Feral Housewife

'Ode to the Feral Women' - Author unknown
"My soul is not set fire by being the best home maker but by growing flowers and plants, shoveling dirt, snow or manure, breathing the cold fresh air, letting the sun beat on my face, and tending animals.  It is not that I can not cook and clean it’s that I desire to be else where.  I’ve struggled with the fact that I am, well, me.  I am a feral woman.  As much as I wish I could be the sweet and clean home maker, I am not.  I finally made peace with this when I saw a quote circulating around that said, “the term domesticate house wife implies there must be a feral one.”  Amen!

Saturday 4/29 - With company coming for the weekend, I needed to get domesticated for just a bit.  After cleaning house, I bought a bunch of groceries, and headed to the ranch with them. 

Once everything was unloaded, I went down to the barn.  Bonnie and Susan confirmed what Patty and I suspected the night before.  Amiga has a stifle injury of some sort.  I decided to massage in the green Epsom salt poultice ointment on her outer (actually knee) area.

Patty arrived as I was finishing up down at the barn.  And shortly after, Dan, Vale, Ava, and Tango pulled in. 

Tango had a ball running loose in our fenced in yard.

Oh the shear joy of reckless abandon.

Ava thoroughly investigated the ranch house, not leaving any area unexplored.  She also got better acquainted with Maggie. 

 

Maggie thought this mini human being was great, holding food right at the dogs mouth level.  And, this cute, little person was willing to share her food or didn't mind Maggie stealing a bite. 

After lunch I took Ava on a little pony ride.  Patty helped me tack up Zorro.  He was a very good boy, even though he had some flies bothering him. 


Many (videos) and photos were taken, and I believe I had as much fun as Ava did. 

Patty headed up to the house for a meeting she had with Carole and Judy.  They were striving to complete their judging accreditation, to work at the Trail Obstacle Challenge that Michelle is hosting at Celtic Rose. 





So to stay out of their hair so to speak, we four went for a gator ride (video).




I sat in the back, with Daniel driving, and Vale holding Ava.  I directed Dan where to go.  We navigated one of our shorter riding loops, giving them an idea of where we go on horseback.  Ava thought this was as fun as the horse, liked to go fast, and even got to help steer for awhile. 






We were done way before the three ladies were with their study group, so we sat in the sun room, trying to be quiet.  Ava and I got close to falling asleep at one point. 


After I did afternoon chores we headed to the Flossmoor house to play, have dinner, and sleep. 

Ava had a whole new place to investigate and explore.  She found lots of cool stuff, making me aware of how un-childproof our house is.  She was interested in the cats, but they made themselves scarce.  And I had to 'dog proof' their feeding stations because Tango is so tall, he can reach, and has eaten their food.

Ava and I hit the hay at 8:30. 
 

Sunday 4/30 - I was up way too early, and napping on the couch when the Murfreesboro Villhauers came downstairs from the guest quarters.  Ava enjoyed her breakfast while Tango waited to help with clean-up.  For Ava's entertainment, I brought in this old water heater box (which I have had sitting in the garage for months) to make her a fort. 

I made little windows out of the hand hold holes.

She thought this box was a lot of fun.

We made a late morning trip to the park just ¼ mile up the hill from our house. 


Ava is accustom to lots of outings and thoroughly enjoys new adventures.



Ava was too nervous to try the slide, so we made our way over to the swing set.

This too she was a little unsure of, especially when her daddy pushed her higher.  But soon she warmed up to the thrill, and was having fun. 

We had to get a photo of the April Birthday Babies, all swingin' together. 






Instead of hiking the Library trail, we decided to walk the 18 hole mini golf course.  Ava was trying to get up her nerve for going down slides, using the hilly AstroTurf 'fairways' as practice. 


She did not slide down them, but sat on her bottom and scooted. 


Several holes had cute little features that Ava also enjoyed checking out.  This one was like a big doll house. 






Once finished with our walk, Ava wanted to give the real slide another try.  And this time she did it, all by herself! 








Finally, we all had enough, so we headed for home. 

Daddy and daughter.

We enjoyed lunch, and then suited up for a swim.  Ava trying on her new floaty for size, that she got for her birthday. 

You can see her box fort and also the cat's fort in the background. 








Once at the Center to swim, Dan got the floaty back on Ava. 




They waded down the ramp until Ava started floating.  Vale (not pictured) was right in front of them.




Mama Vale took over with Ava.




Soon Ava was kicking back and forth between her mom and dad. 








I was too cold to get in and join them, so just took photos from the side. 

Pawpaw, who had been swimming laps, came over to join them, bringing a ball for play.  And I got in the hot tub. 

Once Ava got too cold, and wrapped up in a towel, we also wrapped up our swim session.

Joe went to poker from the pool.  When we got home, Dan and Vale got everything packed up.

The Murfreesboro Villhauers, including Tango, headed home at 3pm.  A little later I was on my way out to the ranch to do chores.  While out with the wheelbarrow, delivering hay, I saw this eagle overhead. 

