Blogged Down

After arriving home from Texas, I had a lot of blogging to catch up on, since I had only done one day's worth during our trip.  I had so many other things bogging me down as well; catch-up on laundry, yard work, and getting back to some projects.  I had also planned to get back into my exercise routine.  I had only put on two pounds during my twice daily of eating out, but felt like I was carrying around much more extra belly bulge.


Wednesday 10/17 - While transferring photos and notes from my travel laptop to my desk laptop, I watched wildlife discover that feeders were now full after being empty for a week.  During my trip to the gym for Ballroom aerobics, I hopped on the scale and was surprised it didn't read higher than it did.  Lack of energy and motivation and feeling the need to get my travel blog done, I skipped a weight workout.  What's one more day off I thought.

My waistline is not the only thing that needs slimming.  I am still aware of the need to be less wordy while blogging because I know my ramblings bog you down.

I did get in a three mile walk with Maggie and 30 minutes of pick-up-sticks.  Lots of wind and rain here had messed up the lawn.  Joe got home from a losing night of poker and we watched another episode of Survivor, that is just now getting interesting.

Thursday 10/18 - The furnace has been on since we got home, but I also added some additional warmth to the sunroom with my space heater, until the sun was higher in the sky.  Consequently, to stay warm overnight, I put the flannel sheets and heavy blanket on the bed.








I knew the cats and dog were feeling cold because they had their feet tucked under them while they were lying down.



Besides blogging and catch-up around the house, I made it to the gym for a decent workout.  I love the sensation of tired, but tighter feeling (verses saggy) muscles.

Joe and I drove into town a little after noon, did some shopping and then went to the Playhouse for the three hour long production of Sweeney Todd.  It was a very well done show, but not exactly my style of music.  I did recognize two Barbra Streisand songs, Pretty Women and Not While I'm Around, so enjoyed those.

Friday 10/19 - Do you see what Maggie and I saw?  We had the thrill of seeing these two young bucks hanging out in back, for quite awhile.





Maggie has done very well with her training to keep quiet and was rewarded with a dog treat as we watched.

Joe helped me to hang the cat ladder, since I had finally found brackets I liked to help support it.  Then I had him move the top peg step over to the left four inches because it was too far of a reach for the cats to use it to get to the top corner shelf.














At first Stevie was trying to use the step ladder to access the hammock.

Finally, Stevie found the cat ladder, and proceeded to explore cautiously.











I sat back and watched her inspect the new climbing toy, and took lots of photos.

I climbed up on the ladder to take a photo of Stevie in the box but she looked out and then came towards me.  At this point Monita also became curious and came to investigate, getting in the box.

Stevie returned to take a peek at Monita in the box.

I should have taken a video because the action picked up.  Earlier there was a fair amount of time between the photos.

Eventually, Stevie laid down on the corner shelf above my desk while Monita kind of settled in/on the box.


Monita's head is still small enough to fit through the side view window I put in the box, but Stevie's isn't.

 















At last, I left the sunroom cat shelf fun and went to the barn.  I needed to check on Amiga and see how she was.  I didn't see evidence of lameness, so rode bareback for a better feel of her hoof fall.  While riding down inclines, she seemed stiff and tripsy, but otherwise she felt good.  

While out on the trail, I met up with a livery ride, so turned back and went to the old ghost town to get out of their way.  We watched the large group ride by.  

Then I rode Amiga to the top of the first hill on Holly Trail.  Coming back, I was surprised Chester didn't get in the water hole.  Although the air was brisk and not at all hot.



To end the day, I got dressed up in my Jane Fonda outfit, squeezing into an old leotard I had worn when teaching Aerobics 30 years ago.



And I met up with these ladies (Shirley, Patty, and Sherri) at the library building for the Moonlighters Halloween dance.


And dance we did.  It was a good time.













I thought Patty did a great job with her make-up for her cat costume.

