Leaves and Other Things That Fall From the Sky

Yup. That's a whole lotta leaves! And they're not in the woods; they're in the horse field so they need removal as they simply pile up and kill whatever grass is underneath. Additionally, they're really slippery if I chose to ride my intrepid steed in the lower field. Here is Neko- my leaf colored horse:

Neko isn't concerned with much of anything besides eating, but she can't eat oak leaves, so rake them I will! I make numerous piles like this:

Put them on a tarp and then haul 'em away to the woods. I cannot even count how many piles I've hauled away so far but I figure if I drag four or five piles a day, I should be done by next year. Endless!!

Robin supervises. She thinks autumn leaves are awesome and enjoys chasing the leaves as they blow around the yard. (She also enjoys chasing shadows of birds which is pretty funny because she's running around, nose to ground, as the birds fly overhead.) 

The other thing that falls from the sky is meteorites! Last week Thursday, there was apaprenly a meteorite that traversed southern New England, passed over Long Island and landed in the Atlantic. Sorry to have missed that! 

(That is an actual photo that someone took.) We were coming back, oblivious on the train from New York, tired from our lovely trip to Tribeca and overloading on art viewing. We saw all kinds of wonderful, thought-provoking thing but nt that danged meteorite. Maybe next time!

 

Yes! Fence Me In!

 

Those of you have have visited us know that parts of the horse fence were in truly bad shape. The above section is (obviously) near the barn and shows the sad state of affairs. I had attempted to "fix" the fence by weaving together bits of chicken wire and metal poles... throw in some baling twine and you get a messy less than secure fence. A close up:

Somehow, it worked and kept Neko in. Or at least her body, as the fence is bent, spindled and mutilated because Neko was sticking her big fat neck and head over the fence to get the grass. Which we all know is greener on the other side. Anyway, this section was actually better (!!!) than other sections.

We had bought the new fencing and the posts, but Bob had been busy so we kept waiting until one unusually quiet day, Bob said, "Let's do the fence." I quickly agreed and set to work removing all that old, nasty fencing. Oh course, Robin the Good had to remain in the house while this was going on, which made her very unhappy. She spent the next few hours howling in pathetic canine accompaniment, certain she was missing all the fun.

Bob weed whacked the exposed fence line and set to work erecting new posts. I tamped the soil down after he dug the holes. Then we rolled out the new fencing.

It all looks straight and shiny and new and effortless, but it did take us the better part of the day. There's Neko in the background, wondering why she can't get her head over any more. Hahahaha! Part of the reason is that I ran a second line and a third line of electric fence along the top on fiberglass poles so that it looks like San Quentin Prison, but she can't stick her head through. And it works!! Horse foiled again!!

Better view by the large upper gate. So at least temporarily (until Neko figures out some other method to destroy the fence) everything is bright, shiny and new and secure. And thank goodness, our solar electric fence charger keeps blinking away.

I know because I touched the hot wire twice recently. Works like a charm!

So Much Excitement

 

I went to New York yesterday with two artist friends to enjoy a lovely afternoon of gallery hopping and dishing on various art scandals plaguing our local non-profit scene. We had a splendid time! As we were sitting on the train to go back home, I thought to text Bob to tell him I was on my way.

I sent my message and prepared to receive a brief text back from Bob, saying something innocuous like, "See you in a while!" or "Hope you had fun!". Instead I got a message that read- alarmingly- "Where's Neko's (the horse) halter? She's in our backyard freaking out and running around. There was a bear in her pasture. She jumped the fence." Uh... not exactly reassuring or calming as so many questions came to mind.

There was another text: "Got Neko back in her field; lured her with food". Well good for Bob for perfecting his horse wrangling skills and good for Neko for not killing herself or Bob or Robin the Good. Of course that led me to wonder nervously, where was Robin in all the excitement?

(Recycled bear pictures from last year's almost encounter as Bob was way to busy to run in the house and grab his phone or camera.) I dashed off several quick texts to Bob, asking "Is everyone okay?!??!!" There was an tense period where I'm checking my phone every three seconds, hoping for a bear disaster update and... nothing.

Until half an hour later, Bob says everyone is fine, although Bob related that Neko is still pretty disturbed, looking over her shoulder towards the woods, wondering where Mr. Bear is going to appear next. From Bob's description later on, the bear was simply ambling through the field looking pretty nonchalant. Bob's voice was hoarse from screaming at it and clapping his hands in an effort to scare it away.

