High Desert Way Ranch(ette)

Once Again, It's Been Awhile

2010-06-20T14:04:00.000-07:00

Once again, it's been awhile since I've been here.

So much has happened in the last year, actually the last year and a half.

The biggest thing is that my son joined the Army. He left for Afghanistan on Wednesday. I am a thankful American, a proud parent, and a very scared mom. I am finding some support through some groups and individuals on facebook. The people where I work are also being very supportive. A couple of them have children who are in or have been the military and spent time deployed in the Middle East or Africa or somewhere far away. Please pray for the safety and well-being of my son and all his "battle buddies."

The horse life, which is why this blog was originally started, is still suffering. HubbyHoney went back to work in April of this year. His schedule and my schedule conflict. We are very thankful to both have jobs though. So, NO complaining. The horses get fed and maintained for now. I am thinking of trying to find a closeby riding companion, but will need to get alot of groundwork done before I will have the confidence for that.

So, life goes on here at the ranchette.

Yikes!! It's Been a Month

2009-06-23T17:49:00.001-07:00

Yikes!!! It's been almost a month since I've blogged.

In that time I've found Facebook. In that time I've gone back to work. In that time I've ridden Bear.

Facebook is fun. It is a shorter version of a blog, with much more interaction with the family. I still haven't figured it all out, but there's plenty of time.

Going back to work. Wow!!! I like the people contact, sort of. But there seems to be a lot of drama right now. Is it just the people I work closest with, or is it really the whole place? Three people have been fired (let go) since I came back on June 1. Yikes!! Who's next?

Bear. What can I say about Bear? What a great horse! Since my accident he has been ridden one time. HubbyHoney rode him along our fence line once in that time. So, I decide it's time to get back in the saddle. I go down to the horse pen. I put a halter on him, then take him to our round pen. I put a blanket on him. I put a saddle on him. I put me on him. No problem!! We go around the round pen about twice. Each direction, once. No problem!! I get off. What a great ride! Thank you, Bear!!!!

Life's Been Busy

2009-05-28T10:59:00.000-07:00

Howdy! Finally I'm back. Been awhile.

We finished up our volunteer days with Horses for the Spirit. That was alot of fun. The girls were great! We are looking forward to helping out again next fall. It will be different girls, (we will miss the ones we already met and got to know a little about), but we will enjoy meeting new ones and introducing them to horses and natural horsemanship.

We attended the Parelli Celebration here in Reno. Three very full days of good horse stuff. We learned alot and can't wait to get back out and play with our horses. I also now need to save up my pennies to purchase some of their new stuff. Isn't that the way? Just when you think there can't be anything else, they come out with new, very interesting stuff. Oh, well.

Got finished with the book I was typing for a guy I know. He is plenty excited about getting it published. Hope it all works out well for him. He has worked on this a long time. Took him alot of research time and just studying about grammar and spelling and then the writes and rewrites. My own books were no where near as complicated. By the way, just got a message from my publisher, my book, "Jasmine's Secret", has been put in Amazon.com. Sounds kind of impressive, but with the price they are asking I really don't think it will improve my sales. Guess that makes me an official published author though. I don't really know how to feel about that.

The down side, I go back to the office on June 1. Yuck! I've been very spoiled working at home. Guess if my leg and shoulder are well enough to play with horses (still very cautiously), I am well enough to drive into work. Drove in halfway on Tuesday. My leg wasn't real happy, but feels like it will survive. I tried to bribe the Doctor to say it wasn't ready, but he wouldn't go for it. It will all be okay. Seems to be some drama going on their right now, so could be interesting. I just need to stay out of it. Sometimes that is hard to do, but I have to.

Okay, back to work time. I have some stuff to do before disconnecting my computer and getting it ready to be moved.

And The Politics Thereof

2009-04-15T19:56:00.000-07:00

Today is the 15th of April, we all know what that means... However today was a bit different for Reno Gamma and me. We loaded up in our truck this morning despite the wind and snow and headed off to Carson City (the capital of Nevada for those of you in parts unknown) and attended our FIRST EVER political rally or event, whatever you want to call it. Yes, people, we went to a T.E.A. Party. We took our flags and joined thousands of other Nevadan's to voice our disapproval of the direction our President and Congress is taking our country!

Now to be honest, I did protest the hair policy and the barring of boys in home ec while in high school, but I'm not sure that really counts as a political protest.(Yes I can sew and cook. I even make up some of my own recipes.)

We found ourselves in the midst of alot of people just like us. People who go to work(wish I had a job) every day and don't have time to attend these kinds of things. We did see and thank our Congressman, Dean Heller, one of the good guys, who doesn't think our President and the rest of Congress has a right to spend my (our) Grandkids money (we now have 4 1/2, #5 due in September) but we also saw lots of Veterans, Grandparents and kids, ranging from the very young to high school, along with several very cute dogs with signs of their own.

Now that I don't go to work every morning, I have time to pursue my other passion, politics. Now I've been told I'm not very politically correct. No kidding! I make no apologies for that, but I am really proud of the fact that I had a dad who taught me to stand up for what I believe in and to stand up for what is right!

I'm mad as HELL and for the life of me I can't figure out how or why some of our elected officials think they are above the laws they write or that they have a right to take what I've worked hard for and to take away any chance my Grandkids have of making it to the top.

They say that some of us may be extremist, well if believing in God and Country and The Pursuit of Happiness is extremist, so be it, and if the Department of Homeland Insecurity thinks that is so then they should not have any problem finding me, and if they think they can take what I believe in, yes, that would include the right to own guns, then come and get me and them (Warning: you had best make sure I have the dogs put up! yea right.) So for now keep in mind that some idiot out there may actually believe in the Constition and think that the Government is suppose to work for the PEOPLE not the other way around, and if you find one of them make sure you vote for them in 2010!

Casting Crowns - Praise You in The Storm

2009-03-30T13:01:00.000-07:00

Song for Sunday

New Adventure

2009-03-15T13:16:00.000-07:00

HubbyHoney and I are embarking on a new adventure.

We are volunteering with a group that uses horses and natural horsemanship methods, to work with kids.

We are still in the training portion, but start with the kids this Wednesday.

Should be interesting.

We have also started going to the library. Wow!! I really love books, but like to buy them and keep them so I can read them at my speed. No worry about late fees, or not finishing a book cause I didn't get the chance to finish reading it. In the present economy though, and HubbyHoney not employed, the library will be a great place to go. And actually, we might read more books because it won't cost us anything.

Third Day - Revelation

2009-03-15T13:13:00.000-07:00

Song for Sunday, March 15, 2009

Am I showing my AGE???

2009-03-08T18:21:00.000-07:00

Rindy,(Renogamma) is on the phone with her son Arlo and some where in the conversation they started talking about electricity and how it flows, then came the example of the flow of (water) same same, streams and damns, resoviours, breakers and such, the idea of a FUSE? came into the chatter, for those of you under the age of???? we used to have in the "Breaker box" a series of, get this SCREW IN FUSES, kind of like a light bulb only different, or some that looked like shot gun shells with copper ends and a lever that you pushed or pulled depending on whether or not you were brave or STUPID.

Today we have BREAKERS that flip when something isn't right, the little red line tells you "oops", flip right and then left and by golly look at that. Well usta be you had to go look and check for the blown out fuse, which one is it? Without a flashlight, well that would be blind man's bluff! Really been there and done that... seriosly I really mean it! Just ask.... well never mind.

Now for todays lesson: Oh wait I need to go start the generator...

Jeremy Camp - Right Here

2009-03-08T05:04:00.000-07:00

Song for Sunday, March 8, 2009.

My Horseanality

2009-03-07T11:37:00.000-08:00

The fabulous quater horse? Funny I thought I would have been a mule!

What breed of horse are you? Find out!

The Horse I Would Be

2009-03-07T10:34:00.000-08:00

This was fun. I took this test to find out what kind of horse I would be, if I were a horse. It said I would be a mustang, probably buckskin or dun in color. Interesting! I own a mustang and a dun colored mare.

What breed of horse are you? Find out!

Matthew West - The Motions

2009-03-04T09:35:00.000-08:00

Song for Sunday, March 1, 2009, just a couple days late:

Please Mr. Obama (President?)

2009-02-22T15:15:00.000-08:00

Things I am Thankful for Today

2009-02-22T14:22:00.000-08:00

1) I have a job
2) I can walk (this may still come before number one, but I just had my job performance review so the job factor is up front in my mind)
3) I am alive. (This is really first before anything else, but now that I am definitely alive (my energy is coming back) Oh my gosh, I am really out of order here. Being alive is definitely the most important, NUMBER ONE! Being able to walk is definitely NUMBER TWO! That's because I am still very attached to my horses. Well, no, that's just because I can WALK!
4) You just don't know how important things are in your life until you almost lose them.
5) The job is minimal to just being alive and for me, just being able to walk. I came so close to losing both of those.
6) HubbyHoney is agreeing. Thank you Lord for him!
7) Okay, but in today's economy, I do have a job. And that was reinforced in my job performance review. I have a job unless the company I work for closes it's doors. Which in this economy could happen. It's happened to many other companies. HubbyHoney's for example. Obama, I'll keep my liberty, you keep your change.

Newsboys: I am free

2009-02-22T14:16:00.000-08:00

This is Gimpas (HubbyHoneys) choice for Song for Sunday

Birthday!

2009-02-17T14:22:00.000-08:00

Happy Birthday Jonathan!!

Aaron Shust: Give Me Words to Speak

2009-02-15T04:00:00.000-08:00

Song for Sunday, February 15, 2009

Why Am I DEPRESSED?

2009-02-14T15:05:00.000-08:00

Well actually I'm not, it just sounded like a good title. I am not depressed, not even when all we hear on the news says we should be, the economy, jobs lost, and the massive spending bill that just got rammed down our throats. Why should I be depressed?

I sit here writing this and wonder??? Where would I be without?

See I could say the last 3 months have been some what, shall we say down right depressing, but if you look closely you can see all the reasons for not being depressed!

1: Nov. 8 2008 I come within inches of loosing my Rindy, ah but didn't, she is up and walking and she even went into her office yesterday for a couple of hours, gone from bed ridden to a wheelchair to a cane and crutches to high steeping around the house and property and ridding a stationary bike. (yes I still change the cat box for her)
2: Nov. 11 2008 Rindy has surgery on her knee, I also get told that the company I work for is closing, they did and I got another job.
3: Dec.6 2008 my Dad has a stroke and is flown to Stanford Univ. Hospital, and on Dec. 13 2008 he graduates from this world to the next! He is with Jesus and dancing forever with Mom, and I can only guess what he might be playing on the universes biggest and best pipe organ!
4: Jan. 13 2009 I get laid off, the first time since 1980 I have been without a job, now that could be very depressing but for some reason both Rindy and I have a peace about the situation and that is really more scary than depressing.

So Happy Valentines Day and be close with the one's you love and Praise God for the one's that taught you to be happy in the place you are.

I look forward to what the next 3 months bring and I don't think it will be what our Government can give me it will be what God has in store for us and it will be more than enough to make up for the last 3 months!

Is This Appropriate?

2009-02-10T18:17:00.000-08:00

This may not be appropriate for a subject on this blog. It has nothing to do with horses, or my job, or my grandbabies. It has nothing to do with the lack of a job for HubbyHoney. It has nothing to do with living off the grid, having no monthly power bill, but dealing with cloudy days and a generator when you have no solar power.

