Oh Happy Day

People don't understand and I know it seems weird but today is a RED LETTER day for me. This is Hilary's birthday. Hilary is my youngest. And it's her EIGHTEENTH birthday.

So I am thrilled beyond belief. Now Hilary is still in high school and will still be living with us. Maybe even for the first year or so of college. But here's the deal: I got all three of my girls to eighteen without anybody getting pregnant, doing drugs, getting into drinking, etc.

So that makes me one happy mama!!! I ain't perfect, but I done good :)

And although Lindsey didn't leave nicely when she left, I knew it would be better once she was gone... she mailed me a CD that she made up for me, of songs that mean something, that say what she couldn't say... so I feel a whole lot better about that as well. Now we can put the nasty stuff behind us and have a decent relationship again...

PS Happy Birthday Hilary ;)

In other news, had a neighbor contact me about using one of my jacks for her two new miniature donkey jennets... long story short we have two temporary visitors here to get knocked up LOL! AND, while the lady was here, she fell in love with Jess and Forrest too, so Jess is already over there. We both agreed that Forrest should stay here a bit longer until he is fully recovered from his gelding...

Preschool Pony Rides and Farewell Madeline...

Today was our fourth annual visit to the preschool for pony rides. I didn't have as many helpers or ponies this year so didn't get many pictures until almost the end. This year was the second time we gathered up little stuffed horses (and other equines) and let the kids each pick one to take home...
Foxy is my bestest girl :) she will go and go and go...

I think the staff enjoyed the donkeys as much as the kids did!



Sunshine worked her share too...

Foxy all done and happy for it!

Some of the little cuties with their ponies... do you think they like them?



On the way home I dropped Madeline off at her new home... and she got to meet her 2 new big mule brothers, Gus and Earl, and her 3 new goat sisters, Reba, Pepper and Smokey...

Tired But Happy

Didn't get much sleep last night, something was up with Randy's little chihuahua Vada and despite multiple mumblings of "Go see Daddy" she kept walking on ME and bothering ME. Then I had a busy day at work. Then I had to come home, of course feed everybody and pack the trailer for the mini pony rides at the special needs preschool tomorrow. Then I came in and packed up the stuffed ponies that we send home with the kiddos... then Randy called and said "Go saddle your horse" - he was almost home and we have been traying to walk (well, he walks and I and ride Luna) every Tuesday, Thursday and at least once on the weekend. Here's where the happy part comes in. SHE IS DOING GREAT! Dark doesn't bother her, barking dogs don't bother her, car headlights don't bother her... and I am riding her alone {as in, without another equine companion} and that doesn't bother her, so long as Randy is there she is fine. Sorry if you are getting tired of hearing me say it but I AM SO PROUD OF MY GIRL!!!

And now I am going to drag my weary self to bed...

Rocket Is Fixed!

And you didn't even know he was broken! LOL just kidding, he wasn't broken. But we got him fixed anyway. Figures, my luck, turned out he was cryptorchid and the extra charge to take care of that undescended testicle was almost as much again as the neuter surgery itself.

But, it's done!


And it didn't seem to bother him much :)

Best of all, so far so good, one ear is up and one is down - I LOVE IT!!!

So Far, So Good

Tonight Randy didn't get home until after dark but I had already fed and Luna was finished so I went and tacked her up and we still did our walk. No dogs tonight although we took Zacchaeus last Thursday and of course Sherman on Sunday. In the dark I don't want to risk them being thought coyote bait!! But Luna did awesome again, we didn't do as many bush turns and other goofing around in the dark but she was very calm and relaxed, except for one moment when we first started out, still can't figure that one out, and a spook at the very end when Randy stepped on a piece of hard plastic and it crackled. Toni was right though, when she spooks she spooks LITTLE lol. There is no bucking, no running off like a lunatic, just a little jump and then she freezes...

In other news {lol} Forrest seems to be healing nicely. I'm gonna try and confirm with my donkey sources but per my vet I should be able to put him and Jess back together now. However they seem to be doing much better even apart, they are both eating all their food now, so I'm not sure it's the right thing to do... It might be easier to find homes for them if they can go separately rather than insisting they remain a pair. So I am still puzzling over this one for now. Will try and decide by the weekend... It sure would be nice to have my round pen back!

Ggggrrrrrr

Some jerk (or jerks) shot 11 wild burros out by Lake Pleasant. #5000 reward being offered for information. If you find them, let me know... I will shoot THEM - FOR FREE!!!

"02:19 PM Mountain Standard Time on Monday, February 23, 2009
U.S. Bureau of Land Management / azfamily.com

The following news release was sent by the U.S. Bureau of Land Management:
PHOENIX – Federal rangers are confirming this afternoon that eleven wild burros, including newborns, were brutally killed by assailants on public lands 20 miles northwest of Phoenix, Arizona.
Federal law enforcement rangers are clearing the crime scene now in the Lake Pleasant area, just north of Morgan City Wash where the carcasses were disbursed over vast and remote public lands. The crime was initially reported by off highway vehicle riders who informed federal officials over the weekend. “We are investigating this crime, and we want people with information to call us,” says Supervisory Ranger Patrick Brasington of the Phoenix District Bureau of Land Management. People who have any information may call: 1-800-637-9152. All calls are confidential and a reward of up to $5,000 is offered for information leading to a conviction. The crime is punishable by substantial fines and/or imprisonment.
The incident occurred within the last week on public lands north of the metro area where the BLM manages a naturally-occurring wild burro heard consisting of 280 animals.
According to Brasington, the burros –Jennie, Jacks, and Colts—were shot to death in an area that is accessible on very narrow trails by ATVs, four wheel drive vehicles, or by foot."

