Happy Holly Neighs

The lyrics of this song say it well:
Happy holiday, happy holiday
May the calendar keep bringing
Happy holidays to you.
While the merry bells keep ringing
May your every wish come true.






Friday 11/30 - After dropping Maggie off at Patty's, we were on the road to Nashville.  It rained most of our drive.





We picked up Courtney and Mike, stopped by her co-worker's house so she could feed the pet birds, and then proceeded to Atlanta.






It continued to rain, leaving pockets of mist and fog throughout the mountains.  In spite of the crappy driving conditions, it was pretty scenery.  However, the almost four hour drive lasted too long for my liking.

After checking into the hotel and freshening up we drove the five mile (20 minute) trip to the City Winery.  The Christmas lights downtown were happy and bright.

Dinner was quite tasty and then Don McLean took the stage and entertained us for over two hours.  It was a nice small crowd for a very personal feeling venue.










I enjoyed the stories told between some songs, most of the music selections (quite a bit of country) and of course the great ending with American Pie.

Saturday 12/1 - If you didn't start getting in the Christmas spirit after Thanksgiving (that means decorating), now that it is December, I hope you are in the mood.

A half hour after I woke, the continental breakfast opened and I got muffins and juice to go with my hot, well steeped tea.  It was warm but rainy and the drizzle made the sidewalk to the front office glisten.  I started this blog and then had fun with the advent calendar games.  Later Jean sent this photo of her working on ornament smash from the advent calendar.  She was enjoying the snow falling outside, her morning coffee, and her cat.





Joe woke with 15 minutes to catch the 9:00 ending of the complementary breakfast.  My second cup of tea was long past finished, but I went with him and grabbed a beagle and yogurt for a second breakfast.  We watched the news of the passing of George W Bush.

Once Courtney and Mike were up and ready, we hit the road for a long drive back to Nashville.  It was pouring rain but traffic was a lot lighter in the northbound lanes, than what we saw coming at us.  We made a lunch stop and a pit stop, so the drive wasn't too painful.  And it did clear off before we reached Courtney and Mike's.







I'd had enough sitting so once to Courtney's, I went for a long (75 minute) walk.  I came across several 'vistas' in the neighborhood with views of valley and mountains.



There was time for Courtney and I to relax by the fire, I with some tea and she with her cats, while we played computer games.










Getting spiffed up, Joe, Courtney, and I headed towards downtown for the Hibachi Grill where we met Courtney's co-worker Andy and his wife and son (Courtney & Jude).

I was thoroughly entertained by our chief, who was full of surprises and quite the jokester (video).

Jude was very well behaved and lots of fun too, and we enjoyed conversing while we ate a delicious meal.

Following the wonderful dining experience, we made our way farther downtown to an old foundry building where the City On A Hill Church was holding their Christmas concert.










We had plenty of time for cookies and refreshments while chatting and taking photos.






At 7:30 the band took the stage, lead by Neal Morse (an American singer, multi-instrumentalist, bandleader and progressive rock composer based in Nashville).  We enjoyed the two hour show with traditional Christmas songs, rock Christmas music, acapella singers, and a brass and woodwind band.  It was a great way to get started on our Happy Holidays.

Sunday 12/2 - Joe and I were up and on the road at 8:15.  On our way out of Nashville, we stopped at Dan and Val's to deliver my old Christmas train and village (this photo was taken in 2013 with Abbey under the tree).  I haven't set it up in a few years, and am always in limbo about going to the trouble, since we are never here for the holidays.  I'm so glad Dan wanted it.






Our next stop was Patty's to pick up Maggie.  Monita was glad to see us and the dog when we got home.  I grabbed a snack for lunch and was at the barn by 12:15 for our trailer lesson.






Joe hooked up the trailer to the SUV and then continued on (in my car) to his Sunday poker game.  I got Amiga and brushed her and had her ready to go for Christie.

Christie did a lot of ground work with Amiga first, to get her in the right frame of mind (video).  Amiga did need some correcting, but was quick to get with the program.  Christie does a fantastic job with horses and is an awesome trainer.








Once ready, we moved out to the trailer.  Amiga immediately switched gears and got nervous.  Christie's calm, quiet demeanor, and knowing how to help Amiga work through her anxieties, soon had Amiga working much calmer, and listening much better.

