Well, a while back Alduca and a friend from NY and I went for a second opinion at Texas A and M University Large Animal Hospital for another opinion on Alduca's eye.
The outcome was both good and bad news.
Good news? He should have partial vision.
Bad news? He will only have partial vision.
I won't go into details.....because, honest, I don't remember most of them.
I could drag them out, but the bottom line is still the same.
He cause serious damage by rubbing the heck out of his eye, and will only have partial vision.
So......he will be my pasture pony!
He must have heard the other Jennifer and I plotting about his being ridden in 2012!
Wednesday, December 28, 2011
Friday, October 28, 2011
Check up says.......
Dr. Sam still swears that Alduca will be able to see.
I'm oh so skepticle, but he is the Vet, not I!!
Wanna be freaked out?
The 'white stuff' i mentioned over his eye, it's still here. There was one section that looked like it was trying to come off, and had formed a little flap. So, Dr. Sam takes some tweezers, and a small pair of siscors and CUTS IT OFF HIS EYEBALL! Yes, CUTS 'on' his eyeball! Oh my gosh!
Alduca didn't seem to mind.
He had already deadened the nerves around the eye, and we had the 'rope chain' on..... He stood perfectly still, unles the horse in the outside pen got too far from his view, then he would turn a bit. But, other than that, stood like an angel.
New attack plan?
Oh yeah, a new one.
Continue with;
Chloramphenicol (might have the name wrong I will have to double check) .1mL 4x day
eye drops with hyaluronic acid .1mL 4x day
Change;
Prednisone to .1mL 3x day
Bute to 1gram 1x day for 3 days and see if he is ok going without after that
Start
Atropine .1mL 2xday
anti-microbial 1 drop 1x day
So....that's the new game plan......
re-check in a week.
I told Dr. Sam that my weekly visits there are becoming a habit!
It's alright. Whatever makes Alduca all better is fine by me!
I'm oh so skepticle, but he is the Vet, not I!!
Wanna be freaked out?
The 'white stuff' i mentioned over his eye, it's still here. There was one section that looked like it was trying to come off, and had formed a little flap. So, Dr. Sam takes some tweezers, and a small pair of siscors and CUTS IT OFF HIS EYEBALL! Yes, CUTS 'on' his eyeball! Oh my gosh!
Alduca didn't seem to mind.
He had already deadened the nerves around the eye, and we had the 'rope chain' on..... He stood perfectly still, unles the horse in the outside pen got too far from his view, then he would turn a bit. But, other than that, stood like an angel.
New attack plan?
Oh yeah, a new one.
Continue with;
Chloramphenicol (might have the name wrong I will have to double check) .1mL 4x day
eye drops with hyaluronic acid .1mL 4x day
Change;
Prednisone to .1mL 3x day
Bute to 1gram 1x day for 3 days and see if he is ok going without after that
Start
Atropine .1mL 2xday
anti-microbial 1 drop 1x day
So....that's the new game plan......
re-check in a week.
I told Dr. Sam that my weekly visits there are becoming a habit!
It's alright. Whatever makes Alduca all better is fine by me!
Thursday, October 27, 2011
Still Chugging along
So far, things are going......where, I'm not sure, but they are going!
We have a check up tonight, so cross your fingers.
His eye is still draining, which he finds irritating. He is rubbing it some. I can tell by the pieces of hay stuck in his fly mask, or, the dirt I find when I take off his fly mask.
He still has the white 'film' over his eye. Dr. Sam says it is a bi-product of the eye healing.
I still find it very bothersome. It's the reason he can't see......and that doesn't make me a happy camper!
ugh.
We have a check up tonight, so cross your fingers.
His eye is still draining, which he finds irritating. He is rubbing it some. I can tell by the pieces of hay stuck in his fly mask, or, the dirt I find when I take off his fly mask.
He still has the white 'film' over his eye. Dr. Sam says it is a bi-product of the eye healing.
I still find it very bothersome. It's the reason he can't see......and that doesn't make me a happy camper!
ugh.
Monday, October 24, 2011
Wild Weekend!
Well, did we ever have a weekend!
SATURDAY 10/22/2011
Thursday Dr. Sam did some cortisone injections and told me to stop the Prednisone drops, and I could probably stop the bute as well.
So, I follow the Dr's directions to the T. Of course!
All looked pretty good Friday. Saturday am there was some more drainage. By Saturday PM, the pink insides of his eyelids (top and bottom) were seriously swollen and a bright screaming pink color. They are usually a baby/light pink. So, we make an 8:30 pm phone call to the vet's office.
I talk to Dr. Sam who is surprised that the injection didn't last longer. Usually the injection takes the place of the drops no problem. We start him back on Bute, 2 grams, and I'm to call in the am with an update.
I was nice enough to verify if he wanted me to call at 5am when I do my first Alduca meds/eye check, or wait till my second one at 7. He for SURE opted for 7!!!
Sunday 10/23/2011
5am report - no better. Still swollen, still screaming pink!
7am report - no change, swollen, still hot pink!
Called Dr. Sam. Left a message and he called back.....
New plan of attack. Continue with the bute, and race to the office to get a new bottle of Prednisone and a tube of Bute from the techs that were there feeding/cleaning kennels. Take him in for a check-up when Dr. Sam gets in to the office later Sunday afternoon.
No problem!
Fly to Victoria for meds and fly home to administer them. I flew, of course, on my broom :)
First Pred application was at about 10am. By the 2nd one at around Noon on Sunday there was already some improvement.
Dr. Sam called a bit later to let me know he was at the clinic and I could bring him if I was ready.
I shared the news with Sam about the improvement. He said that was great, and we decided a trip into the vet wasn't needed at that time. He has a check-up scheduled for Thursday anyway.
By the final med dose on Sunday evening he was almost back to 'normal', almost.
Side -note. Adding the Prednisone back to the regimen meant that for 2 of his 4 doses he'd be getting .4mL of liquid in his eye. The 'max' dose for an eye to keep it effective is .3. So, we had to take his Atropine and make it it's own dose. So, Sunday, poor Alduca got 'attacked' with meds 6 times, instead of 4. Monday will be the same, as it is the last day of the 5 day Atropine administration.
Monday AM
Still some drainage, but looking better.
Alduca is still being a champ!
Even with the 6 doses instead of 4, he still whinnies cheerfully and comes right up to me in the pasture.
What a good boy!!
SATURDAY 10/22/2011
Thursday Dr. Sam did some cortisone injections and told me to stop the Prednisone drops, and I could probably stop the bute as well.
So, I follow the Dr's directions to the T. Of course!
All looked pretty good Friday. Saturday am there was some more drainage. By Saturday PM, the pink insides of his eyelids (top and bottom) were seriously swollen and a bright screaming pink color. They are usually a baby/light pink. So, we make an 8:30 pm phone call to the vet's office.
I talk to Dr. Sam who is surprised that the injection didn't last longer. Usually the injection takes the place of the drops no problem. We start him back on Bute, 2 grams, and I'm to call in the am with an update.
I was nice enough to verify if he wanted me to call at 5am when I do my first Alduca meds/eye check, or wait till my second one at 7. He for SURE opted for 7!!!
Sunday 10/23/2011
5am report - no better. Still swollen, still screaming pink!
7am report - no change, swollen, still hot pink!
Called Dr. Sam. Left a message and he called back.....
New plan of attack. Continue with the bute, and race to the office to get a new bottle of Prednisone and a tube of Bute from the techs that were there feeding/cleaning kennels. Take him in for a check-up when Dr. Sam gets in to the office later Sunday afternoon.
No problem!
Fly to Victoria for meds and fly home to administer them. I flew, of course, on my broom :)
First Pred application was at about 10am. By the 2nd one at around Noon on Sunday there was already some improvement.
Dr. Sam called a bit later to let me know he was at the clinic and I could bring him if I was ready.
I shared the news with Sam about the improvement. He said that was great, and we decided a trip into the vet wasn't needed at that time. He has a check-up scheduled for Thursday anyway.
By the final med dose on Sunday evening he was almost back to 'normal', almost.
Side -note. Adding the Prednisone back to the regimen meant that for 2 of his 4 doses he'd be getting .4mL of liquid in his eye. The 'max' dose for an eye to keep it effective is .3. So, we had to take his Atropine and make it it's own dose. So, Sunday, poor Alduca got 'attacked' with meds 6 times, instead of 4. Monday will be the same, as it is the last day of the 5 day Atropine administration.
Monday AM
Still some drainage, but looking better.
Alduca is still being a champ!
Even with the 6 doses instead of 4, he still whinnies cheerfully and comes right up to me in the pasture.
What a good boy!!
Decisions, Decisions!
Trying to decide to make a post a day for all the days I missed, or sum it up in one.....
hummmm....... I just don't know!
I guess I will make a post a day! Enjoy!
hummmm....... I just don't know!
