Back To Life

 The foaling apartment airbnb guests made it out of the hospital around 10:00 pm last night and explained they would leave in the morning but it would need to be later around 11:00 am as they both were exhausted. At 9:45 am they sent a text that they were leaving but wanted to thank us for yesterday. I needed to be at mom's by 10:30 am as Ruth needed to leave for a birthday party but in those extra 45 minutes I was able to collect all of the laundry from the apartment and take that down to the house and the first of 3 loads were started. The garbage was hauled over to the dumpster and then it was time to be at mom's. Mom and Ruth were out on the deck. A goose pair brought their 4 tiny goslings to mom's beach. Ruth took the picture below. 

We enjoyed the sunshine until it became too hot. About then I got a notice that the airbnb guests that rented the barn would be leaving in a few minutes. Mark went in and collected all of the garbages. As Mackenson was here I ran to the barn to collect all of the laundry from there. 

The group that stayed was a large group and used every bed. There were also lots of towels used. I had 3 loads of laundry of just sheets and 2 more of towels from there. I was running back and forth from mom's house to mine every 45 minutes to change the machines. I was able to get all 8 loads done. Braelyn came to clean the apartment and Rachel went to the barn to get that set up for tonight. She and David cleaned the living area. When Ruth got back I was able to get all of the beds made then sat down to rest just as David came over. He told me Rhoda was up giving pony rides to Iris and Elisabet. The golf cart was taken up there. Below are just a few pictures. They were riding by them selves in the outdoor arena.

Above is Iris and below is Elisabet.

Even Zeke rode Cookie.

I also took some video of each girl riding but that will be worked on later, it is much too late tonight.

Zeke and Iris had fun playing on the light pole while waiting their turn.

I had the fruit for tonight on the golf cart so drove straight to the barn to start washing and arranging 2 platters of fruit. Rachel brought home baked cookies and bars plus some sweet and salty chips. Diane R brought goodies and someone else brought a big bowl of caramel corn. The evening started at 6:30 pm. We thought there were plenty of chairs set up in the living area but we were wrong. When John and Serena arrived, John helped Mark move in more chairs but even after that we ended up bringing in about 20 more chairs. David started his story way back in July of last year. But it was the time in Gulf Shores that gave us all chills. I'm sorry it wasn't recorded, maybe some day that can be done. It really is an amazing wonderful story. The video below is just of the last 2 songs of the evening.

The entire day was a day to give thanks but the evening was the icing on the cake. 

Along For the Ride

 Up at 5:00 am so a couple mugs of coffee could be downed before going over to start getting the barn ready for the guests coming in at noon. Mark drove Berlica and Mackenson to Co-op at Joan is in Gulf Shores. She made it by 5:30 am stopping a couple times to sleep. Ruth is with mom. At 11:00 am I had finished with everything but setting up the fire pit, hauling wood for burning and hot dog forks. Instead of doing that I drove to TSC to pick up 5 way vaccines for the 4 yearlings, 6 bags of grain and also 6 better boy tomato plants. I went straight home to put the vaccines in the fridge, unload the grain and then stop in at mom's. She wanted 3 of the 6 plants. Ruth went to her house to get some pots, Rachel came over to help plant but stopped first to give mom a bouquet of flowers picked from her yards. 

Only then did she repot the tomato plants.

Mark was busy grading the driveways when I was working on the firepit.

We had both finished and was back in the house when our airbnb guest drove up. He was not feeling well and wanted to go to a hospital. Mark, well the Tesla, drove him to St. Francis.

His wife met him at the Emergency room so we drove home. This was a first for us and what is pretty scary is he and his wife AND their 2 big dogs need to check out tomorrow morning as we have a new guest coming in. I just talked to his wife and they are still waiting at the ER. I contacted Airbnb to see what I should do if they can't get out of the apartment before the new guests arrive and the answer basically was you will have to deal with it. Although later they came back with another message with phone numbers to call if that happens. I went out to tease and cover mares. Valerie was teased first and is still in. Evan was very glad to cover her. When Mike got back from taking Diane to the airport at Belleville, IL he came over to help get Blueberry covered by Valiant. Both were successful covers  Missy and Cookie were out grazing in the big field, I went out to call them in for the evening when Mike arrived on the 4 wheeler with Roseberry in tow. 

She went first to greet Cookie.

She actually did well as this was the first time she was asked to leave her companions and go into the outdoor arena and then back to the cabin field.

I followed them back to the cabin. She was put away and Dahlia brought out for her turn. She also did well going away from her companions.

I followed them back again and the last yearling worked with was Shadow. Shadow doesn't actually turn a year until May 10th. 

