Foal watching

Foal watching has taught me an interesting skill, sleeping with one eye open , staring at a video screen! I have memorized my mare's butt- every nuance of muscle , every twitch of her tail. I can tell by the angle of her ear if she is just sleeping or is about to strain in labor. Least I hope I can.

We are supposed to go into DC to see the cherry blossoms and The Terra Cotta Warriors at the Nat'l Geographic Museum today. The mare did not foal last night, seems to be eating quietly so I'm going to go. She can foal outside probably safer than the stall anyway. Can you imagine making 2000 life size warriors and then burying them! I just wonder what that Emporer's mindset was all about - was he going to conquer heaven or defeat the Devil. It would make a great movie. Al Pacino played the best devil, but Christopher Walken would also be awesome as The Bad One. Russell Crowe could play God. These are the strange musings that happen after foal watching too many nights!

Misty, moisty morning

Actually it is a cold rainy morning, I just remember a song I used to like called Misty, Moisty Morning. After some lovely spring days it is a damp , cold morning and I am having a second cup of coffee because I don't want to go outside yet. The mare did not foal last night , though she seems to be uncomfortable. This probably means she will foal tonight when the weather is forecasted to go back down to 25 degrees! The sick mare is still here, I believe we have decided it must be a severe case f cellulitis, even tho' some of her symptoms are very odd. She is still so thin, it breaks my heart. The antibiotics are ending today after a month and then we wait and see a little bit, hoping her own immune system will start to kick in. Read today on BloodHorse, that an autistic boy connected to Zenyatta, the great race mare , in California. He pokes and screams his pleasure and she, apparently, is very cool and doesn't flinch. My dear Thoroughbreds would be in the next county if somebody did that to them unexpectedly. Zenyatta is one very cool horse, one of the greatest! I am always touched when I read such stories, I wish more people could enjoy my own farm and horses as sometimes they are magical. They are healing and quiet, makes sense to me that people with social disorders connect to animals easier at times.

Proud of my guys

Sam asked his brother Will, to be his best man!! I am so proud of my sons. They are becoming men of character and honor. Will is so excited to stand up with his brother and Sarah is delighted to have a sister-in-law. I am delighted to have a daughter -in-law! They have not set a date yet, but it is going to be such fun to be part of a nuptial planning ( whatever little role groom's mom plays).

I am proud of my hubby too. This picture was taken Closing Hunt, when he got his "colors". We do have fun riding together, even if it is not really together. I gallop by and Mike saunters, enjoying the pleasures of third field discussion and relaxed riding. The ladies love his gentlemanly ways of watching out for them. Ever the gallant fellow!!

I am so blessed and grateful for the company of such fine men in my life.

March Madness and Joy

Yesterday, Sam, my eldest, announced his engagement to Stephanie, his girlfriend of a couple years. I am delighted and excited to welcome Stephanie to the family. She is a lovely woman and I couldn't be happier for my son. Yes, Laura, let's plan an engagement party, as soon as I know the dates they have in mind!! Sam is still working towards his career as a math teacher and Stephanie is a media specialist in an elementary school.

Michael, my hubby, who has been the president and treasurer and general doer for our hunt club was awarded his "colors"at Closing Hunt. This means he can wear a scarlet hunting coat with our club "colors" and it is a recognition of the work he has done. I just realized of odd it seems that this very old tradition (English) of awarding "colors", for excellence , has been tainted by the emergence of gangs that wear "colors". Hadn't really that of it before. Hmmm. Anyway I am very proud of my husband and still love that he rides with me , even tho' he is so allergic to horses!

Yesterday was Closing Hunt and it was a relatively quiet "trail" ride. Too many bike riders out on the wooded bike trails ( it was a lovely , sunny day) so the fox had retired for the day! We had a lovely Breakfast to end the season, but it definitely seemed too soon. Usually I am happy to see Closing Hunt because I am exhausted from a long season but this year we did not hunt very much and with my cat bite I missed even more. Oh well!

Now, on to Spring cleaning, airing closets, babies coming, planting grass - all the things that mean the renewal of life in the spring. The forsythia has bloomed and the willow tree has a sheen of green . I love it

Morning

The sun is streaming in my kitchen window behind me, as I sit on the couch about to go out to feed. I am drinking that first cup of coffee and taking a minute. Just love this early morning, just a few moments alone, to blog or just sit and think, drinking coffee. It is almost warm enough to sit on the patio, where I put out the garden chairs yesterday, but not quite there. The peepers are going to town and the spring birds are chirping. Warmth, every living thing feels better when warm. We are going to Shakespeare Theatre today to see Richard II and I bet downtown DC will be beautiful. No cherry blossoms yet, but the promise of them brimming. It's nice to take a side trip out of horses once in a while and I love the dramatic battle scenes in Shakespeare. We saw Henry V last week and the scene at Agincourt where he says, We few, we brave ,we band of brothers" was awesome and came to life in a way I would not have expected. Somehow the thread of men in battle and the reasons for war reached through the ages because of the miniseries Band of Brothers, and hearing King Henry say it first.

Sunny Spring Day

I think we should all wear T-shirts that say" I survived the Winter of 2009-10" !! It's over and everything is more bearable when the sun is out. I am moving lawn furniture outside, I am riding 3 horses a day, I am enjoying being outside. Life is good.

The 2 week old baby filly is running in circles, the pregnant mares are even fatter. I was sure Goldie was going to have her baby outside yesterday. She was uncomfortable and pawing and lying down and getting up. I felt so bad for her, been there, done that! I gave her some painkillers and things calmed down, she is still waiting. Maybe tonight, tho' her due date is March 29th.

