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Wednesday, November 28, 2012

I've done all I can to get the word out, that Navarre is up for share.  I've posted on Facebook, I've posted it on this blog, I've even joined some share pages in order to get the word out a little more.  Today I had a conversation with some who hope to share the word for me again.  BUT if all fails I'll end up posting him on Craigs List by May... I surely hope not as I want to meet the person I share him with, I want to know what they expect of him, what I can expect from them and how they are going to help Navarre to be active.

This is not about me at this point, it is about keeping Navarre active and giving him the time he needs for activaties... ?

Lets see...
I'm paying the bills,
I'm paying for the feed, vet, farrier, and even his teeth... but I just need someone to ride him, give him love help to feed them 2 or 3 nights a weeks etc...

I DO expect them to understand and keep him off ANY grass, I DO EXPECT that they understand that he can NOT have any treats that are sugar, that contain sugar, or would convert to sugar... NO SUGAR...

no grass,
no apples, carrotts, treat etc...

life sounds hard for him but he has a better life with me than most... EXCEPT he needs to be ridden.

I can't ride, as I have hurt my back, I can't ride as I have to work too much, I can't ride as I have no time left working 60 hours a week.

I need someone to Love on and Ride WR Prince Navarre!
Please share if you know ANYONE that would have a good seat, and gentle hands...

828 707 7607.... call me! ASAP!!!!

Wednesday, November 21, 2012

So thankful today... I have started driving my own car again.
Yes I know sounds petty... but my car is small, saves gas, and is not perfect like those of my sweet husband.  In his vehicles I have to watch my boots, my clothes, and even the smells I leave behind.  I hate worrying about such things... Life is too short!

My car I do not care... I do but I don't. 
I'd rather be in a car that smells like leather or a horse, none of that worries me.

My car is a mess,
My car smells like a horse.
Grant, you don't want to be wearing nice expensive clothes in it! BUT ... that is not my lifestyle anyway, SO...

My day was spectacular!
I got all of my side dishes made for lunch tomorrow.
I got the birds settled
The horses done;  AND got to share a tiny lesson with someone else's child.  She desperately wants to ride Navarre BUT she was allowing him to push her around on the ground, thus I can not allow her to ride him till she can control him on the ground.

While I can't do much around the barn, Her father was great help as I directed from a distance and they communicated and she got a better hand on how to control the horses on the ground with out having a hand on them.

I did however backup with Navarre and literally make her take control of him at a simple walk.

Life ... was good watching a bulb go off in someone else.
Life is good when it is shared and life made easier for someone else or another animal down the road.

I will however be VERY worried about Navarre until I see him tomorrow morning... I am sure he will be sore from having being worked so hard today.  We shall see!


Saturday, November 17, 2012

You know I do EVERYTHING I can for my horses...
I've said it before but I am now posting on this site...

I WANT TO SHARE MY VANNER with someone! Yes! I said it publicly...

Here is the deal. 
He stays at my place!
I pay for his feed, suppliments.
I pay for his standard shoes, standard vet checkups ...


This is what I want...
I want someone to love on him...
I want someone to start to walk him.. do some ground work with him... and yes eventually ride him.
I want to share him with someone because this would be great for someone who can't afford a horse AND it would be good for Navarre!

I can't let someone just get on... and ride... he is not in good enough shape to just jump on...

But he is a beautiful horse, diserves more attention, and needs to be ridden.

I'm serious...
YES there are more details... but we can discuss them... nothing that big... but I want help, I want to share and he is such a good little boy!

So ANYONE interested... give me a call.
828 707 7607
Amber Goins...


Friday, November 16, 2012

Life...
Missing the barn...
Missing the smells...
The way it feels just being there...
But I brought some of it home with me yesterday.

Strings from the barn! Hay bail strings... I have no real idea what I am going to do with them but... I have some ideas from searching over the Internet none of which are what I am doing but they are all inspiring in their own way...

First... weeks if not months ago... I found this on Pinterest.



Now really How neat is that?
A privacy fence?
A Wall of art?
No matter how you look at it is is something different!

I could so something like that!
LOVE the idea...

