I promise I will post all of the #HappinessHappens posts that I've been posting on Facebook. But I need some time to catch up on everything. Life has been more of a blur in the last two weeks than ever before.
From birthday parties, to camping adventures, to school preparation, to fencing fiascos, I'm pretty well tapped out.
I'd divided the pasture this summer and we opened the bottom up before we left for vacation. When we came back, I noticed they were in the wrong pasture. I'd pulled them all in to the drylot thinking I could do a quick fix once I felt better. I finally walked out there Sunday night and had to give up on that idea. They'll have the entire pasture for the rest of the summer/fall.
Someone ripped a dozen of the polyposts right off at the stake and rolled the wire right up on itself. They then continued to tear down the rest of the fence along that side of the temporary pasture and drug it through the pasture for me to never find again until I mow. Then they promptly took down another two fence lines so it's a disaster. My only hope is to save what little they didn't damage and hope that we can reuse it again some other time.
Apparently temporary fence is no longer allowed. I am going to have to get serious about real fencing instead of putting up temporary fence. I'm not sure when we went from having everyone respect fence to no one respecting fence. I used to be able to have them in on strand of electric and now, I have them in two strands of solid wire electric and they blow right through it.
I'd really like for them to stay off the top part of the pasture so that they don't burn it down but at this point, I'm unable to do much about it. I was practically sick by the time I walked back up after seeing all that they had destroyed.
And to make matters worse, Lightening is dead lame on his right rear leg. The problem is, I can't do anything about it to even see what's wrong. There's heat right above the hoof but I can't actually check to see if there's something in his foot. I can't bend over even when he's tied and I can't move fast enough if he decides to knock my head off. And of course there's the whole standing back up without passing out part. Ah, medical problems. Gotta love them. Hopefully I can beg for some help tonight and have someone look at his foot. Otherwise, there might be a trip to the vet, yet another expense after yet seeing the bill for Farley, who seems to be back to his normal self.
Sadly, I think there will be less blogs and less social media in the next month. I'm still around and I'm still online all the time but I don't seem to have much positive to talk about as of late. It's all i can do to keep my mouth shut these days. It'll all be better in a little while (probably after about 12 hours of sleep) but until then, it'll be hit or miss as far as how often I post.
Tuesday, August 28, 2018
Wednesday, August 22, 2018
Be An Angel Day
Today is Be An Angel Day.
Would you like to be an angel for one of our deserving senior horses? Would you like to make a difference in a senior's life? Become an angel today! Become a monthly sponsor or a one time sponsor. Every dollar counts towards keeping our senior horses happy and healthy. It makes a world of difference in the lives of the horses.
Short on cash and can't donate? Become a volunteer at the Sanctuary. There's always plenty to do at the Sanctuary. There's horse chores and maintenance on buildings, fences, and all kinds of other stuff to keep the Sanctuary up and running.
Aren't handy with a hammer or are uncomfortable being around horses? No problem. We still need you! We need volunteers in helping spread the word about Borderlands. We have a number of programs we'd like to get up off the ground but with so very little man power, those programs have been put on the back burner. We'd love your help in bringing them forward and making a difference in the world.
Are you an introvert like the founder and executive director? No problem! We still need you! We need help with our social media and web. We have plenty of online activities we'd like to pursue as well but again, not enough man power to focus too much attention on it.
There's something for everyone! So even if you aren't a direct angel to a specific horse, you can be an angel to the Sanctuary!
Consider being an angel today!
If you would like to donate and become a monthly sponsor or provide a one time donation, you can do so through paypal at www.paypal.me/borderlands or send checks to
Borderlands Horse Sanctuary
26160 457th Ave
Humboldt, SD 57035
Or, do you want to be an angel and have an idea that will help promote the Sanctuary? We'd love to hear from you on how we can make the Sanctuary better!
Won't you consider being an angel today?
Would you like to be an angel for one of our deserving senior horses? Would you like to make a difference in a senior's life? Become an angel today! Become a monthly sponsor or a one time sponsor. Every dollar counts towards keeping our senior horses happy and healthy. It makes a world of difference in the lives of the horses.
