Progress!

Yesterday, I was feeling decidedly lazy.  In fact, I went upstairs after a trip to town to change into farm clothes, stopped to check my email, and promptly fell asleep.  I woke up fuzzy from my nap and realized I had forgotten to put the chicken in the crock pot....so I went down, fully intending to come up and finish my nap!

My husband followed me upstairs and asked me if I wanted to work with Gib.  It was so hot and voggy and I was so tired...I almost said no.  Me turning down a chance to ride is fairly insane, so it is a measure of  the effect last week had on me.  I knew if I got up and got active, I would feel better, so out we went.

Gib has had such an extreme reaction to mounting, that I really took the time to recreate a bridle, extra pads under the saddle, etc.  I took apart two bridles and cobbled together a new one just for him.  I still want to use the snaffle on him for a bit before moving back to a western curb bit, so it was a weird amalgam of English and western tack for him.

While my husband was holding him, we worked on flexion and desensitizing to the saddle moving and people jumping around him.  He really almost needs to be re-started, at least for the mounting bit.  Finally, he stood quietly, if a bit tensely, and I mounted and dismounted several times.

Once I was in the saddle, I found out that he has a bit more in the way of aids than I thought.   He has a tendency to want to run forward and lean on the bit, so the first order of business will be increasing his reliance on seat aids and decreasing the hands.  It's going to be fun!

Everyone else is fine: chickens are laying a dozen eggs or so a day (15 hens, 10 of them just starting).  The lambs are growing huge.  My oldest daughter claims her co-worker is "making" her take a kitten; I did remind her that at 18, she isn't taking the kitten, I am.  My dogs are rather rotten to any cat they feel is a "stray", so taking new cats is problematic.  This cat is part-Siamese, and I am fond of Siamese cats, but still.  The parakeet is looking lonely; I just need to talk to him more.

Always so  many creatures to think about.

Too tired to Farm....too bad!

It was a track meet day.  A hot, sunny, muggy track day.  If it weren't so exciting a day, I would be crankier than I am.  My son came from back in 6th place to win the race, pretty exciting stuff, and his big brother was there to see him and congratulate him - which I could tell made my younger son's day.

Anyway, I am home now, headachy, and way too tired, but I know I should be doing something besides sitting here.  Baking, cleaning, mucking out, planting seeds, anything!

I also have to make a call to the previous owner of the mare I sold.  She emailed me rather irately that I "still" hadn't contacted her - but I didn't even know she was trying to contact me!  I told her I really was too sad to talk about it, but she could email the new owner (something I haven't even done out of courtesy) for updates.  But I see a note here from a child asking me to call this person.  So, like so many things in life, I need to suck back the 'I don't wannas' and pull out the 'you gottas' to be courteous.  I hope I don't do something like cry....I am really grateful this horse has a person who has the time to really work with her.  I am grateful that Gib has a new home that is more like what he needs - lots of love, but not a lot of work until he settles in and feels less scared.  I just still feel a bit mournful that things worked out other than the original plan, if you know what I mean.

I am going to rest for 15 minutes more than then pick one chore to accomplish today.  That will make me feel better, and will probably wake me up a bit.  Once I am awake, maybe I will pull off TWO chores!

Friday!

Due to the unexpected cancellation of our trainer today, we had a work day at work: only one meeting, not tutoring, no classes.  That means I was plowing out end of the trimester reports and trying to figure out what would happen with my new classes starting on Monday!  (I am not so ready, and this weekend isn't going to get me any readier: track meet tomorrow and Confirmation on Sunday).

But, all the paperwork-cranking was lightened by two nice things today.  One was my son getting a spot in the Driver's Ed program at the local high school.  The other had to do with Gib.  I am not sure if I have emphasized how very spooky this horse is...but anytime I walk near him in the stall, he is almost instantly on the other side of it.  I have to make a rather big production of telling him to, "Whoa, easy there, buddy," if I want to say hello.  Yet, this morning, I was making a big deal of the sheep, scratching Elvis, Dodie, and Minnie under their chins, when I felt a horse breathing down my neck.  I was certain it was Ohia, but when I turned around, it was Gib!  He stood there quietly to accept a pat on his neck.  It was as if he wanted his share of the affection that the sheep were hogging up.  What an excellent way to start the day.

Of course, the shiny new morning feeling was worn off when we got to the middle school and my 13 year old could find one sock - fortunately, (sigh) he had a sock puppet in the car that he brutally defaced (literally) to have another sock.  I am sure walking around all day with half a red puff ball nose under the tongue of your shoe isn't any fun.

I felt bad for my 11 year old.  It was Pa'ina day at school: which means water slides and fun stuff in the afternoon to celebrate the end of the marking period.  Since she has an infected scrape, she had to avoid the water slide.  Very much a bummer.

It's the big young adult/teen night at our house, once again.  I am going to make a huge batch of nachos, because I am feeling lazy about pizza dough.  I am longing for bed and the sun isn't even down.

Hope all of you had a blessed day.

Just a Minute...

Came home to feed, so I had better get hopping.  My 13 year old is in his play tonight!  This is the first one in three years his Dad will be able to attend, as he was home sick this week.

I took my 11 year old to the Urgent Care last night - staph infection (ewwh) from falling in the tack room.  Very yuck.

