Carpe Diem!

Carpe diem is a Latin phrase meaning “seize the day.” The saying is used to encourage someone to make the most of the present rather than dwelling on the future.  Unfortunately, I tend to do as Lauren Miller warns against: "We spend so much time worrying about how the future is going to play out and not nearly enough time admiring the precious perfection of the present."  I need to make the most of the present time and give less thought to the future.  Being a worry wart though, I can't help myself.  I should enjoy it while it lasts and then cherish it when it's gone.  "Nothing in the world is permanent, and we’re foolish when we ask anything to last, but surely we’re still more foolish not to take delight in it while we have it."  W. Somerset Maugham

Saturday 7/9 - Monita lives the carpe diem concept to the max.  Often times though, she is quite annoying.  While it was still fairly dark out, she was behind my computer reaching and looking around it at me, trying to get me to engage in play.  Later in the morning, she decided a nap was the thing to do. 

Joe and I were going to try to finish the new chicken run fencing, but I had to be at work in the afternoon, so we were headed to the ranch by 8:30. 

Jean was still lounging in bed when we arrived.  Carpe diem doesn't necessarily mean rushing out to seize the day.  We can cherish the moments of peace, quiet, and rest by lingering in bed a little longer. 




While Joe secured fencing along the yard boundary fence at the end of the run by the drive, because the welded wired was too big and the chickens would be able to get out through it, I mapped out where the gate would go and how we were going to curve the fence out and around the coop to avoid being too close to the bush by the door. 

Joe drove in more fence posts and helped with securing the wire to them.  Notice, I had given the chickens access to the new run, using a temporary fence to keep them out of our work area. 

Joe took a break while I was cutting fence and he put six bags of bentonite along the dam at water level and above, in hopes of sealing the leak where ever it was.  

Ta da, finished.  We stopped during a little rain shower and were fixin' to quit for the day, but I got word that the pool would be closed all day.  Actually, it had cleared off, and I now had time, so I wanted to finish the project.  Joe and I continued working and Jean brought us a burger for lunch. 

Joe was 'done' in more ways than one, and went home to walk Maggie (who we had left there because of the impending rain storms). 

Jean and I looked at different ways we could secure the gate but be able to open and close it one-handed. 

When Patty arrived, we then clipped chicken wings.  Just trying to catch them, confirmed the need to limit their flight ability.  Our fence is only three feet high, so trimming flight feathers will be a regular task.  

I  got home with an hour of time to get ready to go to Hebbertsburg for their dinner and dance.  It is a monthly fundraiser they do all summer each year.



The usual, wonderful band, City Lights, is no longer together because the lead singer/player died.  So Memory Road now does the gig.  It's just not the same.  As I look back on many things that are different now, I long for what was.  As Robert Breault says, "Enjoy the little things, for one day you may look back and realize they were the big things." 




I sat with Bonnie and her husband and friend, and soon Micki and Rita came to join us.  Sherri arrive much later.  There was the usual cake walk during intermission and the cloggers (now only four of them) did some dances for our enjoyment.  For some reason, the evening just wasn't as good as times past, but we all had a fun time until it ended at 8pm.   

Sunday 7/10 - We three 'sisters' had planed to go for an early morning ride.  When I arrived at the ranch at 9:00, the chickens were enjoying their extra (and new) space to explore and look for bugs.








I love these two t-shirt sayings.  I have had so many fun saddle sisters over the past twelve years of my riding career.

I miss the adventures of old, but know there are many more to come as time changes circumstances and what horse I ride and who I ride with. 









Yvonne took this photo of us three as we were getting ready to hit the trail.  
(Jean on Robbie, me on Amiga, and Patty on Zorro)

Jean and Patty 'warming up' while waiting on me.  I like to be last in the saddle, in case anyone needs anything (or help) before we go. 
Patty was setting her 'map my ride' and off we went on a 1½ hour 3½ mile ride. 








We had a great ride (video) enjoying our horses, the cooler air, each other, and nature. 







Once un-tacked and brushed down, we turned our horses out on the side pasture and then Jean and I walked around the dam to see what the  bentonite looked like and try to gauge the water level.

I returned home to get some things done around the house and 'get out of Jean's hair' for awhile.  I had cut my computer time short in the morning, so returned there and then wasted too much time. 

