When you often ride alone

When you ride as much as I do, it's really difficult to find someone to ride along every time.  Mark is usually working and my boarders have lives outside of their horses (as well they should).  So when I want photos of my horses and me, I need to be creative.  Below...are my attempts.  Not much creativity going on I know, but hey at least we are both in the frame and sort of in focus.  We get an A for effort...at least in my book.  (I'm an easy grader)

First is Cheyenne...just after our ride.  BTW...she wanted me to post that she was VERY good. 

And this is Buddy.  He was happy that I rode Cheyenne. 

And finally, Seti.  I still can't believe her ears were up. 

During the entire time I was getting pics of Buddy and Seti...Cheyenne was making faces, messing with the trunk outside her stall, pushing on her door...every trick in the book to get my attention.  She wanted her picture taken again...so I did.  (look at the smug look on her face)

Seti's Bday Serenade

As promised.  I think she enjoyed it.  One thing's for sure...she LOVED the horse cookies she got after my 'singing'.  I owed her at least that. 

Seti turns 27 today!

Today is Seti's birthday.  I have not sung to her yet...but Mark promised me that he would at least give her a hug and say Happy Birthday.  I plan to sing to her tonight...there was no way I was making the trek up to the pasture in these...

So stay tuned...video to follow later tonight. Promise!

Cats and kittens...Hens and Chicks

So whichever it is...which I have no idea.  I've always called them Cats and Kittens...I know others who call them Hens and Chicks.  Shoot let's just call them Mares and Foals.  I like that.  Anyway...they are back.  And soon they will be spilling out the top of this planter and depositing themselves in my flowerbed.  I'm okay with that. 

Treelocation...

Get it?  Like RElocation...but it was TREES.  Ha!  Even on a Monday I crack myself up.  Hey...somebody's gotta laugh at my lame jokes.  Anyway...we had trees that needed to be relocated (treelocated).  So we did it yesterday.  It was fun...not.  Digging up trees is HARD work.  I felt bad for Mark.  :) 

Here's all our trees...waiting patiently to be replanted.  They got a little rowdy, but I threatened them and they quieted down.

The site for replanting...the TREElocation spot. (I still think that is super clever) 

Digging the holes.  Gotta love modern machinery.  Sure makes lite of the process.  Wish we had a "digem out" auger.  Would have saved Mark alot of work. 

Look how cute he is!  Now you'll understand why I need to clone, dehydrate and plant him. (for my friends) See next post.

The holes...I bet passersby were thinking we had some mighty big groundhogs.  Phew!

Home at last.  I just hope they grow well here.  And, that they don't get too rowdy...our bedroom window is just across the stream. 

Just add water

Mark is so sweet, so kind, so loving and such a darn nice guy...I often have friends ask me if he has any brothers.  He doesn't.  He has one kick ass awesome sister, but she's married.  If I could clone Mark, I'd make a million.  I can see it now...sell him in dehydrated form with the instruction to plant and just add water.  This is what you'd get...isn't he cute!?

Holy Lap Kitty Batman!

Man if this doesn't define a lap nap...I don't know what does.  Mark is so comfortable...I often lay on him like this too.  When I can get Diesel to share that is.

Bloomin' Kwanzan Cherry Tree - totally worth the wait

I mentioned in previous posts that some of my flowering trees are starting to bloom.  Well this week my Kwanzan Cherry Tree finally bloomed.  And oh is she gorgeous.  Don't you agree?  (Stay tuned...still yet to bloom...dogwoods and stewartia)  I know the suspense is killing me too! 

I get by with a little help from my friends

Timbre has been wanting to spend more time outside lately...and who can blame her.  It's spring time, the farm is in full bloom, birds are chirping and the breeze is warm.  Timbre has a favorite spot on the bench on our front porch.  She likes to lay on the scarecrow's lap and hang out with her wrought iron feline friend.  I think she likes that he doesn't talk back.

Have you herd?

Get it?  Herd?  Our herd.  Mark and I were planting Twisted Willow trees and we got the attention of the entire herd...not sure if it was Mark's singing or not.  None of the horses were covering their ears...but then again, that's hard to do when you only have hooves as covers.  (that's Seti on the far left...she's such an independent woman)

More signs of spring..down on the farm!

