Happy Holidays!

My chicks are two months old and in their new swanky henhouse (which has been given the official name “The Best Little Henhouse in Texas”.).  Magic is 8 months old and fuzzy, as are all the others.  I’m retired, broke, looking for part time work (unsuccessfully), and enjoying spending time with the horses, the cats, the dog, and the goofy chickens.

Camera’s still non-functional, due to no money to fix it, but that hopefully will change soon.  I’d love to get decent pictures of Dragonstar, Magic, and the birds.  Oh, and The Best Little Henhouse in Texas.  Color even matches the house.

Not much news, but seemed like an update was needed, so here it is.  Happy Holidays, y’all!

New Baby Chicks Arrived!

I have added 18 baby chicks, hatched Oct. 6, to my menagerie.

I gave up the 9 ladies I had last year because of the inadequacies of the pen they lived in to protect them from our extreme (for Texas, anyway!) winter weather.  In the meantime, I bought a used 8×8 shed from a neighbor to use as a chicken coop, and it is almost done with its renovations.

These new babies are going to be living in style!  I intended to cut a door for the chickens to go in and out, add a window for light and ventilation, and that was going to be that.  A neighbor had a different idea!  He’s an amateur carpenter and needed a project to occupy his time, so he has gone all out to turn the coop into high-class chicken digs.  Insulated, dry-walled, painted inside and out, with a nesting box that protrudes from the outside, with an outside door, so I don’t have to go in to gather eggs.  I’m lovin’ this, and so will the babies as soon as we get it finished (should be later this week).

Bad photo from my camera phone:

The flock consists of:  6 Americaunas (green or blue-shelled eggs), 3 Black Australorps (was supposed to be 2, but the extra is welcome, as I missed my BA ladies especially, for their wonderful personalities), and 9 Cuckoo Marans (was supposed to be 10, but they and the Black Australorp babies look a lot alike newly hatched).  Two of the CMs are supposed to go to a friend to whom I promised 2 Barred Rock pullets.  Unfortunately, the folks I buy from didn’t have any Barred Rocks hatched, so if my friend accepts the CMs I’ll have 7.  7 or 9, either one suits me!

I was supposed to have a few Welsummers, too, but those didn’t hatch out as well as expected, so none were available.  :(

Still, I’m happy with the babies I have now.  Can’t wait for those lovely pale green, large light brown, and chocolate brown eggs to start arriving!  Should be around February or March.

Thousand Oaks Classy’s Ladyhawk RIP

This has been a truly awful summer!  First, Bonfire was injured in the spring, and euthanized June 20.  Wildfires in much of the state (fortunately not here), then the hottest year and worst drought on record.  Now the heat has taken a toll on my horses.

Ladyhawk, my broodmare, mother of 3 of my horses, suffered a severe colic attack on August 27.  After much veterinary attention and 12 hours of suffering, she passed away.  I mourn her passing and her pain.

The other horses are much calmer and quieter without her.  She was “boss hoss” and kept them stirred up, letting them know she ruled the roost.  Without her, they are more relaxed, except for Symphony, who is getting there.  She missed her mother greatly for a few days.  They were very attached.  Wherever you saw one, you knew the other wasn’t far away.  She is adjusting now.  Horses are emotionally resilient.  (Wish I was.)  I think I’m ready for 2011 to be behind me, but I’m not too sure I’m ready for 2012 (election year).  (sigh)

Thousand Oaks Classy’s Ladyhawk       June 11, 2000 – August 28, 2011       Blessed be, Ladyhawk.

New Resident of Stone Dragon Farm!

I miss Bonfire.  I will miss him the rest of my life.  There’s not another horse that will ever take his place, but I have had this huge, pinto-colored empty spot in my barn (and my heart) that has needed to be filled.

A week ago last Friday, Indian Creeks Elemental Magic came to live here.  He’s from the same farm Dragonstar is from, but instead of Appy, he’s a black and white, 4 month old pinto colt, with 2 blue eyes.

I’ve not gotten any good photos of him–my camera’s on the blink at the moment–but I took a few (lousy) phone pics of him.  Decent pics later!

This baby was not handled AT ALL before I got him, so he’s a blank slate, which is great fun for me to work with.  I haven’t done as much with him as I’d like, as the temperatures have been well over 100′ (for 31 straight days–and counting).  Today was 111′.  I love summer but this is ridiculous!

Anyway, here’s Magic, all 26″ of him.  (He should mature somewhere around 36″ tall.)

Haikus for Bonfire

1.

One blue eye, one brown,

An amazing busy mind!

I’ll miss you always.

2.

Bonfire, no more pain.

My heart aches with your passing

Over the Rainbow Bridge.

He is no longer in pain.  Wish I could say the same for me.

Bonfire’s Battle is Over

Due to the severe damage to Bonfire’s left hind leg (done how I will never know), the muscles in his left hindquarter have atrophied severely, changing his posture.  He did not lie down for over 2 months, which put excess strain on his right hind leg.  This past week it has become apparent that he is in pain, not only in the bad leg, but in the “good” leg and his back, as well.

