Hot Again

Summer is Not Over

I am so glad I retired from the school where I was teaching.  My room had no air conditioning and in weather like this it was stifling. I do not miss sweating at all.

Which is why I didn't work the horses today either....not that I have been.  My left knee is really quirky, but feeling a bit better with rest. I have a sneaking suspicion I did some new damage inside, but the less I think about that the better. As noted, I will try to ride and if I can do that, I can cope for now.

Right now I have to focus on some basics.  I need to pick up some bales of hay to tide me over until my hay man gets his new delivery from New York State.  I was going to do that today, but I got sidetracked by who knows what--I am becoming very "distractable" lately with the campaign going on.  My calendar seems to be filling up with events, meetings, and candidate things I need to do.

Today I went to the senior center in town and joined up.  I thought you had to be older than I am, but it turns out I could have joined at 55.  They have all kinds of events going on.  Today I watched a group of really nice ladies playing Mah-Jong.  I've been playing the solitaire  game online, so I am familiar with the tiles, but, my goodness, the rules of the game itself are complicated.  The version they were playing was "Charleston," and it was kind of a combination of Scrabble, Gin Rummy, Hearts, several other games.  It did look like fun and they invited me to join them sometime--as long as I promised to lose.  I'm pretty sure I would. *lol*

I still have to try the membership in the gym/pool place too, but I just haven't gotten around to it yet.  I do have to wonder if the swimming would be good for my knees.  Could be the exercise they were getting in the summer helped.

The horses do need some kind of attention besides the basics.  My big disappointment is that the apple tree by the paddock does not seem to be dropping any apples--unless the groundhog is getting them all.  The Boys look longingly at me every time I pass by there and I have nothing to offer them.

If it chills off this evening, I'll put on some good knee braces and go out for some ground work with them.  At least they won't think I'm ignoring them.

The Mouser and the Carnivore

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Food For Dogs

I Am Shamelessly Borrowing Too!!

Grey Horse Matters posted this post from Carson at the 7msn.  Since the program ends today, this was the fastest way to get my post in. 

Pedigree® is sponsoring an Adoption Drive – they are donating a bowl of dog food for every "like" they get on their facebook page. If you go  http://www.facebook.com/Pedigree and "like" them, one more shelter dog will get a bowl of food. But that's not all.

For every blog that mentions the Adoption Drive between Sept. 16 through Sunday, Sept. 19, Pedigree® will donate a 20-lb. bag of food to a shelter. If you've got a blog, there's still time to write a post and help a dog. Enter the link to your blog post here :   http://www.lifewithdogs.tv/2010/09/blog-hop-special-edition-pedigrees-write-a-post-help-a-dog/  to participate

Shoe On

But My Knee....

Scott arrived late Friday afternoon to shoe the Boys.  All was well.  I, of course, was obligated to spend most of the visit playing "fetch" with Scott's border collie, Mick.  He managed to find most of his toys around the yard and dutifully brought me a new one when he was finished with a wet soggy one.  Fun.

Scott had a new assistant with him, a graduate of the Kentucky horseshoeing school.  He pulled Toby's shoes and did the finishing clinching on Tuck's and Toby's shoes, but Scott does all the trimming, fitting, and actual shoeing. Scott is very particular about my Boys' shoes and is meticulous about the fit and angle.

We had some good conversations in between hammering and fetching so it was a good visit. Then I had to rush off to a campaign meeting and a "meet the candidates" coffee.  I was there till quite late, but we had a good turnout of twenty or so people who had some good questions which we, I am told, answered quite well.

Somewhere along the way, I tweaked something in my left knee--again. Some steps are OK, and then I must just take a bad one and the pain just shoots up my leg!  We are talking "almost enough to make you scream" pain here.  I do hope this is not the harbinger of the knee replacement event I have been trying to avoid.  Yuck.

I will try to ride a little the next chance I get--maybe today--mostly to see if I can. My barometer of the day I needed to start serious thinking about TKR was when I could no longer ride.  Not being able to walk?  A minor inconvenience. Not being able to ride. Disaster.

Bummer. And here I am with three shod, sound horses too.  *sigh*

Shoe Off

And A Rainstorm

When I went out yesterday morning to pick the riding arena, I found Tucker's missing shoe. So that ended the day for him.

Had a bit of shopping to do, which took up more of the day and then...in came the rain.

Thunderstorms here in my part of NJ did not seem too severe, but there were reports of tornadoes in other parts of the East Coast.  What we did get was some much needed rain--for a good part of the afternoon, into the evening, and again late at night/early morning. Hopefully some of it soaked in, but for sure the grass, trees and plants all got a much needed drink.

Horse activity was non-existent and Tucker is stuck in his stall until my shoer comes.

Aglity Horses

Well. Sort Of...

A post and some youtube videos of horses doing agility courses similar to the kind dogs do, inspired me to try some fun ground exercises with the Boys.  Tucker's free lungeing the other day was, of course, the other inspiration.

I set up a raised pole, about six inches off the ground--kind of a cavaletti and decided I was going to teach the Boys to "Step over."   Procedure included first leading them over the pole and saying "Step over," and then giving them a treat.  I tried this will all three of them in the arena at the same time, leading them over again and again.  Once that chaos produced no real results, I took each horse in individually and tried a similar exercise.

Revelation. The horse needs to understand the concept of going around me in a circle at the trot first, as if he were on a lunge line. Both Tucker and Toby have had a little round penning, but a lot of lunge/longlining, so the idea was easy for them to grasp.  Chance doesn't quite get it. I never round penned him, and although he's been lunged a fair bit, the habit is not well established with him.

Tucker. Tucker seemed to pick up the concept quickly.  Getting him to trot around me on the circle was easy. Then I simply used my body language to push him into the area of the jump and said, "Step over" as he approached.  While I cannot tell if he fully associated the command with the action, it was a relatively easy thing to get him to trot over the obstacle in both directions. One thing he did quickly connect was that once he'd gone over, he was going to get a treat. He really liked that part and seemed quite pleased with himself.

I took Toby in next as the treat idea was very appealing to him.  Once again, the circling was relatively easy, although at first I did not have the same kind of control over where he was as I did with Tucker. By nature, Tucker seems to want to relate to me and be closer on his circle than Toby.  Toby made a bigger circle and did not always react to my movements. But again, it was fairly easy to get him to steer himself to the obstacle and then "Step over."  However, then, even though I made a noise with the treat bag and called him to walk over to me, he traveled on a bit on autopilot before realizing I was going to reward him. On the last pass, however, he seemed to catch on that going over the little jump was the "thing to do," so before I could give him his treat, he took it upon himself to make one more circle and jump over it again on his own as if to say, "See! I get it! Let me show you!"  Lavish praise and a handful of feed made him quite happy about the  whole thing.

Chance was a whole different story. His general reaction to my spinning the lead rope and urging him to trot on most often resulted in his meandering around in an erratic pattern, alternately trotting a little, walking, and then stopping to kind of look either at me or the scenery.   Unable to get much beyond that, I finally slipped the lead rope around his neck and repeatedly led him over the pole, each time saying , "Step over" and treating him on the other side.  I did get him to go over it once on his own, but it's pretty clear I have been remiss in the ground work with him, so he just doesn't know how to respond as well as the other Boys.

This just means I need to do a bit more work with Chance--no surprise there. But, he's so much fun out on the trails, I'm just not sure I'll stick to it.  Riding through the woods on a crisp autumn day just might be too tempting. *G*

I'll think up a few more little agility exercises as time goes on. If my knees prohibit serious riding at least I will have some fun things to do with the Boys instead.  It's really an interesting challenge.

Another Escape!!

Enough Already!!

This morning when I woke up and headed out to the kitchen, I was greeted with the sight of horses grazing on the back lawn.  What now???  This time, the two sections of fence right by the barn were down, with the fence post split in half.  *sigh*

I bought good wood fencing. I thought it was going to last. This is not good. I need the electric fence charger to put up the electric wire to keep the Boys away from the fences altogether. Bless the gates across the driveway.  The Boys respect them and stayed in the back yard. I will not have to mow this week or do any weed whacking where the grass was actually growing despite the drought.  I will have to become a carpenter.

I spent about 40 minutes fixing the fence. For now it's patched with some nails, a mending plate and some baling twine.  I bought more mending plates this afternoon, but I had to go to a Township meeting so I didn't have time to reinforce the broken fence post with them yet.  Hopefully, my temporary repair will make it through the night.

I don't think there were any splits in the post to start off with, so I guess it was just some good solid horse leaning that did it in.

