FernValley Appaloosas

Are we up for a little contest?

2012-01-25T17:40:00.000-07:00

So here you have a few pictures of the ladies

Peps

Jewel(Martins Jewel, not mine)

Jazz

Ici

No pic from today of "That Ritchie mare" by herself , but that will be your free hint . She is open this year .

The whole bunch

The contest is simple (or not ) who among these ladies is a "Lady in Waiting " for a 2012 foal ?

and who are they bred too?

Go ahead and take a shot at guessing . If you get it right , there will be a bonus gift , but all guesses will be entered for the draw

Stay safe and warm !

Some things to say

2012-01-24T19:52:00.001-07:00

Another long winded ramble , but I believe one worth reading
First and foremost , Thank you so much, to Country Gal, of Our County Cove life , and also the 4 R's of 4 R Ranch for this lovely award

Liebster means Dearest or Favourite in German."

Here are the rules:

1- Choose FIVE up and coming blogs to award the Liebster to. Blogs must have less than 200 followers.

2- Show your thanks to the blogger who gave you the award by linking back to them.

3- Post the award on your blog. List the bloggers you gave the award to with links to their sites.

So now I am to share this award with 5 blogs who have fewer than 200 followers .

I love all the blogs I read, which is of course why I read them . I have been known in the past to be a little lawless about this and just give them to everyone, but I will try just this one time to follow rules. Sigh

1. Sally, from Ferngrove Farm who kindly shares her life and journey all the way from the other side of the world!

2.Jeni of Super Size My Cob With the beautiful Rosie and Bonnie, and some huge determination!

3.Janice of Own A Morgan a blogger friend , I have also had the joy of meeting in person! and she is wonderful!

4.CutnJump on her blog Cheap Chef Yummy straightforward , cost effective recipes! love it (met her too! I get around)

5. Dang it! I tried , everyone else would like it that I follow!

Secondly , I need to brag a little , well need is a strong word but I am going to all the same .

Dandy , as you saw on Yesterdays Post has gone to his new home. I am very pleased with him, and his new owner . She has already been working with him, and as shown yesterday and again here , has sat on him , and steered him around the pasture a bit . Yes he is that quiet , and kind , and yes ,I think she is that good! She has a very nice way with her about horses, and as I said I have seen video and photos of her with her other horses and she seems to have the "stuff."

The brag part is , that Dandy, Maggie , and Timer are all foals from FV Jazz. The only daughter I kept from my sweet abused old mare C7Sparks Jewel

Fern Valley's Jazz

FV Sparks Image(Maggie) and FV Dandy Line(Dandy )

FV Jazz Time

as you may have read in the honorable mention ,Jewel came to me in a sorry state , and I never really did truly gain her trust. I got a long way with her, but .... Because of this , Jazz is a bit , different ,I had tired to work with her as a foal , and she picked up some of mom's nervousness. She is much easier to work with than her mom was , but can by times still be a bit goofy. With her foals however I let them be until either they come to me , or they are weaned (so far it has always been the former and darn quick too. And I am careful when i handle Jazz to not let her "crank up the kids " This has worked well and as a result ZI am seeing the true nature of this line , coming though loud and clear ! Quiet ,kind , straightforward. Timer , went to my nephew , Maggie is , doing very well, with her very own Teenager, and Dandy , well...

I am proud of these horses, and of the line that in effect originated here with my old sweet Stallion Chips, and a sad scared little mare named Jewels.

C7 Sparks Jewel

The only tarnish on this for me is to think what Jewels could have been if she had had a kinder start .

So, that is part of what I needed to say, the last is a strong reminder to STAY SAFE , and pay attention. As I was unfortunately reminded this weekend .Walking into Phoenix's pen ,totally distracted, and walking away without talking to him first, I got a rude awakening! Fix , was an arse! Knocked me down with his chest, yes it was in play.NO IT WAS NOT OK!!!! And he is now firmly reminded of that fact ! I will leave it at that , only to say that while his behavior was wrong , I was also at fault in that I was distracted, and in working with horses , you need to pay attention!

Stay safe and warm my friends!

Warming up

2012-01-23T12:31:00.001-07:00

The sun finally came out and gave us a break yesterday ! Which was much needed after this little cold snap we had ! Saturday Martin and a friend of ours installed a new pressure tank for the house ! what a relief not to hear the pump kick in 20 times every time we use water!

In the process though we had to turn off the water to the farm, and ,we did have one waterer give us trouble .The float froze and it would not fill!.A couple kettles of hot water fixed that !

The late in the day Dandy's new owner showed up to take him home . It went reasonable well all things considered. The footing was , well is poor , and it was dark, we actually wound up backing the trailer into he barn and building a bit of a ramp. Dandy was willing but due to the footing he got a little rattled. once we got him on comfortable footing and in the light he went right in. I think he will do well, as cold as we all were , his new owner ,maintained her composure , and patience. She did let me know he travelled well and she already loves him !

As you can see Sunday (yesterday ), was a much brighter warmer day. So of course another waterer froze up!???This one has been the bane of my existence for years , and if you don't manage it exactly right it will do this . I think we have it fixed again , but time will tell. Might be time to just bite the bullet and replace it !

Anyhow after all that I went for a little walkabout and got a few photos

The discovery of the Jolly Ball

Anyone free for a pass?

Go long Comet!

Cactus , hanging out in his lair

Do I need to tell you who this is?

"What are we doin' next dad?"

I have a few other posts brewing , one on the ever important issue of safety and also I received an award , I need to share. Meanwhile,

Stay safe and warm everyone !

Quick update!

Lookit this! doing well and learning to be a big horse already!

Breanna gave me permission to use this , hope she keeps the photos coming! Dandy has found himself a dandy gal!

Don't know , but I'll give it a try

2012-01-21T11:18:00.001-07:00

Heads up gang ,thinking again!!!!

On Facebook I have seen several links to liberty horses today. The are all amazing and beautiful demonstrations of what can be done with the horse/human relationship . Also Dandy is leaving today , the young lady who is taking him is quite the horse woman in her own right , I have seen videos of her riding ,jumping , and just peacefully sitting cross legged on her horses in pasture . One of the videos that made me really "get " that this gal "has the stuff" is her and her beloved mare in the field in fairly deep snow . she swung up with I believe a halter and the horse was blanketed , the video shows her laughing , loving on the horse , riding "hands free" at a gallop through the snow (which if you have ever done can be a bit bouncy ) and jumping logs. Sure she slid off a couple times , but that mare stopped and waited for her to stop laughing and hop up again! The pure joy and the depth of a trust bond she had with this horse was a beauty to watch .
What does one thing have to do with the other . Well like the young lady , the liberty trainers didn't know they could absolutely do this until , they tried ,
What could we accomplish in life and with our our horses,if we let go of the "rules " a bit , and really got into our own comfortable relationships with them . allow them to trust us ,by learning to trust ourselves ?And by doing so trust them ?
When I say let go of the rules, I don't mean let go of boundaries, those have to exist for us and the horse to be safe. But let go of the rules in that "horses are to be ridden and driven only"
Don't panic my friend ,I am not suddenly going the route of not riding at all , but looking at the options of building better bonds on the ground to enhance the riding / driving .
We each have our ways of doing this , and I am not here to argue for or against any particular clinician, other than to say , it needs to be about the work ,not the equipment .

I am just wondering if we can push the limits of what we already do, and see what we can really accomplish,
Take my dear old Catana , she was a horse that literally did anything I set her at , huge steep hill? I was asked , can your mare do it? I said"don't know , we will try" and up she went . And the same with crossing a bog, swimming in the lake, standing (yawning no less ) as a train crossed in front of her . She had a huge heart , and I asked her to do things , because we had a great trust bond, and I had learned that she would not start something she could not finish ( That horse had a work ethic we should all strive for! )
Several years ago ,I was asked on short notice to come handle my sister in laws warm blood stallion for collection , he was an older horse , and familiar with his own handler and not me . I said "I'll try " I could not would not guarantee success, but I sure didn't go in planning to fail. I was just taking into consideration the barrier to success I would face and how best to manage that. What I did is went in assuming he was no different than my (considerably smaller stallion) expected the same appropriate behavior and manners , and... got them. He was a prince ! the warnings I received that he might be rough with me and or try to bite , or ram me into a post (not that he is a bad horse , but they like to try new people ) were totally unnecessary . I expected him to be good , trusted him to be good , and he followed my lead .
And of course the Phoenix, didn't know he would dance for me, till I asked!

So lets take this a step further, I didn't know I could write a book of poetry , till I tried! Now I am not claiming to be a huge literary success, but I did it , and am ready to publish book two very soon. Now trying a few new things with my photography as well.
As I said , we never know what we are really capable of till we try.
And me ,
I'll give it a try
Stay safe and warm!

Options

2012-01-18T17:40:00.000-07:00

So I have been thinking about a few things lately . About my book, and the photos I take . I love the calenders and the blog . But whether I am just looking to spread my wings, or all the compliments have gone to my head I am not sure , but I am doing a couple new things in this next while . exercising some options,so to speak.

I will be attending the Mane Event this year, but not with the ApHCC as in previous years .I will be at a booth I am sharing with Drayden Insurance , who are developing a farm/equine insurance parcel . My sister in law Connie and I will be there all 3 days rather than the usual part time presentation I have done i n the past . I will obviously have my farm stuff there, but I will also have my book (and maybe even volume 2 !!) I would love to take Calenders but it is really too late in the year to offer those for sale so I may have one for display but that is it .

One of the new things I am trying is photo cards . I have received many compliments on my photos and so I have taken a few of my favorites and had them made into note cards through Shutterfly

"Are you a Pony?"

Wild 'n free

FV A Shocking Comet

Power Take off

These are the ones I have chosen to start with .Shutterfly has done my Christmas cards the last few years , and they do a wonderful job. The price point is amazing so I am going to try this selection for the mane event .Also have chosen two to do up as mouse pads (Wild n Free , and are you a Pony?)

One other thing I like about Shutterfly is that I can send directly form them if someone orders the cards . Rather than have them come here and then ship out which can be pricey!

I figure seeing as I don't seem to be spending as much time as I would like on my horses (as in riding ) Which I also hope with this new health regime to rectify, I might as well do something with the side benefits I get from being with my horses.

Unlike some of my talented blogger friends ,I don't feel able to book portraits , or photo shoots for other, but I still do love taking pictures so for now I will leave the pros to it . and just puddle along at my pace .

Any and all suggestions will be much appreciated !

bummed out bloggers

2012-01-17T12:44:00.003-07:00

So blogger is still having issues for many. We have those who are unable to load photos , and others unable to log on tho their own blogs to comment ! My trouble seems to mostly be an inability to comment on some blogs . So If you feel I have been ignoring you , sorry I am still here!
I have tried a few things , some effective others, not so much ...
1.Scream at the computer, no so effective , but cathartic
2. I changed my comment window to a pop up a while back and it seems to be working despite the other glitches, all the blogs I read that have a pop up comment box rather than the other style seem to be allowing me access. pretty effective
3. I upgraded to Google Chrome on my home computer and I am back able to access all blogs. That is not an option for some who access from a network, and I am slightly resentful that I was essentially forced into a new technology
4 I have considered changing to another venue , like wordpress, but I am sure it comes with its own issues , and for the most part , when it is working well I like blogger . I have it figured out for posting ,links and templates, and while I have learned a lot , I am still a veritable techno bumpkin so ...

So to those I haven't "seen" in a while , I miss you and hopefully we will get this sucker back on track . Meanwhile , stay safe and warm.

Merciless Monday

2012-01-16T17:19:00.001-07:00

Let me open with, I don't actually dislike Mondays. I dislike some of them , but for the most part they are OK.After all you gotta get through Monday to get to the rest of the week, and back to the weekend right?
That said , this one could have been better !

It started around 2am, when I stuck my nose out of the fleece sheets and comforters and noticed it was , well, more than a bit chilly. Now I often sleep with the window cracked open so I didn't immediately panic, just closed the window and prepared to snuggle down. But something seemed off , I could hear the furnace fan going but it was cool . By the time I decided to get up the thermostat in the hall read 60F not bad , but a bit nippy. Went down to check the furnace(no idea what I thought I could do ) then tried resetting the thermostat. no good and the temp was dropping . Grabbed a space heater and fired up the wood stove ,which made it livable in the kitchen and living room, but by then the temp in the hall and bedrooms had dropped to 54F .
Bout then I got worried about pipes and such and gave in and called for help . The furnace tech arrived at 4 am. And I have to say,wow! what a nice fellow , up at that time of day and driving in -holycrapitscold!
Apparently my meter had frozen?? who knew that could happen? Lucky I called because while the house might have been OK the barn is not as well insulated and the pipes more than likely would have frozen , causing at best frozen waterers and at worst ...

All fixed and working by shortly after 5 . I tried to go back to bed , but uit was still darn cold in the house so not a lot of sleep .All things considered though it could have been worse . Funny thing , I thought of later, here I was alone , letting a total stranger into my house at 4 in the morning ,in my pj's not to say I wasn't covered trust me I had on dang near everything I owned at that point ! But really not a common occurrence . Glad he was such a nice ,non creepy guy!
Today was nasty cold again , I have been getting away with just a light flannel jacket and vest for quite a while now , but today was definitely a Carharrt day! Don't know what it is about those coats , but they are awesome!
Winston is still happy to be outside nekked but Skeeter is having trouble , even with his sweater and boots he is not lingering . I actually too k the truck to check waterers this evening , as it was just too much for him to walk all the way there and back!

Stay safe , stay warm! (I plan too!)

careful what you wish for (be specific!)

2012-01-15T22:53:00.000-07:00

So , I have said a few times , we needed more snow. and last night ...

we got it , along with blowing snow , and a serious drop in temp

I had commented too, that a little cooler would be better, the warmish season seems to make colds and flus more prevalent and Quinn's wound is much harder to keep clean with the chronic melting . Guess I needed to be clearer about how much colder! We have gone from soup to nuts !

above zero last week to -21C dropping to as low as -37C over the next week . Too lazy to do the conversion right now , but suffice to say -40 C is the same as -40 Fahrenheit!

the horses are fine, lots of feed , some straw (if it didn't blow away ) and fresh water

Snow is staying on their backs , is a good sign

took fresh bedding to Quinn and Comet (Or rather Quinn , who has claimed this bale as his!)

"Hey hey ! What about meee?"

The ladies in waiting too are holding their own in this cold snap.

Guess it is just me and Skeeter who are unhappy.

By the way , note to all , bored Border collie Blue heeler crosses are maniacal! Add a big old golden retriever to a housebound Skeeter , and they will rearrange your furniture!

Stay warm and safe!

My week described in pictures(not my pictures ) But pictures al the same

2012-01-13T14:48:00.000-07:00

Some weeks are just really looonnnggg

it is still very icy

we have had a few days where , sitting down with a bottle sounds about right

Still haven't made it to the pool , maybe next week

Yup, that pretty much wraps it up.It has been one long week. The traction on my shoes , makes a huge difference , I notice my back actually hurts less , since I am not pussy footing around out there (who knew) Lots going on theses days. Hopefully I will get a horsie update going soon , meanwhile thay are all doing more or less OK, staying on thier feet .Quinn is healing form the gouge he took out of his butt in the "safe pen" sigh . What is the line ?"if you put them in a padded stall they would suffocated on the lining?"

Anyhow , stay warm stay safe

Slippin and sliding update

2012-01-11T18:24:00.000-07:00

So it is still very icy around here, and while the "winter trax " were helping I was still feeling pretty nervous walking in some area. Our cows are quite quiet, but while walking among them it is not a good time to wipe out!
Popped by to visit my dad today during some down time and also got to visit with my Auntie Barb and cousin Laurie , they too have been having trouble with the ice . Auntie Barb quite enjoys walking , and while she had something similar to the winter trax she said she still slips by times . Laurie had a different type , and says they have worked well, hers has sharp "cleats" on the ball of her foot . She ,also has livestock to care for , and her property has quite a steep hill. She recommended "Campers Village" to get some better traction , and better traction I got !!!!!

