Rambling on

Okay here I sit in front of the computer today, after 3 pm and I have yet to get dressed. It has been one of those days. I have done NOTHING today. Not really awake either. I don't know....I guess something is going on with me for the last couple of weeks. Maybe it is because it is December, Christmas time, Winter, etc. We haven't the money this month to have a decent Xmas. But then again my plan is that no body is getting anything from us until after Xmas. I just didn't want to deal with the people and the malls this year...ish! We decided this year we were only going to buy for kids. Our own and a few others. Our horses had to eat and bills had to be paid. Oh well we will catch up....like I say this every month!

Enough with the whining though it is hard this time of year not to whine some. It really hasn't been a real good year for us. Anyway, we started this holiday time with a get together at Brian and Dana's. Dana's parents and sister with her companion came up. We had a HUGE meal which was very good. Lots of chit chat and gifts to open. We weren't prepared to receive anything but we did. It was nice. Then Brian and Dana left today for the cities to spend the holidays with Brian's other family.

Earlier in the week the weather "people" said "Oh good days to travel" Yeah, sure! Yesterday up where we were we had sunshine and blue skies when 100 miles south of us major winter hassle. Then TODAY..we have snow, blowing snow and wind. Our snow amounts are not suppose to amount to anything. But they have said THAT before. They said that we were going to see the single digits for highs and then of course see a wind chill. We are warmer than they said and the windchill? Feels pretty warm out there even with the wind.

Prayers

Our prayers go out to Diane, Refugio and the rest of the family. They are homeless tonight due to a fire that started in the Garage. They are part of the family that owned a a vegetable and garden center in Brooklyn Park. We are thinking of you! One day at a time guys!!

KSTP.com - Man rescued from burning Brooklyn Park home

BIRTHDAYS

To my Dad and Leya

NOT READY!!!

Okay...this is what they are saying now. They are still not sure what track it will take. Does anyone want to swap states?? PLEASE!

Antlers or Horns.....

This has been bugging me for a long time now. I want to know how many know the difference between Antlers and Horns?? Hmm?? So many times I have heard and read Hunters refer Antlers as Horns. So my mission is to do something about it. I plan on writing every outdoor magazine out there. Email every TV program there is and ask them what the heck are you hunting? You certainly are not hunting Deer, Elk, Moose, Caribou. They have ANTLERS! So what are you hunting that has HORNS?? Cows? Sheep? WHAT???

Turkey Day

HAPPY THANKSGIVING!!

You Know You Are A Horse Person When......

...You say "whoa" to the dog

...Your mother, who has no grandchildren, gets cards addressed
to Grandma, signed by the horses and the dog.

...You don't even want to think about how your car would be
paid for, your mortage would be much smaller, and you might have some
savings if you didn't have horses.

...Your horse seems the right choice when you need to talk something
out with someone.

...You pull change from your pocket at work, and hay falls all over

...The real estate agent asks what kind of house you are looking for, and
you say, "More than six acres."

...you save the hoof shavings for the dog

...you poke your honey in the ribs, saying, "over", in the kitchen

...you yell at the kids, and the horse's name pops out

...your tax refund is targetted to a new saddle, not the family vacation

...you are unreasonably pleased to get a horse item, ANY horse item, as a
gift. "They really cared!!!"

...books and movies are ruined for you if horsemanship references are
incorrect.

...you actually get to a point where flies don't bother you so much

...You see the vet more than you see your child's pediatrician.

...You clean a horse's sheath and don't hurl.

...You groom your horse and you haven't been to a beautician in ?

...You patch your mud boots with duct tape and slog through knee deep mud to
get hay to your horse, who has commandered the ONLY dry spot for miles.

...You are totally grossed out by human hair in the sink or tub, but don't
mind horse hair in your washer, on your clothes, in your food...

...You kiss your horse more often than your husbanc or boyfriend, and
enjoy it more.

...You find yourself analyzing leg and foot conformation on your
friends, and thinking how corrective shoeing could improve
their way of going.

... ALL of your pockets have hay in them.

...When you have more pictures of your horses in your office than you have
of your family.

...You can find your boots in the dark by the aroma.

...You drive up in the yard, get out of the car and inhale the perfume
of the manure pile.

...You talk to the horses like they were kids.

...All your stock has 4 legs.

...You chirp to, cluck to or spur your truck/car.

...You don't notice the barn smells on your clothes/shoes and wonder why
"regular" folks are sniffing the air

...Most of your social life is with other horse folk.

..you have a _terrible_ fall off your horse, and your only concern is if the
horse is okay.

...You live with electric fencing tape around the lawn, so the horses can
mow it for you.

...After it snows, the pathway to the manure pile is the first thing that
gets cleared, then the front porch and sidewalk.

...You RUSH to the front window to watch the horses run & buck in the pas-
ture, even if you're in the middle of a meal. Good, clean fun!

...Your first sign of spring isn't see a robin, but seeing a fly

...one of your favorite smells in the world is horse sweat on leather

...You live hand to mouth and somehow come up with the $800 for
emergency vet bills.

...your house is "decorated" with bits, saddles, bridles, halters,
blanket racks, trunks, trophies and ribbons.

...you save every horse magazine you have ever bought

...you drive by ANY field ANYWHERE and look very hard for horses.
This includes trips to foreign countries.

...you feel tired all day at work and then go to the barn and ride 3
horses.

...you teach your sisters how to post on the arm of the couch before their
first riding lesson.

...You longe your dog and she listens to you.

...You do stalls the morning before your labor is to be induced

...you don't have to be asked by your non-horsey family what you want for
Christmas anymore, cuz they now get their own Horse catalogs.

...Your truck looks like a bomb exploded in a tack shop

...Your most prized possession is your saddles (next to the horses of course

...you pass a Marlboro billboard and immediately notice the horse's
color, conformation, possible breed, gait, tack, bit, expression, and
whether or not his mouth is being yanked on; but all you notice about the
cowboy was that it was some guy in a rain slicker.

... you start using baling twine to repair non-horse-related things


AND LAST BUT NOT LEAST................

...you sprain your ankle and reach for a roll of hot-pink VetRap.

Birthday

Happy Birthday today to Kris.....he celebrates his 30th today. Not quite over-the-hill yet but making progress in that direction. HaHa! HeeHee!

Hunt Is Over For Another Year

Another Zone 2 Deer Season has ended. It was a long 9 days and we really worked hard for the 8 deer we got. We had 11 licenses and only 8 deer. Again the weather played a major role in this years hunt. It went from warm to rain to freezing drizzle, snow on the ground and back to warm. Deer movement was not that great. The bucks were not really in rut with the exception of one buck we have hanging.