Good thing I am retired and spending most of my time home here. At least it gives me a 50/50 chance of keeping the Boys confined with some degree of success.  And I have plenty of time to mend fences.  Wish I had the money to put in another line of fence around the entire property. I always thought a ten foot high chain link fence with barbed wire on the top might be nice. Then all I'd need is a guard tower with some security cameras and a siren.  I'd be all set.

*SIGH*  Much work to do tomorrow.

Chiro for Me

Grain Pickup First

I threw something out in my back, I thought. It was enough to make me go to my chiropractor in the afternoon.

But, in the morning, I picked up a load of horse feed--grain and alfalfa cubes.  I brought it home and unloaded it around noon.  It was pretty warm out, as if summer was making a comeback.

After lunch, I headed for the doctor's office. It wasn't my back, exactly.  My pelvis was out--could that be due to Chance's wanting me to ride off on to my right seatbone?  H-m-m-m-m.  And, I had ribs out on the right side. Not clear how that happened, but my doctor said it's usually from some kind of twisting motion.  Maybe cleaning stalls?

Who knows, but it did convince me that I need to get back to swimming--which then led me to the gym about three miles from here where my friend told me there was a pool.  The place is actually  primarily a therapy center.  The good part of that is that is is well monitored by therapists who know what they are doing.  It's small, as is the pool.  Not exactly made for swimming laps BUT, it has one of those currents you can turn on to swim against. There is no contract to sign, so you can pay on a monthly basis.  I am thinking I will try it for a month to see how I like it.

I can also go to the lap pool at the college whenever I want to. But that is a 15 mile drive one way, and not exactly a fun trip to do just for a half hour swim.  If I sub at the Academy, of course it makes sense, but just to go for a swim, it's a bit of a trip.  So, what I might do is go there once a week or so and swim several more days a week in the therapy pool close by.

For my knees and back, swimming is an ideal exercise.  I've never tried keeping it up through the winter, so this will be an interesting experiment.

On days like today, especially, when I don't want to ride after a chiropractic adjustment, it's the perfect exercise.

Guess I'll see how it goes in my trial period.

Around the Lake

On A Misty Evening

It did rain, off and on for a good part of the day.  It was enough to wet things down and tease the plants and grass with some much needed moisture, but not enough to make a huge impact.

After I fed the Boys dinner, I waited about an hour and then saddled Chance up for the ride around the lake.  While he was a good boy, he does have an annoying habit or two.  The first is trying to select the trail we are going to take.  He will stop at an intersection and lean in the direction he wants to go and I have to insist we go my way.  The second is a bit of "body wandering": when he looks to one side or the other and his whole body simply follows his head.  This is made more annoying at times when the reason for looking is a nice patch of grass somewhere or a nice leafy tree branch.  I'll admit I have let him browse now and then, but he has taken this as his right rather than a privilege. So I will have to correct the habit before it gets too serious.

Then too, with the "tourist gazing" he also occasionally just loses his forwardness and I have to push  him on.. It's not napping or being bad, it's just a lack of concentration on being ridden and a fascination with something else he sees.  I made a point of giving him a good leg or a little slap on the shoulder with the reins to bring him back into focus and it was OK.  When he's walking out and going forward on his own, he is really fun.  It won't take much to fix these issues, so I'm not worried.

When I got back, Tucker seemed really interested in some attention, but my left knee had cramped up on the ride--have to lengthen my stirrups--so I decided to lunge him.  Well, although he marched into the arena on his own when I opened the gate, he did not want me to halter him.  Apparently he decided he was quite capable of lungeing on his own without my holding a line, and that's exactly what he did.

He went around and around on a nice circle to the right at the trot, and, when I commanded, cantered around on a somewhat more oval circuit.  I had a bit of an issue getting in front of him to reverse him, but I managed. The left "circles" were a bit more silly as by then he'd warmed himself up into a bit of a joyful exuberance.  But I have to admit, even though it wasn't an honest, totally organized workout, he surely did look nice out there on his own throwing in an occasional arched neck head toss and a buck.  We did have a good time and he seemed quite proud of himself for his independent efforts.

Toby wanted nothing to do with halters or work, so, as usual, I catered to his retired rights and simply gave him an apple.

All in all, a fun Sunday.  And again....NO BUGS!!

Lost The Window

Of Opportunity, That Is

I had to go back to my eye doctor in the morning as now my right eye was irritated.  Apparently, my eyes have been dry--something I've never really had to cope with --and that caused my contact lenses to scratch my eyes. I now need to put drops in my eyes, wear my glasses for a week, and then use wetting drops in my eyes after I start wearing my lenses again.  I'll have to be careful to use the drops whenever my eyes feel dry. Don't know if the weather has had an effect or what, but apparently all will be well.

Then, the sun was out and it was warming up again for the afternoon.  But I had a campaign meeting to go to. I thought it would be over by 5 or so and I'd get home in time to take Chance out, but no.  The meeting lasted until after 6 and by the time I got home to feed the Boys--and hour late, I'd lost the window of opportunity.  Once they'd eaten and their tummies rested, it was starting to get dark.

I really didn't feel like doing any arena work in the dust, so I opted out and figured I take my chances.

If I count on riding today, Sunday, that will surely bring on the rain. So, since we need the rain, I am counting on riding after church.

It's cloudy and cool and I will just keep hoping.

Breezy

Cooled Off For a Day??

Hard to say, but it was really nice and cool yesterday.

When I went out to feed, I decided to at least lunge the Boys.  I'd poo picked the arena in the morning, so it was ready to go, except for the broken fencepost where the in gate fastened. This one is going to require some thought to fix as I'm pretty sure it had once been concreted in place. The guys who put in my first sets of fencing, were using hand tools and when they hit a rock, rather than try to dig further, they simply cut the fence post short and poured in some cement/concrete to set it in place. Just about every post that was set that way has either pulled out or broken over time. That leaves an "ex-hole full of concrete which either has to be excavated or avoided.  This one is in a tricky spot. I had to rig a piece of baling twine so I could fasten the arena gate closed while I lunged to keep the other two Boys out.

That done, I lunged Tucker first.  I am pretty pleased with both his general attitude and how willing he is to go forward without much urging from me.  He is sound after all that trouble with his foot, so that's good.  He does get a bit silly now and then and thought it was fun to rush around when I had him canter over the little tiny jump I'd set up just to keep the session interesting.  But he is a good boy on the line and while I kept the time short, it was a good session.

I took Chance in next. What a contrast. He needed to be urged to go nearly every stride. Talk about relaxed and nonchalant. His gaits are loose, so he doesn't seem at all sore or stiff, but he just lazes around.  On the plus side, he is the same in both directions at all three gaits, so I don't see any unevenness and his tendency to run out going to the right is completely gone. And, his canter is balanced in both directions as well. He was equally calm about the little jump and just hopped over it nicely.  All in all another good session, although it's really clear I am going to have to instill the concept of "forward" in him for riding.

Toby, as usual, wanted to no part of any work, so I let him indulge in the carrot and apple anyhow.

It's not exactly back to work for the Boys, but at least I did something with them.

Sooner or later the weather should break for good and perhaps I will do more.

Addendum:
And I did. Since it was still cool and breezy after I fed the Boys dinner, I went back out and took Chance out for a trail ride in the woods.  There were NO BUGS!  And we had a really nice ride on the middle distance trail.

Mind you, this is a horse that hasn't been ridden in weeks, and I didn't lunge him at all before I went out.  Talk about a mellow disposition!  What a sweetie.

I thought about perhaps riding Tucker for a bit but decided to opt out. My knees can only take so much at one time, as can my bottom.  I will slowly work my way back into some kind of more regular riding pattern as long as this is really autumn come to stay.

Tomorrow, if it's nice, I may ride Chance around the lake in back. It might be one of the rare opportunities to do that because as soon as it rains again, that trail will get all boggy. The ATV and minibike riders have cut so many ruts out there that they just fill up with water and make for some potentially treacherous footing.

Hoping for another nice day and then some rain on Sunday!

So Cute

Horsey Curiosity

This morning when I went out to feed, the Boys were all ready for me...right by the barn.

While they were eating I cleaned the stalls and the west side run in shed.

Then, I went out to the riding arena to poo pick.  Before too long, Chance came out to see what I was doing. He zeroed in on the wheelbarrow, full at that time, so I had to hurry over before he tipped it.  He followed me out of the arena to the manure pile where I dumped it and then made his way over to the fence area nearest where I was doing the next bout of cleaning.