When I arrived home, Bob filled in all the exciting details of his heroic defense of our homeland. He described Neko's galloping around our entire backyard, miraculously not damaging herself or our gardens (which of course, we're preparing for this Saturday's party!) She did stop to graze selectively from our lawn, probably thinking the terror of the bear was outweighed by her all-consuming love of eating. Bob had had the foresight to put Robin in the house when he spied Neko frantically running around. Ironically, Bob said that Robin was apparently so stunned by the bear she didn't even bark. (This is a dog who barks at the suggestion of anything even slightly out of the ordinary.)

Maybe it is time to have a serious discussion of how we live together with large unruly animals. Despite several friend's opinions to the contrary, I have very little desire to encounter more bears. Yes, this week, we had a few really nice wildlife sightings: two turtles canoodling by the peach tree, two foxes cavorting across the lawn, several turkeys looking for delicious horse poop, and lots of blue birds... but bears? Nope! Not interested! But what can we do: the bears are increasingly acclimated to living among us, stealing our cupcakes (on several occasions!), carrying small dogs and cats off , destroying bird feeders and breaking into houses through screen doors. Am I the only one thinking that soon enough, a small child or hiker is going to be attacked? (*1)

(*1) Yes, I keep hearing the argument that "they're more afraid of us than we are of them", but there have been a few very close calls. I would love to go trail riding but seriously do not want to be on Neko when we encounter a bear! 

Farewell Maggie!

 Farewell sweet Maggie! She had a long and- hopefully!- happy life. She was a good friend, a funny, opinionated mare, a nice companion to Neko (who loved telling Maggie what to do and when to do it...) We all loved Maggie (aka "The Magster", "Magatini" and so many other nicknames!); Robin the Good especially had a lovely friendship with Maggie. They'd touch noses through the fence and lick each other's noses. Maggie was so gentle with Robin when she was a puppy. Maggie had obviously had foals and knew what a baby animal was- they forged a deep bond.

But as you could see in that picture above, Maggie was very old and very tired. She knew what was coming. I often saw her standing with her head low, soaking up the morning sun as if the weight of her own head was too great. 

Here's the two of them last week- always hungry! They hear the back door open and are at the fence like, "Hey! Isn't it meal time?!!?!?" (Maggie wasn't really a small as she appears above; somehow my perspective made her look so tiny, like a pony!) 

Maggie was a real character. Due to her chronic lameness, I only was able to ride her for a couple of years after she arrived here.  But that was fine: she was a delightful member of our herd. She loved to pick her food dish up when it was empty and shake it around and the toss it as if to say, "Fill this thing up again, dammit!". She often had a mischievous twinkle in her eye and liked to try and bite me, especially when I attempted to put one of her blankets on her. The funny part of that was she had few teeth and made a weird clacking noise. She also had no sense of personal space and enjoyed walking directly into you. (And her eyes were fine, believe me!) 

Here's Maggie busy at another one of her "hobbies". She was really good at getting super dirty. She rarely used the barn and stood outside in whatever kind of inclement weather. Maggie loved to get down on the ground and roll- which was fine when she was younger (in the picture above) and could right herself easily. In the last few years, however, she would get down to roll and was frequently unable to get herself back up. Imagine attempting to lift a piano; she was that heavy. We called upon friends to come and assist in righting her but the danger was in her hurting herself (or us trying to help her). 

Here's on of my favorite pictures of Maggie. What could be better than a horse and sculpture?! We used to let her graze on the lawn in the backyard. Look at that nice round butt! Anyone who has seen Maggie in the last couple of years will remark on just how skinny she'd become! It was her time...

Her departure to the Great Pasture in the Sky was peaceful and dignified. She is missed; Neko is very sad and missing her pasture mate. I know we'll get through this but we're all mourning our beloved Maggie.

Sicko Neko

 

My poor horse! Neko has been diagnosed with Lyme Disease- like every member of our household at one point or another. At least we know what has been plaguing her.

About a month ago now, out of the blue, Neko came up lame. I initially attributed it to our change of blacksmiths (*1) . Sometimes, a small difference in angle of foot or a tad too much taken one side of the hoof or the other results in foot soreness. But her soreness persisted. She was definitely off in her left hind when I tried riding her; then the "fun" (*2) began, attempting to pin point what exactly was up.