I guess I will make a post a day! Enjoy!
Friday, October 21, 2011
Survey Says?
It's a good sign when the vet looks happy, right? Unhappy vet, bad sign!
Dr. Sam said it looks much improved from when Alduca went home.
Sigh of relief!
He was actually very pleased with how his eye looked.
I explained that I'd been following his suggested medication schedule to the letter, and he seemed impressed by my dedication to his treatment.
Upon staining the eye, the ulcer was almost non existent. YAY!
His main concern? It looks like the eye has "shrunk" itself, so he added Atropine (sp) to his eye med arsenal to dilate the pupal and hopefully prevent any damage.
He also did some cortisone injections too!
The big white 'mass' that I was worried about?
Apparently it's a byproduct of the eye healing process. Strange, right? Dr. Sam said it would slough off when the eye didn't need it anymore. Cool beans!!! Learn something new every day!
Speaking of learning something new, I apparently taught Dr. Sam a new (old) trick.
Remember the 'stud chain rope' from a few posts back?? Dr. Sam was astounded by how well it worked with Alduca. He said he hadn't seen one used since the late 90's, that the long wooden stick with the rope on the end of it (twitch) had become the norm in Veterinary Medicine, and he totally forgot about the rope.
He was so impressed in fact, that he said he may start using one at the office.
Good job, Do-do! You did something good!
Oh, and he thought that me calling Alduca do-do was just hilarious!
So, we are continuing the eye meds for the next week. Atropine 2x a day for 5 days, other meds 4x a day until his recheck next Thursday.
Dr. Sam said it looks much improved from when Alduca went home.
Sigh of relief!
He was actually very pleased with how his eye looked.
I explained that I'd been following his suggested medication schedule to the letter, and he seemed impressed by my dedication to his treatment.
Upon staining the eye, the ulcer was almost non existent. YAY!
His main concern? It looks like the eye has "shrunk" itself, so he added Atropine (sp) to his eye med arsenal to dilate the pupal and hopefully prevent any damage.
He also did some cortisone injections too!
The big white 'mass' that I was worried about?
Apparently it's a byproduct of the eye healing process. Strange, right? Dr. Sam said it would slough off when the eye didn't need it anymore. Cool beans!!! Learn something new every day!
Speaking of learning something new, I apparently taught Dr. Sam a new (old) trick.
Remember the 'stud chain rope' from a few posts back?? Dr. Sam was astounded by how well it worked with Alduca. He said he hadn't seen one used since the late 90's, that the long wooden stick with the rope on the end of it (twitch) had become the norm in Veterinary Medicine, and he totally forgot about the rope.
He was so impressed in fact, that he said he may start using one at the office.
Good job, Do-do! You did something good!
Oh, and he thought that me calling Alduca do-do was just hilarious!
So, we are continuing the eye meds for the next week. Atropine 2x a day for 5 days, other meds 4x a day until his recheck next Thursday.
Thursday, October 20, 2011
Vet Checkup day
Alduca has been great about his MEDS all week. He's really being a trooper. Then again, the cookies help :)
Well, I'm leaving work in a little bit for Alduca's checkup.
I wish I felt better about it.
I'm nervous. And anxious. Worried, and optimistic.
Just when I think it might be OK, the tidal wave of pessimism crashes back around me and I'm consumed by it.
I understand. It could be worse. He is still alive after all. There are worse things than losing sight in one eye. But still. He's been through enough. He shouldn't have to live like that.
People and horses see differently. Horses can not see directly in front of them, or directly behind them. Check out this link for more information on how horses see.
So, I will post the results of the checkup tomorrow.
I hope I get to share good news only.........
Well, I'm leaving work in a little bit for Alduca's checkup.
I wish I felt better about it.
I'm nervous. And anxious. Worried, and optimistic.
Just when I think it might be OK, the tidal wave of pessimism crashes back around me and I'm consumed by it.
I understand. It could be worse. He is still alive after all. There are worse things than losing sight in one eye. But still. He's been through enough. He shouldn't have to live like that.
People and horses see differently. Horses can not see directly in front of them, or directly behind them. Check out this link for more information on how horses see.
So, I will post the results of the checkup tomorrow.
I hope I get to share good news only.........
Monday, October 17, 2011
the MAGIC continues
Well, we went all weekend with the lip rope and we have NOT had any issues getting his eye meds in his eye.
The eye is looking great, and DH and I don't have to fight with him and worry about poking his eye with the end of the syringe.
We are getting up at 4:45 in the am, to give meds by 5 am, and again by 7 am so we can go to work. He gets them again at 6ish pm and then again around 10 pm or 11ish pm.
His eye is looking really great!
We have a follow up appointment with the vet on Thursday at 3:30.
I'm a bit concerned about the amount of sight he will have left when this is all over. The vet assures me that he will be able to see, but he will probably have a spot on his eye for the rest of his life.
I hope he can see. We have one horse who is already blind in one eye, and I hate that for him. I hope Alduca gets his sight back.
The eye is looking great, and DH and I don't have to fight with him and worry about poking his eye with the end of the syringe.
We are getting up at 4:45 in the am, to give meds by 5 am, and again by 7 am so we can go to work. He gets them again at 6ish pm and then again around 10 pm or 11ish pm.
His eye is looking really great!
We have a follow up appointment with the vet on Thursday at 3:30.
I'm a bit concerned about the amount of sight he will have left when this is all over. The vet assures me that he will be able to see, but he will probably have a spot on his eye for the rest of his life.
I hope he can see. We have one horse who is already blind in one eye, and I hate that for him. I hope Alduca gets his sight back.
Magic string and stuff!
Ok people, last night's med sessions and this mornings went great!
Huh? Did I read that right?
I know that is what you are saying. How did this happen? What could have changed in less than 24 hours to make Duca the monster horse go from Satan's Spawn to Angelic Alduca?
A magic string.
Before you read any further, I don't want to hear anything about being mean to this horse. Pestering him for 30 mins to get 1/2 his meds in his eye is mean. Grabbing an ear would not be so kind, and would make him hate his ears being touched. A twitch? Yeah, you grab his nose and see if you can hang on while the Alduca elevator takes you to the top floor!
What I used is a lip rope. A simple piece of soft, white cotton rope. Similar to what you might have on your clothes line out back, and a metal snap.
Tie the rope to the snap and make a good knot. I also put a knot at the other end. I think the rope is about 4 feet long.
I snap the rope to the right side of his halter, and bring the tail around the other side and pull it through the brass buckle. The rope then slips inside his mouth and sets on his upper gum-line. Like a mouth chain, but much less severe. I'm not sure how it will work with every horse, but with Alduca, just a little pressure and he is putty in your hand.
Less than 5 minutes and the lip rope was on, his the meds were IN his eye, 100% of the meds, the lip rope was off and he had a whole bag of treats!
Simple!!! Easy. Less stress on the horse, and we in no way, shape, or form ABUSE the power of the lip rope.
I hope it works this easy tonight! If so, we are in business!!!
Huh? Did I read that right?
I know that is what you are saying. How did this happen? What could have changed in less than 24 hours to make Duca the monster horse go from Satan's Spawn to Angelic Alduca?
A magic string.
Before you read any further, I don't want to hear anything about being mean to this horse. Pestering him for 30 mins to get 1/2 his meds in his eye is mean. Grabbing an ear would not be so kind, and would make him hate his ears being touched. A twitch? Yeah, you grab his nose and see if you can hang on while the Alduca elevator takes you to the top floor!
What I used is a lip rope. A simple piece of soft, white cotton rope. Similar to what you might have on your clothes line out back, and a metal snap.
Tie the rope to the snap and make a good knot. I also put a knot at the other end. I think the rope is about 4 feet long.
I snap the rope to the right side of his halter, and bring the tail around the other side and pull it through the brass buckle. The rope then slips inside his mouth and sets on his upper gum-line. Like a mouth chain, but much less severe. I'm not sure how it will work with every horse, but with Alduca, just a little pressure and he is putty in your hand.
Less than 5 minutes and the lip rope was on, his the meds were IN his eye, 100% of the meds, the lip rope was off and he had a whole bag of treats!
Simple!!! Easy. Less stress on the horse, and we in no way, shape, or form ABUSE the power of the lip rope.
I hope it works this easy tonight! If so, we are in business!!!
Friday, October 14, 2011
And maybe I can't!
OK, scratch that last line of that last post.
Last night? He was ok...again, about a 30 minute fuss 2x. At about 6:15 when I got home, and just before dark at about 8.
He is just so dang tall that it's impossible! If he doesn't want to keep his head down so you can reach, that isn't much changing his mind!.
This morning? A whole NOTHER ball game!
While the eye looked better, less swollen, and less irritated, it still wasn't great.
Now, he is on 1gram of bute 1x a day to help with pain and swelling.
