Snow!

This wasn't out here last night...

Remember when you were a child (if you lived somewhere with real winters), how magic the world seemed the first winter morning you woke up to a world covered with white? This perfectly cleansed world is made even sweeter by waking up and sharing it with Mike...

Mike and Duffy head down to break ice on the horse trough.

It's been a while so Ellie makes sure he does it right.

Later...Duffy launches!

Ellie goes airborn!

And Vannie takes off!

Does this chair make my belly look big?

Being thankful...

The Wild Boys are thankful for a safe life with plenty to eat and humans who do their best to understand them...

The temperature outside right now is twenty-two degrees and not likely to get much warmer today. It's just beginning to snow a bit, I have a toasty fire going in the wood stove and there are sleeping dogs and cats sprawled all around me. Outside, the horses are quietly eating their breakfast hay, safe and content in their world. And for me, I got my miracle in that Mike will be home sometime today and he will be here for at least a week. The house is clean and tidy, the turkey is thawed and the chores are done. We are well prepared for this storm and I am so thankful this is a holiday we will get to spend together in our own home, surrounded by the peace and beauty that is Star's Rest.

Ellie is thankful for her happy sunflower nightie...

Duffy is thankful for the couch and for Ellie's warm bootie...

Vannie is thankful she gets to spend her old age loved by us...

Fionna is thankful for her favorite chair and pillow. She'll be even more thankful when Mike gets home and is sharing that chair with her...

and Nidodemus is thankful he figured out how to disguise himself as a dog.

To all of you out there, may you spend the day with people you love and animals who love you. Happy Thanksgiving from everyone at Star's Rest!

As ready as I'll ever be.

Remember this scene from last January? After that one, I promised myself I would never let another winter storm take me by surprise again. Mike has been gone almost three weeks now, on a job that is both exhausting him and pushing him to his limits in tolerance and patience. He is out there fighting his work battles to take care of us and I'm here getting ready for the real beginning of winter.

The old sun porch on the workshop that I spent every storm last winter keeping a fire going in the wood stove to melt the snow off and keep the roof from collapsing.

Starting tonight, we are expecting a forty degree drop in temperatures and a 40% chance of snow on Thanksgiving day and into Saturday. What's happening is a Canadian front is coming down from the north while a low is settling into Arizona. That low is going to make sure that the Canadian cold sits here with us for a while and as it spins, it will be pushing warm moist air up from the gulf. The end result, an extended period of cold and snow with highs in the twenties and lows below zero.

I'm amusingly proud of the cocoon I made from an old down mattress topper, some pallets and a goose neck lamp to keep the faucets from freezing.

So for the last four days I have been doing all the things I should have been doing for the last three weeks. I let myself be seduced by the extended, beautiful fall we have been experiencing and I forgot how unforgiving winter can be. I was hoping a miracle would happen and Mike would be home soon but it looks like we will be 'weathering' this storm separately again. I really, really miss you Mike.

Even our new horse trailer is snugly covered in a nice jacket for the winter that's coming.

The first step has been to carry up what has seemed like an endless amount of firewood so it would be handy near the door. That is something I will still be doing tomorrow and pretty much for the rest of the winter except when Mike is home. I also topped off the water holding tank and filled the horse water trough to the brim, then stashed all of the hoses in the shop so they don't freeze. That was one of last year's mistakes, not making sure I had a full water tank and thawed hoses for filling the horse trough.

An obvious and simple solution to the leaky roof on the old sun porch. Hopefully, this tarp is slick enough that snow will slide right off.

Remember how I spent every snowstorm last winter hiking over to the shop to keep a fire going so the old half rotten sun porch wouldn't collapse? Tearing that thing down has been high on our project list but Mike's relentless work schedule all summer and my broken wrist kept it from happening. I was resigned to spending the winter the same way until I was driving back from town with supplies this afternoon. Somehow I came up with the obvious solution of stretching a slick tarp across the roof to both keep moisture out and to keep the snow from sticking. I guess my mind has been so stuck in the idea that it had to be torn down that a middle step just didn't occur to me.

