Sunday night I was pleasantly surprised that I was able to fall asleep without the help of any medications, however my bliss didn't last long when Scrappy leaped off the bed barking and running for the front door. My husband said, "The horses are freaking out."
I heard hooves kicking the stall walls with full force and not in rhythm, but in the chaotic rumble of fear. I grabbed a flashlight and ran out the front door, shining the light around the front lawn to make sure that I didn't run right smack into a buck. I then ran out to the road, expecting to find deer behind the barn, but found nothing. I ran around to the front of the barn and only saw two horse heads looking at me. It looked and sounded to me like Bombay was cast against his stall wall. I ran to his window just in time to see him get up, covered in something dark and limping around in his stall.
I thought he had bloodied himself up and injured a leg or two, and my heart dropped. I made this choice of not putting him in a moving trailer to avoid his panic attacks and more injuries, and he managed to wreck himself in his 12x12 stall.
I opened his stall door, and he came walking out. The limp went away, and I shined the flashlight on his dark legs only to find that what I thought was blood was actually mud. He had peed so much in the center of his stall that he created a wet spot that turned to ice and mud during the night. After laying down, he couldn't get up because it was too slippery. So, I left him out the rest of the night and will have to get all that pee out of there really well, and lay down a fresh bag of shavings or two or three to avoid this problem in the future.
Monday, November 28, 2011
Truck Search
My husband and I toured auto dealership row in the city on Sunday just to sit in different trucks and discuss their various specifications and packages with salespeople. I wasn't up for taking any test drives because traffic was insane with so many tourists returning home after the holidays. Here were my impressions:
The Dodge Rams had comfy seats, were easy to climb into, had the best combination of horsepower and torque with the Hemi engine, and were the most affordable. I just didn't care for any of the color choices they had.
The Ford dealership had apparently sold the majority of their trucks on Black Friday, so there was slim pickins. They tried to sell me a top-of-the-line F150 Lariat with heated and cooled leather seats, backup camera, Bluetooth connection for your mobile phone so that you don't have to deal with OnStar, a whole lot of computerized functions that include how the truck handles when it is hauling a horse trailer, and just about anything you can imagine.
It had more gadgets than my husband's Cadillac and because it was a 2011 model, they were offering it for $7,000 off the MSRP price. I actually didn't like the leather seats as much as the cloth seats in the Dodge Ram, but I loved that little rear end video I could see in the rear view mirror. I also loved that it had a fold out step to get up into the bed of the truck. I keep straining my ankles when I jump out of the bed of my current truck. It was the only truck I looked at that came with running boards and was fully set up with a trailer package.
However, it's horsepower, torque, and hauling capacity left a lot to be desired compared to the Dodge Ram, and those are my priorities. It did have more power than my current 2001 F150 XLS, but I still felt that with the Fords, I would have to stray into diesel territory to get as much power as I needed. The saleswoman keep dragging me over to used F250s that had as much mileage as my current truck, but she said I couldn't compare the two because a diesel truck can go for 300,000 miles.
We then looked at some Chevy and GMC trucks. We liked them a lot, but they were $15,000 to $20,000 more than the Dodge Rams and they didn't even have all the bells and whistles that the Ford F150 Lariat had for a lower price. We liked that they had a couple of long beds available, which were almost impossible to find on the Dodge lot or in the F150s. I really struggled to climb into the Chevys and GMCs, because there were no interior handles on the driver's side. All I could do was grab the steering wheel and jump, because none of them came with running boards and these trucks were considerably higher off the ground than others we sat in. I felt as if I were mounting a horse. Chevy's salespeople were the most laid back and enjoyable. We felt comfortable perusing their inventory at our own pace.
The Ford dealership was a bit aggressive with each salesperson handing us off to the next salesperson as soon as we started to walk. I think they ended up pushing four different people on us in an effort to get us to buy that day, even though we made it clear that we were just doing our research. Also, their sexism wore me down, because I was buying this truck for me, my horses, and my photography business, yet all the salespeople kept directing their attention at my husband, who finally took off on his own so that I could ask the questions I needed without being brushed aside. The Dodge dealership was respectable. They did make us shake hands with a manager, but no one put pressure on us. The salesman took down my contact info in case anything new came in that fit my needs. Ford and Chevy offered to order whatever I wanted, but I wasn't ready to pull the trigger on anything just yet.
I think that overall the Dodge Rams fit my needs the most. I realized that I'm having a hard time choosing a new truck, because it just doesn't feel the same as when I bought my current truck. Basically, when I bought my current truck back in 2001, my husband and I had been rejecting truck after truck, and then our salesman took us to the back of the lot to look at two Crew Cabs that just came in, and this was back in the day when Crew Cabs were a new concept. I took one look at that truck and instantly knew it was exactly what I wanted. I had no doubts. I didn't have to think about it.
I'm going to have a hard time letting go of my current truck because it has the most comfy, plush upholstery. They just don't make upholstery like they used to. I like to sink into some fluff. Most of the car seats now-a-days are hard as a rock. They aren't true bench seats, but they wrap around you like a captain's chair, which doesn't work well for fat people or women with wide thighs that spill over the sides. The cloth seats are like felt, attracting dog hair like crazy. With leather seats, you risk having your dog's claws poke holes in them, but if you want to get the dog hair out, all you have to do is roll down the windows and drive.
I'm also going miss the sliding back window. I used to sleep in the backseat of my truck with only that window open, because no one could climb through it and it didn't attract people's attention the way a side window being rolled down did, so I could nap in peace on my lunch breaks without coworkers walking up and talking to me through the window. Also, if you've got a carload of teenagers and someone has gas, opening that back window is the fastest way to suck the smell out of the cab away from the driver. ; )
Dodge did say that they are expecting a whole new shipment of vehicles to come in within the next couple of days, so they'll call me as soon as they do. Since they discontinued the cobalt blue I like so much, I'm keeping my fingers crossed for a bumble bee yellow. I need something bright and unique to call attention to my truck and the sign advertising my business that will be on it.
The Dodge Rams had comfy seats, were easy to climb into, had the best combination of horsepower and torque with the Hemi engine, and were the most affordable. I just didn't care for any of the color choices they had.
The Ford dealership had apparently sold the majority of their trucks on Black Friday, so there was slim pickins. They tried to sell me a top-of-the-line F150 Lariat with heated and cooled leather seats, backup camera, Bluetooth connection for your mobile phone so that you don't have to deal with OnStar, a whole lot of computerized functions that include how the truck handles when it is hauling a horse trailer, and just about anything you can imagine.
It had more gadgets than my husband's Cadillac and because it was a 2011 model, they were offering it for $7,000 off the MSRP price. I actually didn't like the leather seats as much as the cloth seats in the Dodge Ram, but I loved that little rear end video I could see in the rear view mirror. I also loved that it had a fold out step to get up into the bed of the truck. I keep straining my ankles when I jump out of the bed of my current truck. It was the only truck I looked at that came with running boards and was fully set up with a trailer package.
However, it's horsepower, torque, and hauling capacity left a lot to be desired compared to the Dodge Ram, and those are my priorities. It did have more power than my current 2001 F150 XLS, but I still felt that with the Fords, I would have to stray into diesel territory to get as much power as I needed. The saleswoman keep dragging me over to used F250s that had as much mileage as my current truck, but she said I couldn't compare the two because a diesel truck can go for 300,000 miles.
