Update on Bob

It's dinner time.

Through the barn I enter the middle pasture loafing shed. 

The feeder where I toss Bob's hay is empty. 

The one acre pasture that serves this loafing shed is empty.

But three acres away, through the open gate into the summer pasture, I spot Bob.

He is at the very furthest corner of the summer pasture.

Happily grazing.  

He doesn't sense my presence.

I whistle. 

With ears pricked, he raises his head and turns to look in my direction.

I call out, "Bobbbb-Berttttt!"

In a quick spin he breaks into a full speed gallop towards me along the fence line.

Across the fence and neighbor's drive, the jet black Andalusian Stallion joins in the full speed race along the adjoining fence.

They are pals.

It's a beautiful blur of brown and black of Quarter Horse and Andalusian as they race side by side.

The Stallion reaches the end of his pasture rearing and bucking in frustration that he can't continue the race.

Bob hesitates briefly, breaking into a beautiful extended trot.

But with ears still pricked, he continues to make his way towards where I quietly stand.

As he approaches the gate between the two pastures he breaks into a jaw dropping slow lope.

And with his signature blubbering, slobbering snorts, he walks the last five feet to greet me.

I pour the grain I've been holding into his bucket.

He immediately starts eating, not minding the arthritis supplement that is interlaced in the grain.

Suddenly he pops straight up and runs full speed to the back of the middle one acre pasture.

Bucking and sunfishing as if he's in the rodeo.

His joy is my joy.

The show is soon over and oh so very stately, as if the rodeo never really happened, he returns peacefully to his bucket of feed.

As I refill his water tank and toss his evening hay I check out his front knees.

It seems I'm always looking at his front knees.

To see if they shake.

Because they have failed him in the past, causing him (and us) to fall.

But they are stable and quiet these days.

It's time.

And I can't wait.

Remember Those Trees?

Remember those trees that used to line our drive?

So stately and tall.

Even after January's ice storm I thought they were a beautiful sight.

Maybe it's was hearing them rustle gently in the breeze or their beauty when it was windy and wild.  I loved those trees.  They were a part of my world and I felt like they belonged to me.

But sadly, they didn't belong to me.  They belonged to our neighbor.  And the neighbor didn't feel about them as I did.

In May the neighbor paid us a visit.  He told us the trees that lined our drive had become ugly and were too damaged by the storm to be left standing.  They needed to come down.

And down they came.

It was painful to look at where the trees once stood.

I missed hearing the birds singing in them when I woke in the morning or hearing the breeze whisper through them when I went to sleep at night.  I reminded myself they weren't mine, they never were and I sadly adapted to their loss.

Yet, ever so quietly leaves began to appear on the ugly stumps.  Initially I chose to not pay attention to the little green leaves.  "Silly leaves", I told myself.  "Means nothing."

Yet with strength and dignity of a Survivor the leaves continued to appear.  I started to grin whenever I walked past them.  "Come on trees - you can do it!!" I told them.

And just as if they heard me, they continued to grow until they are now taller than I am.  The birds have returned to sing in their branches and the trees proudly rustle their leaves in the breeze. 

Remember those trees?  They are back.

Getting Ready for Winter

Seven months ago.

We had an ice storm.

The popping and cracking of trees around us sounded like gunshots.  We put Gus and Bob in stalls.  There they remained for five days.  They were not pleased with this (but they were safe).

The damage around us was incredible.  Tree limbs and branches were everywhere.

Before the ice storm we had already encountered multiple power outages lasting two or three days each.  But this storm took us to a new limit of no power (or water) for six days.  The "twins" (Honda 2500 generators) kept our fridge/freezer and lights working.  It ran our water shortly (twice a day).  The "twins" even allowed us to watch TV, giving us (a short) but comforting false reality that life was normal.

Extension cords from "the twins" ran through our house.  The wood stove was our only source of heat.  To keep us warm we closed off the dining and living room by hanging wool blankets over their entry ways.  By doing this we were able to keep the rest of our house (and bathrooms) warm and prevent pipes from breaking. 

We went through a lot of firewood last winter.

Spring arrived and the trees (still standing) came back.

Even if some of them look kinda goofy.

The road to our house has been lined with debris from the ice storm.  Firewood all there for the taking - for anybody who wants to cut it up and haul it home. 

So today...in August and 85+ temperatures, that's what we did.

It's a good feeling to have the dry wood stacked and stored.  As odd as it may sound, it's time to start getting ready for winter.

Playing With My iPhone

Today I did what one is not supposed to do.

I played with the camera on my iPhone while I was driving!

