interesting timing

Sunday morning I called the furniture gals we met at fair and asked if the old wagon wheel table we were drooling over was still available. It was. They offered to put a hold on it until we could get there. We had no intentions of buying furniture, but after giving it more thought it was too unique to pass up. We decided to go back to fair for another spin (ha, ha) and the table came home with us. If only that old wheel could talk!! Sorry, again no photo. I've been slacking in the photo taking department! 

Since we made another trip into fair, we decided to revisit a stallion we came across over the weekend. We weren't looking for a stud either, but when you find something you like you look into it. Brad bought Cierra with the intention of eventually breeding her. For now he is enjoying showing her, and wants to put more points on. It will be a few years before she is bred, and it will be just for us. We have more bloodline research to do, and plenty of time for things to change. I couldn't resist generating color possibilities. It's the last thing we care about, but it's fun & easy with this generator. Here is the potential breakdown:

Hollywood Glo Cody has a sweet disposition and as a bonus is a handsome guy. His previous owner of 10 years spent a significant amount of time telling us his story. She came all the way up from Texas because the horse had never been in a show environment, let alone a crazy fair. That alone tells you something about how special the horse is. The above name link is pedigree. He's got some nice reining lines. This is his page on the current owners website. If you've got thoughts, especially about bloodlines - please feel free to share or message me. 

Nothing has been decided, as this came out of no where. All we know for sure is when Brad decides to breed Cierra, it will be primarily based on disposition. Everything else is TBD (to be determined). Who knows what the future holds.

We arrived to find the studs stall empty. The person who was watching over their other stallions, told us he was about to do his first ever stallion review. We made a bee line over to the show building and got there just in time to watch:

We left fair afterwards, stopped at home to load tack and made the 40 minute drive up to the barn. It's a good thing we went when we did, instead of skipping fair and going in the morning. We arrived to an empty barn, and found our trainers brand new baby foal! Surprise!! The mare had started expelling afterbirth & the baby was just trying out her legs. We quickly realized nobody knew. 

The barn staff was at fair (in between chores) and our trainer was gone due to a family emergency. We called them both, and assured them we would take care of this surprise situation. Both her staff left fair anyways and came back as quickly as they could. They were a good hour away. Everything was done by the time they arrived, but they were very thankful.

babies first picture

Brad went to the farm store to get bedding & iodine to dip babies belly button. I stayed back to keep watch. With the help of a boarder who was out back with her horse, the three of us got mom & baby moved, bedded and taken care of. We figure the foal was born within the hour for sure (based on the other border's arrival & seeing the mare still pregnant) but more like 30 minutes or less.

We eventually enjoyed a nice ride outside in the sunshine. I completely forgot to take a photo of Brads new saddle. It was a day filled with interesting timing. The table, the stud, the foal - all of it. I know the phrase "things happen for a reason" is over used. Maybe it's all coincidence, but I believe.

fair findings

We survived another Midwest Horse Fair weekend! It never ceases to amaze me how different our experience is from year to year. I hate to say it, but for us this year it lacked pizzaz. We drove right into fair, all three days. No lines no waiting. Very odd. Some years it's taken 1.5 hours just to get through the gate and parking. Don't get me wrong, it's awesome to get in fast and get great parking.

For the most part, we did have a fun three days and enjoyed memorable experiences. However, fair was definitely lacking something (besides attendance). Just can't quite figure out what. Perhaps it's just us. We are in a different place in our lives and really just want to be with our horses and/or working on our land. Almost didn't even go on Sunday. The weather was sooo gorgeous. It's a good thing we did go!! You'll find out why later.

Here are my fair findings:

We shortened our shopping list this year, and didn't do any impulse buying. Altho I tried! First vendor we stopped at had a copper metal relief wall hanging that we both liked. While deciding on purchase, the vendor reached over my shoulder and slapped a sold sticker on it! I was stunned. Someone bought it minutes earlier. Funny part is, they said it's hung for 5 years in their shop and no one even asked about it. Oh well. Win some, lose some.

We picked up the custom saddle we ordered for Brad over a year ago. It turned out really nice! Workmanship is outstanding. Now we each have our forever saddle from Reed Tack. We got our yearly supply of Nemo's hoof supplement, bug spray & Show Sheen. Koda also needed a new cinch. I am trying a new one that allows for more airflow (photo credit to Weaver):

We attended a couple Ranch riding clinics given by Butch Campbell & his AQHA Judge wife (from Texas) they really know their stuff. They were rider lesson based clinics. You can only watch so much of that, we opted to skip the remaining four. The part we enjoyed the most was watching Nemo's half brother & his girl riding in the clinics. Funny how certain characteristics carry through genetics.