A minute or so later, and Tucker showed up.  He marched right over to stand practically on top of me, insisting on some scratches.  Then he started playing with Chance over the fence.  Needless to say, this was all in the middle of the area I was trying to clean.

It took all of another minute for Toby to show up, requesting his portion of my attention.

So there they were, all three Boys--the elusive Renegades of a few days ago, totally in my lap.

Now I wonder how companionable they would have been if I'd had a bridle in my arms?

My Singing

To Torture Those Of You Who Want to Listen

I have often spoken of my singing in church. My church website has recordings of most of our services.

The duets and solos I sang this summer are posted if you would like to have a listen.

Here is the website address:
http://cranburypres.org/audioarchive.html

Now, once you get there you will see a listing of services by date. My duets were on 7/11/2010.  My solos were on 8/08.2010.

The duets are in the "start" part of the service. That is the first column.  The first selection, just a simple hymn is at  11:50 on the counter.  The second, the Pie Jesu is at 32:28.  I am the high voice.

The solos on 8/08 are in the "start" part of the service at: 4:04 and 22:42.  The final solo is in the "end" section at: 11:03.

The recordings are not enhanced in any way and I'm not sure of what kind of equipment is used but the mikes seem to be in pretty good spots to pick up our voices.

Here's you chance to hear me in real life.

Sorry about that! *G*

Options

Electric Fencing

I definitely will be putting strands of electric fence along that front fence line as soon as I get the fence appropriately repaired. I may have some good replacement rails, or I may have to buy some. And one fence post needs a bit of a reset. I was hoping I could use a solar powered fence charger but...
1. The solar chargers are very expensive.
2. It's only about 150' of fence.
3. I don't see any place where the sun will shine enough to charge the panels.
So, I will probably use a battery operated charger. The location is across the driveway from the house, so running an electric line would be a big deal and, the barn is about 200' away so running a line from there isn't ideal either. It's kind of a bad spot, but I'll figure something out.

The other option, of course, is another line of fencing so the front of the property is double fenced.  The second fence would have to be less than 4' high, however as local zoning laws do not allow a fence of 4' any closer to the road than the fence I already have. Or, I could put a another line of fence inside the current fence making the paddock smaller by four or five feet.  That could work too, but it is an expensive option and would have to wait until I could get the money together.

I am sure the electric will work, however as that's what I did in the pasture and the Boys simply stay away from the fence line.

I do have some empathy for the Renegade Boys' adventure, however. That grass and those leaves must have tasted really good compared to the hay and dried up grass within their fences.  We have had a drought all summer. As I've noted before, only the very wet winter and spring saved us from all kind of water emergencies around here.  Our water supplies primarily depend on groundwater, and the aquifer was well charged from the heavy snows and spring floods.

I just hope the weather pattern changes soon, however. We really need some good rains.

Mary Lou, your rent a husband idea sounds awfully good, but I couldn't afford the plane fare, let alone the fee. Besides, I do have a few friends here I can usually recruit to help me on some of the trickier tasks.  Don't know if I'll need them for the electric job, but we'll see.  I think I still have some electric fence line and insulators stashed away and there is a battery operated charger my Dad used to use to keep the raccoons out of his corn--if it still works.

Looks as if I have a lot to keep my busy.

Legs are almost back to normal. I had a nice swim today and a good long tour of the Lazy River. There was hardly anyone at the pool complex and I nearly had the lap pool to myself.  It was only in the upper 70's today, so I guess swimming was not on a lot of people' minds.  Tomorrow is the last day the pool is open, then I have to search out my indoor options.  (although I have a friend's pool I can probably use while the weather stays warm)

The lazy, hazy days of summer are on fast fade, I fear.

Who is Earl?

Headlines With No Story

Earl came and went along our area of the East Coast almost unnoticed. Apparently, a few places had a bit of rain and some wind. Here, he kicked up a breeze or two but nothing more.

I have mixed feelings. While I DEFINITELY did not want his winds after all my tree damage with the Nor'easter, we really do need rain and that would have been welcome. But no such luck. We are still dry and now, with the winds coming in--either a backlash from Earl or harbingers of the cool front--dust is kicking up in my riding area in big swirls of sand.  My lawn and paddocks are mostly just dry, burnt grass, and it looks as if the cornfields are ready to harvest, as the stalks are all brown and dry. It's been a bad summer waterwise.

To my amazement, the Boys all do look fine after their great adventure. I don't see a sign of a scrape, scratch or bump on any one of them. I'll still keep an eye on things for a few more days, but so far, so good. The only thing I can surmise is that after their first foray into the woods--having first traveled down the road--they found one of the trails and used them to navigate. Considering where we found them, I'd suspect as well that they were never really too far away from home.

I can just picture them, hiding in a grove of trees out there when I went past, holding their breaths so I wouldn't hear them. As it is, I am rather surprised I never heard them crashing about in the dry leaves and undergrowth.  One of the good things about my woods--at least in the more accessible places--is that there are many places with hardly any low lying bushes and things.  So, until you get into the swampier areas, you can make your way around even when there is no defined trail.

Except for the briars and poison ivy.  Fortunately for me, the dry weather has killed off most of the poison ivy out there.  I was hunting for the Boys in shorts.  To prove it, my legs are covered in briar scratches. Nothing serious, but decidedly noticeable. I was even a little worried at the pool yesterday thinking they might not let me swim, but I got in the water quickly so no one noticed.  There was hardly anyone there because of the dire predictions of hurricane weather.  I had the lap pool all to myself, and a nice relaxing tour or three of the Lazy River. As noted, just what I needed.

However! My legs/knees are really sore. My right knee has some new swelling and every time I sit for a while I have to ease myself back up against the pain.  I'm not supposed to take painkillers due to the prolotherapy either as inflammation is important for tightening those ligaments.  So, I'm just suffering along.  Guess I wasn't exactly in shape to hike through the woods for nearly seven hours.  *G*

I need to get feed today, but have decided to only get perhaps two bags for now.  Monday the store will be closed for Labor Day, and I have enough to last at least until then, but since I'd need it then as well, I have to get some today--if that made any sense.  But I can't unload a full order, so two bags will do.

The weather has cooled off a lot, but the sun still feels warm, so I'll likely go for a swim again and there is a show at the Horse Park I might visit for a bit. Stacie has her saddle booth there and had some luck selling some used equipment.  I have a set of shipping boots that are brand new I might put there for sale....or not.  It all depends on how far I think I can walk. *sigh*

As long as my Boys are happy and safe, I feel fine.  The important things are, for the moment, under control.

The Boys Are Back!

Search Parties Fail But Victory Follows! 

I had two riders out for about two hours and someone on a mini-bike as well. I had hiked the forest at least three times and even gone back to the house where they were first spotted to try to track them.

One of the searchers, on a whim, told the farmer who was taking care of the Christmas trees that horses were missing and if he saw them to please call. About an hour later, he did.  They were grazing along the pumpkin patch where the riders had already searched.

The girls caught them and led them home for me. I could hardly walk at that point, my knees, legs, feet and body were SO tired.

I have attached gates to the fence where it was broken until I can do a more proper repair and the renegades are back within the fences.  Thank goodness. I don't see any damage on anyone....

Tucker supposedly told the communicator that he was worried about the weather and felt safer being out and about rather than confined.  I am going to make sure, that as Earl passes up this way, that I go out repeatedly to check on the Boys.  If indeed their adventure was related to the coming storm, I want them to feel safe and cared for should it arrive.

I am going for a swim...or perhaps just a tour around the Lazy River. I need to take my mind off this trauma.

Back later.

Disaster!! Where Are The Boys?

Lost Horses

I have been up all night looking for the Boys. At about 1 AM my doorbell rang. It was a neighbor who was reporting that my horses were in her yard.

By the time we got there, The Boys had taken off again. I have not seen them since. I have been up all night walking through the woods and driving around.

Part of the fence in front was knocked down.

1200 acres of forest. 3 Lost horses. The police have been notified.

I am off on another search.

Earl Is On The Way

Stifling Before the Storm

Hurricane Earl is coming up the East Coast over the next two days. Its arrival is coincidental with a cool front dropping down from Canada.  Earl may bring some wind, and hopefully. some much needed rain. I'm not too keen about the possibility of wind, as I still have some tree branches to clean up--more yard work waiting for the cooler weather.

It was super hot again today with temperatures in the upper 90's.  The Boys were in an out of the barn again, as I had the fans going again. I didn't even bother turning them off last night as it never really cooled off very much. They seem to be coping far better than I am in the heat.