Christie gave Amiga multiple breaks to let her sit and think and digest the most recent work or info (this is when they chew).










You can see Amiga's mane blowing.  It was quite windy.

After ground work at the back of the trailer, it was time for Amiga to face her biggest fear, the ramp.


This was a very slow, unrushed process of asking Amiga to move to the ramp, letting her back up, and then moving towards it again.  Each time, Christie asked Amiga to go farther up the ramp.

Christie would 'drive' Amiga forward with leg aids or flag, and would also lead her, each time getting closer to getting her on the trailer.  Actually stepping up into the trailer from the ramp was the next big hurdle.

Once Amiga finally walked calmly all the way onto the trailer, she was so relaxed she ate the alfalfa and showed no desire to back off the trailer.  Christie continued with petting Amiga and encouraging, kind words to her.  It was so sweet.

The work continued with asking Amiga to take some steps back and forward, without rushing off the trailer like a locomotive.  Amiga responded well, but occasionally rushed off, which Christie allowed.  Eventually Christie had Amiga back straight off with slow careful steps.  It was awesome.
  





Patty and Jan were with me, watching this whole process.  Patty took a ton of (videos).  Now it was my turn to load Amiga.  She followed me right on.  I also got her to walk calmly back off.  I was so relieved and happy.  When we tried it again, Amiga decided she'd had enough, and also may have read my anxiety because I could tell she was getting anxious.  So she exited rather quickly.  And then she did not want to get back on.  A little more work, then Christie took over, and once Amiga got on and then back off very slowly, we quit for the day.  It was 90 minutes of well spent time.  Neigh!  Yay!

Patty helped me with Amiga while I finished with Christie, then parked and unhooked the trailer.  Then I remembered I had forgotten to take off Amiga's leg wraps.  When I went out to get them off her, they were now all muddy.  And look at her - she had rolled in a mud puddle and was all wet and muddy, but quite happy.

Once home, I picked up sticks and branches in front and back before coming in for the day.  I was exhausted, and it was a quiet evening at home with Joe gone.

Monday 12/3 - Monita playing with the cat tree Christmas decoration.  She thinks the holiday decorations are pur-fect for cat mischief.

I did not have time for the gym because I needed to be at the barn by 10:30.








Amiga, and all the other mares, were at the farthest reach in the pasture, so I had a nice little hike.  I hopped on and rode her back to the barn.

In the process of cleaning and tacking Amiga up, I added a festive bow and bells, which in part will warn deer and hunters, but also add holiday cheer.  Neigh.










After fifteen minutes of ground work, I tied Amiga to the trailer and Christie soon pulled in.  Meanwhile, Jan and Polly loaded tack and horses on Polly's trailer.  That is what Amiga is watching in this photo.

Christie unloaded Wings, her big Friesian.  Then she worked for a few minutes to get Amiga loaded.  Amiga hopped on rather than stepped up onto Christie's trailer.  More work would later be done with loading and unloading.














Wings was re-loaded and we were ready to roll.  Look how much higher his head is than Amiga's.

Christie drove us to Stradford Circle where it hits Beechwood, and parked.  She unloaded Wings and then Amiga.  As expected, Amiga went flying off the trailer.  So Christie worked with her, doing several on and offs until Amiga slowed down and stepped off.








As soon as Amiga gets off a trailer, she calms right down and will stand quietly while tied to it.




It didn't take Christie and I long to get ready, because our horses were already saddled.  Because Wings is so tall, Christie uses her truck tailgate as a mounting block.







We four ladies were off, riding down Marmaduke, Christie on Wings, Jan on Cash, and Polly on Rio.
(I didn't get any photos of Polly on Rio this time.)

We decided to pay Terry a visit so turned into her farm.
Then we rode past Lake Kirkstone and I got a nice photo of Jan and Cash with the pretty lake in the background.










My fingers and toes got a tad cold, but it was a beautiful day for a ride.  All our horses did well together, with very little rushing or feeding off each other.

 
Amiga and Wings became friends and he was such a good trailer buddy for her.




Trailering back to Wildwood was uneventful but more work was done with the off loading of Amiga since she continued to get anxious and rush that process (videos).

