Pros And Cons

It seems like everything in life comes at a cost.  There are so many parts of life that involve (or have) both advantages and disadvantages, positive and negative, easy and difficult, ups and downs, good and bad, etc. 

Often we have a choice and can weigh our options before deciding on something.  But more likely, it is just part of life and we have to accept it, deal with it, and live with it.  Like death and taxes - some unpleasant things can't be avoided.  I love going places, but I hate to travel.  I love being home, but hate playing 'catch up' after being gone.

Monday 3/25 - Monday I was busy trying to get as much done on my Road To The Horse blog as possible, while also unpacking some of my suitcase and cleaning up the kitchen.  And then Joe sprung on me that we were having guests coming for three nights.  And I immediately balked for some reason.  It’s really not that much work and it’s a good excuse to clean the house.  But making beds, extra cleaning, getting groceries, etc. would cost me more time.  I love having company, enjoy their presence, so just need to deal with the down side of it.  I'm sure I was feeling a little grumpy because I felt burdened with too much to do.
In this photo, Monita was being her usual distracting self, knocking all the cat toys from the tower cubby onto the floor.  As difficult and problematic as having four house cats can be, I wouldn't change it, at least for now.

I finally had to stop and get to the gym so I could get back home by 1:00.  Well I ended up cutting my workout short so that I could get done in time.  But as it turned out, our ride was cancelled.

Karen had drop by to pick up our chainsaw, and said she’d help me with yard work when she came back to return the saw. 

We worked outside for an hour, but the wind was so bad, we quit early.  We were losing ground trying to get the leaves raked up because they kept blowing back.  But we were able to get some bushes trimmed, sticks picked up and this bed and part of the front bed cleaned up.

Joe and I watched Survivor, to catch up from last week. 
 

Tuesday 3/26 - The wind increased and got very strong overnight, and was accompanied by rain and thunderstorms.  Glad nobody was parked in this spot.

I took to the task of blogging most of the day, a good rainy day activity and a chance to get it done.

I love watching the wildlife outside my window, but one of the downfalls is when I see injured or sick animals.

Well, at 8:30 I noticed a racoon wandering in big circles as if lost or confused (sick or injured, possibly from the night's storms).  It kept falling over with apparent neurological damage in addition to an apparent back hind injury.  Several times it was in the creek, tumbling over, and I thought it would wash away or drown.  It’s struggle was so real, and lasted so long, it was heart wrenching and made me sick, anxious actually. 

The racoon eventually made its way towards Allen’s bridge, and disappeared for a while.   I hoped it had found a safe spot to rest out of the rain.  A little later it reappeared and continued staggering around and falling.  I took this (video) and posted it on Facebook.  The comments I got lead me into action, to call for help.  But then the racoon had disappeared again.

I kept an eye out for it all day while sitting here blogging and even went looking for it two different times, during a lull in the rain.  I never heard or saw motion anywhere as I walked around in the woods.   

My sun room/ office/cattery does not warm up on cloudy days.  It was so cold, Styx had her tail and toes tucked under her.

It was still raining when I left to do chores.  By the time I was ready to feed the horses, it had cleared off, but boy was the paddock mucky and the horses dirty and wet (video). 

When I got home, I put out corn since the rain had stopped and I looked around for the racoon again.  No signs of it.  My little crab apple was blooming though.

I resumed blogging and then just after 5:00, the fox came through, and stopped and did a very cautious triple take down by the Mountain Laurel.

After the fox left, I went down to see what had alerted it.  The raccoon was laying there, between the laurel and the pond, breathing shallowly, its feet twitching occasionally.  I called the Tennessee Wildlife Resources Agency (TWRA).

Of course TWRA was closed for the day, so I left a voicemail on their emergency contact number.

I did the usual dinner routine with pets and people and finally got a call back from a TWRA officer after 6pm.  While telling the officer everything that had transpired today, I walked down to be sure the racoon was still alive.  But it was gone.  I looked around but could not see it anywhere.  The officer said it sounded like distemper and to call if I saw it again.




After disconnecting, I continued looking for the racoon.  And then I saw it, in the pond, dead.  Very likely it had drowned.  The poor thing.  It had looked so peaceful resting nearby in the sun, less than an hour before. 

