horses – The Hermits' Rest

A quick hey…hay

Gotta go to bed soon—today was long! The best part was spending time with the horses while they got their feet trimmed. Everyone is so calm and well behaved. Even Mabel has settled into a well behaved routine after a rough start when she got here.

The only photos I took were of Apache, who really seemed to enjoy his trim. He dozed a bit, then did a lot of licking and chewing when it came to his hind legs.

He still has those platter feet, but they are sound and pretty, for him.

I wish I’d gotten before and after pictures of poor Fiona. I noticed she was walking strangely, so I had the farrier take a look, dreading founder or thrush or an abscess. Nope. She had mud clumped in her hoof so thick that it stuck out past her hoof. Only Fiona! She’s all fixed up now, after a little soreness after the hoof was cleaned. She’s the sweetest little thing.

These guys made my morning! And a fun Master Naturalist meeting completed the day. I learned fascinating information about re-introducing horned lizards near Mason, Texas. I also learned interesting fire ant control techniques and about Houston toad reintroduction in Bastrop. The speaker is a local guy who’s a great speaker and researcher.

Take me with you

If aliens arrived tomorrow, what’s the first thing you’d ask them?

My friend and former housemate, Jeffrey Tveraas, wrote a song about encountering aliens that has always stayed with me. In the song, the narrator asks to go along with them: Take Me with You. (The song is quite catchy.) At this point in my life, I might take my chances and head on out into alien territory.

I figure, being eaten or enslaved by aliens would be preferable to watching my human rights erode. And they might be fun, who knows?

But, here I am at the Hermits’ Rest, wandering around looking for autumnal blossoms and hanging around with my dwindling collection of livestock buddies. I did find flowers!

And I enjoyed all the animals, too. Thanks to the hard work of the ranch family this year, the cocklebur problem in the horses’ manes and tails is manageable. The mowing got most of them. I was also happy to see the turkeys seem happy as they can be after the fox incident. My herbal treatment seems to have perked up their digestion, and all their lost feathers are growing back. Life goes on.

That’s all I can share for today. Keep our family in your thoughts and hug your loved ones!

Oh, and let me know if you meet any friendly aliens!

Who wants to read this?

How do you write what people actually want to read?

What a good question! If I had set my sights on being a professional content creator or influencer, I’d probably think about this question more. I blog because I have a compulsion to write, and I enjoy connecting with others and getting feedback. I don’t feel authentic if I tailor everything I say to get people interested. On the other hand, I don’t want to alienate my friends and family who read my messages to them, so I don’t want to come off as rude or confrontational.

That doesn’t mean I don’t. I have heard enough feedback that I come through as condescending or think I’m better than others to know I can irritate folks. I’m grateful that my work in being okay with not being everyone’s cup of tea has paid off, and that I’m comfortable not pleasing people whose beliefs I disagree with. We do t all have to agree.

That being said, I enjoy sharing sweet snippets of rural life and quirky thoughts that might bring a smile to some readers’ faces. That works for me!

Cuteness did occur today, as some clever horse opened a gate and let everyone out to seek green grass. I think I saw it happen, just by luck, as I looked out the window.

I let them find the few places that are still green (near the septic field and where we water a tree), and they had quite a fun day. I really enjoy watching the horses having fun.

I’m taking a bit of a work break while some things get figured out, so I got to hang out with the birds and my garden spider friend for a while this morning.

I’m always surprised at how many plants are just fine in dry periods. The dove weed and snake weed keep going no matter what, which pleases the pollinators.

Much of the day was spent getting ready for a trip, so everything got watered, fed, and prepped for my absence. It should all be fine, since we have folks watching over the plants and animals. Of course the horses had to get their food. They were very good and all came back into the pens when I asked them to, except one.

Spice really wanted to help me dole out their rations. She tried to come in the feed shed, but didn’t like the step. Whew. She did a good job of cheering me up!

This also cheered me up. My son got this great shot of the Barred Owl he’s been seeing at his work site!

Self care everywhere

How do you make time for self-care?

I hadn’t planned to answer this, but seeing as it’s vital to me right now, I can share my seemingly endless supply of self care practices. Do I practice a lot of self care? Indeed I do. Do I feel bad about it? Nope. Right now it’s very important to care for our tender hearts. To balance the negativity around us with positive energy, we need to protect our energy so we can share some. Not all!

