Well, since my last posting, it has been a quiet few weeks. I have reacquainted myself with life back at the ranch. I have also enjoyed celebrating a friend's birthday and was treated by another dear horsey friend to lunch, then I called to action an early breakfast before work for the full horsey-girl group and this was also spirit uplifting. Friends are part of my happiest moments in life. Which reminds me I have a few friends I need to call because they made my life so wonderful when I was in MA working for the month.

While I was away, a call came to me on my cell phone from my husband's office, so I got off the land phone and quickly picked up. It was a secretary in his office who received a call from one of our neighbors who told her ALL EIGHT of our horses had escaped and had crossed the road over to the middle school's soccer field. Being far away, I was helpless, but I told her to get my husband out of his meeting. I called our horse caretaker and she was already on her way to get them with two others. I called everyone I knew who might be close enough to be there to help and what a great group of horsey friends we have here. Everyone flew over as fast as they could and one dear friend had arrived in time to actually help lead in two of the herd.

My helper was so apologetic I couldn't even ask how it happened, but I later learned a stall door was left open and that's all it takes as they conga-line-it outa there, looking for greener pastures. I am still getting jokes about how the horses went on a field trip. We are just lucky nothing bad happened. Just the week before, two horses had escaped in a nearby town and they were killed and some passengers in the car that hit them, as well. So, this is a very serious thing when it happens and this is a tragic ending to the same story. Not only do those horse owners suffer the loss of their horses, they have to mourn the people their horses killed.

So, sometimes no news IS good news, as they say. I am glad to be home to oversee things and hopefully things will be a little more secured, now that we were lucky enough to have the safe return of all of our horses. I thank God that no one was hurt.

n.

Part of the fun of owning animals is the unknown factors their curiosity sometimes create. One of the not so nice ones is being sprayed by a skunk. They return to your door and you know immediately that distinct smell. Reilly's curiosity got the best of him all over, the other night. I slam the door on him, hoping he'll head for the hills and live the rest of his life with a wolf pack. Think...tomato juice, shampoo and shower. And, of course, I love showers with a dog at l a.m. after entertaining a friend all evening.

Well, it's been a week already and he still stinks. Of course, he is always underfoot. Right now he is sleeping under my desk at my feet. The smell also gets worse when he gets wet. Of course, a nor' easter blew through here. When it is not raining on him he is licking himself, trying to rid himself of skunk. Oh well, I find myself apologizing to all that get a whiff, so they don't think it's me. Today, I will try some perfume on him and try and mask the smell.

I've been asking advice from friends. One told me Borax or something mixed with hydrogen peroxide. I'm afraid of mixing things up and having an explosion. One friend said it will take months for the oils from the skunk spray to dry up. I've even gotten some good herbal remedies suggested,like eucalyptus to get rid of fleas.He doesn't have fleas. Today I realized I liked the smell of the open garbage bag more then Reilly's stink. Ugh. Oh, and I almost forgot, he attracts flies, so I am always swatting away an annoying buzzer flying overhead. Ugh, again.
n.

No, don't panic, I'm not moving again. My friends always look at me with this look of fear that we will once again undergo another move. Some friends don't want to get too close to me afraid I may move, others just worry, but still want to be close friends. Some used to complain about their address books having to be replaced because of our moves messing them up.

Moving is a very sad thing for those hating change and for those left behind. For the most part this family has been of the pioneering and adventurous nature, with a few traumatic moments thrown in from one or several of the children for a mutiny of their parents... "aren't thirteen moves enough??, I'm only 15!" or "I'm not going to get close to anyone in the new school, because I'll probably have to move again." The one thing, we can say, is we are all highly adaptable. We have also enjoyed an abundance of wonderful friends all over the world and the states.

My youngest, just stated that she would like to move again and just start out fresh again somewhere in another state. I told her it's in her blood, and when she hasn't moved in a three year period, her routine has been interrupted so she is yearning for the change her usual moves bring. She's addicted, but I won't let on that she has just another thing to worry about, she has enough as a young teen. After all, there are worse addictions out there. But, shame on us for turning her into an addict, of sorts.

