Wild Horses Wont Drag Me Away

Mustangs Come to Mississippi

Adoption papers

  These mustangs came from Nevada. They were born in captivity but in a wild herd. The horses do not cost much at this point, all the expense is ahead of them, not to mention WORK.

 The proper footwear with style. I like pink, even if I don't quite get the pink tights at a improntu rodeo.  The guy with the spurs was sure cute. I would have snapped a picture of his wrangler pockets but.....

Every now and then I have a really exciting day and this was on the list of fabulous adventures.
I have some friends that are involved with horses. It just so happens that Piney Woods school in Star MS is one of the designated places for wild mustangs to be sent to. These yearlings were being adopted. They have never been handled by humans except for vaccinations and other vet care.
So they are totally, as  in completely, 100% wild.

This one was my favorite. I had no idea that mustangs are so beautiful. This mare went to a lovely young woman about 19 and she will train her and enter the Extreme Mustang competition in Ft.Worth Texas.  After 6 of these colts were loaded up on the trailers we went out to the ranch to watch their first experiences with humans. How cool is that?

All together in a coral they circled and circled.

Wild and dirty, no hands have ever touched them.

The man in charge is a real life horse whisperer. This is one of his horses isn't he a beauty?

 The horse whisperers shirt totally true!

I learned so much watching this man work. He communicated so much to the colt with his posture, his hands and the rope. It wasn't long before the colt was just following him around the ring.
After she got tired he just squatted down in front of her and let her look at him, establishing trust he said. He used the two trained horses to buddy the newbies and give them confidence.

She doesn't fight long. He was amazing at how quickly and gently he won this young ladies trust.

Curiosity stronger than fear, it's a beautiful thing.

Former wild mustand now happily bonded to his human.

The 6  colts that went out  to the ranch were all going to girls. Three of the girls were TEN years old! Can you imagine being 10 and getting a wild mustang?  All of them are going to enter the Extreme Mustang competition. Some were planning to keep their horses but not all which surprised me. I guess training horses is not like having a pet, even if you do bond. My little friend with this thick blond braid trained her mustang  a few years ago and she is totally in love with him. No parting for those two. She placed second in the Mustang competition she entered.
If I was about 30 years younger I'd be getting into a whole new sport. I loved being around these horses. I kept holding my breath watching them snort, toss their heads and paw the dirt. Their is something about real life that is so much better than watching a film, or any technical device.
Being outside in the fresh air and observing these horses was pure magic, a wonderful, exciting, glorious day!!

Confessions of a Gardener

Last years garden

Weed free turned over and ready for planting

After it had been growing for  a little while.

This year the same space.

 This is my garden bed. A mass of weeds and zinnias, more weeds than anything else. Any pictures you have seen have been from prior years. THIS is the real deal.

 A struggling Iris .

 Crabgrass taketh over the whole earth starting with my rock wall.

 This is just the edge of the bed.

 Trees sprouting up and briar's.

 Not all is lost we actually began a bit of clean up and started cleaning up the side yard. My hunny doesn't like working in the yard alone and neither do I so we began. Inch by inch with lots of breaks. I wish I would have taken a before picture. I am a bit out of the habit of thinking about blog posting.

 I do want to get back into it however.

 I like this area it's nearly no maintenance it's so full of vinca.

 The salvia comes up by itself.

 The bugs come just as quickly. Go away you filthy maggot!!

 As do these other plants. This is what is called having good bones. The faithful perennials that just come up and look lovely.

 Just a bit of the clean up.

 This actually needs a lot of work but from a distance the "bones" look pretty.

 Up close it looks like a big weed job.

Little spider in a web.

 And then we have a digger- Sammy goes around with a perpetual dirty nose he loves to dig for truffles. This behavior does not help the back yard, not one teensy little iota. How you spell iota?

 The promise of beauty that comes after winter. The don't need anything that doesn't happen naturally.

 Plants that can survive the thorns, the weeds, and neglect. I know they are grateful they told me.

 Ready to bloom with just a little help. I'd like to dig these up and move them back, we will see.

 The panting, sweating, over weight and very out of shape, gardener pauses to capture some beautiful light. To notice not just what is overwhelmingly in a state of neglect but what is strong and beautiful.
Or is that the light I'll see as I am about to die?

