ColliesHorsesArtLove

We Had Babies!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

I looked and there they were!!!!!!!!!!!!!! 4 beautiful eggs!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!! Somehow I thought I'd see maybe one little tiny egg. My girls are on time.

I thanked my mommas and left with the babies!!!!! I love my chickens!!!!

Ranch Life In October

I woke up this morning and the fog was settled all around the ground and trees. This was much prettier in person as I just can't seem to get a good photo in low light and also one that is CLEAR. Regardless, it was beautiful and the horses thought I was still sleeping so they didn't gallop over to the fence.

We've had the best tomatoes this year. We eat them every day. It just amazes me that anyone can eat a store bought one. They don't even taste like food.

I look every day in the egg boxes to see if the chickens are going to start laying. I think maybe in another month? Or maybe not because we're going into winter. 

Ali'i & Sabi. I love watching them play. They are so funny. They bite each other's muzzles. 

The boys playing made Aura & Khaliq wild. 

My big baby boys!

To My Friends........

Thank you for all of your wonderful comments on this blog, private emails, phone calls and seeing you in person regarding Ali'i & my Tevis completion. This was such a long and personal journey to ride this race with the horse I love more than life itself and to be able to share it with you has made it even more special. And that is what friends are for. To be a part of each others glory and disappointments in life.

I remember the first time I heard about Tevis. I was living in Agua Dulce in a single wide trailer with no electricity. I had my answering machine hooked up to a car battery and food in a cooler. It was bliss. I had horses finally, my "Lambie Pie", chickens, ducks & 3 collies. I picked up a horse magazine one day at the feed store and there was this Arabian going over Cougar Rock. The horse's name was RT Muffin. It was around 1986. I read about Muffin and this 100 mile race and I was hooked before I even finished the article. I could feel that this Tevis Cup was huge and to be a part of it was already ingrained my soul, even though it took some 25 years to get there. It is a weird and wonderful disease and I was a groupie for all of the 25 years. Until Saturday.

I had an big rose grey Arabian gelding named Asil who was out of the Polish Stallion Elimar and he was a HANDFUL. He had bitten me, kicked me in the face and I was terrified of him. In the right hands he probably would have made an incredible Tevis horse but I had to finally sell him because I couldn't get over the fear. And it was of dying in his presence. But in my innocent mind he was my first "prospect". I could see me tailing him up the canyons in that race.

Years went on, horses came and went, but my obsession with riding this race never left me. I found my farrier Ed and the highlight of him coming to shoe my horses was that I could talk Tevis with him for 6 hours straight every 6-8 weeks. I never tired of his visits. He was my personal link to the race I ached to ride. He glowed and more so when he spoke of Tevis.

There were so many obstacles that got in the way of training for this event. I got married, had horses that were supposed to work out but didn't. I got divorced and rode my first 50 miler with Sabi and placed 19th at the Sunland Ride in 1999. The next year I rode Tahoe at the Hog Wild Ride 50 starting the race with Ed. Tahoe ran away with me for 4 miles at the start, and I thought for sure I was going to die. My hands were bloody from trying to hold that horse back. It was Asil all over again. I finished that race with Tahoe in 31st place in 112 degree weather for 12 grueling hours of riding. I couldn't walk for a week and didn't ride him for 6 months. He was NOT the Cadillac Ride that Sabi was. But, I still wanted to do Tevis. Just not on him.

Sabi came up lame at a race that my ex-husband took him to the next year and later on he was diagnosed with ringbone and declared to not be able to do anything except trail ride. Because of his diagnosis, I learned about barefoot and healing my horse. During this time I was with Pierre and we were so busy with our lives and raising his daughters that the horses were put on the back burner. They were ridden mainly by his daughters. Had I known what I know now about ringbone and other hoof and leg issues, I should have continued to condition Sabi as I believe he would have been sound. He's 20 now and a wonderful pasture pet and fairly reliable trail horse. He was my first "official" Tevis prospect and I think would have been a wonderful horse to do that race. He was sensible, comfortable and has a very low heart rate.