This morning it was evident that the bute from yesterday am was long gone and he was in pain. He didn't want you to touch his eye.
The 'elevator' treatment that the tech got? Well, DH got it this morning too!
I didn't believe it until I saw it.
There was DH, dangling in the air from Alduca's halter. I have no idea how tall his head is when it's straight up. Maybe 8 or 9 feet? I'm almost 6 feet tall, and when it's all the way up...I can't reach it.
Monster, ugh!
The vet tech called this morning to check on him and I filled her in.
She gave the good news about the eye looking better to Dr. Sam, along with the info that Robert got taken for a ride. She must have explained that I thought that the bute had worn off because about 10 mins later she called back and said that Dr. Sam said to give 1gram 2x a day and see if that helped.
I got to work this morning and told my co-workers that I'd need to leave early so that I could get in two good PM med doses as this morning did not go well at all.....
I'm dreading 5 o'clock when I get home to do this all over again.
Last night? He was ok...again, about a 30 minute fuss 2x. At about 6:15 when I got home, and just before dark at about 8.
He is just so dang tall that it's impossible! If he doesn't want to keep his head down so you can reach, that isn't much changing his mind!.
This morning? A whole NOTHER ball game!
While the eye looked better, less swollen, and less irritated, it still wasn't great.
Now, he is on 1gram of bute 1x a day to help with pain and swelling.
This morning it was evident that the bute from yesterday am was long gone and he was in pain. He didn't want you to touch his eye.
The 'elevator' treatment that the tech got? Well, DH got it this morning too!
I didn't believe it until I saw it.
There was DH, dangling in the air from Alduca's halter. I have no idea how tall his head is when it's straight up. Maybe 8 or 9 feet? I'm almost 6 feet tall, and when it's all the way up...I can't reach it.
Monster, ugh!
The vet tech called this morning to check on him and I filled her in.
She gave the good news about the eye looking better to Dr. Sam, along with the info that Robert got taken for a ride. She must have explained that I thought that the bute had worn off because about 10 mins later she called back and said that Dr. Sam said to give 1gram 2x a day and see if that helped.
I got to work this morning and told my co-workers that I'd need to leave early so that I could get in two good PM med doses as this morning did not go well at all.....
I'm dreading 5 o'clock when I get home to do this all over again.
Thursday, October 13, 2011
Alduca is home!!!
Well, I'm writing this post in the PM because on the way home last night I found out that ALDUCA could come home tomorrow (aka, today).
So, DH took the AM off work, as did I to go get him. One of my co-worker's may be out in the afternoons, so I opted to be pro-active and take the AM off to go get him.
I was a nervous wreck.
They had already given his eye meds before I got there.
Dr. Sam had to race out on an emergency farm call, so his head tech was left to give me the meds and instructions.
She was nice about it. Very thorough. She said that this morning when the guys have him his meds he was agitated, and lifted one of them off the ground.
It was the poor soul that had the job of attempting to hang onto Alduca's head while the other poor guy attempted to get the meds in his eye.
I wish I knew someone who drew cartoon caricatures, because this one would be an awesome scene to have done. I can soooo picture it in my head.
For those that don't know...Alduca is almost 17h tall. While he is not wide, he is VERY strong, and when he makes his mind up, well, there isn't much changing it!
So, out we went to the stall to look at the eye. I hadn't seen it in a while.
I'd been by there, and dropped off food, and fed him bags of cookies, but I didn't want to take the fly mask off and look at it without the Vet present.
It looked terrible. I was devastated. All this time and money spent at the clinic and it looked that bad?
The tech assured me most of the swelling was due to the fact that he would not quit rubbing it! Their hope? That he got home, to normal surroundings and his normal people (notice I said HIS normal people, not normal people! I would not want to imply in any way, shape or form that I'm normal. I'm just normal to him!) that he would chill a bit and relax and leave the dang thing alone!
My concern? Getting the meds in that eye! Ugh! Do-do is tall, and his head straight in the air, no telling how tall that is!
Ugh!
We made the trip home, after paying the 'almost' reasonable bill..ALMOST! :) He was there a long time and they did a LOT to him.
I got him home and cleaned his fly mask and his eye. He wasn't 100% compliant, but hey, he just got home! All in all he was pretty good!
I turned him out, and let him be a horse for about 2 hours.
I pulled up his meds in the syringe, grabbed halter/lead/large amounts of cookies and DH and I took off to the pasture.
Haltered, fly mask off, here we go.
It wasn't.....bad? It took about 30 mins and wasn't that bad.
Hummm....maybe I can do this?
So, DH took the AM off work, as did I to go get him. One of my co-worker's may be out in the afternoons, so I opted to be pro-active and take the AM off to go get him.
I was a nervous wreck.
They had already given his eye meds before I got there.
Dr. Sam had to race out on an emergency farm call, so his head tech was left to give me the meds and instructions.
She was nice about it. Very thorough. She said that this morning when the guys have him his meds he was agitated, and lifted one of them off the ground.
It was the poor soul that had the job of attempting to hang onto Alduca's head while the other poor guy attempted to get the meds in his eye.
I wish I knew someone who drew cartoon caricatures, because this one would be an awesome scene to have done. I can soooo picture it in my head.
For those that don't know...Alduca is almost 17h tall. While he is not wide, he is VERY strong, and when he makes his mind up, well, there isn't much changing it!
So, out we went to the stall to look at the eye. I hadn't seen it in a while.
I'd been by there, and dropped off food, and fed him bags of cookies, but I didn't want to take the fly mask off and look at it without the Vet present.
It looked terrible. I was devastated. All this time and money spent at the clinic and it looked that bad?
The tech assured me most of the swelling was due to the fact that he would not quit rubbing it! Their hope? That he got home, to normal surroundings and his normal people (notice I said HIS normal people, not normal people! I would not want to imply in any way, shape or form that I'm normal. I'm just normal to him!) that he would chill a bit and relax and leave the dang thing alone!
My concern? Getting the meds in that eye! Ugh! Do-do is tall, and his head straight in the air, no telling how tall that is!
Ugh!
We made the trip home, after paying the 'almost' reasonable bill..ALMOST! :) He was there a long time and they did a LOT to him.
I got him home and cleaned his fly mask and his eye. He wasn't 100% compliant, but hey, he just got home! All in all he was pretty good!
I turned him out, and let him be a horse for about 2 hours.
I pulled up his meds in the syringe, grabbed halter/lead/large amounts of cookies and DH and I took off to the pasture.
Haltered, fly mask off, here we go.
It wasn't.....bad? It took about 30 mins and wasn't that bad.
Hummm....maybe I can do this?
Wednesday, October 12, 2011
No go :(
Well, Do-do won't be coming home today.
Dr. Sam wants to keep an eye on him for the day and make sure that they guys there can get the meds in.
I guess if they can do it, that means there migth be a snowballs chance in hell that I can pull it off as well.
Here's hoping!
Dr. Sam wants to keep an eye on him for the day and make sure that they guys there can get the meds in.
I guess if they can do it, that means there migth be a snowballs chance in hell that I can pull it off as well.
Here's hoping!
When, what to my wondering eyes should appear....
But the blaze faced sorrel gelding from our neighbors next door!
Nope, no joke.
We have dogs. Inside dogs, and outside dogs. We have deer that come to visit, making the outside dogs bark, bark, bark with excitement. They love to warn us when the 'killer deer' are in the horse pasture.
They started their ruckus at 5am. I elbowed DH and asked him to see what all the fuss was about. They were barking with more enthusiasm than usual. This was a "hay idiots there is something out here" bark. Not just a "I'm barking at the deer to drive you crazy" bark.
DH and I both looked out the window.
NADA.
I got up and let Tucker and Peetie out while he went to the back door for a look see.
"HORSE" he hollered.
"Ours?" I hollered back.
"Nope, neighbors" he replied.
GREAT!
We got dressed and proceeded to walk the little red critter back home.
DH held the critter while I proceeded to bang on the door.
I knocked. I huffed. I puffed. I was banging. I was pounding. Wood, glass, wood frame next to the door.
I even went around and tried the back door, which was 'plastic' with a metal frame. That thing made enough racket to wake the dead, I swear. But did the people inside wake up?
Heck no! I continued to bang.
I knocked with my knuckles. I knocked with my fist. I even smacked the door with an open palm. NADA!
I began to bang harder. I swear, I could have heard me knocking on my neighbors door from my bed inside my house. Did they wake? Heck no!
So, I put a little more elbow grease behind it and let it rip! I was smokin' now! Bang bang, bang bag, bangbangbangbangBANG!
What was that? Did I hear a bark from inside? I did! I started banging again! More barking!
"YES!!" I though, surely the barking dog will get someones attention.
And it did!
The little girl who owns the horse came to the door. Groggy eyed with wild hair going every direction she answered the door.
I explained that I was sorry to bother her but her horse got out and was at our back door.
