Donkeys and horses are fun animals. They are really very bright as well. They can be trained to do a plethora of different things. Pulling a cart, saddle, jumping, packing; and those are just the basics. There is much much more that you can train these animals to do. I think the reason that they get away with so much is the facial expressions that they get (kind of like kids!). They have one for every situation, just like humans. There is wisdom, boredom, sarcasm, fun, laughter, love, anger, patience, and many many more. They also have the moods that match the expressions, just like humans. You can approach these animals when they are in any of their moods. Most of the time they'll come to you and put their head down to your level as if to say "I really have this scratch, can you take care of it?" And you rub their necks and in some cases their chest, and you get the "I'm in heaven" look. Enough to bring a grin to any one's face. I think that is why people (in general) are so drawn to animals. They just seem to need so little, just a little love, and with that they are all better (and so are we).

Muddy Boots

Why is it that when you are really not looking for adventure, it comes crashing into your life? Today we paid a visit to the farm. Not an unusual event, especially on the weekends when we seem to have a little extra time. Peaches really wanted to show Handsome how well she was doing leading and jumping the mini ponies. She grabbed the halter and lead for the pony and then went and caught it, leading it through the gate and then into the arena where there are a few jumps set up. Unfortunately we have had quite a bit of rain the past few days and have been unable to work with the ponies, and so the pony refused to jump as we were out of practice. But she got to show off her great leading skills that are improving daily, and Handsome was right proud of his not-so-little girl. There were two out riding as we came in, and we watched for a little while. After a short time, Handsome was offered a ride. He got up there, and with a few instructions was off! For the first time (other than a trail ride) being on a horse, he did very very well! When it was finally time to come in, he had a grin that just wouldn't disappear. Once the horses were brushed down and taken care of, there was another chore to do. Moving the pigs. Now I know to some of you this may be an easy chore, but for us newbies...lets just say we earned our dinner tonight. The pigs had a comfortable home, fairly large run with small houses, pig size houses. But Miss A and Mr R had built a stronger, more hospitable home for them across the yard, probably about 100 feet away (later it seemed like miles). Miss A, Handsome and I checked wiring and the general sturdiness of the fencing before the big move. A few places needed rewired so that no one would go wandering off to enjoy the neighbors beautiful garden. Now all we had to do was get the pigs there. Cee-Cee, the largest of the four, was already moved. Having been easily convinced with food to take the walk to her new home. The other three were a little more of a project. Scooter is the smallest, weighing in at about 70 pounds and only about half grown. He was perfectly happy to follow the bucket of food for a short while, but getting too far away from his old house, he would stop. No convincing would get him further, so finally Mr R picked him up. That squeal probably could have been heard for blocks. Oh. My. Word. It sounded as if we were killing the little guy instead of taking him to a nice new house! Once he was in the new run and explored the new house, he was more than happy to grunt and whistle and be a very happy piggy. The girls were another story. They each weigh in at well over 150 and can move surprisingly fast for something that produces so much fat to cook off with the bacon. There were 6 adults ready for the show, and two kids with huge eyes looking on. One sow came out without problems, but once in the yard next to the barn, she didn't want to go any further because she wanted to eat all the weeds. So, out came the orange sticks. They are long, fiberglass rods, that look like fencing to the pigs, so they try to avoid it. With these we were able to get her into the pen where she needed to be, but not into the run. She kept dodging to the left. At one time she ran under the fence and had to literally run for her life from the horses. Horses, generally, hate pigs and will stomp them to death if given the chance. We got them separated and the sow back into the pen in fairly short order; she sure did not like getting chased by those big horses! Now we just needed to get her into her run. A shake of the food bucket, and lucky timing with the orange sticks and in she went! A short breather for all involved and then on to the next girl. She did not go easy. Squealing and churning mud as fast as she could. She was determined to stay in her old run. Finally, we ran out of oomph. Mr R got his rope, Miss A got another rope, and Mr R tied that sow up. One rope on the rump and one on the neck. Pulling, squealing, sweating. That pig was as stubborn as they come! Mr R had to pull her sideways for most of the trip to her new run. The gouges in the dirt will wear out quickly, though, with horses and ponies trotting by. Once in the run, life was good! She happily grunted a welcome to the others, and trotted by to go exploring as if nothing had happened. We all watched for a few minutes, and then feet complaining, backs aching, we wandered into the barn to feed for the night. After the horses were all fed, we called it a night. Saying our goodbyes for the day, we plodded homeward, leaving clumps of mud on the sidewalk as we went. Oh what a wonderful day.

