Please hurry Summer

Ok, so I know I posted that it's coming and here and all but if that's so, why am I still at school???? Nothing much else is happening except trying to survive 2 more weeks.

Summer's coming...

(Well the holiday part, the weather's already here.)

Only 3 weeks and 3 days of school left!!! Summer's almost here!

Wow, summer's here!!!

I took Koda to church to ride today and, after church and lunch, I went out to groom her and start to ride. It was at that time that I decided that 91 degrees (according to our local school's marque) and humid was too hot to ride. There went the ride. Our church is starting a Bible study on Thursdays at 7 pm through the summer. I think this is a GREAT alternative to Midday riding during the summer.
One of the local news stations said that these were our actual numbers for the temp today. This does not include our humidity at 65%. Ouch!, I'm melting!

Unwelcome Guests

My daughter's puppy is having trouble behaving in the house. She is over 7 months old and still uses the restroom in the house. I took her outside at around 11:30 pm. Hubby started to follow me out and said "Oh, Crap!" and went back in the house. He saw a snake right by the garage door - the one that opens to the house. We started to chase it around the garage and finally caught it. I was moving stuff around with a garden rake and Hubby had 2 machetes he was hunting with. When we finally caught it, I was holding it still with the rake and Hubby started hacking. When it quit trying to get away, we moved it into the open and Made sure it was dead. I told hubby NOT to chop it's head off. I wanted to take it to school for the science teachers. They told me that it's a bull snake - good for killing rats and mice. They were VERY upset that I killed it. :( The arrow points to his head.




So today my hubby called while I was tutoring and said he found another one. Sent me this pic. I told him I wanted that one in the feed shed. I have a nice dinner in there for him. Bon Appetit, snakey. It must be spring. Many varieties of wildlife are popping up around our house.

Get the gun! or the camera!

So let me set the scene. I cleaned out the feed buckets and decided that at 6:45, I still was not ready to sit inside in a drab house. So I leashed the dog and went walking through the pasture. It rained Monday and Tuesday all day so I wanted to check out our pasture and the fences a little. I also like to check in on the pond. Well the pond is FULL and overflowing. I walked around behind the pond and was halfway to the area between the pond and the creek. By the way, this is where Koda found the snake last April. As I walked on top of the pond embankment, a coyote ran from between the pond and creek across the pasture and into the trees in the back corner of the pasture. I stood still and watched it go. When I called my hubby, he said the proper protocol is to shoot it. I was too enraptured or shocked or something to pull out the handgun sitting in my pocket. I didn't have a good camera. So I didn't shoot the thing either way. I'm glad I didn't have Koda too!

For the nature enthusiasts who want to slam me for possibly shooting a coyote, please remember that I live on a ranch where some of our income is provided by live prey animals. Well, in order to get money they have to be alive. Coyotes work to make them not so alive. I understand that they need to eat too, but my goat babies are generally part of their menu. Anyway, I didn't shoot him or her. I let it live to get hit by cars on the highway or shot by another rancher nearby, or kicked by one of the donkeys currently residing on our property.

I did start getting "eaten alive" though. The skeeters are out in full force!

A Little Praise Where it's Deserved

Today, I looked at another blog site that I follow and they posted about a saddle they found advertised. I volunteer occasionally with a therapeutic riding organization designed to help people with various handicaps, including children and veterans. This saddle is designed by special order and accommodates the handicapped needs. I applaud the owners and creators of this saddle for their desire to help. You can check them out at http://www.grayscustomsaddlery.com. Another interesting I discovered on their website is that they also created a saddle for a Cowboy Church in their area. It was beautiful and was used as a prize in one of their events.

Have a good day.

Sometimes

Sometimes there are weeks at a time where nothing really happens ranch-wise. We do the same ole' same ole', and go about life. I don't really believe that anyone who reads (and there aren't that many) really want to know every Sunday the details of me sitting in a saddle doing about nothing.

This past weekend, our church had our one year anniversary. It was a big deal, but I'm not sure what to write about it. We had barrel racing and team roping on Saturday and Kids' Playday on Sunday. I rode around on Koda Saturday, but didn't do much on her but trot a lot. I kinda pretended to have a job. I was supposed to direct traffic but people in vehicles don't take a lady on a horse riding up to their window to mean that they should roll their window down and take directions. I guess they already knew how to park and didn't want help.

We sold the donkeys. We were supposed to have them for view up at the church on Saturday, but who knew that they do coggins on donkeys too. Not me! Had to take them home, then there was the revelation that I should have picked up their tail and checked their packages. We thought they were geldings but the nursery rhyme "Yes sir, yes sir, 2 bags full" comes to mind now. Last time I trust that rancher on gender labeling. Love ya Mr. Dave! That will be a fun time to tease. Anyway, the grey sold for $20 and the black for $10. The jury's still out on the black's sale though.

Other wise, we have had a LOT of rain, Whoo Hoo!! Over 3 inches since Sunday. (This is Wednesday.) That keeps us pretty well inside with no outside chores. It has also filled up our pond and overflowed the creek. This is a much needed attack on our drought.

That's all the news from D²C Ranch. Can't wait for Summer!!