Too Tired

 I had a tough time getting going this morning. The transport company arrived around 11:30 pm and by 11:45 he was pulling back out.  Quiet Dreamer was excellent while the truck driver unloaded 3 horses watching and curious about those different horses. The last one unloaded was a huge 3 year old Clydesdale stud. When the trailer was ready I walked her over to the trailer, stepped in but just then the driver asked me to wait as he wanted to get pictures of her before loading.  She stood very well for the pictures then when I asked her to step into the trailer, she hesitated, it was much taller than the one we had been practicing on and she wasn't quite sure how to get her legs up that high. I asked the driver to just give her a little push and told him, she won't kick. He did and she jumped right in then followed all the way up to the front of the 6 horse trailer and stood quietly while the driver took her halter off. The picture below is before the 3 horses were loaded back up.

The horses were loaded back up and they were on their way.

I turned out the lights and headed back down to the house and was in bed by midnight. When the coffee maker went off at 5:00 am it really was hard to get out of bed. After getting Mark's breakfast I ran up to the barn, shut the big doors and moved Onyx and Sofia back into the indoor arena before heading over to mom's. Joan spent the night last night and mom had a rough night. She just couldn't get comfortable. She didn't want to take anything and this morning her mind was much clearer but she was really tired. She does not like the drugs that cloud the mind and give her crazy dreams so we will not be using those again. Today was my day to stay from 7:00 am to 5:30 pm except Ruth was taking my place until I could get home from Bereans. If you would like to read about our morning there click HERE. We didn't have a lot of mail and didn't stay for the treat after the work was finished so we could make it back to mom's by 11:00 am. The house was full of people when we arrived. Anna and Jessica were there doing a deep clean on the house. They started the laundry but the washer was leaking so those two girls took the washer apart and were fixing it when Aunt Jinnie walked in. She was marveling about those cleaning ladies that also repair appliances.  The aid showed up a bit later and mom got her bath and her hair washed. Karin and Ruth were here just getting mom ready to go out on the deck. Faith and Berlica arrived so they had plenty of help with that job.

Success!

Mom didn't want to stay out long but we were really thankful for another beautiful day. After bringing her back inside Aunt Jinnie spent some time brushing mom's hair.

Mom didn't have a very good day. She was just too tired to want to do any therapy. She was even too tired to eat much, we even bribed her with ice cream but just ate a few small bites of that. Joan is staying with her this evening and Ruth is going to spend the night tonight. We are hoping she will have a better night so she feels better tomorrow. I left mom's at 5:40 pm made us some dinner, took care of the weanlings and will be heading to bed soon. 

Empty Shelves

 We had a short night, waking at 3:30 am and just couldn't go back to sleep. Instead I sent an email to Hoerr Vet clinic with all the information needed for the travel papers for the 3 weanlings leaving soon. These are only good for 30 days so I sure hope none of them get delayed.  I called the vet clinic at 9:00 am to make sure they got the information and the papers were up and ready to be printed by this afternoon. Quiet Dreamer is leaving tonight. The transport company just called to tell me they would be here around 11:30 pm.  Now I really wish I had taken a nap. Joan reported mom had another rough night. We think it is the medicine that we are giving her to help her sleep. For a couple hours during the night she was sure she was supposed to be carding wool. The sheep were there but she didn't have anyone to help teach her how to card the wool. That was the first crazy dream that kept her awake. The second dream was she was in a shipwreck and was trying to clean up the debris. Poor mom felt like she worked all night long. She even remembered the dream come morning. I went to Sam's club this morning and they still have empty shelves as far as paper towels and toilet paper. I wish someone would have warned me about the coming shortages.  I don't watch the news anymore as they can't be trusted. The stalls were cleaned when I got home. The weanlings were left in the indoor arena for the day. Mom's hospice nurse arrived around noon. We had a big group there waiting for her. We wanted to get some better information on what we can give mom to help her sleep. She is so uncomfortable and restless at night and then tired during the day.  The nurse gave us some really good ideas to try. Ruth as able to help mom do the stand and pivot into the chair from the bed today then later the stand from her chair.  Jessica (Rachel's daughter) arrived to do a little therapy on mom's arm.

