Moe

My sweet Moe made his transition across the rainbow bridge today-he was around  28-30 years old.

 When I went to look for a companion horse for Bochica, I thought I would buy a paint pony for the grandchildren. However, the minute I saw Moe, I fell in love with him. The very next day after I brought him home, I discovered he had cancer. I had him treated 3 times and finally it was cured. $$$ It was worth every penny. He was a great teaching  horse for the grandchildren, yet stepped up for adults who rode him. He was one of a kind. He always came up when I called and often followed me around when I rode Bochica. He nickered softly to me every morning when I came to the barn. 

Moe began his life on an Indian reservation somewhere in New Mexico. Later he was used as a hunting horse in Colorado and then as a Polo Cross horse. When I bought him he was already 15-17 years old. He was a little arthritic and stumbled occasionally, but was all heart. He would go anywhere I asked him. The only two things that spooked him were Texas Longhorns and miniature horses. :) He was a sweetheart!!

One funny story--one time I was taking a horse training class and we had an exercise where we were blindfolded and herded. Well, Moe was in my pasture across the street, and went crazy when I was blindfolded. He ran the fence and neighed loudly until they took the blindfold off and moved him closer to me. Who knows what horses think??

Unfortunately, circumstances last year led to me having to leave my horses and move out of state. I was fortunate enough to find a wonderful retirement home for him. He lived out his last year in a herd situation in a large pasture with ample grass and shelter. He made new friends and seemed very content. When I visited  him last summer, I saw he was failing--for the last few years he had been going down. I asked God for a clear sign when it was time for him to go.

Today I got the call I had been expecting for a while. He seemed to be having either strokes or seizures and was now suffering. So the decision I had been dreading had been made for me. I am just so sad that I couldn't be there to hug him one more time and tell him what a good boy he was and how much I appreciated him. I am sending my thoughts out to him!! 

Moe, you are crossing the rainbow bridge and will soon have no pain or suffering! I love you!!!

A New Home For Bochica and Moe

Saying Goodbye

Sometimes it is so painful to do something, even though you know it is the right thing. This was the case yesterday when I took my horses to their retirement home. I never in my wildest dreams ever imagined this day would come. My days with Bochica and Moe have been some of the most rewarding in my life. For eleven years my life has revolved around these horses. Living without them will be a HUGE adjustment.My only solace is that they are in a very good new home and will be taken care of very well. I will probably miss them much more than they will miss me. As I said earlier, I will be moving this summer and just physically cannot take care of them any longer. I decided to go ahead and board them so I can assure myself that they are settled in and happy. 

So, yesterday a very nice woman came and hauled them for me.

Bochica waiting

Bochica knew something was up. He was listening and  heard the trailer coming way before I did, His ears perked up and he began dancing around. Earlier I  had a long talk with him about  leaving. I think horses understand more than we think.

Moe waiting

Moe was waiting calmly.

A huge trailer

When they saw the trailer, they both perked up. Bochica really got excited. Bochica had never ridden in a trailer that large. I was concerned about him loading, but Moe was the one who balked. I think he was afraid he was leaving without Bochica. So she loaded Bochica first--he walked right in with no hesitation (Good Boy!) and Moe followed without any problem.

A welcoming committee

Moe was the first one out. Both horses immediately began eating grass-then it was off to the barn. Soon they will be in a large pasture with other horses.

A window just my height

Who is that horse in the last stall?

The wonderful woman who runs this place had a nice warm bran mash waiting for them. They seemed to settle right in and even Bochica did not seem nervous. They will be in the stall most of the time for a couple of days just to make sure they are healthy. Then they will be gradually introduced to their new pasture mates. I'll be visiting them tomorrow to see how they are--and probably most every day. I'll keep updating!!

Stay tuned!!

Fascinating Crows!

I've had more fun observing the little flock of crows that live here at Salsipuedes. They visit the barn every morning and clean up the spilled grain the horses left behind. Crows are very determined--last year I smeared peanut butter on a tree trunk. They would fly by and grab a little. Eventually they got it all. This year I smeared a pine cone with peanut butter, then rolled it in bluebird nuggets and raisins. This was supposed to be food for the bluebirds, right? No way! The crows spied it first. Check this out:

When I checked the pine cone yesterday, no bluebird food remained. The crows won again! I'll have to think of a new challenge for them. Stay tuned!

I Feel Like A Gypsy!

I've almost set a record here for the longest I have lived anywhere! It's been 5+ years.  But it seems that I wasn't meant to stay in one place long. I will be moving this summer. As you know, I've had my house for sale for a while. No luck, so I've listed it:

Calling in the "big guns"

Maybe Century 21 will have better luck. Go to their site and see the photos! It is a perfect place for someone wanting a rural life, yet to be close to civilization.

As I've said before, I believe the secret to happiness is being able to adapt to different situations. I've certainly had my share of that!!  Sometimes even in the midst of total despair, we must just make the decision to be happy. I'm working on that!!