Chessie , the sick one , bless her heart is trying to run around a little. She kinda jumps up and down and squeals- a little. She's saying, I'm still here,babe!

We had a great hunt the other day and Sunday is the last of the season. Always bittersweet. This season was so short because of snow that I am really sorry to see it end , feels too soon. But foxes are having babies and this is when we stop.

Happy PI day!

My math -talented sons wished me a Happy Pi day today. Took me a minute but I finally got it. We had a Sunday brunch at Metro Diner- such a cool diner. It is still rainy, but the fields are greening up and I heard the Spring Peepers the past two days. The first definitive sound of spring- those peepers going crazy , I love it. The week old filly is doing well, jumping and bumping and being a little hellion actually. They can be so squirmy and at a 150 lbs , that's a lot of hanging onto to get them out to a small paddock. Some days I really wonder why I am doing this alone. Chessie, the mare that almost died is still here, gamely gimping about. But she is eating and the latest blood work says the infection is better, white cells down, red cells up. So we are hopeful. I came so close to giving up , but she is whinnying to me every morning so I keep popping open 40 doxycycline pills every morning and night, mixing it up with maple syrup and giving it to her by syringe. I guess she is getting quite a sweet tooth.

I was so sorry for Rachel Alexandra yesterday. I wanted her to win and be invincible. But, that was left to Zenyatta who shows such incredible talent and strength. She is so cool! I hope they both continue to thrive.

Hope's Oscar baby!

We woke up to an Oscar baby. My mare, Hope, surprised me this morning with her new filly, by St. Averil. I think she was born about 4 or 5 AM, was up and trying to nurse by 6AM. Back down asleep by 7AM! New foals are so wonderful. Everything seems to be fine, mother and daughter doing great.

Chessie, my sick mare was very interested, watching from across the aisle. She nickered and limped outside, to keep her own mom, Goldie, company until she foals. Goldie is due in about 3 weeks, tho' she seems uncomfortable and may go sooner. You never know!!

A Good Day

Today has been a good day. It's warm!!! I went riding with my friends and jumping and galloping and we all just felt good, "bustin' loose" is the word that comes to mind. My chestnut horse, Red, is awesome.

My son is coming to dinner with his girlfriend. We are going to cook . I love my grown up kids , they are such cool people. Will and I talked a bit ago, he was in DC at a formal fraternity event. Said he had a great time. Mike and I were also in town last night, went to see the Opera!! First time ever and we choose the Russian Opera performance of War and Peace. It was a spectacle, at least 200 performers, telling the story of Napoleon invading Russia ( well that is a bit simplified , but you get the idea!) The singing was amazing and we didn't even understand a word of it, all in Russian. It was a trip.

I am now watching basketball and thanks to my wonderful son I understand it! I even can tell when someone makes an amazing play and that is cool. An awesome athlete is just a pleasure to watch, that's why I love football, basketball and, of course, Thoroughbred horses!!

My mare is still here. She nickers at me in the morning and hobbles outside to be in the sun. We are fighting and hoping. The other mare should foal any day now, we are foal watching at night, thought if we missed the birth last night we would call the foal Tolstoy! But she is also waiting and watching. I wonder if mares wonder about their impending offspring?

Mike's horse, Bob, is sleeping in the hay pile in his muddy field. So cute.

Early March walk in the woods

Today I walked in my woods. Bella, my Schnoodle came and the 6 month old Lab, Leo. Winter is loosening its hold, there is still snow , but there is more water and mud. I can almost hear the spring peepers. I know they are under the mud just waiting for a warmer day. It is supposed to hit high 50's this weekend and the cherry blossoms will be out in about 3 weeks. I walked my riding paths to pick up after the snows. To move downed trees and replace logs on my jumps in the woods. The puppies are tired tonight, they ran hard. Leo was reluctant to jump the big stream, which you can't actually jump, so he had to figure out a cold plunge. I finally just pulled him in after I tired of the pitiful whines on the bank. He got over it.

One of the casualties of the deep snow was the lowest, third "strip" of "tape" on my electric tape fence. I use a neighbour's field , who doesn't want permanent fencing, so I have used to great success white electric "tape". The snow just buried the bottom strip and the tape came away from all the holders. I walked the fence line and replaced all these little white "holders", jerking every time the electric current caught me! It was hard and my fingers were cold but it was satisfying to fix it myself. It was about 4:30 and the sun was just starting to go down and it was really lovely out. The fields have just a hint of what they will be in another month.

My mare is still holding on but it is not great. She is not improving on the antibiotics like I had hoped. The leg is still swollen and she so lame. I am heartbroken and wish it wasn't happening.

Marching on..

March is bringing milder weather, finally. The snowdrifts and snow piles are melting, the bare ground patches are spreading into almost a whole field. The horses are desperately searching for the single blades of grass that survived ice, mud and hooves sliding across them. Even Chessie, my lame, sick, emaciated mare is trying to find grass. She is still alive, we switched antibiotics to doxycycline, which she can stay on longer, but she is so thin and limping and pitiful. Every time the vet and I talk about realities of recovery, whether this is lymphoma or a chronic infection that we can't find, she lifts her head , looks straight at me and I see her fighting. It is heartbreaking . But I will fight as long as she can.

Yesterday was the ten anniversary of my brother's death. I still miss him terribly and can't believe it has been ten years. Still grieve for him quietly and wish my kids had known him longer and that my husband had met him. I remember the day he died I was hunting and my horse spooked because I had shot over his ear, at an errant puppy running riot. He bucked so hard I broke three fingers that got caught in my gun. A member of the field came up and soothed him while I regrouped. I have always thought it was the pain of grief and helplessness in the face of my brother's cancer that manifested itself in that injury, on that day.