We went to town this afternoon, & when we came home, the girls were out again..............!!!! Me thinks one or the other has figured out how to flip the gate latch & open it. We haven't had to put clips on the gates since Chili went to his new home. John rounded them up & unlike last night, they cooperated & headed for the pen. They probably figured they might as well, since they are getting so good at opening the gate. Wait till they run into the clip, Chili never figured it out, & I would match his determination again anyone.

John finally started feeding the new hay today. It really is pretty hay, even has a little bit of oats in it. When I had it analyzed, it tested very low sugar & starch which is great. It seems to be a hit with the herd, which is good, since we have a lot of it.............!!!

A HOT INTERESTING DAY.............!!!!

The temperature in Benson today was 101* at about 1pm, when we drove by the Chamber of Commerce. I'm sure before the day was over it was a couple of degrees warmer. I don't mind the heat, BUT, I really dislike the humidity this time of year, especially if we don't get the payoff of some rain. We got a few drops today, what we call a 2 foot rain, about 2 feet between drops.

This morning Georgette came out to visit with Sha'ba. She came out on a tour about 3 years ago, & Sha'ba touched her heart & she has stayed in contact ever since. She brought him a new fly mask, guess the last time she was here, the mask he was wearing looked pretty ratty. She brushed him & loved on him, & I think he really enjoyed it. At least he didn't butt her like a billy goat, which is what he usually does to me.

This afternoon we went into Benson to my Mother's place. Years ago John put a 250 gallon stock tank in the ground for Mother to use as a fish pond. She got some little goldfish from a friend, dumped them in & over the years they have grown into foot long beautiful fish some with veil tails, really pretty. Earlier this month her electricity went off during the night & by the time she got in touch with us & John drove in 7 of her larger fish died. They needed more oxygen than the water was carrying I guess without the pumps running. So Mother decided she wanted to get rid of the rest of them. One of her neighbors has some friends in Tucson that have an 1,100 gallon pond in their back yard. So we went in to help catch the fish. Boy was that fun, even though we had 2 large nets, the water was murky from us stirring it up, & they were very quick. I finally took off my shoes & climbed in. First thing I figured out was the bottom was extremely slimy. So slimy that I couldn't move my feet without danger of sliding around on my keister. The man would say "there is one behind you"..............right......there was no way I could turn around & catch one. Mother had said she thought there was 11. We caught 15, which made for a pretty full ice chest. They had a pump to pump air into the water & also put ice in the water. They brought fish from Kansas when they moved out here years ago, with the same setup & said they got along just fine. I'm glad someone got them that will enjoy them.

When we came home from the fishing trip, the first thing we noticed when we drove in, was Daisy under the big mesquite & Frijolita over by Max's pen. Hmmmmm.......!!! Neither of these areas are near the pen we left them in let alone IN that pen...........!!!! The gate was wide open & we have no idea how it got that way. I've never seen either of them messing with the gate, so I assume it got left unlatched this morning & they figured it out. It was only about an hour till feeding time, so we let them enjoy their freedom till roundup time. John came in the feed room & said he needed my help, they weren't interested in going in the pen. Surprise, Surprise......!!!! (G) I went out to Frijolita, pointed & said GIT.....!!!! She took off towards the pen, tried to detour, I yelled at her, & she took off at a trot right in the pen. John said he had her at the gate 3 times & she took off. Like I told him, she doesn't recognize him as the boss, he's just the hired help...........!!! I got a dirty look for that observation.........!!! Daisy wasn't interested in going on her own, she was too busy sniffing out mesquite beans. I got a little rebellion when I put the halter on her, but she finally decided the jig was up, & followed along to the pen like a little lady.

Tonight when we fed, Cisco choked. We've had a lot of trouble with choke this year for some reason. I've about decided to not feed pellets anymore. The vet told us every choke she has ever cleared has been on pellets. I will try soaking them into a mush & feeding them that way, rather than adding dry pellets to the mush, & see how that goes.

This is not donkey information, but is something that was sent to me, & really caught my attention. This is just part of the article, but it gives enough information to lead me to believe they should be paying more taxes.


Tax Haven
Arizona racing operations like Tucson Greyhound Park enjoy 15 years of subsidies
by Tim Vanderpool




* Susan Via: "I'm not sure that encouraging more gambling is a great idea in a time of economic collapse and hardship. And I'm not sure that subsidizing a dying recreational industry is where Arizona wants to go."

