Horse Creek Winter

I took this photo last week from the hay barn, when we finally got Snow.  I think winter has taken awhile getting to everyone this year, but I was so excited to wake up to real snow, Finally! 

Unfortunately, I had to work every day we had good snow.  Makes it difficult to get good pictures.  Elevation wise we're only 1500 ft.  So unless its a good winter, we generally don't get snow, just cold rain.  We also live in a canyon, so most storms blow right over us.  Or on the rare bad winter occasion, the storm sits right over our canyon and hits us hard!   It's these winters, that I Love most!!!  The Klamath River may have a low elevation, but it's steep, mountainous terrain, and we're blessed enough to have 4 actual seasons. 

I took this picture Friday morning before I left with a pickup-bed full of beef.  Notice the mountain in the far back still looks the same, but dang it, most of the snow has been rained off! I don't think the replacement heifers are happy about it either!  At least with the snow they weren't soaked through.  The donkeys are still holed up in the barn.  They have the whole corral to roam in, but haven't yet left the dry solace of the shed.  They act as if they're locked in.  And bray and bray whenever they hear the front door open.  Silly donkeys!  It pretty much rained all day, so I thought I'd take this time to write a quick post!

XOXO Loves

Me

2012 Goals

I read on another Fabulous blog I follow, that it's better to set new year goals, rather than resolutions. Goals are much easier to work towards and attain, resolutions generally fail, and leave you depressed... To start out my post tonight on goals I'm going to quote Mae West. I think it's a marvelous quote, and one to keep in mind through 2012.

"It isn't what I do, but how I do it. It isn't what I say, but how I say it, and how I look when I do it and say it."

There are a lot of beautiful, talented and all-around Amazing ladies on my facebook.  Every gal has their good days and not so good days, but these ladies are almost Always super positive(true I mostly only know their fb lives), but still it's nice to know that you're not the only one who occasionally has an emotional breakdown.       Goal #1:  Look at life through brighter eyes...

Besides being postive women, they're talented, goal orriented, independent, strong and beautiful inside and out.                   Goal #2:  Exercise my talents, shoot for the moon and be an all around better person.

I haven't been very healthy in somewhere close to 2 years, however, things have gotten worse in the last year.  The most frustrating part being that, we can't figure out Just what's wrong!  After several studies, and many appointments, we've only come up with several small problems that 'may be' contributing to the major problem. Which is, a severe sleep disorder of some sort.  I fall asleep a lot! Mostly in very inappropriate situations, sleep has become my biggest concern in life.  Which is not at all normal.  Due to a total lack of energy and drive, so much in my life has been put off and shoved to the back burner.  This isn't how I want my life to be!!!   Goal #3:  Move forward with DR suggestions and find an Answer to my illness, becoming healthy Finally!

I currently have 3 horses. One amazing 'aged' mare, an unbroke 3 year old and a poorly trained 8 year old.  I'm also in the middle of another horse deal, which is the purchase of a Totally Awesome 3 year old that's already loping the barrel pattern. EXCITED!  With all of these horses, there is much to do. Thank goodness, my horses Always make me happy, and Always make life better!  So thankful and blessed to own horses.
                        Goal #4:  Keep all 4 horses legged up, break and train the 3 yr old, finish the 8 year old and get him over his fear of cows ;) b/c that just won't do. Also, keep my running mares in tip-top shape, sane and running.
 Exercise.  When I was going to school at OSU, I Loved working out. They had an Amazing gym!!! I spent a lot of time there, so did A LOT of others.  The university gym at EOU, was not the same.  Much smaller and not as well equipped.  For those of you who know me, running, just isn't my thing.  So as my need for sleep grew greater, my ability to workout began to fade away.  When you workout, one, you feel energized during and immediately after your workout and two you continue to feel better and eat better.  Don't think I need to go into details of what then progressed.
                     Goal #5:  Exercise every day, but excessively three times a week.  Strengthen core and correct my knees, develop upper body strength.