These puppies have some serious bite!!!! Similar to the wintertrax in that they are on a rubber harness, but they are chains with several 3/8 inch spikes throughout . They also fit better over the toe of the boot and so far don't seem to be able to pop off.

Wore them for chores tonight and I could walk every where! sure footed as a mountain goat! Well not really , I am still a klutz but , I wasn't slipping!

The only downsides are, they are a bit spendy, ($60.00 a pair , but honestly , what would it cost me to hire someone for shores if I got hurt?) they are very noisy ! I sound like a herd of horses walking around , but for chores I am not actually shooting for stealth and I have to take my boots off outside ,as they don't work very well on ceramic tile! (there they slip!) But all in all I felt very safe and happy with them . Hoping Cousin Laurie see this post , in case she too wants to be a mini mountain goat !

Take care all, stay safe , stay warm!

Daughters of the land

2012-01-09T19:36:00.003-07:00

Many poems and songs have been written about cowboys and farmers, and such . All about the men .Nothing wrong with that , but today I will be giving the ladies their due

Daughters of the land

A daughter of the land
She will understand
When dinner is a few hours late

She will leave it to warm
And head out on the farm
And push the loose stock through the gate

If there is work to be done, she is the one
Who is out there right alongside you

Not afraid to get dirty, even if it ain’t purdy
She will do just what she needs to

Now don’t you laugh, she will carry a calf
That needs her without any question
To just let it lie, and possibly die
Is an Impossible suggestion

She is stubborn and strong
And will work the day long
With not even so much as a thank you

She has a heart that is tender

So please do remember
She’s human and your words can hurt her

Though she will never show it
Or let you know it ,
the damge is only too clear

Don’t think you are above her
Let her alone or just love her

It’s her choice, she should be allowed
She lives for her family; she is all she can be
And her wish is to make them proud

Water water ,its right there , across the skating rink!

2012-01-08T11:31:00.000-07:00

Excerpted from the Rhyme of the ancient Mariner
The ice was all between.

The ice was here, the ice was there,
The ice was all around:
It cracked and growled, and roared and howled,
Like noises in a swound!

Water, water, every where,
Nor any drop to drink.

No I didn't shoot an Albatross , but the ice around here is getting to be more and more treacherous. and while we all preach animal care means access to quality feed and fresh water , how much emphasis is put on the "access " part ?
I have been keeping a pretty close eye on things , around the waters for the cattle and horses, and most are staying relatively OK, but this farm is mostly on a slope , and while it makes for good drainage it does not work really well when we have so much ice .
The mares water tank is on a slight slope , and while they were still able to get to and from it along the side of the fence it was becoming very slippery around it , and it limited how many could be there at one time .
I don't honestly know if there is science behind this one or if it just something I was told on the farm as a child , but I was taught there is a large risk to pregnant mares losing a foal due to a slip on the ice . Whether it is true or not , it certainly is a risk to safety and soundness .

SO I was fussing and mulling over what to do, sand works to a degree , but once it melts or rains again sometims the sand is covered , salt is not an option as the de icing salt is not safe for them to lick , and regular salt they would lick up before it was effective ,also if it rains or melts and freezes I could be out there daily .
So after some thought I took out a bag of shavings.
I wet down the area with some fresh water (no point in just covering the ice ) so the shavings would stick and layered damp and dry shavings over the whole area. This is not a perfect fix either , if it rains or snows a bunch they will be washed away or covered. but for $5 a bag I can afford to do it again if it rains and if it snows, we will be fine as the snow will pack and add traction .

Most of the mares seemed to "get that I was helping , and Rich ,Jazzy and Jewels paraded right up for a drink ! Ici and Peps , however seems convinced it was quicksand , or some horse eating variety of footing designed specifically to burn off their little hoofies!

So I went with some bales string , caught each of them and led them up to the water, they came, not willingly , but did follow eventually , then once there were fully prepared to dance around like fools!! sigh , rocket scientists , the pair of them ! Oh well the things we will do to keep our precious ponies safe ! As I said the rest seem OK, but I will be keeping an eye on things , and at least I have figured out a temporary fix!

Stay warm and safe

Slippin and a slidin!

2012-01-05T19:31:00.000-07:00

We have had unseasonably warm temps lately , and added to that we had rain a couple times in the last week. So the footing around here is best described as treacherous!
Not as bad in the fields as we still have some snow pack , but the barnyard , and the driveway are exciting to say the least ! the highways have been fairly good , though the trip to the airport Tuesday night with Martin was a bit of a white knuckler! I took the back way (BIG MISTAKE ) and saw the error in my ways in a big hurry as we passed 3 cars in the ditch in less than a mile . Was going about 10kmph heading up to the stop sign and gently tried my brakes. The anti slip system kicked in immediately and I felt the back end of the truck wanting to come around to meet me! !!!!! By the time I dropped him off and headed home the rain had stopped and the sanding trucks were out in force. Add to that I took the main highway home it was a much nicer trip.

But the last few mornings, and evenings doing chores has been interesting to say the least !

I haven't actually wiped out , but it has been a close run thing! We have had a few years out here where it has been this bad or worse, when even the pastures became treacherous . One year in particular I was carrying pails of sand out to spread in all of the gate ways , and icy spots , when our big Angus bull though her would push past me to go out . Well that poor bugger got more than he bargained for ! He sped up , hit ice ,and was actually airborne before he went down!!! I thought the sound I heard was his neck breaking, but apparently not , he shakily got to his feet and gingerly carried on. I don't recall him ever pushing his way through a gate again hmmm curious...

Anyhow , seeing as I already have enough owies in my life I decided today on my break to go get some traction

They don't look like much but if you put them on the right way (yes I did it backwards first, the little tabby thing is to be at your heel ) they stay on well enough and really do help . Areas that I was "surfing" on this morning were no trouble at all !

the only issue I found is if they pop off , as one did later (once I had them on right) I was striding along with all kinds of confidence when suddenly my foot slipped , I looked down and sure enough the trax had popped off . I may try to tie them on somehow .

Apparently I was not the only one who was looking today , I met one lady at 3 stores , and she and I found the last few available in the Greater Spruce Grove area finally . We were getting to the point where one of us felt like a stalker ! There are a couple other types out there , a new one actually designed by a Canadian , but it was promoted on the news the other day so I doubt with all the ice around we will be seeing many available. I am pleased with these so far, I was getting so desperate I had formed a plan to either tie some barbed wire around my boots or call Ernie , and see if he had sharp shod any ponies lately and had some spares or worn out borium shoes that I could tie on! Now wouldn't that have confused people tracking me?

Anyhow after last winter I cannot believe I am saying this , but we need some snow pack around her!

At least with that you don't mind so much if you fall!
However you do it stay safe and stay warm !

Where to start ?

2012-01-03T14:00:00.001-07:00

So ,the Christmas season has passed , more or less, the cookies and goodies are nearly all gone and the march toward spring begins. Or in my case the limp. Sigh
*New years eve we were sorting cows, Angela was out to preg check. Last group I cautioned as I saw the bull was at the back , said"ease up, the bulls don't take the pressure and can kic... and he did ,the gate right into me !I took the gate full in the chest! all things considered I am fine from that , bruised belly is better than broken ribs ! Lucky I am well padded ! sore spot on my collar bone and that's it ! Thanks Ang for coming out to do that for us . We sure appreciate the help ! And yet that, is not the reason for the limp! I was packing up Christmas yesterday , and picked up the tote with all my Christmas village in it ! Will not tell you what hubby called my over that , only that it wasn't particularly sweet , and It was also probably exactly what I was being!

I had a wonderful time with family and friends , and received some wonderful treasures as well. A long awaited Painted Pony "Emergence " based on the story of the Phoenix . painted by our very own fellow blogger Jennifer MacNiell -Traylor It is Beautiful !!! And new western dinnerware with brands on it , and and and . Suffice to say I was treated like the princess I have always believed myself to be (LOL insert eye roll here)
And I ate like one too!
Didn't actually gain weight over this season , as we were kept pretty busy on the farm as well but man o man am I tired and sluggish !The last couple of days , has totally kicked my behind!
So on to the resolution poem "taking care of me" well off to a rocky start , but my heart is in the right place .
I have been looking at different menu plans (cannot call them diets ) and also looking to go to the local pool/rec centre where they also offer massage therapy and physio ,. One stop shopping ! thinking if I can do that a couple times a week and get on a smarter eating program again I will hopefully regain some energy , and maybe even tone up this old jelly bean !
Then by spring if I haven't found a trainer ...
Look out Whoa Dammit!

Resolutions

2012-01-01T11:30:00.001-07:00

In this new year
I do resolve
to take the problems
I cannot solve
and look them over quietly
and see if they truly
belong to me

if they do ,I'll take a shot
and really give it all I have got
to sort it out
and get it right
but I'll loose no more sleep at night
over issues I truly cannot fix
within my little bag of tricks

I will still give,and help
where I can
But finally I understand
the best help that I can be
is to learn to
take care of me

HAPPY NEW YEAR!!!
Stay Safe , stay warm

2011 Year in review , part 2

2011-12-30T20:30:00.002-07:00

June brought more excitement and some fear . Forest fires raged in the northern part of the province, and Martin came home from work on a bus , as they could not take off in the plane due to sparks on the runway!!
Many Albertans , suffered with these fires, and the entire town of Slave Lake was devastated ! homes were lost , the hospital and law enforcement facilities damaged , and much more.We witnessed a miracle of a sort though with this , as communities pooled together , near and far to help the victims for the fire , donations of food, clothing bedding and lodging poured in , not just from Albertans and Canadians, but from The USA as well . The Royal Couple attended the site , and we were all reminded , that even in the face of tragedy there can be good found in people!

We also shared in some wonderful family time. My moms birthday celebration was an opportunity for many of the family from near and far to gather and visit . My Aunt and Uncle from Seattle attended , as well.

A bittersweet time as we also learned that my Uncle Bud was losing his battle with Cancer, but we enjoyed a great visit with him , and he remained relatively well through the summer , attending his grandson's wedding and his nieces 50th birthday in the fall . I wrote him a poem , at that time , and though I hesitated I am very glad that I gave it to him. He read it and told me I made him sound far too good , but those of us who knew and loved him , know I did not even scratch the surface .

"I will remember you laughing”

I remember you laughing with total abandon

A wonderful memory I often reflect on

So much more to say and remember

The soul of a poet, a heart oh so tender

Square dancing or ballroom you fit in just fine

Then out to the fields and on the combine

Community minded, with an adventurous spirit

Climbing a windmill, with no sign you fear it

You took on the world and had a good look,

And saw so much more than is found in a book

Father, a husband, a brother and friend

A grandfather and uncle loved beyond end

And if you must leave us and go on ahead

We will have memories to hold in your stead

Save us a place, and wait for us there

And oh! One day, the stories we’ll share

But in the meanwhile

As time keeps on passing

In my heart and my mind

I will remember you laughing

Following the party , Martin and I packed up the truck, and With Auntie Peggy and Uncle Brian in tow , we went on a road trip to Seattle , to return them home. Those who know me well , will laugh and know that I drove the whole way! I am a TERRIBLE passenger , and seem to loose all upper body control when you take away my steering wheel. Luckily Martin is not a fan of driving a lot so we so OK .

Had a great visit with family there in Seattle , and then ,

I did it again!

I met another fellow blogger!

Mikael! of Mikael's Mania/Rising Rainbow Arabians!!!!

I cannot load all of the pics I took, and can't even link back tho the original posts as the hacker screwed that up, but here is one of my favorites!

Mikael ,and the handsome Tango We had a lovely visit, seeing all of her horses.I fell in love with many , Suede ,Dandy, Legs , the twins Surprise and trouble , and of course Mikael, and her family! Again too short a visit , but when you find good friends are visits ever really long enough?

Home and Martin returned to work till July , then had some time off for Haying .

Unfortunately in early July , a hacker attempted to access , my pay pal account, and email,(both of which have subsequently been closed ) then when they were unable to do that successfully , out of what appears to have been pure spite , they deleted my blog posts from the past 3 years . 500+ posts ! gone! . As I said , at the time , I may not be the most tech savvy gal out there , but I am stubborn and determined , and I got the blog back , without the posts and comments , but have gradually recovered the posts. This did not in fact make me jaded or defeated , in fact the outpouring of love and support I received , actually renewed my faith in human nature and I am determined to follow my mothers mantra of "the best revenge is living well!" and Live well I shall!!!

This summer also brought graduation celebrations for my nephew Brendan,

My favorite photo of the evening was this

My very proud sister , dancing with her son!

Summer also brought the newest of the Fern Valley Appaloosas

FV Quicken the Wind ( actually arrived in May )

and FV A Shocking Comet!

Ands we have enjoyed all summer watching these beauties grow!

This summer , we sold FV Sparks Image, to a young lady who's mom and I attended School together,

Bug, Chance , and also Dandy have found new people of their own!The great thing is I am able to follow up , and these folks are keeping in contact with me , so even though I have sold , them , I will at least to a point be able to watch them grow and see their careers!

August brought some fearful and stressful time ,with mom going into hospital with a presumed stroke. She was going downhill quickly and we feared the worst as she became unresponsive 3 or 4 days in. Fortunately the doctors found out the problem and My tough little mom has recovered again! Yes , all prayers are answered , and sometimes it is yes!

She is still in a care facility but has been able to come home for several visits, including Thanksgiving and Christmas .

Fall came to us as it does, and amidst the hay hauling and weaning , chores began again for the year. Martin is working away again , and I have cut down to a part time position at work. Life is going along much as is should.I took a day trip to Red Deer to meet Janice (Own a Morgan) , Shirley ,( Ride a good Horse) , and Crystal at the Supreme,(have I mentioned I adore these ladies ? each and every one . My sister and I took a quick "sisters trip" to Seattle at the beginning of December to visit family , and had a wonderful time ,thinking us girls should do that more often .

We had some sad good byes this year as well, in our families , and in our furry families as well. So when we look up and say our prayers at night , we will see some new stars in our sky , and know that we will meet again someday .

Christmas was lovely , an warm and loving family time , where we were treated to a beautiful gift of my dad singing to us , he has finally given in and agreed to let me share this with you !

Forgive the quality , as I am not yet used to the big camera on video mode ,and there is a slight hiccup in filming , but you will see I think that it is a most wonderful gift .

Dads Gift As New Years Eve fast approaches us I am looking forward to the new year coming , and looking back at my adventures with some wonder! I don't know what is coming next for us here at Fern Valley, but whatever it is I hope we are equal to the task!

Wishing you all Peace , comfort and Joy in the New Year .

Thank You for hanging in with me this far , and as always , stay safe , stay warm! I love you all!

2011 ,Year in Review part 1

2011-12-29T20:24:00.001-07:00

So ,I hope I haven't left you hanging so long you wandered off!
Here it is! the year in review!
So , as I said , I had begun writing a bit of poetry, well January , my muse awoke in earnest and I began to write even more . Sometime in there ,also the idea of publishing my poetry began to flicker in the back of my mind .
January of 2011 a;lo brought with it ,more snow as Old Man winter took the prairies by the hand and held on tight! It did however make for some great photo opportunities

Deb and I braved some NASTY driving conditions to attend the Breeders and Owners conference , and came home after that weekend to a record snowfall Again! We began to believe Winter was never going to ease up , far less to end !
February , came along and the nasty bite of Winter held tight ,with even more snow and nasty roads . Severe winds and temperatures as well. So bad that one of my electric waterers (It seems one always does ) froze up , and I had to have Nephew Cory out to re wire it .(I am more than willing to thaw them and fix the plumbing , but when the water is close to the electrical box, I cry Uncle and holler for help .) Because the weather would not ease I could not get time to thaw it , so I covered it till spring and placed a Rubbermaid tank in that pen for the remainder of the winter (fixed it this spring , no sweat and so far , so good!)
In late Feb, Martin and I left the farm in the capable hands of Angela(DVM2012 ) and my brother in law Marc , and headed for sunshine and Palm trees for 1 glorious week !

