Wow what a week. There were ups and downs, good and bad, happy and sad, frustrating and victorious, sleepy and energetic, confident and uncertain, exuberant and melancholy, etc.
Just like life itself, the week portrayed a gamut of emotions. It was a real mixed bag.
Saturday 8/14 - Just as I was getting ready to head to the ranch, I got word that Amiga's fetlock and pastern were cut and bleeding. They thought it might be an animal bite. So I rushed straight to the barn, very worried about her.
Thankfully, Amiga's back right fetlock and pastern was not as bad as I had imagined. It had a few scrapes and cuts, was tender, and slightly swollen. I had been treating her for dew fever (scratches) the last several days so this just added to the problem. She and her mare group had been in a different pasture the past two days so that the fence line of their usual pasture could be sprayed. I wondered if she had gotten into a tangle of branches or something out in the unfamiliar area. Not only was her back leg a problem, she also had very runny manure. Luckily they were putting the mares back on their usual pasture today.
I then joined Joe out at the ranch where we were back at work putting in more fence posts and gate posts to eventually string ElectroBraid fencing like we had in Illinois.
Joe operated the tractor and auger controls while I steered it and checked for alignment and kept dirt from falling back into the hole. I rarely mind the dirty work. 
We got the three gate posts (seen in foreground) and one fence post (by machine shed) dug in no time.
Then, Joe wanted to do more mowing and I wanted to finish the posts up at the side pasture.
I added water (I hauled in the repurposed cat litter bucket) into the holes to help settle the dirt around the post and help with curing the cement.
Lower left photo, the same two posts seen with the pasture and loafing shed. In the bottom right photo you can see where the house and unattached garage is in relation to the pasture gate.
Britney had moved her cat and two guinea pigs to her tiny house a few days earlier, and sent this photo of Fran finally feeling more secure in her new home.
Joe, Patty, Micki, and I were planning to go to Hebbertsburg for their monthly community dinner and dance. We arrived in anticipation of a fun evening, but a note on the door said 'cancelled'. We were all dressed up with nowhere to go. What a disappointment. So we decided on Reds for dinner.
We were quite early for the dinner crowd so service was pretty quick. We were done an hour later and it still wasn't quite time for Karaoke to start. Joe and Patty left but Micki and I hung around for what turned out to be an amusing night of singing and dancing.
We don't get up and sing with the mike, but enjoy singing along and dancing to some of the songs. We have a lot fun together and with the regulars and a few of the out-of-town guests.
Sunday 8/15 - The stray cay has been greeting me at the back door most mornings and nights, cause that is when I feed her (and put out corn for the deer). Once I was inside at my computer, she showed up out back, chipmunk hunting. If she can lower the number of critters out there, she will have definitely earned her keep. My inside cats are very interested in this new 'wildlife' and probably a little jealous of her freedom. But they have cozy, warm, dry places to sleep and are safe from predictors. The stray does sleep on a cushy pad under our porch in a very protected, dry area.
Joe and I were back out at the ranch fairly early to get the fence posts set in cement. Here we are on the tractor together. We ran two hoses as far as they would reach and mixed the cement here, not too far from where the posts were.
The dirt around the holes had become mud from the rain and it was quite messy working, but we got all four posts cemented in. I actually had to rescue a big toad out of one deep hole.
A few of you have commented about my yellow squash which is, as a couple of you said, butternut squash. I picked them too early because the internet photos show them much larger. So I will let all the others continue to grow, especially since the recommended recipe requires a 400° hot oven for an hour which I prefer to cook in the fall when it cools off.
Here is a watermelon and cantaloupe (along with lots of weeds), which are doing well, but I have no idea when to pick.
On the way home from the ranch I went to the barn to check on Amiga give her Prevocox and treat her leg. I decided it would be OK to ride her because she is not at all lame. I just went bareback and didn't go very long, far, or fast.