The plants are gathered together, wind screens are up, and a deep bed of straw to protect them.

And now the sad part...the garden has been finally and completely put to bed for the winter. I'm grateful for the extra six weeks of warmth we had that let my baby roses grow strong roots and stems. Now they are deeply watered, covered in a layer of aged horse manure to feed their roots all winter, and tucked under a deep fluffy blanket of straw. Hopefully in the spring they will come out strong and healthy and I can share photos of their first mature blooms.

Clouds beginning to move in with the front.

As I write this, the wind is picking up outside as the cold front moves in. I am bone tired and my back is telling me I did a bit too much too fast. But there is a good fire in the wood stove and plenty of firewood nearby, safely covered with tarps to keep it dry. Even though I don't expect this early storm to paralyze us with snow, there is a weeks' worth of extra meat in the freezer for the dogs, and just as much extra feed for the horses stashed under the deck. There is enough hay brought up and stacked for ten days (thanks Jo!) and plenty of water stored for everyone. Even the new horse trailer is wrapped up in its own jacket. If it does snow significantly, I won't be keeping two fires burning unless I happen to be working in the shop. And tomorrow, I can get caught up on the business of Black Horse Design.

Oh no! It's contagious! What a perfect 'flagpole' Duffy.

When Mike finally makes it home, I have a Thanksgiving feast planned for him complete with a turkey and all the extras, two kinds of pie and extra creamy ice cream. All of the foods we both love. Of course, the real thanksgiving will be having us both home together again after such an extended separation.

It's Ellie Belly day!

Ellie in the spotlight.

Ellie the Calendar Girl would like you to all visit the Greyhound Companions of New Mexico Store page to see how you can order her Cover Girl Calendar. Not only is she on the cover, check out the bottom left photo below and you will see my all time favorite, 'Attack of the Killer Chipmunk'! All of our pups appear throughout the calendar and every single calendar sold means more money for vet care and for placing greyhounds into their forever homes. While you are visiting the Greyhound Companions of New Mexico site, visit the Adopting a Greyhound page and maybe you'll decide your home isn't complete without your very own Ellie the Belly!

Attack of the Killer Chipmunk

Being a super model is so exhausting...

and a girl has to get her rest, because you never know when a race might happen!

On your mark!

Get set!

And go!

Time for another nap.

Just the way it is.

Well I finally received my restock castings on Tuesday and have been logging them into inventory and prepping to finish orders ever since. I should have all of my silver orders out today and the bronze early next week.

In and around that, I have worked with horses, continued my endless list of home, shop, and office organization, taught two riding classes and had a guest all weekend. Lori Faith Merritt who is a very gifted photographer, was in the area and spent Saturday and Sunday here photographing our Wild Boys up on the mountain. I only got to see the shots in her camera, uncropped and untouched, so I'm looking forward to seeing the final results.

Another big event that I haven't mentioned yet is our friends from the Tapestry Institute moved down to New Mexico in October, along with eight horses, two goats and countless small animals. I'll let them tell their own story of why it was necessary for them to move when they are ready, and I know they are still grieving deeply over the loss of the Sowbelly Canyon in Nebraska. I am so sorry they had to leave their homes and the place they were committed to protecting; yet at the same time, I am selfishly happy to have them nearby with their compassionate understanding of horses, the land and all of its lifeforms.

The ongoing issues with our satellite internet system are also still plaguing me. Now, the 'down' time has moved more to the evening which is impacting the updating of our webpage, Black Horse Design. Besides removing 'restocking' notices, I am completely revamping the look of the website. The very slow and broken upload speeds have made it a laborious chore.

Mike has been stuck on a project that seems to have a constant flow of problems, all of which have kept him away from home. I am missing him terribly and have to laugh a bit each time someone asks if he will be home for Thanksgiving...in his business, there are no holidays and we never know if he will be home for one or not.