Few things have dodged the budgetary ax this year, as conservative Republicans milk a rare opportunity to gut the social contract; everything from education to prenatal care has been on the block.

But somehow, one local welfare project seems to have avoided this fiscal bloodbath.

For nearly 15 years, Tucson Greyhound Park and other Arizona racing facilities have gotten an almost-free tax ride, thanks to the generous citizens of our fair state. This largesse dates back to 1994, when American Indian casino gaming began eating into profits at Arizona's dog and horse tracks. As a hedge against further losses, lawmakers created a tax exemption for simulcast-race wagering, allowed the tracks special deductions for capital improvements and instituted a "hardship tax credit," which often allows them to avoid paying any taxes at all.

Opponents of greyhound racing don't think these tracks deserve any breaks whatsoever—especially when crashing state tax revenues threaten vital services. "It's outrageous," says Joan Eidinger, publisher of the Phoenix-based Greyhound Network News. "We're closing schools, and the taxpayers are subsidizing this?"

According to the Arizona Department of Racing, in fiscal year 1995—the last year before the subsidies took effect—the state received nearly $9 million in revenues from horse and dog tracks. In 2008, because of the exemptions, that sum shrank to about $430,000. A 2007 review by the Arizona Office of the Auditor General revealed that exemptions and tax credits for the racing industry cost the state $44 million in revenues between 2001 and 2006.

In fiscal 2008, according to the Department of Racing, Tucson Greyhound Park pulled in a cool $16.2 million in wagers, and kept $3.4 million of that—while paying nothing in parimutuel betting taxes.

A call to park manager Tom Taylor for comment was not returned. But Susan Via has plenty to say about TGP's free ride. She heads Tucson Dog Protection, which last year spearheaded a South Tucson ordinance to improve the treatment of dogs kenneled at the park. Via says these tax credits and exemptions simply prop up a fading sport.

"If the voters are really concerned about raising adequate revenue for the state of Arizona, stop giving breaks to this industry," she says. "Make them pay their fare share on simulcasting. That's three-fourths of their revenue, and they pay zero taxes on it."

LUCY BEING A BAD GIRL

This is the 3rd time in recent history I've caught Lucy Girl on the courtyard & I love it. A few months ago she would not have made the effort. Now it seems whenever we forget to close the gate, she likes to come on the courtyard & chew on the poor little mesquite tree we planted to make shade. It never has grown very fast & her gnawing on it certainly doesn't help.

All of the donkeys know they aren't suppose to be on the courtyard, gate open or not. Most of them, when caught will start trying to get out as soon as possible. I'm always afraid they might slip on the saltillo tile, so we don't chase them although we do encourage them with harsh words. Harsh words do not bother Lucy at all, she also doesn't lead unless you are going where she wants to go. In this case she wasn't interested in leaving just yet. I finally picked up a little hand rake, & started tapping her on the butt. It took long enough that I don't think my tapping had much to do with her leaving, I think she thought it was time to go see what Buster was doing. Buster is one that starts scrambling if you catch him. Usually they are joined at the hip, but for some reason he was off somewhere else.

We've had some wind which of course blows down the mesquite beans. Sometimes it's almost impossible to get them rounded up to eat hay, they'd prefer to stay out & eats beans. John checked Burroland to see if the cattle had found the gate. So far they haven't, & he said there are beans on the ground everywhere over there.

Flies are really bad right now. Even though we use the fly predators, fly traps & fly masks, there are still plenty of them around. I hung a new fly trap yesterday morning & by evening feeding time there was a layer of flies in it about 1 1/2 inches deep. I figure each fly I catch is one less to bother the animals or reproduce.............!!

This letter was sent to a friend that shared it with me. It's good to know that the state is working on animal issues & while they do get laws passed, there are always more laws to work on. Let your representatives know you appreciate their efforts or give them a wake up call if they aren't on the right side of an issue.

Arizona 2009 Legislative Session a Victory for Animals

The Arizona Legislature adjourned earlier this month after a long session focused mostly on budget issues. Though non-budget bills were put on the back burner, we worked with a coalition of groups to fight hard and were successful in pushing major animal protection reforms over the finish line on the last day of the session.