Travelled with Martins sister Connie , and her hubby Mike.

Fun sun and relaxation!!!

On the way home we had a layover in Phoenix , where we got an extra special treat!

As we exited Customs were were greeted by two of the cutest redheads EVER and their folks ! My dear friend Linda (CutnJump) and her hubby , and the beautiful twins Lillian and Vivian! We had coffee and a visit , and as with all of the blogger friends I have met so far, it felt like we had been friends forever! Too short a visit , but with friends it always is.

Home to the snow and the long wait for spring .I finally bit the bullet and contacted a publisher and started on the book . It was scary , and exciting , and ...

Spring finally came to Alberta , sort of , and calving began

It was a little rocky and rough by times , but with my able assistants Winston and Skeeter , I got through

At the end of April , Deb and I again headed for Red Deer for the MANE EVENT , a huge Equine trade show and conference , where we helped man the booth for the Appaloosas Horse Club of Canada . And I (apparently "got my flirt on") and got us in the side door , saving us a huge walk, and then a free extension cord for the booth! (I swear I just smiled and asked nicely!!!! )and did , dance very briefly in the aisle with a cowboy I have never seen before or since for that matter ! (Told you I was coming out of my shell these days!lol)

Again a huge treat awaited us there , we were able to meet One old Cowgirl(Linda) and Crystal from Ranch Riding !!! Two of the sweetest ladies, both of whom I adore!!!!

Martin and I celebrated our 10 anniversary this year, had a very exciting evening out at the Red Lobster ,complete with a power outage and candlelight moments!

And then it happened! just before my moms birthday party I received the copies of my book!!!!!!

There he is , MY HUBBY , reading MY BOOK! how cool is that?

And you know what , that is only half the year, and half the excitement !!!more to come tomorrow !

Looking back

2011-12-27T20:48:00.000-07:00

Well now that Christmas has passed ,and New Years is fast approaching ,it seems time to do "A year in review post " Which I will do , but first I have to go back a little further.
In 1999, I was doing things a little differently than I am now . I still lived here, and had horses, and cared for cattle ,but my work and social life was vastly different . I was single , working at 2 1/2 jobs. By that I mean I worked at a group home part time , caring for seniors, and also was in the same job contracted to work 3 nights a week with a palliative patient , a lovely , and far to young man dying of a terrible and much feared virus .Yes ,I am talking about HIV/AIDS, and as much education as there is out there , the disease and the victims of it still suffer immensely from fear induced wrath and negativity . In addition to that I had started a small business I opened a Consignment craft store ,called "Allsorts Crafts and Curiosities "
I was kind of a busy girl!
I was dating here and there, but nothing serious , had a great group of friends , and was essentially settled into a pretty good life of a single 30 something gal.
Then September came along , and after a double shift at work and a half day in the store I attended a birthday party for a friend . Where I was introduced to Martin .

Well you have all read the story of how we met , and if you haven't I will find you the link later, but that was the start of some big changes . By December we were seeing each other fairly steady , and I had also sold a partnership in my store . As 2000/2001 came along the changes started to happen very quickly . I moved the store to a new location . The palliative care position ended and I started yet another job with the local Health authority , as a Mental Health Aide . And by December had sold my part of the store I was engaged to be married . Also had started working as a Home support aid fro the region . 2001 was a year of new beginnings and huge change. Oddly ,I who hates change , just took it all in stride and loved almost every minute of it !!!
A friend gave me a Crystal butterfly at the time , with the quote "Go butterfly go! " remarking on the metamorphosis she was seeing in me and my life !
So why have I told you all this?
Well I mentioned I am not a big fan of change, and yet changes happened again ten years later!
Maybe not as drastic, but I sure had to "come out of my shell" Over the last 2 years, I have attended , and presented at displays in very large trade shows (THE MANE EVENT ) Which certainly required me to step out of my comfort zone and actually speak to strangers . Also as you may have noticed I have been writing Poetry . Well at first I wasn't prepared to share any of it , but slowly with a lot of encouragement from family friends, and this wonderful blogging community , I started to share it . And Low and behold , I began to spread my wings further! first publishing it here on the blog, and then taking a huge leap and having the book published!
Telling Tails , became a reality ,and you have never seen such an excited girl as me the day I received my "Authors copy " in the mail!
So we are back to the present . I have more to talk about over this "Year in Review " But that is the "back story "
It has been quite a year, good times , sad times , and everything in between!
till later
Stay Safe and Warm

Wrapping it all up

2011-12-25T22:53:00.002-07:00

Well! Christmas night is upon us! And what a Christmas it was!
Grab a cuppa ! its gonna be a long one!
Christmas eve was spent here at home , doing last minute preparations .My dear friend Linda was out for a visit and helped me roll cabbage rolls for today's dinner.(I soo appreciate this , as it is a tiring task, and all she ever charges me is a small pan for her and her mom to snack on)

Then while they were cooking we went out for a walk, watered the young horses and the Phoenix.
You get the benefit of her photos ,with me in them , jelly bean look intact( Note to self , winter wear especially puffy vest and coat NOT SLIMMING!)

The since we were out there , the conversation wandered to The Phoenix , and Skeeter . Way back I had posted about doing some liberty training with him. But the dang dog has beat me to it !!!

Well I figured I would see if the big guy would dance for me ...

So into his pen I went

And I asked him

As you can see

The answer was a resounding YES!

"Awe Gee mom , that was fun ! Will there be a snack?"

Back into the house and the business at hand .

Wrapped a couple last minute gifts , then started the dough for Cinnamon buns. My plan was to get it to the stage it was rising in the pans then pop them into the fridge to stop them. The all I would have to do in the morning is put them in to bake, and viola ! fresh baked buns for breakfast!

And it worked just the way I planned! Yeah!!

Christmas elf!

My other helper elf

The finished product

The gang for breakfast

A little down time then whipped up some mashed potato's , and took them and the cabbage rolls to my sisters house for dinner

She put on a wonderful spread , and we all ate , well probably too well but ...

Yes we exchanged gifts , but the greatest gift I received today was the blessing of having my loved ones all close and being able to celebrate a family Christmas again this year Mom was able to come home for a few days on a pass , and will hopefully be settled at home soon in the New Year . and if that wasn't all just as good as it gets , We got my dad to sing for us . took some talking and coercion , but he finally allowed us to film him singing . He won't give me permission to show that video here , as he says he is too rusty , but take it from me .He is not ! He has agreed to practice some , and maybe one day he will let me share it!

For now ,just know that it was lovely , a song he tells me he sang to mom when they were dating

here is a bit of the words

"I'm saving my money to buy you a rainbow A rainbow, to fit on your finger And after I've gone and bought you the rainbow I'll go out and I'll buy you the moon "

What can I say?

A truly wonderful day .I am blessed .

Hope each and every one of you were able to celebrate with loved ones , this special time .

Stay safe and warm

A Christmas wish

2011-12-23T20:58:00.001-07:00

I will make a wish this Christmas Eve
For all to give and to receive

I promise I won't wish for very much
Just all creatures to have a loving touch

That joy and comfort and peace are shared
that shelter abounds and lives are spared

That families rejoice for loved ones come home
that no one is left afraid and alone

that no one is hungry ,or out on the cold
I will wish for this ,If I may be bold

It may seem impossible, this gift to receive
But it can happen ,I have to believe

For all to be loved, and kept warm and safe
This is what I wish, in continuing faith.

Merry Christmas to all !
And as always , stay safe and warm!
With Love ,
Sherry

I think there may be a Winston calender after all this year

2011-12-22T16:52:00.001-07:00

I Heard the Bells on Christmas Day

2011-12-21T22:15:00.001-07:00

This is one of my all time favorite Christmas songs . I have always loved it and yet often struggled to remember the words. I had looked it up a few years ago and written it down , and later found in one of my beloved grandfathers diaries , the lyrics all written out in his hand . Funny that ,I always wished I could journal like my Grandad , who chronicled his daily life in his journals in his own hand for years. My gift to him each Christmas for many years was a nice new journal , and after he passed away they came to me . AS I looked through them, I felt I came to know him better, and I learned a lot about what made him who he was .I never did get the hang of journalling , or well, at least not till I began to blog.Maybe not quite the same but ,it works for me .He has been on my mind a lot today , and I knew his birthday was right around now . I am ashamed to admit that I had to ask my sister the exact day , which would be tomorrow, December 22. So I guess this proves to be a timely post in a way .
I Heard the Bells on Christmas day
Henry Wadsworth Longfellow (1807-1882), 1867)

I Heard the Bells on Christmas Day
Their old familiar carols play,
And wild and sweet the words repeat
Of peace on earth, good will to men.

I thought how, as the day had come,
The belfries of all Christendom
Had rolled along the unbroken song
Of peace on earth, good will to men.

And in despair I bowed my head:
"There is no peace on earth," I said,
"For hate is strong and mocks the song
Of peace on earth, good will to men."

Then pealed the bells more loud and deep:
"God is not dead, nor doth he sleep;
The wrong shall fail, the right prevail,
With peace on earth, good will to men."

Till, ringing singing, on its way,
The world revolved from night to day,
A voice, a chime, a chant sublime,
Of peace on earth, good will to men!

For those who would like to listen to it . This is the Carpenters version.

Encore performance

2011-12-19T20:51:00.006-07:00

So while I should have been wrapping presents, or soaking cabbage to prepare cabbage rolls or ...
I was playing on the computer .at what you ask?
Well Skeeter and Phoenix have their daily dance, and I sometimes just watch and laugh , but today I caught it again on camera.I seems they have "upped their game" a bit and even involved Winston in the performance this evening !
So I though I would share it . Forgive my choice of music( I like the song ) and I don't have a lot downloaded so my choices are limited. Between that and A slight stumble over my Christmas spirit today I chose this song because it fit the mood I, and it appears Phoenix also was in .
Those who know me well, and knew or at least knew of my old friend "Chips " will understand that I had to cover the original video sounds to cover,vocal encouragement of Skeeter and the "hitch" in my voice and the sniffles . For just a moment there I thought I could see the old boy again and it brought a melancholy tear .

Anyhow , I seem to have that "stumble" under control, and have been wrapping some gifts , and playing Christmas music at full volume again . Martin is very good at wrapping gifts , and he will be home tomorrow , so to be honest I am just making an effort to look like I was busy wrapping , and he will take over when he gets here (yup I am a bad*ss) But I do still have some baking , to do and those cabbage rolls wont make themselves ...
Stay Safe and warm my friends
edited to add here is the link to the video in a larger format (different music, but a bit easier to see )
Dog and Pony show

Walk with me

2011-12-18T19:02:00.000-07:00

We had a light snowfall last night , followed by a bright beautiful day

So after church , I grabbed my camera , to go for a walk!, are you coming?

The Phoenix looking regal in the frost

walk a little further now

the cows , waiting for feeding time

Cactus , wanders up to say hello

the right lighting , can even make livestock equipment pretty

note to self ,do not take a picture of a woodpecker while he is busy, you wind up with a creepy shot of a headless woodpecker!

Skeeter seeking something?

The ever handsome Winston

deep in thought

Hi GL! hugs and snuggles from Johnnie Handsome!

Looking pretty good for an old fellow(Stryker 22 years young this year)

Wilder(Mr low key quiet guy )

Another cute overload from the blonds

a quick stop with Tommy Toes and my miniature Aslan

then back to the house for coffee and Baileys , you coming?

other than that , got the baking caught up for now , and the house is all decorated. Just have one or two last minute things to pick up. The wrap presents , make cabbage rolls, and Cinnamon buns , and I am ready for Santa!

Stay safe and warm

Repost: messin with the music

2011-12-17T22:56:00.000-07:00

Re posting this from some of the lost posts of the last year . Had to make a few changes to the body to reflect the changing faces here at Fern Valley .I will have a new post soon with hopefully some current pictures , we have huge fat snowflakes falling tonight and the landscape will be much prettier soon .
From Johnnie to Santa
Jolly old Saint Nicholas,Lean your ear this way!
Don't you tell a single soul
What I'm going to say:
Christmas Eve is coming soon;
Now, you dear old man
Whisper what you'll bring to me;
Tell me if you can.

When the clock is striking twelve,
When I'm fast asleep
through the pastures cold and white,
With your pack you'll creep
All the horses you will find
Standing in a pen
I will be the shortest one,Somewhere near the end

Wilder wants a carrot please
Peps, She wants some oats
Cactus ,some pretty girls, with some spotted coats
Quinn wants a pail of crunch
Stryker ,just wants hay
Annie and ,Andy , say ,they just want to play
Ritchie, Ici,Jazzy,are happy as they are,
Digger wants his DVM
Comet wants to be a star

Now I think ,I leave to you
What to give the rest
And for me, dear Santa Claus;
mums love is the best .

Speaking of changes , The Morgan team has found a new home , with a couple who drive heavy horses and are looking to do some light driving competitions as well . Hope I will be able to follow up on them now and then .It is always nice to be able to do that . I am just happy that this handsome pair has found a home where they will be used and cared for .

Busy days here, spent much of today outside getting the horses caught up with feed and bedding , and then spent the afternoon baking cookies . Whipped shortbread, is done, next will be my fancy pastry cookies (its what I call them , easiest cookies in the world to make , but they are pretty and look complicated )

Meanwhile , stay safe and warm everyone!

Treasures

2011-12-14T21:37:00.001-07:00

Most of the decorations or collections in the previous post and in this are items I have had for many years. Treasured gifts from family and friends . An heirloom church from my grandmothers home and of course gifts from my hubby . I got some pictures of the rest of the collections today and a couple very special items as well!

A bit random , this group, but mostly snowmen and candle holders

Snow globe train and other snow globes (the larger ones are musical) My favorite musical one is the centre one it plays The dance of the Sugar Plum fairy from the Nutcracker Suite

A ballet I saw several times as a child with my mom

The gingerbread village I commented on and liked on a visit to Hammond's Candy factory in Denver several years ago with my friend Linda. She remembered ,and ordered it for me the following year!

And a variety of musical ornaments some from hubby and the wooden horse one is one from when I was quite young , from my mom. She would buy us one or two decorations per year ,so when we moved out we would have our own Christmas display .

Then

this arrived

in the mail !!!!!!!

And is Proudly displayed at my entrance! Thanks to Jennifer Mac Neill-Traylor

of The Mare's Tales - Gypsy Mare Studios for sending it so quickly!

I mentioned also that my Nativity was not displayed this year , the old decorated shoe box that has housed it this many years , was on its last legs (I think I made it when I was about 18 )

When I took it down last year I tried to clean it up, and sadly it really fell to disarray then . So I was hoping to make something new for it .

Well time got away on me and I had nothing done . Martin said "oh maybe when I am home next time I can help you with it ."

Well I went to work yesterday , came home in time to take him to the airport , and what should I find??

Hand made from fence boards he cleaned up , to make it look more authentic...

Better than a shoe box , and made with love!

There you have my Christmas treasures , the ornaments and the treasured people who help make the memories !

Stay safe and warm

Nearly there!

2011-12-12T20:10:00.001-07:00

Martin and I brought the tree in this morning to get things going on the decorations . As you can see we had some additional technical support making sure the stand was straight!

