Stable Thoughts

When I wake up each morning, my thoughts usually go immediately to the ranch (stable) and the horses.  How was their night?  What will I do with them today?  How are they going to do for me today?  How can I make them better and myself improved by our interactions?  How can I simply connect with these majestic animals on a deeper level? 



This blog title also has to do with stable thinking or having a stable mind.  There are so many times in my life when I let my mind run wild, and it often gets me into trouble or leads to way too much unnecessary worrying.  I think, sometimes the same is true with Rico when we are out on the trail, or when he is left alone in the paddock.  He lets his worry or thoughts override his ability to think straight.  He gets reactive.  And this can be dangerous for me and for him.  

I am more familiar with strategies for changing human mindset than I am for changing the thoughts of my horses, if that is even possible.  

The journey of achieving a stable mindset often begins with the first moments of the day.
-Affirm Your Worth
-Visualize Success
-Shift your focus to gratitude
-Clearly articulate your day's intentions
-Embrace Imperfections (yours and other's)
-Encourage yourself to learn and grow

A stable mind is crucial in achieving happiness and success in life.  Stable thoughts enables us to remain calm and composed in stressful situations, which helps us make better decisions and handle challenging circumstances more effectively.  Additionally, a stable mind allows us to stay focused and productive, which is crucial for achieving our goals and aspirations.

Sunday 4/12 - Ava's Birthday.  Now five years old.  Valencia's parents and her niece were there over the weekend to help Ava celebrate.

Shirley gave me some 'cowgirl hand-me-downs' after church.  I had just been planning on going through all my dresses to purge those I haven't worn in years, because I never will, and they are taking up closet space.  







It was another unseasonably warm, bone dry, windy day, with very low humidity.  A recipe for a brush fire.  



I worked at clearing the new cut through trail a little better and then Karen and I went for a ride.  It got up into the low 80s, so I was hot and tired from working and Zorro and Rico also acted quite sluggish.  We rode the new trail successfully.    

I took this photo of Cash and Cowboy gravitating towards our Pasos after I was finished with chores.  

Joe and I sat down in the living room at 6:30 to watch TV.  Cookie had been laying by (on Maggie's feet) when I reached for my phone to take this photo, but then she got up because of my movement. 

I had a beer and popcorn for dinner while watching two episodes of season one of Scarpetta.

 Monday 4/13 - During our second walk of the day, about 7am, I took just Cookie and went a mile.  We returned by way of the #17 green and Turtle Pond.  Here Cookie is, working on her sit stay.  It is definitely a work in progress.














The sky was a pretty pink as the sun was rising.  I love the frilly look of the dogwood between the back of our house and the pond.

I am not so thrilled by the scummy looking wetland/detritus that has accumulated at 'our' end of the pond and is actually slowly filling in the whole body of water.  Surely the golf course won't let that happen... although they haven't done anything about it since July 2022 (when these next two photos were taken).

Back in that summer of 2022, they had come in and scooped out as much debris as possible and piled it all on the hillside across the creek.  There was still lots of wetland vegetation they could not reach (just beyond the creek entrance).

What ended up happening a year later is that four large trees on this hillside died and their tops broke off, two of which ended up in the pond. 
I need to stop worrying about it, but I do feel the current state does depreciate our property.  

After some household tasks in the morning, I headed to town for a major shopping trip.  While coming out of Tractor Supply, Joe called wanting to know what to do about a 'horse problem.'  He had put the three Pasos on the front pasture while moving manure, but also Cash had gotten past Joe and was on the front pasture too.  WTH?  Needless to say, I was not happy.  I still had plenty more shopping to do.  Thankfully Patty was able to go to Joe's rescue.

Too tired to get to the gym, I ended up taking a 90 minute nap.  Ugh.  The dogwood petals looked like snow during our evening dog walk.

Tuesday 4/14 - Maggie is still so patient with Cookie, who has actually gotten more rambunctious, playful, and ornery.  

