A good day!

Don’t you just love it when you have a really good day? I do! My day was all planned out and didn’t go the according to schedule BUT I was fine with that.

Yesterday I started my list of contractors. I called 8; got return calls from two, and had an appointment / on site evaluation with one for later today but it fell through. No big deal! I was happy to have the day free.

My day started as usual, as Bill Cosby would say ... do what you need to do in order to do what you want to do. I did just that! Got my necessary task out of the way and was on horse back for a pleasant ride by 8:30am, met up with my first two accomplices and then the three of us rode to the next barn and met up with another two. I so enjoy riding in a large group like this... as the trails on “my” side (same side as the barns) of the road is great for long distance training, as it is all up hill... actually/ literally up mountain is more like it. ( As one looks on a topography map it’s called Little Pisque after Pisque Mountain the Vanderbilt’s owned in the area.) So we normally take the easier routes now a days which are on the other side of the highway. A highway full of trucks, cars and crazy people on motorcycles and believe it or not ... for the horses the quiet little bicycles are the worst. With no distinct smell or loud sound they can’t make up their mind to freeze or fly like a bat....

Today we all went over the highway in easily orderly fashion, passing another large (20 plus head) of horses to a trail preserved in a residential area.

Ride was done by 12 noon the rest of the day is a blur... ( headache) but I’ve been back to the barn again and ... that place just makes the rest of the world fall aside. The smell of the dinner plate size magnolia blooms, the grasses waving in the breeze, the rabbits so comfortable I walk within four feet of them before they even contemplate the thought of running. And then... the look and sound of my horses as they run to the pasture, playing and nipping at each other; happy content and magnificent animals.

I drove home and noticed my garden. Funny how you see something, tend to something every day and for some reason when the brain, heart, or mood is right; you see it in a different way. Everything is doing well, the sunflowers are taller than me and a pleasure to look at.

Attached is a picture from my back porch..

Ahh aHHHHHHHHH

A day to relax!

Up with the birds, done with the horses (for the morning), gone to get work items for the next week, got a ball for the horse to play with and now I'm relaxing....

Of course with relaxing; my mind wanders with the development of the property. It is just too hot for a desk person like myself to get out on the tractor mid day in 90 degree weather. Not going to happen.

so my mind goes to what it will all look like, what my next step is.

I have a list of 8 contractors in Fairview NC. I am going to develop a form letter, ask for an on site appt. and require detailed bids from each. IF they want to see if they can be in the running then they are going to have to go through me. I have very specific ideas for the place, I have requirements, wants, and dreams. I expect quotes for all, so I can decide what i can afford to do and what I am willing to do myself.

I have some trees that must be removed to make the site safe. i need a cost.
I want to know if I can use some of these trees for corner post or if it would be cheaper to get processed wood. If processed wood is to be used ... how much to take away the trees being cut down.
I want a drive put in,
I want two dry lots put in, One near barn other under trees for water and shade during day.
I need a retaining wall front and back of the barn areas. with drains on both
I expect the barn quote to be VERY specific down to the type of wood being used due to the size of my horses. Oak is the softest wood acceptable in my mind although raw and rough cut are both acceptable I am NOT requiring finished wood. I expect this quote to have french drains UNDER the stalls AND the covered area, I require clutter free gutter system in the quote for the water collecting system. I would like a quote on a farm water spicket. it is specific as the water actually falls back down in the ground so it does not stay in the pipe and freeze over winter etc...

dreams of what it will look like fill my head. Gates made of old beds I have saved from years ago. One found in a fallen barn at Nanny and Paw Paws... of course modifications will be required on one side so the horses do not get a foot in it. Sliding bars will be required to protect windows on the hay barn first floor. so much runs through my head... so much filtering, plotting, drawing and ... I have to stop! just breath.... DREAMS can get in the way of reality! I only hope i can keep it all together long enough to get something done.

Friday...

Today has been good, I got work settled with no real issues. I got the horses loved, fed and settled, with little effort. Birds are happy and healthy. Jerry took me out to lunch and I walked around town looking like a girl for the rest of afternoon.

I am about to go get groceries and start planning next weeks meals. It is rare I look like a girl much less get to run around like one.

for those of you who don't know me I'm still the "girl" (now with more pounds and wrinkles) that I always was. I am my happiest in my old cut offs.

