Eckkkk....sad day....

First and foremost I wanted to mention the death of a "cyber friend." Nancy Lemon passed away this morning. She was a member of an online bulletin board that I've been a member of for the past 6 years. Nancy battled several health issues including Diabetes, which took both her legs. She still managed to ride her horses and show people how luck we are to be alive. She had flatlined two or three times and was revived over the past few years as well. I know she had other complications that she dealt with on a daily basis....but Nancy was always a shining star. She was the most positive, inspiring and couragous person I've ever NOT met in person. She was generous to a fault as well. Always knitting or sewing something and surprising an exracers member with a lovely gift. Nancy had a thoroughbred filly named SUmmer who was two weeks younger than my own Sealy. She used to joke that they were distant sisters. Nancy always put other people first. She was the kind of person that anyone would be blessed to have as a friend. She was be truely missed on our board and as part of our "family." Godspeed Nancy. Have a good run on those healthy legs and ride all the horsey superstars in heaven to your heart's content.
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Other deaths today were Michael Jackson and Farrah Fawcett. There was a spoof online about Jeff Goldblum dying but it was a hoax. Ed McMahon also passed away this week.

Randomness

Things have been pretty busy here on the farm lately. Lots of racing going on. The new puppy keeps me on my toes and Hannah has been doing the same. Last week Mom came to visit with Susan from the farm. They got here Monday evening after an interesting car ride. I think she did better getting here BEFORE she ever had a GPS. That night I had some type of allergy attack and was fairly sick for most of the week. So I was fortunate to have them here because not only did they watch Hannah while I was working but they did my laundry and cleaned my house. How's that for a visit?
We had a nice time though. Aside form the storms that blew through for the better part of the week. We had dinner at Mountaineer and played some slots. Susan got the grand tour of the farm and they both met all the new horses. Hannah had a blast with her Gramma and "Adopted" Gramma. It was nice to have them both here.
We have several races coming up this week. Ozzie runs Tuesday night, Winabull on Wednesday, Activator may run Friday night. The two year olds will be headed to Presque Isle for some gate training....so lots going on here.
Sealy has been a couch potato for a few weeks. I just haven't had the energy to keep her in work. I guess I need to motivate myself because I had someone email about her tonight. They are from Minnesota so I think I need to get a video done of her.
Lego leaves for his new home on July 1st. He's going to be in Indiana with a very nice lady who wants a trail horse and to do some flat lessons on. He'll be pampered and spoiled so I'm happy about that. Of course it feels really bittersweet as well.
Tipping is still hanging out in her pasture waiting for work to start. I plan on beginning some trail riding with her after Lego leaves. We'll see how things go as far as time is concerned.
Hannah is growing like a weed and amazes me daily with the things she learns or understands. She seems to love little Jade and Jade thinks Hannah is a fun play toy.
So I guess I owe some pictures huh?

Hello little Puppy!

She's here! Little Miss Jade is finally home after waiting for four weeks to get her! She had her spay and hernia surgeries done yesterday and they out a micro chip in for me as well. She's cute and sweet but utterly confused with this change of events. She has figured out how to walk on the leash....having a 16 month old drag you around probably helped. She seems in shell shock but is doing fine. She met Jorja and Coco and took charge of both bigger dogs first thing. I guess we'll be working on that little issue. She wans't too fond of the horses but we've got lots of time to learn about them. She's a good little girl and I hope she decides she loves it here.

Mission Accomplished!

