The Egg Who Dreamed To Be A Piggy Bank....

It's just wrinkled in all the right spots......what do you think?

I only need to add a curly tail!

Ramblings By The River

We had a little jaunt down the bend we call Catfish Corner. After losing one of our geese we decided we had better go do a little investigating. Especially when two others disappeared! The eagle nest is busy and my little camera zoom did a pretty good job considering how far away it is.

Maggie was thrilled to have a good long swim in the icy water. She is such a retriever...no fear, no shivering, just FUN. We found the two missing geese down by the railroad bridge. They wanted no part of us and just kept swimming farther away.

It was very chilly out and by the time we got back I was frozen. The goofy weather swinging from 70's to 40's in the course of a day is getting to be a regular event. Two days earlier I was on the roof cleaning out the chimney and two days later we are having a fire in the fireplace.

Molly did her best dead cat impersonation while soaking up as much heat as possible.

The bluebirds are nesting and this one must be getting his instructions by satellite. 

The Resurrection of Ty....... by Sandra Gilbert

The large and fancy Mr. Ty has been here a little over a week now. He's so friendly and inquisitive. The "girls" have gotten over the novelty of having him around so he has be relegated to #3 and usually #4 in the herd. Ladies rule the roost! Sandy Gilbert of Refuge Farms wrote an update to her blog about "The Resurrection of Ty" She says the kindest things. 

Ty & I  had our first lesson with Fran Latane, Two-Star Parelli instructor, on Thursday. Starting with The Seven Games all horses should know. First was our Friendly Game which he is very good at. He is up to speed in that department. I can throw the string over him, his head, all around the body and he's a rock. Moving along to The Porcupine Game... I ask to move his body with my fingers. The goal is to first press the AIR, then the HAIR and if necessary, press the BONE.  He is pretty good, but has some areas of resistance that he just hasn't learned about yet. But I have every confidence he will being the quick smart horse he is. 

The Driving and Circling games were a little more challenging, just that he is so used to just plowing forward. Asking for him to disengage the hindquarters, look at me, and come in was a foreign concept. Moving the forehand? Very resistant. Fran had to help us both to get the technique in place and when we tried it out again yesterday he had already processed the concept and was pretty darned good. Those seemingly few things took the whole hour. We'll get some practice in this week before our next session on Thursday. 

Ty Joins the Herd at Catfish Corner

The big rig trailer from Refuge Farms pulled into the driveway Tuesday morning. Sandy Gilbert was carrying precious cargo. His name, New York Style.....or Ty for short, was on board and he has had quite a couple weeks.

He was moved out of a fancy show barn in the southern part of the state after his owner decided she needed a "fully functioning" show horse. Ty didn't want to canter under saddle so his days were numbered there when the owner contacted Sandy about surrendering him to Refuge Farms.

The first I knew about him was through the mass email Sandy sends when there is an urgent need for a quick placement. Her barns are full, that's for sure! This fellow was so highly placeable I couldn't resist warming up for a solo.....ME, ME, ME, ME.... !

But, am I nuts? Yes....as in horse crazy. What am I doing even thinking of having such a magnificent creature---10 years old, 16HH, and a half arab saddlebred show horse? I'm guilty of having had several second childhoods, so, hey, what's one more?! I'm proof even old ladies can have dreams come true.

My first visit to him last week up at Sandy's confirmed we were compatible. We played lots of friendly games, and had some ground time on the 22' line. He's outgoing and can move quickly. A left-brained extrovert---much like my Cheyenne, but with a quiet thoughtful way about him. The hyper alert looking ears could have meant a flighty and reactive nature but he was only attentive and curious.

Sandy and I are entranced by him....and we are talking! Talking horse like a couple of schoolgirls! Watching for every nuance. Interpreting the horsey-lingo-jingo that we were getting from him and fitting it into a HORSENALITY.  Then the saddle came out and I threw a leg over. Wow! He's huge... to me!

First ride on Ty at Sandy Gilbert's Refuge Farms

Fast forward one week later. The real fun came after this heavenly hunka horse came off the trailer and met his new pasture mates. We were so prepared for fireworks....hoping no one would get hurt, or kicked. It turned out to be a "non event"! We could hardly believe how easily he was accepted by my now drooling mares! They haven't had a MAN around the house for nearly three years so he was welcomed wholeheartedly by "the girls". 