It has to do with the potential of my son joining the military. I can stand proudly for those others who have joined, and some died, to keep us free. Check back to Sunday, one of my things to be thankful for was the freedom of living in the United States of America. Freedom, choices.

But my own son being one of those to give us that freedom. Very scary!

So I am a mother torn. So proud of the others, but my own son? Oh, yes! I would be so proud! But to encourage him? WOW!! What do I say? What do I do?

My little baby. My baby boy. My youngest child! Yikes!!

Things to be Thankful for Today

2009-02-08T04:00:00.000-08:00

1) Walking!
2) Good Health
3) A man who loves me
4) A man to love
5) Freedom (What we have here in the United States of America)
6) Choices (Part of freedom)
7) Our children and their children

Aaron Shust: My Savior My God

2009-02-07T17:28:00.000-08:00

Song for Sunday, February 8, 2009

Goldee aka Sweet D is now Bella

2009-02-06T19:08:00.001-08:00

Remember our horse Goldee that we said goodbye to back on September 21st of last year? I had emailed the new owner a couple times since November and had not heard back. I was starting to get worried. What had happened to Goldee? What had maybe happened to her new owner? I had a building fall on me. Someone else could have had the same kind of occurance in their life. I was sure hoping not, but she had been emailing me. Now for three months I had not heard from her.

She and Goldee had been coming along really well. She had been talking about riding. What had happened?

Alas! (Is that really a word nowadays?) I finally heard from the new owner just this week. She is fine. Goldee is now Bella. Just like our Corgi puppy. The new owner said she hoped I wasn't offended that she had changed Goldee's name. When we brought Goldee home, she was Tessa. That didn't last long. Very shortly she became Sweet D. Which had started as Sweetie until we discovered she wasn't all that sweet. She could be sweet, but then she could be very defiant. Thus, Sweet D. Is "thus" really a word nowadays?

Then, when I started writing a blog about her training, (not this blog, but another blog) she became Goldee. It just seemed easier since I was trying to believe that our natural horsemanship training methods would keep her from being "Sweet D." No defiance! Well, I was hoping. If we had been able to have some kind of consistancy in her training, I do believe the defiant part would have not shown up as much as it did. Actually, the defiance did decrease because we quit pushing her as hard as we had in the beginning. We started to try to listen to what she was trying to tell us. "Read your horse."

Too bad we didn't have the time to give her what she needed. That is why she has a new owner though. I guess we explained all that back in September.

Anyway, after not hearing from Genny (the new owner) for almost three months, I finally got an email from her this past week. Hoorah!!

Everyone is fine. Goldee, now Bella, did have an oops back at the beginning of December. She decided to rub her butt on a T-post and ended up impaling herself with the post. Horses!! Genny called the vet, who came out and stitched up Bella's hindquarters. The pictures Genny sent in her email to me showed Bella's hindquarters have healed very nicely.

Horses! Any resemblence to children is purely coincidental.

Working at Home vs Working at an Office Somewhere Else

2009-02-06T15:38:00.000-08:00

Well now, the more I think about going back to work at the location of my employer versus doing my job at home, the more my whole insides screams it doesn't want to leave home.

This is something I have been praying about. Every since a building fell on me I have been trying to analyse why, and, yah, WHY!!! I had a conversation with a couple of ladies I work with before the building incident. I was feeling very frustrated because even working just part-time, I had no time for my horses. Just like my insides screaming about working for someone else, my insides scream about my horses. I am supposed to have and do with horses. At least according to my gut. Just like I am not supposed to work for someone else, I am supposed to work for myself. And I will work. I have proven that.

Just think about the economics of working at home versus driving to another location to do my work. This relates to an article by my brother-in-law, "The Economics of Being a Cheapo." (Read it at: http://www.homestead.org/. Go to articles on "Frugality", go to the bottom and search for Jan Cooke on Homestead. org to see his articles.) By working at home, I get a raise. This is not only in a monetary amount, but also in a time amount. I have way more time for myself and my homelife. That is actually more important to me than the money.

I love being at my home. I love being able to look out my window as I work and see my horses. I love to be able to take a break and take a walk with my dogs. I love being able to take a break and throw some dishes into the dishwasher or a load of laundry into the washing machine. I don't have to wait until the weekend, or the evening, when I am already drained from putting up with office politics, or the assorted personalities and conflicts.

Actually, I enjoy the people and their assorted personalities. I just like to be able to do my work when it is supposed to be done and not have to deal with those personalities when I am supposed to be working. It is so difficult to stay focused when there is turmoil all around you. And that seems to happen quite often when you work in an office with other people in close range.

When I am at home, if my dogs decide to get all riled up and bark about who knows what, I can throw them all outside (except the little one-don't want her getting eaten). In an office environment, you can't just walk away, or tell everyone to leave when some one person decides to get on a roll about some subject, and won't shutup. You, I, have to be polite and listen to them, and maybe say some things to help their life. Okay, that might be my own fault, since school, I have been told, "You are such a good listener. Just talking to you, I feel so much better." I usually never said a word. The person just needed to talk to figure things out. Maybe I should have been a psychologist or psychiatrist. I probably would have made a bunch more money, and it was something I already did and seemed to be good at. (Listen to people.)

But, it's not what I did. Instead, I became a bookkeeper. When I took a bookkeeping class my senior year of high school, it was the one class that seemed to make sense to me. Everything was pretty black and white. You just followed the rules and everything fell into place. Not like in life where just following the rules still leaves so many unanswered questions.

Okay, I know I'm rambling, but that building falling on me left me in such a position of wanting change. What is the right change though? What is the plan for me?

Time for more prayer.

Oh, by the way, I am adding Chris Tomlin (I love his verson of "Amazing Grace", not the video, but the singing) to my video bars at the bottom of this page. I couldn't find a way to have a playlist, so added the video bars instead. They are at the bottom of this page. So far haven't found a way to add just my favorite songs by certain artists, but have added the artists with songs selected by UTube. Hope you enjoy. So far, Chris Tomlin and Third Day are my favorites.

Like to Play Games?

2009-02-03T19:14:00.000-08:00

Too bad, but I found a fun place to go on my computer. www.pogo.com. It's a great way to exercise your brain a bit, and relax for a little while if you don't have anything much else to do. Yah right! It's free and fun. So if I don't show up here for a while again, I might be playing Safari Majoung (sp) instead of blogging.

Back to Work?

2009-02-02T16:23:00.000-08:00

Oh No!!!

Today I talked to a lady I work with. She said she had just talked to my boss. He told her he is expecting me back in the office in about two weeks. My next doctor's appointment is February 9th. He is expecting me back shortly after that. I guess I am the one who gave him that impression.

But, I don't want to. I have really enjoyed working at home. I have made it through the busiest time of the year for my type of work. Doing it at home. So many less distractions. So nice to not have to commute everyday. So much saved time. Time to spend on the job instead of in traffic. (Or maybe playing with a dog, or maybe doing the laundry or dishes.)

What am I to do?

Feels Like Spring

2009-02-01T08:23:00.000-08:00

The weather here lately has been great. Great walking weather. Yes, I am walking. Hoorah for walking!

Things to be thankful for today:

1) Walking!
2) Health
3) Sunshine
4) HoneyHubby back from California (He was only gone for a day, but I'm glad he's home)
5) I have a job
6) HoneyHubby does get unemployment until he finds a job
7) People like Lani who tells people like "Skippy" just what she thinks of them! (With sarcasm and a flip of the hair)

Third Day: Revelation

2009-02-01T08:11:00.001-08:00

The Innocence of Young Ones

2009-01-24T16:17:00.000-08:00

Okay, at this point in time I don't have any young children at home, but I do have young grandchildren.

I also have a puppy. She is now about nine months old, but still so innocent. Just like a young child. She is (and will be) a small dog. She is a purebred Welsh Corgi. The heart of a lion, but the size of a large kitty cat.

So innocent.

She has no idea that there are coyotees here that would, in an instant, have her for a snack. It's so much about my earlier blog about the cougar at the door.

And, you with young children, they are so innocent. The internet is sooooo big. And has so much potential for danger. Just looking at My Space and seeing all the danger that someone young and innocent would have no idea of the dangers.

Back to the puppy. She just loves being outside. When all the other dogs come inside she wants to be outside by herself. She has no idea that just this week, twice, I have seen coyotees within 200 feet of our house. Coyotees between our house and where she has been zooming around, all by herself, by the horse pens.

She is just a dog. Yes, a very special dog. Yes, a very big part of this family. A dog who was rescued from a shelter. Who, by chance, was just dropped off at the shelter when I showed up to drop off some checks.

I stay away from the shelter as much as I can so I don't get soft and adopt every dog I see. But, that day, she was there. The people relinquishing her hadn't even left yet. I walked in at just the wrong time, or as I see it now, just the right time. She IS a SPECIAL dog.

But, she has no idea of the dangers of this place. Just like a young, innocent child. No concept of the dangers of this world.

I remember when my children were young. At that time a movie had just come out about a young boy who had been abducted. "Stephen?" I have tried to block it out, but at that time I made a very big point of making my two children watch it and then had many conversations about that movie.

Years later, my son told me he had been very scared from watching the movie. He questioned as to why I made him watch it. He was so young and innocent. Why would a mom intentionally make her child fear people?

Why would a mom intentionally take away that innocence? It is so precious. The child with no fear of this world. No fear. If only we could all live with that same innocence and not be taken advantage of.

That brings me to another side of this. Senior citizens. They are also taken advantage of. They grew up in a world of trust. The hand shake to seal a contract. But that is not the way it is today. The world has changed. Not for the better. Today we all have to take precautions. We all have to be careful. As HubbyHoney says, "Trust but verify." Ronald Reagan?

Just to say, no matter how much our young puppy wants out to go play, how cute she is zooming around with no idea of any dangers, she must always be watched over and protected. Children you can only protect for a short while. They will eventually go out into the world on their own. You can only hope that while they were in your control you taught them the things that will protect them and get them by in this world.

Pretty much, it's all a matter of prayer. You can only do what you feel is best, then it's out of your hands. I pray for my adult children daily.

New Year, New Life

2009-01-23T17:53:00.000-08:00

What can I say. Hmmm. Life is so interesting. Just when you think you have things figured out, well, you find you don't. What's the saying? "If you want to hear God laugh, tell him your plans"?? So, we are off to a new adventure. HubbyHoney got laid off from his job last Friday. First time in 30 years that he has no job. What an awakening. Literally. Every morning now him waking up and not knowing what to do for the day.

Just when I was starting to get back to normal. Walking again. Slowly, very slowly, but really walking!

So, what now?

The job market here in Reno is really bad. It definitely is not retirement time. Not when you have four horses, four dogs, and two cats to feed.

So, what now?

Pray!!!

Then only time will tell.

Mark Harris: One True God

2009-01-18T11:39:00.000-08:00

Song for Sunday, January 18, 2009

2009 Oh My (Really)

2009-01-02T11:16:00.000-08:00

Well here we are and it is the year of ??? I have no idea, ask the Chinese or some other ethnic group all I know is that we are on a road less traveled or should I say not traveled at all.

New job, taking care of Dads stuff and wind from HELL today, door blew open at 4:11 am, dogs ran out, papers flying around the house, cats scattered, and Gamma is working on the new idea of walking. Other than that in just 18 more days we have a new president, pray for him but mostly pray for our country.