We then looked at some Chevy and GMC trucks. We liked them a lot, but they were $15,000 to $20,000 more than the Dodge Rams and they didn't even have all the bells and whistles that the Ford F150 Lariat had for a lower price. We liked that they had a couple of long beds available, which were almost impossible to find on the Dodge lot or in the F150s. I really struggled to climb into the Chevys and GMCs, because there were no interior handles on the driver's side. All I could do was grab the steering wheel and jump, because none of them came with running boards and these trucks were considerably higher off the ground than others we sat in. I felt as if I were mounting a horse. Chevy's salespeople were the most laid back and enjoyable. We felt comfortable perusing their inventory at our own pace.
The Ford dealership was a bit aggressive with each salesperson handing us off to the next salesperson as soon as we started to walk. I think they ended up pushing four different people on us in an effort to get us to buy that day, even though we made it clear that we were just doing our research. Also, their sexism wore me down, because I was buying this truck for me, my horses, and my photography business, yet all the salespeople kept directing their attention at my husband, who finally took off on his own so that I could ask the questions I needed without being brushed aside. The Dodge dealership was respectable. They did make us shake hands with a manager, but no one put pressure on us. The salesman took down my contact info in case anything new came in that fit my needs. Ford and Chevy offered to order whatever I wanted, but I wasn't ready to pull the trigger on anything just yet.
I think that overall the Dodge Rams fit my needs the most. I realized that I'm having a hard time choosing a new truck, because it just doesn't feel the same as when I bought my current truck. Basically, when I bought my current truck back in 2001, my husband and I had been rejecting truck after truck, and then our salesman took us to the back of the lot to look at two Crew Cabs that just came in, and this was back in the day when Crew Cabs were a new concept. I took one look at that truck and instantly knew it was exactly what I wanted. I had no doubts. I didn't have to think about it.
I'm going to have a hard time letting go of my current truck because it has the most comfy, plush upholstery. They just don't make upholstery like they used to. I like to sink into some fluff. Most of the car seats now-a-days are hard as a rock. They aren't true bench seats, but they wrap around you like a captain's chair, which doesn't work well for fat people or women with wide thighs that spill over the sides. The cloth seats are like felt, attracting dog hair like crazy. With leather seats, you risk having your dog's claws poke holes in them, but if you want to get the dog hair out, all you have to do is roll down the windows and drive.
I'm also going miss the sliding back window. I used to sleep in the backseat of my truck with only that window open, because no one could climb through it and it didn't attract people's attention the way a side window being rolled down did, so I could nap in peace on my lunch breaks without coworkers walking up and talking to me through the window. Also, if you've got a carload of teenagers and someone has gas, opening that back window is the fastest way to suck the smell out of the cab away from the driver. ; )
Dodge did say that they are expecting a whole new shipment of vehicles to come in within the next couple of days, so they'll call me as soon as they do. Since they discontinued the cobalt blue I like so much, I'm keeping my fingers crossed for a bumble bee yellow. I need something bright and unique to call attention to my truck and the sign advertising my business that will be on it.
Sunday, November 27, 2011
Year End Assessment
I'm still doing something on a daily basis to help settle my mother's estate, but the number of hours I've put in have been cut way back since the sale of her house. I'm hoping to be in the clear in March or April so that I can bring my focus back to my family, my pets and my life.
In the time I've been able to spend with my horses I can see that Bombay will be my biggest challenge. He used to be my most often ridden and most well-trained horse, but after he started panicking on trailer rides and mutilating himself, I put him out to "pasture." I didn't have the time nor money to deal with his psychological problems. I guess I was kind of hoping that time would heal him because I couldn't find any trainers in my area who had experience with his problem, but now he's being a jerk, always testing me and even biting the mares -- something he's never been brave enough to do in the past. He parades himself around with a boner like the horse paddock is his kingdom and the mares are his concubines.
My goal was to trade in my tight, well-padded luxury slant-load trailer for something more open and basic with plain metal walls and more room. If he didn't have rubber padding to rip off the walls, then he wouldn't have bolts to cut himself on. It's kind of hard to climb a metal wall, but easy for him to climb a rubber wall.
However, if I was going to get a cattle trailer, I wanted it to be long enough for three horses, and my 10-year-old truck doesn't have enough horse power to haul my 2-horse trailer uphill, none-the-less a 3-horse trailer. That meant I needed to buy a new truck. So until that happens, Bombay just sits and waits. I'm not willing to risk another vet bill by even trying to take him for a trailer ride.
I've been researching pickup trucks, but can't find a single one that I like. There was this cobalt blue Dodge Ram 1500 Quad Cab with a lot of power and towing capacity sitting on the local dealers lot all year and they dropped the price in September to $8,000 below the original asking price. I had planned on buying it once some money came in, but of course, they sold it before that happened. Now the only trucks the Dodge dealership has are black, white, gray or silver. I know the color shouldn't matter, but if you are stuck with a truck for 10-years, you may as well like the color. I've had a hankering to own one of those cobalt blue Dodge vehicles for years, and wouldn't you know it? As soon as I'm in the market to buy a truck, they discontinue the color. So, I've been looking around for a slightly used one, but haven't had any luck.
I don't want a diesel truck because they are too noisy and I resent my neighbors who allow their diesel trucks to idle for nearly an hour before driving off. Fords are too expensive, but I can get better gas mileage with them. My priority is hauling capacity and power. I also would like to pay off my husband's vehicle before seriously looking into trading in my old truck for a new one. These things take time.
Lostine is cranky. She tries to make everything as difficult as possible for me, hoping that I will give up and choose not to ride her. She runs from the halter, dances when I try to put on her boots, pins her ears back when I approach with the saddle, evades having the cinch buckled, refuses to get in the trailer...
I've heard breeders brag that they can put their horses out to pasture for several years after training, and they come right back in remembering everything they were taught where their training left off. I have a hard time believing that. Horses get used to the easy life and cop attitudes when you want them to return to work. They may remember all their training, but that doesn't mean they will cooperate like good little soldiers.
Gabbrielle tries to be good but she's a cross between a halter horse and a racehorse at heart, and neither of those skills serve me well for my riding goals. She can be completely calm one minute, hanging her head low and enjoying her grooming to having her head straight up in the air, tail curled over her back, prancing around and snorting one-second later. There's no warning. That's why she has accidentally knocked me down a few times. I'll be standing near her, something will spook her, and she'll just break into a full-on gallop not watching where she's headed, which is usually right into me.
As a result, I'm a bit nervous around her, which makes her nervous, because she's so in tune with my feelings. I can be working with her, and simply wonder if my nosy neighbor is loitering around, and Gabbrielle will stop and point, showing me where the woman is hiding. Or if I'm expecting a UPS or FedEx delivery for my business, she'll keep looking out toward the road as if she's waiting for the truck too.
I was considering sending her off for more training over the winter, so that I could take lessons on her in an indoor arena, but it turns out that the cost of a stall and blanketing is nearly double what I paid to have her stay in the pasture in the summer months. It costs $100 a month extra to pay a groom to blanket my horse. Gee, I wish someone would pay me that when I blanket all three of my horses every night and remove their blankets in the morning. When you consider that they are probably blanketing 30 horses, that's a $3,000 a month profit for their business. What a deal.
