THE DONKEYS ARE GIVING THANKS TOO......!!!

 

You can see a tiny little pile of hay in the back.  That was all we had until the day before Thanksgiving, when a big truck and squeeze, brought out a little over 11 ton on the left.  

I get real antsy if we have less than a ton of day on the property.  This is the first time we've tried just getting a single load, we're hoping it will run out in the summer, although if history is any judge it won't run out until next October.  John's got all his weighed buckets of hay waiting for feeding tonight.

Thanksgiving went real well.  Besides Rod and Lisa, Matt one of the grandsons came down from Phoenix.  We didn't know he was coming so that was a pleasant surprise.  I managed to get everything ready on time and at the same time, so from my point of view the day was a success....!!! LOL  John has his leftovers, which makes him a happy camper.  His supply of legs and wings is dwindling rapidly, so he's going to be down to only having turkey sandwiches pretty soon.  

I don't think the donkeys enjoyed Thanksgiving as much as we did.  They got fed late because of us eating at 3pm.  They started milling around at their usual 4:00pm.  It was almost dark before we got out there, by that time they seemed to think we'd forgotten our duties and responsibilities.  You would think they would be grateful that we were feeding them, but NO, most of them were yelling at us, I guess to let us know they weren't happy.  Some people say you shouldn't feed them on a regular time schedule, for this reason.  Believe me they can tell time very well.  Many times when we come in late from town, they will be standing in the driveway, and you can read their body language very easy..!! 

A couple of days ago Pepper came in really limping on his bad knee.  I thought about leaving him in the pens, but he stresses so much when I do, I decided at his advanced age, hopefully he knows not to overdue.  A little bute and he's back to his limp along slowly self today.  WHAT A GUY......!!!

FLY SEASON IS OVER................MAYBE..!!!

1904 TRANSPORTATION

The last few days have been cold and rainy, actually rather miserable had our first fire in the stove, last night.  Haven't needed fly masks and although it's suppose to warm up a little later in the week, hopefully this cold snap killed off most of the flies.  

Pepper is going into winter in great shape for him.  He's put on some weight, has enough strength to lay down and get up without help.  He's decided rather than play the field with all the girls, he'll stay with Coquette and Penny.  They eat in the pen beside his pen, so that might have something to do with it.  They don't seem anymore enthralled with his attention than any of the others, unfortunately for him. 

We're slowly but surely trying to get ready for the Open House, the 1st week-end in December.  There isn't really a lot to do, but it all takes time.  Right now my next big event is Thanksgiving.  I got away easy for years we went out to eat.  I had to listen to John complain about no leftovers, but I can have a "tin" ear when needed....!!!  

Now that Mother is bedridden, those days are over.  I had it all planned that I'd fix a turkey with "most" of the fixin's and get it on the table "whenever" for the 3 of us.  But our son, and Lisa said they'd like to come out, so now I have a deadline......!!!!   I have noticed one of the results of getting older is a hatred of deadlines.  Besides, I'm out of practice for getting everything on the table at the same time.  I remember the days of 30-40 people no problem.  WHAT HAPPENED?  LOL  Two extra people and my fun meter is pegged.  Not sure how much of the bounty of years gone by Rod is counting on.  I've always had a basic core of absolute have to have items, and that's what we'll have.  

The weather has been so nasty, John's already upped the hay to winter weight.  Unfortunately it's time to buy hay again.  We've never been able to buy hay in the summer when it's a little cheaper, we always run out in the winter.  This time instead of buying a double semi load, we've found a broker that will bring out a single trailer and furnish a squeeze to unload it.  Maybe that will break our buying cycle, so next time we can buy in the summer. 

LIFE IS GOOD IN SE ARIZONA.....!!!

OBVIOUSLY NOT A TSC FAN......!!!!    GUESS HE DOESN'T KNOW THEY ALSO HAVE A LOT OF KITTY STUFF..!

For years whenever I traveled I hopefully could find a Tractor Supply Company to wander around in and dream of the day there was one closer than Texas or Oklahoma.  As of this week-end we have a  TSC opening in Benson of all places.  They opened one in Sierra Vista about 30 miles away last month, but to have one open in my backyard is more than I could hope for.  I just wish it wasn't going to make it difficult for our local feed stores.  I will continue to use them for the stuff they have, but there is a lot of things I have always had to buy in Tucson, that TSC will probably carry.  And TSC doesn't handle hay, so that market will still be good for the Mom and Pop stores.  

