Game Changer

Game changer is defined as an event, idea, or procedure that causes a significant shift in the current manner of doing or thinking about something.  Blogging has become a 'ball and chain' for me lately, especially because I am just too busy this summer.  So I, with all sincerity and effort, plan to greatly reduce my musings and compositions from here on out.  

Thursday 7/10 - Once getting home from our Costa Rica travels at 7:30 am, after 24 hours of travel = no bed, I was dead tired, in a daze, but just not sleepy enough to go to bed or even take a nap.  I sat here working on the travel blog, but it was slow progress because I was too tired.  At one point, while letting Facebook distract me, I clicked on a bad link and got hit by a virus.  The only thing I could do was shut off my computer.  Joe was sound asleep so blogging was no longer an options.  

Two of the black 'baby' hens.  They are nearly adults.  

I did completely unpack my suitcase, do two loads of laundry, and put everything away.  I did a few household jobs like water plants and clean litter boxes and finally laid down for a nap.  





Joe woke, fixed my computer, but soon I had to get to the ranch to do evening chores. 

All was well with the horses and hens, oh and also Wanda.  

A bird has built a nest and was feeding babies back in the same spot of the large, upper shed.  I was going to try not to worry about the kids falling out this time. 

I took a Tylenol pm at 7pm and went right to sleep.

Friday 7/11 - I woke at 5am, getting ten hours of sleep.  I blogged for three hours and then went to the ranch to do morning chores.  Betty helped so we could get out on the trail because she had to be somewhere by 11am.  Our 3½ mile ride was wonderful, but started to get hot and buggy by the end.  Rico did great and I was really glad I took time to go.  

I had an early lunch and then got back to blogging.  I didn't get far before nodding off at my computer so took an hour nap.  Then after a few more hours of blogging I got too sleepy again, I took another hour nap.  Scheesh, I thought how am I ever going to get the blog finished.  

I was really missing Rose and fearing that the worst possibly happened, but I was hoping she might be at her other home and getting the care she probably needed.

I went to dinner and then the play Hairspray with Shirley.  We thoroughly enjoyed both.

It was a very late bedtime by the time I got home.

Saturday 7/12 - I would have loved a relaxing morning, but had to go to work.  Shadow heading out after breakfast, as I was leaving.  My shift at the pool started rough and then ended a little bumpy.  Mary, the new employee did not close the register correctly, so I had to call IT to get it straightened out.  And then I discovered the cash bag had four, twenty dollar bills and only seven ones and the rest quarters to total out $100 start up.  Not near enough small bills for change.

We were hit with area thunderstorms and pop-up showers from 12:15 until 2:00.  So I was forced to get people out of the water twice because of nearby thunder and then later was seesawing on the same decision when low rumbles were heard really far off.

I ran to the ranch to give Amiga a Previcox to 'prep' her before the farrier on Monday.  

It's best to have the pain/anti-inflammatory in her system a few days ahead of time.  I could tell she was sore because she was laying down when I first got there.  





I got home and made a salad for a very late lunch.  I tried to blog but took over an hour long nap.  I was really out of it when I woke up and couldn't get my eyes to focus.  But I was meeting Micki at The Grove for an evening of music and dancing.  The band, 'Four On The Floor,' was a lot of fun and great to dance to. 

Sunday 7/13 - I skipped church and finished the Costa Rican travel blog and posted it.  Then I started the wedding ceremony blog, but quickly got bogged down by so many photos.  Also, I had recalled seeing some photos that I didn’t have downloaded on my computer so I had to figure out where those were, to include them.  Two cute fawn, romping down back.  

I left for work early because first I went to the ranch to muck and give Amiga another Previcox.  I arrived at work just after the weather turned threatening; with thunder, dark skies, and an increase in wind.  I had to clear the pool two different times, but we barely got a shower.  Most folks had cleared out, so my shift was very easy.  I got home at 6:25, hot, sweaty, and exhausted.