I did some more clothes sorting today, but I really do need to steel myself and just get rid of a lot more. I simply do not need so many things to wear.  I got a bag in the mail from a veterans' agency looking for donations of clothing and household goods. They offer to come pick things up.  Maybe, if I can arouse my ambition, I can get some things together for them to take.

I also, of course, went for my daily swim. The water was lovely and I did 12 laps of the pool and three tours of the Lazy River.  I have two options for swimming once the summer season is over, but I have to check one out. That pool is closer than the college pool where I swam this Spring, but I would have to pay.  I have a friend who works at the gym where the paid pool is located, but she is on vacation right now, so I couldn't find out what kind of deal they might have just to use the pool and not the rest of the gym facilities. We'll see. Either way, if I want to, I can do some swimming all year.

Now, if I could just get myself in gear and do some riding...once it cools off I might actually get fit again--or at least more fit than I am from just swimming.

Eye for and Eye

What Next?

Over the weekend I had some trouble with my left contact lens. Despite changing to a brand new one, my eye still felt irritated.  So, yesterday, I called my eye doctor.  Luck was not with me. He was out of town, so I had to call the doctor who was covering for him.

They gave me an appointment for the afternoon, as it was, essentially an emergency visit, not a regular eye exam thing. To cut to the quick. the doctor took a thorough look at my eye and found a "thread" stuck in it that looked like an eyelash. But there was also a scratch on my eye as well. He sent me home with some medication and said   it should be better in 48 hours.

When I was at the pool today, the eye started to bother me a little again...just kind of feeling "scratchy."  I wear swim googles so it was not the pool water.  Of course I still have some time to wait it out.  The doctor's office is supposed to call me tomorrow to see if it's all better. If not, I guess I will have to go in again.  Fortunately the visits are covered by insurance, to that's a plus. In the meantime, I am wearing my glasses which don't work quite as well as my lenses, especially when I am at the computer. Ah, well. Guess I just continue to fall apart as the years pass. *LOL*

Hot again, with the temp on the garage in the sun reading at 100F.  It was hot in the barn too, despite the fans and the Boys seemed to have decided wandering around outside was much better. But, as always they were right there for feed time.

I am adding oil to Tucker's feed on the presumption that he might have some metabolic issues. And he is accepting it well. When I take his feed in, he stands back to wait for me to pour the oil on and then seems quite pleased to lap it up with his feed. I don't know if that means anything, but as long as he likes it, I'll keep adding it in.

Vegetable oil is not as cheap as it used to be. I guess the move to agri fuels is affecting prices. So when I saw Wesson Oil at $5.99 a gallon, I bought three.  I checked the Internet to see of there were any cheaper prices around, but so far, no luck.  I suppose I can always use it to fuel the tractor if Tucker doesn't want it. *G*

So, status quo at Follywoods as far as the Boys are concerned.

As for me,  "Eye hope to be fine tomorrow."

And the Heat's On Again

But the Tractor's OK

The summer heat has returned with a vengeance. It may not be quite as humid as it was most of the season, but temperatures are well up into the 90's F, and it is too hot for me.

The Boys are again alternating their time between the shaded paddock areas and the stalls where I have their fans working overtime. I've been filling the water trough twice a day, so I know they are drinking quit a bit, so that's good. And the apples are being cleaned up under the tree giving them something to amuse themselves. Grass is still sparse despite the bit of rain we had, so I give them plenty of hay.

In the morning, the tractor repair man showed up for the Kubota with the front end loader. Turns out it had a small leak in one of the hydraulic hoses.  He worked for about a half hour to replace it.  But his truck was darn impressive. It has just about every piece of equipment he would need to fix even the largest of farm tractors. There's a welding machine, an air compressor, a generator, a crane, and all kinds of other gadgets and tools so when he makes road calls to the farms he can do almost any repair they may need. He had to do a little creative rigging to get one of the fittings to work properly on my tractor and the "test drive" afterwards proved he'd done a good job. It wasn't too expensive-- nothing compared to the washer or heater and saved me a bunch of money I would have had to pay if I'd had them take the tractor to the shop. I really need the tractor for the snow season, so once again, I'm happy that it's fixed.

I went for a lovely afternoon swim and then my fellow candidate and I went "walking"--campaigning door to door in one of the neighborhoods in her area.  We left our calling card at a number of homes when no one answered the door, but also spoke to a good number of people about local issues before my knees started to give out.  It wasn't the walking itself so much as the standing about to chat that bothered them  Maybe I need to take one of those portable seats with me?

It's good to hear what people are concerned about in out Township.  Unfortunately, taxes are the number one issue and right now there's not too much we can do about them unless we do get elected. I hope to come up with some ideas that might save the Township money and offer them as the election season moves on.  In the meantime, we're all just stuck opening our wallets and paying out.  *sigh*

Small Deeds Done

Hot, Hot Sunday

As predicted the heat has returned. It was not pleasant at all today and the humidity was up as well.

Yesterday, however was warm with bright sunshine and clear skies. It was also the day of my friend's annual pig roast picnic, so that's where I spent most of the day, well into the evening.  Lots of delicious side dishes--salads, veggies, chips and dips filled me happily up along with a nice ear of sweet corn and just a taste of the barbecue pork.  I also got about an hour of swimming in the pool there before I got chilled and had to get out to warm up. The water was about 75F, so they say, but it felt colder to me.  Still it was refreshing.

This morning it was pretty nice when I got up to feed the Boys, but already the darn horseflies were out and about, including the B52's.  They are not even waiting for the warmth.  Don't know why they are so bad this year but apparently the dry conditions either make them extra hungry or help them breed.  Darn things.  I put the Boy's fans on in their stalls right away to blow the evil biting critters out.  Toby and Tucker spent a good part of the day inside.  Chance seems to be a little tougher and was in and out, although he does run into his stall when he gets divebombed.

I hung out in the AC for the bulk of the day and finally went to the pool for a late afternoon swim.  But when I got home, I actually did some yard work.  The bank in front of the house had a bunch of tall weeds growing in it.  The problem is that when you try to pull out of the driveway, the weeds block the view of the road to the east, so you really have to be careful trying to see the oncoming traffic.  Normally, I weed whack the bank as I've noted before, but since these were all weeds and the grass was not the problem, I decided to pull them.

I'd guess I spent about an hour out there tugging away.  Fortunately, the soil in the bank is pretty sandy so they pulled up easily.  Since I hadn't been able to take my usual shower at the swim club because there were about a half dozen mothers with children in the shower room, I figured I might as well pull the weeds here and then take my shower.

Good move. I'm all nice and clean now and cooled back off after the work.

At the pool, I also went down the waterslide twice just for some added adventure. Then I cruised around the Lazy River.

All in a day's "work."  *LOL*

Not Much Happening

Busy

Campaign meeting Wednesday, worn out crash on Thursday, and then today, so far, not much.

I had to wait around all morning for the washer repairman to call and then come, so I was stuck. Then Hayman arrived and we did a bit of cleaning in the carport where I store the hay.  I carted the loose hay out to the paddock with the tractor front end loader--reminding myself, unfortunately--that the load has a hydraulic leak that really can't be ignored.

With a load of hay safely stashed, I called the tractor repair place and am waiting for a call back. Called the other tractor place as well. So that will be more dollars flying out the door, but I can't afford to ignore either one. I definitely need the front end loader for the winter if we have snow.  And the other tractor is the only one that can conquer the weeds in the paddock.

Somehow it will work itself out. *sigh*

It's warm out, but I'm not sure it's quite the inspirational swimming weather.  I'll see.

My knees felt pretty good after my rides, so that's a plus. Thank you all who asked. It was kind of an experimental test flight since I knew the weather wasn't going to hold for too long. But, the evenings and mornings are pretty cool, so if I can manage some time then, I should be able to do some horse work soon.

Now it seems to be a matter of booked evenings. It would be best to do something after dark, actually, when the flies are napping since the B52's and pals are out now.

Once again, things are on hold. Sort of.

Bummer

Financial Misery

OK, at one point this Spring I had some extra money.  Then, of course the trees fell down. And Tucker went lame, the lawnmower broke, and I backed the car into a tree.  I coped.

Last night, I went to take a bath and rusty water spewed into the tub.  I went down into the cellar to find my hot water heater leaking all over the floor.  It was pretty obvious my hot water heater tank was done for....dead with a hole somewhere in its heart. I am lucky enough to have a super service company here and by this morning they were already hot on the trail of a replacement system.

