Winds of Change

The March winds continued into the month of April as did the winds of change.  And some of the big winds of change, at times felt like they were blowing me over or away.

Looking up the meaning of this blog title, I found tons of quotes.  Some of the more popular ones seem to give conflicting messages. 


The wind of change, whatever it is, blows most freely through an open mind.  Katharine Whitehorn
May you have a strong foundation when the winds of change shift...and may you be forever young.  Bob Dylan
I can't change the direction of the wind, but I can adjust my sails to always reach my destination.  Jimmy Dean. 



Should we be open to change or resist it?  Should we go with the flow and go where the wind blows?  Or should we use it to take us in the direction we choose?  In life, often progress or true success is not possible without change; so we tend to be encouraged to embrace change.

I was excited about moving Amiga and Zorro down to the larger, nicer loafing shed finally.  Having all our grooming supplies in the same place was also going to be much easier.  I still felt bad about having to ask one boarder to move to a different barn, but she and her horse just weren't a good fit for our ranch. 

Saturday 4/1 - Happy April Fool's Day.  Patty didn't need help with morning chores, so I did not have to hustle to get to the ranch early.  She sent this photo to say that all was well with the horses, having spent their first night in the lower paddock.  Rio is not in the photo because he was in his stall eating his breakfast. 

Below, Wanda the wonder cat, helping Patty with chores. 








A request had already been made, with a consensus and decision to only let the horses on the front pasture three or four hours a day.  This would be much better for all of them since the front pasture is so much thicker, more lush, and taller than the back pasture.  So, yet another change had to be made in the schedule.  Also as the spring grass starts to grow, we need to keep grazing time limited.  The back pasture is 'off limits' because we are growing hay, to cut (harvest) late this spring.
 

Patty had encountered a 'problem' and sent this photo and some videos of a snapping turtle making it's way towards the lower pond.  We were worried about the horses and Wanda being too curious and getting bit.  So Patty scooped it up in the wheelbarrow and helped it get to the pond.  All of the horses were very interested in it, especially Zorro (video).  I wasn't sure I wanted it in the pond, but I didn't think there was anyway to prevent it, and we didn't want to interfere with Mother Nature. 





We had had rain over night and the wind was starting to pick up with gusts that were quite strong.  But it was a sunny day and not too cold out.  We had gotten word that Tracy and Teresa's neighborhood had been hit by a tornado and their house got damaged.

This is a close up of the above photo that shows where the fence board was impaled through a wall into their office/guest bedroom. 













A window had been broken and some siding torn from their house and the whole outside wall pummeled with debris.  The yard was scattered with wreckage as well.  It wasn't near as bad as some neighbors down the street who lost the side of their house and another who lost the whole second story. 

By 9:30, I was out at Wildwood Stables for a fund raiser/music fest for a family raising money to cover medical costs for their young boy.  I felt bad for the vendors because as the day progressed, most had their tents blow down.  It was a bit of a disappointment because 10 to 12 vendors had backed out due to the weather, so there was only one real food vendor to choose from. 










Jan and Mike came out and I enjoyed chatting with her for a bit, although the music was too loud to hear each other very well.  Patty, Jo Wind, and Joe came a little later, and soon Jake Hoot took the stage.  He did a nice job as usual, was very enjoyable, and played a few dancing tunes. 

I stayed for part of the 3rd, a Bluegrass band, but then at 2:00 went to the ranch to get some things done and be there to help Polly with the afternoon horse chores.  Patty was mowing and I don't recall exactly what I did.  I had moved the old pool ladder (no longer needed) into the chicken yard. 

The hens were checking it out, but none got up on it. 

I brought Amiga in early to brush her.  And then when Polly was starting chores, we realized there was no electricity.  Come to find out, many in our area were without power.  With the electric pump not working, we had no running water, but were able to improvise.  I also noticed that the down spout from in front of the shed had blown off the wash rack roof. 

 

Patty reported that this tree (which I took photos of later when I went up to the house to shut chickens in the coop) had blown down in the chicken yard. 

Another dilemma, was that the horse dynamics weren't as peaceful and Cowboy was running Rio off, not wanting him to be near Amiga and Zorro and not letting him get to the hay.  I felt bad for Rio who is now trying to establish his spot in the herd. 

I had to run back down to the shop to get a board for Joe (to set his new TV on in the Mancave because the TV stand was no longer long enough).  I was relieved to see that Cowboy had stopped bugging Rio and that Rio was getting some hay.

I didn't realize until I got home at the end of the day how much all the wind had wiped me out.  My face was windburned and my lips were chapped and I was exhausted.  I was in bed with the lights out a minute before 8pm. 

 

Sunday 4/2 - I was up at 2am, having gotten six hours of sleep.  I finished and posted last week's blog and then took a 90 minute nap from 5:30 to 7am.  I needed a morning of R&R and to catch up, so opted out of church.  I had to do more Co-op business (changing the schedule) but unfortunately, during the process, did not communication well, leading to some confusion to Susan and Bonnie.  While the new herd is trying to figure things out, so too is our new group.  Later in the day, I was glad to see the herd peaceful and content when I arrived at the ranch around 2pm.