The only other clinic we watched was by default. It was on working cattle, led by Sandy Collier. It was also lesson based. Looked fun, and challenging. Maybe someday I'll even give it a whirl? Nemo & especially Koda is bred for it.

The PRCA rodeo was blasé. Our seats were tucked in the corner, by the chutes. Good for behind the scene and chute release, but everything else was far far away. Brad talked to a couple other guys who said similar, along with "Animals Won, Cowboys None". Next year should be better, they'll have two nights of rodeo. 

My favorite photo from the rodeo:

The best part of fair this year were the new vendors we met. We had a ball chatting with the stall rep, sign maker and a couple furniture repurpose gals. It's fun talking future things for our new place!!

We left fair early Sunday afternoon to head up to the barn for a ride. Our horse filled weekend was topped off with an unexpected visitor...to be continued...

orange you glad

Last week I had an orange week. I couldn't help but notice, that bright orange was making a noticeable appearance in my life.

It started with my blooming Clivia's. I overwinter mine inside, until they can go outside to summer camp. They have the most magnificent blooms and smell mmm good too!

Shirley from Ride a Good Horse made a keen observation in my most recent building related post, asking about the unusual use of lilac flooring insulation. We are using it, because of something orange.

not an orange snake barrier

colorful orange water tubing is attached

cement will be poured directly on top

The lilac insulation is a heat barrier for heated floors. I learned some tubing runs hot & some runs cold. It alternates side by side. I've never seen it installed before, but I've felt it! It was interesting to see how they laid the colorful maze out on our basement floor. Orange you glad you asked ;)

The very same day, I stopped to photograph a damaged bridge that I've been wanting to shoot. I got so excited when an unexpected visitor came floating around the corner!! Bridge? What bridge? To heck with the bridge, I couldn't believe my eyes! I ran back to my truck to switch to my longer lens. Knowing moments like these are rare & fleeting. If only I had stayed calm and not given off so much frantic energy, he probably would have stuck around longer.

Favorite Color ~ 102/365 photo challenge

I had to look up this unique bird. He has a funny bump on his bill. Apparently it has to do with breeding season. I had no idea we have American White Pelican in our area. Orange was my favorite color *that day* for sure!! Click photo to get a closer look at the vibrant color around his eyes.

I wonder what, if anything, will stand out this week. Do you ever have those weeks?

productive weekend

In order to keep things progressing with the barn & house build, my guys are back to being weekend warriors...

Brad laid out the barn rooms earlier in the week
with spray paint (click to enlarge)

the front room begins to take shape
with a trenched wall support

our son floating concrete
I learned it's not called finishing, that is different

the front of the barn is still dug up
so they poured concrete the old fashion way,
by the bobcat bucket full, which is better then the hand bucket full!

basement beam & wall supports in the house got dug out

Brad pouring concrete
 he found muscles that haven't been used for a while
our son ran the belt truck

a well deserved lunch break
 look where my funny kid found a comfy seat
he always makes us smile

Sunday was all about insulating the basement floor
First a layer of plastic, then lilac styrofoam, then taping

While all this was going on, I picked up garbage around the property & building site. Obviously took photos and picked up lunch for my hard working guys. I usually go later, and leave earlier. Hard to believe it's another weekend already! Hope everyone gets a chance to get outside. My favorite place to be. Have a great one! 

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what's in a name

For years we have wanted to have our own horse related brand name. You know, something like " _________ Appaloosas" or " _________ Quarter Horses". We got as far as deciding we did not want to designate one specific breed, so that left us with this for a name " _________ " !!!!

Without being in the horse business, and no relatable physical location of our own, naming ourselves didn't really make sense. The whole idea got put on hold. No fun logo designing for me, and no embroidered matchy-matchy apparel for us. Bummer!!

Now that we have land, the whole naming idea has since resurfaced. For some reason, coming up with our name is my job. Guess that's the price you pay for being dubbed "the creative one"!  I've been doing a lot of thinking, googling, observing - and I still can't figure a name out!!

We decided to wait, something will stand out with the land. Right??! If you've read earlier land posts, you know at least one unusual prickly thing. 

There is ton's of info on how to name, naming generators, tips on naming, and ways to come up with variations on the internet. 

I looked into how to create branding combinations (as in ranch brands), the history of the town, the native americans that were here before us and unusual features in the area. I even looked into words in spanish (my heritage). There are nearby roads with really cool names, and a nearby creek, that would have made great horse property names. We ended up with a boring plain road name, and no creek. Sigh.

