Daunting Tasks

Tasks that intimidate, frighten and overwhelm me, tend to discourage me from tackling them.  If I worry about my ability to achieve something,  I tend to procrastinate, but then the job somehow seems to get bigger or worse.

My first hurdle this week, in starting this blog, was that my computer screen had changed.  It happened when I was using my mouse to scroll over a photo to enlarge it so I could see more detail.  And then suddenly everything on my screen became  'microscopic' and I have no clue how to fix it.  With Joe out of town until Monday evening, I was just going to have to cope with it as is.

It is beneficial to break large jobs into smaller tasks.  As soon as you identify a task; begin it and then focus on it for at least five minutes.  It’s scientifically proven that once we start on something, we're much more likely to finish it up.  However, time is my issue.  I start an endeavor, don't have time to finish it, and then it sometimes has to wait a long time before (if ever) I get back to it.  The larger (longer lasting) tasks are the most daunting to me.

My current and most daunting task is buying a horse.  There is just so much to consider and do to complete the process.  I also have the ongoing burden of  getting my body back into shape... as in strengthening, endurance, balance, and flexibility training.  And then there's filling out the genetic risk assessment paperwork and family history questionnaire, both on my computer.

Some tasks are daunting, not because they’re so big or even difficult, but because they’re just no fun to tackle or not that rewarding to do.  Cleaning house before the kids get here at the end of the week, and planning, shopping for and preparing meals, all fall into the unpleasant category for me.

Saturday 9/14 - I was up before the sun, finished and posted last week's blog, and was trying to organize my week when Mama Styx decided to 'camp out' on my calendar.  Yep, I still use a hard copy rather than digital one. 

I was at the ranch by 7:30 to let horses out and muck in the paddock.  My project supervisor watched while being snuggled by Wanda. 
 

I love this series of photos. 

Wanda is always so happy to see Maggie out at the ranch.  And surprisingly, as I was finishing up mucking, Maggie ran off a neighboring dog from the front field.

After doing chores, I decided to go with a garden rake and check out and neaten up the trail in the woods.  Joe had used a product to kill the undergrowth in one section where I never did get it cleared, so I worked at raking and pulling dead undergrowth there, for quite a while.  Later I discovered I'd gotten some poison ivy around my wrists, where my gloves ended.

My project supervisor waited patiently and found a big (vulture or crow)  feather to entertain herself for awhile.


I was going to start this blog because the weather forecast had not been good, but on my way home, driving past the pool, it looked quite inviting with the sun shining and lots of people there.  So I packed a lunch and turned back around and went to the pool.  I spent nearly three hours there, because it was to be the last day of the season.  What can I say, who wouldn’t rather go to the pool and lounge in the sun and water, or sit on the porch swing and read a book, or just veg-out in front of my computer screen, rather than starting on a daunting task?

I got home, showered, dressed, took care of animals, had a quick supper and headed off to the Grove for 70s and 80s music.  Mickey and I dressed for the occasion
and noticed many people in really great costumes.



Photo opts before the band started.  I make myself laugh looking at some of these.  Don't ask, because I don't know why the face.  LOL.







In this photo on the left, we are showing off our tattoos.
 

Micki and I posing in the Love Bug.




The rotary club had gone all out, setting up and decorating for this fund-raising event. 









Here you can see some examples of the better costumes.  Ah the good ole Hippy Days.  The things we wore back then.  What a riot. 

The band did an excellent job of playing all the great hits from back in the 70s and 80s.  The crowd had an amazing time dancing the night away.  In the photo to the left can be seen Vicki and Linda, and then Mary behind them. 
















I love Vicki's hair in the action shot above.

Many of us refer to Linda as the energizer bunny.  She can really 'kill it' on the dance floor and is just so much fun to party with. 

I drove Micki home because we deemed it unsafe for her to operate a vehicle in her condition.  LOL.  She did have a good time.  She took all the dancing photos and these last two as we were walking to my car.

The moon peaking through the clouds was beautiful as were the lights on Mirror Lake.


 

Sunday 9/15 - I slept in and my throat was a little sore when I did roll out of bed, but otherwise I was feeling pretty good.  I think it was from talking over loud music and singing 70's and 80's music at the top of my lungs for almost three hours while dancing, that did it.  







I like to think of Sundays as a day of rest.  I don't have chores at the ranch and the gym isn't open (I haven't been there in ten days anyways, because of my cold) so those two activities are off the docket for every Sunday.  Actually, since surgery, it seems like every day has been a day of rest.  I have become a professional bum.

After enjoying the Church service with Shirley, I came home planning to get this blog started.  But I decided reading out on the deck in the partial sunlight was more appealing.  The swimming pool wasn’t as inviting because of the cool air.  I hadn’t quite finished my James Patterson paperback, so that was my goal, not at all a daunting task.

After a few hours, having finished my book and taken a nap, I got myself up and moving.  Because I had been such a bum all day, I decided to do another hike for the marathon, going 3 miles to complete the red loop.  I took the only three photos for the day and this (video).  Maggie ended up a little sore on her front left 'wrist' part of her foot/leg.  😒

Monday 9/16 - I needed to get this blog started, but put it off again because I had to get to the ranch to do chores.  Sometimes writing this blog, when I’m trying to come up with a theme, or if I get so far behind on my daily entries, or when I try to keep it short or to be creative in my wording... seems like a rather daunting task.

As I was finishing mucking, Betty arrived and we walked the property, especially where Dorado will be kept, and discussed care options, and how we would co-op.  It was cool enough at 8:30 that the paper wasps on this nest were barely moving. 

