After some prodding from Amberlee to see if the blog works after some tweaks - here I am to test it out - I was here a little earlier but 6 young deer decided to come to visit the broodmares so I sat in the living room watching them interact with the mares. Basically they ignored each other until the deer wanted to snack on the round bales. The mares being the fat, greedy old broads that they are weren't into sharing so the deer had to depart.

Since my last post, we've survived the holiday season, spent a week in Spokane just in time to enjoy their foot of snow and they sure handle it better than our area by far.

And I've had cataract surgery done on both my eyes - "the dirt on my glasses" is gone. LOL. Get my check up on the 14th and then find out if I need glasses or not. I can resume my normal slave labor for the horses. 

Bruce is in his winter hibernation mode and what a great winter to be off the roads- it is pretty much horrible everywhere. Our next to last trip in November included a full day of driving in the snow in northern Ontario from Thunder Bay down to North Bay, a evening of white out conditions in NB - we got off the road - or at least we think we were far enough over to be off the road - couldn't tell. Got Dancing Treasure delivered to her new mountainside home with Crystal and Travis. They have a huge, lovely old home that she has some great plans for.

Then we were off to Mo for Black Friday shopping and to pick up a mare for Brandi Belton - things were great until they closed the canyon road in WY - followed by 100 miles of black ice up to Cody. Got off the road, mare tucked away in a cozy stall with a run and went to bed. Loaded up the twomares, added a lovely arab mare for Debbie Lamb and headed north.  Rest of the trip was cold but uneventful. Just confirmed our decision to not haul in the winter months is a good one. 

Quick trip down to WA to pick up Delta Town a truly lovely dun tobiano mare by Will Spot Ya out of a Smooth Town daughter. She is so feminine with a tiny, fancy, head. We'll bred her to Barry this spring and start counting the months till she foals. Brittany Logans fancy new weanling filly came home on that trip as well. 

I'm also blogging for www.northernhorse.com - Lynn Scott asked me if I was interested - said yes but aren't you afraid? Yes, she said, very afraid but so far, so good.

Need to update the mares page to add Delta Town and some px (Amberlee sent me new instructions to try), clean up the sold page, update the news on our foals who are all in new homes. 

I'LL BE BACK!!

Wow - time flies when you are having fun!! Been two months since I updated the comings and goings around our place so let's play catch up. And I need to  update the rest of the site as well.

The biggest news literally is Deceiveds height. This summer out in the field he seemed taller to me but never got around to taking the stick out there to measure him, then forgot to do it when we brought him  up for the winter. But Thursday he coliced so was in the barn being treated and watched - perfect opportunity when he was better and headed back outside - we measured him. When we bought him he was supposed 16 hands - was a for real 14.2+. And now, DRUM ROLL PLEASE -- he is a measured 15.2 Hands. 

The  purchase of the lovely filly  from Merrills  sale  and traded to Contis turned out to be a major pain in the ass. The very short version is that after testing 4 of Merrills stallions, none were the sire  and the lab doing what they call a profile panel that would recognize potential sires turned up only a stallion in Mexico. So I guess that Cherie Merrills comment about an Indian Pony was fairly accurate.   As a result, Contis of course didn't want the filly and neither did I so Merrills made arrangements to pick her up - re emburse Contis for all their expenses and give me my purchase price back. The real victim of this mess is the poor filly unfortunately and I have no idea what happened to her. So  I didn't get the TB mare either from Contis. I have a really bad taste in my mouth from this purchase.

But the mares arrived home from Iowa and were exactly as expected and then some. Lori DeBruijn wasted no time at all coming over and buying the World champion producing mare, Miss Hardin County followed quickly by Reba DeKock choosing Charisma Two to add to her broodmare band. Took Cheryl Wyder less than a day after I listed Got No Tanlinz for sale to tell me to mark her sold. She came to get her, spent the night, had a great visit as a bonus. So I am tickled to be left with Far More Conclusiv in foal to Sudden Instinct to join our girls. Got the process started to double register her with AQHA and had a really nice phone visit with Joy Dreier from Iowa who owned her sire, Mr Far Verse and bred her dam to him.