Story from LONG ago. After my first marriage blew up in my face I decided I had to find out who I was without the input or care of what anyone else thought. Well I found who I was and I've stuck to it ever sense. I am happiest when I dirty, smelly, and I know I have accomplished something for the day. BUT I enjoy putting my manners, lotions, and soft clothes to use when I feel like looking like a girl.

the story goes... When I was in my 30's I ate breakfast with Nanny and Paw Paw every morning. I would clean the barn, spread the manure and drive for a well rounded breakfast to my grandparents. On occasion I would have a lunch date... (at first this is all I would allow a man) and I would show up having NOT taken a bath, in my cut offs, old t-shirt and no makeup what so ever. Once Nanny was really concerned... "your not really going to meet this man looking like that are you?" this was a harsh as she is ever spoken. Yes Mam I am, if he doesn't want to look at me he doesn't have too. She just shook her head and went on with another conversation.

The one man that made it through what I called my " no icing" phase... is the man I married! I went out with him for MONTHS before I finally dressed up like a girl and when he met me at the door he literally dropped his jaw! a moment I will never forget.

BUT that also means all he ever gets out of me is the nasty smelly, boy looking person I really am.

Today was a little casual (but nice) black dress and high heals. He was VERY happy... and I got my bonus I was looking for.... ha ha ha...

Hope anyone else reading this is just as satisfied...

Back on track.

Yesterday ended up being a good day. A Morning ride with SweetPea allowed me to be grounded and ready for the customers to talk down to me all day. And sure enough it started with the first phone call! Everybody knows Jerry, everyone is his best friend and I'm the stupid secretary that answers the phone and knows nothing. Of course they don't understand Jerry is almost deaf and can't hear a word they are saying. Nor does he remember everyone, but neither do I!!!!

Yelling at me, talking down to me as if I have no idea what the company sells is the norm. But the ride smoothed out the edges yesterday and I took my day in stride.

I also ended the day on a good note taking a nap in the hammock at the barn. Yes, among the rose garden, english garden, tea garden, meditation garden, grass garden there is a hammock just over the fence at the barn. I really must show you guys how incredible this place is at some point. You drive in and it makes you breath out and relax! The guys that own the place are amazing! I only hope I can make my place feel as good.

Wednesday

just another day in the soup of mess. BUT things are suppose to get better today. The computer professional is going to show up any moment... or so they say.

But I on the other hand have taken the morning off and taken SweetPea out for a cool morning ride. She did very well with all the traffic on the road, lawnmowers and weed eaters. I may have to do this more often.

On to work... quotes, shipping, and more call in orders to return/ answer questions.

Signing off as a little more relaxed than yesterday.

PARALIZED

Tuesday.... normally I'm fine on a Tuesday, but today business is slow. Slow is NOT the word for it as very few know we ( Jerry and I ) run a Motorcycle business on line only . I would post our site but it would do no good as... it's not working... We are international, we are Internet only and deal with very specific bikes. Life today is very stressful but only because of that little thing we all call money.

Money. It sucks if you don't have it! It sucks when you do; and people crawl out from under rocks expecting the world from you. Luckily we live a simple life, so I'm almost an easy going person.

But knowing no money is rolling in, knowing much is going out.
We have called in the professionals that will take what little money we do have but hopefully we can start working on line again soon. help is on the way.

I hate computers! I hate electronics! This is why I like nature, Cause and Effect. You hit the wrong key with a computer and your world crashes with no warning. While with nature even with hale, rain, winds and what ever else ... we all know at some point down the road (even years) life will continue close to what it once did.

I'd rather have dirt under my nails, smelling like a horse and dealing with the heat.

Yes I know this has nothing to do with my blog, nothing to do with the development of the estate... but no money no progress on the barn etc...
oh yea! so yesterday...
Yesterday was a bust.
They drugged my horse 3 times.
and the machine broke!!!!!!

no test, no results but we are going to try to reschedule! AND AND AND... they did compensate me for my time. 10 days of meds... 400.00 dollars worth of drugs. yea!!!!

On the way home the trailer stopped working. no lights, no turn signals, no brakes. if I had one I didn't have the other. So the trailer is at the dealer today... which is stressful enough as this same dealer allowed my last trailer to get stolen off their lot with very little responsibility or reaction to the situation. This is the ONLY reason I have a decent trailer, I was happy with the old one; BUT I had to buy a new one or never take my horses anywhere, or do anything fun with them.

