Allegro Update

Allegro

OK, Allegro is now running with the boys and doing well around his new settings. He has come into his own now.

Thor and Allegro are being ridden on a regular basis. Nothing too much for the A-man due to his Stifle Injury but none the less he is doing great and has a job...

Allegro's First Day

Gracie's Run Farm this week is blessed by and woman and her horse...

From time to time, people tell me, “lighten up, it’s just a horse,” or,”that’s a lot of money for just a horse” or "That's a lot of work", "that's too much responsibility."

They don’t understand the distance travelled, the time spent, or the costs involved for “just a horse. Jewel's does.”

Some of my proudest moments as a child have come about with “just a horse.”

Some of my saddest moments have been brought about by “just a horse,” and in those days of darkness, the gentle touch of “just a horse” gave me comfort and reason to overcome the day. King Charles when you left; gave a lot of people hope, taught us mortality, took a man and made him cry...

If you, too, think it’s “just a horse,” then you will probably understand phrases like “just a friend,” “just a sunrise,” or “just a promise" or the best one "It's just my spouse."

“Just a horse” brings into my life the very essence of friendship, trust, and pure unbridled joy.

“Just a horse” brings out the compassion and patience that make me a better person, brings out frustration in yourself...

Because of “just a horse” I will rise early every day for the rest of my life, I know not what the waking hour of eight in the morning is, better am I aquanted with five in the morning... When the sun takes hold of the day, and the night looses his grip on the world,

Three horses stand before me in all the grand passion you can muster...

In bridled, natural and ready to challenge you, challenge themselves, and show you the loyalty and love and the power God gave....

So for me, my wife and Jewel like me, it’s not “just a horse”, I am blessed with Jewel's just a horse for the rest of his natural life. At the end but an embodiment of all the hopes and dreams of the future, the fond memories of the past, and the pure joy of the moment.

I hope that someday they those city folk, can understand that it’s not “just a horse”
but the thing that gives the three of us humanity and keeps us from being “just a woman or just a man.”

So the next time you hear the phrase “just a horse” just smile, just chuckle, because they “just” don’t understand.

Jack Me UP - Please but slow and easy!

OK,

Started the major summer project... Which after ripping out all the dilapidation from under the rear porch and determining the rear porch near the pool is in good shape... Minus the coverings of lattice work and badly installed trim we have now arrived at the core supporting structures of the back sun room.

I was amazed to find my large (previously nice) sun room supported by four 3 x 4's. I mean sweet mother of GOD who in the right mind supports a structure with this crap ass wood. One of which is not even touching the tube footing it is supposed to! So now we are down to three supporting pieces of crap wood. It is my understanding the owner who built the dam room was in fact and genuine flat-lander!!!!

The plan: Rummage around and get three good 10-15 ton bottle jacks... Six 3/4 inch squares of plate steel and some 12 x 12 pieces of wood to jack the hell out of the back part of the house about two and half inches level.

The Outcome: Remain Alive through the process with an acceptable escape route out is my first and foremost goal...
Move the house up two and a half level inches. Allowing the DOORS and windows to open with out beating the ever-living crap out of them to get them to comply. The last expected outcome will be the porch pitching in the correct position (away from the house) and the re-setting of those support posts... This all can be accomplished with a minimal amount of cost and a little effort should the jacks actually do the job I want them too...

Oh, and actually set the house back down on 12x12 treated posts that actually could support the entire house by themselves...

Novel dam idea to get this straight! Dam Flatlanders!

I will update the progress as we move forward...

Attack Cock!

The week on Gracies Run Farm was met by mud, rain, more mud, wet dogs and dogs in the pool which I opened this week! Yes, so there were still small icebergs in there floating... The dogs; well they didn't care about that, they just had the pool back!

Thank God for spring and spring related fun...

We here on the farm have a had a dangerous moment this week! Well we didn't but one of our very trusted and loved friends was attacked! Yes attacked! She went to Log Home Farm Store and thought to stop by and visit us, as good friend do! She loves to see the boys in the paddock. This day they were we're in the barn so she tried to enter and and Tim (The White Rooster Pictured) accosted her. She then made it past him and he had her trapped in the barn and kept trying to jump up and kick me. She resorted to letting out a very girlie scream which we believe actually fueled him! The kicking continued by Tim, who by the way is relentless, luckily she was able to escape fast to her car safely driving away....

Offered this weekend at the farm is our class on rooster whispering tricks.

Next week looks like a open week for more fun...

Good Day... The week is starting out wet in the Shire... I have more mud than most riverbeds and one white horse who has now turned brown... Off to work tomorrow into the city which should be hoot again!

This weekend is fishing time... I will be trying to school my Brother on Fly Fishing for bass while he pokes at them with hardware, from the decks of our transportation, a.k.a Skeeter!

Beware hardware boy! Fly Brother is on the way to school you...

Vie dans les bois!

Cell phones... My Stepdaughter arrives home to our humble farm! Spends the weekend speaking about being board, totally! Why is all due to the country life... Ah to be back a college again! Hustle and Bustle of life...

Anyhow, the cell phone does not have a signal, unless you stand at eight-O'clock in the barn drive and face East, holding the one maple tree close to the road at sugaring season; so the sap acts as a antenna... I love the country... Need me, Drive the hell over, cuz my neighbors are too far away to walk... Fend for yourself is the key to the country...

As a husband, there is always something to do, you know the Honey DO list or your own list... As a wife well there is always something to do as well, like the mud in the house which never stops!

Times are not so easy now. Saving finances in a horrible economy. Keeping a house. Keeping your animals safe. Making sure you have enough on the table... Staying home...

So, why is the country a better place to be in bad times? You have plenty to do, there is always something interesting, fun and hard work just around the corner to occupy your days... Translation: Your entertainment is built in, your self-satisfaction is not related to any commerce! You save money... Your hands are dirty, and your conscious clean... Your animals smile at you and look forward to seeing you unconditionally!

So does you wife...

Well, the winter drags on and we are constantly getting tired of heating the house. We never stocked up on wood this year and are paying for it... This summer we are going to do the duty get the place stocked up on wood...

Too much snow, too many piles and this stuff will never melt before June...

Too much mud at this point as well. Dogs come in muddy, horses are muddy... We need to do a drive way solution this year that is for sure...

Well enough for the 2009 first blog entry