Mark came home a little early from work and called for help. Joan, Mackenson and Berlica came to help fill the wood box on the porch. Below they are also filling the wood shed. 

Joan helped get the log splitter back on the tractor. With the price of heating doubling this year we for sure want to have enough wood for the wood burners for the winter. The weanlings were brought inside their stalls for the night. They know the routine, they walk quietly into the stalls where their grain waits. They are now used to being alone in a stall during the night and the together in the indoor during the day.  Quiet Dreamer was given a new halter this evening as the one she is wearing in the picture below is on the last hole and getting a little snug.

There really isn't a good inbetween size so this next halter is a little too big and a knot was tied at the crown so it won't slip off during the transport. I took the video below yesterday during the picnic of Berlica getting swung so high in the hammock that she went flying out.

The two pictures below are also from yesterday's picnic. I forgot they were on my phone.

Rachel came over to stay with mom with a pizza from the Warehouse.  Those are always special and mom really likes pizza.

I'll be heading over soon and will stay until Joan comes for the night. Now that the transport company is coming so late I may as well find a book to read.

 

Cavapoo Puppy Available

 Sarah and Nolan had a puppy returned that is now available for adoption with a very reasonable adoption fee of $1500.00. This Cavapoo puppy is 12 weeks old. Rhoda has been hired to train the puppy and he is doing very well. IF interested in adopting him you would need to contact Sarah direct at 309-208-1589 She can tell you his history and see if you would be able to provide a suitable  home. The puppy has been traumatized at his first home but is doing extremely well under Rhoda's tutelage.  Below is Iris (Rhoda's daughter) carrying a very relaxed Cavapoo puppy. 

He is beautiful red with white markings and this puppy MUST be groomed regularly as he is non shedding. 

He needs a loving home .

He enjoys sitting on the couch watching the family but would probably do best for a family with older kids that would not man handle him.

If you win him over he would be your loving companion for years to come. He really does want to please and wants to be part of a family. 

Ruth stayed with mom this morning while we all went to church. Ruth sent a text that mom wasn't feeling well, her blood pressure was dropping quite low. She was put back in bed to get her head down and it came up a little. Craig Stickling had the first message this morning, it was really convicting reading Roman's 1. David Obergfel had the afternoon message on 2 Thessalonians 1. If I have time tomorrow I'll try to listen to both again. After church the Bible class came to the lake for games, hay rack rides at the playground then to Joan's for the picnic.  My entire family came over to our house for supper.  Mark was going to grill salmon but forgot and ended up visiting John at the playground. We had plenty of chicken so it really didn't matter. That was served with wild rice, grilled asparagus (thanks to Nolan), lettuce salad, deviled eggs, broccili salad and for dessert hot apple crisp with ice cream.  

After dinner we all went to the playground where the kids had the court first playing dodge ball.

They had to get off the court when the volley ball players arrived. I went inside to help Diane with mom. She was not having a good afternoon. She just couldn't get comfortable. Gabe Stickling, Molly's husband, ( who is Spark and Rhonda's second daughter) came over after supper and evaluated mom for therapy and gave us all some great ideas. He was encouraged at how mom was able to use her left arm and by the time he was done we were all encouraged. Mom is such a strong willed person she is determined to get better.  I didn't go out to watch any of the volley ball games and when the sun went down it became too cold to be outside without a coat if one was not playing. The grand kids got to go on the hay rack rides in the dark. I think Spark was the driver of the tractor.  Tom Haefli (Rhonda's brother) went to Middle grove to groom horses and was a little worried about Mika as he was not moving.  Mike drove out to check on him this evening and found Mika was just fine.  We think he was just so relaxed with getting groomed and the warm sunshine he just didn't really want to move. 

