Growing AGAIN

 We had a good walk this morning but only did one round as Joan has co-op and does not walk on Fridays. I went right to the barn to strip beds and start laundry then over to the farm house to strip those beds and gather the towels, instead of quitting then I decided to do some cleaning. The guests left everything nice but of course the bathrooms had to be done. The laundry was all brought over to the barn as that machine is so fast and only then did I go in to make breakfast for Mark. Rhoda had arrived with Iris, Zeke and Sarah's three Zion, Eden and River and they were going to go on a trail ride all by themselves. I walked out of the house just as they were coming down the lane. 

Rachel was just taking some of her grandchildren over to see the foals. 

We didn't follow them down the trail, just waited for them at the top, then had them stop for a picture.

Because they were doing so well we decided to lead the way with the golf cart and take then on a longer ride finishing at the outdoor arena where Rhoda worked with them. The video below is a little long as we included the arena work.

When Sarah arrived she took over working with the children while Rhoda brought Sapphire out to work on her manners. Sapphire did not know how to lead and would rush through gates and run over people. Today we saw a huge improvement.

While Rhoda was taking Sapphire back, Sarah was bringing Harli out. Today Zion rode Harli at a trot while Rhoda worked with Merlin her colt on leading.

Last out was Tessa and her filly by Valiant her owner named Lucy. We needed updated pictures of Lucy for the website. Of course I will send them to her owner.

Below is the video of Lucy.

Zion helped with the training of Tessa.

It is important for the mare to accept someone over her so Rhoda had Zion climb up and put her leg over her. Lucy, Tessa's filly was bored and went to play with the bag.

Before putting Tessa away Rhoda had her carry the tarp then ended on a good note.

When River and Zeke came out of the barn they were covered in mud and dust. They had been playing in the water and mixing the dust into mud.

When everyone left I went back to work cleaning and finished the farm house but not the barn. I went back to the house at 4:00 pm so Mark and I could drop off Bible studies at the post office I had finished grading earlier before the post office closed. From there we drove to Meisters to drop off another check then to Texas Road House for dinner. I had skipped lunch and was craving meat. The meal was delicious. Mark paid so I don't know what it cost but we both got the 6 inch sirloin, sweet potato and salad. 

That really was delicious. Now for the news of the day!  The Meister family is expecting identical TWINS

Big sister, Eden, who is not quite a year old is going to have to share mommy and daddy. AND Spark and Rhonda are expecting their very first great grand son! Their great grand daughter Caroline will have so much fun with a baby brother. The twins will be 100 and 101 and the great great will be number 102. The family keeps growing!

Paying the Bills

 Our walk lasted extra long this morning, We walked first to Joan's house then to the barns but when we reached Mike's new barn stopped to see the improvements.  Diane told us she helped Mike all day on that yesterday. They put up almost all of the siding.

He even hung the deer head he shot while bow hunting with Andrew.

When we reached Spark's house John and Spark were outside talking. We were all sharing fun memories of living with mom these last almost 5 years. Ruth shared, the Sunday before mom died she was outside at the campfire and asked Diane, "where is Mike?" Diane replied, he is working on his barn. Mom came back quick with, "he is probably trying to figure out what else to buy for it."  then she started laughing and had all of us laughing too. Ruth stepped back to take the picture below.

We are all so grateful for the parents we had and how they raised us. It really was hard to leave that impromptu meeting.

We usually get back around 8:30 am but today we visited so long Mark cooked his own breakfast. Right after breakfast I went to the foaling apartment to start flipping that. We have new guests coming in this afternoon. All of the bedding there was taken to the new barn to wash and dry so I could work on the living area floor while the machines were going. Sarah worked on a pregnancy announcement for Perfect Penny.

When the foaling apartment was done I pulled hair from Sapphire for the dna test then drove to the post office to mail it. It was raining and I didn't want the envelope to get wet and ruin the dna.

We had a nice gentle rain that most of the time was just coming down as a sprinkle. I worked most of the day organizing the pantry and closets in the new barn while doing laundry. At 4:00 pm I took the golf cart over to Joan's to meet a man renting a camper for the weekend. That went well, he is a repeat renter so knew all the steps.

The Gypsy registry told me they would refund the $215.00 I sent in to register Izzy but it hasn't arrived yet. That was sent by paypal and was supposed to be returned by paypal. I sent a reminder to the registry. We got our electric bills and water bills today and they were both really high. We had 3 or 4 days of overflowing water on one of the automatic waterers so I knew the water bill would be high and it was $255.31. The electric bill, even though we have solar at the farm house was $222.10 and the electric for the barn was $375.49. That was the only bill that went down. Last month it was $690. It wasn't rented as much this month. I'm thankful the airbnb's are renting as much as they are, they are paying the bills around here.