The donkeys are all doing really good right now.  No doctoring except for Boaz's knee.  We're getting more calls from people wanting to see the donkeys, which means the snowbirds are coming in for the winter.  Of course it's almost time for the Open House the 7th and 8th of December.  The donkeys are honing their begging skills with tours right now, so they'll be ready..........!!! LOL

VIDEO OF HORNET RACE NOVEMBER 16, 2013

VIDEO

Already planning for next year....!!!

2013 RACE SEASON IS OVER

THAT'S ME HIDING BEHIND THE TRACTOR TIRE.  NOTICE EVERYONE ELSE IS GOING A DIFFERENT DIRECTION THAN I AM. 

Actually last night was a lot of fun, especially since John did indeed get to drive the Tojo in the last main event.  This is a picture from earlier in the season, but it pretty much represents what last night was like.  Actually I never got turned facing into traffic like above, but I spent a lot of time trying to keep from getting knocked around.  Got stuffed into a couple of those tractor tires, which was rather irritating.  Surprisingly, the track actually sent the guy, to the back of the pack for being "rude".  I managed to keep going, I was in 2nd place when he hit me, and came out of the melee in about 5th or 6th, so I really appreciated the track seeing it my way..!! LOL  

A funny little side note, I had lapped John earlier and he was a few cars behind me.  I slide one of the tires across the track, and guess who ran into it.....!!!  He kept going, but you should see the front of the Toyota..!!! 

For an underpowered Tojo John did really good, finished 6th.  He got to trade paint and a few pieces of metal with the guy that put me in the tires, and a few others,  didn't have anything to do with me, there are no friends or relatives on a race track.  The guy deserved it, he's just been to the track a few times and won a couple of times, so I guess he thinks we should all get out of his way.  

I ran 2nd for quite awhile, but both me and the 1st place car got out gunned on the last lap, so I finished 3rd, which is my best finish this year in a main event.  

The girl that took my 5th place position for end of the year, broke in the 1st main event, so I got my 5th place back.  John and I talked about loaning her the Tojo for the 2nd main event, but she's got a nice little car and the Tojo is.........well to be kind a piece of junk.  It sounds like everything is going to fall off  and it's so underpowered we were afraid she'd get out there and either be in the way or get hurt.  Besides John wouldn't have gotten to drive.  LOL

The donkeys were yelling when we got home.  We weren't any later than usual, but they seemed to think we were. 

Wish today was a day of rest, but Courtney is suppose to be here sometime later to do some trimming.  If things go as usual, she'll get here at feeding time...!!! LOL

LAST RACE OF THE SEASON.........!!

Getting these 4 in one picture will probably never happen again, l to R, Moogee (drama queen), Nigel, Sunny, & Snooky

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Snooky, Nigel and Sunny trying to entice John into giving them Kitty Treats

 

 

 

 

  

 

 

 

I couldn't resist putting these pictures of the cats on the blog.  For one thing they usually aren't this social, well that isn't exactly true.  When John sits in his recliner at night those 3 are usually in close proximity waiting for the kitty treats to be offered.  That's what Nigel is doing, rubbing on the "pez dispenser", to get it to start dispensing.  Moogee refuses to have anything to do with the boys except to swat them as they walk past her.  Then she screams bloody murder when they refuse to put up with her nonsense, by retaliating.  

LOADED UP AND READY TO GO......!!!  

I guess we'll look like a convoy when we head for the track tonight.  John's driving the van and the Toyota and I'll be driving the pick-up towing the Kia.  Since I'm running for end of the year points, we decided it would be a good idea to haul the Tojo to the track, in case I tear up the Kia in the 1st main event.

Since it's already going to be there, if I don't need it in the 2nd main event (one of the mains is a make-up race for a rain out in July) John is going to drive it in that main.  We got involved in racing in 1968 and this will be the first time John and I have been on the track together.........let alone in a race.  I hope we both have fun and maybe I can finish well enough to gain some points on the girl that past me for 5th place a couple of races ago.  She's only 14 points ahead of me, when is doable, especially with 2 main events to run.  She's had a good couple of race nights, so we'll just have to see how it goes. 

