We lived in Biloxi from May 27, 1995 to April 30, 1996.
We lived at 6416 B Street, in a little duplex. I hated that house. It had rats. It was a nice house, to begin with, but the Air Force decided that it would be better if they added onto it and made it a 3-bedroom house. So it had a somewhat convoluted floorplan. And it was probably built in the 1940's, it had no character. But it was home. And it did have the most amazing tree in the backyard. I hated the house so much, and blocked out most of the good things in my life at that time, I don't even remember what type of tree it was.
I will tell you, without hesitation, that I hate Biloxi. The memories are not pleasant, it was not a good time in my life.
However, as I see the devastation, I am saddened. And I start to remember some of the good things there. Well, the things that were there.
B's parents came to visit, and they stayed at a bed and breakfast. I think it was the Father Ryan House. His mom emailed me today, and said she thought it was probably destroyed. I can't find news on it, but I would have to concur. Nothing on Beach Boulevard seems to remain.
Beauvoir, the Jefferson Davis home, was destroyed. We visited, and it was an interesting period home, with very historic ties to Biloxi.
We shopped at Edgewater Mall, now gone.
We drove by the casinos (though we never went inside) knowing that so many residents depended on them for income. So many of the spouses of military folks depended on them. They are smashed, sunk, beached, gutted, and otherwise destroyed.
I never liked the beach. The sand was coarse, and was always full of broken glass. M and I would walk there when we lived in our apartment (before the house I hated) and spend our days in the sun, dodging broken glass. But, it was an amazing view, and so refreshing.
I imagine its glory is gone today.
I remember these ritzy apartments. After visiting Miami, I know now that they were very Miami-esque, flamingos and all. Art deco, over the top. They are gone.
We went to Alabama now and again, and as you cross over the Pascagoula bridge, there is a giant Ingalls shipyard. They built aircraft carriers. Adjacent is the NAS Pascagoula. I wonder how they are.
The devastation and destruction are bad enough. You would have thought they were as bad as it gets. However, looking at that looting and stealing and disregard for fellow humankind is even more tragic. Who are these people? Are they moms and dads? Neighbors? Religious folks? Professionals? Are they like you and me?
In 1993 Iowa suffered from some devastating floods. Des Moines was without water for weeks. Businesses were destroyed, lives changed. They still talk about the floods, and they are certainly talking now. Today I heard a recount of how there was concern for price gouging. Water was an especially hot commodity, since it all had to be bought. They were quite pleased when they found you could buy water cheaper in Des Moines than in Minneapolis at the time. There are myriad stories about the city being built up during that time, rather than stories about suffering. People came together, and the entire experience is part of the fabric that is the citizens of Iowa. No, it was not shangri-la. Yes, there was suffering. However, I know in my heart of hearts that it was not to this degree. Not because there was less water, but because there was more compassion.
I am glad to be here. I draw the "Iowa Fabric" a little tighter around my shoulders and thank God that I live in a state of communities and neighbors (even pain-in-the-butt neighbors). What has happened on the Gulf Coast is tragic for me on so many levels.
Today also marks the 8th anniversary of Princess Diana's death. It was sad for us-- we were living in England at the time. We had come back to the US for vacation and were staying at B's parents' house when we heard about it. It was our last night in the US, and we were to head back to England in the morning. Of course, she died in the night, and the early morning flight that we took was crowded with reporters. It was a sad thing to come back home to when we returned...
A day of sad memories.
Wednesday, August 31, 2005
Monday, August 29, 2005
Saturday, August 27, 2005
advice from the dumbass gardener
Well, I planted THREE tomato plants this year. In my back flowerbed. They have taken over. Think beanstalk. I seriously am afraid they might come in the house at night to choke me.
They would have reason to choke me, because I had the lack of sense to plant them so only one side was easily accessed. I have tomatoes out my ears, and I have to practically climb into the flowerbed to harvest them.
They are taking over-- they have smashed down their tomato cages and have choked out the flowers in that flowerbed (I have some mums that I had hoped to enjoy when the tomatoes were done producing and finally cut back).
I am going to work on my garden this fall-- I will try "lasagna gardening." Wish me luck.
In the meantime, check out the haul we got today from these three tomato-stalks:
Tomorrow we will attend a party. I'm bringing bruschetta(of course, we add mozzarella cheese to ours)!
Happy Saturday.
They would have reason to choke me, because I had the lack of sense to plant them so only one side was easily accessed. I have tomatoes out my ears, and I have to practically climb into the flowerbed to harvest them.
They are taking over-- they have smashed down their tomato cages and have choked out the flowers in that flowerbed (I have some mums that I had hoped to enjoy when the tomatoes were done producing and finally cut back).
I am going to work on my garden this fall-- I will try "lasagna gardening." Wish me luck.
In the meantime, check out the haul we got today from these three tomato-stalks:
Tomorrow we will attend a party. I'm bringing bruschetta(of course, we add mozzarella cheese to ours)!
Happy Saturday.
Friday, August 26, 2005
you are totally not going to believe this
So today the kids and I leave about 4:30 to go to the feed store. Ernie and Bert want some chow.