Then I came across.>>>
how beautiful is this?

I know... I can't knit!
I have no idea what I am doing ... but I can braid ... so as I try to sit more upright for extended periods of time  I'll give some bailing twine a try!

Any ideas?
Anything I should try to do?
Come on people... here is your chance to push me around... What should I do?

Thursday, November 15, 2012

Really funny how badly I miss the barn.  It is not just the horses but the smells the sounds and the noise free environment.

I live on a FIVE lane highway!
Yep in a 1930's stone cottage with very little room where my dear husband runs an international business (for the time being) Actually for the last 9 years!   But with this economy he may not be around much longer?   Only time will tell.

I took the feed to the barn
Dumped it out into each of their bowls
Took my 30 minutes making a hundred trips up and down the field so to spread out the hay and keep them from pooping near my barn.

I have to get a farm worker to help me clean out the water container now that my back is so bad.  I can lean over and scrub it IF I lean on the side the entire time using my hips instead of my back... But I can't just stand over it and use my arms.

So in order to make my life easier.
I have been bringing SMALL amount of feed home
Sweet Pea has to have extra calories than Navarre or she will LOOSE lots of weight in the winter. ...
So Dried Pressed Alfalfa for her... Not heavy when dry but a pain when wet! So an hour before I go to the barn I boil a pot of water... Take the Alfalfa to the car... and then the water... Pour the water into the bucket in the truck  and that is ONE bucket to the barn... it sits gets mushy... and is the first trip INTO the barn yard once I make it there!

Next is Navarre's feed.. it is such a high fat content it too takes boiling water to make it work, but it only takes about 30 minutes to get mushy... and he will not eat it if it is too hot!  So...
a second bucket, but this time with only ounces of feed I can carry it and the feed to the truck at the same time.

Then I get all the supplements together... pour them in a plastic sandwich bag... I have the oil at the barn...

Daily supplements..
Feed through fly control for both... While I've been sickly... (only one week of missing the barn) I noticed the flies were coming back!  Yep only a week of no fly control and it is noticeable... SO as I have always done, I am making sure they have this YEAR ROUND!   I was one of few barns this year with little to no fly issues!  LOVE it!

They both get oil... Rice Bran during the day... and Corn oil at night...
     Why two different types... Well... Rice Bran is about $30.00 a gallon and Corn oil is about $10.00 so if I can make it spread out and cheaper over time not hurting my kids too much I will.  I have learned too much corn oil with stop the process of Vitamin D so I keep it to a minimal and at night as it burns hotter for them, and less sun at night... ha ha ha...

ONLY for Navarre
Natural Vitamin E.
Smart Pak E with Selenium
Daily electrolyte
Herbal additives ... as he gets NO real feed only rice bran so he needs what he is missing

Sweet Pea gets only one other thing...
A cool calorie! She needs so much more than I can give her... this is what I have.  I would rather only have to use this in the summer but it tends to assist me in keeping her weight on her for winter as well, but gives her NO insulation or heat in the digestion track... so I try not to over use it...




Then that third bag of feed to pour into Sweet Peas alfalfa once I'm at the barn makes life workable...

Then I can only take out a flake or two at a time so that takes a good 30 minutes or longer the issue is not the hay it is making sure I do not loose my footing going up and down the hill at the barn into through the barn mud lot and into the mud pasture lot!   Yes I know... but the slope can easily pull a muscle.  Slip a disk, or hurt the one ruptured...


I hate my meds...
I take acupuncture Thursday ...
and get my Cortisone Shots Friday...
Physical Therapy Tuesday

So hopefully we will be on our way SOON getting back to normal..
But again what is normal? right?


lead into tomorrows post...

I brought home some of the hay strings... WHY... well it kinds goes back to things I saw on line again. Now that I am not outside brushing my kids, cleaning up their environment I am going through my own with a fine tooth comb.  Getting rid of trash, papers, and things I've never used...

I have piles of magazine pages I am now ready to let go.
I have piles of folders I am ready to give away.

I am eager to clean my things out use what i can... and do what I can with what I have...

So... All those strings in the barn... What can I do with them?







