Spring Music on the Farm

My granddaughter Alexa, friend Holly, and I decided to take a ride around the farm. The ground was still squishy under our horses' feet, but the squish was a good squish. A chill in the early spring air was soon forgotten as we roamed around the vast acres of pastures. In the summer they would be filled with hay, but now they were wide open for riding. Alexa felt as free as the whistling wind and asked Tantra to gallop. It was not my intention to follow, but Tango wanted to keep up with Tantra, so that's exactly what we did. The sound of Alexa laughing as I begged her to stop (half-heartedly) was music to my ears. Spring music. As we walked up the path towards the barn Chuck was waiting there with his video camera.

It was the perfect timing for him to open the gate for us to the outdoor arena so we could ride in a confined area before we called it a day. Just a little more cantering. A little more music from the horses' hooves on the soft ground. And a little more wind to remind us of the melody of the wonderful season that had not quite blossomed enough to burst into an entire orchestra of sound .

Though the video is far from artistically perfect, my guess is you can hear the same spring music that we heard on our lovely ride in the early spring.

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In Memory and Respect

I was going to tell you all about a horse show that I took my grandaughter Alexa to. She did very well and we took lots of pictures. In the end, one photo stood out. Why? Because the date was September 11th and the picture seemed more than significant. I hope you think so too.

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No Such Thing As a Bad Day at the Farm!

People keep asking me if I'm worried about my upcoming surgery and for the most part, the answer is "no"! I'm surrounding myself with the people and animals I love.

This is my granddaughter Alexa going out for a ride on Tantra. I was right behind her taking pictures!

My dear friend Nancy stopped by the farm that very same day with her little dog, Nellie.

Nancy put Nellie on Tantra and Tantra couldn't care less. What a great horse and what an adorable dog. We had so much fun that day!

Nancy and I put up lawn chairs and watched Alexa ride while we gulped down bottled water. Alexa hand grazed Tantra some more and then she got out a little horse who is her heart. Alexa loves Candy Cane and the barn cats too.

Just watching this threesome makes me happy. My granddaughter is such a gentle soul. It makes me tear up just to think about the person that she's growing up to be.

This shot was taken by none other than me at arm's length. You'd never know that I'm going to have major back surgery by the position I'm in would you? My sister taught me this photo technique but she does it better than me. If I look happy, it's because I am. Life is good. God has blessed me with all I need and then some.

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An Email I Had to Share....

IF I DIDN`T HAVE A DOG OR CAT

I could walk around the yard barefoot in safety. My house could be carpeted instead of tiled and laminated.All flat surfaces, clothing, furniture, and cars would be free of hair. When the doorbell rings, it wouldn't sound like a kennel. When the doorbell rings, I could get to the door without wading through fuzzy bodies who beat me there. I could sit on the couch and my bed the way I wanted, with out taking into consideration how much space several fur bodies would need to get comfortable. I would have money, and no guilt to go on a real vacation. I would not be on a first-name basis with 6 veterinarians, as I put their yet unborn grandkids through college.
The most used words in my vocabulary would not be: out, sit, down, come, no, stay, and leave it ALONE. My house would not be cordoned off into zones with baby gates or barriers. I would not talk 'baby talk'. 'Eat your din din'. 'Yummy yummy for the tummy'...My house would not look like a day care center, toys everywhere. My pockets would not contain things like poop bags, treats and an extra leash.I would no longer have to spell the words B-A-L-L,, W-A-L-K,, T-R-E-A-T,, O-U-T,, G-O,, R-I-D-E,, C-O-O-K-I-E

I would not have as many leaves INSIDE my house as outside. I would not look strangely at people who think having ONE dog or cat ties them down too much. I'd look forward to spring and the rainy season instead of dreading 'mud' season. I would not have to answer the question 'Why do you have so many animals?' from people who will never have the joy in their lives of knowing they are loved unconditionally by someone as close to an angel as they will ever get.
How EMPTY my life would be!!!

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The Business of Love

I don't know if I've mentioned this before or not, but I co-own another horse with a good friend. She hasn't ridden much in the past few years so it only makes sense that she shouldn't pay board anymore.

My friend called me and told me that she wanted to sell Tantra and her tack. My first response was, "Sell your tack...it's worth plenty of money. Let me find Tantra a home." At the time, I thought I would place her just like I do my rescue dogs. I'd find the perfect home and make the people sign a contract that stated she would come back to me if they ever decided they didn't want her.

My second thought was: I love Tantra. My granddaughter loves Tantra. The best place for Tantra is with us! My friend totally agreed. She wants the best thing for Tantra too.

So now, I'm in the business of finding someone to lease Tantra to pay for her board. That lease will demand that Tantra stays with me at the farm where I have Tango. I will start to ride Tantra more and my granddaughter will continue to ride her (along with the person who leases).

We've decided we're going to ride Tantra western....rather my granddaughter decided that. I'm up for it too. What the heck. I can ride Tango one way and Tantra the other. Maybe it will work different muscle groups! I have my first western lesson on Monday.

Meanwhile, please wish us well. We need to find someone else to love Tantra as much as we do. I promised Chuck that the board for two horses would be covered by my business plan. Imagine that...me with a business plan!!!

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Sandra's Famous Quote about Horses and Granddaughters

I'm a sucker when it comes to quotes about animals, kids, and love. I savor them and can usually recite my favorite ones at any given time. Some quotes stay in our hearts and minds forever. I was reading the comments you left after I wrote about my granddaughter and Tango.

Sandra left a quote (that is now famous as far as I'm concerned) that touched my heart. She said: A great horse is a treasure. A granddaughter to share him with is even better.

Alexa stayed all night with us last night. This morning, bright and early, Alexa and I headed for the barn. I saddled up Tango while she saddled up Tantra. First we warmed up in the indoor arena. Then we went to the outdoor arena and trotted around for awhile.

After about twenty minutes Alexa said, "Let's go on a trail ride Nan."

I hesitated.

There was a slight problem. One of us had to get off our horse to open the gate (since everyone else had left and we were alone). I thought for a minute and then said what any responsible grandparent would say:

"Okay Lex, if I get off Tango, gravity is going to keep me on the ground. There's no mounting block out here. You get off and open the gate and then YOU get back on.

Now it was Alexa's turn to hesitate, but not for long. She hopped off Tantra, opened the gate, and allowed me to pass.

"I knew you could do it," I told Lex. "Now get back on!"

Just so you know, Alexa and I ride in English saddles. We don't have saddle horns or an easy way to hoist ourselves up. What I knew was that Alexa was young and had the coordination to do just about anything she wanted to do. She just needed the confidence to try something she had never done before.

I was her cheerleader from atop Tango while Alexa gave it a few good shots. Of course by now we were both laughing. It's a good thing Tango and Tantra are both calm. Luckily, Mary (a wonderful woman who works at the barn and loves the horses) came around the corner.

"I'll give her a leg up," she said. And she did.

With that, Alexa and I were off. A gentle breeze cooled us. The day was about as perfect as it could get.

Alexa and I rode down the lane where the trees form shaded umbrellas. We rode in the fields where butterflies and bothersome flies were everywhere. We rode by the edge of the woods where birds were singing like they were serenading us. We rode around the paddock where Tango and Tantra graze. We rode and rode and rode. Alexa and I.

All the while we were riding, Sandra's quote kept going through my mind. A great horse is a treasure. A granddaughter to share him with is even better.

What a glorious day we had. What a gift to be able to share the fresh air and peacefulness with my granddaughter. No matter what obstacles or challenges I will face in my life, I will always remember today and the comment Sandra left on my blog.

**photo's from the day SIL traveled with me to the barn

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