muddy boots!!!!!

I have a feeling that a month from now, I won't feel quite the same way... but for today... muddy boots were actually EXCITING!!!! With temps reaching the low 50's, the snow dropped a good four to five inches, and the barn yard was a muddy mess!!!
Small price to pay to have such a grand day, and I don't know whether to call it a "bad joke" or a "blessing"... either way, I simply had to be outside most of the day.

Ed and I "tore" the barn apart and did a complete clean up. Not that I haven't been doing chores all winter, but because the day was so nice, it was good to go thru it in detail. We opened both ends of the barn, moved things around and swept out hay, re-arranged, dusted, the whole nine yards... it felt good and the barn looks amazing.

Our friend, Faye, is here for a short visit.. she lives in North Carolina, and came to check on friends . She and brother Bill, put together a fine meal, and we had the first "cookout" of 2009. We invited Ken,Eric, Buzz and Steve to join us, and it was so nice sitting in the sun and cooking on the grill. Almost as good as a "real summer" day.

I know we still have March to deal with, and we can get some dandy winter storms in March, but for today, spring came and we greatly enjoyed it... and it's a reminder that winter won't last forever!!! I'm ready... to deal with muddy boots and even those "spring black flies"... bring it on......

Mocha goes "Hollywood"....

This morning I got a phone call from neighbor, Dusty Perin, who is a professional photographer. "I need some mini photos for a project", she said, "and was wondering if Mocha might be available".. fine with me!!! So, I finished up some dog chores, packed up a cup of coffee and headed to the barn. First thing, clean stall... can't have photos with poop in them!!!

Dusty arrived and just wanted to shoot some "general pictures".. as she said, she doesn't exactly know what her client may or may not want, so she likes to have a variety to chose from. We got Mocha "clean up" (fortunately NOT mud season so that wasn't any big deal) and using hay, treats and other props... tried to get her to pose in whatever direction Dusty needed.

After the broken harness and getting out of her "work" this weekend, and now all this "Hollywood picture taking" adventure, I hope Miss Attitude doesn't let it go to her head!!!!










I've worked with the dogs on different photo shoots, but it's a bit different with horses!!! Took a bit of "horse wrangling!!" (and I didn't exactly mean to pull her tail!!!) Silver was pretty interested in all the fuss.... keeping a close eye on "his little mare"...

I'm not sure if Dusty "got the photo" she was looking for, but it seems as though Mocha had some things to talk over with Tonka after it was done.

So, who knows, maybe the "movie pictures" will be Mocha's next big gig......

words of wisdom

My dear friend Deb sent this to me... I liked it enough to put it on the blog... it goes like this...

The 10 Commandants are NOT a multiply choice
The pursuit of happiness is the chase of a lifetime! It is never too late to become what you might have been.
Your mind is like a parachute.. it functions only when open
Ideas don't work, unless you do
One thing you can't recycle.. is wasted time
If you lack the courage to start, you have already finished
You lie the loudest when you lie to yourself
One thing you can give and still keep.... your word
The heaviest thing you can carry.. is a grudge
The happiness of your life depends on the quality of your thoughts
The best vitamin for making friends... B1
Of all the things you wear, your expression is the most important
If you want your dreams to come true, you best not over sleep
Be kinder than necessary because everyone you meet is fighting some kind of a battle


Life is too short to wake up with regrets. So love the people who treat you right, forget the ones who don't.Believe that everything happens for a reason. If you get a second chance, grab it with both hands If it changes your life, let it. Nobody said that life would be easy,they just promised that it would be worth it.

Sunday again....

Off and on today, I kept thinking about last Sunday, it was such a beautiful day, my friend Betty and I played with horses all afternoon.... little did I realize that it would all "be so different this Sunday"... It makes me think of that little saying that goes something like... "yesterday is passed, tomorrow is yet to be... so today is the (a) present!!" It's true, we should not over look the gift of each day... even the "yucky" ones have their place... last Sunday..little "Moo" was curled up on her bed, but she certainly did not feel well. I am glad that we got her to the vet before it turned out to be really awful for her, and there I can take comfort in knowing that I loved her enough to do what was right for her.