Also, I'm hesitant to return to the same trainer I used this summer, because I don't think she liked me very much. She kind of confirmed my suspicions when she rejected my friend request on Facebook. Rejecting friends is not a good way to do business, but I guess she's already got all the business she needs.
So, I'll just try to make the best of the remaining dry days we have this year. I find it difficult to lunge or ride the horses because the sun is so low in the sky. We can't see where we are going, because we are constantly blinded. Lostine crashed into the round pen railing yesterday and fell down because the sun was in her eyes. Poor girl. She's getting so old and I hate to see her fall down. Gabbrielle is younger and more resilient when she bites the dust. I don't think I've ever seen Bombay fall. He's really athletic and agile.
My annoying neighbors have been hauling home used appliances and windows and toilets and letting them pile up on their lot. Now they have strangers coming and going all day looking at the stuff, so they obviously are advertising it for sale somewhere. Yesterday someone was hauling off a washing machine, pushing it past my round pen on a dolly and loading it into the back of his vehicle while I was trying to work with Bombay. He pumped himself up big and got all snorty, so I had to cut him loose before I got hurt. The neighbors are also allowing people who live up at the lake to bring their boats and trailers and non-winterized vehicles down the mountain to park in their yard for the winter, so I've not only got more heaps of metal blocking my view of the Pinenut Mountains, but the people who own these vehicles are dropping by constantly to check on them. It's like Grand Central Station over there.
I'll leave you with pictures of our sunrise this morning. This is the best time of day because it is just before light is shed on the junk yard next door. I know it's there, but I can't see it...
In the time I've been able to spend with my horses I can see that Bombay will be my biggest challenge. He used to be my most often ridden and most well-trained horse, but after he started panicking on trailer rides and mutilating himself, I put him out to "pasture." I didn't have the time nor money to deal with his psychological problems. I guess I was kind of hoping that time would heal him because I couldn't find any trainers in my area who had experience with his problem, but now he's being a jerk, always testing me and even biting the mares -- something he's never been brave enough to do in the past. He parades himself around with a boner like the horse paddock is his kingdom and the mares are his concubines.
My goal was to trade in my tight, well-padded luxury slant-load trailer for something more open and basic with plain metal walls and more room. If he didn't have rubber padding to rip off the walls, then he wouldn't have bolts to cut himself on. It's kind of hard to climb a metal wall, but easy for him to climb a rubber wall.
However, if I was going to get a cattle trailer, I wanted it to be long enough for three horses, and my 10-year-old truck doesn't have enough horse power to haul my 2-horse trailer uphill, none-the-less a 3-horse trailer. That meant I needed to buy a new truck. So until that happens, Bombay just sits and waits. I'm not willing to risk another vet bill by even trying to take him for a trailer ride.
I've been researching pickup trucks, but can't find a single one that I like. There was this cobalt blue Dodge Ram 1500 Quad Cab with a lot of power and towing capacity sitting on the local dealers lot all year and they dropped the price in September to $8,000 below the original asking price. I had planned on buying it once some money came in, but of course, they sold it before that happened. Now the only trucks the Dodge dealership has are black, white, gray or silver. I know the color shouldn't matter, but if you are stuck with a truck for 10-years, you may as well like the color. I've had a hankering to own one of those cobalt blue Dodge vehicles for years, and wouldn't you know it? As soon as I'm in the market to buy a truck, they discontinue the color. So, I've been looking around for a slightly used one, but haven't had any luck.
I don't want a diesel truck because they are too noisy and I resent my neighbors who allow their diesel trucks to idle for nearly an hour before driving off. Fords are too expensive, but I can get better gas mileage with them. My priority is hauling capacity and power. I also would like to pay off my husband's vehicle before seriously looking into trading in my old truck for a new one. These things take time.
Lostine is cranky. She tries to make everything as difficult as possible for me, hoping that I will give up and choose not to ride her. She runs from the halter, dances when I try to put on her boots, pins her ears back when I approach with the saddle, evades having the cinch buckled, refuses to get in the trailer...
I've heard breeders brag that they can put their horses out to pasture for several years after training, and they come right back in remembering everything they were taught where their training left off. I have a hard time believing that. Horses get used to the easy life and cop attitudes when you want them to return to work. They may remember all their training, but that doesn't mean they will cooperate like good little soldiers.
Gabbrielle tries to be good but she's a cross between a halter horse and a racehorse at heart, and neither of those skills serve me well for my riding goals. She can be completely calm one minute, hanging her head low and enjoying her grooming to having her head straight up in the air, tail curled over her back, prancing around and snorting one-second later. There's no warning. That's why she has accidentally knocked me down a few times. I'll be standing near her, something will spook her, and she'll just break into a full-on gallop not watching where she's headed, which is usually right into me.
As a result, I'm a bit nervous around her, which makes her nervous, because she's so in tune with my feelings. I can be working with her, and simply wonder if my nosy neighbor is loitering around, and Gabbrielle will stop and point, showing me where the woman is hiding. Or if I'm expecting a UPS or FedEx delivery for my business, she'll keep looking out toward the road as if she's waiting for the truck too.
I was considering sending her off for more training over the winter, so that I could take lessons on her in an indoor arena, but it turns out that the cost of a stall and blanketing is nearly double what I paid to have her stay in the pasture in the summer months. It costs $100 a month extra to pay a groom to blanket my horse. Gee, I wish someone would pay me that when I blanket all three of my horses every night and remove their blankets in the morning. When you consider that they are probably blanketing 30 horses, that's a $3,000 a month profit for their business. What a deal.
Also, I'm hesitant to return to the same trainer I used this summer, because I don't think she liked me very much. She kind of confirmed my suspicions when she rejected my friend request on Facebook. Rejecting friends is not a good way to do business, but I guess she's already got all the business she needs.
So, I'll just try to make the best of the remaining dry days we have this year. I find it difficult to lunge or ride the horses because the sun is so low in the sky. We can't see where we are going, because we are constantly blinded. Lostine crashed into the round pen railing yesterday and fell down because the sun was in her eyes. Poor girl. She's getting so old and I hate to see her fall down. Gabbrielle is younger and more resilient when she bites the dust. I don't think I've ever seen Bombay fall. He's really athletic and agile.
My annoying neighbors have been hauling home used appliances and windows and toilets and letting them pile up on their lot. Now they have strangers coming and going all day looking at the stuff, so they obviously are advertising it for sale somewhere. Yesterday someone was hauling off a washing machine, pushing it past my round pen on a dolly and loading it into the back of his vehicle while I was trying to work with Bombay. He pumped himself up big and got all snorty, so I had to cut him loose before I got hurt. The neighbors are also allowing people who live up at the lake to bring their boats and trailers and non-winterized vehicles down the mountain to park in their yard for the winter, so I've not only got more heaps of metal blocking my view of the Pinenut Mountains, but the people who own these vehicles are dropping by constantly to check on them. It's like Grand Central Station over there.
I'll leave you with pictures of our sunrise this morning. This is the best time of day because it is just before light is shed on the junk yard next door. I know it's there, but I can't see it...
Saturday, November 26, 2011
I Did It!
Last week I was feeling defeated because I knew the 4-day holiday weekend was coming up and I figured I would get nothing written. However, the opposite happened. I wrote thousands of words over Thanksgiving and jumped way ahead on the graph, allowing me to surpass 50,000 words today. I have to give my husband a lot of credit, because he kept himself busy over the weekends and holiday and didn't try to pull me away from my hermitage in the bedroom where I was under the covers and typing away on my laptop.