Wednesday, November 14, 2012




Life is complicated...

There is nothing that is ever easy all the time, So just to show you how complicated my life THOUGHTS are... you should visit my Pinterest Boards...

There are so many... In fact  My mind separates into 41 boards over... 6000 pins but even with all this organization there are funny clashes in my personality, collection, and showing

my photo,idea collection through Pinterst...



My life is rural
My life is city slick...
My life is simple but that makes it hard.

My life is sudden
My life is planned
My life is prepped
My life is?  LIFE ugly, pretty, messy, clean and unlike ANY OTHER...

My life is me...
I am my life...


I know that my blog changes all the time... it does!
So does life..
As of right now my back injuries prevent me from being at the barn the time I want to... the time I need too... But life goes on and instead of not sharing my life as it is, I understand if some of my horse people fall off here and there!   But I will be back... I'll still be posting Horse things...

Tomorrow is going to be photos and reasons for Navarre's supplements, their morning mush... and getting them their hot meals in cold weather..

Have fun and follow me along the way learning how to care for my horses from a distance, with out the back I once had..




Sunday, November 11, 2012

I have had SEVERAL things come my way while I have been in my dark place with my physical inabilities. 

Navarre has gone down hill sense all my jobs have come first.

Notification that I have to find a new place for all my hay next year.

I have lost out on an electrical walker for him that I desperately needed... and while Don suggested I make payments... I am not spending money I do not have has always been my response and will continue to be for me and the horses.  While I could have afforded it... it would have wiped out my winter emergency fund for extra hay,  oils, or medical supplies for Navarre.  So NO I'm wasn't going to through out what little cush I have for my kids...


TODAY however all the positive has come back to light... I may have... I just may have been sent a small, light, young person;  who like me just wants to be around horses, can't have a horse of her own yet!   but if she gets Navarre back into a riding shape I will have a light weighted riding partner young enough to handle a young horse, but mature enough to give him good direction without getting into his mouth!

I am so excited that my darkness of this cold house, the feeling in the middle of my back,  has been counter balanced by Sweet Pea smelling my breath, nibbling on my nose (lovingly with her upper lip only) helping me walk up the hill, my toes being bare and dirty in the dry lot.  Sitting on a hay bail that my husband took down the hill for me.    A good friend stopping by for a chat that I hope helped us both.  A truly free space, a place I built for positive energy and a place that has paid me more of that energy in the past 24 hours than I can express though the English language to someone who ? may or may not even be in the same season, chapter, much less page of life and its views...

I am in a better place.
I am going to make it through all this new stuff!
I am going to help Navarre even if I can't do it myself. 

Who could pass up being around a horse that most think is beautiful... being able to create a relationship with him, walk him in hand back to a better state, then start on riding work down the road when we can get more together and assess both of our ideas of his requirements...


I can breath again!
my heartbeat is slower
my mind is racing but it's the steroids... can't get around those at this state... not sleeping but I'm breathing again!

I can finally see all the colors in a single blade of grass again.  I'm seeing things my way again instead of this drab, hum drum crayola five pack box... I've got the full set again!!!!!

Friday, November 9, 2012

It is funny how the outlook of my country scares me more than the outcome of my own life.

I have no children to worry about.
I have no reason to worry about other people... except no one can survive alone and be FULL of life, art, character, and be responsible.  "responsible" yep... it is our duty as humans to live a life we see as right and to show others that same path. 

This is a responsibility looked over by those who are selfish, greedy, and hateful.  This is what the typical Anglo of the United States has done to the only TRUE "American" the Native American Indian... a group of people who live in groups, take only what they need, and share all they have, and are so responsible they trusted the invaders of only 200 years ago.

I am a typical American MUTT, and thus a feel a responsibility for the repression of ALL people of this land... Black, Red,or Yellow in crude terms... I know I myself have done nothing to repress anyone, if anything I extend my hand to any equal or less fortunate than myself.  But this makes me no better than anyone as we are all one and we must ALL pull TOGETHER in order to feed, clothes, and shelter our brother and sisters in this time and need.


