And Dogs

Dogs are the most loving pet of all and used most often as therapy partners.  According to the AKC: "Therapy dogs are dogs who go with their owners to volunteer in settings such as schools, hospitals, and nursing homes. From working with a child who is learning to read to visiting a senior in assisted living, therapy dogs and their owners work together as a team to improve the lives of other people."  Side note - "Therapy dogs are not service dogs. Service dogs are dogs who are specially trained to perform specific tasks to help a person who has a disability. It is unethical to attempt to pass off a therapy dog as a service dog for purposes such as flying on a plane or being admitted to a restaurant."

February is associated with love because of Valentine's Day falling in the middle of the month.

It is also American Heart Month.

Furthermore, we can celebrate the month of LOVE with those who always love us faithfully and unconditionally, our dogs.

We dog sat Tango all weekend.
He is a very sweet, gentle, loving boy; and a tad mischievous.

Saturday 2/1 - I took my thyroid medication at my usual 2am time.  Tango, who was sleeping in our room, woke and became restless.  Because he had recently been prone to diarrhea, I got up and took him for a walk.  Wide awake by the time we got back inside (after he peed and pooped) I sat and read until 5 am.  An hour nap and I was back out walking both dogs just after sunrise.

Patty took this photo when she came over in the evening to feed the cats and dogs and sit with them awhile.


I went to the gym at 9am, for two hours of aerobics dance classes.  I was really dragging and felt that just going through the motions was lame, but that's what I did.

Dan and Val had left, headed to their cabin in Gatlinburg, by the time I got home.  Courtney arrived an hour later and we had a late lunch.  We were on the road by 1:30, also headed to Gatlinburg.







We met Dan and Val at Dolly’s Stampede and started out in the saloon for a lively before dinner show.





I found it odd, and a little disappointing, that they didn’t serve alcoholic beverages (an oxymoron for a saloon if you ask me).  But there were some other fancy drinks available that we all enjoyed.





Once seated again, this time in the ‘dinner theater’ (arena) we enjoyed a big meal and a fun show with lots of great horseback riding, comedy, and competition.

The MC.




We ate while the show went on.  I found it difficult to watch everything while I was busy eating.  Also, some times the wait staff was blocking my view.






But the food was good, way more than most of us could eat, including a whole chicken each.
 
Here are several photos of different acts, some of which Courtney took.

I took a (video) of the rider (who was standing on two horses) as he had them jump through the ring of fire, while Courtney took a photo.

This one buffalo decided he needed to roll in the sand when he was out in the arena.

Our waiter recruited Daniel for one of the competitions, horse shoe toss.  Dan was a good actor, a great sport, and a tough competitor, but his opponent got lucky on his last toss.  Courtney took this (video) of the whole thing.  Notice they were using toilet seats for the horse shoes.








I especially enjoyed the closing act (video).

Courtney, Joe and I arrived home at 9:00 (gaining an hour on the drive back) and then she went on home to Nashville.

Sunday 2/2 - Groundhog's Day, Super Bowl Sunday, and a palindromic day.  It was also a gorgeous day.



My three adult cats.





And my kitten.












Tango enjoying the sun when I got home from church, as were Mama Styx and kitten.









After an early lunch, I went to the barn.  It was perfect riding weather.

Amiga's wound is at the stage where I don't feel I need to worry about it any longer, but I will keep an eye on it none the less.


Patty arrived shortly after I had, but was going to do ground work with Zorro, and I was planning to go check out the Holly Trail.

So Amiga and I headed out on our own (video).

The Holly Trail had been un-passable for a few months because the golf course had piled a bunch of brush on the old road at the 14th tee. 


First photo looking towards the 14th tee.

Thankfully, most of the brush had been pushed to the end of the road, seen in second photo, where it has been piled up over the years.

I had gotten off Amiga at the top of the hill and walked her to this point, clearing rocks, sticks, and branches off the trail as I went.


I continued on foot, leading Amiga, and clearing until I got to the creek.  I hopped on and rode her across and then got back off to continue clearing as we ascended the steeper hill on the other side.  This small tree was leaning over the trail and would be a hazard.  I was able to pull it down and then drag it off the trail.  Amiga was a very good girl, tolerant of all the crazy things I was doing.  I considered this a fun adventure and a challenge.  It felt good to have the Holly Trail passable once again.






Once in the Glade, I rode Amiga to Terry's where I let my horse eat while we ladies chatted for quite some time.

Going back to the barn, I rode Amiga most of the way on the Holly Trail, except one bad spot where it was too slippery.  Amiga was pretty tired by the time we got back, and I gave her a Prevocox so she wouldn't be too sore.

Home at 5:30, 5½ hours later, I did my usual chores of feeding, litter boxes, and taking out the trash.

