Saturday, July 21, 2012

My Kinda Day



After feeding all the bottle calves and baby goats, chickens and my old Paint horse, I spent the morning cutting yesterdays soap so I could start it curing. Both are new scents, which I purchased on customer request and they are luscious!


The Wildrose soap really does smell like fresh cut roses and the White Tea and Ginger tempts  me to close my eyes and dream I am on a back porch somewhere, with green lawns and manicured flower beds, smelling the dew and sipping tea with my shortbread cookies. Okay, so I have a great imagination. That’s still what it makes me think of.


I’ve spent so much time trying to catch up and keep up lately, with laundry, with soap, with dinners, with yardwork, I promised myself that today, I would ride and do something for ME. Around about 2:30 I went out and saddled up Mister. I couldn’t get on him because my leg just wouldn’t flex enough to go up that high, but my nephew saw my dilemma and pushed Mister over near a rock so I could step up from there. It’s almost mortifying to be in this kind of shape, but after all, I did break horses for 30 years and used to swing up bareback with no problems at all. It’s just hard to imagine what can happen to a body when it gets an autoimmune disorder. Things just go  haywire. If I say anything weird, then that’s my excuse!
Cider came along and we went to the cattle guard heading for the processing corrals. The gate next to it is pretty hard to open, so I rode down the fence line to the next pasture and decided to get off and open that gate. I stepped down only to find I couldn't budge the wire loop off of the gate and there was NO way I was gonna be able to close it again, if I did get it open, so I capitulated and decided I’d just ride back to the barn again.
Not a bad plan, except I was on flat ground and there was no way for me to get back on. I DID get my foot up into the stirrup this time, but my butt wasn’t goin’ anywhere. I couldn’t get off the ground. I led, Mister followed, pushing me forward with his nose, until I found a big telephone pole lying out in the boneyard. I climbed up on that and stepped astride and we ambled back home. My nephew was still in the barn shoeing horses, and after a little chat I found out he and the ladies were going to do a couple of ‘small jobs’ later in the afternoon, so I pried an invite out of him and went home to wait.

I was happy for the chance to ride along because last time I took MIster out with the crew, things didn't go so smoothly. You see, Mister was born when I was training horses at my place in Tehachapi. He spent most of his life as a 'stall potato' working in an arena setting. He was also my best horse for mounting non ambulatory kids from their wheelchairs when I ran the NARHA center, an equine assisted therapy program for handicapped children and adults. Trail riding and cows were not on his resume. We long trotted what seemed like forever (we are both out of shape) to a pasture far, far away, to rodear. Rodear is when a bunch of cowboys spread out and hold all the cattle in a group while one or two at a time ride into the herd and cut out the ones we need to move. 



Rodear (Row-day-ar)

                                  Waiting on the 'gate man'
#5 Riding through the herd

That day they were cutting out cow calf pairs that had gotten in the wrong field with some other cows. Mister had a few problems, such as balking when I went to run down and turn back an escapee and he became a regular screaming Mimi when I had to ride away from the other horses. He slowly settled down, but today was an opportunity to bring him along a little further.
Quite a bit of time passed and when I looked up at the clock, I realized I would not be able to ride, because we were going to cover a lot of miles and it was getting too close to feeding time for leppies, bottle kids and milking the goat. I didn’t want Randy to be stuck with that alone. I limped up to the barn and told the ladies to let my nephew know I couldn’t go and unsaddled Mister and turned him out. He happily trotted out to the big pasture with Wimpy. 
As I stepped in the back door of the house, my nephew (Logan...I can’t just call him nephew forever, and I don’t think he will mind if I use his name.) was in the kitchen talking to Randy. He assured him that we’d be riding from the North end of the ranch past headquarters, and down towards the South end, so if I wanted to, I could just ride home at that point. Randyman said to go for it and I was really grateful to both Logan for caring enough to work that out, and for Randyman for being such a great guy. Not everyone is lucky enough to have family like ours...and our “ranch’ family is awesome to boot.
I hobbled waaaaaaaaay out into the pasture to collect Mister again, cuz he apparently couldn’t hear me whistle. He usually comes to me from wherever he is. He stuck his head in my halter and back to the milk room we went, to re-saddle. Logan took off to go do what he had to do, and   we put Mister in the trailer with the other horses and drove down to the processing corrals, with the two ladies who were kind enough to let me tag along.

It was a beautiful evening...perfect for riding. The colors were muted, various shades of green and grey, purples and blue of lupines and mountains, blending into pink, purple and grey blue sky with puffy clouds scudding along. All we had to do was find 7 cow-calf pairs and move them from one end, to the other. Things went smoothly. Mister behaved himself much better than the last time I rode with someone. He only sulled up on me once, and did a little hollering when I had to ride out of sight of the other horses, but he calmed right back down and after that he was good as gold. We had one old cow break away and  we were able to run her down and push her back over. He’s a little guy with a lot of heart.








Some of the gates are a little tight and took teamwork to get them closed again. Mister and I 'stupidvised' while the ladies did the heavy work.