While we were out on the trail, somebody had dumped this little puppy at Wildwood.  Haley and Ambrie were already caring for this little fella.

I had planned to do some work in the yard when I got home, but it was getting late, had really started to cool off, and I was thoroughly exhausted.  The cold, windy, ride, and stress of trailering had all taken its toll.  I knew productivity was done for the day and I wasn't going to last long, so Joe and I started a movie right after dinner.  We watched "Seven," a 1995 murder thriller.

Tuesday 12/4 - Neigh, there was no horsing around today.  I had a 9:00 dentist appointment for a cleaning.  The anxiousness I felt waiting to go in, might be similar to my horse and her anticipatory anxiety.  I had no cavities but the cracked crown I have known about for over a year is still in need of repair.  I shopped and then headed home in time to grab my Bible and head off to Bible study.





It had spit snow a few times and stayed in the low 30's all day.  Once home from Bible Study I took Maggie on a nice little walk, going up Library Trail and coming back down the golf course.  Nobody was golfing in this kind of weather.





I had bought some boneless pork ribs while shopping so invited Patty to come join us for dinner.  This was motivation to do some cleaning and a little more decorating while diner was in the oven.  Shared meals around the family table make for happy holidays.



Wednesday 12/5 - It was too cold and I was too busy to horse around another day, but I did see this silly photo on Facebook.  Look at his cute, fuzzy, horsey nose.  There would also be no Ballroom or weights again.



I picked neighbor Carole up at 9:45 and we went to the CCC for Ladies Club monthly meeting and lunch.  These wine bottles (with lights inside) were the center piece on each table.  There were about 30 of them, all painted differently.









A men's barbershop quartet was our entertainment.  They sang a lot of fun Christmas songs.  It is beginning to look, feel, and sound a lot like Christmas.

As soon as I got home, I worked in the garage organizing and filling my bird feed containers.  Then I brought in and cleaned up all my feeders, re-filled them and re-hung them.  I had also made a new hook on a pole for the feeders above the sunroom windows, that worked a little better than the one Allen had given me.








I put deer feed out and before I even got back up to the house, three deer came to dine.

I took a long walk with Maggie and had a quiet evening at home with poker Joe doing his thing.

Thursday 12/6 - It was in the low 20's and very dark for our morning walk.  I do all my e-mail, Facebook, and blogging before I start on advent calendar games.  The birds were slow to come to my window feeders.  I had added the extra thistle sock and switched some feeders, so the difference was cause for caution.


I took this photo looking down behind my computer, through the glass desk top, of Monita on the corner beanbag.


When I rolled back in my office chair to take the bird feeder photo of a bird finally come to visit, I also took this one of Monita.  You can see one of my slippered feet under the beanbag.  It really keeps my toes warm.

And here is the photo of a brave bird who finally came to eat.  Bird traffic soon picked up.


The ducks have returned.  I don't know if they are migrating through, or here for the winter.

Mid morning I went to Shirley's to use her sewing machine to sew an old sweat shirt into a pillow.  It took more time an effort than I planned on, to figure the sewing design.  

It folds (kind of like an envelope) so the pillow is easy to slip in and out, to wash and store the cover.  Shirley was great help and did all the sewing.  Ta da! 

I decided to brave the cold and go to the barn.  I wanted to try Amiga's new Christmas gift, black rope halter on her.









It fit well so I attached my new Christmas gift, black training rope to it.  Happy Holly Neighs to us!

I hadn't planned to ride long, and made one loop, each direction, out front around the garden and then in the empty pasture were the livery horses had been all year.










Amiga was being so cooperative, and it was warmer than expected, that I then went out back to ride part of the Holly trail.  Another downed tree on the way, was easy enough to step over.

I reward Amiga with plenty of grazing time out in one of the fields of winter rye before returning to the barn.










A second, little girl puppy was dumped and discovered the day after the boy.  For now, they are in the tack room where it is warmer than in the barn.

I had bought at a thrift store, a second-hand coat for Maggie, but it was too small.  So I donated it to the puppies.  Then I borrowed Boz's ripped jacket that had been hanging in the barn to try it out for size.  It was too big.  Monita was very interested in the barn smells on it though.  I wonder if Maggie (also dumped down the road from the barn) is any relation to these two puppies.







