WASH RAN, BIG TIME.........!!!

Philmont Ranch, Cimmaron, New Mexico

Bank to bank............  We had a "real" monsoon rain yesterday afternoon.  Our back wall around the yard is about 30 feet or so from the house.  At the worst of the rain, we couldn't see the wall, it looked like some of the rain storms in the tropics I think it's called sheet rain. 

The wash ran for about 1 1/2 hours, which was getting us worried.  We had to feed later than we had planned because of the rain and then the wash running just added to the problem of us meeting friends to drive to the track with.  Our wash crosses the main road 7 times between here and civilization.  If our wash is running it is also running across the main road with the accompanying rocks, sticks, downed trees, and assorted car and house trash people have thrown into "their" wash.  We called our friends and told them if we had to take the bronco to get out rather than the van, they would have to drive.  The bronco on the highway is not fast enough to keep up with traffic.  We got a late start, the road wasn't too bad, although John had to pick his way thru the debris left behind.

Got to the track and it was sprinkling and they were trying to dry the track.  Finally got it dry got some of the race cars out to hot lap, and it started sprinkling again.  One thing about asphalt, if it's raining, they DON"T race, too slick and they wreck.  Dirt, not so much you can race as long as the spectators are crazy enough to sit in the bleachers.....!!! LOL

When we got there they had a lot of the race cars lined up behind the bleachers so the fans could "meet and greet" the driver's and see the cars up close.  Rod had his out there, so we hung around with him for awhile.  Saw a lot of spectators from the dirt track, saw drivers that had left the dirt track and are now driving asphalt and saw a lot of fans from the dirt track.  It always amazing to me that people recognize me, our track doesn't do meet and greet, so unless you actually know the drivers, anybody could be in that car and you wouldn't know them.  Not too long ago I was in the bathroom on the spectator side and a woman came up and wanted to hug me. 

We knew before we left that John was going to have to fix fences when we got home.  When the wash runs it usually damages the fence where it comes on the property and where it goes off the 10 acres into Burroland.  The donkeys don't look for places to get out, but would certainly take advantage of the fence being down.  Didn't have a chance to check the fence where the wash goes out of Burroland, so the donkeys were on just the 10 acres till this morning.  

When we came home I held the flashlight while John untangled tree stumps and huge limbs from the barbed wire.  I was standing about 4 feet from the fence on one side, he was on the other side working on a big stump.  all of a sudden the wire came loose from the stump and "pinged" towards me complete with T-post.  Caught me in the ribs, not hard enough to knock me down, but enough to remind me of why we never try to work together.  LOL

Molly's feet

We're still working on Molly's feet every morning & she's still snapping those feet to attention when asked.  Animal Crackers are the answer to the world's problems I guess, at least she thinks so....!!! 

 

Her feet are all nice & dry, although I have to pick them out every morning, she keeps everything she steps on, it looks like.  One of the rear ones had a flap of frog that was holding in moisture.  I could count the times I've tried to use a hoof knife on one hand.  I don't  have the strength in my wrists to use one effectively & I've also never learned how to sharpen one.  

 

 I finally managed to get the flap "gnawed" off.  She was such a good little girl, just stood there with her foot in the air.  I finally got the piece off, but not because I knew what I was doing.  Actually that's not true, I knew what I wanted to do, just didn't have the expertise. 

 

My order from Valley Vet came yesterday, so I now have No Thrush powder.  This is the first powder thrush treatment I've seen.  Most thrush medicine is liquid or a gel, which of course adds more moisture to a situation caused by trapped moisture.  Right now Molly's feet are all dry, so I think I'll just continue with my apple cider vinegar, or just pick out her feet once a day.  If they are dry shouldn't even need the vinegar probably. 

 

John had a jeep tour yesterday so I did evening chores by myself.  Not a problem except Red was an unknown entity as far as going back in her pen.  She had only done it once, & that was for John, not me.  She stood around, watched everyone else going in their pens, & when the time came, followed me into her pen, like she had done it for years.  She's really a nice mule, & seems to be settling in just fine. 

 

Tomorrow is the last day for Cheyenne's Naxcel shots.  I'll be glad & I know she will be.  So far there is no new discharge,  hopefully this will take care of the uterine strep infection.  If not, we'll have to do it again.

 

 

Racing tonight, in fact not only am I racing, my son is going to have his Super Stock out & hopefully my grandson J.R. will have his.  Last I heard they were working like ants trying to get it put back together.  He hasn't raced it in about a year, & since his Dad's car takes the same parts, parts had been cannibalized to keep Rod's car on the track.  It's never a good idea to let a race car sit for long, with good useable parts on it, because they will disappear........!!!! LOL

 

 

Five Generations

Good grief, we need to get together & take a better picture before Hunter gets grown.  Cut off part of Mother & JR is looking down at Hunter, & his hat hides his face.  There's my "little" boy Rod, that weighed 4# 1 1/2oz when he was born, he's grown a little over the years........!!!! I just got this off his Facebook page.  I also got this picture of a "real" race car.  

