Today's Haul

Those of you who are fellow garderners know the good feeling you get when you first start to harvest from the plants you have so carefully tended...barring bad weather and/or a poor growing season (as I know some of you have suffered that this year)....

But it doesn't take long and before you know it, you are pulling hauls like this...
Which happens to be my Sunday morning gather.

Lord have mercy...

This was Friday's gather...


My counters are stacked with veggies!

I seriously need to get out my canning/freezing books and start to get some of this stuff stored.

I had fun running Spooks at the barrel racings this weekend. He did good...nice, smooth patterns...and we even won some money in the 4D. I'm glad I went. I took Frosty as well and he got rode both days. I didn't get much of a chance to practice pattern him on Friday night. I kind of waited 'til most everyone had done their thing and left. I was just getting ready to start working him on the pattern when this other gal came barging in and kept cutting me off as I was trying to get to 1st barrel. Since I was planning on spending the night at the arena...to save mileage getting to the race the next day...I thought I would let her have a couple of go's.

But she just kept going and going and going...

Finally I got irritated and the last time she cut me off, I told her it was my turn...she had had ample time on the pattern...and it wasn't getting any better (she was headed for a wreck and anytime someone is knocking over barrel after barrel at a lope...they need to quit cause they are not helping themselves or their horse). I got a couple of turns on the pattern (along with some dirty looks-LOL) and then they turned the lights out.

Oh well...I got up early the next morning and got to enjoy riding with L (her and her husband stayed over as well)..and we had the entire facility to ourselves. Frosty was struggling a little on the pattern...he's really starting to look for those barrels...so he is wanting to kick his hind end out and pick up the wrong lead...it's a perfectly normal thing to have a green horse do, so we just slowed it down again...got his body squared up and didn't make a big deal about it. By the end of the session, I think he was about as soft-bodied and minded as I have ever felt him. He's coming along nicely, so we left it at that for the weekend. I am in no hurry to push him to run in competition...I just want soft, relaxed and completely comfortable and confident. I have doubt when he gets to that point, we will be able to crack open a run and people will wonder where I have been hiding him. ;-)

After my run on Saturday, I rushed home to shower and get 'girlie' to go to the Mule Deer Banquet with My Honey. Sometimes it sure feels good to get out of working clothes, put a little make-up on, a pair of high heels and get out on the town. We didn't win any cool door prizes or buy any guns this time, but I saw this and HAD to have it...
(Okay...what I was hoping for was that it wouldn't go for an exorbitant amount and I might be able to get it.) It's a 3-4 y/o Buffalo Bull skull with the most beautiful artwork painted on it. I hope you guys can see how gorgeous the picture is...It was really hard to photograph...
It's just stunning work and I fell in love with it.

Well obviously My Honey bought it for me...but I couldn't believe no one else was bidding on it. Lucky for us I guess. It's going to look awesome hanging next to MH's buffalo head mount. I just need to take the tacky fake eagle feathers out and put some real ones on it. ;-)