Took the horses to the vet today.

While I did take the horses to the Vet we also had a consult / appt with the Dentist.  While all animals should have their teeth cleaned, brushed etc... If you do not care for the teeth of a horse they can not eat. 

Due to the way they chew their food they chew side to side.  The best example is how when you see camel on TV it always looks funny when it chews, chewing from side to side instead of up and down like we do.

The teeth tend to get sharp edges on them, causing the horse to bite the inside of its jaw, tongue etc... We all know how painful that can be, so this pain makes the horse more timid to eat.  Eventually if the teeth are not cared for, the horse can not chew their food well enough to digest it correctly if able to swallow it at all, causing long term issues with the horse in every way.   SweetPea was getting sloppy with her food... I can always tell when she needs her teeth done.   She has not lost weight, if anything it is the first time I've not seen her ribs through her winter coat. 

I am very lucky as both of my horses have great teeth and I only have them barely shaped once a year.
While some horses (like humans needing braces) have more issues and need serious shaping every six months.  I hate having it done!  Can you imagine filling on a tooth the size of a womans thumb?

Navarre has one permanent tooth on each side but is expecting more any time.   I also have to start saving up to have his wolf teeth pulled.  I am not have it done any time soon as he has not shown any issues with the bit as of yet, but... if he starts to I will need to have the money saved for the surgery so we can get it done when necessary.  It is almost like pulling your wisdom teeth but they are much deeper and longer.  Some people have them cut off but I would prefer to have them pulled IF he starts to show issues with the bit. 

The Vet appointment went well. The horses got their shots, yearly check-up, basic blood work,  along with another EPM test on Navarre. ... he was 1:20 last test still with no signs of issues, but blood work is cheaper than not being able to get ahead of it later... so I'm going to watch his results each year and see if we need to treat him.  He was never exposed the vaccine like my other horse was.

SweetPea took the EPM Vac. when it was out, because I lost a horse I was carring for to EPM once upon a time; and I didn't want to see another animal go through that.  It is not a nice way to live or die.   She has an 80% chance of having it;  BUT it could be a false positive due to the vaccine.  I plan on testing her every two years if she has no signs of the disease.  So far ... we are good.  Her only sign is how crazy she is, but she was worse when I got her, before she had the vaccine.   So it may or may not be a sign with her.

MAJOR signs of EPM are not being able to control the hind end.  BOTH of my horses know exactly where their feet are, and do exactly what I ask.  SweetPea is the most sure footed horse I have ever had!  She is such a treat on a trail!

OH the days when I could ride the trails, the only care on my mind was the horse below me.  I normally love riding in cold weather, but this year it has been so bad I have not been able to.  Normally SweetPea and I ride in the first snow, this year she has on shoes and it is too dangerous with shoes.  The snow packs into them, making her work like a racking horse, and leaving her with no traction.    Navarre is still just too young to get out all the time, I need to build up his back muscles to carry me properly.

This opens the door to tell a STUPID story on myself!   I am normaly a pretty safe person, but with months of no riding, due to snow, rain, and now mud, tree, and rock slides I was ... as Jerry would say I was jonesin for a ride... I was!!!!!

I jumped on SweetPea ... down in the pasture, only to ride her up to the barn.  NO big deal! I do it all the time, except this day she took my knee off when she slipped and fell going through the first gate.  Only the exact thing, the ONE reason I had been telling Jerry, I can't go ride she will slip in all this mud and fall.  Sure enough!  Even on the gravel drive from the pasture to the barn she lost it, and I went into the post.  I was so high from the 20 second ride in full gallop; I didn't even notice till I got home and saw the egg shaped bruise on my knee.  All I could do was laugh and tell Jerry how stupid I was. 

Oh well at least my addiction is ... acceptable!  I am so addicted to riding... I'm dying to get out again regardless of the risk to me, but she could have hurt herself too. 

Why no post? Thank you for asking!

