Winter Parkas!

Here is my beautiful beautiful radiantly lovely Miss Thing in her new extra heavyweight winter parka with neck cover.  She knows she's gorgeaus and beloved! 

Winter Restlessness

Okay, so in the winter, I don't sleep as well as I might because Jackass gets up and down and goes checking things out and then comes back to bed and taps my shoulder to be put back under the covers and cuddled and petted and then gets up and goes and so on.  But it's wonderful. And sometimes, early in the morning, Arcangelo will come and let me cuddle him -- and since he is such a big fat fine fellow, it's like hugging a fresh loaf of warm bread or something -- he's quite the handful of handsome love!

My Beloveds Resting on a Winter Morning

The only one missing from this photo is my sweet Moibeal who is probably sleeping on the fainting couch in the same room.  She's an independent miss and doesn't really want to be in a pile of cats!

A Big Warm Pile of Cute!

Namaste.

Pony Working on His Winter Coat

Here are some photos and video, showing Renny working on his winter coat.  The photos are from November 2010 and you can see that he has a beautiful red color and an adorable show pony tail.  And he has his flashy little socks.  He's my heart's content.  And he's especially fun to ride.  On some days lately, I'm writing in February 2011, he gets a teensy bit crabby -- just a teensy -- but mostly he just brings his big happy agreeable hard-working heart to all his tasks.  He's an absolute joy to ride!

My Handsome Hilarious Hunter Pony!

Here's a photo taken in November, 2010 of my beautiful little guy.  Here is what he is always doing.  If you come to the pasture, he comes walking over briskly to give you a happy greeting.  On some days, he even breaks into a trot or canter to come and give you love.  It's about the nicest feeling in the world!

My Fancy Boys

Namaste.

Our January Vet Visit

I'm writing this entry on February 3rd, and late last week, I took Jackass and Zelia to the vet.  I was worried because Jack is the thinnest he's ever been and Zelia  has been coughing, so I was worried that she might have congestive heart failure.  Well, the news is pretty good for these old critters.  Zelia is just suffering from "reverse sneezing."  Her lipomas are getting bigger and she'll probably need surgery to remove the one on her belly and by her armpit, but she is pretty good for such an old gal.  And Jackass is at his all time lowest weight at 9.4 pounds, but his blood work is pretty darn good -- his thyroid values are in the normal range and his creatinine levels are just a tiny bit above high normal while the BUN is normal.  So, he's an old guy with a spare lean body, but he still is lively, enjoys his food, keeps up his routine, seeks and demands love, and bosses us around.  We are all holding our own in the Sanchez home!

Changing Our World for Real

So, I'm writing this entry on February 3rd and let me tell you the new year has been very busy, stressful and interesting.  I am trying to take this time as an opportunity to learn and become mindful about my values and hopes.  Anyway, in January, I went to visit Hailee and her new family and that was such a blessing.  I will be posting about that visit very soon.  It was so horrible horrible horrible to find out that the person I sent her to kept her blankets and halter and sent her to a livestock auction for her to become underweight and just sold to anyone in this world.  But I was blessed that she was found and blessed again that the rescuing family reached out to me.  Then in January Violet hurt herself and I have had to learn patience as we help her recover.  Look at that sweet girl!  Who wouldn't want her to feel absolutely perfect and whole.  Such a sweet happy loving trusting face!  Anyway, I got sidetracked.  When I returned from my visit, I tried to reach out to the people who were tied to Hailee in this horrible problem and I was rebuffed in many ways.  I was told many horrible things, by the two people involved as well as by people who didn't need to take sides, but decided to put in their two cents.  I will tell you the details in person when I see you. 

But let's just put it this way -- over the past few weeks I've been called selfish, unsupportive, misguidedly living in the past, narrow-souled, garrulous and empty.  I've been called a liar and a destroyer of people who is unable to maintain relationships.  I've been called a lot of names and treated pretty badly.  I lost some relationships which I now see were not really friendships, as I had mistakenly believed. I would have preferred that it not work out that way, but I have learned a great deal from this experience and I'm keeping my heart open to learn more. I've learned it's really important, essential, that you hold clearly in your heart your core values and that you be ready to act on them, honor them, voice them, regardless of the cost.  It's been a time of consequences.

But one of the wonderful blessed radiant consequences is that Hailee is safe with a family who is caring and skilled. And one of the consequences is that the Sanchez herd is pulled together even more tightly in love and care.

Changing Our World

Here is a photo of the sweetest thoroughbred on this green earth.  She is coming into the barn to have her owie checked and to work out a little bit.  Look at that sweet warm loving eye and those eager attentive ears.  She's really a miracle in my life.

Renny is Such a Good Boy!

