A Calm Morning, Winter Planters & a Spectacular Sunset

It was a beautiful morning, waking to full on sunshine, although the temperature was only 3°C. I worked on my brain puzzle until S woke up, made coffee and joined the puzzle challenge. Once I’d mastered it with my second cup, it was time to get Tuesday blog post published.

S took Harley for a walk to the winter gate to let the horses out, but as I watched him struggle to get them moving out of the winter pasture, I got dressed and headed over to help. Using Switch’s usual mane as a makeshift halter, I led the horses to the gate and out they went! S stayed behind to open the chubby ponies’ gate so they could graze in the winter pasture, and we met back at the house.

It was spectacular outside, with not a breath of wind and the temperature already up to 6°C. Those are the kind of mornings you wish would last all day!

I got busy pulling plants out of the planters and tossing them into the wagon while S worked on boosting the quad battery and ran the wagon out to the pit. He then got the battery charging while I hauled all the empty planters back under the deck for winter storage and did some tool weeding. Another little bit more of seasonal cleanup checked off the list.

We met back inside for lunch and then started planning a vacation to Costa Rica, old-school style! We searched for hotels and places to visit, using ChatGPT’s recommendations as a starting point. It was fun to explore the possibilities and see what might make a good trip.

Funs Snapchat filters - I sent Renn my princess costume

Unfortunately, the wind picked up in the middle of the afternoon—boo! The temperature only reached 11°C, and it had actually felt warmer in the morning with the sunshine and no wind.

B also let me know that Hank’s blood test results from yesterday, when they drew blood to test for Cushing’s disease, came back with his numbers off the chart. He’ll now be starting a daily pill, like Hawk and Pepper did. Poor little guy has certainly had his share of health issues lately, but at least we’re getting answers and can start treating this one too.

S needed a filter for the quad, so he loaded Harley up and we headed into town. I picked up a library book while we were there, and we swung through Tim’s for an iced capp and a treat for Harley. When the gal at the window saw her, she handed over three Timbits, saying she bet that wouldn’t be enough once the window was rolled down. 

Back at the ranch, I got back to blogging while S installed the new filter. Unfortunately, he discovered the air inlet boot was cracked in three places. So much for a quick fix! Now we need to track down those parts too.

I put the prime rib in for supper and headed out to lock up the chubbies. While I was outside, I picked some fresh carrots to go with the fresh tomatoes for our meal. Nothing like having a few homegrown goodies still available this late in the season.

As we sat down to eat, the sunset put on an absolutely spectacular show. The sky was ablaze with bold oranges and pinks—one of those sunsets that makes you stop and stare. Stunning!

B arrived around 7, and the sky was still glowing beautifully. After feeding the horses, she popped in for some leftover dumplings and a bun before heading home. I published the crazy vet day blog post finally catching up.

S and I finished the day with a hot tub soak, although that cold, stinky wind certainly took away some of the enjoyment. After a quick rinse, we settled in for three episodes of Widow’s Bay.

From winterizing the planters and sorting out horse health issues to dreaming about Costa Rica and watching that incredible sunset, it was a full day. And despite the wind trying to spoil things, we still managed to enjoy some lovely moments along the way.

Vet Day: Hank’s Hidden Troubles & a Much-Needed Dental Makeover

The blood pressure monitor going off every hour made for a poor night’s sleep for both of us, especially S, who eventually moved to another bed partway through the night. I woke to the wind blowing and spotted the horses along the far east fence line, visiting with the neighbours’ cows. I made a coffee and settled in with my brain puzzles.

S was up by the time I made a second cup for myself and one for him, and he got started on today’s puzzle too. Eventually, Harley and I braved the wind to let the horses out, only to discover the rest of the herd was still in the west paddock. That meant a quick sprint to the winter pasture gate to get it closed and everyone where they needed to be. Perfect as Harley’s food was due to be delivered today and it was also vet day for the horses.

I published Monday’s Thanksgiving blog post before S had some lunch and headed into the city. He dropped off the trash and returned the blood pressure monitor along the way, then planned to pick up new bottom seals for the garage door before another appointment with the University of Calgary sports medicine specialist. He's hoping they can find something more to help with his knee!