I know in my heart even if on one leg I can and I will make my life worth while.  I will be able to plant potatoes, beans, carrots, peas, tomatoes, okra, eggplant, pumpkins, squash and what ever else I can in order to make it through the winters of life.

I already have my apple trees of which I will have to protect next spring...
I already have other fruit trees I will have to protect ... along with other types of edibles on the estate lands.  I am a survivor and thus it is my COUNTRY I am scared to the core of my bones about and for. 

How many out there can as in food preservation?
How many out there salt food for preservation?
How many out there dry food for preservation?
How many out there freeze food for preservation? BUT if you do what is your back up when the power no longer works... (Storms, Fires and Floods)

I have to worry about my horses above anything! as they are my highest cost of living... Shoes, Foot Trimmings, HAY, STORAGE and feeds that will not hurt Navarre.  Oil is a big thing for him!   He must have oil instead of sugars.



Thursday, November 8, 2012

I have always been an outsider! 
I have always been looked at as strange, different, or silly.

I started this blog several years ago because I live 5 hours or more from any of my family.  A family I long for, visited everyday (yes EVERYDAY) if I was within an hour drive I would make the time to see my Maternal Grandparents whom have tied me to the earth, defined right and wrong, shown me the way to treat other people, and created the mortar to the strong brick foundation of laid by my parents.


My parents had little to nothing during the trying times of the 70s and life was not as easy as some of my friends because while both of my parents worked no one was at home keeping us tied to the earth like my grandparents.  It was only my Maternal Grandparents that taught me the feel of the air, the look of the sky, and the actions of animals around their house.


Grant you... when I grew up it was almost a different generation than that of which I am, but it was a solid American thought process and because of that I am now willing to tell the world I am TERRIFIED!

As I made my life harder than it needed to be getting married to a man who said one thing and ment another... not watching him like I would anyother animal but trusting him like a man? MISTAKE... But I learned yet another lesson and have not made that mistake sense.

I once again fell in love and through love with yet another man who supported me in anything I wanted, needed, or simply wanted to experience in life.  My horses being one of those things...
Together we have traveled more of the world than those I grew up with but less than world travelers I come across in my daily activities now.  We have not traveled in some time now due to the economy.

I am not saying this is the end of my world as I know it... although I am sure our business will not make another 4 years of this administration (of now I owe respect too... based on the majority vote of last night) I do respect the office! so I will back our president, but I am putting this is writing that the majority will be sorry after they see the total of his four more years that it will take us generations and generations to get out of.  It is no different how so many are underwater with their homes... we are now underwater as a country!   If you voted for this you are a part of the problem in 4 more years and I don't want to hear your winning THEN when you had the chance YESTERDAY to stop the situtuation! (I've said my piece)


I am all for public assistance.
I am all for EQUAL rights for each and EVERY human.

I am just NOT for generations and generations of public assistance! I am for regulating the use of public assistance so those of the next generation have it, those who need it, those like friends that I have, know, and have and will continue to do what ever I can, share what ever I have (although it is smaller by the day) 

xmpl.... I have people while not everyday close talking friends... I have a connection to them that I would gladly do what ever I can to help them.  THEY DESERVE ASSISTANCE.  They whom deserve assistance are those whom have done all they can and have no control over GOD GIVEN CHALLENGES that others only pray not to have.  I say it ugly; but I say it honestly!   Those whom are given life long challenges from God that are not seen in the public eye as "normal" should have every assistance they can get.  They lived life correctly and continue to but need help that others have only ideas of what one of their days endures. 

I also have friends that have assistance who can't keep a job due to health issues not easily seen by the public eye.  They have tried, they still try to get and keep jobs to this day, but life rears its ugly head and when it does it is VERY obvious to those who see them.  But I see she is making sure her child does NOT live on this assistance... she makes a point to show him how much more he can have by taking care of himself and doing more than she can.  I have to say at this point he is good about helping her out as no one can live well on what assistance she gets... but unlike so many I see she has nothing, but has used all her government assistance to further her son and his outlook on life.

Yes I am being ugly!
Yes I am putting it in black and white...
Yes I am being as honest as a human can be... but here comes the REST...

