Water Water Everywhere

Emily put a load in the washer then went out to feed and when she came in the apartment was flooded. The front load washer was pouring water out into the kitchen. While we were up there wiping up Phil arrived with the girls so I was more than happy to leave Emily to the job. She actually had to put Killian in the stall overnight, he kept pulling the plug to the automatic waterer having fun watching it empty. This morning Emily put a metal plate over the plug so Killian could be put back out. The water tank we were going to use for one of the paddocks with the frozen waterer is solid ice full to the brim. May as well forget using that until spring. So we have water water everywhere and not a drop to drink in 4 of the paddocks rendering them unusable!
Taegan today was so funny, she saw the johnnyjump seat I had up for Israel yesterday and immediately wanted in. She entertained herself a long time swinging around emptying the garbage can which was just within reach and having her breakfast in that.

While Braelyn kept herself entertained with what else but horses. She has quite the imagination.

Emily came down to watch the girls and work on her homework while I ran to Sams for dog food and groceries. The snow was coming down fast and the roads were getting slick making the trip a lot longer than planned. When I got back Emily was showing the girls the puppies.

The snow just kept coming down so as soon as Anna picked up the girls Karin and Emily moved a round bale in for the mare paddock.

 Mark drove up right as they were finishing and had to wait a bit in the second drive. His van has snow tires on but even that wouldn't have made it up our drive today.

Studly, Karin's dog, saw me taking pictures and came running over to try for an invite to get out of the cold.

That wasn't going to happen as long as Emma has anything to say about it. She has made it very clear no dogs allowed in the house other than Darcy.
Emily left for home taking Mike's 4 wheel drive truck. She would not have made it without 4 wheel drive. She is going to leave Forrest Sunday right after church and drive straight to Middle Grove with the truck to put three more bales in before the next storm hits.
This evening Star was stalled. Tomorrow is her due date, she doesn't look like her udder is full enough to deliver but needs to be in out of the snow just in case. Sissy's stall was cleaned and water buckets filled as long as I was out there.
The buyer of the pup below asked to see a picture of him this evening, Rhoda was over making hot sandwiches for the singing at Rachel's studio and held him for the picture. He was obviously bored by the entire photo shoot.

2 Puppies Sold

It felt positively balmy out there this morning at 23 degrees as I left to pick up Israel around 6:00 am. The temps were suppose to heat up into the 30s but snow was predicted. We didn't get much snow but the wind that came with the snow made the house feel really cold. Rhoda and I were piling wood into the wood into the wood burner trying to get the house comfortably warm for Israel and the puppies. We had a lot of fun with Israel today. I'll let these few pictures tell the story.

With all the fresh snow on top of the ice Emily got stuck in the drive after school but was able to almost get to the top of the hill, back into the gravel drive that cuts across the yard then up the second drive to the barn. 

This evening a nice couple came to see the puppies and got stuck in the driveway. It is pretty much impossible to get up the hill without snow tires. Mark and I pushed them out of the drift so they could back down the hill and get a run at the second drive. Even with all of that they still bought a pup. 

They picked out and put down a deposit on the fawn male that Rhoda considered pick of the litter. Then another family picked out a brindle male, the one with the white paw and sent the deposit by paypal. Both puppies have been marked sold on the website. A young couple is coming tomorrow afternoon and they want a fawn female and Saturday is a family coming who want a male. These puppies are going fast.

Another Cold Day

It was a big fat zero this morning on our thermostat. Oh well that is better than the last few mornings. We had our water heater worked on today and Emma hated the entire process. Her puppies were all placed in the bathtub and she was locked in the bathroom. She is a little too protective and scared the repair man. Not that she would have attacked him but he thought she might attack him. When Rhoda made it over we moved the puppies and Emma into the family room. Rhoda helped get new puppy pictures for the people waiting.
I'm only posting one here the rest were placed on the Horsemeister Facebook page and the website. This is all 9 pups.

Emily had a bad night, she caught the bug going around the houses, the vomiting bug. She had to skip her 8:00 am class but felt well enough to go to her later classes.
Karin arrived late afternoon to work a few mares before her vaulting students arrived. Check out the frozen breath coming out of Jenis' nostrils. I'm getting sick of the cold.

We have this lovely filly out of Sissy that would love to run and play outside. The paddock is ready for her but the waterer is frozen. Emily stopped at TSC and bought a heater for the water tank. We are going to go the old fashioned route so we can use the paddock.
Mark and I need to move a round bale in for Valiant and Anna before heading in for dinner.
Craig Stickling had the service tonight on Revelation 14

Puppy Love

With all our puppies and horses this new Budweiser video just seemed to fit the blog this morning.

Balmy 13

It was below zero again this morning, 5 below to be exact and the schools were still closed. Karin came down to the shop to help with the Berean letters and studies and wow did we need her help. The mail box was over flowing today. This was one of the big white boxes the post office lends to us when the mail won't fit in the post office box.

