Welcome to Fern Valley

Here in central Alberta prime farm country,my husband Martin and I work together raising beef cattle and Appaloosa horses. Fern valley appaloosas have long been known for their quality of temperament conformation and color.I have recently rediscovered a love of writing and have published 2 collections of poetry. "Telling Tails" and Tails Trails and Campfire stories" . I look forward to a future spreading my wings as an author and as a horse woman .

Tuesday 29 April 2014

What a weekend!

Packed up on  Thursday and headed to Red Deer  for the Mane event ! 
Lots to do to set up, and I didn't get back to my hotel  till  nearly 10. Decided to skip supper and just had a bran muffin and a banana. And that  was the last light meal I had all weekend! Yikes! 

I meant o take more pics of the displays but I got so busy  talking with people about the horses and the EAPD  program , I didn't get around to it, but here are a couple of items on my wish  list 



I had some help manning the booth, from  a couple other  coaches, and the most wonderful and charming little  girl! Daughter of  one of the coaches 

Had a great visit and supper with honorary niece  Angela . We ate  quite late ,and far too much ! the Rusty Pelican in Red Deer is a great  restaurant and man do they  feed you ! seafood platter was amazing .
Also had a little oops, I had a cheap little  wall mart  belt and just  before I left to go back in the morning the buckle  broke!  Great! I have  no waist and no hips,  so without a belt or suspenders, I would also have no pants! 
Found a booth  open as soon as I got there ,and yay! they had  belts, but wow did they have BLING! pink zebra s tripe and pink cammo, all  with huge crystals and silver bits ! I finally  found one that  I didn't  feel like a old lady  trying to look like a 20 yr old in . This is the tamest I could find! 

 Its actually  fairly nice and it keeps my pant up so its a  win, sadly I don't  wear my shirt  tucked in all that often so no one really gets to see it .
Another big busy day Saturday , and another big supper out, this time with Angela, sister in law Connie, niece  Renee, and also my booth partner  Brigitte!
Took  a break  from the booth on Sunday to attend  Cowboy Church  wit Hugh McLennan and Bryn Thiessen. What  a lovely  way to start the last  day of the event 


I then snuck away early , thanks to Brigitte agreeing to pack up for me, and met Martin  for dinner at the Sawmill, we celebrated our 13 anniversary a day early as he  returned to work up north on Monday . Another yummy, but too big meal! I think I am on salads till June ! 
After all of that we came home in time to move the babies to a better  drier pen, and an area  that I can  work  more effectively with them 





That about covers  it, busy busy and wonderful. So many people  were impressed with the babies, and interested in the EAPD program, I actually talked myself  hoarse! Only sold 4 books, but that is OK, I have sold  quite  a few at the Mane  Event in the past, and maybe, as I told Dr Perrin , its time to write another!Besides I was  there  for so much more and I think it was a huge success.
That's it for now , stay safe my friends  

Wednesday 23 April 2014

one of these days...

I will get  back to a regular  blogging schedule!
Finally finished up with  the farm in time to start  getting ready  for the Mane  Event !
I was initially only going to  go for a day and have a look  around,but at the last  moment I was able to get a  table after all . So I will be there with my books as usual,but also promoting  Equine assisted  wellness.
Because it is fairly  short  notice ,my promotional material is a little  busier than I would  like it  but its better than  nothing at all . Here is what I have.
Postcards front and  back

 Business  card

I will have  help at the booth  in the form of  a few  Higher  trails alumni.Really looking  forward to chatting  with them and picking their  brains as I have  2 new  clients  booked  for the spring!
Wish me  luck, and stay safe my friends . I will be checking in on all of your  blogs as  soon as I can


Saturday 19 April 2014

Springing out!

Finally time  for the horses(at least some of them ) to get out of winter  quarters and stretch their  legs.
I did things a little different this year because  I have only  a small number of geldings now so the big  girls are on coyote  watch in the lake  pasture ,and Johnnie and his little harem are in a bigger pen  but still up close. Stryker and Harley are still in because Harley was tearing around  yesterday and has injured himself (kids!) and of course the babies, we they too are in a bigger area, but just a little ,I still need them close to work with them now that it is nice out and I finally have some time (I hope) 
But first I went out to make sure all the gates on the far side of the lake  pasture were closed , and what  did I find out there??
Well Loch Ness has Nessie, the Okanagan has Ogopogo, and we here have the monster of Lake Ste  Thomas! Winston! First polar bear swim of the year! 

 see the ice?
 dang  this dog is tough!! 

 then it was time to cut the girls loose





 "That  Richie mare " 20 yrs young and looking every bit the athlete  we know she is 
"umm! hey! what about us?
 next  crew running up the alley! 
Cat ,Annie, Andee and Johnnie 


 a little  animation, cause we can
 the bathing  beauty , chillin' in the gator

Pretty  good  day overall, also got some help from my nephew loading a truck to go to the dump, a few things to recycle and such. went really well till I clocked myself in the head with the side of a bench!Sigh, I guess its still a good day if its only a little goose egg.

Much better then the snowy cold days we had  earlier in the week
 these  two calves  were hard pressed to be born on dry  ground! 

Then yesterday the weather turned around and boy were we all happy! 



Sunshine and spring  will just make anyone want to kick up their heels! 

Happy Easter  everyone!
Stay safe 

Sunday 13 April 2014

Winston whispers, and some more cute calf pics

Up to 7  calves  now and other than the first one  being a little  wobbly still on his legs (going to brace them  for a few  days ) all seems to be  going well .
Doing a walk through  during  chores  we got a few pics , and the yearly "Calf  Whispering " shots have  begun



 Noo!  I don't  want t o play that  game !! 

Little  heifer  got the zoomies! 





" aint  scared! "
 "just  going  this way  now!"


 2 of  my  favorite  farm  boys (no  idea where  Skeeter was at that  moment )

And a little  animation form the last post 



Stay  safe friends