Most survived this rather stressful week: there were just so many different things going on that I was responsible for - more than usual, I mean.  Nearly had a tearful moment at 3:00 pm yesterday, but rallied and fixed the problem with the pizza delivery to the drama crew, made a start on fixing (ie resecheduling) the snowed in trainer who was supposed to show up on Friday to finish our training on Socratic Seminars, and got through the two days of student led conferences (in spite of ALL the mistakes I made in scheduling panels for the kids)....phew.

Haven't seen my animals except in the dark for the last three days - until now!  Better get out there and feed and pet and check every living thing.

Off to tell my son, "Break a Leg!"

What an exasperating day...

Work was....rather unfortunately horrible.  I am in charge of a couple of big things this week and next, and there are so many little details and so many personalities.  It was just not fun to have to deal with these things (after working on some of it for several hours yesterday, a holiday, a sunny, beautiful holiday that had horse ride or garden written all over it) and teach the last day of the courses for the trimester.

On top of that, my identity has been stolen - or at least my debit cards (from two accounts), so I had to visit the police and the banks.  The police were ALL out on calls, so I had to go home and wait for an officer, since they were ALL up in my area.

I was hurrying up to feed all the animals as it was getting dark and waiting for the officer - he showed up JUST when I got the chicken waterer out of their run.  If I don't hurry to get the waterer filled and back in, Elvis finishes eating and has been known to trap me in the run.  I was inwardly grumbling that the officer came at the exact wrong time....and I started toward the driveway to direct him.  I tripped in a hole, dropped all the eggs I had just collected (and embarrassed myself, but hey, that's normal).

I know am a bit sore from my tumble, my head is hurting from the irritation of the fraudulent charges on my account, and I forgot something I needed to work on tonight on my desk (30 minutes away).

And, possibly the worst news, the sheep have lost respect for the electric fence....they were out, nibbling on my roses yesterday afternoon.... No one is dead or has a tummy ache, so I assume roses are okay for sheep.

Amazing...

It's amazing how much weeding you can do when stuck on the (cell) phone waiting for customer service to get their brains in gear.  Also pulled the last two daikon - not much root, must be too much nitrogen in the compost.  

I turn off my work brain when I am at home.  It's a good thing I checked my email and was reminded that I still didn't finish things for conferences this week.  Yikes.  I have a lot more work ahead of me today than I thought - so it's a good thing I spent an hour in the garden resolving my cell phone bill with the poor man (who finally put me through to his supervisor) named "Rex".  I seriously doubt that was his real name, but asking him to consider if this problem was happening to his poor mother....well, that got the trick done and I did all my weeding, too!  I have a laundry sink filled with the most giant daikon plant and a baby garlic I accidentally pulled up with the grass.

My vegetarian daughter is with friends - so we're having beef stew tonight.  And apparently, stir fry daikon root and leaves for a side dish.  I could pull some taro, too and make taro patties.... I guess it will depend on how much grading and conference planning I get done today.

I would rather be outside!  I am making so much progress with Gib.  He is really getting the idea that he is safe here: with his fear decreasing, his willing attitude is coming to the fore.  Today, I cleaned the stall without him completely panicking; in fact, he just kept on eating after an initial tensing up at the sight of the pitchfork and the wheelbarrow.  Big change, believe me.

But, sadly, I am inside for the duration until an inch thick stack of papers are graded and the conference schedules are made.

Building Trust

After seeing how frightened Gib got yesterday, I decided it was time to go back to basics.  Today we worked on responding to pressure: lowering the head (relax signal) with light pressure on the lead rope, and moving the shoulder away from tapping with the whip.  He is definitely resistant on the left, and has trust issues with his head - but after maybe 30-40 minutes of me being repetitively annoying, he was readily lowering his head and moving his shoulder over.

Then I had my 11 year old step up into the stirrup and then down, over and over until it became pretty blase for the horse.  Then she laid on his back and hopped down a few times, and then finally mounted several times.  He doesn't like to move when she is on him - turns into a statue - which is not the reaction when I get on or her brother.  I think he has a soft spot for kids, and even though number 3 child is only a year older than number 4 child - somehow for the horse it makes a difference.  When he finally calmed down enough to take a couple of steps and release his head - I stopped the day on a good note.  I felt like that was productive.  He is definitely coming toward me more in the stall, rather than automatically running for the corner.

My youngest and her friend tacked up the paint and gave each other pony rides.  They also gave their brothers pony rides, which was nice.  I am glad one of my four is interested in horses and willing to do the work of learning.

I also have had a number of my children's friends here all day - I think at the moment there are 9 people under the age of 20 (some quite a bit younger than 20) under my roof.  I need to go down and make a whole lot of pizza.  I wish I'd started the dough earlier.

I transplanted a bunch of tomato plants that were getting too big for their pots.  My huge pile of compost is coming in handy.  It is a really big pile thanks to the sheep and horses.  Quite a lot of it is ready to use, which is wonderful.  I was selling it, but have decided I need it more than I need the feed money it provides.  Tomorrow, I would like to plant some cukes, peas, and some kai choy, bok choy, and collards, as well as radish. Somethings are going to start in the green house, and some will be out in the garden - most the radishes and the cabbages will go directly out.  Cabbages do great here, and collards are practically perennial in Hawaii.

My husband has an opportunity for a semi-career change which would allow him to come home.    Please pray that things work out!