In 1998 I had foaled my first Arabian, the parents being a Khemosabi daughter to a Khemosabi son. The resulting colt was my beautiful Khemali'i. I wanted a pretty horse, with a brain and my goal was to train him for endurance and ultimately Tevis. Ali'i was played with, had Alicia on his back, had saddles on him, bits in his mouth but I still took my time with training him. I was so busy with my life with Pierre I really didn't do much with the horses for 3 or 4 years. Tevis was the furthest from my mind during this period of my life. I also was dealing with boot issues because I didn't want to shoe anymore and to find a reliable boot that would actually stay on was next to impossible. I used to say if I had to shoe, then endurance wasn't for me.

When Pierre was killed the life I knew was gone in an instant. That Saturday after he died I received a phone call from my cousin Cheryl who is also passed now. I wasn't taking phone calls from anyone with the exception of our Sheriff, and our CA Governor but I took Cheryl's call. Lori told me she had to speak to me. I got on the phone and she said "Diana I don't know what this means but I need to tell you. I was ironing and heard a voice that said 'Diana, ride the horse.' Do you know what it means?" It was such a weird phone call because I rarely spoke to Cheryl and she knew very little about my life. I told her that it meant that I had had a horrible fall (Pierre's death) and that I needed to get back on the horse. And, that I needed to break Ali'i. It was something I never forgot and Ali'i went into training that June. My loved ones on the other side knew how great this little horse was and I need to train him. He really was my saving grace. What a great little Arabian.

I think the saddest thing for a person is to not have a passion in life. It doesn't have to be riding 100 miles on cliffy trails in mountain lion country. That certainly takes a certain type of insane person to want to do that. But to me, having passion for my life and for being involved in something that is really bigger than me and my horse is what makes my life worth being here. That is bliss.

When we talk about emotion, how can someone not feel something as great as their greatest accomplishment? We are emotional beings and whatever causes that spirit to rise and exude from ourselves is what being alive is about. We all have those dreams to accomplish whatever they might be and to be true to ourselves is our duty. Anything less is death of our souls. This is what I believe. So thank you all in feeling with me. It's special.

Squirrels With Full White Collars.......Where Did THOSE Come From?????

Ok, so maybe you have some too....but I've never seen any of these EVER before in my life! And this one has BABIES that look just like her!!! I told T and he didn't believe me. Then he saw her. The Collie Squirrel.

Yes ~ beautiful outline ~ but I don't have the same love for them like I do my chickens. I had cornered a baby in the chicken yard yesterday and by the time T did the super slow slipper shuffle to bring me the camera, she was gone. She actually was missing an eye, and had some kind of damage to her face........eeewwwwhhhhaaaaa........

Oh! Saw me thru the window!! "I'm OUTTA HERE!!!!"

Then, 5 minutes later the whole family with the same white collars are eating in Bucky & Reeses' pen.

The whole family of 5. Next week they will have their aunts & uncles & cousins. I'm thinking they are like rabbits. Help me.

Rattlers & Spiders & Wasps Oh My!!!!

Poor little Cardiff got bit by something last week. I suspect it was wasps as we found 3 nests in the septic control box which is in the dog yard. I saw them flying in there AFTER one dive-bombed my arm before Bridgeport. I don't seem to do well with those chunks of skin taken out like that. It swelled really bad and was ITCHY. Anyway, I had T go with toxic stuff in a can and open the box to spray. All the collies were in their crates inside and I was wrapped up in long clothes, Ugg Boots, & my head covered with just my eyeballs showing. Sure enough there were the nests and I am going to report, most of the wasps died. The other ones were dazed and confused. God knows where they went.

A few days after that Niffy's nose started to swell. A couple of days after that, she rubbed it so bad she had a big raspberry on the end of her face. It was AWFUL!!! I tried everything fairly natural to get it to go down though did give her some Benadryl as I worry about a bite near the nose. The only thing that she wouldn't rub off, nor would Ty & Soleil lick off was calamine lotion. Finally a week later she is on the mend and I see fur where it was all puffy, so that makes me happy. Poor baby. She spent a lot of time in the bedroom with mommy doggie and she wasn't very happy about it. I have my wicker laundry basket redesiged, the little plastic corners to hold my comforter in my duvat cover trashed and a Victoria Secret swim suit top missing padding, but only on one side........

A day or so after that I walked out on our porch to put the chickens to beddie and almost stepped on a baby rattler right outside our door. And I will report again.....that little snake is in heaven. I was in flip flops. Whatever.