As we leave, we drive past Bubba's house, and we see "Annie" (his 11-year-old stepdaughter) riding a pony in their front yard. Now, this is not a huge surprise, since Annie has told us she wanted a pony since she moved in. Her landlord keeps horses and a pony at the farm, though I don't know if the pony is hers or the landlord's-- and I don't care. I wave back to her and I drive past.
So we are driving home, and as I am nearing my house, I see something ahead in the road. It's Annie and the pony, walking away from my house, back toward her house. She is walking it like a dog. Of course, when we pull into the driveway, she turns around and starts back to our house.
Immediately, I am shouting at my kids, "She can't bring that pony here! I have no idea if it has had its shots, it will spook our horses (and all kinds of other irrational reasons)! They are agreeing with me, and shocked that she would be so unsafe.
I go in the house, because somehow, they have a much more diplomatic way of handling it than I do. It seems easier for her to take, "friend-to-friend" rather than coming from me. Or, at least, I told her not to let the dogs come over, and they ignored me. When L told her he was going to shoot her dogs, they mysteriously stopped coming over (most of the time).
I watch them outside the window at the end of the driveway. She is smacking the pony and jerking his halter around, and he is actually being so good just standing there. Major would never be so low maintenance! She grabs his hoof and tells him to "lift" and stands in front of him to pick it up. She leads on the right side, she wrapped the lead rope around her waist (I'm cringing at the thought). I realize now how much my kids know and how safe they act out of habit. They both said something to her about riding without a helmet, which also seemed to me especially dangerous, given the fact that she was RIDING WITH NO SADDLE OR BRIDLE, WEARING TENNIS SHOES, ON A GRAVEL ROAD!!!! What smart kids I have!!
What was the clincher, though, was that when I came into the house, I realized that there was a giant puddle of horse piss right outside of my back door. Yes, she came over, pony in hand, stood at the back door with him, knocking for the kids, and he lets loose on my back step.
The entire back porch smells like urine. It's gross. I love horses, and to me they don't smell too badly. However, there is a reason that we use fragrant and absorbent pine shavings in the stalls.
She finally took him home, after I came out and told her she couldn't bring him here. I was left standing on my porch, scratching my head, wondering how much it would cost to put up a fence with a gate across my driveway.
As we leave, we drive past Bubba's house, and we see "Annie" (his 11-year-old stepdaughter) riding a pony in their front yard. Now, this is not a huge surprise, since Annie has told us she wanted a pony since she moved in. Her landlord keeps horses and a pony at the farm, though I don't know if the pony is hers or the landlord's-- and I don't care. I wave back to her and I drive past.
So we are driving home, and as I am nearing my house, I see something ahead in the road. It's Annie and the pony, walking away from my house, back toward her house. She is walking it like a dog. Of course, when we pull into the driveway, she turns around and starts back to our house.
Immediately, I am shouting at my kids, "She can't bring that pony here! I have no idea if it has had its shots, it will spook our horses (and all kinds of other irrational reasons)! They are agreeing with me, and shocked that she would be so unsafe.
I go in the house, because somehow, they have a much more diplomatic way of handling it than I do. It seems easier for her to take, "friend-to-friend" rather than coming from me. Or, at least, I told her not to let the dogs come over, and they ignored me. When L told her he was going to shoot her dogs, they mysteriously stopped coming over (most of the time).
I watch them outside the window at the end of the driveway. She is smacking the pony and jerking his halter around, and he is actually being so good just standing there. Major would never be so low maintenance! She grabs his hoof and tells him to "lift" and stands in front of him to pick it up. She leads on the right side, she wrapped the lead rope around her waist (I'm cringing at the thought). I realize now how much my kids know and how safe they act out of habit. They both said something to her about riding without a helmet, which also seemed to me especially dangerous, given the fact that she was RIDING WITH NO SADDLE OR BRIDLE, WEARING TENNIS SHOES, ON A GRAVEL ROAD!!!! What smart kids I have!!
What was the clincher, though, was that when I came into the house, I realized that there was a giant puddle of horse piss right outside of my back door. Yes, she came over, pony in hand, stood at the back door with him, knocking for the kids, and he lets loose on my back step.
The entire back porch smells like urine. It's gross. I love horses, and to me they don't smell too badly. However, there is a reason that we use fragrant and absorbent pine shavings in the stalls.
She finally took him home, after I came out and told her she couldn't bring him here. I was left standing on my porch, scratching my head, wondering how much it would cost to put up a fence with a gate across my driveway.
Monday, August 22, 2005
maybe the news isn't so bad...
Well, the other day when I was freaking out about the sky falling, I told you of my propensity toward knee-jerk reactions.
Don't get me wrong, 9 potential sites or not, when they tell you there's a chance that the paradise at which you live has a 1/9 (or in my case 3/9) chance of being underwater, you should probably sit up and take notice.
So today I checked latest news (abbreviated and edited for some semblance of privacy) with credit to the local paper:
"Should conventional wisdom prevail, it appears that at least five of the potential sites for a new Madison County lake could be ruled out.
Five of the proposed sites are located in row-crop rich Madison County.
Five of the sites in northern Madison County are located on either the XXX River or the XXX River.
Site A: 2,050-acre lake
In xxx Township on the XXX River could provide a lake of about 2,085 acres. The drawback, as mentioned above, is that there are substantial row-crops planted in the area. That would require probable secondary and tertiary impoundments and buffer strips for the water to filter through before it runs into the main lake. (The soybeans are staying!!)
