Summertime Follies

Don't you just love summer? I do! And, I'm very pleased with summer so far. Not that I've done anything exciting, because that's not the case...we've been positively boring lately, but in a good way. We've been busy...keeping up with the yard work, weeding the berry patch and the tomatoes (which are growing leaps and bounds), watering all the outside flowers and making sure the horses all have constant water and fly masks on...you get the picture. Unfortunately, summertime no longer means a 3 month long vacation - going to work still has to take place (crap), but at least we have beautiful weather and longer daylight hours in which to enjoy the great outdoors. And, the horses are out on pasture 24/7 which means less work for us. I absolutely adore that!! We've been riding Ladde and Harley fairly regularly and they're coming along quite nicely. We will probably go camping over the 4th of July weekend at least 1, and maybe 2 nights and take the horses for trailriding. That's always fun.

Around here, besides numerous little fireworks celebrations, the big poobah is of course, the annual St. Paul Rodeo which takes place over the 4th of July weekend. It's an awesome rodeo and is about the only reason St. Paul, Oregon is even on the map. The tiny little town positively bursts at its' seams this time of year!! I think we might go, but probably either Wednesday or Thursday. If we do, I'll make sure and take some pictures to highlight the event.

It's been a while since I've posted to my blog, and I thought it might be kind of nice to let you all know that I'm okay...still kicking and all that. The boss and his family have left for the remainder of this week (Tuesday June 30th) and will return July 6th. They are attending our riding club's big annual Cowboy Campmeeting 2009 which, this year is being held in the mountains at Tamarack Springs, near Ellensburg, Washington. We were unable to attend due to several circumstances; lack of funds, lack of available vacation time, and the extended driving time to the location this year. I wish we could have gone because it's a blast. But, maybe next year it will work out.

Look what I made the other night. I know, it kind of looks like a disaster, but it sure tasted good. Yum!! It's likely I won't be making this luscious layered cake again anytime soon because it's incredibly labor-intensive. And...I generally cook, or bake only items that are easily created. So, it was very good while it lasted. It's white cake, layered with fresh strawberry puree, a creamy concoction consisting of cream cheese and real whipped cream and vanilla extract, and then decorated on top with whole, fresh strawberries. To die for!! And, I wonder why I'm not a thin woman. aack!!

Some of my wild roses which create a hedge along the fence in the front yard. They smell incredibly delightful!!

A beautiful sunset from the other night - gorgeous!!

One of the neighborhood "ladies". Isn't she beautiful?

One of our neighbors has an organic farm where they sell whole milk, free-range organic chickens, fresh eggs, goat's milk and goat's cheese. These ladies are the ones who do all the work. Such a pity...I'm thinking of helping them develop a labor union.

She says..."don't hate me because I'm beautiful". Such a flirt!

Whater you lookin' at? You talkin to me!?

This one's a might fussy...blame it on the hormones. That's what I do.

I've said it before, but it remains true...you just cannot improve upon God's artwork. Such incredible beauty, but the camera just does not do it justice.

In case I don't get the opportunity - have a safe and happy Independence Day everyone!! We do live in a fantastic country. We're not perfect, by anyone's standards, but personally I wouldn't want to live anywhere else on earth. God Bless the U.S.A!!!

Happy 4th of July!!!!

Cingspots over and out...

Old Cowgirl

Labels or titles of any sort never have impressed me. In my humble opinion, most people have a high enough opinion of themselves, and that gives me all the justification that I need not to be in awe of them. We're all just people. Flawed people, at that. No matter how wonderful you think you might be...you can bet there's somebody out there who can put you to shame. So, how refreshing when you meet someone who is humble. Someone who would rather understate (is that a word?) their value or their worth, instead of tooting their own horn.

My hero was my dad. He's gone now. Then I met Ray Hunt and he became my hero. He's gone now too. I really don't have any heros anymore, but I do have a favorite clinician. Brad Cameron, the mule trainer from Montana. I've ridden in two clinics with him and he's a great horseman. He would never say that about himself, but he is. He is mild-mannered and soft-spoken. He's patient and kind. And he's a phenomenol horseman who just happens to excel at teaching others in his quiet, unassuming way.