"Trust but verify" One of our greatest Presidents coined that phrase and at this time we must trust and depend on time to verify(scared, very scared)

Sorry but I can't help myself I do get political from time to time, but with jobs here getting scarce and kids and grand kids depending on the school system of three different states, God help us all!

OK, enough of that, we look forward to a great year and acknowledge the fact that we are BLESSED and all things will work out.

Gamma continues to improve and is that close to walking, the dogs, cats and horse are all healthy and I have a job, so we are truly BLESSED!

Have a great new year and may God richly Bless you and yours.

Christmas day 2008

2008-12-25T12:34:00.000-08:00

Well, how do I express my feelings, Dad always loved Christmas, I did not. He made sure we had presents under the tree even when we had no money, he cooked special dinners and made his famous fudge, yum, yum.

This Christmas Day, I'm cooking a ham and remembering the sounds of Mom and Dad in the kitchen, laughing and arguing about how much of this and that to put into the meal, the sounds and smells of Christmas, tho this is not my favorite time of year, this year I honor my parents, listening to carols and reflecting on the good times we had when I was young.

We have Christmas snow this morning so that makes it special, Dad always wished for a white Christmas.

We are blessed as a family and to have had two such special people in our life makes this road we travel that much more enjoyable.

Merry Christmas Mom and Dad!

Chris Rice: Untitled Hymn

2008-12-14T08:17:00.000-08:00

Song for Sunday, December 17, 2008: Dedicated to Rev. William R. Cooke (Papa):

Song for Sunday December 7 (Just a couple days late)

2008-12-09T17:46:00.000-08:00

Life just has not been simple lately.

I thought I was back to having a song for Sunday. Then once again, life decided to change my plan. On Saturday evening HubbyHoney's dad ended up in the hospital. So Sunday, I was not thinking at all about the blog.

He was at a Christmas party when he experienced dizziness and then vomiting. He was taken to the emergency room at the local hospital. It was believed he had an anurisun (sp). He was then transferred to the medical center at Stanford University. The bleeding in his head has now apparently stopped on its own, and the hospital is just keeping him to observe to be sure. At this time he is stable and hopefully getting out of ICU this evening.

Once again it is time to thank everyone for their prayers.

Hopefully next Sunday there will once again be a song.

Ahhhhh!

2008-12-01T17:28:00.000-08:00

One good thing about having a building fall on me is that I get to work at home. A real, legitimate, job at home. After the horse shelter collapsed on me, my boss and I had talked about how I could still do my work. He and the board president decided the easiest thing would be for me to have my work computer here at home. Hubby Honey could pick up and deliver the work.

My dream come true. As my son said, "Mom, seems you could have found an easier way to be able to work at home. Having a building fall on you seems a bit extreme."

I would have to agree, but it worked. In no way did I plan for this to happen. I'll sure take the good with the bad though.

So working at home. Ahhhhh! I still don't have all my energy, guess my bones are taking some of it to heal. But still, I could get used to this. Last week I put in a little over eighteen hours . Today, about four. Doesn't sound like many hours. But no distractions. All that time was on work. No chit chat with talkative employees. I won't mention any names. No office full of people not talking to me, but being disruptive. Ahhhhhh! If only I can find a way to make this permanent.

I could even see my horses out the window. I actually have a window to see out of. My office at work is basically in a big closet. No windows! I am a claustrophobic. I have a hard time without a window. I had been dealing with it, but sure prefer being able to see what's happening outside.

Hubby Honey just brought me dinner. Guess I'll go eat. I mean sit here and eat. No, I am not getting spoiled. Well, yes I am, but this part I really don't like. We always do the meal thing together. I will be very glad to be able to be back to sharing all the chores this place of ours requires.

Countdown: Five more weeks to putting pressure on my leg.

Thanks again for all the prayers.

Santus Real: Whatever You're Doing

2008-11-30T16:24:00.000-08:00

Song for Sunday, November 30, 2008

I'm Alive!

2008-11-29T09:53:00.000-08:00

Reno Gamma here. I know it's been awhile since I've been here to add to the blog. Hubby Honey (Gimpa Jon) has had to take over for a little while.

I am here today only by the grace of God. Hubby Honey and I are truly blessed! I am alive! Someday I may go into detail about how it feels to know I came really close to not being around anymore. Maybe the day I am finally able to take a walk with Hubby Honey and go take a look at the horse shelter that collapsed on me. I feel that will be a pretty emotional day.

Is this the end of my horse life? I hope not. I may never ride again, but I can still be involved with them. My neighbor says in eight weeks she is bringing her nice, calm mare down here, and we are going for a ride in the desert. I don't know about that. Wish I could say yes, loud and clear, YES! But, I can't. Being hurt is not fun. Oh, to be young again. To be able to fall down and get right back up and try again. But, I am not giving up, I am just getting up alot slower, taking alot more time to decide about the trying again. Somewhere inside I do feel like I will be back up on another horse. It wasn't a horse that did this to me. It's that fear factor of getting hurt again. Being on a horse there is always a possibility for an accident. Post tramatic stress syndrome? I'm sorry I don't sound very "up" today. But, I am alive! I will walk again. I am very happy!

I really want to thank all of you who prayed for me. Hope you all are having a great Thanksgiving Day Weekend.

Reno Gamma

Where Do I Start?

2008-11-28T11:40:00.000-08:00

What a time we have had around here! As all our family knows we had a "No Good Very Bad Day" Nov 8 the day that at least around here will live in infamy!!!

We managed to move the blasted horse shelter some 50 ft. and then the last 2 inches got us, down it came. I managed to act like a 7th grade football player doing the monkey roll, only Reno Gamma wasn't as lucky as me. I got hit in the back of the foot while she, she got crushed under the entire thing!

Now for the "Rest of the story" The SCREAM, that sound will haunt me for the rest of my life, my wife, my beloved wife was trapped!!! I knew in an instant that she was hurt and being as clostraphobic as she is time was out of the question. Her biggest fear in life is being trapped some where that she can't see out of, or move.

"Jon Get Me Out Of Here!!!" Those were her exact words, as I came sliding to a stop next to where she was pinned I could see her face down and folded up like, I don't know how to describe it, it just looked unatural.

I tried to lift the roof but was not able, I grabbed a pole and with the help of 1000 or more angels managed to lift the roof just enough that Gamma was able to crawl out, one arm and one leg of no use and all I could do was lift and PRAY.

Now the real work started, first thing was to make sure she wasn't bleeding to death, nothing,nada so I gathered up our 2 helpers, Buster and Bear they were still in the pen with us and I had to get Gamma up to the house which would mean opening up the pen. God bless those 2 it was as if they knew something was wrong, they walked calmly to where I opened up Cookie's pen and she just stood there no running and bucking as would be the norm, just stood still while Buster and Bear came in for a visit.

I got the hay cart and pulled Gamma up to the house.

The dogs, what about the dogs. Bob, well he was going to make sure that Gamma was ok, thats his self appointed job, mamas protecter, the rest of them well they just want to help, in any way possible( mostly they are just in the way) I simply walked to the door to the back room and they all followed, just walked in and then Gamma could get into the house.

The steps! How do you get up the steps into the house when one arm doesn't work and one leg just hangs there? One butt cheek at a time.

In the house I was able to get a better look at her shoulder, that was all she would let me see, "Don't touch my knee" This was bad I figured she either had a broken collar bone or a dislocated shoulder. ER time.

How do get down the steps with one arm and one leg that just hangs there? One butt cheek at a time.

Fast forward, 12 hours latter we found out the whole story. Broken collar bone, shoulder blade and rib on the right side and crushed knee on the left side. Xrays and CAT scans,the same things they do for car wrecks, seat belts will do the same damage, but to the Dr's. amazement no internal injuries, no bleeding into the lungs and liver, kidneys working normal and no signs of damage to the heart muscle.

Back to the house and again I ask the same question, but you already know the answer. One butt cheek at a time.

Now what? What can we do? How do we do what we do? Well, we figured out how to do the normal things in life, I can cook for her, she can eat, I can feed all the critters (even change the cat box) ahh but going pee... well that took a bit of creative thinking, no I will spare you the details but think about it how do you when you don't have a bed pan and can't get on one anyway?

Surgey has come and gone, a steel plate and 8 screws latter, 16 staples removed and physical therapy started, a wheel chair and a path aroud the house, oh and by the way ONE TOUGH OLD BIRD cooks her own breakfast and lunch while I'm at work and is working her job at home, left handed and in a wheel chair that she runs around in opening doors for the dogs and getting people their pay checks, requesting little and doing a lot. God I love her!

6 weeks, just 6 weeks then the world had best watch out cause Reno Gamma will be back on her feet and me well I can go back to doing my part of the deal without worring about doing her part too, but most of all I will be able to hug her when I want and won't have to worry about bumping her arm in the middle of the night, I'll be able to hug her!

In the mean time, I'm off to fix nachos, the guacamole mix is in the fridge, how it will taste I have no clue,Gamma makes that, I did my best to follow the directions and well I need a little help on picking out the avacodos!

Happy Thanksgiving, We are blessed and so are you!

Third Day: The Tunnel

2008-11-02T09:05:00.000-08:00

Song for Sunday, November 2, 2008

Another Song for Sunday

2008-10-26T17:07:00.000-07:00

I found this song one day when I was flipping through radio stations just trying to find something, anything that reached my (soul?). Something that calmed and soothed. This song definitely did. I've been with that station every since that day. I've even given a monthly pledge to keep them (hopefully) on the air. The station is KLOVE. Don't know if it's in your area, but talks to me everyday. Supports my faith, and keeps my faith. Songs like this, well, what can I say?

Song for Sunday

2008-10-26T16:36:00.000-07:00

OK this one is for me, Gimpa, I know the story is sad, but the meaning hits home. It Is Well With My Soul! Anything that comes along a river of peace will bring comfort and when you walk thru Hell it will work out

This is for HubbyHoney (GimpaJon) because of what is going on with his job right now.

Home!!

2008-10-25T14:18:00.000-07:00

I got home Monday from a visit to my dads and what a welcome I got. The dogs greeted me like a lost people, even BB came running up for a scratch and pet, the puppy about killed me with her joy, what a great feeling, well alittle pain from all the bites and scratches, but just the same a warm welcome home.

I got home before Rindy, but when she got home we went for a walk, the dogs bouncing and barking the horses running and bucking, what a sight and feeling. It's great to visit kin folk but even better to be home.

Feeding time was special too Cookie took care to take a big bite of hay out of my hand and Buster and Bear bounced around like they were new foals again stirring up a cloud of dust. Even Fitzin was glad to see me, good to be missed by the ones you love and the ones that love you, even if it is only at feeding time!

Good to be home!

Oh Gamma brought home another treasure and we have been working on it today . Pictures will be posted as soon as I get new BATT%$#ES how I hate that, dead $%&&$%(!@ when you want to take pictures( you should see the one I want to take of the puppy, sorry)

Well enough excitement for now, other than to welcome a new member to the Cooke clan today a baby girl Isabella Marie Cooke, welcome.

A visit to Dads

2008-10-21T15:19:00.000-07:00

I got home yesterday after a few days visiting my dad, we had a good time and Jonathan and Kristen brought William up to visit also. Jonathan and I spent the better part of the day working on replacing some plastic in Grandpas poarch windows, alot of help from a young man goes along way(yes I'm still stiff and sore) William, I prefer to call him Lil Bear, and I had a great time playing all kinds of games and chasing each other around the house. It took him awhile to warm up to me, he hasn't seen me for a long time, but once he realized I was ok we got along great.(THIS WOULD BE A HINT TO ALL IT'S BEEN TO LONG SINCE WE'VE SEEN GRAND KIDS) that was just a side note.

