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THE FLOOD WARNING CONTINUES FOR
THE YELLOW RIVER AT BABCOCK.
* AT 500 AM FRIDAY THE STAGE WAS 18.1 FEET AND RISING.
* FLOOD STAGE IS 12.0 FEET.
* RECORD FLOODING IS OCCURRING AND MAJOR FLOODING IS FORECAST.
* FORECAST...THE RIVER CONTINUES TO RISE THIS MORNING AND IF
FORECAST TO FALL BELOW FLOOD STAGE TOMORROW MORNING.
* AT 17.0 FEET...5 FEET ABOVE FLOOD STAGE. WIDESPREAD FLOODING IS
OCCURRING. HIGHWAY 80 IS CLOSED NEAR THE TOWN OF BABCOCK .

For the first time, all of the surrounding school systems are closed due to flooding.

We got 5.5 inches of rain in such a short amount of time. Its crazy!!

Roads are closed and animals stand in the pastures under water.  

Oh for gawds sake, I havent' been on here for a month and already having problems with it. Can't upload my pictures. Wanted to show you my green door (see next post!). Frustrating!!!!!! Hope they get it fixed soon.

I'm Back!!!! Just barely...its been so long since I've been in here that I forgot my password!! That MAY be a sign that its been just a little too long, huh? I almost panicked for a minute there. But here I am, with absolutely nothing to say. During this month of blog vacation, I've thought at least 100 times, "I'll have to put this on my blog', or I'll run through my head how I will write it or run it though my head as if I were telling it to someone and while doing this, I had a revelation. First off, only people who talk to themselves will be able to relate to this. Be it out loud or in your head...and c'mon, I know you are out there! Rewind back to me stepping off of the school bus, books in my arms and probably happy another day was behind me. I was talking to my friend Rhoda, replaying the events I wanted to share with her...only Rhoda was not there. I was talking to her as if she were there, but nope, when mom was looking out the window, watching me walk up the drive, all she saw was me, my lips just a going. So it was no wonder that she asked me who I was talking to when I reached the house. Now I was probably 13 or so at the time and I still remember this. And the weird part is, is not because she caught me at something so strange...something so foreign...something so NOT normal...but because it was so normal to me. I realized that all my life I've played out things in my head as if I were telling them to someone, instead of just thinking about them and my realization was that 'I bet all writers and storytellers could relate to that'. What about other bloggers? Do they do the same thing? Or does this mean my prozac needs to be increased? I think not. I will admit to finally learning to 'talk' to myself with my lips still, though. Makes for a much easier life. So in summary, I guess I've always been a writer, in my head. When I experience something, I immediately think to myself, "oh, I have to put this on my blog", but then I work it over and over through my head. Jeesh, maybe blogging is also free therapy, huh? Diana? Melissa? Fellow bloggers? Is there just so much you have to get out, that sometimes you don't know where to start and find yourself facing writers block? It becomes overwhelming? Thats what happened to me this last month. My non-blogging month. My head was full and I didn't know where to start. ha ha  So in an attemtp to get it flowing freely again, here goes:

Its FALL. AND I LOVE IT!!! My hot flashes are minimized to, like, 1 a day and I feel WONDERFUL! Fall has always been my favorite time of year. The leaves, the flowers, everything is flourescent. Its candy for the senses that doesn't involve drugs or alcohol. This is also the best time to ride and I've had some awsome trail rides already. A couple weeks ago we rode in Kellner again, courtesy of the Central Sands Harness Club. There were wagons and about 25ish horses and we meandered through cranberry marshes, potatoe fields, fields and streams. Gawd, it was beautiful! Unless you have sat on a horse, feeling the cool air against your face and looked down to see the bright red of berries on a crisp September day, you are not living. As we rode along, I thought of all the places I have been on horseback and all I've taken in, and that is just in Wisconsin! I have not been fortunate enough to experience the Black Hills or Wyoming on horseback, but maybe someday. Until now, my friends share their stories and photos with me. Maybe next year. After that ride we had a fantastic pot luck and steak and potatoe feed. The steaks were wrapped in bacon and done over the fire and there is just no better way to wrap up a good ride.  Saturday morning we are heading to Ukarydee for the weekend. When I called for a site, we got the very last one available. Yup, its here! Riding season is in full force and I can't wait to meet up with old and new friends alike around the next bend in the trail. After this weekend is Caroline, the annual H-U-G-E  ride with an estimated 1800 horses and 4 fields full of horse trailers. Then we have the Babcock ride, followed by a roundpenning clinic held by Ferd. OOOhhhh, did I say I love Fall?