I have said from the beginning that he will tell me when it is time, but a horse won’t tell you it’s time until he just can’t go on, and I didn’t want Bonfire to get to that point of suffering.

I took him to the lameness specialist this afternoon, hoping (but not really expecting) he would pull a miracle out of his hat.  He spent a good deal of time and thought in his exam, and then told me there would be no miracles.  Bonfire was euthanized with me and his best buddy, Buffi, in attendance.

He has taken a part of my heart with him.  I will miss him forever.

About That New Computer . . .

Well, the new computer is going to be a red and white pinto with one blue eye and one brown one, it appears.  The vet and the farrier will be getting all my computer money due to Bonfire’s lameness.  And at the same time!

They are coming out tomorrow morning to confer about the best way to trim him–and to sedate him and get him off his feet so he CAN be trimmed.  He can’t pick the bad leg up high enough for it to be trimmed without hurting him, and he can’t put the weight on the bad leg to pick up the good leg long enough for a trim on that hoof.  So, we put him out and lie him down, so he won’t have to worry about either.  And maybe get some rest for that good leg while he’s down!  With three of us, we shouldn’t have a problem getting him back up.  He weighs less than 200 lbs, after all!

Still a roller coaster with him.  One day, he improves, the next he un-improves.  Why is it that everyone I love makes me crazy????  (And some on purpose!)  (But how crazy would I be if I loved no one?)

May 21st: What Happened Today?

Well, the world didn’t end today (snicker), and my favorite racehorse of 2011 just won the Preakness Stakes.  While Animal Kingdom was very impressive winning the Kentucky Derby 2 weeks ago, and I kind of expected him to repeat in the Preakness (and he would have, if it had been the 1/16th mile longer, like the Derby!), I have been a fan of Shackleford ever since he missed a stakes win by the barest of heads as a 26-1 shot.  I like the way he moves, and I like his heart.  Don’t often like front-runner horses. (I favor the come-from-behinders like Zenyatta — big, loving sigh–but he is all heart, and I just can’t ignore that.)

While I would have liked to see a Triple Crown winner this year–it’s been 33 years since Affirmed won the last one–I am thrilled to see Shackleford take the second leg of the triple.  I’ve said over and over (everyone here’s tired of hearing it) that he may not mature enough by the end of the Triple Crown races, but I fully expect to see him haul in a big one or two by the end of this year.  And if he runs again at 4, he seems likely to improve with maturity.

Way to go, Shackleford!  :)

Oh, and the right wing religious nutters missed again.  (Surprise, there.)

Dragonstar’s Status

My beautiful, obnoxious, borderline aggressive miniature Appaloosa stallion is now a beautiful, obnoxious, borderline aggressive miniature Appaloosa gelding.  The aggressiveness will fade as the testosterone level falls, the obnoxious will partially fade (he’s pretty durn precocious, so the attitude will likely remain), and of course, he will continue to be a beautiful boy.  Give him a month or two, and he will be a much easier horse to handle and work with.  (My daughter is somewhat afraid of him.  I’ve told her not to be afraid, but to be cautious.  Since he bit her in the stomach, she doesn’t care for him all that much.  I hope she will be able to forgive him for acting like a stallion–which he was–as his temperament improves.)

He’s probably not too happy to be gelded.  I, on the other hand, am very happy he is!  :)

(Photos show him a couple of months ago in his ugly winter coat, but at least his Appy spots are visible.  New photos will come whenever he fully sheds out, and is clipped and cleaned up a bit.)

I’m Baa-aack! (Again)

On the mend (finally) and back up to my old tricks.  Glad to have the energy to do some things again, but as usual, there are ups and downs.

Symphony had stifle surgery a few weeks ago, and came through it with flying colors.  She is full of energy, running and playing in a way she hadn’t for some time.  (Hard to feel like running if one of your back legs may lock up at any moment and throw you to the ground!)  No more do I feel my heart breaking a bit because she started to come from the back of the pasture to get treats with the other horses, and gave up half way back because her stifle was locking every step, and the effort was just too great.

Bonfire, on the other hand, was scheduled for the same surgery as Symphony.  Unfortunately, a week and a half before the surgery was due to take place, he somehow injured the stifle joint far beyond the luxating patella.  The surgery was deemed emergency, and he had it a week early (so did Symphony, because the vet couldn’t see any reason I should have to make a second trip out there a week later–he’s not my regular vet, he’s a lameness specialist, about 80 miles away).  Bonfire’s surgery was successful, as far as it was intended, but the damage done to the entire joint was great, and his future is still in doubt.  I am not giving up on him unless he tells me he’s done, and that doesn’t seem to be too near:  He’s bright and interested, eats well and feels fine, but he doesn’t feel he can get up if he lies down, so he hasn’t lain down in 4 weeks now.  If he was a standard sized horse, he would be in grave danger of laminitis and euthanasia, but his diminutive size and weight (approx 170) are in his favor.  He is on 3 drugs and daily hand walking and physical therapy.  Progress is slow, but there has been some.  He will likely never be sound again, but that is not a concern to me.  He’s such a bright, sweet little guy, I want him around a long time.

Like I said, ups and downs.

Bonfire: