desert horses

Fence in the fog~Friday Fences~January 27, 2012

2012-01-26T19:15:00.000-08:00

Dead tree and fence in the fog last weekend up by the horse ranch. The weather up there is VERY different from down in the desert and I'm always intrigued by the differences between the two environments. We don't often get fog in the desert, but it is fairly frequent up in our local mountains. SkyWatch Friday for January 27, 2012. To visit Friday Fences, please go to: http://lifeaccordingtojanandjer.blogspot.com/

Louisiana horses

2012-01-24T21:00:00.000-08:00

I know you have read about the horses in Louisiana and their situation. It's just so awful...I looked up their pedigrees and there are some nice mares still alive that need new homes.

Here's the link to the Louisiana Horse Rescue Association, if you could make a donation. I mailed out my check yesterday. These mares need HELP!

http://lahorserescue.com/horsesofmany.html

and here's their facebook page: http://www.facebook.com/#!/LHRA1

Thank you.

Sunni's tale and tail

2012-01-22T15:40:00.000-08:00

So, I braved the wind gusts on Saturday to get up to the horse ranch where the herd is boarded. It was drizzling and the wind was blowing sideways! Quad and Sunni and Gigondas were out of feed, so I went to the feed store and bought 4 bags of pellets~bermuda, orchard, and sweet feed. Before I left to go to the feed store, the ranch owner came up to me and told me that SOMEBODY had chewed off Sunni's long, gorgeous tail! Sunni had a beautiful, long, full tail, which I trimmed about every other visit! It was full and hung long and flowing. Er..uh..not anymore! (see pics of his tail now)...To see the photos of the perpetrator, please look at the bottom photos! GUESS WHO??? (...smacking head on forehead)...well, at least he isn't cribbing on his water trough or feeder!

Birds~Sunday Stills Challenge~012212

2012-01-22T08:50:00.000-08:00

I wasn't going to do this week's challenge at first, but then I remembered that last week we took the grandson to the Living Desert Reserve in Palm Desert and I took him through one of the aviaries there. There was a white egret there and he liked the white bird. There are a lot of these egrets here in the desert. I see them at the resorts and golf courses. I even see them down by my school, out in the fields. Sunday stills Challenge for January 22, 2012.

storm update~Sunday

2012-01-22T05:10:00.000-08:00

Our local paper is reporting that the Humana golf tournament was cancelled yesterday due to the high winds. Several cars were involved in a traffic accident out on Interstate 10 and an apartment building in Palm Springs lost power after a tree fell on it. In Palm Desert, tree limbs litter the streets. We were LUCKY that our cottonwood and 2 large eucalyptus trees held up. At one point, I did think we were going to lose our huge mesquite tree which covers our front porch, but it remains standing. It's still dark yet and I may go out later with my camera for a drive. The winds were clocked at 66 miles per hour at the Palm Springs airport! YIKES! Here are a couple of scenes from yesterday, up on Highway 74, which I drive to get to my horses.

Saturday

2012-01-21T14:37:00.000-08:00

Oh, my goodness! The wind today is something ELSE~ I had to drive up the mountain to buy pellets for the horses and on the way, I wasn't even sure if I'd make it all the way. It was that windy! I figured I would just drive as far as I could and just see...I did make it, but it was misting heavily up there and and windy and the mist was coming down sideways! I bought pellets for the herd, unloaded 4 bags, gave them some, and came home. Along the way back down the hill, the wind gusts nearly knocked me off the road a couple of times! I drove very slowly and pulled off onto each turnout, just to slow down! Believe me, NOBODY was speeding down that mountain today! I stopped to take this photo of the clouds moving along the mountains. It's good to be home, but we just had a gust of wind that nearly took the roof off our house! I was afraid that we'd lose some trees in the front yard, but so far, they're still with us! UPDATE: Hubby reported that several trees fell on cars over at the hotel and the streets of Palm Desert are littered with trees and tree branches!

Fence and field~Friday Fences~012012

2012-01-20T07:19:00.000-08:00

I was driving around last weekend up in the mountains where I board the herd and came upon this field and fence. The fence wasn't much to look at, but there were crows out in the field. They seem to like this corner and I frequently see them there. Friday Fences for January 20, 2012. To visit Friday Fences, please go to: http://lifeaccordingtojanandjer.blogspot.com/

SICK!!!!

2012-01-20T04:43:00.000-08:00

Well, I've done pretty well so far this year, but now I'm sick...sore throat, congestion. You know. The "creeping crud"...DARN! Two teachers have pneumonia and the kiddos at school have some kind of stomach virus. Oh joy!

Lana go "AAAAHHHHHHH!"

2012-01-19T04:41:00.000-08:00

This is from the mouth of our nearly-three year old grandson yesterday afternoon...."Lana go 'AAAAHHHHH!" and he raised his hands in the air...hmmmm...so our son asked her what happened at the day care yesteday afternoon. Turns out, she had taken all the kidlets out for a walk and a big dog came by and scared them...not sure if it was a pit bull or what. After talking to the husband, they said it was a Great Dane. Anyway, one little one got so scared he peed in his pants. Ben, our grandson, just watched. Remember, his family had the Weimeraner, which we now have, so he's used to big dogs. Ahhh....from the mouths of babes! Here are some pics from Monday's trip to the Living Desert to see the trains. Ben is fascinated by them and I didn't get any photos of his face...he was so busy looking at them!

What am I learning?

2012-01-17T06:03:00.000-08:00

Lisa, of Laughing Orca Ranch, asked me to post what I've learned so far from my horsemanship lessons. Well, first of all, I've gained confidence. I was so shaken after my fall that I didn't do much with ANY of my horses for over a year. I just couldn't. I limped around and could barely move my feet. My legs were constantly cramping and my balance was way off. I went up and fed them and talked to them, but I really didn't interact with any of them, except Sunni. He's always been my love! For another year, I also didn't do much. I really was in limbo. I wasn't sure if my legs would recover and I was afraid to have another accident. I did have my cousin come up and work with Sunni about 4x, until he crow-hopped while she was on the phone. That was the end of that. So, getting my own confidence back was a big step for me personally. Fortunately, the lesson horse down in Indio is so well trained that he's a breeze to work with! I've learned how to get him to drop his head, how to properly lead (not let the horses get ahead of me!), how to flex, how to yield the front and hindquarters, and now I can pick up all of Sunni's and Gigo's feet! (I used to only be able to do the front ones...). My trainer also showed me how she rides a horse bareback and gives cues with her legs. I'm not ready for that, yet, but if I continue to watch her, I'll be able to ride someday. Oh, and she told me, "If you are on a horse and you look at the ground, THAT's where you'll end up!" Hmmm...something for me to think about! She also demonstrated how to get her horse to go where she wants just by looking beyond that point. You know, I really haven't had lessons for several years (I did ride my cousin's horses a couple of times), but otherwise, I haven't had any lessons since I was in high school! That's MANY, MANY years ago! So, basically, for me, I'm learning all this from the beginning. So, Lisa, I guess the most important thing I've learned so far is to be more confident with my horses. I have now worked Sunni, Gigondas, Cali, and Scout with my new-found skills and they ALL did well (except Cali, who just didn't "get it")...I wanted to go back yesterday and work with them again, but we had to babysit the grandson all day since his daycare was closed and both of his parents had to work. That's my instructor, Annette, with Riley, my lesson horse. Isn't he beautiful? And, well-trained?

Sunday breakfast and another surprise today!

2012-01-16T06:38:00.000-08:00

We had breakfast with our daughter and son-in-law down in Indio yesterday morning. They made bacon, eggs, a fruit compote, and croissants with Nutella and bananas! Just look! Today's breakfast is ebelskiver, which are Danish round pancakes. Here's a link: http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/%C3%86bleskiver We always order them when we stop in Buellton and order them at The Little Mermaid restaurant. I'll post some photos of them tomorrow.

horses today~Scout and Cali

2012-01-15T18:56:00.000-08:00

It was a cold, cloudy, windy day today. After breakfast with our daughter and son-in-law, I drove up to the ranch to work with the two mustangs, Scout and Cali, offering them my newly-acquired horsemanship skills! :-) Scout did really well with everything I asked of her, except walking. She trotted. I just couldn't get her to slow down! She flexed, she moved her front and her hindquarters. She is so SMART! Cali, on the other hand, is ...well...she's a valley girl! (no offense to "valley girls")...she just wants to look pretty! She would barely walk (she's super lazy!) ...flexing? Huh? What? Like? Moving her hindquarters? Huh? What? Duh? She'd rather sit in my lap! They both need a LOT of work. I'm going to have my trainer up there start working Scout every week. She shows a lot of attitude, but once she started working this afternoon, she paid attention and focused. Then it got so cold and windy that I quit for the day and gave all the horses an extra helping of beet pulp, oil, and pellets. It's going to be down to 23 degrees for the next few nights and they will need the extra calories.

Can anybody help these two horses?

2012-01-15T07:27:00.000-08:00

Can anybody help these two thoroughbreds who were each purchased by a kill buyer at Mike's Auction last night for $150.00 each? The first is Smooth in Public, a 6 year old gelding. Here's the link to his pedigreequery page: http://www.pedigreequery.com/smooth+in+public KB bought him for $150 and is willing to sell him for $350.00. The second one is Red Beach. Here's his link: http://www.pedigreequery.com/red+beach He's out of Grindstone. And, here's the link to the rescue who is trying desperately to find homes and bail for them before 2:00 p.m. today, Pacific time: http://www.facebook.com/#!/pages/Southern-California-Thoroughbred-Rescue/155169894561912 If you don't have Facebook, here's the direct link to the res http://www.sctbrescue.org/cue: Time is running out for these two. Thank you and please share, if you can! I do believe you could also sponsor or foster these guys once their bail is paid.

My lesson today

2012-01-14T16:33:00.000-08:00

I'm sitting here this afternoon blogging and watching "Seabiscuit". What a great movie. Between the movie Seabiscuit and Secretariat, I like the movie Seabiscuit better. I think it had more human interaction and Seabiscuit's story, well, it's just compelling. My grandfather used to sit me on his lap and tell me stories of Seabsicuit and how he used to take my mom and my aunt to Santa Anita to watch "The Biscuit" run. I knew he was a come-from-behind horse from those stories. Grandad LOVED "The Biscuit". Me? I watched Secretariat's Belmont from my grandparents' living room back in 1973. It was the second year of my marriage and my husband was there to see his win. And, in 2005, I saw a young colt, a beautiful chestnut, that I fell in love with making the rounds of Hollywood Park and Del Mar, and Santa Anita, and I went to see him watch every race in Southern California. His name is Stevie Wonderboy and he's a double sided great-great grandson of Secretariat. When he ran in the Breeder's Cup Juvenile, I bet everything I had on him, across the board, and the money that I won from his win started me on my horse journey. I'm now taking horsemanship lessons and today my trainer asked me to show her what I've been practicing. Then she hopped on Riley, her lesson horse, bareback, and showed me what she can do with him just using her legs. Amazing! Someday I'll be on Riley, but not yet! That's Ripley and my trainer, Annette.

Mountain skies~Skywatch Friday~011312

2012-01-13T05:17:00.000-08:00

I love driving up the mountains to go visit my horses each weekend. Sometimes the sky is clear and blue, but sometimes there are clouds overhead and they present spectacular views, like these. SkyWatch Friday for January 13, 2012. To visit SkyWatch Friday, please go to: http://skyley.blogspot.com/

Gigo's lesson

2012-01-12T05:11:00.000-08:00

I don't have an opportunity to be at the horses' lesson every Tuesday, since I am in school at that time. But, over the winter break (I was off for 3 weeks), I WAS able to stop by the ranch and watch my trainer work with them on one Tuesday. I have next Monday off for Martin Luther King's birthday, but she comes on Tuesday. Maia worked with Gigondas, Sunni, and Quad for this lesson and then this week, she did Scout, Cali, and Quad. Quad gets a lesson every week because he had to get used to moving to the right. Plus, she really enjoys working with Quad! He's very laid back, BUT he can show some attitude! So, he gets a lesson every week. I'm really looking forward to my 3 day weekend and I have a lesson with my horsemanship trainer on Saturday morning. I think I'll take my camera this time and get some photos BEFORE my lesson because I won't have time during the lesson!

How many kids?

2012-01-10T04:04:00.000-08:00

So, how many kids showed up for school yesterday? In my class, it was 30/32....not bad! One little girl fell asleep in class in the afternoon and another boy stated that he had stayed up until MIDNIGHT the previous night! What is WRONG with parents? Midnight? I fall asleep by 8:00 p.m. every night! They were all pretty out-of-it yesterday, so I'm hoping they will be more attentive today. Here's Gigondas paying attention to Maia, my trainer, during her lesson last Tuesday.

Back to school

2012-01-09T04:25:00.000-08:00

I head back to school and 32 youngsters today. Blah...I really got used to my 3 weeks off and some time to clean the house and time for horse lessons! Hubby borrowed our son's huge outdoor vac and completely cleaned the living room...pulled out chairs, got rid of the cobwebs up in the ceiling corners (we have a 10 foot ceiling...in the desert...with DUST!) I cleaned the patio glass doors 4x and they are still streaked! ACK! I also mopped the kitchen floor (twice), got dishes in the dishwasher, went out and raked the front yard and konked out after lunch! We got a lot done and when both of us work on the house, it gets clean! Unfortunately, most of the time hubby sits and goes through emails and reads the Los Angeles Times and the New York Times most of the day! Grrrrrrrr!!! It will be interesting to see how many of my students actually show up today. It used to be that during the 2 week winter break, many would go to Mexico for an additional week. So, I'm wondering, now with 3 weeks off, how many will take another week?

Much better day today than yesterday!!!

2012-01-07T14:47:00.000-08:00

So, I left the house about 8:15 this morning and drove up to the ranch where I board my horses. I took Sunni out, tied him (he hardly moved!), forgot my tool box up in the tack room, left him tied (he didn't even move), brushed him, cleaned all 4 feet, took him up to the round pen, and did my homework exercises with him. He wasn't sure about a couple of them, but he TRIED! Good boy! He got a reward of going down to the arena and rolling and eating grass for an hour. Next, Gigondas. She has always led very well and she was a perfect lady today! I groomed her, took her up to the arena, did some flexing with her, did her gaits, and practiced "come". She stayed right with me. GOOD GIRL! I left her up there to eat weeds as if she goes down to the arena, she runs and gets all sweaty. I cleaned out the mustangs' water trough, but didn't work with them or Quad today. Santa Ana winds are forecast for tomorrow, so I probably won't be able to work any other horses until next weekend, which is a 3 day weekend (we have next Monday off!)...in the meantime, I've scheduled another lesson on Saturday for me and maybe another one on Monday! I noticed today that my own confidence level has increased a LOT. I was always hesitant and unsure of what to do, but now that I KNOW what to do with the horses, I think they feel that confidence, too Don't you agree? I'm so glad that I'm taking my horsemanship lessons and I plan to continue them! :-) Photos to follow...we're off to Home Depot right now! Photo of Sunni taken today. I couldn't balance a horse and my camera, so you'll just have to imagine all the things I did with them today! But, I'll say, both were very well mannered and they both tried the new things I'm doing with them! :-)

Just horses and a crummy day today

2012-01-06T17:21:00.000-08:00

You know, I'm a people observer. Animals, too, but mostly people I'm not outgoing and I'm pretty quiet. So, I love just walking around the horse lesson ranch and observing things...horses, people, the sky, the moon, the stacks of hay. Anyway, after my lesson yesterday I wandered around with my camera for a while. Unfortunately, while cleaning the house, I was taking stuff out to the front yard to where our trash cans are and I slammed our metal steel protection door right on my right heel. MAN, that hurt! And it bled a lot and I hobbled around not knowing if I'd be able to put shoes on. I was able to get a pair of boots on that didn't hurt, so off I went to my lesson. I wasn't able to do much, but I did learn more compulsary things to do with my horses. Unfortunately, as I was heading out the driveway this morning, to my horror, I saw that somebody smashed my husband's rear window on the XTerra! There was broken glass everywhere. I ran into the house to tell him. It turns out, the only item they took was out picnic bag, which maybe they leaned in and grabbed, thinking it held valuable computers or camera equipment? Imagine their disappointment to discover it only held plastic plates, knives, 2 stainless steel wine goblets, and 3 wine bottle openers, including the brand new one hubby bought at Dean & DeLuca up in Napa last week. He's really bummed about that. The idiot will probably sell whatever he can down at the Indio swap meet and get $20 for all of it...sigh...Not a very good day, I'm afraid, since I had to stay home all day and wait for the glass repair guy to show up at 5:00 p.m.!!! The lesson ranch is on the road which Desert Adventures uses to take people on a tour of the San Andreas fault and they maintain a Cahuilla Indian village. Hubby went on one of their tours and really enjoyed it. That's one of their jeeps going by. The lady on the Arabian is one of the boarders and she has 3 horses, all rescues. She's really nice and was telling me that she's had this gelding for 7 months now. He was very skinny when she got him. The bottom photo is another horse at the ranch who ambled over to see what I was doing. I've signed up to have a lesson now every Friday afternoon after school. I REALLY need a lot of lessons! I also need to build up my own confidence.

Horses at sunset

2012-01-05T19:11:00.000-08:00

I took these photos at the rescue where I'm taking my weekly horse "refresher" lessons...Horsemanship 101. I've learned so much in my three lessons this week and I really enjoy the challenge. You know, it's been over 40 years since I've had any kind of lessons (since middle school) and I've forgotten a LOT! So far, I've learned how to properly lead a horse, how to clean its hooves, how to give it a bath, how to get it to flex, how to disengage the front end, how to disengage the rear end...Phew! That's a lot! I'll go up to my horses tomorrow and try all this out on Sunni, Cali, and Gigondas...maybe also Quad this weekend. And Scout, yes, her too! She NEEDS to learn that she isn't the boss!!!! I have 3 days of vacation left before I go back to school on Monday and I intend to use my horse time for the last 3 days. I stayed home today and cleaned the house...I vacuumed, mopped, washed windows, took stuff out to the garage, cleaned off the kitchen table, and cleaned the bathrooms. Phew! By noon, I was EXHAUSTED and my muscles just quit on me! I had my horsemanship lesson at 3:00, so by noon, I ate lunch and rested for 30 minutes. Our son stopped by and helped my vacuum the cobwebs which always seem to appear on our floodlights in the living room (I just can't reach them!) It was good to have help today and he's off all weekend, so I'm going to ask him to come back and help do some "chores" around the house!

Another lesson

2012-01-04T12:08:00.000-08:00

I had another lesson at 8:30 a.m. today. I drove out to the ranch, which is north of Indio, CA. It sits right along the San Andreas Fault and one can look out and see the palm tree oases along the fault. I can almost touch them! So, today Annette, my instructor, said, "What would YOU like to work on today?" and I said, "How to correctly lead a horse!" This may sound simple to some of you, but I never REALLY learned how to to it correctly and I especially never learned how to correct my horses should they run out in front of me! Scout just runs over me. Cali and Sunni lead quietly and right with me. Gigondas is pretty good, too, and so is Quad. But, Scout for me has always been an issue. And, believe me, I've had people show me and THEY can do it, but I just can't. So, I got an hour-long lesson on leading today and I'm plumb wore out! I took Annette's young mare and led her and walked her over the tarp and over logs. Of course, she's well trained. But, I DID learn how to make a horse keep its distance and how to prevent her from walking ahead of me (...I THINK I did...I still need to practice!). Then Annette and I cleaned up horse poop! It was a good morning and it was refreshing to get out and do some "horse chores" and be at their ranch. There are 27 horses there, and most of them are rescues which have now been retrained. I'll have some "homework" (i.e. some practicing) to do which involves leading each of my horses. Like I said, all of them, except Scout, are pretty good and she's the one I'll REALLY need to focus on. Here are some photos I took last night at the ranch here in the desert of some of the horses there. It's so beautiful in the late afternoon with the sun setting behind the San Jacinto mountains and I'll post some of those photos for SkyWatch Friday later this week.