Here's a photo of my baby boy, trying to get his nose outside of his stall, so that he can steal a kiss from Grama.  He's the most wonderful pony on the face of this earth!  Look at his sweet insistent eye, looking for love!  He has been a real gem lately, working like a true pro in lessons.  He just powers through cavaletti and ground poles, like nothing.  He loves to do the stretchy trot.  He's nice and nimble and collected, working and extended trots.  He is happy to upward transition to a canter.  And he is happy to stand stock still and rest as long as you want him to without any cheating and stepping forward.  He's a wonderful agreeable hunter pony!  I just love him so dearly!

Violet's New Year Owie

So, I'm writing this entry on February 2nd, and on Monday of this week, I had Dr. Zimmerman come and take a look at Violet's injury.  I am glad to say that he was comforted to see that she had not damaged her hoof and that he felt that she would make a full recovery.  He explained her problem in good solid medical and scientific terms and put her on stall rest, much to my unhappiness, but understanding.  And Violet was a very good girl for her physician, being quiet in the crossties and giving her feet sweetly and quietly to him.  I was proud of my patient.  And now I look forward to that cut closing up!  Today an order of Grand Hoof should arrive which we'll begin to give her -- just in case there is any tiny hidden hoof involvement!  You can't be too careful when you're caring for a beloved thoroughbred!

Violet's Rough Start to the New Year!

So, I am writing this entry on February 3rd, and it's been a full month of trouble for Violet with no immediate end in sight.  She hurt her coronary bands on her back hooves, one seriously with a cut and the other a brush.  So, of course, now she has to wear bell boots, but more importantly, now we're trying to figure out how to nurture her healing in this cold icy weather.  She's been on intermittent stall rest, so I know she must be frustrated. But she's keeping up her sweetness and her good spirits and just this past Monday, she was an angel in riding lessons, being sweet, responsive, light, and jumping lightly and happily through a bounce with real courage and wonderfulness.  And she did such a good job of jumping through the bounce that Stacey raised the final vertical to the third hole -- our personal best -- and we just glided through the four jumps like it was no problem at all.  So, I am looking forward to Violet healing well and wholly and to getting her back on a regular riding and training routine, so that we can continue to work on being a good happy team and continue to improve our jumping!  Namaste from the healing girls!

My Christmas Joy!

Here they are, doing what they do best -- making me the happiest girl!  Love you all, you sweet little faces!

New Year Ren

Here's a comfy cozy picture of my little guy on New Year's Day.  He's in his comfortable fancy spacious stall, dreaming up his new adventures for 2011!

Winter 2011 - Coming for a Kiss (and Treat)!

Here's Violet, striding purposefully toward me in anticipation of a happy pet, words of love, little treat and a quick opportunity to boss me around.  What a good good thoroughbred!

Winter 2011 - A Rough Janary for Miss Thing

Here's a photo taken in January of my beautiful Violet.  I'm writing this entry in January as well.  My beautiful girl hurt herself on January 3rd.  She clipped her coronary band on her hind leg with her front hooves.  And almost two weeks later, she reinjured herself in the same place and clipped (but did not seriously damage) the other back coronary band.  So, she's either having some sort of trouble in her hindquarters or she's simply hurt herself running around on ice and snow.  Either way, she's had 5 days of stall rest now and careful loving nursing.  She's been an outstanding patient and making good progress.  And I am buying bell boots for this beautiful girl, so that she gets some protection as we sort out whether this is a temporary problem or something that indicates an underlying problem. I bet it's the former!  Love you, Miss Thing!

Winter 2011 - Handsome Boy Striding!

Namaste.  Rock on.

Winter 2011 -- Renny Goes Western!

Here's a January photo of Renny and I'm writing this entry in January too.  He and I have had lots of fun, riding English and practicing different trots -- stretchy trot, hunter trot, extended trot, collected trot.  But at our last lesson, he was so interested in putting his head long and low that yesterday I decided to just pull out Snowflakes Princess' western saddle and tack Renny up for some ol' cowboy time.  We had a hoot riding over a jumping course of ground poles.  He is such a sensible guy.  The funny thing he is doing lately is that he's so comfortable with riding now that he's "checking things out."  Every once in awhile, he will lift his head up and reflect on something up in the rafters.  He looks so pensive, it's hilarious and sweet!

Winter 2011 -- Renny on the Wintery Range!

Here's a photo of my beautiful baby boy, very near his 100th ride!  This photo is taken in January 2011 as Renny  approaches his third birthday.  He's so handsome.  I love him so much.  He's now taking private lessons, so Stacey can help him become a talented boy.  And in the previous Saturday's lesson, he was astonishingly good.  He just delivered elegance over ground poles, doing the box, picking up his leads, upward and downward transitions.  He was a happy quiet surefooted boy! 

Merry Christmas 2010!

Namaste.

Merry Christmas 2010!

Namaste.

Merry Christmas 2010!

Namaste.

Merry Christmas 2010!

Namaste.

Merry Christmas 2010!

Namaste.

Merry Christmas 2010!

Namaste.

Merry Christmas 2010!

Namaste.

Cats in Shadows

 

Disney Vacation October 2010!

Namaste.

Disney Vacation October 2010!

Namaste.