my life in spurs

Finally got around to organizing the tackroom at my humble barn. The 'best old lady horse in the world' aka Rodney is home with me for a while. Rod's not exactly a ranch horse...he's a show horse, so when he moves, he come with lots of diva horse show equipment. I needed to clean house and make room for his supplies.

I found these handy racks and thought they were perfect for the abundance of English and Western bits I've accumulated over the years.

As I sorted and sneezed through the dusty boxes and trunks in the tack room, I kept discovering spurs amid the 20+ years of horse show remnants. Lifting the treasures onto the rack, my mind's eye pictured the best moments spent with the Sprout, the favorite horses, and the wonderful horse-show friends.

Here is my spur journey.

The Sprout's first pair of youth spurs. We had a mature gelding named Arizona. We did everything with that horse...he was fast as greased lightening!

Wasn't long until our horizons expanded and we started riding English. Living in West Texas, riding a ranch gelding....WHY did we want to do that? Lands...we didn't have a lick of sense, but we thought we should. We even jumped a little. The Sprout broke her arm in an easy fall off the gelding. I splinted her arm with a paint stirrer and some torn fabric strips for the drive to the hospital. We were unfazed. The Sprout wanted me to ride with her, so I got a horse too.

We improved our horses and our horsemanship skills bit by bit. We got some help from a trainer named 'Polly'. She gave us these spurs to use with our little gray western pleasure mare. I haven't seen Polly in years. She moved to Missouri....I even visited there after her move. We lost track of each other.

The Sprout graduated to her very own pair of ball-spurs with her initials. Probably was a birthday or Christmas present. These were great spurs to use in horsemanship classes. The long shank enables the rider to keep his feet in the proper position in the stirrups.

These spurs kinda puzzled me.....they look like a hybrid between an English and a Western spur. Don't think they'd do too much to get a horse to move, but they are lovely and feminine. I rode with these for a while.

Ready to call the SPCA now, are you? These are called 'rock-grinders'. Although these look very beat up, I don't remember using them but a handful of times. I don't recommend these spurs 'cause they can get a rider in trouble in a hurry, but if you ride a very dead-sided horse who will not move off of your leg, you can remind the horse to move in these. Just one ride with these amazingly restores the horse's memory.

These are the spurs I ride Rod in much of the time today. They're just a nothin'-special clover leaf spur. Sometimes he moves OK off of these....sometimes he needs a stiffer reminder. Most riders like to have different types of spurs available to meet the changing requirements of getting a horse to move correctly. If a rider uses the same spur every day, the horse gets a little dull to them and it's time to change things up.

These are the latest spurs to enter my life. They were given to the grandson by a family friend. Who knows if he will want to ride, but I've been working on an arena and finding the perfect pony....just in case. It's best to plan ahead.

Why would I rather clean the tack room at the barn than clean my house? The Texan wants to know.

Now move along, or I'll have to use the rock-grinders on you!

Spurry love to all.

he's here

The grandson entered the world last Friday night and here are the promised pictures.

Baby G....8lbs 13oz

Sprout #2 did an outstanding job under nail-biting circumstances. She's a total champ. I probably annoyed her, but she was understanding of my concern. I think describing her labor as loooooooooooong wouldn't be an overstatement. Thanks to all who prayed us through this process. We are beyond grateful. Thank you, thank you.....mmmmmm-wah (big kiss)...can't thank you enough!!

baby G and KK

Thought I was gonna have to break a few arms to get my chance to hold the baby. Such a big, sturdy boy! Do you see gratitude oozing from my every pore? Oh, and I NEED a haircut!
Holding a newborn just makes one happy, doesn't it? Is there any better feeling?

Sprout #1....now he's Uncle W. Looks like he swallowed a canary!

Took the opportunity yesterday to bombard the recovering Sprout and Son-in-law's house with much of my photo paraphernalia. I was hankering for some nifty newborn photos. Never mind I know NADA about taking photos of infants....just jump right in...do it...get the feet wet.

After some unfortunate attempts to take baby's picture in a stupid basket (with a handle that obscured his face), and trying to balance Grandson in the seat of my western saddle (he's not fond of tooled leather and an abundance of silver)....I took his photo with a huge, scary-looking bear!

Cute feet

Doesn't matter that said bear looks ready to devour him...Grandson looks peaceful enough. It's an honest and solid first attempt. Photographed with love.

Scary bear really looks ravenous in the above photo, but baby G is so brave, he's smiling. Take that, scary bear!

Oh lands!....There's lots to learn, isn't there?

The little smile captivated me...so I had to do a close up...even though it shows my limits as a newborn photog.

The Sprout wanted to keep Baby G awake some during the day yesterday hoping he might sleep a little better during the night. I think we accomplished that, Sprout.