UPDATE while everything above has been most of the day...I have to report the good with the bad. The trailer company has diagnosed and repaired the light issues. I am also very happy to report ... the real owner of the company was some how NOT aware of everything that had occurred with me in the past so ... he did NOT charge me in any way for all the time involved with finding the issue. The issue was in the trailer... it's not yet 18 months old but the ground wire in the ball of the hitch had broken so it was on and off ... hidden in the insulation of the hitch it was hard to find, but they did. \
On the other hand with work. we are going to be down till Thursday... so ... the positive there is ... I'm sure I'll loose a few pounds in the interim. ha ha ha...

not a typical monday! yea!

While it's early for some, it's near 6am. I've done my shipping and about to start the drive to the barn to pick up this "little" guy for a doctors appointment. Wish me luck! Storms are in the forecast. This little guy gets a scope put down his nose today taking it as far as we can to see how well his ulcers are healing... again wish me luck his med's are 40.00 a DAY!!! add that one up! It would be nice if I could spend that in a week which is my goal.

Once again... horses are NOT good pets! They can cost you as much as a college education, which is why the recent rate of putting a horse down as increased as the economy has gotten worse. be careful of any animal choices you make

I believe Navarre has hit another growth spurt! This time he is getting wider instead of taller. And NO I am NOT leaving him out all the time, he is on pasture only 4 to 6 hours a day depending on the heat index or the sun. I have already cut back on his feed.

If anyone has an idea of how to keep the "white" mane and tail white please let me know!

To back up my claims...

Before I get caught up for the day let me just post a picture of the bear tracks I went back 0619 and took pictures of. I'm sure it's hard to see especially if you are not sure what you are looking at BUT no one can deny the holes on the left of the pictures which are the claws digging into the dirt as it went up the embankment. it's a right foot print and larger than my hand.

Friday was an ok day but yesterday was a great day. I took pictures of the horses and let them out for the morning. I went back around 12 and gave Navarre a bucket bath, and then went browsing for ideas for the barns. It was fun! I’ve not just window shopped in a long time BUT it is also dangerous!

I fell in love with a set of beautiful urns but they are way too fancy for an Italian peasant style barn. I dearly love them and want them BUT I would NEVER be able to make them fit into my simple life style. I also found another cleaner set of urns BUT.... they are too small and the horses would use them as toys!

I am going to the next little town to shop around today, AFTER I get the horses in for the heat of the day. Wish me luck, I’m out to Lake Lure and Hendersonville. I hope to enjoy today as much as I did yesterday.

Goals ... Find shutters or bars to protect the windows on the HAY barn from the horses. I will of course either get heavy duty industrial glass OR use plexiglass for the windows but I have to keep in mind the style of everything as well. SIMPLE!!!! Minimal, and as Italian as I can afford. Ha ha ha... most everything I’ve found thus far is early American and not correct at all. I found two sets of shutters but I am going to have double windows so they will not be enough!
Picture attached

It Finally Happen To Me!

ok... so I've lived here in NC for about 6 years now.
The one place everyone has been is Gatlinburg or Great Smokey Mountains; when you go no matter if you admit it or not you always want to see a bear. Me; it's never happen.

Jerry, gets an MV Agusta F4 and takes it out only a handful of times and he nearly hits a bear in the middle of the road. Just last week he nearly hits a full grown bear on the Blue Ridge Parkway, which was NOT the danger. The danger was the person behind him who didn't see it or was looking at it and nearly took off the rear end of Jerry's SUV when Jerry hit his breaks.

This morning 6:45 on the way to put out the horses... a SMALL bear was in the road. I haven't a clue if he was crossing, or just alarmed by my speeding around the tight corner. But he looked at me and ran off. I knew they were in the area, as a woman just last week was hospitalized by one as she was trying to save her dog. Neighbors around the horses complain that the bears eat their expensive koi fish. The vet comments on the fact they get within 20 feet of my horses due to tracks and the grub eating marks at the main gate of the horse pen, but I had never seen one till this morning.

ok... so I've been back to the barn to put the horses in the shade for the heat of the day. It's 10:15 when I drive by the same spot and what do I see... The BEAR is still there, walking searching for ?something? but still there. This time I reached for my purse to get the camera and I had only grabbed my wallet. So no picture! But I stopped the car watched it walk around (my car cuts off when stopped) so when I put it in gear and the engine started back up he ran up the gravel drive.

It’s Tuesday! But I have to back up!

Sunday was wonderful!
Sunday I did the normal animal thing, up at 5 coffee, coffee... coffee horses out at 6, clean a stall. Go home let the birds out, do what ever I can with the birds on me around the house. Go back and clean a stall again, get horses in out of hot sun. This is where my schedule changed.