If you owe anything on your home, house, business, or even a car... just know that in the history of man you are at risk of loosing all you have to a very controlling country.  China basically picks up all our tabs, our banks could call in the note ANY DAY they want to based on the request of the controlling country!

Please know that we as people need to be more self reliant!
What does this mean?

Well for me it means EVERYTHING!
I have horses but I no longer have the time to ride them.
I have horses but I have to find the money to be able to feed them.
I have property but now I have to find a way to have it pay me for every minute I put into it!

What am I going to do?
Well for starters I think I'll get a few chickens... who knows when... as I am a penny pincher ...
It also means I will be hording my water, my dry goods, and anything that can make my life easier in the long run when I do not have a paycheck coming in.  Of which quite frankly I expect to be any day now!

I think I am going to call a bee keeper and see if they would like to put a hive on my estate!

It appears Navarre is doing well with out all his supplements EVERYDAY!
So I am going to discuss with my vet allowing me to give him 1/2 his dosage each day ... allowing me to cut back on some of my expenses with him.

I am also trying to find someone that will ride him daily...
A short ride for starters... but getting longer and longer as time goes on... This way I will be able to use him more around the estate when I need to!

Sweet Pea... I am going to have that same person put her out to pasture 10 minutes a day... until we can work her up to being on grass... (cutting down on my hay expenses) all the time.  This will not allow Navarre to have a play mate but we may be able to make up for that with a goat or something else that will pay off in the long run.  This we shall see. 

Point is... I have to start making plans... this is my place to scribble down my plans... laugh at myself the next day... and pat myself on the back months down the road if I got something right... ?

We shall see!
But all I can say is we all need to plant something in our yards to make our bills a little less next year! and a little more each year as we adjust to the physical labor, the good thing is the more you have your hands in the dirt the healthier you are! ... so this may help us all.

oh well for once I am a scared woman...


Wednesday, November 7, 2012

I learned so much from my grandparents ... well my Maternal grandparents that is.  My Paternal... while I loved them as family I never had a great connection to their lifestyle. 

My Maternal Grandparents... Nannie and Paw Paw were my connection to life.  I had coffee with them every morning possible as an adult, and while it sounds strange in today's times it has shown to be one of the best assets of my adult hood.  These stories shared, their way of solving problems, way of looking at life no matter how little money they had or how bad things seemed.

My Paw Paw was one that loved and lived by the farmers almanac... thus I am in the process of sharing this information with you as I can.

Appalachian Region!  I live in the very TIP of this region... the very south... BUT with in miles of the highest point of the region.

Did you know the Appalachian Mountains are in fact some of the OLDEST mountains in the world?
Were you aware we customarily experience small earth quakes all the time?   The rarely make national news as they are only reported locally if over 2.5  and nationally if over 3.0  but they happen all the time under a 2.5 ... just one of the silly things we deal with here!   Just one of the minimal issues we have concerning building codes and the movement of earth etc...

So Back to the Farmers Almanac...

Appalachians are expecting a winter colder and drier than normal... the coldest times from December through early January... again in mid February cold will hit...
Snowfall is expected to be below normal, and a HOT memorial Day Weekend.

Summer is expected to be drier and a bit warmer than normal, with the hottest periods mid-to late June.  early to mid July... Late July... and mid August.

September and October are expected to be warmer and drier than normal for the region.

SO lets all keep an eye on how well the almanac hits the spot.

I'll post each months expectations just to see where we are!  I'm just curious ... lets see what it does for us... or NOT?

For MY area only... Asheville NC / Appalachian region....

November
40 degrees (4 below average)
Precipt 2.5   (1 " below average)
1-5 Sunny, cool, then warm
6-14 Rain and snow showers, then sunny, cold
15-22 Rain and snow then sunny, cool.
23-25 SNOW North, rain South
26-29 Rain then sunny, seasonable...
30 Showers, mild.

Thus we shall see how the book rates this year...

HINT... I am writing this on...   11-6 and it has been rainy and snowing today!!!! gotta laugh they hit that one on the head!