"a little to the left dad!"

The Martin went shopping and left me with the rest .I took my time and got most of it done

My snow baby display

the view from the dining room to the kitchen

(last year , my nativity sat there , but as I said then the shoe box I had made for a creche was pretty dilapidated , and it did not come down well. hoping to make a new one for this year )

A whimsical display of bears

My Christmas village and Santa train

My Carousel display , the Calliope is a little temperamental after 25 years and only plays at one volume (used to be able to turn it down or mute )but it is still going strong

My dining room table

The Tree

And it just is not Christmas until my Grandma Horricks ' church is set out .It plays Silent night , when you wind it up. and sometimes during a particularly magical moment it plays all on its own!

I have a few other displays set up , but it was dark when I was done and they don't photograph well in poor light .

Anyhow we are getting caught up , still have the cards to write and some baking to do ,but it seems manageable .

Stay safe and warm my friends

Working on it

2011-12-11T20:22:00.001-07:00

Still slogging away at my list of things to do. As far as I got decorating was to get out my Christmas table cloths and put them out . But I am off tomorrow so ,there is hope !

Dandy's new owner did make it out for a brief visit Friday evening , and is hoping to try again Monday in the daylight . She seems very pleased ,commenting on face book 20 min after she left , how she LOVED her new boy! I have to say ,the more I communicate with this little lady the happier I am about Dandy going to her . Another Fern Valley colt has hit the "good owner lottery" I believe!

The book signing was quiet, actually I was a little worried it would be a total wash , but near the end I got a few people and did actually make some sales . Onoway is a small town and it is pretty close to Christmas so...

Brother in law Marc, my sister Heather and my good friend Deb popped in to hang out with me , and that made a huge difference as well.

Had a visit from my Aunt and cousin as well, then Martin and I headed off to town to do some shopping and have a visit with his folks.

Today , was the Church pageant and Christmas dinner , then off to town again to meet mom and dad and give them a little help with shopping . Aside from the crowds it went well,but I do have to ask why retailers feel the need to park the 1/2 acre fragrance section ,right smack in the entrance ? Seriously ,put it in the back somewhere , where in the unlikely event that I decide I want a migraine I can got there and leave the rest of the shoppers to their day!

Home now and blogging when I should be writing and addressing Christmas cards. Oh well I am just a renegade! Better get at it! here is a preview

Stay safe and warm everyone!

Whats up for the weekend

2011-12-08T22:23:00.000-07:00

Falling behind a little here with posting . seems like I took that little holiday , and forgot to come back!
Lots going on these days . Martin got home Tues for his week off, and we are trying to get a few things going for Christmas . Friday , I am off work , and we are hoping to get the decorations out so I can work on putting them up over the weekend . Dandy's new owner is hoping to stop by for a visit , and in the afternoon I am going to town to take mom out shopping for a while . Saturday I will be at a local restaurant doing a "book signing " for my book Telling Tails I will also have some of my Fern Valley calenders there . and Sunday is our church Christmas pageant and dinner .
Mixed in with all that we need to go get square bales , do regular chores ,write my Christmas cards and the rest of the day to day stuff . It is manageable , but its gonna take some focus and planning to get it all done. I also need to get off where I sit and get at some baking!
Feeling a little jealous of this guy

Winston , embracing his new "dolly"

Hope Skeeter does not shred this one right away!

Anyhow , stay warm and safe everyone!

The pictures

2011-12-06T21:38:00.002-07:00

Greg ,Heather , and Murray , on the Kingston ferry

Greg, myself and Murray

The whole works! well almost

from left to right . Randy , and Enid ,me again, Murray, and the tiny blonde is his sweetie Anita , then Heather and Greg. Gregs wife Shelly was unable to be with us as her mother is gravely ill . and Heather and my hubbie's, got left behind on this trip , as it was a "sister weekend "

having trouble getting the other pictures to load , they are of the house and the ferry trip we took. but I think this covers the basics .

bustin' a move

2011-12-06T10:17:00.001-07:00

Skeeter loves to play with Fix , I think he thinks Phoenix is "his " horse . I let it go as they are having fun , as long as we keep the fence between them

Out and about

2011-12-05T11:33:00.000-07:00

Group Hug

So ,you may or may not have noticed that I was absent from bloggerland for a day or so.
I was on a little adventure!
Actual pictures to follow , but for now I will just tell you that my sister and I took a quick weekend trip to Seattle to visit family , and it was WONDERFUL!!!!!!!
My Aunt and Uncle there are the most gracious hosts ever , and our cousins Greg, Murray and Enid, along with their families, manage to treat us like gold every single time !Heather and I both noticed, and Greg commented as well, that it doesn't seem to matter how long it is betweeen visits with these folks, we alway are able to pick up where we left off ! Just like we saw them yesterday . That is such a great feeling .We had a wonderful visit, and as nice as it is to come home, I almost didn't want to leave !
So with the holiday season upon us , what better time to remember our families and reach out to those we don't see or hear from as often, and those who are close by as well. Reconnect with someone and remember all the wonderful reasons you want them in your life.
Love to all, stay warm and safe!

Why Appaloosas?

2011-12-01T20:01:00.001-07:00

I have raised Appaloosas for a long time now . Started when I was very young with my first Appy (you can find her story under honorable mentions ) And I not only fell in love with the horse , but as the years went on the bred itself.
I started out riding the typical stock type Quarter horses that most Alberta farm kids ride . Stout solid working horses, not all were particularly kind or gently (though many were ) But they were good dependable working horses .

I tell ya, when I came home with an Appaloosa, well to some you would have thought the sky was gonna fall! Breed prejudice?? Oh hail ya! But slowly over the years the versatility and toughness of the breed began to win over the naysayers .It also did not hurt that my beloved Catana was ,well flat out gorgeous and truly able to do it all ! The biggest of the naysayers had to admit she was one heck of a horse !

The breed has been an interesting, and wonderful one to work with, Appaloosas are smart and thinking horses, tough and stoic, and versatile as the competition Challenge of the breeds has shown over and over .
Ranch horse,trail, driving , dressage , hunter jumper , you name it (for give me here but I gotta )

"We've got an App for that"

It isn't where I started, but Appaloosas is where I will stay .
So what brought you to the breed you chose?

Lookee lookee!!!!!

2011-11-29T18:19:00.001-07:00

I am sooo excited ! I kind of jumped the gun on Santa , and bought myself a very cool present !!!!
Jennifer MacNeill-Traylor of The Mare's Tales - Gypsy Mare Studios is a very talented artist and among other things has painted for the Trail of the Painted Ponies ! Currently she has for sale on eBay some wonderful Christmas signs ,and until today she had this one for sale!

But not any more!!!! I had the winning bid and will be watching my mail box, like,well like a kid at Christmas!

Shirley ,from Ride a good horse , and Janice from Own a Morgan have also posted links to some wonderful artists And Shirley herself is also a talented artist . What an amazing group of talented bloggers we have!

A good little dog

2011-11-28T16:20:00.003-07:00

(I know I have posted this photo many times , but I just love it! )

While moving cows one chilly night

I found myself in a fearsome plight

Our two young bulls did take a chance

and began to dance an age old dance

They were not really after me

I just got in the way you see

As I looked round for a line of flight

my hero arrived in black and white

He nipped and danced and barked and charged

And those two bulls although so large

parted quick and went on their way

to quietly go and eat their hay

Some will read this with surprise

as this dog can be a bit unwise

he is shy and silly often times

and has gotten into awful binds

But when it comes to cows

you see

He is fast and brave

and that works for me

Stay safe and warm everyone

And now for the words

2011-11-26T17:32:00.001-07:00

So yesterdays post was wordless for a couple of reasons.First and foremost I figured the boys could carry the post on good looks alone , secondly ,I was struggling with a headache.Well the headache came and went all evening , and was apparently a warning of things to come . Suffice to say this morning sucked! big time ! I have not been that ill in a long time. We are talking the kind of sick ,where it doesn't matter how old you are , you just want your mommy!
Got chores done then went back to bed until noonish . Finally was able to keep some chicken soup down(you know the kind , with zero food value, has never been in the vicinity of a chicken , or a vegetable for that matter) Figured it was a cheap easy thing and I wasn't wasting good food if it went wrong .
Still a little shaky all day so I pretty much laid low, I did go out for a walk and helped my BIL tow a truck out of the way of feeding , and watered the mares ,did afternoon chore a little early (and a little slow ) and got a few more pics of the "kids"

(Tell you a secret)

They have settled well, but last night was a little exciting with Quinn jumping out of the pen over a 3 rail fence I might add!Quinn was the wild child of the day actually , when I went to take them out ,it was quite windy ,so Deb was holding the gate , and Brian wound up laying over the tarp on Phoenix's bales to stop it from spooking them. Comet came out quite well on the lead , a little hesitant , but good. Quinn on the other hand ,was pretty sure I was leading him to slaughter! took two tries to get out of the barn and then when we were almost to the gate , he bolted and took off ! straight back into the barn , and into Comets stall , then out of there and into his own! (So wish I could have got that on film! ) Three times is the charm though and he led out fairly well and into the pen. As you saw from the pics I let them rip around a bit then caught them up , took off the halters and put them in the new pen .This evening , after some turnout time they are well settled and munching in their new quarters .
Was going to work on Christmas decorations outside and do some housecleaning ,but well the way I feel the dust bunnies will live to fight another day , and the lights will have to wait too!
Before I sign off, I wanted to let you know to check out Ride a Good Horse , and Own A Morgan blogs .Both have posted some great ideas for Christmas gifts made by fellow bloggers!
Stay safe and warm everyone!

Do I need to add words?

2011-11-25T21:05:00.000-07:00

Don't be a lazy forker !

2011-11-24T18:33:00.000-07:00

(Gratuitous Johnnie shot)

Yep, you read it right,I said lazy forker!
What the heck am I talking about? Let me explain .
We have mostly round bales here, I feed a few squares to Phoenix and the "kids " bot overall I use feeder and round bales. Early in the winter though ,before it gets too cold , and when the horses are in good condition I just fork feed to them off a round bale a couple times a day . They don't all need to be on free choice just yet .
When you fork off a round bale especially ours ,as they are a soft core type , you need to make sure you take the whole wrap top to bottom each time . Otherwise it tends to ball up at the bottom , and eventually you wind up in trouble , grabbing a fork full of hay when the bottom 6 inches or so is all wound up , tends to yield ,well about enough to fill a cereal bowl. not a horses belly!
It takes a little longer each feeding to do it right and clean up , but in the long run it saves time .

Apparently when we had the cold snap ,I got to be a bit of a lazy forker and just grabbed what I could and rushed off to the next chore. Then when Martin was home , he kinda did the same thing . So after a week of lazy forking ... You can imagine the mess right?
Well I started it , so today I finished it , spent about 45 min digging in and unravelling the mess, to feed Cactus , still a lot of cleanup to do , but I had a headache and it was getting dark so will finish tomorrow. So essentially I saved a few seconds a day in the cold weather to add nearly and hour of hard labour to today !
That math doesn't work for me !
The moral of the story??? well I think it is clear

Stay safe and warm everyone!

Calenders are ready !

2011-11-23T20:31:00.000-07:00

Here is a sneak peek at the boys of January .

Way back when I started doing the calenders this year , I said , anyone who commented on the calender posts ,would be entered in a draw to receive 1. I stated I would draw for 4 winners .

Then promptly forgot about the draw ,until today . The calenders are done and here , so I figured I better get at the draw .

Roped my dad in on it , numbered each entry , then had him randomly pick for numbers . So without further ado

here

are the winners !

Reddunnappy

Cutnjump

Knotty Dogs

Nicole

Congrats to all the winners , please email me at fernvalleyappaloosas@hotmail.ca with your snail mail Addy's!

Stay safe and warm

and to all my friend in the USA ,Happy Thanksgiving , I am thankful for each of you every day!

When do you wave the little white flag?

2011-11-21T18:24:00.001-07:00

Hang on friends ! this is one of those "thinking posts" and I am not sure where it is going ,or if at the end you won't be shaking your heads!

As I said , I have been thinking . About horses, and other animals . And when , we decide to let them go . Either sell or re home horses that we cannot manage . Or in the sad situation of a horse or a pet who has reached a level of age or disease that it is no longer feasible to maintain them .

Part of what has brought this thought process on is the team of Morgans we own . They are beautiful horses and a snappy team , but they are hot! Dad quite enjoyed driving them when we first got them , but time gets away on us , and they didn't get a lot of use . Add to that dad is having a rough time with his hip, it is not likely that he will drive a team again anytime soon. And certainly not a team of pistols! And to be brutally honest ,I don't want to drive a team. I drove Sunshine single for several years , and loved it , but have no particular interest in going further. maybe someday again I will want to drive a single horse, but as far as teams go? I am happy to bundle up with some fortified hot chocolate and sit in someone else's sleigh !

I made a deal ,last year to trade my fancy gelding Badger , for some "refresher training" on the blacks. Badger was another "hotter than a pistol" guy that I had ridden , but who needed a full time job. We have a young friend who took him on and I am pleased to report ,he LOVES him. He is using him outfitting , and also on community pasture work . Told me "it doesn't matter what you rope ,Ole Badge will get it to where you need it ! He has no bottom , and loves to work!" I couldn't be happier about that ,I loved the horse, but was feeling like he was wasted here. And he was quite simply too good a horse to let that happen to. SO he is one that I chose to ,in effect raise a white flag, concede if not defeat ,at least that I was over matched and sent him on to bigger and better things .

Bug also was one who turned out to be too much horse for her owner and we sold her this summer .

I was talking to dad about the blacks last night , and also the fellow working with them , and we have come to the conclusion that they too will need to move on from here . The trick with that is to find ,just the right fit for them .

I am finding just also of late I am reducing the numbers in a way, keeping only the type of horse I really enjoy working with . Quiet steady , sane .The ones I raise . Now I sell some of them too, but that is part of the business , but the ones I sell with my farm name attached (as in I bred them here, they all sell in my name I am not hiding it ) are consistently quiet easy to manage using horses I am too old and arthritic to manage the pistols anymore .

As to the older ,infirm , ill or injured animals , that can be as hard or harder to wave that white flag and quit . Many more things come into play , costs, time , emotions etc .

My old housecat Diesel is getting a bit stiff and sore, she looks less like a tough mean "queen of the house" and is starting to look a little frail. No forgive me , but at her advanced age, I am not going to likely take her in for intense diagnostics, I will keep her as comfortable as possible and when it is no longer possible to ensure her quality of life I will have he put down . Plain and simple. There are a few things I can likely do to mitigate some of her pain ,but that is a conversation that needs to happen with the vet ,cats are funny and quite sensitive to some meds , and I don't want to trade one problem for another (ie ,pain management for severe GI upset ) Its easier with a cat or dog, in some ways because you can keep them indoors and warm and safe. A Horse on the other hand, becomes a larger issue .

Chips (mentioned in the honorable mention from last week) when he became ill ,suffered from congestive heart failure. I was offered the option of medicating him to extend his life, but it would have been severely limited, he would have been in a stall (which he hated) and it would only have extended his life a short time . Rather than do that I chose to euthanize him , maintaining his (or my perception of ) his dignity . My greatest fear, living here in the snowy north is to wait too long , and have one of my beloved horse go down in the cold and be unable to get back up. My old mare Togy did just that as a result of a fall , and I have never really forgiven myself for not finding her in time (it was a matter of minutes to an hour but... )

My friend deb, chose to put her sweet Blue down at a much younger age than most 16 but he was in debilitating pain, and we were no longer able to adequately manage it . Yes he could still stand and walk, but it was clearly painful for him , and again side effects of long term pain management in the form of medications do take their toll .

