Owl Ears

Some time ago, I had learned that the owl's face and feathers are designed to enhance its ability to locate prey. Not only that, but also that its head doesn't really turn all the way around, just a mere 270 degrees.

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=yps7pgq1TAk

Sometimes You Just Have to Speak Your Mind

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=qaR9ZcQ05oo

Tiny Dwellings

While browsing on the internet the other day, I discovered Tumbleweed Houses. The designer is very crafty, a man with tiny personal space, but clever nonetheless.

It got me thinking about camping. If that little house on wheels could be towed to a forest area and set up, it would be just like Daniel Boone or Davey Crocket times.

Then, I started thinking about my horse. Her stall at Green's Acres is bigger than the tiny house. She probably weighs more, too.

When I move her to Red Barn Farm, her run-in shelter will be bigger than the tiny house. I think it would be kind of neat (for a brief time) to park my house right next to my horse in the pasture.

Actual Conversation

me: Did you move the candles?

my husband: Yes

me: Why did you do that?

my husband: Because I wanted the tree smell in the living room.

Grades for Fall 2010 Are Posted

Well, my current 4.0 GPA combined with my previous semesters of 4.0 GPA still can't overcome those first two years of undergrad.

Poop.

One day, I might be interested in academics beyond a bachelor's level. Unfortunately, my overall GPA doesn't muster up to the required GPA for entrance level of a master's program. I just might have to revisit Chemistry 101 and 102. Those classes are out of date for me anyway. Seems current programs aren't impressed with science classes older than 10 years. Okay, I get it. Technological advances and new discoveries. The basics are still the same. Two Hydrogens plus one Oxygen is still H2O and NaCl is still salt and 3 molar hydrochloric acid fumes will burn contact lens and corneas.

Foiled Equestrian Workout

This past Wednesday, I had gone to the barn at Green's Acres with the full intention of bringing Kadance in from the pasture to work on walk-trot-walk transitions using very light aids. Funny how things chance in a few seconds.

I was bundled up against the cold, yet the sun was shining and felt warm. I collected my halter and lead rope and began the long walk out to the far pasture. The closer I got, the fewer horses I could see. There should have been four, yet I could only see two. Too soon to panic, I suspected my big girl would be further away and possibly in the tree line. She sometimes does that to either get away from the wind or heat of the summer sun. I continued my trek.

Then, I noticed Gunner, a spotted gelding laying down. He was clearly sound asleep. His deep exhalations visibly billowed about his head. Although my approach was soon discovered, he chose to remain recumbent. A few yards passed him, laying near the tree line, my big girl slept soundly. She stirred at my approach yet made no effort to stand. I ever-so-slowly moved closer and she still remained down with her front legs curled nearly under her.

"You're okay," I calmly told her as I gently set the halter on the grass. "You don't have to get up."

She sighed a cloud of warm breath and I knelt down and began easing closer to her.  My predatory-like behavior didn't phase her.

Inching next to her, I sat and rested my head on her shoulder. She looked at me then closed her eyes. Although I was leaping and squealing with excitement on the inside, I forced myself to take slow deep breaths and show no emotion other than complete peace and serenity. Not concerned that my elbow dug into my side or that my bum was not only absorbing the dew, but also the chill from the ground. My only concern was Kadance's need for safety and comfort. Twenty minutes of bonding bliss.

When she finally decided to stand up, she shook and we stood face to face. Neither of us were in a hurry to move. Eventually, Gunner decided to get to his feet and join us. Sniff and pets satisfied, I retrieved my halter and lead rope. Testing how far I could go, I opted to not use my artificial tools, and simply placed my palm under her chin and lead her back to the barn. In those moments, when she is relaxed, Kadance is amazing and compliant. Only when she gets emotional and excited does she loose her mind and forget what is being asked of her. But, there we were walking easily across the pasture, to and through the gate and into the barn just as nice as you please.

After that experience, there was no way I could make her physically exert herself. So, I fed her some hay and put her into the "Jenny Craig" lot. We played chase around the round pen and she helped my scoop poop. Apparently, I didn't have enough poop to remove, so she added some.

