I Need Sleep

No doubt about it, I have been in a brain fog for weeks because of lack of sleep.  I am also more tired and a lot more grumpy lately.  Much of the problem is that I have way too much on my mind. 

When I wake in the middle of the night after at least four hours of sleep, I usually can't get back to sleep.  Mostly I am just thinking through all the things that need to get done, and all the 'events' coming up in my life.

The other problem is that I have been too busy working and not taking enough time off to enjoy life.  I have finally started back up, going to the gym.  The workouts and stretching make me feel better and I hope will help me sleep better.  But, I also need to stop and ride my horse, hike with my dog, sit under a tree and relax with a friend, etc.  Life is too short to spend time sweating the small stuff!  I need to focus on what's important and on all my blessings.

Saturday 10/9 - My drive to Dan and Val's in Murfreesboro went fine, except that I got off an exit too early and had to do a lot of cross country driving with farm equipment on the road, to get to their house.  

Once Ava woke from her nap, I got my Ava fix.  Dan was out of town and Val's Mom, two sisters, and niece were all visiting.  It was a girl's weekend. 

 

Before too long, we all piled into Yaneth's car and headed to Dave's Bridal Shop.  I sat in the far back with Ariellah.

We had a bird's eye view of cute little Ava.  

 

 

 

 

Courtney met us at the store and soon several of us were trying on dresses.


I had not been looking forward to this process because it is so out of my element.  But, I ended up having quite a bit of fun as the excitement of the wedding was contagious.   
I said 'no' to this dress, but it was my second favorite.  Also, my dress will be navy.  You will have to wait until I post wedding photos in February to see what I bought.  Courtney and I both will return to the shop for a fitting in December.  Valencia was stunning when she tried on her wedding gown that had come in, having been ordered a few months ago.  It was gorgeous and complements her beauty strikingly. 

 

Back in the car to our next destination.  Yaneth drove and Val was copilot.  You can see everyone except Ava, who is in the car seat facing backwards.    

 





From the bridal boutique we all then went to a great restaurant and Yanith treated us all to a tasty and quite filling dinner.  The drinks were good too. 










As we headed out of the restaurant a nice lady offered to snap our photo since we were struggling to do a selfie with all of us. 

Oh, here is a photo of Courtney holding Ava at the restaurant. 




Courtney went to a birthday party and the rest of us went to Dan and Val's.  Arie and I worked at making this gingerbread graveyard, running into a few complications. 

I hit the hay before most as I had taken a sleeping pill, and slept ten hours straight, only waking once to take my thyroid pill. 

Sunday 10/10 - Ava and I were both bright eyed and bushy tail.  I enjoyed my tea with a chocolate cherry dump cake Val had baked. 





















Later in the morning while the three sisters went shopping, Yaneth and I had some one-on-one bonding time while Ava slept.  And then I headed for home, a fairly quick and easy drive with no problems.

I stopped in Crossville at Rural King and several other stores before returning home to Fairfield Glade.


I am much more comfortable shopping at a farm store than at a bridal store.  LOL 

Once I had everything for our house unloaded, I then went to the ranch to take several things there.  Polly and Yvonne both were out there and it was good to chat with them and to hear how things were going. 

(Gypsy) Rose was glad to see me at feeding time.  I noticed she had a cut on her nose and on one of her paws.  I really need to get her to a vet for a check-up, but barely have her trust now, and don't want to lose that.  I am wondering, is she chipped, spayed, and has all her shots?

I was so tired I went right to sleep.

Monday 10/11 - We have had so much rain, we have these huge mushroom clusters growing all over in the backyard.  I was awake at 3am, unable to get back to sleep because I had not taken a sleeping pill, so I got up.  But I took an hour nap at sun-up. 

I postponed the gym so I could get right out to the ranch to help Joe unload a trailer full of gravel.  Before shoveling it down around Amiga and Zorros' run-in shed, I wanted to get all the dirt away from the wood.  The ground acts like a wick, holding moisture next to the wood, rotting it out faster.  

I wanted to add a stepping rock to the front of the feed room door because the smaller one didn't seem adequate.  So I did some leveling and rock moving to get a good 'fit.'  

 






Because water coming off the roof of the south side of the shed, including the feed room roof tends to run in front of the shed as it drains towards the pond, we dug a trench to send the water away towards the pond.  Maggie supervising as usual, enjoying the cool dirt trench.  

 


I had drained and cleaned out the 100 gal water tank that catches some of the rain coming off the roof, but overflows if we get too much rain.  And we started filling rock in around this side of the shed.  It took three long hoses to get water back out to the shed to refill the tank once we had it leveled with gravel under and around it. 

