F-RIDE-day...

Had a great ride out from the Wickenburg Rodeo Grounds this morning with Mary, Melanie and Linda

Love this shot...

Linda's first time loping on Logan since he tossed her and broke her ribs a couple of years ago... she was so happy!!!

Came across a desert tortoise! Only the seond one I have ever seenin the wild... so thankful Katie did not step on him!

And thanks to Mary for making sure there was a picture of me too... the ocotillo were amazing, so thick and green!!!

Lunch at Anita's afterwards of course... and then home for a nap! What a great day...

Three Weeks Later...

and still nothing, not a word from anyone about either of the donkeys. Could it be that after all that drama, it is just going to pass without a whimper? YAHOO!!!!

Possibilities...

Today I went on a ride with some friends in Rainbow Valley. We were talking about Shirley's new horse, which she got through an ad Sabrina posted for some folks she got HER gaited girls from... Sabrina claims it's not HER fault Shirley got another horse, I encouraged her to continue as I want another as well... and lo and behold, a gal riding just behind me says, "This mare is for sale" - turns out she is an 11-year-old Tennessee Walker, who does NOT like arena work, and the gal really wants a horse she can "do" cows on...

Hoping to pick up the mare this week sometime and try her out for a month... so keep good thoughts for me! Unlike the "free" horse, I did get to watch this one out on the trail for about 3 hours, on the road, in the wash, in the river (up to our bellies!) and up and down mountains, in sand and rocks and bushes... in a "crowd" of 15, and I never saw her put a foot wrong...

Another Great Trip to Groom Creek...

The new truck made it up Yarnell Hill JUST FINE... WHEW! Not that I was really worried, but you know, after killing the Dodge three times... yeah.

Just a few highlights...

My little Holly was up camping with her "lease" family, got some pictures...




Had a great ride on Saturday...

Even got a nice rain shower on our way back to camp

and Rachel is getting along just great with Jasmine, I am so happy about that!!!

and Sherman got to try out his cool vest!


Had another great ride on Sunday but my camera batteries had died and I forgot to bring spares {sigh}... I took my pony Skeye along for my friend Lisa's son Carter to ride, and I WAS SO PROUD OF HER! She is 8 years old but basically just barely green-broke, however she has no bad habits except, by history, if she gets tired she will just STOP and won't take another step till the rider dismounts... then she will allow herself to be led home. Well she did a THREE HOUR ride without a problem... full of energy and followed the horses just great and even JUMPED four times over little gullies, much to Carter's purported dismay (although I hear he bragged about it to his grandparents when he got home).

Off to Groom Creek!

Pretty much packed - just have toload the coolers, dogs and horses, and off we go. Randy and Hilary are holding down the fort as usual... Y'all have a safe holiday weekend and I will see you on Sunday!!!

One Amazing Hen...

When I got my first two hens (well, the first THIS time...) the lady told me that one of them will occasionally lay a double-yolk egg, so I wouldn't be surprised or worried when one showed up... she didn't know WHICH hen, as of course they lay the eggs inside the coop in the nesting boxes... so I don't know which hen either.

Weeks went by and we got eggs, usually one a day, sometimes 2, sometimes they would skip a day... both laying brown, but one several shades lighter than the other.

Hilary didn't say anything but the first time I gathered eggs upon our return from Michigan and went to put them in the egg carton, I saw THIS:

Of course I was without camera then so I saved that monster egg until I got a new camera! It is clear to me that the double-yolk egg-layer is definitely the one laying the lighter brown eggs... however I STILL don't know WHICH hen it is...

A closeup to compare...


So last Friday I had myself a one-egg breakfast... after I cracked the egg into the bowl to take this picture, I thought "Duh! Should have taken a video to PROVE that both yolks came from the same egg!" Great thought BUT I was the only one up and you can't run a video and crack an egg at the same time with only two hands {sigh}.


I just kept thinking to myself, this explains to me why people get *that look* on their faces when I share that my second daughter weighed in at TEN POUNDS FIVE OUNCES at birth... yeah, that hurt! And I think my hen must have felt the same way!!!


Uploading the above pictures I realized I never blogged the other end of the spectrum... before the pint-sized chicken died of heat stroke, she was quite productive - hers are on the right, smaller and lighter...


Again a close-up to compare


One thing I can say is no matter the size, fresh all-natural eggs sure are good!!!

Not For Hire...

I'm not a prissy girl, not a girlie girl... but I'm not really into "guy stuff" when it comes to vehicles. So I can't really explain why, but for years, every time I see one of those hauler trucks pulling a big horse trailer, with "Not For Hire" on the doors, I just turn GREEN with envy... there is something about those three little words on the truck door that just makes me drool...

So can you imagine my excitement when Randy presented me with these last night?!?!?!?


They can't go on until the truck is painted, but by golly I HAVE THEM!!!!!!!!!

With everything else going on, I have been remiss about posting truck updates. Last I left you, Brandon was working on mounting the sleeper - there was a big hole in my truck!!! Well it's done... mounted, attached, even painted! And that big hole GOES somewhere!!!





Next step was moving and modifying the hitch, one of the guys working on it said something to Randy, hey I'm not the vehicle girl so I can't remember... anyway they said if DPS pulled us over for any reason, we would NOT be allowed to roll like that. All fixed now :)





And, Brandon has been working on the flatbed installation...



Unfortunately it won't be ready by the time I need to roll Friday morning, but he has things measured and marked and whatever so that he can do some work on the actual bed, on the ground, while I have the truck this weekend, and next week he should be able to finish!