Animal Fighting, Kennel Inspections, and Horse Tripping
Legislation to strengthen the law against animal fighting, S.B. 1115, passed both chambers overwhelmingly (28 to 1 in the Senate and 53 to 1 in the House.) This bill expands the current dogfighting statutes to prohibit the intentional, staged fighting of any species of animal -- which effectively bans the cruel practice of hog-dog fighting in Arizona. In addition to animal fighting, this bill also creates a procedure that will allow for kennel inspections by the county enforcement agent, as well as bans an inhumane rodeo practice known as "horse tripping," which is roping the legs of a galloping horse. (This cruel practice is already banned by the Professional Rodeo Cowboys Association and the American Quarter Horse Association.)

Passage of this bill was an incredible community effort. See how your legislators voted on this bill by clicking here for the Senate Votes and here for the House votes.

Release from Shelters
The second bill the legislature passed, H.B. 2458, involves the release of dogs and cats from animal shelters. This legislation requires shelters to spay/neuter and microchip unlicensed dogs and cats who have been impounded, as well as dogs and cats who have bitten a person, before the shelter releases the animal to the owner. A person who wishes to forgo the spay/neuter requirement is required to pay a fee. This legislation also passed both chambers by wide margins. See how your legislators voted on this bill by clicking here for the Senate Votes and here for the House votes.

We are grateful to Governor Brewer, our lawmakers, and bill sponsors for their action on these bills. Please take a moment to let the supportive legislators and Governor Brewer know you appreciate their support on these animal-friendly bills. If you do not know who your two state Representatives and one state Senator are, click here. Use the following links to find contact info: House Members, Senate Members, Governor Brewer

Bad Legislation that Failed
Fortunately, the legislature adjourned without passing two other bills that would have set our fight back -- S.C.M. 1001, which would have urged the state to oppose federal legislation banning horse slaughter, and S.C.R. 1009, which would have allowed the legislature to suspend the Voter Protection Act in times of “budget deficit." Both bills could be reconsidered next year, and we will continue to fight against efforts that would promote horse slaughter or weaken the initiative process in Arizona.

Other Animal Protection Measures Considered
In addition to these major issues, the Arizona Legislature considered other important animal protection bills. One of those bills would have included pets in domestic violence protection orders; however it was not heard in committee due to the hectic scramble to get bills through at the end of the session.

We made significant and meaningful progress for animals in Arizona this year. We are committed to continuing the fight in 2010, and look forward to more successes next session. Help us grow our grassroots network of dedicated animal advocates by inviting your friends to join our online community. The more advocates we have working to pass animal protection legislation, the more victories we can secure for animals.

Thank you for all you do for animals.

Sincerely,

Mike Markarian
Executive Vice President and Chief Operating Officer
The Humane Society of the United States

LIFE GOES ON........!!!!

Although I don't think our 3 "chubbies" are too thrilled with being in prison, they actually haven't been too upset. They do yell when we walk towards the pens though. Well, Buddy does, the girls just stand at the gate looking hopeful. The girls also will push the gate, & Daisy will push on us with her nose. I was afraid they would get really hungry, since they are just getting 1% of their body weight in hay, plus a small amount of soaked beet pulp & Lakin Lite pellets. But so far, getting out seems to be their primary goal, not getting more food to eat.

We have been using the small opening hay nets to feed them the last few days. I guess donkeys are smarter than horses, it took Buddy less than a minute to figure out how to push down on the nets & force the hay out of the holes. The girls took a little longer maybe 5 minutes. They spent the first 4 minutes looking at us like, "you have GOT to be kidding just feed us, don't turn it into some sort of silly human game." Once we walked away, they went over & got to eating. I can't tell that it takes them much longer to eat their paltry little bit of hay than it usually does. But John & I get the exercise of trying to stuff the hay into the nets, which I guess comes under the heading of entertainment for us........!!! (G)

Frijolita is back to walking without limping or jerking her hind legs when she walks. Dr. Weaver & I played phone tag for a couple of days & I never got to actually talk to him, before she "healed" herself. I wonder if she maybe pinched a nerve or something like that?

Haven't checked Burroland to see if the cows have found the open gates. It usually takes them a few days. We're checking poo every morning to see if someone is eating too many beans. So far Jenny big girl, & Buster Brown are probably going to be the next ones to go into prison. Buster has never had any problems with weight or laminitis, so I hate to lock him up. Jenny of course has ongoing problems with her feet, I check them every day for heat, so far she seems to be doing just fine.

Courtney is coming to tomorrow to trim & Martha is coming to massage Max & Chester. She hasn't seen Chester in quite awhile, & I'm anxious to see her face when she sees how well he is walking, almost no limp at all. He started getting better when she started massaging him, a few months ago.

