New things

We have a new look. Everyone else has been sprouting all these fancy blogs and I just had to follow along.

Thanks to Staci and Steph for all their creativity...with the blog as well as the website - which is going to match!! Pretty cool.

They have also done work on my other website "Foaling Around" too.

Remembrance Day

One thing about my son...he is not a reader/scholar when it comes to english/social studies...and is not very creative so when he comes up with something good...it has to be shared. Shayne wrote this poem a few years ago but I like sharing it each year at this time.

REMEMBRANCE DAY

Young Men
Brave and strong
Leaving home
To protect the people
Strange lands
Enemy lines
Battle fields
Slow moving tanks
Fast flying fighter planes
Bombs bursting
Guns firing
Bullets bite
Hurting, killing, dying
"D Day"
Silence
Peace reigns
Hero's welcome
Parades for all
Medals Awarded
WE REMEMBER

By Shayne Thompson

George Merril Thompson - RIP

It is today that we sit back and remember all those who fought for our freedom throughout history. My own father-in-law fought in Europe. He was in the airforce.

He passed away 4 years ago and we sure miss him and his stories. I sure wish I could have had a tape recorder or something over the last 4 - 5 years of his life...he would pull out his pictures of the war and tell me stories all day.

His funeral was held on Remembrance Day. We arranged for an honor guard for him. It was a beautiful service.

We all sure miss him.

NEW FENCE LINE IS GOING UP!!!

Two lines of my new fencing is almost complete. We are building pens for outside mares to stay in when we start our breeding program in the spring.


The outside perimiter of the pens is 66 feet in length and each pen will be 33 ft wide. One of the long pens will be split in 2 to make 33 x 33 ft pens. We will have 5 pens in total. Each pen will also have a small shelter in the northwest corner and individual water troughs.


Doyle, Shayne and Melissa have been working for a day and a half on it. They are working on the back side and then will do the front. The back side of the pens is beside one of our pastures and we want to put Lucky and Lance out there before the snow flies.



They will then work on the front side which will have all the gates in it opening into the yard.. We won't be doing the inside fence lines to make the big rectangle into the smaller pens until early spring.

One other nice thing about re-doing all this is the fence lines will now be SQUARE to the yard and barn, EVEN with each other, and has allowed Doyle to make better alleyways between the barn and the pastures and the yard and the pastures.

I will keep putting pictures up until they are all done.

My handsome son

It was "formal day" at school on Friday. They were having their Remembrance Day ceremony and the kids were requested to come to school "dressed up".

After going through Doyle's closet on Thurday night, Shayne found a shirt and was going to wear his own pants (which was a good idea as Doyle were massive on him). Friday morning, Bailey came into my room and grabbed a tie for Shayne.

This is what Shayne looked like when he got home from school.


I did not get a picture of Bailey but she had on a black skirt and a white shirt.

They both looked really good.

Maggie's new bed

With winter coming - and the hay bales bought and in the yard - Maggie has grabbed a new bed - at least for now.

Doesn't she look comfortable?

Update on Hyde

We went back to the vet today as I was unsure if the foot was getting better or not. While he is walking better for the most part, there are still times where he seems unsure on the foot.

Dr. Doyle met us at the door and said "bring him right in". We went into the radiology room and she took x-rays of his foot. There are still signs of "gas" in the foot so I am to continue with the epsom salt soaks 2 x per day for the next 3 days...as well as get the farrier out to try to open up the foot more for it to drain.

I also asked the vet about Iccthamol and she said "if you can find some - go for it". I laughed and said "my girlfriend sent me some from the US". She said "that's great!!". I guess she didn't hear me last week when I said I had some.

So we are still working on the problem...but it is getting better. Thank goodness.

Oh...his behaviour today at the clinic was really good again. There were mares in the clinic this time and after an initial "hey ladies" and a smack from me to say "enough"...he just dropped his head and walked past them...not even flicking an ear. Everyone got a good chuckle out of it.

NEW DRYER!!!

YIPPEE!!!

