Thursday, November 1, 2018

Hocus Pocus


I do not care for most forms of hocus-pocus.  I don't like scary stuff, political malarkey, consumer scams, false news, sorcery, or any other form of evil deceit.  But some Halloween pranks and frights can be fun.  Being the last week of October, with Halloween, some acceptable hocus pocus occurred.  I recall this hilarious movie, with cast of three riotous ladies who portrayed outlandishly wild witches that return from 17th-century Salem after they were accidentally conjured up by some unsuspecting pranksters!



Friday 10/26 - Rain moved in overnight and continued off and on all day and into the following night.  This would be good for the grass seed, if it didn't wash it away.  However, the lower temperature wouldn't help germination.  Some hocus pocus might be needed to get it to grow.

There was a different kind of hocus pocus going on with the cats.  I yelled at them to quit fighting, and then Maggie came over to referee.


Sometimes she thinks I am yelling at her.  Poor doggie.

I finished up last week's blog, but decided to wait and proof it and post it early the following morning.  It was damp and cold and difficult to get motivated to venture out, but I did go to the gym and barn.






The cats continued their shenanigans of hide, seek, and jump out and attack each other.  I worry when they start running around on the climbing shelves.  I don't want anyone to fall and get hurt.






Some time was spent communicating via text messages with Alice and Sherri to coordinate our evening's Halloween costumes, Three Blind Mice.  We eventually decided to meet at Sherri's and finalize them.


Have you ever seen such a sight, as... 

We picked up Mary Ann (the butcher's wife) and Mary (a disco queen) and headed to R Place with Sherri driving on this rainy night.


The five of us ladies dined and danced to Barrowed Mule, a band I have mixed feelings about.






They didn't play as many good dance numbers as I would have liked, but we all danced to many of the songs anyway

The party wound down at 10:30 and we hit Taco Bell and Mc Donald's on the way home.  Ending the night with an ice cream cone worked well for me.  I made it home before Poker Joe.

Saturday 10/26 -  the morning was spent, used up, wasted, or however you want to look at it, by trying to figure out a design for the last of my sunroom shelves.  I wanted to give the cats steps down on the wall by the sliding door to our bedroom so they have a second option for ways to get up and down from the climbing gym.  This might avoid, seen right, confrontation.




These are two of the many shelf designs I had seen that I liked and thought might work.  So I started measuring and drawing possibilities.








I was hoping to be able to go with the first design, with a tree shape, like the ladder shelves I'd seen.  But there was too much height and not enough width for this to work.  The steps would end up being too steep for the cats.  I wanted it symmetrical and I wanted to have frame like boxes for photos, books, and nick knacks.  I couldn't come up with anything I liked.


I finally had to get up and away from my fixation on shelf design because I was to pick Patty up at 2:15.  We spent the next three plus hours at Spikes watching a nail biting Hawkeye game that they ended up losing.  Joe was watching from his Air B&B in Florida.  He had left early in the morning to start the first leg of his poker cruise trip. 

Sunday 10/28 - It was a beautiful morning to attend church.  Meeting Patty at the barn occurred from 11:30 - 2:30.  It was also a perfect day for riding.



We met Judy and Emily out on the trail who were coming back from some branch removal.


You can see that Judy is armed and dangerous.  Ha ha ha.



Patty did great on Zorro, and he did pretty well himself.

Zorro led most the way and only became nervous a few times and anxious to get back to the barn two other times.  But Patty stayed on him and kept him focused on the task at hand.  And she eventually got him to do what she wanted.








Back at the barn, Diva (one of the livery horses) was acting like Zorro.  It was easy to want to linger there in the warm sun, chatting with the ladies, but I had plans to do some yard work, so I scooted on home.



I had been collecting rocks all summer to put a little retaining wall down hill from this redbud, because mulch and dirt was washing away from it.  At one point when I went back up to the garage to get something, a deer had come through the back.  I stopped when I spotted him, but then he took off just as I was taking this photo.













Getting the rock to stack so they didn't wobble is like putting together a jigsaw puzzle.  It took time to get the wall so it looked good and had no gaps for dirt to wash out from behind it.  It was dark by the time I finished, and I watered grass seed with the back lights on.

Monday 10/29 - I had been awake from 2-4am, unable to sleep, so messed here at my computer.  Once back in bed, I didn't get up until 7am, and felt like I had lost much of my morning time.








I stuck this bean bag in the corner under my desk so the cats could lie on it to look out the windows.  I also found it is a great foot warmer.

Well, Monita has really taken a liking to it.  Consequently, this made it tough to leave my comfy sanctuary.  But I did, for Ballroom Aerobics and a weight workout.

I had some time to work on moving mulch, but had to hustle so I could get to the barn by 2:30.










So I filled in mulch around the redbud and new wall, and along part of the walking path.













Look how pretty the fall colors are getting.








Jan, Deana, and Cheryl all arrived at the barn  and saddled-up their horses.  Soon we were off across the road to ride in the winter pastures.  Five livery horses were over there, so we were kind of checking up on them.












We found four of the horses, and then in the third field, Maverick, who proceeded to follow us.

He stopped though, once we got to the pond and rode into the fourth field.


I attempted to get a (video) of him following us, but Amiga turned, taking me into some bushes.  This second (video) was better.

We enjoyed the beauty of the day, the sky, the sun, and the fall colors.  Eventually we made our way over to the entrance to the woods, and rode part of the long trail.  My saddle sisters were willing to keep the ride easy (few hills or rocks) because Amiga is still recovering from some sort of lameness issue.

Feeling guilty for leaving Maggie home alone so much of the day, right after her dinner, I took her for a long walk of the back nine of Druid, starting on #17 behind our house.