Horse lesson and my lesson

2012-01-03T18:45:00.000-08:00

Well, Gigondas, Quad, and Sunni all had their lesson with my trainer today. I'm really pleased with how much progress Gigo and Sunni have made. Gigo is now quite a lady. Yes, she's energetic (she LOVES to run!), but she also has manners and waits at gates and waits to be released to run in the arena after her lesson. She now knows the drill. And, she LOVES to be groomed! Sunni now isn't explosive or reactive. He gave one little flinch today and then settled right down. I believe he is beyond his explosive, reactive stage and has now moved into a thinking stage...maybe it's partly maturity? He has a lovely, flowing trot and he wants to please. He doesn't have a mean bone in his body. I'm going to work with him Friday, Saturday, and Sunday. I had my first "horse" lesson this afternoon, down in the desert. I found a wonderful trainer for ME down here in the desert, thanks to my cousin Valerie. This woman teaches classes twice a week to kids and I stayed and took some photos after my lesson. No, I didn't ride today. I led a horse around, gave another one a bath, and cleaned his feet. I told her I really needed to go back to Horse Training and Riding 101 and she took me all the way back to leading a horse, which I wasn't doing properly. Hmmm...maybe that's why Scout rushes past me? We also did the "Who's going to be lead horse" dance and I noticed that she also did it with the kids. I learned a lot today and I have another lesson tomorrow morning at 8:30 a.m. I also have one Thursday afternoon I am WORN OUT!!!!! Here are a few pics from today.

New Year

2012-01-01T07:12:00.000-08:00

I'm still in a fog over the passing of our German shepherd, Rommel, and really not in a mood to blog. Other bloggers have done a wonderful job highlighting their year in photos and selecting their best photo of 2011, but I'm just really not in the mood to do so. I also didn't realize that the Rose parade isn't until MONDAY because of some rule that there's no parade on Sunday when New Year's Day lands on a Sunday!!!????
The 2012 Tournament of Roses, themed "Just Imagine ..." will also be held on Monday - the 18th time the parade won't take place on New Year's Day since it falls on a Sunday.
The "No Sunday" rule was first adopted in 1893 "to avoid frightening horses tethered outside local churches and thus interfering with worship services," according to Tournament of Roses lore.

I have a ton of cleaning to do here at home, so I guess I'll get it done today and maybe go visit the horses this afternoon when it is warmer. Happy New Year, everybody.

Our beautiful German Shepherd is gone...RIP Rommel 2003-2011

2011-12-30T22:17:00.000-08:00

Rommel, our beautiful German Shepherd, died 5 minutes after we arrived home tonight. It was as if he hung on to life until we entered the house. Then, his job was done, and he quietly passed. My husband and I sat with him and stroked him until he was gone. It's never easy losing a pet...be it a cat, dog, or horse. Rommel was our third German shepherd and we had bought all 3 of them from different breeders in Riverside. Our first one, Metternich ("Nick") was a huge, mostly black shepherd. He HATED all men except my husband. For some reason, he especially hated my grandfather! Go figure...Grandad had dogs his whole life. I remember one time we were renting a house about a block from my in-laws. It was in Rancho Mirage and open desert was near it. We had a 6 foot wooden fence in the back yard. One evening a coyote jumped OVER the fence, saw Nick out there in the back, and I swear, he tried to stop mid-air! I've never seen an animal do a U-turn so quickly BACK over the fence! Nick was always very protective of me. He lived to be 10 years old. Our second shepherd, Maverick, we bought from a lady breeder who actually lived in Jurupa, which is next to Riverside. She kept him because he had a floppy ear. We didn't care, we loved him too. Maverick hated every vet we ever took him to for shots...he would growl and I finally had to just muzzle him. Turns out, one vet at PetCo said to him, "Oh, KNOCK IT OFF!" and gave him a cookie! He was the only vet who Maverick loved! Unfortunately, he was cursed with hip dysplaysia and we had to put him to sleep when he was 9. He loved our son and all his high school friends and would play with the boys for hours. Rommel, our last shepherd, we purchased from a different breeder in Riverside, out on Victoria Avenue. There were 9 puppies in his litter. Somebody recently asked about how much to spend on a dog. Well, Rommel was the most expensive we paid for a shepherd and he had the most medical problems. After he was about 3 years old, I noticed he was losing hair, so I took him to one vet down here in the desert. They did a skin scan and said he had mange and wanted $1,600 to fix this. Er, uh...I don't think so, so I took him up to an old vet up in Anza, where I board my horses. He did a skin scan and found 1 mite, so thought it was something else. He did blood work and for 2 years of treatment, he came up with 2 different diagnoses...either canine lupus or something else, which my mind has blocked...thyroid? Anyway, after 2 years of baths and medications, last spring, my aunt suggested I take a day off and drive Rommel down to San Diego (she offered to pay for the exam) to her dog dermatologist. So, off we went. $600 later, this vet also couldn't come up with a clear diagnosis, but sent us home with more sprays and ear cleaners and medicated shampoos. In the meantime, Rommel continued to lose his hair. He still had energy and played with our other two dogs, but I noticed after the last day of school this month, the spark had gone out of his eyes and he wasn't eating on a regular basis. We went to Arizona and our son reported that he didn't eat the whole time we were gone. I tried to get him to eat when we got home and finally wet his food and he ate it with some warm water. Then, we left for an annual family Christmas dinner with my sister-in-law up in Napa. Our son, who stayed behind because he had to work, phoned us to tell us Rommel wasn't eating at all and was extremely thin. He made him a little bed in the house, gave him extra water, but when we arrived home, Rommel lived only for about 5 minutes and then was gone. It's very quiet without my buddy, but my husband and I have talked and we don't think we can support breeders who so carelessly or thoughtlessly continue to breed dogs who don't live long lives and who have medical problems, like our last two shepherds. Rommel was only 8 years old and his last few years, well, they involved a lot of trips to vets. We have Ripley, our black lab mix, who is a mutt, and is by far the smartest dog we've ever had and she was free at the swap meet. We also have our son's Weimeraner, Atticus, but he's getting up there in years (I believe he's 7). So, our house is a lot quieter tonight. RIP Rommel 2003 - 2011. Here are some photos of him when he was about a year old. He was a bright, curious, intelligent dog and never growled at anybody, vet or not. We miss you, old friend. He used to LOVE to come with me and visit the horses. He would sniff them and then go sit down far enough away that he was out of harm's way. They all accepted him and none of them ever tried to hurt him. He was a good dog. It's just a shame that breeders can't be more responsible for these wonderful animals and make sure they don't have health problems or issues. They are wonderful working dogs and family dogs, but it's a shame they are so thoughtlessly and carelessly bred. Rommel was actually the offspring of an "unplanned" mating between his father and mother. Another dog was actually chosen to be the father, but that didn't happen. I've often wondered if his litter mates had the same health problems that he had. And, YES, we visited the breeder...twice...before we brought him home. So, it seems to me that price has nothing to do with the quality of the dog. A secretary at my school had a shepherd who lived to be 14. I think my husband and I need some "down" time. While we appreciate the loyalty and devotion of a German Shepherd, we honestly don't wish to ever go through this again.

Riding lessons!!!!

2011-12-27T20:19:00.000-08:00

Sit down! I emailed a friend of my cousin, Valerie, and she offered to help me with riding lessons next week. She has a well-trained gaited horse that I'm going to ride. I actually have 3 weeks off for winter break, which is one more than we usually have, so I have an extra week off school. Hubby goes back to work on the 3rd (THANK GOODNESS!), so I've set up 3 lessons next week. I'm so anxious and excited...I only hope that my legs can take it and don't cramp. Also, I'm so nervous around horses if I even THINK of getting up on one, but I've decided that I need to do this. If these lessons work out, I want her to take me back to the beginning and really be critical. She knows about my back problems and my fear of riding, so I'm hoping to overcome both of these issues and get back on a horse again. It's NOW or NEVER!

Traffic!!!!

2011-12-27T05:11:00.000-08:00

Well, it took us 6 hours to do a 4 hour drive yesterday! The traffic was that bad! We left at 11:00 a.m. We SHOULD have arrived in Buellton by 3:00. We arrived after 5 p.m. We hit traffic on the 210 going into Pasadena (for Santa Anita's opening day), so we got off the 210 and went down to the 10 and then the 101 through downtown Los Angeles. Yeah...uh...not such a good idea. From Los Angeles all the way to Santa Barbara, traffic slowed down to 10 mph. I have no idea why so many folks were out on the freeways! We did get to view a spectacular sunset from our car, which was going 5 mph on the freeway, but the cameras were in the back and I wasn't about to stop and get them out! We could see the Channel Islands off in the distance, surrounded by fog, which has moved into Buellton this morning. We will NOT be coming home this way. I think we'll take a straight shot down Interstate 5...

Christmas Day with the herd

2011-12-26T06:13:00.000-08:00

It was a quiet Christmas Day down here in the desert. Hubby and I drove over to our son's house so our grandson could open his presents. He's into trains and we bought him a wooden train set and some engines. That kept him busy for HOURS! And, he took a 3 hour nap! So, after the opening of the presents, I headed up the mountain to unload 3 bags of pellets, to check on everybody, and to put up some treats and a jolly ball apple for Quad. He seemed alarmed by the jolly ball, but I'm sure his curiosity will get the best of him. They all got a Christmas Day treat of pellets and some oil, as it has been below freezing up there....29 degrees this morning. I got my Nikon back from the shop, but I need to adjust its settings, as you can see! The viewfinder is now fixed and it's good to have my backup camera back!

Merry Christmas

2011-12-25T05:34:00.000-08:00

Merry Christmas to all my friends and followers. I haven't had a decent day up with the horses, but today we're going to our son's for breakfast, then I'll dash up the hill, unload 3 bags of pellets, feed everyone a nice Christmas day extra meal, dash back down the hill, and have dinner with our son's family. Phew! What a day! The horses are all fine and wooly! Cathy and Bill are getting ready for the Rose Parade. Look for the Southern California Peruvian Paso Association's horse group. They do the Rose Parade every year. Have a wonderful holiday. See you next week! For those of you who follow Joe at TB Friends, he'll be posting this morning about Magic, the horse he is getting from the feedlot today. I can't wait to see Magic! Photo is Canyon Lake, Superstition Mountains, Arizona.

Wickenburg

2011-12-23T08:09:00.000-08:00

After stopping by Lake Pleasant, we headed over to Wickenburg, AZ to find some lunch. We stopped at Nana's Sandwich Saloon and got some sandwiches (I bought the vegetarian one), then headed out to look at the cottonwoods at the regional park. However, it was quickly getting too dark to photograph them, so we headed back to Scottsdale. I'd like to spend more time in Wickenburg sometime when we aren't in such rush!