Nate had plans to go snowboarding with a friend today, so we told Kas to come here, and we would take her and Sadie out for breakfast after church. We went to our favorite little diner... the "Miss Wakefield"... they were really hopping!!! It's a good stop for snow mobilers and the "after church crowd".. you get a good meal there without breaking the bank... and my fav... breakfast all day long!!!

Sadie wanted a picture of her and Kas in front of the "Wakefield moose".. which BTW, is a real life size for any of you who have never seen a moose!!!

Cute picture of our girlies!!!

Betty was at the barn yesterday morning. My wonderful friend.... had the stalls all done for me!!!We were coming back from errands, so I didn't have my boots with me, but I really wanted to get Mocha in harness again. Betty had the afternoon open, so I ran and got my boots.

While I was away, she got Mocha out to walk a bit and limber up before we hitched. She thought it would be fun to bring her Newfie out with them... well, let's just say.. she was a show stopper!!!
I pulled onto the road and found a car just sitting there, watching her walk this mini and the "mighty".... a couple of cars even gave her honks of approval.... it was pretty funny.

After their walk, we got Mocha hitched... Betty did a bit of ground driving with her and I pulled the cart out. I was so excited, because being able to hitch two weekends in a row is a good thing. We got Mocha in the cart and headed down the driveway, she was going well. Big headway!!! Betty walked along, just to be on her head if I needed help, but it was fine. I made a nice wide turn with Mocha and headed back to the barn, when I heard Betty say..."what's with the shafts?" I looked at the harness and the tugs were loose, something's not right. Just as I brough Mocha to a stop, she began to get jumpy in the shafts, and Betty was at her head in a moment.... "what is going on?" I hopped out of the cart and found that we had a broken harness!!!!! and I mean broken. Not just stitching coming loose, but leather that has come apart. Boy, was I happy that we weren't out on the road, or miles away from home!!!!

I have never really liked that harness, and had even made that comment to Betty as we were hitching... it was good enough to get her started, but I haven't been that happy with it. I had just told Betty "I would like to replace this harness one day"... never thinking that I would be doing it so soon!!!

Ed and I ran out to one of our favorite tack shops later in the day... it's where we had bought Mocha's cart and they have a great supply of mini stuff. I brought the broke harness with us, and the shop owner said..."Oh, one of them" guess she has seen and heard the complaints on them before. We looked over a few different harnesses and ended up buying one that is very much like Duke's. I was hoping to fit it to her this afternoon, but time got by me. So another day.....



The horses are still enjoying the snow.. the big boys love to roll in it... I suppose I like snow better than the mud season yet to come...

it's easier to clean off!!!

(this is Duke... he is such a snow baby!!!)

life goes on...

Well, aside from "everything else" that went on this past week, life and work continue on the farm. It's a nice distraction for me, and allows me some "normal" time when I am working around the barn, or watching the progress on the house.

Ed got our little woodstove hooked up, and has been making small, "breaking in" fires all week. It does a nice job, but because there are no doors or windows in yet, it can't possibly heat the house!! Still, the guys enjoy their morning coffee break standing around the stove. And if you are close enough to it, it will warm you up. Next winter, it will have no problem heating the living area and keeping us toasty warm on cold winter nights.

The steel support beam for Ed's garage arrived yesterday. It's a huge thing, but because of it, there will only be one post in the garage. This will create tons of "open space" for Ed, and he will easily get his antique trucks inside. It will be so nice, not having to brush snow off my truck next year!!! and I can't wait to get our "beetle" out of the horse barn!!!

The crane operator made this look easy. Doesn't seem like this beam weighs 2600 lbs... he moved it around like nothing at all.

Today the guys started getting the floor joices in place for the second floor of the garage. This is going to be Ed's wood working shop. There should be plenty of room for all his projects in this building!!!

That is one thing he has really missed this year, working in his shop. He is quite talented and has made some beautiful pieces (like my sewing cabinet)... He always makes some "goodies" at Christmas, but this year he wasn't able to.

He'll certainly appreciate being able to go out to his shop next year!!!

