Almost Spring!!

The snow is all gone, and I'm just going to asume that we will get lots of rain. The old folks around here are telling me that based on all the signs, we will have a hot, wet summer and for now I'm just going to go with that. We are only expecting one foal this year, Scarlet was bred to Money, I hope I get a flaxen mane and tail foal.

The hens are laying like crazy right now, and some are starting to set, same with the ducks so I should soon have little chicks around. Got my broilers and turkey's ordered for the end of April, so I got to get the brooder room all cleaned out and ready to go.

Gord made it back home from the ice roads. A disapointing season as the roads kept melting and they had to only drive at night, it really cut down on the loads that could be hauled.

Just finished kidding out the last of the goats (except for two doeling, and who knows when they might decide to kid). We are up to 35 new babies this week.

Off to visit the Rescue 100 today. It is just staggering the number of horses that have been seized this winter, including a herd of TWH. There has been questions of why, but gee, do you think the high hay prices and drought might have something to do with it? Mind you, if you know you can't feed your horses, then you best sell them!! or give them away or something, starving them to death or near death is not an option. And I guess you wouldn't believe the number of pregger mares that are there. If you know you have no feed, why are you breeding?

Up dated my website, be sure to check it out.

Lots of new babies!

Well, so much for only a few to kid! So far we have about 25 babies, and more to come.

Lesa and I have been getting to the arena pretty regularily. It's been great to take 2 or 3 horses at a time and spend the evening there. It is pretty exhausting though with working the next morning, but to see the progress each horse is making is great and it's better than sitting in the house! I've got about 5 rides on Wilbur now, I'm really happy with his disposition and he's very nicely gaited too. I've gotten on Belle twice now, just being lead around as we don't have the round pen set up and I'm not quite ready to ride her in the large arena.

New Song

I've added a bar to the bottom of my page with a song that I like. I'll try and change the song every now and then. The youtube version with the lion king is especially moving.

2010 Happy New Year!

Another New Year! Thank God! I'm not going to lament the passing of another year, I'm going to rejoice the coming new one. I'm full of plans and optimision for 2010.

Some highlights from 2009 include Gord getting laid off work in October, then getting hired back at the end of November (Yeah!!), our trip to Ontario with four horses. I'd never gone past the Sask. border, so I had an eye opener on just how big this great country really is. We sold a total of 10 horses this year, some young stock, some our broodmares so we could downsize. The drought really took a toll on the farm, we also downsized the goat herd from 60 to 40.

Me and Mira did take in one show this year, and it was great to see every one and all their lovely horses. Then I sold Mira to Guy from Andrew. It was a hard decision to make, but she went to a great home and is ridden and used way more than I ever could.

Health wise, we are facing challenges for the New year. I did manage to drop 22 lbs with help from my good freind Lesa and weight watchers, I'm looking forward to losing another 20. It makes getting on and off your horse way easier!!LOL. My hip is also thanking me. Tyler managed to break his wrist and then dislocate his elbow on his other arm, so he had two broken wings for awhile. All sport related of course! Wesley has been making a conserted effort to lose weight as well and has dropped about 30 lbs, lost 4 inches off his waist and is lifting weights. Don't ask me how much, but I think he can now lift small cars. Gord is looking at laser surgery for his back. It is now being offered in Edmonton at the U of A. His back is significantly worse, and the pain is getting to be unmanagble, so he has to do something. Aparently they take the laser and zap away the bone calcium deposits from the old injuries that are pressing on the spinal cord. Here's hoping, because I want my old riding partner back!!

I'm still driving my school bus, Wes is still going to school in St Paul, Tyler is in grade 9 now and playing every sport offered in school and Gord is looking forward to hitting the iceroads again. Kidding has started with a set of triplets and then a large single baby. We have several more waiting to pop, then the rest will hold off until Feb and March. I only have one foal due this year, Scarlet was bred to Money, I can hardly wait to see what this cross produces.

Been hitting the arena now that it's too cold to ride. I've enjoyed riding Java and getting her gaits set, have got on Wilbur and Belle, so we are off to a good start. I've also made some new freinds thanks to the horses, Dianne and Tara Lynn. Horses sure do bring people together. Looking forward to trail riding with all my trail riding buddies in 2010 and attending a few shows. So much to look forward too.

Mane Event 2009

This year the Canadain Reg. of the Tennessee Walking Horse pulled out all stops for the Mane Event in Red Deer. We put together an awsome demo team consiting of four riders and buggy. I think we did a good job of showing the different things you can do with your walking horse. I brought Mira again, and she was super good. We even cantered when I rode western, but I wasn't confident enough to do it saddle seat as I hadn't ridden in that saddle since last year.

Riders are: Carla Freeman, Lorrie Dyberg, Bill Roy, Me, and in the buggy Keith Oberlie

New additions

We have some new additions! Glory gave us a new filly on May 1 a real pretty little girl. Right on her due date too. Two names that we like are "A Going Concern" or "Glory Be".

I also posted a picture of Jake, our new puppy.

We had hiway clean up today, the weather was real nice, and we had pizza afterward. 4-h is really picking up with the beef show at the end of the month and then the multi show on June 20, so Tyler has lots of work with his steer and Mira.

I've got an incubator now, with 40 eggs on the go, 9 duck eggs the rest chicken. It will be so cool when they start to hatch, I can hardly wait.

so much news, so little time

Here I was going to faithfully update my blog every week, and would you look at it, months have flown by. Gord left Feb. 7 to go drive on the ice roads up north and got back 31 days later as they were done. Lots of contracts were cancelled so the season was quite short. He took lots of cool pictures. This is my favorite. I guess the crazy bird hitched a ride for 2 miles. They only go 15 km/h, so hanging on was no problem. Gord even unrolled the window for a better picture. He got pictures of wild Buffalo standing on the side of the road, 7 bobcats sitting in the snow, a fox who stole somebody's boot, lots of trucks and snow and ice. I think he enjoyed the challenge, because he is all set to go up next year. And no, he didn't make a years income like in the TV show, that's only if you own your own truck, don't have any breakdowns, never get sick, bad weather and the hundred other things that prevent a trucker from working.