Monday 7/14 - I left for the ranch by 6:30 to do chores and move the three Pasos down to the barn.  I was ready when Chris (the farrier) arrived early, at 8:15.  All went well, but Chris did find that Amiga had a light case of thrush on all four hooves.  In this photo, his apprentice had found Rico's 'sweet spot' and my boy was lovin' it.  Silly horse.  









I had to scurry to get to the pool by 9:15.  It was another hot, humid day with rain threatening just as I was leaving the pool and headed back to the ranch. 
I treated Amiga's thrush and gave her another Previcox. 





Bonnie sent me the above photo of Rico and Cowboy scratching each other.

I took a very short nap once home, did the night feeding of pets as usual, showered and headed to Mirror Lake Blast.  Micki, Donna, and I having fun.

Tuesday 7/15 - I'd gotten eight hours of sleep but woke at 5:00 with a headache and still feeling so tired.  Laundry, blogging, and ranch business occupied my morning and into my afternoon.








I stopped at 2:00 to go to the gym and get in a full weight workout.  It was not near as strenuous as my last one at the gym 15 days ago, but still kicked my butt.  





I went to Food City on the way home.

Patty is in Iowa helping their older sister Mary who got home from re-hab (after surgery) on Monday.  So after unloading groceries, I went back to the ranch to do chores for her and care for Amiga's hooves and lameness.  Amiga and Zorro stayed in the shade of the front pasture once I let them out of the paddock.  Rico goes with the boys in the lower paddock at night.

Wednesday 7/16 - I left for the ranch at 6am, fed the Pasos, and then took Rico down to the barn where Betty was grooming and tacking Dorado.  We headed out on a ride before 7:30.  We saw a medium size bear out on the trail.  It was crossing up ahead of us quite a way.  Our horses had heard it and were on moderate alert.  The bear looked at us and sauntered off into the woods.  Our horses looked at the bear, got a little nervous, but just stood there looking while we kept them calm.  They did excellent.  


Betty riding through the ferns on an untraveled dirt road.  





We ended up riding for over two hours, going almost seven miles.  




I cleaned the Pasos water trough; draining, scrubbing, rinsing, and re-filling it.  Rico enjoying a good roll and scratch session while I was working in the upper paddock.  




All three Pasos happily munching in the upper paddock, with the three boys nearby in the front pasture. 

I was falling asleep driving home, so grabbed a quick, late lunch and took a nap; a two hour nap, sleeping quite hard.  And I was rather disoriented when I woke.  







I made ice tea and soon Karen came over so we could work in the yard together.  Karen had raked leaves while letting Maggie hang out with her in the yard when we were in Costa Rica.  I hauled some of the many piles away, while Karen did some more raking.

Thursday 7/17 - Happy Birthdays to my brother John and sister Jean (seven years apart) and I'm not sure how old.  Joe woke me at 2am asking if I had heard the loud bang.  No, I hadn't.  I had been sound asleep.  Wondering what it was (he thought maybe something had hit a window) I got up to investigate.  

It was the wooden pallet that is the 'door' to the front of the litter box/cat tower base.  It's just outside our bedroom sliding door and sounded loud when it fell on the floor.

Totally awake, I made tea and finished the wedding blog, before getting sleepy enough to get more shut eye.  I waited to send the blog after proofing it.  Well, I slept from 5 to 8am, jumped up, walked and fed Maggie, and went to do chores (for Patty), a tad late.

I had my second cup of tea and proofed and then posted the wedding blog once back home.  Then I went to the gym for an aerobic workout, 30 minutes of rowing and just over an hour on the elliptical.  

I made another trip back to the ranch to feed, muck, and put medicine (greenish) on Amiga's four hooves.  Joe and I went out for dinner.  Stonehenge and Reds were too busy so we ended up at Sandbaggers.  I went to bed fairly soon after getting home.

Okay, so I didn't shorten this blog much, because I had already done a lot of the writing in my notes each day.  Next week will be less.