THE FAT FARM IS IN OPERATION..............!!!

As of yesterday, Buddy Brat, Daisy & Frijolita are in the Fat Farm for the duration of mesquite bean season. They seem to think we have absolutely lost our minds, & don't realize the gates are closed & they can't get out. So everytime we go out the door, they TELL us & tell us, & tell us some more. There will be others going in I'm sure, but these 3 were already overweight, & their poo was more beans than anything else. My fancy small opening hay nets are suppose to get here Tuesday, so we'll see how those work out. I have a feeling they aren't going to be very well received, but hopefully it will slow down their eating, so they have to "graze" all day.

Dr. Weaver was here Friday & worked on Frijolita. Last night she was 3 legged lame on the right rear & doing her string halt high step with both hind legs. She was fine in the morning, so I don't think it has anything to do with her acupuncture treatment. I checked her leg from hip to hoof, & she doesn't react to being poked & prodded, so I don't know what's going on. I'll call Dr. Weaver in the morning & see what he thinks.

This morning John opened the outside gates to Burroland & put salt in the gate openings to get the cows attention. He said he saw cow tracks around, so hopefully they will find the new territory quick & get those beans eaten. In the process he found Justin's fly mask that had been missing for over a month. We had looked & looked for it, but it took driving the golf cart down to open the gate to Burroland, to find it. It was hanging on the outside fence, Justin had probably reached thru to snag a tasty morsel & left his mask behind.

UPDATE ON THE DAY...............!!!

Tonight when we started rounding up for feeding, John noticed Justin was on the wrong side of the fence. Where the fence goes across the big wash, is a little creative because when the wash runs it takes out fence posts, etc. John built the fence so that it will kick out rather than burying the posts. All that does is get the posts bent when the water & everything else comes crashing down the wash. When John noticed Justin he went over to the fence & tried to coax the little escape artist back on our side. Rather than come to John & go thru where John was holding up the fence, Justin made the mistake of going to where he went under the fence & coming back that way. Made it real easy for John to figure out where he needed to string another piece of wire. He found out the bottom wire was smooth wire, so it's a wonder they haven't gotten out before. Now it's barbed wire, so that should slow Justin & his " little friends" down for awhile.

It looks like Burroland will be closed as of today. We had a wind storm right before dark, & it started raining mesquite bean pods all over the place. In fact the 4 that don't go in pens to eat, left their hay & headed for the big trees. Tomorrow we'll open the gates & put salt out to get the range cows to go into Burroland & clean up the beans. I just hope the donkeys show some constraint about the beans available around the house, or they'll have to stay in pens for awhile. I've ordered some special hay nets with very small openings in the mesh, to put their hay in while they are staying in the corrals. It's suppose to be a great way to make them take a long time to eat their hay, rather than grabbing great big mouthfuls & being done in an hour or so. I hope they are a bigger hit than the wading pool was for the dogs. I figured it was so hot the dogs would be thrilled with a pool of their own. NOT! Only if I get in first.......!!! I'm not swimming in the pool, & I'm not eating hay out of the nets to show how much fun it is................!!!!

IT'S HOT, HOT, HOT..............!!!!!

Hot & humid, with very little rain to show for it. I feel sorry for the gang when it's hot & humid like this. Although they always have access to shade, it's still HOT..........!!!!!

Everyone is doing pretty good right now, although they aren't eating much hay or beet pulp mush. It seems that the mesquite beans are really getting ripe & they are like kids in a candy store. We keep threatening to close Burroland for the duration & throw the ones that need it, such as Frijolita, Daisy & Buddy Brat into pens until all the beans are gone on the 10 acres. But they so enjoy being out & going to Burroland, every night we give in & open the gate. The only one that really has too many beans in poo is Jenny, big girl the mammoth. She really is eating too many & looks at her hay like it's not real food. Pepper looks at his hay the same way, but if we let him out into Jenny's pen, her hay tastes great......!!!

Dr. Weaver came today to acupuncture Max & Frijolita. He said Max's hips are much more level & Max actually seemed to enjoy the process today. When Dr. Weaver came the first time, Max didn't know what was going on, which makes him very nervous. We were afraid he was going to fall down, trying to back away. But he stood real good today. Frijolita very rarely jerks her hind legs anymore & if she does it's very mild. So I would say the acupuncture is helping both of them. I think Max still has nerve damage, & doesn't always know where his rear legs are, but hopefully with the passage of time he will be able to gain more control over them, in spite of the nerve problems.