So, things are progressing nicely. It's been really cold this week, and I am impressed with the way the guys just keeping working along. Supposely next week, we are in for milder temps... I hope so, this cold is really starting to wear on me, and I am ready for some nice spring weather.

doing OK...

Dear Family and Friends...I just wanted to pen you all a little note and say that I am doing "OK".. the out pouring of good wishes has been such a comfort to me. I have received many email, wonderful blog comments, e cards, and phone calls. I always knew that I was blessed with so many great people in my life, but I have really had the chance to "see it" during this time. Thank you, thank you very much.

I am still in that "stage" where I panic for a moment as "only" five little spaniels come in from outside. I find myself putting that "one extra dish" away...I need to remind myself to check the water bowl (Moxie always pitched a fit when the bowl was empty, so I could count on her to tell me it needed filling) I managed to teach my first dog classes without her, thank the Good Lord, that Camille was there!!
Hunter, Trevor, Camille, Tazzy and Cole have noticed the change in the house. I find that they are constantly "checking" on me, and I often see Camille in the places that were only Moxie's.... funny now how they will go onto the dog bed that was just her's.

I am grateful for the everyday routine, the horses and the barn still need my attention, work continues on the house, and a sleuth of boarding dogs here and still yet to come, all need my care. Ed has been his "usual" wonderful self, being strong for me, I know this has been just as hard on him... not just losing Mox, but watching me burst into tears over the silliest of things.

Time is a great healer, and having "done this" before, I know that there will come a day when I will be able to speak her name and talk about how great she was without crying...I also know that I need to cry. The days will become weeks, and weeks to months... and in the meantime, I will be very grateful to all of you and for all the blessings the Good Lord sends my way.......

Some of you have expressed an interest in "doing something" in Moxie's memory... if you feel so incline would you please send a donation to Maine Cocker Spaniel Rescue ..P O Box 388 .. Raymond, ME 04071 .. it would be a great blessing to the cockers in need of forever homes....

saying goodbye to Mox....

Today goes on the terrible list!!! My heart is in a million broken pieces as I said goodbye to my dear little dog..... MOXIE!!! I can't think of the days ahead when she will not be here, not following my every step, jumping into the truck.... going to dog classes. For almost 12 years (her birthday is next month) she has been a daily part of my life, and tomorrow, that will no longer be the case.

"This" all began last spring. I noticed that she was slowing down, but 11 for a cocker really isn't considered "old". I took her to the vet and he found that she had an extremely slow heart rate. We went for scans of her heart and found that her brain wasn't sending out the "right signal" to her heart. I decided to try acupuncture with her, and overall, I did see a big improvement. Not that she acted like a two year old, but she certainly had some of her old spark again. It bought us time.

A couple weeks ago, I saw the "slowing down" thing creeping up again. Not as bad as it had been in the spring, but she definitely had "quiet days".. and just as I was about to run her to the vet, she would wake up and be her bouncy self. But last Tuesday, something was different, and I took her in to see Dr. Mike yet again. He did a complete check of her, and suggested that we do another scan of her heart just to see if there had been any changes from a year ago.

On Thursday, I began to get a bad feeling, I noticed she wasn't as steady on her feet, she began to pick at her food, and wouldn't do the stairs unless I was with her. I had to coax her to go in the truck, which was really strange, because Moxie didn't like to be left behind. I wondered if the cold winter weather was taking its toll, so I let her decide if she want to stay home or go.

By Saturday, she had no interest in food. This really worried me, because she had lost weight over the summer. I ran to the store and got the fixings for her favorite... always eat meal... chicken and rice. I made her a nice warm bowl, and she did eat that... whew!!! the day Moxie doesn't eat her favorite meal is the day we are in "big trouble".
On Sunday, she wasn't so excited about her favorite meal... she ate, but slowly, almost more to please me than feed herself. I began to get a real"sick" feeling.




I watched her closely yesterday. She was quiet, picked at her meal, and just wasn't herself. I made a point of thinking that if she wasn't better this morning, we would be heading to the vet again. Last night was a long night. She acted "uncomfortable" trying to get her bed just so, then moving about again. She was very unsteady on her feet and sort of "fell" while trying to arrange her bed. I got no sleep, because I watched her all night.

