O Canada

 Saturday, January 29 2022...

Freedom Day...

The whole day I had a feeling of joy and hope that only grew as the day progressed. 

Let me start by saying that the Convoy To Ottawa isn't an anti vax protest. Many of the people involved are fully vaxxed.  It  is about being forced by a tyrannical government to follow a protocol that has proven to be ineffective and harmful to physical, mental and financial  well being. A government who belittles and is hateful to those who do not follow its narrative. A government who has an agenda to turn Canada into a Communist country. A puppet leader who dances to the tune of the rich and powerful who want to make the world over in their own image. A man who fled the city  when faced with a huge and peaceful protest. 

I have often said that Canadians will only take so much, but watch out when they push back. We are by and large a peaceful country, but we are not weak. The people who built this country faced great hardship and that resilience has stayed in the following generations. 

As I looked at all the live feed and group pages on social media the support , the hope and the happiness of the people was overwhelming. Stuff that you won't see on mainstream media, (who are down playing the event and trying their hardest to find anything negative to report) such as people lining the highways and overpasses to cheer on the truckers in -27 to -40 weather, to local convoys in nearly every town, city and highway across the country, to notes of support from nearly every country in the world- yes, the whole world is watching this movement started by a handful of Canadian truckers- to convoys being organized in many other countries now. 

Never underestimate the common people when they are faced with tyranny and injustice. This is nothing new; this is how mankind is hard wired. 

Will we get what we are asking for? Perhaps. What we want is an end to mandates. All of them. End the pandemic of fear and manipulation. End treating people like criminals if they aren't wearing a mask when science has proven them to be ineffective. Stay home if you feel uncomfortable in public but don't force healthy people to curtail their activities and demonize them if they don't. End forcing people to choose between an inoculation that has been shown to be ineffective in preventing the spread of the virus, and keeping their jobs. End not allowing doctors and nurses to treat patients with effective medicine and stripping them of their jobs if they dare to give those life saving treatments to their patients. End forcing parents to jab their children who are not at risk of dying or even getting very ill with this virus. End the cover ups of the dangers of this so called vaccine. I could go on about the many injustices. But lets focus instead on the hope that standing up for our human rights by making a stand, will produce at least some of the desired results. 

Some European countries have already lifted their mandates, and I heard this morning that Saskatchewan has ended their vax passport mandate. It's a start. 

The theme I see in all this is unity and love. The truckers started the ball rolling, but it's up to each one of us to carry on and continue to call for accountability from the government and Big Pharma. 

However, I am suspicious of the end game. If mandates are lifted, be prepared for a temporary respite while the elite find another way to increase their power and keep us from living happy normal lives. I suspect the number of deaths and permanent injuries from the jabs (which numbers currently have been hidden or not reported to the general public) will then be put out  as a way to say that the virus death toll dramatically increases after the mandates are lifted.

No, I am not a conspiracy theorist; just someone who can look objectively at what is going on not just in my country but around the world- someone who refuses to watch the lies and propaganda  of mainstream media who are in the pockets of the very people who are perpetrating this evil. 

God bless Canada; the true north strong and free.

Let freedom ring; today is a day of reckoning. 

Keep it civil; no hate or violence. 

We shall overcome.

Trimmed

 The farrier came out yesterday to trim all 3 horses. I am happy to report that Sophie was really good for him (as were Beamer and Jayne). I wasn't sure what to expect with her, but she was true to form and was a good girl. 

He also checked out the lump on her right front leg and figures it is scar tissue, as it is moveable and not attached to the bone; likely from an injury that had proud flesh that wasn't treated. 

I have been looking at her and wondering if she is indeed in foal. Although she came into a full 8 day heat when I first got her, I have had a mare that did that when she was in foal, and 5 months later she had her foal. So this may have just been a hormonal response to Mr. Handsome's welcoming hollers 😁

She can't be getting fat on this hay, it's hay from the spring of 2020; I still have a bale of it left before we start on the 2021 hay I bought last summer. It's 1st cut mixed grass and quite stemmy as you can see. But that may just be her typical physique, we shall see as spring comes if she gets any bigger. I hope she isn't in foal, as I want to ride her as much as possible this year. Still waiting for that ice to go away!

Evening sun highlighting the mountain tops after a week of fog

As we approach February it will be hard to avoid the February blahs. I'm sure anticipating spring with all it's promise. 

