Summer Pasture

I moved the horses to summer pasture last week.  I love how when I go out there and call they all come running :)  So I go out there and before they come they have to look and make sue I'm not being suspicious or something, lol  I don't know  what they think of as suspicious but they always stop with heads raised up high for a minute or two and then come running.  Before they come I got a chance to get a few pic, Disco at the waterhole and the others while they were watchin me.

Then they started comin :)  Looks so cool when that many horses come running, specially since I know none of them will run me over.

Then they stopped to get pets and then I turned around and started walking towards the gate and they knew what was up and so they headed over there.

After they got through the gate they run around to check out the corral gate and it was closed of course so they ran around for a while then settled eating the tame brome grass by the gate.

Got a few too many out there now, but probly on Sat after the couple days of cold weather we are forcasted is over I will bring in Jazz and Kali and Bailey so I can start riding them for brandings and stuff.  And work with Jazz a little on her loading skills for when she goes.

More Arizona

So thank you all for all the tips!  I need all the info I can get.  I have never bought property before so this is kinda scary to me (really scary actually)  And since I wrote that post I got an email from the Realtor on the mls site with and enclosed document on buying property in Arizona.  Lots of good info in there, she clears up a lot of stuff for me.  Like I do not want a pool, she says they are just a huge liability if you are gonna rent or be absent part of the year.  Which I am, the absent part, haven't decided about renting yet.  I wish I could attach it here, but have no idea how, although it should be possible it is an adobe document.

And so anyways the whole real estate buying process is kinda confusing to me although she does try to explain it, as far as I know here the Realtor does everything then the bank approves the loan and then you get a lawyer to sign papers (of course this is me who has never bought real estate remember so it may be slightly wrong) but she says no lawyers are involved an escrow agent is used (whatever that is!)  She also says not to look at short sales cause they take forever and often never do go through, so at least now I know what they are.  But apparently regular sales and foreclosures are easy and take between 2 weeks to 30-45 days.  So really not that long.

I have also talked to pretty much everybody I run into about it, apparently one of our neighbors just bought a house in Maricopa (with a pool) and spends most of his winters down there.  He just loves it.  And I know we have at least 2 other neighbors that have properties in the area as well.  I have heard all kinds of stuff and some of it I just throw out but most of it is still somewhere in my mind.  I have been thinking that this winter/ summer will just be a info gathering session and if gonna go for it it will be next fall.  I guess I am curious about water, and someone to watch it when I am not there, as well as whatever HOA fees are?  But am reluctant to ask the Realtor yet cause I am really not looking to buy yet.  oh and it throws me off when they list lot size in sq feet!  I am bad enough on how big acres are, But really square feet?  Had to Google them to change to acres, lol.  And an Arizona room, that just sounds odd, makes me think sun room, but I dunno.

On your comments, Ummm thanks LT for pointing out the distances  I never thought of all the traffic, and I guess I can not read aerial views cause I still don't see the power lines you are talking about (not that I doubt they are there, I am just not sure what I am looking for)  But I will definitely look at an area closer to where I want to cut.  Although to tell the truth I would probly be happy to just be able to ride, so I guess I need a place near where I can ride out.  Hard for me to tell what is too far away, to me they don't seem that far, but I also don't think of Arizona with mountains, even though I know that is not true.  Like I found some cool places near Show Low, is that far from stuff?  Or Florence and Casa Grande, even though it is farther south?  And seems like all the perfect places are farther away, although I am trying not to look at anything outside that area you and Cindy say.

Lisa, I am not worried about dry heat, that is what we have here all summer, and dry cold in the winter, so I am def used to dry,  lol.

And Lisa W.  if I go I will probly not take the hubby and if he does come someone will have to do our chores the whole time cause the cows still need to be fed and we are NOT bringing 185 cows down with us.  So no worries about stuff going on at home cause there will be someone here.  I would probly only bring 2 (or 3) horses down for a few months in the winter (4 or 5) if I could get away with it.  Neil has no desire to move even temp so that makes it a little harder on me and why I am so hesitant or I would prob be down there already looking at places.

Cindy, I am not expecting pasture, to have that would be awesome though!  I have looked on her website and yikes I found some places I really like!  I can see how this is gonna be harder to avoid than I was thinking ;)  And looking at the properties I guess I need to learn my geography a little better so I can know when looking at a place if its close to where i want it.  I will def ask more questions as this goes on.

