Strange Sunday

With church closed there was no hurry to get the horses fed and settled for the day. Indy and her colt were put in the indoor arena. This was the first time the colt was out of the stall since his birth on the 13th. He had fun running around the arena causing Indy anxiety while she tried to keep in close.

For church we all met at mom's house at 10:00 am to listen on line which the ministers were live streaming.  Since we are under a virus scare we all decided to come with masks so we don't infect mom.  Not sure who thought coffee (although we pronounced it coughing) masks were a good idea but we all thought that was a great idea.  Spark showed up in a gas mask and his special tie.

 Above Mark is wearing one of those coughee masks while Fedi brought along a box of REAL masks so Ruth pictured below is wearing one of Fedi's.

 Sarah also wore one of Fedi's masks as did Fedi.

 Rhonda showed up with a bandana.

 Diane came with the coughee mask

 I kind of decorated mine.

Joan's family arrived all prepared for any sickness below they are also bringing lunch for after the service.

 Joan brought 2 turkey basters just in case anyone needed their nose cleaned out, while Hannah brought her stethoscope. 

 After the service Tim Funk gave the announcements but first asked if anyone had greetings to text them in. Sarah sent a text to Craig Stickling, "greetings from Meisterville) Craig said she was supposed to stand up to give greetings so he didn't hear them. Then very rare and expensive gifts were given out. Mom got two as Karin was late.  

 Dan and Susan arrived with Levi and Abram. 

 After lunch we were entertained by 4 of Joan's girls...MAN these girls have talent. If you want to see that you have to visit Karin's Facebook page. 

After the entertainment Karin got out Valiant for Faith and Berlica.

Magda also rode Valiant.

While Karin was putting away Valiant and bringing in Evan Magda visited Indy's new colt by Evan.

Evan was pretty low key today.

Magda worked with him first then Karin asked him for some tricks.

Mark and I left for Phil and Anna's house for dinner and then to celebrate Braelyn's 9th birthday and Eden's first birthday. 

We had a wonderful time and lots of pictures were taken which will be downloaded later. We got home around 7:00 pm. Mark went right out to the barn to get the skid steer ready to leave tomorrow. He hopes to have that hauled in for repair. Indy and her colt were put in the stall while Mark was working on the skid steer. I went to mom's where games were being played then as soon as they were over took the golf cart right back to the barn to let Indy and the colt spend the night in the arena. He does not need to be stalled but there is no dry paddock to put him in.  It is late now and the rest of the pictures from today will be worked on tomorrow. 

More Snow

I watched the colt on the monitor but by midnight could see the colt had been struggling to stand. That meant a quick trip out to the barn to help him up and teach him to balance. Once he was rooting around at the right place I was glad to head back to the house and head straight to bed. At 2:00 am I got up to check the monitor to see if he was nursing. He was not, he was trying those long legs out and managing to get in some canter around Indy. He must have nursed if he was feeling that good. Indy had dropped the placenta some time between midnight and 2:00 am. At 5:00 am I got up to have a cup of coffee only to realize I had forgotten to make it the night before. Both Mark and I heated up a cup of  day old coffee while the coffee maker was filled and turned on. The colt at that time was still up and seemed to be doing fine.  After downing 2 cups of coffee I ran out to the barn, cleaned the stall, filled the water buckets and applied iodine to his cord. He was such a fighter that when I got back I told Mark either that colt is exceptionally strong or I am weaker than last year. He thought it may be the later but I'm sure he couldn't possible be correct.
Mom did not have a good night, she had to sleep all night on her new chair and Joan spent the night with her. That fall must have cracked a rib, she hurts when she coughs and cannot take a deep breath. She is SO thankful for that lift chair. I took the blood pressure monitor over and checked her blood pressure and it was quite high. She was given her pills which helped bring that down. She really is in a lot of pain. It was snowing quite hard. The picture below was just before I drove the golf cart over to mom's. I was soaked by the time I got to her place.

The men picking up Nanci Tatiana's filly came right after I got home from mom's. She loaded up quietly in their trailer but when I stepped out she wasn't sure she should stay in that trailer. Karin and Kayla arrived around 9:00 am as they were leaving and we could hear her stomping as they drove down the drive. Kayla helped with pictures of Indy's colt. He is little over 10 hours old in these pictures.

