Oh, how I wish I had had my phone out last night to record a little barn altercation!
I rolled down the lane to the old barn around 6:30 and called Abby, then went inside to wait for her at the visiting spot. She came trotting up, and even whinnied in greeting. (That's an extra peppermint for you, my girl!)
I was slipping her her treats and talking with her when suddenly Trouble and Hokey arrived and came into the big box stall. Trouble is higher than Abby in the herd hierarchy, and so she quickly backed up and gave way to the two boys.
I was not happy - I don't feed Tim's horses treats, but Trouble is insatiably nosy and always wants to horn in to see what he might be missing. I was getting ready to shoo him out, when suddenly a shadow appeared at the door, and in came Diablo, with Abby hustling along at her flank.
Now Diablo is the herd alpha. She is also Abby's very best friend. And as soon as she came through the door, she pinned her ears at the geldings and that was all it took - Trouble and Hokey did rollbacks and gave way!
Abby marched right back to her spot as though to say, "I told you guys I would tell on you!" and picked up with our visit as though nothing had happened.
She got that extra peppermint.
Sunday, June 26, 2016
Friday, June 24, 2016
Surviving High Winds
Years ago, my 4-H Horse and Pony Club leader stabled his horses in an old barn much like the one Abby and her friends use. Strong winds one night brought that barn down while the horses were in it (none were hurt, luckily.) I think of that sometimes when I am visiting Abby in the old barn and wonder, "Could that happen to this barn?"
I thought I might find out yesterday.
A big storm came through at midnight Wednesday night/Thursday morning with 100 mph winds. (Believe it or not, I slept through it all, but Craig was up and thought we might be having a tornado. He said our home actually shook, and that he heard popping noises on the second floor. Miraculously, aside from overturned patio furniture, our home was unscathed.)
I woke up to reports of heavy damage, especially to Bookston, a town a little to the north of us. My first thought was of Abby and the herd, also a few miles to the north, sheltering in the old barn from the storm overnight.
I texted Tim right away. He has herniated a disc in his back and I wasn't sure just how mobile he was that morning.
But Tim being Tim, he had already checked the barn and horses. (I am so lucky to keep Abby at his place!)
Then I turned my attention to Brookston - my mother owns property there. (An orchard and fifteen acres of woods.) News reports said the town was without power and that the two highways that intersect in it were closed due to downed trees and power lines. I drove up at noon to check the orchard property and see if we had sustained any damage.
Because 43 was closed, I had to turn onto S 200 E and go the back way to the orchard.
... and another completely shoved off its pad and crumpled.
Crops had sustained wind damage, too. Field after field had corn all leaning toward the east.
The woods my mother owns were in good shape, although I could see at least one tree had been snapped off at the top.
Sadly, some of the old apple trees had sustained some damage.
It is a little hard to tell, but these are more apple trees that have been toppled.
Surprisingly, despite the massive tree damage, the houses I saw had very little damage, even those surrounded by trees that had been destroyed. There was rotation documented over the area, but my guess is that this was not a tornado - it was either a macroburst, derecho, or straight line winds. (The National Weather Service will be out today and giving its opinion later. Update at 9:00 PM: The National Weather Service has determined that the damage was caused by straight line winds and not a tornado.)
In the meantime, Tim's old barn has weathered yet another Indiana wind event.
I thought I might find out yesterday.
A big storm came through at midnight Wednesday night/Thursday morning with 100 mph winds. (Believe it or not, I slept through it all, but Craig was up and thought we might be having a tornado. He said our home actually shook, and that he heard popping noises on the second floor. Miraculously, aside from overturned patio furniture, our home was unscathed.)
I woke up to reports of heavy damage, especially to Bookston, a town a little to the north of us. My first thought was of Abby and the herd, also a few miles to the north, sheltering in the old barn from the storm overnight.
I texted Tim right away. He has herniated a disc in his back and I wasn't sure just how mobile he was that morning.
Then I turned my attention to Brookston - my mother owns property there. (An orchard and fifteen acres of woods.) News reports said the town was without power and that the two highways that intersect in it were closed due to downed trees and power lines. I drove up at noon to check the orchard property and see if we had sustained any damage.