Janet the rescue dog doesn't seem to grasp the fact that skunks spray when  you chase or corner them -- man, those blond patches on her back must govern her brain when she sees one because there is no stopping her. She has quit chasing porkies though and Annie, our other dog got one dose of quills and that was enough for her. We also caught and relocated two porkies so hopefully that problem is solved.

Miranda Cardinal emailed me about two really well bred TB mares that were being dumped because of racing dates being shortened yet again so we went and got Ling Ling and Sister Patsy Ellen. Ling Ling was chosen by the Frey Family as a potential barrel horse prospect so she now has 3 horse crazy girls to love him. Sister Patsy Ellen is a black type mare who is producing track winners and will be bred to Deceived next spring.  And no I am not counting how many mares that makes living here again.

All of the weanlings have gone off to their new homes with the exception of Charleston and Rachel due to their leg issues. We are working on them and seeing some good results so hopefully they can find new humans to love them soon. Neither will be perfect but then again, I've seen way worse be sold with no comments at all about any problems.

Lisa Christianson and Bobbie Niwa trekked out for a visit and  had a little  scenic tour before they found us. Lisas memory is  not quite as good as she thought. But, her eye for a good HUS prospect is still sharp and Quinn aka Gene Kelly performed for her and cinched his new home with Lisa. He too loaded up like a little pro when they came to pick him up with a fancy trailer that lowered down to making hopping into it easier - he did travel in style.

Poor Fletcher still hasn't arrived in France - we hauled him  in a box stall to MB on Sept 20th  and then- he got hauled from MB to QC like a damn cow which made me very angry and apparently will ship to France  like that with no food or water for 12 hrs but Diane Leduc, the agent who involved herself in his sale to Jerome  seems to think that is just fine. She also thinks taking a picture of a foal from your website, putting it on her site and pretending she sold the filly overseas is fine too -- basically internet fraud and when I asked her about it - got no answer other than they had contacted me about buying the filly (and they didn't) but she was already sold. I would advise people to run when they hear her name. As of Nov 14th he still hasn't arrived in France. 

Walter is now residing in Vernon, BC with Diane Magdalin and Ed Rougeau. Rebecca made the trip down to southern Alberta to her new home with the Tatesons. Both loaded like they had done all their lives as did Fletcher. I am so impressed with the good minds and dispositions on the foals this year.

Think I got most of it covered and will try to update more often for those that care. Thanks for stopping by.

Wow, been awhile since I rambled on here so let's catch up. 

Fletcher, Bridget and Gene Kelly got weaned on Aug 31st. The boys were easy - Bridget was not very ladylike and double barrelled me - caught my ear and my side. Then was really good to get her halter on and be dewormed. Thought she just grazed my side but 3 days later - the pain said "nope, got you good". So Kristine Rennich came over to help put them out and back in the first few days. 

We got a bunch of round bales delivered and tucked away for the winter, more to come because of the new purchases. Art I Somethin, the filly from Merrills is now living in Oyama, BC with the Contis and in return, I get the dam of Idol Eyes This - going to breed her back for a full sibling to him for 2011. I am already impatient waiting for this foal. Check him out at www.haytoncreekranch.com  - The rest of the new girls come home end of next week finally. I'm kinda like the plumbers wife with the leaky tap - last to get done.

But Fletcher has to be in MB before the 23rd of Sept to meet his ride to Quebec, his waystation on his way to his new home in France so Bruce can deliver him and then down to Greg Reisinger to get our new girls - I am anxious to see them up close and personal.

Janet is still eating shoes but has learned to sit, mostly come when called and goes in the kennel easily now that she has learned it is only a temporary thing. Both her and Annie run for the kennel when I tell them I have to put the foals out and don't need help. But they do offer verbal advice to me.  Janet Met Mrs Skunk one night - not head on but got enough of the spray to smell loverly.

Went to my first APHC Paint show in years and had a great time visiting with everyone. Also got to play with Cindy Kremers two wolfhound puppies and help with pictures- burned a lot of calories but Lisa Christensons px were worth it.