Tuesday, November 6, 2012

Life always has a way of changing in the blink of an eye.  My life while NOT upside down it has been put at a stand still for a small moment in time.

As I had prepared my mushy feed for the kids Saturday morning, I drove to the barn, got out of the car and proceeded to fall in my walk through the woods.  While I have yet to make it back to the ground on the estate... I am sure I cracked my buckets, and my horses have not had any feed only hay for the past few days as.... friends, family, and farm hands have been the only ones to love on my kids. 

I did however make it into the Explorer (with help of my beloved hubby) to see if Navarre was moving around ok or about to tie up considering he is getting none of his required supplements of his diet.  SweetPea is stuck in her rain coat, as (not that it couldn't be done)... but no one else has ever been able to get the blanket back on her in the past.  So... as long as it breathes... as long as it doesn't get into the 60's I think she will be ok.

I have to have a shout out... Actually I was to SCREAM a thank you to David! while I would love to use his REAL name... he is after all a climbing actor in the US... so my Shout Out to Mr. David Topp who has done Hallmark movies, other short movie skits, as well as his manager and mother... Melanie Star.     These two people have come to my house, made my coffee, brushed my horses, fed them, cleaned and filled their water, gotten them hay twice a day and offered to do EVERYTHING I can't do.

I never thought I would be 44 and not able to get on my pants alone.  I am just today able to sit up strait without pain rushing up and down my back and into my leg. 

I worry about my new job.... I worry they will not understand the pain that radiates from my back, hip, and leg.  I do have my ER paperwork, I also have two appointments with specialist this week.  But I am not the type of person that likes to have my kids taken care of by others that I will owe the rest of my days... much less have a job that they think I will do nothing to pull my weight.  My only issue is I can't move my right leg well enough to stand more than 5 minutes, go up stairs much less trying to walk on rocks at this point. 

I will do everything in my power to make this better... as I have already started to call and interview acupuncturist.. healing touch assistance... and researching exercises I can do on my own to ward this from happening again... or keep it at a minimum...

Thursday, November 1, 2012

IF ONLY!!!!

Today is the first day in Four there was no snow at all at the barn!.... I've been delivering HOT meals to the kids for several reasons. 
1. The colder it is outside the more energy it takes for a horse to digest processed feed.  This can make it harder on a horse that has coliced in the past ( my little girl Sweet Pea) and it takes away needed warmth created by using that energy to digest.  (not what I want for Navarre either)

So.  Sweet Pea gets  Alfalfa (dried/pressed cubes that I soak in boiling water for at least an hour) along with her low starch feed which turns to mush easily and quickly.

Navarre gets his high fat Rice Bran feed that only turns to mush if mixed with boiling water for at least thirty minutes or longer. 

Morning and Night they get their hot meals... then I give the extra hay with corn oil poured over it!

Today I had to FIGHT Navarre to keep him away from SweetPea's feed! mushy sloppy mess running down his mustache and he would wipe it on his knees ... like any kid eating and having a good time with their food.  But her feed has more sugars and she needs it! So out came the dressage whip.  NOT to hit him but to keep him down the hill while she ate in peace.

As the wind has yet to die down from Sandy... it whipped his mane and tail above his head as he pranced around mad at me!   His blue eyes glistened as he glared at me; a site rarely seen of Navarre as his forelock is down past his nose (and needs a good 9 to 10 inch cut)!   I'll get past you! I'll get to that CANDY you have given her and not allowed me to have!

Navarre gets vitamins and minerals, LOTS and lots  of vitamin E... a fly feed through, and a salt/electrolyte that makes him drink (he de-hydrates on me all too quickly so we decided not only blocks in the barn but powders in his feed are necessary!

Sweet Pea gets are more... relaxed routine of food... but he was dying to get to that alfalfa!   Not on my watch!

I enjoyed our little tiff this morning, I got hot enough I had to undo my overalls, take off a jacket, my gloves and wish I had on my normal boots instead of barn boots.  But I wasn't expecting Navarre to be so happy, and so loose this morning!   If only he were able to move like that EVERY DAY!  I would have such thoughts of the day I have to put him down (for all the pain he is in)

It is all a good thing!
Life is good!