This is what I learned about the name game:

Ideally you want a combination of two or three of these things: an adjective, an attribute, and type of place. A descriptor of sorts. Who you are, what you do or where you are. 

Some things we've discover about our land, mixed together with a few of our intentions:

Possible adjectives: Wild, Windy, Rolling, Sandy

Possible attributes: Pines, Cactus, Oaks, Horse related words

Possible type of place: Farm, Ranch, Homestead

The names we've liked so far, are all taken. Go figure. I won't bore you with my long "taken" list. I really liked "Wild Cactus Ranch" but it is a pretty prominent bucking bull breeding ranch in Texas. We are not really wild, nor into cactus. Guess it's just not for us. 

My hubby doesn't like warm & fuzzy names, doesn't want to use our last name, or my studio name, and isn't into cute or funny names. Who is the difficult one now?? Ha ha!!  

What's in a name?? A lot of indecision. So much that I wrote this post five months ago, and never published it. The name topic has resurfaced at home, and in blogger land. 

Farm names are very visible at Horse Fair, which is in two weeks. It will be a constant reminder of our lack of nameability. There are things we look at and leave saying "when we have our ranch name"...we do have a few contenders, none that we all like. Maybe something will come out eventually, that feels right, or maybe we shall remain nameless.

where I stand
76/365 ~ photo challenge

know your boundaries

Last weekend our daughter (Harmony's girl) helped us move panels out to our land, and had some fun trying to fly inside the barn. Just kidding!! She had some good ideas and was giving dad more things to consider, and more to say no to. Between me & the kids, poor guy has been explaining why a lot of ideas won't work. I think Brad will be glad when the inside of the barn is finished! 

what about from here, to there...

After the barn deliberations, we progressed to discussing pasture & shelter placement. We agreed the best solution for our horses on our land would be north/south pastures.

We all went on a walk-a-bout to check out newly placed property markers, including our grand-dog Jameson (a labrador) who absolutely loves being out at the land! 

We recently had the surveyors mark more then just the corners of the wooded areas. It was close to impossible to figure out who's land you were on. It doesn't matter so much if just walking, but we plan on connecting the existing north-south trails. We also want to relocate some young tree's to other parts of our property. In order to do either, we have to know our boundaries.

the dry creek bed area
will be good for trail riding

about routines

What is it about routines that make a person feel balanced? Whole. Complete. When I don't ride, or see my horse for a while, I feel something missing. When I do, all is well with the world. Even when it isn't. After that busy building week, that somehow turned into a two week horse absence, we are back to our horse routine.

endless rain keeps us inside

I always get a little more Appytude then normal after long breaks. On the ground and in the saddle. We typically work our rides back up in length & ask, depending on time off. I know some wouldn't agree with that approach, but it works for us.

we squeaked in one outdoor ride yesterday
before the rain started, again

This past weekend there was more "shifting of the tides". We moved our horse things out of storage from Brad's original family homestead (different farm, then the one that surrounds us). We moved the panels that made up our temporary riding arena, barrels, buckets, pans, heavy mats, and poles that I meticulously painted. We put that arena up in 2010. Hard to believe it was that long ago. All we have left to move from there is some old hay & our storage trailer, neither are going to our land.

driving around to the back side of our barn
getting ready to unload

SO many memories of days gone by. Keeping the good ones, and trying to let go of those that don't serve a purpose. Maybe that's why a familiar routine feels so good. They serve a purpose, keeping us grounded in a world of constant change. Just like horses.

build-a-barn ~ dig it

When I heard they were digging a huge trench from the house to the barn, I knew it was time to get clicking! They had just flattened the building site out after putting in the house foundation, and already it was time to dig. Again. 

The trench to connect services
from the house to the barn was long & deep

I had to crawl down there,
doesn't everybody do that?!

No mistake which side is sewer vs water

Brad got busy filling the house side of the trench back up, because the very next day this giant piece of equipment arrived...

getting ready to dig our well

well derricks are so tall!

The well guys were SO nice! I learned this was the smallest derrick they use. I got a lesson on different types of ground, related water depths and the basics function to get to a very important thing nobody can live without - water.

our water pipes
with big drill bits inside

thanks guys
now we will have water

Brad insulated & paneled just enough wall
the weekend prior for our electrician to install
the electric services in between the well digging

the way the barn looks now

Barn and house services are ready to be connected! The building site hasn't changed since. Electrical is scheduled to get put in from the road next week. Guess we are in the hurry up and wait stage...plenty to work on behind the scene, mainly for the house. 

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