 

Grooming is going great, too. We had some major issues for awhile with my power holding out during the day. In fact, for a couple weeks I was only able to groom 2 dogs and I was finished. It wasn't even a matter of plugging my dryer into customers homes, because my water would quit too and that has to be plugged in in the shop. After many trys and misses we found we need a way bigger charger but for now we just added one. So now we have 2 chargers charging the batteries each night and on the weekends we hook up 3 to really charge them. Doesn't seem to be such a big deal but charging 10 batteries to just the right level each night so I am able to run my water, clippers, dryer and lights and make it all last long enough to groom 5 dogs takes some experimentation. In the meantime, until we get the large super-duper charger, I need to thank my customers for being so understanding and accomodating and allowing me to plug in while I'm there. We got so frustrated with the whole system awhile back we were tempted to just sell the inverter system and go back to a generator, but this can work. We just have to tweak it enough to figure it out so it runs effortlessly and smoothly each day. We'll get it.

Since I cut out pretty much all of the big dogs, I've been able to take more small dogs on. The little ones take a lot less drying time and not only does that save me power but it takes less time to do. That has allowed me to take some new customers in here and there, as I still get calls and emails from people who want to get on my schedule. So all in all, life in the grooming world is good. 

 

John has been working out of town quite a bit lately and I find this time the best for making changes around the house. I painted our front door green which I thought was going to be a 'go to the store, grab a can of spray paint, and do it in one night' project, but it took me all week! And 6, yes 6 cans of spray paint. My cheap, 'nothing to do at night' project ended up costing about $50 with the paint and frog tape but it looks oh-so cool now. I just love it. Next is our bedroom. I ripped up the carpeting we had in the middle of the room in there and now have to look for some I like to replace it. Another project that will take awhile, I'm afraid. :)

One more thing..I'm writing this at the library during a break and don't have access to my photos now. So if you are reading this before I get home and have time to add the pics, please check back to see them. You can't miss my green door. It Rocks!!

 

 

 

 

 

 

I Found It!

Yup, I found Heaven and its not as far away as I thought. In fact, its only 45 minutes from here and I was there on Sunday. With all of the rain we've been having, I have been fit to be tied, along with every other horse owner around here. I can't even use my trailer cause its parked on the back of the property and the lawn is way too soft to drive back and pull it out. The pasture is constantly wet and soft and when it even thinks about drying out, it rains again. Donna and I have been going stir crazy not being able to ride and its really been affecting my mood. To put it bluntly, I've had the fuckitz for a good month now and relief was not on my horizon. So when she called Sunday morning and said she wanted to trailer the horses somewhere I didn't even feel like going. We hee hawed about where we could go. Each place we thought of was shot down due to bugs or mud. We didn't want to road ride and suddenly I said, 'Hey, lets see if Cyd and Lou are riding today!". The two of them live in Kellner and are alot of fun to ride with. They also live in sand country which beats the hell out of our mud here, hands down. The trails we rode on were actually sandy. We were kicking up dust! Yes, DUST!! Add to the mix a perfect 70 something degree day with a slight breeze, and yes, we were definately in Heaven! It was just absolutely incredible. On a side note, I left Axel at home and pulled Silly out of the pasture and rode her in the bitless bridle for the first time. The change in her was really something to see. She was calmer, no head tossing and was very responsive to her. Even though I had been planning on taking Axel to Caroline ( a huge ride with 1800 riders!) in October, I told Silly she had just bought her ticket to Caroline. Last year she behaved so badly there I thought, 'never again', but I'm gonna give her another try in the bitless bridle this year. I don't feel Axel is ready to go this year yet. With all of the rain we had, he got short changed with his training but hey, he's only 5 so he has plenty of rides ahead of him.

The day was so fun I almost hate to write anymore, but as luck would have it, there was a bit of hell mixed in with our heaven. We reached our trailers after the ride, loaded them up and intended to meet back at Cyd and Lous for a cookout and a brewsky or two but some unknown evil force had other plans for us. The moment Donna put her trusty ole' Chevy pickup into gear, we heard a big CLUNK and that was all she wrote. The tranny went out. Yup. Bummer. With a capital B. The next hour was spent with both of us burning up our cell phones trying to find anyone with a gooseneck hitch to come pick the horses up. In the end, Donnas hubby and cousin came to our rescue, but not after the two of us spent a couple hours sitting alongside the road in our lawn chairs, catching up on gossip and dreams. When our rescuers arrived the pickup (not so trustworthy anymore) was loaded up on a car hauler Dave had picked up from our house and the horse trailer was hooked up to another truck. 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

So we're looking forward to riding the Nekoosa and Kellner trails again and hopefully next time we'll make it to the cookout finale, too. Even after all of that, I look back on Sunday as one of my fondest memories. Ya just can't beat a good day on a good horses back.