Well, he did try to get me to go out and ride the horses yesterday, because it was such a nice day, and I considered it, but my neighbors were out making their usual racket, so I lost interest and stayed inside to write a few thousand more words. I also did all my Black Friday shopping online to save time. I know I should be shopping locally at small businesses, but so many of them have already gone out of business that there aren't many places left to shop around here. We've got plenty of fast food restaurants, but that's about it.
Thanksgiving was the easiest we've ever had. Since both kids were out of state, it was just my husband and I. He baked some chicken breasts in the oven, because we didn't want to have to hassle with turkey leftovers, and right about the time they were done baking, I spent maybe 15 minutes preparing the other portions of our meal, we ate while chatting with our daughter over speaker phone, my husband did the dishes, and we were done for the day. It think it took up a grand total of two hours of our time, which allowed me to spend most of the day writing.
I want to thank my writing buddies for their knowledge and encouragement: Katharine Swan and achieve1dream.
Now I've got to get out and spend some time with those horsies.
Tuesday, November 22, 2011
Could and Should
With one week left of NaNoWriMo, I find that I have only written 30,000 out of the 50,000 words. That doesn't mean all hope is lost. I could still pick up a second wind and blow through the last 20,000. I'm finding that it is difficult to concentrate on just one project for an entire month. It's kind of like eating the same food for breakfast, lunch and dinner. I need variety.
So, today I managed to do a little yard clean up, photograph more shelter animals, exercise all three horses, and work on my novel.
Lostine has been acting like she aged several years over the past few weeks. Her body language tells me that she doesn't want to have to deal with another Eastern Sierra winter. Bombay has been bored out of his mind and just follows Gabbrielle around all day bumping her in the butt with a Jolly Ball. Between Lostine's depression and Bombay's boredom, I knew I had to give the horses at least an hour of my time. I skipped cleaning stalls in order to exercise them.
The day was cold and windy. Gabbrielle was the only horse to let me halter her, so I accepted her volunteerism. The wind put her on pins and needles, so I had to be careful where I positioned myself while fastening her splint boots. Sure enough, the second I bent down by her leg, a neighbor slammed a truck door and she spooked, kicking her leg out at me. I jumped out of the way, and she quickly got a hold of herself instead of trampling me. My biggest difficulty in lunging Gabbrielle is getting her to slow down. I'm always afraid that she's going to crash into the round pen panels and break a leg, so I have to keep halting her as soon as she goes too fast and gets out of control.
Bombay has been feeling his oats. He gets this look in his eye and I know he's going to "give me the finger." It's this little game he plays that I try not to encourage, because it's dangerous and disrespectful. While I'm lunging him, he veers into the center of the ring where I am standing and he bucks out to the side pretending like he's going to kick me. He never tries to connect, but I don't know why he keeps doing it, because it always leads to a spanking.
Today he got that look in his eye, so I yelled whoa to head him off at the pass. He jumped straight in the air and spun in the other direction, because he knew he had been busted for thinking about giving me the finger. He took off at a gallop and I kept turning him until he came to a stop. Then we took it from the top with me asking him to trot in a controlled manner around the outside of the pen. He did well for a couple of minutes, and then that mischievous look came into his eyes again and before I could do anything, he veered in toward me at a gallop and bucked in my face. I smacked him on the rump with my long whip and he looked like a dog tucking his tail in between his legs as he tried to escape his punishment.
I swear that horse thinks he is funny when he does stuff like that. My husband thinks he keeps doing it because he likes being spanked. Just what I need: A horse who is into S&M.
Lostine was huffing and puffing and sweating during her workout because she's so fat and out of shape. Something happened to get her riled up and she was blowing snorts loud as a locomotive huffing coal. I had to work to settle her down and walk her for a while so that she would be properly cooled down. Then I just herded all three horses around for a few minutes to remind them that I won't tolerate anymore middle fingers or running from the halter. I think they got the point and should be better behaved next time around... "should" being the operative word.
So, today I managed to do a little yard clean up, photograph more shelter animals, exercise all three horses, and work on my novel.
Lostine has been acting like she aged several years over the past few weeks. Her body language tells me that she doesn't want to have to deal with another Eastern Sierra winter. Bombay has been bored out of his mind and just follows Gabbrielle around all day bumping her in the butt with a Jolly Ball. Between Lostine's depression and Bombay's boredom, I knew I had to give the horses at least an hour of my time. I skipped cleaning stalls in order to exercise them.
The day was cold and windy. Gabbrielle was the only horse to let me halter her, so I accepted her volunteerism. The wind put her on pins and needles, so I had to be careful where I positioned myself while fastening her splint boots. Sure enough, the second I bent down by her leg, a neighbor slammed a truck door and she spooked, kicking her leg out at me. I jumped out of the way, and she quickly got a hold of herself instead of trampling me. My biggest difficulty in lunging Gabbrielle is getting her to slow down. I'm always afraid that she's going to crash into the round pen panels and break a leg, so I have to keep halting her as soon as she goes too fast and gets out of control.
Bombay has been feeling his oats. He gets this look in his eye and I know he's going to "give me the finger." It's this little game he plays that I try not to encourage, because it's dangerous and disrespectful. While I'm lunging him, he veers into the center of the ring where I am standing and he bucks out to the side pretending like he's going to kick me. He never tries to connect, but I don't know why he keeps doing it, because it always leads to a spanking.
Today he got that look in his eye, so I yelled whoa to head him off at the pass. He jumped straight in the air and spun in the other direction, because he knew he had been busted for thinking about giving me the finger. He took off at a gallop and I kept turning him until he came to a stop. Then we took it from the top with me asking him to trot in a controlled manner around the outside of the pen. He did well for a couple of minutes, and then that mischievous look came into his eyes again and before I could do anything, he veered in toward me at a gallop and bucked in my face. I smacked him on the rump with my long whip and he looked like a dog tucking his tail in between his legs as he tried to escape his punishment.
I swear that horse thinks he is funny when he does stuff like that. My husband thinks he keeps doing it because he likes being spanked. Just what I need: A horse who is into S&M.
Lostine was huffing and puffing and sweating during her workout because she's so fat and out of shape. Something happened to get her riled up and she was blowing snorts loud as a locomotive huffing coal. I had to work to settle her down and walk her for a while so that she would be properly cooled down. Then I just herded all three horses around for a few minutes to remind them that I won't tolerate anymore middle fingers or running from the halter. I think they got the point and should be better behaved next time around... "should" being the operative word.
Sunday, November 20, 2011
Sunday Stills: Portraits
Here are a few more portraits from when I set my dogs up in my studio.
Because my photography studio is so small, I can't use a lens any longer than 50mm, and if I have two subjects together, I have to make sure that they are lined up even, side-by-side, otherwise one pet or person will be out of focus and I'll have to do a lot of sharpening in Photoshop. Light is always limited indoors, which affects how far you can take your aperture settings.
