Sunrises, Spring, Blessings and holidays, oh my!!

The sunrise this morning was absolutely gorgeous! The colors in the sky were so vibrant and bright, full of deep reds and oranges and pinks and silvers and oh my!! Simply stunning! You just can't improve on God's artistry no matter how hard we may try. I was talking on the phone to my hubby when he says that I should grab my camera and head on out and snap a few pics of the day's sunrise. So, I go take a peak and exclaim at the beauty. I head into the other room to grab my camera, but wouldn't you know it...the coffee was kicking in and I had to make a little detour first. *sigh* Sometimes timing really is everything. I know, sorry...TMI as my hubby says. By the time I took care of business, put my shoes and coat on, grabbed my camera and made it outside the colors had already changed, but it was still very pretty. Maybe next time...the weatherman is predicting the rest of this week to be sunny and with warmer temperatures too. Yippee!!

From my count on the calendar, the spring equinox is just 30 days away. Oh, I am soooo looking forward to spring and warmer weather and drier pastures and longer days and beautiful flowers blooming and oh, just everything that beautiful weather entails! I'm sure that we will be having plenty more days of wet, rainy weather, hey - this is the Pacific Northwest and you know what they say don't you? "It's so very pretty there, and it's just so very green!!!" Well, you know how that happens don't you? No? Well, let me tell you, we have plenty of annual rainfall, that's how...and we get a lot of it in the spring. However, at least it's warmer rain and it's mixed in with beautiful blue skys and sunshine and blooming flowers and rainbows and warmer days and oh it's just something good to look forward to and I can't wait!!

Ladde's birthday is on the first day of spring too! Yep, March 20th is the Laddmonster's birthday and this year he's going to be a teenager! I can hardly believe it - a whole 13 years old!! Why, it seems like only yesterday that I completely missed the birth and I went out to check on my beautiful little angel mare Kadie and ...there was this big, boney, excessively long-legged, mule-eared, curly-haired (funny looking) colt laying right on top of a pile of very large rocks that we had picked up from the paddock area and placed in the corner of the small pasture area. Yep, of all the places in the whole vicinity, Ladde had decided to lay down in the corner on the top of a pile of rocks. And - he was stuck. Mama had been pawing at the wall of the barn for apparently a long time judging from all the scratch marks on the wood above Ladde; but you see...he was on a pile of rocks and could not get his footing to stand and...well you know, he needed help. So, I squeeze inside and shimmy along the wall between Kadie (she wasn't about to move) and pick up the big, funny looking foal and place him on his feet. Did I mention that he had a huge, bright pink abrasion on his right hip bone? Well, he did and it was big and he still has the scar to this day. Anyway, so the instant I set him on his feet, Kadie gives me a definitive shove with a look that says now get the hell out of here and leave us alone - so I did. And then I started to cry because after all that time waiting and waiting, I have no idea just what I had expected but it sure wasn't this!! He was kinda funny looking, but I was so very thankful that he seemed to be doing fine and Kade sure seemed perfectly fine and all was well...and I was thankful and relieved and completely in awe. So, I went in the house and called my boss and said that I needed to stay home that day and I changed my clothes and headed back out to the barn to watch Ladde. And now, almost 13 years later, I'm still watching that horse and am totally and completely in love and enamored with him. Lord help me...I'm so hooked on the big old galoot. But, still to this day am counting him as one of my most dearly beloved blessings ever received from God above...and so very thankful to have him in my life. *sigh* I have no idea what I had in mind when I started typing this post this morning, but this wasn't it...see what I mean...it's all about Ladde.

I digress...once again. :) I'm blaming it all on hormones - that's my story and I'm stickin' to it.

So, I read my church newsletter the other day and inside was this true story and I thought I would pass it on. I enjoyed it very much and it made me smile.