 

 

 

Rockford Air Show

While thousands of people were milling around at the Oshkosh Air Show we decided to avoid the crowd and take on some spectacular aviation sites at Rockford, Ill. The four of us, John and I, along with Bob and Donna spent the afternoon there and it was really something to see. Bob and Donna had their 5 year old grandson, Dominick along and he was just beside himself, being up close and personal with some of the biggest jets and helicopters made. He even got to sit in one, which was a great achievement in itself since many of the kids threw a fit and screamed at the top of their lungs as the parents tried to conjole them into it. I have to say, the best part of the show for me was the finale when the Thunderbirds put on their show and repeatedly came so close to each other it made the whole crowd gasp and cover our eyes. There were parts that blew us away and I'd happily see it again. 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

This girl had the best seat in the house, hands down. 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Here's John peeking through the window of a huge helicopter. I was just amazed how big they were in real life. I thought back to the war movies I've seen and the 'WOP WOP WOP' of the blades as they land and take off. Now I can see why they are so loud.

 

 

 

On July 4th of this year, when the majority of us were celebrating, the world lost a special friend. She was loved by many but mostly by Christa. She was beautiful and still is, in memory. Her golden hair had a shine to it like no other and her big brown eyes held a softness that will not soon be forgotten. She had a hard life in her early years. Her previous home did not offer her the protection that she deserved. She went through abuse that made her hang onto a fear of guns and loud noise throughout her adult life. But those days were over for her once she met Christa. What a pair the two of them made! Endless car rides, talks, walks and oh, so much more, mixed with laughter, tears and some mischief will always be looked upon with fondness and love. I was fortunate enough to become Shaddoes groomer a few years ago and even though I've switched to small breeds I  always looked forward to my visits with her. She was never too sure whether she wanted a bath, though, and we got a laugh each and every time, just by the way she'd duck her head, then look up at us, as if to say, "Do I HAVE to?" There was never any misbehaving, though. No having to drag her up the steps, no chasing her and dragging her from under the bushes. Christa would just point and say, "Shaddoe, get up there, its bath time" and she'd hop right in. She was such a good girl. Gosh, I can't get over it. Mom enjoyed her, too. On days she would ride along with me she'd marvel over and over what a good girl she was. Yup, everyone who knew her will miss her dearly. I can only imagine how empty Christas home is without her now, although she has preserved her ashes and memory in the most beautiful and unique way. From a company called Spirit Remains Specialty Pet Urns, a custom made resting place was made for Shaddoes ashes. I'll post a pic of it instead of trying to describe it...its just so nice and as special as Shaddoe was, she certainly derverves it. 

 

 

Rest in peace, Shaddoe. All of us who knew you will miss you!

 

 

 

 

Last weekend we went to the coolest show down in Schaumberg, Ill. It's called the Medival Knights and its a whole show and meal, completely done 'back in the day'. Reneciance day, that is. (I was trying to avoid that word cause I know it is misspelled. :) ) From the time you walk through the door you begin living among kings and princes on beautiful Andalusian horses. For the next couple hours, we ate dragon (actually 1/2 a chicken) (with our fingers!) while we watched the different guys on horseback put on the show of a lifetime. They fought with swords, did jousting and other games I don't know the names of and there was even a dressage show. The most breathtaking scene of all was ruined by the waiter, though, cause he picked that time to come and stand right in the way but from what I could see around him, it was ...well...breathtaking. A knight was on a gorgeous Andalusian in the middle of the dark arena, with just a spot light shining down on him and while music played, snow fell upon him. It was stunning, and something you just had to see with your own eyes. I started out thinking it was going to maybe be kinda lame, since I've never been into the whole R scene (there, I avoided that word) but I was very, very wrong. The couple hours flew by so fast, we were all just entranced.  