Saturday 10/20 - was a horsey day.  I picked up Patty at 8:30 and we went to Christy's farm for a Barb Gerbitz clinic.  She trains under Buck Brannaman.  Early in the introduction time, two horses got bored and decided to roll.








Jan, Sandy, Terry, Patty and I made up most of the audience, auditing the clinic.  It was a great experience, with lots to learn, but was very cold at 54 degrees and wind.



We ended at 5:00 after reviewing all that was done with the note board.  Notice Patty and Jan wrapped in blankets.

Once home to thaw out, I took a long hot shower and put on my toasty, snuggly winter PJ's, followed by a warm dinner and hot tea.

Sunday 10/21 - Stevie was enjoying the hammock.  After Church I went straight to town to run errands and shop.

I was done early so went to the Playhouse parking lot and read my bible.  I would be joining a Bible study so was trying to catch up.







Once Joe arrived, we went in and watched a fun and interesting production of The Old Man & The Old Moon.




Joe proceeded to a poker game and I came home to unload tree, mulch, other supplies and groceries.  Then I set to work on making a little shelf to go in front of my desk at the corner so I can put a light on it, and keep my desk clear.  I love my hand jigsaw.  I even got one coat of paint applied before bedtime.

Monday 10/22 - Morning arrived way too early at 4:30 with Monita starting to up-chuck on our bed.  I got her off in time for the entire mess to occur on the floor (carpet).  She does projectile liquid vomiting, and backs up between each heave, so with each ho there is a trail of puke.  I think I need to try yet a different cat food because lately, these messes have been occurring more often.

In my own little corner in my own little (sun) room, I can blog as long as I want to blog.  I sat here at my computer for a few hours until day break.  Notice the 5:56 time on the computer and it is still pitch dark outside.  I keep lights dim in an effort to not wake Joe on the other side of the sliding door in our bedroom.

I put a second coat of paint on the corner shelf and once Joe was up and willing, we secured it to the corner post.


I did some cleaning and we moved my desk back in place.


And I put this pretty little light on the shelf that brightens this corner when turned on at night.







On the way home from the gym, I went to Landscape solutions and bought this large pink flowering Stellar Dogwood.  I had bought a small crabapple at Lowe's, but that wasn't really what I wanted.  I had to call Joe to come get the tree because it wouldn't fit in my car.  Actually, it barley fit in the SUV and was quite heavy.



Digging a hole was the next challenge.  I kept hitting a rock slab about a foot down.  I finally found an area where I could go deeper, but then hit an old tree stump.  Many, many swings of the mattock were necessary to make the hole large and deep enough.


Getting the very heavy tree into the hole required Joe's help, but was quick and easy compared to the work I had just done.




Next I moved this little dogwood to where another had died...


...so I could plant the crabapple in the spot where the little dogwood had been, between the small and large boulders (corn rock).


Judy had called earlier in the day to let me know that little Miss Amiga had gotten into some trouble.  Apparently, she had managed to get the long string of a deflated balloon into her mouth, and then thought it was pursuing her (video).  She tried to get away from it by running and turning, but because it was in her mouth, it kept ‘chasing’ her.  Thankfully the wonderful staff at Wildwood saw this and came to her rescue.  Judy gave her a Previcox and Haley walked her to cool her down.

Patty, Jan and I were planning to meet at the barn at 4pm, so I hurried from tree planting to get there.  When I walked Amiga out of her stall, she was really off on the front, favoring her left leg.  When she stands, she always points with that leg, which indicates soreness.


Patty was working on some clinic exercises but Amiga was too sore for me to even do that with her.  Seen right Zorro is getting corrected for grabbing the lead rope in his mouth.


It is so hard to scold him when he is so cute holding the lead rope.  And he followed Patty everywhere she went, keeping the lead rope slack.




However, when she stopped he would come into her space.   But he is so stinkin' cute and sweet.  I wasn't much help to Patty because I had forgotten so much and didn't have my notes with me.





I was feeling down, being unable to work with Amiga and I was envious of Jan, Judy, and Haley, who went off to ride the winter pasture and check on fencing.  I need a dependable horse.  But I tried to remind myself, I was lucky to be able to even have a horse.