So that is what's up with me here at Star's Rest. Certainly not inspired writing but I haven't posted for a few days and needed to catch up a bit. Once I have these back orders in the mail I'll feel less pressured and can begin to put up some of the many photos I've been putting aside. As a hint (Janet), tomorrow will be devoted to Ellie Belly and her calendar cover!

Inspiration and Guilty Pleasure

When we returned from Delaware, we learned that our friend and precious metals caster was seriously ill and in the hospital. He was battling one of those 'resistant staph infections' that are so much in the news these days. Normally, as soon as we get back I do an inventory, then make and ship waxes for casting as quickly as I can. That way I can begin to be ready for early Christmas shoppers. This year I waited anxiously to hear how Seth was doing. I could have sent our waxes elsewhere for casting but it seemed like too much of a betrayal to our friend who would want the business when he recovered.

I know Griton doesn't look too excited about work here and that's exactly why I chose this photo. As Janelle can confirm, when we got Griton putting a saddle on him was nearly impossible due to his fear from previous bad treatment. And here he is, practically bored with the whole thing.

Fortunately, Seth did recover and as soon as he was back in his studio I mailed our re-stock waxes out for casting. Unfortunately, it has put me at least two weeks behind in rebuilding inventory. And you know what? I don't care. I mean, I care about our customers who are waiting on orders to be filled but the break from the shop has been really, really nice. We are having a late fall of unseasonably warm weather and I have been taking advantage of it by grabbing every warm day to work with the horses. The warm, dry weather is cause for fire concern, and I hate getting up to find the wind blowing which causes me to scan the skies for smoke, but there isn't much besides being vigilant that I can do about it. So that’s my guilty pleasure…not feeling at all bad about this wonderful break from the shop while this last bit of fall holds on for a while. For the first time in years, I actually feel rested.

This wasn't the best halt Llego gave me today but I loved his intense focus and concentration. Plus you can see the nice zebra stripes on his legs.

And the inspiration? Five amazing horses. Never in all my years of working with horses have I had ones who compete with each other over who gets to work next. They remind me of a group of third graders, hands waving frantically in the air as they call out ‘Pick me! Pick me!’ Llego actually gets huffy if he has to wait and tosses an old tire around while he stomps his feet. Even shy Valeroso has been stalking me looking for treats and attention. Because of them, I get up eagerly in the mornings, get my work done while they eat their breakfast, and then head out to play with the boys. Next week it's back to the pain of the workbench, but today is sheer joy and I'm grabbing hold for all I'm worth.

Llego is showing me his very forward and long strided walk here. He has accepted the sidereins well and is focusing on what I am asking of him instead of worrying about them. At this point in training, the sidereins teach a young horse to yield to pressure on the bit which makes it much easier for the rider to teach steering.

Llego is giving me a nice forward trot here. As he gets a little more experienced, I will shorten the sidereins slowly so that he begins to lower his head and carry himself in a rounder and more balanced frame at the trot. Carrying himself that way will help to strengthen his back.

Naughty, lazy greyhounds!

My favorite foto of the week, and things lying around the house...

Wooooo!!!!! Hooooooooo!!!!!!!!!!!

I haven't wanted to say too much about this for fear some other little glitch might come up...today we closed on the new 25 acres that has just become part of Star's Rest!

We started this process back in June but a series of incorrect bits of information on our credit reports had us spending the summer trying to get things cleaned up. You would think something like that wouldn't be too hard and you would be completely wrong! I've lost track of how many hours I have spent on the phone and how many documents I had to request copies of to get those things settled.

And now finally, we can consider this beautiful 25 acre piece of land ours to caretake and enjoy! Our only regret is that the people who sold it to us won't be our neighbors after all. I took these photos back in June when we started everything...

It's hard for me to believe that two people who grew up in constantly moving military families, drug all over the world in Mike's case, finally get to live forever in such a beautiful place. What a soul satisfying and joyful event!

An almost perfect day.

As an early Christmas present, I splurged on brass bridle and saddle plates for each of the horses. I love them!