When everything with the horses were finished Mark and I had the car take us out to eat and it took us straight to Wendy's. Well we might have put that info in the navigate part. This is a new Wendy's just 10 miles from our house near the 474 exit off Washington street.

Mark ordered the taco salad and I ordered the cobb salad.

Both were good, they are smaller than the salad's of old, you know the ones before covid hit but still tasted good and was enough. We stopped at Aldi to buy a gallon of milk and a loaf of bread before going home. Our foaling apartment guests are still waiting at the ER, the wife came back to let the dogs out but then went right back to the hospital. Our barn guests are having a good time and have the firepit going strong. We really are enjoying the Tesla, at our age we were not wanting to drive at night but now the car does the driving and it is safe  we can just go along for the ride even at night. 

Pitching Machine

 Joan decided she HAD to leave today for Gulf Shores to meet with the construction people that messed up the deck at Lani Kai. We told her she has to go as she can handle the conflict. I left mom's about 7:20 am as Mike was willing to help get a couple mares covered. When I got to the barn, Rosaleigh and her colt were out grazing in the pasture. 

We got Valerie covered by Evan and almost got Blueberry covered but ran out of time. She is still in so will try her early tomorrow morning. We walked at 8:00 am which is a little more convenient instead of 8:30. Breakfast wasn't cooked until after the walk. Right after breakfast I left to start cleaning the barn for the airbnb guests coming in tomorrow. All 6 bathrooms were cleaned as were the windows. Mark used the floor scrubber to do both the living area and the gym. While he was doing the floor I left for Sam's club to buy paper towels for the barn (we were out) the fruit for Saturday evening along with some food for our dinner tonight. I went straight to the barn to put some of the food in the freezer and refill the papers towels. The tables and chairs were put back in place then went to put the food away at my house. Mark went back to the barn to put air in the pitching machine tire but as soon as he put the air in, it would come right back out. We had to take the machine apart to be able to get to the tire. 

 The screws were lined up on the ledge so they wouldn't get lost.

Sadly it was the inner tube that had a big hole where the stem comes out. Walmart has them but not in stock at any store, they have to be ordered. I sent Phil a text to see if we could take the tire out of the old pitching machine. What I didn't realize was Anna brought it back here. It was in the garage. We took that apart, thankfully that tire held air just fine. We just had to put it all back together. Mark was making some shrimp for supper at mom's tonight so I took the tools and got it put together. It works perfectly.

This sounds like such an easy fix but I admit to panicking. The guests coming are a church group of senior boys and their counselors. I know they are going to want to use it. It took many trips up and down those stairs to get it in working order. 

Dinner tonight at mom's was a lot of fun. Sarah and Josh showed up to work on invitations. Sarah had on an ostrich shirt.

Mom took one look at those eyes looking at her and frowned. 

Wow did we laugh and when I showed mom the picture so did she! After dinner it was finally time to start on dishes here and throw in a load of laundry. 

Mike has been working with the yearlings now that they are in the cabin field. Sally and Rosalie are with them. He has a plastic bag on the hydrant which is near the automatic waterer. 

If they want to drink they are going to have to be brave. Sally and Rosalie have no problem with it so hopefully they will realize it is no big deal. 

Farrier

 Our morning was really easy, no stalls to clean, no stalled horses to feed and water. The 2 mares and foals did great outside all night. It was a very mild evening, night and morning, already 64 degrees when we left for the walk. We stopped to admire Mike and Spark's excavator that is still sitting next to the dam.

That really was the tool to use while clearing the trees off the side of the dam. That machine is huge. I needed to quit the walk a little early as the farrier was supposed to arrive between 9:30 am and 10:00 am. Each mare that was going to be trimmed was haltered and put in the breeding shed shelter as we were going to use the breeding stand for the farrier. The farrier was late but I got a lot of outside cleaning done, throwing away broken halters and organizing the lead ropes on the stand. Mike brought Blueberry over from the cabin field. 

Evan who was in his pasture at the time was VERY interested and for good reason.

She was in season. We got her covered by Valiant with no problem. She was left here as we will need to keep watch on her. The farrier arrived a little after 11:00 am. Cookie and Missy were both tied to the breeding stand when he arrived. He trimmed Cookie first. Below he is trimming Missy while Rosalie is tied up waiting her turn.

Rosalie was the 3rd mare trimmed. She was almost perfect for her pedicure.

About that time Mike came with his 4 wheeler bringing Sally for her trim. She was just let loose while Valerie was brought out. Valerie didn't do as well. This was the first time we have trimmed her as she has been living out at Middle Grove and wearing her hooves off evenly. She was ok with her fronts, the backs didn't need any taken off. Sally was last.