Well with Karin's help Eva Jean and I were able to get most of the studies processed but none of the letters. The letters alone fill an envelope box, you know the box that holds 500 envelopes. Yep that was also filled to overflowing. Do we dare leave that for Diane? We can't process them anyway, there are no Bibles left in the warehouse. They have been ordered just haven't been delivered. By the time we were heading for home it was a balmy 13 degrees.
Emma did well for the first time leaving her alone with her pups for hours. With Mastiff's it is always a worry that one will be squished if she would accidentally lay on one but Emma has been careful. I have people coming this weekend, next week and the week after to look at the puppies. I'm no longer sure of who wants what. The response to the craigslist ad was kind of shocking.
We had a good group at choir learning 3 new great songs.

Sissy's Filly SOLD

A deposit check has been placed in the mail for Sissy's filly. She is now marked sold.

Anna didn't have to work meaning I didn't get to have the girls over, all schools were closed because of the brutal weather giving Rhoda, Emily, Sarah and Karin a great day to work on our fair decorations. Karin and I took a quick trip down to the state fairgrounds in Springfield, IL to measure the stall fronts while Emily and Rhoda stayed with the puppies. Karin called Andrew on the way home, gave him the dimensions and now 8 door banners are ordered. We stopped at Walmart in Springfield to buy the extra wide Gorilla tape and bought the only 2 rolls they had. When we arrived back Emily, Rhoda, Karin and I worked on putting together the stall panels finishing around 4:30 pm. While Sarah played with the puppies. Having this done will be so worth it when it comes time to decorate our 10 stalls at the fair. Dan arrived right during the job with 3 of his children and Diesel his puppy. For a while here this house was packed with 10 humans, 2 big dogs, 1 big puppy and 9 fat puppies. Speaking of puppies Rhoda helped me get a few updated pictures of these pups now 6 days old to place an ad on Craigslist.

 Have you ever seen anything so adorable?

The ad was posted then off we took for mom's for dinner. Karin, Emily and Sarah went right to the puzzle table to start working on the current puzzle while mom and I got dinner on the table. We had fork tender pot roast covered with sauteed mushrooms, surrounded by sweet cooked carrots, onion and potatoes all drenched in the well seasoned drippings. That along with a fresh green salad with all the fixins, crescent rolls, butter and honey rounded out the meal.

 Right after dinner it was back to the puzzle. They finished this one in just one afternoon. Karin ordered a couple more on the internet last night. Mom had no more puzzles in the house so the girls decided to head over to Sauders to play Carbols. Two calls came in for puppies tonight, one person wants a male the other wants a brindle female. No money yet but that is 3 spoken for 6 to go.

All the schools are closed again tomorrow so maybe I can get someone to come down to help with the Bible study program. We are short Diane, today is her birthday and she and Mike are on a cruise. What a great time to go to the Caribbean!

Electricity

We lost our electricity during the night for a little more than 4 hours. This caused the temperature to drop like a stone in this old farm house, thankfully Mark had the wood burner going full blast. I didn't even realize it was out. I woke up, looked at the clock that said 1:15 am and thought "man this is a long night." Mark then informed me it was really after 5:00 am. The coffee maker had to have the button pushed manually to get that started. Oh the struggles around here, the work just doesn't quit!

Extreme Weather

Mark and I listened to church on line as we just didn't feel we should spread our germs around. I am so thankful for that service, it was almost as good as being there, except we didn't have donuts for lunch. Speaking of lunch we could only tolerate a bowl of chicken soup but it stayed down and we are on the mend.
Emily went to Middle Grove after church to move in a couple more bales to prepare for the extreme cold coming. Mark and I moved another bale into the middle paddock.  We now have 2 waterers frozen, this has never happened since those waterers were installed years ago. The wind is roaring around the house right now blowing snow up against the door. What a winter. When Emily got back we took Sissy and her filly out for a bit to get some pictures. This poor filly has been stall bound since her birth, it is either too icy or too cold to be outside. She loved running around her mom.

Once back in the house Emma's pups were all spread out dreaming of nursing. The pup in the picture below had her little tongue slipping in and out. Just look at that fat belly. These puppies are so content, Emma is being a great mom.

I know I know it isn't the most flattering picture of a puppy, she looks like some kind of alien but the truth is this is the wrong angle, they are very cute and cuddly right now.

Lost Day

Saturday was a lost day around here, Friday night both Mark and my stomach started complaining and by morning we were fighting over the bathroom. What a horrible feeling. Afraid to walk away, nothing left in the stomach but it won't stop heaving. The dry mouth that begs for water but as soon as the water touches the stomach back up it comes.
When we weren't in the bathroom we were in bed groaning. We will be staying home from church today.
A couple of nice emails came in on Saturday but of course I didn't see them until today.
HI!!! Doing cow sorting with the girls at Brock's!!! check out the pictures:

Myrrhcedes is my greatest joy!! She pushes me to learn more & be better!!! She's curious and always wanting to learn something.

I just regret Jamie and Ralph didn't get any pictures of her sorting cows. They were too busy having a ball doing it. 

These Friesian crosses are good for about any discipline, even cow sorting as they try so hard to please. Myrrhcedes is by Raven out of Paris. 

