Short update

Well, it is almost fall. I have not kept my promise to myself to keep the blog up to date but am hoping to at least get this years updates done soon.

This year has gone by very fast...too fast I think.

Kids are all doing good. Shayne has started his last year of high school - and has a very busy schedule. Bailey is back at the regular High School and is enrolled in Grade 9. She has a lot of work to do to make sure she continues on with her friends at the end of the year.

Melissa and Mike have left Fort McMurray and have just moved into a condo in Lloydminster. Melissa is working in Vermillion doing sheet metal work at the College.

Luke and Coreen are doing good. So are Mark and Autumn.

Horses are all good. We are up to 13 of them now. Ding had a red dun colt (sired by Gunner) in mid-April. Rondee followed with a sorrel filly (also sired by Gunner) and Dolly finished up the foaling season with a red dun filly (sired by Molson). All three are for sale. We are expecting 3 foals in May next year out of Dolly, Gidget and Rondee. All are sired by Gunner.

We didn't get any riding in this year. Partly due to the weather - it rained LOTS this summer making the arena a mess. And with the rain came the MOSQUITOS. I have not seen them this bad for years...poor horses were driven nuts. Even bug spray didn't help for long.

The dogs are doing really well. We had another litter of pups in March who all went to great homes. But due to Maggie developing Mastitis, we decided to get her fixed. She is looking much better. Max is doing good as well...he is now wearing a collar and we are working on "leash" lessons with him.

We did a few more renovations around the place. My office is complete, the upstairs bathroom is complete. Shayne's new bedroom is almost complete. Next on the list is to change the floor in the TV room upstairs and paint and do the floor in the basement. We have also done some "garbage trips" with stuff from the shop and basement that we no longer need. I have also done a big "clothes" cleanout of the house. All this will be donated.

We spent a week in BC at Mom and Dad's. Had wonderful weather and it was awesome to see them again. They say they will be here in the fall (October) which will be wonderful.

Stay tuned for more detailed updates and pics from our year.

HORSES STOLEN IN RYLEY ALBERTA

Nine much loved horses were stolen out of their pasture on July 11, 2010 on a farm by Ryley in east central Alberta.

Rosemarie and Tiffany are frantically searching for their beloved pets.

Molson, one of the horses that was stolen, was born and raised here. He is also the sire of two of my current horses - Denver and Havana. He is a stunning boy - a stunning shade of orange with perfect "everything". He is the last foal of my best bred mare, Semi.

We are desperately seeking any and all information leading to their safe return and there is a reward offered.

This is the flyer with pictures of the horses for your information. If you know anything about this...have seen the horses...please call the Tofield RCMP (as per the flyer). You can also e-mail me for more information and I will get your messages to Rosemarie.

Please feel free to pass this flyer and information on to any and all horse people that you know.



UPDATE:

Molson and his herd were found 3 days later a few miles from home. Molson had a small injury but last I heard he was healing up really well.

Updates are coming

We have had an exciting spring.

Short family updates:

Both Shayne and Bailey are now working at McDonald's in Veg. Means more driving for me...but maybe less spending in the long run as the both now have spending money.

Bailey also has her braces. She is pretty sore still and I think already looking forward to getting them off.

We found out that Mark and Autumn are going to be parents. Doyle is excited at the prospect of being a grandpa. I am excited too but not sure what my role will be or what baby will call me. They have picked out some cool names too. Maybe time to start doing some baby shopping - or at least baby window shopping as we don't know whether it will be a girl or a boy yet.

Luke is still working for the same company building cabinets. Coreen is working on her journeyman ticket (red tag???). I know I probably got that wrong.

Melissa and Mike are still in Fort Mac. They are now in a basement suite of the house they had the bedroom suite in. And loving it. Not sure about loving Fort Mac...but loving the fact that they have more room.

Doyle is just finishing up a shutdown at work. Made for some long shift schedules and long hours on top of that. He will be very happy to be back on a regular schedule.

I am still plugging away at my job. Busy season is starting so not much time to do anything else. My photography course is back underway. I have one more photo project to do for Unit two. Unit three looks to be interesting. I also have a potential job photographing a horse show mid-May. Going to look over the info sheets I was sent and then will get back to the lady this week to confirm. Kinda excited but kinda nervous too.

As for general stuff:

We went skiing in Jasper for a weekend. Spent way too much money but it was great to see almost the entire group together. We missed Mark, Autumn and Coreen.

We had puppies both the end of March. 5 little ones to enjoy. They are almost ready to go to their new homes now.

We have also had two of our three foals born. Both sired by Gunner and out of Rondee and Ding...so Paige's breeding program has started on it's second generation with a bang. Both foals are wonderful. A red dun colt and a sorrel filly. We are now just awaiting Dolly's foal - she is due anytime between May 4 and 12.

Anyways...in depth updates with pics will come soon. I promise.

Dear "Anonymous"

Who ever keeps commenting on my blog as Anonymous - PLEASE STOP.