She apologized many time and went inside to get a flashlight.
We walked the critter to his pen (keep in mind it's like pitch black out still) and found his pasture gate WIDE open.
Girlie insists it was closed and he must have figured out a way to open it.
Who am I to argue? I've been around horses long enough to know that if it is even remotely possible, it will happen if there is a horse involved.
We put the critter back in his pen and walked back home.
DH, back to bed.
Me? Not so much. It was 5:45 already and I had to be up in a few minutes anyway. If I went back to bed I'd still be sleeping right now instead of downing a Carmel Mocha Java Latte Caffeine Cup o' Joe and typing this mornings events.
I do hope that the rest of you had a more peaceful morning than I.
Nope, no joke.
We have dogs. Inside dogs, and outside dogs. We have deer that come to visit, making the outside dogs bark, bark, bark with excitement. They love to warn us when the 'killer deer' are in the horse pasture.
They started their ruckus at 5am. I elbowed DH and asked him to see what all the fuss was about. They were barking with more enthusiasm than usual. This was a "hay idiots there is something out here" bark. Not just a "I'm barking at the deer to drive you crazy" bark.
DH and I both looked out the window.
NADA.
I got up and let Tucker and Peetie out while he went to the back door for a look see.
"HORSE" he hollered.
"Ours?" I hollered back.
"Nope, neighbors" he replied.
GREAT!
We got dressed and proceeded to walk the little red critter back home.
DH held the critter while I proceeded to bang on the door.
I knocked. I huffed. I puffed. I was banging. I was pounding. Wood, glass, wood frame next to the door.
I even went around and tried the back door, which was 'plastic' with a metal frame. That thing made enough racket to wake the dead, I swear. But did the people inside wake up?
Heck no! I continued to bang.
I knocked with my knuckles. I knocked with my fist. I even smacked the door with an open palm. NADA!
I began to bang harder. I swear, I could have heard me knocking on my neighbors door from my bed inside my house. Did they wake? Heck no!
So, I put a little more elbow grease behind it and let it rip! I was smokin' now! Bang bang, bang bag, bangbangbangbangBANG!
What was that? Did I hear a bark from inside? I did! I started banging again! More barking!
"YES!!" I though, surely the barking dog will get someones attention.
And it did!
The little girl who owns the horse came to the door. Groggy eyed with wild hair going every direction she answered the door.
I explained that I was sorry to bother her but her horse got out and was at our back door.
She apologized many time and went inside to get a flashlight.
We walked the critter to his pen (keep in mind it's like pitch black out still) and found his pasture gate WIDE open.
Girlie insists it was closed and he must have figured out a way to open it.
Who am I to argue? I've been around horses long enough to know that if it is even remotely possible, it will happen if there is a horse involved.
We put the critter back in his pen and walked back home.
DH, back to bed.
Me? Not so much. It was 5:45 already and I had to be up in a few minutes anyway. If I went back to bed I'd still be sleeping right now instead of downing a Carmel Mocha Java Latte Caffeine Cup o' Joe and typing this mornings events.
I do hope that the rest of you had a more peaceful morning than I.
Tuesday, October 11, 2011
Update #5
Well, the lavage came out this morning.
Crossing my fingers that all goes well today with his meds, and he doesn't start rubbing again.
If all goes well, he may get to come home tomorrow.
Again, happy and nervous/anxious all at the same time.
I hate waiting.....and wondering.
I hate him not being home.
I hate that someone else is taking care of him because it should be me, but at the same time I'm so relieved that it is someone else taking care of him because they are pro's and should be able to do it better than I can.
Crossing my fingers that all goes well today with his meds, and he doesn't start rubbing again.
If all goes well, he may get to come home tomorrow.
Again, happy and nervous/anxious all at the same time.
I hate waiting.....and wondering.
I hate him not being home.
I hate that someone else is taking care of him because it should be me, but at the same time I'm so relieved that it is someone else taking care of him because they are pro's and should be able to do it better than I can.
Monday, October 10, 2011
Update #4
Well....we are in a holding pattern.
Not much progress, but no regression either.
So, both good, and bad.
Lavage system may come out tomorrow.
He may come home Wednesday.
He will still need meds multiple times a day. I'm gone from home for many hours, between an hour drive to work, work, and an hour drive home.
I'm doubting my ability to get this done. DH really doesn't like Alduca. It really takes a special kind of person to LIKE Alduca. I"m sure DH will help...but will it be that willing, good mood help, or will it be angry doing it because I have to not because I want to type help? Alduca is sensitive, he will know.
So, I'm excited that he might be coming home. But, I'm also nervous and scared at the same time.......
Oh do-do!
Not much progress, but no regression either.
So, both good, and bad.
Lavage system may come out tomorrow.
He may come home Wednesday.
He will still need meds multiple times a day. I'm gone from home for many hours, between an hour drive to work, work, and an hour drive home.
I'm doubting my ability to get this done. DH really doesn't like Alduca. It really takes a special kind of person to LIKE Alduca. I"m sure DH will help...but will it be that willing, good mood help, or will it be angry doing it because I have to not because I want to type help? Alduca is sensitive, he will know.
So, I'm excited that he might be coming home. But, I'm also nervous and scared at the same time.......
Oh do-do!
Sunday, October 9, 2011
Update #3, or, two steps forward and one step back
According to the vet, the system is working much better.
Problem??
he is STILL rubbing his eye like crazy! They already took everything out of the stall that they could. The hard plastic hanging feeders are gone and replaced by plastic black tubs for him to eat out of. There is nothing in there for him to rub on except the stall itself.
He seems to be doing a great job!
That silly horse. What the heck?
I so wish he was home already. I hate him not being at the house.
Problem??
he is STILL rubbing his eye like crazy! They already took everything out of the stall that they could. The hard plastic hanging feeders are gone and replaced by plastic black tubs for him to eat out of. There is nothing in there for him to rub on except the stall itself.
He seems to be doing a great job!
That silly horse. What the heck?
I so wish he was home already. I hate him not being at the house.
Saturday, October 8, 2011
Alduca update # 2
OK, so much for possitive update number one!
Oh Do-Do, what am I going to do with you?!?!?!??!
Apparenlty my boy has turned into a monster! Surprise, surprise! Go figure. He IS a monster, all the time! But I love him.
According to the vet he has been rubbing his eye a great deal and has caused some serious swelling and more injury to his eye.
Great! Good job, Duca!
Ugh!
Friday evening he got the lavage system put in his eye. There is a small plastic 'contact lense' like piece that pulls itself up to the top of his upper eye lid. When they push meds through the plastic tube the contact lense opens just enough to let the liquid wash over his eye. The tube is 'stitched' to his skin in about 3 places.
The vet said they will be putting different meds in through the tube then the ointment was. I sure hope this works!!
The update I got today was that this medicine seemed to be working much better, and Alduca apreciates the fact that they don't have to 'come at him' 4x a day with ointment for his eye!
Cross your fingers people, cross your fingers!
Oh Do-Do, what am I going to do with you?!?!?!??!
Apparenlty my boy has turned into a monster! Surprise, surprise! Go figure. He IS a monster, all the time! But I love him.
According to the vet he has been rubbing his eye a great deal and has caused some serious swelling and more injury to his eye.
Great! Good job, Duca!
Ugh!
Friday evening he got the lavage system put in his eye. There is a small plastic 'contact lense' like piece that pulls itself up to the top of his upper eye lid. When they push meds through the plastic tube the contact lense opens just enough to let the liquid wash over his eye. The tube is 'stitched' to his skin in about 3 places.
The vet said they will be putting different meds in through the tube then the ointment was. I sure hope this works!!
The update I got today was that this medicine seemed to be working much better, and Alduca apreciates the fact that they don't have to 'come at him' 4x a day with ointment for his eye!
Cross your fingers people, cross your fingers!
Wednesday, October 5, 2011
Alduca Update #1
Well, according to the vet clinic, things are going well.
Alduca is a bit of a pill, but they are able to give him his meds and he isn't being too much of a butt about it.
This news I was glad to hear. Anyone that knows Alduca knows that he is a child that only his momma could love. Many people that used to work with him say that I am the only person that would ever put up with him.
I think he's sweet.
Hoping he can come home on Monday, 10/10. Cross your fingers!
Alduca is a bit of a pill, but they are able to give him his meds and he isn't being too much of a butt about it.
This news I was glad to hear. Anyone that knows Alduca knows that he is a child that only his momma could love. Many people that used to work with him say that I am the only person that would ever put up with him.
I think he's sweet.
Hoping he can come home on Monday, 10/10. Cross your fingers!
Monday, October 3, 2011
Again, REALLY?
Yesterday, Alduca injured himself, again!
I woke up early on 10/2 to go feed the critters for the still vacationing Jen. I asked DH, who had gotten in from a late night/early morning hunt a few hours before, to please get up and feed the kiddos before I got back.