The weirdest part of the night was walking through the dungeon, where on display for everyone to see were torture devices that were actually used back then. You know, in the R times. Holy crap, be happy, very, very happy that you did not live back in THOSE times! Youch!! is all I have to say about that whole experience. Bob was carrying the camera, since as usual, I forgot to charge my battery so mine was out of operation, and he has a whole bunch of good photos I want to share on here as soon as I get them from here. Did you know the women who wore chastity belts usually died from infections they got from being scratched and cut by the nasty things while wearing them? When you see the pic you will understand!! All I know, is if I had lived back in the R days and been captured, I would have spilled it all...everything I knew...one look at the thumb screw or torture bed and I would have been singing like a bird. Sorry, but I hate pain. Especially the kind that evokes blood and loud screams. Ugh!!!

Pictures coming...I promise!

I am so very irritated. I know, what's new, your asking. Well, just tell me you are not irritated by the words underlined in green as you are reading this. No, I did not underline them. They are put there by Gamevance, something I 'signed up for' on FaceBook and now I can't get rid of it. If you mouse over the words, an advertisement box comes up. You can't imagine how pee'd I am over this. What a bunch of crap...so now I'm gonna have to take my computer into the shop and get it removed. It's not a virus so don't freak, but it IS annoying. From now on I'm gonna read the status updates and comment and 'like' on FB, but thats it. No more accepting hearts or roses or God forbid, Farmville invitations.  I mean, how rude. How assuming, that I would want to have all that crap all over my website. How would they like it if I would do that to them? How would they like it if every time they try to read something, little ads would pop up that say something like, "Groom your dog with Grooming On The Go" or "How Dirty is your Dog today?". Give me a break! Geez, I wish I were a computer hacker or at least a whiz on this thing, I'd do it. Give them a taste of their own medicine. Not THAT would be funny!

Today was SOOOOO nice out after weeks of humidty and high temps. It was the first day in a gazillion years that I didn't have to run my air. Just popped my side windows open, opened the hatch on top and I had a nice breeze blowing through all day. What a wonderful way to work! People were in a much better mood, too. Not just me, but others, as well. Isn't it funny how the weather affects the mood people are in? I really can't understand people who say, 'Oh, the heat doesn't bother me.' I bet they'd change their minds if they groomed dogs in 90+ degree days with a mixture of sweat and dog hair covering their bodies. There is nothing grosser than peeling off my clothes at night and taking a layer of fur off with them. Oh yes, the breeze was verywelcome today!

I just spent the last 2 hours trying to put a FB 'like' button on my website but everytime I thought I had it, well....I didn't. Sure, the 'like' button showed up on my site, but so did a little comment that said something like, '37,900 people LIKE this. Be the first of your friends to LIKE it.' I think at the moment I only have 8 fans of my page, so the 37,900 number is just a bit far fetched. I've been working at that darn page forever so I hope anyone reading this will take a second or two and LIKE my page. Just do a search for GROOMING ON THE GO PROFESSIONAL MOBILE PET GROOMING in FB and you'll find it. And guess what? There is another Grooming On The Go, too!!! They are not an LLC though, and they don't have the whole PROFESSIONAL .....at the end. And I think they are from NY or NJ or someplace. So make sure you become a fan of the right one! They already had 54 fans...they don't need anymore!!

Before I crawl in for the night, I have to get one more thing off of my chest. People are crazy, ya know? I mean, sure, we probably all know at least one person who we'd call crazy, but I'm talking about some people being disturbed over the pettiest stuff. A while back I groomed for 2 people who were best friends, each had the cutest little poodles. The part that I thought was strange, is that they each badmouthed the other to me behind the others back. But wait...not about each other, but about each others DOGS! Just like if theywere jealous over each others children or homes or something. The first asked, "Is she good in here? Is she much better than Chole?" (to which I just replied, "oh, they're BOTH angels!) Then when I finished the second persons dog and took him in, the person lowered her voice, leaned into me, and declared, "I know Snookers must be so naughty for you. So and so just spoils him rotten. Chole must be alot better for you to work on, huh?"  I really just have to stare for a moment and try not to say, "ARE YOU FREAKIN KIDDIN ME?!" And the weird part, is that this happens more than you would imagine. Why, oh why do people have to be so competative? Who cares who has a nicer house, cuter kids, cuter dogs or cuter husband? Why can't people just be happy with what they have and not cut others down to bring themselves up? And do they really think I am going to lower my voice in return, lean into them, and whisper back, "Oh yeah, that Snookers is just obnoxious. I just hate grooming him and oh my, what a terrible, terrible dog!" Get a life.