And such was my day with my horse.

Level 2 Audition

Yes, Kadance and I passed our Level 2 ground skills. We now much work on our riding skills. That will take some time. We've got  to get a smooth canter and an 18 inch jump.

And What's New With Me?

Let me back up a bit.

Back in October, my brother finally got married. As he and his now wife live the life of excitement, their marriage started off with a bang with a wedding cruise to the Cayman Islands and to Cozumel.

The wedding was a beautiful ceremony on a deck overlooking the sea. Very nice, intimate and casual. They were surrounded by friends and family. She, naturally, is a delight and makes a fabulous addition to our  family. Plus, she makes my brother very happy.

As they were doing their newlywed thing, my amazing husband and I did our thing. Not passing on a Kodak moment, I made my ever-patient husband be in many photographs. Of course, we had to have one overlooking the sea where my brother was married. I didn't notice until later that one of my earring had magically disappeared. I looked silly wearing only one earring, so we had to take more pictures. The retakes weren't nearly as flattering as the originals, but what are you gonna do?

After the wedding, we had a bit of free time, so we wandered around town, checking out shops and a few typical tourist spots. My husband, who in the past has been forced onto big boulders, a mechanical bull, statues at zoos and even onto a display in Las Vegas, accepted his inevitible fate of having to pose next to a giant Jabber Jaw goofy cartoon shark.

Prior to the wedding outing, the cruise had a formal dinner night. I had this great dress and I loved how it made me feel like the center of attention. Then, my mother suggested that I looked like a hussy. Humph. She might have been right. No wonder folks were looking at me.  What really matters is that I had a good time and my husband likes it when I'm a little bit trashy.

When we stopped in Cozumel, I had planned an excursion with Jungle Buggies. That was super fun even though it was pouring rain. The guide described our buggies as Mexican "Lambor-genies." And yes, that's how he said it.

A Momet Retrospective

Searching for a photo that I had previously posted on this blog, I reminisced while looking through my history. Turns out, I have several photos of animals. Lots of horses and lots of goats. Even before I knew I wanted a goat, I've loved goats.

When I worked for Weston Red Barn Farm, the LaMancha doe had a baby and they named it after me. Isn't that soooo nice? I was thrilled.  I was especially delighted to see my name-sake goat when I went back to the barn for a wedding. All dressed up to celebrate the wedding of farm family to farm friends, I was in the goat pen having a wonderful time. The little white one to my left is Kelly.

The wedding was wonderful. Turns out that several farmer friends were in attendance and we had a great time visiting. Had I known about Red Barn Farm when I got married, I suspect it would have been on the short list as a venue. Then again, I would have had to convince my Southern California beach man that a barnyard wedding would have been wonderful. Even now, I don't think that would be possible. I suspect I could; however, get him to agree to a renewal of vows at Treasure Island in Las Vegas. Naturally, I'd have to dress as a wench and he as a pirate. Theme weddings can be cool.

The Ozark Fair came through town a few weeks ago. I attended several days. One day, I was lucky enough to enter the arena just in time to witness the miniature donkey cart class. Completely memorized, I had to watch. Naturally, approaching a donkey owner was a priority. A lady was standing next to three donkeys and when I began speaking with her, she pleasantly shared her donkeys with me. During our conversation and walk to the barn where she showed me her other donkeys and assorted pictures, she mentioned that one of the other competetors was from Leavenworth, KS. This information peaked my interest and I was determined to meet him.

His name is Tim Mendenhall is a delightful man and his barn Rocking M Donkeys is a place I want to visit. He told me he prefers driving animals over riding them. I mentioned to him that I so wanted to learn how to drive and that I would love to learn with smaller animals, like his donkeys, before I attempted to drive bigger horses like my Kadance. He graciously invited me into his cart and allowed me to drive! Completely excited, I was hooked. Squealing with delight, I experimented stearing and performing small circles. Tim then explained that this donkey was an intact Jack and wasn't nearly as easy to drive as one of his Jennys. When that donkey finished her test, Tim allowed me to drive what he termed his "auto pilot." She was wonderful! I had such a wonderful time.

Alas, not a camera in sight. 

Having experienced driving a small animal cart, I recalled I had discovered a company that sold goat carts. I had mentioned this to Cindy at Red Barn Farm and proclaimed Mr. Pat, her alpine whether, had a cart in his future. Now that I know how much fun the activity is, Mr. Pat DEFINITELY has a cart in his future.  

Final Grades

As expected...I received an A in Animal Science. Yippie for me! Now that school's out for the summer, I'll have to keep busy with the horse, the bees and my pups. I'm still at Chico's, but uncertain as to how much longer.

Next semester...Vet Science and Intro to Horseback Riding.

My New Job

Yesterday was my first day at Honey Heaven and I am completely delighted. I helped in the kitchen, both preparing the lunches and washing dishes. I worked the register (I'll need more practice and learn the prices of the items) and ... poured honey. It was four hours well spent.

What Nightmares Are Made Of

I found this image on google. I think if I were to open a container and discovered this, I would literally scream, crap my pants and pass out. I can't think of anything more horrific than a box of vile beasts.....

Study Nerd Gets the Grade

I am currently studying Animal Science. We have completed the Beef Cattle and the Dairy Cattle sections. We recently took the exam over Swine. I am proud to say that I scored a perfect 100%. Yep, 58 correct of 58 questions. I am as tickled as can be.

We are now studying Horses. Hopefully, with my previous semester in Introduction to Horses, I can achieve a satisfactory score on this section.

Sheep and Goats are next. I can't wait.

Military Cadet Ball 2010

I found this dress in a second-hand shop where retail shops send their returned goods. It was missing one bead, but I took one off another dress that was missing several. All was good for $20. Sweet. Unfortunately, I felt like a set of giant boobs.  I thought my husband looked amazing.

FINALLY Better

Being sick is simply a waste of time. I felt guilty about doing nothing and not being able to go to work. Unfortunately, at any point when I tried to accomplish anything other than watching television or sleeping, I was seized by a coughing fit.


I am certainly glad that is over and I can get back to living my life.

I was able to visit with my horse this week. She is so pretty and in need of several hours on the receiving end of a curry comb. My warmblood has her fair share of hair. Brushing her is a labor of love. I love doting on her and she loves the attention.

My pups are pleased with my recovery and the warmer days. They have enjoyed several opportunities of evening walks through the neighborhood. I've enjoyed the exercise, too. I read somewhere once that if you have a fat dog, then you aren't getting enough exercise. Lately, I've noticed that Baxter could stand to skip a treat or two. I could, too. So, we've taken to getting out the leashes and walking.

The warmer weather also means lots more rabbits. My backyard has become the neighborhood rabbit romper room. My pups love chasing them in the yard. Luckily the rabbits are quick to escape. Lucy has come much closer to getting a squirrel than a rabbit. I don't even think the rabbits put forth 100% effort in their dash around the yard. It sure is amusing to watch.

Possums are a completely different matter. Several weeks ago, as my husband and I returned home from an evening on the town (Taco Bell and a movie) the car headlights caught the unmistakable figure scurry in front of the garage door and across the front porch. My lip curled in utter disgust and my stomach lurched. Although I am an animal lover and would cause a car wreck before I ran over a squirrel, in my opinion, the only good possum is a dead possum. To think that one actually lived anywhere near my home, even now sours the back of my throat.

A few nights ago, I had let the pups outside, as I always do right before we head for bed. Giving them sufficient time to accomplish their business, I called for them. Neither one came running. This was typical behavior for Lucy, but completely out of the norm for Baxter. Then, I heard Lucy bark. It was a single, sharp bark, just on the bark side of a yelp. Definitely more "Hey!" than "Yikes!" I saw her jump backwards away from the bushes on the far side of the yard. I did not see Baxter.

I called from them several more times. Lucy would run toward me and then right back to the bush. Obviously, there was something lurking there. Even, Ray Charles could have seen that. So, I grabbed a flashlight and ventured out to retrieve my dogs.
Sure enough, Baxter was frozen stiff all of his attention focused on the creature in the bush. Lucy was excited. She ran to me and back to the bush and back to me, seemingly saying, "Come, check out this really cool, but kinda scary animal we have captured."

My light tentatively pointed into the bush and slowly followed the branches until, there it was, the most vile of God's creations, a possum, which I consider to be nothing more than a twenty pound rat. It's mouth gaping in the hideous snarl. Baxter stood rigid and I had to reach into the bush and physically grab him to get his attention. Even then, he did not want to leave his treasure. Lucy pounced around having the most exciting time of her young life. I just wanted to get as far away from that nasty thing as possible.

Just this past Sunday evening, my neighbor came over for a visit. We sat on the front porch enjoying the day and petting the pups. Lucy eventually made her way to the edge of the porch and peeked over the side. Something caught her attention. As long as she stayed on the porch, I let her do her thing. Baxter then noticed and all I saw was their behinds in the air as they strained to reach whatever it was without getting off the porch. A quiet growl and Lucy jumped down.

I sprang up, completely suspecting they had discovered a possum. They weren't dashing and searching as they would have been for a rabbit, their attention was stationery. I peered over the edge and saw a ... that's right, a possum. It was frozen and laying on its side. Its back end and rat tail motionless. It front end was hidden under the porch. Initially, I couldn't tell if it was dead or playing possum. My neighbor came over to check out the novelty and indicated there were flies. Still, I wasn't sure. Flies and possum, don't they kind of go together?

When I noticed the squirming maggots, that's when I was for certain it had scurried its last. My neighbor, to my envy, decided that it was time to leave. I took my pups inside and informed my husband that there was a dead possum beside the porch.

I love him, bless his heart. He simply looked at it and suggested Animal Control.

Off to the shed for a shovel and garden claw I went while simultaneously giving him instructions to retrieve a trash bag. The following day was Monday, trash day. This thing would be ready to go.

As I slid the shovel under the rump, I determined that it had been dead long enough for rigor mortis to have come and gone, but not long enough to have the skin slough off. The hair was just beginning to fall off in tufts. Unfortunately, the head end was lodged in the lattice under the porch and it required some effort with the garden claw to free it. I was oh so careful as to not puncture the skin as I didn't want any of its insides on the outside. With one hand holding the shovel under the rump and the other hand holding the claw, I picked up the possum using my tools as a set of giant chopsticks.

My husband encouraged my efforts with comments like, "You're a better man than I am." and "It's Karma. You always said the best possum is a dead possum."

His only job in this endeavor was to hold open the trash bag, which he did using two fingers and an outstretched arm.

Once the thing was in the trash bag, my wonderful husband deposited it into the trash bin and closed the lid.
 
Less then 24 hours later, it was on its way to the landfill.

The Creepy Crud

Last Wednesday, I began to notice a slight tightness in my chest. By Thursday evening, I knew I was sick. By Friday morning, I wanted nothing more than to go to bed and stay there, but I ended up at work. It didn't last long because I rapidly went down hill and ended up at the doctor's office.

After a chest x-ray, I was sent home with instructions to take Mucinex D and call Monday morning. By Friday evening, I knew there was no way I'd be going to work Saturday.

Saturday and Sunday came and went while I practically bathed in Vicks vapor rub, sniffing nasal spray, and coughed and coughed and coughed and coughed.

Monday morning, I called the doctor and was informed that my x-ray was negative. No pneumonia for me. The diagnosis did nothing to improve my suffocating situation. I just wanted to breathe. The doctor called in a prescription for an inhaler and told me to call back in a week if there was no improvement.

Monday was another phone call to the boss informing her that I was still miserable and in bed. Daytime television leaves much to be desired. Imagine those 100+ channels with nothing on all day for days on end. Thank goodness I have movies on demand. At least there was something to keep me from sinking like the sands of the hour glass like thoses days of our lives. Then again, Air Bud wasn't mentally stimulating.

Tuesday came and went. Luckily my class had been cancelled and I wasn't scheduled to work. More Mucinex D, vapor rub, puffs on the inhaler and sleep. I felt as though I was on the mend. My boss called during the evening hours and suggested that I take Wednesday off and recharge. With no class or work scheduled for Thursday, I would have an extra day to recover. Although I would have liked to earn some dinero, I opted to stay home. After yet another coughing fit, I, with sound mind and conviction of my wishes, informed my husband that if I were to ever be diagnosed with emphysema, then he would need to put me out of my misery.

I woke up this morning feeling better, but no where near 100%. I opened the blinds to let the sun shine in and noticed the layer of dust that has gathered during my period of inactivity. So, I decided that I would clean up a bit. Big mistake. After about 15 minutes of not-so-frenzied cleaning, I was coughing and completely wiped out. I sat down to take a short break, but woke up about an hour later. I guess it's a good thing I have an extra day to get over my ailment.

I have no idea what I have. I know it's not pneumonia but other than that I can only suspect. Maybe some mutant form of Swine Flu. Unfortunately, no body aches or fever came with the incredible chest congestion. No sore throat, no chills, no achy head. Just a stuffy nose and the inability to catch my breath for all the crud stagnating in my lungs.

I'm thankful that I'm finally on the mend. I'm going to take it easy and watch more television. I have done lots of reading, but The Jungle is not the happiest book.

Beef Cattle

I have learned more about beef cattle than I ever imagined I would. The best part about it is that I'm loving it. Right now, we are having to discern between beef cattle breeds visually. It's harder than I thought. A black cow looks like a black cow and a red cow looks like a red cow. The only breeds that I really can immediately identify are the brahman, and the holstein.

Now I am required to identify the Limousin, Corriente, Gelbvieh, Angus, Red Angus, Santa Gertrudis, Beefmaster, Brahman, Hereford, Charolais, Shorthorn and Simmental.

In addition to breeds, we are learning all about beef production. There is more involved than just breeding cows and slaughtering them for steak.

The whole process starts with grass, corn, cow-calf, stocker, feedlots, sale barn, cuts of beef, conditioning scores, carcass weight, and packers.  Phew.

 

A Day With My Girl

We had a discussion in Animal Science class yesterday about the value of livestock and pets.

If a cow worth $300 swallows a nail or other assorted hardware, would it be worth a $400 surgery to remove the metal or spend $7 on a magnet that would hold everything in place until slaughter?

What if a 14 year old dog would get an additional 6 months of life if it received an $8,000 procedure?

How about a horse with severe colic? Is is worth a 3 hours drive to the vet school for a $3,000 surgery for a 50/50 chance of survival?

The professor suggested having these questions already decided prior to the event becoming a hard, fast decision based on emotion rather than economics.

I can answer the first two situations easily. Give the cow a magnent and kiss the pup goodbye. But that horse....Well, that is a bit more difficult. It would have to depend on how old the horse was. If today that decision would have to be made, I'd probably have the surgery. If she was another 4 years older, maybe I would just kiss her goodbye.  At this moment, I have too much invested in her to not take the chance. Then again, if my anti-horse husband had to make the decision, my lovely Kadance would be making a hasty visit to the renderer.

Any Given Moment

Whenever I sit down for more than five minutes, the pups automatically assume I am waiting for them to join me. As they are schnauzers and refuse to be ignored, it is much easier to just allow them to sit on my lap. As a result, I am never cold.  The only real problem comes when the doorbell rings. Pandamonium!

Beware of Greeks Baring Gifts

Dang it, dang it, dang it.

My PC, the one that my husband primarily uses has been infected with 5 different trojan viruses. Hopefully my security software has been able to capture them and remove them.

I've done a quick check of basic functions and all appears to be well, then again, the citizens of Troy thought they were safe, too. Look what happened to them.