There have been no post this month, as the weather got worse, so did all the issues that came along with it.  The weather made everything next to impossible to deal with and while I kept my head above water my footing quickly disolved or the sand shifted below my feet and I was left treading water.  When treading water one can only think of what is necessary for survival and this was true during our month of below freezing weather in an area with the average should be in the 40's

Life at the barn got harder, the smell of failure profuse at the barn, Horses were not happy and time was short loving on them.  Expences Increased triple as the horses needed more in the cold, going through at least two bails of hay a day, adding more oil for heat, shavings to try to keep them dry.  It was never ending.

Life at work got harder with two computer failures, running a world wide business by hand, making us look and feel like were childish in the professional world.

All of this made everything hard, and writing this once is enough! I didn't want to share the darkness every day so I decided not to post till I could see the light again.

I have sense literally taken a pick and chipped away at the ice/ frozen poop / and shoveled the wet stuff out of the way!  I stocked over 50 bails of hay 10 bags of shavings, and 10 bags of pellets.  I have bought out the stores supply of corn oil and have it at my house due to the nature of liquids in such cold weather.

The computer is back up after HOURS and DAYS of being down although I expect it to crash again any minute....

no pictures as the camera didn't like the cold! 

Trees again block or lean over the road, on the way up to the barn, this time from the melting of all the ice and snow, and now the rain that has set in for days...  leaving their roots soggy and bare, as they lean with the slope of the mountain side, so delays are still ahead for the winter season but I am hoping I am more stocked for weather ahead!

Wow!  Done with the complaints... life is brighter from here out!  OR I will not post again till it is.  Sorry but there is only so much gloom one should share with the world and we all have harder times in the winter so I didn't want to add to anyone's issues.

Much love to you all and thank you all for asking what happened to my posting!

Almost there!

My life is still on hold, as I have a few things on my computer but am at this very minute on hold (trumpet elevator music) with yet another company to get more assistance with down loading programs I had on my computer and refuse to purchase again.  Life is a white water rafting event today... I am only hoping I make it to the end of the ride with out falling out of the raft.

The weather here is blistering cold again!  I need to be out getting more hay for the horses, and while I have said this almost every time I write you have to understand... I can't get my truck to the barn, so purchasing only 15 bails or so at a time is a lot of work and last only a few days in this type of weather.   8 days to be exact!

So as soon as I get my computer back and running, I will be able to get my animals settled again...

white water! COLD and lonely...
Amber

Another day NO computer.

My computer is still dead.  While I have had HP help me clean it out, literally starting over as if I have just opened the box, life is no better.  Even without programs on the silly thing it is locking up.  I am not a happy camper! I am not a happy person... While a part of me LOVES not having a computer, my life revolves around it for making money, communicating with family and friends, so I am at a stand still.   I can only bother the husband so much to use his computer... having said as much my time is almost up in his chair ha ha... here he comes...

LIFE will go on when I get my computer back.... till then... I'll be around with snail mail or by land lines..
Amber!

computer issues.

While I have lots to say... I have little time my computer will work.  I have tried a computer guy at my house, I have been on the phone with HP for hours... and still it locks up all the time.  i will post as soon as I get help!


ONE of the trees down on the road for the last few weeks... as  a TEST while working with HP.

Sorry  no pictures again,
     A busy day, work, animals and more animals, dr appts, and clients picking up animals... LIFE...
I did not get the last three bails out of the truck like I needed this morning, issues at work started early and I needed to get back as soon as possible.

Rain,Sleet and Snow expected for the next 72 hours, now that we expect it ... we will see if anything happens.  Just incase I have filled all the water buckets with heaters I plan to strip stalls tomorrow and put down fresh dry bedding so they will have one dry place to stand.  I have a little hay but still not the 50 bails I need to feel good about my supplies.  I also need shavings, and pellets to make me feel better for the weather ahead.

After the rain and "stuff" we are expecting really cold weather... high in the low 30's and lows with out wind in the teens...   I am so glad I didn't shave my horses for rides and work out this year!  But this is the perfect time to be working on the gear so it is perfect next spring.