And, he's doing a clinic in my hometown this weekend - today through Sunday. This year they even have the advanced horsemanship class, along with working cows. How I wish I could go!!! I have a blast when I go to those riding clinics. They scare the heck out of me at times, they push me outside my comfort zone and I'm totally exhillerated all at the same time. Awesome!!! I took Ladde last year and Harley the year before. Alas, no extra dollars floating around for unbudgeted expenses. *sigh* What's a girl to do? Maybe next year.

So, instead my hubby and I are going out for Mexican food tonight, and tomorrow morning we're loading up the horses and heading to the Flying M. It's one of our favorite camping/riding places because there's miles and miles and miles of trails...all the way to the beach if you want to, and it takes us a mere 30 minutes or less to get there. Gotta like that!! So, tomorrow morning we'll head out and spend the night tomorrow, then come home Sunday afternoon. Sounds good to me.

It's a good way to celebrate Father's Day, and welcome in the first day of summer.

So, I'm gonna go play cowgirl. I'm gonna ride my pony all over those mountains and through the creeks and I'm gonna have fun. And as a tribute to cowgirls everywhere, the following is a little poem that I especially like.

It's what I'm gonna be when I grow up...

"Old Cowgirl"

I shall wear diamonds

And a wide-brimmed straw hat

With silver and leather on it

and I shall spend my social security

On white wine and carrots

And sit in the alley of my barn

And listen to my horses breathe.

I will sneak out

in the middle of a summers' night

And ride the chestnut mare

Across the moonstruck meadow.

If my old bones will allow.

When people come to call I will smile and nod

As I walk them past the gardens to the barn

And show, instead, the beauty growing there

In stalls fresh-lined with straw.

I will shovel and sweat and

Wear hay in my hair as if it were a jewel.

And I will be an embarrassment to all

Who look down on me.

They've not yet found the peace in being free

To love a horse as a friend,

A friend who waits at midnight hour

With nuzzle and nicker and patient eyes

For the kind of woman I will be,

When I am old.

Blessings everyone, cingspots

A Bump in the Road...of sorts

I was just thinking that you never really know what could be just around the corner. Life is a series of unexpected and unplanned happenings that just seem to come up, whether they're scheduled or not. Many times, an unanticipated event is viewed as a hassle; something that we have to "deal with", an unpleasant ocurrence that we just get through. Maybe - depends on your perspective of the situation.

The Bible teaches us to be thankful for our tribulations because often times these events are strengthening us for the future; building character if you will. Or, as I've often been told - what doesn't kill you, makes you stronger.

Then again, sometimes I believe these little unplanned happenings are gentle reminders from our Father in heaven. You know, like a little prod for us to take note of something we are doing, or how we are living, that might need a little tweaking. We get a tiny little taste of how our lives could be changed, or what they could become, should we choose to ignore these casual glimpses. Just a thought...

Last week my hubby was having some stomach discomfort. He felt bad enough to stay home from work on Thursday and Friday. I urged him to go see the doctor. Saturday he still wasn't feeling any better; in fact he felt worse.

By Saturday evening, what was earlier a physical discomfort became an intolerable amount of pain. We spent the night in the emergency room. He has been diagnosed with an ulcer. We were told that if he hadn't come in, it likely would have perforated and would have probably become life threatening. Something that would have required surgery to repair, if it didn't cost him his life. Scary stuff.

Yesterday, he was released from the hospital. He said he felt like he had been in jail, and that the fresh air and freedom were wonderful. No more needles, or being hooked up to monitoring equipment. Solid food. I can only imagine.

I am sorry that he suffered for so long with the pain. I am also thankful for this little bump in the road. I believe that God was reminding him that his life is valuable and that he needs to take greater efforts to maintain his blessing of good health. Our lives and our bodies are only ours for a short while here on this earth. We have stewardship of our health and we need to treat our blessings with respect. For everything that is good comes from God.

And life is good.

And today, I am thankful that my hubby is at home...and has had a gentle reminder from his Father who loves him enough to discipline him, and remind him that his life is worthwhile and of great value.

