The On Again, Off Again Lameness

Thought we had this thing in the books. One to write about and it would be done with. Guess not. I'm seeing a pattern, though. The more ice and frozen poop on the ground, the ouchier Tommy is. Joe will be here next week to do the horses feet. Think I'm going to try a pair of shoes on the front for him. When I put boots on him, he does fine, but it is slippery with the hard rubber and don't want to put him out with the ones with studs on.

The chicken girls are having a bit of an attitude. Guess they don't like their nests to lay eggs on - they have been hiding them in the plastic tarp that is covering part of their cage. I moved part of the tarp to find the plug in for the light and found some frozen eggs. Goodie. Moved things around so it was open in there now and could find them on the first try instead of having to dig for them. They must not like me taking their eggs every day.

The pony boys are doing great. They are getting plump and sassy. So, with Tommy being at a good weight and the ponies being easy as air ferns to keep weight on, I have started cutting back a little on their free choice hay during the day. They are not happy with that and are letting me know. I went to let them in last night and they were standing at the back door, thumping it with their feet, as if they were saying - let me in, i'm cold and i want to eat now!

I'm liking this no snow and easy temperatures. I can get the barn chores done and inside in less than an hour at night. That includes cleaning stalls and filling water buckets. The buckets aren't 20 gallon popsicles every night. That sure is nice. Even though Phil saw his shadow if the rest of winter goes like this I'm not going to complain.

E's last night for basketball. Then basketball season is over for us. Still have indoor soccer and maybe softball.

:)

Another day, another cold day...

Wow. I guess I need to be more consistent with my updates. I have a had a couple of requests because I haven't updated too much.

The horses are fine. Smokey and Abner are doing well. Tommy didn't need a vet appointment as he trotted out of the barn the last couple of days with no signs of lameness at all. His hoof still looks the same, so don't know what is going on there.

The chickens are slacking off. We were getting between 5 and 6 eggs a day from 6 chickens, now we are only getting 4. We ordered 6 turkeys for this year. Hopefully we will be able to eat more than the fox did. We split the two last year.

Trying to support my horse habit with my new business. Well, the crocheting is not new - been doing that for a very long time. Selling the crocheting to feed my horses and animals is new. Check out my web site. www.TheHappyHookerVt.com I donate 15% of my sales to rescues. I have featured a couple of them on the blog in the past. You can specify or not. A donation is made anyways.

I have sold 4 scarves to date... have a few new afghans I'm posting later today. It is going to take a while to build. Right now I have more invested in yarn than I have sewn, so it's in it's baby steps. Please feel free to forward the information on to anyone you know might be interested.

Hope you all are staying warm. Can't wait for super bowl tonight. Don't care about the football. Just know that I'm going to have my busy husband home for a few hours to visit with while he watches the game and eats the goodies I'll make for him.

Yesterday we went on a date - just the two of us - to watch the women's hockey at Dartmouth. They won 4 to 2. It was their seniors game as their last 3 games are away... It was fun and we realized we had achieved another milestone. Emma is now 16 :( and is going to be driving herself as soon as she gets her 4 hours of driving time with her driver's ed teacher. We will be free - no pick ups from practice or going to the store or friends houses. Ashley is 20 and soon to be on her own. MJ is 18 and a senior and is moving forward in her life. We are almost at the empty nest stage and it's wonderful to know that Mike and I still like to spend time together and have fun doing things together.

Hope you all stay warm and those of you down south can dig out from the snow that I didn't miss for a second!

How Time Flies...

when you're freezing your butt off in Vermont in the winter. Working my fingers to the bones trying to get more afghans and scarves done... too cold, too many things to do and way too cold. Or did I already say that?

15% of the profits from what I sell on my web site go to local rescues. It's may way to help out and feed my animals at the same time.

Visit the site... www.TheHappyHookerVt.com and see if there is anything there that you are interested in. Have a few special orders that I am trying to fill, so not taking any other orders right now.

Hope you all are staying warm. Vet will be out this week as Tommy is still lame and I don't know what is going on. Done everything I know how to do and he still isn't better. This is very frustrating.

Stay warm - don't cuddle too close to the wood stove - it melts the yarn!

The Joy of Living in Vermont in Winter Time

I hate winter. Big news flash, huh? I have made that abundantly clear over the last year. Not only am I allergic to dust, hay, horses, chickens, etc. I now find out that I am have asthmatic allergic reaction to ~ insert drum roll here ~ COLD. No way. This is so unfair.

So, here I am last night, trying to bend over and clean Tommy's foot to see what is making him limp, with my scarf hanging down in my eyes, my glasses fogging up, and Tommy sniffing at my butt. I hope you all are laughing right now. I wasn't at the time because I couldn't breathe because it was only 17 degrees in the barn. I was also interfering with his dinner. I would think that if you have 4 legs, you could eat plenty fine on three. There was a small protest until he figured out three were better than two and kept munching on.

Tommy's foot is fine, as far as I could tell, but cleaned it well and put some kopertox on it just in case. Don't know if it smelled funky as I couldn't smell anything if you paid me. Could smell the kopertox after that spilled on my glove. Yuck. Bleck.

I'm headed out in a few minutes to soak his foot in epsom salt and warm water, then will dry it really good and do my famous dressing on it. It consists of putting a cushioned pad in a diaper then duct tape it, wrapping it all up on his hoof. That helps keep whatever is in his foot wicking away while keeping it completely contained and dried. If this doesn't work in a day or so I will have to call out the vet to get a further evaluation.

I do know it is not founder, or a nail or staple or anything like that. It looks good except maybe a little bit of thrush around the frog.

I'll bring my inhaler with me (which I totally don't get, by the way ... why would I use an inhaler to open my breathing passages when I don't want to inhale more COLD air????)

This is why I dream of South Carolina this time of year. I am working on getting everything ready to head south next month, but not sure that I'm going to get it all together for as soon as I want it... but it WILL happen!

Out to the barn... too bad breathing is so mandatory to live... gasp... gotta stop laughing, also, as I run out of breath.....

Back from the Dead

Well, back from the dead. Up and working on the computer today. Not going outside if I can help it - ran out for just two minutes to let the horses out and sneak the eggs away from the chickens. Left the chickens inside as it is way too cold out. It was only 17 degrees at 9 am when I went out. Have the wood stoves cranking out the heat today. Love living in a house that has almost no insulation.

At least I have my voice today - still coughing up a storm. I need to move some place that is much warmer than here - or get a covered walk way to the barn. My bones ache and my lungs are killing me. Only 4 more months of this crappy weather to go :(

If there were only one strain of flu...

I've been on the couch all day. I'm sicker than sick. So much for the H1N1, flu and pneumonia shot. I got the only strain they don't immunize against. Bleck.

Eating chicken soup and drinking hot ice tea.

Going to lay on the couch and watch my head explode every time I cough up a lung.

Prayers, but no phone calls. Lost my voice, too.

Argh. Hope I feel better tomorrow.

Update on Tommy!

Ok, let's do a photo trip through the rehabilitation of an emaciated horse... Remember, Tommy, the 12 year old Quarter Horse? The first picture is taken the beginning of May...



Now, in the middle of June, here is what a few groceries and a good worming does for him...

Here he is in September, the day he came to me. He looks much better!



Well, a new year has begun, and with it a new life for a horse! Tommy is totally recovered and ready for riding. Here he is January 1st!


He's doing so good! And is such a sweetheart! He has gained about 350 pounds.