Around 3:00am, she had me up.. she wanted to go out. I carried her down the stairs and let her out. Then I ran for my boots and a flashlight, only leaving her out alone for a few seconds... she "disappeared".... and I found her heading down the road. I don't know if she got turned around, or what she was thinking, but I was very happy that huge snowbanks kept her from wandering off in the woods. I went after her, and carried her back inside.

She settled on her bed and finally fell asleep, I watched TV and Moxie. Then I noticed something odd, I wasn't the only one awake... so was Camille. All the other dogs were snoozing, but Camille was sitting up and watching Mox. After a bit she settled down too, but every so often, she sat up again, and would watch Mox for a while and then settle down. I thought "she knows something".

I called the vet this morning first thing to make an appointment... they told me, "bring her in and your appointment will be when you get here"... Bless them!!!! Ed fed horses, I took care of the other dogs and we were on the way to the vet.

This time we saw Dr. Frank, he was very concerned when he saw Mox and did some "tests" on her.. "I think she has suffered a stroke" he told me. And asked for us to leave Mox with him for the day, so he could do some blood work and see if he could get some fluids in her to support her better. We left her.

As we were leaving to pick her up this evening, Dr. Mike called.... the news was not good. Her kidneys and other organs were shutting down, the fluids weren't helping.. I told him we were on the way, and he said that our choices were going to be "limited". I decided that I would let Moxie tell me what "to do"....


When we arrived, she picked her head up to see me, but that was all she could do to say hello to me. I cuddled her close and could hear that her breathing was labored. We had a long and serious talk with Dr. Mike, but I already knew what I had to do...

I had to say goodbye........

And so my little friend, who was my partner in dog classes, who made me look amazing in the show ring, who slept by my bed at night and the woodstove in the day... who even followed me to the port-a-pottty......

passed peacefully in my arms..... and my life is forever changed.

"I hope the Lord was patient today...
for He had to stand and wait,
while a little brown and white cocker
trotted thru heaven's gate...."

movie review...

We haven't "been to the movies" in ages, and now, we have seen two movies within just a month!!! Saturday, we met with the Flagg side of the family and went and saw "New In Town". We had seen the trailer at "Marley and me" and everyone felt that this was our Kassy!!!! See, aside from the fact that Nate was often away when he was in the marine corps... Kassy loved living in North Carolina!!! Who can blame her, it is beautiful there and if I ever chose to live in a "warmer climate" I think North Carolina would be high on the list... any who... moving back to New England was bittersweet for Kas. It meant being back with family, having Nate home all the time, but it also meant... New England winter!!! which she has never been fond of!!!

And so, goes the story in a way, with this movie. When it comes to seeing movies, I chose them VERY carefully... for one, it's expensive to go and see something that will probably be on DVD in a few months. And two, movies these days often are not the best either in language, actions or themes. I just don't care to waste good money on something of that nature. But this little movie lived up to all my "rules"... it was fun, absolutely NO language of "any kind", no "detailed" action (if you understand my meaning!!!).. it was simply a fun, happy, entertaining little movie!!! Perfect for family viewing or simply an outing on a winter night.

So, if you are just looking for something fun and light to watch, either take a movie night or rent it when it comes out on DVD.... you will be entertained!!!

Happy February!!!

I like the month of February... to me it's the last of the "winter months" and the fact that it's just a tiny, little month, makes me think that winter is just a tiny, little bit left!!! Sadie "won't have" a birthday this year... since there will be no "29th", but she's turning 21, so rest assured she will "find" a birthday some where!!!

After church this morning, I went down to the barn and found my dear friend Betty there. Betty has been an amazing "barn fairy".. showing up on the weekends to muck stalls for me and do what ever else she can think of. She says it gives her a horse fix, but I don't think she really understands what a treat it is for me!!!! I have been wanting to have some time with Betty to do a "driving lesson" with her. However, we have never had the timing work out, either we both had to "be" some other place or the weather was just too "darn" cold. (mostly the weather has been our reason). But today, was different, we both had a free afternoon and with the temp around 22... it felt reasonable to be out and about.