I took a pain relief sleeping pill before bed because my back was really hurting from weights and tree planting.

Tuesday 10/23 - A look at my sunroom /office/cat hangout, basically all done.  I still have plans for a shelfing unit on the wall, under the light you see in this photo.  It will act as a ladder for the cats and be framing for photos and can be shelves for nick knacks.









I went to the barn at 7:30 to check Amiga and give her Previcox.  She was much improved from the day before.  I also started her on a feed supplement, Lubrigen with Glucosamine Chondroitin, for joint support.





There was more blogging and a nap on the couch with Monita, before I went to the Bible Study I was starting.









Then I watered all the new tree transplants, went back to the barn to check on Amiga, and even had time to put out these Halloween decorations.  To end the day, Joe and I went out to Reds for dinner with Brian.

Wednesday 10/24 - These two like the cushioned storage bench seat to view life out this window.

Ballroom, weights, early lunch and then I was off to the barn.  Amiga was way out in the farthest point of the pasture, so I used a rock to carefully get on and walk her back to the barn.  She felt pretty good.







I gave Amiga a Previcox, feed supplement, and removed burs.




Patty had met me and we did ground work to practice clinic techniques.  Getting the two to do a 'stay' while we were at a distance was a challenge because they were distracting each other.






Amiga was moving fairly well but I did not want to overdo it, so quit after 15 minutes.  I gathered up a 30 gallon tub of old hay and then came home to plant grass seed.










I spread five of the six bags of top soil Joe had bought, which evened out the ground and then applied the seed.



Next a top coat of old hay was spread.  And then the seed and new tree transplants got a good watering.  I knew germination was iffy, but have had a partial bag of seed sitting in the garage all summer. 






I had moved old mulch from the pile near the creek, and put it around the new tree and a few others.  I also added it to this spot, that had sunk about six inches.  Maggie was out 'guarding' the yard, but acting cold.


So I finished up for the day and drove Maggie to the Dorchester neighborhood and took her on an hour walk, and scouting mission.  I was looking for one last dogwood, but we also spotted deer several times.




Can you see two of them in the above photo?  It didn't take them long to skedaddle once they saw Maggie.

Since it was one of Joe's poker nights, I had quiet time to work on finishing my Texas blog.  But sleep took hold of me before my mission was accomplished.  I actually turned the lights out at 8:05 and fell right to sleep.




Thursday 10/25 - I guess you could say my day started at 2am.  Joe got home from poker at 1:30, waking me up.  After 30 minutes giving myself time to fall back to sleep, I got up.  I finished my Texas Blog then took a two hour nap on the couch.

Waking back up in a very groggy state, I knew I was going to be dragging the rest of the day.  But I had plans to dig up the woodland dogwood along with some other things.


There was a huge pile of sand, gravel, and a yucca plant (probably dumped by a construction crew) at the edge of a vacant gravel road.  Joe willingly came to do the rugged driving and help with digging things up.



I planted the dogwood, seen upper left and the yucca, seen left.  Joe had also gathered lots of sand/gravel mix that I used to fill in at the bottom of the drainage ditch, seen above.  I plan to do a little more concrete work down here to improve this last section.





I had also dug up two mounds of this white moss/lichen and 'planted' them here.  I love the contrast of color and texture that I am using to make my moss garden.






I wanted to sow the rest of the grass seed I had, but needed more old hay.  I made my daily trip to the barn to check on Amiga, gave her Previcox and an extra scoop of her feed supplement.  Jan was there working with Cash so I did a little with Amiga.  Then Sandy showed up and we talked clinic teachings, realizing that we can help each other out with the parts we remember.

I gathered two bins of hay, came home, and sowed seed in these two places.  I really wish it germinates this fall.  If not, I can hope for it to grow come spring.









I got the gas fire place going and Joe and I watched Survivor while the cats and dog joined us by the warmth of the fire.