Unconditional

Our family has a dog. A wonderful dog. He is like so many others out there: happy, energetic, loving, forgiving without a second thought, and always ready to play. If you were to come into our home on any given day and pick up a tennis ball, you would have his immediate and undivided attention. If you were to throw said ball, he would collect it and then deposit the now slimy ball back into your hand or lap (whichever is easiest), and stand in front of you wagging the tail as fast as possible until you threw the ball again. This game could continue for about 30 minutes, or until he becomes distracted by a cat. He has this "play with me" look that I love. He'll get the ball or stick and bring it to me, and stand there. His eyes will rotate from my hand to the toy and then to my face, begging me to play. He will play until he is worn out, and then 10 minutes later be ready to play some more. But what really makes our dog (and most dogs out there) so amazing is his ability to love. There are no restrictions on his love for us. Nothing that we are required to do. Even if he is pushed aside for most of the day, he keeps coming back. The tail will wag, the mouth turns up into a doggy grin, and the ears perk up. And at that point, if I don't pay attention to him, it just makes me feel crappy cause he'll just keep coming back and I know it. It's the love and forgiveness.

I could learn a thing or two from him.

The Ever Present Dollar

There are times when no matter what price you pay, it was well worth every penny. Take, for instance, the trampoline that has (more or less) taken over our back yard. It is big, ugly, a pain to move for mowing, and currently not getting used because of the weather. Having not paid much for it to begin with isn't the issue, I was willing to pay much much more (and Handsome knows it). The thing about the trampoline that makes it all worth it to me is to see Peaches and Mr O climb up there and jump. Giggle. Jump. Run. Flip. Somersault. Jump. Oh so worth every penny! There are other things too. Such as: any of the trips that we have taken in the last couple months. Combining them together makes quite the bottom line. But, every one of them has been to see family. Spend time. Unwind. Get to know each other a little better. Say goodbye feeling loved and needed. Although, on much in life there seems to be a price tag now. T-shirts, dinner, parking, carousels. Theatres, school, shoes, dishsoap. Books, apples, time, warmth. There are still some things, though, that upon which there won't ever be a price. Love. Laughter. Life. Walking. Sand. The sound of the ocean waves. Mud. Friendship. Respect. Snuggling. Morals. Hugs. Learning. Reading a book. Watching clouds. Smelling a rose. You see, there are some things worth paying for, and others...some of the others you can do yourself and some you can ask for. But some you have to earn.

Hot Chili Peppers

Hot cocoa seems to be one of those drinks that just makes everything better. No matter what is wrong in life at the moment, have a cup of cocoa and all is right in the world again. There are so many kinds of cocoa it would take years to taste them all. My personal favorite is the classic: hot milk with chocolate and just a few drops of vanilla. But there are many many ways to enhance the cocoa experience. Some of them are as follows. Add a sprig of freshly picked spearmint or a bit of candy cane to give your cocoa that "Christmasy" flavor. A dash of chili powder gives an extra zip. Lavender, when processed correctly, and added is very soothing to both body and mind. Stirring in a couple of crushed raspberries gives the cup a wonderful summery taste. Marshmallows are an old favorite of many to get a little more sugar and cream into the blend and as wonderful entertainment for children. There are the dark cocoas, milk chocolate blends, and white chocolate. There are endless flavors to try and find. But as the wind and rain set in every fall, I think that most of us will be reaching for that mug, adding our own personal flavor, and toasting each other in thought. Cocoa always seems to bring a feeling of connectedness, even for those who live far away. That warm milk and chocolate blend just seems to bring them next door. Sipping from a steaming cup and staring into the fire or reading from a book. It just seems to bring us together. There you go: chocolate therapy.