Blessings from cingspots...

Will You Dance With Me??

I read this on a fellow blogger's sight this morning. Either I'm quite emotional today, or it has struck a chord with me. So many times in my life, probably in a lot of our lives, we don't take the time for the people and the things that are the most important to us. Life does have a way of speeding along. Let's not let it pass us by while we're busy doing something else.

Let's all try to enjoy the dance, shall we?

READ THIS CLOSELY…. IT’S PRETTY ACCURATE..

Too many people put off something that brings them joy just because they haven’t thought about it, don’t have it on their schedule, didn’t know it was coming, or are too rigid to depart from their routine.

I got to thinking one day about all those women on the Titanic who passed up dessert at dinner that fateful night in an effort to cut back. From then on, I’ve tried to be a little more flexible.
How many women out there will eat at home because their husband didn’t suggest going out to dinner until after something had been thawed? Does the word ‘refrigeration’ mean nothing to you?

How often have your kids dropped in to talk and sat in silence while you watched ‘Jeopardy’ on television?

I cannot count the times I called my sister and said, ‘How about going to lunch in a half hour?’ She would gas up and stammer, ‘I can’t. I have clothes on the line. My hair is dirty. I wish I had known yesterday, I had a late breakfast, It looks like rain.’ And my personal favorite: ‘It’s Monday.’ She died a few years ago. We never did have lunch together..

Because North Americans cram so much into their lives, we tend to schedule our headaches. We live on a sparse diet of promises we make to ourselves when all the conditions are perfect!
We’ll go back and visit the grandparents when we get Steve toilet-trained. We’ll entertain when we replace the living-room carpet… We’ll go on a second honeymoon when we get two more kids out of college.

Life has a way of accelerating as we get older. The days get shorter, and the list of promises to ourselves gets longer. One morning, we awaken, and all we have to show for our lives is a litany of ‘I’m going to,’ ‘I plan on,’ and ‘Someday, when things are settled down a bit.’

When anyone calls my ’seize the moment’ friend, she is open to adventure and available for trips. She keeps an open mind on new ideas. Her enthusiasm for life is contagious. You talk with her for five minutes, and you’re ready to trade your bad feet for a pair of Roller blades and skip an elevator for a bungee cord..

My lips have not touched ice cream in 10 years. I love ice cream. It’s just that I might as well apply it directly to my stomach with a spatula and eliminate the digestive process The other day, I stopped the car and bought a triple-Decker. If my car had hit an iceberg on the way home, I would have died happy.

Now…go on and have a nice day. Do something you WANT to…….not something on your SHOULD DO list. If you were going to die soon and had only one phone call you could make, who would you call and what would you say? And why are you waiting?

Have you ever watched kids playing on a merry go round or listened to the rain lapping on the ground?

Ever followed a butterflys' erratic flight or gazed at the sun into the fading night?

Do you run through each day on the fly?

When you ask ‘ How are you?’ Do you hear the reply?

When the day is done, do you lie in your bed with the next hundred chores running through your head?

Ever told your child, ‘We’ll do it tomorrow...’ And in your haste, not see his sorrow?

Ever lost touch? Let a good friendship die?

Just call to say ‘Hi?

When you worry and hurry through your day, it is like an unopened gift….thrown away…..

Life is not a race. Take it slower.

Hear the music before the song is over.

‘Life may not be the party we hoped for . . .But while we are here we might as well dance’.

Shall we??

100th Post Medley - YeeHaw!!

Whoever would have thought that I had so much to say!? Okay, nobody answer that - that's just a rhetorical question. How exciting is that? Can you believe it, 100 posts!! And since this is a Monday, and I really have no topic of discussion here - big surprise - I've decided to post some pictures and be random. Come to think of it, that pretty much sums up most of my life. Random...kind of rolls off the tongue rather nicely, don't you think? I'm not now, nor have I ever been much of a planner. I'm more of a fly-by-the-seat-of-my-pants kinda gal...go with the flow, or against the grain - whatever suits my fancy. Whimsical by nature. Yep, that's me. So, here are some pictures that I've taken lately from around my home. My life here on the internet for all the world to see...exciting huh?