I have the soul of a gypsy.  I grew up in a tiny community, far away from town.  Caught the highschool bus at 6:30am and made the 1 hr trip to town for 4 years.  Not counting all of the sports events, and FFA activities that also required extra trips to Y-town.  But what I'm trying to say is, to go anywhere we've always had to Drive.  From a very young age, I was accustomed to many hours in the car.  I loved loading up in vans and heading to southern cali for FFA shows.  When I graduated I had the choice of going anywhere for school.  I orignally chose Shasta Comm College.  But just before fair, I decided to change schools.  So hurriedly I dropped classes, gave up my dorm and applied to BMCC in Pendleton, OR.  Of course, I moved in time to attend the 2005 Pendleton Round-Up.  One I won't soon forget.  At 18, and 9 hours from home, I couldn't believe my little country eyes when I saw a cowboy on a grey horse Ride, yes I said ride into Crabby's Underground Bar.  I looked with huge eyes at my poppa, who told me there's no way the bartender would let him stay.  Sure enough about 5 minutes later, out he comes..  Only he hadn't been kicked out. His horse had to poop!  Whcih he did on the sidewalk and back downstairs he went.  Later that night, we saw him leading his horse back to the trailer, with a very inebriated gal in the saddle.  Since that first term in Pendleton, I have moved every 3 months.  With the exception of my year in La Grande, and of course here, now.  I moved here and there, then across states, then to other states.  I hate the actual Act of moving, but love it when I get there!!!  I get bored, and restless if I stay anywhere too long.  Same with work.  I've been back in our little corner of everywhere for 9 months, and have held the same job for 6!  Some may say I'm growing up, me, my soul is crying for a new view of the sky.
                  Goal #6:  Visit friends, travel the rodeo road, and sate my need for moving.

I've been attending inquiry classes at the Catholic church.  Over the years, I've felt the need to find religion.  I attended church as a child (non-denominational), but was never baptized.  Many people questioned my decision, but it's my decision, one I'm very comfrotable with, and one I'm happy I made. 
                  Goal #7:  Be baptized Catholic and take my first communion.



For only 7 goals, this was a pretty long post.  So thanks for staying with me ;)  I'll probably add a few more goals as the year progresses, but this is a pretty good start.   So See ya Later 2011, and Hello 2012

CHRISTMAS Lights

 

The best part of todays Christmas time, are the lights. Now don't get me wrong, with my new found Catholic Religion being studied, I know that's not really what Christmas is about. But, I Love Christmas lights. Driving around in town looking at all the lights is always a fun family tradition.  So here are some fun Christmas light pictures:

I would be SO happy walking down this street!

Just Gorgeous

I want to stay here for Christmas!

Love colored lights, but this is very classy.

Eerie, yet lovely. Had to share..

That's all I have.  Hope all of you enjoy this years lighting decorations.  Unfortunately I don't have any outside, due to lack of outlets.  But next year, my barn will be decked out!!! 

Merry Christmas and a Happy New Year to ALL!!!


XoXO

Me

Mornings' Rat Race, or Something...

Woke up at 20 after 6.  Showered, dressed, cat doctored and fed.

                                                (Yes, this is me in the morning)

Out the door I go, shoes in hand.  I thought it snowed, but really it had just froze.  Chickens out, dogs in.  Shoot, my pickup is frozen solid, I wonder why my mama failed to mention the artic temperatures when she left.  The donkeys are making noises at me, and I can't find my ice-scraper.  Start the pickup, defrost ON!  Feed 1 foundered donkey, another old yet frisky donkey and an old, barren and blind cow.  Where am I exactly?

Check on defrosting; nothing.  Hmm, is that the inside thats wet?  Oh, fun, the inside of the windshield is also frozen.  Let's see here, dirty string gloves or 1 lonely, unmatched, left-over striped sock.  Sock, definitely the sock, it's clean. I think.  Super.  What a mess I made.  Crap it's 7:2 something, and I have 36 miles to go before 8!  Well gotta see first.  Trailer light adapters don't work overly well when scraping ice, but will work in a pinch.  Ok that's good enough, I can sorta see ;) 

30 minutes, 35 miles.

