How many of you women out there have men friends? I mean really friends, someone you love to hang with or someone you e-mail and wait on bated breath to hear an update on their life. I have a few male friends that I communicate with here on the stream and some that have been life long friends and we will communicate probably for life. I love them all for their minds, you all know who you are. These relationships are a very special, added addition, to my already strong and bonded female friendships, those near and those far, you know who you are, once again...and I desperately need you all.

I love the camaraderie and the added dimensions to my thinking that the friendships bring. I think it is vital to the human element to have friends both male and female to add to our perspectives. This goes along with friends of color, gay and lesbian, different religions, ages and political viewpoints, this is all vital for a well rounded person. Being the animal lover I am, I cannot leave out our connections to this kingdom, as well. No person is an island, though some profess to be, but I personally think this is hogwash, since they are communicating this on a blog to thousands... some island! Maybe they are Manhattan...it's pretty crowded there.

Well, just want to let all my friends and relatives out there know how much I appreciate every single one of you. And, I never bunch you up together as groups, of course, except for this posting, only as a way to tell you how much you mean to me. So, let's continue this repartee for as long as we can stand it...what deya say??

luv ya,
n.

Well, yup, as a Mother's Day promise my 15-year-old rode with her old lady, little ole' me, out of the ring and up to the Tower and I did not fall off and my horse did not run off with me. We walked there, and trotted all the way back, both horses behaving by not galloping back. I wanted to go yesterday, with my husband, but the darn horses avoided being caught, too happy with their pasture grass. And...who's the boss here?? Well, I have conquered my fears once again with a little help of a persistent daughter.
`
Last night I ran with my old Chocolate lab again, and as we were running up the hill to the tower, he spots a deer and off he goes after it....my face slamming intimately into the grassy knoll. Ouch, he ran off, leash and all with the Old English Sheepdog. I'm completely out of breath and yelling for Bailey, but, then I realized I was yelling for the wrong dog. So, I yelled for Brinkley, the sheepdog and he immediately returned to me...good doggie. He growled when I held onto his collar, he just hates anyone to do that, but he could see I was panicked and trying to get Bailey back, who sheepishly returned to me...bad doggie.

I released Brinkley, to his great relief and we walked back, the adventure, just an unpleasant memory. Well, I hope all you Mom's out there were spoiled a little bit by those that love you.

n.

Today, this moment, is the first quiet...all gone from the house, at least for 20 minutes, until my next appointment at noon. I have been working the house for a big charity event to be held here on Saturday. My husband has been doing sanding and painting all the doors and walls that my dogs have clawed. So, people don't look in shock or horror at the house my dogs seem to be constantly either clawing their way out or into.

Five dogs is a lot to own. You have to feed them, groom them, get them dog licenses, take them to the doctor yearly for shots, etc. Every morning and evening they need to be fed and five bowls are all laid out and the amounts are divided out, some get more because of their ability to burn it off and some, the older ones, get a little less. Quite often they are running amuck and barking at the UPS truck and jumping all over our leather couches and drooling all over our windows . I actually had a friend point this out to me when I lived in MN, she said, "These dogs are running amuck here!" Duh! Like I didn't know. I just choose to ignore it.

The entire family has developed a high tolerance for doggie disobedience. I was just looking at the doggie Orvis Catalog and it has a special collar you can buy that when a dog barks it automatically dispenses a spray of eucalyptus, which distracts him from what he was barking at and so he stops. And leaves a pleasant smell in it's wake, not a bad deal.

Well, my husband is going to drive our son all the way to Worcester, MA to row for his college crew team because he has to stay for a final presentation in his Collective Bargaining class, thereby missing the bus to the boat.

I hope you all enjoy a sunny weekend, as you can see, I have progressed to laughter in the writing of this post. It may be madness disguised in this last laugh, however. I will keep you posted.

n.

I live surrounded by farm land and today I went for a jog for the first time down the grass surrounds all the way to the town water tower. It was just beautiful and I was surrounded by woods, I never knew were there and they have paths, probably naturally made by deer. I shamed myself for never having ventured this way before. My dogs have escaped and gone for runs there, now I know why they long to do it again. I took two dogs with me for my run. The sheepdog always follows and never leaves my side so he did not need a leash, but my chocolate runs far away and would run into streets, so of course he had one. I tuckered them out, I think they will sleep for hours. Later I am going to take my yellow lab Quinn (or Marmaduke) for a run. He is the dog that really needs to get his willies out.

This also made me realize how fun it would be to ride a horse over there, I am going to talk my friend Mary into riding there with me. I have only ridden my horse in an arena because the one time he was ridden outside he freaked and was awfully hard to handle. But, I'd be willing to try him again.

It has been very dry for two weeks now and I just saw a fire truck putting out a brush fire near my pastures. Yikes! That's a scary thought. All you smokers out there be careful where you toss your lit cigarettes, especially during these dry spells.

Well, I just wanted to update you, since I have had a little dry spell myself, a little writer's block. Sometimes, I think I have to go out there and do a bit of living in order to have something fun to share here.

So, you all have a wonderful weekend!
n.

I love today
because it's not yet tomorrow
and it beats yesterday.

TGIF and have a fun weekend!
n.