I couldn't deal with it's body tonight, but knew it needed to be disposed of.  At least it's struggle was over.

Wednesday 3/27 - Mike arrived a little after 2am and I was unable to get back to sleep, having woke at 1:15.  So I got up and worked on the RTTH blog for about four hours.  I finally thought I could get back to sleep and knew I needed more, so I laid down about 6:30 and did get two more hours.  About the time I was getting out of bed, Joe had a big cowboy breakfast fixed for the three of us.  What a great way to restart the day.  





The boys headed out just before 10:00 to golf and play poker and I wouldn’t see them until the following morning.  After a late visit to the gym, I bought groceries and then went to the ranch to do chores.  On the way I took this photo of another lot, completely cleared for a new home construction.  I can't believe FFG is letting contractors take out all of the trees!  The pros and cons of development.
 

Once home, I buried the dead raccoon.  There was a big hole by the pond, so I put it in that and filled it up with dirt I dug up from the woods across the creek.  RIP.








While walking the dog at 8pm I took these photos of the new lights shining on the columbarium across the street. 



You can see in the first photo, the string of lights from our garage.  Light passes under this sign and comes in our big front entry window, but it also hits you right in the eyes as you are going up the driveway.  In the second photo, seen from our side of the road, the lights all around the burial wall shine past the wall and into your eyes from every direction.  We are now getting light from them, in our master bathroom window.  I am not pro lights when they are so bright and pointing up.   

Thursday 3/28 - I woke up at 1:25am, when Joe and Mike got home.  I couldn't get back to sleep, hearing Joe in the Mancave watching Jeopardy, and also thinking about several things on my mind (some were things to remember to do, others were problems to solve, and also I was anticipating some future fun stuff ).

I ended up getting out of bed at 2:30 and sitting at my computer, starting this blog post.  Blogging each week has its pros and cons.  It does take up way too much of my time, but I do enjoy it and it's benefits, and like having an account of some things I want to remember.  It was another four hours being up in the middle of the night.  I did get two more hours of sleep when I went back to bed.  But then the morning was half over when I got up the second time.  Wow, seen in photo, Styx got on Mike's lap.
 

The next four photos were all taken within one minute.  It's the cats, in order of age, enjoying the day's sunshine.

Stevie on Maggie's bed in the living room.

Joe left to move a car and Mike hit the road for his next destination.  I started the laundry of his sheets and towels. 








Monita on the big platform/tunnel box in the living room. 
I worked on ranch and horse business here at my computer, did some cleaning chores, and had a big salad for lunch.

Mama Styx behind my computer on the squishy cat pad Courtney knitted.
I ran to the ranch to feed chickens, make the guest bed out there, and check on Amiga.  On my way to catch her, I decided to walk our new trail (which I cleared of fallen branches as I went) and then I returned, walking across the back pasture.  Brooke was already feeding the horses.  Amiga's limp was much less noticeable.  And Brooke (like I have been) had troubles getting Amiga to take the Previcox. 

Babe on top of the cat tower by my computer.

Greg and his wife Gilda had arrived by the time I got home, and they were enjoying a beer on the back deck (and the boys a cigar). 

The three of them left on a driving tour of the Glade and I popped into the shower.

I met them and the girls at Casa Grande Mexican Restaurant.

This is us (clockwise - Greg, Gilda, Shirley, Karen, Patty, I and Joe) with our piles of food.

Greg and Gilda decided to sleep at the ranch, and once Joe got home from showing them the way there, we watched Survivor before I went to bed.
 

Friday 3/29 - Good Friday.  It was a pretty morning and a gorgeous day.  The pros of some spring days, when there is no wind, rain, or cold front.  Monita, seen in this photo, was ready to 'spring into action,' to attack, cause trouble, or harass someone. 





I got to the gym by 11am.  I guess I am on the M, W, F plan this week.   

Then Patty, Karen, and I met at the ranch and went for a lovely ride.  I couldn't tell if Amiga was sore or not.  She seemed a little off, but also was a tad feisty and revving to go.  

Patty led the way to help keep Amiga slowed down, but then Zorro was moving out fairly fast.  When we got to the tree across our path, it had fallen down more and Patty could not get under it.  So we turned around and went another direction.

