OK. I had fun today.  Eric is about to go back to Texas so I dragged him back out to the barn to take some pictures.  I dragged both girls down to the ring, had him hold Cook while I rode Miss, turned Missy out in the field, and then hopped on Cook.  Miss was very very very very good.  Veryyyyyyyyyyyyyyyyyyyy gooooooooooooooooood.

Cook was ok.  She is still very fidgety.

Here are my favorite pictures (of me).  (Taylor/Emily and Patti/Rachel are in the gallery).

Miss - Superstar!

Cook….

and the cutest barn baby ever!

Cook’s:

- She will go to another show. Even if its’ one flat class. She will be braided. I haven’t ever had her braided.

- She will get better on the lunge (actually she’s already better).

- She will stay sound.

Mine:

- Be happy.

I rode alot today.  and I feel good about it.  Today is probably the only day of Christmas vacation where I feel like I have a -GOOD- amount of attention to both girls.  I worked Miss pretty hard and I feel like we got somewhere.  Cook was really good.  She is getting there.  I think she just needed to be put back on a regular schedule.   She isn’t perfect…  Mere warned me about picking a fight when she wasn’t doing -exactly- what I wanted her to do (when for the most part, she was behaving).  I tried not to.  Its just that Cook is… well Cook.  She’s God’s gift.  She’s perfect (on the flat).  I have extremely high expectations of her.  So I have to remember that she is just coming back into regular work and she needs to be cut some slack.   She did swish her tail some but no head tossing.  Progress.

So the highlight of my day was Meredith.  She got back in the saddle after having Howard today.  I’m very very very proud of her.  It makes me giddy.  I have very fond memories of Mere and I riding together alot, chatting, riding, jumping, swapping horses.  I MISS that. More than she knows.  So its’ alot of relief that she was back today even though I know it’s a slow road.

only 2 more days and its’ supposed to rain the next 2 days.  Le sigh.

so my Xmas vacation is almost over and it’s just disappearing like sand through my fingers.  I’m exhausted.  I haven’t even ridden very much.  I hopped on both girls today and neither ride went particularly well.  Miss has an excuse.  Cook’s excuse is weak.  ‘Not being ridden much’ is not an excuse for Cook to be rank and throw a fit when being ASKED TO WALK.  I have eased her back into it by free lunging, sitting on her bareback….  today I tacked her up and actually asked her go forward and I get alot of tail swishing.  and no, she’s not sore.  She has a sore attitude!  She did end better but still….  it’s just frustrating.
Soooooooooooooooooooooooooooo…………  back to square 1 tomorrow.

My mouse died.

le sigh. Merry Christmas to me!

Actually I thought last night he was acting a little like he wasn’t feeling well. He wasn’t as active as he was at my brother’s house over Xmas. From what I have read, even tho he was growing and looked like he was gonna make it, he could have never recovered from the exposure (pneumonia).

Aw. I’m sad.

Mighty is doing well.

Santa gave him fur for Xmas.

I think I have gained 10 pounds since I have been home.  All I have done is eat eat eat.  I figure I will have a chance to work it off at the barn this week.

Christmas was pretty non eventful.  I got some new toys to play with.

Eric is coming back with me for a week and his job will be to take 1000 pictures of me on Miss and Cook, so I will have plenty for scrapbooking while he’s gone.

Speaking of Miss and Cook, they are going to have a hard week.  Since I am on vacation, they are in work.  Cook is going to get put through boot camp this week.  She’s been spoiled because shes’ been hurt but she is sound now.  The last couple of times I have ridden her, she has had a little attitude.  That little attitude this week will be checked.

Hope everyone had a good weekend with their family.

Merry Christmas - From Crystal, Cook, Miss, Birdie, Caddie, Kenny and … of course, Mighty. (not pictured due to not being born when photos were taken).

Mouse survived the night.
His name is Mighty. he’s a little cutey!

Don’t be fooled by his color here.  He has no fur (hence the reason his box is on a heating pad), and he’s really pinkish in person.  Also he doesn’t have his eyes opened.

Oh, kathy…  I took him to the pet store that first day (for help?/advice) and they were like he’s dead within the hour.  Don’t bother.  

OK I know already this is gonna sound cheesy and like an afterschool special but still. Here goes.

Today when I was un-loading hay, I found a baby field mouse. Way baby. Blind, bald, pink and less than an inch long. I would estimate to be 2-3 days old. It was on top of the hay. It had survived Aaron loading the hay on the truck, a 30 minute drive and a hay bale on top of it.

Emily put it in a tupperware while we debated about what to do about it. I know/knew there is nothing that can be done to help it. It’s too little to hand nurse, I prolly can’t keep it warm enough, I’m sure it will only live hours.

“Give it to the cats”, “Throw it away”, “Toss it in the field”, “Just stomp on it to end it quickly.”

I called Rich. “It’s just a baby rat, just get rid of it, Sis”.

I can’t.

I took it home.

so here is my moral of the story about the mouse (or are we talking about the mouse?).

Although I can’t solve it’s problems and save it, I can try and ease its’ suffering.

It won’t die of shock when the cats toss it back and forth. It won’t die of exposure in the field. It will prolly pass in the middle of the night on the bed of cotton it’s on in my bedroom. I don’t really know if that’s -better-, but I like to think that it is.

So that’s it. The Mouse Story.

Just one more thing, this time about me. Theresa, thanks. I know you can’t solve my problems, but you have eased my suffering.