Captain Tripps Three weeks old!

Here is the newest picture of Captain Tripps.

Yep, that is going to be his name.

Can anyone guess why?

Guesses?

Here are a few hints ( and Lil Mama, you can't play.)

We are from California.

We grew up during the Summer of Love.

We follow a certain Iconic California Band (that is no longer playing with all of it's members)

It is the nickname of the Bands leader.

My family never lets me name any of our animals so this is my hubby's pick.

Send me your guesses!

Hang Tough Arizona!

All I have to say is I hope that Hair gell doesn't come from Arizona, because if it does all the a@@h**% politicians in San Francisco will be in big trouble!

Imagine making something that is already illegal -well... illegal!

The soft hearted little rich boys that live in the middle of the Big City ( and other safe places) are " outraged" that the people in Arizona are standing up to defend their lives and property! I can't even imagine living in fear of leaving your own home for fear that some coyote or transient or outlaw will take over your property and stuff while you are out.

I say Hang Tough Arizona! Your Sheriff in Maricopa County is a hero to many. Your Governor is on her way to being on that short list too.

Screw SF. If you have ever been there, you know it is a beautiful City and totally out of control.

I will now go out of my way to support Arizona businesses!

If you don't like the weather here, just wait five minutes!

This was my garden on Monday. It hailed for hours! Literally hours! Little hard white pellets that lay on the ground and mocked the coming of spring.

We NEVER get this kind of hail, and we especially never get this kind of hail that doesn't melt immediately.

Just weird!

This is my garden today- just six days later. The temp was about 80 degrees today.

Good for you!

Deniserita is showing the GJA this weekend , all by herself!

I am so sorry I can't be there too!

But I don't have a job- that means NO money.

So I've hit the internet hard looking for something. After all I have always told my kids that even a job at a burger joint is better than no job at all.

And my darling daughter Lil Mama reminded me of that fact just the other day. She said it in a very haughty way too! I was a little hurt.

I mean I have worked my whole life- since I was 14 I have had a 'real' job. No time off for good behavior. ( And only a little time off for Bad behavior!)

I have been enjoying this last month of being un-employed however.

I have baby sat Jr a LOT!

And I painted my kitchen and started painting the family room.

And have planted flowers and trimmed bushes.

And ridden my horse when it wasn't freezing cold or raining.

And worked on a few magazine articles.

And I am going on a mini vacation with my Hubby on Tuesday. We haven't been away, just the two of us, in a very long time!

But then- I really have to find a J O B.

Can't keep the horses without one, and my girlfriend is showing without me!

I just hope I don't have to wear one of those silly yellow and orange hats....

Ten Things-

Ten Good Things about One Day Horse Shows

10. They are usually close to home.

9. Not too many trainers there.

8. Teaches your horse that he has to stand tied to a trailer.

7. Not very expensive

6. Stress level is half of what a big show causes.

5. You only have to take one outfit.

4. No one cares if you have messed up their winter coat by using the clippers too freely.

3. You are allowed to practice in the trail pen all day if you want.

2. You usually place because the classes are small.

1. You get to go home and sleep in your own bed at night.

Ten Things I Hate About One Day Horse Shows.

10. You have to carry your own water because you don't don't want to drag your hose across the parking lot or field where you are parked.

9. Your horse has to stand tied to the trailer all day.

8. The tack room in your trailer seems smaller because you have to bring a lot of stuff with you, even if it is a one day show.

7. You are usually parked in the middle of a field or lot with no shade.

6. Most times someone parks WAY too close to you and you are fearful all day that your horse will kick another horse or another truck.

5. You can never hear your class announced because you are parked so far away.

4. The trail patterns are very sketchy, and they need a lot of explaining.

3. It's harder to hide your mistakes in such small classes.

2. Your classes are too early or too late in the day so you are driving in the dark both ways.

1. You have to get up at the butt crack of dawn to get where you are going and get a good place to park so that items number 6, 7 and 10 aren't such issues.

