Diamond G Farm

Been a while

2010-02-13T18:54:00.000-08:00

Howdy,

Well it's been a while since I've posted anything here. I have a couple of things that I want to pass along. The first is an entry from Matt Hughes' blog labeled "The Essay". Check it out when you get a chance, it is something worth reflecting on.

The second thing I wanted to cover was a book I just finished called "Surprised By Truth 2" by Patrick Madrid. Here is my review of it:

“Surprised by Truth 2” by Patrick Madrid was an enlightening collection of conversion and reaffirmation stories. The common theme that seems to run throughout all of the stories is the power of the Holy Spirit to help those looking for God along their life’s path. None of these conversions happened overnight, all were well researched and soul-searched. Each story is written by the convert, collectively they offer great insight into both the emotional and intellectual struggles that occur during this time of soul searching. In addition to stories of conversion, there are a few narratives of a deepening of love and appreciation for the Catholic faith.

There is something in this book for every Catholic or potential Catholic. For the catholic, there is a wealth of information we can use to help explain Catholicism to our non-catholic friends - scripture and encyclical references as well as some beginning apologetics. As someone who is always looking to deepen my faith, I appreciated that this book also included some Catholics in it, it was a great reminder that we should not be content with what we already know but should strive for a greater understanding of our faith and deeper connection with our Lord. This would be a great book to share with someone who might be inquiring about Catholicism. It is not an “in your face” book about why Catholicism is the best religion but rather lets the facts and Holy Spirit speak the truth.

“Surprised by Truth 2” is a great book to own but don’t expect to keep it on the bookshelf. This is the type of book that should be constantly lent out to both your Catholic friends and those who might be interested in what Catholicism has to offer. In fact, I’d recommend you read it a few times before you lend it out because you might not get it back.

Things are going well at the farm, we have missed most of the snow that's been pummeling the east coast. The horses seem to be happy to see the ground again but are still very fuzzy. I've been watching some John Wayne movies lately so I'd like to leave you with the following quotes.

"I won't be wronged, I won't be insulted, and I won't be laid a hand on. I don't do these things to other people and I expect the same from them."
- John Bernard Books (The Shootist) -

"Sorry don't get it done, Dude"
- John T. Chance (Rio Bravo) -

MidCoast Maine, Let There Be Western

2009-04-27T17:51:00.000-07:00

Well, its been a long while since I've updated the blog - a little bit older and a little bit wiser.

We're expanding the services offered at the farm to include western riding instruction and training. I'm in the process of putting together a press release for next week's local papers to get the word out.

There's not a lot of western instructors and trainers up this way so I'm hoping that will make a little bit of difference and get some business our way. We have a lot to offer here at Diamond G, I just need to find a way to get people to know we're here and what we can offer.

Lessons will be available to riders of all experience levels, from beginner to advanced. I hope that we can reach some of the local trail riders with our lesson program because I think that training in proper horsemanship serves two purposes for them (1) it helps keep them safer and (2) time spent is much more enjoyable when horse and rider are in sync. I know that I can offer a great deal of help to those interested in showing. Our lessons will help riders improve their show placings by focusing on specific areas such as equitation, trail, showmanship/halter, ring management, etc. We will be offering private, semi-private, and group lessons at Diamond G. For those who can't trailer into the farm or would like to work at their own farm, I will also travel to their farm to teach lessons.

I'm real excited about the training package we're putting together. The package will run monthly and will consist of board, 4-6 training sessions per week, and a weekly lesson with the owner riding the horse. Pricing hasn't been set for this quite yet but it will likely be in the $500-$600/mo range. That'll be (on average) 22 hours of training time, 4 hours of lesson time. Base board here is $350 so each hour of training will work out to be only $6-8/hr - a heck of a bargain when you do the math. If people don't want to board out at our farm, I will also offer hourly training rates.

I've had a few calls and emails about taking lessons on schooling horses. At this point we don't have that capability but its also something under consideration.

Check out the Diamond G Farm website, I've made some updates to it over the past few weeks and will continue to update it over the next few with details on the lesson and training programs.

Ran across an interesting horse related video rental program ... sort of like netflix for horse people. It's called BarnSweetBarn - for $10/mo you can have one video out at a time . You add videos to your queue and as soon as you return the one you have, they send out the next one to you - up to five videos per month.

Well I guess that's about all for now. I'll try and be better about writing more frequently. Let me leave you with this thought ...

"The Warrior "stands outside the fire," as it were.
Never part of the group, not unwelcome, but not welcome, either.
He serves as a constant reminder of the evil in the world,
so his presence is most uncomfortable.

The Warrior is never accepted outside of his clan,
and sometimes not even within.
The Warrior faces a world that is unforgiving and unaccepting,
not with anger or bitterness or resentment,
but with the calm powerful knowledge that he is as God made him:
strong, bold, unflinching in the face of danger,
longing for the fight which may never come.

And through it all, he STANDS."
Steve Collins

Me and Professional Shops Don't Mix

2008-06-05T17:41:00.000-07:00

So some of you may know that my tractor was in need of repair. It has a four speed transmission with high and low gear ranges for a total of 8 forward and reverse gears. The high and low range shifter was working fine but I could not shift between the left and right sides of the H shift pattern. I suspect that a shifter fork is out of whack or something like that. It wasn't much of an issue while moving snow this winter, 2nd gear was just fine and dandy. However now that we're into spring and bush hogging season, I really could use 3rd and 4th. 2nd is a bit slow and 5th is too high. So about three weeks ago, I called Union Farm Equipment (the local kubota dealer) to get an appointment to bring it in to get the tranny repaired. Since it's spring and they're running a good special, I also wanted the annual service done on it. The front tires are pretty chewed up so I figured I'd get them looked at while it was in there too. As you may also recall, I don't have a trailer for the tractor so I had to rely on them to come and pick it up.

So I place the call and they tell me they'll give me a call just before they come to get it. Good enough. A week and a half goes by and I don't hear anything from them so I give them a call and inquire about picking up my tractor. We'll get to it next Thursday. Well OK at least I have a date. Sure enough they come the following Thursday to pick up the tractor. That Saturday I had to go into the parts department cuz last time I used the tractor before they took it I broke the PTO shaft that connects the tractor to the mower. Much to my dismay, I noticed my tractor was still outside in the parking lot. So a week goes by and I don't hear anything so I give them another call and find out that they've not taken it in yet and in fact there are 5 tractors in front of mine in the rotation, all needing clutch repairs. For those not in the know with tractors, clutch repair is a major undertaking. Basically the clutch sits between the transmission and the motor. You have to take the trasmission away from the motor to get to the clutch - this is referred to as splitting the tractor. At that point most tractors go into two pieces. Long story short - major backlog. So yeah, that's what I was thinking too ... "If you have such a backlog why pick up my tractor so soon????" No good answer but since I can't fix it myself I can't complain. They told me to figure on another week or so before it gets into the shop.

So over a week passes and I don't hear anything from them. By now it's this past Wednesday (and the grass is getting awfully tall). I call (again) and this time find out that they have, in fact, fixed the transmission. This is good. Then he tells me that they figure I need new front tires too. No suprise there. While doing the transmission stuff, the technician found some other things. Ugh - ok give me the list

1. You need new tubes for the back tires - they're leaking.
2. The front left tie rod is loose.
3. The tach does not work.
4. The starter needs a new solenoid.
5. There might be a charging problem.

So we talk about these
1. This is a no-brainer. My tractor tires are filled with calcium chloride to add weight. If the fluid leaks, it can cause rusting of the rims. Gotta fix that.
2. I talked to the shop man about this and he asked me if I drove it down the road in high gear. "Nope." Then we decided it wasn't worth fixing.
3. This wasn't a big issue to me but since it was only gonna be $35 to fix it I decided to do it.
4. Need a price on this one. There is a trick for the starter so I can start it but if it might break in the future better to fix it. Told him to get me a price on this. Turns out you can't get a solenoid
so I'd need a whole new starter. For the $700 decided to pass.
5. I told him that the battery always seems to work but that the past owner had cross jumped the battery so that's likely caused the idiot light to come on.

This is my problem whenever I have a vehicle taken into a factory shop. Remember the last time I took my truck into the shop for an inspection sticker and a cam-sensor recall I ended up with a new oil pan, brake lines, shocks, etc. Bad ju ju

Could have been a lot worse I guess so I figured that I was doing OK. Then about a half hour later I get a call back. "Umm - we were looking a bit closer at the rear rims and I noticed that your tube is actually sticking out of one rim and the other is pretty rusted." Sort of how the call went when the truck was in the shop too but what can you do? Rims are important.

