Dirt in my nails, dust up my nose...

Ok, I missed a couple days of blogging...sue me. I was trekking the rugrats to the hills of West BYGod Virginny to ma and pa's house Thursday afternoon. Always chaos. Always lots of food. Always some laughing. Our running around yesterday of course included a stop at the barn for a couple hours. Also a stop to the shop where Dad fixed me up with some new tires :-D I just asked him to make sure they aren't going to take my whole stimulus check to pay for the suckers! Mr. FixIt put new shocks on my truck two weeks ago, now new tires (which it really needed before winter...can you say--STRETCH a little longer? At least I didn't have steel hanging out of my tires from a bare belt like my sister showed up one year! If you read this girlie, sorry, but it's true) and WOW, like a whole new truck! Woohoo!

Today we went to a cutting competition of some friends of mom's (cutting calves=separating one at a time from the herd and the horse has to really "work" to keep the calf separated) and then we made a DQ pit stop for some lunch, stopped at home for a bit, changed and back to the barn. Of course plenty in there to brush, and give attention to which is always my dream. I could live in the barn to exist only to brush, groom and muck stalls all day. So I have to get in as much as I can while I'm here. People around home don't like it when a random strange person just shows up to groom, lol. Oh and the babies, two babies that are just getting use to being handled and worked with, wow, they are fast, ornery little buggers but they are just beautiful! One white and sorrel paint, just the cutest thing on four legs! When mom finishes grooming one side of her and starts to tap out her brushes, that little thing flips around so her other side is ready! She does that every time mom taps her brush and curry out, she spins around! Hysterical! Then there is a gorgeous buckskin filly, just over a year old I think, and boy is she feisty! We have to brush her through the stall gate for right now and you'd better keep an eye on your arms, legs, and hair with that one! WHEW! Of course with all the brushing and fun stuff, there were water buckets to be filled, and pony's stall to clean out, which mom and Mr. FixIt worked on that, treats to be passed around, and Mr. E took care of feeding everyone. I took pony-aka Goliath- and cleaned him up and pulled his wild mane a bit. We did get to ride a bit, just a little bareback today. The kids do very well for only getting to the barn a few times a year. Brittany has pretty good seat, and she's up to trotting correctly though not bareback yet. We even got mom to ride this time! Actually, Mr. FixIt was there to give assistance/leg up for her, and she wasn't going to win in a fight with both of us. She loves to ride but has had knee trouble in the past though she's 75 pounds lighter than she was last time she rode so with her friends there also cajoling her on, she did it! :-D I usually ride her horse Reefie just a bit in the arena to exercise (both of us-leg workout!) and sometimes I ride the trails around the farm with mom's friends, but I haven't visited in a while so I probably won't trail this time. I'm happy just getting on/warming up/working out. I don't have to see countryside. :-D

We got back to the house, ate dinner, then worked on mom's roses, weeding around them and setting up trellises for her HUGE black and red rose bushes. She figured over 300 buds on just one bush! We planted her miniature roses from Mother's Day and the kids picked up sticks to burn. We admired the cherry, peach and plum trees with new fruit showing already. Of course some romping and horsing around went on, some early dropped fruit wars- those little unripe cherries STING when they zing you on the head- and Grandpa observed from a shady spot, barking orders and asking for beverages. Not boring in the least!

Fun day was had by all! After showering kids and getting the stink off myself as well, I'm toast! We'll all sleep well tonight!

Until tomorrow....