Today's Inspirational Lesson

Never irritate a woman who can operate a backhoe...



Thus endeth the lesson.

Women are Angels...And when someone breaks our wings...We simply continue to fly....on a broomstick...We are flexible like that...

;)

New Website!!!

A few years ago a virus got my frontpage program and although I repurchased and reinstalled it, I get no log-in screen so I can no longer access my www.paintedpromise.com website to update it. I have tried several times to get website gurus to help me and one by one they have flaked out without accomplishing anything :(

So I have given up and I am going to ditch it, much as I hate to, and start over. But in the meantime one of those "gurus" DID hook me up with www.godaddy.com and I went ahead and purchased a second domain name, the one I wanted in the first place that the "guru" at that time said was too long... so once I get everything done I will have TWO websites, the old one will be the "rescue" website and the new one will be for my mini donkeys...

So, it's a simple template website with a limit of 5 pages which means I don't have a lot of options, and it's not done yet, but check it out!

www.paintedpromiseranch.com

Jasmine's First Class

Last night I got to take BOTH my gaited girls to class. Randy said he would TRY to ride so he had Katie and I took Jasmine - I really wanted a couple of my friends to see her that hadn't yet, and they are in class with me. Of course of all nights, one missed due to needing an early bedtime, and the other was sick!

Randy did really well considering he hasn't even been ON a horse for several years, since his back got so bad. It was actually his legs that gave out and had him dismounting before the end of class... but I remember MY first class, there are a lot of leg cues and boy does it make you tired!

In fact last night I felt like it was my first class again, because Jasmine is so much ROUNDER than Katie, my legs were aching as well!

Once we got the girls over their little tizzy - you know: "I can't be more than 6 inches from my buddy or I will DIE!!!!!" they both did really well. In fact Barb the instructor invited Randy back and he is going to try the next session with me :)

A Chocolate Update :)

I've been so busy I just realized that I never updated on Betty Jean's 6th foal, the little jack born last Tuesday...

His name is ALVIN!

Here are some week-old pictures I took last night... he is SO CUTE but had a bit of a 'tude, kept walking away, turning his back to me, hiding behind mama...

While I was out there I thought I would try for the registration photos, which are supposed to be one from each side, with a clear view of the entire foal and the yead turned slightly towards the camera... which is why you see so many TRYING for that!

LOOKEE LOOKEE!!!!!

As if I wasn't already on top of the world after riding Jasmine Sunday... we had actually seen this Sunday morning when we went to get hay and had a verbal deal with the guy over the phone, but got the money together yesterday and went last night to pick up MY NEW TRAILER YAAAAAAAHOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOO!!!

So maybe Randy DOES love me as much as Sherman does? He had promised since I had to sell my truck and trailer to pay bills that he would get me a little trailer like I REALLY wanted once I had it figured out... see the 3-horse slant I had gotten planning to tow it with my Jeep was a bit much for the Jeep, so it wasn't TOO hard to just sell it when we needed the money... and, well, this one is actually even better than what I told him I wanted! My friend Pat has a 2-horse slant stock trailer and I towed it with my Jeep in January and it did just fine... so I told him I want a trailer JUST LIKE PAT'S! This one is one step above a basic stock, AND it has a water tank already installed! The only thing missing that I thought I wanted is an escape door, but realistically that is more a convenience than a necessity so no big deal.

Plenty of room for 1-2 horses if I am making a day trip and don't need the big trailer for camping...

And I can open the swinging tack compartment wall, take out the removable saddle rack, and put plenty of minis in if I need to!

It even comes with a sticker that just happens to be for the first ever endurance ride I did :)

Granted it would probably have been smarter to put the WHOLE tax refund in savings pending my job situation possibly changing in a few months, BUT my direct boss says "don't worry" and this was too good a deal to pass up... if by chance things don't go well at work, we can always sell it for more than we paid for it. But God has been really good to us lately and we are operating in faith that the blessings will continue!!

Finally Finished the Tiny Dog Pen

On Sunday while Hilary and I were working on that last section of west side fence some more, Randy finished the last major component of the tiny dog pen, and it's now usable!! I thought this was a weird idea when I first heard it, but then I went to the home of a gal I know and they had something similar for THEIR chihuahuas... so I told Randy ok, go ahead... and we've been working at it a little at a time, using scrap materials as we scrounge them...

I realized posting these pictures that I neglected to back off and take one of the whole pen so I will add that later!
Here is Esmerelda at the bottom of the covered ramp:

Standing at the gate looking in, you can see Angel and AJ on the left and Riley on the right...

