Just stuff...

Say hi to Gracey! Well, it's looking like our central air system needs to be replaced....it's quite uncomfortable in the house, and I'm spending a lot of time in the basement, where it is a little bit cooler at least. But I spent some time outside last night just snapping some pics......I just don't have the room to share them all here, but those of you who know me well are friends of mine on Facebook, and see ALL of my photos on there....probably more than you care to see! I took pics of all of the minis, and I also took a pic of one of my basjoo bananas (I shared it here)....which are coming along nicely now that they're acclimated in their new spot in the ground. They got planted quite late this year because the weather just wasn't fit for them. Next winter the two basjoos will winter outside, however this winter my basement will be home to them, and my ensete maurelii banana, where hopefully they'll continue to grow a little bit for a head start for next year. They could get 8-10 feet tall eventually! The ensete will always have to come in for the winter. Will need to bring my cannas in too. My persian shield looks AWESOME, and I'm sad that I'll have to let some of it die before winter. I'm going to bring some of it in the house to save for next year, and a friend of mine would like some of it, but it has multiplied so big, so fast, I just am not going to have room to keep it all in a pot this winter. My son and his grandfather made me a beautiful planter bench, I think that's where the persian shield will go next year, maybe that on one side, and my caladium on the other side. I have a tropical heart! I might try elephant ears next year!

I'm sad to see that tomorrow is August already...one more month of summer break for me, but I will like getting back to work and getting a paycheck again too! I've missed seeing the kids and coworkers on a daily basis. It has been such a hot July, so I hope we're given a break for August...which is usually pretty hot around here. I think my critters are pretty tired of the heat, and I know I am too!

Knocking on wood is a necessity....

So....it's been a pretty uneventful week with my broken toe...but it is feeling well enough to walk on now, as long as it's well supported. Kissy, however, has begun limping again. She's had such a great 6 weeks or so....and now a few days of limping and soreness. So she's back to bute twice a day, and me wondering what the future will hold. This roller coaster is so tough. I believe I'll spend my free time the next few days researching those steroid shots, and if I need to try one earlier than winter, I will, just to see if it works for her. That way, if by chance I do need to say goodbye to her, I can do so before winter hits. I don't like to think that way...but I've BEEN thinking that way for the last 5 months or so, preparing myself, just in case.

I have also thought about Blue, our other "big" horse, who's very bonded with Kissy...and what she would do with Kissy gone. I know. She'd freak, for awhile. But, I have a friend's horse coming over in August...hoping he will get along with Blue (it's not Blue I'm worried about, it's his personality, really). If things eventually work out, and we need to let Kissy go, it will work out the best all around. She'll have a safe place to keep her horse, and Blue will have a buddy. She doesn't consider the minis her buddies. She turns her nose at them. Eventually I would like to buy another horse, not to replace Kissy, but a horse I've wanted for a few years now, but I'm not ready for that right now. And, I need to see Kissy off to her next good place first, whenever that happens. I included a pic of her bad knee, where you can see the lump on it, and one of her x-ray photos, where you can see the lump on the x-ray, and the degeneration of the joint inside.

Thinking about Kissy...

Well, considering I believe I broke my toe yesterday, and it has turned every shade of purple imagineable, I've had little to do today but sit around....and I've been thinking about my girl. We had a very bad spring. At that point, I didn't think she would make it till summer. I prayed that she could hold out till summer so I wouldn't have to put her down before I was off work for the summer, I couldn't fathom having to deal with that and working too. Not my partner of 25 years. Well, she improved, not by anything I gave her, I tried a number of things, both supplements and prescriptions, but eventually I think it was the weather that helped her improve. And for the most part, she's had a pretty good summer. I'm not sure if I'm completely at peace with this decision yet, circumstances unknown to us yet may lead me to change my mind down the road, however at this time I'm thinking my plan is to try steriod injections in her knee to help her through the winter...and see if that helps. That is one thing we have not yet tried, and I know little about them. The vet has told me if they help her, they probably won't help her for more than 2-4 months...so it may take a couple of shots to get her through the winter if it does help...but I am willing to try. It is hard for me to say goodbye, but I know in my heart I will do what's best for her if she is suffering endlessly.