Sarah's Wedding Shower

 Barbara, Aunt Jinnie's daughter shared the pictures of her daughter Sarah's wedding shower. This is the wedding mom was trying so hard to make. Thanks Barb for sharing the shower pictures. 

Aunt Jinnie was working on trying to get a refund for mom's airline ticket. They had even purchased insurance for the 'just in case' but the forms to ask were 4 pages long and they need the doctors signature. The Hospice nurse took them was going to have the doctor sign them then fax them in. The wedding is early November. 

2Down2ToGo

 I put the electric blanket on the bed last night and was thankful for the warmth. We are experiencing much cooler weather. A promise of the coming winter. After stopping in at mom's and getting the update the weanlings were put in the indoor for a few hours.  Our airbnb guest had a horse loving daughter and she was put to work cleaning stalls. 

She helped move the fillies from the barn to the indoor and then back to the stalls later. They had 2 King Charles Cavalier dogs traveling with them. At 11:00 am Anna arrived to clean the apartment for the next guests coming in. The girls came with her and made grandma a get well card and some deviled eggs. We ran the eggs over to mom's and found Ruth, Karin, Aunty Jinnie and mom sitting out on the deck in the sunshine. We didn't stay long as Mark wanted my help to remove the log splitter and put the 3 point hitch on the tractor for Spark. Spark and Rhonda are hosting the Bible class tomorrow and are using our tractor and Mike's trailer for a hay rack ride. Spark also wanted to borrow the truck to pick up some bales of hay for the ride. I moved the truck and trailer out of the arena, backed the trailer into position and unhooked it then helped Mark with the tractor. We were missing a pin for the hitch and Mark took the one off my truck. Just then Joan called and asked to borrow the truck AND the trailer to moved a trampoline. I had to get the pin from the tractor, put it back on the truck and hook the trailer back up. Below Joan is getting ready to leave.

Mark found a big bolt with a nut that would work as a pin for the tractor. We drove that over to Mike and Diane's and hooked it up to Mike's trailer.

The man selling the hay told Spark he was busy picking corn but would be available after 4:00 pm. Joan finished her moving around that time and met Spark at the farm for the hay. That was loaded and taken over to the hay rack.  Next week Joan is hosting a group and also wants to do a hay rack ride so the tractor will be left hooked up to the trailer for a week. Our next job was to get the 2 camping trailers that are in the barn winterized. We started on the Wildwood first and as that one is new it took us a while (over 2 hours) to make sure we did everything right. The second one was the 2011 Keystone and had that one done in less than a half hour. Too bad the other 2 trailers weren't here. Both of those are out this weekend but hopefully when they come back we will have this winterizing down pat. I headed over to mom's for the evening. Mom was not comfortable this evening. She wasn't hungry and didn't eat any supper but after taking her pills I convinced her to eat some pudding. Joan arrived about 9:45 pm and will try giving her the Ambien. 

I'm Telling

 This morning Onyx was taken first to the indoor arena then the other 2,  Sofia and Quiet Dreamer were taken together. All three were let loose inside. 

Grain was put in both of the buckets in the trailer and soon all 3 were going in and out. While they were out of their stalls I was able to strip them and put down new bedding. These 3 were left inside most of the day. 

The other 4 weanlings were out in the pond pasture grazing near the fence so Valiant came up to greet them. Just check out how green everything is and this is now the middle of October.

These four are Kincade, Morgana, Dahlia and Rockaway.

