clearing weeds

I've been crazy working today.
I weeded the asparagus garden I started years ago, although I worry about all the rain we had this year and how they have yet to come up.  Normally these are one of the first foods to spring forward, but... not in sight as of yet.

• I cut back the rose bushes again...
• I propped them up better and cut off all the suckers.
• re stacked all the bottles I had around the asparagus plants as mulch.  Collected bark to apply later when the plants emerge. 

Yep chipped all the polish I had applied two days ago... but at least you can't see the stain of the clay under my nails.

Some friends came over took photos of the horses... for a photography class she is taking... you know thirds and framing projects.

We brushed the horses off again... cleaned up all the crazy amount of hair, but there was no getting off the wet caked on mud.... Horses will be horses!

Met one of my new neighbors on his walk pass the estate.  Hope to meet his wife soon.  They live in the SWEET little A frame down the road.

Pinesol, Bleach, and Soap.

Got all stocked up on Bleach... No I do not like having to use it but I do like washing my blankets in bleach merely because they get washed so rarely.  They carry such horrible things... and they STINK with only soap and vinegar. Trust me i've tried it but it's just not enough...

Bleach
Soap.... I tend to use as natural a soap as I can make or get so I can reuse the grey water.

Pinesol... All because Flies do not like the smell of it and I do.
I so enjoy washing out a stall with pinesol, I've gotten to where I on occasion will wash out the under hang of the barn as well.

Fly traps are out and will get filled up with water on the next good sunny warm day.

Fly feed through has been used all winter... each day so no matter what is attracted to the estate it will not be able to multiply.  There are after all cows up the mountain and down the mountain all within a two mile radius of their allowed travels... So... one must do what she can do to keep it all under control.

Horses have been out on grass a little... but only minutes at a time.
Sweet Pea will get a few hours in the morning.... while Navarre gets used to a friends dog.

I have also cut ... by hand... some of the feather grass in the pasture and I will have to keep an eye on it as the season progresses.

Lots done, but so much more to do as life never sleeps at the barn.

What a difference visitors make.

It is amazing how having someone stop by can change the day!

Yesterday it was a friend and his child than came by...
We did very little but it was enough, enough to give me a boost.

• I got to the barn 10 minutes late and they had swept my barn for me.
• Gathered their hay.
• I had the horses HOT feed with me.
• We got Navarre brushed out, carefully so it didn't get into his hay or feed.  (right now you can't touch him without a hand full of hair coming off in your hand.  His Feathers are cut because he walks on them, his forelock needs cut, as does his mane but this will only happen as the weather gets warm and stays warm.  He needs the coverage in this freezing weather.
• I got another layer put on SweetPea for another night of freezing rain, snow and wet issues.
• We got the water tub cleaned out in our short time above freezing today... and got it filled up to the rim for the rest of the week.

Not much, but enough... Then we played watching Navarre be the spirited little boy he is.  It is so fun watching them be horses when they run and play.

It is so nice as of late to have a few friends come by enjoy the animals the quiet and the peaceful energy of the property.

I may loose followers

It may mean some of you decide not to read my post anymore.  That is fine if it suites you.

 First I don't make money off this blog so what does it really matter?
Second this is about equal rights!

Today is the day I will wear red.   WHY?  Because today is  chosen day for the right for ALL PEOPLE to marry whom ever they choose.

This is SUPPOSE to be a country free, equal, and open to others beliefs.

While I believe in Christianity, Boodism, Muslim, Jewish religions all different BUT all related one way or another if you dig deep enough.
While I believe we each have a calling, unique only to one person;  I do not understand how any human has the right to give judgement over another.   Where in ANY of your precious books does it say YOU have the right to judge your brother, sister, or extended family (the world) Yes there are extremes, but do you not forget these books were written by HUMANS? 
How one human sees themselves as higher, better, or more entitled than any other is beyond me.

We all eat
We all drink
We all should do our best to not harm the other
We all try to make our way in the world as we see it.

There are extreamist in EVERY corner of the world, and I refuse to be a part of a legal, pushy, and cowardly group telling anyone else whom they can fall in love with.  How do you control your heart?   What harm is anyone loving another harming YOU?  I am for protecting children but that is NOT the issue here, that is a seperate issue all together, so those who think this is related need to go jump off the bridge for uneducated, ignorant, and self scared people.