 





This second photo is a still shot from the (video) I took.  You can see it's white tail and head. 

I went up to put the chickens in the coop once finished at the barn, and was shocked to see how low the pond seems to be.  I wonder if it has another leak.  Shoot. 

The house seemed extremely quiet when I got home, although all the cats were now out of hiding. 

Monday 5/1 - May Day, which is a European festival of ancient origins marking the beginning of summer, celebrated on May 1st, around halfway between the spring equinox and summer solstice. 

I was tired from lack of sleep and wanted a morning nap, but left for the ranch at 7:30.  After letting the chickens out and putting hay in five different piles in the paddock for the horses, I started back in on organizing the tack room.  Later, when I went to get Amiga, I caught her resting in one of the piles of hay.  She started to get up as I took this photo. 

At some point fairly early in the process of organizing the tack room, I decided I wanted to move the shelving unit (that is actually a shoe shelf) to above the microwave.  I had a mental plan for how to do this and checked to see when Joe was coming out (so he could help me).  I had time to kill, so that's when I went to get Amiga and do some needed horse care for her.  I washed the crusty poultice stuff off her stifle and dried it with a towel. 







Then I tied her with her back end out of the barn and in the sun to let the wet spot finish drying while I soaked her abscess foot one last time (hopefully).  I feel that the abscess is no longer an issue, but still packed it, over the hole, between the shoe and hoof, with the medicated mud Bonnie and Susan had lent us for Zorro's hoof crack. 

Joe arrived while I was still working with Amiga, so he did the mucking chores for me.  I massaged a different product Karen had (and recommended) into the stifle area of Amiga and turned her back out with the boys. 

Joe and I then installed what I promised was the last shelf in the tack room.  I did some touch-up paint and painted one more section of board to go on the lower shelf where the shoe shelf had been siitting.  But I ran out of time while cleaning the dusty containers that would go back up on the shelves.
 
I had elbow therapy at 1:00, and had a re-evaluation.  My left elbow actually feels so much better, but the right is worse.  My therapist concluded that I was probably using my right arm more (since I am right handed), doing things I shouldn't have been doing like lifting Ava, holding shelves up while Joe drilled, and other tasks we feral housewives do.

I went next door to the gym and did an hour on the elliptical, but was too tired (unmotivated) to do my leg and abdominal workout.  Soon after getting home, I took a 75 minute nap on the couch. 

Patty spent some time at the ranch with Zorro and got this great photo of Wanda with a chipmunk she had caught.  It wasn't dead, or too badly injured, and dashed away when Wanda got distracted by Patty.

Even though I had napped, I went to bed early. 

Tuesday 5/2 - I woke feeling well rested, having had a great night of sleep. It had been lights out at 8:30, I woke at 4am to take my thyroid pill and use the bathroom, and then fell right back to sleep and woke for the day at 5:30.  I wonder why more nights couldn't be like that.

It had cooled off Sunday, with the temperature dropping more each day and the wind really picking up by today, so my fur babies were cold, and so was I.
 

At the gym, I did my leg and abdominal workout after a 30 minute warm up on the elliptical.

At the ranch, I watered all my flowers and grass seed, brought the horses in off the front pasture, and got most of the things back up on the shelves and wall in the tack room.  I still need to sort through all my tack boxes and get the rest of our (Patty, Courtney, and I) stuff organized and stowed away.
 


Patty took this photo yesterday when bringing the horses in off the front pasture.  I find it interesting that the photo (seen below) that I took today, just after they came in, is quite similar, in that the first thing they all did was get a drink out of the pond. 




In my photo, the horses were already finished drinking by the time I took the picture.  It was also sunnier today, so there were more definite shadows.

Too tired to finish in the tack room, and rather cold because of the 50° temperature and strong wind, I came home and took another late nap.  Scheesh!  Then, I wasn't sleepy until 9:30. 

Wednesday 5/3 - My night of sleep was very similar to the night before, eight hours of mostly uninterrupted sleep, and without taking a sleep aid.  But I woke feeling despondent.  I was not happy with my 'lot in life.'  My horse and I are both out of commission.  I am quite worried about her, and frustrated with my elbows.  I am tired of this 'healing process' for both of us.  I just wish I could go for a long ride on Amiga.  It's what I need. 

I have been assigned four stretching exercises, ten reps for 15 seconds each, to be done three times a day.  Before the stretches I am to do moist heat on each elbow (arm).  And then once finished with the stretching, I am to massage them.  This takes a lot of time, and with both arms being preoccupied (out of commission) I can't do anything with my hands.  So, to get me through the monotony/tedium of doing them, I watch Facebook videos and look out my window.

There are two wood ducks in the first photo.  The female is fairly easy to see near the big rock I put corn on.  In the second photo, I have circled the male who was sitting on the duck house box, which I set on the bench.  It was falling off of the tree trunk, so I took it down.  I still haven't gotten around to putting it back up.  This duck pair have been checking it out for several days now. 