Dilemma. I could go for a cheaper installation of an electric system or go for a new oil heat system which is what I had. Definite puzzlement for me, but in the end, I opted for the same kind of heater I already had.  Cost a bundle, I fear and I had to tap into my home equity line, but now it's late afternoon, and I have hot water again.

In the meantime, I figured I could do a load of wash in cold water, so I filled the washer and....nothing. The machine made some anemic noises and just kind of shook a little.  I set it to spin and drain, got all the water out--that seemed to work fine--and tried again.  Same result. So, my washer, not even four years old, was not working.  I had to call a repair service for that.

More money down the drain. Another fair sized chunk when it proved that something was wrong in the timer control panel. Fortunately, the motor and computer board were OK.  Now, mind you, this is a name brand washer, hardly used as I don't have a family to wash clothes for. If does not have electronic controls or a ton of "bells and whistles."  I was supposed to be a good, solid "last for 25 years" solid machine. I bought it before I retired with the plan that it was one more thing I wasn't going to have to worry about once I retired.

Wrong. The repair bill--to replace the timer system--is still under the cost of a new washer, but not by much. Should this machine break down again, I will NOT try to get it fixed but simply find a way to buy a new one. I am SO annoyed. And SO broke.

Extra money clearly seems to attract extra expenses, even when you try to avoid them.

Bummer.

At least the Boys each got a bite of a strawberry flavored oat bar from the washer repairman.

Don't Be Shocked

I Rode!!

It was a cool, rainy day again, and this time when I went out to feed, I couldn't resist doing something.

Ironically, Toby seemed particularly cuddly and I caught him first. I put the halter on him and took him out for a short lunge.  Ever mindful that he hasn't done any work in weeks, I only worked him for about five minutes. I'd set up a little trotting pole about 8 inches off the ground, and had him go over that at the trot and canter several times. There is nothing more to say when it comes to lungeing Toby.  He is always practically perfect in every way.

By then, Tucker had decided he wanted some attention, so I haltered him, took him inside, and, on a whim, decided to ride.  How nice to have the confidence to just get on after so many weeks of no work at all.  Tuck walked right off, no fuss no bother.  His initial trot was not exactly forward, but I eased him along, just asking him to step a little more into the rein contact.  I trotted him over the pole as well, just letting him figure out where to put his feet.

Then, we had an almost "naughty" when I put my leg on to ask for a little more forward and he laid his ears back. Then he sidled into my leg as if to kick out at it, anticipating a rather ugly canter resistance.  I pushed him through to the outside rein with my inside leg and we trotted on.

Then, I decided we were going to have to canter, "just because."  Sure enough, he gave a bit of a kick to my leg, nothing big, and then cantered off on the right lead, nice as you please.  I didn't do much, and I certainly wasn't asking him to exert himself.  Work on the left lead was good at the trot, and the canter started off with a soft depart and no real fuss at all.

For the big finish I did a leg yield on each rein at the trot and then worked into half pass on each rein.  The leg yields were spot on, the half passes about half of what they need to be, but still obedient.  Then I halted, asked for a few steps of a lovely reinback and quit for the day.  All in all, it was a short but fun ride.

Chance was totally interested in doing something next so I saddled him up.  As usual, he tried to head for the gate out to the woods, but he gave that up pretty quickly and settled in for some decent work.  I say "decent" mostly because he was obedient, but rather erratic to the rein. On the other hand, his head was down, rather then up, and when I worked the outside rein a little, he did start to reach for the bit.  Considering that we were only just starting to get some consistency before I stopped riding him a long while back, I certainly cant expect perfection after such a long layoff.

But, to his credit, the canter on both reins was really relaxed and balanced. The left lead is expected, but the right one was a pleasant surprise. He used to rush along, out of balance. Today?  Easy, relaxed and controlled-- a huge improvement, and a bit of a surprise.

My knees didn't feel too bad when I was in the saddle, but I'd probably not be able to ride long enough to get a real schooling session in. I guess I'll know better tomorrow.

Meantime, it was carrots all around for the Boys who clearly deserved every bite.

Hay, Hay, Hay!

And There Will Come Soft Rains

In case you recognize the subheading, I'm borrowing the title of a Ray Bradbury short story.  It fits. We had soft rains today.  Hay day.

The Hay Man and I had a plan. He offered to clean out my hay storage area to get rid of the loose hay so we could better store the next shipment. I was down to two bales, enough to last, perhaps until Wednesday.  However, the rains were a factor as he could not deliver hay in the rain, nor did either one of us want to clean the hay shed (carport) and put out the loose hay for the horses in the rain.  No biggie, except that the forecast is calling for rain through Wednesday which was going to put the Boys and me in a hay shortage before we could get the work done.

Hay Man and I agreed that I would go run my errands to the feed store--had to pick up a new bag of Strongid 2CX daily wormer.  Then, if the rain had eased off by the time I was back home, we'd get at least some of the job done.  No go.  (I got a really good deal on the wormer, though with both a low Internet price honored at the store and a $!5 off coupon--50 pound bag of wormer is just a bit over $150)  

I called Hay Man and before I could offer my solution, he suggested I drive over and put a few bales in my car to hold us until Thursday when the weather was promising to clear. That was exactly the same idea I had! Great minds think alike.  I drove over--just 30 seconds down the road and across, and picked up 6 bales of hay.  So we are all set.

The Boys were in an out all day, depending on just how hard the rain was coming down.  I do love to see them using the run in sheds as it always makes me feel I've done right by them.  Except for the fact that the two big Boys tend to hog the shelter and leave Chance standing outside if they are all in the same area, it works out well. There is plenty of room for three horses under all the roofs, but for some reason, they just don't see it that way.

Send best wishes to Claire for a speedy recovery after a horse accident that left her with a broken wrist.  It's so hard when a blogging friend from miles away--in this case, Britain--gets hurt or has something sad happen and all I can do is offer words.  But perhaps love and encouragement can pass themselves along.  If so, I am sending tons her way.

Thunderstorms

All Around for Most of the Day

A gray and threatening day, from morning on, not that I had anything planned for outdoors. Obviously a swim was out of the question as I'm pretty sure the pool closed due to the weather.

And it was the last day of Rick's Saddle Shop's annual tent sale with a drawing for a $1000 shopping spree.  I really didn't need anything in particular except for some more feed through fly control. But each year I do shop for some Christmas presents for my cousins in the Ariat closeout section. This year, I got a pair of fur lined Ariat boots and a pair of Ariat mules for under $30 each and a pair of Ariat Crowne zip paddock boots for under $60.  Managed to get my fly control which, like everything else in the regular part of the store was 20% off, so I did OK for the day.  Some Christmas shopping is now done and my wallet is flatter.

Once again, I did not win the shopping spree, but a mother with at least one young daughter did, so that was kind of nice.  On the way home I stopped with my friend Stacie for lunch, and we spent well over an hour just chatting.  Stacie's lovely new mare has a swollen leg, so she is a bit worried about that, but her other horses are well and she's been doing only a little more riding than I have--which is none.

But on the way home the radio kicked in with one of those emergency screeches and there was an announcement from the National Weather Service that there was a tornado warning for parts of Pennsylvania and Southern New Jersey.  I am hoping my blogger buddies are all OK down there.  A bit scary, to say the least. Tornadoes are not common around here and I don't know what kind of warning signals there are aside from the radio/tv announcements.

So, Shannon, in particular, I will be looking forward to a post from you letting me know all is well down your way.

Meanwhile, I am keeping a close eye on the weather forecast for our area.  I heard some thunder as I was feeding the Boys and it's pretty dark out there for this time of day.

Hope you and all of yours are safe and sound!

More of Same

Don't Mean to be Boring

My knees are better, but until the reaction to the treatment is complete, they are still sore. The day after all the injections I could hardly walk at all. Makes me much more appreciative of our horses' ability to tolerate pain when you think about it.

Blistering was a common treatment for tendon injuries. The idea is to cause an inflammation in the tendon or ligament, both to bring blood to the area a long with the heat, and also to inflame the tendon so it would build up scar tissue.  The scar tissue then is part of the healing of the damaged structure. One of the treatments for loose stifles was to inject and iodine solution in the tissues around the loose ligaments to cause the same effect.

With external blistering the horseman could see the evidence on the horse's skin with surface burning, hence "blistering."  With internal blisters, there is no visible evidence, except perhaps, some swelling.