I know this goes against some teachings of today.   I know the human race (like any other animal) is suppose to multiply and prosper.  But as our higher power made these people who are YOU to judge the purpose of the higher power?   Who are you to destroy another?   Who are you to choose to emotionally chain, cage, and torture this human. 

Did you never think any and all of these people were sent here to challange YOUR stiffeld, archaic, and scared thoughts because YOUR HIGHER POWER IS TRYING TO CHANGE YOU!!!!!

And if this is the case may the higher power flood the world with those who love each other freely.  Who raise the children off cast by those who claim to be better.  Who contribute to this world as givers and who are a part of making this world a better place for all; including you who are against them.  Because what is an equal right for them today my be your rights trampled on in generations to come. 

Having equal rights is not about being a man, or a woman, it about being human.
These groups in general have a way of supporting those less fortunate.  If ever you find yourself in that group, shall you never forget the judgement you forced on your fellow human. 

If you are a woman judging ... shame on you ... as if life never changed you would be property of a man at his hand, and for him to do what ever he pleases as you are merely a thing and not human, not able to think for ones self, not able to make real decessions.
If you are man judging... shame on you... as you would likely 98% be the servant, slave, or even worse of another more fortunate man.  Never being allowed to keep your family, your children, or belongings.

This is not the story of African Americans this is also true of "Anglos" as most were not free men, but slaves of another or kept poor under the reign of a Ruler. 

This land... North America... was the mother of people who accepted two spirited people.  It should stay that way! 

Fighting for Equal Rights for ALL humans. 
AegF

Winter Coats.

Life here is very strange, as life would have it the furry between human expectation, old man winter, and mother nature are all at odds.

In the brief moment of sun yesterday Navarre rolled in the mud but instead of being coated in mud the ground was coated with his long white hair.

The temperatures are below freezing each night and he needs that hair, but as the sun rises higher and longer his body knows it needs to be getting rid of the hairy beast he becomes in the winter.  For him this is critical.

For Sweet Pea, she had no good winter coat and in this rain and cold her rain coat is not enough.  The poor thing has to have a fleece layer at night.  While it is wet when I remove it each morning it is dry by the time I replace it, if not I put a blanket I made into a coat for her under the rain layer. 

The rain layer will have to be replaced this year as soon as they go on sale.

Life is tight but I will have to get her a new coat... Navarre will last another year of two with out one but then due to his PPSM or EPSM (which ever your vet uses)  I am sure I will have to start to accommodate his to keep his muscle tissues warm so he can move easier as he ages as well.

LIFE ...
Oh well on to playing with all the birds this morning...
My love to the world
AegF

Neighbors

I have said it a million times but a million and one can't hurt.

As drove Jerry and myself to the barn last night, we were passed and stopped by a neighbor.  Is your truck stuck by chance?  Yes! I can't get it out...

Long bed nothing in it and it is on the drainage route (nothing but moss) for water for my property not to mention the three properties up hill. Not to mention my tires SUCK... I got them OH???? only 5 years ago and only 40,000 miles ago... but the truck is rarely used but when it is; it is used to its maximum capacity.

He was on his way down he mountain to get food for the kids
He asked how long I'd be there... I had to ask Jerry just because he hates being at the barn unless he is reading, and he didn't have a book.

I'll go get food and be back as soon as I can he said!
Yes any help would be great!  Thank you I'll wait!

It worked perfectly. I let out Sweet Pea so she could eat as we waited.
got their feed ready
got out their hay
Got water going...
Started the truck and not five minutes later he was there hooking up my truck with his diesel dooley.  It actually took more than I expected to get my little truck out, but I was SOOOO happy once she was out and drivable again.

Jeff ... was his name... dog in tow... he has goats and issues with the bears up the mountain.  Now I owe him!  And happy to pay it back at any time needed!

Life is good when people just notice. 
My poor truck had been there two weeks now. ...  with little I could do about it, so to have someone offer to help I can't say thank you enough.

I am SO thankful for my neighbors.
AegF

just a few things

Well today was a slower day...

Horses done.
Birds done mine and ones I am sitting.

Had a guy come out with metal detector to help find missing Gravely Piece... no luck!

Horses then got a HOT meal, then tonight SweetPea got a blanket and rain coat as bad weather is setting in for the week.