It is with great sadness that I make these decisions about moving. I've found a good place for Bochica and Moe--they will be with a small herd of geldings in a 40 acre pasture with shelters and quality pasture and hay. As difficult as it is to think about moving and leaving them, I do feel good about their care. I'm putting out feelers for a home for the cats. By the way, George seems to be recovering!! Time will tell. 

The boys' new home to be!

Are you curious about where I will be going? Well, it will be a BIG change! I will be moving to the Washington D.C. area, probably Fairfax County, VA, to live with my son and his family. It will be quite different from this rural life I lead presently. And after living alone for 16 years, it will be a HUGE change. I have very mixed feelings about all of this, as you can imagine. My blog posts may change in the future to "how to adapt". :)

Meanwhile, I intend to squeeze every good moment out of this country life! I will enjoy everything nature has to offer here at Salsipuedes. I'm also making plans for new interests since I won't have my beloved horses. Stay tuned for future posts!

Poor George

It is so hard when a beloved pet gets sick. They can't talk to tell you how they feel. A week or so ago I went out to the barn to feed and found George laying flat out unable to get up! Well, I called the vet immediately and they told me to bring him in. I rushed over there, just at closing time. He worked on him for quite a while (he was so sick they couldn't even get a temperature). He diagnosed a stone completely blocking his bladder. It was touch and go as to if he would even survive the night. But he did and stayed there several days. $$$$  Unfortunately things are  not going well. Poor George!!

My George!

Unfortunately the vet did not tell me he would have to be on special food the rest of his life. All of you who have cats understand that that is not as easy as it sounds. George would not touch the "special food". I tried everything, but he just turned his nose up. So today I traded it for some dried food-so far no luck. Maybe he will eat it in the morning.  I fear he is already getting more stones and is wasting away. Poor George!!! Any suggestions?

George is my favorite cat--I brought him out here as a 6 month old kitten. He has killed all the mice (who might bring snakes) and is quite a character. One of his favorite things to do is ride in the golf cart. When he was a kitten, he would climb a tree and get scared to come down. I would drive under it and he would jump on top of the golf cart. Now he just likes to ride.

George and his best buddy, Rufus

Before I had Rufus, George would sit in my lap and always come to me immediately. When I brought Rufus home, George pouted for 2 weeks and would not come near me. Then oddly enough, he fell in love with Rufus. Now he comes and sits on the doorstep waiting for Rufus--and Rufus always knows when he is there. They love on each other and like to lay down together.

All the cats relaxing

George and the others are supposed to be "barn cats". But it seems at times they are "porch cats". This is one of their favorite places to hang out.

Snoozing on the swing

As you can see, he also likes to snooze on the swing. What a relaxed cat!!

Just hanging out!

This does not look so comfortable, but he likes it!

Well, wish me luck with George. I fear the worst! He is just not eating and I believe he already has another stone. I am frustrated beyond belief. Any suggestions?????

Stay tuned!

A New Look For My Lawn

It seems I still have a lot to learn when it comes to "outside" stuff. :)  I learned an important lesson about lawn mowers. Always check your tires!!! For some reason, I seem unable to tell if a tire is low just by looking at it. I mowed my lawn and uh,oh, look what happened!!

A new look!

You will remember that I have my house for sale--this is the worst time for the lawn to look strange!! Seems if a tire is low, the lawn ends up striped! I guess I could tell prospective buyers that I did it on purpose--and call it "lawn sculpture". Now I'm hoping for warm nights so the grass will grow enough for me to mow one more time before winter!! And believe me, next time I will check all my tires!!!!

Stay tuned!

More Signs of Spring at Salsipuedes

Even though we're expecting cold weather again tonight, Spring is here!!  The bluebird house down by the pond has new eggs. (I think the last ones froze when we had a low of 28). Hopefully these five beauties will hatch. I'm not a nest watcher for Cornell this year, so will just watch from afar. Maybe--I may not be able to resist peeking after they hatch. Bluebirds are just the neatest birds--the entire family helps feed the young.

Nature at its finest!

My blackberry patch is much larger this year--hmm, I can just taste blackberries and cream.

Lots of blooms - hopefully no snakes!

And the grafted pear is putting on leaves like crazy!

New leaves every day!

Who knows, maybe I'll be making pear preserves from the fruits of this new tree.

If my little garden ever begins to grow (it has been way too cold), I'll post pictures of my vegetables. I think I'll take my strawberry plant in tonight.

Stay tuned!!

Springtime in Texas

Dogwood Blossoms

Spring is my favorite time of the year--I begin wishing for it in January. This year it has been late in coming. But I treasure it all the more. The "special man" toured me around his property and showed me his dogwoods in bloom. Breathtaking!

Dogwood in the Woods

The bees are humming, butterflies are flitting about, hummingbirds have returned, and birds are busy building nests. Lest you think Henbit is just a weed, check this out--the butterflies depend upon it for a food source in early Spring.

