The Round Up

     With each day, as our move becomes more imminent, I have started sorting things out in my mind, as to what will go to TN, and what won't.  As for items that don't make the
"to go" list, I have been mulling over their future.

     The future of Roni has been my biggest concern.  The young lady, Lexi, who has ridden him three times now, really likes his personality, and is interested in him... but not ready to commit.  I know I shouldn't rush this, but I get so anxious about finding him a good home.  I think she would be a great owner and person for him.

    When I woke up at 5am Saturday morning, I was doing the chores in darkness.  I don't like that the amount of sunlight is dwindling.  Anyway, I noticed some things a-miss in the yard and a puddle by the tack room in the barn.  After letting the horses and chickens out, I returned to my desk to enjoy my tea.  As the sun rose, I noticed a dark figure out in the yard looking in at me.

     I could see Kabob out in the pasture, but knew immediately that Stew was up to mischief again.  He was trying to get a drink out of the bird bath by the time I got outside.  Time to round him up... and I'd like to head him out.    

     He followed me (with his food dish) right back into the pasture.  In the process of knocking over the water tub again, he had somehow pushed the gate open.  It wasn't until later in the day, that I discovered how.  He was rubbing his head on the gate and got his horn hooked on the chain that
                                                           fastens the gate shut.

     Not only did I have to set back up and refill the water tub, but as I looked around the barn and yard I discovered more amiss.  There was cow poo in Amiga's stall, you can probably guess what the mystery puddle by the tack room was, and a bale of hay was pulled out of place and coming apart.



     In the yard a lawn chair had been knock over (which I had seen earlier) this side table had been broken, and...






one of my red buds and some of the forsythia had been demolished.  Bad, bad, cow!  I also had to go around the yard with the manure wheel barrow.  It will not be too heart breaking sending him off in the trailer with Joe.

     I cut off my Saturday morning AIM chat time with Britney before 10:00, needing to take care of things around the house and farm yard.  While dead-heading all the day lilies along the drive, I got a call from house shoppers who scheduled a 6pm showing, I moved inside to get it ready.

     Courtney arrived before 1pm, we loaded Roni and Amiga, and headed down the road for Country View Stables, the new place where Zorro will be living.


     Karen (the owner/manager) had invited us to join their group for a "trail" ride around the block.   Courtney shows Amiga to Karen's mom, Rae, from Water Lilies.




     It was quite the procession... 9 horses, 7 riders and Rae in the golf cart.

     Courtney rode Amiga, (since Zorro was not quite ready for this big of an outing).  Karen below and Jennifer (one of the boarders) both pony-ed one of their other horses. 

     Amiga was pretty full of herself, and wanted to gait much of the time.  Courtney did well with her.  We mostly stayed at the head of the pack because our Paso Finos just walk too fast.  Roni did pretty well, but I had to ask him often to relax and slow down. 




     I put Roni at the end of the line-up for awhile and was pleased with how well he did.  He was calm enough I could take several photos.




     I had to fill the SUV with gas on the way home.  Once everything was unloaded and Courtney left, I had 45 minutes to get ready for house shoppers.  They spent an hour looking at everything, (even the tractor I mentioned we were selling).  As with most folks, they really liked what they saw, but selling their house or getting financing was the issue.

     I slept well, waking after 6am Sunday, and felt refreshed.  I went to early Church, shopped, unpacked once home, and then got ready to leave again.  This time Lexi came over, helped me load horses, and followed me to Moraine View.  We took our time brushing and tacking Roni and Amiga.  I showed Lexi how to lunge Roni and then she rode him around our camp site working on stops and goes and seeing how he was going to handle.  He did great!  Lisa arrived just as I was climbing on board Amiga, and then the three of us hit the trail.  I was pleased with how well Amiga and Roni did.  It was so nice to have Lisa along, with Leo, who kind of set the pace.  She also answered questions and was so helpful.

     We did some trotting and galloping in addition to talking while walking through the woods.  Roni would stand calmly, even after coming to a halt after galloping.  We had Lexi ride at the front, in the middle, and at the back of the group.  I was glad she liked how Roni did and enjoyed her ride.


     It started sprinkling just before we arrived back at the camp ground.  Getting the horses loaded and home went smoothly.  Zorro came to welcome Roni, Amiga and I as we pulled into the drive, and then...

he raced us up the drive to the barn.  I think he did not appreciate being left behind two days in a row.

     I was at the kitchen sink fixing a late lunch when a car pulled in.  I thought "Oh no, another house shopper."  But it was Megan and her mom who wanted to see our Paso Finos.  Zorro was the only horse to come up to us to visit.  He loved the attention they gave him.  By the time I got back inside, my late lunch became an early dinner, I put on my PJ's and declared the "day over."  A quick load of laundry and catching up here at my computer and it was soon bedtime, just after Joe got home from his three day golf weekend.
                                                                I think Brother must know I am in a
quandary about whether he stays or goes to TN.  He has been slowly working his way inside the house, and more and more into my heart.  I really love this cat and want to take him with us.  But I wonder if he wouldn't be happier left here?  I just don't think our buyers are big animal lovers or especially fond of cats.  I know Missy would be happier here, she is not near as social or adventuresome.  What I need to figure out is if I can keep Brother comfortably outside during the days, without him running off, and in at night down in Tennessee.
 