"My head! My stomach! My feet! My hips!", Neko seems to be saying. Oy! Anyway, several experts were invited over and weighed in. There was discussion of perhaps she had fallen in the field- Bob saw a major skid mark that could have caused a seriously wrenched hip or back. One of my riding instructors thought it might be her stifle (*3), my new barefoot trimmer thought it might be her hocks. We tried using hoof boots... she was still limping. In fact, she seemed to be limping all over. She was also looking glum, like that picture above. Not the usual animated, evil Neko who is full of (charming) attitude. It was suggested that I call a chiropractor.

But I had my intuitions. I was not entirely convinced that it was physical. If I called a horsey chiropractor (read "expensive") and had her manipulated, but it was systemic, I'd still be screwed- as well as poor Neko. I suspected Lyme and called the vet. I was right. Her numbers were seriously elevated, proof that she has Lyme.

So Neko is now three days into treatment and being a VERY good patient! She was a little hesitant when I delivered her first dose of apple-flavored doxycycline to her, smothered in grated carrots, grain, alfalfa pellets and molasses but I hand fed her and she seemed to think it must be safe if I was administering to her. Since that first batch, she's consumed all her food (hooray) (*4). Only 27 more days to go!!

(*1) Don't get me started on the perfidy of blacksmiths!! And rudeness! Good grief! We trust these individuals to care for horses, and do what's right by them. The last two have been doozies; yes, they came recommended, but one suggested I euthanize Maggie three years ago (and she's till going semi-strong, according to two veterinarians) and the other totally blew me off for over three weeks, resulting in over grown toes and ouchy feet!

(*2) Not fun! It's all a bit of a guessing game and they can't tell you what happened or why they hurt!

(*3) And I was assured you do NOT want it to be her stifle. The stifle is a mysterious joint sort of like our knee, on their hind legs, that gets messed up and hey presto! horse can become lame for life and career over. 

(*4) The alternative is to force feed it to her in a syringe, injecting this paste into her mouth twice a day for a full month. You can only imagine the "fun" (more fun!) trying to dose her thusly when they get smart to what's coming.

Horse Hosin'

 

After remarking that I bath my horse Neko after riding her in hot weather, my sister Beatrice suggested as how this would be an interesting blog post. I realized that this was probably true as not many of my blog followers have horses or experience the pleasure of hosing down a large animal. I kept forgetting to bring my camera or phone along with me but finally, today, I was prepared.!

Following a vigorous episode of "torturing" my poor pony by demanding that she perform all kinds of arcane movements, like stopping and turning left or right, she can be sweaty. 

Typically this occurs under the girth and beneath the saddle pad. You can just spot wash it off but when it's really hot and humid- like today- they LOVE to get wet!

I always start by hosing the feet and legs first, as their hooves can be hot and need cooling first. I've been told this by several experienced horsey people so that's what I do! So after all four feet and legs have been wet down, the rest of the horse is fair game.

You will notice, Neko's eyes are actually closing; she's like, "Oh boy! This feels GOOD!". 

You will also take notice that I don't even have a halter on her as she enjoys this so much that she simply stands there. In fact, Maggie often crowds in, wanting to get hosed, too.

There's Maggie in the background, enjoying some of the over spray. I am only hosing Neko today; I don't use shampoo or soap often as that can dry their coats. Plain old water is better. It's like going swimming.

And here comes on of those funky details that you probably wouldn't have guessed at. A mare (a female horse) has her mammary glands (read: horse boobs) between her hind legs. They can get a nasty, waxy build up soooooooo we gently hose up there and then reach in and remove any crud.

You knew that was coming!! Yuck! Removing this must feel really nice as they often spread their legs a bit wider and accommodate my efforts. Oh, the pleasures of horse ownership! 

I then finish up by squeegeeing off excess water. Neko is looking at me as if to say, "What!? All done? Do it again!" And of course, a horse loves being squeaky clean and shiny and experiencing our standards of grooming and hygiene... WRONG!

The next thing that Neko does is lay down and roll, the better to adorn herself with dirt and dust:

You can only imagine the self-satisfied grunts that accompany this. Heaven.

And lastly, here's Neko, doing what Neko likes best- eating, delightfully encrusted in a patina of dirt, but cooled off!

