The morning was cool and cloudy for the trip to Middle Grove to pick up the colt. We are pretty thrilled with him and there is a deposit on the way for him. I won't mark him sold though until that comes and the buyer is snail mailing it so that could take a week or more the way our rural mail works. The rain started up pretty much after we got home so Madiera and her colt were left in the stall for the day. If it dries out tomorrow

I'll try to get better pictures. Karin, Isaiah, Magda and Shaeya left for either Jubilee or Sandridge with the 4 horse trailer. They took the same 4 as earlier Mika, Ripper, Oksana and Missy.  They returned in the rain around 1:45 pm. I'm not sure if they got rained out on the trails but were out for almost 5 hours. No pictures, I wasn't here when they left and was not going to go back out in the rain when they got back.  Jewel is not progressing at all but she is still being brought inside every evening. The man that rented the wolf pup brought it back today and I had him park it at our house. Phil and Anna are using it next so they may as well take it to their house to pack. We went over the trailer then he left and only after he left did I remember he didn't give me the keys. He was only a few minutes away when I called to get them. Nolan helped get Jury covered and Hadassah teased. Hadassah was very emphatic to keep the stallion away and yet yesterday I saw her flirting with Evan. Her filly is only 6 days old, there is no way she could already be in and out of her foal heat so I'll keep watch on her. Tatiana is also acting like she is in season and her filly is only 5 days old. The foal heat usually starts around 7 to 10 days. Spark and Rhonda dropped Nancy off at mom's this afternoon. Nancy came over here while mom did some shopping then Spark and Rhonda joined mom and Nancy for supper. After supper we played games until it was time to take Nancy home. Spark plays the funniest game with Nancy. Rhonda took the video below. 

The motor home left Yellowstone and made it to the Grand Tetons.

They saw bison right up close to the road and 2 moose. The mountains are beautiful. 

Madiera's Colt by Evan

 Well ANOTHER mare beat Jewel! Madiera gave birth yesterday to a gorgeous black WARLANDER stud colt. The sire of this colt is Evan.  Pictures were taken this morning as this morning was the first I got to see him. 

He looks so much like his FULL 2 year old brother Joshua who is now named Atticus.

His owner was kind enough to share the picture above and wrote: Oh gosh! So sweet. Someone will be very lucky

I made arrangements with Mike and Diane who spent the weekend at Middle Grove to help load Madiera and her colt into the two horse trailer to bring them here to the Hanna City farm. He is so very sweet, walked right up to me once his mom was in the trailer and let me help him get up that big step into it. They traveled quietly. He was busy nursing when I opened the back door to unload. Now they are resting comfortably in the stall. Another safe birth and healthy foal. I am SO very thankful! 

Crazy Day

 We had a crazy Sunday that started with Mark coming back from his morning walk saying the horses are in mom's yard then a text from Matt that the horses are on the dam. I grabbed a bucket of grain and drove to the dam but no horses. Found them in mom's yard behind the Kubota shed, hooked on to Sangria and Ripper and brought all 6 to my place. There was a knocked fence down at the cabin field. Mike and Diane are at Middle Grove so the horses were put in the middle paddock. I put Jewel out then checked on the two new fillies early. The sun was just coming over the tree line.

They are doing great. Jewel is not in labor and actually her udder has gone down. No waxing for the last 2 days so I'm not sure what is going on with her but I slept pretty good last night. We had a very good day in church. Gregg Rumbold had the morning message on the end time series then Mike Rieker had the afternoon message. After church Roger Zehr, his wife and daughter stopped in to see the horses.  Mike sent a text that Madiera had her foal and the foal is nursing well. It was too busy today to head out to pick them up and it is a nice day and evening so plans were made to go tomorrow. Mike and Diane are staying out tonight. They don't know if this foal is a filly or colt. We will have to wait until tomorrow to know that.  The food was taken over to the playground for picnic for our supper. Today is Lee's 37th birthday so Rhoda brought cupcakes for everyone after supper which was a big hit with the kids and adults.

After supper the volley ball games started up.

The kids were having a ball on the merry-go-round but they were very LOUD while playing. I made a short video and even turned the volume way down.

The volleyball games were fun to watch but mom decided to hit the ball, the ball hit her walker, bounced and slammed into her nose. Her glasses cut into her nose and her nose is now swollen. She will probably get a black eye out of it too. She really IS too old to be playing volleyball. 

We were laughing as the last two injuries she sustained were from her 2 different walkers. One gouged her leg and now the other deflected the volley ball. After the games the kids get the court.

We made a campfire and had s'mores for a sweet ending. 

IF you would like to see the rest of the pictures from today click HERE. Nolan and Zion borrowed Karin's tent and are sleeping at the playground tonight while David's family are all staying in a camper at the horsebarn. They will all come for breakfast around 7:30 am. The motorhome made it to Yellowstone. Below are a few pictures from that trip.