So the choices are difficult. I am not against diagnostic testing, in fact in a animal who is young with a reasonable quality of life and health I am all for it , that said , I cannot , and will not spend the "grocery " money for my herd and family on one horse .But I will do something! One thing I hate to see is the attitude "I don't know what to do so I will do nothing! As stewards of these animals it is our job to care for them and maintain their qality of life ,and if not to end it . There is never a good reason to just let them suffer while we think about it !

It is a tough business to be in and can be truly heartbreaking to make those difficult choices. If all problems could be fixed by throwing money at them...

Sometimes no amount of money, time or love will change the outcome, and sometimes we need to be strong enough to simply hold up that little white flag and say, I surrender!

Balance all that with the years of poor joy we get form those horse, and or pets that are truly the right fit for us, and I think it is still more than worth it .

SOP forgive the ramble friends, I do have these flights of fancy now and then.

Stay safe, and warm!

No wonder I have been stuck in the past this week!

2011-11-19T14:42:00.002-07:00

The present is ,nasty stinkin cold!
23C /-5F Somehow it sounds better in Fahrenheit . But however you look at it the real temp is HolycrapitsfreakingcoldIcan'tfeelmyfeet Out there ! Scary thing is , here in Alberta , this is nowhere near as low as we can go!

As you see , at least these guys were enjoying the snow games ,for a while

But after a while Skeeter succumbed to the draw of the warm tractor with Dad!

he does OK for a while , but we have to get his coat on if he is staying outside any length of time !

Put a straw bale in with the girls , if I would have thought faster I could have videoed Richie's classic "bale body slam" That mare can take a bale apart and have it spread out in about 5 min when she gets a notion!

Regular winter chores have begun.

In other news .Dandy is sold ! A young lady from Ft St John BC has begun a payment plan for him, She seems very excited , and having seen some of her photos of other horses she has owned and ridden,this gal seems to be a good fit . I think Dandy is going to be ,well just dandy with her!

I struggled for a while with it , but finally got halters on the babies in the barn ,last weekend . Some times ,its not about the horse , I seemed to have real trouble this year maintaining my focus . Once I got my head on straight ,it went lickity split ! Just like it should . Funny that !

Anyhow, life is just clipping along at its usual pace . I am hoping to get a few things caught up this week, and maybe even be ready for Christmas early! LOL (If you know me, you know it will never happen!)

Stay safe and warm ,my friends!

Honorable Mention #5

2011-11-18T22:06:00.002-07:00

This honorable mention was posted in Feb of 2010. and luckily I had saved it with Blog2Print because this is one of several posts I was unable to recover through Googles archives . SO here it is again

C7Sparks Jewel

I bought Jewel as a 5 yr. old. A friend had called me about a registered Appy mare that she (or someone ) had "rescued" The mare had come from what was described as a "bad situation”. Not a lot of detail given ,other than her age , her papers,the fact that she had had 3foals (that means bred as a long yearling!) and was very spooky and thin .

Helluva deal right?

Well whatever I went and got her anyway. 2 hrs. loading her in the trailer and brought her home . I kept this thin crazy little darlin in a box stall for a few weeks trying to get her settled .Daily handling,which involved me standing in the door of the stall while she ran in circles and backed into the corner working herself into a total frenzy dripping with sweat and spraying loose manure in all directions ,until she let me put my hand on her , then slowly I got a rope ,then halter on her and took her out for a walk and some green grass. I would get her dried off ,brush her a little then do it all again the next day.

Did I mention I was alone doing all this with this bat sh*t crazy horse?
Anyhow, this continued until she seemed settled enough to turn out , she had stopped panicking when I went into the stall ,and was accepting affection to some degree.

This mare had clearly had a rough go of it somewhere in her life ,but I was hesitant to call abuse ,without other input .My farrier at the time was an incredible horseman , and he agreed that this was not just a crazy horse ,and that among other things she had had a nerve line/war bridle used on her (she would barely tolerate a halter ,and it took years for me to be able to touch her ears)
I never got her whole story ,maybe that's lucky as I believe if I ever found the sonova buck that did the damage to that mare ... well lets just say things might have gotten a little western

I kept Jewel till she was 25 ,and after she suffered a stroke sadly had to let her go. In all that time she settled some and was accepting of my handling her , but I never really was able to heal the scars in her mind.

She raised several beautiful foals here,most of which were sold ,however I saved her last foal FV Jazz ,to carry on the line here .I think I picked a winner ,looking at Jazzy's foals ,FV Jazz Time and FV Sparks Image, As well FV Dandy Line

And honorable mention ,for an honorable mare

Stay safe everyone

A Chip off the old ...well, Chip

2011-11-17T12:51:00.001-07:00

Forgive me all, my blog is a little trip down memory lane this week . One more post on the past today then I swear I will get back to the day to day

So between revisiting the Honorable Mentions , and the followup response on Never To Old (Grey Mare's blog , this post has been on my mind . So since this week seems to be about reminiscing here we go !

A couple posts back I re posted an Honorable mention of my old stallion Chile Poivre (Chips)

In it I mentioned his last son Fern Valley's Phoenix. I still have Phoenix; he is now 4 and growing up to be a lovely horse. With so many of his sire's little idiosyncrasies. They truly do not look a lot alike ,Chile had a very clear and pronounced blanket with very little roaning , and Phoenix (or Fix as my nephew calls him) is a red roan with s few spots , blue eyes and is considerably shorter and stockier than his sire , and yet... there is something .

Enough so that I , who used to never mix up horses names have begun slipping up and calling him Chips or Chile ,when talking about him , or when he is doing something familiar,(like playing bongo drums with his feed tub) I called out to him to settle down last night and said "Hey Chips!" well the look I got over the fence was priceless ! I swear it could have been the old fella himself staring me down! Funny thing , I have raised several colts from Chips, and Phoenix is the first one to share so much of his personality . Johnnie, has his color pattern, Blue had his size , Digger , more of a temperament thing . Chance ,showed a little of the wise arse side , and his lovely gaits , Wilder is such a gentle kind souls like his sire , I could go on and on , But Phoenix , somehow got something a little different . Is it because he was the last and I set my hopes so high? or is it just luck of the draw . Or something completely beyond my understanding? Whatever it is I am glad, I feel like through all of his progeny Chips lives on , and with Phoenix? Each time he does a "Chips” thing I feel like a get a little gift. Phoenix is his own horse with his own quirks and tricks but the sense of the familiar about him warms my heart.

Stay safe everyone!

Wordy Wednesday

2011-11-16T17:34:00.000-07:00

Gonna let Deb(Greymare) post some additional pics of Shiroc on her blog, seeing as she has many of them . But I am also reposting the poem I wrote for Shiroc(At least I think I posted it before )

They first called her Ashes

But that was just Silly

Ashes was no name for that

Little grey filly

A pretty rough start

For that little girl

But she showed she had heart

And gave us a whirl

A new owner soon

Who started to see

Just what

That little grey mare could be

You sure couldn’t push her

Or force her to bend

But with patience and

Time

She gave in the end

Stubborn and stoic

Tireless and strong

She‘d give what she got

And go the day long

She made me a friend

Lasting and true

And though I wouldn’t admit it,

I loved her too

A stealthy horse,

In shadowy state

Before you would see her

She would slip out the gate

Time marched along

Just like it does

And we are left wondering

Just where it goes

From Ashes she came

To Ashes she went

But the time in between

Was brilliantly spent

She runs through my mind,

Now and again

Like the warm southern wind

That gave her a name

Shiroc and her son Blue

Stay safe everyone

Honorable Mention #4

2011-11-15T12:51:00.005-07:00

Reminiscing and Honorable mention

This post was oringinally poste in Nov of 2008 and was actually the first in my series of hohorable mentions .It was posted in 2 parts ,the first and then an update with pictures . I am combining them as the pictures were not recovered with the post ,and I am adding in what I have
Got to thinking about some of the horses I have known over the years, some mine and some belonging to friends, and realized that Debs mare Shiroc, among others, has never graced my blog, Shiroc was a # 1 companion to Deb and taught all of her kids to ride, She had an interesting temperament ,but having had an incredibly rough start she did OK . I was graced with her presence here on the farm for a large chunk of her life until just this spring, on Good Friday she went on to greener pastures. Any how I seem to only have one photo of her and it does not do her justice so I will tag Deb to send me some ,watch this post for an update.Unfortunately some of the older horses around here were in their heyday "BD" (before digital ) so I will spend some time this winter gathering and scanning some old photos for more "Honorable mentions" .

So you might be wondering why , if she was not my horse Shiroc was my first honorable mention. I actually met Shiroc before I met Deb. The stable I was boarding at had a fashion model that hung out there and she originally purchased "Ashes" a 14 month old wild child appy filly. She was halter broke(ish) and weaned the day she bought her then lead/drug home behind a ginormous QH. Add to this she had a huge scar on her neck that the origin of which was never discovered. Anyhow Shiroc, or Ashes as she was then named had a "i will get you before you get me " attitude that proved to be too much for the fashionista. Enter Deb and Brian Oakley Deb fell in love and bought Shiroc (immediately changing her name) I belive it means something about a wind or storm. Which brings me to why I am writing about the old love.She introduced me to one of my dearest friends , Deb and I got to know each other working with our young horses and developed a lasting and wonderful friendship. Miles covered together . Deb and Shiroc moved to a couple of other places over the years ,one of which was a fancy Warmblood stable where they showed them that A) Appys are tough, and B) Appys can Jump!!!

Shiroc suffered what appeared to be a career ending injury and came to my farm to retire . but you can't keep a good mare down , some rest some soft footing and she was sound again for pleasure riding . She lived out her years here as the favorite of many kids and ,well she and I loved each other in our way. She will be missed . And I thank her for the gift of a wonderful friend and honorary title of auntie to 3 wonderful kids. The rest of her story if it is to be told must come from Deb.

My Heros haven't all been Cowboys

2011-11-13T21:52:00.002-07:00

Nope, the hero's in my life have run the gamut from cowboys( Had a huge crush on Cody Snyder ,one of Canada's best Bull riders when I was about 14. Never met the man , but when has that ever stopped a teenage crush? )

To Cowgirls (to many to name , but Oh how I wanted to be just like them) to many other walks of life .

You have all come to know by know ,just how incredibly proud I am of my family, each of them , my folks , my grandparents, uncles and Aunts have taught me something , and showed me a life worth living.

But this hero is a little different , he was a man I met when I first moved out this way . Quite elderly when we met , I have no idea how to spell his name Heine(sounds like Hiney) Henkel. He was a local horse dealer, but a very special one .

He was honest as the day is long, and seemed to buy and sell horses more as a hobby than for profit . When I first met him I was a little taken aback. He lived in a ratty old trailer at the entrance to town with a broken down house on the place and a barn .Inside the trailer , he would sit at the table , which was covered in papers and books . Always cleared a space for you and offered you a cup of tea. Now Hiene's tea was an experience! You needed to time your visit just right . I swear he boiled the kettle first thing in the morning and poured water over about 5 tea bags, then topped it up with water the rest of the day .So if you showed up to early the tea would curl your hair, too late in the day,it was colored water! Right around 11:00 am ish was darn near drinkable!

I bought a couple horses from Heine over the years , most memorable being Miami Mouse a Sweet Little red roan Quarter horse , with some great training and some darn slick reining moves! I paid $600 for her which I came to find later was 50 less than he had bought her for. I was quite young , and I recall him saying ," now dear, that's quite a bit of money ,why don't you pay half now and half in a month" Well things happened , and I didn't get back to him for nearly 3 months , I rushed over ,so upset and embarrassed , and he just smiled , ands said "that's fine , are you sure you don't need longer to pay?" I should mention anther thing that makes Mouse a memorable horse is she is the dam of my very own Johnnie Handsome !

Over the year he would ask me from time to time to haul a horse for him . Usually not far, maybe 30 min drive or so . When he asked what I would charge I said , $20.00 . Well on those trips , he would point out parcels of land that were right around town , that he used to own . I stopped to think about this at one point , and came to realise this man had owned most of what was now Onoway township , and a great deal more !On another trip , for $20 we went east of Edmonton close to Elk Island park! (for those who don't know the area , about 2 hours one way) he also bought me lunch at a diner that can best be described as the original "Greasy Spoon " I guess I should have charged him more ,for that trip, but he was such a sweet old man I didn't have the heart or the nerve .

Finally someone from town asked me who I had been hauling for. When I told them , they laughed and said $20 a trip??That old man is a millionaire!!! They told me quite a bit about him, and the fact that he was also a WWII veteran and a decorated soldier at that! . He never talked to me about his military years, and I never asked ,I can't tell you exactly why ,just that is seemed very private to him . He lived very simply , and as I said he got his moneys worth out of a tea bag so...

Shortly after I was "blessed" with all this info , he called again and asked me to haul a horse for him . Guess what I charged that time ???
Yup $20 . Same as always .

He passed away many years ago , and there was a huge write up about himin the paper , yes he was all of the things I had been told about him, but what they didn't say or didn't know is he was a wonderful kind old man with a heart as big as the sun. and he was my friend .
Nope not a cowboy but a hero all the same

Honorable Mention #3

2011-11-12T22:17:00.002-07:00

Chile Poivre
I am going to tell the end of this story first , just because.

Chile Poivre (Chips) passed away in January 2007 of heart failure(a blown valve) at the age of 23. He fell ill very quickly and we were lucky in that we found the problem and realized its severity quickly. It was heartbreaking but also surprisingly easy to make the call to let him go. We dispose of our animals when possible by burning them on a brush pile here on the property,and we did the same for Chips. The next August ,after a particularly trying summer which included a misscarriage for me , we found this beautiful tribute to my old friend had grown up in his resting placeThis only happened one year and I have seen no sign of it again.

So to the begining , Chips is the "other foal" pictured in the post about Gloalta Toyoga. He was the second foal she had in the time that I had her. He arrived May 15 1984 and from the minute I saw him he just had something, a sort of presence. Imediately I was told "he will have to be gelded " 'Stallions just get mean" and "Little girls can't handle stallions"

Well, I too was born in May (read Taurus) and am nothing if I am not stubborn(not the greatest reason to keep a stud but it worked out well in the end)So I set out to prove to everyone that they were wrong . And prove it I did ! In his entire life he never, kicked ,struck ,bit, or challenged me and though I did place a stud chain on him for breeding I never had cause to do more than growl "mind your manners"and never took up the slack in the rope.

Chips did have a mind of his own ,and a bit of a sense of humour . At about 3 weeks I was leading him and he threw himself down with his head under his body I had to undo his lead (I thought ) to get him up . For the next month every time I tried to halter him he would drop like a stone, I finally got the best of him and more or less forgot about it until he was 5 and in training for a show barn , they called me one day and said "your horse is having seizures" I said what? "yup every time we tie him up to saddle him the past 3 days he falls down grunts and thrashes around ,we untie him and he gets up and seems fine" So I drove over and as I walked up to the barn I heard Sh** he is at it again ,sure enough there is my beautiful horse thrashing and grunting hanging from his lead rope ! I growled (forgive the language ) STAND UP ASSHOLE!! Busted! he scrambled to his feet with the silliest look on his face. I said to the trainer Nope, it wasn't a seizure and went home.

Chips could dance ,by this I mean he would rear and paw ,snake his head and buck and perform , but only "naked " and in his pasture . He would do this most on those crisp fall mornings that Alberta girls know ,I would call to him "Hey Chips are you gonna dance for me?"And away he would go. Sadly again no digital camera .He was shown at several local shows and made the Super Circuit in Claresholm, Alberta where he did quite well. His Legacy remains here in,Johnnie Handsome,Stryker ,Jazz ,Blue ,Digger,Classy, Wilder,Chance, and last but certainly not least, 5 months after his death and one day after my hospital stay was born "The Phoenix"

First snow

2011-11-12T12:06:00.000-07:00

We have beaten records here this year for our lack of snow(funny last year we beat records for the opposite ! .But finally today we awoke to our first snow . It is a lovely warm day so it is hard to say whether or not it will stay , but it is here now so ...