I drove to subway got a salad and decided to have a picnic alone on the property. So I walked to the back area where the barns will soon start being built and sat on “Emma’s Rock” This particular bolder was so named by a child whom quickly decided to claim and name it as such when last she visited. So ... Emma’s Rock it was. I sat, ate my salad and then planted a few plants near the drive that, well have been in pots far too long and needed a new home. Maybe with room for their roots to grow they will start to increase in size once again. They have not gotten any larger for the past few years and quite frankly I was getting worried so... freedom (if they survive) they have.

Monday- well it was typical, swamped and no room to breath.
Tuesday- Today well ... it’s been packed but it was a pleasure to have some friends stop by whom wanted and even requested to go see the property. There are still areas you can not walk so we didn’t walk the bad parts but they got the short tour and were encouraging to me with all I have done.

Tomorrow... I may not take the time to write! I got new ramps to move the gravely around, for my birthday so I very well may have to take the afternoon off work and take the bush hog back to the property, get rid of some of the dead stuff and give my new toy a try. I’ll let you know how it goes later.

Yesterday, Friday was wounderful.

It ended with me sitting on the front porch of my friends house looking out to the perfectly framed landscape. So relaxed my eye was able to move slowly, peacefully like a child face relaxing as it falls into sleep. Seeing from the sky down, watching the sun set in full color behind the far away blue mountain scape, framed by the nearer lush trees, just to the back of the pasture where my beautiful horses were peacefully grazing. Sitting upon a nice porch bed atop the pasture, the noises were so peaceful even the most alarming human would have taken in a deep breath of relief. My friends are gone or I would have never invaded their space this way (it was after all only the front porch) but like everything else in life we know there are beautiful things around us, people say please come, sit, enjoy your time here. I rarely stop in their estate because it is so perfectly arranged much like a European ground that allows a person to wonder and be surprised buy the next turn.

This small but ample estate includes the horse stalls I rent, the pasture and supply area. An incredible grass garden, water garden, patio garden, rose garden, English garden, tea garden, and meditation garden. Not to diminish the food garden and green house. The gardens are ever changing as Joe is so perfectly organized and encourages the next bloomers to be on time nourished by the greenhouse. Tulips this year were more beautiful than that of the Biltmore, told to me by this years visitors. Missed by them was the total display of all the allium. Allium of all colors, sizes and heights. I’ve never known so many to exist, much less displayed and timed to keep a spring garden going till summer flowers are bursting at the seams.

I so enjoy being the only human at Joe’s barn.. But I have enjoyed learning more and more by watching these gardens change over the seasons, and see how nature can be more beautiful than any canvas could portray.

Peace, Sitting, watching my horses graze the pasture while hearing the water run in the medication garden along the stretch of the drive, perfectly dividing their estate from the next. Yesterday ended as a good day.

Today it’s not yet 9 as I type but I’ve been to the barn, the community garden and have a full list for the rest of the day. I’ll check in again later. It’s beautiful outside

A Thursday that felt like a slow melting Monday!

Before you read my horrid post below please look at this picture! It's a bird house, YES a bird house. I am in love with these pieces of art, they come in almost any animal you can imagine and personalized if requested and...paid for. But I just wanted to share a positive, one of my beloved dream items before you read about my crazy day.



Today started early, I actually had a laborer Paul show up at 5:30 am. Rarely do I get anyone whom is ready to go (minus coffee) other than me. I on the other hand had nightmares all night, got up with a headache and should have known something was up.

As the fog was just starting to roll in ,we took Paul’s car just down the road, dropped it off and headed for the horses. Of course Navarre was limping worse today than yesterday but no heat in the feet. So out for grass they go. Discussion with Paul and he is on his own.

Paul on the other hand (poor thing) has a travel mug warmed up coffee from yesterday! As do I! But Paul gets to start digging ditches. Yep, the “dry lot” for the horses is washing away with all the torrential rains we are getting every day my poor horses are sliding down hill. Paul is a good hard worker but even I am getting upset with the rain that no longer sinks into the soil but destroys any land, life, and habitat in its wake.

So Paul digs all morning, I go back to the office to work and it ALL hits the fan in flying chunks. Work; Well can we just say I felt like your typical American that hates their life and just wants to quit their job! BAM! (Without the spices) I was sucker punched no matter what I did this morning. Trouble with Dubai U.A.E., trouble in Brussels, Trouble in Spain. SOLVE SOLVE<>

Navarre gets way too hot too soon for a real horse. This kid will have to be pampered and have fans all summer when I move him to the estate. UP goes my daily bills for electricity!!!!! OK so ... Paul and I talk, we have issues in the way. We put our heads together and come up with a redneck, ghastly looking idea BUT ... tomorrow I’ll be able to tell you if it worked or not.
We lay down locust to divert some of the run off, or slow it down just enough so later we can lay a six inch french drain. All this for someone else’s property, but I love these guys.... and out of respect I try to treat the property as well as I would my own. I'm trying to save a resource so they don't loose their investment.