THEN a few days LATER, there were two black widows hanging right outside the bedroom slider where the doggies sleep. What work. And you know what happened to them.

Life in the country. What excitement.

How Chickens Are Like Collies

They have fluffy feet.

 

Or fluffy pet feet.

And cute, fluffy butts.

They have beautiful expressions.

Ok. Forget that one.

They have "The Look of Eagles".

Awwwwhhhhh........

They have long, lean heads.

Even as babies.

They are playful in the sprinklers.

And they have beautiful outlines.

This is why I love chickens & collies.

The End.

First Chicken & Guinea Hen Outing ~ Super Cuteness!!!

The chickies first outing!!!! They are soooooo cute!!!! They were so scared at first to come out of their house and then I went to the garage to get something for T and they were all out acting like they've been doing it for their whole life!! While I was down south for the 9 days they grew about twice the size ~ it's amazing to think they were little babies 2 months ago. My heart runneth over for them!!!

AND Today........................

The chicken house arrived!!!!!!!!!!!!!! This was almost too much excitement for one day!!! 

Is this not the most BEAUTIFUL chicken house you have ever seen????????? Craigs List. The builder is a MASTER at what he does!!! I could sleep in it!!

And my chickens love their GORGEOUS new home!!!! T is going to build a yard around the house, so they can come out and get more sun and scratch bugs & stuff. I have a feeling the guineas will be on the outside. They already have a mind of their own. They are not quite so cuddly when you pick them up. In fact they go into screaming, flinging mode! They'll be much more fun when they're adults and all the neighbors can hear them. T has NO idea what they really are like!! Hahahahahahahahahahahaha!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

Tirzah's Foomer Doomer

I don't know what I was thinking in NOT having a catagory for Foomer Doomers. I mean, it should have been a no-brainer. Thank you Dianne for suggesting it. You are smarter than I. Please do my blog. I suck.

Tirzah's Foomer Doomer was totally useful today. I went to get her first progesterone test and the very cool ICSB I am using asked if it was ok if they used her to help a boy give a collection. Little did I know there would be 3 boys AND that I would get a discount!!!! OmGosh!!!! What fun!! Did Tirzah care? I don't think so. She got some funny little dog cookies she didn't know how to eat and we were done. But, between an older Boxer, an older Lab, and a VERY shy and young AmStaff, she helped them produce the specimens of their lives....like I heard from the other room "OMG!! There's 1.5 GAZILLION SPERM AND ZERO ARE DEAD!!!!"......

I am so proud of Licky. 

Here she is showing one shot of her Foomer Doomer.

Ok. This is a weak example.

This is a little better. Summer. She is not shy. At all. Her tail is always like this. I think it's broken. Or she's just perpetually flirty.

Here is Khaliq. I know this isn't the best shot of her Foomer Doomer, in fact it might not even be the best shot of her. In fact, you might not even know which horse she is. (The middle one.) But, I tried.

I should have had this category up for yesterday's blog. Lily's Foomer Doomer. OmGod was she obnoxious. I could have also had it up when Aura was bred. She has a very fantastic Foomer Doomer. Or Soleil, or Tirzah. My mind was lacking. FoomerDoomersMindBlogFart. GEEEEZZZZZ someone please help me. I might also mention my FD.....but only when I ride 50 milers. But only then. Really. It's um.....ooooooooouuuuuuuuuuwwwwwwww............but otherwise private. But then all you have to do is look at everyone after a 50. They might not say anything, but they don't have to. You just watch them walk. It's so obvious.

And really, since we are on the subject.

Baby chicks.

Cute.

God, what a simple life this is out here in the country.

This Is The Happiest Day Of My Life!!!!

Oh my gosh!!!!!! Finally!!!! My chickens!!!!!! T doesn't know about the chicken yet, but he knew about the guinea hens. What's the difference???? They are all so cute!!

We got pearl, white & lavender guinea hens. 8 total.

Also:

 1 Bantam Buff Cochin Rooster

1 Bantam Cochin Red (hen? I hope)

1 Mille Fleur (hen?? I hope I hope)

3 Standard Buff Cochins (hens)

They are soooooooo adorable!! Little tiny fluff balls and I already hear Tirzah in the garage barking at them. Now we just need a chicken house!