Short on cash and can't donate? Become a volunteer at the Sanctuary. There's always plenty to do at the Sanctuary. There's horse chores and maintenance on buildings, fences, and all kinds of other stuff to keep the Sanctuary up and running.
Aren't handy with a hammer or are uncomfortable being around horses? No problem. We still need you! We need volunteers in helping spread the word about Borderlands. We have a number of programs we'd like to get up off the ground but with so very little man power, those programs have been put on the back burner. We'd love your help in bringing them forward and making a difference in the world.
Are you an introvert like the founder and executive director? No problem! We still need you! We need help with our social media and web. We have plenty of online activities we'd like to pursue as well but again, not enough man power to focus too much attention on it.
There's something for everyone! So even if you aren't a direct angel to a specific horse, you can be an angel to the Sanctuary!
Consider being an angel today!
If you would like to donate and become a monthly sponsor or provide a one time donation, you can do so through paypal at www.paypal.me/borderlands or send checks to
Borderlands Horse Sanctuary
26160 457th Ave
Humboldt, SD 57035
Or, do you want to be an angel and have an idea that will help promote the Sanctuary? We'd love to hear from you on how we can make the Sanctuary better!
Won't you consider being an angel today?
#BeAnAngel
Wishlist Wednesday - Rain Sheets
Today's #WishlistWednesday item is for rain sheets. Why rain sheets in the middle of summer? Fall is around the corner and we want to make sure our seniors are protected against the chill of a cold rain. You can find them anywhere and in any size or shape (or condition). We aren't picky.
We went onto horse.com and found a bunch to choose from. Trust me, we aren't picky. Just happy to have nice, dry horses during the wet spell that comes before winter.
Monday, August 20, 2018
Vacation Prep
So I mentioned in my last post something that touches a nerve and I figured I might as well discuss it.
Last week we went on our annual vacation. Because I have small kids, my first focus is on them and then the horses. Don't get me wrong. The horses' care is taken care of but the extra stuff slips to the wayside when my kids' stuff comes up.
I want me kids to have every advantage that I had growing up. That means vacations, camping, being gone from the Sanctuary.
What rubs me the wrong way is the offhand comment "Well, that's nice. Wish we could." or other comments similar. It actually makes me see red.
What people don't see are the hours of work that goes in to getting ready for us to be gone, even if it's only for a day or two. We don't have volunteers. Since I'm the sole caretaker, I am responsible. So when I ask someone to look in on the place, I want to make sure that my caretaker/volunteer has to do minimal chores. But that means hours and hours of moving horses, filling water tanks, checking fence, etc. It means hours of work and in reality, it means weeks of prep. And because I know for the most part when and where we will be going on vacation, I plan months in advance so that we'll have adequate pastures so everyone stays happy.
We don't just, on a whim, throw some clothes in a bag and hit the road. We have horses and dogs and that takes time to prep for being gone. It doesn't matter what time of year either.
So the next time you hear that we are going on vacation, please refrain from saying "oh that must be nice, wish we could go on vacations" or "you guys are always camping or not at home", please keep in mind, we've busted our butts to make it possible. We refrain from putting but minimal work on the caretaker and want to keep it that way.
If our young are supposed to be our future, than I want to continue to ensure that my children have the same opportunities that I had growing up. That means being gone from the Sanctuary. It means being on vacation. It means long nights after the kids go to bed to get everything ready. It means cutting our vacation short to make sure that all the chores are done before we head out.
It makes it tough to stay focused on the Sanctuary when we aren't around but my kids come first and I want them to be as well rounded as I am. That way, if they take up a passion as strongly as I have, they'll feel as though they too can change the world and make a difference.
So maybe next time, instead of saying "gee, wish we could go on vacation but we can't." offer to help. I'll gladly repay the favor and help out if/when you're gone but dont' sit on a high horse and tell me you can't when I make every sacrifice to make it happen. There is a give and take in everything.
My kids are our future. I want them to be passionate about something, anything. It doesn't really matter. Let them be one of the few who want to change the world and know that they can make a difference. But to do so, they need to see the world and that's what I'm trying to give them. And to do so, there's hours and hours of work. It simply refrain from having to go into detail about the amount of work done in preparation for showing my kids that they too can make a difference in the world.