May I Have Some More?

This past weekend we had the opportunity to go camping with one set of our childrens grandparents. We met at the state park where we were staying, set up camp, and then the real fun began. Matches. Lanterns. Fire. Oh it was fun to watch! Mr O and Peaches got as close as they could to the flame without blowing the match out, and watched as the lanterns were lit. Totally fascinated. There is just something about the white flame fading into blue, red, oranges, and yellows that rivets the attention. The movement. Almost poetic dance of flames. The way that it needs fuel to survive; sustenance. It helped us with our food as well. We (that is Handsome and G and G) cooked our meals over the flames. Coaxing the pans to the right temperature and fighting with the fire to keep them there. Then letting the fire burn low, to embers. Glowing reminders of the life that was yet there. Laying in wait for more fuel to feed upon. With the fading light of the flames though came something even more fun then fire. S'mores. Out came the roasting sticks. Four hands went to work spearing marshmallows onto the ends. Then they sat. Patiently waiting for the white to fade into the light brown of the marshmallow connoisseur's dream. Pulling the gooey goodness cautiously from the hot sticks and squishing them between crackers with chocolate. Impatiently waiting for it to cool long enough to eat. The first bite was cautious. Then they dug in with relish making their faces and hands sticky, but oh so cute. Swallowing the last bite, and asking to do it all over again. Ahhh. That my friends, is the best part of camping. We did see some beautiful scenery; a wonderful smooth lake with trees and sky mirrored on its surface, huge mountains, lovely trees that sang us to sleep. But really the best part was the S'mores. That camaraderie. Fellowship. Togetherness. We were together as a family, and no one can ever take that away.

Cahling For a Meesiss Abee?

I recieved a text this morning that lead to an intiresting phone conversation.

"Hehlow. Ahh you cahling abou the 200 dahlah geeftcahd from WahMaht?"

"Yes. I would like to get off of the call list." A list that I'm not even sure how I got on. The text read: as a follow up of your visit to our website, we're offering you a $200 giftcard to WalMart. Call *number* and give them this *code.* A website that I didn't go to is offering me a giftcard...Hmmm.

"Weel, since ahh half you on the lihne, ahh'll tell you abou our offahh."

"I'm really not intirested, thankyou. I would just like taken off of the call list."

"Weel...(long pause)...Eef you geef me your veesah number, you weel onlee be chahjed 4 dahlah shipping and hahdling for *decorating* magazine. Theen wee weel send you youah 200 dahlah geeftcahd weeth the fahst magazine."

Oh heck no! Money don't grow on trees, even my kids know that. Ain't nothin' in this life for free. "Well, as I stated before, I'm not intirested. I don't shop at WalMart, I just want to get off the call list, please."

Long pause. "Weel, ahh theenk yahl like thees magazine. Reely neat tips!"

Ok. I'm getting no where. "Thanks for your time. I'll call again later to see if someone else may be able to help me."

"Weel. Eet sure wahs good tahking to you, Meesiss Abee." Click.

Wow...If it wasn't for his really funny accent, I would have been quite angry. But hey, it's all good. He was just doing his job. I'm still really curious how I got onto that list...

Pirates and Sunflowers

"It's a dangerous business going out your door. You step onto the road, and if you don't keep your feet there's no knowing where you might be swept off to." ~Bilbo Baggins. It seems like one of those days. Those days where adventure lies in wait just beyond the corner. Right around the bend, just out of sight. Waiting. I'm not sure why it seems that way. Today is just like so many others, but there is just something. A tang in the air, a whispiness to the fog, the slight grin that seems to be lurking just under the surface on everyones' faces. Robinson Crusoe had an adventure, why can't I? Seems to be the unanswered question the day is asking. There seems to be a fair amount of dreaming in the air. The fog softens the edges and everything seems possible. Then the sun shines through the fog, making things glow with gold. Riches even Blackbeard couldn't have dreamed of. Anne of Green Gables seemed to sum it all up; you never know what is around the bend in the road, but you still want to go. There's a bend in the road of life, everyday. What lies beyond?