So after giving them the go ahead for rims (I got 10% off of those) they told me the tractor should be ready sometime late next week.

As Stacy put it "see, you're a real farmer"

New Equipment Addition to the Farm

2008-06-04T18:25:00.000-07:00

I've been wanting a trailer for a while. Spent a bunch of time debating - stock or normal - gooseneck or bumper pull - 2 horse or 4, etc.

The first question was pretty easy, since the BLM requires a stock trailer when dealing with mustangs that seemed like a logical fit - plus at some point in the future I'd like to have some cows so there just seems to be more versitility with a stock trailer. For those who don't know the difference, stock trailers are open inside them with no partitions to seperate the animals, no troughs for feed, etc. If you gut the inside of a horse trailer you've got a stock trailer. Then I found out about stock/combo trailers which are basically stock trailers with a removable center divider so that you can have the best of both worlds. Since both of my girls have been delivered in stock trailers, I didn't anticipate any issues with one.

As for bumper pull versus gooseneck, originally I wanted a gooseneck. From what I've read, they handle better and have more natural backing characteristics. However, the F-250 is a shortbed which can cause issues with some gooseneck trailers. I've also got a toolbox in the bed that I've gotten used to and would hate to have to take it out. Since I'm not planning any cross country trips the bumper-pull wins this category.

Size of the trailer wasn't as much of an issue, I figured anything 16' and under would be fine, I don't anticipate needing to haul any more than 2 horses or a handful of dexter cattle.

So we put the word out to anyone we could that we were looking for a used trailer, read Uncle Henry's religiously every Saturday, scouted the newspapers, etc. Then one day we got a call from Mona (remember her, she's the woman we adopted Grace from) and she knew of someone in Saco selling a 2 horse bumper pull stock/combo trailer - just what we were looking for. I went to see it a few days later and bought it at the end of that week.

Once we had a trailer, I had to get a hitch put on the truck. The trailer GVCW is 7000 lbs so I figured I needed a hitch of that capacity. Seems logical, right? Well let me tell you, I had quite a time talking the hitch installer into selling me a class IV hitch that would tow it. He wanted to sell me a class III which was only rated for 5000 lbs. Now I don't anticpate putting 4500 pounds in the trailer but I figure if the trailer can support it then the hitch should as well. After some hemming and hawing I got a DrawTite Class IV hitch installed on the truck with a reese brake controller.

I finally had a chance to get out to Saco yesterday to pick her up. Let me tell you, after hauling a 31' travel trailer, she tows like a dream. Don't even need extended mirrors to see the back of it. The truck doesn't seem to mind it being back there - its about 2700 pounds empty.

She's a 2002 Valley 2 horse bumper pull stock/combo trailer 6' wide by 14' long. It is the heavy duty steel model, not the lighter aluminum. Its got a front changing room with saddle racks, etc. All the tires are in good shape, floor is in good condition and has mats. Currently the center divider is out - I'll likely keep it that way unless I need it for some reason.

Tomorrow is the anniversary of Ronald Reagan's death so as a tribute I would like to offer the following.

"I hope we have once again reminded people
that man is not free unless government is limited.
There's a clear cause and effect here that is as
neat and predictable as a law of physics:
as government expands,liberty contracts."
Ronald Reagan

Welcome to the Playground

2008-03-14T17:12:00.000-07:00

The farrier was scheduled to come on Thursday. Since the weather was nice and the front paddock was partly melted I decided to let Grace out to play. Figured if we were gonna try and get her hoofs done it might help if she was tired. So I put her in the stall next to Cleo and opened the door. After about 5 minutes of just looking out, she got super brave and put her front hooves out on the ground - of course she managed to lean backwards so that only her feet were visible outside the door. Finally about 10 minutes later she decided to take the plunge and fully step out the door. Once out the door she found some ledge. It took her quite a while to figure out that rocks aren't really all that good to eat - snow on the other hand is. Anytime a car would go by or something would happen she'd bolt back into the stall. Here she is on her maiden voyage.

Later on, Rick showed up to shoe Cleo - no problems there. Then we decided we'd try Grace and see what happens. I've been working with her on picking out her hoofs. She's been really good about her front hoofs and her back left but for some reason when I try to pick her back right hoof she puts all her weight on that foot. That makes it really hard to get it done. So I was mentioning that to Rick and he told me that horses can be the horse equivalent of right or left handed and that was probably the reason. So we decided to trim her hoofs in her stall figuring that's where she'd be most comfortable. We weren't going to worry about doing a really good job, rather we were treating this like a child's first haircut - get in and out and make it a pleasant experience for her. Front hoofs - no problem. Back left hoof - no problem. Back right hoof, well after one false start she got it together and stood very quietly. Chalk one up for Grace, she was really good.

Today it was super nice out (about 45 degrees) so I decided I'd let Grace out for a while and then bring her in and turn Cleo out. Stacy suggested rather than swap I just let Cleo out with Grace. What's the worst thing that could happen? Well lets not go there. So I turned Cleo out and of course she goes right out and Grace comes trotting over all happy like. Bing - alpha mare alert! Cleo spins on a dime, pins the ears back and launches a few kicks into Grace's general direction. Grace was smart enough to give her a bit of space but also kept coming back for more. Once it became apparent that Grace was starting to know her place in the pecking order, kicking turned to nipping. After about a half hour of that, everyone knew their place and the two of them were chumming around. Wherever Cleo would go Grace would be sure to follow.

Later on this afternoon I look out and see Cleo laying down and Grace resting her head on Cleo's body. I wasn't able to get that on camera but here's another from about the same time.

Late this afternoon when I was going to clean stalls I noticed ....

Yup, thats both of them in Cleo's stall. Since the water bucket was empty I figured I'd fill it up for them. As soon as Cleo started drinking from the 5 gallon bucket, Grace tried to wedge her nose into the bucket too. She did get it part way in before Cleo gave her a nip on the neck for her trouble. Then they took turns drinking from the bucket (after Cleo had her fill - its good to be alpha). Since I wanted to clean Cleo's stall, I kicked them both back outside and when I came back into the barn, they were in the stall next to Cleo and one of them (most likely Grace since she does this sometime) closed the door. Neither seemed to mind so I guess they're now officially buddies.

I came across the following on the Matt Hughes blog the other day and thought it was worth sharing. (No credit was given for the author)

STONE

TWO FRIENDS WERE WALKING
THROUGH THE DESERT.
DURING SOME POINT OF THE
JOURNEY, THEY HAD AN
ARGUMENT; AND ONE FRIEND
SLAPPED THE OTHER ONE
IN THE FACE

THE ONE WHO GOT SLAPPED
WAS HURT, BUT WITHOUT
SAYING ANYTHING,
WROTE IN THE SAND,

TODAY MY BEST FRIEND
SLAPPED ME IN THE FACE.

THEY KEPT ON WALKING,
UNTIL THEY FOUND AN OASIS,
WHERE THEY DECIDED
TO TAKE A BATH .

THE ONE WHO HAD BEEN
SLAPPED GOT STUCK IN THE
MIRE AND STARTED DROWNING,
BUT THE FRIEND SAVED HIM.

AFTER HE RECOVERED FROM
THE NEAR DROWNING,
HE WROTE ON A STONE:

“TODAY MY BEST FRIEND
SAVED MY LIFE”

THE FRIEND WHO HAD SLAPPED
AND SAVED HIS BEST FRIEND
ASKED HIM, “AFTER I HURT YOU,
YOU WROTE IN THE SAND AND NOW,
YOU WRITE ON A STONE, WHY?”

THE FRIEND REPLIED
“WHEN SOMEONE HURTS US
WE SHOULD WRITE IT DOWN
IN SAND, WHERE WINDS OF
FORGIVENESS CAN ERASE IT AWAY.

BUT, WHEN SOMEONE DOES
SOMETHING GOOD FOR US,
WE MUST ENGRAVE IT IN STONE
WHERE NO WIND
CAN EVER ERASE IT”

LEARN TO WRITE
YOUR HURTS IN
THE SAND AND TO
CARVE YOUR
BENEFITS IN STONE.