B returned from her trip into the city to see Kaylin after 2. She fed the horses, and then we got busy catching Switch and Mac as Dr. Jordan and her assistant pulled into the yard.

Mac was first. She had two wolf teeth pulled and the rest of her teeth floated. Dr. Jordan agreed with the rescue's assessment of Mac’s age, a long yearling. Switch was next for her regular dental float, while Bird was checked over as well. I let Mac gather her bearings with the herd in the barn pen, where the breeze was blowing to dry her sweaty body.

Dr Jordan feels in Mac's mouth, her finger points to the sharp wolf tooth in the upper teeth

needle is for size reference

Rinse and spit Mac!

The vet team checked Jimmy and Beibs while I caught Hank. And this is where things got interesting!

It turns out our little guy is considerably older (20+) than the rescue vet originally thought. Dr. Jordan, as soon as she opened his mouth, spotted a huge tooth that was almost fully erupted. She was literally able to pull it out by hand! Poor little guy. No wonder he was always smacking his lips, trying to keep that tooth in place.

Little drunken man, lightweight for sedation

look at this wobbly little tooth!!

but it was so big, and so smooth after how long wiggling around in his mouth

His mouth was definitely out of kilter, with that crazy tooth causing trouble, along with the challenges of having a mini’s small mouth. Dr. Jordan floated his teeth and plans to keep on top of them every four to six months.

free floating the front edges a wee bit

Since Hank was already sedated, she also checked him for a bean—and sure enough, he had a HUGE one! When she cracked it open, there was mold inside. Poor little man. He’s had all sorts of issues going on, and hopefully getting these problems sorted will make him much more comfortable and give him a better future. It’s amazing what can be hiding when you finally get a proper look!

The bean and tooth beside our drunken sailor and the bean broke open ... ewww!

As the vet team was leaving, we gave all the horses (except Hank) their fall dewormer. The five went out to the winter pasture, while the chubbies went into their diet pen, and B gave them some hay.

I managed to get started on my workout, but partway through, B stopped in to tell me she couldn’t harrow the paddock because the clevis was missing. Just another little ranch complication! Then Renn and Kaylin FaceTimed, and by the time I got back to my workout, Harley’s food had been delivered.

It was certainly a busy day around here, but a very worthwhile one for the horses. Between Mac’s dental work and discovering what was going on in Hank’s mouth, several of them should be feeling better for it.

I was working on today’s blog post at the kitchen island when S rolled in before 6. We cooked up another tasty supper of BBQ sausage, Kraft Dinner mixed with our homegrown tomatoes, and a fresh salad.

We rounded out the evening with one episode of Brothers, followed by four episodes of Widow’s Bay before it was finally time to turn out the lights. After a night of hourly interruptions, I was ready for a better sleep!

Horses in the Yard, a Beauty Appointment & a Week’s Worth of Beet Pulp

I woke before 8 to Harley barking. Could it be an early delivery? Nope! It was all the horses in the yard. Still in my nightie and flip-flops, with a jacket thrown over top, I headed outside to investigate.

The yard gate was closed, as were the back double gates. It turned out that when we got home last night, I’d left the gate open for B while she caught the chubbies and put them away. The horses had taken advantage of the opportunity to sneak into the yard, and B had closed the yard gate when she left, locking the whole gang in there for more than 12 hours. LOL!

There was a lot of fertilizer scattered across the yard grass, and Mac was thoroughly entertained by looking in the basement windows from the rock patio. I caught Switch and led them all out to the hay field. That was certainly a refreshing and brisk way to start the day!

Back inside, it was time for coffee and a brain puzzle. I finished my daily puzzle before making a second cup as S woke up for his first. I popped onto the computer to publish Sunday’s blog post, then jumped in the shower.

Momma Renn an baby Evie

It was 10, I was supposed to be at Sharon’s by 10:30, so there wasn’t much time to spare. S headed into town after 10 to pick up his blood pressure Holter monitor. He noticed the winter pasture gate was closed, meaning we could have let the chubbies out, but with me already running behind, I asked him to let them out when he returned.