Soon the sun went away and the rain moved in and brought the cold. It went from a nice warm day to a cold chilly feeling like November afternoon.  After finishing the stalls I drove to Diane's office to do two months of balancing the horsemeister check book then to Sam's club to pick up food for the Sunday meal. Mom was having a pretty good day. She didn't have a good night's sleep but is for sure stronger and having little improvements in left leg and arm movements each day. No new videos of her progress but Ruth had her practiced standing and was able to stay up for 12 seconds then sat on the side of the bed and kept herself balanced for over a minute. Small but important steps. The goal is to get her strong enough for a trip to Gulf Shores this winter. My new aibnb guests arrived when I was on duty so I asked Aunt Jinnie if she could stay with mom while I introduced them to the horses (they have a horse loving daughter) When I got back mom was getting ready to eat some squash soup for supper. She finished the bowl then asked to be put back in the bed. I was doing that when Rachel walked in. Once mom was set I said good by and mom reported, "but you just got here."  She told on me for leaving those few minutes! The nurse and the aid came today and I was here for both of them. Spark and Rhonda stopped in and I was here then, John and Beth  stopped in and I was here so it really was pretty funny. 

Good Mowing Machines.

 Beth spent the night with mom last night and reported mom slept ALL night! This is the first full night sleep she has had since the stroke Monday Sept 20th. She had help with that, she was given an Ambien and it worked. We had tried Aleve pm and Tylenol pm and that didn't touch the restlessness so finally asked the hospice nurse for a real sleep aid. Rachel was on duty this morning but Ruth arrived to help with therapy.  She had mom sitting on the side of the bed and balancing.  The Salem FSX was moved out of the indoor arena today, parked by the breeding shed and plugged in so the fridge will be cold for Hannah's camping trip this weekend. The next job was to move the Wildwood FSX into the barn to get it out of the rain and it rained again today as I was moving it. The camper repair people can't look at it until November 16th so we will need to winterize it soon. Today Onyx and Kincade were turned loose in the indoor arena while I cleaned their stall.  The filly with the green halter is Onyx, Lily's filly by Valiant born April 12th, and the red halter is Kincade, Madiera's colt by Evan born May 30th.

They had fun going in and out of the trailer then running to the far end of the barn. They were left loose in there until this evening.  Below is Sofia, Tatiana's filly. She was following me around so I finally tied her up to get a few decent pictures for her owner. She has now out grown  the weanling halter so I had to tie a knot in the yearling halter to make it semi fit. She was good while putting on the new halter. This one is not a strong halter but now that isn't necessary now that she knows how to tie.

Quiet Dreamer, Hadassah's filly by Evan is still a little standoffish so she needs extra handling. She is learning that I bring the grain so looks forward to that but is not quite sure she wants me touching her. This morning the lead rope was left on her so she could be caught without her running away. I don't want to chase her. She is now tying well. I'm always glad when they learn that.

Her owner will be thrilled with the amount of hair she is already sporting. Check out that tail in the picture above and below. She also has a good amount of feather.

I headed over to mom's to relieve Rachel around 1:30 pm. Mom had been taking a nice nap but when she awoke Ruth was here and started more therapy. Below she is using the bar to stretch her left arm up. She isn't able to use that arm yet but is able to grip and hold the bar with her hand. We were very  pleased with her progress today.

She also did bridges lifting her hips off the bed and was able to pull her left knee up each time. I headed home at 4:00 pm as I wanted to move Onyx back into the stall, put Kincade out with the other 3 weanlings and then clean up the arena.  Mark helped lead Kincade out and Kincade accidently stepped on his foot. He is fine but may not be willing to help next time. Mike arrived with the 4 wheeler and Dancer. As long as they were here Dancer got de-wormed with Quest Plus. She was the one that spit most of it out a couple weeks ago. I took the video of him first backing the 4 wheeler then heading back to the cabin. Dancer is such a sensible HUGE yearling.

It is amazing how green everything is the middle of October.

We have had lots of rain and warm temperatures, the grass has been growing so well that we needed everything mowed again. Joan, Mackenson and Faith did a wonderful job making these yards and the outdoor arena look like a park. So very thankful for mowing help and good mowing machines. A REALLY cool post came from the owner of Bella. Bella is a Raven daughter out of a Trakehner mare.

Bella and her amazing owner Sheryl need 1 more score at 4th level from a different judge towards their silver medal.