...my girls

 

My life has changed so much in one year
never in my life thought I would have a horse, let alone two.
don't know who rescued who
 all I know is I am a better person for having them in my life
I acquired Fiona last winter-
a sad story
and Bella just naturally found her way into my life last fall when
 her then owner wanted to downsize her herd.

Every day they greet me at the gate and follow me around in the pasture
I have to pinch myself.

 

 happy to be out of their pasture

 tied up to the hitching post

 blankets off and being groomed
 

Bella  just turned 6 on March 9th

 

Frisians do not stop growing until they are 7 years old
Bella is about 1400 lbs
a big animal with a big heart
 so trusting and the sweetest horse ever
~~~
Frisians are very special
this was the horse  the knights were gifted as their horse once knighted

In early 1900 Frisians were almost extinct
originally from Holland
they were used as war horses
 hence so many were killed during 1st world war pulling the canons
 There were only 3 stallions left.
They have managed to breed them successfully
but they are still very rare

I plan on breeding them both in 2015
 

Like sisters...
where one goes - so the other

Fiona is the boss

 Bella accepts or gets a kick in the ......!

They eat together

 sleep together

I am very happy for Fiona

who was once alone.

 

Fiona & Bella are what's considered "green"

they only have 1 year of riding under their belt

 so the more they are ridden and worked

 the better

...and according to my "lovely" trainer

that is not going to be an issue for me

 since apparently she wants me to ride them 2 hrs. a day .....each

 

that only adds up to 4 hours a day!

 

 

Luther & Lily play a little game of chase

 

Fiona will be 7 years - June 13th
she is half Frisian & half Quarter horse
 which makes here a Frisian sport horse
she is super fast and very eager to please

 

they still have winter coats
and are in the process of shedding
I am usually covered from head to toe in black hair

finally the arena is snow-free

but of course this is Montana and this could change over night

 

Foghorn & chef are dragging the arena- getting it prepped

Eager to get to work again...them and me.

 to build on what we did last year

 applying everything I learned from Buck this fall

and riding outside again.

I couldn't be any luckier!

 

Riding:  The art of keeping a horse between you and the ground. 

~Author Unknown

sur la table

This is the old table purchased a few weekends ago

it's actually a desk

 

The little plaque is still on:

 The Desk exchange

Arthur M Hansen

Seattle 1933

 

Chef is attacking it head on

with the grinder, wool head gear & muck boots....

Two layers of paint off

So that was a surprise....and a not a good one

the prior owner apparently loved his cigarettes and left them all around the edge to burn

But the cross hewn oak is amazing- beautiful striations

 

 

 

Working so hard

clothes are starting to come off...

 

***

 

The next day the big guns come out

 chef is hell bent on fixing up the table

legs come off and everything is re- enforced

 

 

Got rid of the cig burns and sanded smooth

 

 

 we rubbed Tung oil on - amazing product for refinishing furniture

and then a coat of Howard Feed-n-Wax

beeswax + orange oil

 now we have a most excellent kitchen table

 

Ready for some wonderful meals, conversations, baking and home work time
 

Sur la Table- means "on the table"

 

and there will be only goodness

served on the table from now on!

sick days

My "little one" aka Foghorn is sick today.

 

Even little Foghorns have to rest....

 

with his sweet breath, long eye lashes

 his scar on his for head he got last week from falling off the monkey bars

 

 wakes up only for a minute

 

only to snuggle into the warm wool blanket even deeper

 

 

...and fall asleep

once again

around the water cooler

There are two things I especially adore with my girls...when they are softly chewing their hay

almost Zen like they are so content

and when they drink water...so quiet, gently slurping up the water in long sips.
 

***
 

There is something about the outside of a horse that is good for the inside of a man. 

~Winston Churchill

Life in the fast lane....

 

Crochet a few little urchins this weekend-very fun.

Nice to you use my own yarn

 

Had lunch with my dad at the café.

He is 80 years and has Alzheimer's- some days are good- some not.

This time it was great- we speak both Norwegian & American

a good visit.

 

Met some wonderful locals at the café too

Kelley & Shaun with their little son (so cute)

They have just opened a brewery in town

www.desertmountainbrewing.com 

(if you are in town check them out)

 This village is getting some great little businesses

hi Kelley :)

 

 

also this week we signed up our oldest for drivers ed

 

Driving with Jules

is not like driving miss Daisy.

 

It's more like:

get in

sit down

shut up & hang on

 

He has a girl friend again so he is on a mission to get his license

 

Life in the fast lane.

 

(...and would probably kill me if he knew I was writing this...hehe)

 

Foghorn has been on the warrior path lately

in love with Vikings, Knights and Indians

and anything that has pointy and shiny edge to it works....

 

 

Winter came back

if only for a few days

 

I don't care

 in 2 weeks we are off to sunny Florida!

Sanibel Island

 

dreaming of sandy beaches, salt water and sunshine on my shoulders

 

 

 

In other news...

 

We bought this table this weekend

 It's actually a desk

 underneath it is written

~ co treasury 1933 ~

 

 

It has that nice rustic farm house quality 

painted a pleasant green

next weekend we are sanding and waxing the top to reveal

 it's true beauty

  oak -so it should turn out great

 

 

Picked up my needles for the first time in a while

 and started knitting a wee bit

...baby steps

 

 

What's going on in your neck of the woods?