The Royal

Spent the afternoon at the Royal today with Heather and Sarah.   Not too much damage on my debit card!   Only 1 pair of new breeches.    There would have been more if they would have had more colours in my size.   I also bought 2 pairs of winter gloves.   My age old faithfuls...tan thinsulate lined deerskin and a new pair for me called 10 Below's by SSG.   A couple of woman in the store, that were not sales people, were raving about them and said I had to try them because they are the best winter gloves by far.   I figured I had nothing to lose and my hands are almost always cold.

But the real deal about The Royal was my favourite meal; the pulled pork parfait from Hank Daddy's BBQ!   Pulled Pork Parfaits rule the Royal.   This little meal is the smoky sweet taste of BBQ pork with the creamy goodness of mashed potatoes, topped off with a few baked beans for good measure.  Here's mine served up fresh!

The best $5 bucks I spent this year tho was 15 minutes in a $7000 massage chair.   After several hours of shopping we had tired feet and aching lower backs so took the earlier offer from the Pansonic salesman.  

Here's Sarah pretty happy after her well spent $5!

Going back to the Royal now after competing there 2 years go has a different feel to it than prior to being a competitor.   It has a touch of nostalgia and good memories of the red ribbon first ride we had there with our first trip to the big ring with the big indoor crowd.  The Elvis Quadrille is the stuff you talk about in the nursing home!   Two years ago I got to check off "ride at the Royal" on my bucket list.   I also retired the the most amazing horse that has touched my life so far.   It was a grand celebration with friends; to celebrate our overall second place finish in the team quadrille competition and the closing of a long, successful show career of my one in a million horse, Magnolia.

A trip down memory lane...The Elvis Quadrille

l to r - Liz Schilke, Sheila Dunbar, Bronwyn Barlow-Cash, Lynda Cooper

Uh-O! More Plastic & BUGS

I thought I had got the last of the plastic off the furniture from the moving company.  Oops, I found two more bedside tables with plastic!   Obviously, we have not needed anything inside!

When it comes to living in an old house with a crawl space basement you have to get really good at killing bugs!   I have squished more bugs in the last 10-12 weeks than I can ever remember killing the whole time I lived at the old house!   We started off inundated with flies.   I was killing them by the dozens and it seemed like we just never got ahead of them.   I guess it didn't help that when we first moved in we were refinishing the wood floors upstairs and we had all the windows wide open whether they had screens or not!   Then we went through a big ugly brown and black spider phase.  Actually, we might still be experiencing the tail end of this phase.  Starting a few weeks ago we started into a knew phase of the box elder bug.   These bugs are harmless to humans and they don't sting or bite...they are just ugly and everywhere.   They also smell pretty bad when you squish them and it's not advisable that you actually mash them against the wall to kill them because they leave a stain that even Mr Clean Magic Erasers don't remove!

Here's what the Box Elder Bug looks like.  

Have a mentioned yet that I am doing a little happy dance every night that I walk out the back door to the indoor to ride??!!   I can't believe how much time it saves when you are not packing up all your gear and horse and and traveling 15-20 minutes down the road to unload it all then ride, then load it all back up and drive it all home just to unload it all again to do it again the next day!   Ok...maybe that was a bit dramatic, because when I had no other option that was a great option and one that I did without regret.   I actually was grateful for the place to ride and the company it provided...BUT having to walk right out the back door to ride (even with the time change) is really awesome!   

DH's last round of indoor footing improvements is getting things approaching perfect!  None of the footing is so deep now that it feels like Izzy is getting bogged down.   Still a few spots that aren't quite as even as the rest but night and day difference from where he started when we moved in.  Had an amazing ride last night inside and tonight I ventured down the farm lane to the back bush line to check out the back 40.   Seen an abundance of deer that spun and flitted their white tails as they took cover into the woods.   Lots of guys with their 4x4's and quads over at our neighbours place for shotgun season.  Hopefully, I never drove them into the woods to their deaths!

Unpacking...Still

I finally made a point of getting the remaining movers plastic off the last pieces of furniture.   I know, 2 months and there was still plastic on the furniture!   I was so tired of looking at the boxes still piled in front of the roll top desk and book case that I just took the hour and unpacked them.  Seriously, that was not all that hard so why did it take 2+ months?   I think I might be becoming a tad bit of a procrastinator!  

