Well, today is really nasty outside… ugh.  So, I’d rather talk to you about happy things than regular or newsy things.

FIRST UP, A SUCCESS STORY!

Yay!  We love these.  And, we love the people that make this stuff happen.

A while ago, I wrote about DOLLY, the starved mare.  She was close to death, as you can see by these pictures.  In fact, she was down in the trailer and had to be lifted out by several men and and a tractor.  Dolly could barely stand and spent most of her first weeks laying down.  The vet said she was less than a 1 on the Henneke scale.  (That means she is dead horse walking, basically.)

Now, besides the stuff we’d all like to say to her previous owners… I’d rather give a shout out to the people who brought her back.  Namely the rescue facility, RAINBOW MEADOWS, run by Karen Everhart (lovely), the generous people who supported this mare as well as all the helpers from the ALEX BROWN RACING FORUM (ABR), and the wonderful man behind THRIVE re-feeding program.  (Gee, I feel like I’m giving an Oscar speech…!)

Here are the pics taken today of Dolly as she merged with the herd at the rescue for the first time.  Dolly was rescued in November ’09 and today, early April ’10, she is floating and running with the other horses!  Wahoo, I say!  This is how every Monday should begin, eh?

Here is the post from Karen regarding Dolly’s release into the herd:

“Dolly is free!

She was released to the Rainbow Meadows’ herd yesterday to live like a horse!

She loves it!  She had been watching the others for a long time and has been able to meet them.  Now, she is one of them and it won’t surprise you to learn that she wasted NO time getting on with her life.

Look at her go!

There will be more photos to share of this chapter of Dolly’s life.

Hello Dolly!”

(Again, I have no affiliation with these folks listed above other than to applaud them.)

IS THIS A SILLY QUESTION?

I have a problem.  I am wondering if it effects any of you…?  OK, here goes.  I’ll be honest.  I have the dreaded, didIturnoffthewater fever.

This affliction seems to overpower me when I’m trying to sleep.  It doesn’t effect me as I’m doing laundry or making dinner or doing anything at a reasonable hour.  It only strikes when I first lay down in my very cozy bed after a long day of work and chores.  As soon as ma tete hits the pillow, the symptoms start.  Hmmmmm.  Did I turn off the water?

You see, I have this routine, as I’m sure you all do.  We feed a certain way or else the horses would revolt.  First the barn pasture, then the upper pasture, turn on the water, then feed the dogs, then feed the side pasture, turn on water there, feed the far pasture, turn on water there, sit and pet the dog while I wait for the water to fill, turn off both of these pasture waterers, take the wheelbarrow back to the barn, walk to the upper pasture, switch water to the other trough, go back to the barn, feed the cats, turn off radio, close feed room door, close hay door, give dog the empty kitty can, shut off lights to the barn, walk to upper pasture and turn off the water.

Its the last bit that gets me.  If anything switches my routine, like feeding the cats first or the dogs last, it throws me off.  Why can I not just remember that when I shut off the lights, I need to walk up to the upper pasture?!  Well, lots of times it does work… but sometimes, I forget to shut off the barn lights so my whole method is destroyed.  What is wrong with me?  How hard is it to remember to shut off the upper pasture waterer?

OK, well, I now suffer.  At least once a week, I sit bolt upright in bed, put on my robe and barn shoes, and walk outside in the dead of night to check if I’ve turned the water off.  My husband, bless him, sniggers everytime I do this.  When I come back, I don’t say a word.  He is just sitting there on his computer and smiling.  He then says, “It was off, right?”  I usually reply, Yup.

What is most interesting to me is that if I remember to go check, usually the water is off.  If I don’t remember to check, that’s when it runs all night.  So, basically, I have a stupid disease that doesn’t work.

Do you?

INTERESTING BUT MAYBE A LITTLE GROSS

Ok, well, I saw in PEOPLE magazine (Yes, I read it.  I even subscribe.) a blurb about Barn Owl cam.  Have you seen this?  Well, I tore out the article and yesterday I went to the site.

(I captured these photos this morning.  I wish the audio worked because the sound of the California  morning is beautiful — there — not here.)

You see a grainy but adequate picture of the Barn Owl Box.  Inside, there are 4 chicks who all have names (Pattison, Max, Wesley and Austin).  The Mama and Papa have names, too (Molly and McGee). There was one egg named Dudley that didn’t hatch (ironic, eh?).   Anyway, the scientists have two cameras set up.  One for day (less activity) and one for night (booming biz).

I found this very fascinating and some of you animal lovers might also.  However, as I was watching, Mama brought in a mouse and proceeded to rip it apart for her hungry babies.  Ugh.  But, I kept watching.  And, by the number of visitors to the site, others are interested, too.  In fact, there were so many instant messages flying about from watchers that I was totally distracted by them.  I read many and learned so much in the 10 minutes I was online.  So, although this is not horse related, it is sort-of.  I have Barn Owls in my barn.

Here is the link.  Remember, it can be a little gross.

Happy Monday!

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