The Three "Fs"

Family, Friends and Fellowship! 

     "Fellowship means being a part of a group, a body of people.  It is opposed to isolation, solitude, loneliness, and our present-day independent kind of individualism.  Of course, it does not stop there because we can be in a crowd of people and even share certain things in common, but still not have fellowship.  Fellowship means having or sharing with others certain things in common such as interest, goals, feelings, beliefs, activities, labor, privileges, responsibilities, experiences, and concerns". (J. Hampton Keathley, III)  Fellowship with family, friends, neighbors, co-workers, etc. is an important thing.

     Once again, I am trying to cut the mundane out of my posts.  As Carol is doing, I want to try to go heavier on photos with captions and have less text.  But some of the more noteworthy experiences I have, I am not usually able to capture on film. 

     Carol came for the weekend and we had a good time talking about farming, blogging, dogs, horses, sheep, etc.
We enjoyed eating together, as well as walking, watching TV and horsing around.

     Saturday morning I had arranged to take Amiga and Roni to Marj's so Carol and I could ride.  I was excited and eager to get going, and I had no idea how long it would take to get Amiga to load because I have not asked her to get on a trailer for probably a year now.  So, I went out way ahead of schedule. 








     I had kept the two horses in the barn, so let one graze while I brushed and picked hooves of the other.

     Then for the moment of truth... loading Amiga.  I was amazed that she got right on without hardly hesitating. 




     We arrived at Marj's and prepared to unload Amiga.  Remembering that she rushes off the trailer, I warned Carol and instructed her what to do when it was time.  Then I had a senior moment and forgot to untie Amiga from the trailer.  So, when Carol opened the dividing pannel, Amiga ran backwards off the trailer, but she hit the end of the rope. With back feet off the trailer and front feet on, she struggled for what seemed like the longest time (maybe 30 seconds), all the while I was repeatedly screaming "Oh My God"!  I could not get her rope untied because she had it pulled so tight.  Amiga finally gave up and jumped back on the trailer.  We were both
                                                     shaking like a leaf.  Carol appeared
to remain calm and collected, and thankfully not hurt.  I think she is better with horses than I am.  :-/   After calming us both down, our second attempt to unload went much better. 



     Being so determined to ride with Carol, I proceeded to saddle both horses.


     Then it dawned on me to check Amiga for injuries.  And this is what we saw.



     Both her back legs were very scraped up, like a bad rug burn.  But at least there weren't any deep cuts.  I knew she was bruised though, so we decided not to ride her.

     After getting Amiga's wounds washed with soap and water, we tied her out in the arena so she wouldn't get as bored, nor have to stand on concrete.









     Then we took turns riding Roni.  When Carol rode, I gave her some pointers in an effort to help her out.  She did great.


     Carol took all of these photos, but her camera batteries died, so I have no photos of her riding.  I had been lazy and didn't take my camera.






     Carol took more photos during our walk Sunday morning.  Notice how tall the grass and alfalfa is getting.  We got our first cutting May 17th last year.

    Kaysha and Ike are good friends and always
have a fun
time exploring together.

     I love our lane up to the house.  The last big rain storm we had washed out most of the new gravel Joe put down, so we have a bunch of pot holes again.  You can see that not all of our trees have leafed out yet.

    Carol and I had a great visit.  As usual it went all too quickly and she was soon on the road headed back to her farm in Indiana.

     Joe and I then got busy, he washing screens and I the windows.
It truly is spring when the windows can be opened.  The screens sure help to keep out the bugs (also part of spring).

     While Joe mowed, I went to take care of the willow tree out in the pasture that reportedly was bent over again.  Bent over... it had been pulled almost to the ground and was severely pruned by the horses.




     I re-did all the twine and hoses, and using my step ladder, got the tree back up-right.  I think it will survive this most recent assault, but it does look kind of scrappy at the moment.  The branches no longer weep, but the tree itself may be weeping.
 
     Monday morning I went to Water Lilies and came home for a second cup of tea as usual.  I let Brother in on the front porch many mornings.  Abbey was looking out the window, spying on him.






     I have little recollection of the rest of my day.  I did notice the Lilacs in full bloom.  And they smell right nice too.



     I also discovered this rabbit's foot, with other typical left over debris, in Roni's feed manger, where I put the hay.  I doubt he is keeping it for good luck, but suspected one of the barn kitties gifted it.

