But, you gotta love brisk winds, a little drizzle and HUGE deep snow drifts!! Reese and I had a ball!!!  Ah heck, the storm was pretty much over...well, sorta. ;-) I needed a little fresh air and I was dying to see what the trails looked like. It is so pretty when the trees are covered with snow too --- ah, really puts you in the Holiday mood!   I bundled up...and this bareback thing is quite wonderful!! Just bridle and go! AND you do stay so toasty. Reese was so exceptional ---- wow. He had quite the work out blazing the trail today --- it was deep and crusty! If this snow stays, it will be a great way to get him back in condition. ;-)
Here is the clip of the ride......http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=7_lBCcSQVgw

Call me crazy but at the crack of dawn baby, I am on my horse! Deer season has officially ENDED as of midnite tonite --- MAN, that was a LONG two weeks!!

My brain is already workin overtime on doing some Holiday activities on Horseback -- it involves carrolling, baked goods and battery operated lights!!!!  More on that later........I gotta see if 'my peps' are with me on this first. LoL.

Anyhoo --- I am also feeling much better after detoxing my system of all the bad eating the past few weeks.  I always get a pounding headache for at  least 3 days after I quit sugar and soda -- I tell myself I will never eat that way again...and then another Holiday approaches.  Such is life....gotta live and enjoy from time to time, I say.

Let's see, what else. It will be 3 years, December 16th when Reese stepped off the trailer and entered my life. Hard to believe time has gone by so fast. Here is a pic of THAT very day. I was just walking him into the corral and had to get a good look since I hadn't seen him in person before buying him! Man, oh man..what a day..what anticipation!



OH, Oh...I also finally found the perfect winter riding boots!!!!!! Yep, they are BRIT MUCK BOOTS. And they are absolutely fantabulous. ;-) Yes, that is what I said. lol.
They are insulated rubber on the foot, then neoprene up the leg and so cozy and warm and flexable around the calf. I looked high and low for just the right boot and thanks to my curly buddies, I got the answer. I also ordered some Ariat gloves that should last me years of winter riding. I think I am set...I have Tracy's old riding coat, and winter pants...so I am golden! Ready for action and lots of riding.

We got some fresh snow on the ground..about 4 inches..AND a huge storm is coming in tomorrow nite!!!! TEN INCHES! YES! Bring it on, baby! I am planning to do lots of cantering in that deep snow --- yeehaw!  Reese and I are going to start doing some slow conditioning rides this winter......and try to do our first 25 CTR in May if all goes well. I have been reseaching all the right feed I need for him and where to start with that -- so I am pretty set, I think.

Better head out and toss the horses abit more hay....it is 18 out but very windy. Brrrrrrrr.....Tom is out hunting the last 2 hours before dark....I don't really think he is HUNTING, I think he just enjoys getting out in the woods and getting fresh air....lol. But that's okay too, he comes in happy. ;-))

Have a great weekend....Man, this post got LONG and babbly! Tah Tah!

It sure is hard to get back into the swing of things after a big wonderful holiday, isn't it? By about this time I am pretty tired of turkey....the rest will probably go to the dogs. ;-)The worst part is that both our kids were home, so when they left this a.m. that leaves you with that empty feeling again....something is missin. Funny how as soon as they come home, it feels like they never left. 

We had such a nice time, it was great to just hang out and be together. The weather was very blustery most of the time - and today much the same. Pretty though, if you don't have to travel in it or worry about your kids driving and flying in it! ;-)

I find the sooner I can get back into my routine, the better. I almost start preparing my mind a few days before so that I can sort of shift from that blucky feeling into focusing on something productive. Maybe a bit strange, but it's how I learned to cope. ;-) I think sometimes I give the impression that I am ready for them to leave...when in reality, it is just me 'dealing' with the loss.

I think Andy spoiled the dogs while he was home, don't you? And you can tell how sad they are to see him leave in the photo to the right. That was taken after he had his bags packed and they knew something was up.



Tracy had her fun with the dogs too and Chy. I made a little youtube video, because I thought it was so funny how the dogs were acting. They were so confused....they wanted a TRAIL ride, not arena ride. Deer hunters are still in the woods until Friday. http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Amh0tZQ6jiM



Reese continues to get time off. Saturday that will change!
Have a great week everyone! Til next time....