It seems the only one truly happy about the snow is Winston . He has been rolling and playing like a pup all day . Skeeter is out there when he has to be ,but his reaction is a little bit more like Tommy Toes

Remember , today and all days

2011-11-11T11:23:00.000-07:00

"When our perils are past, shall our gratitude sleep?" -George Canning

So much more that has been and can be said about our heroes of the past and present . I had thought of transcribing a excerpt from my grandfathers journal about my Great Uncle George and his heroism and sad loss. But it makes me cry so hard. And also I cannot single out just one . So many men and women we have known , or should have known...

Stay safe and remember them

You win some

2011-11-10T11:34:00.001-07:00

This poem is about my beloved Sunshine (Honorable mention from last week )And the event is over 20 yrs ago (back when the challenge of a race down and unknown trail seemed like a good idea!)
To watch her when I was riding her, she typically looked like she was slipping out of consciousness,.Steady slow , rarely spooked and even at a lope appeared to be making no effort whatsoever . Just really seemed , kind of old and tired . Once when my uncle jumped on her bareback , she dropped her back and let out such a groan that he jumped right off thinking she was injured! (Have I ever mentioned that Appys have a wicked sense of humour? ) Often walking along on the trail she would do something similar , letting out these sad and pathetic sounds moaning a little from time to time (most often when a really handsome cowboy was riding near , so I would be totally embarrassed and ride off!)
SO in defense of the braggart who challenged me to the race on the Alberta Trail Riders against Cancer ride . She really didn't look like a horse that could beat him !(insert evil laugh!) But when I got that sweet girl opened up on a trail?? Well I will let the poem tell the story

Once upon a trail ride

I rode across a meadow wide

I met a young man on that trail

Full of boastful stories and tails

He talked about his big black horse

Fastest thing on feet of course

I rode along and listened some

And though ‘bout how his day would come

He started then to joke and spin

“Your horse can’t catch her own second wind!”

The horse I rode was long and lank,

I knew just what she had in her tank

I shrugged and smiled and rode away

But he kept at me the whole day.

Finally I gave in. And said alright
Let’s take a spin

Along an open trail we ran
Neck and neck along the sand
That black horse ran with all his heart
Until I asked, when does it start?

Stay safe everyone!

Live life by living it

2011-11-09T11:29:00.003-07:00

It hurts sometimes, this life of mine
but I wouldn't change it ,
not one time
The bumps the stings, the aches and pains
It cost far less than what I gained

We can live our lives and ride the ride
or wait and watch and let it slide
I come from tough and stubborn stock
we do the work , not talk the talk

When each day ends I take my rest
and hope I was equal to each test

Live life by living every day
don't wait and let it slip away
Fear can hold you back its true
but don't let it take on all of you

Breath the air and dance the dance
And give this life you live a chance

educate me

2011-11-08T08:39:00.005-07:00

When training a horse

Here is a secret I have learned

More often than not

The tables are turned

While we go along

Thinking we are teaching

The horse goes along with

what we are preaching

but look a bit deeper

and you see a surprise

The very best teacher

Resides in their eyes

We ask them to give, to lead on a line

They teach us of patience, respect and of time

We get on their backs, as really we must

They show us the ultimate form of trust

We teach about pressure, contact and release

They show us their honesty, and willingness to please

We push them and try them and ask them to give

give us all that and

They teach us to live

Good Morning , stay safe everyone

Moving ahead by looking back

2011-11-06T22:12:00.003-07:00

Sometimes we do things a certain way out of habit , or because we have had success with it . Other times we learn a new way that works better and change based on greater knowledge and skills , and sometime we change things , for what appears to be no reason at all, and find, that we should not . In fact sometimes we find the old way worked just fine , and half of the struggles we have been having are as a direct result of the change .
So in point of fact sometimes it is only by looking back at things that we are able to move ahead

We had a beautiful sunny (if a little chilly) day today . And a visit from the farrier . Something that occurred to me was that I used to always just tie the horses , and the farrier would trim,unless it was a horse that was a poor one for tying , or very young . They stood tied for trimming and it generally went very well. In working with Dandy for his visit with Charlie , I have been tying him up , and working with his feet while he has his (extra groceries ) . Once this is done , he stands tied for about 15-20 min after so that he learns some patience as well .
So when Charlie got here today ,we discussed this , I tied Dandy up and picked up all of his feet . Charlie agreed he seemed good with this and away we went . Dandy ? well he was a STAR!!!! Ran out of his snack long before he was done and continued to stand like a trooper ! I don't agree with feeding all of them all of the time , and likely next time Dandy wont be noshing while we are trimming , but I wanted this to be a really good experience for all and it was !

So good I even snuck a photos of the process !

This made me wonder why ,I find myself holding horses. Most of my horses learn to stand tied as one of their very first lessons , so why am I standing holding them for the farrier ?They stand tied comfortably , are not distracted or rubbing on me , if they pull a little they hit the end of the rope on a solid fence not my tired weak self . So what was I doing ??

Anyhow checked with Charlie to see if he was OK with is , and we basically did the rest of the herd standing tied , and it went ... Just fine . We had one little blip with Johnnie , when Deb brought Ritchie up. Apparently , EVERYBODY likes that Richie mare !!!!! Johnnie (my gelding ) puffed up and made a bit of a fool of himself for a couple minutes till I got Rich out of his line of sight , then settled right back down ,if it hadn't been so stupid it would have been funny . Awe who am I kidding ,it was kinda funny . It wasn't a huge blow up , just momentary foolishness . and he was over it quickly . All in all a good day !

Stopped for a coffee with Charlie ,as well as mom and dad who came out for a visit .To deliver my freshly printed 2012 Fern Valley Appaloosas Calenders!!! Yeah!! they are here! So now I can go back the the calender posts to draw for the winners!

Also a little sad news today . We heard of the sad death of a Canadian hero . Eric Lamaze' wonderful horse, Hickstead , died tragically in Verona at the world cup. Hickstead so terribly sad .

Stay safe and warm my friends

Honorable Mentions

2011-11-05T21:42:00.003-06:00

So I know I said I was done talking about the hacker, and I am ,except to say the the "honorable Mention posts were also part of what was lost . Those posts were stories about horses in my life of the last XX years , who in their way helped to shape me , formed lasting bonds of friendship, taught me some valuable and heart breaking lessons .A friend asked me about them the other day , as have a few others so I am going to post them again (if I can recover them all ) and then post the links on a separate page for reference.I am title the page Unforgettable spots. So for those who have read them before , please forgive the repetition .And those who are new to the blog here we go!

Honorable Mention #1

This is where it all began.
In order to tell the story of this next horse I have to tell you a bit of my story. I grew up on a Dairy/Beef/Grain operation just outside of Edmonton Alberta. A great place to grow up I lived with my parents and sister on the family farm that also included my grandparents and 2 uncles and their families. Always had horse around to ride and I was at it quite early ,but I always wanted one of my very own.I saved and dreamed and wished and saved some more ,allowance babysitting money and my earnings from working for Grandpa washing bottles in the dairy. There is NOTHING like a focused teenage girl trying to buy her first horse ,dang I was cheap all those savings but never had any money to spend when I went out (lol)
Anyway long story short ,when I was 12 just before my 13 birthday I felt I had enough and Dad took me out to see this Appaloosa Mare named Gloalta Toyoga(Togy) she was a chestnut roan and maybe not the most beautiful in anyone's eyes but mine, But Dad saw her run that day ,and something caught his eye so he agreed and I bought her.
Lots to learn ahead ,Togy was recovering from an abscess, so I learned how to treat her and spent lots of hands on time getting to know her . When I could ride her I was in heaven! Wow could she run!! I truly believed with her I could fly!A graceful and kind mare , A little surprise came along the next year as Togy had been accidentally bred before I bought her . Yup you guessed it the subject of my next honorable mention will be Sunshine, but I will save that for next time.
Togy was a great old girl (just an old soul from the beginning) she took wonderful care of me and taught me so much. Not to say that she never pulled a fast one on me but she was a horse after all. Sadly I lost her at the age of 16 to a bad fall on ice , a freak accident but heartbreaking none the less. She deserved honorable mention not only for being my first horse, but for assuring my lasting love and dedication to horses.

Honorable Mention #2

Sherry's April Sunshine ( I know it was a cutesty name but remember I was about 14)

I believe I may have misled you guys with the pictures of the last honorable mention , There are 2 foals shown, the chestnut with the blanket is actually another HM his name was Chile Poivre and he will be next .

The one in the photo with me is Sunshine ,my special gift. Things I learned from Sunshine include, Appys CHANGE COLOR, patience is truly the #1 rule with horses and unconditional love is COOL,among many others. Sunshine was a bit of a surprise as mentioned it the previous post ,but loved from the minute she arrived. She was born chestnut with a few spots on her rump and ended up...well look at the photos.She was one of those horses that just simply loved people, from day one she was friendly no spook or shyness ever. She was a horse for firsts for me , first foal I ever raised. first black eye I ever had ,first horse I ever drove,first horse I ever owned to go blind and sadly at 23, while not the first horse I ever lost or had to put down the first one I had owned her entire life (I am proud however to have been there for her at the end)

Sunshine was a sweetie and early on became the favorite of many riders as she was so quiet and sensible , she became the "beginners" horse and took excellent care of each of her charges including her young foolish owner!

I rode her as a 2 yr old with about 15 min training(lol) in the St Albert Rodeo parade! She never batted an eyelash at all the chaos and was a perfect lady chewing a hunk of straw throughout.

Over the years I rode and drove her many many miles, chased cows,climbed mountains the works .

She was Alpha mare in the herd until the bitter end (a ranch hand once said about her "she is the perfect horse for me ,I don't like people and she don't like horses")

Sunshine left me a legacy of two foals Stryker , And Badger(my hotter than a pistol Peppy San Badger Grandson) And their stories are not yet finished so I will hopefully have many more years and stories before it is time to post about them .As a momma she was fiercely protective and pity the coyote that ever strayed near her or her baby.

Please forgive the pictures as she also left me BD(before digital )

Thanks for reading . I will be re posting the remainder as I find them . On Saturdays I think .Either as individual posts or 2 at a time as I did this one .

Lots going on this weekend , hope everyone is enjoying theirs ! Stay safe!

Apparently ,it is Poetry week

2011-11-03T05:54:00.002-06:00

Well after the last two ,"Bittersweet" poem(thanks Kate , it is a nice way to say it ) I thought we should through a different one into the mix . My poetry muse seems to come and go these days , but when she arrives , she has a bunch to say ! So here it is ...

The Pistol

In my youth,

I knew a horse
Satan, was his name
To tell the truth
It isn’t fair

He was mostly

Pretty tame
Easy to catch
More often than not
And he stood
Just where you tied him

He wasn’t really all that hot

Until
you tried to ride him

I suspect we have all known a horse like this in our day. I will say that old boy was a heckofa ranch horse. Could work all day , and had cow sense we all dream of . Stout , and solid , with a turn of speed that took your breath away !He wasn't a pleasure horse by any reach ,but he was darn good at his job, and if you could stay with him , he was the horse to get the job done!
Stay safe!

edited to add. The name is what it is , he was a real horse and actually one of the first horses I rode any amount in my youth . His name ia a good reminder to "be careful what you ask for " And I try to only give my horses names that are gentle and kind . And not things that suggest a wild thing!

Melancholy Musings

2011-11-01T21:33:00.001-06:00

Must have been a different moon this weekend or something. My muse woke again, and she was in a mood! both of the last poems I have written have been a little melancholy , but I hope show also some gleam of the positive. Wasn't sure if I would post this one , but, well , here you go . Ya gotta take the good and the bad , and all the middle and sad too right?

Trails will end

The day comes to us all of course
We can no longer ride a horse
While I hope and I do humbly pray
That day is still yet, years away

I will not face that time with tears

Or bitterness regrets and fears

The retirement that I have earned
Will be time to share what I have learned

And hope some young and open mind

Will take up the trails left behind

So on that day some time from now
When I chase that one last cow
Or ride out into the bright blue day
I will celebrate it in my way

And step down one last time with grace

And with contentment look on the face
Of one who’s heart has been true and strong
And carried me for oh so long

Whatever horse it may be,

In their gentle eyes I will see
All of them that came before
I dare not ask for any more

As always , stay safe my friends

Adorable overload!

2011-10-31T19:05:00.000-06:00

Sorry they are a bit blurry.

But if the pics were any clearer

the cuteness might actually be lethal!

And , yes, they are of the 7 toe advantage type too!

Stay safe everyone

Think of me , now and then

2011-10-30T11:35:00.001-06:00

Think of me, now and then
take the time, remember when
I was the brightest light you saw
When you dreamed of me with awe

I was there first ,in your heart
then you grew up and we did part
On to bigger brighter ways

But oh how I miss those days
When you called me first
And I would run,
straight to you
my days of sun

As we learned and as we grew
and across those open fields we flew
The joys that we shared together
I thought they would last forever

You loved me first , And I you
what great things we did do

For now I will patiently wait,
Until I see you at the gate
and to you my soft ear will bend,
so think of me , now and then

Kind of a melancholy verse , but ,it is what it is. I am going to spend a little time working over the next while to pull out all of the "Honorable Mentions " that I had written and put them together on one page . I was able to save most of then I believe and I just need to take the time to cut and paste them . I also have another to write for Blue (not my horse but he lived with me his entire life so...)
But meanwhile , today I am thinking of those horse in my life who brought me to where I am . The first ones , the worst ones and all in between.
Stay safe everyone

Nothing new

2011-10-29T20:17:00.000-06:00

Not much new going on around here, trying to keep up the routine ,working with at least some of the group of youngsters I have on my list . Days that I work off the farm though are a bit limiting so I tend to just do a little handling of the babies. I don't like to work horses when I feel pressed for time.As I have said "The only thing I find that happens in a hurry with horses is a wreck"
Same old same old toady , cleaned stalls , and mucked around with Comet and Quinn. did a little more work with Dandy as well . Took a different approach with Andee and Cat, just spent time with them at liberty in the pen , working on getting them to move away from pressure . and reminding Cat what WHOA means , getting in her space and asking for it , also just moving my body "in front " of her (eye line ) and asking for a whoa . took a few tries and a bit of exaggerated body language. But she is getting the hang of it again Why? because I like to be able to walk up to her or have her walk up to me safely in the pasture , knowing she is respectful of my space and boundaries , and if she is paying attention to me on the whoa, she should remain easy to catch(no science to this , it just works for me )
Another run at housekeeping (lucky I don't have a huge house , it seems to be the last thing on my list)
then went out to water the mares . Took a few head shots of the ladies , just for fun.

Get Rich Quick (That Richie mare)

Such a wise and peaceful girl . Dam of many of my best , Fern Valley Phoenix, FV Canadian Classic, FV Wild Card , FV Just as Quick , and This year FV Quicken the Wind

Fern Valley's Jazz (Jazzy) ? Well she is very pretty , she raises beautiful gentle smart babies .FV Jazz Time, FV Sparks Image , FV Dandy Line, and maybe next year...

See U in my Dreams , this is momma to the FAt Baby(FV Catch a Dream) , and Also this years boy wonder FV A Shocking Comet

A yes and a obligatory shot of Whoa Dammit(Cat) and her buddy Andee . I see she is already getting used to weight on her back LOL

Might have to change her name

2011-10-26T13:48:00.000-06:00

So after the "nobody"debacle on Monday , I took a day off of working horses and went to my paying job yesterday (equally as frustrating as we had an admin meeting , but no skinned knuckles!)

