Day 3: Horse Dreams

February 9, 2011

Such a kind eye

Andre & Mrs. Blue relaxing after a long day at school.  Mrs. Blue is now 23 and on her 2nd child with our family.  She's a wonderful old lady that is an integral part of our riding program and family. 

Day 2: Let the little children come

February 6, 2011

Andre was leaning against this beautiful statue of Jesus outside our church this morning.  As I walked up from the car he just looked so sweet waiting for me after Sunday school. 

I love this statue.  It's one of the prettiest I've ever seen of Jesus.

Day 1: Taking Gracie Swimming

February 5, 2011

One day after I picked up the boys from school we decided to have an impromptu trip to the beach.  My son Andre (shown here) had a trail of shoes and socks leading to the water and this little puppy Gracie was more than ready to follow him right in to the water.  She loved it til a wave smacked her in the face. Xander (the adult dog) was loving it.

Bobby Kitty Goes Jogging

Our family cat Bobby Kitty decided to start jogging today on the treadmill.  My Monkey boy, Andre has a concern about the animals gaining too much weight and has already tried previous times to put his Border Collie and mare on diets.  As October nears it's getting colder in the mornings so Bobby Kitty tries to sneak in the house for a morning warmup.  He has a nice garden shed to sleep in out of the elements but likes to pop in for a cuppa and some belly rubs.  We've had him and his brother Pablo Kitty since they were born 8 years ago so it was quite a suprise when I heard the treadmill turn on this morning as I was getting ready for work. I thought the kids were goofing off when they were supposed to be getting animals fed.  I was partially right.

Andre had turned on the treadmill at a very low speed and was holding Bobby Kitty over the treadmill's running surface encouraging him to run so that he could work off his fat tummy.  Now he's not fat, he's fluffy.  Winter fluffy.  The cat has reached larger proportions before so Andre's concern has some validity, but not today.  He has, what my dear Auntie would say, is a lion's belly.  Tristan, my way too cool 6th grader, swept in and rescued the annoyed kitty jogger before he could work up much of a sweat and catch his tail in the belt. 

When asked why he would do such a thing - Monkey Boy's response was "I didn't want him to get teased by the other cats because his belly is big like Garfield's.  Remember Mom when the alley cats made Garfield cry?"  Hmm, well the child was well meaning and dearly loves his kitty. So no disgusting tasks as punishment for a good deed gone awry.

Kitty still loves his kid and follows him around like a dog, hoping for a scratch behind the ears or on the belly.  Drooling all the while.  But I noticed Andre picked him up after he'd eaten for a couple of minutes to distract him.  I'll give him another handful when Monkey Boy goes to bed.

Exploring with Andre

Andre sitting on a petrified oak

Visiting the Ginko Petrified Forest.

Where we learned how the petrified wood was made in the volcano eruptions.
Who knew the Columbia Basin had 31 different types of trees that were petrified?









Amazing!!!



 

We then decided to hike up to see "Grandfather Let Loose the Ponies" on the Grant County side of the Columbia River. They are wonderful metal sculptures that we've always wanted to hike up to. Whew it is a hike too!!

Mommy only made it up 3/4 of the way before I made the mistake of looking down. But little Andre made it of course with Maggie his BC.





Andre & I in front of the Columbia River

It was a great day with a great kid!!

Two steps from Homeless

School is starting soon and I just took my two youngest sons school shopping in our favorite stores. They got to pick out quite a few different outfits each sticking to the budget I gave them before hand. We finished by going to one of my favorite restaurants The Old Spaghetti Factory for dinner. I love spending time with my children and realize that days like yesterday are numbered as they get older and will want to spend more time with their friends. We're moving soon to a new state so everything and every place will be a new adventure. I have two months to show them some of my favorite childhood places and help them remember where they started their lives.

I grew up going up to Spokane to visit my grandparents so am quite familiar with which parts are safe and which are not. My favorite restaurant happens to be in a part that can be questionable. I usually don't worry about that sort of thing. I believe that all adventures and experiences are growing experiences to be savored and embraced. Whether good, bad or scary. They are what makes us, us. I like to talk to people no matter where I am and have had conversations and meals with people in the ghetto of Charleston, a vegan cafe in Clonakilty, Ireland with two men who were members of the IRA and tea with a lady who might have been a voodoo priestess (I'm still not sure) also in Charleston, to name a few. I try to discipline myself to not think badly of people who are less fortunate than I. But I fear yesterday I failed miserably. I am a snob at heart.

My family has had their shares of hard time but we've always gotten by with my mom making the best of things. I have always had what I needed or wanted somehow. I would like to think that I am open-minded enough to be able to work with the homeless in a soup kitchen or help them find needed services. I've had a tiny bit of experience with this and have held that I would like to do more service work when we move to Florida where there are more programs available. Yesterday a homeless man approached me begging for money for food. I knew that there was a shelter close by so I lied and told him I didn’t have any cash. My littlest immediately picked up on that and was shocked that I would lie. I told him that it wasn’t safe to give a homeless person money because it might be a trick and the person might rob you or they might use it for drugs or booze. When did I become holier than thou? When did I apply for the all knowing position?

Today I am disgusted with myself that I set such an example for my sons. I am not better than that man and should not have presumed to decide how he should get money or food. I’ve made some bad decisions in my short life and if it wasn’t for my family and friends I could be where he is today. Somehow I’ve turned from the ideals I held up high to the mainstream blindness that I despised.

Rescued Border Collies & their side kick

The boys
Originally uploaded by Sarah Lynn 76

 - Magdalena (far left), Cutacow Xander (center) and my Mom's puppy Sirius (she bred Cutacow Sirius).

Sirius is learning how to be a show dog. He is already an experienced cattle dog taught by his Grammie Scottie; our old cattle dog and Grand Dame of the ranch.

Maggie was given to us by some ladies who found her lost and wandering alone in a field. She loves and takes care of my youngest son very well. She is a bit deaf and very frightened of loud noises.

Cutacow Xander was bred by my mother years ago (he is Sirius's uncle and Grammie Scottie's oldest son) and was sold to a woman who trained and showed him extensively. She did quite well and won several championships with him. She met a man online and the man did not get along at all with Xander. She chose the man over the dog.  They took Xander to the local Humane society and abandoned him saying they had found him along side of the road. My aunt found out that he was taken there and called my Dad. I adopted him from the shelter with the intention of our families fostering him until a new home could be found. He worked his way into our hearts and we decided to keep him. My oldest son showed him 3 months after we rescued him from jail and won our county's 4-H Jr Obedience moving on to the state level where he won his division and placed 2nd overall for the state by half a point. He accidentally gave a double command.

The dog still has his quirks but has become a very loving and wonderful addition to our family.  All three of these dogs are very different in personalities and temperments but love each other very much.  It's a joy to watch them sleep together or play after the scary times Maggie & Xander had before they found their way to our family.  You can tell by their attitudes that they were both once loved very much.  They want to be good and caring dogs.