Joe continued filling gravel around the north and west side of the shed while I finished landscaping the trench and ground on the west (open) side of the run-in. 

Then I helped shovel gravel and get the two stepping stones situated.



Here is our finished project, with the 'supervisor' inspecting it. 

I was mucking out the run-in when Toni arrived with Wanda (name to be changed?)  She is a black cat with undertones of color, who's foster Mom has been trying to socialize for adoption, but she is just too wild to be a house cat.  She is a 1½ year old who has had a litter of kittens, is now spayed, and has all shots.  I am hoping she decides our barn will make a good home.    

She was quite vocal, scared, and not happy while we got her situated in the cage up in the hayloft.  She found comfort in the cardboard box, and has her blanket that smells like her.  I left her alone the remainder of the day.

To end the afternoon, I spent over three hours clearing this trail from our back gate to Hathaway.  This is the view from the gate going in.  There had been a trail here I made a few years ago, but it was overgrown and had some trees down across it.  Yvonne and Polly discovered it and sort of cleared it because the trail out through the swamp was not working - too muddy and slippery. 

This is the view from under the look-out tower that sees out to the mud/gravel road (Hathaway).

This shows the look-out tower as seen from the trail while near the road and looking toward our property.  Once all the leaves are down, our red barn will be much more visible. 

The concrete pad under the tower was mostly covered with dirt and lots of vines, so I worked a long time clearing the debris off, but not quite finishing. 

This final photo was taken from the trail, looking towards our property.  That is our corn crib (by the back gate) you see in the clearing. 

It was nearing dinner time when I finished feeding our horses and headed home.  My work was not done, with the usual feeding and litter box chores, shower, my dinner, etc. 

Joe got home from poker after midnight but I was able to go right back to sleep due to the sleep aid I had taken.  I have got to get back to a regular sleep schedule!

Tuesday 10/12 - I woke after daybreak, needing to shake sleep from my brain, even after getting ten hours.  This is what the sleeping pill does to me.  I sleep great, but am groggy most of the following day. 
Stevie kept me company while I did my morning routine.

 

Today was Ava's sixth month birthday.  This girl keeps growing and maturing right before our eyes, and just gets cuter and cuter as her personality comes out.  Valencia dresses Ava like the princess she is.

A trip to the gym was again put on hold (thinking I would go in the afternoon) because I had a few more jobs for Joe and the tractor before he took it into the shop.

 

 

I had Joe take two scoops of shavings up to Amiga and Zorro's shelter, take three loads of manure from the barnyard to the back side of the dam, and mow the corner up in the back pasture so we could ride around it without getting close to the grounding rods.  Rio had seemingly gotten shocked while stepping near them a few days earlier. 

Patty and I had moved the boarded horses to the front pasture so we could have the paddock and back pasture gates open while Joe maneuvered the tractor around.
Here is Rio scouting out the fence line beside the machine shed. 
 






Maslo was slower to go explore, thinking he should be on the other side of this gate.

 

While killing time, Patty fed the catfish and Maggie had a ball swimming and trying to catch one.  We were a little concerned about her getting spiked, so discouraged her from getting too close. 

You can see from the darker photos that the sky was threatening rain.  We may have felt a few sprinkles occasionally.

Rio and Maslo eventually settled in, but were still quite interested in Amiga and Zorro who they could now see but not meet.  Our horses were on the larger part of their pasture, down by the pond, on the other side of the temporary electro-braid dividing their field. 

Once finished with the tractor, Joe loaded it on our big trailer, but quickly discovered that our bumper pull could not handle the weight.  So he got on the phone with the Kubota dealer to come get it.  He had also sprung on me (reminded me) that we had a golf date at 2:30.  The gym would have to wait another day. 

 




Patty had planned to horse around with Zorro, so I too got Amiga and brought her down to the barn.  It didn't take long for me to decided to go for a quick ride while Patty worked Zorro in the round pen. 

I rode Amiga outback and down the new trail and did a little loop on the back (dirt) roads of Fairfield Glade.  It was lovely.  Amiga did holler for Zorro a few times but otherwise did great. 





Before finishing at the barn, the Kubota man arrived and I basically dropped everything to talk with him.  He didn't need any help and with his rig and the way it worked, was able to load and go right away.

Joe, who had taken the large trailer to get hay called with complications and had to move our golf game back an hour.  That was fine by me because I too was running behind.  Joe had to come home, get a different trailer hitch because the other one did not hold the trailer under the weight of the hay and he was off again just as quickly. 