I took Maggie for a long walk, then hit the gym for a few hours.  Home feeling tired but invigorated, clean, and warm I enjoyed another quiet evening.  Joe was in Nashville at a Titan's game.

Friday 12/7 - two more weeks until the winter solstice.  I can't wait for days to start getting longer.  These early black out evenings, and slow to light up mornings are a drag.  I am so thankful for all the Christmas lights to brightened the darkness.







A good sized buck came to eat the corn and salt lick.  When he started nibbling on one of my evergreens down back, I encouraged him to get a move on.







It threatened to be a lazy morning with the overcast skies, but when I looked at the weekend weather forecast, I realized this would be the best day to ride.  I just needed to wait for it to warm up a little more.

It is so easy to want to stay here, seated in my sunroom and enjoy life, wild life, and domesticated critters.











Stevie can be like a mamma to Monita (video) and look at Monita's cute little tongue.

I did a quick planting of these six ornamental grasses that I had bought weeks ago.  It was long past due for them to be in the ground.  And of course, there were leaves to remove from this bed first.  Then off to the barn.









Amiga was way out in the back of the pasture, so I had a little hike to go get her.  Then I hitched a ride back to the barn on her (video).  I got Amiga tacked up quickly and was headed down the trail a little after noon.  This first photo was taken on our way to the creek crossing, before headed up the steep hill on the other side.


Once up the steepest part of the hill, I stopped Amiga to let her catch her breath while I took a photo looking down at the creek from which we had come.

My horse had slid more going down the hill to the creek, than going up this steeper slope, but I decided I would not do a return trip on this trail.













We had a lovely ride in the Glade, usually keeping the pace slow unless the footing was really good.  Then I bumped Amiga up into a nice little gait.  I also let her cantered a few times.

The right photo shows debris from the sewer pipe installation, that is blocking the way down to the path under the power lines.

I took Chestnut Hill back to the bean field near the barn.  At one point this herd of cattle decided to come running up on us.  Amiga freaked for a minute until we turned and faced the cattle and they all stopped.

Once to the bean field, I rewarded Amiga for a job well done, letting her graze for nearly ten minutes.  This put me a little over two hours in the saddle.  

As we neared the barn, the geldings started running, and raced around for a bit.  Then Zorro came over to say hello to Amiga.





The dogs had been with us the whole ride.  








Silly Boz decided to rest, up on the bale of straw.




There is something about riding on a brisk day that results in fatigue, more so than in other weather conditions.  I got home feeling exhausted, but had no time to rest.  It was time to get ready to celebrate more happy Holly neighs.

I got cleaned up and then drove into Crossville for the Lighting of The Tree ceremony.  I met Judy there and we listen to this same quartet I had heard at Lady's Club.  Then we watched Shirly clog with the Sweet T's.

The Sweet T's have a good time and are a fun group to watch.  We did not hang around long after the cloggers finished because it was cold out.

Our next stop was Cancun were we enjoyed libations and dinner.  Patty, Marcie, and Karen also joined us.









I went to Reds, once dinner was done, because Brian had texted me that he, Andy, Ken, Linnea, John, and Margie would be there.  It was great to see the CA visitors and neighbor friends.  I also bumped into a lot of others I knew.  I moved around to a few different tables to visit.  This is Alice and Bob.

Saturday 12/8 - The snow started just as I was ending our first dog walk at 4:45.  Shortly after sunrise the buck was back, finished off all the corn, and headed over to Allen's.

Stevie and I watched a lot of traffic at the bird feeders just over a foot from our eyes.








Even though the cat couldn't always restrain herself, birds kept coming and going.





It proved to be a lazy, unproductive morning.  The snow changed to rain and it was no long festive looking outside.  By 1:00 we were getting dressed and ready for an afternoon and evening out.

We stopped by Patty's for cat care instructions, went to the 4-way to pick up Jean, Shirley, and Jan, and then drove to the Playhouse where we met Judy.


We all thoroughly enjoyed the production of Holiday Inn.  There were so many fun song and dance numbers and fancy costumes.





From the Playhouse we went to Beef and Barrel where we met Mike.  A wonderful meal was enjoyed by all of us.







The rain continued to come down all evening and through the night, while the Carolina's were getting hit with a record snow storm.