The Sand Box

When I was young we had a sand box in the yard.  I enjoyed playing in the sand box. 
Moving the sand around.
Creating grooves.
Sometimes making building  like structures.  Adding twigs at times. 

There was that enjoyment in using my hands to create something and not minding getting a little dirty. 

I do morning chores at Lend-A-Hand farm.  It's outdoor work.
Watering troughs
Clean  Paddocks of manure and hay-no longer fresh
Sweeping in indoor arena

One has to not mind getting a little dirty in such work.

One good thing about clean paddocks is "What one sees, You Pick up".
I  rake a small pile of manure together.  Pick it up and dump it in the wheel barrel.
Sometimes I rake the spot over to smooth out dirt after.
I'll rake hay- no longer fresh in a pile too and then pick it up.

There are many other tasks to do on the farm.
In the afternoon, the horses that will be used for lessons are brought in the barn.
I'm not on this shift, yet I know there is:

Grooming of horses
Putting riding equipment on horses as requested to suite individual lessons.

During lesson:
Horse leader
Side walkers
Therapist work

When I took riding lessons, I groomed and saddled the "school" horse for each lesson.
When I participated in the barn's horse shows, a whole group of students and instructors would get together the Saturday before the show and bathe, groom, braid the horses.
We'd also clean saddles and bridles.
- I must say I am pretty good at braiding.

oh those days were fun.

Sometimes when I am with the horses, I think about my good friend and former riding instructor.
She passed away a couple of years ago from Cancer.
She was a riding instructor for a number of years.
Outdoor work - working with horses and students.

I know she was proud of all her students accomplishments.  I was one of her students.
I was so proud of her too.
She knew I loved being around the horses and farm.

Sometimes I imagine her watching and smiling down at me as I work around the farm.

Blessed

There's more where that came from

I now work at LAH farm Monday through Friday.
I check and fill water troughs in paddocks.  Then move inside the barn and check-fill water buckets.
I also clean stalls and paddocks.

Paddock cleaning can be interesting.
Depending on the time I do each paddock I may have a horse in there with me or not.
I don't mind if they are.  I've gotten to know the horses and they've gotten to know me. 

I have wondered sometimes at things.  And today I made note, again, that when I clean around them there - not every time, yet often enough- a horse will leave a "gift" for me to add to my work already there.
Is it about cleanliness? Or animal marking? or syncing with the energy going on?  ..... I can really turn thoughts and questions around and churn them.
I don't know that I have an answer really.
Some have noted this and complain that after they clean the stall the horse goes- like ugh-more work.

In the case of cleaning paddocks, my own experience has been one with a slight twist.  If the horses goes-to the bathroom- I've made note that they've been doing it conveniently before I finish cleaning their paddock.
Are they marking? Leaving a "gift'? Acknowledging my maid service--hehe?
I've decided to look at it as a gift oddly enough.  ..it happens often.  I say "oh thank you, I'll get it" 
Are they helping me with my work?  hmmmm

 "There's always more where that came from"

Maybe they are acknowledging me in some way.

Today I got to Lady's paddock late in my route.  The day had warmed and I was feeling a little hot and tired.  I greeted her as usual "Hi girl, how are yah." and went about my cleaning.  There were some piles near her that I picked up.
I was almost done with the piles near her when I felt her soft muzzle nudge me for a moment. 
She has come near me before for some attention and a pat, but she's never toughed me with her nose like this before.  I wasn't facing her at the time.
She has done the low neigh or kicked the gate when wanting more hay.

I try to tune in to "What".  I asked her "what"? when I felt her touch.  She wanted my attention to something.
I was unsure for a moment.
Then I happen to turn and noticed she made a pile- gift.
I was like , "Oh, OK. Thanks."
I usually notice when they do it right away and make a comment.
Did this time she pick up on my tiredness and noticed I didn't notice it right away?
Why would she have done it?
I can't come up with any other answer.
I know they pick up on any and every move, emotion, energy stuff- very keen senses.

One thing I do know is I felt very touched by the gesture.  A connection though very subtle.  A gift.

So it had to do with poop, ...well.  