We are having fun getting to know each other. I treat him as I would any strange horse---I'm playing it slow.  We are having successful ground sessions teaching him the Parelli games and he's learning what I want very quickly. I guess that's what happens when you talk HORSE to the horse. I'm learning about his experience, the gaps that can be filled, and how to connect with his lovely mind. 

It seems Ty has really taken to his new life of sunshine, green grass and enjoying someone who can spend undemanding time with him. I feel so blessed to have this bay beauty!

Thank you, Sandy......

Thank you for saving me. 

Love,

Ty

March Madness

No posts for weeks.....what's going on around here? The early arrival of spring has everyone kicking up their heels! It's amazing how a little warm weather has transformed the month from inside pursuits to the mad dash of getting rid of the aftermath of winter.

The geese have moved down to the creek and are having their spring honeymoon. They go for days at a time and have been spotted halfway to the Chippewa River which is a couple miles from our house. They come home all noisy and bossy and after they refuel and rest up they are off again for more hanky panky. It will all be fun and games until the eggs start arriving!

The ponies got out to their down-the-lane pasture and Don got the tractor going to clean up the paddock at home before the flies start up...... like the MOSQUITOES....and TICKS......and GNATS! All the usual suspects have shown up weeks earlier than normal. The vet was out and gave the West Nile and other vaccinations to the herd.

Poor Maggie was in for her heartworm test and she showed up positive for Lymes disease. She's on doxycycline for 30 days and has been a real good girl about taking her pills. Lots of rest for our girl.

Liz Taylor Update:

My little sweetheart, Liz, has been steadily improving. I put her in her outside condo during the day and found she had escaped yesterday and was out mingling with the rest of the flock. This morning she bolted out the barn door to get outside ahead of me! Not wanting her to be attacked again, I gathered her up and put her in her private pen out in the yard. She has gotten so friendly through this ordeal. Her moulted feathers are coming back in and soon she will have a glorious new frock. 

The yard work that didn't get done last year has GOT to get done this spring before the weeds take over. I worked on it most of the day yesterday and my back was really happy to see rain this morning so I can rest up a little! Much more to do. Ditto for the garden..... the garlic is sprouting and my new "walking" onions are marching! I hauled all the hoses through the woods so I could water down the greenhouse last week. Three tick bites later I had it done......and then found four more bear ticks crawling on me. That's what you get when you crawl through the woods around here.

The kale plants that I left in the greenhouse beds are springing to life with new shoots---and they are tasty! I planted a variety of lettuce seeds and other veggies in trays. It's too soon for outside, but I think the greenhouse will be warm enough to get them started even without additional heat. I'm sure we will have more frost....right? But I couldn't resist taking the overwinter plants out of the breezeway over last weekend (80's!!!) and giving them a big drink of water outside. They're still out there and are looking great.

As if there wasn't enough going on already, I'm working on a HUGE pattern for a stained glass window which will feature four eagles. More to come on that.

I've also had some great horse rides I want to write about next time.

So...... it is March Madness around here and we still have lots of March left.

Now That's An EGG!

Every once in awhile someone comes up with one of these super jumbos. This happened a couple weeks ago and I don't believe it was the event to disable poor Liz Taylor!

The Case of the Disabled Chicken

I found one of my hens on her side in the coop Monday. She was surrounded by her peers. Good grief, now what's going on? Is she disabled and being attacked? It happens in the barn that sometimes someone gets stepped on, old, or tired and ends up dying. But this one is different.

The hen wasn't looking too worse for wear and is only a year and a half old. She had bright eyes and a bright pink comb. But her legs and wings weren't working. She would try to stand up and would just plow forward on her side. Hmmmmm. Didn't look like she was going to expire anytime soon.

With over 40 hens, I take care not to name anybody. Even if I could!  But there are the roosters--easy to recognize. The different colored ones---2 Buff Orpingtons, 1 Barred Rock, and the rest end up in the blur of Black Sex Link, Gold Star, Reds, and Australorps. But now there is one special Black Sex Link hen who is getting a lot of attention.

She has a bed on a shelf in the coop with the rest of the girls and has her own food and water. Her friends come up and roost by her. Probably to help her eat her special treats! I'm happy nobody seems to be picking on her. I pick her up a few times a day and give her a chance to test her legs and have a stretch. In the years I have had hens only a few have ever let me touch them, let alone carry them around so it has been a novelty to have a physical bond with one of the lovelies.