Today, with the development of stem cell therapy, the idea is to inject stem cells in the damaged area in order to encourage new tissue to develop instead.  The horse world is well ahead of human medicine where this is concerned. Equine stem cells are reaped from the horse's own fatty tissue. These stem cells are much better programmed to grow into ligament/tendon/cartilage as they are more like that tissue.  Right now, my doctor reaps stem cells from my blood serum and that helps the cartilage in my knees regenerate.

But, the prolotherapy I get along with it is essentially a blistering, using a sucrose solution to irritate the ligaments. It's one step into the future and one step back at the same time.

Either way, the steps I take afterward are pretty challenging. It really makes me appreciate how more courageous a horse is when he's undergone a similar treatment and then is expected to hand walk or, in the case of stifles, exercise.

Amazing creatures, these horses of ours.

OK, Knees Are Done

Lots of Needles

I won't go into detail for the squeamish, but I had a lot of needles injecting stuff into my knees.

The right knee did have a bit of fluid which the doctor drew out, and it feels better for sure.  The other treatment does take a while to really take effect, but some things feel a bit better already.  Mind you, I do not expect to be pain free at any point, but the really annoying pain should be gone now

The rest of the treatment takes a while to go into effect. For the ligaments, it's kind of like an internal blister--designed to irritate them into building some scar tissue to tighten them.  For the rest, it's essentially a stem cell therapy which helps heal and build cartilage in my knees.  The doctor also treated the tendon in back of my left knee that had some issues, again encouraging it to heal itself.  So it's a matter of pressing on, some of the pain eased, the rest just kind of gradually lessening as the injections take effect.

I am kind of like a horse in layup, except that I know exactly what the internal damage is and am well aware that some of it cannot be fixed, so I just need to cope. And, unlike a horse, I also am pretty well aware of what I can and cannot do, and what I should and should not do.

My appointment took up the entire afternoon.  Obviously, I didn't do much else all day.  I just got back from an Planning Board Meeting which was interesting, and I think I'm worn out.

Enough for one day, I guess.

Finally Got A Thunderstorm

Some Rain at Last

Unfortunately, yesterday,  I waited too long to go to the pool, and as I got there, they were closing the water due to thunder and lightning in the area. One of the supervisors suggested I wait around, but I could tell by the look of the sky that the storms were not going to be short.

I was right. It started raining a bit by the time I got back home and the storm rolled in for at least an hour and a half. It wasn't violent, fortunately but there was a nice steady rain for a while.  I stood outside in it in my bathing suit for a while to make up for the lack of a swim.  Of course it wasn't quite the same, but it did cool me off and was kind of a "back to my childhood" experience. Fun.

Today, I went to the Township offices to deliver the map showing where the new horse warning road signs need to be installed.  Again, these are to warn drivers that there are horses in the area and that NJ State Law requires them to slow to 25MPH when there are horses on/near the road.  I took a bit of a tour around the area just to check on all the local stables so I could figure out where the best places would be for the signs. Now it's in the Township's hands.

I also looked at the appraisals on the Dog Park property the Township is purchasing.  I did find some interesting tidbits that might be useful in the future.  And, I picked up a copy of the Township Master Plan reexamination report which shows all kinds of information about how the Township planners/administration so now I have to study that for future issues in town.

I did get to swim today. I also got my hair cut and a chiropractic adjustment. I did go shopping on the way home. For good or ill, I did not buy any clothes....well, I did get a swimsuit bottom on sale in a color I wanted to match a top I already had...and I bought a new rug for my bedroom.  I've been looking for a braided rug and sure enough, I found one on sale.

When I got home, I was greeted by Patchadoodle who has now decided that not only is being an indoor cat kind of cool, but playing with me is even better.  I have a feathery thing on a stick he likes, the laser pointer and, fortunately an electric toy called "Undercover Mouse" that keeps him occupied while I do something else. He is quite a clever kitty and really has figured out how to relate to humans--or me at least--in a very clear way.  He responds to my voice, likes to sit with me for cuddles, and now knows how to very cutely paw at my arm to get me to play with him. He is quite the charmer.

Knee doctor tomorrow, so I am hoping things will improve soon.

Swimming in the Rain

Bit of a Shower
Not enough rain to really wet the earth, but at least a little. The only problem is that it brought back the humidity.

This morning was already promising steamy if the sun does come out. Clouds are the only thing keeping it tolerable outside.

No significant horse news to report as my knees are still bad.  The right one felt good on Saturday but yesterday it was back to sore. The left one isn't too good either and that's the reason I messed up the right one more than usual.  Doctor on Wednesday, so I can only hope.

Meanwhile, I have started the chore of sorting my clothes again. I have TONS of clothes.  Surprisingly enough, while I was teaching, I wore nearly all of them. But now, in retirement, I need to think about what I actually need as opposed to what I have.

So I am making several piles.  Get rid of. Barn stuff. Summer leisure stuff. Winter leisure stuff. Nice summer stuff and nice winter stuff.

My aunt used to have a rule that if you didn't wear it in a year, you didn't need it. I am trying to follow that rule.  Wish me luck. Aside from horses, clothes and shoes are my vice.

I did go for a swim yesterday as noted. It was only about 75 F out, but surprisingly, even after I got out of the water it didn't feel too cold.  The water was chilly when I first went in since the nights have been cold, but as they often say, once you were wet and actually swimming, it felt good.  I did 12 laps, as I've been doing. While I could do more, I start to get a little bored after the 12th one, so I stop.  I don't want to ruin the concept.

Once this pool closes for the season, I have some other options. The first is to go to the pool at the County College where I was teaching in the Spring.  Since I am still an employee as a substitute, that is a possibility.  There is also an athletic club much closer where a friend of mine works.  I have not yet seen the pool, but it might be OK.  Apparently they charge by the month, so it could work out.  If I go to the college, I would not swim every day as it's a pretty long drive.  I'll see how it all works out.

Frustrating

Another Pretty Day

We're having a lovely break in the weather. Low humidity and moderating temperatures with a nice breeze.

My knee felt "almost" good enough to try out, but I decided better safe than sorry.  I did not even go swimming, partially because it was cooler out and also because it was the weekend when the pool is very busy.  I was a bit chilled by yesterday's swim, so I kind of figured today would be even chillier.

Just excuses, actually. I was in lazy mode, that's for sure. I didn't sleep well when I went to bed last night after falling asleep on the couch with the TV on.  That put me out really late to snack the Boys so everything was messed up.

However, that does not quite explain the Boys' behavior this morning when I went out to give them breakfast. All three were out in the pasture, grazing on who knows what.  I put all the feed and hay in, filled the water trough and then called them in.  Tucker started milling about, and at first it looked as of Toby was headed in.

Then, Tucker seemed to circle around him, almost blocking his path.  This routine repeated several times as no one seemed quite ready to come through the gate back into the paddock.  I finally walked out to the gate myself, and then partway into the pasture carrying a piece of baling twine to use as a neck rope.  Almost at once, Tucker moved over to me and seemed ready to follow me in.  No need of a lead rope at all.

But he did keep looking at the woods to his right where the gate out of the riding arena is.  He seemed very wary of that area  until he got into his stall and started chowing down.  Once he came in, Tucker and Chance were not far behind and things settled quickly into the normal morning routine.

Now, I did notice that the turkeys were on my side lawn very early --around 6 AM.  Even though the horses are well used to them, I do notice they do tend to keep an eye on the birds when they are about.  I know the Tom would stand up for his flock of hens if he felt threatened, so it could be something happened.

Then again, who knows what beasties lurk in that forest. We did have a coyote a few years ago--I shudder to think--and some of the raccoons are pretty big.

Nothing like living next to 1200 acres of deep green woodlands.

Cool Day

Still Lame--Me. That Is

But that's me, not the horses.  Everyone looks just fine to me. So I have three horses to ride and my knee is still sore and a bit swollen--where I think the fluid is.  I did think about lungeing, but that too requires lots of footwork.  I did manage to do some cleaning in the barn, but that was it.

It was cool and damp out, with very intermittent showers. We really have been short on rain.  Since the winter and spring were so wet, I am guessing that the water supply is still OK as I haven't heard any reports of shortages.  Around here the bulk of the water supply is underground rather than from rivers, streams or reservoirs. That's why I am such a fanatic about trying to protect the aquifer areas where the water filters through the surface soils/sands into underground areas.

I get my water from two wells on my property--one for the barn and one for the house. I'm pretty sure they are at different depths but they well could be tapping into the same underground supply even though they are perhaps 200 feet away from each other.  I am not sure how deep either one is, so it's hard to tell.