Bridget headed off to her new home with Katherine May yesterday. Katherine has this very cool one horse trailer -- Bridget walked right up to it, checked it out, put her front feet in - we gave her a few minutes then lifted her back end on - shut the door and away she went on her first trailer. Katherine said she and Penelope (Belles filly) slept together last night.

The second  round of weaning took place after Bridget departed freeing up her stall. Got my daughter Stacey to participate seeing as how Dancer and Walter belong to her. Mares made the long trek up to the barn like good girls. Walter on the other hand went exploring several times until you wanted to kill him. But we persevered and voila, foals in the barn and mares back out in the field. Mini gave one whinny and walked away. Dancer who hasn't had a foal for several years was convinced that if she hollered enough we would give him back. NOPE!! 

Walter and Charleston are in the barn, halters c/w drag ropes on, been dewormed.Stacey said her job in the operation was to call 911 if I got hurt. She refused to sit on Walter when he got cast so I could get his halter on. So rolled him over, got him up, got the halter on before he could react.  They  have progessed this afternoon to the mad stage - they totally skipped the "poor me" day. But Walter was quite happy to have his neck and shoulders scratched this afternoon.  Just leaves the two fillies Rachel and Rebecca to wean and we'll do that as soon as Fletcher leaves - giving me the stall back.

Think that catches me up to date. Today is a do nothing day as I'm sore from wrestling the boys and a loverly rebelling stomach in the middle of the night. I knew as soon as I ate that wonderful, warm raisin pie it was a mistake and yep, 3 am - my body woke me up and said TIME!!. 

Fall is definitely in the air in the early mornings. The light is different and trees are turning here and there. What happened to summer??

Spent Saturday at the Edmonton Blues Festival with daughter, son in law & friends. The line up snakes thru Hawreluk Park for a very long ways - and people line up for hours for the best seats.  Great afternoon and evening of entertainment. Learned once again to never judge a book by its cover- there a kinda frumpy looking lady walking around - turned out to be the keyboard player for the zyedco band and she was flat out awesome. 

Got a phone call confirming that Jerome David of France is indeed buying Fletcher who will head across the pond in early October after quarantine, shots etc. So we'll wean him very shortly along with a friend for company.

Janet, the puppy ate 3 shoes last night so back in trouble yet again. Teaching us to pick up everything out of her reach as a result. 

Belle & Penelope are now settling into their new home with Katharine May - she's not far away so we'll keep in touch and see her gypsy vanner foal in the spring. Katharine was trying to give us a really cute mini - silver dapple mare. Don't think my pipe fences would hold her in though.

Gracie Jane, aka The Lady Is A Queen left this morning to join her mom and sister at Zavaducks in Saskatchewan. She is going to make Sarah Plourde, one happy girl. A really cute paint/draft cross mare was also on the trailer head to SK as a surprise for some ones hubby.

Juliet, our new irishwolfhound/pyrennes cross puppy has been home for a week now. Too cute, settling in pretty well. She can pick shoes out of their cubbyholes without leaving a mark on them and toliet paper off the holders the same way. Likes to drag scatter rugs around the house too. Forgot how busy puppies can be. As I am typing this, she chewed the corner of my lovely antique dresser our tv sets on - so in the doghouse.

                                                                         AND

set a world record for us for buying horses on Aug 14th. Headed off to Jim Merrills sale with Cindy Kremer and Emily, her wolfie puppy to visit and look at nice horses. Nice, sunny day,, not too hot, found us a nice bench, shade for the puppy and started watching the sale. Out of all the horses offered -- they brought a lame, yearling filly in the ring - said she was lame --  I  bought her and paid more than people were giving for sound horses. But she is really well bred - granddaughter of One Hot Krymsun and Artful Move and looks like her papers say she should and in the AQHA IF. Tall, elegant, big soft eye. Patti Nichols was here to pick up the mare they bought and gave her  massage therapy on her shoulders which the filly loved. Walking fine now, eating grain and talked to me last night as I was bringing her supper. 