What else is Maggie supposed to do?  She does seek relief under Joe's desk and I put Cookie in her crate to give us all a break. 

I got out to the ranch close to 8am for morning chores.  After feeding the Pasos, I made a few trips from the shop, barn, garage, and chicken coop for various supplies to work in the garden and plant these flowers.  I took a break for tea and cookie and to work the puzzle and then sorted through donated supplies, stowed them, and neatened up in the ranch house.  Unfortunately, I ran out of time to go for a ride.  

Joe had dumped three tractor bucket loads of manure in the chicken yard yesterday and the girls already had it picked (pecked) through and spread out.  

I had a very productive workout at the gym and after dinner took the dogs on a longer walk wearing my weighted vest, since I have not been doing the elliptical lately, due to lack of time.

Wednesday 4/15 - I was up and blogging at 2am.  I finished yesterday's post quickly and then made a trip down memory lane, reading some old blog posts from May 2015.  May 4th was the day I brought Maggie home from work (whom my boss had rescued from Chestnut Hill Rd and was trying to find a home for).  
Joe met her and we decided to keep her.


I was trying to recall that life wasn't always easy with her. 

There were so many similarities we are now dealing with, with Cookie.  








Maggie had to learn to walk on a leash and would choke herself running to the end of the flex-a-leash.  


Stevie was scared of Maggie at first but soon became curious, and then playful with her. 

By the 3rd week we had Maggie, she had started displaying some unwanted behaviors…   






Maggie sometimes got a little rough playing with Stevie, as if playing with a fellow puppy friend, and Stevie would take off for higher ground.  







Maggie would jump up on the couch while chasing Stevie, who would run up and over it.  And Maggie started barking at deer and golfers, same as Cookie is doing now.

This is the crate I built for our first dog (Greta) back in 1979 and used with Daisy and Maggie.  I will be bringing it home from the ranch to use with Cookie.  Wow, it is 47 years old.  It has served us well.  



Maggie was spayed the second week we had her.  She licked her spay incision, pulled out a stitch, made it bleed, and got out of the different shirt devices I devised to keep her from messing with it.  So at least that went much better with Cookie, except Cookie had been pregnant.

Maggie would chase Stevie up the stairs, where the dog wasn't (and still isn't) allowed to go.  So this box blocked the dog but Stevie could still escape into the box or up the stairs.  
Cookie has learned about staying off the furniture (except Joe's recliner) and to not go up stairs, although she can NOT be trusted to follow rules when we aren't in the room with her. 
Maggie’s  drive to chew was continuous for quite awhile and she did destroy several things, like this door mat.  So we kept her in the crate while we were gone or overnight, which we are doing now with Cookie.  

As with Maggie, we have started the training process with Cookie right away.  Staying out of the kitchen at all times and the dinning room when we are eating are tough rules.  But Cookie is learning from Maggie's good example.  We are also working on commands like sit, down, stay, and come.  I can’t get too tough on Cookie because she is a very sensitive/timid dog like Maggie.  A firm “NO!” and she wants to run away.  I do not want her afraid of me, but she needs to listen and understand why I am reprimanding at her.

I napped for 90 minutes before sun-up, but had not gotten near enough sleep.

This is the harness I got at the Dollar Store for Cookie.  It has kept her from choking herself by pulling on the leash or running to the end of the flex-a-leash and coming to an abrupt halt.  Also, Cookie has slipped out of her collar and run off, like Maggie had done a few times, in hot pursuit of deer.  But she hasn't gotten loose with this harness on.








Look what I spotted while playing a couple of games here at my computer, as I was sipping on a third cup of tea, trying to wake up.

There were actually five deer resting (laying down and probably chewing their cuds) down on the oasis.



I stepped out on the deck to get these last two photos.

I had planned to work down back, but didn't want to disturb the deer, so started out in the front yard.  
Two project supervisors now, is more than enough.  Cookie constantly badgers poor Maggie, wanting to play, wrestle, and she even chews on her ears and feet.  Maggie is so patient with her.
I was not very productive because for some reason I kept feeling light headed and dizzy.  I tried salty crackers and water, but did not get any relief.  Sometimes when I am really short on sleep, I am so tired I feel kind of sick.