Possible flurries for the next 5 nights!  What the heck?  Oh well it allows me more time to be looking for a job on line.

Didn't get any more rooms in the house done but kept what is done fairly clean today. 

Best of luck to everyone else out there!
AegF

memories or weather?

Everything is off the wall.
I knew it was going to be cold last night, there was little chance of rain and only flurries in the upper elevations.  By 5am I was up, warming my coffee from the press and glanced outside because of the frantic sound of trucks going up and down the road.  It was snow... snow all over the place.  NOT on my drive but high lofted on the grass. 

As I clean the floors once again (and there is a lot of dirt from only one day) I have on the TV the movie Stone Angel.  It only brings up what I have always thought, what I have seen in my decent size family the only thing you take with you is your memories.  They may be jumbled, they may be distorted over time but they are only owned and known by the carrier.

Why do people worry so much about how much they have, what they are going to leave, and how well they look in the eye of someone else.  I have never understood it, I have rarely played into the social standards, my only concerns are to take care of my husband, my animals and myself.  I look like a farm hand most of the time, but I do know how to use soap and water, press clothes and barely remember how to be social but I try.

My worry today is getting to the barn in the snow and making sure Sweet Pea has HOT mash for breakfast, plenty of hay for warmth, and I'll need to break open their ice for water.... Making sure the house is warm enough for the birds and trying to get a full time job. 

My horses... and a Job are the worries of my day. 

Crazy weather.

Mother nature must be hormonal this year!

I've had 60 degree days freckled amongst the winter calender this year.  Today is expected to be in the 50's but tonight and for the next week everything is suppose to get down to freezing at night.

What does this mean?
Well for starters I'll have to keep Navarre brushed really well so he can regulate his temperature better.  I will have to blanket SweetPea as she was all a shiver just yesterday.  So... Instead of the brushing every other day to take care of that winter coat (sense Navarre is sweaty by 4 pm) I'll have to do it everyday for the next week. 

It also means I'm going to have to figure out covers for all my fruit trees.  Apples, Pears, Cherry and the almond.  They are all well on their way with fresh tender leaves and I don't want the blooms to freeze and not occur this year.  What's the big deal?  Well I have birds till the end of the month and I normally use these sheets/ covers to protect my table and floor... Oh well ... You just have to laugh get over it and get it done some how!

So... Rocks, Sheets, and Hay  on 6 trees Cover, Uncover... just one more thing to add to the twice a day things...   remember NO plastics! have to be cloth...

Mr. Heimlich ...

Life with one less friend.
I knew it was coming, but you never expect that call.

My daddy took my cat when he moved out of the farm house and into his newly built home in Goodlettsville.  My father loves cats and I had three dogs and was about to start traveling myself... so it was fine with me, as I could still visit and get updates at any time.

Besides little did I know Daddy and Heimlich were made for each other.  Heimlich trained daddy to do what ever he wanted, when he wanted and exactly how he wanted. 

Heimlich had a routine...
Out in the morning ask to come back inside
Out in the morning and ask daddy to come brush him, then returning inside again.
Out in the morning as soon as the other cats started coming around, watch over his dirty water bowl, and back inside when ever he felt like it.

Daddy allowed this cat to do anything... rummage through the newly insulated attic.  Go in and out of the garage at any point requested.  He'd pick him up for the bed, the sofa and even the arm chair.

This cat had daddy wrapped around his paw and I loved watching it each time I visited.

Heimlich snuggled next to me each time I visited until the last few times.  At this point they were two old men dependant on each other and wanting nothing to do with a woman who came in and out of their lives.

My hat is off to Dad, who after getting an ex-ray and seeing the horror inside of little Heimlich (who never grew into those large paws of his) Daddy decided to make his journey to the next phase an easy going one instead of a painful journey all the way down that lonely road.

Dad had Heimlich put down this morning.... I got a text ... and rushed to call.  I knew something was wrong.  I worry now about my Dad... they were two old men keeping the other going... I just want my Dad to be as happy as Heimlich was.

Heimlich got his name at Paradox Farms... he was a FAT, SNOTTY little cat that kept getting under the feet of BOY each time I exercised him.  Brian R named him... it stuck.. it was so cute and fit him perfectly. 

Heimlich was a sweet little fat cat.... no longer in such pain....

sleep well my little fat black boy... sleep well.