A Week Already???

Wow where has the time gone?  It seems like it was only yesterday that I last blog and here it has been a week!  Well what all has happened, I went for a lesson Friday and it was good, we worked cows and was not perfect but he was happy with how much I could work a cow with little instruction.  We still don't know what happened at the show, part of it was she was fresh from not working cows and part of it was probly me being nervous, he says I lean when I am nervous.  I never knew that and so will have to go watch some old videos and see.  But it makes sense, I used to be nervous at lessons and now its just the norm but been to a lot less shows and they count for something so I guess I still get nervous.  But the plan is still on for her to stay there at the end of the month.  Although not sure how long, he mentioned about 5 months to me but said a couple months to her previous owner, guess we will see how it goes.  In a way I want longer but in a way shorter, so I dunno what I really want.

After the ride went to Chars for a trail ride and we rode out for a couple hours, it was good.  Then she asked if I wanna stay over and go for another ride in the morning before I left home.  So why not?  I don't get to ride with others much its kinda a nice change.  We rode for another couple hours in the morning.  Jessie was surprised when I said trail ride and it turned kinda into a mountain ride with all the steep coulees there, lol, but she was real good as we were trying to find new trails.

Then I went home and rototilled my garden, still have a few more days to improve the soil so I wanted to do it a few times.  That was a long day and I was exhausted and my knees felt like the were gonna explode (although I'm not sure it was from either of those things, but it was awful no matter what).  Then Sunday we headed to Brooks for a BBQ at Neil's Mom and Dads, it was nice to sit around a fire and just relax for a change.

Sunday I don't know what happened, lol it seems like all the days run together and I can't remember anything, although I do know I took a short ride on Jess, I wanted to get her out and moving cause I was afraid her hocks were sore from all the hills so moving was good.  Not thinking my knees were still sore and about 15 minutes out, I was done.  Although still not at home and so it wasn't really a fun ride for me but she was good and just ambled home without my help.   Monday I went to Calgary with my sister and returned my cans (for $88!) and went to the new Target and just visited and shopped.  It was good, but late as I didn't get home till 11:30.

 (rays of Sun on my way home from Calgary)

(Neil's birthday gift a little late, a Tardis robe, he loved it :) )

Tuesday I know I went for a lesson and it was on the flag cause he had used up all the cattle already.  He has some cows not good for young horses and so he just turns them out if they are not working so he don't mess them up.  But the flag was pretty good, I actually felt for the first time ever when she was drifting off, that was cool I could pick it up and fix her all on my own, one day I will be able to run the flag on my own.

Wednesday we tested bulls, but the vet got here and forgot we asked him to bring the footrot vaccine and so he had to go back and get it.  So we had an hour and  a half to waste and I tried to get the rototiller going and it wouldn't run, so I thought maybe mow the lawn and couldn't get that going cause it needed a new air filter, shoulda gone with my instinct and went riding.  But by then it was too late so just sorta cleaned my kitchen (could probly should spend days and clean my house its kinda a pigsty since I been so busy outside) We got 2 bulls that need to be retested, he thinks they will be fine in a retest but couldn't pass them this time. And 2 that need their feet trimmed, and one of those is the same one, so if he don't retest, we wont trim his feet, just sell him for bologna ;)

 (Pretty hard to test bulls when they lay down in the chute!)

 (Finally got the new hub on the old trailer and it is back up and running again.  

Although it hasn't been for a test drive yet)

(Crazy kitty tried to help us test bulls, maybe the only time he is glad he is castrated??)

Thursday I shoulda gone for a lesson but went for a real nice trail ride instead.  We were just loping along at her nice slow arena lope, although it felt slower than her arena lope, and all the sudden I looked ahead and saw a bunch of wire, I say whoa and sit back, even used my horn and she stopped immediately which is good cause her nose was about 6 inches from the wire.  I guess she can stop when I mean it!  I got off and tied the wire to the fence.  She is so different than my ranch horses, I know Bailey and Razz woulda seen it coming and just gone around it, but Jessie is still expecting perfect ground all the time.  Glad I had seen it though  I generally don't look at the ground, that's the horses job.  But anyways I was on my way out to where Neil said he saw an Eagles nest.  It was across the dam and then down the could a couple hundred yards I thought.  The coulee was wet at the bottom and pretty steep so we just stayed up top but I must be blind cause I did not see it.  I asked him when i got back where it was and that is where is shoulda been so I will have to go back and maybe take my camera and hopefully see it.  I guess that is also on the way to the tee pee rings.  That was a pretty long ride, about hour and a half, don't sound long, but since we loped for a lot of it, it was a nice ride.  And Jessie got to eat grass after we were home so she was happy.  Also rototilled the garden for a second time, needs something added to it so it is not so hard, I can only get about 4 or 5 inches deep and then its like rock.

And then today, Oh ya!  We also booked Jazz in to the trainer, she is going on the 6th of June, she will just get basic riding.  I have to talk more about it when I get there and make sure he rides her out or she will stay a couple months.  I would like him to put her on the flag and cows if she is ready as well, but outside riding is more important as she has to be rode outside at home.  I actually never talked to him, lol, Char mentioned I had a filly to come and made all the arrangements  seems weird to me but It will work out good.  I am excited but nervous as well.  Oh and we booked our branding for the 3rd of June, that should work for both the show the weekend after that and for taking Jazz.  Sure will be an exhausting week though!

OK, today, I went to town since I have been avoiding it forever and I forgot it was a long weekend or I woulda waited, but I needed stuff ( like the air filter for the mower) and I wanted to ask the hardware lady about my deck plans, she says they are good so now I will make up a list of materials and then buy them and get started next week.  I would like to be done before we brand, but somehow I doubt that will happen.  And had coffee with friends, seems like so long since we got together it was just nice.  Then got home and put the mower together and mowed the yard/jungle.  Sure looks good now :)  I love my yard.  I also got some peat moss for the garden (since I could not find zeolite) and have to rototill it in, maybe tomorrow.

Haha Cindy if you lived closer, I would trade for  jeep, I kinda do want a vehicle to just bomb around in and just leave my truck hooked to the trailer.  Would be handy really.  I still haven't listed on Northern, I should, but with 25 pages of horses for sale it seems a bit redundant to list more.  Wish they had a way of splitting them up into young/prospect horses and mature horses.  I hate looking on there for a horse and they have a baby listed as a ranch horse, maybe will be one but obviously not one now, just annoying to me, but maybe not to others.  One day  when I am not busy I will list them though.  I had Belle and Bailey listed last year and only one response, so doesn't really seem worthwhile.  And had  Jazz sold as a baby and the lady backed out after I already told others she was sold, I was really upset at that, so I am kinda not overly fond of that website right now, although better than Kijiji I guess, there are all kinds of nuts out there, I would not list a horse on there unless it was pretty well bombproof (as my Gypsy was) cause there all kinds of crazies on there that want a cheap horse for their kids and don't know anything themselves.   Those people always worry me.  But enough of a rant for tonight, lol.  I need to find some new homes and so list them I will.