You may note that in all but the first picture, at least one dog is looking off to the right or has her ear cocked to the right. Can you guess why? Yup. My neighbors were making their usual commotion next door and distracting them. I use either cat meows or raspberries with my mouth, or bells or horns to get the animals' attention in the direction of the camera, but it usually only works the first couple of times and then I have to move on to a new tactic. Whistling is not a good idea, because most dogs will leap off the set and run up to me. With cats I will shake a feather boa where I want them to look. The lady who works with me uses sound effects or ringtones on her mobile phone. Sometimes if you tilt your head to the side when a dog is focused on you, the dog will tilt his head to the side too, making for a very cute picture.
I prefer the use of backdrops to avoid background distractions. Try taking a picture of your indoor pets around the house, and then try setting them up in front of a solid colored sheet or blanket, and you'll see a huge difference in the quality of your photos.
Sunday Stills
You may note that in all but the first picture, at least one dog is looking off to the right or has her ear cocked to the right. Can you guess why? Yup. My neighbors were making their usual commotion next door and distracting them. I use either cat meows or raspberries with my mouth, or bells or horns to get the animals' attention in the direction of the camera, but it usually only works the first couple of times and then I have to move on to a new tactic. Whistling is not a good idea, because most dogs will leap off the set and run up to me. With cats I will shake a feather boa where I want them to look. The lady who works with me uses sound effects or ringtones on her mobile phone. Sometimes if you tilt your head to the side when a dog is focused on you, the dog will tilt his head to the side too, making for a very cute picture.
I prefer the use of backdrops to avoid background distractions. Try taking a picture of your indoor pets around the house, and then try setting them up in front of a solid colored sheet or blanket, and you'll see a huge difference in the quality of your photos.
Sunday Stills
Saturday, November 19, 2011
Quick Story
So, I went outside at dusk, near darkness, to put the horses in their stalls, feed them and blanket them. I heard the usual racket of power tools coming from my neighbors property, but didn't really pay attention. It's par for the course that they have several men out there cutting and pounding well into the night.
I put each horse in his/her stall, and just when I was closing Gabbrielle's door, I heard a man scream, "LOOK OUT!" followed by a huge crash. I jumped out of my skin and all the horses slammed against their stall walls trying to jump through their windows. Gabbrielle almost made it through hers. I whipped around to see that one man had been up in a tree right next to my barn with a chainsaw, and a huge branch fell down to the ground just on the other side of my fence, about thirty-feet away from me. The old guy had been standing right underneath the tree like an idiot, which is why the other man had to yell.
I waited for the horses to settle down before attempting to blanket them. Both men had walked off into their garage, so I thought I was safe. Then while blanketing Lostine, she tried jumping through the stall window again with me reaching under her belly to attach her belly strap, because we suddenly heard another loud noise of crashing metal. I yelled something like, "What the heck!?!" and looked outside to see that one man had returned to the tree to retrieve his metal ladder and instead of gently pulling it down and carrying it like we do, he pushed it to the ground and was dragging it along.
My husband says we will have to build a wall between us and them, because no one will buy our house once they see the junk yard next door. I don't know if not being able to see what is making all these loud noises will make it better or worse for the horses, but I'm certainly willing to give it a try once we have the money and once the ground thaws out next spring.
I put each horse in his/her stall, and just when I was closing Gabbrielle's door, I heard a man scream, "LOOK OUT!" followed by a huge crash. I jumped out of my skin and all the horses slammed against their stall walls trying to jump through their windows. Gabbrielle almost made it through hers. I whipped around to see that one man had been up in a tree right next to my barn with a chainsaw, and a huge branch fell down to the ground just on the other side of my fence, about thirty-feet away from me. The old guy had been standing right underneath the tree like an idiot, which is why the other man had to yell.
I waited for the horses to settle down before attempting to blanket them. Both men had walked off into their garage, so I thought I was safe. Then while blanketing Lostine, she tried jumping through the stall window again with me reaching under her belly to attach her belly strap, because we suddenly heard another loud noise of crashing metal. I yelled something like, "What the heck!?!" and looked outside to see that one man had returned to the tree to retrieve his metal ladder and instead of gently pulling it down and carrying it like we do, he pushed it to the ground and was dragging it along.
My husband says we will have to build a wall between us and them, because no one will buy our house once they see the junk yard next door. I don't know if not being able to see what is making all these loud noises will make it better or worse for the horses, but I'm certainly willing to give it a try once we have the money and once the ground thaws out next spring.
The Aftermath
The aftermath of our 12-hour windstorm was not 1 to 3 inches of snowfall as predicted, but a quiet, sunny day. Unfortunately, I'll be spending my weekend cleaning up the mess left behind. This is the gate the my clients have to walk through to get to the photography studio...
View from the other side...
You can't just grab those tumbleweeds with your bare hands and move them. It's even not wise to touch them with gloved hands. Only a long-handled rake will do, but then we have to find a place to put them where they won't blow right back into the path of the gate. This happens every year. We can mow them or take them to the dump, but there are always plenty more where these came from on my neighbors' lot across the road.
Somehow every fallen leaf from every one of our trees ended up blocking the rest of the path to the photography studio. I spend an hour before each client arrives sweeping these paths. I can't wait until fall is over, but then I have to start sprinkling salt to melt the ice on the path. Only when spring gets here will I get some rest.
More tumbleweeds piled up by the horse's gate. Yay.
When my husband chopped down this locust tree, I was so happy to not have to be sweeping those little gold leaves off the walkway and driveway anymore.
But there are still plenty of trees that haven't shed all of their leaves yet, despite 90 MPH wind gusts.
At this point, naked trees look pretty sexy to me.
Somehow every fallen leaf from every one of our trees ended up blocking the rest of the path to the photography studio. I spend an hour before each client arrives sweeping these paths. I can't wait until fall is over, but then I have to start sprinkling salt to melt the ice on the path. Only when spring gets here will I get some rest.
Friday, November 18, 2011
Crazy Winds, Sandstorms, and Wildfire
I went out just before sunrise to feed the horses in their stalls and the air was perfectly still. By 8:30 AM when I went outside to let the horses out of their stalls, we had wind whipping around in all directions, unpredictable gusts, the aluminum stall roof was shaking, the horses were nervous wrecks, and large pieces of plywood and sheet metal were flying around in my neighbor's junk yard. It's not enough that they send their dog over to do its business on my lawn, but now they are trying to decapitate people.
I wasn't sure about letting the horses out of their stalls with so much debris blowing around, but the noise from the barn roof was deafening and they desperately wanted out. I figured they are alert enough to sense if debris is flying at them and run out of the way, so I decided to let them out. It's cold enough that I wanted to leave their blankets on, which means I can't let them co-mingle, because they rip each other's blankets.
I let Bombay out and left all the gates open so that he could choose where he wanted to go. Then I realized I had another dilemma. When I put on the horses' blankets in their stalls, I only attach the left leg strap, because I can get the blankets off faster in the morning. However, I couldn't let them out in this wind without both leg straps attached, or the blankets would blow up over their backs. I've walked outside in windstorms and found blankets up over the horses' withers, or just hanging from their necks as they are standing on them, because the force of the wind literally rips the leg straps and blows the blankets right off them.
Bombay was fairly calm once he got outside, so I attached his other leg strap, and then he chose to be in the round pen. I closed him in, and then let Gabbrielle out, which was like standing next to a starting gate in a horse race. She galloped all over the place bucking, which got Bombay rearing, and I had to yell at them to settle down, because they were going to hurt themselves or break a fence.
It took me multiple tries before I could attach Gabbrielle's other leg strap. Each time a gust of bigger wind came up or a sandstorm hit us, she'd spin and gallop off. I didn't want to get kicked, so I had to be very careful. One time when I attempted to attach it, a bunch of fire trucks came racing past the house with their sirens and lights on heading up to help with the Reno fire. That sent Gabbrielle into another tizzy.
Then, of course, my nosy neighbor had to come out to walk her dog behind the barn another time while I was trying to attach the leg strap and Gabbrielle ran off snorting. I finally got it attached and tried to herd her toward the back pen, but she wasn't having any of that. She wanted to be with her herd. So, I took a chance and let Lostine out into the paddock with Gabbrielle and the two of them galloped around bucking. Now they've finally settled down and are hanging out in a huddle at the round pen railing with Bombay.
Bombay has the newest blanket, so I'm glad that I was at least able to separate him out. The east valley is engulfed in one huge sandstorm.
I don't know what's worse -- the horses freaking out in their stalls because of the noise or them standing outside getting sand in their eyes. This is what greeted me when I walked outside. You don't ever want to step on one of these tumbleweeds. They have a gazillion little thorns. I tried to step around it, but the wind blew it into my leg, so now my leg is scratched up.
This is literally the worst weather conditions to have a fire, so I'm feeling the pain of those Reno residents. 20 homes have been lost already, one evacuation center is full and they are opening a second one. There are some amazing photos at the Reno-Gazette Journal.
I wasn't sure about letting the horses out of their stalls with so much debris blowing around, but the noise from the barn roof was deafening and they desperately wanted out. I figured they are alert enough to sense if debris is flying at them and run out of the way, so I decided to let them out. It's cold enough that I wanted to leave their blankets on, which means I can't let them co-mingle, because they rip each other's blankets.
I let Bombay out and left all the gates open so that he could choose where he wanted to go. Then I realized I had another dilemma. When I put on the horses' blankets in their stalls, I only attach the left leg strap, because I can get the blankets off faster in the morning. However, I couldn't let them out in this wind without both leg straps attached, or the blankets would blow up over their backs. I've walked outside in windstorms and found blankets up over the horses' withers, or just hanging from their necks as they are standing on them, because the force of the wind literally rips the leg straps and blows the blankets right off them.
Bombay was fairly calm once he got outside, so I attached his other leg strap, and then he chose to be in the round pen. I closed him in, and then let Gabbrielle out, which was like standing next to a starting gate in a horse race. She galloped all over the place bucking, which got Bombay rearing, and I had to yell at them to settle down, because they were going to hurt themselves or break a fence.
It took me multiple tries before I could attach Gabbrielle's other leg strap. Each time a gust of bigger wind came up or a sandstorm hit us, she'd spin and gallop off. I didn't want to get kicked, so I had to be very careful. One time when I attempted to attach it, a bunch of fire trucks came racing past the house with their sirens and lights on heading up to help with the Reno fire. That sent Gabbrielle into another tizzy.
Then, of course, my nosy neighbor had to come out to walk her dog behind the barn another time while I was trying to attach the leg strap and Gabbrielle ran off snorting. I finally got it attached and tried to herd her toward the back pen, but she wasn't having any of that. She wanted to be with her herd. So, I took a chance and let Lostine out into the paddock with Gabbrielle and the two of them galloped around bucking. Now they've finally settled down and are hanging out in a huddle at the round pen railing with Bombay.
Bombay has the newest blanket, so I'm glad that I was at least able to separate him out. The east valley is engulfed in one huge sandstorm.
Thursday, November 17, 2011
A Post
Here is a post just because I know I've been neglecting my blog. I also knew I was due to provide pictures for your entertainment, so I ushered my dogs into the photography studio for a quick portrait session.
I have them well trained.
When I work with the shelter animals, I have a lady who assists me. She helps pick out props and costumes, trains the dogs to sit, and directs their attention for various poses. I wasn't feeling well at this week's photo shoot, and she seemed to get annoyed with me. She made some kind of comment like, "You're not doing any work. You're just pushing a button."
Right.
I probably was sitting on my butt more than usual, however my mind is always working on the next scene I want to compose, and I'm making adjustments on the camera, and I spend a good six to eight hours after the photo shoot turning the digital images into art with Photoshop. So there!
We have another winter storm on the way, so all of my annoying neighbors' friends who live up at the lake have been bringing their trucks and trailers and boats down the mountain and stockpiling them in my neighbor's yard next to my horse paddock again. I guess they think that since the snow pack is less in the valley, their vehicles will less likely rust.
They are still letting their dog have the run of the neighborhood and I have been trying to catch it to tie a note or a baggy of its lawn deposits to its collar, but the dog keeps trying to attack me. It knows I have bad intentions. So, now I'm trying a new tactic of filming it taking a dump on my lawn. The lady who assists me with my photo shoots stepped in one of my neighbor's dog piles and tracked it into my photography studio. Not her fault at all. I just can't keep up with all the crap now that I have to clean up after the neighbors' dogs and horses as well as my own.
Next thing I know the neighbors themselves will start taking dumps on my property. It brings a whole new meaning to the term "squatter".
The lady who walks her horse is still leaving piles of manure in the road. So far I tried to give her a hint by cleaning it up myself, but she seems oblivious, so I guess I'll have to ask her outright to clean up after her horse since she's walking it and now riding it on my property without my permission. I don't want to be too much of a beeotch, because she's my good neighbor's friend and my good neighbor always lets me ride on her property. But I'm also considerate enough to clean up after my horses.
Other than that, there's no news. I'm still working on my novel and settling the estate. Same old, same old.
When I work with the shelter animals, I have a lady who assists me. She helps pick out props and costumes, trains the dogs to sit, and directs their attention for various poses. I wasn't feeling well at this week's photo shoot, and she seemed to get annoyed with me. She made some kind of comment like, "You're not doing any work. You're just pushing a button."
Right.
I probably was sitting on my butt more than usual, however my mind is always working on the next scene I want to compose, and I'm making adjustments on the camera, and I spend a good six to eight hours after the photo shoot turning the digital images into art with Photoshop. So there!
We have another winter storm on the way, so all of my annoying neighbors' friends who live up at the lake have been bringing their trucks and trailers and boats down the mountain and stockpiling them in my neighbor's yard next to my horse paddock again. I guess they think that since the snow pack is less in the valley, their vehicles will less likely rust.
They are still letting their dog have the run of the neighborhood and I have been trying to catch it to tie a note or a baggy of its lawn deposits to its collar, but the dog keeps trying to attack me. It knows I have bad intentions. So, now I'm trying a new tactic of filming it taking a dump on my lawn. The lady who assists me with my photo shoots stepped in one of my neighbor's dog piles and tracked it into my photography studio. Not her fault at all. I just can't keep up with all the crap now that I have to clean up after the neighbors' dogs and horses as well as my own.
Next thing I know the neighbors themselves will start taking dumps on my property. It brings a whole new meaning to the term "squatter".
The lady who walks her horse is still leaving piles of manure in the road. So far I tried to give her a hint by cleaning it up myself, but she seems oblivious, so I guess I'll have to ask her outright to clean up after her horse since she's walking it and now riding it on my property without my permission. I don't want to be too much of a beeotch, because she's my good neighbor's friend and my good neighbor always lets me ride on her property. But I'm also considerate enough to clean up after my horses.