So, what do I do? Here is an incomplete list:

Every morning I sit with Lee on the porch drinking coffee and looking at birds. It’s a gentle start to a day.
I also do my Finch self-care birb app before I start working. I do deep breathing, list some positive thoughts, reach out to others and have gentle fun with friends on the app.
During work days I try to get out and walk at least twice, to get the mail, feed the fish, etc. Mail and fish both are fun and (usually) relaxing.
I limit exposure to the political news. I find positive news to read about.
I do my nails weird colors and patterns. It forces me to take a break and do something just for me every week. Like my knitting and crocheting, the process is more important for my self care than the product.
I make sure to spend time with friends and family. I have two online meetings per week with friends, plus my monthly tarot group. And I have lunch every Wednesday with a group of women who support each other and make me laugh. I often meet friends for breakfast or dinner, and I try to have good conversations with my local family as much as possible. They are positive and care for us.
The horses, dogs, and poultry are part of my self care. Sure, feeding and caring for animals can be a chore, but it makes me feel good to interact with them. And it gets me out of the house.
Blogging is also self care. I work things out in my mind when I write, and I enjoy the conversations with others than blog entries can start. It’s part of community building, and since my audience is small, I don’t have to deal with unkind comments. Thank you, readers.

Whew. That’s a lot. In today’s self care, my tarot group met tonight, and I got the most sad and negative bunch of cards ever. It just confirms that I’m going through a challenging phase. The good news is that it pointed to Lee as someone to help guide me past this and return to equilibrium. There’s always going to be positive and negative “stuff” floating around, after all.

And as for stuff, all our “stuff” is now flowing through new pipes as it heads toward the septic tank.

The pad will be centered around the window in the photo

Now that hurdle is passed, the prep for all our future concrete paths and the massive pad for the water tank can continue. It’s quite a project!

Penney found a used piece of pipe and really enjoyed it. Yuck!

I’m a dental anomaly

I managed to get some sleep last night (sooo quiet in my little hotel room). I woke a little early, and since I didn’t want to drink coffee before a dental procedure, I spent some quality time in the hotel parking lot, which abuts an established neighborhood in Cedar Park, Texas. When I first moved to Texas, the property was a beautiful pecan orchard (now called Pecan Park). Some trees remain.

They did save some trees in the parking lot.

I had a great time listening to and viewing birds. I saw some interesting ones, including a pair of Yellow Warblers and a Redstart. The area along US 183 where the hotel is gets many fascinating migrating birds, not necessarily the same ones we see (but it’s the same flyway).

This crow puffed out with every loud caw.

Most of the plants I saw were non-natives, including some unpopular invasives. I did enjoy some pretty hackberry berries and cheerful drought-resistant plants.

Well, even though I dawdled talking to a lady walking her dog about the coyote population of this area (high), I had to go to the dentist to get fitted for my crown. This involved yet more drilling and poking around, so Dr. Pham put in lots and lots of anesthetic stuff. I did my best to breathe and get through it, but as soon as he was done, I felt shaky. Then, wham, my back started spasming again! Dang! It wasn’t as bad as last time, but still pretty awful.

I got through the drilling and getting an impression made. But the impression was bad, so they had to do it again. I lost my ability to joke around with Patty the technician. I was out of patience, sort of like I was on that rain delay on the plane recently. I was out of spoons, as they say. Then it took forever to fit the temporary crown. Bite down, tap tap, bite down, tap tap.

Geez. I was a crumpled mess, but I made it home, and when I talked to my friends online, I felt better after their organ recital (nearly everyone was suffering from something). And after my friend Barbara mentioned that her minister mentioned Supergirl in a sermon and agreed with me that the older ones looked better, I was able to smile. Thank goodness for friends!

Later between work meetings, I looked up what it means if you get back spasms after dental anesthesia. Here’s what it said.

In sum: it’s epinephrine and/or an adrenaline spike

Hooray, I’m not that weird, even if it’s never happened in over 20 years at my dental practice. It does make sense. The spasms didn’t start until that horrible tooth pulling episode. So, what to do? I can ask for the epinephrine to be removed. That makes the shots last less time. No thanks. Or I could take a muscle relaxer or tranquilizer. I’ll try that next time I need the needle. Lucky for me, my next two appointments are the fitting of the crown and a routine cleaning. If that man thinks I’ll get another crown anytime soon he’s deluded.

The heat got to me all day, but I got the chores done. I hugged Apache a lot. It’s his best talent, tolerating hugs.

My family pampered me this evening. I really appreciate the Japanese noodle dinner from Lee and the cupcakes Kathleen brought back from her time in Temple. I wish spiders would leave her alone!

Good night from this flatulent fellow. We found out he’s two years old, by the way.

An unrealistic wish

What’s one thing you wish you had started doing earlier in life?