I had a lot of fun Saturday getting into a race car again. Even got slammed on my side of the car. We always said "Dirt racing is a contact sport", so even that was fun........!!! In the main event Will rolled the car. That would have been a new experience, I've never rolled one, although I have climbed a few walls............!!! (G) I can imagine the trouble that would have caused if we'd rolled with me in the car. They might have stopped letting passengers ride, so although I would have liked to see what it's like to roll, I'm glad I wasn't in the car.

Getting in the car brought back memories, so I went thru some old pictures. The picture above is a little dated, considering our son Rod will be 45 years old in November........!!!! The fender behind us was the race car at that time, happened to be a 1955 or 1956 Chevy.

Fast forward a few years, by this time Rod was a teenager & we were still slopping around in the mud when we got the chance. At this time we had downsized to a VW from the old Chevys. I don't think it matters what you race, it's all relative, when all the cars are going the same speed. The little thing was quite competitive & John & I both had a lot of fun in it.

Now we're back to racing the big cars again.

So much for memories...............

The well is now working like it should, although the water isn't real clear yet. They had to break all the calcium deposits loose & the well guy said it will take a few days for everything to settle back down. We've got a lot more pressure & can actually run 2 hoses at one time again, should have done it months ago I guess.

I think Jack the mule got bit in the mouth by a bee a couple of days ago. The bees are really bad right now, they are at all the water buckets all day long. Jack was real protective of his head & wouldn't take a treat. He also wasn't finishing his mush, which is very unusual for him. Food makes his world go around. This morning he was back to his old self. I had planned on calling the vet today, if he wasn't better.

Jenny is trying to grow proud flesh on a split in one of her hooves. Her feet had been real good for quite some time, but a few weeks ago, she developed a split running down from the top. Right now the "blob" is very small & I've started treating it with Equaide, hopefully it won't have to be cut off. I have no idea what what caused her hoof to crack again. It's no where near as bad as it was when she came, it just a plain old split. But I thought we were past splitting, she had been doing so good & her feet were looking great...! They still look good, except one has a split in it. Hopefully it will grow out without leaving a damaged area on the coronet. Lucy has a lot of damage to her coronets & her hooves grow lumps & bumps & all sorts of strange ways.

This is Pepsi, & Chester checking out the roof off the well house, & Lynn standing in the shade. Our well has been in operation since 1990 & had started losing some pressure. So it was time to have the pump pulled & clean out the calcium deposits that were blocking the holes in the pipe. The well guy brought us a 300 gallon tank we filled up at the neighbors, so we could fill water buckets, etc.

John used the bobcat to tear the roof off. When it came off it took limbs off the nearest mesquite with it. Guess what was on the limbs.........mesquite beans.......!!! That's what the boys are doing, vacuuming up beans as fast as they can. I looked out one time & there were 4 donkeys eating beans, & John said Pepsi was hidden between the roof & the well house. Sometimes it's convenient to be small I guess.

Notice I said John tore the roof off, it didn't exactly come off in one piece. It seems he had some hidden hurricane straps that he forgot to undo, & the bobcat had enough power to press on with the job. He hasn't decided whether to rebuild the roof or start from scratch & build a new one. It was 105 degrees here yesterday & suppose to be the same or hotter today. If that keeps up I would imagine he will do as little as possible to get the roof back on. It's just too hot outside to be doing anything you don't have to do.

We'll be feeding early today, our cars aren't racing, but John helps a friend in the pits with his factory stock, & I'm too nosy to miss anything. Actually tonight I will be riding "shotgun" in one of the little 4 cylinder cars they call hornets, in the heat race. Some of the hornet guys have put an extra seat in their race car for passengers. And one of the guys said I could ride. Yippee! It's been 29 years since I raced, I don't even know if I remember how to get in one.......!!! (G) You have to climb in the window & I'm not sure my creaky old body will bend that way anymore. I'm going to tell the guy to "run like he stole it" & think of me as ballast. In other words I don't want him to worry about me while he's racing.

MESQUITE SEASON IS HERE..........!!!

Last night the rebellion started when it was time for evening feeding. We got some wind in late afternoon & the little "hoovers" were vaccuming as fast as they could as the ripe beans started falling. John had to take a switch to Jenny to even get her to move. He also used a halter on some of them. They weren't the least bit interested in cooperating.

