most of the time
and hoped it would clear off so I could work outside... but it didn't.Joe and I went to the Replex and I really enjoyed my workout because I once again had music. The player had been tucked away in the Expedition for our trip to Tennessee and never resurfaced till now. We enjoyed a tasty dinner of Beef Brisket that had been cooking in the crock pot most of the day. Then we watched, on TV, further developments on the Boston bombings.
There was more rain, cold and wind through the night and Wednesday morning. I have been keeping the horses in the paddock from when I feed at 5:30 until I go to Water Lilies at 7:30. This reduces their grass intake.
Above, they followed me to the gate. Once the gate was opened, Roni burst past the other two and galloped off.
Amiga and Zorro were soon in hot pursuit.
In an effort to get Babe used to the trailer, I fed the cows their morning hay out of the back of it.
Our fearless leader was gone from Water Lilies so I reluctantly stepped in to help out, and the former PE teacher/ aerobics instructor in me took over.
I have been selling our eggs to the Water Lily ladies for a dollar a dozen... just to help off set feed costs. So far, there has been more demand than supply. I had been getting 5 or 6 eggs a day, but with the cold and clouds the hens have really slowed down. I guess they need sunlight like I do, or are boycotting the weather... that, or some of them are hiding their eggs.
Hercules and some of the girls made their rounds. I called Kaysha over and Hercules let her know to stay away from the hens.
My perception from the cloud coverage and indoor temperature Wednesday afternoon, was that it was cold outside. But when I went out to clean stalls, including the calf pen, it was 66 degrees and foggy, even inside the barn. I gave Kabob his bottle, threw more hay to the cows, fed the chickens, and checked everyone's water. By the time I was about to head back to the house, the wind had really picked up, and the sky was very dark. So I closed several barn doors. Before I got back to the house it started raining, and was pouring as I hung up my rain coat inside. I noticed that the temperature had dropped 10 degrees. It continued to drop another 10 degrees while I was fixing supper. The day got darker with the news of a massive explosion at a fertilizer plant in Texas. We were under a tornado watch till midnight, so I gave the dog a tranquilizer and had a beer while we watched an exciting episode of Survivor. I hoped all would be quiet until morning, as I headed up to bed.
Thankfully I had a great, uninterrupted night of sleep. All was calm, warm and balmy Thursday morning when I went out at 5:30 to give Kabob his bottle. But shortly after sunrise, a storm started brewing. I went back out to get the horses back into the barn just before the down pour.
The cows had been east of the water way when the rains hit. This is all the farther they got on their way to the corn crib. They turned their butts to the wind and rain and stood there at the opened paddock gate until the worst of the storm passed. 
Water Lilies had been canceled because of lightening, so it was a lazy but stormy morning for me.
I tried getting photos of the flooding from our second floor windows.
I made a second trip to the barn to give the horses hay and Kabob his bottle before heading to LeRoy.
Food? Say no more. I'm in. I joined twelve other Water Lilies for a luncheon outing. Gail drove her bus, taking us to the Merna Tap, a little bar and grill. It was raining so hard, water came in through the ceiling vent of the bus.
Driving home from LeRoy, I got more pictures of our water way...
and front ditch...
and front pasture.
I got home and soon discovered our internet was dead, so watched TV.
Kaysha was nervous, but able to relax with me in the family room and the TV on. I was watching news of the Texas Fertilizer plant explosion. The image of what was left of a house a half mile away, helped me not feel so bad about a little rain and no internet.
Once Joe was home from work,we got Babe loaded onto the trailer,
in probably under ten minutes of time, and then off to market they went.
Stew proceeded to go nuts...
The rest of the photos on this post are of him looking for Babe.
He ran all over the paddock looking everywhere for Babe and bawling most of the time.
Joe was late getting back because it took them 30 minutes to get Babe to get off the trailer. Then we went shopping and to Courtney's to fill water jugs and have dinner. We were celebrating Joe's Birthday. He now has exactly one year left until he intends to retire.
One of the chickens was missing when we got home from Courtney's so I looked all over, using a flashlight, because it was getting dark. Stew was bawling the whole time I was outside. I was starting to feel pretty bad for him and for Babe. She would be in a holding pen overnight, and who knows what she would be going through all by herself there, in an unfamiliar place. This is just too hard sometimes. At least I found the chicken. I hate to see my pets and livestock frightened or suffering.
The wind was turbulent all night, as was my mind. I finally got up at 3am Friday and sorted papers into files since we didn't have internet. It was in the mid 30s with strong winds when I did morning chores. After Water Lilies and walking I went to McDonalds so I could finish and publish this post. It was actually spitting a few little snow specks. Don't say the "S" word!
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