Training

 Today between doing laundry, helping Mark and working in the barn, Valerie and Thalia were haltered, led about, asked to back and asked to step under 3 times each. Each time only working about 10 minutes keeping it short but sweet. My pocket was full of grain and each time they were praised they were given a treat. At the end of the last training session I was thrilled when I told Thalia to back that she took a step backward without me pushing against her. We shall see if she remembers tomorrow. Mark spent most of the day preparing for concrete.

He needed a little help with making the boundary's as straight as some of the boards were warped. We added foam boards then secured them down with anchors. Tomorrow he is taking the truck to rent the cement mixer again. When I walked over to move Valerie and Thalia I happened to look up and 2 big bald eagles were circling over the field. They were pretty high up and the phone was on the golf cart so I didn't get any pictures but it was so cool to see those white tails flashing in the sunshine. Maybe we have a breeding pair in the area. This is the first time I've seen 2 flying over the field at the same time. Valerie and Thalia were moved into the Middle paddock. Once they had checked it out I brought Oliver over to see if they would be willing to share the paddock with Oliver and Madiera's colt. They weren't! Valerie went after him with her teeth bared, Oliver ran right to me, I opened the gate and he ran out safe. I let Madiera's colt out with him, opened the gate to the paddock between the middle paddock and Valiant's paddock and both colts walked right in.

They checked the paddock out then went over to meet the mares.

Not sure if you can see but Oliver is baby talking to Valerie in the picture above. Madiera's colt came over to meet Valerie and Thalia too. 

They felt much safer on the other side of the fence. 

Evan was moved into Raven's old paddock as there is hay to finish up.

He will be moved back before I leave for Gulf Shores.  Valiant's paddock is almost out of hay. The hog panel wrap was removed from the last of the bale in his paddock. Hopefully he will finish that tonight and tomorrow so he can have a new bale too.

The two colts were very comfortable in their new paddock. Below they are both in the shelter grazing away on that big new hay bale.

I went inside when Mark finished with my help and started grading the intermediate Bible studies. Vonnie usually takes these home but is gone for 3 weeks so I am grading those while she is gone. Gertie arrived while I was working on them. Her phone wasn't working but together we figured out the problem. We decided since we both didn't have any plans on what to cook for supper we should go to the Bartonville diner tonight. Both husbands agreed. She left and I went back out to the field. I could hear thunder in the distance.

The sky was turning dark to the Northwest. I could see flashes of lighting and hear the rumble of thunder around 6:00 pm. The storm wasn't supposed to start until around 7:00 pm. We met Dennis and Gertie at 6:30 pm, had a wonderful dinner that we didn't cook nor clean up then left for home in the rain. Today was another good day and I am pleased with the progress of both Valerie and Thalia.