We made it back just after dark at around 9:30. I felt refreshed and revitalized. I've really missed riding everyday.

Mister is just plain tired. Randyman had fed all the animals and milked for me. I repeat myself he is a great guy. To top it off, he made hamburgers and we had a late dinner. It was definitely my kind of a day.

17 comments:

  1. Very nice. It was good to ride along. You have my permission to tell horse stories every blog. ;)

    I've made a mental note ( uh oh ) about your new soaps. When I forget I'll simply go to Ranch Rustics and be re-surprised and pleased that you have some luscious new flavors.

    Kristi

    p.s. did the clem survive? how about the JA?

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    1. I am still waiting for the clematis to come up...stranger things have happened. Randy heard the JA can give you cramps and make you windy, so he forbade my planting it! LOL

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  2. It's so hard to imagine the open range living out east. Great to be a part of it vicariously through you!

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    1. The range is a wild, wonderful and beautiful place. The American Cowboy isn't dead yet, but alive and well. Let's hope it stays that way! Thanks for dropping in!

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  3. i'm going to post before x does tonight cos alex is here n they haven't seen each other for awhile. we all learned sign but those two have a secret language all their own. morley is screaming, morley good, so i'm distracted. ur soaps r pretty but it was neat to read about u riding and mr and u getting reaquainted. i wrote a post last night cos the shooting was on my mind but i didn't really say much. we moved cattle and alex was out gate openr n like u needed help sometimes, mostly cos he's to short at 12 to reach the tallr gates. he gets to drive th epickup so he likes coming tho he;d rather ride a horse. i'm so glad u got to ride today. cya. petra lady...d

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    1. -d, its always great to hear from you. I remember when my DoubleYellowhead used to yell and distract me too. Sometimes that was a good thing. It has been good to have Mister back. I ride him more than Wimpy only because he is so much more social and never gives me a hard time catching him..unlike Wimpy who is a tad on the sour side. So sad to hear about the shooting. There is so much evil in the world and in the hearts of men. (using the term collectively). I bet Alex has a great time there with you guys. I know I would. Luv ya d!

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  4. Another great post, it certainly sounds like a wonderful way to spend your day. The photos are dreamy. Thanks for sharing and the soaps sound heavenly. (I may need to place an order yet!) Hugs... CAROL DEE

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  5. Glad you had such a good day - you deserve it :-) The new soaps look very exciting! You're going to need to become a full time soap maker soon ;-)

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    1. Randyman made me some new molds for my birthday, so I can make more at a time. I still gotta have time to feed critters, make bread, ride and tend the garden! LOL

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  6. And it is double-ly nice to know that the great American Cowgirl is alive and well and working on your ranch, too!

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    1. There are a number of great female buckaroos here! #5 child, is able to hold her own with ANY cowboy at ANY job! Several ladies have been coming from all over the country to come and enjoy working here. I can't tell you how bad I wish we had wound up here BEFORE I started having symptoms! But at least I get to have fun when I am able to ride!

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  7. How wonderful that you had a chance to get out and ride AND that your horse was better behaved. It is nooo fun when they act like butt-heads! LOL!!

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  8. It was great. I have to say, the old man does pretty well, considering most of his life he was a 'stall potato'.

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  9. That does sound like a wonderful day petey. And must I say...I am so happy for you that you accept what your body does or does not want to do and work around it! You accept the situation, but do not allow yourself to be defeated, but rather victorious and continue to move forward! Wild Rose soap = Yipee! Staci, Stubborn Hill Farm

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    1. Thanks, Staci...but don't think I don't get crabby and whiney too! I am able to do a lot of the things I do, because I am married to a saint. He lends a hand when I can't keep up, or overlooks what I can't get done. It makes a hard reality easier to bear!

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  10. Hi Petey. Man, I'm last again. I heard Beryl fell and wanted to let you know. D has been too busy so it was Dev who heard. If you left your soap around our house I would probably try to eat it, its so pretty. Looks like on of those home made candies I love. It makes me happy when you ride. I'm not a good rider but I like it. I even wear boots to delight my brothers. That kind of 'kicker' doesn't sound so bad any more. My friend Alex came back from Texas and it was so good to see him. He is the answers of one of the guestions written in my heart. God is good. Your health is another yet not answered. Amy is pleased with this post. Dex

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    1. Yes, she (Hookie) let us know on FB about her fall. She is sore, but thankfully nothing is broken! Thanks for sharing you might eat the soap, I will be sure to label it so no one makes that mistake, although it's not toxic, but I'm afraid if you start frothing at the mouth someone might take offense. It makes me happy when I ride too, and I am glad you wear boots. I have 'tennie-boots" I wear as I found out it hurts to put spurs on when you are barefoot. Glad you are enjoying Alex. So many friendships are designed in Heaven, I think. I figure my health problems are temporary and will all be solved one day and forever. Glad Amy is pleased, I can't tell you how much I respect someone, especially of your gender, who cares about pleasing their mom. It's an important characteristic which flows over into other vital relationships. Good for you!

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