Ol" Jessica

Jessica Rabbit started out as V's hunter show pony 9 years ago.  She has since morphed into J's endurance horse.  She is much more suited to the latter and caused much frustration as the former. 

 But on V's last weekend before she starts out on her new career, she consented to go riding with me and rode Jessica.

I think one of the last times she showed her, Jessica laid down in the lineup.  I don't think V has a lot of fond memories of showing  Jessica.

 Most of V's riding on Jessica had been in the arena or on trails.  Jessica as a younger horse was pretty high strung and flighty in the open so V was a little apprehensive about going all over the farm.  She hasn't really ridden Jessica since J's put in hundreds of miles in endurance training.

 V found out Jessica is a different horse.

 Oh, she can still be a handful, but now she can also be good.

I think V was pleasantly surprised.

And I sure enjoyed our ride together.

Baby Goat Update

The bottle goats are almost ready to wean.

 They are still getting fed a bottle twice a day but only 1/2 as much at a time.

 They hang out with the other goats as long as they are around the barn but don't venture off when the rest head out for the day.

 Walking to the barn and back is getting to be a daily challenge.

 And getting in the barn with 13 goats throwing themselves at you is about impossible.

Most of them are now eating grain so when we finish this bag of milk replacer that is it.  No More.

Good Fences #62

On a farm a lost horse shoe can be an inconvenience for the horse and rider.   But depending on how it is found could be murder on farm equipment. 

So any shoe found is picked up and set out of the way.

For more Good Fences click HERE.

New Equipment

We have never had a riding lawn mower before.  Well, technically that is not completly true.  Several years ago, when my mother started using a lawn care service, she gave us her old John Deere.  But the first time I used it, the axle broke only 15 feet from where I started mowing, unfixable.  So J has always used a push mower, until now. 

 We are finally living it up and bought our first riding mower last month.

 And it came with this box,

 which I turned into this cart one afternoon.  Now I have gone from no cart to two carts this year.  This one is not as heavy duty as the other one.  It will probably just stay around the yard.   But now the mowing opportunities are endless.  Of course we are using it on the yard.

This was the result of the tree punning I did after I mowed the yard with it for the first time.  Amazing how much easier it it to find low hanging branches when you are on a riding mower. 

 Today I ventured to the riding ring with the mower.  Just a suggestion, you might want to check the gas before going on a long trip.  Anyway, J had already taken the bush hog around the arena a few days ago but couldn't get close to the edges.  And trying to ride with that tempting grass at horse mouth level can be frustrating.  Plus, the grass elsewhere was still pretty tall.

Now it is almost like a yard.  A couple of more mowings and maybe we can eliminate the hay look.

I can also see my poles now, well sort of.  But the horses can see them to trot over instead of trip over.  There's no stopping us now.

Wrangler Can Paint First Sale

Wrangler donated a framed painting for a silent auction to benefit the Smith-Gilbert Gardens in Georgia. 

 After a lot of interest and competitive bidding the painting "Koi Pond'  brought $65.

 Wrangler has now started on his second watercolor series.  This will be on smaller paper 9x12.  His previous series was 11x15.

Now we have to pick another painting out for the Friends of the RR Library Silent Auction.
We are also building up a portfolio for our local horse club's 3 day Horse Fest at the end of June.  I think I will try to set up a booth to sell his paintings.

E's High School Graduation

We have had a lot of graduating going on around here.  E had an award ceremony last week along with her graduation from Governor's School and her regular graduation Friday.

 She received from Governor's School the
                           -Anatomy and Physiology Academic Achievement Award
                           -ALEKS Course Completion Award
                           -Governor's Recognition for completion of the Early College Scholars Program
                           -$500 Quadrant EPP USA, Inc. Scholarship.
From her regular school she got the
                           -Valedictorian of the Class of 2015
                           -Outstanding Performance in Accelerated Government
                           -Certificate for All Around MACC Team and Social Studies MACC Team
                           -$1000 VFW Post 4667 Scholarship
                           -$1000 Cliff Dicker Memorial Scholarship
                           -$200 History Award
                 and last but not least
                           -Certificate for Exceptional Attendance  (not really sure how she got that one, she missed a lot of school for horse judging and showing)

 As Valedictorian she had to give a speech which she tormented over for 2 months, finally finishing it the morning of graduation.