This morning the rebellion continues, which isn't good. So many of our guys have insulin resistance & none of them need the extra calories either. So from now on we will do "poo 101" during pen cleaning in the morning. As the beans take over the poo, individuals will start going into pens at night. If they manage to eat too many beans during the day, they will have to stay in until the bean season is over. They will all be restricted from Burroland as soon as the beans start showing up regularly in poo, which probably will be within days. But it's a fine line to straddle for us, because if we keep them off the beans completely, the beans will still be on the ground when we do let them out. Thankfully after they lay on the ground for awhile, the donkeys won't eat them. We'll open the gates to Burroland, & encourage the range cattle to "come on in", by putting salt by the open gate. It usually doesn't take them but a few days to find the salt & start wandering around.

Yesterday when John was trying to be in control, he was down to Tula & Chester. They were over on the other side of the wash that runs across our property. John got behind them & they took off for the other side of the wash. Chester actually jumped off the bank of the wash about 18-24 inches, landing on both front feet equally in loose gravel. Didn't even faze him or slow him down. He wouldn't recuperate from a bowed tendon this quick, so now I'm wondering if he had a bowed tendon in that leg before we got him, & just tweaked it a little the other day. There is thickening on the back of the cannon gone, & I just assumed it was a new problem. I never checked that leg out because I spent so much time with the other one, so there's no way of knowing. But except for a slight lameness, he seems to be sound. The hoof on his bad leg is contracted. Courtney thinks she can work on it & get it to widen out. The other day when she trimmed, I picked up the part she trimmed off him, & thought it was one of the mini hooves, it looked so small.

This morning when John rounded up the gang for breakfast, there were 5 holdouts that stayed hidden on Burroland. This is 2 of them, Frijolita & Jenny. Also involved were Tula, the ringleader, Chester her paramour & a surprise rebel, Daisy.........!!!! She is always the first one to greet John every morning, at least up until this morning. I guess she's found out following Tula is a lot more fun than being predictable.....!!! (G) We went ahead & fed the ones we had & then went over on Burroland to find them. I went one way, John went the other & of course he found them. He said he tracked them, since it rained last night & the ground was soft. I'm not that smart, I just go out & tromp around till I flush them out of the brush. When I caught up, he was following along behind them at a slow meandering walk. I told him they needed to be cranked up rather than just being allowed to do it their way. I took over & we went thru the gate at a decent trot. I would have made them run, but it's hot & humid & I couldn't move that fast....!!! If I have to get involved it's going to be on my terms, not theirs............. (G)

Monday night John had gone out to let them out at bedtime, & I was nodding off in the recliner, when all of a sudden I heard what sounded like a bomb going off in the kitchen. I figured Moogee the cat had climbed something & knocked it down, although it was a lot louder than her usual OOPS! The kitchen looked fine, so I went back to the pantry..........!! YIKES! Do you have any idea what an 8 x 14 foot pantry looks like, when a gallon can of apples has exploded? I didn't before, but I do now, & it's not pretty. The floor, the walls, the shelves, all the stuff on the shelves, our coats leftover from winter, & I hate to go back to it, but the floor. There was no place to walk or stand without "getting involved". John was amazed & quite impressed when he came in. He said we'll clean it up in the morning, so I had to explain to him what a exploding gallon of apples with sugar would be like after sitting for a few hours. Three hours later we finally got to bed, & yesterday was spent continuing cleaning, sanding the shelves & putting eurathane or however you spell it on them. That little step got neglected when we originally put them up. Now we know why it's important to have the wood sealed. Right now it's pretty humid, so it's going to take a few days to get 2 or 3 coats on & get them dried enough to put cans, etc on them. I had been talking about cleaning out the pantry & getting rid of outdated stuff, should have followed thru, I guess.

Yesterday I finally got Daisy's legs clipped. It's been hot & humid & she was also picking up a lot of sticks & junk that had to be picked out. So it was time, even if she was cute with her "pantaloons" on. Here she is on the left with her friend Frijolita, waiting for breakfast to be served this morning. I found out clipping legs with large clippers is quite an operation. I tried using my little Wahl clippers, but they weren't up to the job. Her hair has the exact texture of cotton candy, fluffy & lots of it. The little clippers are for clipping around wounds or something like that, not industrial strength hair removal. So I used the big clippers to get off most of the hair, & used the Wahl to touch-up. She was very good & stood patiently for the whole process. I can think of some of the others that would have let me know in no uncertain terms that clipping was NOT what they had planned for the day. Probably Frijolita for one, she doesn't even like to be brushed............!!!!! (G)

Chester has done very good with his bowed tendon. I let him out this morning, after explaining to him that I expected him to be careful, unless he wanted to have to stay in the pen again. I watched him for awhile & he was using that leg just fine, not favoring it at all. It's a little hard to figure him out, since he's already lame on the other side. He could end up in a situation where, because of lameness on one side & bowed tendon the other, he would look like he was walking without favoring either one, while actually favoring both of them.

