Cathing up

Ok OK I know it was November 2012 for my last post. No Excuse except I just forget to post.  Then Winter on the ranch can be very boring. Not that we do not have work we have lots of it and this year lots of cold, lots of rain and lots and lots of mud. I think this has been the worst for mud.

We pulled the shoes off the kids in December and just now had the farrier out. Ricky came out last Friday and trimmed and rolled Lady's hooves..hoofs whatever LOL. We'll be back on 6-8 weeks now and probably put shoes on "once" the mud goes away.

Lets see what is new here. Jim had his second knee replaced on Feb. 4th and is now doing great. Five days in the hospital and a week in the Rehab hospital and is now going to outpatient rehab three times a week. Like the last one he is recuperating nicely.

I took over AM and PM feedings and we now have hay feeders and heated water buckets in the barn which means they hang in the barn more and means I also have to muck out the barn two to three times a day, plus haul 2 5 gal buckets of water to the barn. Lots and lots of work but I like it better knowing they will pretty much stay in the barn during real bad weather. They seem to appreciate the work their Dad did building it.

He did get a little more done upstairs at least framed and two walls are covered with plywood and Tyvec and hopefully in a few weeks the other will have plywood and Tyvec and the back wall just Tyvec..this is because it will eventually be the entrance to the other room which comes when we do the second have of the barn....which I hope is this Spring. I can't wait to have it completed. I love barns.

I opened the other pasture for a few hours the other day to let them have some grass and dry land to walk on. The were so happy each one took time to roll  and take a nap and while they did I opened the shuttered windows in the barn to air out and I completely mucked out all three stalls. Cut sown their nite feed to a handful since they had grass well I wouldn't call it grass more forage as it hasn't grown much over the winter..but it's green tufts and a change for them. They are only getting a tiny time their for now.

Christmas was pretty nice this year we did exchange a few gifts..we usually do not as we have everything LOL. I had my friend Amanda who works at the coop come out with two saddles to try on Lady and bought one for Christmas for myself. Lady has a very small back, is gaited (when she wants) and is a hard fit. Settled on a beauty two toned gaited saddle with a big pommel and higher cantle. It will be a challenge for me to get up into it but it is comfortable and I think I will have more confidence with the close contact of that pommel. It fits her too which was a big plus. She was so good when we tried them on her over and over ...like us trying on shoes LOLIf I didn't know better I'd say she was enjoying every minute and loved her new saddle.

I had one bad episode just before Jim went to the hospital. I was in the pasture trying to break up a tree limb when suddenly I found myself flat on my back . Somehow slipped I guess and wnet flat on my back hitting my head really bad. I was dizzy and had a headache for a few days so I went to the ER for a Catscan and x-rays. I was afraid of fluid on the brain..even though I wasn't sure I had a brain. Good news no injury and  I do have a brain. I was so worried of the head that I didn't pay any attention to the rest of my body and it was less than a week I realized.  that I was having trouble in my left side leg and hip area that is still continuing so when Jim goes in for his next check I have an appointment to have an xray as I am thinking it could be another replacement needed this time on my left side.

The end of next week we are going to have our grandson (Jims) come for a visit and to help Jim. He's one kid I do not mind coming as he really is a pleasure and help. So we are both looking forward to the visit and hope he comes again for a bit this summer. I hope to have the kids ready to ride too.