There is a metal 'cage' around a tiny Crape Myrtle under all the branches of the fallen tree.  The chickens were enjoying this added hiding place so I debated leaving the tree and seeing how much or how quickly it would die.  I did trim several branches interfering with the growth of the Crape Myrtle.

Using the gator, I collected and hauled off all that I had trimmed from the tree. 

It is a start, but more clearing needs to be done.  And of course, the chickens were right there, in the way, checking out what I was doing and if there was any food to be had.  They are a lot like Zorro.

During chores, I was concerned because Cowboy and Amiga did not eat all of their dinner.  I was wondering if 4 hours out on the front pasture was too much for them.  At least none of them were acting colicky.  Just before I left, I checked on them and they were all standing in the shade of the shop, and appeared to be getting along.

Zorro did have to come over to see what I was doing.  I gave him a pat on the nose and headed up to the ranch house to put the chickens in the coop.

It was 7:00 by the time I got home, and 8:00 by the time I was eating dinner.  And I didn't have the lights out until 9:30, after poker Joe had gotten home. 
  

Monday 4/3 - This was the view from my desk at 2am while I was here at my computer.  I have got to get back to a normal night of sleep but am not sure what to do about it.  Those are Babe's cute little paws. 









Patty sent an update on the horses, that they were all eating hay and doing well.  Again, this was taken while Rio was in his stall having his breakfast. 

With colder temperatures, no sunshine, and rain off and on most of the day, I made no plans to do anything at the ranch or outside. 

I took three naps, one before sunrise, one after my third breakfast, and one after lunch.  In this selfie, I was just waking up and Mama Styx got on my chest and fell right to sleep.  So I didn't move for awhile. 

Finally though, I got out of my pj's and made myself go to the gym at 4pm.  I was expecting a tough time and a crappy workout, but actually got energized and did well. 

Another photo Patty sent, of the horses standing at the gate, wanting to go out on the front pasture.
Joe had let them out at 1pm and later Polly reported that they all ate and were doing well.  And the chickens even went into the coop for her.
 

Tuesday 4/4 - I was up and finished with Monday's blog by 2:30am.  There wasn't much to it, because there wasn't much to my day yesterday.  Then I put together these photos and posted a Happy Birthday to Dan on Facebook.

I did get nearly another hour of sleep with a nap on the couch.  And then I worked on the tiger puzzle for an hour.  I thought it would get easier as it got more completed, but it was still a challenge to find pieces that fit where they belonged.

I needed to shower before a doctor's appointment (which is right by the gym) so I went to get an hour's worth of aerobic exercise and just shower there.


My appointment went okay.  BP 95/58, all my blood levels were great, except my bad cholesterol and my 'sugar.'  It may be lingering effects from my cruise (all the bacon and pork and two deserts each night) plus I have been popping too many cookies lately (stress related addiction).  My doctor is also sending me to a physical therapist to get help for my sore elbows. 

I went to the ranch after leaving the doctor's office.  I had seen this pair of trees down after the bad winds Sunday.  This new house construction is just a 'block' from us, with the trees are still laying on the foundation wall, when I drove past it. 



Karen met me at the ranch so I could give her the new instructions for chores now that the horses are in the lower paddock and Rio has been added to the mix.

I found this dead juvenile rat up in the hayloft.  Wanda is doing her job, but obviously we feed her too much. 

I was frustrated with Joe who jumped ahead on the dam project after I had asked him to wait for me, and he did it mostly wrong.  It made for a lot more work for the two of us later.  He means well, and is a get-it-done guy, but sees things differently than I do, so never really sees my vision of how I plan to complete something. 

Wednesday 4/5 - I arrived at the ranch at 9am to meet the farrier who was already working on Cowboy.  Zorro was a quick trim and Amiga was up next.  After he removed the shoe from her left hoof, and trimmed it, I had him test her hoof to see if that was the lameness problem.  And we were both quite surprised that she had an abscess.  It was a small one, and once opened and drained, Amiga seemed more comfortable.  I soaked Amiga's foot in Epsom salt and then did a poultice wrap, using some of Polly's because I could not find mine.  I must get all my horse stuff reorganized! 

It was a beautiful, sunny, 82° day and the catfish were jumping.  Maggie took great pleasure in 'fishing' and cooling off in the pond.  Thankfully she never caught anything.  At one point I saw her going after a snapping turtle (probably the same one) as it was headed to the pond from the front pasture.  It caught my eye when she started barking at it.  And boy did it then scurry until it reached the safety of the  pond. 

Joe arrived and we got to work on the dam project, which was a lot more work than it should have been.  We started clearing brush on the back side of it, and spread out some of the old manure he had piled up the day before. 

We moved three T-posts to widen the SW end of the dam crossing and do away with a 90° corner which can be problematic.  Above, Maggie was enjoying lying in the cooler mud.  Also you can see the gravel (Joe got a bucket load of) that we added to the spillway. 