Cowboy, back at the ranch had been calling out to us and walking along the fence line where we rode the trail through the woods along it on the other side.  He called out to our horses several times.

I split off from the other two to take Amiga back, so as not to make her too sore.  Then I got on her bareback to see if I could tell which leg she was favoring.  And she actually felt fine.

Cowboy was glad to see us return.  When the other two got back, Patty rode Zorro around in the barn yard because he had rushed home.  Which horse is 'consoling' the other in this photo?   

I gathered some laundry up at the ranch house, fed and watered the chickens, and headed home. 

After dinner, I proceeded to waste time here, watching videos (horses, dancing, and comedians).  I was enjoying the down time, but could have been more productive.  There are many pros and cons of the internet. 

Saturday 3/30 - I was all caught up on this blog, so didn't spend much time doing it.  So, I had the opportunity to get back to some of my puzzles that I usually play every day.  I couldn’t get one single group of Connections, did poorly at the New York Times mini crossword puzzle, but I did get Wordle in four tries.

Banner and Amiga milling around the paddock.





I left for the ranch shortly after 9:00 and Joe and I cleaned out the chicken coop once he got there at 9:45.  We used the riding mower to pull the wagon that we had put all the chicken manure in.  





Then we headed back to the trail we’ve been working on and finished clear cutting it, moving dead logs (trees that had fallen and were in the way), cutting (with poorly operating chainsaws) smaller trees that were crowding the path, and trimming overhead branches that were too low to ride under. 









I discovered that the white thing up in the tree I saw by Jem's field, was in fact a deer blind. A very old, rickety deer blind.  I tried to remove the ladder from the tree, and it is encased in the bark, like the tree has grown into the ladder.  The new trail passes fairly close to the base of this. 

Once we got all the chainsaw work completed, I dismissed Joe and he headed home and I continued raking and clearing the new trail better. 
This photo was taken from Jem's red gate, at the back corner of his pasture, looking down the old four wheeler trail that a big tree has fallen across.  You can see Marmaduke (that we can ride this trail down to and out onto) in the distance.  

The newest part of our trail goes along, near the fence line of our back pasture and Jem's field, paralleling it and Marmaduke.  It comes out onto this four wheeler trail (from the left in this photo), right after the big log, and you have to step across that old landscape timber (circled in blue) to enter the new trail.

This is one more view, from the new trail, showing how it bends around and joins the old four wheeler trail at the landscape timber (again circled in blue).  I have left the leaves on this section of trail so it is not as noticeable from the four wheeler trail. 

I hadn’t planned to ride, but really did want to try out the new trail in its entirety, however I didn't have riding boots with me.  But when Karen texted, asking about riding, I decided to go, and just ride bareback.

These two photos were taken from a video Patty sent when she was doing chores later in the day.  She said Amiga just looked a little stiff on her back right leg.   




Karen got to the barn before I had gotten back from trail work, and thought Amiga looked too sore to ride.  We decided it might be best to rest her today so I massaged more liniment ointment on her back right stifle and we tried to give her a Previcox, but that did not go very well.  It has been a problem lately because she keeps figuring out that it’s in the yummy treats and snacks we're giving her and she spits it out.  





Having an easy keeper (horse that gets fat, too easily), and one that tends to get lame pretty often, and one that’s very smart and has figured out when we’re trying to sneak a Previcox into her mouth, can be one of the downsides of horse ownership.  But all the pros outweigh the cons and I am so lucky and blessed and happy to have my sweet Amiga. 





I got home mid afternoon, and read and napped in the sun for 30 minutes.  Joe left for Nashville to catch an early flight Sunday morning, and will then be going on a poker cruise for five days. 

Maggie and I took a long walk after dinner.  I went up the Library Trail and came back by way of Druid golf course.  This is the driving range, now with raised sections.

Directly behind me (from the first photo) is the beginning construction of a small building that looks to have plumbing in it (a snack shack or rest room?).

Below, a big rock slab in the front yard of a house we passed. 






The pros and cons of living on 'rocky top,' it is difficult to plant things, but the rock formations are beautiful.

It was 8pm and dark by the time we got home from our walk.  I was pretty tired from the day's activities, so got in bed and read awhile before lights out.