 
These photos were taken from #17 green, looking at our back yard.  A close up shows the new rock wall.

The left photo was taken looking west from #12 Tee.  Below, a look at the pond and water fall of #14, with mountains east in the distance.















Tuesday 10/30 - Monita took a pre-dawn nap on the bean bag at my feet while I blogged.

Stevie was sitting on the desk, behind my computer, when we spotted this buck.







He got his fill of corn and then headed behind Allen's house.







Stevie and I watched the whole time.











This is partly why I spend so much time here at my desk (lap-top).  I am not always looking at my computer screen.

There had been a chipmunk in our garage eating holes in the bag of cracked corn, which I had taped up twice.  And it had been peeing and pooping on boxes.  To scare it back out, I would lower the garage door to an inch or two open and let Stevie and Maggie chase it out of the garage.  Well, on Tuesday morning, the chipmunk was not so lucky.  I found its lifeless body near the feed bag.  This is Stumpy, one of my favorite varmints, reminding me of a hamster with its short tail.  I have watched her for two winters now, out at the feeders.  So I was very sad to discover her body.


I buried Stumpy down back and then finished using up all the mulch piled down on the 'oasis.'  Most of it went onto this path that needed refurbishing.








The 'oasis' still gets flooded regularly, so I will continue to fill in down there, starting with leaves this fall and adding dirt, sand, and sludge I will dig out of the creek again, probably early spring.  And then I will re-seed it.  

I finished up in the yard, watering all the grass seed.  Then I was off for an afternoon and evening at the barn.  Patty came and did a bunch of ground work with Zorro, who has been responding very well to her.








A little later Jan, Cheryl, Karen and Polly arrived.  We saddled up our horses and hit the trail.  (Patty didn't join us because she had somewhere else to be.)


Amiga felt good and did well.  She is stiff on left turns and over rocky terrain and on hills, but otherwise seemed fine.




Back at the barn, the Halloween party was beginning.  We rode around, entertaining the guests and exposing our horses to something new.

I can't get the lower photo to move up to this space, so I'll add text...  Blogger seems to be up to hocus pocus all the time, tricking me with photo and text placement.  I just don't get how it decides to allow or not allow me to put things where I want them.  There doesn't seem to be any rhyme or reason.



Amiga got a bit wound up while riding out in the yard, so I had to keep calming her down.  She did, however feel very even while gaiting and she was more than willing and wanting to move out.








We followed the second wagon ride into the field with the livery horses.  

They all gather around the wagon to get fed grain by the visitors.  A fun time for all.





Beer and hot dogs was enjoyed by the working staff and boarders once the party wound down.

It was a late dinner for my fur babies by the time I got home, well after dark.


Wednesday 10/31 - Happy Halloween.  It should be about fun and games, families gathering to go for an evening walk, some scary tricks (or not) but definitely treats (candy - preferably in the form of chocolate).


Monita napping at my feet while I did stuff on my computer.


Meanwhile, I caught a photo of four of the five doe that were down back for their usual morning snack.







I had another good weight workout after Ballroom aerobics.  It was in the 60's but cloudy.  However, the trees are becoming more brilliant.  I especially like the red of this dogwood by the sunroom.



 













Patty and I met at the barn and we saddled up Amiga and Zorro.  Patty decided to try Courtney's Orthoflex saddle on Zorro.

Patty practiced in the pony pen for awhile and I rode Diva (a big, black, Walking horse) to see how I liked her.  I have been toying with the idea of leasing a sturdier horse for some endurance or competitive trail riding.  Amiga is just too delicate.  Diva was a bit tripsy, needed a lot of leg to keep her moving, and felt very different from Amiga.




Before long, I got on Amiga and Patty and I hit the trail, going out the direction that the trail rides go.  Zorro was very concerned when cars went by along the rode, but Patty handled him like a champ.  Everyday the woods are new and different with their change in colors and foliage.

Once back to the barn, I turn Amiga around and head back out by ourselves.  She was not happy about this and protested by trying to turn back and getting all revved up.  By the time I did return to the barn on her, she was a hot sweaty mess.  Ugh.  At least she had time to cool down and roll in the dirt before coming in for the night.

Patty drove Karen and I and we met Judy downtown Crossville.  Parking was crazy because of the Downtown Trunk or Treat Party the businesses were having.  Main street was closed to traffic and full of people, all dressed in costumes.







We ate at a wings restaurant.  I had a burger that was oh so good.  The other three happily devoured many wings.

With it getting dark so early, I have troubles staying up until my bedtime.  And I am trying to stay up later than usual, in preparation for the time change.




Thursday November 1st - Where did October go?  Rain moved into the area overnight and it got very windy.





I would have been content to stay here at my desk all morning, but had planned to shop, knowing outdoor activities would not occur.






Look how much the leaves have changed color almost overnight.  My kitties know how to spend a rainy day.


I spent five hours shopping, running from store to store, with specific intent at a few places, and just looking around in several thrift shops.  I actually bought a raincoat for four bucks at the first place because I wanted one that zipped up with a hood.  It did me well all day as I slopped through the rain, to and from my car.


I also bought this neat wooden container with wicker on the outside and felt on the inside.

I thought it was some antique, but later Patty informed me that they sell something like it at Wal-Mart.  At least I got a great price for it.






I also bought a new ($2.50) throw blanket that I tied around the ugly green bean bag bed, so it better blends with my décor.




Stevie decided she liked this spot for chillaxing and looking out the window.


The wind and rain continued all day, bring a ton of leaves down into the yard.  The temperature never dipped, and it was still 60 degrees when I walked the dog at 9:45 pm.  I had watched two Fixer Upper episodes to stay awake this late.

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