moreover monday

The weekend got away from me and here it is Monday again.....already.

Last night we had wind.......huge gusts of wind that sounded like a freight train coming through the trees.......trees cracking, limbs flying.......I got up at 3am with a sick kitty........and then of course had to let the dogs out and it was like a war zone out there. We never did lose power but the lights flickered a lot.
After getting up at 3am, I never went back to bed.........simply made the coffee and got going. I threw in a load of wash, put some clothes in the dryer, folded some clothes, put towels away, changed the cat box and sorted some mail. All that and I still left late for the barn. Go figure.

Off to the barn with the radio blasting Martha and the Vandella's "Heat Wave"......older than me.........yep....my sister's era....but I still like it.......great saxaphone......at least I think it is a sax?
What do I know?

Saturday we got a lot done.....again. I know I always say that and it is always true......we work hard. We got the roof put on the pony barn, got the filly's shed re-graveled and leveled, knocked the manure pile down...........cleaned all paddocks......cleaned the barn.....filled waters......groomed Jake, moved some mats around..........all around a good day.....God bless my volunteers! Later I went to the feed store and loaded up with beet pulp, rice bran, grain, stall pellets and a new water trough. Did I say how glad I was to have the tractor?
Sunday was quiet......just me and the horses....I cleaned and scraped paddocks, put new stall pellets down and scrubbed water tubs. I like my alone time, when it is quiet and not raining.........when I have time to think and reflect.......make lists of what needs to be done and think about how it will be done and how soon.

We need to replace fencing along the driveway, as some posts are leaning......the arena needs replacing..........the footing in the arena needs attention.........all long term projects.......our priority is feeding and housing our residents. Our place is not fancy.........I long to make it look like one of those Thoroughbred farms in Kentucky, but that may never be........and I remember to be satisfied to feed and house the horses we have.......and when I think we are "ghetto' ...I remember that a lot of these horses had nothing great......or were on their way to the slaughter truck.........so I think a dry stall, a blanket and two good meals a day are a plus......we have worked hard to not have muddy paddocks and I have over 30 tons of gravel to prove it.

Yesterday, I put out grass seed in the bottoms of the paddocks...........the areas that are currently off limits.........so hopefully we can have some grass this spring and if carefully managed it will last and help filter running water.

We will take Jake to the vet this Friday to have his leg evaluated. Yesterday I took him for a short walk around the farm and it was all he could do to manuever out of the barn. Poor boy.
If there is something we can do........we will do it....if not, well, hard decisions will have to be made. This is for the horses........not for us. Although we are not a sanctuary.....we would be glad to keep Jake if he is comfortable, happy..........free of pain........but if there is constant pain from a leg injury........it is not a good life.......if he cannot get up and down without a struggle, without pain.........we are not doing him any favors....horses must have useable limbs..... Jake cannot climb a small incline to the barn....very painful. No good. I swear it might kill me this time.......I am very fond of Jake, as we all are. He has been well loved at Pony Up........he has never been hungry or cold and has had loving kindness........that is what matters in the end.

The horse of the year was Rachel Alexander......I think it should have been Zenyatta.........what a girl! What a horse.

Well, I am off for popcorn and a movie.........I hope your week goes well.........

Pony Up fortune for tomorrow:

The contest will be close but the dark horse wins.