I decided that the built in book case needed some books on it...makes it look like we actually live here with some of our stuff finally occupying the shelves.

I spent my weekend with a group of good friends, sewing, laughing and eating!   I didn't get a lot of actual "work" done but I had a very enjoyable weekend with the girls.   No finished projects to show pics of here but this is one of the gang.   Normally, we have 12 people but there were a few other commitments this time for a few...we missed them, as the full group has a wonderful creative dynamic.

Looking forward to our next weekend together in Feb 2013.

As I was enjoying myself with the girls, DH was busy on the farm trying to get the down spouts running and taking the water away from the house foundation.  The major down spouts have been fix or replaced.   After a week of rain we knew which ones were problematic and needed to be repaired before the continuation of the fall rain and before the spring rain.  

He also was busy re-levelling the footing in the indoor again.  I can't wait to give it a another ride tomorrow night.  :-)  It has been getting better and better after each time he has done his magic on it.

Lots on the To Do List still before winter...We are compiling a list so that we can start to knock things off and ensure that we don't miss anything.   LOL!    I think I will be happy to just get through most of the list!

Time change this weekend means its dark at night by 6:30 now.   This is a pretty drab time of year...minimal sun and short days.   It means that the indoor is going to get some good use in the next months.   Still seems pretty novel to be riding in the indoor out back.   I spent 3 years traveling to Bennville to ride during the late fall and winter months.    Those were fun days riding with the bunch there and catching up with Ferdi and Anita.   I am a very fortunate individual to have had so many generous people in my life that have supported me over the years in my riding adventures.    I hope that some day I will be able to pay it forward now that we have a farm of our own.

Grand River Trapping...Sideline Business?

Thursday night I got to put the live trap to it's first test.   A week or more ago I had a raccoon in the new barn and had closed up the doors once I seen it inside and set the traps.   I checked back at night check to see if I got it...nothing.   Checked back in the morning at feed time and the little beggar got the front door open and obviously escaped!   Low and behold on Thursday night what do I find in the shop/run in barn...a raccoon!

This little beggar was not running off when I turned on the lights and stood there looking at it.   We just stood their frozen for what seemed like a few minutes (reality likely 15 seconds) before I clicked into actions and went to the new barn for the trap!    DH stood "guard" while I got the trap and moved in for the invasion.   Obviously the coon was not in favour of just walking happily into a trap, so it hissed and sputtered at me.   That's when I realized it was hurt and not moving all that fast.   Very ticked off and cornered I was able to poke the coon into the trap.   It was rather humorous after the fact as DH was more in favour of leaving the thing alone and letting it decide it was a good idea to enter the cage when we were not around and I was all into getting that sucker into the trap come hell or high water!   As you all figured I won out.    I was trapping that bugger and taking him for a little ride to the other side of the river!    And that was just what we did.

Here's the intruder.

As some of you may remember I started a pseudo business at the old place called Grand River Trapping.   Since at the old place I trapped 2 opossums in 2 years and took both of them for rides across the river too!

DH has been busy again in the indoor arena.  He moved more sand around has got the deep and thin spots much better.  Still a small amount of movement yet to clean up the last bit of deep sand along the south wall.   It's getting better and better...almost perfect.   Thanks Honey...best gift ever!

I have been away from the farm all weekend and will be off again tomorrow.   I know lucky me...I have a wonderful husband that lets me spend time sewing with my quilting and fibre arts friends.   I was in need of this weekend to recharge my batteries and be creative for the first time since well before we moved.   DH never even bats his eye with my disappearance...Even when the list of things to do around the farm is longer than my arm!   I have had a fabulous weekend and I still get all day tomorrow with the girls. 

Vermin Report...

We still have mice!   I checked the bait boxes this week and the bait was completely empty in 2 of the boxes and partially gone in another.   I didn't check the one in the loft of the bank barn but I am going to assume that one is empty as well.   Refilled 2 and will now have to buy more bait again to restock.   I want to stay ahead of these rodents...never again do I want to have half a dozen mice sitting under the feed tubs waiting for me to feed the horses not even afraid I might step on them!

I noticed for the first time this morning all the wonderful and colourful birds in the yard.    I think the glorious sunshine for the first time on over a week had a hand it the sighting!   I stood at the window this morning and counted at least a dozen blue jays, a bright red cardinal and a wood pecker with a red patch on the back of his head.  All the trees have been stripped of their leaves so all the beautiful birds are clearly visible.   I look forward to getting the feeders out for the winter this year and choosing a good spot for viewing as I think we will be entertained with some fantastic wildlife.   At the old house we never had many colourful birds since we had no large trees or bush line close by.   

Happy Halloween

Thank you to all my family and friends who offered their condolences, love and support for our loss.    It was a very sad time here and we are gathering ourselves to continue on this journey of life on the farm.   

It’s been a week’s hiatus from blogging…I needed a short break to grieve and recalibrate.   A quiet stillness has fallen over our home.   It’s being home alone and truly home alone for the first time at the new house.   Even when I was home alone (ie no other humans at home) I would always find myself in conversation with Corona.   I would ask her questions, develop her answers and in general just get her opinion.   I know I am not alone…lots of you reading this do this too!   It’s an emptiness that begs to be filled.   If not, I am a crazy lady talking to myself and developing my own answers!

The first days for me were the worst.   I was not able to take a few days off work as I had to travel on business first thing the next morning.   I work with 98% men, so when I arrived to catch our ride to Toronto early on Thursday morning I was met with jeering and innuendo until they realized why my eyes were red and puffier than marshmallows.   Once they knew; they were a sincere bunch of steel workers…they like to front a tough image but most of the guys I work with are really decent human beings once you wipe the grease off of them!  J  

The tears don’t seem to flow now like they did and I know as time passes the memories of her will be ones that make me smile rather than evoke the sadness of the loss.    We have yet to put all of her toys and possessions away…somehow I think it really makes it final.   Washing her things; washing away the last grasps of reality she has left behind for us.   Vacuuming the last tumble weeds of fluff that are floating through the house gathering in the odd corner; It’s so final.   So, now it’s time to recalibrate, refocus and be reminded that kindness in life extends to the final act of kindness that we choose as custodians to the pets we share our lives with.   As difficult as that decision has been to deal with on that day and every day since then, I would never stop sharing my life with special animals that enrich my everyday being because I fear this decision.

Moving forward we have not had idle hands on the farm … we both have needed distractions!

DH has been super busy with the indoor arena.   The footing is getting better and better.   Still some more leveling to get the final deep spots smoothed out and the thin spots filled in.  He worked away on it again last night so I can’t wait to give it another ride. 

Hurricane Sandy presented lots of rain and lots of MUD!!   We have a few leak issues throughout the farm buildings that we now know we will need to deal with in the priority sequence of getting to everything that needs fixing.   We knew the bank barn roof leaked…well it REALLY leaks when you get 50+mm of rain in a day!  

I was able to clean the future tack room area in the lower bank barn.   The cob webs were unbelievable and it took all day to vacuum the ceiling and walls.   Still need to scrape the floor in the area that was once the old owners chicken coop.   It’s a terrible smell now that all that poo has been saturated with water.   Ick!

The wind and rain also left my 2 girls inside for their first night since moving to the farm.   Unfortunately, we are using the existing old run in shelter that is attached to the building that will be the shop in the future.   This building opens to the north.   Sandy’s 100km/hr winds on Monday night were gale force blowing directly into the shelter.   The poor girls were wet with their heads down in the corner, tails to the wind!   They seemed quite happy to be in for their supper that night but by morning I was getting the hairy eyeball from Emma wondering what the heck was going on leaving her inside as she was no longer a show horse but a “ranch retiree”.    After 24 hours inside they were happy to be back out to the mud!

Here they are enjoying play time in the arena out of the wind and rain with blankets off for a really good roll!

Izzy found the monster pile of sand in the corner a great place to have some fun.

All this sand needs to be moved outside to the outdoor ring...It's at least 2 dump truck loads.  I have no idea how the old owners horses stayed sound riding in that footing!

Outdoor jobs have been on hold for the last 5+ days due to all the rain.   It works out Ok in reality since we have loads of inside jobs to do as well.   I spent some time in the last days cleaning the barn windows.    I don't think they have been cleaned since they were installed.   I took the stickers off that would have advertised the manufacturer.   What a difference in the natural light just having them clean! 

Here are some pictures of the transformation...

Start

With the Bars removed

Cleaned

Lastly, does anyone else out there reading this have trouble with rocks getting into their rubber boots?  I have been wearing the cheap farmer rubber boots.   You know, the black ones with red rubber soles that you can buy at TSC.   I swear that I walk 20m and I have a small sharp pebble in one boot or the other.   I promptly stop and dump it out.   I walk another 20m and have to repeat the process.   I have no holes as I have no leaks so these little buggers must be getting flicked in over the top.   Do I just have a strange gait that flicks rocks into my own boots or this a common annoying problem others have when they wear their rubbers?

Corona : June 1999 - October 2012

It is with a heavy heart between tears that I write of the sadness that has fell upon HP Haven this evening.   We have lost our beloved dog Corona tonight.   I type this in hope that it will be healing therapy for the love of something greater then I.  

As we sit tonight in the silence of our home wondering how we move on when there are so many signs that she is still supposed to be here.   Everywhere you look there are painful memories, her dishes, her toys, her beds.   There are even dirty foot prints on the kitchen floor from when she came in late last night that I just don't want to wipe up because they are the last ones she will make in this home.    She has taken a little piece of our hearts with her to another place.   We are lonely now and in time it will pass and we will remember her in her glory of life.   We will remember the little piece of her heart she gave to us.   She gave it with no thought of any return kindness.   She gave it with abandon.   She gave it unconditionally.   She was a perfect dog right until the end.   Never a mean bone in her body just a pure golden heart.   She was one of a kind...special.

She told us that it was time.   As painfully difficult as it was to see her pass, we knew that another round of tests and palliative care at an animal hospital was not how we wanted her last days.  She would be alone in a kennel with strangers, strange dogs and strange sounds.   She would be frightened and alone.   We were with her as she transitioned over and we stayed with her and sobbed in each others arms.   Grief stricken and unsure what to say or do.   Knowing that things would be different when we walked out of there.   Death is always so painful for the living.

Her memory will live with us forever; as we try and find our inner compass to move on to the next day, the next week, the next month, the next year.   She will guide us through this time in our subconscious and help us be grateful for the time we had with her.   There were very few bad times so it will be easy to honour her life through the fun we had together.  The nightly walks to the creek that were on dog time...because they were her walks so she set the pace!   Doubling back was a common occurrence.   The fun swims at the lake on the hot dog days of summer (during the big black out in 2003).   When she would paddle around in her life jacket and then suddenly stop and just float for awhile because she was tired.   The endless squeaking of stuff toys to the point that the toy would look perfect (OK well maybe not perfect, more like matted and crusty from slobber) but no holes with a broken squeaker.   The Christmas she ate the lights off the tree and pooed sparkles!    The coffee table with bite marks on the leg.   The puffs of fur floating throughout the house.   I know that a year from now I will remember her by pulling a strand of her hair from an well worn sweater.   Those are the things that will remind us that we had such love from a creature with no voice.  

The world can be a cruel place...to offer us such love and take it away.   But I know that with this terrible sadness of tonight it is only because we have felt such pure love.  
Every action has an equal and opposite reaction.   So tonight I will sob for the loss of a companion because this tight emptiness in my heart is because of the depth of the love we shared.   We wouldn't be fortunate enough to feel such loss if there had not been such love.

Safe Travels My Friend...Until we meet Again...I'll bring a ball.

Fabulous Clinic & Shelter Nears Completion

What a week at HP Haven!

First things first I have to share about the clinic this week with Josh Nichol.   What a horseman!   I feel so empowered and humbled by all that I have learned.   Izzy was a superstar and I am so proud of her.    She's growing up and becoming such a reliable partner.   I am so pleased with my decision to give her this season off of competition and let her grow up and also go back and revisit some basic work that I had not done well enough the first time.   My focus this summer has been on the relationship I have with her and not so much on the technique and the "job".    It's been a very enjoyable summer and the time off for her during the move was certainly of no consequence.    

Josh drove home the main points of riding with feel and not making the horse always  wrong by picking at her with no, no, no through my reins.   Rather let the horse be a bit wrong and then just guide her into a better correctness.   The pieces to the progression are falling into place.   This was my third clinic with Josh and I can see his methodology much clearer now and this clinic confirmed for me that his system and teaching style resonates within me to my core.    He keeps the horse first; at no expense will he not be the better deal the horse is looking for in leadership.   I have more homework for the winter until Josh makes his next trip back to Ontario in 2013.   I can tell it's going to be a really fun and enlightening winter.