Last week we went on our annual vacation. Because I have small kids, my first focus is on them and then the horses. Don't get me wrong. The horses' care is taken care of but the extra stuff slips to the wayside when my kids' stuff comes up.
I want me kids to have every advantage that I had growing up. That means vacations, camping, being gone from the Sanctuary.
What rubs me the wrong way is the offhand comment "Well, that's nice. Wish we could." or other comments similar. It actually makes me see red.
What people don't see are the hours of work that goes in to getting ready for us to be gone, even if it's only for a day or two. We don't have volunteers. Since I'm the sole caretaker, I am responsible. So when I ask someone to look in on the place, I want to make sure that my caretaker/volunteer has to do minimal chores. But that means hours and hours of moving horses, filling water tanks, checking fence, etc. It means hours of work and in reality, it means weeks of prep. And because I know for the most part when and where we will be going on vacation, I plan months in advance so that we'll have adequate pastures so everyone stays happy.
We don't just, on a whim, throw some clothes in a bag and hit the road. We have horses and dogs and that takes time to prep for being gone. It doesn't matter what time of year either.
So the next time you hear that we are going on vacation, please refrain from saying "oh that must be nice, wish we could go on vacations" or "you guys are always camping or not at home", please keep in mind, we've busted our butts to make it possible. We refrain from putting but minimal work on the caretaker and want to keep it that way.
If our young are supposed to be our future, than I want to continue to ensure that my children have the same opportunities that I had growing up. That means being gone from the Sanctuary. It means being on vacation. It means long nights after the kids go to bed to get everything ready. It means cutting our vacation short to make sure that all the chores are done before we head out.
It makes it tough to stay focused on the Sanctuary when we aren't around but my kids come first and I want them to be as well rounded as I am. That way, if they take up a passion as strongly as I have, they'll feel as though they too can change the world and make a difference.
So maybe next time, instead of saying "gee, wish we could go on vacation but we can't." offer to help. I'll gladly repay the favor and help out if/when you're gone but dont' sit on a high horse and tell me you can't when I make every sacrifice to make it happen. There is a give and take in everything.
My kids are our future. I want them to be passionate about something, anything. It doesn't really matter. Let them be one of the few who want to change the world and know that they can make a difference. But to do so, they need to see the world and that's what I'm trying to give them. And to do so, there's hours and hours of work. It simply refrain from having to go into detail about the amount of work done in preparation for showing my kids that they too can make a difference in the world.
Blur
Life has been a blur lately. Not even sure where to begin. In the past 11 days, I've had 1 day where we were home in the evening. Otherwise, we've been on the go with family and kid activities. It's a bit hard to squeeze in anything other than standard chores at the Sanctuary. In the next 10 days, I'll be home 1 day without having to do extra running. No wonder I'm exhausted.
I don't want to overdue it either. I had to spend a couple of hours in the ER last Thursday and I don't want a repeat of that. Nothing to worry about but my doctor wanted me to be seen by someone else instead of diagnose me over the phone. I think it was a combination of things, including all the smoke that we've been dealing with. Luckily only Mike and I have been affected by the smoke that seems to be staying in the area from the Canadian fires.
We did go on vacation last week. It was a much needed vacation and is our annual vacation we go on every year. I've missed it only once in the past few years and that was when my first was born. I think the only other time I missed it was that we as a family decided to head east instead of west (and that'll never happen again). We've been going to the Black Hills every year in August since I was 5. So almost 35 years of tradition and I'm a stickler for tradition. We go because it's tradition (and I need it and love it).
But it does mean a lot of extra work before that. I'll blog about that later because there is a bit of an irritant in me going on any vacation or doing anything "fun" as people seem to see us do.
Besides the constant running, poor health, vacations thrown in with all the extra prep work, I'm switching paying jobs. Even if I wasn't switching jobs, the current job has a huge review that's going to keep me busy until I officially transition at the end of September. But the new job has me hustling already on projects due by the end of this month. So I'm trying to juggle two jobs, taking care of kids, both kids going to school this year (and all their activities), planned vacations that have been on the books for years, and day-to-day care of the horses. Never mind that there's a few things I'd like to be working on but there's no time.
I need to be working on paperwork for the Sanctuary at night but I've been too exhausted in the evenings and if I don't take care of myself right now, I'll find myself back in the ER and then we'll really be in trouble because Mike only knows what needs to be done when I tell him. He went out last night to drop a bale into the drylot because the horses took down the pasture fence. It'll take a solid two hours to get everything repaired but we ran out of time yesterday before the flash flooding and storms rolled through.
I have so much I'd like to share but I can't seem to find the energy right now. Hopefully in another couple of weeks I'll be able to perk up and not have as many stresses. Fingers crossed.
I don't want to overdue it either. I had to spend a couple of hours in the ER last Thursday and I don't want a repeat of that. Nothing to worry about but my doctor wanted me to be seen by someone else instead of diagnose me over the phone. I think it was a combination of things, including all the smoke that we've been dealing with. Luckily only Mike and I have been affected by the smoke that seems to be staying in the area from the Canadian fires.
We did go on vacation last week. It was a much needed vacation and is our annual vacation we go on every year. I've missed it only once in the past few years and that was when my first was born. I think the only other time I missed it was that we as a family decided to head east instead of west (and that'll never happen again). We've been going to the Black Hills every year in August since I was 5. So almost 35 years of tradition and I'm a stickler for tradition. We go because it's tradition (and I need it and love it).
But it does mean a lot of extra work before that. I'll blog about that later because there is a bit of an irritant in me going on any vacation or doing anything "fun" as people seem to see us do.
Besides the constant running, poor health, vacations thrown in with all the extra prep work, I'm switching paying jobs. Even if I wasn't switching jobs, the current job has a huge review that's going to keep me busy until I officially transition at the end of September. But the new job has me hustling already on projects due by the end of this month. So I'm trying to juggle two jobs, taking care of kids, both kids going to school this year (and all their activities), planned vacations that have been on the books for years, and day-to-day care of the horses. Never mind that there's a few things I'd like to be working on but there's no time.
I need to be working on paperwork for the Sanctuary at night but I've been too exhausted in the evenings and if I don't take care of myself right now, I'll find myself back in the ER and then we'll really be in trouble because Mike only knows what needs to be done when I tell him. He went out last night to drop a bale into the drylot because the horses took down the pasture fence. It'll take a solid two hours to get everything repaired but we ran out of time yesterday before the flash flooding and storms rolled through.
I have so much I'd like to share but I can't seem to find the energy right now. Hopefully in another couple of weeks I'll be able to perk up and not have as many stresses. Fingers crossed.
Thursday, August 9, 2018
Getting Behind
The last week has flown by. I'll have to recap on our #HappinessHappens later when I'm done catching up with everything else. If you can't wait, check us out on Facebook (at least I'm sorta keeping that up to date).
The paying job is keeping me hopping. I don't expect that to change until the end of September. It makes it difficult to get anything done around the Sanctuary but I guess that's just how life goes.
August is typically a busy month for non Sanctuary related activities. I'm hoping that I can get a few things done even with being under the weather a lot these days. In fact, the other day my back pretty much gave out and I was stuck on the floor. Those old commercials "Help I've fallen and I can't get up". Yup, that was me the other night. I had to have Mike come in and pull me up off the floor because I couldn't move. Oh for the days of being young again.
Everyone is pretty much hanging out and chilling these days. I need to open the very bottom of the pasture at the end of the week. I'm not really looking forward to it because the creek is still full of water. Usually it dries out by this time of year but with the wet summer we've had, it's not going to happen. But it also means that I'll be pulling the Shoo Fly Boots off everyone. I'd rather not have to but if they are going to be walking through a horse length of water that's knee deep, I'd rather not loose those expensive fly boots. We'll see how it goes for the first week or so.