Picked up hubby at the airport last night . This trip home he has less planned, so I am able to stick to my schedule a bit better.

Did a little more, patience work and foot handling with Dandy , just snuggled with Annie , cause I can .

The caught up the all star team of Cat and Andee!Time for these girls to see some work!

Started with Cat ...

Also known as "FV Catch a Dream"

"The Fat Baby "

And frankly now, until she gets a better handle on this longing thing , I think I will be changing her name to "Whoa Dammit"!

Yeesh! that is one solid , strong little mare!!!!!

Teaching her to longe was interesting . She seems to have been practicing! lol. "You want me to run in circles?? Hail yeah! I can do that! The question is boss lady , can you hang on?"

She put a few corners in the round pen today and , easy, and whoa are words she seems to have chosen to ignore . But all in all a good start , she eventually settled in to a nice job , then on an "easy transitioned into a steady walk, and we called it a day . Bout then I was sure my knuckles on my left hand were dragging in the dirt! Not too worried about it , it was her first time, and Johnnie , Sunshine Chili, even the perfect Catana , were a little like out of control tether balls on their first time longeing. And look how well they turned out! Training Appy's is exactly the same as training any other breed , only different! LOL.They do make you work for it !

Then went and got Andee. What do I say about that sweet girl. For those of you who don't know this I bought Andee from Shirley ,of Ride a good Horse when she was a weanling . I bought her simply to have a pen mate for Cat . And the plan was to resell her in the next year. As you can see plans changed . I bought her sight unseen only having seen photos on the blog. I knew I liked the look of her and she was well put up and well bred ,but was not too focused as I raise Appys and not QH's. I paid what seemed like a fair price for her and life went on.

To tell you the truth now, though . After getting to know this little darling over the last couple years, seeing what she grew into as far as looks , conformation etc and seeing her amazing sweet gentle nature . Fair price? nope, I stole this filly!!!!! And she ain't going anywhere. Martin has claimed her as his , and it is a true love match!

She was a little more reactive today , seemed to have some confusion with me asking her to move off of me, but overall did very well for her first try.. fewer pics of her , as I couldn't hold the whip , the line and my camera after wrestling with Whoa Dammit! (arms were way tired! )

A few more days of this ,and I will be limbered and strengthened up, and They will very quickly get the hang of things. And ready for the next steps !Still have an hour or so before I have to head to town so I guess I should get off where I sit and head out to get in Comet and Quinn's faces for a bit!

Stay safe everyone!

Mystery ,misery, Monday

2011-10-24T18:54:00.001-06:00

Have you ever been a victim of "Nobody"? If you have , you know how frustrating it can be!

Nobody did it Nobody saw it

Nobody came or went

Nobody heard, or saw the event

But somehow the bumper got bent!

Nobody broke the fancy vase

Or put finger prints on the glass case

When the lights or the stove or

power, is left on

Nobody did it and nobody’s gone

I have known nobody a very long time

And when things go wrong

Often heard is the line

Nobody did it!

Yeah right,is the thought

But at the end of the day

Nobody got caught

So , plans were to follow up on the work I was doing over the weekend and work with the "kids" . NOT went out to do chores and discovered that the electric waterer for Dandy and Annie was not working . Opened it up and found the water supply had been shut off! With the heat left on. Needless to say the valve had warped from the heat and it now was leaking .
Here is where I needed to be thinking.Went quickly back into the barn to get tools , when I came out Dandy had helped himself to a huge drink of that icy cold water!! Poor guy was shaking so hard his legs wouldn't hold him!(should have locked them out and packed some less icy water to them first!)
Lucky for me I raise smart "kids" ! I was going to try to grab him and start walking him, or give him a warm drink to settle things , before I made that decision he started trotting up and down the alley , he would stop grab a bit of hay , shaking like a leaf then trot around some more ,15 min or so of this and he was just fine ! went back to eating like nothing was wrong!.

The mystery is ,who shut off the water? I know I didn't , asked Marc , and everyone who was around , and they didn't (as Deb says ,she wouldn't know how) The last time it was opened for any reason I am aware of I opened it to flip the switch on for power , and just before that Cory had it apart repairing the wiring . All of that was 12 to 14 days ago! There is no chance they went without water for lat long #1 because I may not go right in and stare into the bowl every day , but I am not blind or a complete fool I look in on it when doing chores , and I also notice when my horses look a little thirsty . After 14 days of no water , they would have looked a little dead!

Spent 2 hours trying to get the leak fixed this morning , with no success.Did every thing I could think of ,replaced all the washers and the bottom valve.Thinking that the top valve was OK. WRONG ! Finally went to town and got a new float valve .When I got the old one apart I found there is a tiny little washer way up inside the float valve (sits right up by the diaphragm for those who have replaced these before )it was complete soup! I have never even seen that washer before , far less had to replace it ,so.I guess we learn something new every day.
Dandy seems fine this evening , as does Annie so I guess we dodged a bullet there, but ???
My other Mystery is these darn cats! I now have 3 more who have arrived , they are uber cute poly dactyls with very long fluffy hair and huge blue eyes! A little shy so no pics yet but really??? Is there actually some signal only cats can hear that says "come to Fern Valley"?

Baby steps

2011-10-23T22:07:00.000-06:00

Well after my last post about that case of the "I ought to's" I figured, "alright girl,put your money where your mouth is!"
I can't say that I did all I wanted to , but I got a start on things.
Comet has been getting by on "cute and little" for a while now, and he tried on "Bigger and snotty " on Friday. It didn't go well for him.

Saturday I cleaned stalls, and spent a bit of time "getting in his space " Also inviting him into my space in an appropriate way (ie , not ears pinned and demanding feed! ) It didn't take long at all and he was accepting and moving off of pressure , and coming back for more attention. HE is a sweet colt , but they all have to test boundaries sometime .
A lot of the same work with Quinn.It is important to remember , just because he is really sweet and friendly , he does not automatically know what is expected of him. Colts like Quinn are great as long as we don't forget to teach them all the same stuff we would teach any other horse . After all , its sweet when he is little , but a 1000 lb lap dog is NOT my idea of a good time .
Once the barn cleaning was done , and the work with the little guys . I moved on to Dandy . His lessons this weekend were about patience (standing tied) and willingly giving his feet . He is pretty good , but patience is not his strong suit , so we are working on that. Another one who would be easy to let slide, because he is willing and gently , and BIG!But like kids in school, just because they are taller or bigger than the others , doesn't mean they know more. Dandy got a good grooming and stood tied for about 20 min .I am impressed , never took more than the slack in the rope ,as soon as he feels pressure he stops! Once I was done that I did chores and packed it in for the day . Dang I am out of shape for that kind of stuff!

Deb and Brian stopped by last evening to help (read Deb and I watched while Brian worked) hang my pictures that got taken down for painting . Looks terrific! Thanks Brian!

Up this morning and they came with me to get a decent load of square bales (I have been getting smaller loads at the mill on my own ,its nicer to go with help when you have to load and unload yourself .

Once that was all done , back into the barn with the boys , for some more focused work . And another lesson with Dandy . He did well, but we had a little whoops and he beaned me in the head with his jaw. This actually made me smile after I finished cussing . One of the best horses I ever owned Sunshine (nicknamed Shiner) , was white ,and the first horse ever to give me a black eye! and broke my nose (all with the side of her head!) Weren't we just all talking about safety ? That said , she was an awesome horse ,and if Dandy turns out to be half the horse she was ...
Besides I bang my head on the door of my car fairly regularly , I need a helmet most days to get out of bed in the morning so I wont hold it against him for now .
Worked with my sweet Annie as well, though all I need to do with her these days is just get back on and get her going well under saddle again. She was started last year, and is good , but had some soundness issues . She seem resolved now so we can get back at it .

Was going to go spend some time doing ground work with Cat and Andee as well, but was getting tired. Also Marc needed some help with a repair on the bale mover (which basically did me in) it was not a lot of work but standing bent at an odd angle which is a bit tough on my back .

Off to our church this evening for a talent show and chili cookoff. Had a very nice time .

So all in all a pretty good weekend . Not all I want to get done , but a start . And every little bit counts right?Just got to keep up some momentum, and ad a bit each day .
Stay safe!

Serious case of the "I Ought to's"

2011-10-21T11:53:00.001-06:00

Feeling a little frustrated here . I cut down my "work " schedule for a few reasons, not the least of which was to get more done here with the horses.
So how is that working for me so far?
Not great to be honest. I have been busier than ever it seems, and not accomplishing diddly!
Don't get me wrong, the colts are cared for , the rest of the herd as well. But as far as productive , tangible progress? NADA!
I am looking for a new trainer as well. Not because Ernie is not good , but the guy is soo busy with farrier work , he has still not been able to commit a time for Cat and Andee . I don't relish the prospect of trying someone new. Both Ernie and Kate have been very good , and I am spoiled being able to trust them so freely. Kate is working full time these days and not able to help either so...

My choices are , work with the girls myself , until I either get the job done or get to a point where I need to absolutely send them out(hopefully by then Ernie or Kate can take them )

Or start looking for a new trainer right now and ...
That said , I should be riding(or at least working with ) . Annie, Wilder , Phoenix . And Dandy . Need to be handling the colts as well.
The problem seems to be me and my time management . I have extra days available, and yet I don't seem to be accomplishing what I want to . Extra trips to the city , a pressing need to clean the house , feeding , checking , cleaning stalls ...
So , what am I doing here at the computer?? good question? I need to set up some accountability here , so I am telling you all where I am at .This blog started originally as a training journal, and I am hoping to take it back there at least partially . I will still post poetry and photos , but hoping more of the day to days posts will be a chronicle of what I am accomplishing . That will mean a challenge for me to "take back the reins" of my own time and schedule . and be pretty firm in my planning .
Wish me luck!

That all said , I am off to visit mom in hosp today , and tomorrow am have promised my sister an outing to the big farmers market in town. So I am not off to a great start . But you have to live your life. I am just hoping to find a balance here . I know in my "paying job" I am all kinds of motivated , and very focused. So while no one is "paying me to do the horse work, every hour I put in is one less hour the trainer needs to , so I am paying myself in the long run.Hoping this mindset helps

Stay safe everyone

Boundaries , Bent , and determined

2011-10-20T22:36:00.006-06:00

Thank you for the support and input on the last 2 posts regarding safety . Crystal , of Ranch Riding has accepted my Challenge and written a very good post on Horse safety on her blog . Shirley ,of Ride a good Horse and Kate of A Year with Horses have agreed to also post on the topic . These are very wise ladies, as are several others, hint hint , who have a wealth of knowledge to share.
I have set up a page here (see above tabs ) Boundaries ,Bent and determined . Where I am linking each of the posts related to this series.Having them all linked in one spot will hopefully provoide easy access ,I am sure these posts are ones I am going to want to read again !

I did a post with this title a few months ago , about an incedent with Dandy , and his attempt to asert his authority over me .
An excerpt from this post:
"
What happened with Dandy last night was as a result of what I will call"testosterone toxicity" translation , young stud colt growing up a little Manageable , and or totally curable depending on your choices (IE. training,and, or gelding).He decided yesterday was the day he was going to determine hierarchy with me. and essentially he did , I was the boss of his little herd and I still am!LOL.This is not such unusual behavior especially for foals raised in small groups or one on one.It still happens in larger groups , just usually is handles by herdmate or a "boss mare"

As I walked into the pen , I got a sense that he was a little revved up , so as I walked down to the feed ,I did turn my back on him, but not completely.I kept my body turned obliquely towards him .I did this so that if and or when he challenged(in this case when ) and attempted to hit me with his chest ,the worst he would do is bounce me off of him. If my back was totally to him ,I wouldn't see him coming , and be face down in the snow , and facing him full on isn't always best either, as they can and will still try , and even a yearling barreling his chest into you is enough to make you pasture pizza!

So sure enough ,he made his move , I turned and he glanced off of me and I gave him a swat and growled something like "here now" This is where you need to get BIG!!!,not happy Jelly bean big ,but really big and mean big !"you wouldn't like me when I am angry"

big

Not intending to hurt the horse or frighten him ,but just make very clear you are NOT TO BE MESSED WITH!!

Because often the challenge is not over on the first try , and it wasn't with him either , he then thought it might be wise to strike out at me . He did not connect , because again I am watchful of my space and his and position myself to get out of the way. He did not connect ... but I did!!! one time, gave him a good solid boot to the chest and he leaped back this he was dealing with a monster. This is not abuse! I did not kick him with 1/4 the strength that another horse would have , but they need to know that it is Not OK.

That all said , he is fine and was fine 5 minutes later coming up for pets and scratches and the only change in his behavior today is that he is far more respectful of my space.Is this the end of all challenges with Dandy??

Heck no! the only time a first battle is the last is when it ends with someone dead or disabled, but he did learn a valuable lesson .

I am a huge stickler for ground manners and boundaries with my horses, and because of that and the training I do when they are young I am able to go into a pen like I did with Phoenix and take pics of him rampaging around .He has respect for my space, and the little reminders he needs now are often no more than a raised hands and "here" or "easy "

Dandy is his own sweet self today ,and I spent a little time moving him around before feeding him just to be sure . My training techniques are not everyones, and as I have said , I am not a "trainer " Just a farmer who raise horses. But as much of what I do I do alone ,I need to be able to keep that statement"I have never been killed by a horse I trained" to be true.I should note that this behavior is not exclusive to colts , fillies will do the same in the similar effort to establish their place in the pecking order.

I have removed commnets for this post as it hasd been posted before

Becoming the Boss mare

2011-10-18T18:00:00.001-06:00

My apologies to the gentlemen who read this , and the owners of geldings . The premise is similar for male horses /and handlers.It is just best described with mares.There is no one better at the dynamics of herd management than a boss mare.
To Quote Dr Phil"If momma ain't happy,ain't nobody happy!"

So who is the boss in your herd?
Well hopefully YOU! but beyond that figuring out the "boss mare" in your herd is a matter of observation.Who she is NOT, is the silly one who rushes around stirring up crap and kicking at every little thing, nor is she the food obsessed filly who tries to steal from the submissive ones and must eat from every pile . She is not the one who goes into a pen or receives a new horse "guns a blazing" aggressively approaching all new comers . She is not necessarily the largest or the oldest ,or the fastest . But she is the wisest, and she is who you want to model .
This horse is often quite quiet in the herd until things get out of hand , she doesn't vie for position at feeding time , because she doesn't need to , she knows her status and is calm and sure in the knowledge . The horse is calm and confident.
When a new horse comes in to the herd , she will often observe , not approaching the new herd member , rather allowing the horse to approach her . This is where you need to really watch and take heed. This mare will not become hugely aggressive , but will display very clear behaviors specifically designed to assert her authority .
She becomes "larger than life" Body language is very important , she will seem to ,well just get taller and larger carrying herself in a manner that exudes confidence and authority. When to new horse approaches , she will acknowledge them ,and sniff in greeting , but if that new horse comes into her personal space too quickly , she will warn, a foot stomp, a squeal(and from Ritchie it will curl your hair to hear it , that is often all it takes )a nip, and if all else fails she will rear and strike or as a last resort turn to kick. Unless she is confronted with an other Alpha mare ,it likely wont get much past the squeal stage . Now the remainder of the herd will jockey for position to be higher in the pecking order than the new horse , depending on the nature and skill level of the new horse ,it will be interesting to see where the dust settles . At this point a really good boss mare ,can keep the excitement to a minimum, as all of the others will still respond to her as well. A well timed Whinney from Rich , and everyone stops!