Back to the story. Some how I beat Gamma home and was greeted like a long lost people by the dogs,(got the scratches to prove it) even the cats seemed to be glad I was home, they both slept on my feet all night long. Cookie greeted me mouth wide open waiting for her hay and Buster and Bear stomped and snorted, I guess I was slow with their hay, anyway it's great to be home and Gamma was glad to see me too, she jumped out of her truck and gave me, well, we will leave it at that.

We put the first coat of varnish on the sec. desk today and it looks good we will post pictures when it dries and we have it back in the house.

Part Two: sub title Bellas Big Day:

Today Bella was allowed to be a big dog, she got to be outside for a couple of hours with the other dogs and no people(well we did keep an eye on her) she got to go down to the horse pens with BB and Niki and pick a few apples out(could be an interesting night) run after some birds and bark at Cookie when she did't go where Bella thought she should. Cookie laughed. The door is wide open with the wind from the north and the sun from the west, alas tired and happy Bella is sound asleep under the bed.

Sunday Visitors

2008-10-13T17:38:00.001-07:00

You have family, step-family, in-laws, out-laws, and rif raf. These guys are the rif raf. The coyotes, not the horses.

Finally got these guys on camera.

These are our occasional visitors. Reluctantly, we let them come in for water. We had some snow this weekend (just a little), but before that, we hadn't had any measurable rain for about four months. Could we really chase them away? They only come for the water.

Just hope they don't end up with more than the water. We keep a very close eye on Bella, and the cats. And, actually, on Bob. He is getting pretty old, just like Gimpa and I. We all don't move quite as fast as we used to.

Need a Smile?

2008-10-13T17:33:00.001-07:00

Here's one from God.

My Sunday

2008-10-05T18:56:00.000-07:00

I've been busy typing a disturbing story for a guy at work.

It's been a good day and a great weekend.

Oh oh, oh my. Got to go. Gimpa shaved. He has lips!

Sunday Night

2008-10-05T18:08:00.000-07:00

Well it's Sunday Night, a day full of to much to eat!!! Boy was that good.

Bella is working on being a dog instead of a puppy, no bells tonite and this morning off the leash longer than normal.

gamma is busy typing a book for a guy she works with and me, I'm trying to get over the tri tip I cooked this afternoon,sleepy, oh yea kind of like Thanksgiving only I ate more.

William where are you? Gamma is trying to record a few shows to watch when I go to Great Grampas and you are the only one who has ever recorded anything on our sat. T.V.(we are still trying to get rid of Mattlock!!!)

We did get a little rain Fri. night and we had to light a fire yesterday(very early in the year for that, the fire I mean.)

Not much else to add other than tomarrow is Oct.6...I miss you MOM!!

Cease Fire, We Have Rain...Sort of

2008-09-29T19:39:00.000-07:00

Ok Gamma and I have a cease fire going, forcast for rain... 130+ days without any will bring all sides together, ah alas a 3ft circle with only 37 drops in it(actual count) does not count as rain, rest assured the truce still stands but we are gathering allies against the evil weather man who keeps promising RAIN and delivers only drops...

I can't believe I pray for rain, the pollen around here is so thick you can see it and the desert floor is so dry I'm afarid to fa%$# for fear that I will add to the explosive enviorement.

Rain, Rain, if I could do a rain dance I would but as you all know by now I'm white(and proud of it) and I can't dance, or jump, not a step, but how I wish it would rain!

P.S. Bella thought all 37 drops were, well interesting, chase or run, didn't have much of a chance to decide, they dried up really fast, but that was the first time she had to shake rain off.

"This Means War"

2008-09-28T17:09:00.001-07:00

Many years ago I had passion for a group that had an album by the same name,but I'll take the liberty to use the title

Gamma fired the first shot and I will return fire, if only I could think of a list for her!

Gamma's list:
1Do the dishes, oh wait, I messed them up, sooooo...
2Laudry, wait,I do my own(my choice)
3OH THE H*&%with it I LOVE that Woman and I make more of a mess than she does!!!
4Finish your next book, Love the story line!

War is On

2008-09-28T15:16:00.000-07:00

I'm back.

Now maybe we can't miss the HubbyHoney Do List.

Problem though. I think I started a war. HubbyHoney was just talkin bout a Gamma List.

OH NO!

Updated the HubbyHoney do List

2008-09-28T14:55:00.000-07:00

Wow, the summer just zoomed by. It and Bella have alot in commom. Zoom Zoom!

So, today I updated the HubbyHoney do list. There's always next year, right?

Bella is finally loosing her puppy fangs. For a while she had all double teeth. That was quite a mouth full for her. She's down to only one lower puppy fang left. But sure looks funny to have the two teeth side by side. Really looked funny with all eight. If we'd had batteries for the camera, we could have gotten some pictures.

Hopefully, one of us will remember batteries soon. It's truly amazing how many great pictures you feel like you miss when you can't use the camera. Yes, like the lizard on the screen that Bella was trying to play with. In reality, by the time we could have gotten the camera and been ready to take the picture, the lizard would have run away. But, it was a cute thought.

Need to go find how to move the HubbyHoney Do List up so HubbyHoney can actually find it. Now wonder we didn't get much done on it, it's too far towards the bottom of this page to see.

I'll be back!

Our Life

2008-09-27T19:34:00.000-07:00

I tried to take some pictures today of the things I love the most around here, does anyone remember the phrase "batteries not included" well I do now, so use your imagination, the covey of quail flying away from Miss. Zoom Zoom (aka Bella) her first try at hunting must have been 50 or more, good year for babies. The rabbit left without a trace, but the stick got chewed into little pieces, go figure. Back to the pictures I missed, the baby lizzard teasing Bella on the other side of the screen, who would have thought a lizzard and a dog would play together, as long as they have a screen between them, should have seen it, oh I was going to take some pictures!

Gamma and Bear, I can't even begin to describe that, except to say she looks really good on him!!!

Niki teaching Bella the way in and out of the horse pens, not really a good thing but funny just the same, bouuncing over(or in the case of Bella) under the pannels, how I wish I had batteries.

4 dogs, 2cats, saddly 4 horse, yes we have pictures to share, if only I could remember the D..#$ BATTERIES

Goodbye Sweet D Pictures

2008-09-21T15:18:00.000-07:00

A Good Bye To Sweet D

2008-09-21T13:14:00.000-07:00

Gamma and I said goodbye to Sweet D yesterday, no she is doing fine she just went to a new home.

The unfortunate facts of life sometimes get in the way of plans. With the lowering of my income and Gamma going back to work we did not have the time to do her justice, so the decision was made to let someone else share in her life. We met a really nice couple that we feel will really be a good fit.

Genny and Sweet D connected right off the bat with Sweet D letting her rub her side and kisses were exchanged, we know that she is going to be happy in her new place.

As we began the process of loading her I felt a little strange knowing that I was helping her get into that big scary cave to go for a ride to a strange place to live with strange people. Will we ever see her again? We have a standing invitation to drop by and visit, will we I don't know, goodbyes suck bad enough the first time to risk the emotions of a second?

Gamma and I have a wonderful life and family, our human family is important to us, healthy and happy, Grand kids growing like weeds, but our kids at this point of our lives are our animals and when you send one off to college it leaves a empty place in your heart(and an empty pen)

So we say bye and may you find good sweet hay and cool clear water and new friends to take for long rides and enjoy new things along the way!

The Morining After The Day Before

2008-09-14T17:31:00.000-07:00

What does it mean to be an "Old Fart" let me count the ways.
1) The things you did yesterday hurt more than Advil can take care of.
2) The things you did yesterday cause certain parts of your body to look different than they did.
3) The puppy is ten times hevier than she was yesterday.
4) The T.V. has to be that much louder.
5) Do you realize how far it is to the bathroom? I do now.
6) Taking the puppy for a walk is work.
7) Did you know football is on all day on Sunday? I do now.
8) Nap time is a good thing, not for the kid(or puppy) but for you.
9) I forgot this one but that goes along with the rest of the theme. Oh yea memory that was it, but I forgot what I was going to say.
10) Sorry but gotta go gotta go right now!!!

Well now sometimes I crack myself up but the real truth is more of the top 10 than you know is true! (I'll be right back gotta go)

Reality is as you get older you figure out what is important and what doesn't matter, with the weekend's storm in Tx and having even more family than I was aware of the mondane things of feeding and walking the dog's, making sure every one has water and so forth, hearing voices on the other end of the line brings life into prospective.

Happy B-Day to me! All is well with my family!!

Cat 2 vs Cat 3

2008-09-14T12:40:00.000-07:00

What is the true difference between a Cat 2 hurricane and Cat 3 hurricane? Yes, I know there are real standards for each. Maybe based on wind speed?

But when you are where the hurricane is, what is the difference? Maggie said if this was only a Cat 2, she would never want to be in a Cat 3. She was thinking this would just be a good way to have a hurricane party and maybe miss a couple days work without recourse. She was wrong. She said if there is ever another hurricane coming that is close to a Cat 2, she's gone. This was one big scary "&((mailto:*#@%&*%$*&^)$#@43728*^&*" storm!

Arlo said, "This is awesome!" That was his first text message to me. As he drove around and saw more and more of the damage, reality started to hit. He said his friend and he had gotten a motel room where they thought they would be safe. Then they had gone to a friend's house to play Nintendo. After the storm's main hit, they headed back to the motel room. They couldn't get the door open. They went and got the manager to help open the door. When the door finally was opened, Arlo was in total amazement. The ceiling to their room had collapsed. He said Nintendo saved his life. If they hadn't gone to play Nintendo, they would have been that room. They could have been squished under that ceiling.

The power of nature!

Maggie just called. She is still totally awed by what this storm did. She is also questioning her preparation for getting through the aftermath. She stocked up on food. She didn't think about the part of no electricity for maybe a couple weeks. Her food needs refrigeration and then a way to cook it. Hamburger doesn't last long in 85 degree temperatures. No air conditioning, so the inside temperature matches the outside temperature.

Now no Maggie. Phone service is still very irratic. She did say her dad, uncle, and grandpa are all okay. That is very good. Still no word on Layla and Aurora. Hopefully we will hear from Arlo soon.

On to other things. Today is HubbyHoney's birthday. Time to do some barbeque. Good food! Yeah!

Oh, by the way. We just lost power. I was doing laundry, and the TV is on, and two computers, and the freezer, and the living room fan, and the phones. HubbyHoney went down and flipped a switch and our power was back. It's so great to have our own power system. Yesterday, Arlo was telling me he was sure wishing he had our generator.

Bye for now.

Hallelujah!

2008-09-13T20:08:00.000-07:00

You just don't know how upset you might be about something until it's over. I was fine until I heard from both my kids. Then I kinda fell apart. Thank goodness for HubbyHoney. He took control and let me fall apart for awhile.

I am just so thankful by kids are okay.

So here's this song again. I hope.

Thank you for your prayers

2008-09-13T18:16:00.000-07:00

Both my kids, plus my ex-husband and my ex-family are in Houston, Texas. Gimpa Jon (aka HubbyHoney) sent out emails yesterday to all for prayers. Thank you for those prayers.