After helping Joe clean up his spilled Captain and Coke in the living room, I settled in with him and the pets, in front of the fire, to watch the Super Bowl.  What a great game!  In this second photo, Monita had gotten too warm.

Monday 2/3 - Because Tango has separation anxiety, each night he slept on his bed on the floor in our bedroom.  Each morning I moved his bed into the living room, where he could be nearby.  As often happens, when he followed me into the kitchen, Babe stole his bed.

A pretty sunrise warranted going out and taking some photos.






















I put out corn while down back and the ducks were the first to go after it that morning.




Around 8am, the golf course workers started removing all the leaves on the course behind Brian's, Roger's, and Steve's.  I was so glad to see the leaves go, so as not to blow over into our backyard anymore (this season).









I got to the gym for Line Dance, but had forgotten it was cancelled, so did weights until time for Zumba.  Home for a quick change, fast bite to eat, and I made it to the barn 40 minutes after leaving the gym.

Kaylah and I rode out on horseback, headed into the Glade by way of Holly Trail.  Jan and Polly trailered in, and we met them at the corner of Beachwood and Marmaduke.

I love the crosses on Kaylah's saddle and Bridle.  It looks really good on her horse Banner.



It was a 65° day, a little overcast, but great for riding.  I was only in a t-shirt.










We all had a wonderful time together riding, chatting, and enjoying our horses (video).  Each of our mounts was very well behaved.



The barn dogs, Chester and Boz, were so excited to be out on the trail with us also.


I could tell Amiga was getting tired (she starts tripping) and the dogs were really slowing down, so we turned for home.


By the time Kaylah and I got back to the barn, we had ridden 2½ hours and gone a little over 7 miles.  I was a little saddle sore myself, especially my knees that have been hurting lately anyway.  Amiga got more Prevocox and lots of time out front grazing on green grass before I put her in her stall for the night.  Her wound looked good and didn't need doctoring.

I hustled about when I got home, to shower and get dinner ready for when Dan and Val arrived at 5:40.  They stayed long enough to eat and pack all the dog stuff up.  Then we bid them and Tango goodbye.

Tuesday 2/4 - My night was interrupted my three hours of wakefulness, at which time I got this blog caught up.  And then my morning routine was cut short because I had to leave for town at 7:30 for a dentist appointment.








Shopping at Walmart at 9:00am was ideal.  I also went to a shoe store, to get a good pair of tennis shoes for the gym because two of my other pair are really wearing out and my feet hurt if I do too much in them.



The series of photos posted today were taken in the evening while I watched a movie.  Monita, Babe, and Maggie enjoyed the warm (sometimes too hot) fire. 
















The light rain that had moved into the area the night before, seldom let up all day.  So it turned out to be a do-nothing day for me, which is sometimes needed because it is good therapy (like our pets).

Wednesday 2/5 - It was another night of rain, but included some storms with heavy downpours and strong winds before sun up.  Babe seldom sits on my lap, but she took a little nap here while I computerized.











I think Babe (and her Mom) may have some Siamese cat genes along with the tabby and calico, because they both have little heads, big ears, and pointy noses.



Ladies Club was packed because in February we can bring our spouses.  I skipped out a little early, not participating in the silent auction of over 200 items (saving my money for the cruise).  I later read that $7,000 was made.  Wow!

The rain was constant and I worked here at my computer on cruise notes, getting familiar with the ship we would be on.  Late afternoon I hit the post office, drug store and gym.  The rain (accompanied by storms) continued all evening and into the night.

Thursday 2/6 - Rain was still coming down and it was reported that we had gotten 5½ inches of the stuff in the last 36 hours.  Good grief!










It was flooded down back, but I could see that the water had been even higher, up over the oasis, where it left deposits of sticks, leaves, and silt (video).


I hadn't been to the barn in two days, so got there by 8am to check on Amiga.  At this point, I feel I don't even need to worry about her owie, it is looking so much better.



I decided to brave the rain and give Amiga some grazing time. 










By the time I left the barn at 9am, I was drenched for the second time for the day (my first soaking was when I was walking Maggie).  I threw all the wet stuff in the laundry, had a second cup of hot tea, and settled in at my computer, in front of the space heater, which was turned up on high.  I needed to warm up.

Upon waking from a nap, that I had eventually taken, I decide to work on leaves down back.  The rain had stopped and the water level had gone down, so I worked at removing leaves and sticks from the oasis and along the edge of the creek.







Some large branches had washed down from where the culvert area and big dip along Lakeview had been cleared.  I removed the big logs first.  Right away, I got water down inside my wading boots because the creek was still too high to wade across.




Allen's bridge had caught some of the debris coming down stream. 



And there was a ton of sand washed up onto the bank at the bottom of his back yard.