OK (Boomer) Corral

 

So here is the original structure to the round pen, with only side "bars" to be added. Don't tell the horse that the "rails" that will run along the side are only electric fence tape (2" wide) that are (obviously!) NOT electrified. The appearance of fence will work because she's not a young, crazy horse and isn't going to be throwing herself at the fence like a mustang fresh off the range. Nico/Neko is a level-headed 9/10 year old who just needs tweaking and bonding (with me!) through ground work.

Here I am on Nico/Neko who is listening to me and saying, "Whaa?!??!" She didn't get that I wanted her to just stand there so I could take this photo; this is yesterday where she's still at the horse farm. Just wait until she gets home! She has no idea how nuts we are!!! Hahahhahahhaha!!

And here's the (almost) completed round pen:

Looks pretty good, right? All I need to do is make a gate that fills this OK Corral-type opening:

Maggie (remember her?) seems to get that this is a somehow horse-related intrusion into her grazing area. She's been flirting with walking around the edge, grazing and giving the fence the side-eye. Just wait until SHE sees me and Nico/Neko playing in it!

Visible From Outer Space: Part 1

 

OMG! So we have finally decided to erect a full scale replica of Stonehenge and invite our Druid friends to a festival celebrating the return of the autumnal equinox! NOT!!

We are actually constructing a round pen. This is in anticipation of the arrival of Nico/Neko (still don't have that spelling established...). My riding instructor/trainer Sabina has suggested- and been backed up by many, many equestrian experts- that a round pen is an excellent training tool that promotes bonding with your horse and emphasizes proper groundwork and improves their ability to physically improve and carry themselves correctly.

Of course, I turned to Bob and solemnly intoned, "Round pen..." to which he (correctly) responded, "Huh?" So we found a way to approximate a round pen for a fraction of the typical cost. Home Depot is an absolute boon to artists and artist/horse owners who want training facilities at reasonable price. A real metal gate constructed round pen averages about $1200-1600. It consists of 12 foot panels of pipe in a circle to create a pen of about 60 feet across and about 188 feet around (circumference). Ours cost way, way, WAY less!!

So  I found a site on the Internet that had instructions for casting concrete no-dig footings. And then Bob (smart man that he is) suggested that maybe pre-cast footings were available... which they were! So then I said I had pre-priced plastic PVC pipes that could be used as uprights and cross pieces around the top. The above picture is the 2" PVC pipes affixed to the cast concrete bases. They worked great; we did have to get 20 of them to go around the perimeter. And we did have to return 10 of them that turned out to be an inferior, crumbly cast. Hey! Loads of fun; they each weigh 50 pounds!!

So with new, better castings, we proceeded to erect the 10 foot cross members. And quickly found that 10 foot PVC does not like to flex to accommodate the bend of the ring. So we attempted to weight them, hoping to provoke a curve.

We carefully piled logs on boards and weighted them down in the sun, thinking that maybe the heat of the sun would help cajole them into a bend. Nope! Next morning, when we rolled all that weight off, they promptly shrugged off our attempts at bending them so back off to Hope Depot to return 9 of the 2" pipes and to get nine 1 1/4" pipes instead. (We alternated 2" pipes with 1 1/4" pipe... which worked! There was enough "give" in the smaller pipe to compensate for the bend.)

So here's Bob and the uprights for scale. Look at the middle left and there's Bob picking up rocks, because of course, wherever we put an upright, there were rocks!

Rocks: need I say more?

Anyway, once that had been accomplished, we sort of sailed along; measuring from the center point out 30 feet and establishing the outer edge. Today we finished erecting the top cross members. Essentially, that's the top picture. I have thanked the inestimable Bob and his dedication to a cause he will never share in: Bob will never "round pen" Nico/Neko the horse, or even ride her in it. But he's so game!! Willing to assist me in the above crazy project. I will post the pictures of the completed round pen in my next blog posting. It's been an interesting side line to all the other wacky things we do...

Candy Candy Nico Neko

 

 (Bear with me: I'm learning a "new blogger interface" and there are some glitchy things to sort out!

Above, is our new horse Nico. Or is that "Neko"? And as mentioned, her name was "Candy" so now I'm transitioning her my chanting "Candy Candy Nico Neko" to her as I ride... no wonder she looks confused! Everyone at the barn has been so complimentary about how pretty she is (and she is!)  So far, so good. She's had her feet and teeth attended to and I'm contemplating a saddle fitting as she's much broader around then Maggie or Crispin, my two previous mounts. 

