Internet woes

Hey all, my internet service has been cutting out since Tuesday.Hopefully I will be able to post something soon. I have been trying ro read and keep up where I can with everyones blogs, but doing so on my phone is difficult. Hope everyone is well. Stay safe my friends

Pics and well more pics

Cant  seem to find  my mojo these  days  to  post  much  , but I have  been  busy  doing  a  few  things. One  is that  I have  taken on  a  new  job,  just  one  extra  day  a week, as  the  program  coordinator  of  a food  safety program  working  with  disabled  adults   at  a  not  for  profit  in  the area. Somehow  a  conversation about  hobbies  and writing  managed to net me an opportunity to be  featured  poet  at a  local  poetry  reading  next  Sunday! EEEK!

Also  I  have  to  start  gathering  my  photos  to  begin  the  2014  calender. and  speaking of  photography,  my  niece  Deanna is  quite  a  talented  photographer and took  pictures at  my  cousins  wedding. She  did a  little  follow up  photo shoot and I was  along  as her  assistant!  SO  I captured  on  pic  of the  artist  at  work! 

 Stryker  was  also  involved in  the photo  shoot,  and  that old  horse  seems  to have  found  his  calling  as  equine  supermodel!  No pics  form  me , but I  am  hoping  Deanna  will  give  me permission  to  share  a  couple . For  now  a  few  more  baby  pics  and  a    Winston shot .Because  I  don't  already have  enough  for  the  calender , LOL

Hope  I  will  have  more  to say  soon.  Meanwhile  stay  safe  my  friends! 

Fall is on its way

The nights  are  cooler,  the  leaves  are changing ,and  the  hay is  up. Harvest  here in Alberta is in  full  swing,  with  the  combines  going  well into the  wee  hours   on a  good  night . We don't  do  that  here,anymore  but I  remember  many  a  night  dad,my  uncles,  grandpa,  and  cousins and  even  in  later  years  my  brother  in  law  Marc,  working their tails off  to  bring in the  harvest, and  when  the  weather  was  just  right  ,  a  nice  wind  and  no dew, they  did  go  all night in the  big  combines! I wasn't  very involved, being  in  school,  and  also  deathly  allergic  to the  grain  dust ,  but  I  did  dose  myself  up  on  benadryl  from time to  time  to  drive  meals  out to  the  fields.
Anyhow, as  I said  fall is here, and  a  sure  sign  at  Fern Valley  that  the seasons  are  changing is  the  yearly  retirement  of  the "redneck  dipping pool !
Winston  gazes  longingly at it all summer,  but it is  too  tall  for him  to  jump in  anymore(he is  10 now ) But at the  end  of  the  season ,  he  has the  honor  of  the last  swim,  I help him  in  , and  out,  which  basically involves him  getting to swim, and me  getting  DRENCHED!He is  last  to  use it(frankly  as  much  as  I love him ,  no one  wants  to go in  after he  has  been in!The  grubby dude ! )  , then I will  drain it and  clean it  in  readiness  for  next  summer .

So even though  we  not e  that  the  seasons  change , some  things  never  do. Winston  does  love  to  swim,  and  at  least one  time  per  year  he  does it in  CLEAN  water! 

Soon  I  will  be  figuring  out  pens  to  wean  the  foals , sorting  calves to  sell, then  "gathering  nuts " for  the  long  winter  ahead.

Hmm, lets not  get  too  far  ahead of  ourselves! Maybe we  could have  a nice  long  fall  first???
Stay  safe  my  friends 

Playing the Wild Card

Just  a  quick update  and  bit of  news. Wilder  (FV Wild  Card ) has headed  east  for  a  while.He  will  be  hanging out  with, our  sweet  friend  and  talented artist,  Mel(Almighty  Marshemellow) !
She  has  landed  a  job at  a  very  nice  facility  east of  town,  and  part of  the  perks  are  for  her to have a  horse  there.
She  messaged  me  and asked, and well I do  have  horses  so...
Wilder  actually  belongs ot  my  brother in  law  Marc, but his  back bothers him a  lot  so  he  has  not  been  able  to  work Wilder. Its  a waste  to see  a good  horse  like him  sit  so he  and I  figured  that  was a  perfect  fit  for  Mel,  that and  the  fact she really  likes Wilder .
So  wish  them  luck !  I hope  she  really  enjoys  him !