Arlo, my son, has called a minimum of three times today to let me know he is okay and what he is seeing in the aftermath of the storm. Thank God for my son and his acknowledgement that a mom needs to know her children are okay. He always comes through when there is a situation. I don't know how to say that in a clearer way. Just, thank you Arlo!

I have not yet heard from my daughter. It is now 6:30 pm.

Wait!! Just got a call from Maggie. She is fine. Her place is fine, just alot of fallen trees, so she couldn't get out of her apartment complex. She has no electricity, so doesn't know what is happening. No TV or radio, except now in her car.

Thank you God!

Will now wait to hear about any of the ex-family. They may be ex, but are still an important part of my life because they are still my family.

So, once again, thank you for your prayers!

It's still 9/11

2008-09-11T17:01:00.000-07:00

Maybe?

Still Trying

2008-09-11T16:48:00.000-07:00

Still trying to see if we can get a youtube video on here.

Yes?!

Do You Rember?

2008-09-10T20:54:00.000-07:00

Do you remember 9/11/2001? I do!!!That morning I was on vacation, taking an extra day off for my b-day weekend, my mom called and said "Turn on your t.v we are under attack" how she knew I was home only God knows, but we talked and then joined in prayer for our President Gerorge W. Bush (and thanked God that he was the Comander in Chief) Ok here is where you have to use your imaganation, those of us that are tech. challagened tried and it was a great idea...Didn't work so... insert Darryl Worley's " Do You Remember" Close your eyes and picture what you saw and felt... insert, Toby Keith's "Angry American"! another view of what we, or should I say I felt!!!

Now you can relax, I won't get to political (Gamma say's I do that from time to time) but, if you will, try Lee Greenwoods "God Bless The USA" you will know a little more about how I feel!

God Bless Us One And All!!!

Sunday Afternoon

2008-09-07T21:16:00.000-07:00

Good Mouse

I caught that mouse. Hah!

Wait! It's getting away. I'll just ignore it so I can sneak up on it.

Getting closer. Still ignoring.

Hah! Caught that mouse again.

My Turn

2008-09-07T20:13:00.000-07:00

My turn to see if I can get some pictures on here. Gimpa and I have been having problems getting this to work. Our digital camera takes great pictures, but finding the pictures in the computer to put them anywhere is very difficult for us. Has to be the software, can't be we are totally technically challenged. Could it? Naw.

It's a miracle. It worked!

Somebody have a clue why it finally worked? I don't. I just know it did.

Gammas latest treasure

2008-08-24T13:12:00.000-07:00

We call this the rifle desk for two reasons we know we will be rifling through it to find stuff and she got it on the day of the rifle guy down by work. Yes it really is black and red and white and yellow and real oak!

My question is who in their right mind would take a wonderful piece of wood like this and torture it? I mean they had to be republican right as opposed to a democrat, I mean think of Gitmo they don't torture but this was torture in the truest since of the word and all of us know that only a republican like G.W. would allow such things to take place. Nancy on the other hand would't have even allowed the tree to be cut down in the first place after all she does have a planet to save, got to love her like I love the damn coyotees that keep waking us up in the middle of the night sounding like they are right out side the door(actually have seen them within 25 ft of the front door)

OK back to the real reason for this post here are some pictures of before and in progress as the after will have to wait until we can get to the beginning, so to speek.

Boys and girls don't try this at home(disclamier form can be found,but don't know where) oops picture in the upper left corner was suppose to be here but I'm still learning and hey Gamma finally after three days of telling me I could name the pictures I figured out she meant the pictures not the group, got to love that woman!!!( never mind we figuered this out,sort of)

Yes, that is a work in progress and as you can see it is going to be beatuiful when we get done.

B.O. says we need CHANGE, well hell yeh and here is the change that is needed! We still have a long way to go but the trip is worth the cost $21.00 gto to love that Gamma.

This a preview of what the bottom layer looks likes.

Just for giggles and grins and a little more practice at putting pictures in here try these. Aren't they cute!

17 And Counting

2008-08-19T16:36:00.000-07:00

Can you believe Gamma and I just celebrated our 17 years together since we first moved in together? I can't, seems just like yesterday that I carried her across the threshold of the house we rented on Palace St. in Salem, and every Aug. 15 I carry her across the threshold this year was no different, well I actually had to give her a piggyback ride due to the wrist injury and I didn't want to drop my precious cargo.

I was right(as always) Gamma isn't done bringing stuff home from work yet, our most resent prize is an antique ice box and yes we will post before and after pictures, ahh but wait that's not all even today the gal at the front desk softly called"Dorinda( Gamma to all who know her as Rindy) we have something for you" alas she had tagged an old secretary type desk with a pull down door and a bunch of cubbies and shelves for her and it comes home on payday.

I got this phone call that was first interrupted by a Gamma warning that the store was under lock down because of a man walking around with a loaded rifle and the cops wanted everyone to stay inside, oh, and don't come down here because they won't let you in the area... bad word, bad word... all ended well and the SWAT team got the guy who had found a store with an open door and taken a hostage but no one was hurt...good word, good word. I am just so thankful that Gamma is safe and had the foresight to tell all to keep the doors locked and stay away from the windows and for the gal who had the sense to tell the cops she heard a shot and the direction it came from, may he rot in jail!!!!

Killing Brain Cells, but having fun

2008-08-03T15:06:00.000-07:00

With all the new to us furniture that Gamma has brought home we have been having a blast finding hidden treasures under layers of paint and stains, the biggest problem has been where to do all the stinky things with chemicles to remove and refinish, outside today is close to 100 with avery hot dry wind out of the southwest and with all the windows open we still have alot of fumes in the house but to try and do any of this outside its not possible what with the wind and heat drying things out way to fast and dust and things flying around wet varnish is the worlds most powerful magnet.

The dogs are not real happy either as they have to stay outside until things dry enough to be moved back to where they go and Niki's tail wont stick to tacky varnish(been down that road and it isn't a fun ride.)

Gamma thinks with her latest SCORE that she might be down for a while(I'll bet on that one) A wonderful Armore(or however the hell you spell it) must have weighed a ton and even after we took all the drawers and door off and out(BBQ lingo) it still was a challange to get it out of the truck and into the house let alone down the hall, around the corner and into the bedroom, but alas Gamma is happy and that makes it all worth while.

Still Alive and Kicking(well sort of)

2008-07-27T17:45:00.000-07:00

Ok so it's been along time since we've updated, so just to get you up to date Gamma surrived the flu or whatever it was back in June, she is doing fine, actually more than fine lots of new to us furniture to fix and redo, just alittle updating of the place.

I on the other hand have been trying to work to many hours and with the 4 day weekend we have(we were going to Tulare but when the truck broke down that put a stop to that) so in a stupid moment, nothing new for me, I got dumped on my head, ass over tea kettle over the head of our little princess Cookie, bare back at feeding time with the hose filling the water bucket, pump goes off hose jumps out of tank and horse and rider go seperate ways and ended up with a slight concusion and a wrist that hardly looks like it should(size does make a difference) I actually had to call in sick...

Sooo, we are here enjoying our time off and just being together, working on things around here and I've got to say God bless Gamma she won't let me lift anything, I knew she was strong, and I've finally learned not to mess with her(a really bad headache and a swift smack up the side will learn you quick)

Been awhile

2008-06-07T17:51:00.000-07:00

Been awhile since I've posted,sorry bout that I know how you must miss my wit and humor, ok that was suppose to be a joke. Alas it's been awhile since I've had to deal with a sick wife, yes Reongamma is not feeling very good!!!

Last night I stood and watched as gamma not only drove the porcilin bus, but gave amage to the porcilin gods, yes she was that sick, don't think it was my cooking but does make a mind think about the fridge being out.

Today she is just kind of, well how do you say not up to being herself. Not that it's really an issue as we go by the three day rule, so she has untilTues. to be back on her feet, until then I will give her a break.

Other news in the making, well not much, with the exception of the guy at one of our suppliers for work was interested in buying one of our horses, that is until he and his wife(a nurse) and daughter( the prospect for the new horse) were the first arrive upon a grizzly scene, a horse spooked and jumped into traffic and was hit by an oncoming car. Not a pretty picture, both horse and rider died, the horse put down by a police officer at the scene and the rider three days latter in the hospital(toss one back towards heaven for her) now the horse thing is gone for the daughter, for now.

Grandpa got ripped off again, if only I could get my hands on those bas.....s, hopefully the feds will do something this time but I'm not holding my breath, so again we start a new account process. Heavy sigh...

Got to go feed now, Gamma is asleep again, sort of, I think this is going to be a long night again.

Gimpa

Aren't they cute?

2008-05-31T12:27:00.000-07:00

Good thing I went to work

2008-05-31T12:01:00.000-07:00

Since I went to work I have received two paychecks. Hooray!

Since I went to work the brakes on my truck totally started growling and had to all be replaced.

Since I went to work our refrigerator quit working. Can it be fixed? Don't know yet. Hubby Honey is going to tear it apart to see.

To replace it we would have to spend a minimum or $600. That's for a small, very basic refrigerator. Would our power system support a regular electric refrigerator? Don't know. We had a very small (2 cubic feet) one we tried to use to supplement our current one. That small one took too much power and kept running our batteries down.

But the new ones today are supposed to be very energy efficient. Sure would hate to spend $600 or more to find out it wouldn't work with our power system though. The refrigerator we have now (the one that's not working) cost $800 ten years ago. Haven't checked yet to see how much another propane one would cost today.

So there go my first two paychecks, plus more. Good thing I like my job. Good thing I had my job.

Where does the time go?

2008-05-28T20:59:00.000-07:00

Time has sure been flying lately.

Just saw on TV the conference finals for basketball are on June 5th. June 5th is not very far away. June sounds like it should be way away. But it sure isn't.

So where'd the time go?

I don't really know.

Haven't been working with the horses much since I went back to work. That wasn't the plan. It's a part-time job. Or, it was supposed to be. It was supposed to leave time for the horses. The hours should start to get less. Training is pretty much over, now it's just getting a routine established and fix some problems.

The weather has been very unpredictable so has made it difficult to have any consistancy with the horses. One weekend of 90+ degrees then back to snow. This must be the high desert.

We did get some of our horse pens and shelters moved around. Trying to get some fresh pen areas open. We aren't done moving things around yet. Every year those panels and shelters seem to get heavier and heavier, and way more awkward to move. Couldn't be we are getting older and weaker, could it?

Can't think about that. But, we are grandparents now.

Okay, hope to be getting some new pictures up soon.

Time for bed, have to get up and go to work tomorrow. Yuck! Not really, I am actually enjoying my job.

Goodnight!

Happy Birthday!

2008-05-24T06:41:00.000-07:00

Happy Birthday to: Reno Gamma, Andrew, Tori and Bear...

May you all have a wonderful day! Here in Reno it's raining so I'm sure that it's raining in Oregon also, oh well we are going to have a good day any way, sort of, Gamma just said something about moving panels down at the horse pen, that sounds like work to me...

Lani and Jonathan's Nana went home this week and they are in Texas with their mom and the rest of her family, I pray that it's not raining on them.

Don't have much else to say right now but I more than likely will later, so in the mean time Happy Birthday to all.

Where'd the time go?

2008-05-15T17:01:00.000-07:00

It's been a while since I posted here. Didn't realize it had been so long.