Yesterday is History, Tomorrow a Mystery, but Today is a Gift

My beautiful little boy started his first day of school today. I never realized how quiet the house could really be. The silence during "quiet time" (i.e. nap time) seemed to press on my ears. As we walked him to school today, our hands swinging, him grinning up at me with his little boy grin, my heart melted. Every step we took was one more closer to me losing my baby, and one more closer to him being that much more independent. I don't mind him being independent, in fact I encourage it. It is just hard to watch, as a mom, your baby grow up and leave, one small step at a time. We'll still sing silly songs and watch the clouds go by, but he'll be a little older and grow a little further away from me with each passing year.

Pony Parade

This past weekend seemed like it never stopped. There was so much to do in so little time, that by the end of each day I was dead on my feet. Saturday was the beginning. We went to the farm and began preparations for fair day. This meant that each pony who was going needed their feet trimmed, filed, sanded smooth, and polished. Trimming was probably the hardest part, especially with a pony that does not want to hold up his own leg and leans on you. Once the trimming and filing was done (by Miss A) the pony got sent to me for sanding. Sanding a pony's feet is like using a fine file on our fingernails; slightly uncomfortable, but well worth it in looks and in feel. I was using a power sander like the one that you would use sanding a piece of wood on a project. Sanding was actually fun, once I got the hang of it. Smoothing all the rough edges so that the polish would not streak. And then for the really cool part, the polish. The first layer was regular boot blacking polish. But the second layer was spread on with a brush and when it dried the pony looked like it was wearing patent leather shoes. So Cute! Then when we were leading them back into their stalls, they high stepped as if they knew that their feet looked way way cute. Once we got all the ponies feet done, it was time for dinner, so we called it a day. Resuming on Sunday where we left off: baths. Each pony was lead out to the rubber mats and clipped to the post. We then sprayed them down, scrubbed them up, and sprayed them back down. From beginning to end each bath took about 30 min and by the time we were done scrubbing those ponies they were so soft and clean. Their white spots were white, their manes and tails brushed and braided, and they were all snuggled in blankets for the night. Putting them in blankets also assured them of being warm with the early morning loading of the trailer. Loading and leaving by 7 am was interesting, but we got it done and were on our way to the fair!! We were one of the first trailers to pull in, and were soon unloading ponies and gear into the temporary quarters in the barn. Before ponies could go into their temporary home, they had to have a vet check. When the vet arrived at 8, there was a long line of ponies waiting. The line moved quickly though, and soon everyone had a stall and were beginning preparations for the upcoming shows. The first show was at nine. It was a strictly fun class for kids under 7. They led the pony out into the arena by a halter, passed the judge, trotted the pony, and then came to a halt in a straight line. Oh they were so cute! Mr O, Peaches, and one other little girl were the only contestants and each got a ribbon. Blue, Red, and Yellow (first, second, and third places). Mr O's pony took first, having been in shows for years and knowing what to do in the arena whether his handler told him to or not. The next little girl took second, and Peaches took third; both tried to "square" their ponies feet but with limited results. None of these kids had shown before, and they all had fun. Then it was onto the older kids shows. They had carts for the ponies to be harnessed to, and then a couple of driving classes for youth and then adults. That was fun! These little tiny ponies, that from their size shouldn't be able to pull that cart plus an adult in it, don't want to slow down to a walk once they get going. They trot and trot faster and just really love to work. After the driving classes was another fun class: costumes! Mickey and Mr O went as a unicorn and dragon (mythical creatures), Beauty went in her pajamas with a Beeny Baby (Roy), and Cute Stuff went as a skeleton with his ghost (Oliver). They were all so cute! Wishing the day could go on longer did not stop the kiddos from getting tired and starting to whine. So we called it good, and left the ponies to do the rest of their shows without us to watch. They did well though, lots and lots of ribbons!