So my plan for the next bit is getting all my cutting tools out, making sure blades, oil and service has been taken care of, clean the boxes and make sure I have coolent supplies and all my pretty little things I like in thier hair.  Get it settled, packed and ready for perfect weather.

Which leads me to my next goal... getting the shed cleaned out and all those garden tools ready for spring as well.   WOW!!!! there is a lot to do in the winter... I just hope I can find a dry place to get it all done.

What are your goals for the next week?
For the next few days?  
For the next few hours...   CLEANING is mine...  ha ha ha... as if that will ever happen.

It's the WIND today...

I can deal with the cold, but the wind is cutting today and makes the body hurt, eyes water, and it finds holes in your layers you didn't know you had. 

I drove out to get more hay today.  With the wind as bad as it is the horses are going through one bail or MORE a day, even though I have their rain coats on them to help protect them from some of this wind while out in the pasture.  They need more oil in their feed in order NOT to overload them with grain, and they need more hay in order to keep up thier tempatures at night when it falls well below 20 with the wind chill.  They are staying in their shed more, which is an ok sign, but I worry they are ok and am doing all I can.

The electricity keeps going out, so their water gets slushey.... but the farm pipe is wrapped and has yet to freeze so hard I can't get water.  I am expecting to start carrying water to the barn any day!  

The roads are clear! driveways are still an issue IF North Facing!  The trees are getting cleared from the roads as I type, but the snow still dwells in my front yard, while the grass is trying to peak through in the back!

The wind is so harsh the snow, ice and ground water (that is exposed) is evaporating from a solid to the air, very little melting is occuring but the wind is chipping away at it as the days go on.

Updates to come, pictures later... I have hay to get to the barn, which is still a solid sheet of ice, littered with tree branches as the only source of traction.... wish me luck!

Christmas Day

Sorry no pictures today!

The snow is still not dirty from cars but is instead peppered with tree needles, sticks, and limbs; as my drive got closer and closer to the barn, more and more was in the road, till finally I had to drive over a small tree in order to pass... and the passable area was on the wrong side of the road. I soon realized this maneuver was in vain. Tree after tree down in or across the road. I backed over the small tree and found a safe place for my poor truck.


I started my walk up the mountain one more time, some higher power wants me in shape for some reason! Tree after tree I was having to climb over it or carefully slither under it. Until finally there was an evergreen I could not make my way thorough and another tree that was leaning very unsure of its security I did something my family NEVER allowed... I tress passed onto someone else's property to safely get around. I was not only worried about being on someone property, but it is Christmas, I was worried about disturbing their morning all together. No reaction, no dog, all was well as I hurried on my way. As my walk ascended higher and higher the wind and rain got worse, the sound of the trees cracking was eerie...


Joe had fed the horses, he did not believe I could make it there this morning. Being grateful I offered to walk with him to check on a vacant house, and sure enough a tree lies on the roof, having taken a rock wall with it. He rushed back to his house and called the owner. Limbs took down a rail of fencing in the paddock, something I will need to tend too as soon as weather allows. My horses are not reacting to the top rail being down and are happy to have shelter to stand under with their rain coats as well. There is also another fence beyond theirs so all is well at the moment. I shall make the hike again later in the day after the temperatures rise ... although only slightly is expected anything would help.


While alone walking once again, the glistening of the ice takes on the imagination and as I walked down the mountain, the cracking surpassed and the rush of the water in the creek took over. The roads are soggy with rain, melting snow, but laced with ice; a dangerous place but again the beauty of quiet, the glistening of frozen trees, lines, and even gravel it is a beautiful place to be on Christmas Morning.


The Evening hike was UNEVENTFUL! as I drove to the end of the drive and only walked up to the barn thanks to a ban of people whom gathered and took out most of the trees in the road.  What an act of kindness on a day that is ment for family. 

Only a tree top half way blocks the drive, but I did not want to mess up the yard driving around it! 

Ice has fallen to the ground and is almost gone, as is most of the snow from the last week.  Things here in the mountains change from moment to moment, and like today that moment is a short short time.

Much love to you all!