He was jostled, bounced, maneuvered, balanced, and we might have bumped his head into the handle of the stupid wicker basket. Hopefully, he'll hold no memories of the trauma.

Promise me.......you won't ask the Sprout about the Boy Scout axe photo prop. It's better left alone for now.

Smiling love to all.

changes

I enjoyed capturing the reflections in the lake

Thought we'd made our last trip to the beloved mountains of Colorado. Happily, I was wrong! We had a short trip last weekend to see the changing leaves and to spend a little quality time with friends.

The brilliant aspens were heralds trumpeting the changing season. Blue sky, cool lake, warm sunshine=ahhhhh.

Perfecto walking weather.

Roxy Doxy's bff, Nellie the Westie



It's always a hoot watching the canines enjoying themselves. They took a thousand steps to our one step and wore themselves out!






Roxy Doxy contemplating the changing seasons and the meaning of life

The leaves made me ponder how our lives have changed over the years. Many of these folks are grandparents...unbelievable, you say? Believe it....they are!



Our cast of mountain characters

Well, my friends....our grandson comes into the world TOMORROW! It's got me all thoughtful, gooey and introspective. Has me wondering what makes this milestone so special, aside from the fact a new life is entering the world, and the miracle of birth, and how this life might affect the world for good.....and on and on. Those are the obviously wonderful things.

I think what has me pumped up is something more on a personal level. It's the possibility of change in me. I'm going to strap on an entirely new persona. Yes, I'll still be me....but I'll be different. I will be KK...the grandmother. A grandmother living with GrandBob, the grandfather. Maybe I'll have the opportunity to be a better grandparent than I was a parent. Can I show more patience and be more loving to this grandson than I was the first time around with my own children? I think so....I'm older and a little wiser. Oh, how grateful I am for second chances!! Thankfully, I have friends who will help me out.

I'm ready for the change and the challenge.

Don't worry...I'll post the news and photos as soon as I can.

Wish us luck!

Seasonal love to all.

new dog, old dog

I think I have shown some of you a couple of photos of the new puppy at the horse barn.

If you haven't yet gazed upon this cuteness....steel yourself for a major cute overload!

Boo...the new border collie/heeler mix pup

This pup is love incarnate....pure fun, kisses, nips and rip-roarin' energy!

This face transforms me into a gooey, baby-talking idiot.  Boo....ah-Boo...ah wuv ewe!

Those eyes...absolutely guileless

Boo is now at the horse barn involving herself in her puppy affairs.  Those affairs include biting the reins on your headstall, grabbing the lunge line (while a horse is lunging on the other end) and hanging by her teeth with legs dangling, and searching for an acceptable rhythm to her day.

Let's ask the resident barn dog, red-heeler Perry how she feels about the new arrival.

Hey Perry.....howgoesit with the new puppy? You guys getting along?

C'mon Perry! It can't be THAT bad!! Turn over and let's play some ball!

You don't feel like getting up to greet me today? That's OK, Perry....you tell me all about how rough it's been with the addition of the new puppy?

That bad, huh?!

Old dog love to all. ***scratch, scratch***

summer's flown

It's over. Not officially, maybe....but it's gone just the same.


Summer's flown, just like the sparrow.

 To borrow from Dickens....it was the best of times, it was the worst of times.

We are lucky and blessed in that our summers (since 1975, for me) involve several treks to the crisp air of the Colorado mountains.

Our cabin's piney interior warmly embraces me and keeps me rooted in my family's past. My first trip to Colorado was with the Texan while we were dating. I guess I passed the 'cabin test' his mom talked about. We married...our family grew...and we got a little place of our own near his mother and other friends. The kitchen has the pencil etchings on the wall of who caught the biggest trout, the bunk beds in the bedroom are where the children slept and fought their nightly tussles and we've devoured s'mores around the brick fireplace for nearly thirty years now. I'm sure it could use some updating in the decorating/furniture department, but the cabin's sameness is somehow reassuring. Life at the cabin with family and friends is a treasure.  Need proof? Take a look at these posts.
http://onachickenwingandaprayer.blogspot.com/2011/07/birds-and-ashes.html
http://onachickenwingandaprayer.blogspot.com/2010/06/mountain-mysteries.html

Did I mention the food at the cabin tastes better? We eat like kings!

Bff Vicki's peach pie. Oh....my....!

I could write a tome (but not now) of the fun the canines have in Colorado.

Nellie would like some pie, please.

Roxy Doxy never caught the chipmunk

Summer in the Texas Panhandle was in sizzly contrast to Colorado. Hot, dry....depressing and difficult. It felt like our 'worst of times' and there was lots of suffering to go around for the farmers/ranchers and folks who have to work outside. Our Sprout #1 worked in a frenzy to move cattle around, sell cattle, ship cattle and get water to thirsty cows and horses. Don't want to ask him about his summer!