 

 

Off to the - Bunny- Races

I now have a paid part-time job at LAH farm. Woot

First task in the morning was to check water troughs and stall buckets. 
Ann had made out a schedule so everyone knows what tasks to do and check off.

Ann decided since I was in the aisle with the Rabbits that we'd check the rabbits water and food.
The rabbits currently live in two horse stalls.  
I stepped in the first one and made sure I stood near the door so none of them would venture out.
The second stall has more rabbit and small young rabbits.  There's a box near the stall door when one opens it to again prevent any venturing out.
I made sure to let some of them smell me to "get to know me".  One rabbit looked toward water bowl, perhaps in anticipation of new water and food.
Together Ann and I refilled water bowls and food bowls.
Some rabbits will just sit in a spot for a time.  While others will go a Hop-in.
At one point a few of them decide to go scampering around.  "My",  they are fast.  It felt like "Off to the Races".
OMGosh, they are so cute. 
White ones, brown ones,  black ones.  And a very cute grey and white one that the girls have seen and commented on.
Eventually they will be moved to what was a dog kennel.  The Kennel is to be converted into their living space. 

I like the work though it's physical.  I get a chance to be on a farm and around animals.

I am a country girl at heart.

The Angels are Bowling

Today we had a few thunderstorm come through.
I  heard the low rumble of thunder just as I woke up.  It became a day of off and on lighting and rumbles of thunder.  Of course there was the occasional rain pattering down too. 
We spent the morning at LAH farm.
I got most of my work done without getting wet. Near to finishing the rain started and I had to put my jacket on.
I felt hotter with my jacket on because of the high humidity in the air.  At one point I gave up and put my jacket away.  I let the rain get me wet a little.  It did feel sort of good and cooled me off.

The Farm was having a Family Day.  They had stuff to sell at flea market prices and ponies rides. 
It was nice.  The girls got a pony ride.  Some people came by in the morning. 
Cozmo loved the company and stood at the gate in anticipation for the next pat and treat.
He's such a ham.
At one point he gave me a horse hug.  He placed his head on my shoulder when I was patting him.  So soft and so  sweet.

As the rain started to come down more,  less people showed up.

The rumble of thunder seemed close and often.
I mentioned that my mom always claimed with humor that the thunder means ....
"The Angels are Bowling".
A really loud clap of thunder means they got a strike.
A low rumble means a gutter bowl.

So nice to have such imaginative thoughts.

Later I happened to notice a magnificent thunder cloud in the distance.   

Lightness, Not Push or Pull

We want to have lightness in our lives.
Not Push or Pull.

There are times to be firm in situations such as with children.  Yet how to be firm can be a choice how to act too.

Horses are very sensitive.  As horse trainer- clinician Buck Brannaman says, "They can feel a fly land on them". 
They're sensitive to energy, their surroundings and others.

Lightness of aids-working with a horse can win over any kind of pushing or pulling.  Especially with an animal as big and strong as a horse.
There are ways to work with an animal and have cooperation.

I'm continually fascinated with horses and the interaction with them.

Lightness comes up.
It sometimes requires one to take a different approach and not react.

I've had moments when riding when it was such a lightness and connectedness I could almost hear the "music of the dance".  Wonderful.
Yet I've also found it's not just when riding. 

Some moments in my day at volunteering at LAH farm.

I had finished cleaning one paddock with a small amount in the wheel barrel.  I moved onto Lady's paddock.
I did Lady's paddock and the wheel barrel was getting full.
I had to do her stall next.  For a moment I thought about dumping out what I had.  I spoke of it-  yah  I talk to myself.  But I didn't follow through.  I thought I'd just finish the stall.
Lady was in her stall.  I gave her a couple of nudges on her side and asked her to move over.  She didn't move.  I tried again, and she just kept eating.
With a sigh, I thought.  Then I choose to go dump the wheel barrel and come back to it.
I dumped out the wheel barrel and came back to her in her stall.  This time I made sure I was more light about it and gently asked "Can you please step over. She did.  I asked for one more step over.  Good- perfect.  I thanked her.
Was it my pushing?  Did she pick up on my wants to dump the full wheel barrel or just finish? Did she feel my uncertainty?
Perhaps
I gave her a pat.