Because 43 was closed, I had to turn onto S 200 E and go the back way to the orchard.
The grain silos at S 200 E and E 1250 S, just a mile from our property, had been damaged.
Two had been pushed to the side...
The woods my mother owns were in good shape, although I could see at least one tree had been snapped off at the top.
Surprisingly, despite the massive tree damage, the houses I saw had very little damage, even those surrounded by trees that had been destroyed. There was rotation documented over the area, but my guess is that this was not a tornado - it was either a macroburst, derecho, or straight line winds. (The National Weather Service will be out today and giving its opinion later. Update at 9:00 PM: The National Weather Service has determined that the damage was caused by straight line winds and not a tornado.)
Monday, June 20, 2016
A Tour of the Old Barn
Tim has four barns on the property - the big barn with an indoor arena, the blue barn (currently rented out to someone with three Rocky Mountain Spotted Horses), a loafing shed (seen to the left in the picture below), and my favorite, the old barn.
During the hot days of summer, the horses usually spend part of the day in the shade of the old barn. It's about 100 years old and remarkably cool and fly-free inside.
It's divided into four quadrants with an entrance on the north for people, farm implements, etc. The southern two quadrants are large box stalls, each one big enough for all six horses to gather in at one time with lots of room to spare.
Abby cooling off mid afternoon. I love that she can go in and out at will.
Up above is a hay mow. Tim just harvested a fresh load of hay but there's still lots of room for a couple more cuttings.
Trouble, Abby, and Diablo, waiting to say hello to me.
The elderly original owners of the property still live in an old farmhouse near the old barn. They had a pony years ago; I think this may be one of his old shoes tacked up on the wall.
In one of the north quadrants is an ancient tack room. Tim keeps his saddles, bridles, carriages, and wagons in the big barn; what's in here is left-behinds from the former owners.
Another shot of the "visiting spot" - the place I usually stand and visit with Abby when she's in the old barn. You can see the footing is dry and kept clean by Tim.
This shot of the visiting spot also shows the outside door that allows the horses to come and go as they wish. On the right is the old tack room; on the left is implement storage.
There is something peaceful about old barns, and a real sense of history, too. Personally, I love to just hang out inside with the horses enjoying their company and that wonderful horsey and hay smell.
During the hot days of summer, the horses usually spend part of the day in the shade of the old barn. It's about 100 years old and remarkably cool and fly-free inside.
It's divided into four quadrants with an entrance on the north for people, farm implements, etc. The southern two quadrants are large box stalls, each one big enough for all six horses to gather in at one time with lots of room to spare.
One of the box stalls.
Sunday, June 19, 2016
Trouble
Trouble is a registered Quarter Horse who is so massive that it looks like he's got some draft horse in him, his bones are so big! He's pushy and, although not the herd leader, he does tend to bull his way in between everyone and cause some milling among the horses.
The horses were taking a siesta during the heat of the day in the old barn and I happened to snap this picture of the big guy. (Too bad that light is so bright; I tried fiddling with it on my phone and could not dampen it.)
Friday, June 17, 2016
Carrots or Clover?
Tim rotated pastures yesterday, and when I arrived late in the evening, the herd was busily munching away on all that fresh grass and clover.
He has six pastures that he rotates them through, but I think the west pasture is the most beautiful as it is surrounded by trees on three sides.
The juice ran down my wrists as she bit chunks out of it - definitely worth giving up fresh pasture for!
Abby finished that apple and the two carrots I'd brought, and then headed back to grazing.
In the choice between carrots or clover, the carrots won out, and I think Abby was glad she decided to come up and check out what I'd brought her.
I called to Abby and she raised her head and looked at me, but then went back to eating. I could tell she was watching me, though, because she kept facing me and her ears were up and cocked in my direction as she grazed.
I had just come from visiting my mother and then a brief meeting at church, and did not want to trudge out to see her in my good sandals. So, after I called to her a few more times, I decided that I would just head home.
Abby's timing was impeccable. Just as I made that decision, Abby's head popped up again and she hustled up to see me.