The percent of row-crop as it compares to percent of permanent pasture in the watershed will definitely be one of the factors which weigh heavy in any decision about a new lake.
(A popular nature attraction) is adjacent to the site and there is also a nearby quarry. The proximity to the quarry could create a barrier in that water could potentially leak out of a lake. An estimated 20 homes would have to be re-located.
Yes, yes, a BAD, BAD choice!!
Site B: 1,825-acre lake
Again, there is highly productive farm ground around the potential watershed. There are also an estimated 20 homes which would have to be relocated. An active quarry in the watershed is also seen as an expense which could make that site less favorable than others.
Yes, a TERRIBLE choice!!!
Site C: 1,035-acre lake
This proposed watershed contains some of the best and highest-priced farm ground in the county. There also would be about 18 homes to re-locate.
Awful decision! Don't do it!
With those five sites taken out of the equation — at least for now — it leaves four potential lake site.
There is one potential site which appears to hold the most promise as officials prepare to continue to examine all the sites.
That’s a site which is east of Winterset and north of Patterson (only one home would have to be relocated).
Good, good choice! Excellent! Brilliant!!
As the lake selection process continues, more detailed information about each of the sites will become available."
Let's hope conventional wisdom prevails.
Don't get me wrong, 9 potential sites or not, when they tell you there's a chance that the paradise at which you live has a 1/9 (or in my case 3/9) chance of being underwater, you should probably sit up and take notice.
So today I checked latest news (abbreviated and edited for some semblance of privacy) with credit to the local paper:
"Should conventional wisdom prevail, it appears that at least five of the potential sites for a new Madison County lake could be ruled out.
Five of the proposed sites are located in row-crop rich Madison County.
Five of the sites in northern Madison County are located on either the XXX River or the XXX River.
Site A: 2,050-acre lake
In xxx Township on the XXX River could provide a lake of about 2,085 acres. The drawback, as mentioned above, is that there are substantial row-crops planted in the area. That would require probable secondary and tertiary impoundments and buffer strips for the water to filter through before it runs into the main lake. (The soybeans are staying!!)
The percent of row-crop as it compares to percent of permanent pasture in the watershed will definitely be one of the factors which weigh heavy in any decision about a new lake.
(A popular nature attraction) is adjacent to the site and there is also a nearby quarry. The proximity to the quarry could create a barrier in that water could potentially leak out of a lake. An estimated 20 homes would have to be re-located.
Yes, yes, a BAD, BAD choice!!
Site B: 1,825-acre lake
Again, there is highly productive farm ground around the potential watershed. There are also an estimated 20 homes which would have to be relocated. An active quarry in the watershed is also seen as an expense which could make that site less favorable than others.
Yes, a TERRIBLE choice!!!
Site C: 1,035-acre lake
This proposed watershed contains some of the best and highest-priced farm ground in the county. There also would be about 18 homes to re-locate.
Awful decision! Don't do it!
With those five sites taken out of the equation — at least for now — it leaves four potential lake site.
There is one potential site which appears to hold the most promise as officials prepare to continue to examine all the sites.
That’s a site which is east of Winterset and north of Patterson (only one home would have to be relocated).
Good, good choice! Excellent! Brilliant!!
As the lake selection process continues, more detailed information about each of the sites will become available."
Let's hope conventional wisdom prevails.
Sunday, August 21, 2005
poop
Warning! Potentially Too Much Information!! Not for the weak-stomached, or the humor impaired!!
Guess:
A) I had a shitty day.
B) My day was in the toilet.
C) Shit happens.
D) All of the above.
The correct answer is D. Yep, today was dedicated to poop.
You know, they say that farming is “animal husbandry.” I was thinking that term was somewhat creepy, and was steering clear of referring to myself as any type of animal “spouse.” Sheesh, that’s how rumors start. And you know there are always jokes about country folk and the sheep.
But after today, I realize where it comes from, and it’s entirely accurate. As a caretaker of livestock, farmer, herdswoman, whatever, you do things for your animals that you would only do for your spouse and your children. Seriously! Not only do you love them (watch it, you KNOW what I mean when I say love) but you care for them as though they are members of your family.
I came into the barn yesterday after the fair, and it looked as though the Boer Boys gang had tagged my barn. Graffiti everywhere. Not the usual kind of spray paint graffiti, but the spray poop kind. Ernie has developed projectile poop, and he had marked his gang sign all over the barn with his new artistic medium. He is not feeling well. Well, I take that back, he seems to be feeling fine but he is having some serious digestive issues. I have given him some medicine, and am hoping that he will improve tomorrow. I hope to come into the barn tomorrow and find it as clean as I left it, with no evidence of Boer Boys tagging.
He had poop all over his backside. It looked like he sat down like a dog in a mud puddle. B and I gave him a bath today, and he was actually fine with it. We didn’t expect that, since goats typically dislike water and rain. But he was good, and true to his personality, he liked the attention.
Of course, after I was done, I put him back in the paddock, where he proceeded to projectile poop all over himself and his clean butt again.