Are the roads icy, or is it too cold?  Brake test!  Nope, too cold.  Excellent.  Buckle up and Pray.

Juicy Squeeze, check.  Pound of chocolate on center console, check.  La Roux blaring on the stereo, check.  Down the road.  Temperature rising, not so cold down-river.  Oh look, there's a Bald Eagle. G'DAY!  Mmmm, love chocolate. 

EEE. That corner looked cold. Seiad. Hate having to slow down.  Quite cold here too, same snow like frost. 

18 miles, 15 minutes.

VROOM!  Why am I so tired? Oh yea, I'm probably narcoleptic.  Oh good, Amber's house.

15 miles, 12 minutes.

Shouldn't that be the other way around?

10 miles, 10 minutes.

Oh no, is that a car up there? Catch it on the way up the mountain.  UGH! This man is ruining my average ;)
THWAP!  WTH?!  Yikes, the lunge whip from the back seat made a front seat appearance.  Glad it went over my head.  OK, just tuck that in the visor like so...  Finally on the flat, headed into the big city of HC.  Dang it, get off my face, stay put!  I hate following other cars ;)  WHOO!

3 minutes, 0 miles.

Park, fight with whip, grab wallet and keys.  Run in.  Yep, I sure did make it.  8 o'clock straight up.

Now I'm countin change, listening to beep beeps and brightly handing out Good Mornings and Have a Great Day!  No meat cutting this Thursday... 

Should've got up 20 minutes earlier...


XO

Me

Nightbirds are Singin...

I LOVE the dark, and night time. I mean don't get me wrong, the things I know the skulk around in the dark do make me uneasy, but that's why I have good dogs ;)   But sleeping out under the stars on a cool summer night, is simply bliss... 

Crickets are supposed to be good luck. And they say if you have one in your house and you kill it, you will then have bad luck. So watch out for those little guys!   But it seems like they are always chirping.  ANd you can actually figure out the temperature by how many times they chirp in a minute.

I've lived in the high desert for several years, but honestly, I've never been able to see as many stars as I do when I'm back home in our little canyon. We don't have a huge expanse of sky to look at, but the shear numbers are extraordinary...  On a good night you can see the Milky Way, and I know that's not something everyone can say.  It's so dark, and quiet and peaceful here, that it actually scares some people when they come for a visit. But to me, it's home.  It's humbling as well, because how else can you truly appreciate the Lord than by reveling in the beauty he created?

At the edge of our front lawn, we have a large boulder that my dad picked up along the road during the '97 flood.  Starting at the age of 10 I've often gone out there to sit and just 'be' at night.  Not meditating as such, but relaxing and letting the peacefulness around me engulf me, and clear my mind. It's truly a Great way to let everything go... 

I love the sounds of night.  A light breeze, crickets chirping, the far off clink of a bell, the russel of leaves, toads hopping about looking for food, the all time serenity of the flowing creek...  

I love my home and the sounds that come with it ;)


XO loves

Me

Horse Racing

Two summers ago, I moved to Norwood, CO to intern for BLM.  One of my favorite co-workers, owns a ranch and have a great breeding program.  Her husband, is much like me, and has a hard time saying No to a good deal horse trade ;)  Which means, it didn't take long for me to start hanging around.  Before I knew it I had my own pen of colts to work with.  My pen consisted of a 3 year old running quarter horse gelding, that was too long legged too soon. A 5 year old running quarter horse mare, a 4 year old cutting bred mare, a 3 year old throughbred, that the jockeys swore off, and a 14 year old mare that had been retrained but needed finished.  Along with any untrained ones I wanted to take on...  It was amazing!  I loved every minute of it.  They're full time hand, was somewhat reluctant to let the califonia girl take over any horses...  But we soon came to an agreement, and he got to keep his thoroughbred mounts.  About a month into work, he got fired, well for simply Not riding...  I wasn't even there full time, and I still rode more than he did.  So I got to take over his too... 

