Wow. I have had a great weekend. My horse and I are becoming true partners and my dog has new friends.
Weaverville is a great ride with beautiful colors and it surprises me that more people are not on the trail (but I'm glad not to have to share it!). Shirley scared the beejeebers out of us, but snapped out if it and recovered quickly. I know my brain was going at warp speed planning our next moves--pushing back the thought that even if she said that was how she wanted to go, none of us were ready for it. Thankfully we didn't have to put into action any emergency plans and we finished the ride as if nothing happened!
Oh there was that little straight up the bank endeavor by Jupiter. . . but otherwise everything was pretty normal.
We had a great ride around the Hennessy; Keota is getting more and more confident in his downhills and the joy of riding him is evident on Alisa's face. Star gave Shirley a good ride--a few bucks and crow hops between friends is acceptable as long as the rider stays on, right? That's what Jupes tells me anyway. Buster was his dependable self and then there's Ziggy. I think he feels lots better now that his teeth and gums are all healed up. Lynn said she about got swept off by the manzanita bushes flying through the twisties going up toward the bottom west meadow. She said she thought she should do some trimming. Her whole foot got caught in the crotch of a bush and it nearly took her off. I told her they were fine--it was her Woody Woodpecker red sports car careening out over the turn that put her in the bushes!
We saw the golfers again on the east meadow and had another nice ride down there. The cows had a few calves and were being protective, but Keota is getting used to them. The boys didn't get any apples, but I think they had a good time, too.
I think I need a day off in order to get anything productive done before I go back to work--but at least I'll smile and remember what a good time I had! Thanks for putting in the all the effort of coming over, Alisa!
Sunday, October 20, 2013
Sunday, October 13, 2013
Just another Sunday
Great ride today! The boys were huffing and puffing a few times, but I think they had fun, too. Lots of ups and downs and quick turns around trees. We love our boys!
Lee babysat Ziva again and as I type this she is crashed out by my feet. There are new pictures in Picasa (Ziva Grace! file) that show her new haircut and her size next to Haley. I tried to upload some video footage of us walking up the trail behind the trailer court. Can you check out my account (NickersandNeighs)? There should be three--Ziva, Haley, & Happy 1,2,3. They are just silly and may make you dizzy--
http://youtu.be/YVIG5A_qCnM
http://youtu.be/cFU0T6UUd5I
http://youtu.be/PbyAjRIJj50
Shirley and Lynn waited for me to come from church--I sure appreciate it. Once upon a time, I did not saddle my ride. I watched, but it was all done for me. Now it feels weird if I don't saddle my own horse. Although I know it was done by a professional :) I find myself checking everything. I am glad I can take care of my own stuff nowadays.
I am asking for Friday off--if I have to cancel, I will, but I want to be ready. What the heck! :)
Lee babysat Ziva again and as I type this she is crashed out by my feet. There are new pictures in Picasa (Ziva Grace! file) that show her new haircut and her size next to Haley. I tried to upload some video footage of us walking up the trail behind the trailer court. Can you check out my account (NickersandNeighs)? There should be three--Ziva, Haley, & Happy 1,2,3. They are just silly and may make you dizzy--
http://youtu.be/YVIG5A_qCnM
http://youtu.be/cFU0T6UUd5I
http://youtu.be/PbyAjRIJj50
Shirley and Lynn waited for me to come from church--I sure appreciate it. Once upon a time, I did not saddle my ride. I watched, but it was all done for me. Now it feels weird if I don't saddle my own horse. Although I know it was done by a professional :) I find myself checking everything. I am glad I can take care of my own stuff nowadays.
I am asking for Friday off--if I have to cancel, I will, but I want to be ready. What the heck! :)
Monday, October 7, 2013
I wish every day was a weekend day
Saturday was vet day. Jupes needed his flu shot and worming medicine and Ziggy got that and his teeth floated. Before the vet arrived, we had the boys out and Lynn measured them. Ziggy is 15.3 and Jupiter is 14.3. We need to remember to measure Keota next time he's here! I think he's taller than Zigs--what do you think? 16 hands? Didn't you always want a tall horse? :)
Poor Zigs had been having much more issue with his teeth than Lynn (and Dr. Branch) originally thought! Poor baby's mouth was cut up and he had sores. Dr. Carlisle worked and worked on him and even had to give him another shot. Lynn said Ziggy looked over at her and a tear slipped down his face. Poor boy! Then he had to be walked and walked and walked around the parking lot. Long slow circles so he could move his feet without fear of falling.