Joe and I returned to the ranch to trim dead branches out of the dogwoods that are along the wall in the chicken run.  The trees are really struggling because they were nearly girdled by the goats the Walkers had.  If you look closely at the two trunks in this photo, you can see the damage to the bark.  Horses, sheep and other livestock will do the same thing.  Jean took this photo of the 'girls' enjoying the shade from the tree and protection of the wall. 

While I was tending to mucking and afternoon feeding chores, Joe added some boards to the back wall of the new little loafing shed. 

These new boards will need to fade to blend in better.  We may also add one more on the bottom and one more on the top. 

 

The other little project that Joe worked on was flattening the last mound of dirt as pictured here by the drive to the shop.  All the others had stuff buried in them, but this pile was just dirt, rocks, and a few chunks of (now rotten) wood. 

I had 30 minutes of time to kill before feeding the horses, so went down to inspect Joe's work and also help with spreading the dirt here.  We wanted to make this hillside mow-able, but are now planning to plant and let it go to natural prairie grass and flowers.

I quick hit the chores at home when we returned at 6pm.  Then it was a quite, relaxing evening, watching a movie with Joe. 
 

Monday 7/11 - I always have a couple of cookies and a Dove chocolate with my second cup of tea.  This morning's saying falls right in with my weekly blog theme...

...as does this quote that popped up on the internet a few days ago. 


I got to the gym earlier than usual and it was quite crowded, slowing me down a little, but it gave me more time to rest. 




I am not sure when Jean took this photo of Babe on the coop windowsill.  She was supposed to be an Australorp, but is clearly a hybrid.  She is also our bravest and most outgoing hen. 

I was at the ranch by 11:00 and went down to the shop to work on the hillside in preparation for two loads of gravel. 

This doesn't look much different than the photos from the previous day, but I had moved a fair amount more dirt.  Mostly I was trying to level it out.  Quite a bit of raking was also involved. 

Jean came down to work on the porta-potty, painting it a barn red instead of the ugly aqua color that really stands out.  One can of spray paint only covered one side and the red was a bit bright.  But Bonnie and I both felt it looked better than the former color.

The day ended up getting into the mid 80s and was humid.  I quit on excavating before I got done (story of my life).  I was short on time, out of water, and running out of steam. 







I did a little bit of watering while Jean was 'walking' Parm.  Basically her cat (while on leash) just peruses the yard looking for interesting smells and objects. 




I had to hustle home, actually I was kind of dragging, to get ready to go to Mirror Lake Blast.  I freshened up, grabbed a snack, two beers and two waters, and was there by 5:15.  Patty soon joined me and a little later Micki came.   

Tuesday 7/12 - I was up earlier than usual and out the door by 8:00 to get to the ranch in time to help direct the gravel delivery man.  Murphy's Law, when in a hurry, you will get stuck behind the mowing crew (3 tractors and an ATV) going 12 miles an hour.  Thankfully, they turned off onto a side street after about three miles.

I got to the ranch in the nick of time, five minutes before the gravel dump truck.  Joe and I discussed with the delivery man where it was we wanted the gravel.

Our biggest problem was the overhead power line that hung too low to allow the truck to dump.  So we ended up doing one short strip on one side of the line, and a second strip of gravel on the other side (video).  

We then had to move gravel that had gotten too far up on the hillside, and spread it and the rest to fill in between the two strips.  The tractor was great help, but the rake and shovel were also necessary.   

This is what we accomplished before the second load arrived.  Below, Joe was moving the pile of dirt from the right side of the shop and we spread it in a low spot on the other (left) side at the very end, where the gravel was not going. 

For our second load we ordered smaller size gravel, but come to find out there was none available.  The state road crew was using it up as fast as they could get it in.  So we went with Crush-run.  

The first part of this load we had dumped on the side of the shop where we intend to park one of the horse trailers. 








This load did not get dumped as evenly, so more spreading with the tractor, shovel, and rake was required. 

Joe had to leave for a doctor's appointment.  I worked a little longer, getting this much done, and then headed home for lunch. 

 










On my way out the drive, I noticed someone riding by on a horse.  A quick mental count and I realized it wasn't any of us here at the ranch. 
Upon closer inspection, I saw it was three cowboys, just going for a stroll, ponying a fourth horse.
 

How fun.  This is why I love the country.

This is how the side of the shop looked once done, although we were a little short on gravel and will have to add some more later, when next Joe gets a trailer load.  You can see the 110v and 220v electrical outlets on the side of the shop for trailers to plug into. 

