Wednesday, February 1, 2017

Time rolls on...

Our winter snow has been gone for a couple of weeks now, and we've normalized to warmer, damper weather with lots of grey days.  It always somehow feels even colder when it's damp to me.  I prefer clear skies, drier air and cold over grey skies, damp and cold.

But it's still winter and it's supposed to be cold, right?  We're still enjoying quiet times by the fire, warm meals and early bedtimes.  Since we've been so much colder than normal, our stash of firewood has shrunk dramatically.  I'm pretty sure we've got plenty to last the season, but it's surprising to me just how fast those stacks of wood are disappearing.  Our bedding supply is another one of those shrinking stashes.  We may have to buy another ton before it's all said and done, but it's been really nice having so much on hand.  I firmly believe that the less often I have to visit the farm stores, the more money we end up saving over the long haul.  That's true for any store I visit!

Last Sunday we took the day and drove to the beach.  We walked and walked along the shoreline and spent some quiet time sitting and just listened to the ocean roar and the waves crash.  It was wonderful!  There's just something special about time spent on the beach, the quieting of the mind and the peace that comes over me.  Truly, my happy place.  The dogs had a blast - of course!

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For the end of January, in the midst of a cold winter, the weather couldn't have been more perfect.  There was no wind and with sweatshirts and vests, we were warm and toasty.  We enjoyed lunch at the Roadhouse in Lincoln City.  A wonderful day spent away from home, felt so good.


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From the looks of it, there have been many high tides and rough seas that have thrown drift wood and lots of logs onto the beach like matchsticks.  There was even a short area where a wide, graveled walking path was completely washed away.  We were careful not to turn our backs to the ocean, as the tide was high and the beach itself was quite narrow.  There were some impressive waves and at times, the ocean absolutely roared.  It was incredible and intense!  I loved it.  Whenever I spend time at the beach, I never want to leave, and always wish we could stay...someday, I hope to have a little cottage near the ocean.  Oh, those dreams...

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Monday my boss/vet came over and it was dental day for all the horses.  It had been many years since we'd had them done.  I was a bit worried about that, but as it turns out, routine dentals were all that was required.  We are fortunate because all our horses seem to have good teeth that stand the test of time.  This is Shad, we started with him and as you can see, Eagle was very concerned for his friend.  So sweet.  Since we weren't sure how Eags would respond, we decided to let him watch all the others first, and do him last.  He was a dream.  Absolutely a perfect gentleman!  I believe they learn by watching, just like we do.

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This kind of looks like a medieval torture device, but it's just a cushioned head sling that keeps their heads from hanging too low.  As you can see, the boss man is kind of tall and it helps make his job a bit easier.  My job was to keep the rope taut, but allow them to back up if they needed or wanted to.  Tough, I know.  

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Ladde lost a tooth!  And of course, I saved it.  We didn't think he had any loose teeth, but in the process of filing down the sharp points, this one just flew out of his mouth.  And as you can see, it really isn't all that long, so there wasn't a lot of material below the gum line holding this one in place. I'm hoping his other teeth are longer than this and will stay in his mouth for many more years to come.

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Here's sweet Ladde all relaxed and just about to have his dental procedure begin.  Every single horse was quiet and very relaxed about the entire process.  No nervous Nellies in the bunch!  I'm always a little nervous about this because working at the clinic, I've seen a quite a few horses get very fractious and that always worries me.  Years ago, we had a serious incident take place at the clinic with a horse loaded in the stocks that tried to jump out and got hung up.  That's something I'll likely never forget!
So I'm thankful everyone remained calm and quiet, and the dentals are finished for a few years.

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We had a leak!  We'd noticed that our water pressure was a bit weak, but one morning my hubby noticed a puddle in our yard where there's never been one before.  Uh-oh!  In all the years we've lived in this house, we've never had a broken pipe.  And we're not sure if this was caused by the couple weeks of below freezing weather we had, or if the pipe just failed because it was old.  Doesn't matter why, we are just so grateful that the leak was outside the house and not under the house.  Sure made the repair job a lot easier!  My handy dandy hubby got it fixed in a day.

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My frozen rain chain off the back deck.  So pretty!

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Charlotte relaxing on our bed after a long and very cold walk...what a spoiled dog!

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Sweet, sweet Ruby helping do the horse chores.  Whatever would we do without such amazing help?
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My very first homemade chicken pot pie.  Oh man, was it ever good!  And so very easy, not quite sure why I've never attempted one before, but now that I know I can do it, I'll be making more of these beauties in the future.  So delicious and so comforting after spending time in the cold.