I can report the dreadful heat has broken (feels fantastic!), but we are still praying one of those tropical storms in the Gulf of Mexico will meander it's way into Texas and bring moisture for our brittle state. We hope and keep looking to the future.

I feel blessed, but a little meloncholy at scenes like this.

Covering the game table and chairs for the winter

Letting go of another summer in the mountains. Cleaning the old place up and preparing her for the long winter. Back to real life...sigh. Back to the land of no pies.

The Texan and I climbed the hill to say goodbye to Mom. Her ashes were still suprisingly intact even after the recent rains.

It's gonna take her a long time to make it to the ocean at this rate, the Texan said.

That's OK. She's got nothin' but time.
See you next summer, Joy.

With that, we switched off the light on the best and worst in the summer of 2011. Done.

Peach pie love to all.

rattler hunt

The Sprout and the Son-in-Law (SIL) related a heckuva rattlesnake story to me and the Texan the other day.

 "We saw a HUGE rattler stretched out by the storage box!"

Did you kill him?

"Well....no. We tried throwing a heavy rock at him, but we missed"

The comical image bounced like a pinball in my mind. The Sprout and the SIL were out for a leisurely sunset walk in the country. Neither was prepared for the possibility of spotting a rattlesnake. The SIL despises snakes and his attempts to bean the snake with a heavy rock made me giggle. The Sprout reported his attempted killer rock throw was from about 20 feet.....didn't want to take any unnecessary chances standing too close to an angry rattler. Smart SIL.

The next evening the brave duo appeared at our house and announced they were going back in to seek and destroy the offending rattlesnake. I grabbed my boots and my garden hoe and threw in with them. I love the gory-ness of slaying a rattler. We drove about a mile from our house to the land where I keep a couple of horses. Not the 'best old-lady horse in the world'...show horse Rodney, but a couple of geldings with some lameness issues. OK, they are very expensive pets basically, but I sorta enjoy looking after them and living the horsey lifestyle. The old steel water tank the horses drink from sprung a leak.

The water level is going...down....down

The leak was at the bottom of the metal tank

Don't like a leak like this in the middle of a drought

The Texan hired an outfit to come and spray the entire tank with some kind of waterproof foam. It worked like a charm and the tank is now holding water! Thank you, Texan.

Anyhooooo......on with the deadly serious business at hand....the SNAKE HUNT! We trekked down the big hill. See the little house in the distance? That's our target.

Only green thing is the hardy mesquite tree

This is the reported snake hang-out. Notice fierce SIL with my hoe

Guess we scared the socks off the snake, because we didn't see him anywhere.

The grandson went with us. His first snake hunt

The expedition was a bust as a snake hunt, but it made for a memorable walk. We bid 'til we meet again' to the snake and started the death march back up the hill to the truck.

We could sure use some rain. Not a shred of grass anywhere on this barren land. Yesterday we hit the record of 50 days of 100+ temperatures this summer. Not really the kind of record or notoriety any of us wanted.

Well....it's time for the Labor Day weekend and the traditional ending of summer. I'd like to chop this summer's head off with my hoe. Or, have the fearless SIL smash it in the head with his killer rock. This summer has been like the rattler.....hostile and unwelcome.

Let's look forward to a more hospitable Fall, shall we? Hope you have plans to kick back and welcome the coming of Autumn. What are you going to do? Let me know if anything fun happens. Wishing you the greatest of weekends.

Hoe-y love to all.

 

sunny weekend

I haven't told you about my new camera, have I? It is way cool and way beyond me, but I'm determined to learn. Took this photo with the Nikon d700 and a 50mm prime lens. Need a great camera for upcoming baby shots, yes?



My weekend was like this sunflower picture....bright, happy and filled with color.

Out-of-town and in-town family/friends gathered to celebrate the impending birth of our grandbaby!

We ate Friday night.

We stuffed our pieholes Saturday morning.

What a gorgeous feast these ladies laid out!

AND we consumed food particulates again Saturday evening.

The gracious in-laws hosted us at their lake house Saturday evening. Perfect!

Someone got very crafty. These are the nursery colors.

Adorable sock monkey on the front door.

Guess the theme of the weekend was all things baby and all things edible/drinkable. My jeans feel too tight.

The Sprout gave me a few baby things to keep at my house in case I am lucky enough to keep the tyke. Spent last night washing baby blankets, burp rags and bibs.

It's all becoming so REAL. Pins and needles, pins and needles...pins, pins, pins, & needles, needles, needles! I wanna cook and freeze stuff.

The wiener thinks the baby can't get here fast enough. She's haunted by memories of a very regrettable stroller ride.

I am blessed. Thanks for all the love everyone!

Anticipatory bib-by love to all.