Just like children. I’m telling you…
The fly situation is not good. I am going to have to bring in the bug guns, I am afraid. I am investigating options for a barn fogger. I can’t stand to see the animals suffer with flies all over them, poor things. The horses are wearing their fly masks inside to keep them off their eyes.
And so I dedicate my mornings – and this morning was no exception—to ridding the barn of all poop. As I was doing that, I found a toad in the poop. That is really the answer to the fly issue, we need a plague of frogs to clean up all these pests.
I then carted the manure out to the pile, where I proceeded to lose a shoe in the poop. So, there I am, barefoot on the manure pile.
Like I said, the day went to crap.
Guess:
A) I had a shitty day.
B) My day was in the toilet.
C) Shit happens.
D) All of the above.
The correct answer is D. Yep, today was dedicated to poop.
You know, they say that farming is “animal husbandry.” I was thinking that term was somewhat creepy, and was steering clear of referring to myself as any type of animal “spouse.” Sheesh, that’s how rumors start. And you know there are always jokes about country folk and the sheep.
But after today, I realize where it comes from, and it’s entirely accurate. As a caretaker of livestock, farmer, herdswoman, whatever, you do things for your animals that you would only do for your spouse and your children. Seriously! Not only do you love them (watch it, you KNOW what I mean when I say love) but you care for them as though they are members of your family.
I came into the barn yesterday after the fair, and it looked as though the Boer Boys gang had tagged my barn. Graffiti everywhere. Not the usual kind of spray paint graffiti, but the spray poop kind. Ernie has developed projectile poop, and he had marked his gang sign all over the barn with his new artistic medium. He is not feeling well. Well, I take that back, he seems to be feeling fine but he is having some serious digestive issues. I have given him some medicine, and am hoping that he will improve tomorrow. I hope to come into the barn tomorrow and find it as clean as I left it, with no evidence of Boer Boys tagging.
He had poop all over his backside. It looked like he sat down like a dog in a mud puddle. B and I gave him a bath today, and he was actually fine with it. We didn’t expect that, since goats typically dislike water and rain. But he was good, and true to his personality, he liked the attention.
Of course, after I was done, I put him back in the paddock, where he proceeded to projectile poop all over himself and his clean butt again.
Just like children. I’m telling you…
The fly situation is not good. I am going to have to bring in the bug guns, I am afraid. I am investigating options for a barn fogger. I can’t stand to see the animals suffer with flies all over them, poor things. The horses are wearing their fly masks inside to keep them off their eyes.
And so I dedicate my mornings – and this morning was no exception—to ridding the barn of all poop. As I was doing that, I found a toad in the poop. That is really the answer to the fly issue, we need a plague of frogs to clean up all these pests.
I then carted the manure out to the pile, where I proceeded to lose a shoe in the poop. So, there I am, barefoot on the manure pile.
Like I said, the day went to crap.
Iowa State Fair
Yesterday we went to the fair for the last time. I don't think my feet can take it another day!
The livestock are rotated in and out, so if you go early in the fair, you may see one type of animal, and then if you go back another day, you will see different animals. There are horses at the fair the entire time, but early in the week there are 4H horses, later it's open show horses, and finally, draft horses.
So yesterday we went to see the llamas and the meat goats. And the draft horses, my favorite. We talked to a lot of people, and even went into the stall with "Big John" a huge Belgian. His back was higher than B's head (B is 6' tall). I would give my right arm to have a Clydesdale, and we also saw plenty of them.
Speaking of Clydesdales, they won the 6 horse hitch class! If you have never seen a driving class, you have got to see one. Let me tell you, they were turning people away at the Pioneer Livestock Pavilion, because horse people and non-horse people love to watch this show (more on that later). The pavilion can seat 2000!
Like most of the horse shows, the draft show involved the horse(s) making several passes around the arena at various gaits (trot and walk, in this case), reversing, and then parking in the center, and backing up. All of the entries were stunning, but imagine the impact of the 7 6-horse hitches! There is not enough room in the arena to have them inside all at once, so they break the class into sections. They have them do their thing, and then park them in the middle, but at judging time they park them all in the middle. There were 35 draft horses and their wagons in the arena at once!
I am definitely a novice at driving, but I have done it enough to know that it is not as easy as it looks! And to see those big, gentle giants roaring around was just amazing! We enjoyed every minute of it (the show was 5 hours long!), and can't wait for next year.
I mentioned that there were non-horse folks in attendance. I am glad that the sport is popular with many different people, but I had to shake my head when the first team roared around and the lady behind me remarked how they "stank." Okay, let me just tell you a couple of things:
1) They did not stink. It was the smell of leather cleaner and silver polish from the harnesses. Those horses were polished up and shined slicker than a kid on Sunday morning for church! We did it with Major on Wednesday, they did the same thing with their horses yesterday.
2) You are at a livestock show. If they did, in fact, stink, wouldn't that be acceptable?
3) THEY DID NOT STINK!
Here are some pictures I took. Click on the picture to view a slideshow. Also, forgive me for the quality, I took them with my cell phone camera.
The livestock are rotated in and out, so if you go early in the fair, you may see one type of animal, and then if you go back another day, you will see different animals. There are horses at the fair the entire time, but early in the week there are 4H horses, later it's open show horses, and finally, draft horses.