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 Yummy!

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As I said before, our snow is all gone now, but I smile whenever I see this photo...the dogs and I have traipsed here and there and everywhere in the orchard and neighboring fields since the rains have been gone.  And even though the snow is melted away, we really haven't had much rain for the last month or so.  Well, I remember a couple of days where it rained really hard, but once it cleared up we've been primarily dry.  What a blessing!  It sure makes doing everything that needs to be done outside, so much more enjoyable.  Grey skies and fog are better than water falling from the sky.  I'll take it!

Those weathermen are forecasting another possible bit of snow and/or ice towards the end of this week.  Oh boy, I hope for no ice, but if it snows a bit more, I won't mind.  We'll have to wait and see what happens.  We're just about halfway through winter now and I'm trying to just relax and enjoy the quiet and reflective qualities of winter.  Spring will be here soon enough.

Wherever you are, I hope you're keeping warm and cozy, spending time with the ones you love.
Oh, and Happy Groundhog Day tomorrow!!!  :)

Will he or won't he?

13 comments:

Grey Horse Matters said...

I love the beach too. We used to go through all the seasons. I miss it now that it's not around the corner anymore. Love the dogs too. I've got a spoiled little girl who likes to relax on my bed too. We had snow yesterday but it's all gone today. I'm rooting for an early spring!

Oak Creek Ranch said...

Brett and I have always dreamt about having a cottage at the beach but I doubt it will ever happen. Instead we spend our anniversaries in Mendocino. We have also made a serious dent in our fire wood. I think we have enough to make it through the winter -- I'm hoping that soon the days between rain storms will be warmer. It seems like it is frigid in the house the minute the wood stove goes out. Chicken pot pie is Brett's favorite. If I'm rushed, I use frozen puff pastry for the top -- works great.

Nicku B said...

I sense a theme here! After our baby moon in Carmel I told my hubby I wanted a 2 bedroom cottage there to retire in. Glad the ponies had good dental visits!

Shirley said...

I love the power and feel of immensity the ocean exudes. Power, and peace at the same time.
Winter is now in the "bleah" month here- that in between time when the days are noticeably longer, the horses are shedding, and- can't ride because it is too icy to even take them out of their pens. C'mon spring!

DJan said...

Wonderful pictures, every last one! I enjoyed seeing the horses getting their teeth cleaned, I never thought about it before, but it's important to them, just as it is to us. Nice beach pictures, too. Love your pretty critters all. :-)

Denise at Autumn Sky said...

Your beach looks like ours with so much wood washed ashore from the storms. People are busy gathering driftwood but I'm not sure what will happen with the large tree trunks. I suppose they will become places to sit while we search for treasures.
Chicken pot pie! I love it but have never made it. As much as I like pie crust, it could be dangerous for me.

Karen thisoldhouse2.com said...

Your coastline is so beautiful - and I just love your big dog - what a great picture of you-

Linda said...

Can you send me a piece of that chicken pot pie through the internet? I need some comfort food! It keeps snowing here!! You're so lucky to live near the ocean and have the chance for fun day trips. We are heading to the beach in a week. I'm counting down the minutes. This winter has been a bit too much for much. We have piles of snow in our yard that are 5 feet high. Do you feed your horses free choice hay. I've heard that being able to eat all day helps keep the horses teeth pretty healthy.

Unknown said...

Such a nice reading post you wrote!!! So happy your horses got dental care and they're all doing fine. Love your frozen rain chain. So pretty. Thanks for sharing:)
Jessi

T.L. Merrybard said...

Your sweet Ruby is rather like my sweet Rosie, and Charlotte has grown up to be a big girl hasn't she! :) Lovely to hear some news!

aurora said...

I didn't realize how big Charlotte was until I saw her side-by-side with Ruby. Great photos of you at your happy place!! I never want to leave large bodies of water either... I haven't had chicken pot pie in forever. My hubby used to make a version, once in a while in his cast iron. I might have to give it a whirl. We share cooking, each of us has "our dishes" and/or strengths. I am the pie maker of the family, so shouldn't be much of a stretch. Altho I might cheat & use pre-made crust, at least for the first one. Our vet appointment is next week, sure adds up when you've got a herd. That orchard is such a pretty place to walk!!

Unknown said...
This comment has been removed by the author.
Unknown said...

Lovely to hear some news!


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