All and all though the day show was a positive experience, and since Lil Mama and I are working through some training issues with Desi and Bob, I feel it was a good thing.

High School and what it meant to you

This post might seem a little off the mark, so to speak. But if you know me at all, you know that is how my tiny mind works. I am going along thinking about one thing and then...

(((BAM)))...

just like that I forget about it and start thinking about some other random thing.

My Random Thing right now is High School.

Let me say first and foremost that I didn't really like High School all that much. I wasn't a jock or a head or a hick, but a combo of all of that with a heaping dose of NERD thrown in to make it interesting. Lucky me. As a matter of fact I High School was such a non issue that I have forgotten a whole lot of it. Even though I had my reunion ( 35 years) last year- I still can't remember a whole lot.

I remember the stuff that happened after school, or at home, but even that is sort of hazy. ( Ahh you Freudians are thinking that I forget because I am subverting something bad. You may be right. We will never truly know.)

But one of my unnamed girlfriends remembers a LOT about high school! Who was in her class, what they did, where they sat, who she had a crush on, who she ate lunch with. She is still hanging onto a lot of the baggage that she acquired in High School. To the point that now, 35 years later, she has reconnected with another one of our classmates and they are discussing the days past in great detail, to no one's benefit ( except my intrigued mind)!

And then there is my current favorite show GLEE.

I love that show- and I don't really know why. I like the singing and dancing, but I am facinated with the kids in the show too. And tonight I find myself asking ( as if they are really high school kids) " Are they going to be carrying around all this heartbreak and longing all of their lives too?

AND THEN I started wondering if everyone did- except me?

Do you?

Do you carry around the baggage that was put on you by your high school failures, and loves and teachers and expectations?

Do we all do it?

Do we get past it?

And what is it about those years in High School that make us remember them ( mostly) and think they were so great?

I know I am so much better than I was then.

Smarter.

Braver.

Happier.

How about you?

Nother one video

Here is the big bay mare that is so cute, even though this is really a terrible picture. She was just in from the pasture and starting to dry out. I'd give $2000 for her wouldn't you?

Here is the big frosty roan mare. Jaque calls her 'Nother one- cuz theres one and theres one and there is 'nother one....

I really like this big ol mare, though she is young and I do worry about young horses and novice riders.I'd like her neck to be a little bit longer, but whacha gonna do..

Once again, please do ignore my voice overs. Someday I'll have to learn how to turn off the sound.( Or just shut the heck up!) But considering I just learned I could use the camera as a video, I'm doing ok...

Jaque gave KBG three different lessons on three different horses that day.

Thoughts ? Opinions? I know ya got 'em.

We're going next week to look at another one- lets hope it's not raining!

Kookie video

Here are the videos of Karen riding the four year old Kookie. She is sweet isn't she? I really like her, but she has the same issues with her tail as

Desi- she really wrings it, even for no reason. This one I am afraid would be a big step and a big challenge for KBG. This mare is not forgiving- make a mistake and she will catch it everytime.

video of Khloe

This is the first mare Karen rode. Khloe. Nice little mare!

Please don't mind all the idle chatter going on while I took the video- or the pattering rain on that tin roof! Keep in mind that Khloe has only been in this barn for about two weeks, and is not tuned up. Still- her lope was nice and soft and the mare was very forgiving.

Shopping in the rain

Yesterday the skies opened up and it was a downpour here in North Central California. I mean it was a frog drowner! BUT- KBG and I were not to be deterred and off we went through it to ride a few horses. You see KBG is 'in the market'.

We went to Superior Quarter Horses and there were several prospects lined up on the rails, nice and dry.

We saddled up three and KBG climbed on board. Now I gotta tell ya, this takes a lot of guts.

Just jumping up on a new horse can sometimes be a scary experience, but riding unfamiliar horses, with an unfamiliar trainer telling you what to do, and having a howling rain storm going on just outside the eves- well - it was Homeric!

But true to form- KGB smiled that pretty smile, and did her best. AND she did an amazing job. I have video, but she took it home with her to look at, so I can't post it here yet!