So yesterday we went to see the llamas and the meat goats. And the draft horses, my favorite. We talked to a lot of people, and even went into the stall with "Big John" a huge Belgian. His back was higher than B's head (B is 6' tall). I would give my right arm to have a Clydesdale, and we also saw plenty of them.
Speaking of Clydesdales, they won the 6 horse hitch class! If you have never seen a driving class, you have got to see one. Let me tell you, they were turning people away at the Pioneer Livestock Pavilion, because horse people and non-horse people love to watch this show (more on that later). The pavilion can seat 2000!
Like most of the horse shows, the draft show involved the horse(s) making several passes around the arena at various gaits (trot and walk, in this case), reversing, and then parking in the center, and backing up. All of the entries were stunning, but imagine the impact of the 7 6-horse hitches! There is not enough room in the arena to have them inside all at once, so they break the class into sections. They have them do their thing, and then park them in the middle, but at judging time they park them all in the middle. There were 35 draft horses and their wagons in the arena at once!
I am definitely a novice at driving, but I have done it enough to know that it is not as easy as it looks! And to see those big, gentle giants roaring around was just amazing! We enjoyed every minute of it (the show was 5 hours long!), and can't wait for next year.
I mentioned that there were non-horse folks in attendance. I am glad that the sport is popular with many different people, but I had to shake my head when the first team roared around and the lady behind me remarked how they "stank." Okay, let me just tell you a couple of things:
1) They did not stink. It was the smell of leather cleaner and silver polish from the harnesses. Those horses were polished up and shined slicker than a kid on Sunday morning for church! We did it with Major on Wednesday, they did the same thing with their horses yesterday.
2) You are at a livestock show. If they did, in fact, stink, wouldn't that be acceptable?
3) THEY DID NOT STINK!
Here are some pictures I took. Click on the picture to view a slideshow. Also, forgive me for the quality, I took them with my cell phone camera.
Friday, August 19, 2005
bubba's bad day
We came home last night to find flashing police lights on our road! That is unheard of-- we don't even usually encounter lights from another car, let alone see flashing police lights! It was obviously an accident.
We thought maybe the road was blocked, but come to find out, it was just all of the neighbors coming by to help. Turns out, Bubba had come around the corner, and one way or another, flipped his company truck into the ditch and on its roof.
I rolled down the window and talked to the policeman to be sure we could get through. I asked if everyone was okay (at that point I didn't know it was a 1-car accident, and I didn't realize it was Bubba's truck), and he said that the driver only had a cut on his arm. He said, "He says he seen a deer." I told him I had seen deer there, too, and he just smiled at me and said, "Oh, I know they're around."
Then again, if I flipped my company truck off of a gravel road down the side of an embankment and onto its roof, I might have seen a deer, too.
Poor Bubba.
We thought maybe the road was blocked, but come to find out, it was just all of the neighbors coming by to help. Turns out, Bubba had come around the corner, and one way or another, flipped his company truck into the ditch and on its roof.
I rolled down the window and talked to the policeman to be sure we could get through. I asked if everyone was okay (at that point I didn't know it was a 1-car accident, and I didn't realize it was Bubba's truck), and he said that the driver only had a cut on his arm. He said, "He says he seen a deer." I told him I had seen deer there, too, and he just smiled at me and said, "Oh, I know they're around."
Then again, if I flipped my company truck off of a gravel road down the side of an embankment and onto its roof, I might have seen a deer, too.
Poor Bubba.
Thursday, August 18, 2005
more on the show
photos from yesterday (click on the photo for a slide show of the day's pictures):
I have to tell you, Major was a shoe-in to win yesterday because he had a huge cheering section! Thanks everyone for coming out. : ) I know that he appreciates it, and it meant a lot to us. It may sound silly, but 18 months ago we did a crazy thing. So much has changed since then, and you are all still our friends and supportive of us. It means so much. : )
And B and the kids were so supportive of me as I was Major's slave for the day (like I am not a slave to him every OTHER day!). They came and went, brought me ice cream and drinks, watched all of the events and took pictures. They helped out in the crunch time and didn't even crab back when I was crabby to them. I love them so much. : )
Now, the stress is over, and on to even more fun! We are taking a couple of days to let our feet heal (I have blisters on my blisters) and going back over the weekend. The draft horse show is on Saturday and the llamas and meat goats are on Sunday!
Tuesday is the first day of school, and then back to reality...
Happy Thursday! Woo hoo, the week's almost over.
I have to tell you, Major was a shoe-in to win yesterday because he had a huge cheering section! Thanks everyone for coming out. : ) I know that he appreciates it, and it meant a lot to us. It may sound silly, but 18 months ago we did a crazy thing. So much has changed since then, and you are all still our friends and supportive of us. It means so much. : )
And B and the kids were so supportive of me as I was Major's slave for the day (like I am not a slave to him every OTHER day!). They came and went, brought me ice cream and drinks, watched all of the events and took pictures. They helped out in the crunch time and didn't even crab back when I was crabby to them. I love them so much. : )
Now, the stress is over, and on to even more fun! We are taking a couple of days to let our feet heal (I have blisters on my blisters) and going back over the weekend. The draft horse show is on Saturday and the llamas and meat goats are on Sunday!
Tuesday is the first day of school, and then back to reality...