Other than that, there's no news. I'm still working on my novel and settling the estate. Same old, same old.
Tuesday, November 8, 2011
Almost Caught a Trespasser
Tuesday morning I was frantically trying to get all the leaves raked up, the poop scooped up, and the carpets vacuumed before my photo shoot. I was scrubbing out the dog bowl I provide to my models, when I saw a shadow moving around on my driveway. It looked like someone was trying to get in through my RV lane gate, which I knew I had padlocked the night before.
After purchasing $300 in stall shavings, I told my husband I was going to leave them in the horse trailer instead of stacking them on pallets on our RV lane, because I didn't want to tempt thieves. So, here we were, not even 20 hours after we bought the shavings, and someone was already trying to break into my gate. I ran outside to catch the thief and was startled to run into a horse!
The annoying neighbors are boarding horses for the winter again, and someone left the gate open, so there were horses running all over the neighborhood, up and down streets, galloping across lawns, jumping fences, etc. I went to grab some halters, but had locked my tack room door for the ride to pick up shavings, because the latch is weak and the door will fly open while I'm driving down the road. By the time I found the keys, some other neighbors had already rounded up the horses and driven them back to their paddock.
This has to be the at least the tenth time over the past few years that these people have had their horses escape. You'd think they'd learn their lesson by now. I think part of the problem is that they invite so many strangers over to their house every day, letting many of them live there or vacation there, and it is those people who forget to latch or lock the gates.
I find it ironic that I can't go outside to do anything without someone coming out of that house to watch me, but when their horses are tearing up the neighborhood, causing all the other horses in the neighborhood to be neighing and all the dogs to be barking, not one single inhabitant of that house came outside. They hid. They didn't want to take responsibility for unleashing havoc. Thank God they don't own exotic animals like tigers, because we'd really be in trouble.
So, the horses are safe, but once again I lost precious time that I should have been devoting to my business dealing with a problem that was caused by my annoying neighbors. I keep thinking, "When will it ever end?" It just seems that each problem these people create gets worse and worse. One of these days they're not going to get so lucky and one of these animals they are responsible for will get hit by a car and killed. However, since they continue to let their dog and horses run loose, it leaves me to believe that they simply don't care. I overheard one of the neighbors chewing out the horse boarders afterwards. I hope she made an impact on them.
After purchasing $300 in stall shavings, I told my husband I was going to leave them in the horse trailer instead of stacking them on pallets on our RV lane, because I didn't want to tempt thieves. So, here we were, not even 20 hours after we bought the shavings, and someone was already trying to break into my gate. I ran outside to catch the thief and was startled to run into a horse!
The annoying neighbors are boarding horses for the winter again, and someone left the gate open, so there were horses running all over the neighborhood, up and down streets, galloping across lawns, jumping fences, etc. I went to grab some halters, but had locked my tack room door for the ride to pick up shavings, because the latch is weak and the door will fly open while I'm driving down the road. By the time I found the keys, some other neighbors had already rounded up the horses and driven them back to their paddock.
This has to be the at least the tenth time over the past few years that these people have had their horses escape. You'd think they'd learn their lesson by now. I think part of the problem is that they invite so many strangers over to their house every day, letting many of them live there or vacation there, and it is those people who forget to latch or lock the gates.
I find it ironic that I can't go outside to do anything without someone coming out of that house to watch me, but when their horses are tearing up the neighborhood, causing all the other horses in the neighborhood to be neighing and all the dogs to be barking, not one single inhabitant of that house came outside. They hid. They didn't want to take responsibility for unleashing havoc. Thank God they don't own exotic animals like tigers, because we'd really be in trouble.
So, the horses are safe, but once again I lost precious time that I should have been devoting to my business dealing with a problem that was caused by my annoying neighbors. I keep thinking, "When will it ever end?" It just seems that each problem these people create gets worse and worse. One of these days they're not going to get so lucky and one of these animals they are responsible for will get hit by a car and killed. However, since they continue to let their dog and horses run loose, it leaves me to believe that they simply don't care. I overheard one of the neighbors chewing out the horse boarders afterwards. I hope she made an impact on them.
Monday, November 7, 2011
Manic Monday
I managed to get ahead of schedule with my NaNoWriMo word count between all the novel writing I did on Sunday and Monday. I had no plans to go anywhere or do anything today except write, but at the same time I knew it was impossible, because things always have to come up to throw me off track.
The first interruption of the day was when my dogs went off on one of their barking binges. I had to go outside to investigate, and sure enough, my annoying neighbors had cut their dog loose to run around the neighborhood again. I grabbed a leash and tried to catch the dog, but it just kept running away from me and barking. It kept a good 20-feet between me and it. There was nothing I could do except chase it back to its house again. More time lost thanks to inconsiderate neighbors. They know their dog gets all the other dogs in the neighborhood barking by trespassing, and they just don't care. I wonder if I can have the police write them up for disturbing the peace since there aren't any leash laws?
I knew I was really in trouble when my business phone started ringing around noon. A client wanted to change the location of her photo shoot, which means I'll need to invest another hour or two into her project packing my equipment and traveling. I had Tuesday, Wednesday and Thursday scheduled so tight with activities that I really didn't have much time to spare, but I agreed to what the customer wanted.
Toward mid-afternoon I knew I had to take a break from writing to clean stalls, scoop up dog poop, clean up all the neighbors' garbage and tumbleweeds that blew into our yard, and vacuum the photography studio for tomorrow morning's photo shoot. However, I made the mistake of checking my email first.
A shipment of pine stall shavings had come in and the co-op leader wanted everyone to pick up their orders that afternoon so that the truck driver could pick up an empty trailer the next day. I called my husband to ask if he could help when he got home from work, and then I ran outside to hook up the truck and horse trailer. I ran back inside to throw on some make-up. I was good about remembering to bring my gloves, but before I could get them on, my husband and the co-op leader were tossing bales at me to stack.
I turned into the trailer holding a bale and smashed my hand between the trailer divider and the bale. It hurt so much that I lost the use of that hand and had to stack the bales using one hand and two arms. I looked down and realized that I had managed to take a chunk out of the back of my hand and was bleeding all over the cuff of my sweatshirt. Eventually the pain subsided and feeling came back, so I did regain the use of the hand, but I sure hit a major nerve, because the pain extended from my fingertips to my elbow.
Of course, while we were driving to pick up the shavings, my business phone rang again and I couldn't answer. Nevada passed a law that it's illegal to talk on a mobile phone or text while driving. I listened to the message when I got home, expecting it to be the usual type of call, which is from people trying to sell me something. This time I was touched to find out that it was the animal rescue group offering me free advertising for my business in their newsletter. I thanked them profusely. It truly amazes me when people go out of their way to do me a favor when I never asked them for anything.
Since it is getting darker earlier and 18 miserable degrees outside, I had to skip cleaning up the manure and dog poop, but I did manage to get the blankets on the horses and feed them. You should have seen them galloping around like nuts when we returned with the horse trailer. I think they thought I was bringing home a new horse. (God forbid.) I'll have to get to the other chores in the morning.