I started by getting the first deer, a doe, and Barry harvested the biggest deer. An 8 pointer which was fairly large and had a big neck. The neck on this showed the signs that he was in full rut. My brother Tom...the most deer. Four in total. He took 3 Does and a button buck. He took the small buck because he saw this strange lump on the side. With the possibilities that it may have some sort of sickness he took the deer. Called the DNR and talked to them. Story behind the deer...probably sustained an injury and it healed, formed a lump while doing so. It really looked weird. Again, this was a button buck, so was it an old injury due to someone shooting it with a gun or bow? The more we looked at it the more we thought it may have been caused by fighting with a buck that had antlers. The little button had a hole in the rib bone. Another buck must have gorged it to get the little buck out of his territory. Weirdest thing we have seen this year but a real good possibility that is what had happened.

Okay so back to the deer count...Terri with one. Did knock one off its feet but when we tracked it..we lost the trail it was leaving behind. Felt kind of bad about that but I must not have hit too hard if it was able to get up and go like it did. Barry with one buck. Tom with 3 Does and a small buck. Steve E with a small 8 pointer and Philip with a Doe. Overall and despite the climate it was hard work and a decent hunt.

One thing I did hear...On my way to the station to register the deer I heard that so far hunting has not been all that productive. Numbers coming in are low. The DJ was talking to someone who owns an Archery business and they were running their usual big buck contest. They had one 10 pointer that came it with a weight of 201 pounds but a small rack. And another 10 pointer came in weighing less but had an impressive rack. Also, he said what I had said earlier, the weather was a factor and the bucks were not 100% in rut. Then they talked to another guy who hunts in the most northern part of Minnesota. He said after one week of hunting, one station only had 14 deer registered. That is not good. Beside the bucks not in rut and the weather being way too nice, they had a different problem to deal with. I am sure because of the recent BWCA fires it made the wolves move. This guy said the night before opener the wolves were howling. He was out in the stand and saw many wolves. So therefore the deer run off and stay out of the area until the wolves move on. What was funny is he said within 4-6 days the wolves will be gone and the deer will be back. I am not so sure I really believe that because the wolves we had around the cabin hung around for a LONG time. We still saw deer and didn't do too bad with hunting either.

Oh yeah! Welcome to Deer Camp to our Newby's, Aaron and Simon. Aaron is Mikes stepson and he came up on the opening weekend. He did see deer but didn't shoot. Simon is our nephew and he came up the second weekend. He didn't see any deer but still had a good time. Both of them are planning and ready to come back next year.

6th Wedding Anniversary

It is time again to hit the woods in search of that almighty elusive Whitetail Deer. The hunt begins in the morning.

HAPPY HALLOWEEN

Birthday Girl!

Happy 14th Birthday Dolly!

Just a little note....I REMEMBER CHANGING YOUR DIAPERS!!

Paca Little Cash Quarter Horse

This is our new Horses Pedigree. Very well bred from Peponita, Dash for Cash, Two Eyed Jack, Man O' War.

Paca Little Cash Quarter Horse

Another One Coming....

Albino Fawn

The photo you see of this Albino Whitetail Fawn was taken by some one in Wisconsin. The story behind the baby is that it was in the road and only a few hours old. They said that the Momma was no where. Then the people picked the baby up and brought it to a Rehab Center. Here is the scoop on this....where ever a fawn may be, believe me when I say that the Momma is always near. She just can't be seen. The only other thing that may have happened is that the Doe may have been injured by a car and was able to get into the woods deep enough. She may have died from those injuries. I am hoping that she was successful in crossing the road, ran deep into the woods and is just waiting for her little one to catch up.

Shelly's Turn

Shelly has left our place and is off to her new home. Another one we have had to part with but we had no choice. She, too, will be missed. The nice thing about her going is that she is nearby. Cassie from Staples MN took Shelly after I had her listed on dreamhorse.com for free. So far we are pleased with the out come of every horse we have had as far as finding them good homes. And I like that every owner I have met is going to stay in touch with me.

As sad as it is to see these horses go. I did get some good news though. Grace, my new horse, the gal that had her told me that she was registered and that she was having a hard time getting her papers. The guy would never return her call. And then if she would have put the horse up for sale she would have sold her a grade, but we traded. I had something she liked. So in a way I still felt that I was happy to trade her horses. The one I had was registered but not my type of horse. The news I received today is he sent the papers and she is sending them off to me....Yipee! I can't wait to see those papers and see what kind of bloodlines she carries.

Welcome Home Bobby

Bobby is a VERY close friend of the family. We have known him since he was around 10 years old or so. Bobby and my brother Tom went to school and graduated together. WELCOME HOME!


After spending 13 months deployed in Iraq, Minnesota soldiers returned home to Woodbury Monday.

The 168 members of Company B First Combined Arms Battalion 194th Armor Regiment were deployed Sept. 2006.

When they returned, Woodbury Elementary students who chanted "U.S.A." as they passed first greeted them.

Families and friends welcomed Company B back with hugs and tears.

No one in the battalion was injured or killed. Two received purple hearts for their service.

Puppy Boy

Happy 1st Birthday, Rylee on Oct 11th 2007


I totally forgot about my Puppy Boy's FIRST Birthday! Yikes!

Great Day

It was such a nice, nice day. Started out by turning loose the new horse, Grace, into the pasture with the others, after being isolated, but near, from the others for a week. Wasn't so sure when I had one (Shelly) that kept charging the panels. Shelly ended up being the decent one out the others, once Grace was placed in with them. Never offered a bite or kick. Never charged her. Just the typical ears pinned back. They all did that. Ginger was the one who showed her who is head mare in that pasture. As soon as Grace was loose Ginger managed to give her one good kick. Didn't really faze Grace but Ginger acted as if her leg was tingling from kicking Grace. After that I kind of watched as they made their way around the pasture. Then everything was fine. They even played ring-around-rosy around the bale ring. Sometimes someone stands off and waits to find the opportunity to eat. Things will be good, after all it has only been not even one day.

Once things settled down, Barry and I took advantage of the nice day for a ride. First time on the new horse. She did good and I was pleased with the trade I made. There are a couple of things I may ask a trainer about. Minor things that may need a little work. Otherwise she did good. Ginger on the other hand was awesome. We had been thinking about selling her and do have her listed on the dreamhorse.com site. After today and talking it over....we will keep her. She really surprised us especially since it has been a while she has been ridden AND on the trails back where we live.Yes it was so nice to finally have a nice day to ride. I really envy anyone who is able to use an arena on bad, rainy. cold. wintry days. I am hoping that someday we will be able to find the trailer we want and then I will find the closet arena and use it for about an hour a week through the winter.

So Grace......You are one that will stay with us for a very long time. You are at the right age and basically the right kind of horse we have been searching for. Thank You Deanna for the trade.