Is it cool to be this excited about a new appliance?

Maybe???

Well, this one sure beats the old. Taking only 1 hr to dry a massive load instead of 4 or 5!!!

What a savings on the power bill and my time this will be - but mostly on the power bill!!!

Stallion Advertising

Well, it is that time of year...which is actually a first for us. We are going to do up our stallion ads...or rather have someone make them for us. But we need to pick our photos. I don't have any good show shots as of yet...so am going to go with something I have taken.

We are doing a 1/6 of a page ad and putting both boys on it. We are going with a working shot of Gunner and a conformation shot of Hyde.

Now for the part I need help with - chosing the shots to go with.

Gunner's choices (please pick your favorite):
1.

2.

3.


Hyde's choices (please pick your favorite):
1.

2.


The text in the ad is going to be very simple - the horse name and pedigree and our contact information. If you think anything else should be put in there, please let me know.

I guess I should also say that the ad is going to be in black and white. Any suggestions of layout would be appreciated too.


Thanks all!!

Kirby update

Here are the latest pics from Jesse of Kirby (her Maggie/Max puppy).

Jesse's boyfriend went and got his puppy last weekend. He is a Norweigen Elkhound...named MOOSE.

They apparently get along really well now. At first, Kirby was very protective of Jesse and her things...and he was also trying to discipline Moose.

They look to be best buds now don't they?

Hyde worries me

Over the weekend, I noticed that Hyde was "wobbling"...not appearing to be quite steady on his feet. Not walking well...stumbling...not fluid.

His appetite was still good...but he just didn't seem right. With the heart issues of last spring, I was really scared that something was going on. I booked him into the vet right away.

On Wed, we travelled to West Wind Vet Clinic to be met by Dr. Doyle (same vet that helped me so much with Semi). She had gone over his chart and was also concerned that things had worsened. She listened to his heart, lungs and stomach and said things sounded exactly the same. She took his leg pulses, checked his gums etc. And said "hmmm...not the heart."

We then took him for a walk in the clinic so she could try to see what I was seeing...and she said "hmmm...I think he is lame on his left front". So we went back in to the exam room and sure enough - an ABCESS!!! (Which was Paige's guess)

Thank god.

The abcess is located right along the outside of the groove that surrounds the frog. Dr. Doyle dug it out...it is pretty deep. He has lost some of the sole of the hoof that makes up that groove.


His behavior at the clinic was spectacular. I had to help Dr. Doyle by holding a flashlight. I ended up with only 2 inches of lead rope in my hand and he just stood there.

I was sent home with instructions to stall him...soak his foot in warm water and epsom salts 2 x per day and bring him back on Monday if he wasn't better. I may just take him in anyways...better to be safe than sorry.

I wasn't sure how to go about soaking his foot...so it was a trial and error thing this morning for my first try. He was a very good boy...once he realized I wanted him to stand there with his foot in the small pail he did. I am very proud of him and very happy with how smart he is. And also at how well he has retained his training from Jason on how to be a good boy. LOL

Chiropractor results

Well, I went on Monday for my x-rays and for my follow-up appointment after my testing.

I watched another short video and then went into the exam room. Dr. Fischer came in and we talked about how I had done over the weekend.

We also discussed my bone scan and abdominal ultrasound that I had had done by my other doctor and chiropractor. He said that most of it was what he figured and said that I would be a little shocked about my ultrasound results when compared to one of his scans. We then went over my scan results.

1. Thermal Scan - showed temperature changes at T4, T7, T8 and T10...all on the left side. These vertebrae help the gall bladder, Pancreas, spleen and Kidneys function. Interesting as I have gall stones and a kidney problem.

2. Static EMG Scan - showed that my neck muscles are weak (not working to their full capacity). It also showed that I have lots of muscles on the left side of my back working really really hard...and muscles on the right not working hardly at all.