So that's the last word from me tonight before I hit the hay, next to my  husband who I can hear snoring from way out here. Be Happy With What You Have! Appreciate What You Have! 'Things' are not what shoud be making you happy! Life is good! Each morning and evening I read the sign I have on the fence to my horse pasture. It reads, "IF I EVER GO LOOKING FOR MY HEARTS CONTENT I WILL LOOK NO FARTHER THAN MY OWN BACK YARD" Simply stated and oh, so true. Night, all.

 

Screamin Banshee...I mean Bike

Horses will freak over the darndest things. Things they see every day but suddenly something will scare them like they are about to get eaten and nothing is going to change their minds. This happened to Axel and I the other day and now that I look back on it its pretty funny but at the time.....wellllll.....no, not funny at all. In fact, I was spitting words that would blacken my moms ears and I cursed all bikers who ever set their little tushes on a bike seat.

Donna and I went over to Riches. We used his arena to do some ground work, then we headed out on a ride around the country block. Axel has been doing fairly well but needs more exposure...definately around chickens and peacocks!! The ride was going really well, even though there was only one or two cars that really slowed down for us. The rest flew by as if we weren't even there. I tell ya, people just don't think. We were almost back to Riches place, on the home stretch, when we turned the corner and there it was....big and black and hard and scarier than hell...a culvert. And the horses were sure it was going to eat them, piece by piece. All 3 of them stiffened, danced around, then gradually one by one, made it past the culvert without becoming its main course. Just when I felt we were going to get past it and Axel was not going to bolt, I looked up and there in the horizon were2 bicycles coming over the hill. Straight. Towards. Us. OH. NO. (!!) They weren't neighborhood kids on bikes, they were your fast, speedy bikes with the riders wearing bright biking shorts, vests and helmets. And yes, they WERE going to eat us. They were moving towards us at a good clip and were right in front of us before I could even think about it. Axel? He was thinking one thing, and only one thing. "I'm getting the hell out of here!" All 3 horses jumped back and danced while the bikers came towards us, with Rich and Donna on the right side of the road and me on the left side, with me thinking, 'Oh crap, this isn't gonna be good!". I pulled Axel in a one rein stop but had my opposite rein too tight so he just kept jumping backwards...trying to get away from the bike...into the deep ditch behind us. The first biker saw the horses were upset and applied his brakes as he reached us and lo and behold, the big monster just got bigger cause...what else?...the brakes SQUEALED! LOUD!! Poor Axel was thinking it was all over for him at that minute and as the screamin, shiny, speedy, stupid thing went past us, I breathed a sigh of relief as I realized we were not down in the ditch and I was still in the saddle. The second bike was right in front of us now and I surely thought that she would get off of her bike and walk it past us, but no, that would be too easy. I think the dancing horses scared her, cause she actually picked up speed and flew between us like a bolt of lightening. If I hadn't been so busy keeping Axel under control I would have pushed her off as she passed by us. Gawd!!! The rest of the ride passed with us reliving the ordeal and cursing the bikers, while secretly making a few sign of the crosses. People just DO NOT think when they are around horses, and I suppose if they don't own one they have no idea how spooky they can be. But hey, when you are flying at one at 100 mph on something all shiny with spinning wheels and you are making a sound like a damn tornado warning siren, wouldn't you think there may be a tad bit of trouble coming??? *sigh*

I look back at it now and laugh and even though it was scary at the time I know it was good exposure for Axel. He has to get used to the world around him and there is no better way to do it then to just get out there. Poor Axel. Who knew his world held not only killer chickens, gigantic horse-eating peacocks and big dogs...but BIKERS TOO! 

 

Ain't That The Truth!

Ain't That The Truth!

July..so far

Wow, July is almost over. I hate to say I'm wishing for September...but I really am. I am soooo FREAKIN sick of this heat and humidity I could scream. A 50 year old woman going through menopause and battling hot flashes anyway should NOT have to put up with 90 degree crap on top of it. Oh, Sweet September....I'm panning for you!!

Life in the grooming world has been going good. I've had a streak of new puppies which are always fun and have the big dogs almost phased out. There are a few select ones I am keeping but otherwise my clientelle consists of small breed dogs...shih tzus, schnauzers,westies, poodles and the like.  The majority have been with me for along time now so I know their personalities and their likes and dislikes.I'll have to get some pics up to share. They are just too cute not to.