It would definitely have been a perfect day if Mike had been here to share it with me. Unfortunately, he was called back out unexpectedly on Thursday to another job in Farmington. As awkward as it was to try to work with horses and take photos, I managed to get a few to share with you Mike. Once again you would have been proud of your boy!

Griton is wearing a very inexpensive surcingle and sidereins that I bought some time ago when funds were much tighter. They do the job though and that works for me. The surcingle gives you a place to attach the sidereins which mimic real reins. The round rubber donut on these sidereins gives a soft feel similar to a rider's hands. Griton has a bitless bridle called a sidepull.

Since my morning hours at the computer have been disrupted, I've been trying to get the work day going earlier so that I can break and work with the horses that much earlier in the day. In another month as the temperatures continue to get colder, starting around noon with them will make a big difference. I was actually surprised at how easy it was to work with three horses after being away from it for so long.

Griton is giving me a very nice warm-up halt on the lunge line.

Griton happened to be in the pen we use for grooming and tacking so he won the draw of being first out. I have set a goal for myself of doing a ground work program with him all winter and to start riding him in the spring. The reason for this is his old stifle injury from two years ago. He is sound running around on the mountain but I want to strengthen specific muscles to support his stifles before I ask him to carry the weight of a rider. This was probably the first time I've worked with him in six or more months and he handled it in his usual calm way.

A nice steady walk with the outside siderein attached after a warmup.

Llego was up next and I had planned on introducing him to the surcingle and sidereins as well today until I discovered I needed to add some holes to buckle it up snug enough. Instead, Llego learned to walk, trot and whoa from verbal cues on the long lunge line. As always, he was an intent and fast learner. I have no doubt he will be cantering on the lunge in no time at all. Mike and I have agreed that I will continue to do Llego's ground training while he is gone and the actual riding will happen when Mike is home.

Llego giving me a nice working walk on the lunge line.

Okay, I know I cut his ears off! Try hanging onto a lunge whip and line and then take a photo at the same time...it was the nicest trot shot I got of Llego and I wanted Mike to see his boy working.

And last was Besol. I rode Besol yesterday, the first time since I broke my wrist, and he was an excellent young man. He is beginning to relax and understand that life here is very good. He already is one of those horses who is so sensitive I only have to breathe out what I want and he gives it to me. He was a little anxious today so I didn't actually get on him. Instead I did some ground work, gave him lots of pets and praise, and called it a day. The important thing with this horse right now is to mix things up and not do the things he is afraid of and anticipating. I'm sure tomorrow he will be ready for me to get on him again and continue unlearning all the things he has come to believe being ridden is all about.

Besol looking very cute in his personalized tack. He is very sensitive about his mouth and was previously ridden in a harsh bit. The bit he is wearing now is a soft rubber snaffle that can't possibly hurt him which is helping to build his trust.

If everyday here could be like this, life would be even sweeter than it already is.

Frustrated...

Why am I frustrated? I believe it's due to the tilt of the earth. We have satellite Internet, the only practical way to be on the Internet out here. It seems that our dish is not perfectly focused on the satellite out there in space. As the seasons change due to the tilt of our planet while it makes its way around the sun, our signal doesn't quite hit the target for a couple of hours out of the day. Unfortunately, those hours are from around 7:00 AM to 9:00 AM.

As I have said many times, I am a morning person. I do both my best thinking and best writing in the few hours between sunrise and starting the work of the day. Normally I sit with my mug of tea or coffee for those few quiet minutes as another perfect sunrise forms to the east, reading and responding to emails, writing a blog entry and reading everyone else's blogs.

These days, thanks to the tilt of the earth and an imperfectly focused dish, I sit with my mug of hot brew watching an endless 'can't connect' message. There is hope on the horizon though. We do plan to have a technician out to realign our dish and hopefully end my morning funk. In the meantime, all is well here at Star's Rest...I miss you all, especially you Mike, and will hopefully get things caught up again soon. Like maybe tonight if I can keep my brain functioning that long.