While I was at the sale - there were a couple of mares in an online auction I was really interested in, so left Bruce instructions on how to bid on them. Well he loves auctions --- when I called to see how he did - he bought 3 mares and a weanling filly. The QH mare has produced foals earning 5 superiors, a world championship in halter and a versatility award and in foal to a proven sire, Alotta Charisma. One paint mare is a daughter of Red Charisma and in foal to Sudden Instinct who takes my breath away, he is just stunning. The other is by Mr Far Verse, also in foal to him and we can double register her with AQHA so her foal will be DR as well.

The weanling filly is by Cheneys Chainlink and out of a daughter of Red Charisma that I showed with years ago in ND.  So he can go get them, get them settled in before the nasty weather hits. All will be for sale before I get too attached to them. Hope to have px and info on our for sale page before the weekend. They will be attractively priced.

Still catching up around here after being away -- grass is finally slowing down in terms of growth and it is so nice to have green everywhere after years of drought. Got some painting to finish, saw a neat little wooden walk at Mariska Tomlinsons house in Ontario that I want to copy along the side of our house. Have to get the rest of our hay home both squares and rounds -- price is so much better this year.  Not near so painful as last year.

Wow, a month has gone by since I updated my ramblings. In that time, we bought a lovely 2001 F450 Truck with a fancy deck and I got to drive it home from Okla, with stops along the way at Susan & Lloyd Bartas for a day or two for shopping and visiting, then Bismarck stores were calling my name for a morning of browsing. Truck was much easier to get thru the border than horses.I was impressed. Once home though -- the paperwork, inspection maze started - and today, Aug 10th - it is legally in Canada with brand new license plates ready to go to work.

July 16th we headed out to Langley BC to pick  up the two gals who qualified in dressage for the North American Young Riders Competion being held at the Kentucky Horse Park this year. Over 2200 horses qualify along with their riders to compete in either dressage,jumping or cross country. It was 84 degrees and beyond humid when we unloaded them at the park at 2 am and it got worse from there. How those riders compete in full dressage gear in that heat is beyond me.

At the same time there were over 3000 horses and ponies competing at the separate hunter/jumper show on the grounds and the lucky reiners were in the brand new indoor A/C arena the first weekend. Breyerfest was on as well.

We took the opportunity to drive some of the back roads to check out the TB farms that Bruce used to deliver horses to many years ago -- it is sad how few of them are still in business. Also spent a couple of days in Ontario with Ray and Sheila Mackie - playing tourist and eating very well at St Daves Diner in Lindsay a couple of times so we could say hello to Dave and Mariska.

Home looked pretty darn good after being gone for 3 weeks of heat and humidity until I did chores and experienced the zillions of hungry mosquitoes who appeared while we were gone. Vicious little suckers. We also brought home The Lady Is  A Queen now 7 yrs old and well broke who we sold as a weanling to CA. She came back to Canada as a yearling to live with Amberlee and Dean for several  years before Joy Collier chose her. Life made her have to part with Gracie Jane so she is back home - briefly before she heads out to Saskatchewan to join her full sister and mother. Shauna who is good friends with Shannon Zavaduk -- her daughter's horse suffered a bad hock injury putting her out of action for the summer at least, so Gracie Jane is going to be Sara's mount.

And today, Katherine and Gerry who bought Bewitching aka Bridget decided that Bellarosa and Penelope should join their family as well. They brought Katherines mom and dam  along to meet them. The good news is they live close enough that we can go see Bellarosas foal by Dirty Hairy next spring - not as good as owning it - but will have to do!!

Bellarosa and Penelope are home from Belles romantic liasion with cute Dirty Harry, the gypsy vanner cob owned by Linda Bonham. 

And we delivered Freefall and McCarthy her lovely bay colt to their new home with Sheryl Hilton. Sheryl was thrilled with the both of them which is always so nice to hear from new owners. 

Had a great visit with Katherine May  and her friend, Jerry who came over to have a look at the foals this morning. Bridget caught her eye and so she took some px to take home with her and mull over. Deceived decided she was 

Got a load of round bales this morning - smell so goood, baled on Thursday and hopefully the hay shortage here is in the past and prices are returning to a more normal range.