Happy Thursday! Woo hoo, the week's almost over.
Wednesday, August 17, 2005
The Big Day
Well, it's late, and I'm blogging from bed, I'm that tired. But I have been waiting for this day for so long, I wanted to tell you all about it!
I liken horse shows to beauty pageants! They are the same thing, the same mentality. I was a competitive baton twirler, and also did a few pageants, so I know the scene. The mom that lives vicariously through her child, carting around a case full of Aqua Net, white shoe polish, rosin, and more beauty utensils than a full-service salon.
And so it is with horse shows. Some people pull out all the stops and have the monogrammed curtains to put over their horses' stalls, the fancy business cards, the "offices" set up in spare stalls. I noticed that the miniature horse farms tended to put a lot of emphasis on having all of the "goodies." One was vacuuming off their horse, they all had trendy stretchy blankets on with strange patterns (fire and leopard prints, etc.). I half expected them to emerge from the "office" with a 2" diameter curling iron, a can of aqua net and some mascara!
So this was somewhat of a blast from the past for me. I arrived at 8:30 am and immediatly began cleaning Major's harness. We polished brass and cleaned the leather. I then blackened his hooves and groomed him. There were three of us helping all day, with other volunteers coming and going. We put on the harness and cleaned the gig (horse cart). Before we knew it, it was 1:30 and time to start the competition!
The first competition was a driving class, where M had to drive in between cones. The cones had tennis balls on them, and the object was to drive through them with the fastest time without knocking off any of the balls. They came in 2nd with the 2nd fastest time.
The next driving class was all about Major. He was a dream! I promised that if he won, I would buy him a bag of cotton candy. And he did!! He came in first place, and he was clearly the crowd favorite, so it was great to see him succeed. Watching him do his victory pass was amazing-- he knew he had won that competition!!
He got the cotton candy.
The next classes were later in the day, and she rode another horse for one class. The horse was continually spooking during the warmup, and ended up breaking his bridle so that we had to find some electrical tape to get through the show (a McGuyver fix also reminscent of my baton twirling days!)! He came in 4th, which was not entirely unexpected, and also celebrated. He could have done a lot worse.
Then, she rode Major again in western pleasure. Unfortunately, his bridle didn't fit properly, and his tongue kept going over the bit. It's not supposed to be held under the tongue!! He was sticking out his tongue and pulling crazily. He also came in 4th. We were disappointed that he did not perform better, but were happy with the 4th place because there were more in the class than 4.
I will post pictures tomorrow.
That is all the news for now. Night!
I liken horse shows to beauty pageants! They are the same thing, the same mentality. I was a competitive baton twirler, and also did a few pageants, so I know the scene. The mom that lives vicariously through her child, carting around a case full of Aqua Net, white shoe polish, rosin, and more beauty utensils than a full-service salon.
And so it is with horse shows. Some people pull out all the stops and have the monogrammed curtains to put over their horses' stalls, the fancy business cards, the "offices" set up in spare stalls. I noticed that the miniature horse farms tended to put a lot of emphasis on having all of the "goodies." One was vacuuming off their horse, they all had trendy stretchy blankets on with strange patterns (fire and leopard prints, etc.). I half expected them to emerge from the "office" with a 2" diameter curling iron, a can of aqua net and some mascara!
So this was somewhat of a blast from the past for me. I arrived at 8:30 am and immediatly began cleaning Major's harness. We polished brass and cleaned the leather. I then blackened his hooves and groomed him. There were three of us helping all day, with other volunteers coming and going. We put on the harness and cleaned the gig (horse cart). Before we knew it, it was 1:30 and time to start the competition!
The first competition was a driving class, where M had to drive in between cones. The cones had tennis balls on them, and the object was to drive through them with the fastest time without knocking off any of the balls. They came in 2nd with the 2nd fastest time.
The next driving class was all about Major. He was a dream! I promised that if he won, I would buy him a bag of cotton candy. And he did!! He came in first place, and he was clearly the crowd favorite, so it was great to see him succeed. Watching him do his victory pass was amazing-- he knew he had won that competition!!
He got the cotton candy.
The next classes were later in the day, and she rode another horse for one class. The horse was continually spooking during the warmup, and ended up breaking his bridle so that we had to find some electrical tape to get through the show (a McGuyver fix also reminscent of my baton twirling days!)! He came in 4th, which was not entirely unexpected, and also celebrated. He could have done a lot worse.
Then, she rode Major again in western pleasure. Unfortunately, his bridle didn't fit properly, and his tongue kept going over the bit. It's not supposed to be held under the tongue!! He was sticking out his tongue and pulling crazily. He also came in 4th. We were disappointed that he did not perform better, but were happy with the 4th place because there were more in the class than 4.
I will post pictures tomorrow.
That is all the news for now. Night!
Morning
This morning I got up at the same time, even though I don't have to work. I'm going to the fair early to help M polish Major's harness (lots of brass pieces).
I do have a little extra time, so I took it slow when doing my chores. I love that, because I have more time to stop and smell the roses, so to speak.
Today Mark had caught a mouse for her kittens, well, the older ones. The younger one is about 4 weeks younger than "her" kittens (the little one she stole from her mom, remember?) and not yet ready for mousing. The little girl kitten was ruthless! She dragged that carcass around like it was first prize! She attacked it, rolled it, shook it, basically killed it all over again. : ) The little boy was a little less savage, as he was busy killing crickets, hopping around just like them!