FFWD 2 1/2 hours and I'm home. Home to a house of unhappy critters! DH had not gotten up to feed, ugh.
Let the dogs out, feed the dogs. Check!
Assemble horse buckets/bags with grain and distribute. Chec.....WAIT!
What the heck? Alduca has some eye drainage and is squeezing his right eye shut with every eye muscle he can muster.
Really? Another owie? This kid is accident prone!
Grab a cloth and some warm water and clean it up.
Best I could tell, he'd poked it with something. Since eyeballs aren't something you can replace, I immediately called the vet.
Dr. Sam was out of town for a little bit, but said he'd be back later that afternoon, and I could bring him by. We decided it would be around 4-5. I had some plans a bit after that, so I called and canceled those.
I put a fly mask on him after the eye was cleaned and gave him some banamine.
And waited.
And waited.
And waited.
And WAITED some more!
It felt like it took days, weeks even, for the vet to call.
Finally, he called and out the door we went.
Arrived and after an examination Dr. Sam said yes, he had definitely gotten something in his eye and scratched it, causing a surface ulcer.
He suggested ointment type meds numerous times a day, and if that didn't work, a lavage system that would run from just under his upper eyelid with a tube stitched to his neck, and liquid meds. Since we don't have a barn/stall at our place, I knew he was going to have to stay.
Dr. Sam said that wouldn't be a problem, and that he should be good to go in about a week.
The plan was made to start with the ointment style meds and move onto the next option if needed.
Alduca is pretty high maintenance, so I let them know I would stop by in the morning with his grain, supplements, feed bag and treats. Yeah, treats too!
So, away we went, empty trailer, but sure that we'd left Alduca in the most competent and capable hands possible.
I woke up early on 10/2 to go feed the critters for the still vacationing Jen. I asked DH, who had gotten in from a late night/early morning hunt a few hours before, to please get up and feed the kiddos before I got back.
FFWD 2 1/2 hours and I'm home. Home to a house of unhappy critters! DH had not gotten up to feed, ugh.
Let the dogs out, feed the dogs. Check!
Assemble horse buckets/bags with grain and distribute. Chec.....WAIT!
What the heck? Alduca has some eye drainage and is squeezing his right eye shut with every eye muscle he can muster.
Really? Another owie? This kid is accident prone!
Grab a cloth and some warm water and clean it up.
Best I could tell, he'd poked it with something. Since eyeballs aren't something you can replace, I immediately called the vet.
Dr. Sam was out of town for a little bit, but said he'd be back later that afternoon, and I could bring him by. We decided it would be around 4-5. I had some plans a bit after that, so I called and canceled those.
I put a fly mask on him after the eye was cleaned and gave him some banamine.
And waited.
And waited.
And waited.
And WAITED some more!
It felt like it took days, weeks even, for the vet to call.
Finally, he called and out the door we went.
Arrived and after an examination Dr. Sam said yes, he had definitely gotten something in his eye and scratched it, causing a surface ulcer.
He suggested ointment type meds numerous times a day, and if that didn't work, a lavage system that would run from just under his upper eyelid with a tube stitched to his neck, and liquid meds. Since we don't have a barn/stall at our place, I knew he was going to have to stay.
Dr. Sam said that wouldn't be a problem, and that he should be good to go in about a week.
The plan was made to start with the ointment style meds and move onto the next option if needed.
Alduca is pretty high maintenance, so I let them know I would stop by in the morning with his grain, supplements, feed bag and treats. Yeah, treats too!
So, away we went, empty trailer, but sure that we'd left Alduca in the most competent and capable hands possible.
I'm sorry!
I must apologize. I will be giving you about 3 weeks of posts and updates today.
I will be back-dating them to the correct days in time when they should have been posted, so it's just like I posted them correctly, right?
Alduca, the super skinny guy from last year, injured himself.
The above posts are about his trials and tribulations getting better!
Enjoy, and please, have a laugh or two. I know I have!
I will be back-dating them to the correct days in time when they should have been posted, so it's just like I posted them correctly, right?
Alduca, the super skinny guy from last year, injured himself.
The above posts are about his trials and tribulations getting better!
Enjoy, and please, have a laugh or two. I know I have!
Thursday, August 25, 2011
"progress" i guess?
Just wanted to throw this up there.
More red, more orange, much more yellow
than my prior post in June
Tuesday, August 23, 2011
Spaghetti and Meatballs
i LOVE Italian food. No if, ands or buts about it. I do. Any noodle, any sauce, garlic bread, some vino and I'm there! Yumm, yummm, YUMMY!!!
Preferably a nice, sweet vino! :)
My husband? Not so much. He's not really a fan of Italian food. Wait, to say he's not a fan is an understatement!
I can, in rare instances get him to agree to Italian for dinner. His choice? Chicken Alfredo. Hates red sauce. Hate it!
How can a person hate red sauce? Red sauce IS Italian food. You can't HAVE Italian food withOUT red sauce. It's un-Itialian. Right?
When I make red sauce for myself, I usually make something else for him. Once in a while, I will not make something else for him. This means, he either has to suffer through the red sauce, or cook for himself.
And, let me add, that when I make Italian...it's not normally "from a can". I don't buy pre-made meatballs. I use ground beef and add my own spices and seasonings and make them fresh. I don't buy a 99¢ can of "Spaghetti sauce" and call it good. No ma'am! I either start from scratch with tomato sauce or diced tomatoes if I'm in the mood for a chunky sauce; or a high end jar of Spaghetti sauce, and add additional seasonings/spices.
So, keep in mind this is not a thrown together out of the can/pre-made meal.
Sunday.......his mom and grandmother come over to the house. Hubby was in a fishing tournament with his dad and a few other guys Saturday. Granny didn't know that we would be there all day, and that there was a meal at the end.
Granny calls us about 6pm or so....."When are you guys going to be back, I cooked dinner".
Mom informs Granny that we wouldn't be back for a while, and that the people that put on the tournament would be feeding us......
So....Sunday Mom and Granny come over. Granny brings the dinner she made the night before. What was that dinner you ask?
Spaghetti and Meatballs.
Does hubby complain?
NOPE!
Does he eat Granny's Spaghetti and Meatballs?
Yep!
Is it the pre-made/out of the can type of dish?
Yep!
UGH!
Preferably a nice, sweet vino! :)
My husband? Not so much. He's not really a fan of Italian food. Wait, to say he's not a fan is an understatement!
I can, in rare instances get him to agree to Italian for dinner. His choice? Chicken Alfredo. Hates red sauce. Hate it!
How can a person hate red sauce? Red sauce IS Italian food. You can't HAVE Italian food withOUT red sauce. It's un-Itialian. Right?
When I make red sauce for myself, I usually make something else for him. Once in a while, I will not make something else for him. This means, he either has to suffer through the red sauce, or cook for himself.
And, let me add, that when I make Italian...it's not normally "from a can". I don't buy pre-made meatballs. I use ground beef and add my own spices and seasonings and make them fresh. I don't buy a 99¢ can of "Spaghetti sauce" and call it good. No ma'am! I either start from scratch with tomato sauce or diced tomatoes if I'm in the mood for a chunky sauce; or a high end jar of Spaghetti sauce, and add additional seasonings/spices.
So, keep in mind this is not a thrown together out of the can/pre-made meal.
Sunday.......his mom and grandmother come over to the house. Hubby was in a fishing tournament with his dad and a few other guys Saturday. Granny didn't know that we would be there all day, and that there was a meal at the end.
Granny calls us about 6pm or so....."When are you guys going to be back, I cooked dinner".
Mom informs Granny that we wouldn't be back for a while, and that the people that put on the tournament would be feeding us......
So....Sunday Mom and Granny come over. Granny brings the dinner she made the night before. What was that dinner you ask?
Spaghetti and Meatballs.
Does hubby complain?
NOPE!
Does he eat Granny's Spaghetti and Meatballs?
Yep!
Is it the pre-made/out of the can type of dish?
Yep!
UGH!
Wednesday, August 10, 2011
Tragic Death of 13 to 14 horses in Magnolia, Tx
Yesterday morning, early, a fire broke out at Magnolia's Goslin/Nix Arabian training center. A passerby notice the barn in flames, called 911 and woke up the owners.
14 horses were saved, but 13 were killed and one is reportedly still missing.
Follow the links below, and help out if you can. Freddy and Jennifer are good people. I know them from working on the Arab show circuit a few years back.
Article one Arab Horsemens distress fund link
14 horses were saved, but 13 were killed and one is reportedly still missing.
Follow the links below, and help out if you can. Freddy and Jennifer are good people. I know them from working on the Arab show circuit a few years back.
Article one Arab Horsemens distress fund link
Friday, June 24, 2011
Every "Horse-Person" should read......
From Julie Thorson's Horse Talk Blog....... Please take the time to read it.
