Apache – Page 3 – The Hermits' Rest

Cheerful Moments

Ok! Cute things here we come! This morning I found where all the false foxgloves were hiding this year? And they were right next to a hawthorn tree with lots of fruit.

No matter how well I think I know the woods at the ranch, I keep finding new things. I ventured around to see what else I could find. There were many spiders!

After all that nature stuff it was time for our horse lessons. Both horses did their best. So did I, with much practice at riding with the reins in one hand and cantering. I have stopped gripping the saddle horn with a death grip. Progress.

You did good. So did you. Mmm, Apache, that diaper cream on your nose smells great.

Vicki and Drew definitely had their best lesson so far. Drew showed some of his good side, even with the precious foals racing around and distracting him.

The best thing was that Droodles walked around the round pen with very little drama. It shows he’s gaining confidence in Vicki! I’m very proud of their progress.

After I got home we had a lovely green chile stew made by my friend Martha. She, Mike, Lee and I had a wonderful conversation on the porch as the sun set.

Nothing but goodness.

Stay Tuned

I just finished reading the wonderful book, Braiding Sweetgrass, which somehow I hadn’t managed to read yet. No doubt there was a good reason I didn’t read it when I bought it, but of course I loved it, since it’s a Suna kind of book. I’ll write more about it later.

I wonder if there’s any Native American use for this? I don’t think so. Poor Santa Maria Feverfew is basically noxious and invasive, though native here.

I haven’t been feeling well today, just digestive issues, which are boring to anyone not living in my current household, where such things are favorite conversation topics. THIS is how I know we are no longer young, I think.

I tried to avoid noxious weeds today. But this aggressive vine does have pretty flowers and seed pods (balloon vine).

Much of the day was spent reading Robert Reich’s new memoir, which also doesn’t help my stomach (too many details on why the US is going to hell in a hand basket), though I do like him as a person. I also napped, listened to bluebirds, and watched a little college football. I favor no team, so I just watch young men run around and I then enjoy insurance commercials.

Another sport I enjoy is flower diving, which many bumblebees did this morning.

I did take a good walk and did a lot with Apache, who kept me on my toes. He loves to act like he doesn’t want to be caught so I have to practice my catching methods, but eventually he just stands there and puts his head in the halter. Maybe he thinks I need more exercise, not him. Hmph.

He did get a lot of exercise, including lots of muscle-building cantering, then we rode out to the round pen. I was proud of him for not having an issue walking by an unfamiliar truck and people messing with the garbage dumpster on his way to the round pen.

I was less proud trying to go on our trail when the truck started up and made a weird noise. He really wanted to make a run for the barn, throw me off, or otherwise embarrass us both in front of someone who doesn’t think much of our horsemanship. But, by golly, I let him cool off once I could get him to stop, and we were able to go on the paths and walk calmly.

I was even able to spot our first aster blossoms of the year, proof autumn is coming.

I was proud of me, then, because other than a brief moment of worry, I took the incident as a chance to practice all my Apache calming techniques. So much to learn, but we have come far enough that I’m satisfied.

Even though days are growing shorter, we still have swallows. Dozens of Cave Swallows today.

Let’s see if the rain avoids us again tomorrow for lessons…

Noisy Times in Rural Texas

What? You don’t know why it’s noisy here right now? Get out your Texas Parks and Wildlife hunting regulations booklet! Right there!

You see, it’s always a little blam-blammy on the first day of any season, but dove season is extra loud because they just keep shooting. There are lots of doves: Mourning, Inca, Eurasian Collared, White-winged, and Ground Doves are here in Milam County.

No doves are harmed on our acreage, so we won’t run out any time soon. The harvests keep the numbers in check.

After the early morning festival of shooting sports, Vicki and I took the horses for the lesson that was postponed from yesterday. The weather was pretty nice, and only Apache got overly sweaty.

Here’s why he got sweaty. Tarrin made him canter under saddle after much previous canter work.

Apache’s just doing great, even improving on his leg yields. He now has to do three circles in canter on the ground, too. The good news is he’s happy to do it.

This is cut off because it’s supposed to be a photo of how nicely he stopped.

Suna has also improved! I was able to get him to canter off my aids instead of only doing it after a jump. I appear to be getting more comfortable going fast.

Trying to catch my breath after my triumph.

Drew is also showing good progress. He had his best lesson with Vicki so far, and she had him trotting so beautifully! They are moving forward in getting used to each other. I’m proud of them both.

Vicki may start him back on his pain medication now that he’s working harder. I should have thought of that!

With the new month comes new color fun for me. My hair became smoky sapphire today. It should fade nicely.

Nails will be dark blue this month. I like the sparkles I put over a Greek blue. The extra layer helps my one broken nail grow out.

This was taken by the blue pool, while bluebirds were singing. Very thematic.

Hey, everyone gets to have a frivolous hobby if they want to! And it cheers me up! Back to a busy work week tomorrow. I’ll be all blue!

Good Progress

Just a quick note to say how much fun Vicki and I had with our horse lessons today.