Down the road from me is a field of canola--I never knew the source of canola oil before--breathtaking!

Wow!

This photo does not do it justice. It is a sea of yellow as far as the eye can see. Reminds me or Italy for some reason.

Stay tuned for more Springtime shots!

The New Tree-Part Two

Remember the grafting of the wild pear tree here at Salsipuedes? Well, two out of three grafts were successful (so far).

Success!!

See the tiny leaves emerging from the new grafts? How exciting--now we wait--my tree expert (the special man in my life) tells me we leave it alone until fall.  Then I assume we will unwrap it and see the final results.

Stay tuned!!

A New Tree at Salsipuedes

I am excited--soon I will have a new tree here. That "special man" discovered wild pear trees growing near my pond and offered to graft cultivated pears to them. Last summer we picked pears from a grafted tree at his house--delicious--so of course I jumped at the chance to have producing pear trees here. The process is absolutely fascinating to me!!

Step One - Choose a tree. I might add that it certainly helps to have someone who can identify a wild pear. :)

He brought cuttings  from "good trees".

New "new" tree

He made his cut on the original tree..

Then carefully sharpened the donor twig.

He split the bark on the original tree, peeled it back,  and inserted the twig.

He then wrapped it with tape to hold it in place.

Next, he wrapped it with plastic and then foil.

Now we wait! I can't wait to see the new trees growing,  He grafted several, so it will be interesting to see how they develop. I'm still having difficulty understanding how this works. Luckily, I get to see it in progress. 

Stay tuned--let's discover together!!

Signs of Spring!

Spring is trying to arrive--I was sure we were through with cold weather, but today proved me wrong. However, there are signs --blooming redbuds, pears, plums, flowers, etc. 

 I spied this flicker in my back yard the other morning and raced to get the camera. I managed to get a shot from my bedroom window.

Breakfast?

Isn't he a beauty? I have seen others down by the pond every day. Bluebirds are nesting down by the pond also. I'll try tomorrow to get a photo of the eggs. That mother will need to sit tight--a freeze is predicted tomorrow night. I've filled the bird feeders and will give the horses extra hay. And I'll now need to cover my newly planted tomatoes and squash! I'm hoping this is our last cold spell. I'm ready to sit on the bench at the pond and do some serious bird watching.

Stay tuned!!

Puzzle Complete--What Fun!!

I am a little sad to see the puzzle finished--it was so relaxing!!

Can  you find the the three unusual pieces?

I'm saving that last piece for that special man to insert. We both worked on it. The three "unusual" pieces are ones that Rufus managed to get.  (I must have accidentally knocked them off the bar.) Thank goodness he didn't eat them--just chewed them a little. 

This has been such a relaxing experience--I've decided to just keep a puzzle going all the time. It's nice to  take a few minutes and mull over deciding which pieces goes where.  Thanks again, Laurie!!

Stay tuned for the next one!

Puzzle Update

Remember the puzzle I have set up on my bar? Well, it's been a month and I'm progressing slowly. But it has been so much fun and very relaxing. I just work on it a few minutes here and there--almost like meditation! Puzzles are good for the brain, so I've been told!! I can just feel those cells firing up. :)

Here is my progress so far:

Slowly but surely!

Well, I will admit that I have had some help from that special man in my life.

This has been so relaxing that I believe when I finish this one, I'll set up another one!!

Spring is almost here--lots of projects--I can feel my energy returning--stay tuned!!

Moe Teaches One More Time

Moe mostly just lives the good life here at Salsipuedes--grain twice a day, all the hay he can eat, free roaming in my pasture with his buddy, Bochica, and open stall doors just in case he wants to come in out of the weather. He doesn't ask for much attention, but loves it when children come to visit and give him some lovin. So when my friend mentioned that one of her grandsons had received cowboy boots, hat, and clothes for his birthday, I jumped at the chance for her to bring him to my house for a photo shoot.  She has a new business, Simple Journeys Photography--check out her beautiful work!

First, we went out to the pasture to catch Moe. I explained to him about being calm around horses and the fact that they cannot see directly in front or directly behind them. The little boy was listening very closely.

Moe loves treats!

We had no trouble catching him--Moe will always come right to you. The little boy learned to hold his hand flat--Moe is pretty loose-lipped. He thought giving him treats was great fun!

Then we had a short lesson on leading---Moe is a BIG  horse!! But a total sweetie.

Come on with me, Moe

Finally, riding time! They went for a nice long ride. What fun for both of them! I think Moe enjoyed being a "lesson horse" again.

Now I am a cowboy!

We are looking forward to a return visit.

It is very heartwarming to see a child ride a horse for the first time. If I were younger, I would work with children and horses--but I guess I'll just enjoy the occasional visitor to Salsipuedes and my horses.

Stay tuned!