Closing Day

 Spark joined us on the walk today with a shiner.

He remarked, "After 51 years of marriage you would think I would to learn to stop talking back", and then we heard the rest of the story. He was working and the wrench slipped off and his forehead ended up hitting metal and the metal won. Rhonda wasn't even there.. It started raining just as we finished the walk. Sarah arrived with her girls during the rain and gave them a vaulting lesson on Jewel. 

 After breakfast Mark came with me to the barn to help. He used the hand held sweeper to go around the edges of the gym while I worked on bathrooms. He left around 9:30 am but I kept cleaning until 11:30 am then came in to clean up before we needed to leave to pick up Spark. Today was the closing on mom's house. We picked up Spark and drove to Vital Title where Fedi's sister Czilla helped us with all the paper work. There was a lot of paper work. We didn't arrive home until around 2:30 pm. Sarah sent a text that two foals were out. It was Tessa's filly and Harli's colt. They escaped through a downed board. Sarah fixed that and then got the two foals in with grain.  Her girls were getting ready to go on a trail ride.

When they got back we hooked Penny up to the cart.

Sarah tried her out first and she did well so Zion was next and then when we saw Penny was perfect Eden and River joined her.

We skipped supper as tonight after church we went to Culvers. We left for church at 6:00 pm, picked up Berlica and Mackenson at 6:05 and made it to church by 6:35 pm.  Dave Beutel had the message on Proverbs 25 and John 19.  Click HERE to watch that. We drove to Culvers and had a nice ending to our evening eating and fellowshipping with the others who came. 

Izzy Found Deceased

 I had leg cramps during the night, bad ones, enough that I wasn't very rested when it was time to get up. We had a funny walk this morning. One of my sisters was telling us a true story that just happened. I won't say which sister but her husband sold a horse and the buyer came with cash. As the banks were closed she decided to put it in their fireproof box they use for important papers and it locks but when she found the box it was open and the key was missing. She looked and looked but could not find the key. She went on amazon typed in the fireproof box and found she could order new keys for it. I think she said they sent 3 keys for around $10.00. The keys came, she was thrilled with they worked but now she had 2 extra keys. She was wondering where to put these extra keys, looked around her house thinking where would be a good place to hide them, thought she figured out the perfect place, went to put those 2 extra keys there and found 2 OTHER keys. When they bought the fireproof box, it came with 3 keys so she hid those extra keys and forgot about them.  Now she has 5 keys for the box. The moral of the story is when we get old and lose something just look for a good hiding place and more than likely your lost will be found! The rest of us all laughed. I quit the walk early as I wanted to stop at Sam's club to pick up a dessert for the Berean volunteers this morning. We had a very good morning together. After our prayer Marvin told us a story about a teacher he has known for years. She is Jewish and has been amazed at his life. So amazed, that she asked him to write a biography of his life and send it to her. She doesn't believe in Jesus. Marvin asked us to pray for her, she is now elderly and really does need to know the truth. Her name is Judy and I'm asking anyone reading this to stop now and just pray that Judy's eye's could be open to the truth. Our LORD hears the prayers of HIS people.                                                            There were 11 volunteers this morning at that office. Below are a few pictures. 

I got to the Hanna City post office to drop off the mail when Mike and Diane showed up there. I told them as soon as I dropped off the car I was taking my truck out to Middle Grove to keep searching for Izzy. Sarah and her girls were here. They had cleaned up our house then were getting the horses ready to go trail riding. Today Zion was the leader riding Missy, River rode Penny and Eden rode Jewel. 

She took the video below of the girls and their ponies.

I drove the truck all the way back to the big lake and started hiking along the steep edge just in case she had rolled down into the bushes at the edge of the lake or into a ravine. I just kept hiking and searching each clump of trees and each ravine. When I reached the ridge near the top the horses saw me so I parked the truck and walked to them hoping they would leave the truck alone.

Cookie and Lily were grazing together near the watering hole at the top.

The rest came at a trot from the trees to surround the truck.

Above is three year old Thalia followed by Madiera and behind her Rosalie. Below is Oliver.

Shadow is far left,  Blueberry in the middle and Rosalie and Rosaleigh right.

