Windy,windy

The wind is unbelievable this morning-gusts to 60. I am so glad that we dodged the blizzard bullet this time, tho I feel badly for the folks in PA and NY. Have definitely had enough snow to last a lifetime. I am checking on "sick"mare, hoping she is still holding her own. The antibiotic seems to be giving her some advantage but we are not out of the woods yet, as my vet says. But she is good enough that I am going to skip town and make the basketball tournament. It is at least 5 hrs to Roanoke ,so I want to be gone by noon. I was so disgusted with cleaning stalls of snowbound horses that I finally threw them all out in back field and they went crazy ,running around. I did leave the older boys out in their big paddock and I'm sure they rode out the wind in their run-in. I relented when the winds started to blow and brought the mares and babies in last night , but they are going out today! The mares who are foaling in soon are up by the barn and they will come in with Chessie , the sick one. So, my long -suffering husband only has a few stalls to do hopefully. And hopefully he does not have to foal anybody!! I just looked outside and thought I saw some new bare ground patches!! Then , I looked closer and realized I was looking at roof shingles!! Yikes, they have blown off the roof- not good. Wish me luck driving down Rt 81 in this wind, think I'll take the truck, the Mini might become airborne!!

Hopeful

My mare is still alive. It has been a roller-coaster and the hardest part is not really knowing what is wrong. We were pretty sure it was cancer because of the chronic loss of weight and condition while eating and everything else seeming normal, but she has rallied after being as close to death as I have ever seen, since we tried the stronger antibiotic. I have never seen an infection cause this condition without obvious high fever etc but everyday I am hopeful she is still standing and when I go out to barn the last two days , she is relaxed and eating. Still extremely thin but nickering to the boys beside her. In fact, I think she is in season and teasing them. She actually busted two fence rails ( or the boys did) and went into the boys paddock. She had to deal with my big warmblood, who is the biggest bully around, so that was amazing.

I am about to go out this morning and I am hopeful she is still rallying. I did not give her "Bute" last night. So we shall see if the antibiotic is still helping.

More snow is threatening, high winds are coming, the paddocks are full of mud if not still covered in snow and all I really want is SPRING. I want healthy foals , and healed horse and some sunshine! I need to go to Roanoke to watch my son's basketball tournament, but I have a foal coming, and two yearlings that are difficult (playful) for others to lead and my mare is ill- so do I go or not? It will depend on the storm and how much melts . If I can put the mares back out in the big paddocks I may try to get to see the games! Think SUN, think WARM.

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Brand new day

My mare is still alive. She rallied after we gave her a much stronger antibiotic. From not being able to stand, she was up and eating yesterday morning. I shall see in a minute when I go out to feed if it is still working miracles. Fingers crossed. The vet said there was a chance it is a chronic infection, but he is still very concerned about cancer. She 's a fighter so all I can do is help her fight.

It can always get worse...

Just when you think nothing else will go wrong, something does! My "lame " horse is doing very bad. We're afraid it is cancer, as we have ruled just about everything else out. The vet took blood and fecal and said there is no sign of organ failure- but she is sure failing. It is heartbreaking- this business can really hurt sometimes. This was my mare that won the Yearling TB Championship two years ago and now she is dying. I am the chairwoman of our annual Hunt Ball and have to go tonight while all this is going on. Even though I probably can't do anything else to help her I feel awful. She is still eating , so there is a small chance. We are giving her strong antibiotics and painkillers , so .... This mare has her picture on a Legends feed bag right now too. Go figure.

Wishing I could be at Will's last season game tonight, but have to be elsewhere as mentioned. It 's hard to be cheery today.

Mid February

Things are starting to get back to a routine. Actually the routine is different because we still have 2 ft. of snow and can't get to pastures, but a routine is happening. I muck 9 nine stalls and trudge bales of hay out to back side of close paddocks , check the lame horse, check the pregnant horses

( how bagged up" they are), check the geldings who fight over food all the time, check the cats, pick up dead birds in the loft, worry about how long hay will last and where to get more, check the water troughs for water and dead squirrels, check the Gator for flat tires, keep checking lame horse.... and then it is time to feed again. Routine! But, it feels better than watching snow fall.

Anyway, the first foals are coming the end of the month. I bedded first stall with straw today and will start foal watch tonight. We have the Hunt Ball this Saturday night and I am slightly worried about the first mare- hope she is not early. The lame mare's hock looks a little bit better I think. The vet says hock swelling takes forever to come down. I think she sprained it in the deep snow. So, she limps around looking pitiful.

The yearlings are growing and looking good. Life goes on . Post snow.

Happy Valentine's Day

Happy Valentine's Day to all my loved ones, family and friends. I am letting the husband sleep in while I get up to go feed. That's my Valentine to the horses- I am getting up to feed!- if that's not true love I don't know what is!

Went to see the movie Valentine's Day last night (very sweet) and then came home for martinis. A lovely evening with the one I love. My son sent me flowers, so nice- I was so impressed. And, of course , Michael remembered roses and chocolates- does he know me or not!