As soon as he was finished I paid him then left for mom's house. She and Diane were going to eat their lunch out on the deck and Diane needed a little help getting set up. When I got back to the farm Mark was mowing the pastures. 

I needed to move bales in. Evan was locked out of his paddock and I moved a bale in for him. Then two more bales were moved out, one for the paddock next to Valiant's and one for the middle paddock. The problem with those was the mares in them. I started moving the mares out of the middle paddock when Mark arrived. That made this job much easier. He got in the skid steer to move the bale while I kept the mares from running out of the open gate. 

By the time all of the bale moving was over it was time for mom to come back inside as it was really getting hot out in the sun. Diane left to help Mike on his barn while I stayed with mom and graded Bible studies.  Sarah arrived with swimmers.

This was the first swim of the year. They didn't stay in very long and soon went over to play with the foals. Sarah took the picture below.

Joan got home from play practice in plenty of time for me to go home and shower to get ready for church. We picked up Mackenson and Berlica. Mike Kaisner had the message tonight on David's preparations for the temple in 1 Chronicles 22. Click HERE to watch that. After church we drove to Culvers for a late supper. We were joined by a good group. Marie had 2 of her grandson's there along with 2 sons and one daughter in law. She ordered THIS for dessert.

For SURE she ordered those worms for her grandsons. It was a good productive day and I am very thankful!

Busy Tuesday

 I needed to go up to the stall barn early in order to get everything done that needed to be done. Rosaleigh and Star were both grained. While they were eating their water buckets were filled and the stalls cleaned. Rosaleigh and her colt were moved outside into the paddock right next to the stall barn. Filling the wheel barrow with hay was next. It took about 40 minutes to get everything done. After cleaning up I took the golf cart over to mom's. We left for the Berean office a little late but still made it before 9:0 am. Kathy couldn't come today so Skip was our only reader. Marvin was back and discovered another new rule on why we can't send a Bible to Michigan. Mom has been working on stamping the return address on the envelopes and we now have a whole box of them.

Shirley was in charge of the postage machine today. We got notice the postage rates are going up again next week. 

Vonnie, Shirl and Skip kept busy with studies and Bibles.

We didn't have an abundance of mail and were able to be done by 11:00 am this morning. We stopped at the Hanna City post office to drop off the Bibles and studies going out. Kathy, the post mistress came out as I was grabbing the very full post office box and offered to take it inside. Now that was service. Even after explaining it was very heavy, she lifted it and said, "no problem, I'm glad to take it in." Joan was home waiting for mom so I left to get some work done here. After changing my clothes Valerie was pulled out. She IS in season and Mike came over to help get her covered. She actually stood very well. She was taken to the round pen then left to graze a bit in there while I got the mares and foals out. Star and her foal were taken out to the outdoor arena while Rosaleigh was just let loose in the field with her colt. She was on high alert.

No one was going to get too near HER baby!. She soon settled down to eat, took a big bite then lifted her head to watch her colt as he was running circles around her.

Star's two day old filly stuck close to her mom.

Valerie was worked about 10 minutes in the round pen. She remembered everything we had done yesterday and I was pleased.

The yearlings were locked in their paddock so Evan could be turned out into his pasture.

Mike got the cabin field ready for the yearlings. He took Disco/Cabo with his 4 wheeler, I took Dahlia with the golf cart while Shadow and Roseberry were just left loose to follow. Below is Dahlia checking out the flat bed trailer. 

I don't think they remembered being in the cabin field and were very excited to be there but not quite sure what to do. They were given some grain. Mike took the 4 wheeler back over to bring back Sally. They all rushed to the gate to watch her coming.

Once they were settled I went back to turn the 2 mares with foals out in the pasture. Each was curious of each other but not enough to get close. They felt they must protect their foals. I watched them for about 40 minutes to make sure there were no squabbles. Rosaleigh went over to check out Evan.

Star took her filly into the paddock giving Rosaleigh the entire field.

The mare that was most upset today was Blueberry. After Mike to Sally to the cabin field she called and paced back and forth at the fenceline until Mike took her over to the cabin field and then all was well.

I needed to be at mom's by 6:30 pm. Her flowers are really beautiful right now and her yard sweet smelling.

It was a beautiful evening, Mark got weed whacking done while I was at mom's. The lights were on at the barn when I got home. The Airbnb guests are using the indoor arena lights when they walk their dog. The picture below was taken from my drive looking up and over to the indoor arena and stall barn. The light in the sky is the crescent moon.