Blew It

 We were both up early enjoying freshly brewed coffee. Mark left for his walk but I read a while before heading to the barn to collect the laundry. No walk as Ruth is in Romania and Diane & Mike along with Spark & Rhonda and Dan & Susan all left for Missouri. Both of the solar coaster boats went too. Mike and Diane took the big one while Dan and Susan took the smaller one. They will be staying with Spark and Rhonda and going out on Bull Shoals lake. Spark had a pontoon boat at his place there on that lake. Joan was stripping the sheets off of each of the camper beds as I was stripping sheets of all the beds in the barn. We talked over the weekend then started discussing the 4th of July plans for out here. Rachel and David are going to be doing the fireworks again on Friday the 3rd. Mark and Mackenson worked on getting the 4 campers ready to be hauled back to Joan's house. After the laundry was started I took the truck over to help. We used the barn septic tank to empty all of the camper tanks. Then hauled them one at a time over to Joan's Berlica was out riding with 2 of her friends. 

We finished up the campers then hooked the stock trailer up to truck so I could haul Cookie out to Middle Grove and bring back Jury. Sarah arrived just as I was leaving. Her girls gave Cookie some carrots before she left then went to play with Tessa's filly. Sarah sent back the 3 pictures below.

She was enjoying the girls. I arrived at Middle Grove and drove back to the big field. There were no horses in sight. Cookie must have smelled them as she started heading North.

About then we heard thundering hooves but it was just Oliver coming down to meet Cookie then take her back to the herd.

Below is Oliver making sure Cookie joins the rest. He really is impressive. 

I had to walk and it was a long way and all up hill. They were all waiting for me when I arrived.

At first I couldn't find Lily. I saw some turkey vultures and my heart dropped. She is 24 years old this year. Well it turned out she was right in the middle I didn't recognize her, she is in such good shape.

Below it is easy to tell it is Lily from the side view.

She is licking a salt block in the picture below. She does have a tail she is just swishing it to her right side on the picture below. That is Jury behind her.

After taking a few pictures Jury and I started the long walk back to the trailer. Unfortunately Oliver didn't want to see Jury leave so followed us down bringing the whole herd with him. I had to use the lead rope to shoo him away a couple times. He really is well behaved and would have stood quietly if I would have tied him up to something but where we were there wasn't anything other than trees.

Above Oliver is looking over at Sheena, behind Oliver is Missy and behind Missy is Cookie. 

Below Oliver is coming over to greet me while the others are behind him.

The black mare in front is Valerie, Lily's last daughter I kept and behind her is Jury.

Valerie came up to see if I had a treat but I didn't bring anything out with me today.

Harli, the gypsy mare is looking very wide. She is due in August and I think is the last mare due this year. Jury loaded fine. Harli had followed her to the trailer. I went over to pet her was scratching her back when I saw a big horse fly land on her hip and without thinking slapped her and killed the fly. She jumped and ran then looked back at me as if to say, "WHY?" Harli came to us as almost impossible to catch. We have been working with her carefully gaining her trust. Each time we go to Middle Grove I make sure to scratch her back which she loves and give her attention then walk away. Today I blew it by slapping that fly! I stopped for gas on the way home just to have a full tank for our Saturday trip. Jury was put in the middle paddock with Basilea and Thalia once we were back. Laundry waited for me. I was able to finish the last load of towels and sheets and got all of the beds made at the barn. The towels are now over but not put away. I'll have plenty to do of that kind of work tomorrow. Now I'm going to rest!