DON'T GET BETWEEN A MAN AND HIS MISSION

Yesterday afternoon John said he was going out to look for masks.............again.  I have no idea how many miles he's walked that last couple of weeks looking for masks and a lot of times coming in empty handed.  

He came in all puffed up with 7 masks.  We thought there was only 6 out there, and none of the ones he brought in were the last 2 missing.  Some of these we'd forgotten about it's been so long.  Some aren't in very good shape and we'll probably just throw them away, but HEY at least he found them.......well except for the other two. Hopefully they won't need them pretty soon.  It's stayed warm enough that the flies are still pretty bad. 

Pepper almost got lucky yesterday, well as lucky as a gelding can get anyway. Coquette seemed to think he was pretty cute.  Talk about make his eyes bright and his ears perk up, he was really a happy old guy.  Usually the girls just walk away when he's trying to catch up....!! LOL  He's actually putting on a little weight, which is good since we're going into winter.  Winter in SE Arizona certainly doesn't mean what it does in the rest of the country, but he was so thin this summer, I was afraid I'd have to blanket him every night, which would really put a cramp in his style. 

WISTER IS GETTING IRRITATING.....!!

BACK WHEN WISTER WAS CUTE AND NOT DRIVEN TO BE OBNOXIOUS....!!! 

Not just for us humans but for a lot of the donkeys.  He has developed a taste for fly masks, doesn't seem to care who's as long as he can get hold of it and pull it off......!!!  Over the last few days we've lost count of the masks out there.  John found 3 this morning and there is at least 3 more out there......somewhere.  Wister does know enough to leave Boaz alone I guess, at least so far.  Justin and Pepsi the minis seem to be his favorites, probably because they are smaller than he is and easier to de-mask.......!!!

Yesterday morning when John was out looking for fly masks, I saw him hot footing it back to the house.  I went out to see what the hurry was and he said we had a problem.  It seems Friday afternoon or evening the UPS truck came by and left a package.  Nothing wrong with that, except the driver, rather than putting the 43 pound box of supplements from HorseTech.com in the chest, put by the gate, specifically for that purpose, decided in his infinite wisdom to put the 43 pound box, BESIDE the chest.  

The reason for the chest is years ago, a friend use to send us about 40 pounds of home grown potatoes from Pennsylvania annually.  One year we didn't find the potatoes sitting by the gate before the donkeys did.  I can't say they liked potatoes, but they certainly spent a lot of time looking for something better in the box.  The box was torn up, eaten and there were potatoes strung everywhere. 

So we got this brilliant idea to put a chest out there big enough to hold just about anything.  We even put a label on it UPS/FEDEX, not very complicated and rather self explanatory.  At least we thought so.  

Thank goodness supplements even peppermint flavored are rather concentrated and must not taste too good, although they ripped the box and the bag they didn't really get into the supplements very much.  

As soon as I got back to the house, I e-mailed UPS my thoughts on the problem.  I also told them not to send that person out here again.  

This is not my first run in with UPS drivers.  Years ago, the drivers would open the gate drive in, drop their package the try to get back out before the donkeys found the open gate.  This is why they leave packages at the gate, they aren't allowed on the property.  I realize they are on a time schedule, but if they had to help round up donkeys, it would pretty much ruin their schedule.  LOL

2013 CASCABEL FAIR AND OPEN HOUSE

MARK YOUR CALENDAR

AMAZING

After all these years John still amazes me sometimes.  My cripples get Cosquin ASU as a supplement to help with their arthritis and joint problems.  Reba the big mule is pretty gimpy on her right front probably just from being 30 years old.  Cisco was a roping donkey at a roping school where they taught people how to rope.  Cisco was a "loaner", so when the students didn't have anything at home to practice on and torture, they could borrow Cisco.  Needless to say his back legs are pretty well shot.  And of course there is always "Pepper", the old Lounge Lizard with his broken hip and blown knee.  

Last week I emptied my Cosequin and put the container in the golf cart for disposal and forgot to take the spoon out.  Well actually I didn't forget it, I figured I'd use the spoon out of the new container.  I had forgotten that they only get a half dose, so went thru all my spoons, of which I have many, and could not find one of the right size.  Dang, now what?  Went out to find the spoon and John hadn't gotten to the trash yet, so I took off to "save my spoon".  The next morning when it was time to measure out meds, I can't find my spoon.  I back tracked, went every place I could think of and no spoon.  So I've been using the spoon that came with the Cosequin half full.  It's much easier to just fill up the spoon and call it done, so John has had to listen to me whine for about a week.  This morning I was particularly whiney I guess cause John got involved and started asking me questions.  I could answer them all except for what jacket I was wearing that morning, couldn't remember.  Guess it was a cold morning, because when I checked my Dickie hoodie, there was my precious spoon......!!! Yippee!  Life is good and all is right in the world today........!!!! LOL  

I don't know if the difference in thinking is male/female logic or what.  I am reactive, can't do what I want or in this case find something, I explode, which of course accomplishes nothing except waste time and effort.  But John is methodical and logical to the point of zeroing in on the problem, usually pretty quick.  Thank goodness. 

Still having to put on fly masks, although it's been really cold in the morning in the upper 20's.  You'd think that would get rid of them, but if anything I think it makes them worse, at least the ones that survive.  

I'm down to just doctoring Boaz's knee and Jack's face, certainly much easier and less time consuming than it is during the summer skin problem time.  

I've found a new toy, although it's not very durable, gallon milk jugs with rocks in them, seem to be a lot of fun.  They can be picked up by the handle and shook.  I tried leaving the cap on, but they come off too easy and might get swallowed.  So I keep adding rocks as they get shook out.  They last pretty good, unless someone paws at them.  There's one in Wister's pen that is pretty flat, but he still plays with it. 

THE PRODIGAL SON RETURNS

Notice the little boy sitting with the donkey

We have 4 cats in the house, 3 males and Moogee.  Most of them are friendly and fairly resigned to not going outside.  Over the years occasionally the opportunity arises for one or more of them to "escape", which they take advantage of.  Most of them are good natured about getting caught and dragged back inside.  

Tuesday afternoon John came thru the spa room outside door and it didn't latch behind him.  I came thru a few minutes later and saw it open.  Told John we needed to do a cat check, which showed Snooky and Sunny missing.  They both were in the back yard and Sunny was pretty easy.  Snooky has always been stand offish and spooky, you aren't going to walk over and pick him up.  Nor are you going to call him to you.  Just the opposite, you try to interact with him, and he takes off, at least when he's outside.  

We would try to entice him with food or lock the other 3 up and leave a door open.  Nope, not buying that, least the first day or so.  He was having a great time hanging around with Julius his brother and Hobo his mother.  In the afternoons they would all 3 lay on the wall around the back yard.  

By this morning he was getting hungry I guess.  John saw him wallering a dead dessicated bird so we locked the other cats up, opened the back door and it didn't take long for him to walk in far enough I could get to the door and close it.  So he is back inside, but we haven't seen him.  He's up on top of the closet, John put some food up there, but so far he hasn't eaten it.  Wait till he does get down and Moogee gets ahold of him, he'll be trying to get outside again.  Ha!  She likes for her boys to behave and be very subservient. 

If he would be happier outside I have nothing against that.  But he can't be an indoor/outdoor cat it's either, or.  I don't think he knows how to feed himself, even though there is dry food on the back porch most of the time.  So we'll see how the next few days go.  

Yesterday was a pretty exciting day for Pepper I guess.  Yesterday morning he was trying to figure out how to get up on Frijolita, much to her disgust.  She finally took off, with him trailing behind at his usual snail pace.  

I was gone most of the day, goofing off visiting with some friends.  Krista has recently moved to Cochise County from the Phoenix area.  She has a beautiful home and a gorgeous area for her 2 horses, so Patti and I just had to go and be nosy.  Had a great visit, pizza and cookies for lunch, what more could you ask for.......!!!!  LOL

Got home and John said you should have been here and saw Pepper up on Ruthie in position and doing his best to accomplish his task.  How the old buzzard got up there I'll never know, determination I guess....!!  I asked John how he came down, it wouldn't have surprised me if he just fell off, but John said, No, he came down stiff legged enough to keep his balance.  This morning he's frisking around checking out the girls, haven't seen him try anything yet.  

One time there was a retired vet here for a tour and we ratcheted up the tour chatter to a little heavier discussion of the different maladies the donkeys have.  John was telling him about Pepper and how "frisky" he can be.  The vet said pergolide can do that.  Hmmm, never had heard that before, but something sure keeps the old guy going.