In with the new (not out with the old tho)

2008-03-05T18:17:00.000-08:00

Well, good things can sometimes come in the "beeg brown twuck". Early this afternoon the UPS guy showed up with my new boots. Why new boots you ask?

I've had these boots since 1995. They've been resoled twice, reheeled more times than I can remember (usually 2x yearly). They got wore most days. Lots of snow and ice might cause me to break out the workboots but in general they were wore about 75% of the time. Cleaned often and reblacked as needed.

As I might have mentioned earlier, I got them from Bowman's Wilson Boots in Livingston, MT. I had them custom made since I have one foot a bit bigger than the other. So when you order them, you trace your feet out on a piece of paper and send that in with some answers to other foot related questions. Not long after I placed my order, my friend Scott asked the question "What happens if you screw up?" Not the best question to be asking after the order was already in. So with great joy and a touch of worry, I slipped them on. Hats off to the Wilson guys, they fit perfect! Not quite as broke in as my old ones but after just a few hours of wear they are well on their way. So what do they look like?

For those of you who have seen me, they look like my original pair.

Here's what they'll look like in another 12 years. Old vs New.

If you haven't had the chance to check out the website for the newest horse boarding stable farm facility located in beautiful mid-coast Edgecomb, Maine, go over and check out the official Diamond G Farm website. (Yes this is a shameless plug for the search engines to find so please ignore all the extra search tags I've inserted in that gramatically ugly sentance. I've registered the site with google and dogpile but it's not been crawled as of yet.)

Mona has a nice article up on her website about Grace coming to the farm. You can check that out here. Scroll down to the Amazing Grace section at the bottom.

Well that's about all for tonight. Hope all y'all are doing well.

"Peace is not the absence of warfare or conflict.
Peace is the absence of desire.
So long as there is an unfulfilled desire in your life,
you will not have peace.
For the believer, peace on earth is death to self,
and total trust and reliance on God.
The more you know how little you know,
the more you trust God and rely on Him."
- Unknown

Up and Running

2008-03-03T18:13:00.001-08:00

Well, after a lengthy delay and too many people asking "Do you have a website?" I finally got around to registering a domain name and creating our official website. You can find the official Diamond G Farm website by clicking here.

It is a work in progress so expect changes there as we find additional things to add. My first critic has already mentioned that the white background is "too plain" and needs more color or maybe even a picture. And no, it wasn't her, it was the other (smaller) her. :-)

Got more snow over the weekend so once again the ground is covered. Days are getting longer and this weekend we set the clocks ahead - that'll sure be nice.

Grace is still shedding bunches - she had decided that she really likes the shedding blade but isn't really sure what to make of all that hair on the ground. Apparently it doesn't taste all that good. We've been working on two things with her lately. (1) Getting her to stand still while being held by her halter or on a leadrope. This is something completely foreign to her so it's been a bit of a struggle but we're making progress. (2) Picking all four feet. The two front hooves are going nicely but for some reason we're stuck on the back ones. She lets me lift both back feet off the ground but feels the need to throw all her weight on the leg that's being held.

Cleo is Cleo and doesn't change all that much. She still likes to go out and roll around in the snow. She's not shedding nearly as much as Grace but she didn't get as heavy a winter coat either.

And then we have Laredo. Some days its really hard to be the head CattleDog in charge of no cattle - you have to make due with what you have.

"As for God, His way is perfect.
All the Lord's promises prove true.
He is a shield to all who look to Him for protection."
- 2 Samuel 22:31

Welcomed Guest

2008-02-20T16:03:00.000-08:00

OK so I've been a slacker and haven't updated the blog much lately. Couple of reasons for that (1) we're in the dead of winter so there's not much going on and (2) my day job has been keeping me pretty busy.

On Thursday of last week we were sitting at the table eating lunch when Stacy started staring out the window. Much to our suprise, the snowy owl that we've seen off in the distance had plunked herself (based on its coloring I'm guessing it was a her but if anyone happens to be an owl expert and can confirm this, that'd be great) in the tree right outside the window. Want to know more about Snowy Owls? Then click here.

It really was an amazing site, she stayed there for what must have been 15 minutes anyway.

And here's the last snap I got

I tried going upstairs to take pictures more at her level but there was a big ol branch right between me and her. For those of you who know the layout of our property, this is the tree right behind the house. After a while, she flew off over to the tree between the house and barn for about two minutes but left when the woodpecker took up residence in the tree. Yup we've also got a woodpecker that seem to have taken residence in some of the trees around. I tried to snap a few pictures of it but none came out all that good.

The owl was back again yesterday, this time spotted in the same tree between the house and barn. Turkey's have been MIA since about the first of the year.

Weather's been pretty good for winter. Rainy and warm on Monday and pretty warm on Tuesday too. Today hovered around freezing with a bit of wind and not a lot of sun. Just about all the snow we had on the ground is now gone again - this time we don't have too much ice left.

Doesn't seem like spring's too far off, both of the girls have started shedding heavily this week. Also starting to see large groups of robins (50-75) pecking through the yard when the grass is showing. But then again it is winter in New England so I guess we'll just have to wait it out and see what happens.

Still looking for a horse trailer so if anyone knows of a good used one, let me know. Ideally I'd like a stock/combo 2 or 3 horse gooseneck but will take what's available.

"If we continue to teach about tolerance and intolerance instead of good and evil, we will end up with tolerance of evil."
- Dennis Prager

Came across that quote the other day - sure is a lot to think about there. At first I bet a lot of you will disagree with it. You might want to give it serious thought in the context of where society is at today. We've not only losing (or maybe lost is a better statement) the idea of right and wrong, if we talk about it or question it we are often referred to as being intolorant or some other 'ist or 'phobe. In the end, both sides can't be right about this so choose your side carefully - there's a lot riding on your choice.

"He who pursues righteousness and
love finds life, prosperity, and honor."
- Proverbs 21:21

Wiggles

2008-02-08T19:02:00.000-08:00

Tonight we had to have Wiggles put down. Earlier this week Stacy noticed that one of his eyes was starting to cloud over a bit. Then on Thursday, we noticed that he wasn't looking too good and was having a little bit of a hard time getting around. So we took him out of his cage and let him motivate around the kitchen for a while. Later on in the day, it looked like he was having a hard time standing. When we got up this morning, he could not hold his back end up and was scooting himself around with his front end. We put a call into the vet this morning and was told that she was out on farm calls today but she would would stop by the office on her way in tonight just to take a look. So when she finally got back (slow driving out today, we got between 4" and 6" of snow today) I brought him in. The vet couldn't pinpoint the exact cause but it was obvious that he was in real pain and wasn't likely to get much better. Although it was a hard decision, there wasn't really any choice.

Ever since we've been here on the farm, he's been my constant work companion. Not one to be afraid of the cats, he used to have a good time chasing Chip around. He was a bit leery of the cattledog tho. Every time someone would come to the house, Laredo would run over to Wiggle's cage and bark at him. Tonight when I got home from the vet, Laredo went over to bark at the rabbit but just stopped and stared when he got to the empty cage.

Of late, Wiggles was known amongst family and friends as "the sleep wrecker". Whenever someone would sleep over, Wiggles would make a ton of noise during the middle of the night - pushing his ever-present tissue box around, drinking extra water, and stomping his back feet.

The rest of the family is doing OK with it. Everyone misses him but all understand he's in a better way.

Let it snow

2008-01-17T16:46:00.000-08:00

As you may know, we've been getting a lot of snow up here this year. Cleo likes to go out in the snow but as soon as she comes back into the barn, she's got a ton of it packed into her front hoofs. (She doesn't have shoes on the back so it's not a problem there.) When she gets back into her stall, she stands all kinds of lopsided and doesn't look all that comfortable because it always seems to ball up higher than her shoe bottom - its like she's standing on top of a ball. I pick her hoofs when she comes in but that doesn't help her when I leave her out for a while with her stall door open. Today was shoeing day for her so I asked Rick (our farrier) about either pulling her front shoes off for the winter or putting pads under them. Since she's got some issues with cracks in her front hoofs, we decided (well Rick actually) that it would be best to leave shoes on so we had to go with option 2. Here's a picture of what the pad looks like. Basically its just a piece of rubber with a bump on the downward facing side. This bump helps keep snow from packing in.