The sun is just coming up behind me , hitting all that snow and being very sparkly. The birds are starting their songs and so another day begins. I have a lot to be thankful for and it is a good morning to say a silent thanks to the gods of the world and the infinite spirit of love. I want to say that I am grateful. I think I broke another finger on my right hand yesterday, the middle finger, as a yearling jerked away. Don't know what it is about that hand but it is a reminder of my fragility. So, I am grateful for my strength, funny way to get to it, but every time I am hurt I am so happy that I am alive. Maybe that's why people like dangerous hobbies (read Thoroughbred babies), because there is always that element of danger and imminent hurt

to keep you on your toes. I've broken a lot of those too!

Love to all my family and friends. Enjoy this day and be loved.

Still digging out from second snow

Ok enough with the snow. I have had enough snow to last for many years. It was past being fun for a few days, this was just hard, hard work. Trudging thru snowdrifts up to your thighs causes the kind of muscle ache reserved for Lance Armstrong and his"Tour" days. Not me . Even the horses are really tired , the broodmares look at me and sigh- not again!

One of the yearlings kept busting a fence rail and getting in with the geldings. At first I was like, "Oh No" and rushing over to seperate, then I watched and realized everyone was too tired to chase or hassle each other. They never paid the yearling filly any notice at all! Just looked up , said " cute girl" and went back to eating, or so it seemed. She acted very proud of herself, strutting by the big boys while her "sister" filly watched from the other side of the fence.

Now they are both in with the broodmares, who really keep them in line.

I am hoping the plow comes before nightfall as I need to get my daughter to the airport in the morning. Right now the drive, all 1000 ft. of it, is completely covered by drifts again and impassable. We had to cancel the Hunt Ball scheduled for this weekend because of too much snow and I am really disappointed. I wanted to cut loose as The Queen of Hearts at our Mardi Gras Ball and party like the New Orleans natives. Next weekend!!

And I wish people wold stop telling me how nice it is in Florida right now!!! I get it. But I get to say I lived thru the Snownami of 2010!!

A winter to remember

This is Superbowl 2010 day and all the the news talks about is the snow! I have had enough- enough snow and enough talk about it- Let's move on . I hope the Saints win- always like to root for an underdog and they have never been to the Big Game.

We had a tremendous amount of work with the horses and watching the broodmares gallop in snowdrifts is almost worth it. It was beautiful today, sunny and I was never so happy to see a BIG tractor as I was this morning. Even with 30 inches of snow I put the horses out, otherwise it could be a week begore they go out or more if we get some more as some say. So, they dealt with it, tho' I kept the yearlings up close- they couldn't manage it. And the puppies are exhausted after visiting the neighbour kids. Bean and Bella are two snowballs!!

Here comes the snow!!!!

It has started coming down, the first snowflakes of an expected 24". We have hunkered down for a weekend of snow, food, football, reading ....Not bad actually, as long as we don't lose power. I did stack more firewood and prep the barn for all the horses coming in tonight. Glad I did not drive to Lexington,VA , because my son's big game was cancelled after all and I would have been stranded down there- much rather be here with my husband and puppy dogs.

Snowy trailriding

It is actually beautiful out. I went for a sunny, snowy quiet trail ride on my foxhunter, Lily. The snow last night is pristine in the woods and it is one of those days when the sun has come out and warmed the day up and it is spectacularly beautiful. We just went walking in the woods, checking out the fresh deer tracks, early dawn's fox tracks and even the feathered imprints on the surface of the fresh snow from an owl's wing as he swooped to take a mouse ( his tracks end at the wing's). Everything is stark and clean and immensely quiet. The deer watched us approach at the edge of the woods and then suddenly, silently leap away. This was a big herd, thirty or more disappearing into the trees.

There is more snow coming apparently so I rode today and was awed by the beauty in the woods. I had been complaining about the snow, hating it and all the work it brings, and then I just decided to enjoy the day ( The sunshine helps!). The broodmares are fat and running in the snow, the yearlings are spinning and bucking- everybody just feels good today. I found a home for the one mare who slipped her foal and who I was not going to breed back. A woman who breeds paint sport horses wanted her and I was happy to find a good home. One less mouth to feed.

Snowy, cold start to February

It is only 10 degrees out this morning. The snow is dry and crunchy. The Inuit people have about 700 words for snow (only one word for flower). I wonder what this snow would be called. This is "hurt the inside of your nose " cold. It has got to be cold to be standing in the snow. The geldings and mares have big run-ins with straw but they are outside standing in the snow!

One mare keeps lying down in the snow. She is pregnant and I wonder if the cool feels good on her big belly. The puppies are having a lot of fun in the snow, but I am ready for it to be gone already and they are now saying we may get more on Wed and Friday!

This is perfect skiing snow- I should just surrender , feed horses and go skiing. Hmmm! Talk to you later.