By now, it was time to bring Rio and Maslo back into their paddock.  Well, they didn't really want to leave their lush pasture, so Patty had to help me lead them back.  Once the gate was closed and we released them, Maslo went crazy, running around, wanting to get back through the gate.  He was doing circles around Rio who was looking over the situation. 

And pretty soon, Malso had Rio worked up, and they both raced around the pond, running four or five laps, a few in the opposite direction. 

Patty and I had gone back up to the side pasture to feed Amiga and Zorro.  They were enjoying the pond, but were quick to come up to the run-in for their feed. 

 
Joe arrived just as we were headed to the machine shed for drill and screws to put up a salt block hanger and hooks for the manure fork, broom, and pitch fork up at Amiga and Zorro's shed and feed room. 
We helped Joe get the trailer backed into the machine shed.  We are going to wait and let Wanda settle in up in the hay loft before unloading the hay up there.  This is what 84 square bales of hay look like.
 

Then I had to rush off to get to golf on time.  Joe went straight to the course (at Dorchester) but I had to run home to take Maggie there and to change. 
Well, later I discovered that I had forgotten to go back to the barn to shut and lock the back gate and tack room.  Ugggh.  I knew I would be the worst at following our barn rules.  Good thing I can't get kicked out, but I really need to slow down and be more careful. 

Mary and Jack met us at Dorchester and we enjoyed a round of golf together.  Here Jack is coaching Mary, who is a new golfer. 

 

It started to get dark and cool off before we finished so we had to add layers to keep warm. 

We ended our day at Stonehenge for dinner.  There was a line to be seated at a table, so we waited out at the fire pit while enjoying libations and conversation.  It was lovely.

I was full, relaxed, and ready for bed by the time we got home after dinner. 

Wednesday 10/13 - A good indication that the house is a little on the cool side is when the kitties (Mama Styx in photo) sit like this, with tail and toes tucked under them.  Not turning on the furnace yet, I just add layers or a blanket to keep warm. 







Later Styx came to sit behind my computer while I worked on this Blog.  I didn't quite get caught up with blogging, but was determined to get to the gym so headed off.

I hit Food City on the way home, had an hour to get the house cleaned, and then Greg arrived.
 

Daniel sent this Ava fix for the day.  I just can't get enough of her cuteness.  I think Dan really missed Ava while he was out of town last weekend. 

The two cat photos are all I took all day. 

After Greg got here, Joe and I took him to the ranch to show him around.  I fed horses and Wanda the barn cat while they drove around in the gator looking at our fields.  Greg planned on a few fix-it jobs to help us with and then they went to town to buy supplies and dinner and I took Maggie home to feed her and the cats. 

I went to bed while the 'boys' were still watching TV.

Thursday 10/14 - I was up at 3am, after getting six hours of sleep.  Once the guys were up, I made scrambled eggs with cheese.  And they packed up and left at 7:30.  Their first stop was the ranch to let the horses out of their small paddock and put a locking door knob on the master bedroom 'suite'. 






Well, not long after the guys left and I had the kitchen cleaned up, I get this photo.  Greg accidentally hit the gate post, not seeing it because he was looking right into the sun.  Add that to the fix-it list. 

In no time at all, Greg did get a new locking door knob on the master bedroom door.  So we can can do a 'rent-a-room' air b&b and not have to relinquish the whole house to our guests.   

Even though I was a little sore, I went to the gym to workout, second day in a row, because the day before, I only did half my workout.  By the time I got the other half done Joe sent this photo of a new gate post the guys had put in.  They are so good.

 

I had lunch out on the deck in a lounge chair and then took a short nap.  It was actually almost too hot sleeping in the sun. 

My afternoon was spent at the ranch, relaxing and riding Amiga, not working for a change.  Joe had moved our trailer beside the other two and it now looks like a trailer parking lot.  

I moved Amiga and Zorro into the corral so Zorro would be closer to Rio and Maslo while I rode Amiga.  

Then I let Rio and Maslo out into the front pasture.  They eventually found their way over to our Paso Finos, with the wood fence between them, and there was a little hollering on Zorro's part.  But they worked it out.

 

While the horses were doing their 'meet and greet,' I had gone up to the hay loft to sit near Wanda.  She actually came out of the security of her box to see me, and soon wanted some lovin'.  She sniffed my fingers and then let me scratch her chin through the wires of the cage.  She also ate some of the canned food I had brought up to her before returning to her box. 