The whole reason I had gone down back to work was to remove leaves from my drainage ditch that had been collecting there.  Well all the leaves had washed down into the creek and pond and all of this sand was deposited at the bottom of the hill where the ditch levels out.  This sand actually comes from the ditch across the road from our house, in the Lutheran Church yard.



The water had gotten so high in my drainage ditch that it even ran over the top of the edges.  Here, near the bottom, the rock had been washed away, down the embankment.

As I was raking leaves from the edge of the creek, I also pulled quite a bit out of the creek.


By the time I was finished, the cold air front was moving in and it became foggy.










I had cleaned up the oasis and creek bank (seen in comparison of before and after photos), but as you can see in the after photo, there are still a lot of leaves and sticks in the creek, some buried in sand.

 There are three deer in this photo.  They must have been nearby, waiting for me to leave, because they came from across the creek before I was very far up the hill.

Doing my aerobic workout at the gym was very boring because all their TVs were out of commission.  To break up the monotony, I moved around from the rowing machine, elliptical, walking track, and even tried the stair stepper (which was kind of hard on my knees).

Joe and I watched a movie together after dinner.

Friday 2/7 - It was snowing before dawn.  This is the view from my desk once the sun came up.  I love looking at the snow and walking the dog in it.  So much nicer than rain.









Look, they are nearly the same size: Mama Styx on the right and (blacker) Babe on the left.



I went back outside once it was light, to put corn out and take some snow photos.









I love my ornamental maple tree out front.  And notice I had hung the metal turtle out where a wreath used to be.



You probably couldn't see this little wren house in the maple tree.  I love it too.










The ducks soon left the pond and came up for the corn.



In this photo, you can seen the corner windows in the sun room, which is where my desk is.  I sat here at my desk all morning, watching the snowflakes drift down and the birds come and go.  I was in no hurry to go anywhere.



Other than a few hours at the gym, my day was unproductive.  I did enjoy reading, a nap, snacking, computer games, and browsing on Facebook.  What can I say?









Babe had been behind my monitor, but looking over it at a video I was watching.  By the time I took this photo, she had gotten bored with it.



Poker Joe left late afternoon, and would be gone all weekend.  Just before bed I had a beautiful walk with the dog as the moonlight lit up the snow.

I love having all of my pets, who work undercover to keep me company, entertained, and reciprocate my loving.

Horses Too

Cats aren't the only good therapy, horses are too.



A few of the many things equine therapy can do, is help build confidence, trust and empathy, problem solving skills, emotional awareness, impulse control, communication, strength, balance, and many other motor skills.








Saturday 1/25 - I enjoyed my predawn walk with a light snow falling, and all the roof tops and cold surfaces were white with the light dusting.


I went to the gym in the morning and the barn in the afternoon.

I rode bareback, just having Amiga walk around and graze quite a bit.


I was so glad to see good improvement in her sore.  I again washed it with soap and water and treated it with triple antibiotic.


I was not happy that she has more bites on her neck, some that I also washed and treated with the triple antibiotic.

Every time we get a new mare in the field (which has been just about a monthly occurrence since September) there is drama, jockeying for rank, and injuries.  I hate it.






Dinner was enjoyed at Reds with Shirley, Ana, Patty, Yvonne, and Joe.  And of course there was some dancing to follow (video).

Sunday 1/26 - I would much prefer a sunny day in the low 30s than a very cloudy, damp day in the mid 40s, which was what we had.  Throughout the day I kept getting chilled, especially my  hands.
Can you see who I was watching fish?








The Great Blue Heron. 

Well, I pretty much failed on every aspect of my new years resolution goals, except I made it to church and later had a very nice ride on Amiga.




Mama Styx and Babe were at it again.  I guess they call this cat's play (video). 


Monita and Maggie lounging next to me, by the fire.





I was glad to see Amiga's sore continuing to look better. 
I rode 95 minutes and went 2 1/2 miles.  I did let Amiga graze for quite awhile.






Some parts of the trail were fairly dry, other areas were quite mucky.






I kind of went on a junk food binge most of the day.  Unfortunately, the sugar I consumed outweighed the nutritional foods I ate and I am sure I took in more calories than I expended with exercise.  But I enjoyed most of my day, reading by the fire, napping, and extra time at my computer.

Monday 1/27 - With a drizzly rain all morning, it was hard to get motivated to go to the gym.  I had wanted to lift weights before Line Dance and Zumba, but didn't get there in time.  So I felt weak and tired doing my weight workout up until lunch time.

The afternoon was spent with a trip into town to meet at Arby's with Shirley, Patty, Judy, and Marci for last minute cruise planning.  I hit Walmart and then went to the barn on my way home.


I love Amiga's eyes when she is relaxed.  They are so kind, gentle, and sweet.


My main purpose for stopping at the barn was to check Amiga's wound.  It looked dirty, (out of focus photo) so I washed it well (second photo).
 

