happy!!!! March...

Hello to March!!! and already this month has turned out to be better than every thought... I hadn't said too  much (on the blog) because it has just all been too sad.. but two days after we lost Silver... our little Annabelle disappeared. When our friend had buried Silver they commented on how both Tonka and Annabelle had been there, watching all that was going on. I remember seeing her around the day after, but not after that. I called and called, and looked everywhere for her, and even more I didn't see her footprints anywhere in the snow. Since February 16.. we have had four snow storms and temps in the single numbers, plus howling winds, so I just knew that she could not survive outside in conditions like this and pretty much had given up all hope of finding her. Doing barn chores and walking by that empty stall and then by Annabelle's empty kitty house, has felt almost too sad to bear. 

But this morning, Ed went down to do chores and said that he thought he saw Annabelle. He said he called to her but she wouldn't come, and said that I should go down and check. I could see kitty prints in the snow and I called out to her. She answered from deep in the woods, but she did not come to me....I really wasn't dressed to go out into the deep snow int he woods, but i went anyways... there was no way I was going to leave her there. And since she wasn't coming I didn't know if she was hurt or what. 

I finally found her, and she let me pick her up. She was a rack of bones, extremely thin and quite cold. I don't know if she really had the strength to come when i had called her.. so I bundled her up and took her right to the tack room. It took her sometime to realize where she was, and I wondered if I should run her to the vet or just see how she did..... I ran back tot he house, got some food, and she gobbled it up in heart beat... so I decided just to leave her to warm up and see how she did.....

She actually looks good in these photos, but they don't tell the story... I am still very worried and hope she can pull out of this. I have  no idea where she has been, probably not completely outside, or she would not be alive, but certainly she hasn't been in a caring spot either. She seems so happy to be back with us, and I have decided that she will be locked in the tack room for awhile. She needs to get her weight back and have some special care and love, but the most important thing.... she is with us once again!!!!

So after that very happy morning, we packed up and headed down to celebrate Reagan's second birthday!!!!!

What little boy doesn't love trucks, trains and other big pieces of equipment, so that was the theme for this years party...

Kassy made these goodie bags for all the guests....

and the main game... "pin the tire on the tractor!!!"......

There was a nice big crowd!!! I think everyone is just so happy to get out and about, we're all getting a little tired of this winter stuff.... but I for one, have been in the happiest of moods and this great party is just the trick......

Mom and Dad look so good, and I am forever grateful and blessed that we still have Dad with us, after the winter that he has been threw..... Each day is so precious and if I have learned nothing else these past winter days.. this is one lesson that seems to ring truer and truer each day. 

It seems like everyone came... Cozy is always so much fun to have around... he's certainly one of the family!!!!

And a little boy who has two great grandmothers... plus oodles of others who love him so much.......

being two is absolutely grand!!!!!!! and this is one day that I will always remember as something extremely special...

Happy (not real)birthday...

We celebrated Sadie's (un) birthday .... since it's not a leap year, she really doesn't have a birthday this year... so we sort of have to pick a date and go with it...... 

She wanted everyone to meet at the Texas Roadhouse for  a family celebration. I love that we are a family who enjoy being together and take almost any "excuse" to do so...

It's special for Abi and Reagan too... they are so used to always having everyone together, that Kassy said when their family goes somewhere "alone" Reagan is always asking where everyone else is!!!!

Yes, that's our beautiful daughter!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

Dinner was nice, everyone ordered steaks.... all very yummy....

and of course, a special birthday dessert!!!! happy happy Sadie girl... next year, it will be for real!!!!












And winter continues on. I think this has been such a cold winter, that even the sunny days don't feel all that warm. I'm just so glad that we have lots of things to do and think about, because winter can seem so very long if you don't have things to look forward to.....

I guess icicles are a sign of melting, but I am not quite so sure.....















We have another birthday right on the heels of Sadie's... Reagan is going to be two.... and so he will "look good for photos".. it was time for a little hair trim...

He does pretty well in the chair, but the gal who cuts it also knows little ones, and she's pretty quick....

Just a little bit more.......

and we're done..... looks good buddy.....



















When did he get so big??????

jumping in with Joey!!!

Hardly a moment to catch my breath!!!!! I unexpectedly said goodbye to Silver, and then to Danny.....but hello to Joey, my new little neads dog. Since everything happened on a Monday, poor little Joey went right from meeting us in (an extremely cold) parking lot and going right over to puppy school. 

He was born in November, so he isn't "really little".. which is a good thing, and he obviously is a curious and happy little chap, because given the chance he just began to check out doggie school and see what everything is all about. 

Course, the moment the other puppies began arriving that made everything all the better. This is Eliot... Mary and Scott's new CCI puppy, so these two will be going threw all the training steps together. 

Joey is very happy to have a new buddy.....

The next day, Abi just had to get to the farm and welcome our new little boy. She loves having the new puppies and feels quite responsible for "showing them the farm" and "getting them trained to a leash".....

She headed right up to the barn with him.... they are so cute together, she talked with him the whole way telling him all about all the things that he is going to see.....

This is a very nice puppy.... it was very easy to see that he is bothered by nothing. He settled into the house very quickly and the horses hardly even got his attention....

I love how the horses are always interested in the dogs too... I picked Joey up to see Tonka and they kissed right away....

