The Garden
My lifestyle is no longer a common one. Years ago when we drove to town I would admire all the gardens along the way. The garden was a part of almost every ranch and farm. They are becoming few and far between.
Gardens were often considered “women’s work”. The husband would head off with the tractor to the field (sometimes after working the garden in the spring) and the wife would “plant the garden”. There is something about planting a garden and watching how a little seed can turn into a delicious, nutritious source of food that is good for the soul. Or a beautiful flower with intricate petals and a color that delights your eyes. A dove cooed on the power line above the garden while I planted the peas this spring. Nature doesn’t hesitate to entertain if you watch and listen.
The tulips are pretty much done but the lady slippers are starting to bloom as are the Japanese peonies and some iris and shooting stars and snow drops and various other beauties.
We have 2 sets of crows. One likes to run his shadow over you when you are working in the garden or riding in the ring. Previously we had a couple of really quite tame crows. The neighbour shot one and the other has disappeared now too. He would sit in the tree above my lawn chair and caw. If I cawed 3 times, he would caw 3 times. 2 times got 2 caws. The limit seemed to be 5 or 6.
We are pretty much into live and let live around here. Over the years we have had to eliminate a couple of coyotes – one wouldn’t leave the caving cows alone and the other was super mangy and it was 40 below so it was a mercy killing. There are a lot of critters who call this ranch home at least part of the time. Much of our land is in a conservation program. It makes for really nice places to go for a ride.
It is with a great deal of gratitude that I have lived my life here on a ranch and had the opportunity to have gardens. You will feel much better after an hour in the garden than an hour watching the news.
Or maybe some of us just like to bury our heads in the sand. (or garden).
How Swap Got His Name
A beautiful spring morning greeted us on May 11, 2016 along with a beautiful little filly out of Keeper. Keeper’s dam Josie was in the next pen waiting for her foal to be born. She was showing lots of interest in the new filly but then so was every other horse on the place. A new baby is a big event even for the geldings. We called her Oreo.
Another beautiful spring morning greeted us the next day, along with an elegant fancy colt out of Josie. All good. We left them all in their own paddocks for the day while we revelled in the happiness of 2 such nice foals.
That evening we let them out in the big paddock together. They knew each other well and had lived together with no problems.
The next morning we were greeted by Keeper telling us we had a problem. Mom Josie had stole the filly we called Oreo and advised Keeper that “Swap” who was really her brother was now her responsibility. Keeper was letting Swap suck but still really wanted her baby girl back.
We soon realized that we weren’t going to convince Josie that the filly she so adored was to be returned to it’s real mom. Keeper would take her but Josie wasn’t at all interested in Swap. So… we figured best that we just go along with the new program. Keeper settled in with the idea that Swap was her baby. Everybody had a good mom.
Luckily we had a whole day of watching Keeper with Oreo. Then a whole day of watching Josie with Swap. And… luckily we have DNA testing which confirmed that there had been a swap.
It all ended well. Both foals were raised by good moms.
Everything You Think
I just read a good tagline:
“Don’t believe everything you think”
It made me think.
Almost Christmas
Ours is a big family. I believe all are coming to Christmas Dinner and that means 30+ people. That is unless a cousin or two, or some neighbour that we find out doesn’t have anyone to have dinner with, wants to join.
I’m done shopping. Well, at least for the grandchildren and great grandchildren. Our own kids have been a bit difficult to give the “family treasures” and “things I don’t want to throw out” to. The only way I have found to get these things out of my care is to give them to them as “Christmas Presents”.
It is fun hearing the “Oh Mom” reaction when I hand them out but… I know them fairly well and in the end the “junk” I give them is at very least somewhat interesting or useful or worth a laugh.
Our Christmas Party is always full of laughter and I am so very grateful that all of my family treat each other with love and respect. Doubly important to me as I didn’t see that as a child.
The horses are out on winter pasture. The pasture is very good and some are becoming obese. In a couple of days the weather is going to be in the -20s in the daytime. They need to be fat and furry and have good shelter and feed when the Alberta weather is in an Arctic blast. Having watched horses in the natural winter pastures for many years, it never ceases to amaze me how well they can handle cold if given the right environment.
I still need to paint some Christmas cards. I’ll don’t even aspire to be a great painter, LOL, I just like doing it. In fact, lately I think I may be getting worse at it. LOL
Busy time. That is good and I am just grateful to still be able to be busy.
Lynn
“Though he’d be a poorer man if he never saw an eagle fly”
A Kid On A Horse – Again
It’s been a long time since I felt like a kid on a horse. Somehow falling off has become a much scarier thing. But I had a fun time this morning. Dave and I rode up to the north pasture. It is a beautiful peaceful place with a pond and forest and wild things. When we got back I thought I would move the horse herd to the mare pasture until the broodmares come home from the breeding farm.
Well the old retired broodmares got into the paddocks. They like to snoop about at the best of times and they found a pile of enticing hay in there so they weren’t going to let Eddie with me on his back chase them out. Funny thing but if it was Eddie by himself they would be moving toward the gate right away. Apparently they realize just what a handicap I am to Eddie compared to his solo herding work. We were galloping up and down the pens and it was all lots of fun but then they started kicking at us and I had to go get a weapon.
I thought that Eddie might react to me whomping on other horses with the “whip” but the very first time I smacked one of the mares on the butt with it and she jumped and ran, he was onto the game. Would put me in range and I would touch them with the end of the rope and they were gone. Still lots of galloping around but way more fun when you don’t have to worry that they are going to stop and kick.
Eddie loved it too. It is so fun to ride a horse that is truly collected and using himself. He was sweating when we were done but we were both smiling. My fitbit had 9000 steps on it. LOL
Probably not a game everyone would enjoy but reminded me of old times. It was like being a kid again and not being afraid of all the things that could hurt me. Not sure why it kicked in at this moment but I am sure glad it did. LOL
Lynn
Stallions We Remember – King Leo Bar
Over 15 years have passed since Jim Keith wrote this article for Northernhorse but most of it is still relevant. If not more so. He still shows up in the pedigrees of many of Western Canada’s performance horses. If you have any photos of him or his offspring that you would like to share, we would love to add them to this post.
Now to Jim’s post.
If you have been in the Quarter Horse business in Canada for very long, you’re probably wondering what more could be said about King Leo Bar; the most written about and talked about Quarter Horse that has ever made his career in Canada. Most every sale catalog across western Canada has one of his descendants and makes reference to his show and sire record. With this article I want to focus more on those descendants. I was always impressed with how many good King Leo Bar bred horses there were out there, but when researching this I was truly surprised at the number of excellent producers he sired. Continue reading “Stallions We Remember – King Leo Bar”
A Life With Horses 