Big doings this week and weekend

As usual, when Barry goes out of town, things go haywire around here.

The hay man was to deliver yesterday morning. Not because I ordered it for now, I actually needed it at the end of next week, but he called and said it was loaded and he was on his way- I put him off a day to confirm that I could rent a Bobcat with forks to unload the truck. Got that lined up for 9 am yesterday and at 7:30 they called to say no can do after all. The truck was scheduled to arrive around 10. That set off a whirlwind of panic, calling everywhere within an hour to find another one.

Suffice it to say that was a difficult experience. I went to the farm to feed breakfast and wait for trucker to arrive at 10 am...he did not show until 12:45, which was not really his fault as I told him to take his time. Good thing I was there though, as the deer had destroyed the fence line between the old people field and the hay field, which does not matter as far as the horses on the hay field are concerned but it does impact the electric fence. I had to fix that and now have about 6 holes in my fingers and cuticles as a result--amazing how mcuh that can hurt.

While I was doing that, there was some ruckus in the front pasture, and next thing I know, Vixen is on the outside of the fence. She is with the confines of the property but even she looked confused as to how she got there. I still am. I got her corralled into a stall, dewormed as punishment for adding something to my list, and went to fix that fence. It was too much trouble, so I went in search of the BS all-purpose fix it arrangement-- a corral panel. I find two in the sand pit that were not being used, but something is wrong with one of the pins that holds them together---and I cannot get them separated come hell or high water. And I sure cannot carry two of them at a time by myself. I had to take apart some other of his patch work to find one to fix the broken board up front, which I did.

Then I got the big idea that it was about damn time a top board was put over that horse fence in that corner, so they would quit leaning over it to get grass, thereby popping the fence staples and eventually leaving. I re-tacked the popped fencing nails, but the board thing was another matter. I disassembled some sections and tried to use them but they are so thick and hard, I could not nail through it and still hold the board up at the same time. I got mad and quit, thinking I would buy different boards for that, but lost my energy to actually do so.

About this time, after feeding and doctoring everyone except for Rondee who has cut her face open and I flat forgot to deal with until just now, the truck showed up. He did all the work for me, which was awesome, I did some more farm work, looked for a missing check from a customer, played with babies, etc.....then I sat in the truck and read a book for while. I had run out of things to do!

When he was done, I realized that I had the wrong checkbook to pay him, so I had to write a check from my everyday personal account, which means I now have to go to the bank to transfer money to cover that. I took the Bobcat back to the rental place, and not two miles from the farm, one of the cotter pins holding the ramps up broke, adn BOOM, down it came, scraping on the highway. I rigged it up with a carabiner which did not fit but was then stuck in there, and just as I was doing it, my truck driver Chad drove by laughing at me, so he stopped to help me but laughed more than he helped.

That chore done, I bought myself a Totino's pizza and collapsed for a short nap.

It was a hard day. I don't know why those things are so hard, probably because I get frustrated when I cannot do something like put those stupid boards up. The boards I have that are long enough are so heavy I could barely lift them, and I am really strong, so that pisses me off.

The night continued on that way. I determined that it was Tequila that got skunked, as I let her sleep in the guest room so she would shut up her barking outdoors, and now it really smells like skunk in there. I learned that Boce likes bananas a lot, which is good since I bought him some.

My list of things to do today is appalling. Replace lost DMV sticker that I was so proud of buying almost on time, get hair cut, go to bank, and Walgreens (twice- to drop off camera memory disk and then pick up CD since evidently my system has gone berserk), get equine senior and beet pulp, go to pick up blankets at repair place so I can take Lorna's with me this weekend, change purses, pack for tomorrow, do all farm work, bring Boce some old hay to make a warm bed in his house....

Guess this is going to be a long lunch. Let's just pray nothing screws up my schedule, nothing makes me crazier than interruptions to my list!

The good part is that we leave at 8:30 am (that part is not good) for Congress tomorrow for a Hood get-together. Jodi and Jackie are riding with me, we are meeting Lorna and Bree (who does not know she is going and is hunting a new saddle) in Indianapolis. Julie and Ash will meet us there Friday afternoon, and about 10 other people will be there on Saturday. We are going to shop and eat and watch the Freestyle reining. I cannot wait to show Julie real cutting and reining

I cannot wait! I have not been to Congress in 7 or 8 years so this should be cool!