Friends and neighbors

For reasons beyond my ken, I was able to email photos from my iPhone to my gmail account – for a day. Now all methods of transferring photos have locked up again. Ah, the vagaries of technology. Maybe Mu$k sneezed – or fathered yet another child (ick).

Moving on to the title. Friends. A long-time horse buddy and I met up for our once-every-year-or-two catch-up lunch date recently, and boy, was there a lot to catch up on. She had just purchased a second horse after her partner for the last 12 years was diagnosed with cancer. Said partner is still doing well, but the handwriting is on the wall. I told her she inspires both jealousy and hope – not only is she a member of the Century Club (the one thing on my bucket list), she welcomed an exciting new dressage horse the month before she turns 80!!!

trying out her new Lusitano partner in AZ

new guy on the left, "Century Ride" partner on the right

My own two horses are still happily grazing the neighbors' property. For awhile Stella was ducking under the single-strand electric fence gate to go where she wished on the upper half of their property (until they put up a more substantial gate). Then the neighbors set up an unused utility sink as a watering trough during a hot spell (I bring them back to the barn midday to get a good drink). Stella showed her appreciation for their thoughtfulness by pawing in it, splashing most of the water out and then grabbing the stopper and pulling the plug (they removed the sink).

Stella on the lam – and in the landscaping

before the shenanigans

only 14 years until we can do our Century Ride!

If you count sheep in the photo below (don't fall asleep 😉), you might realize there is one ewe missing. Bette wasn't up to snuff for two or three weeks. We tried antibiotics but they didn't help, so Rick drew blood. The results indicated liver failure, and she died during the night shortly thereafter. We have no idea what caused the problem; no one else shows any symptoms. One of those sad sheepy mysteries....

and then there were seven

In dogs news, Poppy and I tried a new agility venue. There is a training and trial facility just ten minutes from home that recently hosted a trial put on by an Aussie club but open to all breeds. There were so many lovely Aussies and they really made me miss dear Jackson; maybe someday I'll have another. But for now Poppy is my pet and partner, appreciated for her size and slick coat and loved for her personality and intelligence.

one of the few other non-Aussie competitors

We ended on a good note!

spotty dog!

In homefront news, Chuckie's still relaxing, the young swallows (I think only two survived fledging) are still hanging out, the garden is still growing, and the sun is still setting every night, sometimes spectacularly.

That's it for now from . . .