Sunny Saturday

 The rain stopped and the sun came out this morning. Most of the night I slept on the couch fully dressed with everything needed for foaling laid out on the table all ready for me to jump up and head to the barn. Jewel settled down and I was wrong, she was not in the first stage. She was just anxious from the rain and being in the barn by herself. Once she had company all was well. At 3:00 am Mark got up and promised to wake me if her water broke so at that point I fell asleep and stayed asleep until 5:00 am. Our poor airbnb guests didn't arrive until after 2:00 am so I was very quiet taking Jewel, Tatiana and her filly out of the stalls. Hadassah and her filly along with Tatiana and her filly were let out into the field while Jewel was put in the far field with Lily and Lily's filly. They were all so glad to get back outside. They ran and ran. The video below was taken once Tatiana stopped running and had a good roll. The filly nursed then laid down but kept nibbling on the grass even as she was ready to take a nap.

 I also took a couple pictures of them. Hadassah is now starting her foal heat and was hanging around Evan.

Below Tatiana's filly had just laid down and Tatiana was busy keeping watch over her.

Isaiah arrived around 8:00 am to start working with Ripper on loading. He pulled the 4 horse trailer out and backed it into the drive so the sun was shining in the trailer then went over to the cabin to bring him back. Later Karin, Magda and Shaeya arrived so they loaded up Ripper, Mika, Oksana and Missy and drove to Sandridge for a trail ride as that park was open. At noon our airbnb guests left and the next guests were coming in at 2:00 pm. I had to scramble to get it ready in time. Thankfully Anna had a second set of everything needed as there was not enough time to get all the bedding and towels washed, dried and brought back. Those were taken down to the house. I got it done in time but it was close. Jury was down by Valiant and showing so she was brought to the breeding shed, teased then covered by Valiant. I don't dare wait until tomorrow with her as the last time she showed she only showed one day. Later this afternoon Jewel was brought from the field and put in the short shelter so she could be moved to stall easily this evening. She made herself a nice bed in the hay and laid down for a nap. Mark and I worked on the Summerland trailer getting it ready for tomorrow. We found out it hadn't been winterized correctly and we had a valve in the toilet freeze and crack. Mark got the part number and ordered another which should be here by Tuesday. We are taking this trailer on Thursday morning so hopefully the part won't be delayed. There was one other minor part broken on the kitchen faucet and I'll try to pick that part up as soon as B&L are open. The trailer has been leveled and plugged in and everything else is working including the water heater, air conditioner and fridge. Tonight another square bale and a bag of bedding was brought in for Jewel. Once the stall was done she was brought in. She is on the monitor but I am not staying up tonight. 

J & J Camper Rentals

 Brrr it was cold and rainy this morning. I went out early to put Jewel outside (no foal yet), clean her stall,  put the mares and foals that spent the night in the indoor arena in stalls so the arena could be cleaned up and a new bale moved in for Valiant. Because of that I was late for the walk. Mom and Diane showed up here and I joined them. After the walk I listened to AC Central while working on posting the 3 trailers for rent on the website.  One of our friends was going to rent the Salem FSX through RV share for 8 days, but through RV share he was going to be charged the daily rent AND RV shares charges for the insurance another $250.00 PLUS we as the owners are also charged  $250.00. That really takes a chunk of money out of the $139.00 a night we charge. I talked to our insurance agent and found out we could insure it for full coverage for a YEAR for $162.00. There is a deductible though of $250.00 for comprehensive and $500.00 for collision but still there is a huge savings for friends and family if booking direct from us. Friends and family mean anyone reading the blog, our website or looking at my Facebook page.  Check out our new business of J & J Camper Rentals section on our website by clicking HERE.  Just look left then click on Camper Rentals. 

The 2021 Salem FSX by Forest River sleeps 7 and rents for $139.00 a night. 

This is great for a family with teenagers as it has  USB ports and the double bunks are plenty roomy. The murphy bed easily folds down for night time but leaves more room inside with a comfortable sofa for seating during the day, Roof AC, Automatic awning, huge fridge with freezer inside and a mini kitchen outside, large kitchen sink and an outdoor hot and cold shower. There is also a large storage compartment and a panorama window at the dinette. Below is the layout of the trailer.

Our 2018 Wolf Pup also by Forest River is perfect for a family of  5 with a queen size bed in the front, twin bunk beds at the back and a dinette that folds down to a twin size bed. This also has USB ports at each bunk, a large kitchen with a nice sink, a two burner propane stove, ample counter space, and a refrigerator with a freezing compartment. There is storage throughout the trailer with a large exterior pack and play door to access storage under the bottom bunk. This trailer rents for $109.00 a night.

Above is the queen bed in the front, the dinette is left and the sink and fridge is right. Below are the bunk beds left and the bathroom door right.

The third trailer for rent is our 2011 Keystone Summerland by Summerdale. 