Henry's grave now has the plow he used to pull on it. Very appropriate marker for this draft horse. And also a reminder of how precious, and unpredictable life is.
When finished with our little ride, which was fun, I soaked Amiga's leg in Epsom salt water again and then did the rest of wound care treatment. I put her in her stall early because more rain was eminent.
We had stormy weather in the early evening and at 6:30 I got a call that two horses (Dakota and Cowgirl) and the mule (Tatar) had all gotten struck and killed by lightning. Sharon had been in the barn and heard the bolt hit. A little later, the three equine were discovered, all lying a few feet from each other out in the field. The rest of the herd was okay, but some were also shaken. They were all brought in and stalled for the night. It was very heart wrenching news.
Later I had to take a sleeping pill at bedtime.
When I got to the barn early in the morning there was definitely a very melancholy mood, as the staff was preparing to bury the three horses. I soaked Amiga’s foot but it didn’t seem to help with the swelling as much. I put her in the dry lot with Merlin, who was glad to see his friend. It wasn't actually dry because of all the rain, but at least the grass was short and would give Amiga's scratches an opportunity to dry out once the rain stopped.
It rained off and on part of the morning and early afternoon but was decided to have Mirror Lake Blast, so I met Shirley out at the Grove and we set up chairs, covering them with plastic bags. Then I went to the gym.
This is the first time I had been to the gym in nine days so I was less than enthusiastic about doing my weight workout. The after effects of the sleep aid weren't helping any either. But thankfully I got energized as I went, and it turned out to be an average work out.
I had planned to go back to the barn but because Jake Hoot (the Season 17 winner of the Voice in 2019) was playing at the Blast, it was going to be a big crowd. I felt the need to get there earlier than usual so didn't have time to go to the barn. And, yes indeed, it was a huge crowd.
I’m so glad they decided to have a Blast, even though the ground was very soggy in places and it was still very overcast. There wasn’t as much humidity and the temperature had cooled off.
The Huffaker Brothers (twin grandsons of Michelle and John from the barn) were the opening band for Jake Hoot. To support them, I bought a t-shirt. They did a great job.
I don't watch much TV so hadn't heard Jake Hoot before. I really liked his voice, stage presence, and choice of songs.
Near the end of the concert, Jake asked the audience to turn on their cell phone lights for a video cover they were making of one of his new songs. It was awesome standing on the dance floor looking out at the crowd and all the lights. So magical.
Courtney sent this photo of she and Joe at their concert.
It was a lovely night and great concerts for both Joe and I. Jake Hoot did a wonderful job, played lots of sing-along and dance along songs, and we enjoyed listening to the lyrics of a couple songs he wrote himself.
Tuesday 8/17 - Since I hadn't given Amiga her Prevocox the night before, I made a point to get out to the barn right away, so it was another short morning at my computer.
It had rained most the night, so while Amiga ate, I brought Zorro in to dry off for awhile. Then the two of them got to hang out at the cross ties while I cared for Amiga.
Amiga's back right 'ankle' (foot), actually fetlock and pastern, were more swollen than usual, so I feel the Prevocox has been helping. I soaked her foot in Epson salt, dried it, and then just sprayed it with the watered down blue liquid (as perscribe by our vet) that we got for scratches from him a few years ago. I put Amiga out in the rain with Merlin in the wet, 'dry lot' LOL.
I wasn't able to get a good photo of Amiga and Zorro as they were lovin' on each other.
Shortly after I got home from the barn, the tree guy said that he was able to meet us out at the ranch, so Joe and I drove out there together. Well, in addition to being able to get three giant fence posts sawed off at ground level, we are going to have nine trees trimmed and the 10th one totally taken down. This will open up our view from the ranch house, get some big branches away from the roofs of a few buildings, and remove the dead growth on all of them. They will look better and be healthier.
Patty picked me up shortly after 2:00 to go to the barn to help Kat bring horses in. When we got there, Pat and Art had already helped her, so I just soaked Amiga's foot in Epsom salt and did the usual care of it.