Practice Makes Perfect

The day started with below zero temperatures AGAIN. Joan's renter wanted to borrow the truck to haul firewood. The renter didn't want to wait until the weather warmed up so out Mark and I went to get it going for him.  Unfortunately the truck was hooked up to the stock trailer and we broke the crank on the trailer trying to get it off. Then the truck wouldn't start and had to be put on the charger. This extreme cold day after day is really getting old.
Emily and Mike took off early for Middle Grove. They needed to move bales over from the old land to the new land as Mike and Diane are leaving this afternoon for their cruise.
The morning was spent repairing, washing, drying and labeling the stall decorations for the fair. An email came through offering 40% off any single purchase at JoAnn Fabric so I was able to order another 22 yards of the blue sparkly material for $4.00 a yard.
Mom came over to play with the puppies and brought along some home made bean soup and  rolls for our dinner. She is always a welcome guest when it means I won't have to cook.
Karin had a Friesian practice scheduled for tonight so Rhoda and Emily went out early to start working the horses. While they were out there Lucas and Becca arrived to see the puppies.

Lucas helped hold Killian for the practice while Becca warmed up Ella for Emily.

 Below are a few random pictures of the practice. I'm not going to tell what this is about, if you are curious you will have to come to the IL Horse Fair March 7th, 8th, or 9th to watch OR if you don't want to go just wait until we get home from the fair and post videos of all the performances.

There was a nice email waiting for me when I got in from a lady that bought a Raven son out of Paris. She included this picture. What a gorgeous boy he is at 4 years old. 

She writes: I acquired “Mac the Knyfe” July 1, 2012 as a 2 year old.  The barn where I board and train (www.clemenequine.com) is small and locally owned.  I am very fortunate to have found this young horsewoman.  Now a wonderful 4 year old (this February), we started him using the Clinton Anderson Method.  He is so well mannered, calm (most of the time, though still a little full of himself from time to time) and so beautiful to my eye.  We started taking him for dressage lessons to Mississippi View Farm in St. Cloud this summer and I felt so proud when the trainer there said “This is the nicest 3 year old we’ve had come from the outside.’  That is, not started as a foal by them.

Israel Visits

Israel was a happy boy today playing with Darcy and checking out Emma's puppies.

Now before anyone gets upset about a big dog and a small child the only one that almost got bitten was Darcy and he doesn't have any teeth anyway. As sweet and kind as our dogs are we never ever leave a child unattended with them. It just wouldn't be fair to the dog.

We had a terribly cold day again and 2 more waterers were frozen. Emily was able to get one working by putting a tarp around it but the waterer in the paddock Emily just finished preparing for foals is just too far West with no wind block to keep open in this kind of weather. Star had been in that paddock as she is the next mare due but was moved to the Middle paddock with Ribbon, Killian and Ella.
Karin, Rhoda, Emily and I worked on the stall decorations for the fair today. Sarah hauled the tubs over from the back of the stall barn so we could go through and see what needs repair and what we need to order. They decided as long as they were stuck inside they may as well clean and cleaned out the closets in the apartment hauling over toys, bedding and other supplies.
Mom got her laptop back with a huge repair bill from Philip of $12.00. I went over to her house for the evening and was joined by Ruth, Anni, Ryan and Steven. Steven worked on updating mom's laptop while we worked on another puzzle. This one only has 1000 pieces and should be a breeze to put together after that last 2000 piece puzzle.

Long Cold Winter

Have you ever felt the need for warm weather, craved basking in the sun? This pattern of cold, snow, ice, more cold, more snow is getting pretty old, it is currently 4 degrees below zero AGAIN and Mark just informed me we are to have actual temps of negative 18 next week! I need to drive in to Peoria to pick up Israel around 6:00 am and should get out there to start the car but the thought of stepping out the door is causing my mind to scream, "No, NO, NO don't go out there!" I keep repeating to myself January is almost gone, February is a short month and surely we will get warm days in March so just hold on. I can't say this out loud, Mark is quick to respond with, "don't wish your life away."

One Down 8 To Go

We had a good day today, Emma is feeling much better, no more vomiting and she is taking wonderful care of her puppies. Rhoda came over so we took a few pictures of these adorable pups. Below are a few of my favorite, the rest are posted on our website.

Emily had an early class today so had to be up feeding horses and cleaning stalls by 6:00 am. She told me the filly is doing great. Star is the next mare due in about 10 days. Today Star was put in the stall next to Sissy and her filly and Star was so fascinated with the foal she could hardly eat her grain. The picture below was taken a few days ago, it was just too cold and blowing snow to want to go outside today.

The first of Emma's pups sold today, not that he will leave right away but Regina came and picked out her puppy. She picked out one of the brindle male pups and has named him Walker.

 Meet Walker,  So we have 1 down and 8 to find homes for. 

Mark drove mom and I to church, the roads were terrible, we left while the snow was coming down fast drove through blowing snow. At one point Mark asked mom if she wanted to turn around.  Mom's answer was predictable, she was tired of being snowed in and wanted to try. Tim Roecker had the service on Rev 13. The temperature had dropped back to 4 degrees on the way home. Sure don't look forward to the bitter cold again that just seems to stay and stay. At least the snow stopped.