Filling the storehouse

One day just seems to flow into the next.  Nothing much has been happening lately, just keep putting one foot in front of the other and preparing...I guess I'm preparing for winter.  That's what it feels like, filling the storehouse, filling the wood shed, filling the barns...storing, storing, storing.  I am a squirrel.  

I like this one.  An old wood stove for a belly.

 On the way back from picking apples last weekend, we happened upon a small town festival.  The Dayton Harvest Festival.  So, we stopped by for a little peak...first thing we noticed was the scarecrow contest.  Perfectly appropriate for a harvest festival, don't you think?

From that show on cable, Duck something ??

Cute, but he's no Johnny Depp

 The horseshoer was out yesterday. The horses were due for their pedi's.  I was at work, but my hubby took care of business and said that all the horses were perfect gentlemen and ladies.  Doesn't surprise me in the least.  :)  Kadie got skipped because Troy said her feet were perfect and in light of her arthritic hocks, we could skip this time and trim her next time.  He also skipped Sugar.  Now that surprises me.  Last appointment was 8 weeks ago, and Troy wanted to fit her with new front shoes because the aluminum toes were so thin he was afraid they would break.  Since they'd only been on for 8 weeks and I'd only ridden her lightly, I balked and asked that he re-fit her with the same shoes to save money.  They have been fine.  Apparently he forgot what he'd said about the shoes last time, because he chose to leave them in place for another 8 weeks.  Hmmmm....that doesn't settle real well with me, but we'll go with it.  This is the last time I'd planned on putting shoes on Sugar for this season.  After that, I'm going to leave her barefoot through fall, winter and probably put the shoes back on in mid to late spring next year.  That will give her heels a chance to expand, nail holes to grow out and just let her hoof relax.  My other theory is this:  despite what most vets and shoers say to expect, I don't necessarily agree that navicular has to always result in continuing bone degeneration.  If her shoes are pulled, she's allowed to go barefoot and we add some pea gravel or sand to promote good circulation in the hoof, why can't bone degeneration be abated, or even possibly re-generated?  With all the research I've done and the many, many articles I've been reading on this subject, it just makes sense to me, to try and increase blood flow to her hoof by increasing the frogs' contact with the ground.  It will be vital to keep her hoof angles aligned, proper balancing of the hoof and to provide a good medium for the horse to regularly walk on to promote ground contact and get that frog pumping like it was intended to do.  I believe it's worth a try.  I understand the argument in favor of wedge shoeing and placing the shoe back to increase breakover, reduce the pull on the ligaments and tendons that attach to the bones in the hoof and all that for cases of founder.  But this is bone degeneration of the navicular bone.  Completely different ailment.  It was also brought up that we were thinking of putting in some pea gravel in the muddy zones leading to the shelter and around the water trough.  Many hoof care specialists recommend this as a good choice for promoting circulation in the hoof...no sharp edges, doesn't pack like some rocks and good drainage too.  Troy didn't like our choice, he said that pea gravel will crack and then get stuck in the hooves.  He recommended sand or larger round river rock instead.  *sigh*  Guess I'll have to keep doing some  research, but if pea gravel would crack, why wouldn't larger round rock?  Just doesn't sound logical to me.  I've got no problems with sand, but the main theory is to use something that will help toughen up the sole and provide good contact with the frog.  I'm not sure if sand will do the job as well.  Any ideas or experience with this anyone?  I'd appreciate your insight...

 This was our dinner last night.  I found a recipe online and wanted to give it a try.  I didn't follow the recipe completely, but as is common for me, it gave me a good general idea and I did my own thing.  It's called pasta with pesto cream sauce.  I used spaghetti because that's what I had on hand, bottled pesto because I had no fresh basil, half and half because it's less fattening than heavy cream, and half the recommended butter.  I also added 3 fresh tomatoes from the garden because it sounded good.  It was.  Delicious, in fact.  The sauce was initially a little runny, probably from those juicy tomatoes.  We'll eat the leftovers tonight along with andouille/beer sausages cooking in the crock pot.  I took a peak and overnight the pasta soaked up all that wonderful sauce.  Should be even better tonight.  Yum!

 After dinner, this is what happened...Ruby was a total snuggle bunny.  My hubby had worked hard cleaning out our wood shed and reorganizing it for winter.  He and Ruby promptly fell asleep.

 She caught me taking pictures, and gave me one of her famous "looks".  Pretty much says, "go away mom".

And as is usual, Annie was quite content to have her end of the couch.  These dogs lead a rough life.  *snort*

Comcast guys just showed up to give us new telephone/broadband service, so I gotta go.

Blessings all,
Lorie