This pad is put between the hoof and the shoe then the shoe is nailed on top. Between the pad and the hoof is packed with some special stuff that will help to keep out thrush and any other bad stuff. And for extra traction in the snow and ice, we have ...

yup - studded shoes. Each of the four round items you see in the shoe is a stud that's been attached to the shoe. This will be a big help for her in getting around. Not sure if we have a "studded horseshoe" season up here like the do for studded snow tires tho. The good thing is that when we're finally rid of winter, we can take the shoes and pads off and put them away till next winter. Cleo was a good girl for the farrier.

Rick also took a look at Grace while he was here and said once she's reliably allowing her hoofs to be picked up we should get her hoofs trimmed. She's getting much better at that so hopefully in the next few weeks she'll be ready. (That ought to be fun)

On Wednesday morning while I was sitting by the computer looking out over the barn, I saw what looked exactally like a white squirrel running across the front of the (closed) barn doors. What I had seen was, in fact, an albino squirrel.

So that's about all for now. More snow predicted for tonight (1-4") and Saturday night (2-4").

OK, one more thing I have to gripe about. I went out tonight to fill up the truck and get 5 gallons of fuel for the tractor. $100.00 on the dot. Never in my life have I spent this much at one time for fuel (diesel or gas). I don't even have that big of a tank on my truck (28 gals).

"Don't worry about anything;
instead, pray about everything.
Tell God what you need,
and thank Him for all He has done."
- Phillippians 4:6

Maybe

2008-01-12T15:48:00.000-08:00

Well, the girls are doing pretty good. We've had some pretty warm weather this week so most of the snow is gone but that means that mud is here. It's too early for spring mud season but we've got a little sneak-peek at it this week. Cleo doesn't seem to mind it much, she likes to run in it and roll around in it. She's also smart enough to know her limits in it and won't do too much thats real foolish in it. Grace is still leary of being outside. I've been waiting for the ice to melt in the round pen so I could turn her out in there but that must not get nearly as much sun and heat as the paddocks. I'd rather let Grace out in the round pen first (both to start some learning and to get all of her energy out) before introducing her to board fence and hot wire. Well we'll have to see where the New England weather takes us. Last I saw, we're on the hook for another 6-10" on Monday. I'm really hoping we get a bit of cold first so the top layer of mud can freeze back over - otherwise plowing the snow could be interesting.

Ran across the following poem that I thought was worth sharing.

Maybe ...

Maybe it's the hat. The way he tips it with one hand while he extends the other to shake a woman's hand, knowing that's how his daddy would have done it.

Maybe it's the clothes. The way he wears the crisp shirts and starched Wranglers and the boots with the spurs that never come off, jingling with each step he takes.

Maybe it's the horse. The way he sits in the saddle and looks as comfortable as most men do on their sofas, moving as only a man who has experienced true freedom can.

Maybe it's the way he talks. The way he chooses the fewest words to make the greatest impact, knowing the fancy phrases but not needing the recognition that comes from using them.

Maybe it's in his face. The way he can say so much without ever opening his mouth; his sun-tanned skin, the piercing eyes, the boyish grin that holds the hurt inside.

Maybe it's his financial prowess. The way he doesn't spend money on himself, opting instead to pick up the beer tab with the boys or to bring flowers to a lady.

Maybe it's the way he dances. The way he silently communicates his next move, holding a woman close and leaving no question as to who is in the lead.

Maybe it's his attitude. The way he loves unconditionally and trusts completely, able to visit with a stranger as openly and freely as a lifelong friend.

Maybe it's his ethics. The way he is always the last to leave the barn, staying after the last horse is put away to spend extra time playing with his dog who put in as many hours that day as he did.

Maybe it's the total package. The way one minute with him takes you back in time, making you wish you had lived, for even one day, 100 years ago.

Laurie Denny - American Cowboy Magazine - Winter 2008 p. 22

Grace really enjoys being next to Cleo. So much so that she doesn't want to go back into her stall after being in the next stall over. She sure can be stubborn, I'll give her that. I gave her her first salt block today. At first she wasn't sure what to do with it - she spent a bunch of time trying to bite it but eventually figured out that she's supposed to lick it. Based on how much water she drank in a short time, I'm guessing she's got it figured out pretty well. Had to get Cleo a new block too, she goes through them about once a week.

Got to watch the AQHA Worlds from OKC on TV tonight - they showed cutting and reining. The athleticism and intelligence of the horses is amazing to me. A lot of training time and wet saddle pads there - and some good breeding doesn't hurt either.

Well, that's about all for now. Not much happening up here in New England in the winter without an indoor arena.

Turning Tide?

2008-01-04T15:52:00.000-08:00

Slacker Alert:

Today I'm going to take a break from farming to talk about something thats been on my mind. Been noticing that I'm seeing and hearing more about God (and Jesus) in the media lately. That has gotten me to wondering if the tide is starting to turn back towards the direction it should be going. Trying to think optimistically, I really hope this is the case but this also brought me to another possible reason for this uptick. It just might be that the more I realize the importance of God in my life, the more I find myself drawn to like minds and turned off from those things that are not. After a bunch 'o thought on this, I've come to the conclusion that it's a little of the first and more of the latter. This is good for me and not as good for everyone else.

Thinking about this has also gotten me to pontificating about role models and mentors. I think one of the biggest issues with the kids of today is that they don't have very many good role models and/or mentors to choose from. Most of what you see on TV and in the media is just plain old crap. The desire for money and power regardless of the cost to others or the personal costs to themselves runs rampant in sports, TV, government, the media, and even with some religious figures. Made me realize that I've been blessed with some very good mentors and role models throughout my life. Many of them did not ask for that job and might not have even known that they were doing it.

Mr. Dick Bennett was my riding instructor back when I was a young 'un. He was definately old school - brutally honest and tough but that forced you to either get better or get out. He taught me that hard work and practice pays off - you need it to get to the top of your game and then need it even more to stay there. Through him and showing horses, I learned that no matter how hard you try and how much you prepare, things don't always work out the way you planned (just ask JD about pattern classes) but that's OK. I also learned that life isn't always fair - the best person doesn't always win - but thats how life here on earth is. That you need to take pride in yourself and represent yourself to the best of your ability. Good things take time and come in small increments which you often don't see as they are happening but one day you look back and are amazed at where you got to.

Cowboys - I'm not talking about the shoot 'em up 1 against 100 movie and book characters here. I'm thinking more about the stories of good honest punchers, ranchers, and lawmen standing up for what is right when their back is up against the wall, regardless of the odds. Avoiding trouble until pushed too far, helping out others in time of need no matter the personal cost. Doing what is right and not what is easy. This same principal can still be found in many ranches throughout the country. Today's (real) cowboys still work hard for little pay but do what they do for the love of life. Cowboying isn't about the clothes, its about character.

Mr. William Gaudette. If ever there was a fine example of a humble man who has been a role model to hundreds of people without ever trying, this would be him. Having trained in kenpo with Mr. Gaudette for 14 years has taught me a lot not only about the martial arts but also so many other things in life. Our student creed mentions "I will live by the principals of black belt: modesty, integrity, perseverance, self control, and indominable spirit". He exhibits these principals in his everyday life. Being around him, it is hard to not want to adopt these and get better at them. He taught me that self-confidence gives inner peace and outer calm.

While on the martial arts theme, I'd like to mention two folks. The first is Chuck Norris. He is a man of God who has come through many struggles in life but has used his skills and fame to help benefit children both through his martial arts instruction and also his kick drugs programs. A new potential martial arts role model (at least for me) is Matt Hughes. Most of you will likely not know Matt but he is a UFC fighter. I've gotten a real good feeling on him from several of the TV interviews I've seen with him. Recently he coached a team of asipring MMA fighters on Ultimate Fighter TV show and during that time, he was not afraid to openly talk about his religion and spirituality and to try to open the young fighters minds to God. This was very refreshing to see on national TV. I have just ordered his autobiography and I'm sure I'll have several good quotes to use from it.

And of course, I couldn't have a list of role models without mentioning my beautiful wife and soulmate. Stacy has taught me so many things that I won't even try to mention them all here. I do need to thank her for her help in two areas though - compassion and spirituality. Stacy has shown me how to care about people, not just those who we know but people in general. Whenever I get stuck in life's ruts, Stacy quietly reminds me that its not about me but rather God and his work that needs to be done. That is so grounding and always puts things back into perspective for me. Thanks cutie, I love you!

In closing, I ask you to be a positive example, you never know who might be watching!

"Trust in the Lord with all your heart, and lean not on your
own understanding; In all your ways acknowledge him, and
He shall direct your paths."

