I spent most of the morning working on “my” shed project.  I call it mine because great husband is on the road and I am the carpenter/Jane-of-all-trades when he is gone.  The boys helped me finish the outside panels - there are 5, 8 foot long plywood panels - they are supposed to keep the rain and wind out of the shed (there used to be screened “windows”).  Then I went inside to work on one of the “cubbies”… I am trying to put in some shelves for all of my plastic boxed things, holiday decorations and fix up the tack area.  I will post a pic of the “cubby” when I get one of them done.

Then, this afternoon, I went out to the horses - cleaned feet, combed manes and brushed them - all 3 that are ours.  Then I saddled Biggin for my first ride on him.  While I was saddling him, my BFF Nicole, came to drop off feed for her horse, Zzari.  We both rode Biggin in the round pen and we both enjoyed our ride.  He is very smart and figures out what we ask of him within a few minutes.  He is actually for great husband to ride.  When he has his first ride, I will post pics.

This is me.

This is Nicole

We got a new horse today…. His name is Biggins. He is a 14 yr old Quarter/Thorobred mixed breed.  His previous owner came and rode with me a couple of months ago.  I was really impressed with this big guy that day.  He came to us because of financial hardship.  Now I need to find a home for my little old mustang or I will come to financial hardship!

Ruskie and Biggins get along very good

But Ruskie is still my beauty and my jewel.

Buddy and Archie

I mentioned in my last post (so very long ago!) that we had some guests.  I have my friend’s Arabian, Zzari, here.  He has chosen to be the leader of the “herd” and the other two horses aren’t so sure about it, even though Zzari keeps telling them!  The New Kid on the Block is on the right…

Then I am taking care of a friends dogs indefinately while they move to Phoenix.  They are in an apt for now while they look for a house to buy.  These dogs are sooo big! and Hairy!!  But they are well-behaved guys.  Cinder is the black dog and Buddy is the puppy (for real!)

Buddy and the kitten, Archie, play… actually, Archie beats the crap out of Buddy and he just acts as though nothing is happening - while he licks Archie.

I finally feel that Star is doing good.  It is hard sometimes when she is not there in the morning to ask to go out and I miss her “Thank yous” after dinner.  But she is happy where she is and I am very glad to have had her as my friend.

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Two weekends ago my daughter and her boyfriend came to stay for the weekend.  They brought Leavi home - which was very good for me because I missed him so much!  Also, her boyfriend, Jesse, constructed the duck foundation so that it will NEVER fall over.  Nicole and I did our best, but he and Jessica dug a ditch, filled it with concrete, set in rebar, drilled holes in the railroad ties and reset the railroad ties. 

AWESOME!

Now, I am hoping to get them back to do the framing part for the netting!  They did a great job!  And it was, of course, very nice for me to have them here

They, also, brought a new friend for us.  His name is Archie and he is about 4 months old now.  Jessica rescued him as a very small baby from under the dumpster at her apt.  He was filthy, had swollen shut eyes and sores on him.  He has been a delight to watch play with his own tail, jump into boxes and just get to know the other cats - they, on the other hand, were NOT pleased by him at all!  It has been a week and now they will tolerate him… he just can’t touch them!  He makes me think of a black Siamese… his face is narrow and his tail fans like a bottlebrush when he is scared.

Archie and Brandy…. he kept sneeking closer and closer to her til he touched her… then she growled and spitted at him - he was gone in a flash!

We, Luke and I, got the burn pit cleaned - all of the ceramic, metal and tree limbs that have been dumped there whenever we don’t know what to do with the item… kind of like a junk drawer.  He and I cut the tree limbs into kindling and Luke got it all stacked.  The only thing left there is a stack of pine needles.

And, last but not least, we have had a birthday.  My mother-in-law, who lives with us, turned 86 last Monday.  I took her to have her hair done and then the boys and I took her to dinner.  When we got home, we gave her the flowers and had cake.

Happy Birthday!!

That is all for today.  Next post is about some “guests” that we have!

I had lots of happy stuff to post about this week but this post needs to come first.