And Janice I hear you, its the stuff left behind I worry about, both animals and property.....as well as snakes, sure don't care for them.

Well I have found a few properties I kinda like in all sorts of price ranges, so I guess when i go to look no worries on what I want will be available.  Kinda funny though how they put so much emphasis on the house, I am more interested in the property.  Not that I want to live in a dump, but gosh it sure dont need to be fancy!

Arizona

So just a couple days ago I got looking up properties in Arizona.  No real reason but I was sick of winter and everyone said it was super cheap down there, so I thought I would look.  Wow is it ever!  Amazing how much cheaper, no wonder so many people I know have places down there.  But the worst part is I found a place I absolutely love!!!  How can I I have never been there, I know does not make sense.  I seen one place I thought was pretty nice, but then somehow stumbled upon this other one and its even bigger and the house looks decent and cheap!  But I just put it out of my mind cause Neil does not want to go there ever.  But I kept thinking about it and so yesterday went and looked at it again cause not much pictures of the place but in reading the description it said tack room and corrals, hmm.  I thought it was just a mobile on land with nothing else.  So I go look up the birds eye view and not sure where property lines are but there is definitely another building, maybe 2!  Interesting, I am sooo tempted to call and ask more about it!

Kinda scares me how much I wanna move there now.  When really I have never even been there!  But boy to be able to ride all year outside and there is lots of cutting there :)  and lots of blogger people there.  No reason not to go for winters :)  But I am holding off for now even if I don't want to cause it really is a scary thought and I have no idea what to do about it in the summer time or anything about being down there, but I am sure gonna look into it more.

I don't even know what to look for really, but it has its own well, which is always good.  Has wire and chain link fence, which is really just a bonus, never expected any fences.  Says cooling is refrigeration  not sure if that means air conditioning or not, but whatever I don't have it here so why need it there.  Guess I will try to talk to people who have a place down there what they think is important.

And yesterday in my email was a document on all the info that Canadians need to know before purchasing property in another country, specifically Arizona.  Still so tempted and am now saving up :)

Time for Winter

Well this morning the ponies were hanging around the gate and since we are weaning on Sunday and we move the cow calf pairs through their summer pasture, I have to move them and so today was the day.

I was not all that thrilled to have to go walk through all that snow out there, but since there was wind with it near the windbreak there was a bare spot that I used.  Looks like the horses have been using it too.

I had trouble getting the knot on the gate open and the ponies were getting restless cause by now all but Magic and Jessie know they are getting new grass and better shelter.  I got it open and they run past me and out.  Kali is so funny cause when everyone starts getting fighty she comes to me.

But they got all sorted out (mostly) and are happy to be out there.  I did not spend much time out as I had to take my gloves off to open the gate and my fingers got really cold cause I wanted some better pics, but had to go find a way to close that gate again a little better.  I got it, but I think it needs a longer rope on it that does not have to be knotted.

Quite a bit of snow in drifts, but where the grass was grazed down (a lot of tame grass up close in the summer pasture) the wind just blew the snow right off it and it looks bare.

The winter pasture hasn't had anything in it since June and so lots of tall grass for them to get at.  I doubt Magic or Jessie have ever had to work for grass before, but they will learn :)  At least for a while till i bring Jessie in to ride her again.

Helping Friends And A Winner!!!

I spent Tuesday and Wednesday down at a friends house helping her pack up so she could move.  It was kinda nice to get to visit with her that long even with all the packing work we did.  She is moving from the farm to the city, so it will be a big change for the kids, but I think it will be better for them to get away for a while.

Her kids were trying to help us pack, but they got sidetracked very easily, which sometimes was just as good that they were occupied and not bothering us.  In the two days I was there, we packed all the upstairs and basement, kids rooms and videos from living room.  She still has to live there a while so we couldn't pack everything, but sure got a good start on it.

And since I said the foal naming contest would go till the Thirtieth, that was yesterday and I love all the names I got, it was very hard to decide but I think I will go with Disco Chip as a registered name (if they will take it) and Casino as a barn name, so that means Brown Eyed Cowgirls is the Winner, congrats, just send me your address via email and I will mail the stapler out as soon as I get to town which probly will be next week cause I'm sure the post office is closed today for Canada Day.