Fat Pony and Grass on the Hill

Yes, I ride Tonto on occasion...er...every chance I get...but it's not often enough. I rode him for a short while today, until the saddle started riding up his neck again.

He is FAT...and he lives in the FAT PEN. How he stays so fat, I have no clue. The poor pony resides in a dirt lot except for the two glorious hours a day my mom lets him out to graze. Oh, and the small hand full of grain he gets twice a day...

He doesn't look too bad in these photos, but when he isn't moving, you can tell he is quite overweight. He really needs more riding and exercise. When we were riding him consistently a few days a week, I could definitely tell a difference. But when he sits idle in the fat pen, he's not burning any calories.

Tonto is such a cutie, I would die if he foundered.

I really hope that we can get the fence and barn complete soon. Maybe with the cooler weather coming hubby will feel more like working outside. Please keep your fingers crossed...

The grass on the hill is trying to grow. It needs rain desperately. My dear husband has mentioned getting another load of topsoil to fill in the ruts, along with plans to renovate the hill to try to alleviate drainage problems. Another to do on the to do list!

I wonder what the hill would look like if we hadn't had that torrential downpour. :)

Update on Dad, School Days and Another B-Day Party!

Whew! I am SO glad last week is behind us! Dad had his surgery on Monday and came out with flying colors. He underwent a double bypass since the surgeon wasn't able to do the triple. Prognosis is excellent though. The second day after surgery was the hardest; a lot of pain, but he is truly doing great. He came home on Friday and is walking and doing his breathing exercises as prescribed. In a way it has all been a blessing - my older brothers have come home to help out, and we rarely see them, so it has been nice visiting with them! Dad's color has returned to his face; it was almost gray before the surgery. I guess from bad circulation. He still has a long road ahead, but I do believe in a couple of months he will be running circles around us. :)

The boys started back to school on Thursday, then B was sick on Friday, so he couldn't go...but we are back to the grindstone tomorrow!

Nothing like "The first day of school shots!"

It is so hard to believe another school year has started! They are both ready though...and I am, too...there are several work assignments I need to get completed!

This weekend came and went in a hurry! We had another birthday party for B. This time it was with my husband's side of the family. We had cousins over which is always a ton of fun. They all play so well together!

Ha - the cake was gorgeous (NOT!) - it split right down the middle when I started icing it, so I filled the crack with a bunch of icing....it stayed together long enough to sing Happy Birthday!

The happy seven year old with Mom and Dad! He now owns ten THOUSAND Legos due to all of the Lego kits he received as birthday presents...Oh, and Granny and Grandpa gave him a $50 bill! He thought THAT was the greatest gift of all!

Happy Birthday, to My Middle Baby!

Today is B's birthday!!! He is the Big 7 today!!

Don't you love the candles? We were at my parents' house to celebrate B's birthday with my folks and Mom only had a few birthday candles. She looked around until she found these beauties! B thought it was great, but it was a little hard to blow all seven out at one time with them being different heights. I am sure his birthday wish will still come true.

Say "cheeeeese!"

Here is B with one of his amazing Lego creations. He makes the most incredible things! His birthday wish list mostly consisted of specific Lego kits that he picked off the Lego website...and a Wii.

Happy Birthday B!!! We love you and hope this is one of the best birthdays ever!

Family Photos

Not only did we visit Filly today, we spent a good portion of the day with my Dad before his big surgery tomorrow. Here are a couple of photos of my parents, my red headed brother (G), hubby and kids. (My oldest brother will arrive this coming Saturday - can't wait to see you GE!)

This will be a busy and stressful week, but we are looking forward to getting this surgery behind us tomorrow and onto the recovery! Dad has a lot of living left to do! (And a fence and barn to build!) :) WE LOVE YOU, DAD!!

A Visit with Filly

We were finally in town over the weekend, the first time in three weeks, so D and I went to see Filly. She resides at a close friend's farm in Shorter, about 20 minutes from Pike Road. Filly developed sweet itch last year and L was kind enough to let us move Filly to her place to see if it helped. Well, it certainly did!

We went from this last September (total self mutilation):

To this! (Photos from today)

We have a MANE!!!!!

And her tail is growing back in...

No more open wounds...

She is a little sun bleached and a bit fat, but happy, happy, happy.

I'll take that ANY day over the horrible sores and rubbing.

Here are D and Filly - Filly is sporting D's new saddle.

We just bathed and longed her today. It is too hot and humid for any real work. Poor D was too hot to even sit on her, so he just led her around for the photo shoot.

L has been so generous to let Filly live with her ponies. We moved Filly to Shorter in March hoping the bugs wouldn't be as bad. Apparently the culecoides gnat is really bad in Pike Road these days and horses can develop an allergic reaction to the gnat saliva. Boy, it sure is awful. My old girl Maggie suffers from it too, but not nearly as bad as Filly. If any of you have ever had problems with sweet itch, please share your stories and possible remedies. I want to bring Filly back to Pike Road, but I don't want her to begin rubbing again.

If the move had not helped, or if she begins to rub again, the next step will be allergy testing, then allergy shots. So far, the move has worked. Keeping my fingers crossed that if we ever get her to Prattville, she won't rub here either.

The Comfort of Horses

To me, my horses serve as a major comfort zone. I relax around them, in their quiet, gentle manner. They are my therapy.

(Maggie)

My Dad is to have open heart surgery on Monday. He had a heart cath. this past Wednesday and the blockages were too great to put stints in. He will have a triple or quadruple bypass, depending on whether the doctor is even able to do the fourth.

This is the time I wish I had my horses right out my back door as I did growing up so I could just go be with them, to free my mind. I don't feel stressed or anxious when I am near them; I feel at peace. Their quiet presence, gentle sighs, and liquid eyes are such an amazing comfort. They don't advise me on what I should do, they just listen patiently and maybe swap a resting hind foot as I unload all of my worries.

(D and Tonto)

Yesterday we spent some time with my Dad (in Pike Road, where two of my three horses reside - Maggie and Tonto). My oldest son D and I bathed the horses since it was too hot to ride, then we had a small photo shoot - my Dad, my kids and the horses. It was quite humorous as my three year old daughter refused to keep her shirt on because it was too, too hot....and it was a great distraction from the huge looming surgery that we are all feeling quite nervous about.

I know all will be well and go well with the surgery, but I can't help but feel anxious. We all love you so much, Dad, and we will all be waiting for you when you come out of surgery. I can't wait for six months from now - Dad should be feeling like a new man with all of those new pipes!

Ever Had One of These?

Meet "Bunnicula."

Yes, Bunnicula. That's the name you get when you let your 9 year old son name a white rabbit. "Bunnicula" after the main character of the Celery Stalks at Midnight books. And after 3 years with a "house rabbit" my husband wonders what he was smoking the day he agreed to let me (er...the kids....) buy a baby bunny at a local pet store. Bunnick started out as this adorable ball of fur...

and lived in a little cage like this:

until the bunny that was to be no bigger than 5 pounds grew like Clifford, The Big Red Dog....

and eventually needed a Great Dane dog crate to stay in comfortably when she wasn't lounging around the house.

Bunnicula was supposed to grow up and live outside in a hutch like all of the other bunnies in this world, but after reading a lot on the internet and enjoying watching her explore the house, I just couldn't kick her out.

For me, she is the closest to owning a horse indoors. If you think about it, she eats pellets and timothy hay and I bed her "box" (litter box) with Equine Pine bedding...yes, I have lost my mind. But I absolutely love Bunnick, and I guess she kind of likes me. I work from home, so I sit at the computer a lot. Bunnick lays at my feet and waits for a pet every now and again. She is a wonderful companion to our household. Sometimes she even comes when you call her name. (Unless she is lounging in front of the heater...in which case, she will not budge.)

This is my view as I sit at the computer, typing away...

Yep, she's getting a little pudgy around the middle...may be time to cut back a bit on the pellets...oh, and if you're wondering, she is supposed to be a cross between an Angora and Mini Rex.