The three mares were all really different.

There was a 7 year old sorrel mare- nice and broke. Calm and cool, a cute loper and a pretty jogger- she is actually like a red Shirley- with none of the age issues or mare issues. Solid. Liked her a lot. Priced to sell and clean legged.

Also a red roan mare, 4 years old. Super cute head, and a cute loper, very sensitive and I think Karen would have to really work hard to keep her from taking advantage. Smart and quiet, she would be a great rail horse, and has already won some local shows. Priced right too.

Last but not least KBG rode a BIG frosty roan mare- aged three. She was young, but her mind was solid and she was quiet. AND she was an elegant mover, beautiful jog and her lope was getting there, but since she is still growing, she was a little awkward for awhile, still working on that head, but with time it will be there. Would be awesome in the pen- but she's a little expensive and maybe a little young for KBG.

We are defiantly going to go back and see them one more time.

The trainer there was sweet as can be, spent all day with us, laughed and joked and gave KBG lessons on all three horses- invaluable. I tell ya, this is the way to sell a customer... yep I said it. Sell a customer. She knows that even if none of those horses suite KBG we won't forget her, will go back to her for lessons or training or maybe another horse when ready to buy or sell. Customer service is what it is all bout now and she knows it.

She also had a big rangy all around filly to sell- 2 years old, and had everything ready to go, she's been saddled, bridled, driven ( a big plus in my book) just waiting for her first rides- all for about $2000. It is a good thing I don't have a job, or that one would have come home with me for Lil Mama to ride... sorry baby.

So when I get the video back, I'll try to post a few bits of it here for you all to see.

Ta daaa! Here he is!

New Babies!

As you might know, I have had Great Danes in my life for years and years. I just love the breed. My last sweet boy passed away in August of last year and I miss him every day.

Mimi has a puppy- Lola- that is as sweet and funny as she can possibly be, but she isn't mine- and she isn't a dane.

The breeder that I chose many months ago just had a litter of puppies last night- there are two males and six females. I get one of the males!!

They are fawn colored, tan with black masks, and should grow to be about 34-36 inches at the shoulder. That is a lot bigger than Mac, he was a 'small' dane at 32 inches.

We won't be able to bring him home for at least 8 weeks, but the breeder will keep sending me pictures as he grows. As soon as I get a good one, I'll post it here!

Yippee!

Easter Parade

Happy Easter!

I don't miss the Easter Baskets of my youth as much as I miss the tradition of the Easter Parade.

When I was just a small caliber, I had a black shetland pony named Candy. In the small town where we lived was a large wide main street. Every year, the church would sponsor an Easter Parade down that wide main street. It was quite a big deal!

The Martinez Horsemen ( of which I am now President) would come with their mounted Flag carriers. My Dad would ride with them. They sported Kelly green hats ( really!) and white shirts and jeans and they all rode bay horses. Daddy's horse was a big bay mare he called Big Mama ( Dad wasn't too original).

My brother and I rode on the church float until I got Candy when I was 5, and I was allowed to ride her down the main street- alone.

Of course Mom says she ran the whole mile and a half along the curb,but I was five and I hardly remember that. I just remember feeling so proud of my shiny black pony. Mom had made a special red and white shirt for me, and big red yarn pom-pom's for the bridle. Candy pranced the whole way down the road as I smiled and waved. When Candy got close to the Grand Stand where the Easter Marshall sat the loud speaker announced our name. That little black pony reared straight up and walked on her hind feet just like Fury. I kept smiling and waving, and I remember thinking I must look really good on that rearing horse! I mean after all Trigger reared, and Fury and Flicka...why not Candy?

My poor mother must have had a heart attack watching all that unfold. I know I would have if it had been Lil Mama or Mimi!

But I was a show off, even then, and confident in my ability to ride anything. I just couldn't understand why Mom was so upset at the end of the parade.

I still have the little trophy they gave me.

Happy EAster everyone. I hope your memories of today will be good ones.