Now  I  just  have  to  get  my  end in  gear  and  get  some of  mine  worked, oh  yes and  the project  pony(Uncle  Bill's ) and,  and,  and ...
Stay  safe my  friends

"Brilliant award" on Viewbug

Kind of  a  cool  thing ,   this  pic  I  submitted   quite some time  ago,  was  chosen by  the  judges, didnt  win  anything  exactly , but still pretty  cool
ff by Fernvalley01

We've got an App for that!!! and more baby pics

First things  first,  CONGRATULATIONS  TEAM  APPALOOSA!!!!  for the  eighth time  they  have  won  the Telus  Battle  Of  the  Breeds  at Spruce  Meadows!! Well  done  team, you  make us proud!
The  competition  is  all  about  breed  versatility , and  our  team  showed  that  ,  whatever you  set them  at, well , we indeed  do  have  an "App"  for  that!
Maybe  one  day ,  a  Fern  Valley  Appaloosa will  join  the  fray , and  show  them  what  we  can  do ...
 I was  asked  recently what  are  my  horses bred for ? Cutting, reining, hunter,my answer  was  simply  they  are  bred  for   versatility. Good  all  around  "using  horses " as  my  friend  Barb  would  say .
But they  all  start  out here ,  and  adorable kids  and  for  now  that is  what  I will  show  you  again. so  without  further  ado , more  bay  pics!! And another  animated one  too! Still have  no  idea  how  that  happens!

Not  too  many  of Maks  today ,  he  was  hiding  out in  the  shed  with  mom ,  most of  the  time 

Tango  ,  your  end is  in  view  again! 

 Foal  whisperer 

 On  the  run! 

 Afternoon  naps 

OK  , just learned  that  this  treatment is  called  "Auto  Awesome" and it is  that!  when a  selection  of  5  or  more  photos is  detected  on  burst , and  saved  to Picassa  , they  will  do  this  for  you  automatically!  Cool  huh?

 Deb getting  swarmed (poor  Deb,  she  just  wanted  to  hang out  with  Peps  and Sprite, but  the  whole  gang welcomed  her  home 

 Casey  is  getting to be  quite  the pocket  pony! 

 Peps  and  Jazz  have  clearly  forgiven  me  for  the  deworming  yesterday! 

its  a  good  day  when  Jazzy  will stand  for  some  love 

 Casey and  Tango are  pretty  close almost  always  hanging  out together 

Hope  everyone had a  good  weekend, and  as  always  my  friends , stay  safe! 

Oops, I may need to make a 50 month calender!

Screaming  hot  weekend  ,  which , while its  nice  has  prompted  me  to lay  low  for  a  good  part  of  the  day . I  don't  tolerate  the   heat  like  I  used  to (but  I am  not  complaining )  will  save  this  feeling for  those  snow  bound -30 C  days ahead) But  I did  get  out  for  a  while  to move  the  mares  and  foals  and  grab  a  few  shots . Then  came in and  was  looking  through  this  years  pics  for  the  yearly  Fern  Valley  Calender , and well,  we may have  a  problem. Not  a  shortage  of  pics  by  any stretch of  the  imagination!!! Some  are easy to skip, while  they  are  cute, they  have  too  low  a  pixels  quality or  are  just ordinary ,  but I  have  some  truly extraordinary  shots  this  year  too ,  not  because  I am necessarily  all  that  great  a photographer,  but  seriously  folks  ,  look  at  the  subject  matter! 

Here  are  a  few   from  yesterday  ...

 Baby  whisperer at work

" K Mom, one  at  a  time is  fine  but  2???"

" Alright  kids  here is  what we  are  going to  do "

 Good  boy,  Tango, salt is  good  for  you in  this  heat 

 Still  waiting  for  Casey to tell  me  what color  she  wants to be,  thinking  I have  a  dun  here 

 Tired  sleepy  Tango 

 Ends in  view 

 the  littlest  cowgirl  Sprite ,  is  catching  up   just  fine 

 And  what is  a  photo shoot  without  resident  photo  bomber  Get  Rich  Quick!  

She  could  nearly have  her  own  calender, at  least  I  think  I  have  the  April  fools  page  figured out!

"Give us  a  kiss  now " 

Anyhow,  lots  to figure out , and I still  have  some  time. If  you  have  any  pics  that struck  you  as  they  MUST  be in  the  calender  , let  me  know I will  take all the help I can  get !

Enjoy  the  rest of  your  long  weekend  !

And  as  Always,  stay  safe