Puppies on the ramp! That's Esmerelda, Ty and Angel
Ty and Esmerelda heading down

Angel and AJ in the "vestibule" outside the doggie door (right behind AJ), on the back porch, where the dogs come out and then turn to enter the covered ramp as Ty is demonstrating:

Some of the tinies are doing fine with the doggie door but a couple of them aren't sure about pushing the flap, so we opted to tie it up for a few days until they are comfortable running in and out... then we will let it loose and see if we can get the hold-outs to push it with their noses!
So now the tinies are limited to the laundry room and the hallway, with all bedroom and bathroom doors closed so they can't cause any trouble... and the rest of the house is ours again! Randy came home to find all 7 tinies safe and well after their first day in their new digs, and NO POOP except outside in the pen!!! YAY!!!!!!!!!! Of course since he left almost immediately when I arrived (we had an errand to run, see tomorrow's post for that story) someone got irritated at not being "sprung" and I did find a little mess when we got back from our errand. But I think it was on purpose, the little sh*t lol!!!

Awesome, Awesome Jasmine :)

I am flying, my friends. Be forewarned that this post will be like Mikey's, TONS of pictures ;)

Today, Hilary and I FINALLY had a few hours that we were both home at the same time in the daylight... I tried real hard to be wise and follow my friend's advice, and put one of the girls on Jasmine first... After all, better safe than sorry right? Jean said she had a habit of crowhopping when she hadn't been ridden in a while, and she hadn't been ridden in a while... And I do NOT need to be going to the emergency room... Well as you will see all the concern was for naught, Jasmine was PERFECT and I couldn't be happier {jumping for joy here}

Off to the round pen we go...

Sherman thinks he needs to help Hilary work Jasmine!


Save me mom, Hilary is a slave driver!!!




Hilary drops the carrot stick and allows Jasmine to stop working.

And join-up!

Good girl!!!

See the lead over her neck and both of Hil's hands holding the carrot stick before her?

Hilary stops, Jasmine stops

"I will follow you anywhere, just don't make me run any more!"

OK let's go see about saddling up!

Isn't she gorgeous in her new purple halter?

Hilary is calling her "beluga"! I think she's got a NICE rear though...

Saddle pad, no problem.

Saddling up


The young'uns always sticking their noses into everything...

Hilary had to get after her a bit to get her going, I think she was still huffing and puffing from the first round pen session lol.


QUICK join-up this time! I can just hear her saying "Please Hilary, let me stop working!"

First whoa!

From across the round pen I hear "well mom, she's got neck-rein!!!"

I could have watched Hilary ride her for hours but she had homework to do...




Back to the trailer to switch to MY saddle - I knew that Jasmine was larger than Katie but I had to drop my cinch strap TWO NOTCHES - and the rear cinch was on the loosest hole on BOTH sides!

Jasmine walked right up to the mounting block without blinking an eye so I hopped right on the same way :)

And off we go...

Trying to get around Luna and get in a good position for pictures...

Got my horse... got my dog...

Even with the interference she was perfect :)

Talk about devotion... sometimes I wish my husband loved me like this dog does!

Our plan was for Hilary to ride Jasmine across the street while I rode Katie... but Jasmine was doing so well, Hilary said she wanted to ride her own horse (the nerve of the kid!) So off we went for a little adventure across the street...
Saying goodbye at the gate... Luna really wanted to come too!

My first ever Jasmine earcam :)

Across Patton road, around bushes, across ditches, Jasmine just took it all in stride!
We even had to torn around and wait for these two!
Hilary had mentioned to me that a couple of my friends who live down the street had driven by right before we started, so since everything was going so well we decided to ride by and see if they were still out and show off Jasmine...

Turns out Laurie got a new horse today too so we had a double celebration and decided to go for a little ride... Hilary went on home to get busy on her papers, poor thing. Me, I went for a ride :) Actually it was a good experience to see how Jasmine did when Hilary took Destiny home... she was a little antsy at first but once Destiny was out of sight, she was fine with Katie, DD and Cheyenne...
Laurie on Katie and her new horse Cheyenne being ponied.

Jasmine can be a good trail horse... her nose is right in line with DD's butt!
We ended riding to someone else's house that my friends know, and they started yacking, and I got tired of saying "I have to get back" so finally I said "I gotta go" and off Jasmine and I went - all alone - and she was, yup, PERFECT!

Riding into the sunset... on my new horse :) Yup she's a keeper!!!