Cool.

Nothing is more fun than driving down the gravel driveway and catching a glimpse of your daughter fiddling with her pony. Clean, braided, leg-wrapped... the pony not the daughter. Watching her saddle up by herself, bridle by herself, and head out into the pasture by herself. Well, not actually by herself - as always, there are four goats in tow...

A mini!

Yesterday we had a visitor for the day - a mini. It was Juice Box. She spent the day with us and we all had a great. She learned a lot about living on the farm. She learned that you can't wear Crocks outside in the morning because your socks will get wet. She learned to identify horse poop when we cleaned stalls. We called it cleaning Tessa's bed. She learned that you have to give the goats the fresh-picked grass that you have in your hand quickly otherwise they will mug you like the little thugs that they are. "Give us the grass, kid..." She was fascinated by the ladies enjoying a dust bath in the newly plowed garden. "Go see them chickens."

Fun to share all these things we love with our little juicy that we love so much!

It's a sign...

As winter drags on and our crummy luck for 2011 continues, it remains difficult to be "glass half full." Another surgery for Bryce the service dog tomorrow - this is after an extremely expensive CT scan that was needed to get a clear view of the tumor that is reappearing. A spay for Katy Kitty. A trip to the ER for izzy after two falls during a riding lesson. A CT scan later shows no damage, just a whopper of a headache and strained neck muscles. Assorted winter colds, growing pains, shoulder surgery rehab, the list goes on.

But, in the middle of all this "life" that is overrunning us, we received a sign. A sign that there is hope for us yet... One small green egg lying in a nesting box.

All I wanted when I moved back to the country was a chicken that laid colored eggs. And all of our chickens have NOT laid colored eggs. Beige. Beige eggs. Healthy and sooooo tasty, but beige. Ug. Until last week... I arrived home after work to an amazing surprise. Turns out that Bee's chicken, Pip, had not started laying yet - we thought she had. Nope. But last week she gave us the most awesome gift, a beautiful sage green egg. You'd think she laid a blue Tiffany's box, I was so excited to see that egg. That egg was a sign that despite the fog, the cold, the drama of life, there is goodness in the world. I mean, how can a girl's outlook on life not be changed by a green egg. Do you hear me? A GREEN EGG!

Life is good.

Giddy Up!

Today was the perfect day to ride! We haven't seen the sun in what feels like two months... just gray, cold, damp, frosty, foggy weather. No sun. None. But this afternoon it came out. And standing watching Bee's lesson, feeling the warmth from that sun on back, made it a perfect day to ride. Granted, Nick the lesson horse also felt the warm sun and the cool air - a lethal combination when you're a young rider. But Bee did great. It was her first dressage lesson. Turns out that the barn Bee has been taking lesson at for the last few months is an eventing barn. Dressage, cross country, stadium.

Now a beginning dressage lesson looks awfully similar to a regular lesson. But, I appreciated immediately the emphasis on control, heads-up riding with a plan, paying attention to your horse and proper posture. And it's a different posture. "Like ballerina on a horse," Cheron explains. Sitting very straight up and down, which is good for Bee because she usually ends up hunched over the neck like one of those monkeys that ride the australian shepards around the barrel pattern at the rodeos. Hilarious for sure, if you're a monkey...

Good day.

Glass Half Full?

Ok, so 2011 is starting out dangerously close to the way 2010 started - which was not great... I have already been to the vet to check the site of a tumor on Bryce, my service dog, that seems to be growing back. The tumor was removed four months ago and back so soon. We are crossing our fingers to see if a visiting surgeon from UCD will take a look at Bryce this next week.

Katy the kitty has come into season... so, not only is she writhing around and howling, but she is shaved from the waste down from her last surgery. It looks like she has no pants on. I guess that's a good thing if you're looking for a date. The "surgery" will be scheduled tomorrow.

Let's cross our fingers that this is just residual from the very strange 2010, and soon we'll be good to go!

Back in the Saddle...

I walk. If I remember correctly I started walking sometime around the spring of 2007, or maybe it was 2006 or even earlier. I don't remember. I like walking. I wish I ran. I do sometimes. It's quite a sight. I am not a runner. I am someone who runs... big difference. Anyway, I walk for a variety of reasons: to move my booty, to improve my health, to be a model for my kids, to accomplish a training goal. Turns out I am goal oriented. I have completed four half marathons, and I'm getting ready to register for my fifth. Crazy. I would never have thought that at this point in my life I would be getting ready for my fifth half marathon.

I like the sensation of moving my body through space - with purpose. I like the solid feeling I have after months of walking. I like ticking off miles as the training walks increase. That's one reason that I thought it would be fun to see how many miles I can log in 2011. I hate walking on the treadmill, but when you live in the country there are no sidewalks. I am so afraid of getting hit by some redneck blasting down the road - thump, thump... I love walking in town at the park. That's where you can find me on most Saturday mornings. No chance I'm going to get run over, however I may get hit by a softball. I love walking alone. Though I always envy those groups of ladies that you see at the runs that all have matching shirts and take lots of hugging photos at the start line. Fun. But when you don't like to train with others or race with others then you can't expect that you'd be one of those purple-t-shirt-wearing chicks smiling and posing before the gun with all your BFFs...

I am going to try to be a more social walker. Or not. I'm not sure. So, until I decide, I will just continue to walk on my own. The walking farmer.

Thank heaven for 2011!

Man, are we happy to see 2010 go on it's way! In typical family fashion, we rang in 2011 while sleeping snug in our beds. After having friends over for a wonderful New Year's Eve dinner our bellies, full of wine and tri tip (and sparkling cider), didn't allow for wild partying. We decided to call it and celebrate in the morning with something just as awesome as expensive champagne... blueberry crumb breakfast cake with a lemon glaze. Now that's a happy new year!

The rest of the New Year's weekend was spent reading, avoiding the rain, going to the movies, getting over colds, avoiding the rain, and preparing for our return back to school. Boooooooooooo. That's from me not the kids...

But, upon returning from school tonight and sitting down to our nightly family dinner, it was interesting to hear our kids talk about what all their buddies got for Christmas. Seems to have been the season for electronics and $100 VISA gift cards. Seriously? $100 VISA gift cards? Two little friends from different families received them. Now, I pride myself on painstakingly selecting meaningful presents for our kids. Things that they will love and be tickled by. But, let me guess... next year they would be extremely tickled by matching $100 VISA gift cards...

yeah, me too. Yo, Santa...