Joe got all of the fencing re-hung while I continued raking and moving rock and cinder block to beautify the looks of the backside of the dam.

We went up to the ranch house together, for a late lunch, and then Joe headed off to poker and Maggie and I back down to the paddock, to continue working. 






I got fatigued from raking and shoveling and decided to see if I could do some work with the tractor.  After a few 'swipes' I got it stuck. 

I proceeded to waste an hour (and a lot of energy) digging, raking, adding rocks and blocks, and trying to get the tractor out.  I had texted Joe to get advice, but mistook the range gear shift lever (L ,M, H) for the 4-wheel drive lever, so thought I had the tractor using all four wheels.

Joe had told me the 4-wheel drive was the round black knob behind my left leg, when in reality it was the rectangular, orange lever behind and between my legs.  Not a very obvious spot. 

I finally decided I was not going to able to get the tractor out, and was only really getting deeper stuck.  So I texted Joe and he came right out to help.  He showed me where the 4-wheel drive lever was, and backed the tractor right out of its predicament.  Here is a photo of where I had been stuck.  Joe headed back to his poker game, and at least his bad luck became good luck.  Instead of being down 200 when he came to the ranch, he was up 300 when he came home at 9pm. 



I was hoping to have gotten more accomplished, but was thoroughly exhausted, and it was time for me to feed horses and do a little mucking.  Maggie, my supervisor, enjoying one of the piles of hay I put out for the horses. 

I arrived home with the dog at 6:25, fed all the fur babies, did some household chores, and went to bed just after Joe got home. 

Thursday 4/6 - This is Joe's new TV, on the 'new' stand made by adding a longer board to an old book case.  The old TV table is now at the ranch because it can be used in the bathroom for towel storage.  It also has a drawer for additional storage. 

I took the day off from the ranch cause I had plenty of other things that needed doing.








Mama Styx on my computer key board after I shut it down.  I leave my laptop open because my last one 'died' because the hinge for the top (screen) broke.  But I do cover the key board to keep it 'clean.'
 

Who might this be in the stacking bed tower?

I left for town at 8am, a good time to shop by the way.  I was so excited to find that Tractor Supply had poultice pads in stock. Sometimes it's the little things that make you happy.  I hit Walmart and was home by 10:30.  This was a quick shopping trip for me. 

I unloaded what I had bought, ate an early lunch, wrapped Ava's gift, and tried to get some other things done around the house, but was dragging.  The sleep aid (I took the night before) tends to do this to me, even though I had gotten eight hours of sleep.  I ended up taking a nap. 

The cat was Stevie, who I woke up when taking the first photo.

I did a few errands on my way to the gym.  I thought it was going to be a bad workout, but it actually went pretty well. 

Cleaning house was my next task, but first I ate an early, high protein dinner.  After two hours of cleaning, I was out of energy and had other things I needed to do with my time. 

I started the packing process, but just couldn't decide on clothing, so put it on hold and watched Survivor with Joe. 

And then I had no energy, motivation, or time, so hit the hay.

Friday 4/7 - We were planning to leave for Nashville mid-morning, but I needed to care for Amiga.  Here she is soaking in Epsom salt.  The wet barn floor was her fault, spilling the first bucket I had her hoof soaking in. 

 




Polly had given me a tube sock to use over the taped poultice pad on Wednesday.  As I was wrapping Amiga's hoof this morning, I realized the sock was helpful.   Not having another sock to use, I pulled off one of my tube socks. 


I then secured it (and hopefully better water proofed the 'bandage') adding more duct tape. 

It was a rainy morning, but I went out to quickly get a photo (or two) of the manure/dirt Joe had pushed into a long, tall stack (which was not what I wanted) 

At the end towards the barn is where I had been working on Wednesday, so most of it has been all leveled out. 

Finally finishing with Amiga out at the ranch, I scurried home and Joe and I were soon on the road to Nashville. 

It rained most of our way there, but I was really into the trial part of a murder mystery I have been reading, so I did not pay much attention to Joe's driving and the time flew. 








Once to Courtney's, we were enjoying a relaxing afternoon and I was trying to finish up this post and send it a little early.



I had sent Polly a text to see how Rio was doing (he had gotten too wet and cold over night).  A little later she replied that she had moved out from our ranch... No notice, and waiting till we were out of town, and leaving us in a bind because she had chores Saturday morning and night.  I was shocked by this deceptive and disrespectful maneuver.  I was also upset cause we had gone to so much effort to try and accommodate her.  This put a huge damper on my holiday weekend. 

Well, I had to find someone to cover chores on Saturday.  Patty was in Iowa and Karen was already doing plenty, including Saturday at noon.  I didn't want to impose on Susan and Bonnie because they were already covering for me on Sunday, but I had no other choice.  Thank goodness they were able and willing to help out.  Yet another change needs to be  made in our Co-op schedule.  Sooner or later things have got to settle down. 

Karen sent this photo of Maggie at her house.