Here's my friend Shannon riding my special boy, Harley. We rode 4 horses last night. Shannon rode her two horses, Frank and Emma; and I rode Ladde and Harley. Then, just for the heck of it, Shannon hopped aboard Harley and gave him a try. Harley was on his best behavior...such a gentleman.

And here's Frank...he's 3 years old. He's such a good boy, a real in-your-pocket guy. I think Shannon's put about 10 or so rides on him. He's so good. He's a lover boy too, just my kinda horse. He lets me give him kisses, and comes when I call him.

And here's Frank's other eye. Wonder what he was thinking about...

Sorry for the blurred picture, I must have fumbled or something. Frank really is a good horse, he has one of those natural little show horse head sets and he's sooo very relaxed, and pretty darn unflappable. It sure helps when your rider is calm and relaxed too.

That's Shannon's motorhome in the background there. It sure is fun having a friend around all the time. We've been riding and visiting and having a lot of fun. Shannon's even helping me put more schooling time in on our boys. We're going to start working on Harley's collection. Ladde's one of those short-backed, high-energy and beautifully animated movers. Collection usually comes very naturally for Ladde. Harley on the other hand, is a fairly long-backed horse, and he's slightly ewe-necked, so collection is more of a challenge because of the way he's built. But, when he is collected and soft, he's a dreamboat to ride. Harley's also more relaxed, and likes to take his time in life, so he likes to poke his little nose out and take everything in stride...which makes for a rather bumpy ride if his back gets all hollowed out. So...we have ourselves a project to work on in the evenings, along with Shannon's horses. Ladde's main problem is his weight - he's a little, how should I put it?...fluffy. Yep, that's it - Ladde's fluffy, and we're trying to reduce the amount of fluff he's carrying. If I'm honest here, Lad and I have the same problem in life. We both enjoy our food and therefore are very easy keepers. I don't want to talk about that though.

Look how much my tomato plants are growing! Our horses outdid themselves, and have created some mighty fine growing medium. Indeed!! All the tomatoes, and the berries are doing quite well...so are the weeds. There's another project I don't wish to discuss right now.

Here's Frank and Emma relaxing. Frank's on the left - see his little brown spot on his forehead? That's his reverse star. And, Emma's on the right. Emma's 4 years old. She's a very nice girl too. Frank and Emma - (those names crack me up, makes me think of an old married couple, instead of horses), are full brother and sister, and have been raised by Shannon.

This is Emma. I love this eye. She really is a beautiful girl. It's hard to take a bad picture when your subject's so beautiful to look at.

This is our roundpen. I just like the way the wood is aging and thought it looked pretty with the blue background. I even like the way the grasses are growing up on the edge. Very artsy fartsy, don't you think?

Once again, Frank and Emma - respectively.

Ladde loves Emma. Come to think of it...I don't think Ladde's ever met a female he hasn't fallen in love with. *sigh* My Laddster's quite the Don Juan...he is quite the lady's man, and loves to seduce the mares and treat them to his special little love noogies and nibbles. Emma won't admit it, especially in polite society, but I think she kinda likes the Ladmonster too. sshhh, don't tell anyone. It'll just be our little secret.

Our old barn cat, Albert, preening. Even old barn cats like to look nice.

The lovely Miss Emma...and she thought I wasn't watching.

One of the views from out in our pasture. I thought the sky was pretty.

I sure am thankful that things have calmed down the last couple of days, and even more thankful that we got our winter's hay loaded in the barn before the storm. It feels so good to have the barns full of hay, and now we can just maintain the yard, keep the garden plants weeded and hopefully enjoy the coming summer. I'm quite anxious to go on our first of the season horse camping trip. Sitting around a campfire with friends after spending a day on horseback in the mountains is one of my most favorite pastimes.

It's a rare opportunity to get a shot of our whole herd. Ladde's always watching. He sure is his momma's son. He's very much like Kadie, except for he's bigger and he's all boy.

I love this house. It's right next door to my most favorite house of all in the small town I travel through on the way to work everyday. It looks very Georgia plantationish. I can just imagine Scarlet O'Hara strolling out with one of her grand ballgowns on...