The first interruption of the day was when my dogs went off on one of their barking binges. I had to go outside to investigate, and sure enough, my annoying neighbors had cut their dog loose to run around the neighborhood again. I grabbed a leash and tried to catch the dog, but it just kept running away from me and barking. It kept a good 20-feet between me and it. There was nothing I could do except chase it back to its house again. More time lost thanks to inconsiderate neighbors. They know their dog gets all the other dogs in the neighborhood barking by trespassing, and they just don't care. I wonder if I can have the police write them up for disturbing the peace since there aren't any leash laws?
I knew I was really in trouble when my business phone started ringing around noon. A client wanted to change the location of her photo shoot, which means I'll need to invest another hour or two into her project packing my equipment and traveling. I had Tuesday, Wednesday and Thursday scheduled so tight with activities that I really didn't have much time to spare, but I agreed to what the customer wanted.
Toward mid-afternoon I knew I had to take a break from writing to clean stalls, scoop up dog poop, clean up all the neighbors' garbage and tumbleweeds that blew into our yard, and vacuum the photography studio for tomorrow morning's photo shoot. However, I made the mistake of checking my email first.
A shipment of pine stall shavings had come in and the co-op leader wanted everyone to pick up their orders that afternoon so that the truck driver could pick up an empty trailer the next day. I called my husband to ask if he could help when he got home from work, and then I ran outside to hook up the truck and horse trailer. I ran back inside to throw on some make-up. I was good about remembering to bring my gloves, but before I could get them on, my husband and the co-op leader were tossing bales at me to stack.
I turned into the trailer holding a bale and smashed my hand between the trailer divider and the bale. It hurt so much that I lost the use of that hand and had to stack the bales using one hand and two arms. I looked down and realized that I had managed to take a chunk out of the back of my hand and was bleeding all over the cuff of my sweatshirt. Eventually the pain subsided and feeling came back, so I did regain the use of the hand, but I sure hit a major nerve, because the pain extended from my fingertips to my elbow.
Of course, while we were driving to pick up the shavings, my business phone rang again and I couldn't answer. Nevada passed a law that it's illegal to talk on a mobile phone or text while driving. I listened to the message when I got home, expecting it to be the usual type of call, which is from people trying to sell me something. This time I was touched to find out that it was the animal rescue group offering me free advertising for my business in their newsletter. I thanked them profusely. It truly amazes me when people go out of their way to do me a favor when I never asked them for anything.
Since it is getting darker earlier and 18 miserable degrees outside, I had to skip cleaning up the manure and dog poop, but I did manage to get the blankets on the horses and feed them. You should have seen them galloping around like nuts when we returned with the horse trailer. I think they thought I was bringing home a new horse. (God forbid.) I'll have to get to the other chores in the morning.
Saturday, November 5, 2011
Stinky Horse Stories
This horse walker made such a habit of it that I stopped what I was doing one day to talk to her and see what's up with all the horse walking. It turns out that her horse had a leg injury and was treated with stem cell therapy, so she had to walk him for ten minutes twice a day on level ground, which means the private road in front of my house.
You know how I love trespassers, but she wasn't hurting anything, so I didn't protest. She warned me that she has to do this walking therapy for six months. At the time I didn't mind, because she's not like the dog walker who peers into my windows as she passes. This lady looks straight ahead and talks on her mobile phone, not in the least bit interested in anything I'm doing, so I was okay with her.
Then the other day I went outside and found a big pile of manure in the road. When I walk my horses around the neighborhood, I always go back once I put the horse away and clean up any poopsidents. Apparently, this lady doesn't have the same sensibilities and she keeps walking her horse back and forth right past the pile every morning and every night without giving it a second thought.
Now, I admit that my husband and I used manure to patch a huge hole in our road caused by lost drivers turning around in the same spot multiple times a day, but it was our manure and our road. I know that manure is a good fertilizer and biodegradable, but I don't want anyone crapping on my property without my permission. I'm fed up with it.
My annoying neighbors have started sending their dog over to our property off leash to poop every morning again. My husband chased the dog back to its house this morning. The neighbors always see us chasing the dog back, and they probably just think, "Oh, how nice, they're bringing our doggie back to us," as opposed to, "Gee, I guess I shouldn't let my dog crap on their lawn because it seems to be pissing them off."
I'm telling you, if my neighbors don't start respecting my property, I'm going to start flinging their poop right back at them. Oh, and you know that young couple who lived on my annoying neighbors' porch for a month and then finally moved out? Well, apparently they didn't move out, but just left for a two-week vacation. They're baaaaaack. And this time they brought TWO junk vehicles with them to add to the collection on my annoying neighbors' front lawn.
Sorry. That horse story kind of morphed into a crappy story. Pun intended. My other horse story is today I remembered that the horses were due for their wormings. I got all the syringes ready, grabbed all three halters and walked into the paddock fully expecting all three horses to start galloping back and forth to escape me. However, Lostine trotted right up to me and stuck her nose in the halter!
Wow! I gave her a big hug and a lot of praise. Then Bombay and Gabbrielle followed suit, doing the exact same thing. They got their hugs and praise too. I "tied" all three to posts by loosely draping the lead ropes around the posts, and all three horses stood quietly. They accepted their wormer paste with very little resistance, except Gabbrielle spooked when a flock of quail flew up out of the brush. She jumped backwards right when I was plunging the syringe, and half the paste squirted right out the other side of her mouth and landed on the ground. Sigh.
With the temps being below freezing all night and most of the day, the horses are eager to get into their stalls. They play this game while I'm mucking their stalls in which they push the manure wagon out of the way, rolling it downhill where I can't reach it with my fork, and they march right into the stall, making it difficult for me to clean. So, I butt-bump them every time they stand where I need to clean, and they move out of my space to the other side of the stall. I just keep butt-bumping them around the stall until they get tired of being pushed around by my tush and they finally leave.
Years ago I used to be so careful about mucking stalls while the horses where in there with me. I wouldn't stand behind them or let the fork startle them by touching their legs with it. Now I just pick up my fork and scratch them all over with it. They love it. If they press into my space, I say BACK while poking them with the plastic tines in the chest, and they act like it feels nice. I pretend I'm a lion tamer poking them with the legs of a chair. I'd swear they just laugh at me when I do this, because they usually do nothing to try to escape the situation. If anything, they egg me on. Bombay, especially, has such a silly sense of humor. He'll puff his chest out and put his ears forward, reach right over the poking fork and tap me on the head with his muzzle. It's like I'm saying, "You move," and he's saying, "No, you move..." So, my butt-bumping is usually more effective than my fork-poking.
If I need to clean behind them, they have to move their butts. If they try to lock their legs when I'm asking them to move their hindquarters, I step up the pressure until they know I mean business. I make it clear that the space in the stall belongs to me when I am in it, and if they want to put up with my antics, they can stay in there with me, otherwise... take a hike, horse.
Friday, November 4, 2011
Winter Whips In
Pretty much every morning this week my house has begun rumbling at 8:00 AM. One neighbor had this huge crane trimming his trees, so in addition to hearing that diesel rumble for hours on end, I got to listen to the wail of chainsaws. I honestly don't think there is a single considerate person in my entire neighborhood. I understand that people need to have work done every once in a while, but can't they do it at a decent hour? For a period of about one month I had one neighbor pushing dirt around with an earth mover at odd hours like 3:00 in the morning. Do these people think that no one can hear that or feel the vibration? I'm notorious for marching outside and yelling, "SHUT UP!"
Subscribe to:
Posts (Atom)