Went to another horse clinic this past weekend. Getting ready to go to that took some time and energy. Then rethinking everything that happened in the prep to go, then in being there really took some time and lots of energy. Pretty draining!

I can't say the experience was all pleasurable.

I had planned on going to this clinic as an auditor. This was the Level II of the clinic we had just gone to some of. Just going to watch and listen. At the last minute Hubby Honey and I decided it might be worth taking Cookee. She has been through the ground work for the Level I of this clinic twice. Besides, it would really be good for her after what happened trying to get her into a trailer for that other Level I.

We were going to rent a trailer this time instead of depending on someone else. The trailer was booked up through the weekend. Back to plan "F".

I'd just go as an auditor. No problem.

Then the lady leading the clinic said, "Why didn't we use her truck and trailer so I could bring Cookee."

Very, VERY, big mistake!

We had an "oops" with the trailer and put a foot and a half to a two foot scrape in the running rail, about an inch deep. Cosmetic only, but a very, VERY, big mistake. This happened on the evening we picked it up, on our way home, when we stopped to get gas for her truck.

Then, the next morning, once again, Cookee would not load. She had been in this trailer before. We really thought without a strange horse up front, and no lamb smell, she'd be a champion, and go right in. But, no.

Soooooo, I ended up at the clinic with no horse, and a horse trailer with a huge booboo.

Not a fun way to start my day.

Then I had to tell the lady about her trailer. It definitely was not fun at all after that. Talk about it being cold. I still keep trying to figure if the feeling was coming from me, was I just being defensive? Or, was this lady really angry? Was it other stuff going on that made her seem so cranky? Was I just being defensive? I still don't have the answer. This may take me awhile to come to terms with.

I did have fun for awhile. One of the other people at the clinic let me use one of her horses for a day. So, it wasn't totally bad.

We still have to deal with getting the trailer fixed. There have been issues with that already. Hmmmmm. My dad always said, "Neither a borrower nor a lender be." I sure should have listened. But, I so much wanted to take a horse to that clinic.

There is a moral here. Even at my age I should listen to my parents?

Don't know.

Oh, we have decided Cookee's problem might be her teeth. Hubby Honey was checking around in her mouth on Sunday, and came out with a bloody finger. Time for the vet. Once her teeth are worked on, maybe then, we will try the trailering again.

Granddaughter, Tori, and Cookee, both with teething issues.

Hope you both feel better soon!

When did we get so old?

2008-05-06T20:29:00.000-07:00

Just saw some pictures on lainis site, WOW, when did I get so old?

I saw my baby, and her baby. One year old, when did I get so old?

I have Grand kids, some in pre school, some getting close, when did we get so OLD?

I couldn't have been prouder than the day that my kids got married, the love of their lives beside them, and now they have babies of their own. When did I get to be so LUCKY?

Happy birthday Tori and to each of our Grand kids! WE Love You and I still wonder When Did We get to be so fortunate to have Grandkids that look as cute as all of YOU!!!

HAPPY BIRTHDAY TO: Layla,Andrew, Will and Tori, WOW When Did We Get To Be So Fortunate, LOVE YOU ALL.

(Just a hint here WE WANT TO KISS ALL THOSE FACES!!!!)

Rain! Yeah!

2008-05-04T19:39:00.000-07:00

Yeah! We had some rain today!

When we left Oregon I never thought I'd be saying "Yeah for rain!"

We just had the driest March and April on record here in this high desert.

So, Yeah for the Rain!

Back to work tomorrow. I am looking forward to the day when the lady whose place I am taking quits coming in so I can make the job my own. Am seeing some things I'd like to change, but feel like I need to wait. This coming Friday should be her last day. If I have questions after that, I should be able to just call her.

This coming weekend is another horse clinic. This is Level Two. Hubby Honey took Dakota to a Level Two before. Scary, but very impressive! They made it through all the tasks except jumping the barrels. Dakota had just had some chiropractic work done on him, so wasn't supposed to lope or, especially, jump. I was so glad! Dakota jumps straight up in the air. No gentle up and down. Just straight up and you better be prepared and hang on. I was so glad they didn't have to jump!

This weekend will just be to watch. Since we didn't get to the Level One clinic a couple weekends ago we aren't ready for the Level Two. But someday we will make it. Level Two is where you ride bridleless. What fun! Maybe?

Okay, goodnight. Time to get ready for another week of life.

Trailer Loading Made Simp........

2008-04-27T14:59:00.000-07:00

Well, we did it. We got that rascal in the trailer, no pain, no butt ropes, no whips, so what was the big deal?

I have never seen a horse leave a trailer that FAST, Superman was fast but that was then this is now. We went back in a second time and lasted a nano second longer but wow, how fast can you leave, and how far can you jump out of a trailer?

Now we work on the confidence to stay a bit longer and be a LOT more relaxed in the trailer, God smite the idiot who wrecked this horse getting it into a trailer. What they will never know is that they may have not only ruined a great animal but they also put Innocent people in jeopardy by their foolish selfish actions, oh the analogy's I can draw from that relating to everyday life.

Sermon Time:

What you do WILL HAVE A RIPPLE EFFECT. Stop and think a moment, what you do will have an effect on something or someone else. What I do at work effects my boss and his business. What I do in my personal life effects not only my wife but my kids and step kids, everything ties together.

I've had a saying that I try to live by(along with a bunch of others) There is a consequence to everything you do, a good one or a bad one, no matter what, there is a consequence!

Please remember that the next time you want to get something done, no matter the cost, their will be a cost. Maybe more than you are willing to pay.

Bow your heads and pray. Amen.

End of sermon, what a great weekend we had, got the horse safely in the trailer came home and played with all our own horses( the Princess is back to normal) had some great weather, unlike Canada, and Renogamma and I celebrated our 17th year from our first date, wow do I feel GOOD!

Who'd a Thunk

2008-04-25T18:44:00.000-07:00

Okay I may be wearing out the who'd a thunk stuff, but who'd a thunk?

Two weeks ago I had no job except my websites and my writing, which I love, but don't really bring in bunches of money.

Today, I now have two jobs.

Who'd a thunk?

Yesterday, at my new job, one of the ladies there asked me if I would want to do the bookkeeping for her business. Very few hours, but a little more money coming in, so sure thing!

Wow!

From no job to two.

Who'd a thunk!

Back to Work

2008-04-24T19:06:00.000-07:00

I am sort of enjoying being back in the adult world of work. I do miss my animals though.

But adult conversation is good. Did you notice I said conversation? Yes, real live, conversation. Not just talk. An interactive, back and forth, conversation.

Life is good.

The Horse Clinic Is Over

2008-04-21T17:51:00.000-07:00

Too bad we didn't to get to take our horses.

We went for a while today just to watch and listen. The weather actually cooperated today. Because of the weather on Saturday (high winds) and the weather yesterday (very cold with wind) the clinic was going until six this afternoon and then everyone was coming back on Thursday to finish.

The little bit we got to watch helped clear up some questions we had. But there was much we missed by not being there for the whole clinic. And because we didn't have our horses there. Could have been a great learning experience but for some reason just wasn't supposed to happen for us right now.

So now we start the rework process with Cookee. Start from the beginning and fill in the holes in her foundation training which caused her to not load in the trailer this time.

What did we miss? Is it maybe her teeth or some other physical problem? So many questions.

Birthday Wishes To more than I can count

2008-04-20T18:35:00.000-07:00

Happy Birthday to: Dad, Gammas Mom, Maggie, Buster and most importantly, Will aka "Lil Bear" and Layla, aka "The Texas Tornado"

You know you are getting old when your grand kids make sense on the phone... Well, howdy do to being old.

Got more birthdays in the month of April than any other and I did forget to mention a few but I'm sure that my sister will forgive me for not telling the whole world that on the 21st. she will be 46, but then again that would let you know that I'm 6 years older than her,oops... and for any one else that we forgot, well just mark it up to old age and the lack of grand kid visits, hint, hint...

To "The Texas Tornado" and "Lil Bear" Gimpa and Gamma wish you a happy Birthday and please tell your PARENTS TO SEND YOU HERE FOR A VISIT!(just a little hint folks,just a little hint.)

Weekend Natural Horsemanship Clinic

2008-04-20T08:29:00.000-07:00

Well, it figures.

The weather was nice most of the week. (Except Monday when we had really high winds.) Now it's the weekend, and we have a clinic to be at, and the weather was windy yesterday, today it's cold. Below freezing cold.

Oh, well.

Guess it doesn't matter. Cookee, our princess, wouldn't load in the trailer. She didn't know the horse up front. The trailer had been used to haul lambs. She hit her head, twice, pulling back. Poor princess. We tried everyway we knew. We weren't going to beat her or use a butt rope. She's loaded so easily in the past.

Pat and Linda? Clinton? Chris? Craig? Anybody? What went wrong? What should we have done different? She's loaded so easily in the past.

Then there was Bear. He walked right in, sniffed all over, ate some hay. He didn't care about the lamb smell, or the other horse he didn't know, and he didn't hit his head, not even once, let alone twice.

We kept thinking he was going to be our problem, not Miss Cookee, our princess.

But how could we dare think a princess should be put in someplace there might have been a lamb, or there was a horse she didn't know? She'd loaded before with another horse she didn't know.

Who'd a thunk!

Went to Work Today!

2008-04-15T19:09:00.001-07:00

Started my new job today.

I missed all my animals. Yes, the additional money will be nice, but I really missed my animals.

And, I forgot how many office politics there are. And, how much competition, and gossip, and "cat fights". I've been away for a long time.

I guess because the last place I worked was soooo big, and spread out, this same kind of stuff was there, but you could get away from it. In the small office I just started in, I can feel the before mentioned vibes already.

Very interesting.

Am I prepared for this kind of environment? I don't think so. But, this may be why I've been so comfortable being at home just working on the internet. Any "cat fights" were between two real cats or dogs, or horses. When it was done, it was done. No grudges, no retaliation, no back stabbing, no politics.

The games we humans play.

Who'd Ever Thunk

2008-04-13T19:21:00.000-07:00

I totally can not believe what happened yesterday.

Hopefully, you read that I just got a job. A part-time job, which would leave me time for my horses.

Because of my rather sporadic work history at the moment, I promised these people in my two interviews that I was definitely looking for a long-time position. After the first interview, because the interviewer specifically questioned the gaps in the history, and the short time I was at my last two positions, I had emailed him to say, I knew my history was questionable, but I was definitely looking for a long-time position. I once again promised him that in my interview on this last Thursday, and was offered the job.

That was Thursday. Then yesterday, Saturday, my Hubby Honey was offered a position as ranch manager at a natural horsemanship training facility. I could be the bookkeeper, gopher person, part-time. We would live on the ranch. The commute time from the ranch to the job I just accepted would be, well, way overwhelming on a day to day basis. It would be an hour and a half drive, one-way.

What is a person to do? Why can't life just be easy? At least for just a short time?

Cookee's First Trail Ride

2008-04-12T18:41:00.000-07:00

I can't believe that just happened!!!! Gamma and I went for a walk with Bear and Cookee, I got tired of walking and got a burr under my foot, so to speak, anyway I turned Cookee around in the ditch and sidled her up along side me and got on!!!!

What happened next is well not much to write about unless you've been tossed off and are getting on a horse for the first time outside of it's familiar environment, let alone out in the desert and in a ditch to boot.