After they ate the mouse, Mark busied herself with bathing (of course), while the littlest kitten nursed. She was the picture of motherhood as I noticed her, eyes-closed, nursing her kitten while the boy kitten attacked her tail mercilessly. She's got it handled.
What a good mommy! Mousers-in-training.
I do have a little extra time, so I took it slow when doing my chores. I love that, because I have more time to stop and smell the roses, so to speak.
Today Mark had caught a mouse for her kittens, well, the older ones. The younger one is about 4 weeks younger than "her" kittens (the little one she stole from her mom, remember?) and not yet ready for mousing. The little girl kitten was ruthless! She dragged that carcass around like it was first prize! She attacked it, rolled it, shook it, basically killed it all over again. : ) The little boy was a little less savage, as he was busy killing crickets, hopping around just like them!
After they ate the mouse, Mark busied herself with bathing (of course), while the littlest kitten nursed. She was the picture of motherhood as I noticed her, eyes-closed, nursing her kitten while the boy kitten attacked her tail mercilessly. She's got it handled.
What a good mommy! Mousers-in-training.
Monday, August 15, 2005
The Sky is Falling!
I am not known for my calm, rational demeanor.
I am known for my knee-jerk reactions. And, I have, on occasion, been known to have to apologize for these knee-jerk reactions.
So, maybe this is just another of these sorts of things. And I should just chill out and let the chips fall where they may.
What is my cause for freaking out, you ask?
Oh, just that the county plans to build a 1,000+ ACRE LAKE, AND OUR HOUSE MAY BE UNDER IT!
Yes, take a look at this article. (Sorry, it's a PDF that you have to download-- I couldn't link to it online.) Two, if not three, of those proposed sites (I can't tell you which ones, or some crazies might be knocking on my door) would put us completely under water. The third one might just preclude us from living here, but would not necessarily involve being underwater. Because it is for drinking water, there will be certain restrictions on the distance from the lake that houses will be permitted, so it's likely that we would just have to MOVE.
I spoke to our neighbor K today, and he is in his 50's, so 12-15 years from now he will be selling anyway. Our other neighbor K, whose land will also potentially be underwater, is 84, so I don't think he is as concerned either.
Out of nine sites, three affect us. Those aren't the best odds...
Yes, I know it will be 12-15 years away, but they will likely start on this project a smidge before then.
Just call me Chicken Little. At least until I calm down and find some rationale.
In other news, we will likely be getting a tractor in the next few weeks. We have one picked out, but will be inquiring with other dealers at the fair.
And yes, the Fair is on! We have not yet gone, as my dad is here visiting (and we've been busy with other things-- see below). I visited Major today, again, and brought him some treats. M is worried that he will not do so well at the fair, but I am confident that he will shine when it really counts.
B and my dad fixed our truck today! They put a new clutch in it. No small feat, especially for B. We don't have all the required tools, either, so it's a "pay as you go" thing... ; ) B took it for a test drive tonight, and it's just about ready for business. Just needs a few adjustments.
Happy Monday! I'm back to work tomorrow for 1/2 day, then Wed off for Major's big day!
I am known for my knee-jerk reactions. And, I have, on occasion, been known to have to apologize for these knee-jerk reactions.
So, maybe this is just another of these sorts of things. And I should just chill out and let the chips fall where they may.
What is my cause for freaking out, you ask?
Oh, just that the county plans to build a 1,000+ ACRE LAKE, AND OUR HOUSE MAY BE UNDER IT!
Yes, take a look at this article. (Sorry, it's a PDF that you have to download-- I couldn't link to it online.) Two, if not three, of those proposed sites (I can't tell you which ones, or some crazies might be knocking on my door) would put us completely under water. The third one might just preclude us from living here, but would not necessarily involve being underwater. Because it is for drinking water, there will be certain restrictions on the distance from the lake that houses will be permitted, so it's likely that we would just have to MOVE.
I spoke to our neighbor K today, and he is in his 50's, so 12-15 years from now he will be selling anyway. Our other neighbor K, whose land will also potentially be underwater, is 84, so I don't think he is as concerned either.
Out of nine sites, three affect us. Those aren't the best odds...
Yes, I know it will be 12-15 years away, but they will likely start on this project a smidge before then.
Just call me Chicken Little. At least until I calm down and find some rationale.
In other news, we will likely be getting a tractor in the next few weeks. We have one picked out, but will be inquiring with other dealers at the fair.
And yes, the Fair is on! We have not yet gone, as my dad is here visiting (and we've been busy with other things-- see below). I visited Major today, again, and brought him some treats. M is worried that he will not do so well at the fair, but I am confident that he will shine when it really counts.
B and my dad fixed our truck today! They put a new clutch in it. No small feat, especially for B. We don't have all the required tools, either, so it's a "pay as you go" thing... ; ) B took it for a test drive tonight, and it's just about ready for business. Just needs a few adjustments.
Happy Monday! I'm back to work tomorrow for 1/2 day, then Wed off for Major's big day!
Sunday, August 07, 2005
Saturday, August 06, 2005
what's new?