This is a 1977 Oldsmobile from years gone by.  I actually drove this car out here one time.  One of the pleasures of living out in the boonies, you can have a lot of fun & not get caught.....!!!! LOL

Rod's Facebook Page:    If you would like to see some of the other race cars.  The black & white car is our grandson JR's.  I need to send Rod a picture of our first car from 1969.  It was a 1957 Chevy that got rather badly abused, couldn't even recognize it by the end of the season it was on it's top more than the wheels, I think.....!!!! 

All the donkeys are doing pretty good right now.  Rusty has settled down to being the only mule, although I know he would like a buddy.  I'm still holding off on getting in touch with some of the other rescues to see if they have a likely candidate.  I'm sure there is one out there that really could use a new home.  

Jenny is not putting much weight on her bad foot, but it does seem to be drier & the proud flesh isn't getting any worse.  Courtney is suppose to come out Wed to trim & the vet is coming out Friday to evaluate.  I wish she would cut the proud flesh off, if nothing else it's interfering with soaking & anything else I might want to do & is in the way of any new hoof growth. 

I doubt that I'm going to be very "talkative" the next few days.  John left for Indiana yesterday afternoon, so it's just me until Friday afternoon.  Explaining this lack of personnel to the donkeys hasn't gone well so far.  John just lets them wander in at feeding time.  I think they should show up, get in their pens & wait for me to show up with the piece of carrot.  It usually takes me 2 or 3 days to get my point across, since John is coming home Friday, it won't be worth it for me to have a tantrum over going in pens..............SIGH.......!!!!  I started at 4:30 last night got in the house at 8:15............!!  This morning went about the same but Lysa was here to help & pick up poo, so it only took about 3 hours........!!! LOL  Usually tomorrow wouldn't be a regular day for Lysa, but she's going to come in the morning anyway, bless her heart.  

What really gets me going, for instance, this morning when I got up there were donkeys & mules everywhere around the house.  I went out to feed the birds & got brayed at, & once they saw movement at the house, they started moving closer.  LIFE IS GOOD.....!!!  Went out to the feed room, had to work my way thru the gaggle of equine, went in to cut up carrots, came out & there wasn't a donkey or mule in sight.  WHERE DID THEY GO..........????  I didn't really have time to go looking for them, so I fed the chickens & mixed up the feed.  They finally started wandering in, well except for Ruger, Ruthie & Boaz, they come in like they are escaping from a fire & get right in your face, they haven't trampled me yet, but the thought has crossed my mind........!!!  Actually they are very good, about slamming on the brakes before they bowl you over..........!!! LOL

We have a new visitor, Eeyore came in Sunday.  He was a rescue last year up in Phoenix & our neighbor's offered to take him.  But they are moving to Colorado, this summer & right now are visiting family in Ohio.  It's easier to take care of him here than have to go to their place, so he "visiting".  We haven't talked about if he is going to go back home until they move or not, we'll just have to see how it goes.  

He's blind in one eye & about 32 years old.  He's a typical mule I guess.  If they don't know you, you have no right to touch, look or talk to them.  He won't take treats, in fact he hasn't eaten enough to keep a bird alive since he's been here.  Vic said he goes thru spells of not eating.  Usually I'd let him out on the property & he could eat wild food if he wanted to.  But until John gets back he'll stay in a pen.  Vic said the only way he can catch him if he's out is to rope him..........!!!  I'm not a roper, so for now he'll stay in a pen.  I even bought a bale of alfalfa yesterday to entice him.  He just looked at me like he knew what bribery is, & isn't going to play the game.........!!!! 

Unfortunately, the race track has more problems than just the ones we saw last Saturday I guess.  As of now, they have closed down the track for the rest of the year.  They are blaming the racers for not appreciating having a local track to race at.  I would imagine once the manager left last week, they didn't have the people to keep it operating.  We heard that a lot of the workers left when he left.  Dang......... I was in 5th place for end of the year points in the Hornet division.  My goal this year was to finish better than last year's 6th place finish.  Guess I did that, but I really expected a little longer season........!!!

Talked to our son last night & we'll be going up to ET Raceway the 26th of May, with his Super Stock.  A couple of the other local racers are going too, so it should be fun.  Just wish it was closer, it's 200 miles up there, which makes for a long night.  Rod said he could build me a Bomber if I wanted to race up there.  I told him by the time we rushed around & fed the donkeys, drove 200 miles, raced, drove 200 miles home & fed donkeys after a couple of hours sleep, I probably wouldn't be having much fun.........!!!  They don't race the Hornets, so it would either be Bombers, which basically is knock out the glass & put in a couple of pipe bars in the driver's door.  Or Dirt Dolls, which is like Powder Puff, in Bombers.  I think I'll pass, if we can keep Rod's car competitive for the season up there, that will be good.