And this is my most favorite house of all. I love this house. I would love to have this house on our acreage. I've never seen the inside, but I can just imagine that it's perfect. But, as you can see it suffered some damage from the storm last week. This huge cedar tree was splintered by the wind and it came crashing down on "my" house. I was shocked! I do hope the family has good insurance.

One of the pictures that the newspaper published showed that one of the branches pierced through the bathroom wall and went right into the bathtub. Fortunately, no one was home at the time...only the family dog, and he was uninjured. Very lucky that no one was taking a bath at the time. Mercy!

Maybe I should stop planting trees all around my house.

On another note, my hubby is doing better after his major dental work last week. He's starting to look a little more like himself, and less like a chipmunk with food-stuffed cheeks. He's still eating his meals in mostly liquid form though, but he's made a lot of progress and before you know it, I'll have to resume cooking again.

That's it for now from Cingspots!

A Storm was Brewing

Here in the mild mannered pacific northwest, we rarely have storms. And when we do, they're generally not real exciting. Positively boring compared to most other places. You see, we're really blessed with a very temperate climate most of the time. We do get more than our share of rainfall, that's a given...but as far as real storms go - we're positively blase'. We don't have tornadoes, or hurricanes, or fires. Very rarely an earthquake will happen somewhere in the vicinity, but they're usually harmless. We're really quite lucky. So, in the future, if I complain too loudly about our rain or our mud...somebody please, just slap me. Okay?

You remember that I had said that the last several days had been very hot and quite humid. Unusually so, for our area, and that the weather forecasters had been predicting thunder and lightening for a couple of days. When we were loading our hay into the barns, the skies were particularly colorful and exotic looking; and the clouds were definitely ominous. At one point in time that evening, a strong wind came blowing through, and then it was gone. We thought we were in for a storm then, but nothing materialized.

Fast forward to Thursday around 4 o'clock in the afternoon. It had been a hot and humid day, and it was very quiet...nary a breeze. I'm sitting at my desk at the clinic when all of a sudden it looked rather dark. So, I went outside to have a look. The skies were very dark and it was very, very still. You know, kind of like the calm before the storm. All of a sudden, the wind picked up and hot dog, did it ever blow. We have a landscaping place behind us, with mountains of top soil, sand, barkdust and that sort of stuff. Well, rather quickly this stuff was flying through the air and the visibility dropped to about a hundred feet. Totally freaky!! Some of you are probably thinking, no biggie, but this just doesn't happen around here. Everybody in this little area of businesses was outside, rolling up car windows and such. All of a sudden a tree goes down, quickly followed by another and our large trash can goes sailing across the parking lot depositing its' contents from here to the next county. This was getting exciting!! The power lines are whipping in the winds and then the power goes out. Seems like it came out of nowhere, but apparently this storm had been brewing for a while.

So, after the major winds had subsided, the torrential rains and hail began. What a rain shower, it was pelting down with such force that all the storm drains were backing up and the parking lot was flooding. Ohhkay!! The power was still out, and the phones weren't working either. I went around the clinic unplugging some of the equipment and computers and such. It was now 5 o'clock, and I decided I may as well head for home. Nothing much else to do. I had managed to get ahold of my hubby who was at home because of his recent dental work, and he and my friend Shannon brought all the horses inside. Knowing that the horses were all as safe as we could make them eased my mind a lot.

The drive home was quite entertaining as well. There were electrical lines down everywhere, and bunches of debris all over the roads. The traffic lights were all out, and apparently just about everybody who was at work when the storm hit had decided to head for home, just like me. Traffic was crazy for our little area. There were two detours going home, a big fir tree had fallen across the highway in one spot and a big old oak had fallen in another location. On one of the detours one of my most favorite big, old, grand homes had taken a direct hit from a stately old oak tree that had been in their front yard. Sheesh!! So much devastation in such a short period of time. Gives me just a tiny little bit of insight into what so many other people deal with on a much more common basis. I wouldn't like it at all!!