Being honest with myself, I wish I had taken horseback riding lessons when I was younger and more able to learn. It would have been so much fun to work with horses and learn to ride well. Also I would just like to have had the opportunity to take care of horses and learn how to keep them healthy from a young age. It was my dream.

My sweet Apache, who really isn’t fond of being ridden.

Hey. I lived in working-class towns and was part of a one-income family with large medical bills. There was no money for extras, nor was there any way to get to a horse other than rare visits. So I set other, more manageable goals and was very appreciative of the help I got to do other things I loved, like singing and writing. (I also wish I could have had voice lessons.) I’m absolutely fine with my life. No complaints.

I did get to spend over a decade learning about horses and I still get to care for my beautiful equine friends. Having space at the ranch and funds to care for horses has been a dream come true.

Now Apache gets to hang out with Spice and walk around with me.

An aside: I never thought I’d have any income that covers more than food and housing. I know I’m privileged. Knowing there are people who don’t even have that is sobering. Basic life expenses should be within everyone’s reach.

This was a nice diversion from thinking about having to go for more dental work tomorrow. I know it won’t be as bad as last time, but it’s on my mind. Other diversions have been watching football (Cowboys won) and jumping in the car to locate a grass fire and make sure firefighters were on the way. They were!

Now I’m at an inexpensive hotel luxuriating and feeling grateful I don’t have to drive in from the ranch for the 8 am appointment.

I have football, Ritz crackers, and guacamole. Ahh.

Many of you dear readers are in my thoughts. So much pain in the world, physical and mental! Your empath friend feels it.

I know my negativity

What’s the best way to deal with negative thoughts?

As an expert on negative thoughts (my own) I have much to say about dealing with negative thoughts. I’ve written plenty about it over the years. And, as I’ve mentioned, I’ve gotten a lot better at dealing with my negative self talk.

Being human, and living in 2026, I do still have negative thoughts, both about myself and the state of the world. I don’t know what’s the “best” way to deal them, but I can share what I do.

When I’m thinking negative thoughts about myself, I remind myself that I’m just fine and that other people’s opinions of me are their issue, not mine. And over the years I’ve simply gotten more comfortable with my imperfections and oddities. That helps. Just reminding myself that no one’s perfect and that’s FINE helps me push aside negative self talk.

As for the state of the world, dealing with negative thoughts about the state of the world or the future, well, that’s harder. I latch onto any positive news like a life rope. Last weekend’s convention was helpful. But most important for me, I need to live in the moment and see the good and beauty around me. Nature, dogs, horses, family, and work are the things I can focus on. Anyone can do something like that!

Just think of a basket of puppies (I wish it were so easy)

When I was learning to not be so hard on myself, I taught myself to redirect negative thoughts by acknowledging them, then focusing on a positive statement. Things are difficult now. Your feelings are real and do matter—it’s just important not to dwell on them all the time, since it doesn’t make anything better.

Nowadays, when doomsday thoughts, hopelessness, or fear creep in I remind myself that there are way more people who just want a safe home for their families, meaningful work, and freedom to be themselves than there are oligarchs and their ilk. They have money, but we have numbers.

Did that help? Maybe?

PS: Happy Canada Day!

My friend Patty saw a parade like this today! Photo from Pexels

Always growing! Of course.

What is one way you have grown this year?

One of the best things about aging is that you realize you have learned so much from all those “learning experiences.” Also, you are humbled to realize that those opportunities do not suddenly end when you hit some magical age of discernment. I wish.

We’re beautiful despite our scars, like my sunflower and friend.

While I do have a pretty good idea of what my issues and triggers are (abandonment, low self esteem, sensitivity to criticism, etc.), I still have more to learn about dealing with my areas of vulnerability. Who doesn’t, right?

When my horse trainer dismissed me as a client in January, I admit I was blindsided. My fear of abandonment took me back to how I felt as a small child. I was heartbroken. I thought she was a lifelong friend, though I realized we had differences.

Now I have time and funds to make a pond! So far all I have are a clean trough and a solar fountain. Plants are coming.

How did I grow? Well, I was able to nip my inclination to blame myself in the bud. I was able to see she is in pain and afraid, and struck out at me as a convenient target. I can’t say I wasn’t sad or that I don’t regret that it happened. But I’m back to seeing good in life.

Everything has its season, flowers and friendships both.

A key insight for me was that I realized I felt a lot better now that I didn’t feel pressured to perform, to modify my speech, and make myself do things I didn’t want to do. You know what? I can enjoy my horses without asking them to do things they don’t enjoy, and I can take my time making progress. I don’t even have to ride. It’s okay!