The farm where she is temporarily residing is entertaining. They have (in no particular order), chickens, ducks, ferrets, sheep, goats, donkeys, and most entertaining of all, alpacas.

Several of these individuals reside in a stall near Nico/Neko and utter otherwordly space alien sound effects:  a cross between purring, humming and Chinese. They're friendly in an odd way, more like they're observing us to report back to that other planet.

The farm is a bizarre petting zoo. Sue, who is alpha-mare and Dr. Dolittle rolled into one crazy lady multi-tasker, keeps adopting animals from nasty circumstances. That's a good thing! Most of them are very sweet and have made the horses utterly bomb-proof around a menagerie But some of these animals are dodgy four-foot juvenile delinquents- the goats in particular. I have been warned that the goats will consume EVERYTHING including tack (saddles/bridles/straps and general horse-related gear for you non-horse individuals) and horse's tails. (There are several unfortunate equines sporting brutally chewed off stubby tails!) I warned Sue that if my horse's tail goes missing, there'll be goat stew. Never a dull moment!

Thus far the new horse- call her what you will!- is in general a good egg. I hacked her around the farm yesterday, after I had ridden in the outdoor arena and she was great. Didn't spook once, even though a trip around the farm passes not only the aforementioned mammal menagerie, but huge dumpsters, abandoned trucks, functional farm equipment, gargantuan piles of manure and spent bedding, random discarded tires, lawn furniture and general havoc. I'm having fun!

 

 

Sundries, Heated to a Crisp

That's Bob standing next to a gigantic self-sown squash plant that is swallowing the compost pile. The leaves are like three feet across. We sure hope the squash itself is edible after all the energy expended in the prodigious growth!
I'm not going to post and re-post the pictures from the many days that the thermometer registered well over 90 degrees and frequently topping 100. The last two weeks... ay!!Suffice it to say that a day of mere mid-80 degree weather would feel cool and lovely. Don't expect any original thoughts until such time.

Another angle of that man-eating squash... Sus-Squash! It grows about four feet a day.
So I've been rendered stupid by the heat (and I know I have company!) and this blog posting will reflect that. I could continue to rebuke the current administration at every turn, (and they deserve active rebukes when you consider Federal troops being deployed the West Coast, the continuing surge of  COVID 19, rethuglican members of Congress refusing to extend increased unemployment compensation... the list goes on and on) but might sick up all over the keyboard. I will not even add more as steam will begin to billow from one ear and blood will trickle from the other one. (Although on a happier note, the ringing in my left ear that has persisted for a million years now is suddenly... GONE! Even if this is temporary and it returns, having a few days off is heaven!)
Oh and I bought a horse:

How's that for a non-sequitur?

My good friend Laurie (Hi Laurie!) bought me this inflatable horse last year for my birthday. I blew it up and installed it in my studio and promptly freaked Robin out; dogs can be very conservative! Bob observed that this particular horse is very well-behaved and low maintenance!
More on the actual horse in my next post! I am starting on that string of polo ponies I threatened to buy!

Happy Birthday to Me!

Here I am, shilling for generic beans on my birthday but NOT in violation of any ethics clauses! You always suspected that Ivanka and I had plenty of things in common...
So, yes, it is my 64th birthday and thanks to Climate Change, it's almost impossible to consider doing anything besides hunkering down in the bedroom bunker with the air conditioning at full tilt. And thanks to COVID 19, I wouldn't want to venture out to a plague-infested restaurant anyway. Better to stay put in these times of strife!

Here's our un-retouched proof of the climate crisis: no wonder I'm melting!! Over 100 degrees and it's not even afternoon. I still recall Mommy telling the story of how Daddy tried to take her out to dinner while she/they were "expecting" me. Mommy told of how I was late (I didn't want to come out into this cruel world- I must have known how shoddily artists were treated!) and her ankles were so swollen she couldn't get her nice, strappy sandals on. She was pretty miserable; such a happy memory!
So happy birthday to me! Not all is awful as I've already had many nice wishes for best returns of the day and there's an evil, store bought birthday cake with, yes!, FROSTING!!

 And Bob's creating a magical garden gate for me and I bought a bunch of marked-down plants at a nursery the other day, and I've been to see the ponies recently so I can't complain.

(Yes, my lower leg should be further back but probably no one but me and my riding instructor would notice that!) That's Candy the Quarter Pony. See? I even get pony rides for my birthday. Now onto that cake and ice cream and party hats...