So, I arrive home safely and without any real drama. Our modest little home is standing strong in the rain and looks just fine...and inviting. My hubby and my friend had gotten all the horses into the barns and they were just as fine as frog's hair...contentedly munching on some hay. Nothing much else to do but offer a quick prayer of thanks to the Almighty and go inside and watch the drama unfold on the news. If the power was on anyway. Which it was, I was told it had gone out for a while, but it was back on when I got home. It sure felt good to walk into our cozy little home and feel all safe and secure.

Sure hope things mellow out. The summer solstice is just around the corner. This year it falls on Father's Day, June 21st. I'm ready to kick back, soak up some sun and enjoy. Horse camping here we come!!

Sounds mighty fine to me.

Blessings from cingspots.

Squirreling for Winter

If I'd been given a choice, I probably wouldn't have picked last evening to stack hay. It was in the upper 80's and very, very humid. You know, the kind of day where a casual stroll to the mailbox causes you to sweat bullets? And, there's positively zero chance of having a good hair day? You've got it! One of those days. But, even so, when I arrived at home after work last night our crew of volunteer slave laborers already had one load of the hay in the barn. What a great team!!

It is bright green and sweet smelling grass hay straight from the neighbor's field. A bail wagon consists of about 3-1/2 tons, or roughly 115 bales. We got 4 loads total, which is roughly 14 tons altogether. Looks yummy huh? Well, it looks yummy if you're a horse, or the horse's owner who typically frets and fusses until the barns are comfortably filled with the stuff. And, just like a squirrel, I'm feeling much better now.

Here's the CEO of the organization. Hey, every smooth-running operations' gotta have a supervisor...ours has 4 legs and a very long tongue.

My nephew, Scott. He's one heckuva good worker. This was his first time loading hay. I'd say he was a quick study. Thanks Scott!! We'll be attending his wedding this coming August. Sorry ladies, he's about to become a married man. He works at the family business where my hubby and both his brothers work. Scott used to be with the U.S. Coast Guard. I guess that's where he developed all those muscles. Muscles are quite handy, and not too bad to look at either...I'm just sayin'.

And this guy on the right here, is another Scott. He's a college student, and in a couple of years he'll be attending Oregon State University to study veterinary medicine. For the last several years, he has worked at the clinic where I work, as an assistant to the doc in the field. He's a very, very good hay loader. He's not too bad of a horseman either. He got married almost 2 years ago and last month, he and his wife had their first baby. A sweet little girl they named Emma.

The job went as smooth as silk. This crew worked so fast that we had almost a half hour break between delivered loads. Gave us some time to chat, and have some refreshments. Did I mention that it was very, very hot...and we were all sweating like little pigs???

We even found a very large bull snake who came to an early demise in one of the bales of hay. In a strange sort of way, he was kind of pretty and had little diamond shaped markings on his back. Poor little guy, he lost the battle with the mower, or maybe it was the baler. I forgot to take a picture of him though. I really don't like snakes much at all, but I don't wish them any harm. We don't have any poisonous snakes where we live, no dangerous bugs either. I'm very happy about that.

My friend Shannon who is staying in her motor home at our house for a while helped us too. She is an amazingly hard working gal. She could work a lot of guys under the table. Way to go Shan!! She is just about the best horsewoman I know too. She can pretty much ride anything, and is one very talented trainer of horses. She is patient, soft-spoken and has a knack for helping people feel at ease and build confidence with their horses. She is a natural-born horseman and a wonderful teacher. She used to ride race horses and for years worked sorting cows by horseback in a feedlot in Oklahoma. She's a real cowgirl!!

Here's Scotty again, looking like he might be getting a little tired.

And this is my brother-in-law Steve. My hubby's little brother. He has allergies and probably should have stayed at home, but he helped us out and was a tremendous help too. Thanks Steveo!! His daughter is getting married in September in Hawaii. Doesn't that sound romantic? We will be attending the wedding and it will be our first trip ever to the islands. I am so excited - it's going to be so much fun!!

It was beginning to cool off and get a little dark here. I think this was our last load. That's Shannon on the left, me in the back and Steve on the right. We loaded the 14 or so tons in about 3 hours total, and that included our breaks in between deliveries. I am totally impressed - what a crew!!