Horse having fun!!!

2011-12-22T07:13:00.000-08:00

I'm not sure if this was his feed tub or his water tub, but this buckskin was throwing it around when we drove by the other afternoon in Cave Creek. I caught a glance of something moving as we drove by, so I stopped and backed up. Yup. He picked up the tub in his teeth and threw it! Over and over! Sorry about the photos being so dark, but it was late afternoon and very cloudy and DARK! I tried lightening them up with Picasa and this was as light as I could get them without them becoming grainy. Does anyone else use something besides Photoshop (which I don't have) to edit photos? I noticed on one of my other blogs that I've used my 1 MB of storage and now I'll have to buy more on Picasa (Google)...sigh...

Horses sighted~Cave Creek Park

2011-12-20T16:29:00.000-08:00

Well, I got my horse fix today! Hubby and I were up at the Cave Creek regional park when I spotted a group of riders out on the trail. We had taken a picnic lunch there, after stopping by a nearby AJ's store. Hubby had a ham sandwich and I had a green salad and vegetarian garden soup. It was cold and the clouds were getting darker and darker, but we did a little hiking and took some photos before the raindrops started. This group was on a trail ride from the stables there at the park.

Scenes from Arizona

2011-12-19T18:41:00.000-08:00

Hubby and I are spending a few days over in Arizona. It rained all the way here yesterday and it was cloudy and cold all day here today, but we are enjoying a change of scenery, like these pics! The first one I took from Interstate 10, when the clouds were hanging around the mountains. I took the second one today at Canyon Lake, late afternoon, when the sun was hitting the cliffs and turning them golden!

Grounded!!!!!

2011-12-17T09:52:00.000-08:00

Well, I'm grounded by hubby today. I was all set to drive up the mountain to go visit the horses and give Cathy my boarding check, but hubby woke up in time to ground me. It's snowing up in the mountains and I drive up some areas over 5,000 feet to get to the horse ranch. Chains are required by the department of transportation, and I'm just not going to take a chance driving up there. I called Cathy and talked to her and she said it wasn't snowing at the ranch...sigh...so I guess I'll just stay home and take it easy today. It is drizzling here in the desert and I may just go out later and run some errands. I did go to the park this morning to feed the ducks again. There's one duck who gets fed by tugging on people's pants and he did it to me again this morning! He doesn't hurt, but he makes his point clear: FEED ME! I'll try to get some photos of him tomorrow morning, if it isn't so darn dark and dreary!!!! In the meantime, here are some pics from last week, right after the snow storm at that time. These photos were taken at 5,000 feet elevation, which is about 500 feet higher than the horse ranch. It didn't have any snow, but you can see it here at these ranches.

Snow and fences~Friday Fences~121611

2011-12-15T18:02:00.000-08:00

After the recent snow storm this week, I drove around Garner Valley looking at the snow on the fences there. The snow made everything look completely different. Everything was cold and white. Snow sat on the white fences as well as the tall grasses outside one fence. Another storm may be heading this way this weekend, so more snow may be on the way. Friday Fences for December 16, 2011. To visit more of Friday Fences, please go to this link: http://lifeaccordingtojanandjer.blogspot.com/

Mountain drive and SNOW

2011-12-14T05:20:00.000-08:00

I took a drive up to the mountains yesterday because, frankly, I was bored. There is only so much TV I can watch and by 8:00 a.m., I was itchin' to get outdoors. After 3 days of being home, I'd reached my limit!!! I took some photos of the roses in the park because I figured they would have water from the rain on them (they did), then looked up at the mountains. I just HAD to see how much snow they got (insert eye roll...) Yes, I took a run up the mountain...sigh...I'm actually glad that I did because it wore me out! It had snowed earlier that morning and everything was covered with snow, including houses, fences,, bushes, and pine trees! :-)

I'm back! and How do you destress?

2011-12-13T06:03:00.000-08:00

Really? Did you think I'd stay away for weeks? Nah. Actually, I'm home with a case of the flu...body ache, headache. I can feel bronchitis settling in. Oh, boy! I'm staying home again today and that means I'll only have 2 1/2 days for the rest of the week to muddle through. I was reading Nancy's blog over at A Rural Journal and she got me thinking about what she said. She was discussing how she relaxes, especially during this holiday season. I think part of the reason I'm sick now is that last week was very stressful with parent conferences. I mean, I went to school Thursday, after staying at school until 7:00 p.m. Wednesday, like a zombie. And, then I had more conferences on Thursday. Friday...forget it. I don't even remember Friday. So, how do I "de-stress"???? I go visit my horses. Which is impossible right now as our mountains just got snow down to 4,000 feet and the mountain roads are CLOSED to all vehicles except those that are 4 wheel drives or have chains. I don't know how to put on chains and I wouldn't drive up there anyway today...But, I also destress by taking my camera out with me and stopping and taking photos. And, I did that yesterday morning when I ran out to the grocery store. Believe me, I stayed inside for the rest of the day, but I'm out of stuff for lunch, so I'll need to run out again today! Oye! And, being on a vegetarian diet is extremely difficult and stressful because hubby came home with a COSTCO chicken and mashed potatoes last night. UGH! I ate a cheese burrito and a small salad with avocado. He just doesn't get it and that's making more stress! I also love watching movies and TV shows, so yesterday I rewatched "Cowboys and Aliens" (since we bought it on Sunday and I had 12 hours left to view it) and the latest HOMELAND. I also caught up on Covert Affairs (2 episodes). Anyway, here are some of the photos I took yesterday morning, on my way to the store. I find the roses very calming. How do you destress? To visit Nancy's post, please follow this link: http://www.aruraljournal.com/2011/12/feeling-stressed-during-holidays-me-too.html?utm_source=feedburner&utm_medium=feed&utm_campaign=Feed%3A+ARuralJournal+%28A+Rural+Journal%29

Glued meat video

2011-12-10T14:02:00.000-08:00

I know, I know...I promised to go away for a few weeks, but I'm back already! My friend Barb sent me the link to this video about butchers and major chains who are glueing meat scraps together to make filets. If THIS isn't enough to make you quit eating meat! I am so glad I've given it up! Here's the link to the video: The main idea is that butchers are putting together scraps of meat with a glue made up of coagulants (which are unhealthy) and then selling the meat as filets. Even a real butcher can't tell the difference, BUT...this meat has a high bacterial count and can make you sick. UGH! I'm glad I'm eating organic lettuce and dandelion greens! I really do need to cleanse my body and system and get rid of all the toxins! :-)

http://d.yimg.com/nl/australia/site/player.swf?vid=24472661&repeat=0&browseC

Taking a blogging break

2011-12-10T09:48:00.000-08:00

Winter break is almost here and I had a busy week last week with parent conferences and I'm exhausted. I haven't even made it up to the horses today and it's nearly noon! Plus, another arctic storm is barreling down the coast and even the horse ranch will be getting snow by next Tuesday (a snow advisory has already been issued for our local mountains, with estimates of snow down to 4,000 feet!!!). I really need a break. I have two other major blogs and since we'll be traveling during the winter break, I'm going to focus on them. In case you are interested, they are: http://rav4adventures.blogspot.com (Deep Canyon) and Deserts and Beyond at http://desertsandbeyond.blogspot.com I may update my desert southwest blog, also, since we'll be traveling to Arizona. It is http://desertswest.blogspot.com/ So, please, enjoy your friends and family during this time. If I get some decent photos of the horses tomorrow, I may post them, otherwise I'll see 'ya all in a few weeks!
~~Cheryl Ann~~

Why I'm going vegan

2011-12-09T18:15:00.000-08:00

I'm DONE eating the meat of animals. No more beef, no more chicken, no more ham. PERIOD. I simply cannot do it anymore, especially after the decision to fund inspection of horse slaughter houses. Ugh..I've been "meat-free" now for a week and I feel so much better! I bought organic greens and dandelion greens for dinner tonight, along with a half a tomato and half an avocado. It was delicious! I've been eating bean and cheese burritos for lunch at school and I feel GREAT! I have more energy and my digestive system isn't bogged down by having to digest DEAD ANIMALS!!!!!!!! I bought some organic dates this afternoon, along with the other items, and I enjoy them. Please DO NOT email me with your comments about horse slaughter being humane.. NOBODY is going to change my mind on this. Please respect my personal decision. Thank you. UPDATE: I've now been meat-free for one week. My joints no longer hurt or throb and I have more energy! :-) I'm heading out to my favorite health food store this afternoon to stock up for next week!

Fences and maples~Friday Fences~120911

2011-12-09T04:31:00.000-08:00

Well, I survived parent conferences. And, I can't WAIT for the weekend!!!!! It should be sunny and clear for the weekend, but a storm front is moving in next Tuesday and it may rain. Next Friday is our last day of school for .... THREE WEEKS...and it's only 1/2 day. Yes, the kiddos and I get three weeks' winter break! In the meantime, this was the view of one of the fences up at the ranch last weekend. Friday Fences for December 9, 2011. To visit Friday Fences, please go to: http://lifeaccordingtojanandjer.blogspot.com/

Becoming vegetarian and letters

2011-12-08T04:27:00.000-08:00

I've HAD IT eating meat. PERIOD. I frequently pass cattle trucks on the freeway while driving to school in the mornings and afternoons and a couple of times I've pulled up alongside them, only to see the eyes of doomed animals. I just can't take it anymore. So, yesterday, I was thrilled when our new principal ordered pizzas for the entire staff (for parent conference night) and 2 of them were... VEGETARIAN! Yum, yum! They were covered with mushrooms, red onions (which I peeled off, lest I offend parents!), black olives, green peppers and yes, cheese. (I still eat cheese, but not meat.) And, you know what? I don't have that heavy, bloated feeling in my stomach! I'm out walking around with my 2/3 combo class for 10 minutes in the morning while they take turns for their bathroom break and yesterday they had a hard time keeping up! (hehehehehehe!) I asked the second graders to write a letter to their former teacher telling about their first week in a 2/3 combo class and a couple of letters brought a tear to my eye. They are afraid. They are in with older kids (the third graders). They don't have ANY friends in my room and they miss their friends in their old rooms AND their teachers (or teathers, as one wrote!) The third graders wrote letters to my husband thanking him for buying speakers for my school laptop as mine in the room have never worked and we can't hear our daily math movie or the PE movie for "inclement" weather days. They were all adorable! I heard him chuckling last night as he read them! It's another afternoon of conferences today and I think we'll take it easy on Friday.