 
I had taken a lounge chair mattress up into the hayloft, and laid on it, reading out loud to Wanda.  I want her to get used to and comfortable with my voice. 

One does not read as fast when reading aloud.  I read too slow anyways.  So after four pages, I decided it was time to go for a ride.

 



Zorro watched as I tacked up Amiga and he only nickered to us a few times.  Polly had come and was getting ready to feed Rio and Maslo.  When I left on Amiga, Zorro did not seem to get too upset.  But 90 minutes later when I was returning, he was really hollering and Amiga was calling back to him.  Rio and Maslo were back in the paddock for the night, so not right beside Zorro.

I had had a nice ride on Amiga, taking her on the south side of the power lines, where we seldom go because of previous encounters with 4-wheelers and poachers.  We only came across one roaming dog.  I also was dumbfounded by the piles of debris (seen in photo below) that have been stacked on Beachwood (which turns on to Chestnut Hill, but has a gate to keep vehicles from entering).  The 'Glade' must really be trying to keep the adjacent neighbors (on their 4-wheelers) out.  We rode all the cul-de-sacs off of Beachwood, and I saw evidence of some 4-wheelers.
 

Once un-tacked, I had to hose Amiga off because she was so hot and sweaty.

When walking Amiga and Zorro back up to their pasture, the gate came off the hinge (well actually the hinge screw came out of the gate post) when I was closing it.  I had my hands full with two horses and a heavy 14 foot broken gate.  Add that to the fix-it list.  

This T-post cap I noticed the day before has also been added to the fix it list.  The electro-braid has somehow gotten under it and is shorting out on the metal post.   

Maggie and I stopped in at Wildwood on our way home and I visited with Carol and Sharon for a bit.  It was after 6pm when we got home for dinner.  With Joe gone, the cats, dog, and I had a quiet evening at home. 
  

Friday 10/15 - I did it again, woke at 2am and got up at 2:45.  I could barely stay awake until 9pm the night before, didn't take a sleeping pill, and conked out immediately when I got in bed.  I had had five hours, which at the time had seemed like enough.  But by sunrise, I needed more sleep.

Britney sent this photo of her tiny house and the sun rising in the distance.  So tranquil. 


I wanted to get to the ranch to let the horses out of their little pasture, so skipped a nap, and drank my second cup of tea while driving there.  After putting the horses out, I cleaned the ranch house in preparation for Yvonne's party and while waiting for the grass to dry.  Then I went out to muck the run-in and pick up manure from the small pasture.  Amiga and Zorro in the background enjoying the grass in the larger section of field while Maggie supervises me.  

Then I went to the barn to feed Wanda and read to her.  She was very happy to see me, but got back in her box after eating, while I continued reading. 

She is such a little kitty, similar to Styx.  Each day I feed her, I also clean her litter box.  Then I spread the poops out along the property (fence) line to mark her territory for her.  I really hope she doesn't run off when I release her in a few weeks.  


I had strung an extension cord to move Yvonne's little radio out from the extra stall, and today built this little shelf to put it up on.

I took a lunch break, finishing off the rest of this chocolate crunch frozen custard.  


Then I got to work out back cleaning up the woods.








I do not like the look of all the old boards laying around on the ground.  Kids tore them off from the tower several years ago.   Besides, looking bad, they are full of nails and are dangerous.  I also picked up many bottles and a few cans that were littering the area.

Then I got to take a break to go riding with Polly, Yvonne, and Patty.  This is a map of our ride that Polly had recorded. 

It was Zorro's first time out on these trails, and he did great.  Three year old Maslo was also very relaxed for an inexperienced horse.  Here is a photo Yvonne took, and then several I took.  

It is wonderful to be back out riding the undeveloped roads of the Glade and enjoying the company of others and their horses. 


When we got done with our ride, I finished up clearing old boards and trash from the woods where our new trail goes.  My phone had died, so I will send photos of what I did later.

I had planned to go home for lunch and then come back out to feed, but when I got the invite to ride at 1:00, I changed my plans.  Now it was almost dinner time, so I went up to the ranch house and plugged in my phone.  I fed our horses and Maggie, got the bonfire started for the party, and had a beer and popcorn while waiting to greet Yvonne's guests.

The four other couples had caravaned out, after meeting at Yvonne's and they all parked here in a nice straight row. 

I recognized several people from the pool and gym.  And I had to get these photos of the spread of food they brought out.
 

 



I had declined the invitation to join the party, and instead headed home to PJ's and soon bed and much needed sleep.