I had lunch, re-hydrated, and did some computerizing, and was then headed back out to the ranch at 2:00 to finish spreading gravel.  We will need a little more dirt beside the shop at the end of this 'parking' spot and then I will plant grass seed. 

This new gravel area looked pretty good I thought.  Now there will be no more making big ruts in mud or getting a flat tire from nails in broken down pallet boards that were partially buried here. 

I did chores for Patty since she would be doing mine Friday because I work at the pool.  After mucking our loafing shed and dry lot, I filled hay feeder and water buckets.  Jean was enjoying her night off, reading in her hammock chair she bought in Costa Rica years ago.   

I made a big salad for dinner and read the paper, coming across this quote by Will Parish: "Spending too much time trying to control things that cannot be controlled or worrying about things that are unchangeable or uncertain, will undeniably lead to unhappiness."  It was in reference to financing, but also struck a note for me.  Carpe diem, seize the day rather than worrying about tomorrow.
After a day of hard work in the hot sun, I was ready for bed before bedtime.

Wednesday 7/13 - Monita bugging me as usual while I was working on this blog (video).  My normal amount of computer time was cut short because I needed to be at Micki's by 8am. 
I had a tough time with Rita this go-round.  She woke just as Micki was going out the door, did not recognize me, and wanted me out of her house.  I tried reasoning with and reassuring  her, as she went through moments of confusion, fear of me, anger, and insisting that I call Andy.

  

I finally did call Andy, who came to our rescue.  He needed to get a tire fixed (got a flat late the night before) so the three of us went to Brian's and then Joe helped with getting Andy and Rita from the tire place and on to breakfast where they were meeting all the Irish.     

I ended up taking a nap (instead of cleaning house) before going to work at the pool.  It was a quiet shift. 

Andy, Micki, and Rita picked me up at 7:15 and I joined them at Stonehenge for a drink (and my second dinner).  I had my photo with Rita taken so next Wednesday, if she doesn't recognize me, I can show her it.  A fun time was had dining with everybody. 

The night was ended at Terry's for desert.

Thursday 7/14 - Monita fell asleep in the box behind my computer... until I took the first photo.  You know what they say, 'let a sleeping dog lie.'  I told her it was pay-back, because she often bugs me when I am sleeping, wanting to play in the middle of the night.

I had the morning shift at the pool so was out the door by 9:00.  We were quite busy, which is how I like it.

I went straight to the ranch, but was kind of dragging, short on sleep and tired from the heat and sun of the day.  But Jean and I had planned to ride and she was still gung-ho, so we did. Carpe diem!  It is always good to have someone to get you going when you are dragging. 



Maggie went with us and had flushed some turkeys, chasing them through the woods several times, so she got quite hot and tired.  In the first photo she is cooling off in a big puddle.  Robbie who does not like water was watching with apprehension and dismay.
In this second photo, we had to dismount to walk our horses under this tree, but decided to pause for a few minutes to let Maggie rest. 

I took this (video) as we headed back up Marmaduke towards home.  Both our horses did well today and I am so thankful Jean motivated me to go for a ride.

Once back to the barn, we took our horses into the front pasture and did a little cantering.  That is always fun to do.
 

I watered all our new trees (19 total) and then took a tired and limping 😥 dog home.  Poor Maggie had overdone it. 

After all our fur babies were fed, litter boxes cleaned, laundry folded, dinner ate, and I had showered; I did not have motivation or energy to do any house cleaning.  In fact, I went to bed early.  

Friday 7/15 - Okay, the problem with carpe diem, is that it might encourage us to procrastinate on an unpleasant task (like cleaning house) and go have fun because there may not be a tomorrow. Or, does it mean get'r done, time is short, don't put it off till later?  Either way, I never leave enough time to get it all done.   

I started laundry, made guest beds, and started cleaning up-stairs.  Then I went to the gym, hit Food City on the way home, and ate lunch after unloading groceries.  I made my dinner and was at the pool by 1:30 for my shift, which was busy and hot.

I wasn't back home until 6:30, spotting this deer in Brian's yard as I pulled in.  I did my pet chores, cleaned up, and put on my pj's.  I folded a load of laundry and put clean sheets on our bed, longing to hit the hay, which I did after a little work here at my computer.  I'll clean on Saturday.