But regardless, I am always conscious of trying not to use water recklessly.  The bulk of the Township has municipal water lines, a controversy in this election because of the high water and sewer bills and the additional water and sewer tax we all pay.  Yes, I said, "we all pay."  I have to pay too and I have absolutely no access to public water or sewer on my road.  Not exactly fair, and something worth mentioning in our campaign.

So, I lieu of doing anything with the horses, or swimming since it was a bit too cool for that--amazing--I didn't do too much worthwhile.  But when I went out to feed in the afternoon, the turkey flock was out and about and I managed to get one focused picture of baby turkey sitting on the fence below mommy turkey.  It's not the best portrait of the little guy/gal but it does give you a sense of perspective as to the size difference between parent and child.

The little thing on the bottom rail is the baby and on top is mom.  The rest of the pictures are kind of out of focus as in my rush to try to snap them before everyone disappeared I didn't set the focus--something I need to do when using the zoom.

Here too is a picture of Patchadoodle quite happily settled in the house.  I have to laugh a bit as I had the bay windows installed partially for my kitties and to be frank, the other cats don't often enjoy them.  The bay windows started an almost entire house remodeling about ten years ago that I've been paying for ever since. So it's kind of ironic that now Patch seems to be reaping the benefits.

At any rate, here he is, looking, I think quite content with his new status as "house cat."

Status Quo

Hot, Humid, Sore
I did go swimming again and then for a ride on the Lazy River, but as far as doing much else...nope.  The knee is still a pain and will be until I get to my doctor.

Getting the barn chores done in the morning is more than enough for my knee and I didn't have much else to do except to to to the Township Council meeting at night.  Since I am running for office, I need to keep up on Township issues.  Not much going on there aside from the budget.  It's August and the Town still does not have a 2010 budget in place.  They have finally settled on one with a 5 cent tax increase, which means around $50 a year to the average homeowner.  While that may not seem like much, add up such increases over the last 20 years and it starts to add up.  Actually, my taxes have almost doubled since I took over the house.  I won't quote how much, since most of you would shudder, but suffice it to say, I could easily keep two more horses including feed, vet bills and shoeing for an entire year.  (That's shoeing at $150 a pop every 5-6 weeks)

Living in New Jersey is expensive.  Our new worry cropped up on Behind the Bit  the other day.  The Governor is planning on taking away State support of the racetracks.  I posted a rather long explanation of what the ramifications of this move would be for recreational horsemen in the State.  The horse is our State animal, but over-development has taken up acres and acres of farmland, both horse farms and crop lands.

If racing leaves the State and the race horse training./breeding farms go, tack and feed stores will be hard-pressed to stay open as a good percentage of their business comes from the racing industry.  As well, vets and farriers will be likely to go to places where there is more business, especially if a large part of their business is with the tracks.  According to the law of supply and demand, costs will then go up to the horsemen left in the State.  It's a worrisome scenario.

Politics are in play here.  The tracks could be rejuvenated with the addition of gaming machines such as slot machines, but that puts them in competition with the casinos in Atlantic City.  Instead of finding some kind of compromise government forces simply want the easy, "just deal with it" approach, and our Governor seems to prefer the "Just do it my way, " approach.

For all our horses, I hope there is a better way to solve some of the State's financial woes.

Did I Say It Was Hot?

I Know I Did--Too Many Times Already  

This weather is unrelenting. The weekend did moderate a bit, but no we are back in the upper 90's.  The Boys seems to be hanging out in the barn with the fans blowing on them so they do have some respite.

My knee still hurts, of course. I did call the doctor and now have an appointment for next week, so that's a bit better. The nurse assured me the doctor could both drain my knee and treat it with the PRP therapy on the same day, so that's good.  It's still longer than I really want to wait, but my options are limited. If I go to the orthopedic surgeon, they are likely to want all kinds of tests, etc, and I'll be reminded of the replacement option, something I am not quite ready for.

I feel better sticking with the doctor I know, treatment I understand, and the non-surgical approach to it all.

Fortunately, I am able to swim and I did so again today.  I also took three trips around the Lazy River, getting a bit of sun and just relaxing.  It did feel good just kind of floating along, not thinking about much.

Patchadoodle seems to have settled into the house really well.  The other cats are tolerating him just fine and I did some play therapy with everyone both today and yesterday.  Chasing a feather thing on a stick seems to be a fairly universal cat instinct and as the other guys watched Patches bat at the toy, I think there was a bit of feline bonding going on.

I'm glad as Patches really is a sweet kitty who loves to cuddle. He makes a nice addition to the household.

Not Much New To Report

Sang In Church

I had three solos this morning in church.  All spirituals, so I was quite comfortable with them.  I've sung them all before:  Wade in the Water, Steal Away, Poor Wayfaring Stranger.  It went very well.

After church, we went out lunch and had a good time.

The weather was a lot nicer today with at least some lower humidity. But, as you might expect, I didn't do anything with the Boys.  My knee was really sore today and I slept badly last night because of it.  I am calling my doctor tomorrow and perhaps another doctor if I have trouble getting an appointment.  Trouble is, if I go to the other orthopedic office I'll be back into limbo land as they just do regular stuff and not the therapy that has worked so far.

I guess we'll just have to see what I can get done to ease some of the discomfort.

No Rain, but Water

On My Knee, That Is....

I think that's what's going on with my right knee...a fluid build up.  I will have to call my doctor back, because the last time this happened, he would not do the regular treatment even after he drained the fluid in case there was an infection. So, I don't want to spend the money on the kit for the PRP (platelet rich plasma) injections and prolotherapy--to tighten the ligaments--unless I am going to be able to get the treatment at that visit.  The big trouble is that my medical insurance will not pay for the treatments as they are considered "experimental" and even though I know they work, it doesn't matter.

My hay man goes to my doctor as well and has run into the same problem with the insurance. He fought with the insurance company to no avail and my doctor has essentially given up, at  least for now, even submitting claims for payment.  So, I can't afford to waste money on two doctor visits I have to pay for.

Bummer, but so typical when someone else has the right to make decisions about my health care.

On the kitty front, Patches seems to be adapting well to living inside. This morning, he was sharing the hall/living room area with the other kitties.  There was still some hissing, but then I took out the laser pointer and started playing with everyone and community spirit started to develop.  Reggie and Scooter are most accepting of the newcomer, while DJ is still a bit uncertain.  Church was off somewhere in a huff.  I have for now closed the attic door so he can't go upstairs to adventure and he is not happy about that.  I'm not sure what the allure is up there except for an occasional mouse that somehow gets in through the eaves, but Church likes to spend a lot of time up there.  I wasn't too keen on having Patches vanish into the upper spaces--my attic is rather full of "stuff"--until I was sure he was socialized to the rest of the house, so I closed the door.  Miffed, Church is not speaking to me right now.

Patches did disappear into the back rooms again when I turned on the television.  It didn't help that I put on The Dog Whisperer. *L*  I guess he thinks there are more people in the house when the set's on, so he vanishes.  It'll just take some time for him to get used to such things.

The weather has moderated a bit today, but riding is still out.  No point, again. Bad knee and totally unfit horses. Like they say, "I'll get around to it,"  eventually. The Boys have shelter, water, fans, fly spray, fly sheets, good food, hay, places to roam, apples to eat, and each others' company.  I don't think they mind not working too much.

Hope to get some more swimming in today.  And speaking of the weather...which I wasn't....we REALLY need some rain around here. Even the thunderstorms are passing us by.

K'need I Say It?

Too Hot to Ride

The oppressive heat continues. For two nights now, I have left the fans on in the barn.  The air has been still, hot and humid, even after midnight.  Of course, I am getting supersensitive to the heat, so that doesn't help.

The knee is still painful, although Tylenol helps.  I can get around, but it is painful.  I swam the other day and by the time I was done with my laps, it actually felt better.  But yesterday, I didn't go for a swim because it didn't feel good enough.  It's not necessarily the swim that does me in, but Wednesday, it was the walk from the parking lot.  I got to the pool around 6 PM and the lot was packed!! I did find a "not a mile away" spot, but it was still a hike and once you get in the main gate, the lap pool is at the far end of the place--nearly where I'd parked the car.  So I was making a big circle.  Yesterday, I just wasn't up for it.

The County Fair is going on too and I really want to go for a while.  I figure I'll pull out the crutches and use them just to take some weight off the knee.  When I went to the supermarket yesterday, just being able to lean some of my weight on the cart made a huge difference, so that's the solution for now.