Frost warning tonight for the desert~

2011-12-06T19:46:00.000-08:00

We have a frost warning here in the desert tonight which means that the smudge pots will be utilized in the eastern edge of the Coachella Valley. While driving to school this morning, I saw a haze of smoke across from the turnoff to my school. I didn't have either of my cameras with me and I was late enough I didn't have time to stop to take photos. Maybe tomorrow morning.....in the meantime, Abby, our black cat, is currently curled up on top of the TV's DVR, where she's nice and warm...Daisy, our orange and white tabby, RAN inside and is curled up on one of the big living room chairs, on top of piles of blankets. Loki, our big white outdoor male cat, is currently asleep on an old blanket which hubby THREW out the front door earlier this afternoon (I'm not quite sure WHY he threw it outside...). Our son's Weimeraner has his head on my husband's lap on the couch, Ripley, my black lab, is sleeping on the floor at my feet (she's actually ON my foot), and our old German Shepherd is asleep next to our bed, in our bedroom. Here's a photo of Loki and Daisy from this week, along with the birds that they both LOVE to look at in the front yard!

Busy week ahead~~

2011-12-06T05:21:00.000-08:00

I have parent conferences this week, which means that I'll be pretty much ~~insane~~ exhausted by the end of the week. Last year I had bronchitis during conferences and I sounded like a frog! This year...knock on wood...I haven't been sick, although the kiddos are coughing and hacking in class. Hubby has also had some kind of flu for over a week now and he's still very weak (and cranky!). He has been too tired to cook, so we went out to Mimi's last night. We've just been having some cheese and fruit for dinner every night, and of course, HE has lost weight (not me, duh...)! It's that time of the year and I expect some of the kiddos will take off early for vacation in Mexico. We are already taking an extra week off school to accommodate those families who travel to Mexico to see grandparents, so I'll have 3 weeks off for winter break. That means a couple of vacations and some extra horse time for me! Here are some scenes from the horse ranch this past weekend. There was still snow on the road along the way to the horse ranch, but I thought I'd include some color for those of you who already have snow.

Cali in the shadows

2011-12-04T20:00:00.000-08:00

Saturday afternoon was windy and cold up at the ranch. I didn't get up there in the morning, like I usually do, but drove up mid-afternoon. And, brrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrr! It was cold! It had been freezing the night before. I wanted to give the horses an extra meal and some oil, so I headed up the mountain. I got some nice photos of back lighting, which I needed to do for Sunday Stills. It's so different in the late afternoon! I saw lots of shadows and lighting that I normally don't see in the morning, including this one of Cali in the shade.

Yucca and fence backlit~Sunday Stills Challenge~120411

2011-12-03T19:25:00.000-08:00

This week's challenge was backlighting. I hadn't really thought about it, but I frequently do this. And, this weekend provided several opportunities for backlighting. I found this yucca near one of the fences along the highway. Sunday Stills Challenge for December 4, 2011. To visit Sunday Stills Challenge, please go to: http://sundaystills.wordpress.com/

I'm LOVING the second graders!!!

2011-12-02T17:20:00.000-08:00

Believe it or not, I'm LOVIN' the second graders and they have helped my class calm down quite a bit! (Now I love them even more!!!). And, I already have a new 3rd grade student, a girl. Apparently I had her uncle years ago and when her mom asked who the teachers in 3rd grade were, and she heard my name, she demanded the girl go into my class! WTH? I now have 32 kiddos, NO AIDE, NO VOLUNTEERS, NO HELP. Just me and 32 kiddos! My lunch line stretches almost from my room to the cafeteria! (for crying out loud!) This afternoon, I made up my own lesson on patterns, using shape blocks, and the third graders helped the second graders and everybody SAT and made patterns and then drew their own and we all did math for nearly 2 HOURS today! And, NOBODY complained and only 2 kids asked to go to the bathroom (a new "low" record!!!!) Nobody even asked about P.E. !!! They were all busy working when the principal popped in (THANK GOODNESS!) and went home in a good mood...the seconds because they learned 3rd grade math, and the 3rds because ...well, just "because"....!!! So, we ended the week on a good note! Photo is of the sunrise the other morning, as I was driving to work. This was the day that the Los Angeles region had all that horrible wind!!!! We here in Palm Desert were spared because we are actually sheltered from most of the wind that the Coachella Valley gets since we have a 1,500 foot mountain right next to us!

Save a horse, eat a politician T shirt link

2011-12-02T06:43:00.001-08:00

Here's a way to help horses: Order a t-shirt which says, "Save a horse, EAT a politician!". I ordered mine this morning! :-)

http://saveahorseshirts.webs.com/apps/webstore/products/show/2813046#.TtjXeN8XdeE.facebook

Ranch fence~Friday Fences~120211

2011-12-01T17:25:00.000-08:00

I love to watch the roses along the fence up at the horse ranch and watch the maples next to it as they change from season to season. Last weekend, the maples were at their peak, and I posted some pics of them. However, tonight rain up there is in the forecast and I'm sure they are now bare. I'm glad I got these photos when I did! Isn't the fence interesting? To visit Friday Fences, please go to: http://lifeaccordingtojanandjer.blogspot.com/

A change of scenery and new students!

2011-12-01T05:26:00.000-08:00

Yesterday was my first day with the second graders who came into my classroom. I am now a 2/3 combo class, with 31 kiddos! They are all ADORABLE! They stood huddled at my door yesterday morning, with their books and notebooks, before coming into the class room. Remember, I don't know these kids and they came from 3 different second grade classes. Their teachers had...SIT DOWN...33 students! ACK!~ So, I volunteered to become a combo class to relieve the extra students. Now I have 31 students! Anyway, they were so well behaved and quiet! HA~not like my 3rd graders! I gave up 6 kids to go to two other third grade classes and I think the second graders will all fit in as they are the high achieving second graders! My mother taught second grade for years and years and loved it! I'm so thrilled to have them!

Dear Mr. President

2011-11-30T05:38:00.000-08:00

I am extremely UPSET and DISAPPOINTED in your action over the Thanksgiving holiday, allowing, once again, the door to open for horse slaughter here in the United States. Having 5 horses, all rescues, this is extremely disheartening to those of us who have dedicated our fortunes, our lives, and our efforts to prevent this.

I wasn't going to comment on this today, but I'm just so darn UPSET and DISAPPOINTED in President Obama that I had to. This just isn't right. It is a slap in the face to those of us who worked so hard to prevent this. Obama will NOT get my vote next year. PERIOD. Yes, this issue is this important to me! He can pardon a turkey, but sentence thousands of horses to their deaths?

Here is a link to an excellent article: http://rtfitch.wordpress.com/tag/horse-meat/

WE SHALL OVERCOME!

See ya!

2011-11-28T18:32:00.000-08:00

One minute he was standing patiently with my trainer, Maia. Then, she quietly slipped off the lead rope. Quad stood there for a minute, blinked his eyes, and took off, bucking and kicking! He was feeling G-O-O-D!!!!! Silly boy!

Horse time today

2011-11-27T17:28:00.000-08:00

So, my friend Susan and I went up to the ranch today to brush the horses. Susan REALLY needed some "horse time" and I always enjoy her coming with me. She's an experienced horse woman herself, but doesn't have any horses of her own right now, so she enjoys coming up with me and helping. We started with Scout and Cali, the two mustangs. They both got brushed and got lots of lovin'! I decided to take Scout up to the round pen, giving Cali some time in the corral by herself. Scout walked next to me nicely and I rewarded her by letting her eat some of the grass by the round pen. She had quite a long time in the round pen. Next, we did Quad. He kept moving off his mounting side, so Susan just kept on grooming him on that side and talking to him. He finally stood still and I took him down to the arena for some R&R. He enjoyed his time there. Unfortunately,when I went to bring Scout back down to the corral, she decided I was walking too slowly for her taste and ran by me, knocking me on my sore shoulder (from my fall up at Mammoth)...I dropped the lead rope and off she went! She only went next door, to the two mares, and stopped. Fortunately, Susan was able to go get her and she made her do circles around her. She went peacefully back into the corral (THANK GOODNESS!). I had to stop and buy some rice bran for the herd, and some salt bricks, so we passed out the salt bricks and some pellets and all were happy and content. It was quite breezy up in the mountains, so I didn't take Sunni or Gigondas out. Here are some pics from today.

Sunni's lesson

2011-11-27T07:15:00.000-08:00

I was up at the ranch on Tuesday for the horse lesson for Quad, Sunni, and Gigondas. Sunni has made a LOT of progress since August. He's much more relaxed and trusting. It's good to see him trust another human! Maia is very calm and patient with all the horses and Sunni really responds to it. I remember one time a farrier came out to trim their feet. He ~~did~~ tried to trim Sunni's feet, got the front ones done, and started to work on the back ones, but Sunni kept moving off. He got very confrontation with him and started barking commands. Sunni's response was to rev up his anxiety level...you get the picture. It was a nightmare. Needless to say, after that, I switched farriers. I LOVE Solomon, who speaks quietly to the horses and who has a very calm demeanor. What a difference! Anyway, Sunni now stands quietly at the tie rack, doesn't pull back, cocks his back leg, and just chills. Phew! I think, on his part, that some of his new-found behavior is just maturity. Mikey, am I right? He responds very well to Maia, doesn't freak out, so she's going to restart him on his saddle training. My cousin started him on his saddle training a year ago, but then she went up one day BY HERSELF, saddled him, started texting on her phone, and he crow hopped and she landed on the round pen railings. Oops! That was the end of his training with my cousin...back to square one. Maia is taking it a lot SLOWER with him this time. She's told me, "There's a difference between an agressive and a fearful horse. I'd much work with an agressive horse. At least then, you know what you're dealing with." Unfortunately, Sunni is a fearful horse...therefore you never REALLY know what he's going to do. We are hoping that all her desensitizing (and my work, too) is helping him get over his fears, but who knows? So, my question to my horse friends is this? Do fearful horses EVER get over their FEAR????? Here he is during his Tuesday lesson and having a nice roll in the dirt. See the difference between his "before" (muddy) pic and after his brushing? I have a friend coming up with me this morning to help groom and walk ALL the horses. Whoo, whoo!!!