Both guineas are missing in action - hoping the female is nesting somewhere and the male is being the dutiful mate and sticking close by.

Got new metal roofs on the barn, garage and little storage house - looking good - the house roof is next for a beauty treatment. Just need to win a lottery or two.LOL

Way behind after being gone a week to pick up our new to us truck - lovely F450 with a fancy deck and lots of extras. Thanks to Pete and Jeanne Dial for their hospitality and the truck. I got to drive it home. Bruce headed to Nedpoint to pick up 4 reining horses that turned out to be all stallions so his drive home was way more interesting than mine. 

I stopped at Lloyd and Susan Bartas in NE for some shopping and visiting. Susan lined up a couple of neat antique stores to explore and think she is now hooked on them.  bonus, their neighbors shot off fireworks for over 2 hrs on Sat night. Sunday on the way north, saw several parades in small towns and in Bismarck, ND - fireworks for hours and hours on Sunday night. 

Much easier to get a truck across the border than a horse - took all of 10 minutes including paying the GST and tax on the A/C  and I was out of there and back on the road.

Got Deceiveds test result back and he is negative for both the HERDA Gene and OLWS which I suspected but wanted to be sure. Finding out that HERDA is way more wide spread than I ever imagined was the trigger for the test.

So we are home, cutting grass, cleaning, playing catchup. Last night Mrs Skunk hopped up on the feed shed deck and the kittens were out there playing. She went to go into the shed to eat some cat food and this tiny kitten hissed at her and smacked her on the nose. Not sure who was more surprised, her or I. She promptly left without spraying or eating, but snuck back after dark for a snack.

We'll got get Bellarosa and her filly, Penelope along with Phyllis, Cindy Kremers mare from Tegarts where they have been bred to Dirty Harry, the gypsy cob for 2011 foals and hopefully deliver Charlie and her foal, McCarthy to their new home down that way at the same time.

Many thanks to our friends Peter and Carolyn Rogers who invited us to the steak and rib night at the Bruce Hotel last night to celebrate their anniversary and Carolyns birthday. There is a very long wait for reservations. So we cleaned ourselves up and headed east to Bruce. Coming towards us was a fancy corvette convertible followed by two more, and then more and more along with some old mustang convertibles. Was like having your very own car show. Turned out they all went for supper at The Bruce Hotel.

Very old, funky place owned and staffed by super people who make you feel like family immediately. Food is beyond description, they cook your steak to order and get it right. Owner told us she cooked 231 steaks Saturday night. Bonus, at 9 pm, she quits cooking, came over to our table and asked if we would like to take some ribs and other food home with us. Handed us two boxes each to fill, one for ribs and the other for other goodies - 10.00 for both boxes. So we drove home in a car filled with the aroma of ribs and already looking forward to lunch today.

Tomorrow we are off to deliver the two geldings to Shannon Zavaduk and then head to Okla to pick up horses that came in from Germany for a client.  I get to drive the new to us truck home from Ok - I see many stops along the way - kinda like a crow who stops for bright, shiny things. First stop, Susan Bartas place in Gibbon Ne to get her to make good on a promise to hit some antique stores in her area.

Well they say life is full of surprises and I got my surprise the other morning while out giving the mares their grain. Brett The Hitman Hart was flat out sound asleep so I went over to make sure he was okay, his tail was up and voila, there was a vagina. Stopped me dead in my tracks, thinking, hmm, no fillies out here, where did she come from? Got the foal up and discovered that Brett is really Bridget. Do I feel stupid or what? Checked when he/she was born - thought colt and with the rotten weather never really checked again. Did I mention I need cataract surgery? LOL

Immediately let the new owners know and gave them the option of changing their mind which they did as they want a colt - we may do a deal on Charleston instead. Wayne suggested Fair Exchange for his registered name showing he does have a sense of humor.

Yesterday our farrier brought us two guinea fowl, a lavender colored male and a dark female. Boy they are million milers and so smart. He said to lock them in the barn for 3 days and then they will consider it home and stay put. Ten minutes later they escaped the barn and went touring - think they have already explored most of the place and by 9 pm they were back in the barn on their own roosting for the night. How smart is that.?