We harnessed Tonka and began to do some ground driving with him. It was fun to show Betty how the harness goes on, and talk about all the parts and pieces and "what everything does". One thing that I have now added to the harness is a nice set of bells!!! Even at a "walking pace" they make a fine sound!!!

After I worked Tonka a bit and made sure his head was in the right place, I turned the reins over to Betty. I could tell by the look on her face (a smile that went from ear to ear) that she was happy to take them. She did a really fine job with Tonka!!! I dare say, far better than I did on my very first try at driving!!! I'm not sure how many "miles" we walked behind that big boy today, it's hard to say, as we drove and chatted together.. I don't even know how much time we spent. But it didn't matter, because it was simply wonderful (and with all that exercise... the cold seemed to "disappear"!!!)

When we finished up with Tonka, I asked Betty if she would give me a hand with Mocha. It's been a while since I had her out, and I thought that after driving Tonka, Betty might enjoy the "pee-wee" version. She was all for that. So, we harnessed Mocha and did some ground work with her. I was pleasantly surprised at Mocha.. she went very well. So, I got the bright idea of pulling out her cart and see how she went with that.


Last time I had her in the cart, I soon realized that she was not comfortable pushing into the shafts. Which means, she would not turn. She did fine forward, but when asked to turn, she would either rear up a little or back up, avoiding the turn if possible. I spent some time walking her hitched to the cart and practicing lots of turns. Then the cold weather and snow set it, and the lessons came to a halt. I was curious if she would remember the lessons from last fall. I put Betty on her head to coax her in the turns if needed. At first, she did need this little extra help, but towards the end of the afternoon, Betty was walking more as a guide than a leader and Mocha was taking the turns very well.



Ed was working around the barn, moving some snow, and filling the water tank. But he was able to snap these photos of Mocha, Betty and I all working together!!! (I love this picture... looks like all three of us are smiling!!!)

Ed wanted to do a little driving with Miss Mocha... she was as good for him as she had been with me!!! Maybe we finally have a handle on this driving thing with her!!!

AND... after all that "foot work" .. it was only fair for Betty to have a try at "riding"....

This is just the kind of afternoon that I "dreamed" about "when we are living on the farm"!!!! So, Mr. Winter, you can head back to the northern land.. because we are ready for spring... and Mr. Groundhog... you best not say "six more weeks" tomorrow!!!!!

the cocoon is gone......

Brick work is progressing nicely on the farm. The chimney looks grand standing out of the roof.... now all we need is smoke!!!!! Which will happened within the next few weeks. Something so "homey" and inviting about a house with smoke coming out of it's chimney.... at least there is for me.

The garage has been the focus of Ken and crew this week. All lower walls are up, some even have their outside covering. It looks big... there is just no two ways around that!!!! Next week I think the roof will be going on, and for the most part, that will complete the full size of the house.

but, the best news of all.... the "cocoon" that was hiding the chimney and hearth is gone!!! The masons finished up the hearth this morning and they did an amazing job. Watching them working with the brick, I realize what a true talent it is to be a mason. It's one of those jobs that I think we take for "granted".... because all we ever really see is the finished product. Seeing how it all came together was very interesting.

The is the "view" that I will have from the kitchen.

I could resist pulling back the tarp and taking a peek at the hearth!!! Now, just have to get the woodstove in place!!!!!

clean up day..

After yesterday's big snow, today was a day of "digging out"... Sadie went out to get her car cleared off... and had "quite the outfit on" to do it. I snapped a couple of photos as she brushed off her car and talked to the dogs... and I heard something like "I feel like Tasha Tudor!!!" (referring to her outfit and working out in the snow, I guess!!!)

Tasha Tudor, for those of you who may not know, was quite a famous author and artist. She wrote children books and most of the time, her "stars" are corgi dogs... (hey Mandi cute books for Maya)... any ways, they were some of my favorite books to read the girls when they were little. Tasha Tudor lived in Vermont on a farm and looked as though she was a part of the 1800's in her dress and the way that she likes to do things. Sadie is pretty sure that I will be the next Tasha when we get settled on the farm....