Scout and Cali baby pics!!!!

2011-11-26T07:28:00.000-08:00

I was going through my archives this morning and I found these photos of Scout and Cali, as babies. I'm sure I posted these back in 2009, but that was a long time ago! These photos were taken when they first arrived in California from Wyoming. They were halter-broke at a prison facility there and then put up on a BLM online adoption. Hubby bid on them and won and then contacted another two gals, both rangers up at Yosemite National Park, to bring them down to us in Lancaster (when we were boarding our horses there) on their stock trailer. They had bid on two horses, the sister to Scout, and the brother to Cali! That way, we all got our horses and they got some extra money for hauling Scout and Cali to us. We actually went up and visited them in Mariposa, CA one time! Aren't they adorable? And, look how fuzzy they were! And, look how light Scout was! She now has her winter coat and it is DARK! Yes, that's me feeding our other horses and then introducing Beauty to Scout and Cali. She was always very patient with them! They were yearlings when they came to Southern California from Wyoming.

Gigo's progress

2011-11-24T19:21:00.000-08:00

I'm very pleased with the progress that all the horses have made with my trainer. Gigo has come a long way and it's good to see her trusting Maia. She also seems to enjoy being with me more, too, and that's REAL progress! She's never done anything bad~never kicked, never nipped. But, to actually see her relate to another human is a big step for her. Maia can now brush her face all over and she actually enjoys being groomed. She let out some real big sighs. Here are some of the photos I took of Gigo and Maia, my trainer, on Tuesday, during her lesson. She got some free time in the arena and didn't run, but calmly walked off to eat weeds!

Quad

2011-11-24T05:51:00.000-08:00

Quad was feelin' good on Tuesday and, after his lesson, he had some free time in the arena. He stood for a few seconds after his release, then realized he was free, and took off running. It's good to see him getting some "weed time". After all the rain and rain and rain, look at all the delicious weeds that are in the arena for the horses! When I went to get him and take him back to his pen, his breath smelled like weeds! Silly horse!

Horse time FINALLY and a lesson today!!!!

2011-11-22T18:14:00.000-08:00

Oh, my gosh! I don't even remember the last time I was up at the ranch for a lesson with the horses....August? It had to be because school started August 22nd...where has the time gone? The horses are ALL doing well. They all now stand quietly at the wash rack with their lead rope wrapped around...except for Scout. Scout apparently always tests the lead rope and will walk off and eat weeds...sigh...My trainer worked with Gigondas, Sunni, and Quad today and I noticed how much softer all their eyes were. Sunni stood quietly at the wash rack and didn't move. That's a big deal as once he went backward and broke his halter a couple of years ago! Quad stands quietly, too, instead of pulling back. And, Gigondas stands there quietly. That's a LOT of progress! They all trust Maia, my trainer, who is very patient and calm with them (see pics). If they make a mistake, she takes them back to where they were and they do it again. No punishment. She has worked with Arabs and thoroughbreds, so their shenenigans aren't anything new to her. I'm pleased with their progress. Unfortunately, it has rained and rained and rained up in the mountains and everything was covered with frost this morning, so she only walked them and did a slow trot with each of them up in the round pen. The ranch owner is going to set up a trail obstacle course in the round pen over the next few weeks so that all the horses can get used to tree trunks, tires, and plastic bags, all of which they will encounter out on the trails. I'll be posting pics from today over the next few days as I took a lot of photos today!

Roses in the park

2011-11-21T16:08:00.000-08:00

I frequently head over to our neighborhood civic center park and walk among the rose bushes there, since I CANNOT grow any roses myself. I've tried. And tried. And tried again. I've tried bareroot, I've tried roses in cans...I CANNOT grow a single rose...sigh...So, off to the park I go and admire theirs! My neighbor next to me has beautiful roses, but every single rose I've planted over the last 35 years has died. I finally just gave up and I've accepted my fate as a roseless yard. I just go enjoy somebody else's roses, like these. Aren't they beautiful?

Morning walk~Desert Yellow~Mellow Yellow Monday~112111

2011-11-21T06:25:00.000-08:00

I've been doing my morning walk faithfully before school each morning. However, I'm off school for this entire week (complete with two furlough days...sigh...) and I probably won't drive out that way. It's right on my way to school, but since I'm home, I think I'll walk instead up at the Santa Rosa mountain visitor center. It isn't as long a walk and I won't have the beautiful views of the valley, but it is closer to my home in the desert. Our mountains did get additional snow last night and we got some rain here in the desert, so I'm anxious to get out this morning and see the views. Enjoy your day, too! Desert yellows and Mellow Yellow Monday for November 21, 2011. To visit MYM, please go to: http://mellowyellowmonday.blogspot.com/

ACK~snow advisory today!!!

2011-11-20T05:28:00.000-08:00

Well, I guess I won't be driving up to the horses today. There is a winter snow advisory from noon on and we're going over to our daughter's for breakfast this morning...sigh...at least I have the whole week next week off from school!

We took the grandson to the Living Desert Reserve here in Palm Desert yesterday. At least it was a sunny day! We had him all day because both of his parents had to work. We went to the Living Desert, took him to the park to feed the ducks, then drove him over to our daughter's house because we had a family dinner planned. This is what he thought of his day... (see photo)...WHO SAYS we can't wear out a two year old?

Fence and porch~Friday Fences~111811

2011-11-18T03:54:00.000-08:00

I found this fence and porch while driving around Garner Valley, which is near the top of the Santa Rosa mountains. It isn't far from where my cousin Valerie lives. I like this little community because it has interesting houses and fences and it's very friendly. In this little working-class community, people are down to earth. I always try to drive through it on my way to the horse ranch each weekend. Hubby and I will have the grandson on Saturday and I think we'll take him to the Living Desert Reserve to see the trains. They have a nice, large exhibition of running toy trains there which is maintained by the local railroad enthusiast club and considering that both hubby's father and grandfather worked for the railroads in Pennsylvania, you'd THINK he would be there every weekend. Friday Fences for November 18, 2011. To see more Friday Fences, please go to: http://lifeaccordingtojanandjer.blogspot.com/

next week~~

2011-11-17T05:19:00.000-08:00

Next week, I have the WHOLE week off. Of course, two of the days are furlough days, which means I don't get paid, but I NEED a break! It's been a LONG 13 weeks of school and I'm ready for some "horse time"! As some of you know, I have a rough group this year. I also have 29 kiddos and I believe that at least 8 of them are either ADD or ADHD. I've filled out the paperwork for them to receive extra services. However, a 2/3 combo is needed, so I volunteered....(smacking hand on head...) I would lose 9 kids and get in 9 second graders. It MIGHT help to calm down the class (...crossing fingers....)Hubby and I were going to drive over to Arizona for 3 days, but, after talking last night, we decided to stay home. MORE HORSE TIME for me! Plus, I need to rent a rug cleaner and do all our carpets. Our older German Shepherd has...well, a leaking problem. He doesn't mean to, but he sometimes dribbles. He's a really nice, mellow, kind-hearted dog and I hate to leave him outdoors at night as it has been cold here and he doesn't have much hair. So, I let him pretty much take over my blogging chair and at some point, I'm going to need to toss the chair...So, we'll stay home, I'll rent a rug shampooer one day, visit the horses, go up for a lesson with them on Tuesday, and then we'll stuff ourselves silly on Thursday. Oh, and regarding my walking...I've already dropped a size! My pants are all now loose and I can see a visible difference. Whoo, whoo!!!! I don't eat any snacks anymore and I eat smaller portions. So, it looks like next week will be a busy one at home and with the horses! Photo taken on my favorite side road up in the pinyon forest of our local mountains.

wet horses and road

2011-11-16T05:12:00.000-08:00

It was raining up at the ranch on Saturday. And, this was in addition to the rain they'd had up there earlier in the week. Water on top of water....The horses were all soaked and Quad has now pulled off his automatic waterer and flooded his corral. Oye vei! But, by afternoon, the clouds were disappearing to head on over to Arizona and New Mexico!

Healdsburg~This is for you, Hope!

2011-11-14T18:44:00.000-08:00

Dear Hope,
I was going through my archives tonight, looking for some photos of the vineyard in the Napa Valley when I came upon these photos I took back in 2008, which was the last time we were up your way. These were taken at the Costeaux bakery in town. Enjoy and maybe we'll see you there soon!

Cheryl
Come on! WHO can resist a good French bakery? Breakfast with latte anyone? This place is UNBELIEVEABLE! Yum, yum! It's in Healdsburg, which is near the Napa Valley. We drive up there for Christmas about every 3-4 years as my sister-in-law lives up there and has 10 acres of Merlot. I'm not sure if we are going this year, but I love to wander around the vineyards and look at the vines and left over grapes!

Saturday morning view

2011-11-14T04:50:00.000-08:00

Saturday was a dull and drizzly, rainy day. But, when I awoke and went outside to check the sky, this is what I saw!

Lone Pine in the dark

2011-11-12T19:09:00.000-08:00

Last week's Sunday Stills Challenge was "things in the dark" and I posted one photo here for that. However, I had so much fun creeping around our motel in Lone Pine last weekend that I thought I'd post some of the other photos I took at night with my camera and flash. So, here they are! We stayed at the Best Western in Lone Pine, which is right across from Mt.Whitney. I awoke the next morning and got some good photos of the Sierras in the morning light, with clouds moving across them. Here are the night photos.

Barbed wire and Sierras~Friday Fences~11/11/11

2011-11-11T05:05:00.000-08:00

I was so busy taking photos of the Sierras that I finally focused on the barbed wire fence, which I was trying to avoid! Hmmmm....interesting, eh? Photo taken in Lone Pine, CA on our way home after spending 2 nights up in Mammoth Lakes last weekend. I'll be heading up to the horses today. To visit Friday Fences, please go to: http://lifeaccordingtojanandjer.blogspot.com/2011/11/fridays-fences-7.html

Hey, Mikey~Look what we found in Johannesburg

2011-11-10T04:45:00.000-08:00

Cool, huh?

Bishop road and Sierras

2011-11-08T19:12:00.000-08:00

Our favorite road outside of Bishop, CA. We always stop here to view the cattle ranches around it and the Sierras. Isn't it beautiful?

HOME at last!