Christmas Eve....

This is a wreath a took a snap shot of on the walks UP the mountain to care for the horses in the days past.  It is adorned with all their local goodies, corn that was for the corn maze, broom corn that several people around use to make brooms, apples from their orchard.  When I took this shot the Store (Hickory Nut Gap Farm Store) was closed, but it was so beautiful!

The snow is starting to get dirty, the main roads are clear with scattered Black Ice in the early am, the back roads are getting better, but are still patchy with sheets of ice and black ice early.  

With the roads starting to get better the hum of cars, the rumble of big tires on large trucks are starting to fill the air again, even airplanes are starting to be heard more often.

While even the pasture is marred with hoof prints it is not yet dirty, except where I have dropped the hay. Today, the horses wanted to play more than eat, the first time all week! Life’s speed is getting back to its norm just as we all wish it would slow down, relax, and be nothing but pleasant for the family gatherings. When it is quite outside, when inside we all some how tend to relax a little better.

May the sweetness of your family, neighbors and friends be the center of your holiday gatherings...

Beautiful, Amazing, AND an Accomplishment

Wednesday the 16th I rushed to get my work done, so I could leave town, and surprise my daddy at his retirement party… How many times in your life do you get to retire? (Unless you’re a rock star or Garth Brooks???? )

I spent the night with a girlfriend, Tabitha; loved being around animals I don’t have any more. She has 4 cats and a dog, I enjoyed two of the five sleeping with me!. Got up a decent time and took care of issues with my truck, went to a pastry/coffee shop and worked by remote off the notebook computer so work was settled, got Bloodworth settled and headed to the party. It was wonderful how much food, and how many people were there to harass/or bid farewell to my dad! He is such a kidder many are not sure how to take him. At any rate the party was good, Dad seemed happy and that was all that mattered to me.

I got some other things settled … getting Henry his LATE birthday gift and I literally headed back for home straight from the Party. And Giving Olivia hers early!

I RUSHED home as fast as I could because there was a winter storm headed our way and you never know how bad they can be due to our elevation. As my luck runs… I somehow hit the face to my radio and it ended up in a bag I gave my sister Betsy for the kids… So I had nothing to keep me awake on the road and I … am NOT a person that can stay awake after dark. After driving as long as I could, I had to get a hotel room, I had barely made it to the other side of Knoxville when I realized my driving was not up to par! Too many people were passing me.

Well I got up! Waited for a decent hour to call Mother and let her know I was fine, as I was on the phone with her the first of the rain drops fell. Not 5 minutes after getting off the phone with Mother, it was sleet, and not 10 minutes after it was snow! Now while normally this doesn’t bother me at all, but I didn’t have any weight in the back of my long bed and to top it off! I didn’t have my winter package in the truck either!

What is a winter package! For all my years of driving, I have had a tin can, a candle, matches, wool socks, and a blanket in my car or truck. Here I was having been dressed like a girl for the last 24 hours in High heals, hose, and no gloves! I did have a pare of house shoes but … they are the flip flop kind! So here I was driving up, down, and around mountains with no boots, no socks, a throw for a coat. I was passing rock facings left and right but couldn’t get out of the truck to throw boulders into the bed of the truck BECAUSE I didn’t have any shoes of socks!!!!!!! Stilettos don’t get it in MY world!!!!

I did finally make it home, but had to RUSH out to the barn with NO babysitter, only my dear friend Joe to take care of them, and I can’t abuse him! I wouldn’t appreciate that, so…. I try to be fair. The snow was getting a little worse, traffic in Asheville was at a crawl of 25 mph… the roads to the barn were already the average Joelton snow, covered in about 3 inches of snow, BUT I MADE IT TO THE BARN, I quickly put the horses out, stripped the stalls and put it ALL in the bed of my truck! Had to rush to the house, get work done due to the holiday! And rush back to the barn… the whole / THE ONLY reason I came home was because I was running out of hay! I did not have enough to make it through the weekend. So I planned to get to the barn, but more manure in the bed of the truck and go for hay first thing Saturday morning as the feed stores close by noon.