- Proverbs 3:5-6.

9543 Has Arrived

2007-12-25T15:10:00.000-08:00

Well first off, I'd like to wish everyone a very merry Christmas!

Lots has been going on so I've got a bit of catching up to do here. First off, Mustang #9543 has finally arrived at the Diamond G. Here's the tag she was wearing around before going to Mona.

And without further adu, here she is ("Hi, I'm Grace")

She arrived on Saturday afternoon. We had a harder time getting Mona's trailer out of the snow than we did getting Grace on the trailer. After a few hems and haws, she loaded right up. When we got back to the farm, Cleo was out in the front paddock. When she saw Grace, she started prancing around the paddock and winnied in her typical tone. Once Grace got settled and found her, she winnied right back in her high pitched voice. We didn't have any problems getting Grace into the barn nor into her stall (this was the first time she was in a stall). Speaking of Mona, here she is with Grace.

Grace is settling in nicely. At this point, we're not really sure what color she'll turn out to be. At first we were thinking blue roan but now there's a chance she'll be grey. I guess we'll just have to wait to see. Whatever color she turns out to be, she's awfully cute!

Cleo had a bit of jealousy at first but that seems to have wained now. As long as she gets to eat first and gets first attention, she's fine.

Saturday it was on the warmer side and Sunday was pretty warm as well. Some of the snow started to go down (at least all the ice had melted) but then we got some rain on Sunday night and lo and behold, the ground started showing again. We literally lost 12-14" of snow overnight in some spots - without apparent flooding. So here we were all this time thinking we were going to have a white Christmas and now it's some white, some brown, and some green.

I received the following in an email from the Fr Corapi email list today and thought it was worth sharing.

CHRISTMAS GREETINGS 2007

I recently read some simple, yet profound, wisdom from two excellent sources: Pope Benedict XVI and Mother Angelica. They were both speaking about Christmas and the Christ child, and when either of them speak, I listen. One is our spiritual father, our Papa (Papal, Pope), the other is a spiritual mother to many. Both are reliable, both are holy, and both have remained faithful through the thick and thin of the Churchs recent history. Here are a few insights and perspectives that I gleaned from them.

Isn't it interesting, even amazing, that when God came to us He came as a helpless infant. He came as a baby so that we would not fear to approach Him. He came as a little child so that we might begin to understand Him. He did not come as a majestic King, although He surely is. He did not come on a warhorse with legions of angels at His command, although He could have. He came to us as an infant--poor, rejected, cold, and helpless. He came to us little so that we might understand Him, the Holy Father has remarked. Indeed, God so loved the world that He sent his only begotten Son that whoever would believe in him would not perish, but come to everlasting life. He sent His Son as a baby.

If you have been far from God, or just somewhat disinterested, dont wait any longer. Approach the manger this Christmas and make room in the Inn of your heart.

In the midst of the incredible and sad commercialization of the holy day of Christmas, and all of the gifts and glitter, remember whose birthday it is. It is Jesus birthday. That is what Christmas is. What will you give to the Lord of Lords and the King of Kings on his birthday this year? Perhaps this year you will give him your heart and mind, all that you are and all that you do? Will you give him the gift of your time? Perhaps you will give him the gift of one hour in prayer before the Blessed Sacrament? Perhaps you will feed him, clothe him, house him, visit him in the hospital or nursing home? Perhaps you will visit him in prison? Perhaps you will love him in a thousand ways by loving the least of his brethren, as He instructed us to do?

May the infant Jesus bless you now and all the days of your life.

Not much that I can add to that, so let me close with the following reminder of the significance of this day and a prayer for peace for men of good will.

" And she brought forth her first-born Son, and
wrapped Him up in swaddling clothes, and laid
Him in a manger, because there was no room for
them in the inn. And there were in the same country
shepherds watching, and keeping the night watches
over their flock. And behold an Angel of the Lord
stood by them, and the brightness of God shone
round about them, and they feared with a great fear.
And the Angel said to them: Fear not; for behold I bring
you good tidings of great joy, that shall be to all the people;
for this day is born to you a Saviour, Who is Christ the Lord,
in the city of David. And this shall be a sign unto you:
You shall find the infant wrapped in swaddling clothes,
and laid in a manger. And suddenly there was with
the Angel a multitude of the heavenly army, praising
God, and saying: Glory to God in the highest and on earth,
peace to men of good will."
Luke 2:7-14

No news is ... a bummer

2007-12-16T18:06:00.000-08:00

Well, instead of Grace today we got ... yep snow. Started out about 7:15 this morning and tapered off to rain at about 5:30. All in all, we got probably 8" on the ground. Started out as light and fluffy snow but got a heavier as the day went on.

Once we confirmed that we were gonna get weather today, Mona decided that she would try to bring Grace up on Saturday instead. However, as luck would have it she got tied up doing stuff around her barn and couldn't get out before it was gonna be dark. So sometime this week, we'll try to pick another time. It'll get harder and harder to plan long term with winter in full effect (even though technically its still fall for another week or so). Starting to see a few more trailers in Uncle Henry's so might be getting onto time to thinking about acquiring our own. I'm thinking that ideally, I'd like a 16' gooseneck combo stock trailer. That would be the best overall option to handle horses, cows, and hay.

Got some work done in the barn today. Fixed the outside door in what will be Grace's stall and started fixing a few other things that needed fixing.

Well, thats about all for today. Not much to say but thought I'd bring all y'all up to date on the continuing saga of Grace.

Receiving Grace

2007-12-12T17:36:00.000-08:00

Finally got my paperwork back from the BLM this past Monday. I talked with Mona over the weekend and she has agreed to haul Grace up to us on this coming Sunday. Mona told me that Grace is leading better and is pretty good about picking up her feet. She's mostly over the nipping stage as well. She's also gotten a lot bigger than the last time we've seen her too.

This morning I was talking to a neighbor and she was telling me that we're supposed to get a doozy of a snowstorm on Sunday - possibly a foot or more. I've not been able to confirm that with any of the online weather places yet so stay tuned for more info as it becomes available. Hopefully we'll be able to get her but if the weather's bad, it might have to wait. She's about an hour and a half away, so its not a short trip and would be much worse in the snow.

While reading The Beginning Farmer's Blog the other day, I came across the following quote.

"As an entrepreneur I learned that you can commit yourself to a strategy if you burn the bridge behind you. Then you have to make it work." - Tim Young

Ethan, the owner of that blog was interviewing the owners of Nature's Harmony Farm. You can read the blog entry containing this quote on "Nature's Harmony Farm Q&A - Part 3" here. The owners of this farm quit Corporate America to live a simpler life closer to nature. They're setting their farm up to most closely mimic nature with grazing rotation, animal care, etc.

"Be strong and courageous, and do the work. Don't be afraid or discouraged by the size of the task, for the Lord God, my God, is with you. He will not fail you or forsake you."
1 Chronicles 28:20

Words To Live By

2007-12-07T15:49:00.000-08:00

Was reading the December issue of Western Horseman last night when I came across an ad for Stoecklein Photography. I took a closer look at some of the pictures and came across this poster.

Code of The West
1. Live Each Day with Courage
2. Take Pride in Your Work
3. Always Finish What you Start
4. Do What Has to Be Done
5. Be Tough, But Fair
6. When You Make a Promise, Keep It
7. Ride for the Brand
8. Talk Less and Say More
9. Remember That Some Things Are Not For Sale
10. Know Where to Draw the Line

After re-reading the list a few times, I got to thinking that those sure are good rules to live by. They will become the cornerstone of our youth program. Seems to me that folks can make things far too complicated sometimes, always trying to come up with grey areas when things are mostly black and white. Seems more often than not grey areas are often just a way out of making the right/hard/unpopular decision.

So then I turn the page (back to Western Horseman magazine again) and stumble across an interview with Sheila Varian, who amongst other things has this to say "You need to take loss with graciousness, but it should eat on you a bit".

Of course Michael Martin Murphy sums it up pretty good in his song "Cowboy Logic" - if you've never heard it, give it a listen and if you have, listen to it again.

Good news on the Grace front! I called Randy at the BLM yesterday to find out about the status of my application. He wasn't in but I talked with another woman in the office. She told me that I didn't need to wait for the application to be signed and returned - even though this is what Randy indicated in his cover letter to me when he sent me the application. That being said, she told me they signed and recorded it on 11/27/07 and that I should have already received it. Since I didn't, she was going to send me a copy in the mail. So tonight I called Mona and left a message with her to arrange for delivery of Grace to the Diamond G. Here's a picture of her from the mustang rescue site.