I entered a show with the intention of riding Sealy in her very first "Mini Event." For those of you who do not know what one is....you compete in a dressage test, a stadium jumping round and also you ride a cross country course. The reason it is a "Mini" Trial is that the show is unrated and the division go to very low heights (as low as 6 inches) for people who are either starting young horses, little kids on their ponies or people who want to dabble but don't want to jump the big jumps.
Turns out that Sealy wanted no part of galloping cross country and tried her very best to get me off of her when I took her to a hunter pace a few weeks ago. She definitely convinced me that she needed to sit this one out. So Sharon let me borrow her horse. I had two weeks to teach him to put his head down and act like he knew what he was doing! He actually picked things up very quickly and put in a wonderful effort. He already knows hoe to jump because he's been a foxhunter for a while now. He had just never seen the brightly colored and decorated jumps in the stadium round. So this was the first time in years I had a horse that was not only capable to competing but sane and safe as well. Mission: go out and have some FUN!!
We did a lower division because, while the hunt horse knows well how to run and jump, he doens't know jack about circles, correct leads and all that mess. So
the division I chose was called "Very Greens" and allowed us to do a test without a canter....but the jumps were somewhat small (2 foot max) and Yankee was less than impressed.
Thanks to Kim for coming along and taking great pictures! She kept me organized and on schedule thank goodness!




All in all it was a fun day. We ended up second in our division! Surprise to me! Hopefully someday it will be Tipping out there competing, but for now Yankee was a great substitute.

Belmont Day

The last leg of the triple crown is this afternoon. I'm really hoping Mine That Bird runs them all down. I like to root for the little guy!

Lou and his Dad went to a car auction this morning. Sharon and I got the trailer packed for my show tomorrow. SHould be interesting. I have not evented in many years and my mount has only been leanring the ins and outs for the last two weeks. He's doing well though. Here's a couple of shots from yesterday:



Later we are going to a cookout/Belmont party. Thankfully it is only right down the road. I have to be up at 5am tomorrow!

Hannah and I went to visit our new puppy at the rescue's "Dog Park" today. I've finally decided on a name for her, "Jade."
She'll be coming home a week from today!

Did the REALLY happen?

I went out today on one of my younger horses. Sharon had ridden the four wheeler up the hill to try and get one of the neighbor's horses to go home. I went one time around one of our pastures (1/2 mile) and was just heading towards the far side of the pasture to make another loop when I see the neighbor's dogs right at the corner. Then I see a baby. I mean a human baby! These are the neighbors that always have loose dogs (that like to chase us on the horses), they shoot guns off into the field across the street at all hours of the night, they squeal their tires nearly each time they leave and their horses get loose constantly. But to see their 18 month old son standing outside, in a diaper only, in the muddle driveway by HIMSELF....not one single person nearby....just three of their dogs, just FLOORED me!!!!!
Petey (my horse) decided the baby was a little horse eating monster and began snorting and prancing....meanwhile I'm talking to the little one (he's now waving at me and giggling) and asking "Where's mama?" hoping an adult would magically appear. Little boy pointed at the barn but just stood there looking at me. I couldn't in good conscience go off galloping and leave him there. He was only about 100 feet from the main road where semi trucks travel at mach 10 carrying loads of coal back and forth.
Sharon saw me standing there on the corning with the fire breathing Petey prancing under me so she high tailed it back over on the four wheeler....thinking she was on doggie patrol. She too was shocked to find this little boy standing here all alone. She scooped him up and drove over to their house, calling for someone to come out because the dogs were sizing her up.
The "MOM" came out and bee-lined it to the baby. How on earth and someone be so ignorant to let their 18 month old find his way out of the house and around the corner, down the drive ALONE and not even notice he was gone??? She claimed she was cleaning the kitchen and didn't even know he'd gotten out of the house. COME ON. Seriously?? He somehow unlatched the screen door, walked down four porch steps and got partway down the driveway....and she did even know he was gone?? I'm not buying it. I should have called child services on her. Un-freakin-believable.

Bath time is fun again!

After an entire month of screaming bathtimes today was FUN! Woohoo! Hannah has protested her baths for far too long. They went from splashing and laughing to screaming and crying. Her bath had turned into a 30 second dash to get her hair washed and body cleaned while she stood in the bath red faced with tears rolling. We finally got over that terrible stage. I have no idea WHY it happened either.

I snagged this from a friend's facebook profile. It was just too good not to share. If you have neighbors that drive you absolutely batty with the stupid and ignorant things they do on a daily basis, you'll appreciate this: