Time to send a note...

Gotta get something out there- how about everyone send a thank you note on Tuesday. No special paper required, just by your hand. To somebody who deserves one; one you should have written a week or two weeks ago; somebody who would feel special 'cause you did it long hand and not in an email...this will warm a heart and possibly help save Saturday delivery and your postman or rural letter carriers job....I'll start it off... by sending a thank you note to my sister in Texas who sews some of my wildrags and has survived this drought thus far...
YOUR turn...

a valiant creature

after a week of trying every last effort and agonizing over whether or not it is the right thing to do, we finally put down Mirage...again- heart punch. i kept Drifter occupied, promising him another companion mare...he knew his mate was not well, he wasnt able to prod her into any early morning romps, and graciously did not cleanup all the senior feed she could not....boy cat knew too, he slept in our barn instead of in his lot...i couldnt watch her go down, and i couldnt look at her covered frame awaiting pickup. damn i wish we could have buried her, here, where her salvation from starvation and alone-ness lived...boy cat waited in the lot too, Drifters calls grew rough and dusky...Tuffy is my hero in these times. we have determined it is my job to help him ease the end images from his mind rather than he consoling me nightmare after nightmare....he said she made nary a whimper. as humans we own the responsibility to care for- to the end- our valiant creatures. we loved you Mirage.

jobless- never

gotta say something about jobless folks; can you do something with your hands? granted brainy jobs may pay more, but there are far less people of the land standing in unemployment or welfare lines. we who have paid our own way with dirt under our nails and holes in our jeans may not be rich, but by God we are not a burden. weary of all the news reports about the jobless- how about a few reports about all the work that needs to be done, suits not required, sweat and humility a must. and to all the money mopes who wont lend and take a chance on working folks- your fired.

shoer came to pull off Mirages padded shoes, checking for infection and just to see if there is anyway we can get her well....took us most of the day to rearrange our "humane" feelings, Tuffy and me know that she needs to be put down. funny that term humane, being equine we agonized over what was best for her...not us. it'll be tough, but Drifter must know the absence of pasture romps is not right, I know they talk about it between shared nibbles of hay...Tuesday. so today will bury myself in the shop cutting out bags...boy cat is helping us out in the barn, he has been hanging out all day in close proximity of Mirage...they talk too..he is a swell cat...the sun is out today, need the rain but thankful for the lightness.

this saturday sucks

today was gonna be the day I laid everything else aside, unload all the new bag leather we picked up in Wichita Falls and get a bunch of "dayworkers" cut out....right after I slept in till 0730...but thunder rumbled me outta bed. it was for good purpose, Mirage was laying down, with her blankey on, in the mud and she was soaked. tears pushed the sleep from my eyes, and the thunder was echoing my anger, I swore this old mare would never suffer again. finally got her up, into the breezeway, it was a heart punch. I know she forced herself to walk was because she knows I am trying to help, well me and boy cat. got her meds fixed up, by the time I made it back to the barn she was laying down again, boy cat still sniffing her feet....shes hungry- good thing. 72 minutes later, me and boy cat got it down her. got to listen as the parade engines and marching bands line up to celebrate this little KS town festival, how dare they parade in front of smiling, happy people, its not a happy day. a happy day would be a day of rain after all our drought and Mirage running and kicking up her ravaged, fragile feet....again....

fall of her life

Mirage is responding to banamine and iso, but its been three weeks....her laminitis is now chronic. just prairie hay and enough senior feed to hold the molassas subdued, pulverized medicine. she likes the molasses, hates the morral, but her teeth are 19 and, well she drips too much not not wear one. never knew old Arabs were so prone to the colder weather, but makes sense, she is the only rescued critter on the place that actually enjoyed the 100 plus days in a row...spindley front legs were shaking last nite when I dosed her, so I shook out the blankey and straped it on...she needed it. if she can't walk better, and we can't keep enough fat on her will she make it to winter? sort of dreading the winters hard ground to dig in, but maybe she'll slip into a perpetual sleep while the earth has some warmth left.....will have to find another throw away mare to keep, Drifter will absolutely demand it. if its not an Arab, that would be okay, but we learned a lot from her breed, mostly that when you are found starved down to 400 pounds, contract West Nile while in rehab, that all days that came after and since were worth living for...Drifter would agree too.....

a nice little order

repeat recipient Michele Blasi, ordered another mohair breast collar and 40 feet of three strand poly rope. Tuffy tied a honda and built a skirting leather burner, looks so hand made, yup, thats cool. astride as she spoke, Michele answered Tuffys quip about folks in Kentucky sure throw short ropes, "nope, we just have faster horses....you deserved that Tuffy...what makes this so neat is Michele has been horseback every time we have spoke, yes cowgirls ride hard and a lot in Kentucky. Drifter would love to have some of that green grass...their calving right now....she said she would share a picture of the branding pen and breast collar, I'll blow it up and let Drifter get a look of the grass....