Work in Progress

We have been wanting to build a courtyard wall around our front patio ever since we finished that project 3 years ago.... so we hired our neighbor and he has started on the job.

We currently have a moat around the patio.... a nice addition, don't you think?

Just kidding! Of course, the trench is for the footers, which should be poured on Saturday. The plan is for adobe pillars (to match the house) about 3 and 1/2 ft. high, placed approx. 6 feet apart, with a screen-type iron panel in-between. The iron will rust and achieve a nice patina over time and also allow for more of an open feel than a solid fence panel.

There will be about 2 ft. of dirt between the concrete patio and the fence where I can plant lots of flowers and plants and create a little "oasis in the desert".

The entrance to the patio (right where Snuffy is lying in the picture above and below) will be 2 adobe pillars topped with wooden vigas and a beam across the top (same as the porch) with big wooden (or some kind of metal with a design on them) double doors.

I will post a few more pics next week of the progress. Stay tuned!

Silent Sunday

Valentine...

Phoenix's Story

After I posted last week about My Old Guy (and the baby) I had a lot of people leave comments asking how long I have had him, is he really 32, etc. So.... I thought I'd tell a little bit more about him.

Yes, he is really is (will be in March) 32! It is amazing, because even though he is very gray in the face, has lost a lot of muscle (and teeth) and creaks and pops when he walks, I still ride him on a regular basis. Usually I just put the bareback pad on him and go for a short ride. He loves to get out and has so much energy you would think he was 10! He is the boss of the other horses (and us) and pretty much rules this place!

Put someone on him who doesn't really know how to ride and he knows it. He'll take them wherever he feels like going! But put a 5 year old on him in the pen and he will lower his head and let them have their way with him... This is my nephew learning how to ride:

Phoenix was my first horse and I bought him 7 years ago. I had never had horses before or really even been around them much, but always loved them. He was a very young 25 when I bought him and cost me a whole $500. Pretty funny. He has been worth every penny and much, much more. Really, he taught me the ropes and tested me at every turn. I wouldn't give him up for anything.

I researched his owners through the Department of Agriculture all the way back to when he was first sold as a 9 month old. (he was foaled in March 1977) Prior to me buying him, he had about 8 different owners. This guy is quite the character, so I thought if anyone had owned him for any length of time, they'd want to know he was still around. I contacted some people who owned him from about age 8 to 16. I sent a few pics with a letter and received a message back from them a few weeks later and finally talked to them on the phone. The man and his wife that owned him were so excited to hear he was still around. Turns out they live up in Phoenix (about 2 hours from me) and they actually came down one weekend to visit him. When they owned him, his name was Stonewall Jackson (they called him Stoney). It had been about 15 years since they had last seen him. They took pictures and visited all afternoon and we swapped stories about his antics.

I fully expect this guy will live to be 40! Love ya Old Guy!

A Little Reminder....

To never leave your favorite worn-in-just-right George Strait straw hat hanging on the fence while you clean out stalls...

Sad, so very sad....

Silent Sunday

The Old Guy and the Baby

Taking their mid-morning naps in the sun.... Phoenix (the old guy) is on the left and Piper (the baby) is on the right. Close up of Phoenix: (makes me want to go take a nap in the sun myself)
We call him the old guy because in March he will be 32 YEARS OLD! Yep, he's an oldie. But a goodie. He was my first horse. I read a quote on another blog: "No horse will ever teach you as much as your first horse". True statement there. (He kind of looks like a beached whale here. That's his winter grain belly. What can I say? He's old, so we spoil him.)

And the baby, is Piper. She will be 2 in May. She can lay in this position FOR HOURS on end. I have gotten scared before, seeing her in the same position for so long, and gone out and made her get up!

Babies and old guys need lots of rest...

XOXOXO

My Hugs and Kisses Turquoise Bracelet is currently featured in an Etsy treasury (top left pic)I love the Valentine's theme of this treasury. Lots of great items! Thanks to EternalImages for including me in this sweet treasury!

Silent Sunday

You Can't See Me

I am stealth bunny. No one can see me hiding behind these blinds...

And if I keep my eyes closed, they definitely cannot see me... Darn it! I've been discovered!

Maybe if I stand up and make myself tall that will work...
Oh never mind....

If I sit here long enough and look cute, eventually they will give me a treat. Mission accomplished...

*Patches (who has no Patches, so I really don't know how she got that name!) is our 9 and 1/2 lb. lop bunny. She was an "Easter bunny" and the people who bought her for their daughter at the pet store, "didn't know she was going to get big!". Uh, Duh.. So, she came home with me and has become best friends with Nutmeg, the original bunny, the one who started it all...

Cowgirl Smarts

In my travels through blogland, I came across a book I have to read: Cowgirl Smarts: How to rope a kick-ass life - Life Lessons from Cowgirls who Settled the West, by Ellen Reid Smith.

Now, I love my life as it is, but it's always good to read things that will confirm that. And I'm always open to things that can make life better. And of course, cowgirl knowledge is good stuff!

Below are a few Cowgirl Smart lessons from the book:

1. Sometimes you have to buck the norms to pursue your dreams
2. Adventure and Excitement Beat Housework
3. Be tough, but revel in your femininity
4. When life throws you to the ground, get back on the horse
5. Don’t let others belittle your achievements
6. Accept the nature of things
7. Work hard and look after other cowpokes
8. Never steal another cowgirl’s horse or thunder
9. Attack life like it’s a 1000 pound steer
10. Act on your beliefs rather than protesting for them
11. Use common sense, if you don’t, the cattle will knock it into you
12. Let the land rejuvenate your soul
13. Walk beside your pardner, not in front
14. When cow poking doesn’t pay, be resourceful
15. Embrace urban cowgirls

Check out the Cowgirl Smarts website, were you can read a sample of the book and find out where to order it. Everyone needs a good dose of cowgirl wisdom!

Silent Sunday

New Cowgirl Cuffs

Yesterday I spent some time creating some new cuffs for my Cowgirl Cuff Collection...

I think my favorite one out of this bunch is the turquoise cross cuff (you can't really tell from this pic, but it has 3 crosses on it). I can't make these fast enough! I'll be listing these in my Etsy shop throughout the day today. Get 'em while they're hot cowgirls!