I thought she did and excellent job.

Thanks to all our family and friends that helped us celebrate 2 graduations in the last 7 days!

And what's a blog post without a horse picture.  She also won the AQHA Farm & Ranch Heritage Scholarship .  And $250 from the Arabian Horse Association for High Team at their youth judging contest last fall.
Yay, the horses are finally paying off. (or maybe breaking even, or just not losing as much)  I guess I'm done bragging for not but I'm just so proud of my girls.

Please, Always Use A Pet Carrier

I had a client come barreling into the parking lot at 11:45 (morning office hours are until 12:00) and park longways across 4 parking spots, then get out of her car carrying a cat in her arms.  She told the receptionist that she would have been there sooner but she had been in court all morning.  I'm not sure why she wanted to be there sooner because she had no appointment to start with.  The cat was draped across her neck when I entered the exam room.  When she finally got it detached I was able to examine it.  It had a very mild runny nose and had been sneezing some.  After discussing treatment options and getting her medicine she draped the cat across her neck again and started to leave the room  The cat jumped off and she commented, "I wondered when you would do that."  The last I saw her she was retrieving her cat to go check out.   About 30 minutes later she called to ask if she had left her cat at the clinic.  She got home and couldn't find it.  Then she asked if a cat would jump out of a window of a moving car.  She called a little while later to say she found her cat,  wait for it....

Bonus Kit Kat Picture

in the glove box.

Bet you didn't see that one coming.

Good Fences #61

 Not much any prettier than peonies next to a fence. 

The smell is heavenly.

Putting Company To Work

 V and her boyfriend for visiting for a couple of days after graduation.

 Anyone this big and strong visiting a farm is at risk of being put to work.

 We had a new section of fence built a few years ago but the didn't take out the old fence and where they put a gate, 3 trees were blocking the hole.  When I rode Otoelene out there this morning I thought that would be a great job while Mike was here.

 J and Mike worked on cutting the trees down, sawing them up and stacking the wood.

I worked some on getting the old fence out.  I didn't get very far but a least it's not blocking the gate anymore.  I really hope we all didn't get poison ivy which was growing rampant through here.  

And V took the pictures with her phone since for some inexplicable reason I didn't bring my camera.  Now I can go through the gate when I'm riding or with the 4 wheeler to spray rosebushes and thistles on the back 40.

4-H Skills Testing

A couple of years ago they added a new hoop to jump through for the kids to show at the State Show in September.  Now the riders have to pass a 2 part skills test.  This is in addition to declaring the project horse before May first and showing in a District show.  Thankfully, E didn't have to do it again this year.  Once the test is passed with a horse you don't have to do it the next year.  E already has Pep, Hank, Otoelene, and Bother tested.  So this year I just needed to set up a test for the 5 new 4-Her's from our club that want to show this year. 

Apparently there was a need for a test day because we ended up with 12 4-Her's from 4 different counties. 

 There was a little bit of everything, gymkhana, and gaited,

 hunters,

and western pleasure.  We had a little rain storm in the middle but who hasn't had to work on a horse in the rain before.  Everyone passed, but my group does have a lot to work on before September so I'm sure we will have a few arena days between now and then.

Va Tech Graduation 2015

We joined throngs of other proud parents and families at the Virginia Tech campus Saturday for a very special graduation. 

Our daughter V finished up in just 3 years with a degree in Agriculture and Applied Economics.

 It was a beautiful day but a little stuffy in the unairconditioned Cassell Coliseum.

 There was a little bit of frivolity before the seriousness of the ceremony.  

 Over 700 students graduated from the college of Agriculture.

 V made her way across the stage and was awarded her diploma over our whoops and yells.  Then off to grandma's house for a cookout and fellowship with family.

 Of course there was the obligatory picture taking.  The R's all obliged when we caught them on the way to their car.

 And V posed nicely for her pictures.  The blue sash is for the Block and Bridle club and the cord is for the Ag Econ club.

 But the P's were all scattered about and we were unable to round up everyone for a picture.  But Grandma posed with V,

 as did Aunt C.

 T and

 L wouldn't leave the porch.

 But Boyfriend Mike was happy to stand by V.

As were 2 very proud parents.  V starts her new job at an Ag lending bank on June first. Welcome to the real world.