Last nite we had an amazing dinner with Andy, Tracy, Andy's buddy Chad, Tom and his folks. It is SO great to have the kids home and all of us together!!! We sat around the table for hours, laughing and telling stories. Later, we decided to take a night walk with the dogs and the moon was out and we didn't even need a flashlight -- it was beginning to snow so it was a bit windy and very brisk, but so awesome! That began the long nite of flurries which continued all day today. We may have 4 inches on the ground and I hope it stays a while. ;-))

Tom's folks are also coming up on Friday and a college buddy of Andy's too. So there will be 7 of us for dinner, which will be really fun. Tracy is doing most of the cooking! And she is baking a pumpkin chocolate cake which I have been really looking forward to! ;-)

This past week was busy work-wise and very busy with other stuff too. I just finished a Ride-A Curly contest on my curlyhorsecountry.com site and that was a huge success and great fun. SO I decided to hold it again next year but instead of May-Oct., it will be Jan-December. Here are the details if you own a curly and are interested:

http://curlyhorsecountry.com/RAC2008contest_details.htm

Let's see....Tom still hasn't shot his big buck and I haven't ridden at all this past week due to hunting season.....no, not even in the arena. Maybe today, since I am not working and I can ride during the day.....it is only 19 deg out right now and the ground is frozen...so I have to wait til it warms up a bit.

Have a wonderful Day Everyone!!!!

Remember that young deer I rallied to save from my dogs a couple weeks ago? Well....we hadn't seen hide nor hair of him since the tramatic event and just this morning I thought to myself that he probably just collapsed and died in the woods. We had suspected it was Honey's fawn who Tom has affectionately called Spark Plug because he was always zipping around in our back yard. His Mom has been in everyday without him, (who by the way also still has scars from the time she got caught in the corral and banged against the fence one too many times before allowing our help in getting her out the gate).

AND sure enough --- this morning Spark Plug came in with his Mom, Honey. Unmistakable scars from that day, including a scab below his eye and around his mouth. Other than that, he looked great. Now Mom and baby have matching battle wounds -- and I pray they will stay out of the corral from now on. I have resorted to putting Sammy on a leash when I feed the horses til I know for sure there are no deer in the corral....

Seeing Spark Plug, healthy and well sure made that horrible experience worth every minute.

It's Opening Day of Deer Season today. It's always an interesting time of year - usually brisk with some flurries in the air. Tom's hunting stuff was all piled on the table downstairs in anticipation of the big day. He gets up early, packs his lunch and brews a thermos of coffee for the long chilly day in the woods. I can recall when my Dad used to hunt so many years ago and sometimes he would be gone several days depending on if he got his big Buck or not. We would get all excited as the school bus approached our house to see if there was a deer hanging in the garage because that meant Dad was home early. We didn't much like venison really -- but there was always lots of exciting stories to share and a big thanksgiving dinner followed shortly thereafter. Neat memories.....

Anyway -- as I sit at my desk, it's quiet today. The whole world must be out hunting....or they know that even the schools shut down this time of year around here. ;-) I heard about 3 or 4 gunshots this morning which sounded relatively close by -- but it must not have been Tom because he isn't back yet.

I am looking forward to winter riding with Reese this year again. I need winter boots REALLY bad --- and also a good set of winter gloves. I am shopping online for the best deals. I think I found them. We'll see.

Andy comes home in 1 WEEK!!! He flies in from Utah on Turkey day so we will have our big dinner on Friday instead. Tom's folks are coming up too, Tracy is doing most of the cooking including a chocolate pumpkin cake, yum! Andy's buddy from College is also coming for the weekend so that will be a really great time.

So much to be thankful for --- we feel so blessed. At this moment, I am thankful for a nice quiet afternoon, listening to my dogs sleep at my feet and watching the wind blow thru the trees outside my window.....

SO part of my new routine is to try to take time for myself and ride my horse a couple times during the week....today was that day! -- it was almost 60 degrees!  I called Sue and she was eager to go too. SWEET! I have gotten pretty darn good at hooking up the trailer and tacking Reese in just minutes.  Reese knows when he sees me comin with halter in hand that it is time to go --- He comes right to the gate, I open it up and out he walks...and munches on grass til I halter him and get him tacked. It's a pretty flawless routine, and I don't get my shoes caked with mud either! lol.

I hauled to Sue's and rode from there. She has 4 cows and Reese is always curious about them. If they make noise and jump around he tries to figure them out. It's too funny. We rode for a about an hour and a half and it was beautiful. Half way home, I heard someone calling my name thru the woods.....it was Erin! She had arrived at the barn after school and saw my trailer so she headed up the trail to meet us. We had a great time chatting on the way home....with great laughs! I am really glad she came along.

Deer season opens on Thursday, so this may be the end of the trail til Dec. 1st. I will have to brainstorm on some arena stuff I can do.

Have a good week everyone. ;-)