I think we were all getting a little tired and maybe a little punchy by this time. But there's always time for having a little fun!! My poor hubby wasn't feeling very well, earlier in the day he'd been to the dentist and had most of his teeth pulled. Poor guy!! At least I remembered to pick up his prescription before I came home. He was our photographer for the evening. Thanks honey!!

Thunder and lightening had been predicted throughout the afternoon and evening, but we were blessed with no rain and no drama at all. The skies however, were glorious and the clouds looked more than just a little ominous!! One time the wind picked up and we thought the storm was headed our way, but I think it was just God's thoughtful air conditioning blowing our way.

You just can't beat God's art. These pictures really don't do the skies true justice. They were magnificent!

What a wonderful evening we had. It always amazes me just how quickly a large and imposing job can be tackled with the help of a few wonderful people. What would have been an arduous and time-consuming job for hubby and me was completed in no time at all, and we had a blast doing it! I am so thankful for our family and our friends. I feel like a huge weight has been lifted off my shoulders because every year, without fail, I fret and fuss until our winters' hay supply is safely tucked away in the barn. What a huge relief.

I know exactly how the squirrels feel.

Blessings everyone.

Timing is everything and wistful memories

You've probably heard the old saying that "time is everything"? Well, sure you have. It is so true! I'm not even going to ask what next because you just never know what could happen.

So, Annie and I set off for work this morning, you know, like any other morning. Ignorance is bliss. It's the first day that the doc is out of town for a family reunion in the midwest. Yeehaw!! Like any other self-respecting hourly employee, I'm hoping for a nice, peaceful day. You know, do what needs to be done, but hopefully have some time to kick back - take life easy and enjoy a little downtime at work.

That's what I get for hoping. Sheesh!! The minute I walk in, the phones are ringing off the hook and all helter-skelter is breaking loose. I deal with things here at the clinic pretty much like I do in every other aspect of my life - take a deep breath, and then take everything one step at a time. It'll all work out in the wash is what my momma used to say. Wise woman.

Anyway, shortly before noon things begin to quiet down and I start to relax. At lunchtime, Annie and I head out to the park and hit the trails. It's pretty warm and sultry today, so the walk was awesome, but by the time we make it back to the truck...yep, I'm sweating like a pig! Not a pretty sight at all. I have time to open up the clinic and take a drink of cool water and my cell phone rings. It's my hay man. He's gonna drop off our hay tonight and what time will we all be home? Oh, around 6, I say...just how much hay is coming tonight I ask? Oh, I'll probably get maybe 10-12 tons tonight and the rest at a later date. Ohhhhhhkay!! Just ducky!! I guess I know that a lack of personal exercise won't be a problem on this date in history. Oh, and did I mention that my dear, sweet hubby is having all his upper teeth and a couple of the bottom ones removed today. Uh-huh...I'm thinking he's not gonna be much help at all. Note to self: do not - repeat - DO NOT forget to pick up the pain pills before going home. And...thunderstorms are predicted for our little valley this evening and throughout the night. Great.

So...I panic just a wee little bit. And then I get on my phone and start calling all the able-bodied, young men I can possibly think of to enlist some obviously needed help. I use pizza and ice-cold drinks as my snare. Said the spider to the fly. Anyway, long story short - I have 4 wonderful, sweet suckers, er I mean helpers coming to help us out. Bless their pea-picken' little hearts!!!

All is well that ends in a well!!

Wish us luck will ya?

On another note, I just want to mention that today is my sweet daddy's birthday. I was planning on making his favorite dessert tonight in his honor, but I probably won't have the time for that now. He would understand. And if he were here today, he'd no doubt be on his way to help us load our hay in the barns. Bless his sweet and precious loving heart. Dear God, I miss him so much. Don't think it's ever gonna stop. If he were here, all I'd want to do is wrap my arms around him and tell him one more time how very much I always did love him...and then we'd probably go get a bowl of ice cream or something.

I may be middle-aged, but I'll always be my daddy's girl. Rest in peace, and I'll see ya in the mornin'!!

Blessings from c-ingspots