Report On Horse Processing Released to Congress
Report On Horse Processing Released to Congress
Busy bee!
Can you say busy? LIFE has been on FFWD since January 1, I think. Yikes.
Last weekend I took photos at a friends' wedding, and had a photo session with my niece, Shelby.
This weekend I'm off to AuStIn for a weekend photography class with Kevin Gourley .
Next weekend (friday through Tuesday) I will be in FlOrIdA visiting my friend Holly and her family.
The weekend after that? Back to trimming hooves with my husband...... and that is just the last few weeks. I could go on, or go backwards....but I think that shows you how busy I've been.
Alduca is with his Auntie Jen for the weekend, while the rest of the critters will be watched by my M.I.L (mom-in-law) and Shelby. I hope they have fun, because they will have their hands full with all those critters!
I hope everyone has a good weekend! I Hope to come back with lots of new ideas for my photography. Oh, and I hope to have time to update my photo blog and my FB page for my photography as well!
Last weekend I took photos at a friends' wedding, and had a photo session with my niece, Shelby.
This weekend I'm off to AuStIn for a weekend photography class with Kevin Gourley .
Next weekend (friday through Tuesday) I will be in FlOrIdA visiting my friend Holly and her family.
The weekend after that? Back to trimming hooves with my husband...... and that is just the last few weeks. I could go on, or go backwards....but I think that shows you how busy I've been.
Alduca is with his Auntie Jen for the weekend, while the rest of the critters will be watched by my M.I.L (mom-in-law) and Shelby. I hope they have fun, because they will have their hands full with all those critters!
I hope everyone has a good weekend! I Hope to come back with lots of new ideas for my photography. Oh, and I hope to have time to update my photo blog and my FB page for my photography as well!
Friday, June 17, 2011
I had to post this
Just so everyone has an idea of where we are at....really.
I'm NOT kidding people, WE need RAIN!!!
Thursday, May 26, 2011
What a night! Errr, I mean Morning!
Have I mentioned that my Big, 80lb lap dog of a dog Tucker is a BIG baby when it comes to Thunderstorms? Well, if I haven't, he is. He hates them. He's torn up some things in the house, whines, pants, and just in general gets very worried and concerned.
Unbenounced to me, there were storms brewing when we went to bed last night. I, being wide awake was up for about 2 hours after my DH went to sleep. I woke up about 1:30 to heavy breathing, and a great deal of commotion in the bed. Keeping it 'G' rated people, get your minds outta the gutter. It was Tucker. He was upset.
I took a minute and listened and watched.......lightning, thunder, check. That's why Tucker is upset.
He settled down next to me and I commenced to rubbing his ears. Peetie was also upset, which was odd. To me, that was a dead give away that this was to be a pretty bad storm.
Grabbed the trusty phone and went to the radar on weather.com.
It. Was. nasty. Orange and Red all over the place. Thunderstorm Watch till 9am, Thunderstorm warning till 2:30am. That quickly changed to 3am, and then 3:30am.
There were various loud bangs and booms outside. And, at one point, I was pretty sure we lost a good size limb on the back side of the house. One more thing to pick up later, right?
Tucker would calm down, and then get upset again. About 2:30 Peetie decided he wanted to go out. And he was serious. When I got close to the door, I heard a scratching noise. The dogs in the back? Nope.....it was coming from the front door.
What to my sleep deprived eyes did appear, but the little mouthy terrier that we were watching for our M.I.A. neighbor.
I hollered to DH. "Hannah is at the door, soaking we. Do you want me to let her in?"
"Yeah" he rasped....."just grab a towel and dry her off".
And that is what I did. She was sitting on the porch (uncovered, by the way) soaking wet, shivering, looking up at me.......poor doggie.
So, enter new doggie. She was super hyper. Running through the house at mach 9, banking off the furniture and if we'd had a rug it would have been in a heap from her using it as traction to get another running go.
I went to let Peetie in, and took the time to peek outside and see what was going on. Rain, lots of puddles, dark....very dark. Except when the lightning illuminated the sky.
The limb that fell? Nope, not in the back, it was in the front. And, just for fun, it was laying over the fence. Or....was it?
Ummmmmm fence? Where is the fence? Where is the horse??? Ohhhh lordy!
3AM and I've got to search for a horse and fix a fence? UGH!
"DH, GET UP! We need to find a horse and fix a fence!"
DH - mumble grumble......grrrrrr
Dressed, grabbed flashlight and out we went in to the dark, rainy night to locate the horse and fix the fence.
We found the horse. Still in his pasture, thank goodness. What a good boy, respectful of the fence even when it's down!
Fixed the front half of the fence. And walked the rest of the fence. AT 3AM!
Drudged through the puddles, the muck, the sink holes I found while walking the fence line.
Had another horse MIA.......Walked his pasture and found him. Thank goodness. :)
It's now about 3:45 and I get back inside. DH? Back in BED! What?? I was out walking fence checking critters and he went back inside after fence fixing. Yay. At least he helped move the limb and fix the fence, right?
Now, I'm not the type of person who does well going back to bed after I've woken up when I won't get a full nights sleep. So...at about 4am when I needed up at 6? I got about an hours worth of sleep and was back at it.
It. Is. Going. To. Be. A. Long. LOng. LONG DAY!
Unbenounced to me, there were storms brewing when we went to bed last night. I, being wide awake was up for about 2 hours after my DH went to sleep. I woke up about 1:30 to heavy breathing, and a great deal of commotion in the bed. Keeping it 'G' rated people, get your minds outta the gutter. It was Tucker. He was upset.
I took a minute and listened and watched.......lightning, thunder, check. That's why Tucker is upset.
He settled down next to me and I commenced to rubbing his ears. Peetie was also upset, which was odd. To me, that was a dead give away that this was to be a pretty bad storm.
Grabbed the trusty phone and went to the radar on weather.com.
It. Was. nasty. Orange and Red all over the place. Thunderstorm Watch till 9am, Thunderstorm warning till 2:30am. That quickly changed to 3am, and then 3:30am.
There were various loud bangs and booms outside. And, at one point, I was pretty sure we lost a good size limb on the back side of the house. One more thing to pick up later, right?
Tucker would calm down, and then get upset again. About 2:30 Peetie decided he wanted to go out. And he was serious. When I got close to the door, I heard a scratching noise. The dogs in the back? Nope.....it was coming from the front door.
What to my sleep deprived eyes did appear, but the little mouthy terrier that we were watching for our M.I.A. neighbor.
I hollered to DH. "Hannah is at the door, soaking we. Do you want me to let her in?"
"Yeah" he rasped....."just grab a towel and dry her off".
And that is what I did. She was sitting on the porch (uncovered, by the way) soaking wet, shivering, looking up at me.......poor doggie.
So, enter new doggie. She was super hyper. Running through the house at mach 9, banking off the furniture and if we'd had a rug it would have been in a heap from her using it as traction to get another running go.
I went to let Peetie in, and took the time to peek outside and see what was going on. Rain, lots of puddles, dark....very dark. Except when the lightning illuminated the sky.
The limb that fell? Nope, not in the back, it was in the front. And, just for fun, it was laying over the fence. Or....was it?
Ummmmmm fence? Where is the fence? Where is the horse??? Ohhhh lordy!
3AM and I've got to search for a horse and fix a fence? UGH!
"DH, GET UP! We need to find a horse and fix a fence!"
DH - mumble grumble......grrrrrr
Dressed, grabbed flashlight and out we went in to the dark, rainy night to locate the horse and fix the fence.
We found the horse. Still in his pasture, thank goodness. What a good boy, respectful of the fence even when it's down!
Fixed the front half of the fence. And walked the rest of the fence. AT 3AM!
Drudged through the puddles, the muck, the sink holes I found while walking the fence line.
Had another horse MIA.......Walked his pasture and found him. Thank goodness. :)
It's now about 3:45 and I get back inside. DH? Back in BED! What?? I was out walking fence checking critters and he went back inside after fence fixing. Yay. At least he helped move the limb and fix the fence, right?
Now, I'm not the type of person who does well going back to bed after I've woken up when I won't get a full nights sleep. So...at about 4am when I needed up at 6? I got about an hours worth of sleep and was back at it.
It. Is. Going. To. Be. A. Long. LOng. LONG DAY!
Friday, May 20, 2011
Thumbs Up Blogger Award
For Bloggers doing an A+ job of Blogging!
All awards have to start somewhere, right? Here is my contribution to the world of Blogging Awards.
The "rules" are pretty simple.
Take the picture that appears on this post, and post it in the awards section of your blog.
IN a post, name 5 bloggers who you think are doing an A+ job on their blog, and tell them why you think so. Then leave them a comment on their most recent post to let them know they have been given this award.
In that post also tell why you blog, what got you into blogging, and why you keep doing it.