Imagine my surprise when I saw these little fellows pop up.  I had no idea I had tulips on the farm.  Now I'm inspired to create a club and invite more.  I'll start putting up flyers now.

We have 3 Gingko trees...they have the most unusually cool leaves.  Like little duck feet.  This one is just starting to bud and bloom...but in a few days it will be amazing!

A few years ago Mark and I bought several flowering trees for the farm in honor of each of our horses.  Seti and Quest each got a Dogwood (they aren't blooming just yet), Cheech got a Cherry Tree (also not quite blooming yet) and Buddy got a Red Bud...in FULL BLOOM.  I love Red Bud trees.  The flowers proliferate the entire branch.  LOVE that.

My couch buddy

Sometimes I get headaches.  They debilitate to me.  The only thing that works to scare them away is laying down and blocking all light.  A few weeks ago I had one of my headaches.  Diesel did too I think...he just couldn't find a shirt small enough to cover his eyes. 

I'm a BIG girl now!

Today was Cheyenne's very first trailer ride by herself.  I decided it was time to take the plunge.  I hauled her to Pretty Boy for a trail ride.  The haul over is only about 10 minutes and the loop we ride is about 45 minutes.  Perfect.  Cheyenne loaded like a champ and waited quietly while I did my last trailer walk around check. 

She fits in the front stall...snuggly.  She doesn't seem to mind...there's a hay bag up there.  She adores her hay bag. I think she even named it Getinmybelly.

YUM...hay bag Ma!

On the trail she moved out like she'd done this a million times.  She was very interested in her surroundings, but not spooky.  I was so happy!

When we got back to the trailer, Cheyenne calmly took in more of her surroundings (and more hay).  There were two geese playing in the water behind us...she was very interested in them.  I think she may have been contemplating how nice a swim would feel.  Unfortunately I forgot to bring her water wings. 

I swear in this picture she's saying, "Yeah I rock...you wanna piece a this?"  She's so awesome. 

I think I forgot to mention it was in the upper 80s today...HOT.  And my poor baby hasn't even shed out her winter coat entirely.  She was a HOT mess.  But she was a happy hot mess...happy that hay bag was still on the trailer when we got back.  She's so easy to please. 

It was such a wonderful ride...I am still smiling about it.  The End.  (Get it?  They END)  hee hee

Butt wait...there's more

Get it?  Butt?  hee hee.  I crack myself up.  Anyway, this past weekend I took one of my boarders with me to Pretty Boy.  Doc is Cheyenne's boyfriend.  I think they played footsie in the trailer.  It's just a hunch.

The cast of characters

Most of my daffy's on the hill have made their debut...there are still a few that have yet to emerge...I am practicing my patience.  It's very hard.  The kicker?  There are still bulbs that have yet to come up...my day lilies.  So this cycle will start all over again.   

The DEBUT!!!!

I am so excited!  My very first TWO Daffy's on the Hill!!!  Aren't they adorable?!  I feel like a proud momma...

Maiden Voyage

Yesterday was a gorgeous day here in Maryland.  Perfect weather for trail riding at Pretty Boy.  So I loaded Buddy in my new trailer and off we went.  In the next few weeks it will be Cheech that accompanies me, but today was Buddy's day.  The new trailer hauls so well...it's lighter so it almost feels like there isn't anything behind the truck.

We arrived and Buddy was calm.  Hello handsome...

He even had time on our trip from the farm to adorn himself with hay decorations.  You know it's all the rage in Paris.

After the ride...Buddy relaxed and took in the sites.  It was a great trip. 

Spring has SPRUNG!

Our farm is in full bloom and I couldn't be happier. 

Huh? What?

Okay I am no landscaper...no garden diva...no goddess of green, but I know THESE are not daffodils.  The reason I bring up this point, is that these plants were in the bulbs that I got from my friend who told me they were daffodils and day lilies.  Hmmmmm...I got shnookered.  I'm not complaining, beggers can't be choosers...and these are really cute!

Closer closer

I'm pretty sure in a day or two I will be posting a message that my first daffy on the hill has made its debut.  Stay tuned!!!  (I'm so freakin' excited!)