(Don't) Let 'r Buck!

I Just got back from riding my horse, Lady. I have been working with her a little each day, but not riding much.

First, I rode around the corral a little, then decided to ride her in the big pasture where "Annie" her horsie friend was. The first time around went OK. The second time around Annie decided she wanted to race. Annie is between 25 - 35 years old, so I didn't think she would get going very fast, so I let my horse go faster. As she started in a gallop, she decided a little bucking would be fun (for her). I did have on a bike helmet, but only a riding pad.  I got my balance and squeezed my legs as tight as I could around her fat horse belly. They started to get shaky right away, but I thought, "I cannot fall off". So I hung on and slowed Lady down.

Whew.... she walked the rest of the way back to the corral. I told her she was still a good horse, but she needs to quit that bucking or I could get hurt!

Switchfoot - This is Your Life

What's been happening in my life?

Writing has been put on the back burner lately. I keep hoping I will have more time, but it's really a matter of priority. I only have a few minutes to write now. Today is Saturday and Greg and I are doing all the cleaning jobs by ourselves. We took a lunch break and will go back and finish most of the jobs by tonight.

Last week the girls and I traveled to the coast for one of my nieces wedding. It was really beautiful and I'm so glad we were able to go. I did go for a walk on the beach with my sister Caroline and neice Amber & her girl. It was relaxing and refreshing. This was one of the best family times together, even though it was short and not all the relatives were there.

We also enjoyed time with Titus, Ruth, Demetrius and Gabriel. I was so tired on Sunday I took a very long nap and missed out on time with Judah and Noel :( and other time with the girls, T & R.

The girls are visiting our dear friends in Bandon. They are having a wonderful time and I am missing them very much. I also miss the 3 in Alaska. I miss everyone, but that's life.

We are having a pretty good day working, not getting too excited about it. We stopped by and separated the horses and I washed my horse down. Of course she would roll in the dirt afterwards, but at least it cooled her down! After that we came home, I took a shower and made lunch.

Camping Trip

Our camping trip went pretty well. Saturday afternoon we drove up Pearson Creek to a rock pit, which is now a little pond. I think it's called Gold Fish pond. Anyway it was windy and cold. After we got camp set up, Greg, me, the girls and a friend of Greg's and his daughter (Clemy's friend) sat around a roaring fire trying to keep warm and moving alot, as the smoke kept blowing in our eyes. Eventually we all went to bed. It was pretty cold that first night and I didn't sleep really well.

The next day, Sunday, the wind had died down quite a bit. We had oatmeal for breakfast. The kids and Rod had those little packets of oatmeal. Greg and I ate raw oats with nuts and milk on it.

Then we drove up to 2 little ponds. It was really beautiful with the forest in the background, blue sunny skies and only a little wind. I caught 3 fish, Greg caught a couple and Clemy caught at least 2. Greg spent most of his time putting bait on our hooks, so he didn't really fish that much.

Later in the day many people from our church came. There was a BBQ with hot dogs and hamburgers and other food many people brought. The rest of the afternoon people fished and visited. Eventually I took a nap in the tent.

That night we all ate fish cooked in foil on the coals in the fire. It was really good!

It was a lot warmer that night, with no wind.

On Monday, the weather was really warm and nice. I spent most of the morning breaking down camp and packing our Toyota Previa. It's amazing how much stuff that mini-van can hold!

Greg got up early and caught about 10 fish! One was a goldfish, which we brought back in a bucket and put in our friend Randy's pond.

On the way back down the hill we stopped and found some rocks and walked across the creek.

When we got back we stopped at Randy's and Dominic helped us put the goldfish in their pond. After that I went by to see the horses. When my horse was drinking out of the trough I got on her bareback, with no bridle and rode her a little. I couldn't really control her, so I just let her walk around where she wanted to.

After we got back to the house I unpacked the van with Susannah's help. It took a long time!

Greg just left for work about an hour ago and I'm ready to take a shower and rest. 

Rainy Day

It's raining and I'm glad. When we get rain it is refreshing and makes everything green. I would rather have rain than gloomy cloudy days on end.

But... I do hope the sun comes out this weekend because we are going camping for the free-fishing days. :)

Family

It's been over a week since most of our family came to visit for Memorial Day Weekend. First, Levi and Susannah came the Wednesday before. Susannah had been in Texas visiting and helping her brother and sister-in-law before/after baby Sophia was born. Levi drove his old dependable Honda car. Levi had just got back from his trip to India, so we got to hear a lot of stories of that adventure too.

Next, Grandma Norma came, on a flight from Nebraska. Gideon, Susannah & Clemy went to Pasco to pick her up at the airport.

After that, on Saturday before Memorial Day, Titus and Ruth came with Demetrius and Gabriel. Judah, Noel and Gordon rode with them.

So, the missing ones were David, Zyana, Nathaniel & Sophia. They were missed!

We had a lot of fun, visiting, eating at home, (Greg did a fish-fry one day with the fish Grandma brought. The fish were ones that Greg's brother Jon caught), my birthday at Mazatlan restaurant. Judah, Noel and unmarried sons gave me a beautiful orchid. I had wanted one, but always a little worried I might kill it. I'll try to keep it healthy!

Now that it's quiet here (too quiet) I am trying to get back into a routine. I cut down a couple of my house-cleaning jobs to once a month. That's good, because last week we looked at 2 more. They are nice, because they are only a one-time-cleaning.

Our cleaning business is going well. We are not expanding right now, even though we have had opportunities to. It is simpler to stay family owned and operated. We do have one teen who does part-time help sometimes though.

I would like to add photos, but I will have to do that later.

So, what really happened??

My information was wrong about the Skinny white stallion. Gideon said he never even saw it. So there are 2 ways this can go. One is that Levi got bit, not Gideon. Two is that no one was bit and it was a fabrication of the imagination of a 10 year old boy.