"Wait! Don't go!! I'm coming; I'm coming!!"
I had a rare treat for her tonight - a juicy Granny Smith apple!
Thursday, June 16, 2016
Summer Fragrance
I have two favorite smells - a barn full of horses, and...
... fresh mown hay!
Tim was haying earlier this week, and I was able to snap a few pictures as he worked.
First the hay is cut and then raked into long rows.
Then the hay is with rolled into large round bales...
... or baled into the smaller rectangular bales.
It's piled onto flatbed trailers...
That way, on days like this...
... there is plenty to eat...
... for a hungry herd of horses.
Wednesday, June 15, 2016
She's Got the Gene!
I took some of my family out to see The Farm at Prophetstown this week. For two of us, the horses were all we really wanted to see.
Bojangles, my sister's miniature horse, who is on loan to The Farm at Prophetstown.
He is the picture of health. Hard to believe he was a rescue just two years ago.
My granddaughter, Trinity, has most definitely gotten the horsey gene!
She can scratch Ryder's backside all day and be perfectly content!
Bojangles, my sister's miniature horse, who is on loan to The Farm at Prophetstown.
My granddaughter, Trinity, has most definitely gotten the horsey gene!
Me, Time, and Trinity.
Monday, June 13, 2016
Not the Summer We Expected
This is not turning out to be the summer we had expected. I am grateful to have this girl to help with stress relief.
The very first day of summer break, our daughter, Lisa, became ill with cellulitis and a lung infection. (Three weeks later, she is still ill.)
The next day, my neurosurgeon gave me the news that I had two collapsed discs in my back and that I needed a partial spinal fusion. That's now scheduled for later this summer in July. (No wonder I was having problems keeping up with my students whenever we walked someplace!) I am very stressed about the surgery, wondering if I will be healed enough to start the school year with my class - I do not want to have a substitute teacher begin it for me.
Craig's mom was hospitalized a few days after that and then went into hospice for pancreatic cancer. That's a whole new territory for us to negotiate, tinged with sadness and concern as pancreatic cancer is very painful in its end stages.
A week later, my mother went into the hospital for a week with pneumonia and a strep infection that had migrated into her lungs. I divided my time between our moms, sitting with one, then going to see the other. (I am thankful to be out of school and able to spend the time with them!)
Our kids and their families all came into town to say goodbye to Craig's mom, so we have been hosting lots and lots of people in our home. It has been good to be able to be together as we go through some tough times
With all the intense emotions, busy days, worry, and stress, I have to work to carve out my barn time. But when I see that pretty head raise as I approach, and hear Abby nicker at me in greeting, my spirits lift and I am glad I squeezed in some time with her.
The stress doesn't look to lessen any time soon, so I will be taking advantage of all the horse therapy I can get!
The very first day of summer break, our daughter, Lisa, became ill with cellulitis and a lung infection. (Three weeks later, she is still ill.)
The next day, my neurosurgeon gave me the news that I had two collapsed discs in my back and that I needed a partial spinal fusion. That's now scheduled for later this summer in July. (No wonder I was having problems keeping up with my students whenever we walked someplace!) I am very stressed about the surgery, wondering if I will be healed enough to start the school year with my class - I do not want to have a substitute teacher begin it for me.
Craig's mom was hospitalized a few days after that and then went into hospice for pancreatic cancer. That's a whole new territory for us to negotiate, tinged with sadness and concern as pancreatic cancer is very painful in its end stages.
A week later, my mother went into the hospital for a week with pneumonia and a strep infection that had migrated into her lungs. I divided my time between our moms, sitting with one, then going to see the other. (I am thankful to be out of school and able to spend the time with them!)
Our kids and their families all came into town to say goodbye to Craig's mom, so we have been hosting lots and lots of people in our home. It has been good to be able to be together as we go through some tough times
With all the intense emotions, busy days, worry, and stress, I have to work to carve out my barn time. But when I see that pretty head raise as I approach, and hear Abby nicker at me in greeting, my spirits lift and I am glad I squeezed in some time with her.
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