Because I was concerned about it getting infected, I put on triple antibiotic ointment again.  I had used Wonder Dust the day before because it is good on infected lesions, abrasions with capillary bleeding, and it controls tissue granulation.  Once home and looking at the first photo I then got to wondering if it wasn't the purple/gray powder that made her wound look dirty.  I started to second guess myself on washing the wound (this the third day to do so) because it did start it bleeding again.
Ugh, horses too, can be a great cause for concern and worry.

Tuesday 1/28 - I read from 2 - 5am, toasty warm with blankets, a cup of tea, and the fire going.  Waking again at 7am I felt as foggy as the air outside.














The deck was slippery with frost, but it was pretty, and the ducks greeted me when I took corn down to the rocks.







These photos were taken in the afternoon of the gunk (mostly leaves but also sticks and mud) that have settle in the curve of the creek.


By 9:00 the sun was attempting to break through the clouds, and the fog was mostly dissipated.

I finished up one last game of solitaire while drinking a third cup of tea.  Then I got to the morning's business, looking up detailed information about our four excursions, what to expect, and planning what to pack.


I did a Zumba class before lunch and then got to work in the yard.  Joe moved the remainder of the mulch down back.  I am going to need to re-seed this area in front that the pile killed, having sat there for six weeks.








I finished mulching this bed, first having to remove a lot more leaves that had blown into it from the golf course.








I like the contrast in these two photos of the shadows cast by the sun and then not, when it was behind clouds that continually drifted across the sky all day.

To finish off the remainder of the mulch pile, I had Joe dump the last several loads on this path that leads down to the bench on the rock.  As I was raking out the rest of the mulch and removing larger sticks that came with it, I got a call to sub in Bunko.














I still needed to get to the barn.  I had planned to go for a long ride, but didn't have time, so just sat on Amiga bareback, letting her graze quite a bit, and having her walk around the various areas out front.
Amiga's wound showed a little improvement.


There were twelve of us ladies at Bunko.  I got there in time for a quick taco before the game began.  When you get this many 'girls' together, you can be sure there is plenty of laughter, stories, and fun.

Wednesday 1/29 - While on the deck filling a bird feeder, the ducks were up eating corn off one rock and the deer 20 feet away eating corn off the other rock.

Babe was getting into trouble as usual.  She had just taken a swipe at this plant hanging above my desk.

I was at the gym by 9am, home for lunch at 11:30, and then puttered around a little bit. 

I moved this beautiful painting from our dining room to above our mantel where it is showcased better.  It was painted by Britney's Guatemalan father Carlos and gifted to Joe and I by him when we were visiting her in Guatemala June of 2010.  I still hold it dear to my heart.

I met Jan at the barn and we rode for 90 minutes.  Kaylah joined us out front and horsed around with us.





Amiga was more wound up than she has been during our last several days of riding.  She gets this way when other horses are around. 

Here is a close up of this plant growing up the inside of the fence post I was trying to show in the first photo.  Amazing adaptability.


Amiga's wound continued to improve, for which I was very thankful.

The cloudy, damp weather made me too cold again, so my hot shower was extra long and then I sat here at my computer with the space heater on until bedtime.

Thursday 1/30 - The day wasn't a total loss, even though it felt like it.  I did a Zumba class and the elliptical, had a late lunch, and then sat in front of the fire and read.  I was cold and my good book is nearing it's end in an exciting conclusion.  

All four of the cats joined me by the fire for awhile.




Monita and Stevie stayed and napped with me.

I had planned to rake leaves but just couldn't get motivated when I woke back up.  I did start preliminary house cleaning in preparation for the kids coming for a visit this weekend.

Friday 1/31 - It was a busy and productive day.  The cats continue to enjoy playing in the tent.  Babe and Mama Styx, who still have their front claws, have managed to rip three sizable holes in the tent.  Now they have escape routes in the back.








Stevie catching Styx peaking in one of the holes.


Monita comes to check out the action.  They are all great entertainment and a big distraction for me, and they are great at entertaining each other.





I went to Food City after the gym.  Once home, I ate a late lunch while I got supper started in the crock pot and finished a load of laundry.

Allen was greeted by Maggie while Joe raked leaves out of the front ditch and I was leaving for the barn.





I enjoyed riding with Jan and Patty.  It was 50° out but the wind was cold as we did some obstacles in the front yard.  Jan and I hit the trail (which was protected from the wind) and then rode around in some of the fields. 



This out of focus photo shows Amiga's wound healing progress.  It is dry and scabby now and looks dark because of the Blue Lotion I have put on it the past few days.




I had invited Patty to join us for dinner because Dan and Val were going to be here to eat.  But they got a very late start, so Joe, Patty and I ate without them.

The kids arrived just after 9:30.  We got them and Tango settled in, and then we all hit the hay fairly soon.