Jupiter had a bit of a rodeo prior to his shots--there are transient people in the fields near the vet's office. Usually the boys are on high alert anyway, but suddenly Jupes went into longe mode. He was at the end of his rope and twirling around me (on the grass, thankfully). I looked for the source of his anxiety and there walking across the field toward us was a woman with a long black coat billowing out around her. She had a hat on and a back pack. Sheesh. She scared me too! :) She looked like a Halloween witch or a large black crow. She hollered, "Am I freaking your horse out?" Uh yeah.
Sunday was a beautiful day. We saddled up and rode up the Hennessy. Star got to go today and I think it was his first time on the new trails. I am sure it was fun for him and maybe he will let himself be caught again. It was a fun ride. We went pretty fast--zipping around the corners and jumping logs. We heard vehicles on the roads above us, but never had to deal with any hunters. Both the dogs had bright duct tape on; Haley had her pink bonnet and pink racing stripes around her body and Happy wore turquoise racing stripes.
Ziggy kept his tongue in his mouth almost the whole day. It finally hung out a little at the end. We were starting to think it had something to do with his teeth bothering him. But then there it was. Good! That tongue meant things were back to normal. The other thing the vet did was clean his sheath. More weird stuff--two things came out that shouldn't have been there. Dr. Carlisle is not a talkative man and he didn't offer any explanation and Lynn didn't ask. Afterward, in the parking lot, Ziggy peed a stream like he never has. We thought maybe he'd had a blockage or was uncomfortable and that was why he peed so often and such a small amount. But no, all that was back to normal as well. :)
Ziva stayed with her favorite babysitter: Uncle Lee. :) She ate all day (salami and cheese and Haley's food); chewed sticks while he greased the truck; she played with Gracie, and finally, she slept in his lap while he watched racing. A good time was had by all!
Later, we had our first bath together. Not her favorite. I blew her dry as well; again not her favorite. Then she ran around like a manic with the puppy crazies. She ate dinner, crawled up on to my blanket that was in the floor waiting for the clean sheets to come out of the dryer, and went to sleep. She didn't even move for three hours.
Life is good.
Poor Zigs had been having much more issue with his teeth than Lynn (and Dr. Branch) originally thought! Poor baby's mouth was cut up and he had sores. Dr. Carlisle worked and worked on him and even had to give him another shot. Lynn said Ziggy looked over at her and a tear slipped down his face. Poor boy! Then he had to be walked and walked and walked around the parking lot. Long slow circles so he could move his feet without fear of falling.
Jupiter had a bit of a rodeo prior to his shots--there are transient people in the fields near the vet's office. Usually the boys are on high alert anyway, but suddenly Jupes went into longe mode. He was at the end of his rope and twirling around me (on the grass, thankfully). I looked for the source of his anxiety and there walking across the field toward us was a woman with a long black coat billowing out around her. She had a hat on and a back pack. Sheesh. She scared me too! :) She looked like a Halloween witch or a large black crow. She hollered, "Am I freaking your horse out?" Uh yeah.
Sunday was a beautiful day. We saddled up and rode up the Hennessy. Star got to go today and I think it was his first time on the new trails. I am sure it was fun for him and maybe he will let himself be caught again. It was a fun ride. We went pretty fast--zipping around the corners and jumping logs. We heard vehicles on the roads above us, but never had to deal with any hunters. Both the dogs had bright duct tape on; Haley had her pink bonnet and pink racing stripes around her body and Happy wore turquoise racing stripes.
Ziggy kept his tongue in his mouth almost the whole day. It finally hung out a little at the end. We were starting to think it had something to do with his teeth bothering him. But then there it was. Good! That tongue meant things were back to normal. The other thing the vet did was clean his sheath. More weird stuff--two things came out that shouldn't have been there. Dr. Carlisle is not a talkative man and he didn't offer any explanation and Lynn didn't ask. Afterward, in the parking lot, Ziggy peed a stream like he never has. We thought maybe he'd had a blockage or was uncomfortable and that was why he peed so often and such a small amount. But no, all that was back to normal as well. :)
Ziva stayed with her favorite babysitter: Uncle Lee. :) She ate all day (salami and cheese and Haley's food); chewed sticks while he greased the truck; she played with Gracie, and finally, she slept in his lap while he watched racing. A good time was had by all!