 

Pasture News: Axel is back home and has settled in nicely with Tea Gee and Silhouette. Now that Cheyenne is gone all 3 are getting along and even sharing the run in shelter. Now thats a first, and something I like to see. Axel has done good since coming home but he still needs hours on his back. I've introduced Clinton Andersons groundwork to him and have been spending hours with him getting him to lead respectfully, flex, move off of pressure on his side and backing; all things that will carry over to the saddle and certainly all things I like my horses to know. He and Tea Gee have really buddied up and I'm not sure if they are smitten with each other or if she just likes to stay close because of her failing eyesight. Either way, it's cute in the pasture but irritating as hell when she calls to him when I take him out alone.

 

Amber turned 30 on the 8th of July. Gulp!  30! So very hard to believe!! We got together at mom and dads and Nathan and Diane joined us for a cookout and cake and ice cream. It was a small gathering but nice, just the same. I'll  never forget how she snuck into our house and decorated it for my 50th birthday,along with balloons, a tiera, noise makers,a cake, and more. Have to say, I have yet to meet anyone in my life who is as thoughtul as her. Watch out if Amber is your friend and knows it's your birthday or anniversary cause she will certainly go out of her way and spend her last penny on making you feel special. I think she gets that from her mom. :) Anyway, I'm blessed to have her in my life.

 

And by the way, I know she will hate this picture. She also gets that from me. I don't think she has ever had a picture of herself taken that she has liked and is waaaayyyyyy to critical of herself.....again....like her mom.  :(

 

 

As much as I love dogs, I have one here that is about to die. Monday night is my TV night for the Bachlorette and everyone in our household knows it. Yes, even the dogs. So why, oh why does little Casper pick tonight to bark...and bark...and bark? Gawd!!!! He doesn't even know what he's barking at. One minute its the notebook on the table and the next he's looking at the bar stool and barking. And barking. And barking. Yes, even know. You probably can't tell by reading this how tightly wound I am right now, as I'm trying NOT to hear him, at the same time I'm trying to hear Frank tell Ali that he is still in love with Nicole and that he's sorry. What a scum. That much I did hear. Well you know what? I caved and read the cheaters blog and I happen to know they don't end up together anyway. So there, Frank. You are SOOOOO out of there but shame on you for making her cry. Which, by the way, are fake tears, I'm quite sure of it. Ali has not been my favorite bachlorette, to say the least, but she is moms favorite. She's just a little too fakey for me but oh well....I still demand silence during the show and how come I'm NOT getting it??! She's still sobbing as she is now walking down the beach back to her house or hut or whatever. What the hell? She is in TAHITI (!) for Gods sake! Did I mention she is in Tahiti with 2 other studdly men? What the hell is she crying about??? Tell Frank to hit the deck and go find your two hunks! Or stay in your hut and cry and I'll come to Tahiti to soak up all of that aqua water and beautiful white sand. With John, of course.

Oh, all this barking is making me cranky. *sigh*

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Me, John, Rich, Brandy & Donna in the Parade

Well, the 4th is over now and it seems like summer should be on the downslide. Except its so damn hot its just ridiculous. I hate complaining 'cause winter comes soon enough but ...well, damn, its hot! The air in my grooming van has been working pretty good so its tolerable this year. The only problem I'm having is my power lasting all day. Or not lasting, I should say. With my old van all I had to do was put more gas in the generator when it ran out.  This one is set up so different since my grooming part is all run off of batteries and once they drain down I'm pretty well...well.....screwed. I tried plugging into customers houses but my dryer draws so many amps that I usually blow a fuse or something in their home. Which is not good. If only my dryer wouldn't draw so much, the batteries wouldn't run down so fast. I've been searching my grooming magazines and websites for a dryer that has the power I need but less amps and they are very hard to find. Anykind of long coat, especially a thick one like a cocker spaniel, will run it down right away. So basically, the number of dogs I've been able to do lately has been reduced and I have to really be mindful of each dog and coat type when I do my schedule. I can do 5 or 6 dogs in a day if they are all yorkies and shih tzus, but throw a cocker or two in there and I'm done for the day. The only solution is replacing my batteries with golf cart batteries, which other mobile groomers seem to have good luck with. As the old saying goes....always something. And of course that 'something' always seems to be an expense. Oh yeah, and before I forget, I need to extend a big THANK YOU to the person who backed into my van while it was parked somewhere. I mean, geez, ya couldn't see that big blue thing, or what?? Thank God its only paint and my graphics that got scrathed up but next time WATCH WHERE THE HELL YOU'RE DRIVING!!!