Sometimes I really hate people!!

Busy Day

Left the ride this morning and went by Lindsey's new place "on my way home" - yeah right. It was 20 miles out of the way each way! But that was still better than the 89-mile each way trip it would have been from home...

She has a real cute little house. Since she doesn't have much stuff it looks nice and clean - unlike the clutter I am used to at home. INSPIRATION to get busy clearing out stuff around here... she has a nice horsey set-up too!

Came home to catch up on chores {fun fun} and get a quick ride in on Luna while Randy walked. She is doing fantastic, what a good girl! Let Sherman come along this time and he enjoyed it. Then my friend Mary took us out to dinner at Red Lobster as a thank you for picking her up from the airport the other day. She is doing great by the way, walking WITH PERMISSION and about to go back to work WOO HOO!!!

Discovering the Imus Bit

Went on a gaited ride today in Maricopa. What a blast, moving out like that... had Sherman along and he did great! I'm gonna try and link to my friend's video she took of me... watch for Sherman, what a great little rider he has become! Katie Loping

After the ride we did some goofing around with a borrowed bit and wow did it make a difference in her gait! Enough that I am in the process of buying one for her...

Katie with the Imus Bit

Did you catch Sherman running along behind me? That boy is never far from my side...

Can't wait to get both her and I used to it so we can gait smooth a lot more often!!!

Neat Stuff

Juwt a couple of things to think about tonight...

This one was a fortune cookie:

"If you don't enjoy what you have, how could you be happier with more?"

And this one was someone's signature in an e-mail:

"To get something you never had, you have to do something you never did."

Wow. Neat stuff!!

For Debby

Through blogging I have made a wonderful, "one of the best friends I've never met" person, Debby - Life's Funny Like That.

Last September Debby discovered a lump in her breast and so began her battle with breast cancer. Today I want to help acknowledge and celebrate FINAL CHEMO DAY!!!

Last Saturday at the Wickenburg Gold Rush Days Parade I got a couple of really nice shots of the breast cancer memorial fire truck:



As it passed by I found myself with tears on my cheeks as I imagined Debby on the trailer with the other survivors... and we whooped and hollered as they passed by.

Debby, my friend, this one's for you :)

A Little More Parade...

These horses looked to me like they were really enjoying the attention! Ears pricked all friendly-like...

Mail!

The folks riding this float...

Got off and did a little dance! If I remember right, they were all the way from IRELAND for our little hometown parade...

Neat old cars...

More Gold Rush Parade

Had to share some more of my favorites from Saturday's parade...

The gals in this group were in their 50s, 60s and 70s!

This truck should have been with the group above!! It matches :)

If you don't have a horse, MAKE ONE!

Wickenburg Garter Girls Posse

and yes we each got one :) a garter, not a girl!!!

Had to Share

Went on a ride again today, did the trail we did on Black Friday and had a blast again. Jenn who was also on the ride had a great camera and took some really neat shots of me, Katie and Sherman so I jacked them from her ride report post and have to share them here...
Look at my Katie JUMP!!!!!

AAAWWWWWWW (and YES he stayed on through all the jumping, gaiting, loping, you name it! He's gotten to be quite the little rider!!)

Sherman got a cowboy hat but I don't think he was all that thrilled...

Just had to share this shot of Chantel and her horse Bodie... I think his name should be FABIO lol - just LOOK at that mane!!!!

And here is the photographer, Jenn, and her mare Jewel who was SO relieved to get out from under that horse-eating overpass without being EATEN!!!

Luna's Official Inaugural Ride

People I am SO flying tonight... what a fantastic feeling to take my baby girl on a "real" trail ride for the first time...

Yeah, I know, I've ridden her several times by now, but some were training rides and some were all alone with Randy walking, no other horses. This was what I would call her first "real" trail ride. There were 7 of us and we were out for several hours.

Getting ready to go...

Wasn't it kind of APS to put a personal mounting block right outside my front gate?

The first EVER Luna earcam!!!

This is my friend Shirley with her mare Jahaan... it was also Jahaan's first "real" trail ride.

Luna is wondering where Sugar is headed off to...

We rode over to Mary's to say hi, and she took some group shots for us.

Me with our "babysitters" - Toni in the back on Star, Sabrina on Sugar, Linda on Kate, and Kirk on Diamond

Toni says she was watching Luna, not me - what do you think?

Even with Kirk and Diamond messing around, she didn't miss a step!

The quads didn't bother her...

She's a snacker like her mama!

I have to laugh, caught Toni "watching" again!

Wickenburg Gold Rush Parade

For the first time since I got horses, I was NOT in this parade... (well except for the year we got rained totally out!) So, we decided to go up and watch since we never get to really see it from the inside!

No sooner did the first horse and rider go by then I was saying "I CHANGED MY MIND - I want to be IN the parade, not sitting on the sidewalk watching it". I did this enough as a child!!!

Oh well, too late.

So here are some of my favorites...
Beautiful horses!

Pretty team!!

Neat old wagon

Look, it's Matthew and the boys from Serenity Farms! The kids in the back are the ones who load my hay and supplements... and that's Dixie Chick between them... wish it wasn't so dark inside the truck, hard to see Matt darn it!

Pretty Paso...

The infamous Sheriff Joe!

This guy is letting his DOG drive!

Bill Williams Mountain Men

What can I say, I am a sucker for paints!

This gal knows how to travel in style ;)


More later in the week... I took a TON of pictures but don't want to overload blogger lol