     I dropped by Courtney's for drinking water on my way to Growth Group late afternoon.  Joe has started playing in a golf league Monday after work, so came late, missing fellowship but being in time for the Bible study.

     After Water Lilies and more tea Tuesday morning, I went out to ride Roni.  Spur of the moment, I decided to go to Moraine View again.  It was hot in the sun and there has been a lot of commotion in the "neighborhood" with tractors moving up and down farm roads and fields.  I was actually out at the park from noon to 4pm, riding for almost three hours.

     I worked Roni at the picnic table mount, getting him to stand still the whole time I messed around.  The last time I tried using a picnic table as a mounting block, October 2011, Roni spun and I fell and broke my wrist. 

     I had quite an adventuresome ride.  Not one minute into the woods, Roni spooked at this big bad wolf log.  So I asked him to stop and stand quietly while looking at it.


     The woodland continues to fill out with lots of flowering foliage.




     We saw lots of deer tracks on the muddy trail, and a few deer as well.







     We came upon this blue van that was very stuck in the mud.  The mushroom hunters had called a friend to come help, but did not know their coordinates.  So I rode Roni (at a good clip) more than a mile down to the road to get the needed information.  There was no road name, so I flagged down the first car... and low and behold, it was Eloise, a lady I ride with occasionally.  After returning (again at a fast gait) to the deliver the needed information, I chatted for a bit and then Roni and I were on our way.

     We returned to the woods where it was cooler.  A little later, we almost stepped on this!  Can you see it in the photo below?












     I had stopped Roni just in time.  We waited for this muddy garter snake to move out of the way, but it never did, so we went around it. 

     I rode out in the meadow again.  This flattened grass had recently been a deer's bed.







     Under the shade of this Crab Apple, I let Roni graze for a minute (which is a no, no).  I am willing to bend the rules in an effort to get Roni to relax when we stop, and reward him when he does. 



     Roni got more grazing time, resting in the shade back at camp...







...while I sat at the front of the trailer and read my Bible.



     Some clouds rolled through at sunset, but we didn't get any rain with these.

     I was out working in the yard before 10am Wednesday.  I spent a few hours weeding the rock garden.  Here are before and after shots.






















Notice the very full wheelbarrow in the background of this after shot on the right.





     The phlox is in full bloom.

     I love the different shapes and colors contrasted against the rocks.






     Joe mowed once he got home, and I helped out some.  But when Courtney came, I decided to horse around with her.

     Missy hops aboard the tractor that was temporarily parked until Courtney and I got done in the round pen.  I helped Courtney while she rode Zorro for 10 minutes.  He was rusty and a little unpredictable, but the old schooling was coming back to him and he did well.


     Once Courtney was done, I headed over to Beck's on Roni.

     I rode all around, up and down the grass ways between the fields.












     It was another pretty night.
     I rode until 7:30.



     Thursday was a rainy day, perfect for doing laundry and packing.  Betty and Hercules came to greet me when I got home from Water Lilies.  The other girls stayed under Hutch's trailer out of the rain. 



     I spent over an hour cleaning my very dirty saddle.  As usual, Betty and Hercules came to see what I was doing.




     Once done, the cats had to investigate as well.





     Late afternoon I went to Marj's to load all my gear and help with some last minute trailer preparation.  Then Joe and I went to the Replex where I walked almost 3 miles.  I am so excited and ready for a weekend of riding and fellowship with friends.

     When I go into Britney's room to take a letter up to her desk, change the sheets on the guest bed, or hang up my swim towel in her bathroom... I think about her being here, inhabiting this place.  I get more excited with each passing day... nine more to go until she will be in our fellowship again.

     The first picture on this blog really reminds me of time spent (3 days this week) with the Water Lilies.  It is a wonderful fellowship of women water exercisers.
                                                           God directs us to fellowship with
each other.  Hebrews 10:24+25  "And let us consider how we may spur one another on toward love and good deeds. Let us not give up meeting together, as some are in the habit of doing, but let us encourage one another--".  And God wants us to fellowship with Him.  2 John 1:9  "For if you wander beyond the teaching of Christ, you will not have fellowship with God. But if you continue in the teaching of Christ, you will have fellowship with both the Father and the Son".