I kept walking, through those woods behind the horses still checking ravines when I found Izzy's body. She was laying flat out next to a tree in a little clearing up near the top. The ground had not been disturbed around her which made me believe she had probably been struck by lightning. We had storm after storm come through with so much lightning. It was a relief to know she wasn't stuck somewhere suffering. I hiked back to the truck and it was completely surrounded.

Trying to drive out I had to keep honking the horn. They weren't in a hurry to let me leave. I sent texts to the family to let them know she was found. When I got home I contacted the registry to let them know I had found her and she was dead. They agreed to refund the $215.00 I spent to get her registered. The LORD gives and the LORD takes away, blessed by the name of the LORD. 

Now I have some website work to do.

WE LOST Izzy

Our guests at the farm house left early so I was able to get that ready for the guests coming in today by 8:45 am, that is all except the laundry. That was taken to the new barn to wash. Once that was going I went back to cook breakfast for Mark. Right after breakfast Mark and I were moving a bale in to the mare paddock when our guests in the foaling apartment left. That meant the cleaning could be started there. The beds were made, the towels taken over to the new barn to join the laundry from the farm house. I am so thankful I have enough towels and sheets to flip both places. By 10:30 am both of those places were ready for the next guests coming in today. Mike called just as I was getting ready to hook up the stock trailer for the trip to Middle Grove. I explained to Mike I was bringing out Rosaleigh as her colt needed to be weaned and wanted to pick up Izzy and Dancer. I asked him to use his 4 wheeler to bring both of those mares to the gate. He called back with very bad news. He could not find Izzy. I made it out by 11:00 am, although I had to slow down for turkeys crossing the road. Then drove back to the big field as the herd was there but no Izzy. Mike had already put a halter on Dancer then spent the rest of the time until I arrived searching. Below is Lily, the very first Friesian and really the start of it all. She is 24 years old and looks amazing for her age.

The first thing we do when we drive up and get out of the truck is to halter and tie Oliver. He is usually the first one to the trailer and is stands quietly until we are done. Below is Oliver and one of the Thoroughbred mares.

Below is Dancer and Rosalie

Dancer was led over to the trailer. Since we couldn't find Izzy Mike haltered Denver. Denver is by Valiant out of Bulu and at 15 months old already quite tall.

The horses were loaded and I headed back to Hanna City. I had to stop for more turkeys, this time they were crossing the road on the other side.

When I got back Dancer and Denver were put in the short shelter paddock. About then Sarah arrived with Zion and Iris, Rhoda arrived a few minutes later. The girls got the ponies out of the paddock and tied them up. Sarah and Rhoda helped tack them up and soon they were ready to load and leave.

As Rosaleigh's colt is now without a mama I put up two more buckets and the horses were grained. Harli has a bucket, Tessa has a bucket and the 3 foals all share the middle bucket.

Right after that I left to pick up Israel and Elisabet and head back out to Middle Grove to start searching for Izzy. When we arrived Berlica and Joan were just coming back from searching. Israel went on the 4 wheeler with Diane while Elisabet and Berlica went searching on the other 4 wheeler. I hiked up and down into the deep woods where the 4 wheelers cant go. At one point we crawled through the fence and followed an almost dry creek bed because we thought we smelled something dead but there was no hoof tracts only deer tracks and the smell wasn't strong enough. I really thought we would find her dead body and I don't know if I'm relieved because we didn't. Mike called the Fulton County Sheriff's office to report a missing horse. It doesn't make sense that we can't find her. We finally quit the search so Berlica could take Israel and Elisabet out on the Solar Coaster to search the shoreline of the lake.

After hours of searching if Izzy is dead she hasn't been dead enough to stink and draw in the vultures. I only know she would never leave the herd. She sticks out with her spots so is usually very easy to see at Middle Grove.

The lake had a big group swimming and boating. Joan and her daughter Sarah took one of the canoes out fishing and caught enough for supper. Diane took one of the kayaks out. A lot of the men were out on the pontoon boat while the kids swam off the dock.

All of Spark's family were there, all of Joan's family, John and some of his family were there and then of course there was us. There were 4 wheelers and dirt bikes all being used. 

At 5:00 pm we had to quit and go to Farmington High School to pick up Braelyn from practice. David and Stephanie were here when we got back to the house. Braelyn and Taegan came over for a bit. Sarah and Rhoda were back from Jubilee and had Denver in the round pen. They had a wonderful time exploring the trails at Jubilee. Iris told me, "I wish I could go EVERY DAY!" 

If you would like to see the rest of the pictures from the ride click HERE.

They didn't work with Denver very long. Below Rhoda is taking him back to the paddock.

What a crazy day.