I have finally gotten Apache back in shape enough to run like the wind, or that’s how his fast trot feels to me. That led to cantering in the round pen again. Neither of us liked going through the weeds in the pen, but we did it. I’m sore and I bet he is, too.

He got to wear his new accessory today. Snazzy.

And Drew showed big signs of improvement and glimpses of his old personality. Just working a bit more consistently with Vicki has helped lots. She’s really good with him and today let her see his potential. We were happy riders today.

No photo of Drew, but here’s a pretty late afternoon sky.

And we got to meet a new puppy. She’s a little bundle of curious Rottweiler energy! I look forward to getting to know her as lessons go on.

The older dog is thrilled to have a young playmate. (Picture from Tarrin)

I’ve been resting and thinking about many people I care about. I’m enjoying every pleasant moment.

Converting a Coworker

Today was lots of fun in the bird department, as lots of songbirds decided to let me see them. At last I truly believe that Orchard Orioles and Yelliwthroats live in my trees. There was also a Kestrel around all day.

So, I was in a meeting with no agenda (open office hours) with my three fellow Subject Matter Experts, and we were collaborating on various issues when one of us mentioned going for nature walks. That got me and another woman all excited about this ghost plant (Monotropa uniflora) she had seen earlier in the week, and we got into fruits we can forage in Oregon and Texas.

This photo came from a fascinating blog about these ghost plants.

About ten minutes into our rapturous discussion of things we see in the woods, our more urban counterpart told us that she gave in and we’d converted her into looking more closely wherever she walks. I think we felt like we’d accomplished much more that just solving work issues today.

I guess that’s enough cheerful talk for the day, but I must interject that, even though rain was close again today, none fell, so Apache and I had a nice practice session and great time on the trail. I think he’s used to it now!

Little Things Add Up

I woke up this morning struggling with some of my “areas for improvement,” and I wasn’t feeling well at all. I’m grateful that I e trained myself to find the good around me, and after adding up all that fine energy, I ended the day with a smile on my face.

This heron caught something tasty in the middle of this pasture. That’s a good little thing.

I struggled a bit with what I was working on this morning, thinking it just wouldn’t do. But I went to lunch with my friends and ended up enjoying two new people, and chatting with them about their lives helped me out of a downward spiral. Another good little thing!

It was slightly cooler, so I enjoyed my morning bird walk without becoming soaked. Small win!

I went to a meeting after lunch and was able to brainstorm solutions to a problem and then got help on what I was working on. Just a little feedback and collaboration and I felt more confident. The collaboration and support we give each other in this job is gratifying!

The soapberry trees are blooming now and they smell great. Another small thing.

I sent my draft document to the person who’d requested it, and he liked it! I got quite happy about then. Plus I heard that (after much effort by me and my nurse-practitioner) my thyroid medication was approved by my health insurance, and I managed to figure out why I couldn’t enter my expenses from my trip and got that done! Win win win!

Green Heron preening. It was joined by ibises flying overhead today! Wow!

And to top off the list of small but good things, Vicki came over and we rode horses together. The weather was unbelievable for August, very pleasant with light cloud cover. Only the horses got all sweaty.

Apache was in good form and practiced all his tasks very well. The best part for me was that because we went to the round pen so Vicki could ride Drew with some boundaries, Apache and I had lots of time to practice our walk-trot transitions. At some point I realized we were having a great time together. Drew was a challenge, but Vicki handled him very well. She is far more confident than I am on him.

I could have ridden for hours in that lovely weather, but we ended at a successful point. I even practiced getting correct bends with Apache on the way back.

Oh, one more Apache story. Today I figured out why he was refusing to jump over the cavalettis. After he refused three times again today, I went over there and found a large Yellowjacket nest. He was trying to tell me! There was also a nest on the mounting block, and I eliminated both nests. Moral: listen to your horse.

I’m glad I paid attention today! Those were so many fine little things.

It’s Very Smooth around Here…the Bur Saga Continues

You may remember that for the past couple of years we’ve had a problem with cockleburs in the horse pasture. I spent hours and hours removing them from manes and tails, and had a horrible time with Drew, given his dislike of being touched on his head.

This year we Hermits’ Resters have decided to do our utmost to rid the pasture of these plants, which weren’t here before. Step One was me going around with loppers and getting rid of most of the plants around the horse pens. More came up, but I’ll get them this week.

You can see them by the gates. Made it hard to open gates.

Step Two got interrupted when a piece broke on our shredder (a mowing apparatus pulled behind a tractor—you may see them on roadsides and median strips. Part of the hill created when the pond got cleaned out hadn’t been de-burred when that happened.

However, yesterday Chris braved the heat and made the repair (welding in a Texas summer is brutal) and he was able to finish shredding as much of the “tricky” parts of the pasture.

That left Lee with the job of finishing the job and shredding the rest of the pasture. Goodbye to burs, dove weed and ragweed. The horses eat giant ragweed, but not the small kind.

This project takes a ranch family village to accomplish! The next step will come next month when broadleaf killer is applied. Carefully. I don’t want it on my wildflower areas.

What are they doing here? Grazing in the few areas the tractor couldn’t get to. Burs are still there. This calls for loppers.