The Atheists' Holiday

In Florida, an atheist created a case against the Easter and Passover holy days. He hired an attorney to bring a discrimination case against Christians, Jews and observances of their holy days. The argument presented: it was unfair that atheists had no such recognized day(s). The case was brought before a judge. After listening to the passionate presentation by the lawyer, the judge banged his gavel declaring, "Case dismissed". The lawyer immediately stood, objecting to the ruling, saying, "Your honor, how can you possibly dismiss this case? The Christians have Christmas, Easter and others. The Jews have Passover, Yom Kippur and Hanukkah. Yet my client and all other atheists have no such holidays". The judge leaned forward in his chair saying, "But you do. Your client, counsel, is woefully ignorant." The lawyer said, "Your Honor, we are unaware of any special observance or holiday for atheists." The judge said, "The calendar says April 1st is 'April Fools Day' and Psalm 14:1 states, 'The fool says in his heart, there is no God.' Thus, it is the opinion of this court that if your client says there is no God, then he is a fool. Therefore, April 1st is his holiday. Court is adjourned."

Can we get an Amen!?

Spinning Wheels

Do you ever have days on end when you seem to be so busy that you accomplish absolutely nothing? Well, lately that's exactly how I've been feeling. I get up each morning and prepare for my day. Each morning lately it seems that no matter what time I arise, and no matter how swiftly I try to complete my morning routine that I am running behind schedule before I ever leave the house. I arrive late or just in time to work and open the clinic. It's still slow, but business has slowly begun picking back up again (thankfully), but even though there may be no appointments on the book for that day, my boss has been showing up at the clinic and hanging out...and interrupting my day; and he's driving me insane!!! I cannot wait for business to resume so that I can schedule appointments for the day that keep him running. Anyway, I digress - but for whatever reason, I feel like I'm spinning my wheels. I seem busy and completely occupied, but at the end of the day I feel like I have accomplished so very little and wonder at just where the time has gone? The weather has been beautiful and warmish in the days and cold and below freezing each night. Just like I like it. Annie and I have been going for our walks and I do my chores each evening and prepare dinner and go to bed. Routine, routine, routine but still I feel like I'm making no headway. I really can't explain it, but in my mind I have all these endless lists of things I want to do and projects I want to be working on, but there just never seems to be enough hours in a day and my energy is never quite enough. I am tired and so help me, if I hear my boss's voice much more, I just might crack! Seriously, he's driving me nuts and I feel like I'm gonna blow...and it won't be pretty. I haven't even posted anything here for almost a week.

I'm not sleeping well lately and I'm very irritable. I have absolutely no reason to feel angry lately but that's exactly how I'm feeling. Very angry, and I have no idea why.

I read this on one of the blogs that I follow recently and somehow it seems appropriate for my frame of mind.

All animals except man know that the ultimate of life is to enjoy it.

Samuel Butler

What is my problem?

On a better note, Ladde is doing very well and will be able to go out in the pasture with his herdmates very soon. Maybe in a week or so. My hubby suggested that we wrap his legs with a support bandage for a while in case he gets a little over zealous at his newfound freedom. Probably not a bad idea. Hopefully he will keep his head and remain a calm and steadfast fellow. It's always with trepidation and a little bit of fear when we first turn him back out in the big pasture after such a long period of confinement and expensive therapy. I am hoping and praying for continued soundness.

I am so happy for him that his days of prison are soon to come to an end. He's been such a good boy and has accepted his fate with resignment and good cheer (at least for the most part). Bless his pea-pickin' little heart.

These last two pictures were taken a couple of years ago during a campout at Sheep Springs Horse Camp near Sisters, Oregon. Good memories and warm June days. They sure do look good right about now.