2011-11-06T15:29:00.000-08:00

I tell you, I've NEVER been so glad to be home! We left Mammoth (Twin Lakes) Saturday, about eleven a.m. It was between storms then, with more snow scheduled to hit that night and all day Sunday. We decided we better get down off the mountain before Sunday morning, with another 2-3 inches of snow coming. The road down the mountain was icy and I let hubby drive. He drove in 1st gear, and even then, he spun out a couple of times. We had a forest service ranger behind us, so we figured if we got in real trouble, he would help us, but we made it down okay. I sat in the passenger seat with white knuckles, since I've NEVER driven on icy roads. We made it down to Lone Pine Saturday night, got up this morning, and drove the rest of the way home. I actually enjoyed my two days of snow, although it was a hassle to get my boots on every time I went outdoors and to bundle up! I spent my free time napping and reading a book about the eastern Sierra. I ventured out Saturday morning and found some raccoon footprints in the snow and ice and followed them. Turns out, it went around our cabin and then up toward another one! We watched a bluejay come and eat some peanuts that I put out on the porch railing. It was a different weekend and I'm glad I got to experience a couple of days in the snow, but it's GOOD to be home!!! Here are some pics from Saturday. That's our cabin early that morning and those are some pics of the road down to the town of Mammoth. We actually stayed in a cabin above town, at Twin Lakes.

Icicles~Sunday Stills Challenge~110611

2011-11-05T21:13:00.000-07:00

It snowed three or four times yesterday (Friday) up at our cabin in Twin Lakes, by Mammoth. However, this morning, when I peeked out, there were icicles hanging from our front porch. LONG ones! One was so long and it was right in front of the door. I was afraid hubby would hit it as he went out, but he avoided it. We made it safely down the road to Highway 395, although hubby spun out a couple of times (going 10 mph) down the VERY icy road! I was relieved when we arrived safely on Highway 395!!! Sunday Stills Challenge for November 6, 2011.

I went KERSPLAT this morning!

2011-11-04T15:32:00.000-07:00

Yes, I did. I went KERSPLAT, face first, right onto the vinyl kitchen floor after my first outing of the day. I had to go down to the stupid car to find our coffee as the 8 cup Mr. Coffee just wouldn't do it for us. I was fine outside. I never slipped. But, once back in the cabin, in my eagerness to come in from the freezing cold (it snowed here all night last night)...whirling and swirling snow...I slipped on the vinyl kitchen floor and went face first down. Hubby, of course, in his wisdom said, "WHY in the WORLD are you still wearing those boots?" (Or something to that effect...I've had to edit what he REALLY said...) To which I replied, "Don't TOUCH me!" as I lay on the kitchen floor trying to figure out if I'd broken my back (no, I just landed on both kneees and my right one is now painfully swollen)...BUT, my beloved Nikon camera went flying across the room and now the viewfinder is broken and I can't move any of the settings. He finally did take pity on me (as I was in tears...) and called around and found a place that MAY be able to fix it for $150.00. I LOVE that camera and I take her everywhere with me. She still takes photos, but I can't adjust any of the manual settings, so I'm stuck on "speed" mode and 1/60th of a second. It snowed all night and the roads are icy and it is starting to snow here again. Frankly, I'm looking forward to returning to home and getting some rest. There's nothing to do here and hubby is refusing to take the car anywhere today, even though other folks are driving up and down the road to Mammoth...

Heading back to the Sierras!

2011-11-02T06:01:00.000-07:00

Hubby and I are taking some days off work and school and heading up to the Sierras this afternoon. And, that cold front which is coming into California will be providing us with some snow Thursday night and Friday. Oh, boy! I may have to leave an extra days' worth of lesson plans! We are packing our warm clothes, mittens, and hats! I'll be posting photos of our trip next week. See you soon and take care!
Cheryl Ann

My scrub jay

2011-11-01T05:24:00.000-07:00

We have a scrub jay who lives in our neighborhood. He's been here now for over two years. He SHOULD be up in the pinyon forest above the desert. I see many, many, many of his relatives up there whenever I drive up to visit the horse ranch. He's a noisy bugger and I hear him screeching around the neighborhood. He visits our front yard because I put seed out for the finches. I've discovered that he LOVES acorns, so I now stop and pick some up in the oak forest along the road up in the mountains. He also love peanuts. I caught some photos of him this past weekend. He's quite tame now and while I can't walk up to the fence when he's there, he sits on the fence, tilts his head, and eyes me! He is quite a character. He disappeared for a few weeks last Spring and we thought he flew off to find a mate, but he returned alone...I actually look for him now every morning.

my weekend

2011-10-31T05:37:00.000-07:00

I didn't go visit the horses Saturday. After our school had its Halloween costume day and parties, I came home Friday night and slept for 12 hours!!! No, really!!!! I was exhausted. So, Saturday I stayed home, did laundry, did the dishes, cleaned up the front yard, and basically vegged. Thinking back, I haven't had a Saturday off just to catch up on chores at home for ... 10 weeks. I go and go and go and then just crash. Does that happen to you? Well, Saturday was my day to crash! Then, hubby came home and announced we were going to our daughter's house for dinner, so off we went for chicken and quesidillas and guacamole. YUM! Sunday, however, I woke up at 5:00 a.m. and was ready to head up the hill to the horse ranch. I ran around town, down to the park and the Santa Rosa mountain visitor center, and took photos for the Sunday Stills Challenge and then headed up the hill. There was a Santa Ana (a breeze from the high desert), which is NEVER welcome in Southern California as it is extremely dying. That's never a good thing for our already-dry mountains. As I headed up the mountain, I followed a large horse trailer which was apparently used for eventing. I believe she went on to Temecula, which is up and over the mountains. She must have been empty because she was really moving! There are many horse events down in Indio, at the polo grounds, so maybe she dropped her horses off there and was returning home. Once I got to the ranch, I had to run out to the feed store twice...once to get stuff for the mustangs and then again for Quad, Sunni, and Gigo, as I didn't realize how low they were on pellets. Hubby and I are heading to the Sierra Wednesday afternoon for the weekend, so I wanted to be sure everybody had enough pellets to last for a while. Phew!

Please Help Burning Lady, three year old filly

2011-10-30T06:39:00.000-07:00

Burning Lady is a three year old thoroughbred filly and a granddaughter of Lost Soldier. Lost Soldier was the sire of Lost in the Fog. She is at risk of being sent to...(shudder...) Puerto Rico, which is the last stop for many race horses because if they don't win there, they are sent to slaughter.

PLEASE....if you can, make a donation to save her. Here's the fundraising link:

http://www.purethoughtshorserescue.com/

I'm going to make a donation this morning. We simply cannot allow this to happen to a three year old filly (or any horse, for that matter)...

I thank you for your time.
Here's the link to her story on Facebook:

http://www.facebook.com/#!/notes/mary-matthews/help-bring-burning-lady-homemust-be-complete-by-tuesday-or-she-will-be-sent-to-p/237374709654082

Cheryl Ann

CANTER, USA

2011-10-30T05:45:00.000-07:00

EXCELLENT video on MSNBC about a trainer at Suffolk Downs who..SIT DOWN...saves horses instead of sending them to slaughter. Ever wonder what happens to a thoroughbred after his or her races days are over? Yup. Many times they are sent to slaughter to be eaten by Europeans and the Japanese. (...shudder...) This is the story of one trainer who sends them to CANTER and they are retrained. I salute and applaud her! Here is the link: http://www.msnbc.msn.com/id/21134540/vp/27847733#27847733

Oh, what fun!!!

2011-10-26T19:24:00.000-07:00

I drove up to the ranch Sunday morning, but the owners weren't there. I usually don't take a horse out when nobody is there, but I led Sunni down to the arena for some lessons and some R&R. He sure enjoyed his romp! And, of course, there is always time for a good roll! He is much more calm now, even when things spook him.

Guess who's standing in the water!!!???

2011-10-25T18:49:00.000-07:00

Scout HATES water. I never thought a mustang would hate water, but she does. She runs away when she sees me with the hose and she avoids getting wet. But, this past weekend, GUESS WHO was standing in the water that I dumped out of the water trough? Yup, Scout! I'm glad she did this as she'll need to cross water out on the trails.

Barn charm~red barn~102511

2011-10-24T17:50:00.000-07:00

I found this red barn, which I now think is a house, as I was driving around my cousin Valerie's neighborhood last weekend. Now I notice that it was curtains. I think I'll have to return and take a closer look! Anyway, isn't it cute? I love that ranch style...the red paint and the white doors. I would LOVE to have a ranch house like this with wooden floors...that's my dream house! Barn Charm for October 24, 2011. Here's the link to Barn Charm: http://bluffareadaily.blogspot.com/

Horse time finally!

2011-10-24T05:19:00.000-07:00

I finally got some decent horse time this weekend. FINALLY!!! I did chores on Saturday, including dumping and scrubbing the mustangs' water trough. I bought salt bricks for all of them and a big block for the mustangs, since they are in a large corral. I checked Cali's eyes and the flies aren't bothering her any more. Her eyes are clear. Yesterday I took Sunni out for some grooming and then some work in the arena, then I let him run. He now picks up all 4 feet easily. He spooked when I threw he lead rope over his back, but didn't run off, like he used to do, so I am thankful for all the desensitizing that he gets with my trainer. I didn't realize the ranch owners were gone, so I only took him out. By then, it was nearly 1:00 p.m. and I was getting hungry! Sunni behaved very well with lots of praise and hugs. He has come a long way in the last 6 months, but I also think he has matured a lot. He now THINKS before he reacts. He used to REACT and not think. That's a big step. The trainer has also been working Gigondas a lot and I could tell she really wanted out yesterday, but, with the owners gone and the wind blowing, I just didn't want to chance it. I'm going to TRY to get up there one afternoon this week after school as it is so pretty in the late afternoons now. BUT, after fighting these kids all day in class, I'm exhausted. It was a beautiful weekend and temps should drop another 5 to 8 degrees this week. It will be in the 80's here in the desert and there may be thunderstorms up in the mountains. See what good helpers the girls are? And, Cali LOVES water and mud! She'll make an awesome trail horse!