We went for a nice quiet walk, occasionally looking back to see Bear and Gamma, then walking on to find a new patch of grass or a new sagebrush to scratch on and finally home where she got to be unsaddled while she munched on the unopened bale of hay. Guess you had to be there.

Got to love our horses!

No More Dating, I'm Wed

2008-04-11T16:21:00.000-07:00

How funny is this?

Lani got a job. Part of having a job is the adult contact and interaction in the work place. Adult conversation without being interrupted by children. She was looking forward to that. She is going to be working with children.

I got a job. Part of having a job is the adult contact and interaction in the work place. I was looking forward to that. I am going to be working with animals. Actually, there will be people to have contact with. Twelve people, twenty-five dogs, and thirty cats. I will still be talking with animals.

To Get a Job or To Not Get a Job?

2008-04-10T09:37:00.000-07:00

Yes, that is the question.

I do hope I get this job. It is part-time and would leave me plenty of time for my horses.

It would also give me some people contact. My daughter tells me I need people contact. Aren't animals enough? I can talk to my animals. That was good enough for Dr. Dolittle. My animals try hard to talk back. Okay, maybe I don't understand them as well as Dr. Dolittle, but we do get by.

I know when BB tips the food dish or the water bowl over, she wants food or water. If the dish or bowl wasn't empty before, it is after she tips it over. Right?

When Bob rolls over with his tummy to the sky, and gives me that look, I know he wants his belly rubbed. Or when he just sits there giving me that look, I know he wants his head rubbed.

When Niki jumps up on the edge of the bed in the morning and starts her talking at me, I know it's time to get up and feed the horses.

When Max the cat starts running around my feet and meowing, I know he wants a bite of my lunch, or breakfast, or he wants some canned cat food, or dry food, or maybe some water, or maybe outside. It's at least one of those. Or maybe he wants me to just sit down so he can sleep by me.

Okay, maybe people contact would be good.

At my last job there were plenty of people. Minimum of 100, then up to 300 during the holiday season. People are very interesting.

Yes, it would be a good thing to have some people contact. Wow! Then just think of how much more I would have to talk to my animals about, all the crazy people stories.

This could be fun!

It Was Almost Spring Like Today

2008-04-09T18:36:00.000-07:00

Today I got to spend some time with my horses! Yeah!

The weather was nice enough to go outside for awhile without being cold. The three youngest ones kept crowding each other to get brushed. Must have felt good.

Good news. Lani got a job. No more dating. Another Yeah!

The Great Slate Face Cracks

2008-04-08T19:37:00.000-07:00

Posted by gimpajon
Well, I've been following along with what must be half the nation, Confessions Of A CF Husband and I have to say that tonight I teared up at the update on G&T, Reminded me of my little time ,not nearly as huge as what they are going thru, the time my own little girl arrived early. I got to be the first to see, touch and hold her as she flopped into my hand, no we did not have to spend days and months in the hospital but just the same the fear of all the what ifs... Check that site out and let me know if you can keep a slate face. Bet you can't.

Sorry we don't have a link set up but you can find it on lainers on the go linked here.

As for the horses here, plans are being made to haul to Fallon later this month and we are doing everything we can to try and make the clinic, but with Renogama possibly having to start a new job and my job getting much busier with the start of a major project, schedules could get tight. Will keep you up to date.

In the mean time MY SHOULDER REALLY HURTS FROM THE DANG GONE HORSE BITE!!!

Watch yourself out with them vicious critters. Have fun anyway.

Posted by gimpajon,got to figure this stuf out...

Second Date

2008-04-07T13:38:00.000-07:00

Got the call this morning! My second date, I mean followup interview, will be happening this Thursday. It should take about 1/2 hour, I was told.

To think, where I will or won't be spending a good deal of my time in the future, determined in one and one half hours. Will I get the third date, I mean job?

Who knows, not me.

Dang Horses!

2008-04-04T13:29:00.000-07:00

Hubby Honey got charged and bit yesterday!

Dog gum horses!

Hubby Honey has been working with a horse for a lady to teach it to trailer load. Apparently it does not like going into a trailer, at all. Pretty typical.

The is one of those spoiled, dominant horses. Has gotten its way through intimidation. Isn't there a book out there, "Winning Through Intimidation?"

This horse read and reread that book. Really studied that book!

The lady owner has definitely been hoodwinked. Where'd that word come from? I know I've heard it somewhere.

The horse gets its way. The lady is scared of it. The horse knows that. Horses have a very strong sense of fear. That's what has kept them alive for so many years.

Hubby Honey had been working with the horse yesterday. Had even gotten it to put its front feet into the trailer a couple times. He was looking for a good place to end the training session. He said the horse was about ten feet in front of him. He was making it come forward, then back up. (I wasn't there to watch and help cause I was at that job interview. A job I probably won't get.)

He told me that all of a sudden the horse charged at him, bit him in the shoulder, and proceeded to try to run on by. Hubby Honey (definitely within the three second rule of disciplining a horse) got the horse turned then just started backing him up. Backed him as fast and far as he could within the pen the horse was in. Then he made him circle, stop, turn, circle, stop, turn, circle some more, stop, backup some more. I didn't get to see it (I was at a job interview), but sounded like the horse sure should have figured who the alpha was in that herd of two.

We were supposed to go back today for another training session, but the weather today is very yucky. The wind is just blasting through our valley. Too bad, cause that horse sure could use the reinforcement of the lesson from yesterday.

This is another way horses are kinda like kids. They test you every single time you are with them. It may not always look like they are testing you, but they are. They are just waiting for that moment when you show any sign of weakness. That moment when you have your hands full trying to fix dinner while talking on the phone, or you're just tired because you didn't get much sleep the night before because some child kept you awake.

They know!

So, why do we keep having them (kids), or buying them (horses)? Because when they aren't testing us, they are so cute and adorable. So loving and cuddly. Yes, horses can be cuddly. But, watch out for your toes, or as in Hubby Honey's case, your shoulder.

Children and Job Hunting

2008-04-04T12:19:00.000-07:00

Our grandson, Andrew, has pneumonia. Poor little boy. Second time in just a short time. Please send prayers his way.

And, if you have looked into Hubby Honey's daughter's blog,"Lainer's on the Go!", notice her link to "Confessions of a CF Husband." His wife, Tricia, just had a double lung transplant. Many prayers to that whole family, please.

Just found out two of us in this family are looking for jobs. Lani is sending out applications, and I just had an interview yesterday.

Finding a job is so difficult. It's so much like a marriage. With all the time and energy put into it, you hopefully find something that makes you happy. But, what if you don't? Potential employers sure frown at you when they see a history of gaps in your employment, or short term employment. But, why should I stay somewhere I'm not happy? Somewhere where their policies just don't fit my beliefs or lifestyle? I wouldn't just marry the first guy that came along, just because he asked. At least in a personal relationship you have a chance to date and then decide if you are compatible. Why shouldn't you be able to always have a probational period at a job to see if it is fit without being penalized?

So, I was frowned at yesterday because I have some gaps in my employment history and some short-term employment. I really don't think I will get the job.
And, they don't seem to care that I had a house to build, or horses to train, or children to take of. It all seems very one-sided to me.

Then, think of all the time before the interview you spend going through every question you think they could possibly ask. Rehearsing your answers. Worrrying about making a very good impression. Then they ask totally different questions from what you thought of.

Then, after the interview, going through every question they asked. Calling yourself names for the answers you gave, and now talking to yourself about everything you should have said, but didn't. Again, calling yourself names. But, how do you know?

Then, you don't get the job. It could have been the perfect job. The one that made you happy forever. But, they chose someone else.

Sounds way too much like dating, except, you only get one date. Maybe two, if by some chance you get called back in for that second, all important, interview. Then you start all over again.

I coulda, shoulda, woulda, if only.

I'd much rather just stay home and play with my horses.

The Economics of Being a Cheap-o

2008-04-01T13:21:00.000-07:00

Hubby Honey's brother has an article in Homestead.org. It's called "The Economics of Being a Cheap-O - How to retire without a huge pension and enjoy it."

Great insight into the alternatives of having a huge amount of dollars in the bank to have for retirement.

Here's the link:

Homestead.org then look in "What's New" for the article by the above name by, Jan R Cooke.

Conversation with Fitzin

2008-04-01T12:41:00.000-07:00

This morning when I fed my horses I tried to have a conversation with Fitzin (my spooky, scared of everything horse).

In an earlier blog, I did describe some things about Fitzin and why I believe he has some of his problems. I am working with him to hopefully fix some of those problems. Problems I created because of my inexperience.

This morning while he ate I brushed him. A common belief among natural horse trainers, is that when the horses head is up, they are right brained, on adrenaline, on alert, ready to run or fight, ready to do whatever takes to stay alive. Once there head goes down, the endorphines are triggered, the feel goods.

So, in my mind, if I can have a conversation with Fitzin while his head is down, while he is in a feel good state of mind, hopefully he will relate me to that feel good moment. Maybe he can start to trust me and gain some confidence.

Are you asking, "Where's the conversation? Aren't you, ramblin renogamma, horse trainer, doing all the talking?"

In this beginning, I still might be. But, I am working on turning it into a conversation. Trying hard to listen to him.

This morning I watched for any moment when he was calm. That's when I would walk away to clean out the brush. That's when I would turn away to take any pressure off him. The retreat in the approach and retreat. Try to always leave before the horse does, always try to leave when the horse is still calm and trusting.

Whenever I would reapproach, his head would again go up, his neck all braced and stiff. "Please don't kill me! Please don't eat me!"

Calmly, letting out a deep breathe, and being very calm and quiet (BUT NEVER SNEAKY), I would let him sniff the brush, then start brushing his shoulder. When he would lower his head to eat I continued to brush the rest of him. Then, only when his head was down, when he was a feel good moment, I would retreat.

The last thing you do to a horse, is what he remembers, whether good or bad. This I learned from Joyce Gay who has the Natural Horsemanship Training Center here in northern Nevada.

I was trying very hard to have a conversation with Fitzin, "No, I am not going to kill you. No, I am not going to eat you. You don't have to be scared all the time. It's okay to be with people."

How do I relate this grandbabies? Just be sure to have a conversation with them. There's nothing better for a person's ego than to know you believe they are important enough to have a true conversation with.

Does Language Guarantee Conversation?

2008-04-01T11:56:00.000-07:00

Have you ever thought you were having a conversation with another person only to discover it was not a conversation at all?

You were both talking, but only one of you was really listening?

From the time I was a teenager, I have been told I am a really great listener. If someone had a problem, I was the one to come to. Yup! I listen really great. Actually, I do give feedback while I'm listening, but lots of people just don't hear. Many, many people are too busy talking to really hear the other person.

Conversation? I don't think so.

I was thinking about this and trying to relate it to horse training. With natural horsemanship, there is language developed between the horse and the person. Hubby Honey and I have started calling this horsonage. Horse person lanuage. We started with horslish, but decided English is not the only language humans speak, so it should be something else. So, horsonage.

But is there conversation?

Just because you have a common language does not mean you will have conversation.

How about communication? You can have communication without a common language. Or, is it then a nonverbal language, like what is taught in natural horsemanship?

But again, is there a conversation? A two-way communication with both talking and both listening?

Do you have a conversation with your horse, or just talk?

Do you have a conversation with your child, or do you just talk?

Does your child have a conversation with you, but maybe you don't listen?

Do you have conversation with other people, or does one of you just talk?