I had evening chores (covering for Jan because she is subbing for me over the weekend).  So I went out early to get some things done.  But again my fatigue held me back to a minimal amount of work.  








I had noticed this hole had been dug open, so I added steel wool to stop whatever critter was using this to get under the foundation.  

After struggling through some small tasks, I got Amiga to go for a ride.  I didn't want to have to mess with saddling Rico because I was too tired, and I needed a tranquil ride. 
 
 

We stopped at the gate in the back corner of Jem's and watched Joe (tiny speck on orange tractor) who was pulling T-post from along our wooden fence line.

Jem said we were welcome to have them, and it really cleaned up the look of the wood fence.  

I ended up taking Amiga on an almost three mile ride, making our usual course into a big loop.  I kept her at a nice, quiet walk; enjoying the peace of the woods and became completely immersed in my bond with Amiga.  

Before walking Amiga back up to her paddock, I put her in her stall and fed Cowboy and Cash.  Then I walked Amiga back up through the front pasture.  

After letting the Pasos out in the side pasture, they started acting goofy.  I soon noticed they were chasing a mama wood duck and her seven little babies (video).  




I backed the horses off, so mama duck, with babies close behind, could get to the pond (video).  She swam across and came out the back side and lead her babies down to the safety of Jem's pond, away from our crazy horses.  

All was peaceful when I left for home.

I did some much needed watering again and then after the dinner hour, watched Survivor with Joe; and Maggie, Cookie, Monita, and Styx (Babe is still keeping her distance from this bouncy, playful, unpredictable puppy.)

Thursday 4/16 - Fourteen years ago today Dan was on his way home from Afghanistan.  He posted this photo on Facebook and said in an e-mail, "I'm safe, still in Asia, but not in Afghanistan.  Should be in the states in 2, maybe 3 days at the latest."  My relief, pride and love were overflowing.  I re-posted this photo with a (link) to this song.  It was dedicated to all service personnel around the world, who serve us all with pride.  


In addition to my usual evening chores, I had morning chores for Bonnie, who was also covering for me over the weekend.

So I packed a lunch and headed to the ranch to spend the day there.  First I worked at preping some areas to be seeded.  Cash, as usual was right there checking out what I was hauling in the wheelbarrow.  It was a bunch of rocks I had picked up from the ground (seen below) I was preparing for seed.  

I took a break when Joe arrived, with Cookie, to play with her and then put her in Amiga's stall, in a safe place where she wouldn't run off.  Patty also arrived and started mowing in the barnyard area.  





I finally got this all seeded with old hay from the shop floor to cover the seeds.  This helps keep moisture in and birds off.

Patty and I went up to the ranch house for a lunch break.  Cookie came too and was able to run around in the yard.  

I started the task of filling the stock tank and watering everything.  Cookie, who had been seen in the field with the three black boys up by her old house on Chestnut Hill was curious about our horses, but did not bark or chase... just watched.  Zorro came to say hello, he too was curious.  Below, Rico came over to investigate.  Cookie laid in the shade much of the time and watched me drag the hose around as I watered plants.  


 

Joanne arrived and we took the two Paso boys out for a three mile ride.  I had to close Cookie into Amiga's stall again, while 'horsing around.'  

After Joanne helped me finish up chores, I did a little more watering and then got sprinkled on while driving home.  It was barely enough rain to settle the dust.

Friday 4/17 - My morning was spent doing some laundry, running some errands and getting in a really good workout at the gym.  I picked up food supplies for Britney and the weekend in Murfreesboro.  




I went for a nice little ride with Karen late in the afternoon.

After mucking and watering more of the young trees we have planted at the ranch, I came home to feed the critters because it was already 6:30.

More needed to be done in preparation for Britney coming and to be out of town for three days, but I was too tired.  I went to bed just after Britney's flight had landed in Knoxville.