Tracks

I just love being back here in the woods. I needed to run up to the pole barn to grab a cinch because Barry and I are planning on getting on the horses and going for a ride. So I jumped on the 4-wheeler and ran up there. After I grabbed what I needed I decided to check on things. I went a different route and just tootled along looking for track, scrapes and rubs. See, Deer Hunting is coming up. Anyway as I was going along, enjoying the ride, I am looking at how the trail was going to be on horseback. So far it looks good. Then I was trying to find a perfect spot for picture taken for our Xmas cards. Decided to head back towards the driveway rather than go back further into the woods I went a different way. When I came out I went down the driveway and saw some canine tracks. The were not there when I went to the pole barn. They were big and in the soft dirt even bigger. Hmmm...Did my sons dog decide to break away again and head down towards the house. I turned around and went to his house...nope, the dog was still there. Hmmmm...Did Mom and Dad let out the other 2 dogs to run and take off? Flew back and...nope, they were still in the Kennel. We think we have a wolf back here. Or someones dog is running. But these tracks were big and they came out of the woods and went back in.

We use to have a pack back here and it was so fun getting out at night and howling. Then all of a sudden they just up and left and we had no sign of them. We often wonder if that pack would ever come back. Maybe they have????

"I wish for you....."

"I wish for you..."

Comfort on difficult days,
Smiles when sadness intrudes,
Rainbows to follow the clouds,
Laughter to kiss your lips,
Sunsets to warm your heart
Gentle hugs when spirits sag,
Friendships to brighten your being,
Beauty for your eyes to see,
Faith so that you can believe,
Courage to know yourself,
Patience to accept the truth,
And love to complete your life.

Changes to our Horse family

Hello Grace

It has been a very busy week from last Saturday to today. We traded Roper for this nice 14H registered Pinto. Her name Dreamers Cloudy Sky. VERY nice horse but I am not a gamer and she is not my type. So as soon as I knew Ropers Coggins came back negative I listed her on dreamhorse.com for sale. It wasn't long and I started receiving replies. I EVEN received 3 replies that were scams. Two of them were from England and they are some of those you see on TV that send counterfeit checks. I played some games with them and told them that if I did International Deals it would have to be in American Money, Cash ONLY deals. I never heard back from them again. The other scammer I have no idea where he was from. The other 2 replies were fine. One from a 13 year old and the other a very interested 20 something gal.

Well, the 20 something gal wanted to get a deal going right away because she is busy and next weekend attending some competition in barrel racing. She told me she had an 8 year old mare she had and if I was willing to trade. Again she wanted this deal to go quick. I wanted to know more about the horse she had, see pictures and see it in person. But it didn't go that way this time. I saw the pictures and I LIKED her. Then she told me about her as far as being broke and all that bothered her or didn't bother her. I was real nervous about not being able to see her in person and under saddle. See her ridden and me having that chance to ride her myself. I took the risk and went ahead and made the trade.

So here she comes and there goes Dreamer. The new horses name is Grace. She looks and sounds like something I have been looking for. When she arrived...I loved her. The looks, the disposition, everything. I just cross my fingers she is everything this gal says she is when I get on and ride. Now if the weather would only cooperate. It is either muggy or rainy. Neither one would make a good riding day. I hope to get a lot in before hunting.


Bye DREAMERS CLOUDY SKY

Horse Fun

Star in Your Own JibJab! It's Free!

Roper

I really hate to have to part with another one of my animals but I do. Roper is heading off to an area near Hibbing, MN.

I received this reply on www.dreamhorse.com from a girl who asked if I would be willing to trade her horse for mine. Not really but I wanted to know more about the situation. So we emailed each other for days. I found that the horse she has was to much for her. A horse that wanted to go, go, go. She is a first time horse owner and not all that experienced with saddle time. I talked to Barry and we went for the trade. Roper would be perfect for her. He is so laid back, older and more seasoned. A dead broke horse. I did let this girl know EVERYTHING about Roper. Not too many faults this old guy has. Just a little barn sour but a fixable barn sour issue.

Then I wanted to see this horse involved in the trade. So Sunday off I went to see it. A little an the small side only 14 hands if that. Not spirited but a little sassy. I met the owner who is 15 years old and her mother. Nice folks. She tacked up the horse and rode her in the arena and yes she needs Roper. I jumped on the horse and rode her around a bit. After I got off we talked and they asked me if I was still interested. I wasn't but I was thinking of that 15 year old who wanted to be a horse owner and she needed Roper to learn on. I told them we will make the trade. This sassy horse is registered and my thinking is that I would probably sell it. She was used in the past as a gaming horse and 4H. I still think she has it in her to do that but to control the go, go girl in her will take work. We will see.

So once again...Farewell Big Guy! You are so needed for someone and you will be missed by us. She already loves you dearly and she hasn't even met you yet. Come Saturday the 29th her dream will come true.

Our Move....continued

The Landlord saga continues. The more we had issues with Charles the more I started to get upset. I was looking under the Renter-Landlord Rights and Responsibilities under the State of Minnesota. I sent him the site to see for himself he needed to take care of his own properties. I said it was the law. Know what he told me! He doesn't do everything by law and working things out is his way with communication. He liked having 'cordial' relationships with his tenants. He felt he needed to know what you doing, where you were and to check in with him .. he says at least once a month. Or he would make calls to you and get upset because he couldn't talk to you or return his call. To me that is not the way a landlord should have a relationship with his tenants.

After the winter, as rough as it was, finally left our grips. Then the talk was on about putting a new place in. He kept telling us he was going to make trip to Minnesota and discuss options. He kept sending us different ideas and sites to check out to see what we liked. So about April something happened. First he kept whining about what one of his other tenants was doing to him and he kept telling us that he was going to evict her. To us...so what does that have to do with us and frankly it was none of our business. Anyway end of April came and he was asking for that increase back on the rent..he says it was a discount for heating. HA! We reminded him of the letter we have granting the reduction because of the dump we were living in not just for the heating costs. THEN he starting assuming that if he were to put something else in there we may not be able to afford the rent. The next thing he suggested we terminate our lease. MY GOD! What did we do to deserve this?? I asked him and you know what...he never answered. He just wondered if he were to put something in...can we afford it. We told him we could. Then he was wondering why we weren't giving him the increase and suggested an eviction. Again what the hell did we do? Finally we had enough and turned in a notice to vacate September 1st.

Before we moved there were a couple of things I wanted to do. I called the County of Cass and let them know that he had this black water spilling from the kitchen on to the lawn and had the water tested because the people who lived there before us...built a pit and dumped all kinds of metal, appliances and junk along with gallons and gallons of gear oil in and lit it on fire. The pit...about 200 yards from the shallow well that supplies the house with water. Then I wanted to know what he paid for property Taxes because usually tenants receive a Certificate of Rent Paid so they can claim a refund. He screwed us there. I called the State Revenue Office and told them he said he didn't have to fill one out. They said we would have to have a Rent Paid Affidavit from him. Okay but here is the good one. Charles Chernack claims he didn't fill out anything and when we received the Affidavit he had put down there that $880.00 was the renters share of property taxes and that amount was entered on a certain line of your tax forms. When I had it figured the first time we were looking at getting back a refund. After that sheet came the refund went out the window. I called the County to find out that his property taxes weren't even $200.00 for the year.

As we were packing we happened to notice that Charles put an ad in the paper.."HORSE RANCH for rent, yada yada. With a mobile home on it. $500.00 per month. We both just looked at each other and shook our heads. WHAT AN ASS! Then I decided to get on his website and see what he had to say about that. It said horse ranch for rent, has a mobile home on it but it wasn't fit to live in. He kept going and said that if you were interested in renting you would have to bring in your own house or shelter. The rent amount...$500.00 per month.

There were phone calls about the place and few visits and of course we told them EVERYTHING from what was wrong with the place to what an ass Charles Chernack was. He ended up renting to someone. The kicker is that they are paying $500.00 a month and Charles GAVE yes, I said GAVE them the house. We have decided that we are taking Charles to court and try to get our rent back. As far as we are concerned he owes us $7500.00 and that is not including the utilities. We even tried to see if he would settle without going to court...he wouldn't. So off to court it will go. The funny thing about this is Charles wants us to tell the court when the hearing should take place. He even said that if a summons comes that it should go to his property, the one we just moved from, to his tenant and then the tenant email him when it gets there. Oh and then he would give dates when he leaves the country and said he can't come to court around those dates. He wanted us to tell the courts to schedule around his schedule. What a laugh!

Anyone who reads this...Comments???

September Surprise!

Okay.... This is so not funny! Here it is September 14th and yes we are cold today. In fact the temperature gauge on the truck read 36 degrees at 5:30 AM. Barry and I left the cabin heading to Brainerd and when we stepped out and noticed it raining some. No big deal, Right?? Well, we get out of the woods and OH MY GOD! It was snowing. No Kidding!! SNOW!

As of last nights forecast we didn't hear anything about the chance of snow showers! Nice move weatherman! The local radio station up here said it was going to clear over night here in the lakes area. It didn't.

Once again the weather here in Minnesota is unpredictable. So why live here I ask? I'll never know the answer.

Our Move...

Finally back at the cabin where we felt more at home than at the place we rented west of Pine River. Sometimes I wish we never left here to move there. Have had nothing but disappointments from the Landlord. Speaking of the "Landlord". Never deal with this guy. When we first met him he told us he was sort of a Real Estate Investor. We first replied to an ad to rent a place and talked to him. Told us that it has been rented. But if we were to find someplace, he would buy it and we can rent it back from him. We took a Property Source book which lists all homes, etc for sale and looked through it. One ad we found was a 40 acre Farm with barn, stalls and 4 separate pastures fenced in. We thought.."GREAT". First we thought we would check it out and see if maybe we can purchase it ourselves. It was after all going for REAL cheap. Couldn't figure that one out either until...

We contacted the Realtor and went to see the place. Nice but it Had a mobile home on it. The owners were kind of strange for they ONLY showed us the area and the barn. Not the home or around it. Contacted the Realtor again to schedule a time to see it again but this time see the house. We met her out there and looked around. We were told that the reason the price was so cheap is because it was being sold a raw land. Meaning the house was not included. The owners spent their winters away from this state doing whatever like Rodeos and such. The more we thought about it the more we thought about the potential this place would have. The bad news for us is that we really weren't in a position to buy anything right now and called Charles Chernack. He was the one who we talked to. We told him about this place and that it did have a mobile home on it but we really have no idea what the condition it was in. He told us to check it out. Before we had that chance, he turned around and bought it anyway. You might say sight unseen. So July 1 of 2006 we moved in and THAT is when the real deal surfaced. Both the barn/garage and the home were in really bad shape. The people who were there.....PIGS! Left the place dirty, VERY dirty. The rent...$750.00 per month. This is where it gets good...

The house was nothing but mouse droppings everywhere. Couldn't tell you how many mice were caught. Everything was dirty from refrig, stove, bathroom, carpets, everything. ISH! There were so many holes in the walls it would have cost a bunch to patch and paint. They had 2 additions on the place that were rotten and open to the elements as well as no power hooked to either one. The sink and dishwashers black water was piped outside spilling out on the lawn. The houses main water source was hooked to a shallow well and the water line was on top of the ground. Windows were rotten. Toilet was loose because the floor was rotten underneath from a leaky toilet. There were cracks in the tub everywhere where they leaked and God know what the floor looked like under that. I could go on and on with a list that may be 4 pages long. We told this to Charles the Landlord and he said..."Let's put something else in". To us that sound good and very nice of him. It was a start. But then the true Charles came out. He said he was strapped for cash, people owed him money, then his parents died and there was money. The issue was that if he was going to do something he had better start soon because the weather was going to change and it would be too late to do anything. Well, he delayed it. Thank you very much Charles.....

We figured we could try and stick it out for the Winter and did what we could to the house. It didn't work. We had frozen pipes, and the plastic on the windows inside were breathing when the wind blew outside. We even put plastic on the windows outside. The furnace kicked in every 2-3 minutes which left us with a $414.00 electric bill for one month. All the rest were in the $300.00 range. We went through more propane than usual. We had the pump go out in the barn. There were cracks in the pump that had been there way before we ever moved in and when that went we told the Landlord. He felt that we should have paid for the replacement or repair. We laughed and told him that is was his responsibility.

TO BE CONTINUED.......

Doug

JACOBSON, DOUGLAS 1957-2007
Douglas Alan Jacobson of Pine City, Minnesota, died August 6, 2007 at the age of 49 years. He was born December 31, 1957 to Darrell and Carol in Cokato, Minnesota.
Doug enlisted in the United States Marine Corps and while serving in the Corps, he earned meritorious service medals. He was very proud to be a Marine.
Following his discharge from the military, he moved to Iowa Park, Texas. Doug took great pride in his work as an auto mechanic. He loved working on cars and was very quality and detail oriented, was well respected, and treated everyone fairly.
Doug enjoyed attending Midwestern State University and Vernon College in Wichita Falls, Texas. When his two children graduated high school, he moved back to Minnesota.
He is survived by his wife, Patricia; daughter Leya and son Daniel of Iowa Park; stepdaughters Christina and Karrinne Vos of Pine City, Desiree of Flower Mound, TX; grandsons Cameron and Colton of Flower Mound; granddaughter Seree of Pine City; parents Carol & Darrell of Wyoming, MN; brothers Darrell Gene, Jr. of Pine City, Jeffrey of Blaine, MN, Barry of Fifty Lakes, MN, and Michael of Las Vegas, NV; other relatives and many friends. He was a good son, husband, father, grandfather, uncle, brother, cousin, and friend, and he will be greatly missed.
Services were held at 7 p.m. on Sunday August 12, 2007 at the Swanson Chapel in Pine City with visitation prior to the service. Interment was at 1:15 p.m. Monday, August 13, 2007 at Fort Snelling National Cemetery in Minneapolis, Minnesota.
Funeral Service 7:00 pm Sunday, August 12, 2007 at the Swanson Funeral Home of Pine City, Mn
Visitation prior to the Service on Sunday from 5-8pm
Interment 1:15 pm Monday, August 13, 2007 at Fort Snelling National Cemetery in Minneapolis, MN Assembly Area #4ervice - Obituaries

A Scary Moment

I really do not know how much I can take...I thought for a moment there I was about to lose by dog. Rikee, my diabetic dog, had her first episode. I was on the computer doing a couple of things when I heard some jingling. I got up to see what it was and saw my little girl on the kitchen floor shaking violently. She was on her belly with all 4 legs stretched out and shaking. I was trying not to panic but I didn't like what I was seeing. It was like Rikee was having some sort of seizure. NOT a pretty sight at all. I flew into action and went for the Karo Syrup and gave her some. Nothing happened right away and I went for the sugar. Started rubbing the sugar on her gums. I did this for about 10 minutes and she finally started to come out of it. Can't tell you what state of mind I was in. Here at home, alone, and your dogs goes into shock. all I could picture at the time was my baby girl going limp and stop breathing.

Today was a day that I did Rikee's Glucose Curve. Having to do the test every 2 hours I noticed her numbers were heading way too low. Too low for comfort. Thank goodness I purchased the AlphaTrak Glucometer. I am putting the meter and monitoring readings at home. Usually you have to bring in your pet for the day to have the curve done. So far I like doing this. I made all the calls I needed to get an answer to my question about the number she was at by 8 PM feeding. If it was low I didn't want to give her the full 9 units for she would have had another episode like she did last night.

I pray I don't have to go through that again!

Today someone from the Duluth area drove over to take a look at our horse, Jessie. Since listing her for 'FREE' on www.dreamhorse.com we have had many people interested. I should have had one of those "take a number" deals like you see at the Customer Service counter. But the one who looked at her today fell in love with her and will be taking her. The new owners name...Jessie. How cool is that. So come Labor Day, Jessie will be going to a new home. I am trying very hard not to think about it but we know it is for the best. She was just too nice of a horse to just sit around and do nothing. I hope that Jessie, the new owner, will keep in touch with us on how Jessie, the horse, is doing. Due to circumstances, we just didn't have the time to give her the proper training she needs.

We will miss you Jessie Girl!

In case I didn't do so because there have been many personal issues happening. Rylee has been neutered. It took him awhile to finally realize that those 2 balls of his are not there. It is not like he liked licking them or something.....or maybe he did. HaHaHa! We have lost a Parakeet again. Now we are down to one and when that one is gone...NO MORE! However Barry mentioned that he would like some parrot or something. GEEZ!

Roper and Ginger are up for sale on www.dreamhorse.com . Great site if someone is looking to buy some horses. Jessie was up for sale but I decided that maybe it would be better for her and us that we just find her a good home. So she is listed as 'FREE'. Someone who wants to put in the time will be getting a very nice horse.

In Memory......

Barry's Brother passed away overnight.

Douglas Alan Jacobson

Dec 1957 - Aug 2007

DREAM OR PREMONITION


Well I was going to blog about what has been happening here on the farm like....moving, garden and such. But with the recent events that have taken place with the bridge collapsing... I have to blog something else.

For awhile now I have had dreams that are so coincidental. When I first had a dream and it was one that bugged me, and I really wish I could remember what that first one was about. Anyway, I had this dream and the next few days something happened that was similar to the dream I had. I didn't think too much of it at the time because after all it WAS only a dream until the next time....

The next dream was that of a plane crash. No idea when it was suppose to happen or what airline or where but it was vivid enough to me that is was clearly a plane and it was going to crash. I did tell someone about this and again just thought of it as only a dream until I heard the news of a plane crash. I believe it was around the time when that one crashed into the Florida Everglades. Another plane crash that came my way in a dream were 2 small planes crashed into each other in the air. For the life of me I can't remember when it happened but there it was on the news. Can't remember if it was around the time they had air shows and don't remember where. Again, to me it was just a dream. Others tell me premonitions. Scared me a little and thought no way! And then....

It happened again. This time I really remembered more when the dream came to me. It was a Monday morning when I had this dream at 5 AM. All I could see is a black figure like a silhouette from the shoulders up. It looked scrambled to me like as if you needed to adjust your tracking on your VCR. I didn't know if the figure was a female or a male but I knew it was someone famous. I told my Mother that someone famous in my dream had died. Then my Brother had heard that Stevie Ray Vaughn was killed in a helicopter crash. And I believe if I remember right in the morning hours. Now I am feeling weird. And then....

Then I had a dream that someone of Royalty had died. I knew it was not of the British Royals. This figure, again, only appeared dark shaped but no scrambling of the figure. I knew it was a female. I could tell that she was very attractive even though the figure appeared black. Figure that one out. What I couldn't tell was that she either had long hair or some sort of scarf. Then next morning I was busy doing my stuff, told my Mom about the dream and then I listened to the radio. During a news break they had said a Princess from Nepal was killed.

For awhile I have not any any incidents up until now. This one kind of bugs me and it has nagged at me now for a couple of days. Last year in 2006 I had another dream. I can not for the life of me remember when. Was it before we moved or after??? That is a question I keep trying to figure out the answer for. We moved on July 1st. Anyway, in this dream a bridge had collapsed. I knew it was in the state of Minnesota. It was over a river. I did see cars falling. I really felt as if I was there seeing the whole thing. The only thing is it didn't say when this would have happened or over what river. Sometimes these dreams or so called premonitions are not on the money but it sure is a weird feeling when all of a sudden in the year 2007 that indeed, Minnesota has had a bridge collapse over a river. Last year when I had that dream and when it didn't happen in that year I never really thought about it anymore until recently. Again I just looked at it as just a dream.

Just so you know...I am not one that dreams that often. I either have a restless night of sleeping or I have nights where I sleep solid. So I sit today thinking that I may go out and by one of those blank books and journal every date, year and what happened in my dreams, of what I could remember. That way if something happens again, that seems so familiar to me I will look it up.

HAPPY ANNIVERSARY MOM AND DAD! A WHOLE 48 YEARS TOGETHER!

A major blow to the state.......


kare11.com :: KARE 11 TV - Dozens injured, at least six killed in bridge collapse

Happy Birthday to the Firecracker that I married

HAPPY INDEPENDENCE DAY!

Bits and Pieces

I guess I better do a little updating considering it is JULY 1st. So much happening once again.

We have new eggs in the Bluebird box. And how fast it was! I no sooner cleaned out the old nest and another pair built one in a matter of 2 days. Last time I looked there were 4 eggs in there. The Robin is on her second brood and should be hatching soon.

Rikee's eye is doing fabulous! It is looking like her other eye. I am SO happy with the results from the surgery.

The garden is doing GREAT! We have picked the Broccoli, Cauliflower and some Banana Peppers. Have had Radishes and Green Onions, too. Won't be too long and we will have more Radishes, Peas, more Peppers, and some Tomatoes. Soon we will have Sweet Corn. Of course THAT is more important than anything else. Hopefully everything is done and grown by September 1st because.........

WE ARE MOVING!!! We have had enough of the so called Landlord we rent from. He is doing too much illegal activity. He claims he doesn't have to do anything by law, doesn't want to make the repairs because he was suppose to yank the run down beat up mobile home we are in and put something else in....Yeah, right! Then he wants and arm and a leg for rent, which this place is not worth it, wants us to either pay full or partial repair for a pump that has been cracked for years. And we have only been at this place for a year! He says we should because after all our horses have to be watered. Then he says he doesn't have to give his Renters a Certificate of Rent Paid so we can get a rent credit back. Instead I had to have a Rent Paid Affidavit filled out which he sticks an amount stating that it is the renters share of property taxes. Guess what? We are seeking legal counsel to take HIM to court. We would like to try and get our rent back. Plus I have since then called the County and reported some issues with the Environment Services Office. Our black water from the kitchen drains out on the lawn. How to code is that?? Then we are having the water tested due to the previous owners of this place, who sold this to the Landlord...well, they dug a pit, dumped all kinds of scrap and such, dumped all kinds of gear oil in it and lit it on fire. He said he was going to come back and bury it. He didn't. The kicker is that this pits location is about 275 +/- yards from the shallow well that supplies the water to the house. I could go on and on but I won't. So we are moving.

We are exploring our options to build on our property back in Fifty Lakes next to the cabin. I guess I would rather have my parents be our neighbors than the weird people we have around us now. And we will not miss the long drive!

Happy July!!

Sad News

I went last night before it was dark to check on the baby Bluebirds and I am sad to say that they all have died.
So we will try again.....I cleaned out the box and hopefully another pair of Bluebirds will nest in it.

HAPPY FATHER'S DAY TO ALL THE....

Dads-to-be
Dads
Grandfathers
Great Grandfathers
and if some are still around...the Great, Great Greatfathers

Happy Father's Day-
Barry, Dad F. and Dad J.

The Farm Life!

Since moving up here from the cities and enjoying the country/farm life...Well, I wouldn't trade for anything in the world.

The Latest Happenings....

The Garden

Back in May we had tilled, raked, and put up the Greenhouse. Moved small rocks to put around the inside as a border. Then we planted.....Cilantro, Green Beans, Radishes, Onions, Carrots, Peas, Tomatoes, Broccoli, Cauliflower, and Peppers. Then Barry tilled an area on the other side of the fenced in garden and there we planted Squash and Watermelon. Then behind the barn he tilled up another area where we have planted Sweet Corn and Cucumbers. We watched as everything started to grow. Weren't sure how the soil was going to be for planting. So far the only thing we have down and tilled in is compost manure from the piles that we have. Did a test to see if we had to do anything more. We didn't, but will everything grow? It did! To date: I have just picked the Green onions and the Cherry Belle Radishes. Now I have 2 other types of radishes to plant which I will do shortly.

Baby Birds

Barry and I bought a couple Bluebird boxes because we noticed Bluebirds flying around. I looked online for information for the proper placement of the boxes. We hung them out towards the road on the fence posts that are there. Really the only good location. While Barry worked I watched and checked the boxes pretty much weekly. Thought maybe is wasn't a good location after all. One day I finally looked and a nest was in the process of being built in one box and an attempt in the other. Talk about excited....Bluebirds?! Well, I probably looked in the boxes, at least once a week or longer. I finally noticed small eggs in one box. But they were not Bluebird eggs, because I noticed what kind of birds were flying in and out of the box and they were not Blue. I looked in that trusty bird book and found that the birds nesting were Tree Swallows. Okay...I was a little disappointed but after awhile I got over it and thought of baby birds anyway. Then I noticed that there was a full nest in the other box. Tree Swallows again? Not this time! I started watching little blue eggs appear. Five total. Finally a Bluebird is using the box! An update....Today I went out there and we have Baby Tree Swallows and Baby Bluebirds. I am a little worried though because I noticed that there were all kinds of feathers all over the ground and it looks like something snatched a female Bluebird. If she was the one who laid the eggs, I just hope the father steps up to the plate and feeds them. This box I will keep an eye on. What took the female? Probably a hawk.

The other nest we have is a Robins nest. Dumb bird built the nest where the door opens to the pasture and barn. This is where we bring the horses in and out, to and from the stalls. There are now 3 Baby Robins. The news is when I was going to go out and take a picture of the nest full of the young ones, one of the Babies flew/jumped out. Oops! So Barry and I found it and we were going to put it back. Decided to let it sit on a branch in tree and close to the nest. Should have seen how mad the parents were!! They were dive bombing Barry as he was trying to help the baby bird out. We do have other nests....the Sparrows have all kinds of nest in the barn/garage. Have see some Barn Swallows but haven't see their nesting sights yet.

Flies

Oh how we hate the flies! Not so much us but the Horses. This year we decided to try those Fly Predators. So far it has helped but there are only certain flies these predators eat. So we still have to find a way to control some of the other biting insects. We bought some NASTY smelling liquid stuff (it smells like rotten fish), put in some of that and water in pop bottles with holes at the top and hung them in areas such as the run-in shed. You certainly do not want to touch that smelly stuff. It takes a while to get it off the skin. YUK! We may try to create our own attractant by going fishing and put the fish remains and heads in some water. I knew someone who did that. Seems to attract the flies faster than the way we do it.

Hopefully I will get around to posting some pictures of the Garden and Baby Birds.

Moth Identified!

The picture of the Moth that I posted on June 3rd has been identified as a Cecropia Silkmoth...Thanks to the Montana State University. I did a Google Search and found the site
Butterflies and Moths of North America and made that click. Very neat site if you are looking to identify any Moth or Butterfly that you happen to see.
And if you click on Image Gallery , find the Wild Silkmoth, click on the picture Cecropia Silkmoth and it will give you the scoop about it. Plus if you look at the map of the US, Cass County, MN just got added.
Thank You, Kelly at Montana State for your help.

WooHooo!

Happy Anniversary to Mike and Peg.....38 years

From your Flowergirl!