This trailer provides sleeping for as many as 6 with a twin bunk above a full bed, the dinette folds down to make a full bed and the jack knife sofa makes a twin bed. This family friendly trailer has a power awning, a large kitchen with double sink and huge fridge and freezer, a 3 burner stove with oven and microwave, a bathroom with tub, shower and sink an outdoor shower and 2 large propane tanks. This trailer rents for $109.00 a night.  Below is the layout. 

Above is the kitchen area, check out that huge fridge and nice size dinette. Below is the front of the trailer with a comfortable jack knife sofa and large windows at the big double sink.

Below is the bedroom with a twin bunk above the full size bed.

Mark got home as I was finishing up the web pages. He brought home fried chicken, corn on the cob and flowers. We feasted tonight. Mom invited us over for strawberry short cake made from the strawberries of her own garden. She also made jam today, the strawberries are ripe and sweet. Spark and Rhonda also came so we played games until late.  Joan and Heather made it to Theodore Roosevelt National Park in North Dakota. The GPS took them on some dirt roads. They found a car wash big enough to wash the mud off the moter home before shopping at Walmart. They saw buffalo and prairie dogs.

They had 44 degrees while we had 48 degrees and rain. I think their weather may have been better than ours. It really IS cold out today. On the way home from mom's I went up to the barn to bring Jewel in for the night. There was a traffic jam right then crossing the road right in front of me.  so I whipped out my trusty phone to take a picture of the traffic jam in my own yard. The 3 geese family were walking from our pond over to the lake.

There are 3 pair each with 5 goslings making a total of 21 geese all crossing the road while I waited. 

Unless I am mistaken Jewel is in the first stage of labor. She is pacing her stall, has manured over over, urinated 4 times and keeps yawning and looking at her belly. She would not settle down tonight and isn't interested at all in eating. I ended up bringing Tatiana and her filly inside in the stall opposite hers. She was very happy for the company. I took a bunch of towels down just now (10:15pm) and have Mark's headlight for the late night trip up to the barn. We have airbnb guests arriving tonight at any moment so I really hope all goes well and I don't have to call for help.

First Time Together

I got out to the barn early this morning to move the mares out of the stalls. We had a cool night and both of the new fillies are doing great. It was cool this morning, we almost needed a sweat shirt on the walk. After the walk the stalls were cleaned then I left for Aldi to do a major shopping buying food for this weekends cookout. Once home 5 pounds of ground beef were browned and 3 pounds of sausage for a big pan of chili. While working on the chili I downloaded the message from church last night. David spoke on Psalm 37.

We had a storm roll through with lightning and thunder but not much rain. When that was over I heard horses neighing, looked out the door and saw Sangria. Sangria was supposed to be at the cabin field so I jumped on the golf cart to go catch her and she came running up the drive bringing Oksana and Ripper with her. Sangria ran in the field where we are building the barn so the gate was shut then Oksana and Ripper taken back to the cabin field. The gate there was shut and locked so I'm not sure how they got out. Lily and her filly were put in with Sangria. These two mares have been together since Lily was a year old and Sangria 2 years old. They settled right down to graze.

Hadassah and her filly by Evan were let out in the field behind their paddock then Tatiana and her filly by Valiant were put in with them. Both mares were careful not to let their fillies get too close to each other. This was the first time the fillies have seen each other.

I had to stay and watch and they both had fun running. Tatiana's filly took off galloping around her mom over and over. The video function was turned on camera for a short video. She is only 2 days old but wow does she like to run.

IF you would like to see the rest of the pictures of the 2 fillies click HERE. The man coming to rent the trailer was on his way so I went to Joan's to get the trailer hitch ready for him. He didn't read the instructions correct and ended up at Rachel's house. When we finally got to Joan's he asked me if this place was some kind of campground. I took the golf cart over so he could follow me back to Joan's. The hitch was put on and we hooked up the trailer before going through everything on the paper work, I showed him where everything was and how to make it work.

He was happy with the trailer and left at 5:21 pm leaving me exactly 9 minutes to get home, change and be at mom's house for my ride to the shower for Tori and Adam. I started walking over, called Diane and she picked me up before picking up mom. The shower was very well attended and really nice. The ladies had a delicious supper for everyone before Tori and Adam started opening gifts. Around 7:40 pm I noticed dark clouds out the fellowship hall windows. The 2 fillies are much to young to be left out in the cold rain so I asked Diane and mom if they would mind leaving early. I got home in time to get everyone inside before the rain hit. Sangria was no longer in the field so went hunting for her and found her back in the cabin field. Hadassah and Tatiana and both of their foals are sharing the indoor arena tonight. Jewel is in the foaling stall on the monitor. She has been very restless but that may be from the sound of the rain pounding on the metal roof of the barn. The barn is insulated but the noise is still very loud.  Sarah posted pictures of Zion's recital since we didn't get to go watch.

Joan made it through the badlands. Heather posted these pictures of their trip.

Those are wild donkeys in the pictures below. They are so used to visitors that they will eat right out of your hand.

The motorhome is such a comfortable way to travel.

The trip is going well.