My favorite was the lanky sorrel thoroughbred colt the jockeys refused to continue to train.  He had an overbite, didn't know how to graze and was super skinny.  So, we dubbed him Skinny P.  The owner had just finished a totally awesome roundpen, and that was my new home.  It didn't take long before Skinny P fell in love with me.  Everyone was worried, and didn't want me to ride him, because he bucked and was mean.  Not with me though.  I'd gyp him around, and let him love on me, and then get on.  What a ride!  His lope was to die for!  He never once bucked with me.  The quarter horse gelding, was Huge!  About 16.2 at 3, he was going to fill out to be an awesomely amazing horse.  Again, awesome lope.  It literally was like a rocking horse, except he really leaned into his corners.  The 5 year old mare, was snotty.  After she'd figured she'd worked long enough she'd start to crow-hop.  But boy, did I want to buy her!  When I got there she looked like the lanky running horse she was, when I left, she was big enough to pull bulls!  Amazing mare, and Dash for Cash bred.  The cutting mare??  Smallest one of the bunch, never raced, and was my worst ride.  She was super stocky, and short coupled, hence, stopped on a dime.  She was supposedly more broke than the others, the hired hand had told them she was going to make a great barrel horse, and was well on her way to broke. HA!  She threw me into the wall!  Partly my fault, but I did hang on for almost a full turn around the pen.  I was ready for her the next time though.  I got to ride all of these kiddos outside, and race horses get very confused in the mountains. :)   But they did well.

Well this last summer I went back, they were all sold except for the 14 year old and Skinny P.  He had gained weight, spent months at a trainer, and was supposedly starting to rope...  Skinny P didn't need to be a rope horse...   I was so happy to get him back.  I loved this guy, and again, wanted to buy him.  I foolishly expected him to be the horse I had left, except even better!  Bad mistake there.  We rode around in the plowed area that sufficed as an arena, all went well until I loped.  Ole Skinny decided he forgot how that went.  And he broke in two...  Well I cussed at ole skinny, and spurred him, and told him that was Not ok to do with me.  I got him settled down, and was very upset.  What had that silly sowboy done to my horse???  He also did not neck rein a lick, and he was supposedly finished...   Skinny p eventually got traded along with a little wild thing for a newer but used piece of haying equipment. Gosh...   But I did get to mess around with some of the yearlings.  All being groomed for racing the next year.  Have I mentioned I love race horses???  I've always wanted to be a part of the industry.  My time in CO was the closest I may ever get. 

                            This is Buck. Now a 3 year old stud colt, running quite well.  And may be added to the breeding program if he continues to do well.  His 1/2 sister is also running with him, and is actually quicker out of the gate, but doesn't finish as strong.  I loved working with the little ones.... I gave this guy his first bath ;)

In light of the upcoming Kentucky Derby, I thought I'd share with you my time with these race horses.  I told the owner, I would never shy away from a race-broke colt again.  They were so much better to work than most horses I've been around.  It was a lot of fun, and I'm very thankful for the experience.

I don't know how many of you follow racing or are even going to watch the Derby on saturday.  But here are my top 3 picks!

                                                          Nehro - post 19

                                                   Twinspired - post 10

                                                    Mucho Macho Man - post 13


Hope you all get to watch, and hopefully I did ok with my race picks ;)


That's all for now my pretties

XO


Me

Things...

old corrals

just a good photo

pretty handmade mohair cinches

gorgeous views

red high heels, we sure arent in kansas anymore

                                                                    love

nerds, what can i say

big bulls

adorable cow dog puppies

                                                                   coral anything

puppies

and the gorgeous mae west

thats all for now my pretties

xo

me