TOO COOL

The last Thursday which would have been the 31st of May, I had the outside lights on. I kept hearing June Bugs hitting the window and decided to get up and get something to drink. Then this thing kept fluttering near the lights. It was kind of hard to get a good look at it. At first I thought is was a bat because it was THAT big. And I did see some bats fly by but it sure wasn't a bat. It was a Moth, A BIG MOTH!

The next morning I was heading into Brainerd to pick Barry up and when I looked at the front of the house, there it was. When I wanted to get a closer look the Moth opened up its wings. With the wing span it had to have been as big as my open hand. I kid you not!

Now I am trying to identify it.

Recheck Day

Well, we drove for 3 1/2 hours for a 15 minute appointment to have Rikee's eye checked. She no longer looks like a cone head and the bandage lens came out. So did the stitch that kept her lid shut partially. Her eye doesn't look pretty and hope that it gets better as it heals. I still have to instill the drops and ointment every 8 hours. We still have a ways to go but was it worth it? You bet!! She will be seen in in a couple of weeks for another recheck.

Memorial Day

HAPPY BIRTHDAY, MOM !!

Surgery Update on Rikee

Rikee's surgery went on with some success. She had this spot removed from her cornea but it was a little deeper than expected. Therefore, she will have a little bit still there. I was told that is should not return to what it was before the surgery. My little Doggie looks so miserable....she has this contact len's bandage in and part of her eye lid has been stitched shut so that the lens will stay put. She has drops and ointment to put in the eye 3 times a day. She is wearing this collar which she absolutely hates, but has to at least wear it for 10 days. We will see how she is doing with the recheck in 10 days.

I don't know how much more my puppy can take in her life, diabetes with 9 units of Vetsulin 2 times a day, ointment for her eye for the rest of her life....I sit everyday thinking of the expense to do this and you know what- I may have to find the right job so that is works with her schedule and keep her in the meds she needs but it will be worth it.

Now this may have nothing to do with "Surgery Update" but I wanted to share this..........

Last night I was able to witness the birth of a fawn deer right out the front window, with the help of my binoculars. The horses were looking across the dirt road towards the woods. When I looked I didn't see the deer at first and then she came out. She walked just short of the ditch by the road and laid down. I finally went outside so I wasn't looking through the window and noticed she stood up, then laid down again. A truck went south on the road and she remained right where she was. After a while I could see a very small white flag of the tail. OH MY she gave birth right there. How neat was that!! As I watched another vehicle drove by and she jumped up and went into the woods. I figured she wouldn't have gone far but then I saw it! A little wobbly brown blob through my binocs. as I watched the baby take it's first steps I had to laugh because it would wobble, fall down, try to get up and do it all over again. Too funny! Momma deer finally came out and went right to the baby, displayed very odd behavior with some sort of protection moves and she then went down into the ditch. I still could see her back and then she made her move back up from the ditch. Baby pulling up the rear. She laid back down and continued licking it. She jumped up once more and laid back down again. Now I know she at least had one fawn but do not know if she is a Momma to twinkies. I kept watching until it got dark and I couldn't see anymore.
So today I took off on the 4-wheeler to the spot and found the tall grass laying down where she bed down. She sure cleaned the baby up very well because there were no signs of the usual things you would see when animals give birth.

May Birthday #1

HAPPY BIRTHDAY, DANA! Hope you have an awesome day. Brian, you made Dana a great cake.

A NEW BABY!

WoooHoo! Congrats Bridgette and Josh with the arrival of your baby girl.

Welcome to the family little Joslyn Rain, who weighed in at 7 lbs 7.8 ozs. She was born on Wed May 16th 2007 at 11:42 AM.

Joslyn is pictured here with her Mommy, Auntie Kaley and Cousin Morgan

Rikee

My poor Rikee....It is NOT at all easy to take care of a Diabetic dog but I am determined to have her around longer than my other dog who was a Diabetic. Reko was a Black Lab who at 9 years of age had diabetes. Financially I just couldn't do it plus it is a HUGE commitment to take care of animals with Diabetes. I watched my brother do it for 5 years to his cat. So I put Reko to sleep. Was such a bad time for me...not only Reko but his litter mate Raven was put to sleep just 8 months after he was and 2 months before Reko, my Siamese cat, Samson. But Rikee is only 6 going on 7 years old and I wasn't ready to let her go.

After a year we thought she was doing well after having several Glucose Curves done. Her numbers were still too high. Then I asked the vet if they have such a thing as a glucose monitor for animals. "Funny you ask" she said. I have one now! Imagine that, a Gluocometer for animals. Now I can do those Glucose Curves myself. The first curve was done on the 11th of May. I wanted to use the pads on her paw to prick for the sample but I couldn't get the blood. So the other choices were the inside lip or the ear. I went for the ear. Rikee was good girl because the curve had to be done every 2 hours for 12 hours. How would you like to have your ear pricked every 2 hours?? When I did the curve I did not like the numbers I was getting. Very inconsistent. So I did it again the next day. This time the numbers were more consistent but to Dr's Paul and Anne still a little high. When we thought Rikee had been stable with her Vetsulin (animal insulin) at 8 units she was increased to 8.5 units after a year since she was diagnosed. After I reported the curve to the vets they had me increase it to 9 units. So far so good because I have been lucky enough to see that she is accepting the change and I have not had to go through a Diabetic reaction. If that ever happens I make sure that I have Karo Syrup and Sugar handy. Then I pray! Her next curve will be in a month. Now, the next thing...She is scheduled to have Surgery on her eye on Monday the 21st. I will have to post on that after she has it done. Though I will upload a picture of her with what is on her eye and you see what it is that has to be removed. I am glad it is nothing life threatening but the fact she has to be put under Anesthetics is the scary part.

This is the hardest thing I have ever gone through with any of my animals.

A MOTHER IS.........

A mother is many things: She is the giver of life and love, the maker of house and home. She is the chief cook and bottle washer, babysitter of last resort, provider, educator, doctor, disciplinarian, spiritual guide, counselor, health inspector, clothing consultant and taxi driver.


HAPPY MOTHER'S DAY !!

The Last Two Weeks

Congratulations Jimmy and Denise who were married May 5th 2007

Wow! I can't believe how long it has been since the last post. I guess it shows how busy we really were. First it started that I had to finish a baby gift and get that sent off to Arkansas for a baby shower for our niece, Bridgette. That was on the 29th of April. Then I had to finish putting a room together so my Mom and Dad had a place to sleep while they were here taking care of all the animals while we attend the Horse Expo. Before we were to leave our Farrier came out to trim 2 of the 6 horses feet. Then off we go. Thank You so much Mom and Dad for staying here and taking care of the critters.
The Expo was great! The weather could not have been any better for last year it rained EVERY day we were there. The year before that...cold! Sunny, but cold! we had lots of fun. Ran into just about everyone we knew who would have been there. We spent more money on food than we did on anything else. We did buy ourselves some new hats and a lunge line for training. Decals for the windows on the truck. Can you guess what they were....Hhmm! The Rodeo was good, especially the Rodeo Clowns! They are always a hit! Never mind the oohhs and aahhs of the cowboys riding those bull and broncs. The clowns were funny! We found the trailer we want and will wait until next year to purchase one. We have a few things that need our attention first.