Longer story… I got stuck! VERY stuck! Up beyond the wheels of my truck stuck! So what! I walked to the barn took care of the kids and walked to the end of the road, asked Jerry to come get me and made it home safe!

In my walk to and from I have to tell you! It was BEAUTIFUL! It was the quiet style of life I enjoy. I passed several people, of whom I am not sure would want to be named online… I was met first by the dog, but soon came its beautiful family walking at least two miles down the road… as they often do. But the father carried a newborn on his chest, a toddler on his back, Uncle carried yet another toddler on his back, and mother was pleasantly behind them. Another family mother, daughter and son in law and another dog, all walked to their cabin, like me taking pictures along the way. It was just so beautiful you couldn’t help but to be happy! So what if my truck was in the ditch… walking talking and enjoying other people is something most of us are in too much of a rush to do. I met so many people on my walks, LOVELY people, I also was welcomed with a HOT cup of coffee once a day from my dear Joe! Thank you Joe!

I figured I would call AAA first thing Saturday and ask for assistance! I did… we scheduled a 12:30 apt, by 1:30 I called, not upset due to the weather, got another appointment time, it came and passed, a third was set it too came and passed so I walked out again. During all this time alone in the cold I was thinking about how my family was probably all together in a warm house. But I somehow wished my family were out with me to see how beautiful, hear how quiet, such lovely people, it was perfect somehow and I just wanted to share it with them… but… By 9pm AAA finally called and canceled on me! Ending the beauty of the snow, ice and necessities on hold mind set “Our trucks are too expensive to take up a road like that” that upset me! The fact I could have hired some bubba to get my truck out, and I got strung along all day, NO HAY, no truck, and nothing accomplished for the day what the heck it was a delight to have such a day, so I’ll figure out the details for tomorrow.

Today; Sunday… I resorted to myself once again… I borrowed a sled! I asked for hay , I pulled the hay as far as I could up the MOUNTAIN, I quit! ONLY because I had already set my mind on using this very situation to get Navarre to pull his weight for the fist time in his life! Sure enough, I walked up the mountain, got the little boy, walked him down the mountain, stopped at my truck, got a rope and some bungee cords and set out to take care of my animals.

Now having that mind set I have to tell you; I met so many people on the road the last few days it was just as enjoyable as it was work, Greg … was dropped off to walk up the mountain, and he helped me instead of going his own way. Truth be told, he pulled the bail of hay up the hard part that was clear pavement, making the weight heavier instead of a simple glide. He insisted on helping me out, this was truly one of the nicest things anyone has done for me in LONG time, Thank you so much! . With his help Navarre got used to the noise the sled made behind him, we then hitched the sled to Navarre and had the horse pull it the rest of the way. When we got the really steep part of the walk I asked Greg if he would like to have a ride? I was glad to ease his walk a little after all his hard work. We stopped at the Fletcher barn to get more hay! David was nice and offered to take two bails up to the barn. After barely making it to bottom of the drive way.. Which is only steeper than the road itself, I loaded the other two bails onto the sled and Navarre carried them the rest of the way. I did it; I didn’t have to beg for help, I jerry rigged the horse equipment, but the point is I got it done, Greg and David helped me so much but also allowed me a sense of accomplishment for my self. LIFE IS GOOD!

There are some things that just feel so good. Knowing I can do what ever I want in 10-12 inches of snow, it takes me longer, but I can do it! It Feels good! Grant you, I have a hard time getting out of a chair my body hurts so bad from walking in snow so deep, try walking 3 miles in snow up to your knees!!!! See what your cheeks feel like! I didn’t know those muscles were still there! I lost that young tight thing when I was 32! Now it’s a normal rear end of a 40 something year old… and hurts like one tonight….

Other vehicles got stuck around my truck, and some kids pulled them all out, even sending someone to get my keys and deliver my truck home. So the end of the saga… after a hot shower, my truck is home, my horses have hay, and I decided to sit and write about it.

Merry Christmas everyone!