 Kayla was amazed at how strong he is. Below he is cantering around his mom. 

 He had to take a quick milk break after all that running.

Karin was in the indoor working with Valiant when we finished with the pictures.

 Kayla got on to practice her rising trot. What a gentle giant Valiant is.

 Karin put Valiant away while Kayla brought Evan in. It was still snowing.

 Of course he had to drop and roll.

 Evan is very photogenic, too bad it is hard to get good pictures in the indoor.

check out the lift in his trot in the picture below.

 It was so cold each time he would blow out he kind of looked like a smoking dragon.

 Karin finished up with him with some trick training.

 Mark, Karin and I went to mom's for lunch. Ruth joined us right about then so after lunch we played games with mom sitting in her lift chair with the card table in front of her. David Jacob came in and showed us the picture below of the snow that had fallen off the slide. It looks like ribbon candy.

Mom smeared us all at Mexican Train winning by almost 100 points. We told her it was because we felt sorry for her and were playing with our left hands. When I left mom's I drove straight to the barn to iodine Indy's colt's cord again. He really IS strong and I had quite a fight getting that job done. Oksana was brought in the stall barn. Since Nanci, Tatiana's filly is gone Indy didn't want to be in the stall barn without another mare. Both are munching away quietly. I'm going to take a nap then run out  to feed, water and clean the stalls one more time before going to bed.

Indy's BOY!

I went back to clean up Indy stall around 10:30 pm and saw that she was sweating and dripping milk. I wrapped her tail then took the golf cart back to the house.

The camera's and the towels would be needed but as I was getting into the house I saw her lay down on the monitor and her water broke.  I grabbed everything took the golf cart back up and got there just in time to see the birth.

 One picture was snapped then I ran back out to get the straw to put under to try to soak up some of the birthing fluids to keep the baby dry. 

 The hooves in newborn foals are always soft and rubbery. 

 Indy had an easy labor and got up pretty quickly to start cleaning off her big colt.

The colt was born around 10:45 pm. He was cleaned off and the wet bedding taken out of the stall before leaving the barn.  I'll check on him in a couple hours to make sure he is up and nursing but he seems to be a big strong colt and I am thankful!

Corona Virus Closes School and Churches

Aunt Jinnie called mom to say that Uncle Peter had to be taken by ambulance to the hospital. He was intubated and put on a ventilator. The family was all called and are heading to the hospital in New Jersey.  Prayers for the Bossart family are requested and appreciated. 

I got up twice during the night to check on Indy midnight and 3:00 am, and each time the moon was so bright that I didn't need a flashlight to drive up to the barn.  Each time the arena was cleaned up of any manure before heading back in for bed.

Later this afternoon mom fell hard against the small table and chairs. She may have broken a rib as she is complaining it is hard to breathe. Ruth has been with her this evening. Mom is VERY thankful for that new chair which came at exactly the right time. 

We had sunshine this afternoon so Indy and Oksana were put out in the field for a few hours. They were loving the tender green grass.

 Above is Indy and below Indy is left and Oksana right.

 Both are just huge, although Oksana's udder is not yet filled or waxing. 

Indy on the other hand is waxing on both teats. She will be stalled tonight after potluck.  Mark and I left at 5:00 pm for Patty and Chris Kummer's for rotating potluck. We were joined by Joanna and Jess and their 2 boys, Imogene and Harold, Michelle and Loretta. As we are no longer greeting with a kiss and handshake the old elbow bump was put into action.

It really is hard to take this virus serious and yet today the governor of Illinois closed all the schools in the state until the end of the month then this evening Tim Funk closed church for the next two weeks. They will be live streaming the sermons on Sunday's and Wednesday's. 

We had a wonderful time of fellowship and a delicious meal at the Kummers not leaving there until 9:00 pm. As soon as I got home Tatiana's filly was stalled, Indy's stall prepared then the two mares brought in. Indy had milk dripping from both teats. Any other horse I would be pretty sure she is going to deliver tonight but looking back at her other 2 foalings she held off with each a day later than expected. Oksana's udder is not full enough to worry so she was put back in the paddock.  We will be heading to bed soon but the monitor will be on tonight and hopefully if she starts labor I'll hear the water break.