Got some more snow tonight - wasn't supposed to accumulate but we've got over a new inch on the ground so far.

What else but Snow

2007-12-05T16:00:00.000-08:00

Well, winter came early and hard to the Diamond G this year. Late Sunday night into Tuesday afternoon we got about 16 inches of snow. Good snowball snow, too - not too fluffy but not slushball material either.

It's the pretty snow that sticks to the trees but doesn't bring down powerlines.

In order for us to get snow, the temperature needed to warm up some. Most of last week the average high temo was about 20 degrees. It wasn't too bad when the wind stayed down but when it kicked up boy it was cold.

This year, due to reasons outside of our control (thanks Chip) we needed to get a new Christmas tree. We decided that we would like to get a live tree this year. This is the first real tree for any of us.

The snow came as kind of a suprise. I was checking out the weather for the week and saw they were predicting about a foot of snow. Nothing like the prediction of a foot of snow later on that day to kick yer butt into high gear. On the way into church we were a bit early so I stopped by the side of the road to take some pictures of one of the tidal rivers that had started to freeze. Tidal rivers are real amazing to me - the amount of water that comes and goes with them every day is huge.

Church was really good this week. Stacy and I got to light the advent candle during the mass. We had a substitute priest this week who gave a really great homily on the need to listen. His hard nosed preaching style reminded me of Father Corapi. After church, we went to Morse farmstand to pick out our tree and then we had to stop and buy a snow shovel - our old one wore itself out. Before the snow would start falling, I needed to hang a window in the barn that needed most of its panes repaired (fortunately I got the glass on Friday and had fixed the window on Saturday), bring in about a dozen stall mats that I had out to get cleaned off, bring in several buckets from the paddocks and fields, etc. By the time I had everything about done, dark set in. (Dark sure does set in early and hard these days - kinda like God throwing the light switch)

In the middle of all this Sunday activity, we had some friends from Oxford stop by for a visit. It sure was nice to see them and sit and visit awhile.

Then early Monday morning (about 2:00AM) the snow started but unfortunately during the afternoon, the snow blower didn't. Good thing I had a nice new shovel to break in. First time I got to move snow with the tractor, too. It's a little tricky to get the hang of but fortunately for me (and the farm) the ground was already frozen so it's less likely to tear up. Moving snow is a balancing act of angle and downward pressure on the bucket. Too much pressure and angle and you tear things up (and can't steer as the front end comes off the ground) and too little and you get a hard packed layer under the bucket. Unless of course you're back blading which has its own set of issues. :-)

Cleo doesn't seem to mind the snow much, except for the fact that it is covering all the grass. She kind of just mills about and occasionally paws the snow off the ground and tries to get a mouthful of grass. Laredo likes the snow, he jumps around in it.

Speaking of Laredo, he has learned a new trick, he's figured out how to open the sliding door. This afternoon I was parking the tractor (more snow cleanup) when I noticed Laredo was out in the paddock with Cleo. I figured someone had taken him out but nope, he just let himself out. First the fridge and now the door.

No paperwork back from the BLM yet, guess I'll have to call them and see what's going on.

We've got a new visitor on the farm, a snowy owl has been hanging around pretty close to the house and barn. I've seen him a few times but haven't been able to get a picture yet. The first time I saw him, he was sitting on top of the gate for the round pen. I was a bit suprised to see him in mid-morning so out in the open.

Well, thats about all for now. Hopefully I'll have some good news on Grace this week. If you happen to be local, check out our ads running in the Wiscasset, BoothBay, and Lincoln County newspapers as well as The Coastal Journal and Uncle Andy's. We're running a Christmas sale where we're offering 1/2 off your first two months of boarding if you contact us before Januray 7th.

Gifts received

2007-11-26T15:35:00.000-08:00

We went down to visit family during this Thanksgiving weekend.

First off, a big thanks to Phil for helping out and keeping track of the farm while we were gone - Cleo sure did appreciate it.

While we were down there, we visited our extended family at St. Roch's church for mass. It's interesting, we've only been gone about 6 months but darn, all the kids are growing up and looked different. Just before we were moving to the farm, one of the members of the folk choir had heard that we were going to have a horse farm and she shared with me the fact that she recently had to have her horse put down. This was a very tramatic event for her as he was a close friend and companion. Earlier that day before mass, she had decided that she needed to start getting rid of her John Lyons training books and some of his magazines that she had and wasn't sure what to do with them. Then she saw us in Church that morning and felt that God wanted her to give the stuff to us and that we'd be able to put it to good use. Since she didn't have them with her at that time and her and her family were coming up to Maine to visit family the next week, she thought she might stop by and drop them off. Well as things often happen, she was not able to. So this weekend we saw her at Mass and lo-and-behold, she had them in her car. She's actually had them in her car all summer waiting to see us. I didn't know a lot about John personally, I've read some of his magazine articles and have heard great reviews of his clinics but I thought I'd spend a bit of time looking at his site. Turns out that he is a not only a great horseman but he is also a fellow christian. How fitting that God would move in people to see that His people will share information to those who are willing to listen and learn! The woman also asked if we wanted her saddle and bridle. So after lunch, I went over to her house to pick up the tack and books/magazines. The saddle, bridles, and bits were all very nice and in super condition. Here's a picture of the saddle.

When I was there, she told me she wasn't sure why but had decided that we needed to have the tack. She had received offers to buy it from her but thought it should go to someone who would put it to good use. Now here's the interesting thing about all that - I have never shared with her our desire/dream to be able to create a horse (and farm) mentoring program for children. God does provide when you want to put good back into the world! We are hoping to be able to get something started with that in the Spring and the saddle will sure come in handy. The connection between animals and children can be tremendous to both - more on this in a later post. Not sure if she will read this blog but thanks for the stuff!

I had some time to kill not long after getting the tack and books so I happened to pick up a random issue of John Lyons' Perfect Horse magazine from the pile of books. I was looking at the cover and one of the articles was entitled "Mastering Mustangs" so immediately that got my interest (still haven't gotten the paperwork back from the BLM to complete the Grace adoption yet by the way). So I started out reading the editorial from John entitled "What Are You Doing?" and found some real interesting stuff that I thought would be great to share. The main subject of the editorial is about losing track of what you are intending to do and how that makes us feel like we're not making progress.

"Listen to advice and accept instruction,
and in the end you will be wise. Many are
the plans in a man's heart, but it is the
Lord's purpose that prevails"

Proverbs 19:20-21

"As I look back, I can see that God is like a good horse trainer, using interruptions or difficult people to teach me lessons that seemed worthless at the time but have become valuable. He knew what He was doing. The biggest lesson is that even when I mess up, He still loves me."
John Lyons' Perfect Horse Magazine - October 2006 - Pg 6

All I can think of is "insipred words from a man who knows " horses and people. (Trivia: Do you know what movie "Language lessons ... insipred words from a man who knows how to ski." came from?)

One of the things I'm learning is that great horse people are not only good with horses but are also good with people. Helping them to learn how to learn and work through problems - horses, like people, are an interesting puzzle.

Later on that night at a family gathering, I had been given an old copy of a dog magazine that had a cattle dog on the cover. Dang if it didn't look like Laredo when he was a pup. Here's the cover picture

Overall, it was a great weekend for receiving stuff and spending time with the family. Hopefully we'll hear back from the BLM this week and will be able to get Grace here at the Diamond G.

Those things defy the laws of physics

2007-11-14T15:06:00.000-08:00

Got the adoption application from Randy at the BLM in the mail yesterday. A signature, a check for $125.00, and an envelope (complete with stamp) were all that stood between us and Grace. Sent the paperwork in today so as soon as we get the signed copy back from Randy we can set up a time for delivery from Mona. Speaking of Mona, I talked with her on Monday night and she was telling me that Grace is progressing nicely. She is now at the point where they can pick up all four of her feet without any trouble. Mona is hoping they won't have any problems getting Grace in the trailer and she'll have a nice ride up here. If I had to guess, I'd say we'll have her here at the Diamond G sometime right after Thanksgiving.