Later, we had our first bath together. Not her favorite. I blew her dry as well; again not her favorite. Then she ran around like a manic with the puppy crazies. She ate dinner, crawled up on to my blanket that was in the floor waiting for the clean sheets to come out of the dryer, and went to sleep. She didn't even move for three hours.
Life is good.
Sunday, September 29, 2013
Is it really only September?
Thank goodness we went for a great, long ride yesterday. It has rained approximately 1 1/2 inches since 1:30 am this morning. We were able to ride to the right from the top and not have any bees bother us because of the cooler weather recently. We rode down and around to our new steep hill (going up this time) and the boys sure did sweat (and Jupes, the fat boy, was breathing hard). Then we came down our new trail on the east side that connects to our other trail. We all jumped logs and ditches and a good time was had by all.
Although the boys have been in high spirits at feeding time--they all behaved on the ride (you know who I have to worry about!). The night before, Jupiter and Ziggy were pouring it on across the trailer park and Jupes slipped in the mud and sawdust and down onto his rump he went. He jumped straight up and trotted around like "nobody saw that--that never happened!" Silly thing.
Ziva has been going with me to feed and after the horses settle into eating she gets to get down and go for a hike with the big dogs. She has so much fun. She is determined to do whatever they do. On Saturday, she got left home with Lee as babysitter. She had her first experience on the tie line while he was on the ladder. Lee said she cried once we left and he was out of sight. After he finished his chores, he played nonstop with her.
I came home and mowed the lawn and she stayed out of the way, watching and running from the front to the back porches. When I started spraying gopher stuff, I put her in the house. This is how I found her:
Although the boys have been in high spirits at feeding time--they all behaved on the ride (you know who I have to worry about!). The night before, Jupiter and Ziggy were pouring it on across the trailer park and Jupes slipped in the mud and sawdust and down onto his rump he went. He jumped straight up and trotted around like "nobody saw that--that never happened!" Silly thing.
Ziva has been going with me to feed and after the horses settle into eating she gets to get down and go for a hike with the big dogs. She has so much fun. She is determined to do whatever they do. On Saturday, she got left home with Lee as babysitter. She had her first experience on the tie line while he was on the ladder. Lee said she cried once we left and he was out of sight. After he finished his chores, he played nonstop with her.
I came home and mowed the lawn and she stayed out of the way, watching and running from the front to the back porches. When I started spraying gopher stuff, I put her in the house. This is how I found her:
I don't think she moved for two hours! She is definitely teething and wants to chew everything. She keeps me busy watching to make sure we get outside to potty as well as keeping my shoes, table legs, rugs, dog beds, magazines, homework, . . . all safe. But it's worth it.
Friday, September 20, 2013
Ziva Grace
Yay! She's here! So everyone knows the last year has been hard for me--I have missed Izzy everyday. I wasn't totally sure I was ready or really if I knew what I wanted in a new puppy. I was conflicted mostly with having a dog that can run with the horses and be safe or one that is safe at home. I knew for sure I loved Haley and Sammi. My bringing home Ziva has been sheer providence.
First of all, I sort of decided it wasn't happening until at least spring. Then I got the surprise email. In the email I rarely check--yet it jumped out at me. Then the cost was somewhat astounding, but everything fell in to place--checks from summer school and my travel to work in Sonoma came AND a surprise freebie from Paypal. Shawn, the breeder, said the puppies would be ready on Wednesday and I had Thursday and Friday off! Finally, when I got there, Ziva was the only female left and when Shawn handed her to me, she instantly nuzzled my neck and licked me. She wrapped her arms around my neck and didn't want down. The most astounding thing of all was the name her family had been calling her: Grace. Grace comes from God. I knew right then, with all the other signs in conjunction, I am supposed to have this puppy.
She has been perfect in the car; she went potty every time I stopped for her on the trip, every time I took out last night, and every time I her put out on lawn--she's got it down. (We had one accident this morning because I wasn't watching her as close I should have been.) We had to run to town for a mammogram this morning, so the poor thing probably thinks she got adopted by a homeless person and she has to live in a car!
