Time OUT Tuesday

24 hours of rain, wind and more rain. My paddocks and pastures are SOGGY......little creeks of running water make their way to the drainage ditch down by the road. Stalls are a mess because at least most of the horses have the sense to stand inside. Here I was thinking it was summer after last weekend. I thought we were home free from the cold and wet of Washington state but..... It feels like November today....I never took my coat off. There was so much rain last night the peacock slept in the chicken coop......voluntarily.

I am raising six chicks in the barn...with a light bulb, some sawdust for a bed, a chicken waterer and chick starter. I must be crazy. .......well, it should only be a few weeks and then they can join the flock. These are Lace Wyndottes.....I think I got that name right and they are all supposed to be hens........we shall see....I find it hard to believe you can properly sex a chicken when they are so little, but hopefully they know more than me....right?

Promise and Breeze are still sharing a loafing shed and doing well until the grain comes out......then Breeze is a "monster" filly and poor Promise runs for her life.

Mercy is not coming around. It takes two of us to brush her and she will not allow her legs or butt to be brushed. It is very sad. A horse must be touched.....must be groomed.......must be handled..... I cannot have my leg broken, nor can I have a volunteer kicked. Mercy eats really well and her weight is almost normal........but I fear her spirit will not come around. The part of my job I hate. You want everyone to get better.......the fairy tale should have a good ending.......but sometimes there is no answer. It is enough to make you want to quit.......throw down everything and just quit.

But then.......you hear about Vinnie and how well he is doing in his new home.......how much they love him........cherish him.......and it becomes worth it again....some of the hurt leaves you for a while. Vinnie is going out on trail rides, learning to side pass, learning to give to the bit, learning to flex.......learning to be a saddle horse. We will have video and pictures soon. His new mom calls or emails me every once in a while........Thank you Tanna....I couldn't have asked for anything better for my favorite boy! So glad you are happy.

I look at TarBaby and I know he is happy and better off with us...........he looks like a million bucks and he feels good.......so he, in fact, finally got a happy ending with us.

Days when you feel like everything is BAD and it turns out it really isn't....just a corner of your heart is dark.

As I posted before, we got our ASPCA grant for the arena fencing.......which is so great....our arena fence currently is leaning and almost in need of being propped up........Big horses with big butts did not help! The fencing will be much more stout this time and it also allows us to use it as a dry turn out.

Lower Puget Sound Dressage Club also donated half of the proceeds of their dessert auction to us........and that will enable us to finish our wash rack/shoeing stand. Thank you to LPSDC for their support and friendship.

Off to watch American Idol......have a glass of wine.......relax a little.

Pony Up fortune for tomorrow:

You will be drawn like a moth to a flame........