Another time it was Cozmo.
I was going to enter his paddock.  He greeted me at the gate.  He was being sort of nosy and wanting attention.  I moved his face away and said, "Can't I just come in".  ( yes I talk to them) He just stood there.
He didn't want to be pushed away.
I had an idea.  To take a different approach.  Use this big brain with the sensitivity.
I thought "he wants to be near me".  So I moved to the corner of the fence and asked him to come to me.  He did.
Guess I got it right, because I then was able to enter the paddock.  I talked to him as I cleaned.  Good

Reframing to lightness.
Clearer, softer message.



    

Rawness of Nature

Rawness of Nature

One day as I walked home from seeing my girls off at school, I saw a baby bird on the sidewalk. It was chirping like crazy. I looked at it and it just chirped. I didn't see an adult bird around. I gathered by the fact it couldn't seem to move that it had fall out of a nest.

When I got home I called the local animal rescue. Then I checked on the baby bird.

Unfortunately my efforts were to no avail. The little bird didn't make it.

I'm not sure what kind of bird it was. It looked like it was pretty young with only a few short feathers.

Nature takes it's course. Things happen in a way that spells the future or not.

This was not my first encounter with animal rescue.

Last year I managed to save a young Robin from our next door neighbor's cat.

I had noticed the cat in our yard was eyeing something that it wanted to get near. Yet something was keeping it from doing so. I walked out in the yard to look. In the garden was a young robin amid-st the green plants. The cat kept eyeing it. The Robin started to move away by walking through the plants. It appeared to not be able to fly. It kept struggling. It appeared the bird was favoring one wing. I put myself between the cat and the bird. The cat backed off. I grabbed a small pail and we managed to get the bird in it. I called the animal control and they said they'd be there soon. I decided that the pail wasn't such a good idea since the bird would start to spook when I tried to move the pail. We grabbed a big cardboard box and slipped the bird into that. Then we took it to the front of the house to wait for the animal control to get there. We made sure the bird was out of danger.

The animal control person came. I showed her the box it was in. She gentling took hold of the bird and picked it up. The bird seem to look at us and the animal control person. It's mouth was open, yet it didn't struggle as much.

I asked the animal control person what would happen next. She told me that there is a wild animal rescue in the state and a woman who's known as the “Bird Woman”. She rehabilitates the birds. That if this bird had signs toward recovering they'd see it through.

She gave me a number to keep.
I called a week later and was told the bird was moved to this woman's place and eventually would be released back out in the wild.

This bird was a fledgling and looked similar to an adult bird yet not there yet.

My husband noticed later that an adult Robin seem to be hanging around our place. He thought maybe it had to do with my rescuing the youngster. I don't know for sure, yet feel good.

Nature can be quite raw, yet also amazing.

Fly Free

One evening a Fly got in the house.
Couldn't find it.

We had windows open to let in air.

We went to bed.

Morning- I wake up to see Fly on the ceiling near the light.  I put the light on to look at it.  Shut off light.  It flew.
Unlike others I try to free the Fly.
I open the windows so it can be attracted to the open  window and land on the screen.  I then shut window trapping Fly in between window pane and screen.
Fly was curious and went to window.  I shut window.
I waited until the Fly settled on the screen.  Then opened window slightly to push up screen- way out.  Of course this took a couple of times because Fly flew a little around space. 
I had time and patience.  Once Fly settled I got it done- opened window to push up screen.  Then I closed window so Fly doesn't fly back into house.
Fly finds- notices opening and flies out.

I check to make sure Fly is gone, then open window. 

When Max got back from his walk I told him I got Fly out.  He mentioned he knew Fly was in the room, just couldn't find him.
I can't be bothered to look for something that small and that can fly.
Window method has worked a few times.

oh, sometimes when I find a spider I get it into a plastic container with cover. Then walk outside to drop it in the garden.

Strange I know. 
Am I  strange because I'm an artist or the other way around.  oh I guess it doesn't matter.  :-)
oh yah, We're suppose to be strange- that's what society expects.  :-D
Good to be complying with such permission.  Lovely