Anyway--I am so happy I have her. My life is ready to be changed and I know I will have help from on high--because that's why I have her.
Pictures of where Ziva comes from
**I knew I liked the name Ziva from the moment I heard it. I knew the character on the show was Israeli and I liked her. When I looked up what it means, I found that it is Hebrew (I guessed as much) and it means "brilliance and bright." I like that it has a Z and a V and doesn't sound like Haley, Sammi, Happy. So Ziva's got her own sound. :)
First of all, I sort of decided it wasn't happening until at least spring. Then I got the surprise email. In the email I rarely check--yet it jumped out at me. Then the cost was somewhat astounding, but everything fell in to place--checks from summer school and my travel to work in Sonoma came AND a surprise freebie from Paypal. Shawn, the breeder, said the puppies would be ready on Wednesday and I had Thursday and Friday off! Finally, when I got there, Ziva was the only female left and when Shawn handed her to me, she instantly nuzzled my neck and licked me. She wrapped her arms around my neck and didn't want down. The most astounding thing of all was the name her family had been calling her: Grace. Grace comes from God. I knew right then, with all the other signs in conjunction, I am supposed to have this puppy.
She has been perfect in the car; she went potty every time I stopped for her on the trip, every time I took out last night, and every time I her put out on lawn--she's got it down. (We had one accident this morning because I wasn't watching her as close I should have been.) We had to run to town for a mammogram this morning, so the poor thing probably thinks she got adopted by a homeless person and she has to live in a car!
Anyway--I am so happy I have her. My life is ready to be changed and I know I will have help from on high--because that's why I have her.
Pictures of where Ziva comes from
**I knew I liked the name Ziva from the moment I heard it. I knew the character on the show was Israeli and I liked her. When I looked up what it means, I found that it is Hebrew (I guessed as much) and it means "brilliance and bright." I like that it has a Z and a V and doesn't sound like Haley, Sammi, Happy. So Ziva's got her own sound. :)
Monday, September 16, 2013
Group therapy
Where to start? I have had three great weekends in a row with my friends and favorite boy. We have ridden with Alisa and Keota each weekend and the only thing that could have possibly made it better was if Shirley had been well enough to join us.
The horses all got along beautifully on the trail and performed to the best of their abilities. Keota didn't do a lot of his beautiful jumping, but it's probably because we kept turning around to watch him. He is a "floper" though! (He floats when he lopes.) The only little blur on my personal riding was yesterday when Jupiter was losing ground and wanted to catch up with long-legged Ziggy. He went straight from fast, hard trotting to galloping. He freaks me out when this happens. He feels bunchy in the middle, like I am going off. I did lose one stirrup, but I had my knees clamped around him hard. Lynn stopped and that stopped us. Someday I will be able to ride faster.
The dogs have had great weekends too. So has Graycee (Gracie?). She really likes Sammi who plays more gently than Haley. But it doesn't really matter because Gracie gives as good as she gets.
Fall is definitely in the air and we are thinking about meeting Alisa over in Redding for some rides now that it is cooling off a bit. We also want to go to Weaverville for the fall colors and check out Lack's Creek, too.
The horses all got along beautifully on the trail and performed to the best of their abilities. Keota didn't do a lot of his beautiful jumping, but it's probably because we kept turning around to watch him. He is a "floper" though! (He floats when he lopes.) The only little blur on my personal riding was yesterday when Jupiter was losing ground and wanted to catch up with long-legged Ziggy. He went straight from fast, hard trotting to galloping. He freaks me out when this happens. He feels bunchy in the middle, like I am going off. I did lose one stirrup, but I had my knees clamped around him hard. Lynn stopped and that stopped us. Someday I will be able to ride faster.
The dogs have had great weekends too. So has Graycee (Gracie?). She really likes Sammi who plays more gently than Haley. But it doesn't really matter because Gracie gives as good as she gets.
Fall is definitely in the air and we are thinking about meeting Alisa over in Redding for some rides now that it is cooling off a bit. We also want to go to Weaverville for the fall colors and check out Lack's Creek, too.
Subscribe to:
Posts (Atom)