Since there is no real horse news except that the Boys are fine, I do have a cat report.  It looks as if Patches really doesn't mind being inside at all.  With just a little coaxing, he came out from under the sofa and cuddled with me, purring like a buzz saw.  When I went to bed, he started meowing at the door so I opened it to let him, eventually have the run of the house.  He was very curious and quite an adventurer.

On the negative side, there has been a bit of hissing and growling from the other boys.  I am a bit surprised, mostly because they are a very sweet lot of cats.  The bulk of the noise has come from DJ and Church, although I think I heard Scooter hiss too.  Reggie hasn't seemed too bothered yet, but we'll see.  Fortunately, there has been no physical contact and Patches appears to be handling it well.  Basically, he just kind of walks on by the "hisser" keeping one eye on him, but not at all challenging the issue. He doesn't seem afraid, or even intimidated, but quietly continues on his way, almost as if the other cat's not there.

I'll have to observe his tail language a bit more closely, but he's keeping it up in the air, so he is not cowering and is pretty confident.  I can, to some degree, understand the other boys' uncertainty the last cat I brought in was very aggressive--he had been declawed and then either lost or thrown out by someone. Declawed cats feel very helpless and often become biters as an alternate means of protection.  Buddy was a problem that way and never did manage to socialize.  I'm hoping Patches will be a different story.

At any rate, so far, so good.  He may make the house cat grade yet.

Not Happy

Kitty On the Window

Short report now, more later as the day goes on.

Patches is not happy in the sunroom.  The vet suggested I keep him confined for about ten days.  So he's in the sunroom for now--hiding under the couch.  When I first let him out of the cat carrier, he lept up on the back of the couch and proceeded to climb up one of the windows--not good for the woodwork.  I plucked him off and cuddled him for a while.  He was fine for that, but as soon as I let him go again, he started prowling for a hidey hole.

That was the last I've seen of him without kneeling down myself to peer under the sofa.

However, in the middle of the night, there was a lot of noise from the room which again sounded as if Patches was attempting once more to climb the windows to get out. Thunks, scratches, clawing noises, etc. I got up too late to see him, as by then the poor little guy had given up.

I guess ten days will be enough to see if he is going to adjust to being indoors. When I had Mommycat spayed a couple years ago, I thought she might decide that inside was nice. It was a very cold winter, so I kept her in longer than needed for full recovery, but she never did acclimate. I'm not keen about keeping any outdoor cats here as the road is SO dangerous, but if being in is too stressful, then outdoors it is.  Mommy is living down at my next door neighbor's house and she shows up here once in a while.  If Patches decides he wants to be outside, I will honor his needs.

It's not the best place for him to be, but I won't torture him with confinement if he can't tolerate it.

Good News, Bad News

Took Patches to the Vet

The title of the blog?  The story of my morning.

Good news, I was able to rather easily put Patchadoodle in the cat carrier and he was scared, but quiet. The drive to the vet is only about 5 minutes or so and there was no trauma.

Good news, I only had to wait about 5 minutes or less in the vet's office.

Bad news, Patches panicked when the vet tech took him out to weigh him and in the process scratched her.

Good news, the scratching was from trying to escape, not any kind of attack, and he did not bite her.

Good news, he quieted down for me and let me hold him and even weigh him, so he trusts me pretty well.

Bad news, I found a flea on him and a wood tick.  Both are now dead and gone, but they were there.

Good news, he was settled enough to be pretty calm for the vet and the general exam didn't seem to show up any physical issues with his overall condition, heart, eyes, ears, etc.

Bad news, he is not a neutered male, but a tom cat, although perhaps 2 years old, so not quite, apparently mature enough to really act "tommy."  (He has hung around my house instead of roaming off looking for ladies.)

Bad news, he will need to be neutered.

Good news, the vet was able to admit him today and will do the surgery this afternoon. He will also be treated for fleas and given the basic vaccines.

Good news, I will probably pick him up later today.

Bad news, it's going to cost around $450.

Good news, it's going to cost around $450....I was expecting even more. *sigh*

While I hope to give Patchadoodle the option of becoming a house cat, if he does not like it, he can stay outdoors here with the promise of good food and good care. He will be having some blood tests for feline leukemia and feline aids.  As long as he's negative, then being with my other kitties is OK. So for now, it's kind of a wait and see situation.

So, from all we can tell, Patches first showed up here about a year ago. That means he was only about a year old, or younger when he was abandoned by someone. Since he's accepted my handling so easily and seems to enjoy coming on to the totally enclosed back porch to sit/sleep by the door into the house, I am certain he was never a feral cat. At some point in his life, he lived with people and was probably kept inside. What a horror it must have been for him to suddenly find himself cast aside and left to fend for himself.

It's taken me a year to befriend him. Here's hoping he can now live a content life as one of my kitties. It's the least I can do for the little guy.

K'need a Rest Again

Darn It Anyhow

The right knee hurts again today. I made an appointment with my doctor, but there was nothing open until August 26.  However, they will call me if there is a cancellation before that.  That's a long time to be limping around like this.

But, Tylenol helps and as long as I don't have to walk for miles, it's OK.  I'll just take it day by day as each day seems to be a bit different. Knowing my knees, chances are that this will get mostly better on its own anyhow. They are messed up enough that it's just one more pain to deal with.

If I do end up getting replacement surgery, I hope I can put it off for a while yet. The reviews out there are mixed. Some people have had fast, easy recoveries and others....months of misery. Hard to say where I'd be. My left knee surgery was a breeze, but the right knee took forever to get better and until I went to this doctor I'm dealing with now, recovery had plateaued with a swollen joint.  His therapy really helps and I've put it off too long this time.

Once again, I decided not to go swimming. It's cloudy out again with the promise of rain, so perhaps it's just as well.  But as soon as we have the next nice day, I'm back to the pool, even if it just means cruising the Lazy River.

The Boys seem to be spending more time outdoors these last few days. For certain, Tucker has figured out the apple tree possibilities and I think Toby has too. But tonight. Chance and Tucker were in the "apple" paddock, while Toby was off by himself in the front paddock by the barn. It always interests me to see how they group themselves.

Toby, the alpha horse, is usually not too happy off by himself and if the other two get out of sight, he calls for them.  Chance, on the other hand, is completely independent and hasn't a worry in the world about where the others are. Tucker?? Hard to say. He seems to switch alliances as best benefits him.  He is not very vocal, although when he was locked in his stall because of his hoof, he did make some fuss if the other two vanished off into the distant pasture.  It was definitely nothing like Toby when he's locked in, but rather out of character for normally content Tucker.

But, when it comes time for shoeing, I always try to keep at least one other horse inside when Toby or Tucker are being done as they both get restless.  Boy, imagine having to stand quietly for the farrier when your friends are out doing something else! *G*

Just goes to show how nature tends to win over training far too often.

Lungeing the Good One

And Watching the Naughty One Run Around 

I took advantage of the cloud cover this afternoon to do a little lungeing.  Nothing to vigorous as it was still pretty humid/warm and my knees were in braces.  Tucker was quite ready to be caught and equally ready to do some work.  I set up a little jump for the end of the session and once, when the line slipped out of my hand, he jumped it on his own, then stopped to look at me as if to say, "Where the heck are you?"   He was moving really well and it wasn't much trouble to get forward.

Then, I went to get Chance.  Naughty boy. Unfortunately, he has chosen Toby as his new role model and has learned to run away from me.  It's not really nasty, but I do think he seems to think it's part of the game and I enjoy it.  He galloped to a fro, stirring up the other two Boys for a good frolic, while I just stood there, waiting.

At one point, he took off into the pasture with Toby hot on his heels.  Tucker started to go, then stopped and stood near me, looking off where the other two had gone as if to say, "What's that nonsense all about...huh, Jean?"  When the two came galloping back full tilt, he bounced around for a while with them, then came back over to me for a chin scratch.

Finally Chance decided to stop fooling around and stood quietly while I put the halter and lunge line on him.  I kept his session really short because he'd already had his own warm up.  He finished up jumping the little jump nicely, but he was upstaged by Tucker who'd managed to wander into the arena.  When I told him he had to get out, he trotted half way around, jumped the little jump beautifully and exited, stage right.  It was just too cute.  He seemed to proud of himself.

After everyone had cooled down, I gave them each a dose of Ivermectin paste wormer, and then fed dinner.

I was thinking of a swim again, but decided one more day of taking it easy on my knees would be better, so I took a shower instead.  It's not quite the same, but at least I got wet.