You're probably wondering what's new around here. Well, not much, and that's a good thing!
My dad is visiting this week, so I expect to have a lot of fun. We're also going away for the weekend next weekend with him, and we plan to have a great time.
In anticipation of his visit (and those kind people coming to care for the animals in our absence) I have been cleaning and streamlining things around here. B bought some metal bins for the goat feed and we cleaned up all of the hay that Pecos tossed around the barn.
The kittens are just adorable. They stalk the bits of hay and the crickets, and battle each other in fun. I could sit there and watch them for hours!
We have had to goat proof another gate, Ernie and Bert were browsing peacefully in the pasture on Friday, and B remarked how we had successfully goat proofed it. Yeah, right. That was his mistake right there! Not five minutes later, Ernie had escaped out from under the gate. So I put some fence panel up over the gate. I let them out today, and it seemed to work. I snuck back into the barn to do the horses' stalls, and I was busy working and noticed them in the barn. They had crawled under the gate that goes over the barn door during the day! They are like little houdinis! So it's back to the drawing board...
B was in an accident today! He and L are lucky to have escaped unhurt! They had come from Menards with a load of stuff off of "the list" (doesn't everyone have that list that they are always adding to?). He had my car, an SUV, and the right front tire became flat. He didn't know it at the time, but the tire pulled him over in the gravel at the side of the road. He corrected his steering, and when he did, the car was launched into a violent spin. It spun into the oncoming lane (there were no cars on this usually busy road, thank goodness), and a complete 360 degree turn around, and stopped about 4 feet from a road sign. The tire was torn from the rim, but that was the only damage (oh, and my iPod's FM cable was destroyed, as it became wrapped around the steering wheel!). L was reading his Harry Potter book, and barely noticed what was going on (thank goodness!). B was able to pull the car out of the ditch and onto the side of the road. He was only a few miles from the house, and I came to help him and just be with him. It was very, very scary. His guardian angels are weary today...
Hope you're enjoying the weekend...
My dad is visiting this week, so I expect to have a lot of fun. We're also going away for the weekend next weekend with him, and we plan to have a great time.
In anticipation of his visit (and those kind people coming to care for the animals in our absence) I have been cleaning and streamlining things around here. B bought some metal bins for the goat feed and we cleaned up all of the hay that Pecos tossed around the barn.
The kittens are just adorable. They stalk the bits of hay and the crickets, and battle each other in fun. I could sit there and watch them for hours!
We have had to goat proof another gate, Ernie and Bert were browsing peacefully in the pasture on Friday, and B remarked how we had successfully goat proofed it. Yeah, right. That was his mistake right there! Not five minutes later, Ernie had escaped out from under the gate. So I put some fence panel up over the gate. I let them out today, and it seemed to work. I snuck back into the barn to do the horses' stalls, and I was busy working and noticed them in the barn. They had crawled under the gate that goes over the barn door during the day! They are like little houdinis! So it's back to the drawing board...
B was in an accident today! He and L are lucky to have escaped unhurt! They had come from Menards with a load of stuff off of "the list" (doesn't everyone have that list that they are always adding to?). He had my car, an SUV, and the right front tire became flat. He didn't know it at the time, but the tire pulled him over in the gravel at the side of the road. He corrected his steering, and when he did, the car was launched into a violent spin. It spun into the oncoming lane (there were no cars on this usually busy road, thank goodness), and a complete 360 degree turn around, and stopped about 4 feet from a road sign. The tire was torn from the rim, but that was the only damage (oh, and my iPod's FM cable was destroyed, as it became wrapped around the steering wheel!). L was reading his Harry Potter book, and barely noticed what was going on (thank goodness!). B was able to pull the car out of the ditch and onto the side of the road. He was only a few miles from the house, and I came to help him and just be with him. It was very, very scary. His guardian angels are weary today...
Hope you're enjoying the weekend...
Tuesday, August 02, 2005
what's for dinner?
Marinated Grilled Shrimp
3 cloves garlic, minced
1/3 cup olive oil
1/4 cup tomato sauce (I didn't have this the first time, so I used ketchup-- now I always use ketchup!)
2 tablespoons red wine vinegar
2 tablespoons chopped fresh basil (I've used dried, it's fine)
1/2 teaspoon salt
1/4 teaspoon cayenne pepper
2 pounds fresh shrimp, peeled and deveined
skewers
Mix up the marinade, let the shrimp sit in it for a couple of hours, then skewer it and put it on the grill. YUMM! We eat it with grilled corn on the cob.
B's bringing home the corn, hopefully from that roadside stand...
I can taste it now. You coming for dinner?
3 cloves garlic, minced
1/3 cup olive oil
1/4 cup tomato sauce (I didn't have this the first time, so I used ketchup-- now I always use ketchup!)
2 tablespoons red wine vinegar
2 tablespoons chopped fresh basil (I've used dried, it's fine)
1/2 teaspoon salt
1/4 teaspoon cayenne pepper
2 pounds fresh shrimp, peeled and deveined
skewers
Mix up the marinade, let the shrimp sit in it for a couple of hours, then skewer it and put it on the grill. YUMM! We eat it with grilled corn on the cob.
B's bringing home the corn, hopefully from that roadside stand...
I can taste it now. You coming for dinner?
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