Whitewater Rock Company~Sunday stills Challenge~102311

2011-10-23T16:25:00.000-07:00

About 30 minutes from our home in Palm Desert is the Whitewater Rock Company. It's right next to Interstate 10 at the Whitewater exit. It is a huge rock company with boxes and boxes full of colorful and interesting rocks. Hubby and I stopped there in February of 2009, right after a snowstorm in our local mountains. We spent the day at the Whitewater Preserve, which is quite a drive up toward the end of the canyon. The preserve has a trout farm and picnic tables and is a beautiful place. We stopped at the rock company on our way back out of the canyon and I picked up a few samples to share with my students at school. There were so many boxes to see and we only went through a few of them, so that's another trip on our "to do" list! Here are some examples of the rocks at the Whitewater Rock Company, including the cut blue glass and white pebbles. There's some petrified wood, too, and some beautiful turquoise slate. This company has been in existence ever since I was a little girl and THAT's a LONG TIME! HA! I remember driving by it as a kid. The people there are very friendly and helpful and one Saturday I'll return for another look! Enjoy all the rock samples! Aren't they beautiful? Sunday Stills Challenge for October 23, 2011...rocks and rock formations. To visit Sunday Stills, please go to: http://sundaystills.wordpress.com/

Hey, Carson! This is for you!!! yellow chamisa

2011-10-22T05:17:00.000-07:00

I knew I had a photo of this stuff. I found it up by Mono Lake and stopped to take a photo of it. We were there in September and it was blooming. I wish I had seen a bee on it! But, here it is!

Pumpkins and fence~Friday Fences~October 21, 2011

2011-10-20T19:24:00.000-07:00

I LOVE driving around Garner Valley. We used to own 5 acres there before the kids were born. It has blossomed and developed over the last 30 years, but this ranch was there 30 years ago, when hubby and I used to take our Volkswagen van up to our 5 acres and camp there over the weekends. I was pregnant with our daughter at the time and I used to see bobcats, woodpeckers, and red tailed hawks. I still drive by our old property, which now has a house on it. Someday I'm going to park and hike back into one of the canyons there, with my camera. These pumpkins were outside one of the fences there last weekend. Friday Fences for October 21, 2011. To visit Friday Fences, please go to: http://lifeaccordingtojanandjer.blogspot.com/

I nearly came home with a chicken!

2011-10-20T04:42:00.000-07:00

Isn't she adorable? This is one of my friend Barb's chickens. She followed me around her ranch the day I stopped there a couple of weeks ago. Actually, all of her animals are friendly. She has four dogs and they are all rescues from the streets. Years ago, when our kids were just toddlers, I actually had 3 hens. I got them from my cousin's wife's parents' (got all that?) ranch down in Thermal, CA. They had 40 acres and raised alfalfa. Unfortunately, our collies pulled out their feathers and I returned them to the ranch to live in peace and quiet.. (I should have known Carson then and had her make one of her chicken lofts!) I got 3 geese instead. HA! They chased me around the yard and made a horrible racket. Back they went...sigh...I also had some ducks and I even built them a duck pond. They flew off. Such was the end of my adventures with farm animals while living in the city! Now, I just go up and visit Barb's ranch and her animals!

At the park

2011-10-18T17:49:00.000-07:00

I decided to stop by my local city park on Saturday. I hadn't been there for months (actually all summer). It had just been too hot. But Saturday was a beautiful, sunny, clear day, and off I went. Then, the next evening, our son called and said he and his family was there and did we want to come and see our grandson Ben feed the ducks. Well, "DUH"! Of course, so off we went. What a difference. When I was there in the morning, the park was very quiet. By Sunday afternoon, it was crowded, noisy, and hot. I like my quiet morning better!

Er, uh...excuse me?

2011-10-18T05:37:00.000-07:00

As I was driving around the town where I board my horses, I saw something next to the street and did a double-take. Goats! I saw that one was tied to a post and the other ones didn't wander off. Apparently they were eating weeds in this lot. There's an alpaca farm up there, too, and I stopped there once and talked to the owner, who took me on a tour. I'll have to dig out those photos this week.

Ranch rose~Mellow Yellow Monday~101711

2011-10-17T05:15:00.000-07:00

I stopped to look at the roses which are along the fence up at the ranch. I especially liked the yellow ones. Isn't this one beautiful? Mellow Yellow Monday for October 17, 2011. To visit Mellow Yellow Monday, please go to: http://mellowyellowmonday.blogspot.com/

A murder of crows~SOOC Sunday~101611

2011-10-16T09:10:00.000-07:00

When I drove through Garner Valley last weekend, I could hear a lot of crows. I saw quite a few of them in one spot and I got out of the car to take a photograph of them, but they flew off. Then, I looked up and saw this! There were over two dozen of them circling high overhead! I snapped away with my camera. I returned yesterday to check out the fall colors and saw quite a few of them. I think they are actually ravens. They seem to like the valley up there and they sit on the white fences. They are quite shy, however, and every time I got out of my car to take a photograph, off they went! I'm glad I caught these photos when I did as I may never have another chance! SOOC Sunday for October 16, 2011. To visit SOOC Sunday, please go to: http://www.murrieta365.com/

Curious horses~Here they come~

2011-10-15T04:16:00.000-07:00

More photos of my cousin's horses last weekend. I'm SO glad today is Saturday. It was a LONG week at school and I need some "horse" time! I walked every morning except Wednesday last week and now I can walk the distance I used to do in 30 minutes in 15 minutes! Wow! I also ordered a new pedometer and I have to set my step distance this morning with it. We had a couple of days with triple digits here in the desert, but now temps are back in the 90's. Phew!

Fences and ravens~Friday Fences~101411

2011-10-13T19:08:00.000-07:00

Last Sunday I was driving around Garner Valley, where my cousin Valerie lives, and I noticed a yard sale sign. I went to the yard sale and bought a cute wooden block of "country grandma" sayings. Right across the street from the yard sale was a murder of crows or ravens. Some were on the fence, while others were on the ground. I believe that this is the same group of ravens I saw there last weekend, only this time, there were many, many more of them. I wonder why they are hanging around the valley? I have never seen so many before in one area. Anyway, here are some of them on and near a fence. Friday Fences for October 14, 2011. To see Friday's Fences, please go to: http://lifeaccordingtojanandjer.blogspot.com/

Here they come!

2011-10-12T17:21:00.000-07:00

I stopped by my cousin Valerie's ranch Sunday morning to see if she was home. Her front gate was open, her truck was in the driveway, but apparently nobody was home!!! The cats were out, the horses were out, but no people were around. I went and hung out with her three horses for a while and they came right up to me at the fence, on their own! They are very friendly. I've ridden them before and they are well trained. Turns out, she and her hubby went to church. I'm sorry I missed her and I may stop by again next weekend. Aren't they beautiful? They are Tennessee Walkers.

Cali update

2011-10-10T05:19:00.000-07:00

I actually had time to hang out with the horses yesterday. Saturday I had to rush around and get home so that my daughter and I could walk over to our local swap meet, but we were both too tired to do so. So, I rushed home for nothing. Sunday, however, as soon as hubby went to work, I headed up the mountain. I spent about an hour driving around Garner Valley taking photos, then went to the feed store to buy pellets for the horses. I was able to spend some quality horse time up at the ranch. Cali's eyes look great~no more flies! YEAH! It's too cold for them up there now. The farrier is coming today to trim the herd and to fix the shoes of one of the ranch owner's Pasos. They went for a ride yesterday. It was such a beautiful day~high clouds and a nice breeze!

Crow~SOOC Sunday~100911

2011-10-08T19:30:00.000-07:00

As I drove through Garner Valley today, I noticed a couple dozen crows in one area. Intrigued, I drove over to see what they were doing. Of course, the minute I arrived where they were, they all took off! However, several flew overhead and I set my camera on 1/250 of a second and clicked away. I'm always TRYING to get a decent photo of a crow and I think this one is pretty good! Look at its wings! This was SOOC...I only cropped it to enlarge the crow. SOOC Sunday for October 9, 2011. To visit SOOC Sunday, please go to: http://www.murrieta365.com/

Vanishing fence line~Sunday Stills Challenge~100911

2011-10-08T19:22:00.000-07:00

I drove up through Garner Valley today, which is on the way to Idyllwild. All the fences there are all the same...white like this one. All of the ranches there are 5 acres. Hubby and I owned a 5 acre parcel when I was pregnant with our daughter, which was 33 years ago! I frequently drive through this valley as it is where my cousin Valerie lives for half of the year (when it is hot here in the desert). I didn't see many signs of fall today, but in the next few weeks, the aspen will turn and the cottonwoods, too. I'll have to return and take some photos. I liked the vanishing aspect of this photo. Sunday Stills Challenge for October 9, 2011.

Nursery gate~Friday's Fences~100811

2011-10-08T06:14:00.000-07:00

The little garden center up in the town where I board my horses always has a holiday theme for its gate. This is the one for October. What a delightful place to visit! I bought hubby a nice wild grape for our front porch and it is now slowly growing up one of the posts there. By next summer, it should be hanging down from the top of the porch rafters. Friday's Fences for October 8, 2011. To visit Friday's Fences, please go to: http://lifeaccordingtojanandjer.blogspot.com/

Morning walk~SkyWatch Friday~100811

2011-10-06T18:35:00.000-07:00

I've joined a fitness challenge through my school district. One of our goals is to walk over 10,000 steps daily. Yesterday I took a morning AND afternoon walk. Today I did my morning walk, but forgot to attach my pedometer. Even without it, I walked over 13,000 steps! WOW! I'll remember to attach it tomorrow when I walk and look at these views of Mt. San Jacinto and the hills above my home in Palm Desert, CA. I could really feel it in the muscles of my thighs and back from that double dose of walking yesterday! But, I'm getting my endurance back and now I really look forward to the views during my morning walk. Skywatch Friday for October 8, 2011. To view Skywatch Friday, please go to: http://skyley.blogspot.com/

Where are my mountains?

2011-10-06T04:10:00.000-07:00

Yesterday after school I drove out to my favorite morning walking spot to take some photos of the approaching Arctic storm. Our mountains surrounding the desert valley were all covered by clouds and I looked up to see volumes of rain coming down. Here are some photos of the coming storm from yesterday afternoon. It's too early this morning to look out and see what it's like outside, but I'll be heading out for my morning walk later.

Who are you calling a turkey? Me?

2011-10-05T05:36:00.000-07:00

Yes, YOU!!!! I don't know how old he is, but he's been around Barb's ranch for at least 5 years. I'll have to ask her. This is old Mr. Tom Turkey.