Tonka was more interested in what Abi might have brought with her, than with another little puppy....

but they'll be "friends"......

It's just been so cold this winter (and today) that our barn visit wasn't very long.....and we headed back to the house for a nice warm woodstove and some hot cocoa....

but nothing doing.. Abi wanted to get some training in right away....

and was very happy that she got a "sit" from Joey, even on the snow!!!!!

Time to get warm!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

And here's a card that Abi made for me.. just to say how sad she is about our saying goodbye to Silver. This is Silver... if you look closely, he has a pair of wings on his back.... that' because he is a heavenly horse now......and the hearts are because we all loved him so very much.....

saying goodbye

Today was a day that I have been dreading for a while.... today I said goodbye to my beautiful white boy..... today I said goodbye......... 

This is our first photo together... it was taken in May 1999... my first horse.. a life long dream had come true... I actually own a horse. I have ridden nearly all my life, I have loved these beautiful animals from the moment I knew what animals were. I have borrowed horses from anyone who would share them, but now I have my very own. 

Silver was a great teacher... we learned so many things together, we enjoyed so many wonderful ride (and not so wonderful rides) and each time I could be with him... I feel so  very blessed. Days on the beach were treasures.... and I can bring up the memory of it as though it were yesterday....

Not only do I love this photo for the fun it shows.. but it also has my truck and trailer in the back ground.. because I learn how to handle that as well.......

And because of Silver, Kassy and Sadie were introduced to the world of horses... in this photo, there is Sadie on old Sky and Kassy on Silver... these two wonderful horses would take care of the girls and I never worried when they went out on them.....

We moved to the farm... picking up Tonka, Mocha, Duke, Kringle (now passed) and Twinkle along the way. Sadie on her wedding day wanted to have pictures just with old Silver horse....

And talk about being sweet, Abi could handle him and was always so proud that she could "help with the horses"...

At age 35, I knew the days with him were gifts.. last fall, I talked about putting him down, he was getting so thin, and unsteady on his feet... but too look out in the pasture and seeing him enjoying life.. I just couldn't. My fear was "it" would happen in the winter.. on the most horrid day of weather, and even with the past snows and blizzards, I was checking him all the time. 

Last week, he took a spill in  his stall, I couldn't get him up, and he couldn't get himself up. I called our wonderful neighbors (and horse people) they came in moments, and between all of us, we got him on his feet. But the fall shook him up and he was quite upset. I kept him locked in for a few days, but that upset him too.. he wanted to be out with Tonka and Duke, so I let him decide what was best. 





Then this morning I went to the barn, and walking down, I could see something wasn't right. It was a bitter cold morning and I expected the horses to be inside.. they weren't. As I ran closer I could see, Silver was down, and Tonka and Duke were standing with him. I don't think he had been down long (like not over night) but long enough that Tonka had been standing over him... nipping at him, as though trying to encourage him to stand. I went and tried pulling on him, but he couldn't get up. Too tired and too cold and weak... I called "everyone". 

Ed turned around from work, our neighbors came back.. the vet came out. But I knew... I knew this dreaded day was here..... the vet checked him over and advised "not to try and stand him up.... to just let him go peacefully there.".. Tonka was a problem.. he was so upset and kept getting in the way, so we had to put him and lock him in a stall. He was not happy...... 

I kissed my friend... a friend of seventeen years.... goodbye and headed to the house... it was bad enough to see him laying on the ground, and I couldn't bear to watch his last breath. I left him in the hands of others who would make certain his moments were peaceful and loved.

Fortunately, our friends also own a construction company.. so they promised to come back later and dig a whole. Their machine is huge and could break threw the snow and frozen ground... which was a huge relief... because where do you put a big animal like that. I had dog class to attend .....and of all things... it was the day to return Danny.... so, I wasn't here when the came to bury him.

They told me though, that Tonka was there... he broke threw the snow, and walked to the end of the paddock and watched the whole time. He knew, his friend was gone as well... and so we will cry and mend together. 

Goodbye my sweet Silver boy.... I don't think any girl who loves horses will ever forget their first love......

so, the second part of this horrid day... saying goodbye to Danny as well. Dave called just after our visit to neads and said he had an opening for Danny.... We worked out the plans to meet in Portsmouth and exchange Danny for new puppy Joey. After my experience of the morning, I was close to cancelling it all.... but, the plans had all been made, and honestly, if one is going to cry... it might as well be a good one.  I didn't want to loose the opportunity to have some good photos of myself and Dan.. so despite the already crying eyes.. we took some together on the steps....

My big goofy boy... and all my love and hopes for the wonderful work he will do in the near future go with him.....

He knew right away that I was upset... and insisted on being a lap dog... I apprecaited his trying to make things better....

The day never warmed up.. so even the goodbye in the parking lot was rushed and not as I would have had it. I couldn't do much more than cry and wonder why do I even put myself threw goodbyes like this one. Poor Danny, he really didn't want to leave me and I really didn't want him to go under such circumstances....

I introduced him to Joey.. then gave him a big hug and loaded him into the neads van. I know he will be OK.. I know he will go on to do great things for someone else.....












and I know that one day... my heart will mend and I will look back at this day and wonder how I even got threw it......

Animals.. big and small.. in my life for a very long time, or just a short year.... they play a part of who I am, who I will be and where my life takes me...


but today... it is just a broken heart.....