I've had to do something I never thought would happen, Jack the mule is now on a diet. Jack doesn't have very many teeth, & has quidded hay for years. Since he really doesn't chew hay, he gets a wet mash of soaked beet pulp, timothy pellets, & Lakin Lite a hay pellet made in Arizona. He at one time was really thin, so I've been feeding him about as much as he will eat. The other day I noticed he has no ribs showing & some very round little cheeks, & they aren't on his face. So the days of unlimited mash are over, at least for now.

Last night when everyone started wandering in for supper, I noticed that Chester was favoring his "good" front leg. Once he was in the pen, I checked him out & felt a swollen area on the back of the canon (shin) bone. Just what he doesn't need, a bowed tendon. No telling what he did, but obviously he mis-stepped while out roaming around with the herd. I got the polo wraps & a gel pak out of the freezer to wrap it. To say he wasn't impressed is an understatement. Had to tie him up short. One good thing about him, if you tie him up he usually gives up. I also gave him some bute for inflammation & pain. Kept it wrapped until bedtime, & of course he had to stay in for the night, which we heard about all thru the night. This morning he's actually walking pretty good & is standing around with weight on it. I wrapped it with the gel pak again & will leave it on until it loses it "cool", probably a couple of hours. We'll be car racing tonight & tomorrow night, so everyone will have to be in the pens more than usual. I'm sure he will enjoy the company. Not sure how long I'll keep him in. If you read the "rules" for treating a bowed tendon, they say months of stall rest. That's for horses that are going to be worked. All he has to do is walk around & be comfortable, none of that work stuff.

A few years ago the neighbor's dogs chased Belle & one of the other jennies during the night. The other jenny came in with cuts all over her where she had ran thru the trees. Belle came in with bowed tendons in both front legs. She could just barely walk. I kept her in for a few days & she spent most of the time laying down. Courtney came out to trim, & said since they are a flight animal that they might do better with exercise. We let her go out, she did very well & I don't remember her being lame for very long. So I guess I'll have to try to figure out what will be best for him. I certainly don't want him to have long term problems with his good leg, although he is walking very good on the crippled one these days with barely a discernable limp.

HAPPINESS IS A FULL HAY BARN,,,,,!!!

Well, it looks like we're ready to feed for another year. This is a double semi load, like you see going down the highway a lot this time of year & lasts us just about a year or a little longer. We've still got about 15 bales leftover, that the guys will have to eat before they start on the new stuff. I wasn't here when they got thru unloading, but John said when he let the donkeys out of their pens, they headed straight for the hay barn to see what had happened, & probably to see if there was anyway for them to participate. By that time John had the panels back up, much to their disgust.

Right now the mesquite beans are still green, although they are starting to ripen. Everyone is eating the green ones they can reach, right now which I'm not really worried about. When they ripen the sugar will be a lot higher, & some of the ones that are more inclined to foundering because of insulin resistance, will have to stay in pens. We will also shut off Burroland, & open it up so the range cattle can go in & eat the beans over there. A few of them like Pepper & Buddy will have to stay in the pens, because there is plenty of beans even with Burroland unaccessible. We watch the poo & if someone starts having more beans than hay in their poo, they'll have to be penned. Unfortunately Pepper really needs to move around as much as possible because of his arthritis & whatever is wrong with his hip. We'll just have to deal with it when the time comes, because he can't have another bout of laminitis, i.e. founder.

Courtney got out to trim Monday. We had quite a list this time, including her 3 little minis. They hadn't been trimmed since they came quite awhile ago, & were starting to get a little long. She said they would probably chip off if we get some rain, but went ahead & ruined their day. They very rarely have to do anything they don't want to do, & that is usually only herding, NOT, putting on a halter & lead rope, & having to stand still. They actually did good after getting the halter on, that was the hard part......!!! (G)