Good hard scape, good bones, rich soil full of fat earth worms and perennials that refuse to succumb; although puffing and weak I am encouraged. This garden is actually a word picture of my life. My life that has been full of weeds, encroaching thorns and briar's. But with care and inch by inch I am returning. I have not succumbed or died, not yet anyway, check back next week.  Today I am here and each day has a bit more strength a bit more encouragement, definitely more fat. You stay in bed for a month and see what happens.  It was a big deal at first just to stay awake. Some people will use any excuse to stay in bed.  I was so tired I couldn't stay awake yeah yeah yeah yadda yadda yadda. Underneath the dead grass that I pulled up, is good rich soil and fat earth worms working on the promise of better days. The restoration of health, beauty, and strength. Well, maybe not beauty, wait am I talking about me or the yard? Do you know? Am I confused?

A friend came by today and said, "Inch by inch it's a cinch, yard by yard it's hard." Little by little we will pull weeds and give the seeds a chance to sprout.  There are so many seeds and roots in this yard I don't need to plant anything. If we just clean up something will happen. When we provide the right environment for growth and health, it happens. It's happening for me. Spring has come and the hard winter has passed. We are coming back, that would be the yard and myself.  Just to be clear on that.

Newsflash Mine and Ours

It's been a challenging week.

We have some tax issues to straighten out and THAT is NEVER easy or welcome.

I am having struggles with a granddaughter and her choices.  When our adult kids blame us our our beliefs for their problems instead of owning their part in it; well it's just ugly. Warts warts warts.
Family pain isn't over until we are dead.

On the other hand our other granddaughters are bringing us joy!

There have been a lot of hot topics in the news that have just made me hoppin mad.
Legislature against parents having their kids work on the family farm. I do not buy the argument about migrant workers kids. This is just one more freedom being grabbed. Besides farmers are about the last group of folks still instilling a good work ethic in their kids. A blanket statement yes, but most people are more interested in PROVIDING for their kids then teaching them to work.

Think about it. Lessons, games, activities, friends over, play dates, etc.... but how about chores?
Please tell me your teaching your kids to work. It will restore my faith in America.
What do you have them do?
All our kids have a strong work ethic. They always had to help and weren't allowed to just play all the time. Their weren't any games then either unless they came in a box. Children had to interact with each other which is a whole nutha subject.

Next up was a video clip about a woman facing 3 months in jail if convicted for planting a vegetable garden in her front yard. I about had a stroke. THINK about the progression of what is happening in our country. First it is politically correct speech, now politically correct YARDS?

I am beginning to think that any kind of work, ingenuity, or independent thinking and problem solving is facing an executioners block. What happened to private property? Seriously we have to conform on this level?




What do you think? Is this still the home of the brave and the land of the free? I doubt if this would be happening in Texas, maybe not Mississippi depending on where. I think her yard is lovely plus the kids in her neighborhood are learning where food comes from.

I thought we working on more community food projects and gardens and better use of land and resources. This is insanity.


I wish I had some nice raised beds like hers that is one of the best ways to garden. Any pictures of my yard are from last year not how it looks now. I could use a crew of workers to weed and loosen my soil. Neither of us has had any pep left over for yard work. Never thought I'd see the day.

I've been thinking about ordering Nutrisystems or something that could be delivered so I don't have to shop or cook. The price is really cheap right now. I still don't do much but I'm getting better slowly. My doctor told me that when your not in your twenties you don't bounce back fast.
Nice....maybe I don't bounce at all. Maybe I just lie there.

The heat has turned up, had to close the windows and turn on the AC. The windows have been open for a couple of months and it has been wonderful. Ilove fresh air and fans. We really got a break on our utility bills too.I used to ask Jim how the weather "knows" when we change the calendar! May gets hot from now until October. The rest of the year is awesome so we have our pluses.

The good news.
Both the poodas have new haircuts and look gorgeous. They feel good too very frisky.

A friend won  3 months of free membership at a local health club and gave it to me. WOWZAS
she wanted me to have it for my rehab. A couple more weeks and I'll start. I can't risk breathing anything right now or being exposed to any ones illnesses. It is something nice to look forward too.

I'm going to limit or maybe quit FB so I post more. There is only so much time in the day. I can waste a lot of time on FB and never post. I used to notice that other people who blogged and then went on FB quit posting, and now I have done it too! I'd rather blog and read blogs.

My writing is sloppy and if I blog more my writing skills will improve. There has to be more in life than random.

I'm trying to sew again, read again, cook again and write again.
Not to mention cleaning exercising, laundry, dogs, and gardening which have ALL fallen by the wayside.
Hey that must mean I am alive!!
It at least means that I want to do more than comment on FB half the day. Your probably much more disciplined than I am.

Go ahead and sound off what do you think?