I fixed corn on the cob and rice for an early dinner to go along
with the leftover grilled chicken that Joe cooked a couple of nights earlier.
Sitting here at my computer, I had various communications made with several people via text, e-mails, FB Messenger, and a phone call. Then Joe and I
watched two episodes of Virgin River.
I was at the barn early to check on Amiga and maybe ride with Mary. Even though Amiga's foot was still swollen, she did not favor it at all. I thought the ride would help with blood circulation in her feet, so off we went, even though the ground was still quite muddy.
While walking back to the barn, Amiga started limping. She hadn't slipped, stumbled, tripped or done anything else, so I was perplexed. I couldn't get her to walk it off so I dismounted and checked for a rock, or cut, or something.
Well, we cut our ride short and Mary and I examined Amiga closer. She was swollen and tender to the touch at her left elbow. She must has twisted or pulled a muscle or something. So while I ran cold water on her chest and leg where it was sore, I also soaked her back right foot in a warm Epsom salt solution. Both must have felt good because she just stood there for 20 minutes, only trying a few times to 'escape' the bucket by stepping out of it. She had gotten a Prevocox before we rode, so I put her in the dry lot with plans to return after work.
I was home with time to make a big salad for lunch, then changed and headed to the pool to work. We were fairly busy at the pool because this was the only day of the week forecasted not to have rain.
I was able to get done and off work a little early, and went straight to the barn. Amiga was still quite lame on her front leg but I thought I was making progress on the back one with scratches. Karen was there and gave me some advice and two different cremes for both leg ailments. It was poker night for Joe so Maggie, the cats, and the stray were all excited to see me when I finally got home at 7pm. The stray is getting friendlier and more demanding for food and attention when I am outside.
Thursday 8/19 - It rained some of the night and I was up from 2-5 am, unable to get back to sleep. I napped on the couch and then a text from Nancy woke me at 6:30. I did not have to get to the pool at 8:20 to open for the morning water aerobics class because it had been cancelled. It looked like the pool would be closed all morning, but there was poor communication so I went in at 9:30 to open. After 45 minutes of opening procedure with still no customers, I sat on a lounge chair to read the paper. Just then our pool guy Josh arrived. Come to find out, the pool wasn't to open until noon. So I clocked out and went to the barn to care for Amiga.
My horse was not limping as bad and her scratches were also looking much better. The creams Karen had let me use must have really helped. I took my time because I had 90 minutes to kill.
Once home and out of pool clothes, Joe and I headed into town to run errands and shop. We got fencing and other info at Lowe's, the COOP, Rural King, and Tractor Supply. I also picked up feed and other supplies before our last stop at Walmart.
Here is another view of the stray. I was trying to show the gray spot on the top of her head that does not completely cover her ears, so she has white tips on them.
She has become a nuisance, only because she is real good at making me feel sorry for her. She will run up to me whenever I come outside (unless I have Maggie), and then she just sits at the door looking at me when I come back in. I only feed her morning and night when I put corn out for the deer. I used to only see her twice a day, but now she is 'camping out' under the porch and sun room and I see her much more often.
Joe and I got home with time for me to accomplish some tasks, but instead I took a nap. I have just been dragging lately. It's partly the weather, but mostly the sleepless nights tossing and turning thinking about the ranch and everything involved with moving our horses out there and having boarders.
I cooked some squash, onion, and leftover rice for lunch and then left for the barn just after noon.
First I took care of Amiga, who continues to show improvement. Then I looked at Zorro's face (right cheek and jaw line) which Patty had reported having sores on it. It was kind of swollen there and had sores also. I was thinking he may have gotten kicked. He seemed kind of sore to the touch, and maybe bruised. Anyway I put this Epson salt paste on it, which should be left on, to be absorbed by his muscles.
We didn't get rain during my shift at the pool, although other places in the area had showers. We had a continual, medium size crowd of folks coming and going so work was steady and enjoyable.
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