The Man on the Flying Trapeze

Why is it that the things that we should really spend more time with are those exact things that we tend to gloss over, passing them by? As a stay at home mom, I get to enjoy many of these moments, but even today I surprised myself. Instead of playing with my darling children outside I was holed up reading a book that I have read hundreds of times, ignoring their giggles, until Peaches came in and said "mommy, you're missing it!" I'm not sure what I was missing, but this simple message got me out of me chair, fast. She was so excited! Running in front of me. Then she had to turn and tell me to wait, she needed to get ready. For what? Well I was about to find out. Mr O (the engineer of the house when Handsome is unavailable) had rigged up a new swing. He took his bike, hooked the handlebars through the swing rope, and could now power the swing by pedaling his bike. Oh. My. Word. Do the crazy ideas never stop? At least this was one that had virtually no way to bring harm to either child. He got onto the seat of the bike, patiently waited for Peaches to get on the handlebars, and away they went. Giggling at top speed. Swinging very slowly while the pedals were being rotated as fast as they could go. With the weight on the front of the bike, not much of the back tire connected with the ground, so they went painfully slow. But they sure did have fun! After about 20 minutes, Mr O tired of the game and took his bike down. But I sure did enjoy getting away from my book!

Unanswered Questions

So here's an ambiguous question. Why do kids volunteer to do the grossest chores and get them done quickly, but when you ask them to pick up their room it takes 2 hours? I think it may have been that we were at the farm. And Miss A was there. And they had really big shovels. The stalls needed mucked out. A common occurrence when you have 4 horses and 4 ponies. Mr O and Peaches decided to help out a little. They went and got the huge flat shovels that are used for that purpose, and began shoveling. Giggle, giggle, scoop, dump. That is what the barn sounded like for about 20 minutes. They got one stall nearly completely done before moving onto the next one. The shovels are kinda heavy (even for me) and they were needing to lift it to about mid-stomach in order to dump it into the wheelbarrow. I was amazed that they were able to get as much as they did done! They were so cute, scooping out the junk. They really couldn't have chosen a grosser job, but at least they had lots of fun doing it!

What is a Good Lunch?

Well, we went to the fair. The good old fashioned county fair where there are all kinds of food stalls, vendors, rides, and exhibits. We started the day with watching some young cattle shows. Seeing several young heifers led around to judge them on breadth, height, hips, and all around showmanship of the person leading the animal. Quite fascinating actually. Most of the heifers had obviously gone through the routine of being shown a few times, and stepped through it with little or no balking. The handlers lead them around the arena keeping a straight line and "squaring" all four hooves with a prod when the judge asked them to stop. After watching a few shows we moved on to the pig races (previous post) and then to the logging show. It was an "old time" logging show, and so there were only a few times when they used chainsaws. There was double headed ax throwing, standing on and splitting the log beneath the feet (very very good balance here), log rolling in a pool of water, sawing with the old double handled saws, and climbing up huge poles with a rope in your hands and sharp steel 4" picks strapped onto their shoes. The men who good naturedly competed against each other were very very good at all of these things. They were able to have fun, and yet be totally in control of their dangerous profession. Watching them made us hungry so we headed over to raid the food stalls. Oh. My. Heck. I have never seen so much grease and sugar all packed into one place!! It was a little scary! We ended up with some fish and chips with funnel cakes for "dessert" (I'll bet you can guess what disappeared first!). We wound up the day with a trip through the petting barn. Cows, sheep, donkeys, chickens, turkeys, pigs, and even a bunny. All just stood and let the kids maul them. They were all such patient animals! There were so many kids, most of whom this is the only time every year that they get to see an animal of that size so close and touch it. Peaches and Mr O loved this, as all children do, and amazed the keepers about how much they knew about the specific animals. So much fun! What a busy busy fun filled day!

Racing Pigs (yes you did read it correctly)

Ladeees and Gentlemen! Welcome to...the Pig Races!! Yes, pig races. There were trained pigs who ran very very quickly around a sawdust strewn path, racing, just like horses. One major difference is that the pigs do not have riders. They carry a small blanket with a number on it, and are quite young, less than a year old. They are so cute to watch! Running as fast as their little legs will go. Racing for the end where there is a small trough with a handful of feed waiting for them to munch on as a reward. Just plain funny!