3. Asymmetry - showed that my body is in a constant "tug of war". The muscles are working all the time - one group at 167% and another at 247%. And the muscle groups alternate from right to left. My left side of my neck is pulling - then the right side at the top of my shoulder blade - then the left mid shoulder blade - the right at the bottom of the shoulder blade and the left at the top of the hip. So my body is constantly fighting itself. He said that this is a big factor in my back pain and my fatigue.

After we went through all that, he did a small adjustment. He is a firm believer in only adjusting what absolutely needs it. And I agree.

I have a full regime of appointment booked until mid December.

he also suggested I get back into my massage and IMS as that will help my muscle groups learn to relax and behave. LOL

He also said he will talk to his wife about me (she worked in the same office) and see if she can set me up with an exercise program and nutritional advice.

Here's hoping that this will be a big turning point in my back health!!!

Bowling switches days

Well, after 4 years of the kids bowling on Wednesdays...they have now switched to Tuesdays.

The coaches discussed all the kids and only asked specific ones to move. They were all the more senior bowlers - making a "Senior Youth League".

This cleared up a lot of room and time for the younger bowlers and freed up the coaching staff as well.

Currently there are about 14 kids bowling on Wednesdays. And according to their coach, Kevin, all of them will really benefit from the move.

Shayne already has shown that he will excel as his games this last week were a 187 and two 210's. Bailey, however, went down a bit, bowling well, but below her average.

I am sure that things will settle for them both soon.

New Chiropractor

I made a change in my chiropractic treatment. I have started visiting Dr. Fischer in Vegreville.

His practice is very interesting. When I first arrived, I had to fill out some paperwork on my back issues, life issues (accidents etc.) and some family medical history. Then I watched a short video on Chiropractic care.

When all that was done, I went into an exam room and he came in and sat down. We spent the next 1/2 hr or so just taking about my back, health, and what he thinks he can do for me.

The next step was some stretching exercises so he could see what some of my immediate issues were. He has some charts on his wall and as he was doing the stretching he was showing me on the charts where those specific vertebrae are attached to - nerve endings and where they go as well as the different internal organs that problems there can affect. It was very interesting.

He then put me into a different room and called his assistant to do some "scans". These are done with the aid of a computer and some hand held instruments.

The first was a "Thermal Scan". This scan reveals skin temperature deviations. (taken from the information sheet)...These findings can indicate impairment to nervous system control and regulation of your heart, lungs, stomach and other vital organs.

The next scan was with little padded probes. There were two tests that this did at the same time:

1. Static EMG Scan: A typical first visit scan. The presence and severity of abnormal muscle activity is indicated by size and color. Yellow or shortened white indicators reveal muscle weakness or excess tissue thickness.

2. Asymmetry: Muscle balance is shown by this scan. Colored spikes show areas of abnormal tension. These areas can cause fatigue and may be associated with scoliosis. Long-term neglect may lead to spinal decay.

After all that, I was taken back out to the reception, given a sheet for x-rays and we made my next appointment.

I had been hoping for an adjustment but he didn't want to do anything until after he got the scan results and the x-rays.

But I was very happy with how thorough he was being.

Max

Max is growing into a beautiful dog.


He finds the oddest things to play with - like this stick. We have bought numerous toys for him but he doesn't like them.


When Max gets in trouble this is where he likes to stay - as far away from the house as possible but still in view.

More puppies leaving

We had more puppies picked up by their new people on the weekend.

Badger left on Friday the 31st. His new person's name is Casie. She just loves him. She has a little terrier and her boyfriend has two pyrenees dogs. I got a call from her the day after and he had already had a bath and was learning to navigate the stairs.


Smoky left on Sunday, Nov 2. No pic as Shirley and Ken were in a hurry. They were very happy with him. I am sure he will be a spoiled puppy by the entire family.

That left us with "Little Girl". She is such a sweetheart. She left on Tuesday, Nov 4. She is going to help heal a broken heart on a 17 year old boy...whose Great Pyr was put down on the 1st. And "fate" again came into play...this time with names. His old dog's name was Max...and as you all know, Little Girl's daddy's name is Max.


I can hardly wait to get more updates on the pups.