Have You Ever?

Dude, we are in the midst of a very cold and snowy Hell.
The snow just wont stop.
The cold wont go away.
I need a haircut.  I need my gray hair coloured.  I need colour in my skin.  I need groceries.  I need fresh air.  I NEED WINTER TO BE OVER goshdarndangit.

But it sure is pretty.......


Have you ever wished for less snow/cold/wind?


Have you ever watched your children build snow forts and remember doing the same as a child?


Have you ever felt sorry for the trees?


Have you ever wondered if your skin will look like this in 50-60 years?


Have you ever rubbed your horse's ears because they are just so damn cute?


Have you ever wished your dog wouldn't fetch his ball so you could go in the house where its warm?

Is it snowy there? Cold? Wanna move to the south with me???

Tidbits. Mostly me whining, but sometimes it is necessary.

* Yesterday was a PA Day. My kids fought all day.
* They also wanted me to watch them bounce balls, ride scooters, draw, colour,  buy them expensive shoes, dance, exercise and go sledding when all I wanted to do was go to bed.
* I am in the midst of the winter blues.
* Jersey the dog was a bad boy. We have to make some difficult decisions.
* I miss my Daddy.
* I sliced my finger with a knife the other day.
* And then again yesterday.
* A new cat or two has showed up in our barn. We think one might be Blackie who went missing over a year ago.
* And the other one looks like the baby daddy to the many kittens birthed in our barn.
* I purchased Project Life stuff so I can start a new beginning in how I "scrapbook" our memories.
* I think my happy pills need to be increased.
* Lets have a group hug. Tell me everything is going to be OK.


This a Duke the horse.
He enjoys rolling in the snow.
And eating.
And smelling Cindy the girl horse's bum.

Jersey the {Typical} GSD

The other day as I watched my dog wander across the road after yelling "No" 2979385794367 times, shaking the treat bag, turning on the vacuum, stomping my feet and almost doing the ugly cry in our driveway while wearing my pyjamas, I had a thought.

OK, I had a few thoughts.

But the thought I want to talk about here is this......

......Jersey the dog is too smart for me.


I mean, really.  If a scary woman was yelling at me to "come", when all I really want to do is check out the fun smells across the road, I would run the other way.

And that is what he did.
Because he wanted to.
Because he knew that there really was no way that I could stop him.

I'm pretty sure he laughed at me as he ran in the field to eat bunny shit.
Whatever.


So I went to the store looking for "Pet Containment Systems" because I just cant do the ugly cry in my driveway anymore over this animal who constantly wins. Guys, guess what?????
Every photo on every box was a German Shepherd!!!!!!!!!! FML.

I had another thought......
....Jersey the dog might just be a typical German Shepherd.

For months I have been convinced he suffered PTSD because of coccidia/a kick from a horse/cutting his paw open/a whack to the eye from a tree branch....but, nope.
He fits in with the description of the breed.

Highly active indoors
Highly active outdoors
Highly vigorous and energetic
Highly dominant to strange dogs
Moderately dominant to familiar people
Highly territorial
Low sociability with strangers
Highly protective
Brilliant



People, I need a dumb dog.
One who listens to me when I call because he wants a treat or a pat on the head.
One who is too afraid to venture out into the world because he loves me so much he would never want to leave.
One who prefers belly rubs to playing fetch 6 hours a day.

But instead, I have Jersey. 
The dog who constantly tests my sanity. The dog who is allergic to poultry.
The dog who protects my daughter from the blow dryer because he thinks it is a gun.
The dog who herds Cindy the horse into the barn.
The dog who toboggans.


I guess I will keep him, but maybe I could get a little Shih Tzu or something too.
Oh, wait, Jersey might eat it......


     

My Future Might Involve Living in the Woods without Electricity.........

It never fails.
Every year when the rush of the holiday season ends, I end up in a funk.
Funk=winter depression
This winter depression involves lack of energy and motivation, alot of munching on leftover treats and the need to sleep alot and live in my fat pants.

But then once in awhile {which isn't very often this winter}, we get a beautiful winter day and I thank God I am alive to live in it.
Because its pretty and fresh.
And Ike and Duke are big and beautiful....
...and eager to pull children around on their sleighs.




Sometimes I have to remind myself that not everyone can bring out the horses and sleigh and spend an hour or two doing something many would pay big bucks for.

Sometimes I have to remind my children how lucky they are when they complain about cleaning the barn.

But I never have to remind my hubby.


This is the life he was made for.

Actually, I am pretty sure if he could live the life that Charles Ingalls lived, he would do it in a second.

....and Jersey the dog would be right there beside him.

Cows.

I am slowly coming to terms with the fact that I might just be a country person after all.
Don't get all excited about it though, because I still hate the smells....and the mess....and the wild creatures/rodents that hang out where it is quiet.
But I do love Ike and Duke the horses.
Mostly because they let me kiss them and call them foolish love-y names.....
....but also because they eat our grass and keep some of the wildlife away.

I also enjoy cows.
I know, I know.  I have expressed my love of the Bovidae family before, but when we went to the Royal Winter Fair on the weekend, my love of the beauties was rekindled and I am convinced we need to have a few.
As pets though.
Not food.
But......
I wouldn't want a bull because they are big....have balls to the ground and look at me like they want to eat me.

Or sit on me.


But a few friendly, pretty girl cows named Mabel and Maude would make me happy.

Cows that come to me when they are called.
Cows that let me shower them with the hose, brush their "fur" and blow dry it with heavy duty blowers like they do at the fancy shmancy farm shows.
Maybe they would even let me put a few pink bows in to make them look purrty.

I am a simple person.  

Go here for more rural stuff.

Cuteness

Let me just give you a word {or two} of advice.
If you have a little girl who loves ponies and unicorns and all things horses, you must go out and buy her an equestrian outfit.
Just because it is the most ridiculously cutest sight you ever will see.

The gloves.
The boots.
The toobigforherbutt pants.
Ohmygawd.


I almost died from the cuteness.

And then, when she walked around like she totally "owned" the farm in her too cool outfit, I breathed in that moment.

That moment when her confidence soared and she worked it.
She didn't care if other people giggled or rolled their eyes{which we totally did not do}, because, in her brilliant little mind she was da bomb.

I love that.
And I love these boots.

My next goal in life is to find someone who can make her a Laura Ingalls {Little House on the Prairie} outfit.
Then I will braid her hair.
And she will march around this lil' farm, bonnet and all......with her pony named Cindy.

Rurality Blog Hop

Cindy

You know how you have your life planned out when you are a teenager imagining the perfect, blissful future?
I planned to have a dog and a cat.

BAHAHAHAHAHAHA!

I do have a {dominant/high prey drive/hyper/unpredictable} dog.....
....and four cats {who eat mice and birds and other wild critters}.

But I also have...
Two {huge/massive/ginormous} Percheron geldings....


annnnnnnnd.......

One pony named Cindy.
{hold me}

Yes.
Cindy the pony is our newest family member that the kids {and the hubby} just had to have.
She is 5 years old.
She was raised by Mennonites.
She transported Mennonite children to and from school every day.

She is small.
And pretty.

She is friendly.
And very fast.

Duke the horse hates her.
Ike the horse tolerates her.

And she doesn't care one little bit.