I dried my hair and raced into town, arriving right on time. Sharon and I had a great visit on our way to the city. Kaylin was delayed at the early voting station, so we stopped at a nearby café for brunch without her. She arrived after 12, and we headed over to her shop.

Sharon was first up for sugaring and eyebrow tinting, followed by my turn. It was lovely getting to visit with Kaylin while we were both being beautified! The sun was shining brightly, and at 13°C, it felt downright warm after all the snow.

We stopped at Costco on the way home. After transferring everything into my car, I had a quick visit with Darren, said my goodbyes and was back at the ranch by 4.

S was just feeding Harley her supper and had filled the beet pulp bucket as I’d requested. He’d even got it soaking, which was great—except he’d misread my instructions and filled seven buckets with five cups of beet pulp in each one! LOL. We now had enough soaked beet pulp for about a week! I found some ice cream pails and extra buckets to stack in the fridge and got everything sorted. Whew!

S and Harley had enjoyed a quiet day at the ranch, walking around the perimeter before relaxing with sports and brain puzzles. Once I was home, we enjoyed a cold beer while I did some vacation searching and S tackled another new brain puzzle with sports still playing in the background. We eventually settled on leftovers for supper, but I made us a fresh, delicious salad to start.

B asked me to lock up the chubbies, so Harley and I headed out with some hay cubes to lure them into their pen. While I was outside, I picked up all the horse poop scattered across the lawn, filling the wheelbarrow almost to the top! Those ponies had certainly been busy during their unexpected yard adventure.

It was just getting dark when I came back inside. Not long afterward, B arrived to feed the horses before heading home herself.

S was enjoying his baseball era, sadly without the Jays this year, while I worked on yesterday’s and today’s blog posts. I headed to bed after 8 to read and turned out the light before S was even in bed, just in time for the Flames’ first win of the season!

Between an unexpected herd in the yard, a beauty outing, enough beet pulp for a week and a wheelbarrow full of manure, we certainly managed to pack a lot into the day. I’m hoping tomorrow’s morning surprise is a little less messy!

A Frosty Morning & a Thanksgiving Feast with Family

A frosty, snow-covered world greeted us this morning, with the sun shining across it and everything sparkling like glitter. I made coffee and delivered it to S in bed—actually, two cups this morning—as we worked on our brain puzzles and he caught up on his news.

I finished Saturday’s blog post but held off sharing it till later today while S buzzed his hair.

B arrived after 12 to feed the horses and, of course, discovered an injury on Jimmy. She cleaned it up while Bird took her usual turtle-paced approach to eating. Meanwhile, S had backed out the car and loaded our food and drinks, so we were ready to head out before 1.

Renn was super excited when we arrived, with snacks and games waiting for us. Nathan spent more than three hours in the kitchen creating his amazing Thanksgiving supper of roast beef, creamy garlic mashed potatoes (from the garden of course), buttered carrots, green beans almandine and the buns I’d made.

Chef Nate extraordinaire <3

There were lots of games including this new Peppa Pig Yahtzee

Lots of play, colouring and entertainment by miss Renny! Sheldon also fit in a good hour nap after the long drive :)

I snapped a few Boysis family shots but totally forgot Nana and Grandpa and Auntie B with Renny!

Niki joined us too, as she’s here pet-sitting for a friend for a few weeks. She had brought pumpkin pie, and I brought the apple crisp, which we served with ice cream for dessert. There was certainly no shortage of good food!

After a lovely afternoon and supper together, we said our goodbyes and headed home at 7. B put the chubbies back in their diet pen before jetting home, while S settled onto the couch for sports.

The entertaining child continued her antics after we left.

I fed Harley, published Saturday’s blog post and worked on today’s entry from bed. After finishing his sports, S joined us, and we started watching a new series called Brothers, starring Matthew McConaughey and Woody Harrelson. It was quite funny.  After two episodes, we began another new series called Widow’s Bay, which won 14 Emmys this year. Unfortunately, S fell asleep. Goodnight All, Happy Thanksgiving!

It was such a lovely day spent with family, sharing good food and enjoying one another’s company. A frosty start outside, a warm Thanksgiving gathering and plenty to be thankful for.