Cleo is coming along nicely. Been working a lot on the basics with her - a lot of ground work and basic riding fundimentals. Its been neat to see some of Bill Dorrance's techniques in action and some of the results they bring. Today we both saw quite a sight. We were working in the round pen when I saw the turkeys coming down between the house and barn. Cleo caught a gander at them not too long after me and they must've just seen her about that time too. So they decided to take evade by taking flight ... Now anyone who's seen a turkey fly knows it's not nearly as beautiful as an eagle and/or hawk. In fact, its like comparing a fighter jet to a C-130 lumbering down the runway for take off - you get to wondering just how that thing is gonna get off the ground. So anyway, we both stopped to watch this specticle - at first Cleo was dancing around but then curiosity just got the best of her and she just stood motionless watching them take off down the hill one by one. At one point there were about 10 turkeys in flight. Once they were down on the ground again and in the tall grass, we were back to business as usual.

Finally used up the remainder of the old sawdust and got to let the bin dry out for a few days. Since they've been predicting rain for the better part of this week, I thought I'd best get some into the bin while I had the chance. So now a little more than 1/2 of the pile is now in the bin where it'll be nice and dry and ready for winter. Took a bit longer to get it all loaded up than I'd have thought but I guess it goes quicker once you've logged more hours on the tractor and aren't worried about wrecking the bin or a run-in shed with a raised bucket.

Updates and Observations

2007-11-07T17:28:00.000-08:00

Called the Bureau of Land Management office out in Wisconsin this afternoon and talked to Randy. The BLM folks had just received my application today and were in the process of reviewing it so Randy took a gander at the letter I provided and reviewed the paperwork and found everything in order. So long story short, we've been approved by the BLM to adopt Grace! Now Randy'll send me out a contract that I need to sign and send back to him (along with a check) and then we can bring Grace home to the Diamond G. I believe it'll do Cleo a world of good to have a pasture (and barn) buddy. We won't officially own Grace until we've had here here for a year. Once a year's gone by, the BLM will send us her title (think ownership papers) and we can consider her officially ours. Hopefully if all goes well we'll have her here by December. In the spring, once the snow's melted, she'll turn two which'll work out just fine to start her on groundwork. Tomorrow I'll call Mona and let her know what's going on and figure out what we need to do to get her here.

Had a real hard frost here last night (low of 28). Laredo found out the hard way that there was a skim coating of ice out on the deck. After returning from his morning business, he was loping down the deck to get to his tire. About 2/3rds of the way down he decides to slow down and finds out the hard way that that just ain't agonna happen. Somehow he ends up on his side and slides the remaing part of the deck right into the railing. Since he's a cattle dog, this isn't much of a problem, he just got up and started to take it out on the tire. Supposed to drop down to 22 tonight so we should have a good frost tomorrow too. Note to any perspective farmers/ranchers out there - a cool/wet morning with a hard frost the night before is not the best time to check out the status of yer electric fence. The good news is that it's working jest fine.

Another observation for today - its getting awfully dark awfully early. I was sitting at the computer this afternoon and it was dark by 4:45. Just Monday, I was out in the round pen with Cleo until about 5:30. Go figure - I sure can't.

In a round about way

2007-11-05T15:43:00.000-08:00

The round pen showed up Friday morning. Twelve panels each 12' long by 6' high and about 100lbs, one gate panel (4' gate) 12' by 8' by about 120 lbs, and a box of clamps. This was about the only thing in a 48' box trailer. Kudos to the guy driving the truck, he managed to back in and around the back of the barn so that we could drop the panels right next to their new home. After inspecting each panel (real nice quality) as the driver handed them off the truck, they got stacked next to the run-in shed. They sure don't look like much stacked in a pile. So Saturday came and I had the chance to put it up - me and my round pen crew (Thanks Dad!). The instructions said it would take two people a little over an hour to get it up and functional. After finding the center of the location where it would go, we drew the 50' circle to use as a guide for placing the panels and started plunking them down one by one. First we placed the gate so it would be where I wanted it and then just went around the circle. After a little over an hour, all the panels were up so we went around and did some minor adjustements and viola, it was done. One of the most interesting things about this system is the spacing of the rails. The top ones, which are closer to the horse's natural line of sight, are closer spaced than the bottom rails. This provides a psychological barrier to the horse while still giving him full view of the surroundings. This helps the horse to focus on the task at hand in the pen without feeling too trapped. (Its all about feel.) Here it is ...

Once it was built, of course I had to test it. Since they were predicting heavy rain for the afternoon and night, I got Cleo out of the pasture and tried out lunging her for a while. She's doing much better lunging now and seemed to not mind being in the pen. I've been noticing something interesting about her- after any sort of semi-physical workout, she rolls as soon as I turn her back out to the pasture/paddock. So this time I had the camera ready.

... and then (after some effort and a few failed attempts) over the top ...

Once she hits both sides a few times, she's up and good to go back to grazing.

Turned the clocks back yesterday, sure does make a difference at night. I was working out in the round pen tonight and it was just about unuseable by 5:30. Lights sure would be nice but with the impending winter, so would our indoor arena. We're trying to work out the logistics of where we'd put in an indoor arena (we're hoping to be able to get one in next year - fingers crossed) but don't have an exact location at the moment. Ideally it'd be directly connected to the barn but if not then it would be good to have it very close by. The exact size would depend on where it was located but we would want it big enough so that we're not always turning a corner.

Our application has been submitted to the BLM (our "local" office is in Wisconsin) so no we have to wait to hear back from them before we can move forward with Grace. It really stinks that she is over an hour and fifteen minutes away, we'd like to go see her more often. Here's to hoping.

Hope Springs Eternal

2007-11-01T16:27:00.000-07:00

It seems as though we're well into fall now here at the farm. The front yard is covered in about 3 inches of oak leaves. Seems as though in another week or so and most of the leaves will be down on the trees around the house.

Cleo has settled into a nice routine. Now that the weather is getting cooler, she is much slower to come out of her stall into the front paddock in the morning. She usually chows on her grain pretty quick but eating her morning hay is quite a leasurely affair. She'll take a mouthful and meander over to the door and look out over the paddock onto the road. Whenever she sees someone in the yard, she looks over to them asking for some company and a scratch or two. Here she is around supper time looking over at the door that leads from the house to the barn. As you can tell, she is eternally hopeful that someone will be coming out soon to give her supper.

I had to do some traveling earlier this week so I had to rely on my backup barn crew. With a little bit of instruction and lots of on the job training, they did an outstanding job holding down the fort. They got to enjoy the experience of going out to the barn in the quiet of early morning and hearing Cleo nicker as she waits (impatiently I might add) for her first hello which better be closely followed by breakfast.

While traveling I had some time to start reading my Bill Dorrance book - all I can say at this point is "wow". What a great man he must have been - I wish I would have had a chance to meet him. You can tell by his writing that he was a quintesential cowboy who had a great love of and respect for the horses he was in contact with. A humble man who spent many hours quietly observing the animals, their interactions with other animals and humans, and their reactions to him all in an effort to help him have better and more meaningful interactions with the horses. He spent a great deal of time in self reflection always re-evaluating what was happening, what worked and what didn't, how to make things better, what to try next, etc. The main point of this book is developing the feel between the horse and rider. It is this connection through feel that will enable the rider to properly set the horse up to succeed in whatever the rider wishes.

""Asking" - this is what people say sometimes, but what we mean is helping the horse or presenting something to him. What we're interested in is the person's frame of mind when they want the horse to do a certain thing. That word "ask" is really a lot more in the area of communication that's between people, so we wouldn't say "ask." What we'll say is that before you learn to how to present something to the horse through feel that he's going to understand, you have to learn how to observe and make sense of the way he operates his body and how new information is processed in his mind. "
- True Horsemanship through Feel p 11-12

One of the things that Bill asks Leslie Desmond to talk about in the book is people's inherent aversion to try something new because of their fear of failure. This fear of failure can really hold a fella back from succeding and often causes people to behave "business as usual" even though they know there might be a better way to get the job done. God didn't put us on his earth to fail. Something to ponder there ...

I'll leave you with this picture taken tonight at sunset looking out over the back of the farm.

Amazing Grace

2007-10-24T17:52:00.000-07:00

We've been thinking about seeing if we could get a mustang from the BLM since we've been here on the farm. Basically, every so often the BLM rounds up herds of wild mustangs and offers them up for sale or at auction. You can learn more this program here. Well the other day I was looking at the website of Ever After Mustang Rescue and saw Amazing Grace. Grace is a blue roan mustang mare that's about a year and a half old. She is gentle - she allows folks to brush her and they are working with her on picking up her feet but she has not been broke to lead nor introduced to electric fence. So on Monday night, we drove down to Biddeford to see her - she is even cuter than she looks on the website. Since she is still growing, her back end is taller than her withers but she seems to have very good confirmation and disposition. Unfortunately these aren't the greatest pictures (especially the eyes in the 2nd one) but it was the best I could do under the lighting conditions.

