The mountains are calling to me...

I spent quite some time last Sunday driving around Garner Valley.  First, I was looking for birdhouses.  Second, it was such a beautiful autumn day!  I find that I need my "mountain time" every weekend and I am just not happy the next week if I go without it.  These are a few photos I took last weekend.  Don't you agree?

Frisky horses!

I drove up to the horse ranch early Sunday morning.  Frankly, I was too tired to go ANYWHERE on Saturday.  I actually stayed in my pajamas ALL DAY!  That's pretty unusual for me, but after dealing with this year's group of kids, I'm finding that I just collapse on Saturdays and pretty much just stay home.  So, that only gives me Sunday to go visit my horses.  We don't own the ranch.  It is owned by a lovely couple, Bill and Cathy, who own several horses themselves.  Their horses are purebred Peruvian Pasos and most years you can see them in the Rose Parade.  For some reason, however, last year, they didn't get their paperwork in on time and they weren't in the parade.  They currently have 3 mares in foal this year, after several years when they didn't breed any of their horses.  My horses, all rescues, are not show horses (obviously, since I know NOTHING about showing a horse, nor do I want to do that!)  I just want my horses to be happy and healthy.  PERIOD.  Three of them are in training to be ridden.  Quad has been ridden, but isn't cooperating with my trainer, who comes once a week.  Frankly, I think he's just TIRED from being on the track.  We aren't pushing him.  He's a little too clumsy anyway for trail work.  Scout would be perfect, but there isn't ANY of us willing to get on her!  She's too headstrong...sigh...I need a teenager to get on her the first time!  Sunni?  FORGETABOUTIT!!!  He's too scared and I'm afraid he would panic with me on him and take off...he is basically just my buddy.  So, when Lucille's owner bailed on her board and was 6 months behind, I offered to take Lucille.  She's a BIG GIRL!  She's 1/2 draft and 1/2 Tennessee Walker, but she is very CALM.  I can ride her and I have now, 3 times!  :-)  My trainer rides her every week, just to get her back into shape.  So, Sunday I first let Sunni out into the arena, since he usually doesn't get much time with my trainer.  After lunging him and him following me around for a while, he went and rolled and then took off!  :-)  It's good to see him get his "yayas" out!  Next, it was Lucille's turn.  No, I don't EVER put two horses in the arena together.  I used to do it with Cali and Scout, since they were herd mates and they were fine.  I also used to do it with Sunni and Beauty (RIP).  But, then Cathy told me how her cousin once put a mare and gelding together and the gelding went after her mare and the mare broke her leg and had to be put down.  Uh, yeah...none of that for me!  So, I only do one horse at a time in the arena.  I always try to get Lucille down there because she does need to build up her muscles.  So, I lunged her (very easy to do!) and then told her, "OK, you can go!" and she self-exercised.  Both horses enjoyed their turn in the arena and it was a beautiful day up at the ranch.  I'm glad we all had an extra day this weekend.  Yesterday I trimmed tree branches (thanks, Al...you got me started) at home and filled up two of our HUGE green trash containers with the debris.  Today we have a staff development day (no students), so it is really like another day off!   :-)  The first 3 show Sunni and the bottom 3 are Lucille, my riding horse.  We think she is about 14 years old.  I never got Gigondas out...she's my big red thoroughbred mare...But, my trainer is coming today and they will all have another chance for some training and exercise.

Why I go to the mountains

I love driving up into our local mountains.  It's only a 10-15 minute drive from our house in the desert up into the pinyon forest, at about 3,000 - 3,500 feet.  It's so quiet up there (except for the noisy scrub jays!).  I can finally relax, roll down the car windows, smell the fresh air, and let go of the week's tension.  So, up I went yesterday.  I spent some time driving around the pinyon forest, taking photos, before heading to the horse ranch for some time with my horses.  Ahhh...an extra day of vacation is just what I needed, since I spent all day Saturday at home, in my pajamas, doing absolutely NOTHING.  I hate to lose a whole day to fatigue, but I'm finding that's my typical weekly routine.  By the time Saturday comes, I'm so dang tired from the week, that I can't do anything or go anywhere.  I just crash.  I'm usually up & out by Sunday, however...So I have an extra day today...what shall I do?

Birdhouses~Sunday Stills Challenge~111013

 I drove out Fobes Ranch Road this morning because there are some birdhouses out there.  This one apparently is #67.  I don't know where the other 66 are, because I haven't found them.  Anyway, it was a beautiful morning for a drive.  This birdhouse has been used, as you can see, but nobody was home in it this morning.  Sunday Stills Challenge for November 10, 2013.  To visit SSC, please go to:  http://sundaystills.wordpress.com/

Sedona rocks and sky~SkyWatch Friday~11/8/13

Our Internet lines are temporarily fixed.  A tech FINALLY ran a line from the pole to the house, but says it's a two man job to come back and redo the lines.  Plus, he was here when it was dark last night.  But, at least we are back up & running with Internet!

I took this photo while we were in Arizona 2 weekends ago.  (Yes, it's been that long that we've been without Internet!)  A storm was moving into the southwest and these were a few of the first clouds.

SkyWatch Friday for November 8, 2013.  To visit SWF, please go to:    http://skyley.blogspot.com/

Horse ranch~Sunday

I FINALLY got up to the horse ranch yesterday.  We were in Arizona last weekend, so it had been a couple of weeks.  And, boy, were the horses HAIRY!  I gave them all beet pulp and psyllium (to clean out the sand in their gut).  The farrier is coming tomorrow, so I left a check for him.  It was an awesome autumn day up at the ranch~cool, with a slight breeze.  The leaves were gently blowing across the driveway...ahhh...autumn!  I took this photo with my cell phone, so I'm hoping it doesn't take up too much data!

Internet problems won't be fixed until NEXT FRIDAY! Argh!

So Time Warner came today...did the usual song & dance...the guy put in ANOTHER new modem...still no Internet connection.  Of course, HE got a connection on HIS laptop and was ready to leave, but I screamed and jumped up and down and had a temper tantrum (he's the 4th tech to visit our house).  So, he took his ladder and went out back to check the pole where their hardware is, and GUESS WHAT?  There is indeed a problem there!  Whoopie!  Okay, so maybe not whoopie.  They can't come back with a maintenance tech until Thursday.  SAY WHAT?  Another 5 days of Internet ONLY using my cell phone and I can't post photos...sigh...I have about 700 photos from Arizona just sitting on my desktop....pulling out hair...Well, it is what it is.  So, hang in their, folks...I'll be up and running shortly.  :-)