Also, post a link to this post so that everyone who receives this award can leave a comment on this post. I'd love to see how many bloggers this award reaches. So please leave a comment here, with a link to your Thumbs Up Award post!
Happy Blogging!
I'm giving this award to: Steph/The Aspiring Equestrian, eventer79/weareflyingsolo, Jen/HunterInTraining, sydney/Bitless Horse, and Julie/RidingAside
It has been a long time since I did a Friday Fill In
1. I see clearly now, the rain won't come.
2. I love things made from scratch.
3. They begin with the letter "A".
4. I was so much younger so many years earlier.
5. This I know: Texas weather is unpredictable.
6. I have no idea what's for dinner.
7. And as for the weekend, tonight I'm looking forward to going to bed EARLY, tomorrow my plans include OutDoor Expo @ BRC and Sunday, I want to Relax, but have to work!
2. I love things made from scratch.
3. They begin with the letter "A".
4. I was so much younger so many years earlier.
5. This I know: Texas weather is unpredictable.
6. I have no idea what's for dinner.
7. And as for the weekend, tonight I'm looking forward to going to bed EARLY, tomorrow my plans include OutDoor Expo @ BRC and Sunday, I want to Relax, but have to work!
Monday, May 16, 2011
Part II - Guys, we don't ask questions to be a PAIN in the Butt, really!
Sunday PM I go to feed Alduca. Now, we all know Alduca hasn't had the easiest time of it for the last few years. Bounced around from home to home, starved to near death.....to be saved by a lady who found my "Missing Horse" ads all over the Internet...... Just a quick re-cap for ya in case you forgot.
What do I find? Blood. Left Front pastern. Bleeding. Nasty cut. Run into the house, get gloves, antibiotic ointment, warm water, scrubby, and any other needed items to clean an owie...
The patient was none too happy during the scrubbing/cleaning process. He would jerk his leg every time I touched it with something. He got scolded a few times, and after about 10 mins, it was cleaned up, with meds applied. Go me!
Or so I thought.
I was gathering up my 'goodies' when he turned his hind end my direction. This is when I noticed the OTHER OWIE! Left hind cannon bone, just above his ankle. OK, so yeah....I started yelling at DH.
Another cleaning/scrubbing of this wound and a much less happy Duca. This one was a scrape with 2 little puncture wounds. EEK. I cleaned and medicated and gave the poor guy two grams of bute.
So, post 'operation' I walk my 'happy' self over to the fence that is near the new horse. What do I find? Damaged wire. HUmmmmmmm..imagine that. Looks like a horse got his leg through it....once, maybe twice. Hummmm, two Duca owies, damaged fence? Coincidence? I think not!
Now, I peer at the neighbors fence. OR LACK THERE OF! No fence on their side. Just ours.
DIDn'T I just ASK DH about that?
Fellas - lemme give you a bit of advice. When your OH/GF/SO (which ever cutesie term you use) asks you questions, she is not always trying to be a BiT#H. She has a VALID reason for the interrogation. Trust me. You may NOT always see the logic behind it, but trust me, IT'S THERE!
Example?
Take my questions to DH about the fence. Had his answer been "I don't know babe, let's go look" then look is what we would have done.
Had he said "they said they are putting up another fence line, but using ours for now" we would have immediately gone and put up hot wire on our side to help prevent 'friendly gestures' through/over the fence.
Had he said "I don't know" I WOULD HAVE FOUND OUT MYSELF.
Guys, next time your gal asks a question, and you don't know the answer. FESS up! It might save you some aggravation later!
What do I find? Blood. Left Front pastern. Bleeding. Nasty cut. Run into the house, get gloves, antibiotic ointment, warm water, scrubby, and any other needed items to clean an owie...
The patient was none too happy during the scrubbing/cleaning process. He would jerk his leg every time I touched it with something. He got scolded a few times, and after about 10 mins, it was cleaned up, with meds applied. Go me!
Or so I thought.
I was gathering up my 'goodies' when he turned his hind end my direction. This is when I noticed the OTHER OWIE! Left hind cannon bone, just above his ankle. OK, so yeah....I started yelling at DH.
Another cleaning/scrubbing of this wound and a much less happy Duca. This one was a scrape with 2 little puncture wounds. EEK. I cleaned and medicated and gave the poor guy two grams of bute.
So, post 'operation' I walk my 'happy' self over to the fence that is near the new horse. What do I find? Damaged wire. HUmmmmmmm..imagine that. Looks like a horse got his leg through it....once, maybe twice. Hummmm, two Duca owies, damaged fence? Coincidence? I think not!
Now, I peer at the neighbors fence. OR LACK THERE OF! No fence on their side. Just ours.
DIDn'T I just ASK DH about that?
Fellas - lemme give you a bit of advice. When your OH/GF/SO (which ever cutesie term you use) asks you questions, she is not always trying to be a BiT#H. She has a VALID reason for the interrogation. Trust me. You may NOT always see the logic behind it, but trust me, IT'S THERE!
Example?
Take my questions to DH about the fence. Had his answer been "I don't know babe, let's go look" then look is what we would have done.
Had he said "they said they are putting up another fence line, but using ours for now" we would have immediately gone and put up hot wire on our side to help prevent 'friendly gestures' through/over the fence.
Had he said "I don't know" I WOULD HAVE FOUND OUT MYSELF.
Guys, next time your gal asks a question, and you don't know the answer. FESS up! It might save you some aggravation later!
Guys, we don't ask questions to be a PAIN in the Butt, really!
Part 1
Friday evening my DH (who wasn't very D at that moment, if ya know what I mean) was asked by the neighbors to help drive a few T-posts in the ground for their fence for their new horse. Ok, no biggie. They didn't have a T-post driver and DH didn't mind helping..........
When DH got back, I asked him where he'd been. He told me. Not too long after that, here comes said neighbor riding a small sorrel gelding down the road. Enter new horse.
So, using the "Thinking side of my brain" I ask DH, "Are they using our fence line for one of theirs, or did they put up a new fence?"
DH replies "No, they put up a new fence".
Me "So our horses can't get to theirs?"
DH "Nope"
Satisfied that DH knew what he was talking about (he was over there helping, after all) the conversation ended and we headed out to dinner.
I'm sure he thought I was being a butt head with the questions......but I was worried about my horses. Our horses are nosey, imagine that. They get excited every time a trailer pulls into the driveway, horse trailer or otherwise. My filly even gets excited about flatbed trailers. She's odd, right?
And, not to mention potential owie's from playing over/through/under the fence....I have no idea if NEW HORSE is current on shots/negative coggins etc.....don't' want them playing over the fence.
Friday evening my DH (who wasn't very D at that moment, if ya know what I mean) was asked by the neighbors to help drive a few T-posts in the ground for their fence for their new horse. Ok, no biggie. They didn't have a T-post driver and DH didn't mind helping..........
When DH got back, I asked him where he'd been. He told me. Not too long after that, here comes said neighbor riding a small sorrel gelding down the road. Enter new horse.
So, using the "Thinking side of my brain" I ask DH, "Are they using our fence line for one of theirs, or did they put up a new fence?"
DH replies "No, they put up a new fence".
Me "So our horses can't get to theirs?"
DH "Nope"
Satisfied that DH knew what he was talking about (he was over there helping, after all) the conversation ended and we headed out to dinner.
I'm sure he thought I was being a butt head with the questions......but I was worried about my horses. Our horses are nosey, imagine that. They get excited every time a trailer pulls into the driveway, horse trailer or otherwise. My filly even gets excited about flatbed trailers. She's odd, right?
And, not to mention potential owie's from playing over/through/under the fence....I have no idea if NEW HORSE is current on shots/negative coggins etc.....don't' want them playing over the fence.
Tuesday, May 10, 2011
PSA - Organizational Advice
For those that need a little help in the organization department......here is what I did to get my bills in 'order'.
I'm the bill payer in the house. If I left it up to my husband we'd be living in darkness every other month and getting collection phone calls out the wazooooh! So, I'd taken it upon my self to handle our bills.
I was good at it.
Everything was paid on time.
Then, "life" got busy.......My brain went on "life overload".....I thought I had it together but it didn't...... Let me explain.
We bought our house via OWNER FINANCE. We rented it for about a year before buying it. Our "mortgage company" is a very nice older couple who live about 9 miles from us, so most of the time I just run the payment over and drop it in their mailbox. Our mortgage is due on the 15th of the month. January 15th, 2011 came and went. I thought I paid it. We went out of town for my DH's grandpa's funeral.
While out of town our "mortgage company" calls, it was January 24th. They just wanted to check and make sure everything was alright. I told them well, not really, and explained where we were and why. They were understanding, and sympathetic, and said they just wanted to remind us about our payment.
MY JAW DROPPED. Payment? I put it in the mail. Right? I swear I did? Maybe?