The couple who run the farm that hosts the rescue are good people. Mona and Brad were very gracious hosts while we were there. Grace is kept in a 20'x20' pen inside the indoor arena (BLM requires this sort of housing) so we went in to check her out. She was OK with me being in her pen and eventually Mona and I got her into a squeeze chute and were able to attach a long line to her halter. At that point, Mona turned her over to me and went off to work on the freeze brand of another mustang. By the time we were leaving, I had her semi-lunging and starting to be lead. (Only had about 20 minutes before the younger child was going to turn into a pumpkin :-) ) Mona explained the process of adoption to us and showed me the papers on Grace - she was captured in Nevada when she was likely about a year old. Mona had a horse and burro paired off in one of the stalls in her barn - the kids got quite a kick out of seeing the burro and learning how closely attached they were to each other. Neither can go anyplace without the other. So currently we're working on getting the forms filled out and submitted with our "local" BLM office so we can hopefully be approved and bring Grace to the Diamond G.

We have horses, turkeys, groundhogs, beavers, and racoons on the farm but the other day I ran across some wildlife I've never seen before. Words can't describe it but fortunately I had the camera with me at the time.

Today I got a delivery of pine sawdust (can't use hardwood sawdust for horses) from N. C. Hunt. When ordering, the woman on the phone asked me how much I would be interested in getting: 3.5 cords, 5 cords, 12 cords, or a trailer truck load. It was hard for me to picture what a cord of sawdust would look like (like a cord of wood 4'x4'x8'?) so since they will deliver year round, I played it safe and just got 3.5 cords. In case anyone else is wondering what 3.5 cords of sawdust looks like, here's a picture of it.

This basically filled up the bed of a 10 wheeled dump truck (GMC General) and had that nice newly cut pine smell. Interestingly enough, James, the gentleman who delivered the shavings, was telling me that they keep their pine shavings in a barn (which holds about 5 trailer truck loads of shavings) and when it's full, it doesn't have that nice pine smell but rather smells like kerosene.

Diamond G Farm Equestrian Program

2007-10-20T15:18:00.001-07:00

Well, the boarding business hasn't come quite as quickly as we'd have hoped so we were thinking that we should branch out to some of our other ideas a bit early. One of the things we were thinking about doing was offering riding lessons. So allow me to introduce the inaugural class of the Diamond G Farm Equestrian Program

A little tricky to teach such a large group (about 30) but one pupil really shined through:

Well OK so they're really not too teachable. It turns out that we seem to have three flocks of turkeys that are around the farm. We have one large group (the group in the picture above), we have a smaller group (15-20), and there is an even smaller group of two or three. Funny thing about turkeys, they'll all be around milling about until a few weeks before Thanksgiving. Then they'll disappear until early December. Then they do their vanishing act just before spring hunting season opens up. I'll say this for them, they are fun to watch. Speaking of watching, the other morning it was a scene right out of a Halloween movie. I was looking out at the field across the street (it was foggy) when out of the mist, I saw one head pop up after the next.

Made some good progress with Cleo today. Took her out to where the round pen was (and will soon be again thanks to Wil Howe). When I first saw her and lunged her, she went well to the left but didn't want to go to the right. Today she worked equally well to both sides although she tried to quit a few times when going to the right. Took her down to the ring and lunged her down going to the left and back up going to the right. Not much seems to bother her. Dogs barking, the neighbor using a nail gun to put up siding, the turkeys, shooting in the distance - whatever. She's also getting very spoiled. Now when I groom her, I just ground tie her and she stays very still, only turning to look back at me when I stop brushing with a "why'd ya stop, keep going" look on her face.

Today I went to our local equestrian book store - Knight Equestrian Books and picked up "True Horsemanship Through Feel" by Bill Dorrance and written by Leslie Desmond. I've only gotten through the introductions and forewards and its already looking like a great read. Bill was one of the pioneers of natural horsemanship and was looked up to and mentored many of the greats. Unfortunately he left us in 1999 (at the ripe old age of 93) but left behind a lifetime of knowledge and skills that he was sure would be a benefit to all horsepeople. I'll be sure to post more details and interesting quotes as I make my way through. (This won't be a quick read - this is one of those books where you need to read a little and then reflect a whole lot.)

Fall is in full swing

2007-10-17T14:10:00.000-07:00

Well, it looks like fall is in full swing here at the farm. The leaves have been changing at a rapid pace this past week and also falling off the trees at the same rate. Last night we had our first frost of the season.

According to the local weather service, we dropped down to about 31 degrees last night but by mid afternoon we were back to t-shirt weather (~60 degrees).

Today I introduced Laredo to Cleo. Laredo has seen Cleo from across the yard and barked at her from the house but today they got to meet in person. I had Cleo out in the front paddock so I brought Laredo over and he was watching her (staring intently as only cattle dogs can do) from below the bottom rail. So Cleo comes munching over and her and Laredo meet nose to nose. Of course being the heeler that he is, Laredo sees this big thing and does what comes naturally, he tries to nip her (on the nose since he couldn't reach her hoofs). Much to her credit, Cleo really didn't seem to be bothered by this and continued to munch along. (Laredo never got her muzzle.) So we went back later and after another failed attempt, Laredo seems to have come to his own conclusions that (1) Cleo is not a cow and (2) she's OK and doesn't need to be herded and/or nipped. "Nothing to see here, move on" (For those in the know, the rabbit still gets it when someone comes into the house tho).

Meet Laredo

2007-10-16T08:51:00.000-07:00

Speaking of cows, I would be remiss to not mention our Blue Heeler, Laredo. He's 4 now so those much more experienced in all things Heelers tell me we've only got a few more years (anywhere from two to six) till he calms down a little. If you're not familiar with the traits/characteristics of cattle dogs, here's a good site that gives a real good background on them Digital Dog - Blue Heeler Info

Without further adu, here he is ...

Laredo is all those things listed on the characteristics from the link above - fiercy loyal, independent, hard headed, etc. He came to us from a breeder in Florida who told us he was "the mouth of the litter" - boy was she ever right. He has several unique barks for different events and demands and is not afraid to let us know when someone is nearby. We heard him long before we saw him the day we went to pick him up at the airport - just a little fluffball yipping away in his travel crate with his blanket and stuffed rabbit coming down the baggage conveyor.

Laredo enjoys life on the farm - he has much more land to roam out over now and is looking forward to the addition of livestock. (Can I have a some cows pleaseeeeeee?)

If you care to give a listen, Dan Roberts has written a song about Blue Heelers called "True Blue Heeler" off of his album entitled "There's A Little Cowboy in All of Us".

Oh by the way, if you have a cattle dog and you have to take them to the vets, be prepared to pay an "Unruly Dog Fee" :-)

Newest Addition to our Family

2007-10-15T13:00:00.000-07:00

Well, since I last posted, we've added a new addition to our farm family. Allow me to introduce Cleo Blue Bailey. She's a 7 year old dual registered (AQHA and Foundation Quarter Horse) Blue Roan mare. Here she is - as its starting to get colder here, she's already beginning to fuzzy up with her winter coat.

Cleo is the first horse in our barn - it sure is nice to be able to look outside and see her playing in the paddocks and munching away. She's made the transition to our farm and is settling in quite nicely. She's got a lot of reining and cow in her pedigree. I've seen her reining side starting to show through and am looking forward to seeing her cow ability. (Stay tuned for more on our thoughts and plans for cows in future posts.)

Greetings from the Diamond G Farm

2007-10-03T13:40:00.000-07:00

Howdy, thanks for stopping by and visiting with us here at the Diamond G Farm.

We are a family of four who are re-establishing a horse boarding facility in Edgecomb ME. Just where is the Diamond G Farm you might ask? We are located at 49 Dodge Road - which is right off of Route 1 and close to Route 27. Anyone from our local area will know our farm as Patty's old place or "the big yellow barn". Here's a quick peek at what it looks like from the outside.

Over the coming days, we'll be posting more pictures of our facility as well as more info on the goings on at the Diamond G Farm