The three 'Amigos' seen from the ranch house yard.  Betty was there till 11:00.  We did a lot of chit/chating, talking horses etc. and Bonnie stopped on her way out the drive and joined us in conversation for awhile.  I finished up with a few little jobs, and while getting a rake out of the upper feed room, was 'attacked' by some of the wasps and stung by one, twice on my belly, right through my shirt.  I read that these are very territorial and aggressive wasps.
 

The sunshine (or cloud coverage) was spotty, but it was a pretty day, so I chose to skip the gym and lay out at the pool.  A decision had been made to keep it open until Friday. 

When I got home, I finally got this blog started.  I had planned to have dinner at Patty's when Joe arrived with the three Iowans from the airport, but their flight was four hours late so I was just getting into bed when they rolled into the Glade.

Tuesday 9/17 - It was overcast and misty much of the day with the temperature barely getting into the 70s.  It was a good day to sit here and catch up on this blog.  But then, 30 minutes before our handyman Scotty got here, Joe told me he was coming.  I had to hustle to get dressed and cover our closet shelves and hanging clothes so that drywall and dust did not get on our stuff.  Scotty replaced the light in our closet, one in the workroom and a dimmer switch in the living room.  Joe had to leave for the dentist so I needed to remain at the house until Scotty was finished.

I headed to the gym at 10:30, two hours later met Joe, Patty, Mary, Tracy and Teresa for lunch at Skillets, and was back here by 2pm, sipping hot tea and working at my computer while it drizzled outside.

I did clean up where electrical work had been done and spoke with the vet about Stevie.  She has shown improvement so I am willing to treat her Lymphoma and inflammatory bowel disease (for awhile anyway).  The palliative treatment in both (no cure for either) is similar, with a hydrolyzed protein diet and steroids.  It will be costing me almost $100.00 a month,  but I’m gonna give it a try. 

Three cats at bedtime - missing Stevie.  I feel bad that Stevie is still banished to the back screened in porch, especially with it getting colder, but she still has some accidents (leaves little chocolate chip looking poop where she has been sleeping).  I hope her condition improves even more because I plan to bring her into my office/cattery/sun room next week.

Wednesday 9/18 - I did my usual morning routine here at my computer.  Betty sent this photo while she was out at the ranch trying to get rid of the paper wasps before they 'woke up' this morning.  That is a LOT of nests.


Joe and I picked up Tracy and Teresa and drove to Meadow Creek Park to hike the three mile 'Marathon' trail. 









It was an easy hike with little change in elevation, and not too rocky.  Although there were little stumps and roots you had to watch out for to avoid tripping.

At one spot we walked through this cute gnome village. 










I liked the more natural looking curios than the painted figurines. 






Life is good!







We enjoyed the smell of the woods and taking in the more natural sights.  The walk was also invigorating.

We ended up at AJ's diner for lunch.  It was a dive of a place, but the food was good.  I had fried corn beef and cabbage that really hit the spot. 

Another photo from Betty, who had enjoyed hanging out at the ranch for quite some time.  Notice that our weather was a little 'iffy' in spots.  But we never got any rain to speak of.

Once home with a full belly, I enjoyed hot tea on the porch, reading and then napping, with my sickly cat by my side.  Stevie sure enjoys the company. 








I was a little late getting to the ranch for chores.  Betty came to watch the process and start learning the procedure for feeding.  This is how Amiga was wearing her fly mask when she came in.  LOL.

I needed to do more communications concerning horse shopping, but was already 'getting into' my new James Patterson book and chose to read instead of doing the daunting task of texting sellers with questions I had.  It was a nice quiet evening with Poker Joe gone, and I had the lights out earlier than usual.

Thursday 9/19 - Well, I had to stoop to using an on-line picture because I only took one all day. 

After computerizing, I worked out at the gym (Wellness Complex) from 10:00 - 1:00.  I left feeling great, got gas and groceries and then came home and took a nap.  I had not gotten enough sleep the night before.

I did start on the daunting task of house cleaning, including trimming cat nails and flea combing all.  I did not get a single flea off the cats or dog.  Hooray!  I also scrubbed and hosed off the cushions from the screened porch that Stevie had soiled.  And I finished one load and started a second, of laundry.

I had to quit cleaning before getting very much done to make a salad, and then head with Joe to Patty's house.  Karen and Shirley also joined us in dinning with the Iowans.  Tracy and Joe →

Friday 9/20 -  Britney had made it to Courtney's last night, after a long day of travel (three flights) to come from Costa Rica.  I did my blogging and then started in on more house cleaning.  Part of the process of cleaning was to get all the guest beds made, the table leaf out, and to also get set up for Ava and Tango. 






I was getting Ava’s fort out for the weekend and saw these rules written on the inside.  Rule number two would probably ban many of us entering the fort.  That’s Mama Styx’s foot you see in the photo, so she has apparently agreed to follow the rules and enter.  One of my daunting tasks for later this fall is to clean out the bunk room, seen in photo below, when I went in there to get Ava's fort. 

I put on hold my 'to do' list of daunting tasks (horse shopping/buying/and hauling home, and getting ready for our new boarder- organizing, coordinating and implementing new boarding/co-op procedures).  They would have to wait until after the weekend.  The on-going daunting tasks of cleaning leaves out of the yard, and getting the creek down back to flow into our side of the pond, will be 'on-going' forever, or until we move. 

Okay, I'm posting this early because company is coming and I'll be busy all weekend!