One day 11 years ago, I met a pitbull named Star.  She was 2 yrs old, had some puppies and her owners were trying to find her a new home… lucky me!   I got her home, she took off after my cat - through the window!- went under the fence and was gone.  I looked and looked for her and then I had to go to work.  When I got home that night she was sitting on my porch waiting for me.   Soon after, a HUGE dog came over the fence and we got puppies!  Four of them lived, 3 died during birth because they were all so very big.  Star was an excellent mother.  She was patient, kind and loving with my boys, too.  She never bit or snapped at any human - if she wanted you to leave her alone, she hit you with her head.  Every night after her dinner, she came and found me to thank me with a smile on her face and a wagging tail.  She loved every one.  The past several months she has had troubles breathing at times, did not want her dinner, could not jump on the couch to “her” spot and could not get on the bed to sleep with me.  The past 3 weeks she had lost a lot of weight.  And the last 3 days she did not eat…. just follow me around the yard, smile and wag her tail.  I took her to the vet last Wednesday.  She had golf size tumors in her stomach and the prognosis was very bad.  I decided to try and give her the same love and dignity that she gave to everyone.  The vet and I decided to let her go.  I will go back to get her ashes and my family and I will take her to Keyhole Sink (an old Indian hunting ground) and spread her ashes.  We were very blessed to have had her in our lives for 11 yrs.  She showed us love, patience, kindness and acceptance. She was always a very happy dog…… she wagged her tail at me til the end and I will always remember her big smile.

Our family has been blessed with many friends and well-wishers. A HUGE THANK YOU to all of you!

Reunion Time

We went to HarvestofDailyLife’s Fleeing Poverty yard sale last Saturday.  It was nice to see them, again, and I got to meet her mother - I read her blog, Life On The Ranch, too.  The yard sale was great and we got to see Dixie, the dog that T & N adopted from us because our old dog, Star- 13yrs old, could not take all the playing that Dixie wanted to do.  Star is having some really bad days, lately.  I hope that I do not have to have her put to sleep.  She is a great dog!

Star

Monsoon

We are getting lots of rain this monsoon… some areas within 10 miles of my house are getting up to 3 inches in two hours.  Flood warnings are everywhere.

But………. the sunsets are beautiful!

I have several updates…..

First, the duck laid the 4th egg today.  I am pretty sure that it is the grey duck.  We are not leaving them in the duck house.  They seem to be pullet eggs, smaller eggs laid in the first laying.  She is not trying to sit on it at all… in fact, she is pushing it out to the edges of their house.

Second, some of you asked me to let you know how the FlyPredators are doing…. They are FANTASTIC!  The horses are not as bothered by the flies.  And in the house, I am only finding about 10 flies at night - instead of hundreds.  They are well worth the 18.45 (delivered) a month.

And third - Great Husband is in Cheyenne, WY at the Cheyenne Frontier Days, World’s Largest Outdoor Rodeo and Western Celebration, with Rascal Flatts.  He sent these pics that he took with his camera for me to enjoy.  Cowgirls. Indians and up close and personal with Rascal Flatts.  Wish I could be there with him!  Maybe next year we can make it a family vacation. 

And….

I got to see my younger daughter, Jessica, yesterday.  She came and got Leavi so that he could stay with her for a week or so.  It is very quiet here with only Luke!  Leavi will be missed.  I nearly cried when they left yesterday.  That is a very kind and warm little boy….. but also very very busy all the time!

Yesterday the boys and I let the ducks out to roam the yard for the first time.  We stayed very close - actually the ducks stayed close to us - to see what the cats and the dog would do to say “hi” to them.  The dog is old but, still, her ears went up when the ducks would stand high and flap their wings… the cat (don’t know where the other one was at the time) stalked them.  Then she got right up to them and action began.  I just love to see them wag their tails -er- tail ends.

Cat vs Ducks

FREEDOM!

stretching the wings!

A VERY good friend of mine came over this morning and we put some real Girl Power to work.  I am trying to build a duck house/garden bed/wash dam with some railroad ties, rocks and lots of dirt.  We got most of the foundation for the duck house part done.  My chainsaw would only cut one tie because I need to take it in to be sharpened.  So, we got all of the uncut ones laid - oh, and the one that we did get cut.  The two short ends are laying near where they will be placed, with an end up so that I can get it cut when I get the chainsaw fixed.

Taking a railroad tie from the main pile - we had 40 of them delivered.

Oops, this one didn’t want to fit since it seems to be warped!

So, we took it off and traded it with a lower one and then put the “funny” one on top

Two hours later, this is what we had

We were filthy and tired.  I still have to cut a few to fit. Then I need to build a structure from the railroad ties to make it all about 6ft high (so that I can walk in it), put the fencing around the structure, fill the spaces between the railroad ties,  make a “roof” of plywood over about half of it, build the pond and make a hole in the shed that it is built next to so that I can make a small wooden “house” inside to protect them from the snow and ice we get here.  It will have a heating lamp to warm the “house”.

When the duck housing is done, we will use the rest of the railroad ties to make a dam for the wash that runs through the yard when the snow melts.  Between the dam and the duck house will be about 8-10 feet which we will have filled with dirt so that I can have a veggie or flower garden.  Hopefully, this will harness Mother Nature to control the amount of water and mud in the horse corral.

THANK YOU, Nicole, for all of your hard work today.  It is VERY MUCH appreciated!!