It has always been my policy to not approve comments posted by Anonymous. If you want something posted and you are on as Anonymous - put your name!!! Otherwise you are out of luck.

Also - COMMENT ON THE POST that you are looking at.

Nothing bugs me more than getting stupid SPAM comments...or comments that have nothing to do with my posts!!!

Gone too soon

I spent the day reflecting on my time with a great horse.

Of all the horses I have bought and sold in the 9 years since we moved out to our new farm, Hyde got under my skin the most. I had tried to convice myself not to get close to another horse - or at least as close to one as Lucky - but he snuck in and got me.

It has been a year since Hyde passed away suddenly from septic shock. And in someways I am still in shock from it.

I will always be grateful to Paige and Barry for selling Hyde to me...will always appreciate the hard work both Dale and Jason did to mold Hyde into the great little cutting horse he was...and will always be sad that he could not do what he was meant to do.

And even sadder that he has no offspring to carry on where he left off...at the beginning of what could have been a great career.

Here are some shots of the two of us from the beginning as a 2 year old, when he arrived in Alberta; to the end, when I took my final lesson on him at Jason's the day he came home to stay:

Office is done

I now have a home office. Very exciting.

We worked on it - or rather Doyle worked on it - over the holidays and we finished it in late January with the purchase of a big desk system.

After a couple shopping trips to get desk organization things, I now working on getting everything out of boxes and into the filing cabinets but it is slowly coming together.

Next to buy for the office - or to take and have done up - is artwork for the walls. Maybe some family - horse - pics of my own??? Or go and buy something? Decisions - decisions!!!

The start:




New floor:

Soft brown paint:

Setting up the desk:

All done and ready to go:

One year ago

My family and I were sitting on the beach in Playa Del Carmen enjoying the last day of our two week vacation in Mexico. All was good in the world. Or at least where we were.

At home, Melissa was going through hell. Trying to get a hold of me, spending time on the phone and on the internet with people asking for help and advice.

My old mare, Lucky, was down and dying...and Melissa was horribly lost and afraid.

With help online from Desiree and on the phone from my parents, she made the very hard but adult choice to call the vet and have Lucky put down.

We got back to the hotel and I went to the cyber cafe where, by accident, Paige told me how sorry she was to hear about Lucky's passing. I about fell off my chair as all I had gotten so far at that point from Melissa was "call me NOW".

I went back to our room and fell apart.

It was the hardest day of my life...and would not get any easier for yet a couple more as I had to wait a day and a half to get home.

We said our goodbye's on Monday, Jan 19, 2009.


Lucky will always be remembered for being the most stubbornest thing in the world I have ever owned - be it to be caught or ridden by an experienced rider...but also for being my best friend when life got me down.

She lived the life of a queen...retired from anything at the age of 20. And was just loved and cared for until her death at the amazing age of 33.



I will miss you forever, my beautiful buckskin girl!!!

Olympic Torch Relay 2010

On Wed, Jan 13, the Olympic torch went through Vegreville. While I had to work, we were still able to see the torch run as it went right past our office.

At 9:30 one of the volunteers came in and gave us some small Canadian Flags and told us the torch would be by around 10.

So we waited...and waited...and finally heard some loud music. We ran outside to see the "Coke" sponsor vehicle with music blaring and some people waving from the back of it.



We went back inside after seeing the torch turn the corner to go down past the elementary school.

We came back out around 5 minutes later to watch it go by.






What an experience. Wish I could have participated in the entire morning event at the park though as it sounded like it was a lot of fun.

christmas 2009

We had a very quiet Christmas this year.

Melissa and Mike came down from Fort Mac and spent time with us, Mike's family and all their friends.

My sister Jodi, her hubby Fulton and their daughter Brandi joined us for Christmas Eve and Christmas Day.

Everyone seemed really happy with their gifts - both received and happy with what they had given to others.

All in all - it was a great holiday.

Denver is growing

Denver is almost 8 months old. He is growing up lots. Getting bigger than I thought he would at this age.



He is being moved from the herd into the barn tomorrow for his "big boy" training.

My back and body feel like they are able to take on the task of doing some halter work etc. finally...could be a fun time for all.

Baby Bellies 2010

Well, the bellies are starting to show. Gidget and Rondee are due on April 30 and Ding is due on May 1. Dolly is due May 20 (or so)...she is a little harder to pinpoint as we pasture breed her.

Gidget (Skip To My Lucky x Semi Sweet Doc x Docs Adonis) is in foal to Whata Sansation (Hotrodder Disco X Lu Lady San x Peppy San) NCHA earnings of $4500.



Rondee (Smart Little Rondee x GDA Playboys Melody x Playboys Guard) is in foal to Gunner (High Brow Hickory x Diablos Young Gun x Young Gun).



Ding (Slydun Haida x Goldy Tari x Doc Tari) is in foal to Gunner.



Dolly (Sonnys Sondance X Entwistle Fiddle) is in foal to Gunner or Molson (it was a bad breeding season for her).