Mustang Saga

Life is so busy in the spring, and then my allergies hit and it gets to be just a chore to get through the days. Hard to function and think when I'm not getting enough air. Sorry to complain, but it's kind of a way of explaining why I'm not blogging lately. I don't want to take the time to organize my mind for it...

I took some photos that will jog my memory so I'll have something to write about. :)

The whole herd (minus Grace of course) lived together for part of a day.

Then I had to take Soxy out and put her in the adjacent pasture. She's a terrible tease, flirting and then squealing and striking. Tonka finally started chasing her. Stupid old mare, she was so stressed when I took her out, but after I moved her she kept calling to him with her sexy nicker, and still does if he's nearby. (I use the term "stupid" in the fondest terms - I do love my old Soxy.)

India loves to dig for mice.

I've been planting trees. This one is about 3 years old and was pretty big when it was planted. Hasn't grown much.

This is one of my babies - a Douglas fir.

I bought 15 ponderosa pine, 10 Dough fir, and 10 larch (tamarack) at the U of I forest nursery tree sale on Arbor day. They were only $1 each, which makes it a little easier on me when they die, but still, they take so much time and care, and I really want to see my trees grow big someday. So I tell each of them that they're important no matter how small they are and I ask them to live long and prosper.

Most of these trees here are the new ones. I borrowed some stray tree tubes from the trees the environmental group planted. I hope they don't mind. The tubes came from dead trees or were found lying around, either blown or flooded off of the tree they were protecting.

I got to go on a trail ride with my friend a couple days ago. It was a beautiful morning. I didn't get any good pictures of Tonka. Here he's chewing on a woody weed stalk. I had dismounted for the last leg of the ride.

Here's a good one of my friend on her wonderful mare, Rosie, with Huck and Dixie.

Rosie is such a good horse. Hasn't been out on the trail in years and she did so well. No spook in her at all, just a little antsy behavior. Tonka's more nervous than that on just about every ride we go on, whether he's had time off or not.

Grace is making a lot of progress, but still isn't ready to lose the halter and drag rope. Soon, I hope. I hate making them live like that. She'll let me pet her face on both sides, but it's touch and go, and one side is still extremely shy. I also am having to rely a lot on the drag rope for catching and keeping her, which I don't like. I'd rather leave her naked. But we'd never get anywhere like that. I'd have to take the time to put a rope around her neck with the pole every time I wanted to catch her. I guess that would work but I've got too much to do to have to take that kind of time several times a day.

Oh, and Scout didn't sell. He was pretty naughty the day they came and looked at him, but they didn't seem too put off by it. They finally called and said they don't think they have the time he'll need this year. So I'm going to have to get back to work with him. I'm still considering taking him to a trainer. I better get to looking for someone soon if I'm going to do that though.