So how do you get to be boss?
Well we have identified what not to do , which to recap is , do not rush, do not challenge ,
Do observe.
Do exude confidence
Do ,use appropriate body language to establish authority .
What is that body language?
Well you are not going to rear or strike, as such. But modeling that behavior, a foot stomp can be a hand clap(brisk clear assertive) a hand raised with a clearly stated WHOA! rearing and striking ? a raised hand , flat palm out and again a clearly stated command , (this is not where you sweet talk them , this is where you say NO, WHOA ,BACK, etc)
A nip? a lead rope or your flat palm, a quick sting essentially , a slap on the neck or shoulder . (you are not hurting them , you are seriously not strong enough to do damage with the flat of your hand ,or a snap/sting with the rope end of a lead.
Keep in mind you are not anywhere near as big as a horse ,( no matter how big your thanksgiving dinner felt! )So another trick in showing a horse especially one who is questioning your authority , is be Big in your mind , and be willing to move into them each time , but obliquely, angling your body so that if they do rush you , you can let yourself bounce off the shoulder , and move out of the way . SAFETY IS THE #1 priority
I am going to stop here , for now . I am hoping a few fellow bloggers will add thier input and post as well in this regard. I hope I have been clear in my explanation . and to close I want to remind you of a couple things.
1. I am not a trainer,nor do I claim to be . I have had and worked horses for a long time , but I am by no means advocating my way is the only way.
2. Something Crystal said reminded me of this .
Remember it is not personal! your horse is not hurting you or pushing boundaries , because they do or don't love you . Any more than your kids would . It is not a matter of love , it is a matter of SAFETY

everybody hurts sometimes,

2011-10-17T22:11:00.001-06:00

Hang in there gang!I have been thinking again!!!

I believe almost everyone I know, in my home life and online who has worked with livestock , has been hurt as one time or another, From, a whoops out of the saddle, onto our pride, to a first class wreck!
Handling livestock, be it horse cattle ,swine ,etc. can be hugely rewarding , and it can leave a mark.
One of our blogging buddies , has had a few wrecks over the summer and is still in the healing process from the last one. (I have not named her , because it is her story to tell and not mine ) She commented the other day about having some difficulty maneuvering around her super friendly and hungry horses at feeding time. A few of us talked about establishing boundaries ,and I thought now was as good as any time to talk about it . I have 2 colts in stalls right now I am working with , and a yearling gelding Dandy. Dandy and I had a pretty big discussion of boundaries in Jan when he tried to assert some authority over me . suffice to say , he now asks permission to come into my space !
For the sake of our fellow blogger who is healing and ourselves , lets talk a little about how we establish boundaries and safe practices with our stock.
The first thing I am going to say about any of it though is , no matter how long you have been at it , and how much we think we know , every individual ,can get hurt , at any time . Animals are not machines , and they can be unpredictable . That said , there are some ways to mitigate the risks .

1. Always ,Always , always , be mindful of where you are , in relation to the animal , or if there are many (in a pasture catching a horse or on a pen working cattle .)where they all are , and where your safe exit is .

Many years ago I was in a pen checking on a cow calf pair , quiet cow, I had no concerns , I turned briefly to move a fork out of the pen, the next thing I knew momma was ramming me against the barn wall , she kept at me until I literally crawled on my belly out of there. What did I do wrong? I was aware of her , but had not noticed that the calf had gotten around me , she perceived me as a threat to her baby and took action.

A second example
When Johnnie was a yearling , I was walking through the pen he and several others were in . Johnnie had not had a lot of work at that point , but was very friendly . The other horses began running and he spooked. Right into me ! I had half turned to protect myself , but still took 2 boards off the fence one with the back of my head and one with my behind.What did I do wrong??at that point , my mistake was a) I had not taught Johnnie enough to be respectful of my space , even in a panic, he should have been taught to go around me or stop , not crawl in my lap, and b) not mindful of my personal area, I had essentially put myself in a corner and given myself no escape.
I will tell you my darling Johnnie ,learned whoa and BACK off ! and damn fast , I believe even before my head stopped spinning !!!! which leads me to my next point...

2. Be mindful of your own abilities/disabilities .If you are sick or injured, be aware of your limitations regarding mobility . If you can get help do so , if not find some alternative ways to get things done. Or maybe some things can wait .
Just last winter I had a flare up , and was in pretty tough shape. I did chores , very slowly, and did not go in any pens . Yes that meant feed went on the ground and not in feeders , but when I say I wasn't well ,I am not kidding , My sister had to come over later in the morning after I had showered to dry and comb my hair ! (I could not lift my arms at all ) That was not a day to push my limits and try to go right into a pen, if a horse had bolted or pushed me I would have been on the ground under foot, and whole lot worse off! (that time I got it right )
a few years before , I had been discharged from hospital the night previous , and we had a mare to breed . Cactus was a little jacked up, and clearly sensed that I was not altogether OK. He got quite rammy with me . I panicked and jerked him off balance and no one got hurt ,but... I was immediately very aware of how wrong It could have gone , because I was not thinking clearly !

3.(could be 1,2and 3. PAY ATTENTION!!!!! I don't care if this is your first horse ever or , you have been at it since you were in diapers, complacency leads to disaster !
nuff said here right?

4. TAKE YOUR TIME ! ,the only thing that happens in a hurry , with livestock is a wreck!
I have a favorite saying "if you are in a hurry , hurry home , YOU ARE DONE"

In the interest of not having a 4 hr post here I will stop at this .Over the next little while I would like to do a series , on how I teach some boundaries with my horses. I am not a Trainer. just a decent hand with a horse. I am also hoping that a few of you will do so as well. either on your own blogs and let me know so I can link to it , or here in the comments if you chose . I am hoping more for your own blogs , and maybe some of you techies will ad video?
I think my standard "Stay safe " is very fitting here!
so my friends , please do STAY SAFE!

Day of rest, more or less

2011-10-16T21:57:00.000-06:00

Well it was, for some

Actually for me too, I did a bit more housecleaning , because ,frankly ,it needed to be done badly!

then I got to thinking , as nice as it is out ,it could turn any day now so I took the gazebo top off and stowed it , started to put away lawn furniture, but as you can see above , some of it was occupied!

puttered away at that for a bit. The went for a little walk.

These ladies were all stretched out sleeping till they heard me , up they got and over the the fence to see if there were any snacks!

I never get too far into the lake pen , before I am spied by Johnnie . Sweet boy , always comes over to see me !

Wilder has rejoined the herd more or less, but does tend to go off on his own now and then. Nice view buddy!

As you can see the leaves are mostly gone now , still a few splashes of color yet to be found . I have been watching , but either the swans have already been and gone or they haven't arrived for their yearly visit to our lake .

Mom was out again today for a visit , and we had a little gathering at my sisters house . Mom is getting stronger and receiving a fair amount of physio where she is at ,. Hopefully with continued improvement she will be able to go home to stay in a few weeks .

Hope everyone had a wonderful weekend!

Stay safe!

Are you working today?

2011-10-15T16:47:00.000-06:00

This post is not a complaint or a rant , its just a fact of well, my life .And I suspect I am not alone in this. As most of you know I work in town as a Mental Health aide ,up to September I also did 2 days a week as Administrative support staff. After a lot of talking and thinking , Martin and I agreed , I have a lot to do here, and especially when he is working away ,I could use a bit more time . SO I now only "work "3 days a week . Friends a fam will call from time to time and ask "are you working today?" I smile , because most if not all are in the same lifestyle as I and they know full well we sometimes work harder on our days off than on scheduled "working days " I think the better question might be "are you getting paid for what you do today?" and even that has a couple of answers, no, not getting paid right away for what I do here on the farm, or not in $$$ but in a sense of accomplishment ,pride and hopefully eventually some funds as well, yup I am .
So what was I not working at today?
Got up , threw on a load of laundry . Got a load of bales and unloaded them in the spots I wanted. Did a quick spit polish of the house (emphasis on quick) more can happen later . grabbed a bite of lunch , and had a fast coffee with my brother in law. Then out to clean the stalls and re bed them for Quinn and Comet .The barn now has a lovely fresh pine scent , significantly better than when I started and well probably better that I smelled when I was done.Dewormed Comet , Quinn, Annie and Dandy , swept up the barn and did afternoon chores a little early . In the house by 4:00pm and have the whole evening to either clean house , or work on registration papers or maybe figure out if I am doing a Winston calender ,or boot my muse in the tush and write a poem, or just put my feet up and relax hmmm...So (forgive me Garth Brooks ) "The stalls are clean , the horses fed , a bubble bath and I 'm off to bed"

Whatever I do I will do , so was I working today??? not really just doing what needed doing , did I get paid? Oh yes! snuggles and nuzzles from horses , purring kittens of the 7 toe advantage type , and Winston and Skeeter just being their usual helpful sweet selves .

(C'me on breaks over ! What do you think this is ?a union job?)

(Supervisor)

(when is snack time?)

(Shovel Poop??? I think NOT)

(It was terrible ! Slave driving)

(Who is our job steward?)

(Hurry up!! I don't know how long I can hold it !)

Stay safe everyone

Awe shucks !

2011-10-13T11:55:00.001-06:00

Thanks to Lisa at Laughing Orca Ranch.

I have received an award !

Thanks Lisa!

With the award come some rules. I am to share it with some of my favorite blogs (lawless soul that I am I will share it with all or any that want , all of the blogs I read are favorites)

And to tell you 7 things you may or may not know about me .

I am shy, no one really realises this when they meet me as I usually force myself to smile and walk right in. But inside I am a basket case .
I am very close to celebrating the silver anniversary of my 20th birthday . and I still blush at the drop of a hat
I hate my feet , I took ballet as a kid, and between that and arthritis ,I have one toe that is really messed up and will eventually need surgery , either ,intensive repair or removal . I have looked at the options , and frankly ,9 toed cowgirl ,is the way I will go. Way faster recovery !
I love to cook. But not just for me ,I find it very hard to cook proper meals when hubby is away . And I really enjoy having people over for a meal so I can really make something good !
That said , I rarely bake , don't often make cookies ,or cakes ,NEVER make pie (I am terrible at pastry ) but I do make really yummy bread , and cinnamon buns.
I don't sleep very well, toss and turn , and when I have a cold I can snore the paint right off the walls!
I have an evil streak, a bit of a dry sense of humour . I don't let it out much anymore , but if the world could hear what I am thinking ...

So there you have it , 7 things you might not have known , or wanted to about me ! lol

Grab the award and have a go if you like ,I am always happy to get to know you all better .

Calenders are done and ready to order , and so are my Christmas cards with Shutterfly so I am finally staring to catch up, I think!

Stay safe!

Where to start

2011-10-11T22:09:00.001-06:00

Hang in this is going to be a long one !

Martin was home for his 7 days off, starting Tues of last week. As per usual , this time of year , "days off " hardly describes it . He was rushing around trying to get things sorted out to move the cabin. He , dad, and brother in law Marc , put in a day or two fixing equipment.Yay ! the Versatile(Front end loader ) is up and running again!!!! we sure miss it when it is broke down. We have other tractors, with loaders , but that one is as my dad would call it "a great rig!"

While the guys were busy at that , I was working , then on my "off time" I was cleaning stalls getting ready to wean the babies. The stalls got left empty , but not properly cleaned out over the summer and it was a mess! Deb helped me as well on Saturday doing the cleaning .Fresh bedding , and scrubbed buckets , and we were ready! . I also got to play electricians helper to nephew Cory , who was fixing a few lights and the power box on one waterer. And Welders helper to Dad who came out to weld the squeeze for tagging calves .

Sunday morning Deb , came over and we caught up the mares , led them and babies into the barn. then quickly slipped the mommas back out cranked the radio and closed the door! For the most part , that was it , Rich has been through this program enough she just sighs and wanders off. Ici, called a bit , and also settled quite quickly . The babies fussed here and there , but with the radio they cannot hear mom calling back so they too settle quickly . But Jazz, the mare without a foal, well she went plumb crazy!!!! Dashing around and calling like she had lost her best friend! Funny old girl , she really missed the little ones . Her dam was similar , actually worse , even when she had no foal and was in a completely different pasture than the babies, she seems to sense weaning day , and would call and squeal running the fences for a whole day in sympathy I guess, and when we weaned a foal of hers? Well lets just say I have still not recovered from that sleep deficit !

Jazz is the dun mare on the left ,Rich,centre Ici back and on the right . Settled down by the time this pic was taken . Quinn set right to drinking and eating well, with no hesitation, but Comet had me watching for a bit . It usually goes well doing things this way , they already are eating hay and have a taste for grain. Also are drinking water long before I wean ,but the odd one pouts a bit . I am vigilant until I see "water going in and poop coming out " the feed not so much of an issue , though I do watch , but without water ...

This weekend was also the one we weaned and shipped calves . There was an Angus influenced pre sort sale today that we wanted to catch , as the next one is not till mid Nov and Martin will not be home . So I went out with him to bring the herd in Sunday .

you may remember a few of these

The heifer Winston "whispered"

And who could forget Elusive Louie, the magical disappearing attack calf!

As you can see they have grown well

Out at 7 am to bring them in . Martin and I and the dogs did that part .Then we were joined by Marc and Deb , to help sort and tag. We have just a tiny herd so it really doesn't take long . Marc reminded me of the days a few years back when we ran 120 through in a morning before the truck, not just 20!

It goes pretty much the same whatever the numbers , sometime just a little quicker .

Truck was there at 1pm, I had gone in to clean up, and whip up some mashed potatoes for my contribution to Thanksgiving dinner , then .we headed for town!

A wonderful dinner at my parents home . The dinner was a group effort , Brendan made the turkey , Dee, mashed turnip ,and cauliflower with cheese sauce , Tara , stuffing . Heather , 3 different kinds of pie, I did the mashed taters and made the gravy. It was very nice , and I must say The kids did a brilliant job! the food was wonderful!!

Mom was out on a pass for the day from hospital as well . Yup our prayers are always answered , and sometimes...it is YES!

Deanna , let us know to try to dress nicely for the event ,as she wanted to take some family photos . She has a plan for these ,but I am not to tell. I also wanted a new one of Martin and I for our Christmas card .I think we got some nice ones,Thanks to Dee

I am guessing you know this couple

The whole fam

The pictures were taken in mom and dads back yard, near the playhouse Heather and I shared as kids

Dee,and Tara

nieces Tara, Deanna , and nephew Brendan

Marc and Heather (My sister and brother in law)

And of course Mom and Dad .

Martin has returned to work today . It seems like his time at home was a warp speed blur. But we got lots done, and next time , maybe it will be calmer ! Meanwhile, I sure hope the cows settle soon I can't hear myself think!!!

Stay safe!

Keeping an eye on things

2011-10-10T13:31:00.000-06:00

Busy days here at Fern Valley.Lots of goings on, and I have been too busy to post .Suffice to say I am keeping my eye on a few things and will be back with a post soon.

Happy Thanksgiving to all here in Canada, ah what the heck,its never a bad time to give thanks ! So Happy Thanksgiving to all!

Stay safe!

Seriously Skeeter?????

2011-10-07T12:41:00.002-06:00

Yes they are black and white and kinda cute from a distance , but how many times do we need to tell you , THEY ARE NOT FAMILY AND YOU NEED TO STAY AWAY!!!!

Really ,I adore Skeeter, but it says something about him, that I have on hand at all times , the ingredients for Skunk treatment . Nothing like getting ready for bed, and suddenly this whiff of...EEWWWW!!!!

Guess I should have brought him in sooner!

Seriously considered parking him in the barn for the night and dealing with it today , but ,he was soo sad . Got him all cleaned up last night . Hope he learns this time .

Otherwise , this might be where he says goodnight from .

Working on the calenders , should be done setting them up by the end of the weekend .

Stay safe everyone!