     It was tough putting my suit on for Water Lilies Monday because the day was cool and cloudy.  I spent the rest of my morning at my computer.  Once I got outside, I realized how nice it was, and worked till dinner time rounding up our rummage.  I was gathering and

cleaning all the stuff seen in the left photo (except Brother), that I would be taking to Carol's.

     We are preparing to start a new six week study at Growth Group that I hope we will be able to attend all the sessions of.  We are taking turns with the leading of the study, so I picked a week that seemed the most doable. 

     I wanted to go to Water Lilies Tuesday, knowing I would be gone the rest of the week, but had been up for a few hours in the middle of the night, so decided to take a morning nap instead.  The horses resting mid- morning too, out on the front pasture.

Roni in his fly mask.

     I continued organizing and cleaning in various out-buildings as I prepared to go to Carol's.  I got crates ready for the chickens and turkey and cleaned stuff out of the coop. 







     The girls relaxing in the shade, wishing they could get to the new green grass and Day Lily sprouts.


     Bad chicken!  She dug a new hole where I have been trying to get the grass to grow.

     Late afternoon Lexi arrived and we loaded Roni and went to Welgreen Farm. 



     Lexi spent 40 minutes working with Roni in preparation for the lesson with Marj, who was running a bit late. 






     It was good that horse and prospective buyer could have some bonding time.  We took Roni out into the outdoor arena, but he was so wound up, we couldn't get him to gait calmly or smoothly.




     The lesson was a good start for Lexi.  She is a great rider and a fast learner, but Roni was just too nervous to proceed very far with him. I was starting to feel discouraged and losing hope of selling him.

     Once home, I unloaded Roni and all my tack and then Joe and I worked well after dark loading the trailer with stuff to go to Carol's.  It was easy getting all the birds in the crates after they had fallen asleep.  We even put the crates on the trailer regardless of there
                                                               being rain in the forecast overnight.

     Wednesday morning I was up way before dawn.  After my tea, I was soon on the road, before sun-up, headed for Carol's.  I arrived around 8:30 my time.  Everything had traveled well and we started unloading.




     Once the hay was in the barn and we had the area secure against chicken escape, we let the birds out of the cages. 








     The hens were quick to start exploring, especially liking the pile of old and new hay. 

     Hercules was a bit disgruntled, not sure what to do.  But he wasn't hugely upset either.




     The girls really felt safe up high and liked the visual vantage point.


     They wasted little time in looking for food and a place to lay eggs.  The spaces between the bales made perfect nesting areas.




    
     Wednesday - Friday flew by.  We had a great three day visit.  It was a nice balance of work, play and rest. 

     We went on several walks, brushed the dogs, and worked on training Meg.









     She was especially interested in the "sick" chicken (with the crop issues) that I had brought.  Carol researched and we spent a lot of time trying to help her out.  Below we had her in the cat crate that Meg was fixated on.

     We had some storms over night Wednesday so I medicated the dog who had woken us at 2am.  Mid- morning Thursday Uncle John and Aunt Mirium came for a visit and then followed us into Crawfordsville.  We had a great lunch and continued our visit.  Then they headed back to Chicago and we went shopping.

     Carol bought a large dog kennel, seen here with the stash of eggs we had found among the bales of hay.








     The boys (right) looking out at the girls.
Below the ladies and lambs have been rounded up and moved to this section of field out front.  The round-up is so much easier with a border collie (or two) to help out.













    We were making progress with the sick chicken, and had moved her back into this cage for food restriction and further monitoring and treatment. 

     Carol is not comfortable moving off and on a ladder at it's high end, so I did some chores for her requiring that. 



     I couldn't fix her antenna, but trimmed branches around the house and pole barn.

...taking a break to rest and look out across the country side from my vantage point.






     I worked at patching a hole in her barn roof, which even made me a little nervous with the pitch of the roof.  I had to hang on to the hammer and nails that kept wanting to slide off.

     Here I am laughing at myself getting down because I had snagged my shorts on a nail that was sticking up.

     I hammered in all the nails that had popped out some, that I could reach along the upper roof.  With a storm moving in, Carol convinced me to quit and get down. 









     We never really got any rain at Carol's.  I loaded up my suitcase and dog and left for home at 2:15. 


     I drove in rain about half the time, but it was also dry, but cool and cloudy, when I got home.






     Abbey and Brother were glad to see me.  It felt kind of different without the chickens, but was nice to not have them to worry about.

 
                                                                 The round up (and move) of our
things has really only just begun.  It felt great to get rid of the chickens and be able to give Carol some useful items.  Next to collect will be the LeRoy storage unit items to go to Tennessee.