request

PLEASE GET JAMIE A COT, SHE TAKES UP TOO MUCH ROOM IN OUR BED.

THANK YOU, THE CANINE EMPERORS

Remains of September and Bits of October!

For one of my catering gigs, I used all recipes sent to me by my friend, Helene.  We share the same birthday, but are separated by 57 years.  Oh, stop trying to do the math in your head.  I'm 44, she's 101.

If it wasn't for Helene's care packages full of recipe, editorial, news and travel clippings, I'd be completely clueless to what's going on in the world outside my farm fence. 
Admittedly, trying out recipes for the first time, on clients, isn't recommended procedure.  Adds to the drama and stress level!

  Chicken breasts beaten flat and rolled around asparagus and provolone cheese, then coated in a pistachio crust.

Asian eggs.  The shell is cracked during boiling to allow anise and soy to penetrate the egg. Delicate and savory.

The best baby back ribs.  Starts the day before by milling the spice rub from fresh seeds, my coffee grinder will never be the same, but that's OK.
Thanks, Helene, it was a successful long weekend!

In other happenings on the farm, we've had to perform a tooth extraction on our eldest horse.  This friend of the farm is playing around now feeling the horse's molars, but she jumped in when needed and helped our vet by grasping the tongue and keeping it out of the way.

The herd increased by two in September.

I dragged our horse trainer, Tommy, on a 12 hour road trip to try out some new horses.  We intended on finding one, but a second prospect was too good to leave behind.  I rode Oreo bare back, without reins, while squealing, throwing my jacket over his head, pretended to fall off my draping myself over his neck, nothing made him lose his cool.  This is what is called a bomb proof horse and perhaps the new love of my life (don't tell Cole).

This is Tommy riding The Most Wonderful Horse in the world, OREO!

Speaking of Cole, he's had more issues with the blasted abscess. Going on two months now.

Captain Conehead had another procedure last week to reopen the wound, debride the tissue and hopefully, drain.  

His Grandma provided plenty of loving while she was here.
My stepdad and mom flew down from Canada.  As per tradition, Cole and I hike or run on our birthdays.  This year, we had a party!

Three dogs and three people, traversing all the northern trails.  Thanks, Mom and Chuck for the best birthday week.

Post written by my stepdad

On Monday afternoon we decided to walk one of the trails around the farm.

Here are the new riding horses just added to the farm.

Along the trail we came across a rattle snake.  Anyque has drawn her 38 Special

After killing the snake, we went to the barn to deliver some feed for the horses.

Home safe and sound.

We considered having him for supper, but Mom said, "no".

Today is Anyque's birthday, but she is off to work.

This is called work.

Remains of August

Each time I think I'm close to catching up around here, the gremlins work overtime to make me do the same.  We've recently acquired 2 new horses, both of whom decided to colic a few days apart.  A trip to the vet, some sleepless nights, extra vigilance, all burn up the majority of hours in a day. 9 horses to care for, plus my own menagerie -- this is the best job in the world.  So, when I don't have time to return calls or emails, know that I'm not eating bonbons on the couch, I'm out there doing what I love.
So let's catch up on August, shall we?

Construction on the ox barn began.

Continued.

Tommy approves.

Cole had all of his lipomas and skin tags surgically removed.

Frankenstein.

20 minutes to pull 33 stitches.  He was uber patient with me.

Stacked Tommy and Daphne's Winter hay.

Found an old pool cover in the woods and towed it to my horse pasture.

Voila, horses' square bales all covered up.

Cole's botched suicide attempt #43.  He swallowed a pork chop bone cast aside by the carpenters.  Emergency vet visit, again.

Cole's abscess never heals.

In retrospect, August wasn't the most fun after all.  But, wait until you hear about September!!!

Cole Update

The Comeback Kid is laying beside me snoring like a drunk.  

Apparently, the pain medication is strong!
He was discharged to me last night instead of being kept under observation.  Unless myself or Liz was there, Mr. Anxiety paced and whined.  
The surgery went well, he had a drain tract set up on his leg.  The new antibiotics seem to be taking effect.  I had been warned that the red swollen leg that couldn't bend would get worse before improving, but this morning, he can bend it and the redness has AND those disgusting Jello blobs of edema that were hanging on his elbow and traveling up his chest have shrunken.

This is what 1000X better looks like.
The results of the pythium test, fungus, bacteria and protozoa tests will start filtering in soon. I want to get to the bottom of this.  Close call #467.  We're not out of the woods, but we've turned the bus around, heading in the right direction.  
Now if I could just sleep for the next 48 hours...

Dull Moments

WANTED:  a dull moment.  They must be nice.  Cole is immune to them.

He is not, however, immune to venomous snake bite.

One month ago, never healed, never relinquished under antibiotic attack or lancing, only got bigger.
The abscess was the size of a ping pong ball, so Cole had an appointment for minor surgery to slice it open Wednesday morning.  
12 hours, that's all the time left before his appointment when the abscess decided to burst to the inside.  Within an hour, his leg was so swollen, he couldn't walk on it.

By midnight, the hour of cold compresses hadn't phased it.  Plus he was beginning to shiver and his eyes were looking weird.  Time for Plan B:  Auburn University Emergency Clinic.

Cole in Zombieland, but Pete was on deer patrol.  We drove the truck in case we did smack a deer, we could still make it to the vet school.  

We are a pack of four.  The Smiths stick together (besides, Pete will demolish a house if he's locked in longer than he deems acceptable).

Shockingly, admin doesn't permit owners and their posse to sleep next to patients.  Wait until I write to the university president about this outrage. 
Fine.  Garrett and Pete slept in the front and I slept in the back seat. 
We  back to the farm to feed our livestock, meanwhile,  Cole's BFU (best friend in the universe) texted that she was with him.

Liz, his physiotherapist for the past year and half is with him, they can banish me, but she has seniority and a key card!  Where would we be without good friends who slip in and take charge when you need help.  
Thanks, Liz.

Lithops

Forgive me Father, for I have sinned.  It has been over a month since I have blogged.

This past Sunday, the horse trainer and I went on a road trip to evaluate a new prospect for our stables.  We found three, then could only narrow it down to two.  Unfortunately, neither horse had the required Coggins test, so I'll have to make the eight hour trip again next weekend (twist my rubber arm).  

So, as I'm heading out in a rush to feed my livestock before tending to the rest of the stables, I'll leave you with this, an old passion rekindled:

I found Lithops at a local nursery a few weeks ago.  Back flips, jump for joy, eeeeeeha!  Can't you see why I'm excited???  See the two little plants that look like the bottom of a hippo's foot?  Lithops!  A succulent plant from Southern Africa, evolved to camouflage itself from grazing animals by mimicking rocks.  

Be still my beating heart, I hadn't seen any since I was 15, when I had mine freezing their tap roots off on my Canadian window ledge.

I've been trying to avoid kissing them, but it's hard-- they're so adorable!