(gasp!)

Actually, I only played with it when I was on my own road where no other cars are around.

(sigh!)

The road to our house.

I turned the camera behind my head and blindly took this picture.  Did pretty good, huh?  :)  Unless the weather is too hot, Hank The Dog travels with me.

I drive onto our property to find Bob happily grazing in one of our three pastures.  It was a long, wet spring and our fields are still green.  Rare for August.

I've been spending a lot of time with Bob.  He comes to me when I call his name or whistle.  I had just whistled out of my car window when I took this picture.  It felt good to see him recognize me and head my way.

But the temptation of the sweet grass was just too good to pass up and he continued to peacefully graze.

More on Bob soon.

Want Lots of Junk Mail? Join AARP

Today's Post is about 50+.

My retirement program from my former career gives me great benefits.  But shortly after retiring, I thought it might be nice to kick off my new life with the discounts from being a member of AARP.

What can I say?  I was a retired newbie and on that day I made a huge mistake.

I joined AARP.

A year later after receiving pounds of junk mail, most of it sensitive enough that it had to be shredded, I realized I had no interest in the "deals" being offerred. 

But I had lots of interest in terminating all the junk mail I was receiving from AARP.  The AARP program just wasn't for me or my shredder.

I did not renew my membership.

Mail kept coming.  Big thick vehicle, health, and life insurance offers.  Multiple warnings that I needed to HURRY and renew my membership.

I responded to the AARP membership warnings, kindly declining my membership and asking them to remove me from their mailing lists.

Mail kept coming.

I responded again to AARP, declining all the membership offers and pleading with them to remove me from their mailing lists. 

Mail kept coming.

I responded to all the junk mail offers, begging them to remove me from their mailing lists.

Mail kept coming.

I got creative with my responses back, using lots of different colored pens, highlighting the requests to remove me from the mailing lists.  I made beautiful responses.

Mail kept coming.

I started getting testy in my responses back. 

Mail kept coming.

Six months ago I called AARP.  The woman at AARP was very understanding.  She told me she was familiar with my complaint.  She told me she had removed me from all addresses associated with AARP.  She warned me that it might take some time before the mail quit coming but assured me that in about 3 or 4 months that it should quit.

Six months later...the mail keeps coming.  Yesterday another renewal warning for my membership and another big thick Life Insurance offer.

Today I once again called AARP.  The gentleman I spoke with was also very understanding and familiar with my complaint.  He quickly found me in the AARP computer.  (Go figure, I haven't been a member for 2 years but I'm still listed in the AARP computer.)

He said he wished he could delete me but the AARP computer program won't let him.  I asked him why and with a sigh he told me he didn't know why, telling me that based on the complaints he gets that he sure wishes he had that function. 

BUT he told me in a secret voice, he had "backdoor" ways to resolve the issue.

He warned me that there was still a lot of "pre-printed stuff" out there and to not expect the junk mail to instantly stop.

How did he resolve my issue?

He put errors in my address so that all the AARP junk mail should now be undeliverable.

And he made a note in the comments field that I'm deceased!

Sigh....time will tell.

A Change in Weather

We had one of the wettest and longest springs in history.  We thought it was never going to end.

On July 8th I noticed a change in the sky as the sun was setting and ran out to take these pictures:

Summer started the following day.

Hometown Rodeo

My Cowgirl Pals and I got together yesterday evening to attend our hometown rodeo.  To the left is my Frainer (friend and trainer), Rachel.  In the middle is my long-time friend Stacy, the owner of the barn where I've ridden for years.  To the right is my bestest in the world sorting partner, Lisa.

As part of our County Fair, this was the first time the rodeo had been back in over ten years.  It was also the 150th anniversary of our County Fair which has struggled during these economic times.  We were there to not only support the Rodeo and Fair but to cheer on the family members, friends and neighbors who were rodeo participants this evening.

These gals, former members of our County 4H Horse Program are now all grown up.  They returned to their old riding arena to open the show with a spirit that lifted us all up out of our seats and had us cheering.

My Frainer's Significant Other, preparing for Steer Wrestling.

A local landmark, Mount Peak in the distance - a favorite place to hike.

Roping...which continued after the rodeo.

And as the sun started to set, the bull riding.

A great time was had by all.  As we walked back to our car with a bright red sunset glowing behind the Olympic Mountains and Mount Rainer pasted with pink light in front of us, we commented on how special a home town rodeo is.  We both agreed, the bigger rodeos have their place, but there's nothing like a hometown rodeo to give one that warm, happy feeling of friends and community pride in where you live.