Nose Piercing

You can't make this stuff up! File this under "What The Hell Did You Do?!". Or, "How In The Hell Did You Manage To Do That?!".

We had planned to go riding after work, the days are getting shorter, and it has been hot, but Tuesday wasn't supposed to be as hot, but it was. Anyway, it had clouded up, rain was forecasted and I heard thunder, too.

He said it had rained on his way home from the south, but wasn't going to rain here. I had started dinner so it would be ready when we got back at dark. We always eat late, because eating during daylight hours is a waste of the day.

While tacking up at the trailer I noticed that Skip had a 'boogie' in his nose. I thought it looked like a blob of mud, but he would not let me get near his nose. But, he's always like that. Try putting Desitin on nose for sunburn. Or anything with his nose. You can pick his eyes, stroke and brush his forehead, but don't go near his nose. Tom looked at it and said it looked like a nail. A NAIL? WTF!!!

He called the vet, it is now 7:00 p.m. and she asked if he was bleeding. No, he's not. OK, then, how about I come over in the morning? OK. Sent her a picture, above, and she said it didn't look like it had hit any cartilage, urgent but not an emergency. Keep him in overnight. OK, sure. (No, I did not.)

So no riding today, and while I was finishing up dinner, cooking outside with my electric skillet, it started to rain. And it rained, I got wet, had to move my skillet onto the porch, and got wet.

After I fed everyone I put him out in #1 by himself, left the three fatties in the dry paddock overnight.

Cleaned stalls, picked up the dry paddock, then spread manure,in anticipation of the vet's arrival at 11:00 this morning.

If anyone can get into anything, it would be Skip.

The vets were on time, and drugged Skip first thing. While he was sleeping she pulled on the 'head' and it was a hard scab. She was able to turn his nostril inside out and he had a long gash up his nose. It started to bleed. She said that she's been called for 'bloody nose' and it is caused from stubby weed stalks in the field.

He spent some time sleeping in his stall today.

Turkeys

We have turkeys, and they aren't pets. They enjoy hanging out in field #1, sitting on the fence or checking out the run-in shed. They are quiet, and recede like water when they feel they have to move away. They are not afraid of the horses.

They are also hard to photograph. I've taken dozens of pictures, but you can't even see them in the photos.

Ride Time? Not So Fast!

Skip has a sore on his back. I don't know how it happened, it is not a saddle rub, but he could have banged it rolling around. KC has bald spots on his head from rolling in the pasture.

I put balm on it to keep the flies out and it has been nearly a week, so we decided we'd ride, taking it easy. And use the dressage saddle and fleece pad so it wouldn't even touch the sore.

It started out OK, but soon after we got into the woods, Skip began acting out and trying to bite the saddle or shaking like a wet dog. He adjusted the saddle and it was OK for a few hundred yards, then Skip would start again.

We had numerous opportunities to turn back, and didn't take them. Eventually we had no choice.

We were out for nearly four hours, but ended up doing one big loop in McKeldin Park. We walked back most of the way, because Skip couldn't handle the saddle or the pad or something. We won't be doing that again!

Yard Man

We spent most all day mowing grass, the yard, the fields, everything. I ran out of gas in the riding lawn mower and couldn't get it started again. He towed me back into the parking lot with the Ford tractor and tried to get it started, over and over and over.

I used the push lawnmower to mow Max's yard, by the time I finished that he had the lawnmower back together and running.

He sharpened the blades on the Ford tractor's mower deck and finished up at nearly dark.

Blue Moon

The next 'Blue Moon' will be in 2018. Sounds like a long way off, but it will be here before we know it.

Tires!

He replaced the tires on the LQ horse trailer. The tires were aging and if we're going to go camping with the horses the tires needed to be upgraded.

Exterior House Painting Project

Sometimes we don't know when to leave well enough alone.

Our block house was painted white for decades. Sometime between 2004 and 2006 it was sprayed with yellow paint. The overspray hit the windows and we've scrapped that off. The sprayed paint didn't stick very well and in the last couple years he's touched it up but the paint wants to come off, in sheets. Bubbled up, peeling like old bumper stickers and fried contact paper.

Eventually, we will put some kind of siding on this house, boosting the insulation factor. In the meantime, we'll paint.