A Day of Limited Responsibilities

My husband left very early this morning: he had to drive to Ft. Leonard Wood for a class. I, on the other hand, had no pressing obligations this morning except for my Lucy. She decided it was time to get up and not tolerating being ignored, she got nose to nose with me and barked, demanding my immediate attention. Naturally, I complied with her demands, kicked back the covers and headed downstairs to let her and Baxter outside.

Still drowsy, I laid down on the couch and quickly fell back to sleep. Persistent barking (sorry neighbors) infiltrated my slumber and I readily became aware that my pups were still outside in the freezing cold. They had been for nearly 40 minutes. Brrrrr!

They were cold and ready to get under the covers and snuggle. Like the doting mother that I am, I gave in and invited them onto my lap. I wrapped them under a blanket while I watched the morning news.

Wanna know what is new? The weather and the upcoming Olympics. At least that is what is news for the television viewing audience. My news is much better.

I had my hair done this morning. That is always a nice treat. The military ball is coming up and I just couldn't attend and sit at the head table with my hair looking like the mess it was. Fortunately, I love hats and wear them frequently. I just don't have one that would be appropriate as formal attire. So, a morning in the beauty parlor.

Once my hair was all pretty, I immediately put on a winter hat and headed out to the barn. I did, you'll be happy to know, inform my stylist not to put much effort into styling it because I would be going to the barn and my horse doesn't care if my hair is brushed or not.

So, out to the barn. Way in the back part of the pasture, the horses were munching away thrilled to be outside in the warm sunshine. The air temperature, a brisk 25 degrees, but the sun was warm. My girl barely noticed my approach. I'm certain she knew I was making my way through the pasture careful to avoid muddy spots (not an easy feat) as I was calling for her. She probably was hoping I was a figment of her imagination and that I would go away if she didn't acknowledge my presence.

No such luck, Kadence. Momma is here!

She gave me her typical greeting and sniffed in search of the alfalfa cubes. How does she know? Anyway, of course, I had a treat for her. The other horses wanted in on the action, but my girl was not having any part of the sharing of the treats or the sharing of mom's pets. Her ears pinned back and she, very clearly, warned the others to stay an appropriate distance away. Lots of rubs later and I was covered with horse hair. She is definitely shedding. I suspect she's getting warm in the sun due to her genetics because the quarterhorses and Missouri Foxtrotters were not shedding nearly as bad. Then again, my beautious girl is a warmblood and prefers cooler temperatures. She has a tendency to slow down as the temperature rises. Forget about any strenuous exercise when the thermometer reads above 80 degrees. She hates sweating as much as I do.

I wonder if she would be willing to wade into a pond. If only there were a pond close by to experiment with pony doggie paddle.

New Technology

Blogspot has some new options that I'm trying to figure out. I wish notifications came with a set of instructions on how to navigate and operate the new options.

Same thing with Facebook. New changes.....Sometimes change is good. BUT.....Sometimes....it can really be a hassle to embrace.

Phew.....How Time Flies

Wow! I can't believe I haven't posted anything since October. Wowwie, wow, wow.

So, I finished last semester with two A's. Naturally. I learned a tremendous amount from my horses class. The landscaping class was fun. It gave me a new appreciation to the amount of work that goes into planting trees and flowers. I had always planted pretty things in some sort of eye-pleasing fashion. There is, however, a method to the madness.

This semester, I had started off with three classes. Unfortunately, a limitation on my allowable credit hours forced me to drop the online class. Turns out that was a good thing. The folks that I know who are in the class are struggling and not having any fun.

The second class, I dropped because I obviously skipped a vaulable pre-requisite. I didn't understand the language of livestock production. I have to get the basics down before I can comprehend the nutritional and medicinal requirements of cattle, sheep, goats, swine, and poultry.

This leaves Animal Science 101. I'm digging it. Right now, I am attempting to visually distinguish several beef cattle breeds from one another. This is not as easy as one might imagine. Yes, I can spot a Brahman bull, but Limousine cows and Shorthorn cows and Gelbrieh cows really all look the same to me. So, I made flashcards. I think I'll have to find a cow person to help clearly identify the slight variations in the physical characteristics.