Around the ranch

Just some photos from around the ranch...

 Pretty blossoms...

 Scout has dapples!

 Quad just taking it easy in the arena...

 Nosy, nosy Sunni!

They had RAIN last week.  I don't know yet if they had more yesterday...

Quad

Quad was very quiet yesterday and didn't run when I took him down to the arena.  He isn't colicking (at least he wasn't yesterday), but the ranch owner will keep an eye on him.  Not like him to be quiet...

By 11:00, it was too warm up there and the breeze started, so I headed home and spent the afternoon going through my old photos.  It was 106 here in the desert and way too hot to go outside.  This morning, the humidity is HERE.  The mountains will be getting rain for the next 3 days, so I might get some photos of the clouds around the mountains.

For sheer joy!

I've never seen a horse exhibit such pure joy at being alive as Quad.  He's colicked twice now, but...knock on wood...so far this summer none of the herd has colicked.  He and Sunni have been on pellets for a year now and that does seem to be helping.

Anyway, when he is turned out in the arena, THIS is what he does...

Horse visit Monday

It sure was nice having a 3 day weekend!  I didn't drive up to the horses Sunday...just too worn out from the previous week.  Hubby made pasta Sunday night and Monday morning, man...I was READY to go up to the horses!  I had energy!   :-)  (...finally...) By 7:30 a.m. I was ready to go!

It was a nice, cool morning and thunderheads were gathering above.  There was a breeze at the ranch.  I let Gigondas out into her "private" corral where she can run.  She was standing at her gate, ready to go.  She knows the drill now.  Honestly, I could tie a thread to her and she would go on her own!  She knows she gets to romp in there, but still be next to the 30 year old gelding whose corral is next to her own.  She has plenty of room there to run around and to roll.  Plus, it has shade from a couple of pine trees.

I took Scout out first to the large arena, knowing full well I'd probably need ALL of my energy to handle her.  I like to turn her and make her follow me to close the huge gate there and she did, but the minute I'm done, she usually tries to bolt.  I anticipated this and when she gave a little tug to turn and run, I was ready.  Nope.  She didn't get away with it.  She tried again.  NOPE.  She didn't get away.  She finally just stood until I decided she was ready and I made her wait.  Waiting is a good thing, don't you agree?  She didn't even take off running...she just calmly walked away and started chewing on weeds.

Quad was next.  He was a good boy and he took off running and farting.  I guess he had a lot of gas in him!  He rolled and rolled and rolled and then ate weeds.

Sunni was last.  He took off running and farting, too, then settled down.  They ALL got some R&R and I gave Quad a bath.  He likes to lie down in his area where he pees (OF COURSE!) and I wanted to get it off him.

Here are some pics:  By the time I got home, there were a lot more thunderheads (about 1:30) and by 3:30, I could hear thunder and we even got some sprinkles.

Quad:  There's NOTHING like a good roll!

Double digit temps!

FINALLY we are into double digit temps!  Last week, it was 112 and 113 here and my principal wouldn't let the kids out for lunch recess, which meant teachers got a 30 minute lunch and then for 2 days had to take the kids to their classrooms.  Well, this week it was 106 and 107, so they did get recess, but this weekend, it will be 98 and 99 degrees here!  A cooling trend, for sure!  Next week, after Labor Day, we climb back up to 106 and 107, but at least, for now, the evenings are cooling down.  Right now I have every window in the house open and there is a nice breeze coming inside.  PHEW!~  It was a LONG summer!  And, it has been a LONG first 3 weeks of school.  I already caught a norovirus and had the stomach flu for nearly 3 days.  I lost 2 days of sick leave.  A lot of my family & friends already have sore throats.  I'm getting up in the middle of the night and drinking water with lemon juice and my scratchy throat has been kept at bay.

I'll be going up to the horses tomorrow (Sunday) and then Monday hubby and I might drive over to the Whitewater Preserve.  They cleaned out one of their holding ponds and it will be cooler up there.

Have a great weekend!  Photos are from our November, 2014 visit to the preserve.
Cheryl Ann

Moving forward

With every loss of a horse, I sit down and TRY to have a new perspective.  I lost Beauty in 2009, Cali in 2012, and now Lucille, in 2015.  I now have 4 horses.  I will NOT be getting another one.  I also need to think about my retirement (and hubby's).  And, yes, it IS easier to manage 4 than 5, although Lucille was the most gentle.  She really didn't require anything besides a good grooming and a tail trim and a turnout to roll in the dirt.  She really WAS the perfect horse for me.  But, with her physical ailments, it just wasn't fair to her to continue her suffering.  I miss you, sweet Lucille!

So, what now?  Well, after only 5 days of school, I came home Wednesday with a HORRIFIC headache, chest pains, and general uneasiness.  I collapsed on the couch and by Thursday morning, I was hit with a HORRIBLE stomach virus.  I spent the entire day running to the bathroom every 15 minutes.  My entire system emptied out.  I didn't vomit (it was the OTHER end...).  I tried to take in as much liquid as I was losing and hubby brought me some hot chicken soup with rice, which seems to have done the trick!  I was able to sleep all night without having to get up and RUN to the bathroom! I'm wiped out today, so I took another sick day at school.  HA!  Don't want the little "angels" to get this (even though I'm pretty sure I got it from them!).  I had one boy throw up Wednesday morning and another one had a BAD stomach ache that afternoon, so SOMETHING indeed is going around school... ALREADY!  So, now I've used 2 out of my 10 sick days for the year and I didn't even get through the first month of school!  Our daughter is on day 17 of a HORRIBLE head cold and she is miserable, too.  And, our granddaughter has PINK EYE!  OYE VEI!

I'm staying inside today as it will be 112 degrees here.  I'll do some stuff on my laptop, watch a couple of movies, and take a couple of naps.

Take care and DON'T GET SICK!
~Cheryl Ann~

Moving forward

With the loss of Lucille this past week, I've had to do a lot of thinking.  I'm down to 4 horses now and I've lost my only riding horse.  I will NOT be getting another horse.

But you know, the herd was so responsive when I visited on Sunday...Yes, they were grieving for her, but they were all very sympathetic and gentle with me.  I really noticed a difference with them.  Scout, for her part, didn't bolt in the arena.  She actually stood still while I fiddled around with a longer lead rope and a different clip on it.  Usually, by that time, she would have bolted and dragged the lead rope all over the arena, but on Sunday, she stood calmly and allowed me to fiddle around while I TRIED to get it off.  Quad walked peacefully and quietly and wouldn't leave my side.  He nuzzled my hair and honestly, I could have tied him to a string and led him around!  GOOD BOY!

So, I'll just continue to visit them on weekends and not worry about riding any of them.  As our daughter says, "Mom, I want you around for the grandchildren."...Indeed, this is something to think about, eh?