We have to go to the estate to get the logs, dump the manure, and get the brick old blocks; as we drive back it starts to rain;(thank goodness) and he gets back to work. As do I leaving the horses out so they are not in his way only getting wet in the overcast of the mid day.

Conference with the Architect in the midst of my day.... plans are being printed as I type...
But by noon it was full sun again, I had to rush back for the horses and Navarre is worse on his feet than he was 6 hours ago and NOW with heat in the hind right. VET!!!!! so I call and wait.

I love my vet! He calls me back, we get disconnected, he calls again and again till we get through our conversation. He rearranges he schedule and works me in a near by appt.
I’m stressed, between keeping up with International issues, being stressed about horses, Jerry picking up on it and me being shorter than usual with him... I’m done. Brain is fried BUT we must march on.

Paul goes home early!
I call Franklin to come get packages later in the day and I’m stuck on the computer till the vet calls again and I rush out to meet him and his assistant.
Navarre is now on med.'s again for inflamation of soft tissues due to other things stressed in the foot for now. This only adds an hour and ½ on to my morning and nightly schedule as now his feet need to be soaked, cleaned, stuffed/packed and medicated along with two oral medications. Specifics are null and void as like children they can both have the same thing but they each react differently to treatment.

So I take care of the horse, pay the vet, and get home to finish work. Just as I get it all out for Franklin to pick it up, it starts to rain, so I rush outside to move the boxes to a safer area on the covered front porch BUT then is stars to hail again.... Second time this month... Wind is getting crazy and I have to get all the boxes back in the house.

I give up!@ #$^%#%

I rarely ever get this stressed. I have a rush ... rush life like everyone else in the world but I can normally get my feet planted enough to roll with the punches; but not today! I normally walk to the organic store (it’s only two houses over) but today in the rain following the hail, I drove! I wanted a beer, but I got hard cider instead. Cold hard cider, only 6% alc/vol and gluten free!!!! so at least I didn’t cross one line today. Because I cussed, fussed and nearly offended myself; I was wound so tight today! LIFE! it all catches up with you when you least expect it. Today was my blinded not expecting it day.... I’m sure tomorrow will be sun shine after the storm.

who ever is reading this I hope your day was better.

Barns...

It’s only noon and I’ve put the horses out, taken care of the birds, had an appt with the archetech and I’m about to leave to do business errands AND a personal errand to check on roofing for the two barn structures.

My next largest feat is to decide on who to build the stalls, making sure not to use most of my financial resources that I want saved for the hay barn. BUT somehow make them both appear to fit into the style of house etc.. I want for the entire estate.

I’ll let you know how it works out.

Next step...
Getting basic plans from Mr. Devitt for the stalls. Get Code Perfect plans for the hay barn and getting it all worked into a schedule I can afford. But this is what I have for now.

Sun, Rain, Rain, Hail, Rain

while we have had three days sense I last posted that were beautiful and sunny without rain THREE is all we have had. Every day there has been a small for measurable rain along with one day of Hail.



In the three days we had sun; I got help and sprayed the horses pasture to be with brush killer, broad leaf killer and serious kill everything for six months chemicals in spots. I got help from a local volunteer who wanted to “help”

sense I last wrote I’ve had two appointments with the vet, a farrier appt and test results on animal works, an appt with the architect of which I have another tomorrow.

I am very excited that I may be able to get my stalls up for this winter and move the horses next spring. Then “hopefully” by next year have saved some more money to put up the hay barn and have the horses settled for following winter of 10-11. Yes all of this takes forever so while these are time lines I am putting in writing I am NOT going to hold myself to them. When there is nature involved you can believe she will have the last word. Of which ... leads me to the hail.

The Hail poured down Tuesday and damaged everything in the garden. So what was about to come back up from a second planting was beat down and damaged seriously. The potatoes will easily survive and may even be larger than normal given all the rain AND nature cutting them back just before their blooming time, requiring them to reserve more in their bulb (potato) system.

I was given more flowers from Joe today, so I may just give up on the food this year and plant more and more flowers. I am NOT sure the sunflowers will survive with their shredded leaves, but I am not willing to cut them back they are so big. We will just have to see.