After my lesson on Saturday I could feel how Izzy was improving and I could see from her sweat patterns after a rather demanding lesson that she worked in a balanced, calm, uphill posture.   She was completely dry under her saddle and she was wet in the flanks, stifles stomach and a bit at the base of her neck.   It's up to me to not get greedy with my hands and to keep true to the clarity of my request by asking with my body and energy, while making sure I can soften and engage Izzy without creating tension or asking before I took the time needed to melt the tension before the request.  

Here is a pic of Izzy and I with Josh.   My all time favourite cowboy!  :-)

Here is a pic of our clinic group.   Great group and so nice to spend time with like minded people all trying to better themselves in the same way.

Corona Update…

Corona is doing better.   She is now on 8 different medications but she at least appears to be in better spirits and somewhat perkier than she has been in at least a week.   She is still not eating tho which is a huge concern.  We did get some appetite stimulant drugs and they work beautifully…well at least they worked for one meal.   We do not want to give her the drugs every meal so we struggled with finding something she would eat the next meal.   I even slow cooked a roast beef over night one night this week to try and entice her with that.   She will eat some of it but becomes easily disinterested after a few bites.   A friend runs a raw food business for dogs and she recommend tripe as she has a very old Golden as well that often will not eat.   She gave me a few cans to try and Sat night she gobbled that right down.   Jana did warn me that the stuff stinks…holy hell; it reeks!   BUT if the dog will eat it I will suffer through the stench. So far 1 can is gone…hoping that this won't be like all the other food were she eats it on the first day then is totally turned off of that food a day later.    

Lets just face facts here…she 13.5 years old.  We know she is closing in on the end of her years with us.  Reality of this situation is that DH and I are just not ready to let her go yet.   Our home will be so quiet without the click of toe nails on the hard wood and the snoring beside the bed.   

Shelter Update…

We have the roof on and the kick boards installed!   It looks great and I am really happy with the size.   Just have to add the manger for hay at the back wall and also some metal edging to prevent chewing and it will be considered complete!   <Insert me doing a Happy Dance here!> 

Emma and Izzy thought it was pretty nice too.   I turned them out in pasture #2 for the first time late this afternoon.   Izzy tore around like a crazy horse for at least 10 minutes.   Emma kinda rotated on the spot to keep her in view but didn't get too worked up.   She thought eating the long grass in there was a better plan!   

Clean up of the "shop" has started.   I cleaned the 6 stalls that are in the building that will be converted to DH's shop.  So I think I am now able to let go of the angst I have towards the old owners for the stall filth.   40+ wheelbarrow loads out of 6 stalls.   They were terrible and the mold was incredible.   It's over now tho and I am moving on.   I even took the divider walls down between 3 of the stalls and we recycled the wood into the kick boards of the shelter.   Look at what I found behind the wall!!

DH and I also got the sand spread back out into the indoor.   We have decided that the addition process will be slow and a little bit at a time.   I don't want to have to take more out again so I would rather error on the conservative side as we add sand back in.   We may have enough sand coming out of the indoor to do a good portion of the sand layer needed in the outdoor.   If not it won't be much to top it up in spring.

Since we have had a bunch of rain lately and the days are getting shorter I have been trying to get a few things organized inside the house.   I started my studio unpacking!!   I have missed the creativity that the time in there provides.   I know that once the snow flies I will again be spending more time in there.

AND since it rained you know what happens around HP Haven after rain...more weeding!

Here is the entrance to the outdoor and the back of the arena.

BEFORE

AFTER

BEFORE

AFTER

Also this week the HVAC guys were here to fix all the errors in the duct work.   The house only has half of one cold air return duct from the 2nd floor.   So the furnace is starved for air and over heats then shuts off.  Good idea to get that fixed before winter hits!  They have mapped out everything that needs to be fixed and they will be returning this week to do the fix.   

Lots of drop ins this week and weekend as well.   Thank you friends and family for stopping in and checking up on us.   It's been wonderful seeing everyone and showing everyone around.   Thank you Dad for bringing us 2 huge boxes of wood for the winter!   We won't have time to gather and dry much wood for this season so it will be nice to have this wood for the fireplace when it's -20C!