*sigh*

 

My pasture has changed a little. Cheyenne is gone now and I miss that big girl terribly. I am not a person who believes in buying and selling animals or using them for profit and I feel like I sold her out for money. I know it wasn't practical for me to keep her but I've thought about her since we loaded her in the rain yesterday and unloaded her at her new home, still in the rain. John and I got soaked to the bone and all in all it was just a crappy day. She seemed to settle in nicely and there was no real scuffle with the gelding she'll be sharing her pasture with there. I just wish I could get over the feeling that noone can ever care for animals as good as I can. Axel is taking her spot in the pasture now. On the way home from delivering Cheyenne we stopped and picked up Axel from Foxwood Farms where he has been in training for a month and a half. He walked into the pasture when we got home and Tea Gee and Silly looked at him, then went right back to eating. Just like he'd never been gone. Tonight I worked him in the pasture, then saddled him and tied him to the trailer until John got home from work. I figured it made sense for him to get on him first, just incase he would buck, since he is so accident prone and th ER already has all of his info up to date. Lol! No bucks, though. No head tossing, no nothing. We both rode him out to the road and back and he was an absolute gentleman. He wasn't bothered a bit by Tea Gee calling for him and I could have jumped off and kissed him right there. So far, so good!

  

 

 

 

 

From Bad to G-r-e-a-t!!!

I wonder if it's forbidden to write about the Amish. Well, I guess it's not, I mean there are books out there about them so I won't be the first one. I just don't want to be disrespectful to Sam or his family in anyway so I'll tread lightly here. Oh hell, no I won't. I can't, I am just too excited. I did something I never thought I'd ever, ever do. Not only did I ride in an Amish buggy today, I DROVE ONE DOWN THE ROAD!! How freakin' cool is THAT!??

I went there to ride Axel this afternoon, which I did, and which went better than I could ever imagine. We crossed hay fields, plowed fields. woods, water, rode down the road, then ended by riding them into a pond which turned out to be deeper than we thought and I got wet up to my knees. It was simply a blast and I laughed much of the afternoon with Sam and the 4 girls that rode.  As if that wasn't enough to keep me on a natural high for the rest of the day, Sam said he was going to give us a buggy ride before we went home. Now...Sam is a shister, as my grandma would say. He has an impish grin on his face all the time and his eyes dance mischieviously when he tells stories of shannigans that he and his brothers pull. So when he suggested a buggy ride, I was leary. I had already heard stories of him going full speed down the road and the horse spooking and putting him in the ditch or of one horse not wanting to stop and the buggy was shaking back and forth it was going so fast. Not where I wanted to be. But you know me! Halley, one of the other gals there, and I jumped in first and Sam took the reins. I wondered how funny we looked to the motorists we met on the road. I asked Sam if Halley and I could pass for Amish....apparently not. After we got a ways down the road he passed the reins over to me and I drove. All by myself. Then Halley drove and we giggled like school kids. On the way back, Sam got going at a pretty good speed and the only way I can describe it is Exhilarating. Simply Exhilarating. His horse was a pacer and I was amazed at how fast it could actually pace before it broke into a canter. He had to keep correcting it so it would keep pacing..apparently its not suppose to canter in front of the buggy. 

 

So wow, what an afternoon. Kathy had followed me out there and spent some time there but then left when we headed out on the ride. As soon as I got in the van and headed home, I called her and talked and talked, telling her all the stories from the day. She was excited, too, just listening to me, knowing herself how much fun it is there. I'm almost going to be sad after Tuesday, Axels last day there. But its not too awfully far from here and I DO have a trailer now, so I'm going to have to keep going there every once in awhile, just to stay in touch. Oh, happy, happy day!!!

Sorry, no pictures of the buggy or Sam but here's one of Axel. Boy, that boy filled out since I got him and he's really muscled up nice from being worked every day. Love, love him!

Miracle of Miracles....Buck is Alive and Home!!!

I woke up crabbier than hell today and couldn't figure it out.

1. Its Friday

2. Its a 3 day weekend

3. I had plans to go riding this afternoon

Then what was the problem? I figured it out the minute I looked out the window. Buck. I just missed him so much. Yah, I know, its just a rabbit. But until you've met Buck Rabbit, you have no idea how tame he is. And how comical. Everyone who sees him says he is part human. If you ask him if he wants a carrot, he'll hop right up to you and look up at you. If you then go to the fridge and find out you are OUT of carrots, Lord forbid, he'll take his blanket in teeth and shake the hell out of it. Its so funny. He lets you know when he's not happy, thats for sure. Quite the rabbit, that Buck.