We've been lucky in not having super hot temps and I'm very thankful. I can handle low 80s and the horses dont' seem to mind either. We are definitely having a weird summer. I'm keeping track of fog and going to see if the old wives tale of 90 days from fog is rain/snow. It used to work when we were in an El Nino but now days, that theory doesnt' really work. But I'd rather be prepared than not. I'm already two months behind. I need to start prepping for winter ASAP but every time I think I can, I am sick or the mosquitoes come out in full force. I guess we'll just see what happens.
I can't even push Mike these days to get stuff done. His paying job is pushing him even harder so there's been a lot of outside stress here at the Sanctuary.
Add to it that we are a bit on pins and needs with our beloved Farley dog. We thought he had a stroke last week but treated him for a severe ear infection. We have hope that it's an ear infection but I think our vets are a bit more guarded. But it means that we have to keep a super close eye on Farley. He's gone from an outside farm dog, to an inside lapdog in about 12 hours. But if he does have a stroke and it's super hot out, we can't leave him out there so now he's become a big fuzzy shedding black lab. Everything is covered in fur these days but I guess I will let it go. He's 3 months shy of being 15 years old and he's been our loyal companion for 13 of those years. You don't throw away 13 years of loyalty and love over a little bit of hair.
So back to the paying job to try and keep my head above water. Check out our Facebook page. I'm trying to keep the #HappinessHappens days updated there and I'll have to come back later and update it on here. So far behind. Anyone want to help so I'm not as far behind?
The paying job is keeping me hopping. I don't expect that to change until the end of September. It makes it difficult to get anything done around the Sanctuary but I guess that's just how life goes.
August is typically a busy month for non Sanctuary related activities. I'm hoping that I can get a few things done even with being under the weather a lot these days. In fact, the other day my back pretty much gave out and I was stuck on the floor. Those old commercials "Help I've fallen and I can't get up". Yup, that was me the other night. I had to have Mike come in and pull me up off the floor because I couldn't move. Oh for the days of being young again.
Everyone is pretty much hanging out and chilling these days. I need to open the very bottom of the pasture at the end of the week. I'm not really looking forward to it because the creek is still full of water. Usually it dries out by this time of year but with the wet summer we've had, it's not going to happen. But it also means that I'll be pulling the Shoo Fly Boots off everyone. I'd rather not have to but if they are going to be walking through a horse length of water that's knee deep, I'd rather not loose those expensive fly boots. We'll see how it goes for the first week or so.
We've been lucky in not having super hot temps and I'm very thankful. I can handle low 80s and the horses dont' seem to mind either. We are definitely having a weird summer. I'm keeping track of fog and going to see if the old wives tale of 90 days from fog is rain/snow. It used to work when we were in an El Nino but now days, that theory doesnt' really work. But I'd rather be prepared than not. I'm already two months behind. I need to start prepping for winter ASAP but every time I think I can, I am sick or the mosquitoes come out in full force. I guess we'll just see what happens.
I can't even push Mike these days to get stuff done. His paying job is pushing him even harder so there's been a lot of outside stress here at the Sanctuary.
Add to it that we are a bit on pins and needs with our beloved Farley dog. We thought he had a stroke last week but treated him for a severe ear infection. We have hope that it's an ear infection but I think our vets are a bit more guarded. But it means that we have to keep a super close eye on Farley. He's gone from an outside farm dog, to an inside lapdog in about 12 hours. But if he does have a stroke and it's super hot out, we can't leave him out there so now he's become a big fuzzy shedding black lab. Everything is covered in fur these days but I guess I will let it go. He's 3 months shy of being 15 years old and he's been our loyal companion for 13 of those years. You don't throw away 13 years of loyalty and love over a little bit of hair.
So back to the paying job to try and keep my head above water. Check out our Facebook page. I'm trying to keep the #HappinessHappens days updated there and I'll have to come back later and update it on here. So far behind. Anyone want to help so I'm not as far behind?
Friday, August 3, 2018
Happiness Happens Day 3
#Happiness Happens Day 3. I am happy to walk out to the pasture and be able to call the herd in for the night. I'm also happy that they each want to see me in the morning before they head back out to the pasture. It's such an amazing feeling to know that they each want to say hi before heading out for their day of grazing. Warms my heart and makes me happy.
Subscribe to:
Posts (Atom)