One thing Kissy and I have going for us are the endless thoughts and prayers from many people in my life. I am blessed with some truly wonderful friends, they are here for both of us, through good times and bad, and will continue to be. And when that time comes where I have to say goodbye, any one of them will be by my side if I ask them to. Most of them are not horse people, but Kissy has touched their hearts, and they care for her nearly as much as I do. Perhaps now is a good time for me to say how truly honored I am to have these people in my life, to know I always have them to lean on, they always care and understand, on my good days and my bad. What's the saying? They know me, and they love me anyway! =) You folks know who you are. I even have one who lives across the country, but is just as close to me as if we lived across the street. So, YOU know who you are too, you'd better not feel left out! I'm truly blessed. And it's during up and down times like this....that one truly realizes. Losing a horse is hard. But I've had this girl over half of my life. I don't remember much of my life before she was in it.... 25 years...that's a long time. And when she's gone, it will take a long time to heal from that I'm sure. I've been preparing myself...or trying to...just in case. But, I'm hoping, if things continue to go as they are, that she'll be here with me next year...that she'll see another birthday....as we'll give these steroid shots a try. Just thought I'd update. I know some people have been asking about her. Well, I have a lot of people ask about her....I don't mind, it tells me you care. And I appreciate it very much.

Visitors!

We've had our share of visitors this summer, and our latest was Dawn and her family from Green Bay. Dawn was my sidekick when we were younger, middle school through highschool, and beyond that. We were inseparable, and both shared our love of horses and all animals, we both just had a lot in common. But, as childhood turns to adulthood, life gets in the way, and eventually her life had her moving away, and we don't get to see each other very often...but when we do, it's as if we were never apart!


Kissy has had some tough times this year, and Dawn wanted to come see her before she's no longer with us....whenever that will be, and she and her family showed up yesterday. I have pretty much known Dawn since Kissy entered my life 25 years ago! She now has three beautiful kids, who like Kissy too.... I'll share a couple photos...above, Kissy and Dawn's oldest, Brittany, and below, Dawn, and Kissy.

Hot!

Below, Kissy, during a hosing off, and Blue, feeling good right after!

Oh boy did we have a heat wave this week! Highs in the upper 90's with heat index up to 115 one day. It's cooler today, and the animals managed ok. I was out spraying with the hose, I even sprayed the chickens, who were panting, and would give them a little puddle in one of their favorite dusting spots in their outdoor pen, so they'd have some nice cold water to walk through. I opened up the stalls inside the barn so the big horses could actually come into the stalls from their lean to, and kept the walk door open, so there was a breeze in there. My older girl, Kissy, was the one I really kept an eye on, with her being older....and I noticed on the hottest day, she was quite uncomfortable and in pain, limping on her bad leg...I imagine the heat wasn't helping her arthritis. Anyway, I'll share some photos of some of our hooved creatures cooling off this past week!

Below, Magic getting a full-out bath...and enjoying an "I'll-show-her" moment AFTER the bath!

By the way...here's a picture of that deck we put up. We had company visit us the second weekend in July, and we vowed to have it done by then...and it was! All three of us put our blood, sweat and tears into it to get it done. It's not a huge deck, but it works for what we need it for...large enough for the table and chairs......and nice to take our big telescope out at night to do some snooping in the sky...

Summer!

It's already the middle of July....the time is flying, and I don't like it. I don't like winter, and it will be here again before we know it. Kissy is still holding her own, we spent the spring and first part of summer trying some things, medications and supplements, for her, but didn't seem to help. But she's not doing too badly right now, so I'm just taking things one day, one week at a time.

Last week my son and I took two of our critters into a local nursing home to visit the residents. Magic, a miniature horse, and Kochia, a miniature donkey. Despite the heat, they both did quite well, and the residents enjoyed their visit. I'd love to do it again sometime. My plan when I got Magic was to do something like this with him...he's the one we take Trick-or-Treating every year. Kochia is WONDERFUL! In fact, in April, on Palm Sunday, she was invited to a local church to lead the congregation to the church in their annual "Donkey Walk." She was wonderful, and the kids loved the opportunity to take turns leading her down the city street themselves. We've already been invited back for next year. If it wasn't tradition to take Magic trick or treating, I had thought it would be so fun, one year, to take Kochia, who can be "Donkey," with I or someone else in a Shrek costume. That would be great.... but, Magic has to go out again this year, as we have some modifications to his most awesome "headless horseman" costume from last year to do.
Working for the school district, I am off for the summer, first day of school is September 1st. We finished our deck recently, and I've been working this spring and summer on, well, gardening I guess you could say....I've got a bit of a planting bug, and have been adding to ALL of the stuff I planted last year. Only this year, I went with a bit more of a tropical flair, with two different kinds of banana trees, some persian shield, caladium, dracena, and cannas. I also planted another raspberry bush...still would love more, and some strawberries this year. And tomatoes for my son. Neither my husband or I like tomatoes...so they're all his! Spireas around the deck...some lilies, ice plants, clematis....but this year's list is much smaller than last year's!

Anyway, I will add photos to this post of our visit to the nursing home, as well as Kochia's Donkey walk once I get a chance. I really need to do a better job at updating this blog....should there be anything to update! Of course it's also haying season....our son has even been helping out!

I'll also throw in a pic of some turkeys who visited our back yard recently. We also had 24 Canadian Geese parade through our back yard, of various ages, that same week. It was amazing to see them all!