Imagine my surprise, then, when a strange pickup truck pulled up the driveway tonight and a lady and kid got out holding our flyer we passed out the other night. They lived right down the road and they said another neighbor found him on the road Wednesday and put him in a cage. Turns out he has a small shed behind their house and its filled with different breeds of rabbits. I had no idea that was there or that he raised rabbits but I'm happy beyond belief that he found Buck and kept him. He had no idea who he belonged to, since his is one of few houses we skipped when handing out the flyers. Why? I don't know....weird. For some reason I thought they would laugh or something...out looking for a rabbit. If we had stopped there we would have had him back 2 days ago, already. So happy dancing here tonight.  Just as fast as we could get in our van, we motored on over to the neighbors and yup, there was Bucky in the shed, in a cage, looking up at us. Yup, it was definately Buck. So now he's home, back in the haymow and shop and the doors are staying closed. I guess we'll have to keep a much closer eye on him after this scare and he won't be allowed to have run of the whole property anymore. Geez, we really missed the little guy. So very glad he's home!

Missing Buck Rabbit

We are all dragging our butts a little tonight. Buck Rabbit has been missing since yesterday and we cannot find him anywhere. We walked the hay field, side by side, looked under pine trees, around all of his favorite hang outs and we just can't find him anywhere. In the past if he was sleeping somewhere and we couldn't find him by bedtime, we'd leave the haymow door cracked for him and he'd always be in there in the morning. Remember, this is no ordinary rabbit. This is Buck Rabbit! He is sooooo tame. He comes hopping up to us when we ask him if he wants a carrot or his ears scratched. He lets us pick him up and he snuggles against us as we stroke his ears. Oh Buck....you have GOT to come home! Tonight I made up flyers with his picture on and our phone #s and passed them around the neighborhood. We got some well wishes and "I'll keep my eye out for him"s, and then we got some looks that said, "this is going in the trash as soon as you back out of my driveway". As tame as he was its possible a dog got him. After all, he was used to our dogs and never backed down from them. Or maybe a cat or a coyote. Whatever, he is not home and its not looking good. I can't help but look out the window for him..everytime I pass a window. Do you know how many white objects are outside? Not until you look for a white rabbit. Countless times tonight I had to look twice, sure that I saw him. But no, it was just the swan flower planter, or the poly resin goose or a piece of paper. I won't stop looking. I miss him.

A New Home For Cheyenne

Cheyenne is changing her last name. No longer will she be Cheyenne Pichler. She'll be a part of a different family now. Yup, she sold tonight. A guy came and looked at her tonight and I think it was love at first sight. I had off today so I did about 25 minutes of round penning with her, then tied her while I groomed her, washing the mud off her, combing out her tail and mane and finishing it all off with a coat of Laser Sheen. She stood nice the whole time, soaking up the attention and leaning into me when I'd hit an 'itchy spot'. After the grooming session I did some more ground work with her, then we walked around the yard. She behaved perfectly today and it carried over to the visit. I was so proud of her..and for a minute I wondered if I was doing the right thing. But yes, I know I am. If I were able to be home most days to spend time like I had this afternoon it would be a different story. But bills must be paid; dogs must be groomed. Nope, no time for me. So I feel like she is going to a really good home and I know I won't have to worry about her. He is going to send her for additional training right away which I think is the best thing to do. I'm gonna miss that big girl in the pasture though. I'm glad she found a new home, but yup, I'm gonna miss her a lot. 

 

 We got mom and dad moved today, too. Gee, my horse...my parents...everyone is leaving! Their new home is cute and comfortable and they are staying there tonight already. We worked all day at unpacking boxes and putting things away as we unpacked. I helped decorate and arrange furniture, cause...well, you know, I like doing that kind of stuff.

Its going to be different here without them, too. 5 weeks ago we set up the spare bedroom for them and in they moved. I'm not sure what any of us was expecting but the weeks flew by and I'm sad to see them go. We had alot of laughs, card games, and John will say 'good meals'. Well, yes, they were good, of course. But John claims I never cook so he was especially sad to see mom go. :)

 

Happy New Home, mom and dad! You are still just right down the road so we'll still be able to have our card games. And just think...a house with NO BARKING DOGS!! LUCKY YOU!!