I have this little dish on a stand, that reads "Mid Pleasures and Palaces, Though we may roam, Be it ever so Humble, There's no Place like Home." I really like this sweet little dish. I guess it always reminds me that home is where the heart is and we have a lot of love under one roof, I mean under two roofs, including our menagerie in the barn. We have no plans for moving, husband and I, but already the children have begun their moves off to college and the great unknown. So, they are all leaving us behind, and we are getting our just desert. However, sweet or bitter sweet it is, moving is not easy for those left behind. When my son came home last night, his Dad was thrilled to have his old buddy back to watch football with again.

n.
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My sheepdog, Binkie, really could use a job. He happens to possess amazing instincts. If you have anyone in your life who is in disarray, or conducts himself in a disorderly fashion, or who simply annoys you, I have the solution right here, Binkie. He is really quite entertaining, as well. While, barking, he leaps and spins on a dime, all in one fluid motion. It's hard to think fluid because with all the fur he looks like he's a fat lump, but in reality he is thin and waif-like underneath it all. All the horses ignore him, but our mare, Charity and she simply runs along the fence line with him, tossing her mane and snorting.

The horses and dogs are constantly disciplined when they do something he deems unruly. If he finds something anyone is doing has made me angry, he begins working for me again. He stops herding when he checks me and finds I am not watching. Why the heck should he waste his good energy if he isn't being noticed?

Now, if you didn't already know, horses LOVE to roll out in their pastures, usually after being bathed and usually in a favorite muddy spot. This really triggers Binkie...you can see his eye tick, as he begins to get riled up into herding action.

Now, of all my dogs, and there are five of them, Binkie being one, he has one nemesis, my four year old lab stud, Quinn. Quinn is Marmaduke, if you know that comic strip character. He has never walked into a room, in his life, he bounds in, ears flapping, tail wagging and tongue slobbering, with a silly grin on his face. This is really comical to watch, because like a shark, Binkie lays in wait for this moment every morning, yes, you can see that same tick in his eye as he launches after Quinn in full bark and herd action, until he kicks him out the door and wipes his paws of such a low life.

One of Binkie's favorite chases for the day are the barn cats, but they have pet doors for quick escapes and mounds of hay bales to hide behind, if the first doesn't stop him. Binkie also has a very hard time allowing my husband to kiss me goodbye in the morning, we've tried diversion, darting for the kiss and dodge ball, tossing something else he can chase.

Well, so, just let me know if there is someone in your life needing a little herding action, I have a sheepdog for hire.

n.
p.s. you can spy a pic of Brinkie in my gallery, he's the one with a tick in his eye!

Well, I've been thinking lately that I get along splendidly with animals from all walks of life,this does not hold true for me with people from all walks. Like just the other day, after a ride on my horse, I return to the barn to find the ponies running amuck in the center aisle while gorging themselves on the the contents of the treat container. I toss my horse quickly into the first stall, fully tacked, so as he too won't get any ideas in his head, about joining in on the fun.

I walk up to the ponies, with my hands on my hips and quickly grab the container before they get any ideas. While they are cleaning up the rest of the treats all over the floor, I am pondering my next move. Well, I did not have to think long the largest, Elvis follows me for the container right into a stall. Good only one more escapee left!

The smallest pony, S'mores eyeballs the container and I rush into the next stall with him in hot pursuit. Now, this may seem like a simple
solution to you, but I have not had the easiest time in the human relations department. Although I always mean well, I am sometimes misunderstood. Maybe, if I can figure a way of influencing people with sweets I could be better understood, or perhaps just attract more followers. But, is it followers I want? No, they get annoying and I hate when they start worshiping the ground you walk on. It's pitiful.

What I think it is that I want is to simply be understood on the first round and not have to go back and re-explain myself. That means better communication skills, both on the giver and the receiver. Don't ya think?? I never have to re-explain myself with the animals, I might have to be more forceful or cunning to get my points across, but I am rarely misunderstood. Gotta love them! That's why I've got to write what I know about, so I don't have to grope for thoughts or stump my readers. I don't want anyone falling asleep. God, I'm putting myself to sleep and it's only afternoon. Maybe, that's why my husband keeps a filled jar of candy on his desk at work, to get them where he wants them... awake.

The look on my horse's face this morning when, I came down and just let him go out and play, was priceless, he looked at me as if I just gave him a jar of treats. It was pure joy that I wasn't going to make him work. I guess we all could use some treats in our lives,
And, here's one for you...Bye!

n.