I don't think so.......

At least not today... Sadie beat me on that one...

I arrived on the farm to find Ed moving snow. Bless that wonderful little tractor of ours!! I don't know how we would get some things done without it..

The snow blower on the back makes quick work of tossing snow. Ed has been able to keep the fence lines clear and has made a nice "road" for me to get to the manure pile with the gator!!!

Some where behind that snow bank is a tractor!!!and my roundpen...... just in case some of you might wonder how much snow we have. Course this is a banking made by plowing, it isn't the actual amount!!!! (thank goodness!!!!)

After snow removal, Ed and I went over to the stove shop... our little stove has come in. It looks so different in a crate, that I wondered at first if it was the right one.... but it is...

With help from Eric and Buzz, Ed got the stove into the kitchen!!! Now, if the hearth is finished up tomorrow, we can get it into place, and within the next few weeks, even start small fires in it. Because both the stove and chimney are new, we will have to run small, curing fires for awhile. But that will work fine, because we don't need to heat the house, and yet it will help take the chill out when Ed and I begin to work there....

A beautiful winter sunset to close out the day........

bye bye fly....

It seems "yucky" having a blog about flies... who likes them??? They're dirty, they bite, they're annoying and all sorts of other "icky" things. but, the truth is, when you live on a farm.. they are a fact of life. We did fairly well dealing with them last fall, course the horses had only been there a very short time, and the manure pile wasn't much to speak about. However, I know that next summer if will be a different story.

So, I have been doing some research and talking with some folks and have come across these little bugs that are known as "fly Predators", basically they are another little fly-type "bug" that lives off the fly. Actually, just about everyone who has flies already have the predators as it's God's way of handling the fly population. However, sometimes the flies, in good conditions...like a nice big manure pile, can get a jump on the predators and then become pests to the rest of us. I have found that you can order the predators and keep their population higher than the flies and thus, we do not have to deal with flies!!!

And this morning, (trying to be in a "spring" frame of mind) I called the company and ordered my "new friends". They will come in monthly shipments with the first arriving in May.. they are suppose to be very easy to deal with, basically, give them a few days to come out of their dormant state that they are shipped in, and take them to the manure pile and sprinkle them on. Sounds easy enough, and for the amount that I need, it runs about 30.00 a month.. so, I'm willing to give them a chance.

People who I have talked with that have used them, seem very happy with their results. Aside for the fact that I don't like flies, I have to think about out drafts with no tails!!! so for the sake of my horses, I want to do the best I can for their comfort. I'll keep you posted on the results of this experiment, but are there any blogger friends out there that have tried them.... I would love to hear from you...

And... with two feet of snow on the ground... even a yucky fly would look good just about now!!!!

here we go ......again.....

Another good ol' fashion snow storm!!! no doggie class tonite, no guys working on the house, horses locked in for the day, and I am beginning to think that spring would be a really, really good idea. Oh well, February is in just a couple of days, and then we'll see what Mr. Groundhog predicts.

It's a little hard to tell from this snowy photo, but there is a chimney coming up thru that roof!!! The masons finished that up yesterday. (they are back at work once again for those of you who are curious!!!) All they need to do now is finish up the hearth... which I believe that will be done on Friday.. and that part of the project is done!!! check it off the list.....and the next roof project will be shingles

What is this creature that appeared out of the snow??? Needless to say, keeping the floors any where close to dry today..is totally out of the question.

We plow the road each time we go to the barn to check on the horses. That actually works out well, because it's easier on Ed and the truck to do "small amounts of plowing" verses waiting for it to end and then try to move it all. As the day has progressed, the snow has become more intense, and it's snowing harder now than it was at 6:00 this morning.

Ed was out at the woodpile, getting the box filled up with some of the excellent wood Rick brought last fall. We had some old wood that needed to be used up (before it rotted completely on us) and now that it's gone, we are into Rick's pile.

We're pretty happy to have it, even if I didn't get it "properly stacked" last fall.

So, an evening to be at home, cuddled by the woodstove... just hope there is something "good" on TV tonite....