Click on the word below to see definitions from Dictionary.com:

language

conversation

communication

If I can't have a conversation with another person, if they are just talking without listening, why should I waste my energy to talk back? Maybe that's why I am considered such a great listener.

Maybe that's why I am here bein a ramblin gamma, I carry on very good conversations with myself.

By the way, I am still trying to relate this to my horses.

Sunday, a day of rest, yea right

2008-03-30T13:37:00.000-07:00

We went on a date yesterday, had a great time, the home show and way to much to eat at Sizzler's, got to love the all you can eat shrimp and steak, and shrimp and shrimp.

Today now brings us back to the realities of life, horses need water, fire wood needs cut, laundry needs done(yes I do my own, I told you in the profile that you aint seen the half of it) hay needs to be unloaded and well, chores need to be done. Day of rest, don't think I'll see one of those until I die and then I'm almost sure that my mom will find something for me to do or fix up in the heavens above.

Not complaing, just stating facts, ask any mom and I'm positive she will laugh at the idea of A DAY OF REST.

The Home Show is so Dangerous

2008-03-29T16:08:00.000-07:00

Went to the Home Show today. There are way too many things to see there. Too many I'd like to do or have done to my house, and yard, etc. If I'm going to dream, may as well have someone else do the work. Right!?

Maybe someday when one of us wins the lottery. Yah, right!

Other than purely home stuff, found a couple local ladies with some very nice, and interesting jewelry. I happen to love jewelry, especially, rings and earrings. Don't get the chance to wear much. If I wore too much, too bright and sparkly, one of my horses would probably bite at me for it. If that didn't happen I'd probably lose it in the hay pile, or catch it on a saddle or rope. Like one particular ring I can't find anywhere. I won't tell which one, but Hubby Honey does know about it! Maybe one day when I'm shoveling manure I'll find it.

I am adding the websites for both these ladies on my "Other Places to See." So, just go take a look. Lots of pretty bobbles. I am not affiliated with either, but if you decide to buy, you might mention you found their sites through the gamma (maybe in this case, the lady) from High Desert Way Ranchette.

The websites are:

www.from-headtotoe.com

and

www.myparklane.com/jbroughton

There was one other very interesting product that we found. This one related to a green outdoors. Very exciting for our part of the country. The high desert. But I need to get more information so I can share it.

More later.

Fitzin

2008-03-28T13:03:00.000-07:00

Fitzin is our other horse story. We didn't know anything about natural horsemanship when we got Fitzin. We just knew he had been neglected. Don't know about abused, but definitely neglected.

The guy we bought him from said he had found Fitzin at a quarter horse breeding farm. Fitzin's sire was unknown (mustang?) Fitzin was way in the back away from the area where all the other horses were kept. He was in a 12X12 enclosure. The guy who found him there is a farrier. He said he doubted Fitzin had ever had his feet trimmed. Fitzin was also about one hundred and fifty pounds under weight when he found him. Just skin and bones.

By the time we first saw Fitzin, the guy had trimmed his feet and had him haltered and leading. Fitzin was still very thin, showing a lot of shoulder and hip bones yet, but maybe only one hundred pounds underweight. He said he was two years old, but Fitzin looked more like a yearling.

Fitzin was to be Mica's replacement. Mica was my horse. He was getting older and had started to trip and stumble a bunch. He had been used as a jumper before we owned him, and was developing arthritis in his shoulders. It was time for him to slow down and get to just be a pet.

So, we bought Fitzin. We never should have bought him because we didn't have the experience to be starting a horse. But, he was so little and cute, and just needed love and attention.

Yah, right!

That was back in June of 1997. We still have Fitzin today. Nobody rides him. He is not a safe horse. I don't mean this as in my previous blog about there is no such thing as a safe horse. I mean, Fitzin, is not a safe horse. He is scared of everything, but he is the dominant horse in our herd. Even when we had seven horses, he was the dominant horse. Does that make sense?

One friend said he thought Fitzin might be that way because he was so insecure. He had to be a bully to make up for those insecurities.

Then, Fitzin is not afraid of some things the other horses are. For awhile we parked our horse trailer in our arena to get the horses used to it. We even fed a couple of them in it to get them to think being in a cave might not be so bad.

One day I was up at my house and just looking out at my horses. I didn't see Fitzin. He and Dakota had been in the arena earlier. Dakota was still there, but no Fitzin. Then I noticed movement in the horse trailer. Fitzin was just standing in the horse trailer all nice and calm. Just standing there with his head hanging out the back door. He just stood in there for a long time.

After that day I'd see him in there quite often. It was shady inside the trailer.

Also in our arena we had built a bridge out of railroad ties and plank. On occasion I'd look down and there'd be Fitzin, just standing on that bridge. He and Dakota would even play games based on that bridge. It was king of the mountain (bridge). Fitzin would be on the bridge and wouldn't let Dakota on it. They'd play the biting game horses play with one another with Fitzin standing on that bridge.

Fitzin knows the seven games and plays them well. We haven't tried the circling game at liberty, but he can do a forequarter and hindquarter disengage, the yoyo game, and will stay with me at a walk and trot going forward, and at the walk will back with me, all at liberty.

But, if I push just too much at the wrong time, pouff, he's gone. That's even if he's on a line. That's why he is not safe. Just all of sudden, he's gone. He can turn so fast on those hind leg's of his and be gone. He's taken more than one person on a ski trip. A couple on their faces.

This brings me to my previous blog about the horses brain.

Can he be retrained to not be so scared, so unconfident? Can I build a true trust between he and I? Can some more dendrites be grown on the left side of his brain to override the presence of those on the right side of his brain? Can he become more willing to learn?

Yes, Fitzin has been trained using some natural horsemanship methods. But there were things I still didn't know, that I believe created the Fitzin we have today. I didn't know proper approach and retreat methods, I didn't know how to read my horse, plus numerous other things.

I would leave a training session with Fitzin not calm and relaxed, just because I had no idea of where to go with the problem I was having.

Hubby Honey and I really starting putting natural horsemanship methods to use in about the year 2000 or maybe 2001. We watched some clinics put on by Clinton Anderson and then Pat and Linda Parelli. We bought the videos and watched and rewatched. But, it's only been in the past about three years that we learned how to refine these methods. Things finally started to click when we met a lady in our local area putting on natural horsemanship clinics. She put it all together for us.

Now I spend way more time watching my horse and trying to read what it is he might be thinking.

Hopefully, there is time for Fitzin to yet become a confident and trusting horse. He really does try. I just never saw that before, I wasn't looking before. I was too concerned with just perfecting the moves and making the machine do what I wanted it to. A horse is not a machine. Each is an individual. Just like each person. Each child. An individual.

More on the Horse Brain

2008-03-27T14:54:00.000-07:00

Thanks for your comment JC, and thank your daughter. It made me continue in my search for where I might have ever heard or read a horse had two brains or the brain could physically grow larger.

Yesterday while I was writing I had books all over the place trying to find an answer. But, I wasn't able to find anything in the books I have here. I don't want to be giving out wrong information, that's why I made sure to say I didn't know if it were true. So, now we know.

I did do some more reading today on the subject. Found a very interesting article by Tamar Simon regarding research done by Dr. Evelyn Hanggi:

http://exn.ca/Templates/Story.asp?ID=1999090953

Quoted from the article, "For instance, Hanggi wanted to explode the myth that horses can't transfer information from one side of the brain to the other because the two sides aren't connected. The theory didn't make sense to Hanggi because anatomy shows that the two sides of the horse's brain are connected."

So, sounds like this may have been a myth from yesteryear. I'm from yesteryear, so maybe that is where the idea of a horse having two brains came from.

I also found an article which might explain my thinking that as one side of the brain is used compared to the other, the more used side gets larger:

http://iceryder.net/brainworks.html

To summarize (this has to do with humans as well as to horses): The more a person uses their brain, the more neurons and dendrites grow. This is especially important in the first three years of life (human). The more the neural circuits are activitated the stronger they get. "If a horse has some problematic behaviors, the brain itself can be changed with timely and appropriate re-training." "If a positive training paradigm is offered to the horse, new pathways will be established and the older ones will shrink." There was not an author's name given for this article, but it was in the "Icelandic Horse Connection" website under "Good Horsemanship", "How the Horse's Brain Works."

Okay, I am happy now. I have answers to where my thinking may have come from, and the real answers.

Thank you.

The Horse Brain

2008-03-26T13:00:00.000-07:00

I don't know if this is true or not, but it sounds interesting, and I'm positive I read it. Just can't remember where right now.

The horse doesn't have two sides to it's brain. It has two brains. The right brain is the reactive, instinctual side. The left brain is the thinking, learning side.

The human has one brain with two sides. The left side is the side governing logic, thinking and problem solving. The right side is the creative and emotional side.

In the horse, the more one side is used, the larger that side becomes and the smaller the other side becomes. If a horse is on its own, the right side or instinctual side will become larger. The more a horse is handled, and kept using the left side, or thinking side, the larger that side becomes and the smaller the right becomes.

Any one else read this somewhere? I would really like to know where I heard this.

Guess I haven't been using my brain enough lately, so the whole think shrank.

Suppose that's why you can find all the brain teasers and logical thinking games out right now.

Use it or lose it?

Meet the Family

2008-03-24T15:14:00.000-07:00

Guess you got to meet the family this weekend.

It was funny when Hubby Honey approached me about writing on the blog. He was almost apologetic because he wanted to be a part of it.

Hey, if it weren't for him, we wouldn't be here to have any of this to write about. His grandbabies, are my grandbabies, and vice versa. If he hadn't had an interest in horses also, none of this would be. He and I might still be, but we wouldn't have our ranch(ette). We wouldn't be spending the money we spend on our horses. Over time we wouldn't have had ten horses. He spoils me, but I don't think he would have spoiled me that much.

So, please welcome another contributor to the blog, gimpajon aka Hubby Honey.

We've been looking for some pictures to put here. Had quite a few we just couldn't seem to locate. Hubby Honey called his son to find out if they knew how to get into Yahoo where we used to have pictures. Found out from Kristen, his son's wife, there is no longer a place on Yahoo for photos. Well, there is, it's just now called Flickr. And, if we didn't respond to an email that was sent informing us of the change, we probably don't have any way to get those pictures. We don't remember getting an email, but....

That doesn't make me very happy. One of those learning things. Always back up your important stuff. Even if it's somewhere you think will be there forever. It's like your favorite restaurant, one evening you go there for your favorite dish, and the doors are closed and locked. The place is totally dark. Gone, all gone.

Kinda like Hubby Honey's kids, Nana. Their grandma. She was just recently diagnosed with a terminal illness. People you think will always be there, just cause. They might not always be there, so be sure to backup the important stuff, often.

Okay, maybe with your favorite restaurant there was no way to get the secret recipes, and if you had eaten there too often, you might now weight 600 pounds. Maybe the restaurant wasn't a good example to use.

How about with the horses? This does relate to horses. When working with one of them, they will remember the last thing done with them, good or bad. That's why in the training of Goldee (which can be read at: http://blog.no-upper-limit.com/) I must always leave her when she is calm and relaxed. When I am done with a training session, I must back up the thinking, learning side of her brain not the reactive side. Whatever I leave her with, is what she will remember.

I should have known to backup the pictures, even if it was Yahoo. You need to let people know often how important they are to you. Always back up the good, cause you just never know when it could be lost.