And yep, that’s the growth for this year so far. I have broken free of feeling like I have to diminish myself so as not to “rock the boat” — and it’s happening at work and home, too. I notice things but don’t react unless it’s important, and then I’m more compassionate. yay!

I was kind to this guy today. He really wanted to hang out on the side of the door, so I propped it open for him.

No wonder I enjoy my work and don’t let pissy people bug me. No wonder I can relax at home and feel like it’s a choice to steer clear of some potentially contentious topics or ignore potentially irritating actions, not something I have to do to protect myself. Bonus: I realize others are letting my annoying features slide, too. It’s reciprocal!

I hope you can think of ways you’ve been growing this year. Have you seen growth in others? I sure have, and I’m so pleased. As long as I’m surrounded by people who are doing their best to be the kind of friend, family member, or community member they can be, I can hold on and make the best of each day.

People can be rejuvenating

If you’ve read my writing before, you’ve probably realized I’ve gotten more like the hermit in our ranch name as time goes on. I get pretty drained in crowds nowadays, even Master Naturalist meetings. (Yet I am going to a convention soon, which I may regret.)

However, one-on-one interactions lift my spirits so much! Today I had many opportunities for good conversation. I’m thankful to all!

I’m even grateful for this large bold jumping spider who entertained us this morning.

This morning I spent a good while talking about some complicated stuff with Kathleen over our morning coffee, but soon the topics veered off into what an odd little family dynamic we have over here at the compound. For example, we keep repaying each other similar amounts of money, so it’s just floating around in circles. Much laughter ensued. Penney also found it funny.

Next, Terry the farrier came to trim the horses and Fiona. We had good conversation with him, too. I enjoy learning his stories of his interesting life and his own odd happenings, like someone just giving him a Jeep. He also found a weird thing growing on Spice, near her tests. Our guess is that it’s a skin tag or little melanoma. I need to find someone knowledgeable to look at it.

After a nice, quiet afternoon of work, Terri from Master Naturalists came over to get a blog software refresher so she can help on the Master Naturalist blog. We are supposed to have a backup for all our roles. We fed the horses, looked at all the ponds and outbuildings, and yes, practiced blogging. I tried to explain our family arrangements here, and once again realized how weird it sounds when you say it out loud. I enjoyed her stories of living on a sailboat with young children, too.

I know I share a lot of egrets. But they are so beautiful.

It was a very pleasant time with no deadlines or big agenda. The whole day was like that. Very little negativity and much supportive interaction. I wish you similar days!

It’s nice to be nice

Today was good. One of my friends had asked our chat group if anyone had certain essential oils. I thought to myself, why, I have a considerable amount of essential oils. I could give them to her so she wouldn’t have to spend all the money to buy them. Then I realized I now only use one or two oils, so ten years’ worth of collecting was just sitting there. I decided to give it all away.

I could barely carry the bag full of oils in boxes, bags, etc. into the restaurant for lunch. I laughed as my friends descended on those bottles of oils like magpies spotting shiny objects. The one who needed the oils to tend to her llama went first, and she found all she needed.

I got joy out of everyone’s chatter and discussion of where and how they were going to use their aromatic treasures. It all went to someone, including the boxes, one of which was a humidor. One friend only took a box! I was just so pleased to know that this stuff I’d spent a lot of money on would get used by people who’d enjoy it. I’m so happy for them.

Later in the day, I gave the phone number we’d been using for our late lamented Air Bnb house to my son’s partner, who is about to lose their previous number. I’m so proud of myself for remembering to hold on to the number for just this kind of occurrence. My reward was hugs and smiles, which made my heart soar. All I want is to make life a little easier for them!

A different topic

This still relates to being nice, but in a different way. I finally got an equine dentist to come out and float our horses’ teeth. Kayli at Walking K Equine Dentistry is charming and enthusiastic. She’s also one strong cowgirl.

It’s always fun to watch the horses get worked on. They always feel better with sharp edges removed and irregularities smoothed out.

Dusty wanted to share a story with Kayli.

The best part is when they’re done and recovering from the sedation. It’s pure relaxation. I really enjoyed listening to Spice snoring as she recovered.

I’m glad we found someone who lives nearby to do this work, since it needs to be done yearly and our previous dentist has had trouble with appointments (she’s still very good at the job). Mabel needs to be seen again in 6 months because she has a loose tooth. Or Spice. What a fine memory I have. Good thing Kathleen was with me to remember things and tell fun stories about cattle. We are an interesting team.

I’m thinking that, since I hear often that I need to have fewer objects, I should keep my ears open in case someone else needs something I can pass on. It’s uplifting to think that my unused items could be just what someone else needs!