I let them know that I was pretty sure I'd mailed it and would double check when I got home and apologized a million times before we hung up.
Wow.....what was happening? I forgot to pay a bill. That was SO not me.
I did, in a brief moment of....well.....during a brief lapse in judgement as DH to be responsible for the bills. I did a lot, it was the least he could do, right?
WRONG! I spent the entire month so worried about the bills getting paid I drove myself and him nutso! So, I took back over the following month.
I knew I needed a new system. but what? I googled different bill organization options......most seemed a bit more $$ than I was willing to part with for something I could almost make myself....
I found myself wandering around Wal-Mart (eeks!) the other other day, and came across a clearance section.
What did I find there?
One of those SMALL pocket calenders.....on sale...for a BUCK! YEP, $1.00. or, .100 cents!
The wheels and gears began spinning in my brain. Slowly at first, then the speed increased. I swore for a moment I smelled smoke!
This could work! This may be the solution to my bill organization conundrum!
I had, in the past, brushed these small, sorry excuses for 'planners' aside like yesterday's trash. They were too small, slight in stature.....the minute boxes in which they expected you to write each days activities were quite comical! But one item? One bill? genius!
I happily made my way to the register with my new found treasure, smile on my face, eyes a twinkle like Santa Clause on Christmas Eve. I purchased my prize, feeling like a cat who'd just eaten the Canary.
I could hardly wait until I got home to write down and organize my bills for the month.
And organize I did! This was last week........So Far, SO GOOD! I love it! No late bills, thus far, and it's so small I can just tuck it in the bag or purse and don't even notice it's there.
So, for those of you who are looking for a neat way to keep up with your bills, try it! Go find a mini calender/organizer and keep track of your bills!
I'm the bill payer in the house. If I left it up to my husband we'd be living in darkness every other month and getting collection phone calls out the wazooooh! So, I'd taken it upon my self to handle our bills.
I was good at it.
Everything was paid on time.
Then, "life" got busy.......My brain went on "life overload".....I thought I had it together but it didn't...... Let me explain.
We bought our house via OWNER FINANCE. We rented it for about a year before buying it. Our "mortgage company" is a very nice older couple who live about 9 miles from us, so most of the time I just run the payment over and drop it in their mailbox. Our mortgage is due on the 15th of the month. January 15th, 2011 came and went. I thought I paid it. We went out of town for my DH's grandpa's funeral.
While out of town our "mortgage company" calls, it was January 24th. They just wanted to check and make sure everything was alright. I told them well, not really, and explained where we were and why. They were understanding, and sympathetic, and said they just wanted to remind us about our payment.
MY JAW DROPPED. Payment? I put it in the mail. Right? I swear I did? Maybe?
I let them know that I was pretty sure I'd mailed it and would double check when I got home and apologized a million times before we hung up.
Wow.....what was happening? I forgot to pay a bill. That was SO not me.
I did, in a brief moment of....well.....during a brief lapse in judgement as DH to be responsible for the bills. I did a lot, it was the least he could do, right?
WRONG! I spent the entire month so worried about the bills getting paid I drove myself and him nutso! So, I took back over the following month.
I knew I needed a new system. but what? I googled different bill organization options......most seemed a bit more $$ than I was willing to part with for something I could almost make myself....
I found myself wandering around Wal-Mart (eeks!) the other other day, and came across a clearance section.
What did I find there?
One of those SMALL pocket calenders.....on sale...for a BUCK! YEP, $1.00. or, .100 cents!
The wheels and gears began spinning in my brain. Slowly at first, then the speed increased. I swore for a moment I smelled smoke!
This could work! This may be the solution to my bill organization conundrum!
I had, in the past, brushed these small, sorry excuses for 'planners' aside like yesterday's trash. They were too small, slight in stature.....the minute boxes in which they expected you to write each days activities were quite comical! But one item? One bill? genius!
I happily made my way to the register with my new found treasure, smile on my face, eyes a twinkle like Santa Clause on Christmas Eve. I purchased my prize, feeling like a cat who'd just eaten the Canary.
I could hardly wait until I got home to write down and organize my bills for the month.
And organize I did! This was last week........So Far, SO GOOD! I love it! No late bills, thus far, and it's so small I can just tuck it in the bag or purse and don't even notice it's there.
So, for those of you who are looking for a neat way to keep up with your bills, try it! Go find a mini calender/organizer and keep track of your bills!
Monday, March 14, 2011
B-U-S-T-E-D!!!
When your husband calls you at work at 11:30 AM and says "Happy Anniversary, Dear" and you go "OH Crap, I Forgot" you know you are in trouble!
Yes folks, I forgot our Anniversary. Busted, I did it. ME who is normally REALLY good with dates and remembering things. ME!
In my defense, I have so much going on right now it's crazy. This year has been total chaos. Also, it's been wacko at the office today. Both my co-workers were late so I was flying solo this am at the Funny Farm. And, well, after all, I am ONLY human!
Contrary to popular belief I can't remember EVERYTHING!
SO......I wonder how the rest of the day is going to go?
HELP ME!
Wednesday, March 9, 2011
March already?
Where in the heck does the time go?
I mean, just yesterday it was New Years....now we are in March.
This have been more downhill than up this year, I'm afraid. 3 people I was very close to have passed away already......1 in January, 2 in February.
My grandpa in law in January, and February it was my great grandmother, and then my step dad.
I've not known grandpa in law long, almost 4 years.....but I did know him long enough to know what a sweet, kind hearted man he was. He would tell you the same stories over and over again, every time he saw you. He always asked me about the 2 pennies he'd given me..... "you still got that money I gave ya" he'd ask, every time he came by the office or I talked to him on the phone.
My great-grandma and I weren't real close......it's hard to be close to someone when you live almost 2 THOUSAND miles away. BUT, my dh and I did get to see her when we went to NY for Thanksgiving. I'm so glad I did. She was bright, and alert....still living by herself at.....96 ( I think). She lived in an apartment complex for seniors. It was all self care, there was no one there taking care of her day in and day out. I'm so happy she could go that way......the alternative seems not so good.
My step dad. Oh boy, he was a character. He and my mom were not married too long.....7 years this year I think... (I'm bad with dates ) He had a great sense of humor, and fought cancer many times before it finally won in February. The Dr's have given him 30 days....he didn't even make it a week. My mom was devastated....still is. Just a month before that they had to put down their old dog, Max. Max was a Dalmatian/beagle mix. He was toooo cute for words. He had big beagle ears, but was about the size of a Dalmatian with small Dalmatian spots. I'm glad we got to meet Max too, when we went home for Thanksgiving. So now mom finds herself with out her canine companion, and without her partner.
I know it won't fix things.......only time will heal those wounds. BUT, on Saturday we are sending her a puppy. Yep, a puppy. She was talking about getting a puppy from a friend of hers, but wasn't really sure the breed was right for her. I mentioned that we had some lab puppies in the pound down here. She asked for pictures.....and then she fell in love with a chocolate lab mix with white markings on her chest and hind toes. Hershey is a pretty big puppy, and she is ALLLL PUPPY. She's been at our house since last week. We are trying to teach her some manners before she goes home to be mom's best friend. I told her the other day that she had a really big job to do when she got there. I told her she had to look after mom, and protect her, and keep her busy too. That's a tough job, but someones gotta do it. I think Hershey can handle it. She will love mom, and mom already loves her........
So....what will March bring? I'm hoping it brings better, happier things than January and February. If you are the praying kind, say a prayer from Mom and Hershey....that Hershey makes the journey well Saturday, and that the ache in Mom's heart will be eased by her new friend.
Hope all of you out there in blogger land are well......let's turn 2011 around, ok?
Friday, February 18, 2011
Divine Appointments Review
Charlene Ann Baumbich did a wonderful job creating characters that I think people can relate to in her novel "Divine Appointments".
Approaching 50, Josie Brooks thinks she has it all. As a consultant for some big time corporations, she thinks she has the bull by the horns. She takes pride in the fact that she has grown into an “almost feminine” version of her father. But when her life takes some unexpected twists and turns, Josie starts to question herself. Is she where she wants to be? Does she want more from life? And what is the deal with that snow globe?
Although I am not quite as old as Josie (just turned the big 3-0!) I felt myself relating to Josie's 'what the heck am I doing with my life' struggle. I found myself reassessing my life, and questioning past and future decisions.
Personally, I could have done without the 'book in progress' ranting of one of the 'author in training' characters. I feel that the issues facing this character distracted from struggle going on within the main character of the novel, almost making Josie seem like the secondary story line instead of the primary character.
Still, I would recommend this title to anyone looking a novel that you can lounge around with on a Sunday afternoon in your PJ's. So grab a cup of tea, settle into your favorite chair, and see what happens when Josie, Lyle, Marsh, and Barb (and a few others) deal with life, family and each other.
I received this book for free from WaterBrook Multnomah Publishing Group for this review
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