On Stall Confinement

Sunday morning treats before the shenanigans took place:

Well, my suspicions were confirmed. Ladde has a torn ligament in his left front leg. The injury was probably caused by overstretching his leg by slipping in the mud Sunday morning. He has swelling and inflamation in the knee (carpus) and extending down the inside of his canon bone about halfway to the fetlock joint. The ultrasound images show disruption in the fiber pattern on the inside (medial) deep digital flexor tendon and at the branch of the inferior check ligament with some pulling away from the splint bone. Whew, I hope I got that right! All those big doctor terms which I can so easily get confused. Basically, it isn't a severe tear - although there is enough disruption (stretching) of the fibers to cause substantial inflammation and fluid within the layers of these two structures.

Amazingly enough, when walking around he is showing no signs of lameness. Initially he did, which is what I had noticed; and with further examination noticed the swelling and heat. I immediately put a frozen bag of peas on the damaged site and wrapped the leg, then confined him to his stall. I also gave him some bute to help with the inflammation. Bute or phenylbutazone is a non-steroidal anti-inflammatory drug commonly used for pain. It is about like you or me taking a couple of Advil for a sore back from overuse like stacking a couple cords of wood when we're out of shape. You know, something like that. I did not give him enough of the medication to cover up his discomfort, but I did want to control the amount of inflammation at the site of the damage. Confinement is crucial in injuries of this type to prevent overuse when the bute kicks in and lessens the pain. Pain can be very beneficial to lessen movement, but controlling the amount of inflammation is vital as well. So remember if you give Bute, always confine them initially if you're treating an injury.

(pardon the funky picture here - I had it on the wrong setting - he's not that long really)

Anyhoo...what this all means is I won't be riding my horse for at least a couple of months. I will keep him on stall confinement. He gets out twice a day for about an hour in a small run-sized area for mental health and some stretching of his muscles - as long as he's quiet anyway. No woo-hooing or it's back to jail. I gave him his last dose of bute this morning and then I'm cutting that off. He shouldn't need it any longer than that. I am keeping both his front legs in standing leg wraps or pressure bandages for the first 2 weeks or so. Next Monday, which will be 1 week after his initial injury he will begin his shockwave treatments. My vet/boss has an HMT VersaTron focused-type extracorporeal shockwave therapy machine which I highly recommend (if you've never heard of this therapy/treatment, google it and check it out). He will get a total of 3 treatments, 2 weeks between each treatment. After his second treatment, which will be the week of December 8th, he can get out of stall confinement. He will have turnout in the roundpen and access to the barn alleyway for shelter to him and his "buddy". Since he would go bonkers if he were totally alone, each of our horses will take turns daily at "buddy duty". They won't like it, but hey - life is perfect for no one. It won't kill them. And then, after his 3 treatments are finished, he will be on lay-off for 2-3 months. If all goes well, he should be ready for light riding and conditioning in late winter or early spring. Without the shockwave treatments, he would probably be recuperating at least 6 months, possibly even up to a year. I feel very fortunate to be working for an equine veterinarian who specializes in lameness. Very blessed indeed. Without these advanced diagnostics and treatment options, most people would just turn their horse out to pasture and hope they return to soundness within a year.

I am fortunate and have a lot to be thankful for. The injury could have been a lot worse than it is and, remember that pesky right rear pastern that I'd been eyeballing for the past couple of weeks? While the doc had the old U/S up and running, we took a look at that area as well. Nothing - nada - zip. Yippy skippy!! That is something to be happy about. I think what I was seeing was maybe just a little stocking up in that joint or who knows??? I would notice a hair out of place on this horse for pete's sakes - so I could be just a little bit paranoid. Anyway, that's the scoop on the old Laddmonster for the time being. And true to his nature, he is taking it all in stride...if his feathers are a bit ruffled at this unexpected confinement - nobody could even tell. He's a happy boy. He's resigned and seems content. Just another day in the lap of luxury. It could be a whole lot worse...and the pears aren't half bad either.

Life is good - especially for this guy.

That's my boy. Blessings from Cingspots.

p.s. (see that taped on green thingy on the post up there?? That's an old camper cushion to protect Harley's eye during all of the inevitable face wars that go on between those two)

:) Goofballs!