The week after the Expo was just as busy. Besides work, Barry was getting busy with the tilling of the garden so we can start planting. He had put in some really late days so with what day light there was left that what he was doing. Then we had to go shopping for the wedding. We had NOTHING to wear. The wedding was nice! Barry and I could not get to the ceremony because of the chores we had to do knowing that it was going to be a late night. But we did hear that the ceremony was unique. We did get down there in time for some visiting and dinner before the dance started. The dance was neat, too. The kids were involved in way I have never seen and it was different. They were able to do a scavenger hunt and they were to look under the tables for candy bars. Then the bride and groom threw 2 teddy bears out like they would when the groom tosses the garter and the bride the bouquet. There was a bear for a boy and a girl. Such neat ideas! And do the kids love to dance! They should have a separate floor for just them... :)

Again, CONGRATULATIONS to Jimmy and Denise! Welcome to the family Denise and I sure feel old when the groom was my ring bearer 27 years ago!

Expo

Tomorrow morning we are heading off the the MN Horse Expo for the weekend. It's a fun weekend of spending money. You get to pick up so much information from training to buying the right horse. Saddles, Stalls, Blankets, Clothes, Barns, Land, You name it, they should have it! The end of last year we had a couple goals in mind as what we want to check on but as time goes and the Expo is near, things change. Saturday night we will sit in and watch the Rodeo.

Back home I wish my folks ALL the luck in the world because they get to stay here and tend to the animals. Here we have 2 adults in their mid-late 60's taking care of our 6 horses, 4 dogs, 2 cats, and 2 birds. GOOD LUCK! Hopefully we don't find any of them lying on their backs with their feet up......I mean the folks! Oh! you know what I mean. We figured we would have asked them because I am sure they would like to escape the cabin.

I will be back to blogging sometime next week.

Company Day

Today was the day we had company. Dad, Mom, Brian and Dana came over for dinner. Tom was suppose to be here as well because we were to celebrate his birthday with dinner and a cake. Since he didn't come we celebrated anyway. Cake was good, too!! HA! Our dinner turned out great. I made Stuffed Chicken Breast. Such an easy recipe.....using Stove Top stuffing for chicken, broccoli, and the chicken. Once you take the meat mallet to the chicken, set aside and prepare the stuffing mix. Add the broccoli (not cooked) to the stuffing and mix it. Take some stuffing and broccoli and put some on the flattened chicken and roll it up. Seam side down in the pan. Top with Cream of Chicken Soup and 1/2 cup milk, sprinkle Parmesan cheese and paprika on top of that. I usually cook it until the chicken is done. YUM! Great with a salad on the side.

Then we played the bowling game for the Wii Nintendo. You can only play up to 4 players and there were 6 of us. Maybe someday they may change this system so you can play more than 4.

Reeba, Rikee and Rylee were SO excited when they knew Grandma was coming to visit. I will have to upload the picture I took for it shows how they waited so patiently for her arrival. (picture uploaded)

The other reason they were coming is so Dad and Mom can learn the farm routine of the daily chores. Barry and I are heading off to the Horse Expo next weekend. One of the very few times we can get away. But of course there are animals to take care of. We took the folks out to the barn and explained that 2 of the 6 horses come in for their feed. The other 4 get theirs outside. The dogs have their own feeding time as well. Due to Rikee's Diabetes she has to be fed every 12 hours and then given her VETSULIN (doggie insulin). So if she has to be put on the schedule so shall the others. No special treatment for Reeba and Rylee but Rheeya, at least for a month, gets a little special treatment. Just found out that she has Lyme's and she is being treated for it. No idea how long she has had it but we have her on the meds to get rid of it....we hope!

Overall, a busy day and unfortunately it ends way too fast.

To Tom---

HAPPY BIRTHDAY, DEAR BROTHER !!!!!

Tragic

Our hearts are saddened by the news of this horrible incident that took place. Our prayers and sympathy goes out to the victims families and friends.

BBC NEWS World Americas Virginia shootings: The victims

Today's the Day

TAX DAY!!

Don't forget to mail them!!

April Weather Lore

An April flood carries away both the frog and his brood.
April showers bring May flowers.
April is half March, half May.
April weather: rain and sunshime both together.
April weather is more capricious than winter.
April weather likes to repeat the April Fool's Day.
April showers bring Spring flowers.
Don't ever bet on April weather.
April wet, good wheat.
A cold April brings us bread and wine.

Select Comfort

We did it! We purchased the Sleep Number by Select Comfort bed. Do you know what your sleep number is?? We don't know ours....yet! But we will once we hit the hay tonight.

It BETTER be worth the money you dish out!!!


Sleep Number Bed: Select Comfort, 1-888-BED FOR U, Luxury Sheets, Adjustable Air Chamber Mattress

Easter Greetings!

Before we head off to an Easter Dinner I had better post something....LIKE, HAPPY EASTER!! We have had a house full since Thursday. Lots of fun, too. Though it was too cold to try and get in any riding on horse or 4-wheelers. Next visit.

Barry and I had visitors from my old neighborhood. I use to Nanny for a family in Champlin and Julie, Nathan and Stephanie (Dolly) drove up on Thursday and camped out in our living room. We did a lot of talking, laughing and playing. We played the Wii Nintendo and tried just about every game. Nathan brought up some remotes and games which was compatible with the Wii System. He played for hours. We ate and ate....real well, too!

Our outside pump in the barn went out so all of us had to water the horses by hand. Not fun but it went well. Brought in jugs and buckets to fill and haul out to the tanks. Took about 3 trips to at least give them water to drink. Barry had to spend the weekend fixing it. He wasn't a happy camper only because it seems when he is off on the weekends he is always fixing something here. Of course here it is a holiday weekend and having company....well, we wasn't too happy.

Anyway, Julie brought up here jewelry making craft stuff and she made some really cool earrings and a necklace for us. Dolly made herself a couple pendants and I made a key chain. I have sent away for the catalogue so I can try and do the making. Now I have to work on reopening my holes in my ears so I can where earrings again.

Well, I suppose I had better stop for now and resume getting ready to head to the cabin. dinner is waiting.

HAPPY EASTER

PS...the picture I REALLY wanted to post, I thought I had better not. It shows how Easter Eggs were made and a little on the naughty side. You all get the picture...Don't you??