Big summer

So much has happened this summer.

Fjords and Friends in June was so much fun. Every year it ends up being the highlight of our year. We travelled to the mountains with Shari and her family again. The big difference this year was that we had a new truck and trailer. Steve bought "the Beast", a huge, bright red, 4-wheel drive, diesel, Ford truck with full towing package. And we also found an excellent bargain for a two-horse, slant-load, Sundowner fifth wheel with a large dressing room and brought it home. It's such a dream-come-true I forget to breathe when I step inside it! So we hauled our own horse for the first time to North Carolina. Solly was the only horse we took. She did me so proud ... have I told you I love that horse before? We had lots of fun group activities. Two big Robbie clinics and one morning we played games on horseback. Solly and I were the first out in most games because we haven't learned to neck-rein yet. We rode trails almost every day. We rode to the tower: Shari/Dancer, Kimberly/Pride, Audrey ponying two horses and her crew, Margo, and me on Solly. Great ride/great friends/great views. Another time we went to the lake and back: Lee/Ivar, Libby/Chester, Cherie/Tyra, and me/Solly. That was a fun, fun, fun ride. We deliberately went as a small group so we could do a lot of galloping. I hadn't galloped Solly very much at all, she is so forward that I was really kinda leery of getting her fast and excited. Well, that was silly of me because she did fabulous! Her gallop is so strong and fun to ride without gaining speed, just a steady, long-strided, breezy rhythm. One day I rode Solly behind Curt's marathon wagon and his team, Ulend and Solvar, and a horse and cart. Steve rode behind Curt on his wagon. We went to the mansion and back. That was a wonderful experience. I had never ridden out with wagons and carts before. Steve enjoyed it too! It felt so timeless, riding my horse along behind a wagon and cart, both full of people ... so "Gone With the Wind" or something. And I went out once on Solly with Robbie on Hoover. That was an interesting ride. It was a lesson ride and as usual, we rode out without a clue what we would work on until we figured out some things for him to teach me. This time, I thought to have him work with me on getting Solly to trust me on rough patches and steep hills. He taught me how to sit to encourage the horse to dig in and use her haunches instead of rushing through the obstacle. And we love our Renegade Horse Boots! Blowing Rock is as lovely as ever, and Kilwin's Ice Cream is still heaven-on-earth.

Arlo has grown into quite the handsome fellow. He looks taller than Solly, but looks could be deceiving, he is so young and rangy.

My new chickens are so dear. They are a delight. Chaucer crowed for me for the first time today! He must have been practising behind my back because he is already well past the raspy croaking stage young cockerels go through when they first start crowing.

My new chickens are half grown already

My young chickens

Tennyson and Chaucer.

Pretty as doves.

Drusus, Tennyson and Chaucer with the girls.

Pepper pic

Milkweed

Chicken run, Milkweed and guacamole

Steve finished our chicken run! It is wonderful. We put them all out in it the other day and kept them up long enough for them to get settled. I have also been putting Sparrow in there with them for a few hours at a time. Phoebe, our beautiful, little, bunny-tailed cat struts around on the beams supporting the wire on the roof thinkin' she is 'all that'! I felt they had been cooped up long enough, so I carried them out one-by-one to let them run in our yard for the day despite the rain, so once again, I have chickie-poo on my front porch!

I think I need to get some climbing roses, scarlet runner beans, and clematis to plant all around the coop to climb up the wire. How lovely would that be?

My veggie garden is growing nicely. We have a new squash and several tomatoes we have never grown before from Tasteful Garden, an internet garden shop. We got peppers, watermelon, strawberries, carrots, and cucumbers from the local co-op. I have flowers in my favorite colors growing all around it. I have lots of geraniums on my porch this year. And in the blueberry garden I have coreopsis, catnip and liatris. I have been trying to move the established peonies out from under the pecan trees, it has gotten way too shady for them over the years.

I puppy-sat Milkweed, a tiny Chihuahua, for a week while his folks travelled to Colorado and back. He is so dear. Although I am a big dog person by nature, I can see how people get hooked on the tiny ones. I was practically in tears when Miguel came over to take him home.

Miguel stayed to have dinner with us. We had Burritos. Steve fixed a steak and onion filling. Steve and Miguel made a very delicious (but very hot) salsa verde. We chopped tomatoes, lettuce and jalapeño peppers to put on them and set out sour cream to add to them. I made guacamole. It was quite the complement when Miguel loved my guacamole because he is an excellent cook and is from Mexico!

Here is my guacamole recipe:

3 ripe avocados (black skin, firm texture)
1/2 lemon (squeeze for juice)
1/2 lime (squeeze for juice)
1/2 cup of your favorite chunky salsa (my favorite is Pace, mild)
1/2 a tomatilla (chopped)
Miguel says that if you put an avocado seed into the guacamole once it is make it will keep it from discoloring. I have never done this, but I am anxious to try it next time. I am also going to scrape the inside of the lemon and the lime next time for little bits of tart 'bite' - I love tart.
Mix it all together, chill.
Enjoy!

Pepper

Yesterday, we sold sweet Pepper, our black Morgan/Quarter Horse mare. We needed to sell her since Steve wouldn't ride her. She went to a therapy riding, summer camp program out in Somerville near Shari's place. I am very glad for her. I believe, with her personality, she will enjoy it there, she will love the attention.

Her dark color compimented the lighter colored Fjords perfectly agaisnt the verdant pasture. I will miss her terribly, she was always a joy. /em wipes a tear away.