My four cats do keep me company; they entertain, pester, interrupt, and distract me quite often. 

I got to the ranch by 11am to start in on tack room clean up.  Harley was sleeping in our drive, as she often does, and didn't move.  For a minute I thought she was dead, but she did open her eyes. 

Bonnie and Susan had put the horses out at 8am, because Joe was maybe going to spray for weeds.  When Susan brought the horses back in at noon, they went straight to the pond as usual.  I got a photo of them all drinking, and so did Susan.  You can see her in the background of my photo, and I am in the background of her first photo, seen below. 
 

 

It ended up being a sunny, but kind of cold day, and too windy to spray for weeds.  So, when Joe came out to the ranch, we did several little jobs together.  In this photo, he is spraying silicon in the gutter seam that has been leaking when it rains (right in the doorway where there is lots of horse traffic in an out of the shed). 




Joe was off to poker and I kept working in the tack room.  I cleaned out every container (all were quite dusty, hairy, and dirty) and washed off every bottle, tube, brush, etc.  This took a lot of time and several buckets of clean, soapy water.  I did not finish, partly because I needed to let things dry off before packing them back up.  Here is what it looked like when I quit at 5:30pm.

Thursday 5/4 - You know what this is a photo of?  A sticky fly trap, in the chicken coop, with one fly and several of my white hairs stuck to it.  I had stood up under it later in the day, but it is an indication of how my morning started.  I was up at 5:30 having gotten another full night (7½ hours) of sleep (a good thing).  One of the taming effects for me (my feral self) in the morning, is to computerize first thing when I get up.  I scroll through Facebook and FB Messenger, and connect with family and friends via comments, I check e-mails, and then I journal (blog) of my day before.  Also starting this Tuesday, I watch videos while doing all my elbow stretches.  All of this requires working internet, which I did not have Thursday morning.  This was making me feel a bit 'wild', agitated, frustrated, and at a loss for what to do.  I had to do my elbow therapy (stretches and massage) without entertainment, and it was so boring.

I did download and edit photos and organize my to do lists.  But then after elbow stretches, I headed to the gym.  I had a good ab, butt, leg, and cardio workout and was at the ranch before 11am.  Joe was already spraying, and seen here while I was watering the grass seed, he was heading back to re-fill the spreader. 






I collected eggs, got my hair caught in the fly trap, and took this (video) of Gloria trying to spruce up her nest after laying an egg. 






When coming out of the chicken coop, Joe was spraying in the side pasture along the fence and I took these three photos.  You can see how thick the yellow buttercup weeds are in some places, and how broad the sprayer sprays. 
 

I got all the watering done and then went down to the barn.  The horses had come in off the front pasture on their own, so Joe shut the gate and started spraying the front pasture.  Bonnie and Patty soon arrived, and we started horsing around as planned. 

While saddling and warming up the horses, I cared for Amiga, giving her another poultice/liniment massage.  Patty and Bonnie did a few laps around the round pen (inside and out) and then headed up the drive.  Too bad I couldn't be with them on Amiga.  😭




In the first photo, Maggie had seen them way up the drive, and took off after them.  This was Cowboy's first time being ridden outside the round pen, and although getting a little worried a few times, he did very well. 






















Zorro and Patty looking good. 

Once Bonnie and Patty were done riding, I took  Zorro for a little jaunt up and down the drive and around the barn yard.  I need to take him out more because he really is a nice horse to ride. 

(videos)
I had put Amiga back out in the paddock, thinking Cowboy would be joining her soon, but she was going nuts.  She has gotten more buddy sour when Zorro is away.  All I could think was, 'don't hurt yourself or make your stifle injury worse.'  Ugh. 








Susan had arrived, and after putting Zorro in the paddock, I snapped this photo of the four girls sitting at the 'bus stop' bench. 



I wanted a better photo so asked everyone to look at me and smile, and see what Maggie did?

I made a comment about the dog, and see how everybody reacted? 





Finally, I got everybody looking at me. 

Joe and I watched Survivor and I did my stretches for my elbows while sitting in front of the TV. 

 

Friday 5/5 - Cinco de Mayo, ended up being uneventful.  This is Zorro the day before, waiting to get saddled. 

I had another great night of sleep, but was sluggish and slow with blogging, and sat here way too long. 





Finally after an early lunch, I headed to the gym.  I did 30 minutes on the elliptical with my weighted vest on and then had an hour of therapy for my elbows.  From OT it was straight to town to shop.  Holy cow!  The fender of this big truck I parked in front of is higher than my front hood. 

One of my stops was at Lowe's for more flowers.  This time I bought some to spruce up my own yard here on Flossmoor. 

Patty had chores and sent this (video) and photo of Amiga.  She appeared undecided about getting a drink from the pond, but also is walking much better on her back right stifle.

I got home at 6:15 and hustled to get all my evening domestic chores done.  I skipped my lower arm stretches since I had done them at therapy.  I only made it through a few pages in my book before lights out.