Then a few weeks after that, seed and fertilizer will be applied to get the pasture back in shape. I’m hoping to get grasses that are more native, but the horses’ need to eat may mean some sacrifices. Luckily we still have all the yard and field in front of the house that still has good natives.

I’ve also been asked to do some horse moving, which will happen next week. Some lucky horses will have new grazing areas. Poor Apache and Fiona will stay in the area with worse grass, due to their metabolisms.

That’s good with me, since I like going over and hanging out with Apache multiple times a day. I think we both enjoy each other’s company. Today we hung out a lot, because I was so happy with how well he’s doing with his ground work and trail walks. It’s so much fun.

I know I post lots of pictures of him, but he’s such a fine equine friend.

I repaired his new breast collar (Vicki helped) so tomorrow I may try to put it on with his saddle to see how it looks.

Hmm, this was not my planned topic. Oh well, I hope you enjoy my horse pictures as much as I enjoy the idea of a bur-free winter.

Human Bodies, So Frail

I’d avoided it all summer, but today I finally got overheated. I should have know there’d be an issue when I couldn’t even take sitting in my birding chair more than a half hour this morning. Ugh. At least I managed to see the pretty white rain lilies that appeared today.

Brazos rain lily *Zephyranthes chlorosolen*

Vicki and I had a horse lesson today, and of course we worked to stay hydrated as we groomed Drew and Apache. I got through my lesson and felt a bit tired but okay. I think what got to me was that Apache acted like he had to pee and so I just sat on him with the August sun bearing down on me and got too hot.

An earlier pee time when he made us wait.

By the time I was trying to unsaddle him I felt bad. I HATE getting all messed up by heat and having to make people stop and take care of me. I ate into Vicki’s lesson time, too. Human bodies can really let you down sometimes.

Trying to look perky after I cooled off.

Sorry to whine about my body not doing my bidding. It could be a LOT WORSE and I know that. But I really do try to not overheat, though that’s a challenge in August. That’s one reason Apache and I are trying to stay in shape but not overdo it. It’s a fine line.

The moon cheered me up again, as it will.

Still, I’m feeling my grief over losing our friend Gail settling down to a more reasonable level, but I remain saddened that someone I admire has gone into hospice. I know I’m at the stage in life when friends start to pass on, but it’s worth honoring them all and sharing stories.

While I try to regulate my thermostat, I’m glad I have flowers to enjoy.

I’ll continue with memories as I get through another travel period starting tomorrow.

The tarot card of the day is the 3 of Cups/Water.

I’m happy to see more fun otters from the Gaian Tarot. The card tells us to have fun with friends. I did that today, with both friends and family. I’m so relieved that I’ve been drawing happy cards except on sad days!

The Salmon of Knowledge

I said I’d draw a card from my new deck daily for a while. The one I drew today sure fit! It was the Ace of Water (cups), and it has my favorite Celtic symbol, the salmon of knowledge.

Yesterday I drew the 10, which focuses on the return home. The Ace is about starting a new path to your heart’s desire. Spot on!

Today my neighbor, Vicki, and I had our first lessons together with Apache and Drew. I know for her it felt like restarting her desire to work with horses, and for Drew, it was a start working with a new human.

Drew discovers he has to do what Vicki says.

We all ended up very tired after many hours in the sun, but we were happy. Drew was happy to be back at work, especially since he’s so tubby he can’t even buck properly when he can’t canter right. There’s work to be done!

Apache is doing better, too, and everyone survived the trailer experience with Vicki’s vehicle. I look forward to finding out what’s next on this journey. May the salmon grant us emotional fulfillment and knowledge!

Very Small Pasture Miracles

Today I was distracted by concern for two people I care about who weren’t doing very well. It’s always a relief to have some good little bonuses to balance out your concerns. In the meantime, send out those healing vibes into the Universe!

Both of my little miracles happened when I was out doing my daily sauna…I mean working with horses. First, Apache had a great attitude on the ground and in the saddle, for the most part—he just gave me his opinion for a little bit, then literally sighed and started doing what I asked. After all the stopping, starting, circling, and side passing was done, I decided to see if he’d do any better on the trails Lee has mowed for us (Drew loves them).

Imagine my shock when I realized we’d been moseying along the paths calmly and steadily with no sudden jerking to eat grass or wheeling around to try to go back! He was just fine the entire time we were out. A horsie miracle.

The second miracle I attribute partially to my skills. I was taking Apache’s bridle off so we could head to the trailer to unsaddle. He was very interested in the lush long grass in the playground area, the only part of our property Lee hasn’t hit with the lawn mower. I was asking him to pick up his head, when I saw my shoes and jeans were covered in fire ants. Not just a few, a lot. Usually it’s Apache who steps in them! Here’s the miracle: I managed to brush all the ants off and ended up with only one bite! That’s unbelievable!

Kathleen, who has very bad luck with bites, is probably shaking her head at my luck. Here’s something pretty for her and you.

Not a miracle: the fact that both Apache and I were as wet as if we’d been swimming by the time we were done. It’s weird that the rest of the week’s horse work didn’t affect any of us that much!