Data Dump #2

I don't know how we are supposed to go from a high of 91 on Thursday to a low of 63 Thursday night. That's a pretty big temperature change. I expect I'll be on colic patrol for sure Thursday evening into Friday morning. The weatherman did mention that after our heat wave Wednesday and Thursday, he expects a major cool down. I guess we will be enjoying fall come this Friday.

Fall. I love fall but I hate what follows it. I'm dreading the thought of winter this year. I don't have anything ready. My haybarn is empty except for a few round bales to get me through September and October. My big squares are sitting in Madison but not all of them are baled yet. Nothing like being on pins and needles until the hay is delivered. I'm hoping it gets delivered before harvest begins. And there's still the ugly check I have to write to pay for this year's hay and last year's hay. I shudder at the thought.

We really haven't had much for fog so I don't expect any snow until the Thanksgiving timeframe. We had a little fog one morning last week so I am guessing we'll have an ice storm of some sort at the end of November. I could only hope for an open winter. At this point, I don't know where to put everyone. We have way more horses this year than last so I'm going to have to set up a different winter routine than last year. I'm guessing I'll be doing chores for an hour in the winter and that's without putting everyone in the barn every night. Who knows what chores will be like when I have to deal with subzero temps. Chores already take me a half hour every morning. I guess when winter rears its ugly head, I'll figure something out.

Flower seemed to be doing better this morning although she wasn't 100%. I gave her a half dose of banamine this morning so hopefully that will help some. I need to go in search of sheets. I bought a couple canvas sheets but they don't have legs straps. I've discovered that without leg straps, there's no hope of keeping a blanket or a sheet on a horse that goes down. If the horse doesn't go down often, it should be ok. I prefer not to put sheets/blankets on Queen with leg straps because she HATES HATES HATES them. The only reason I didn't get bit this morning was beause I fed her grain.

I need to get organized enough to find all the blankets and sheets. This spring when I stopped using them, I sort of left them in the building that I took them off in. So now the blankets/sheets are scattered in about four different places and I can't seem to find the ones I'm looking for. I also need to get them all cleaned. Anyone want to join me at the car wash to do some good ol' blanket washing? I need to take an inventory of blankets and sheets. We aren't into the blanket season but I need to make sure I have sheets for both Flower and Queen (even if Queen hates them). Flower is going to have to be blanketed all fall/winter. There's no way she'll gain the weight if she has to deal with any bit of cold. On the bright side, she does stay toasty warm under her canvas sheet. Queen on the other hand I don't think stays warm under a blanket. But at least it keeps the rain off of her. I've also decided that Bo will most likely need to be blanketed most of the winter. The only hitch about blanketing is Maverick. He chews on all of the blankets and puts big holes in them. I will have to pull him out and put him somewhere else when the herd is wearing blankets. I haven't quite figured out where he'll go but I can't have him ruining blankets because he likes to chew on things.

I also need to buy a sheet for Sam. He has a blanket but I want to make sure that he too doesn't have to deal with being wet and trying to dry off and stay warm. I guess there's always something. I'm trying to remember what size he is. I might have a sheet that may be just a little too small. I don't want to do the "big guy in a little coat" senario though.

I'm tossing around the idea of putting Prize up for adoption. It wouldn't be until he's weaned and until he's gelded but I'm wondering if there would be any interest in him. I hate the thought of letting him go but someone could take him far and it would open a spot for an oldster possibly. I don't know, we'll see. I'm still just tossing the idea around.

I have more thoughts bouncing around in my head but I can't seem to have a complete thought to even formulate right now. I was hoping to go to Chamberlain this weekend but I'm thinking it would be in my best interest to stay home and work like crazy on some of my never ending projects that HAVE to be done before winter. Anyone want to help? I pay in food. :-)

Hopefully tonight will be a quiet night so I can get a few things done around the house and the barn. I already have my list written down and it would be nice to start marking some of them off. There's not much daylight in the evenings but I need to take advantage of what little time I have to get as much stuff done as possible.