As a side note and unrelated to this blog, I have to say am very proud of our Canadian truckers  and the support they are getting worldwide to call our government into account for their destructive (financially, emotionally, physically and socially) measures. If you don't know what I am talking about, visit the Facebook page Convoy To Ottawa 2022- before Facebook takes it down.

New stuff

 I took a little trip to Alberta a few days ago. I stayed with a friend and got to spend some time with her, as well as getting in a visit with my daughter and her fiance. They traveled all the way from Ontario to spend some time with me; I don't get to see them very often as I don't travel, and all the restrictions from the last 2 years have screwed up a lot of their travel plans. 

It was really kind of my friend Carol to host us over the couple of days they were there, and really great to reconnect with her as it has been 7 years since I have been able to visit her; she lived a little too far for a day trip but recently moved just under 5 hours away. The bonus- I got to spend time with her dogs too; she has a Tess daughter, Pip and the cutest Jack Russel ever. 

Pip does not like her photo being taken!

Midge was absolutely adorable and forever changed my mind about Jack Russels. 

Both these dogs are very adorable and cuddly as you can see:

The day I drove home was just after a big snow and wind storm hit, but it was short lived and by the time I started my trip home it wasn't too bad. 

That was about as bad as it got; mostly the wind had blown the snow off the road in all the areas where traffic was moving along, only the areas where there were turn offs for towns or side roads were compacted snow. 

I stopped to fuel up at  a place at the foot of the Frank Slide. 

Although it was wonderful to see my daughter and my friend again, it's always nice to be home! Also nice to get a gift in the mail-

This is the book I won courtesy of TeresaA over at Journey With A Dancing Horse. I am really looking forward to reading it! I have a feeling it's going to tug at my heart strings.

Ted did a good job of looking after the horses for me. And keeping the home fires burning- (literally, we only have wood heat, so we can't go away together in winter). 

I made Sophie her own halter testerday, and went down to check the fit on her today. 

But first, we had shenanigans. She was sleeping when I walked into the pen, but not for long once she saw I wanted to put a halter on her. 

Silly mare. 

Once she is caught she is as sweet as can be. I can't wait for spring and getting lots of riding time!

Wordless Wednesday

 

Test ride

 Today was the day! After 3 days of depressing fog, the sun came out today and got me motivated. 

Our snow pack has melted to about half the volume and it is wet and sloppy so my round pen has decent footing. 

It was saddle up and ride time! First a little ground work to make sure Sophie was ok with the footing at walk trot and lope, then I just stepped on to ride. Well, let me clarify that... I led her to the mounting stool and got on on the off side as my left hip doesn't cooperate for stepping up from the ground. 

She stood quietly, I flexed her around both ways and asked her to walk. And asked again, a couple of times. We walked. A few times around, each way, then checking her steering and response to leg pressure; both work. Her back up is serviceable. 

What I found is that she has more whoa than go. and definitely sees no point in going around and around in the pen. 

The good points:

*She never offered to go faster than I asked her to; wasn't "goosey" at all; was light on the rein , and understood leg pressure. 

*Absolutely no buck or silliness.

The needs work points:

*When she sees no point in what I am doing, she just stops. (Perhaps I will need to be more clear and persistent in my ask.)

*When she says no, she tugs on the rein and bobs her head. (My solution is to keep asking; rein first, add leg, and wait for a give then reward the try. )

It wasn't a long ride, just a get -to-know-ya kind of ride

I'm done with this round pen stuff, there's the gate, lets go!

Now it's just a matter of having somewhere to ride and someone to ride with. Once I know Sophie better I won't have any hesitation in riding out on the trails with her by myself, but it's wise to err on the side of caution first and have a riding partner. 

51 weeks

 That's how long it has been since I had this view

Oh those cute li'l ears!

Yesterday was a lovely day, a bit chill, but I have so been longing to ride that I pulled Beamer out of his pen, saddled up and went for my first real ride in 51 weeks. Last time I rode was January 17 2021. (I'm not counting a couple of turns around the round pen on Sophie) We only went a short distance out of respect for his knobby knees, but it felt grand just to ride him again. 

Because I know him so well and trust him I chose him instead of Sophie, who is still an unkown factor when it comes to riding, as well as the fact that there is no good place to ride right now with the knee deep snow. I kept Beamer on the plowed areas, and just wished that I could have ridden for an hour, it felt so good. I love that horse to bits.

Happy boy!

Sophie got quite excited seeing Beamer getting ridden. I hope she is as happy to go to work as he is!

Once I put him back in his pen she paced the fence looking at him.

I heard that strangles is going around the valley (unconfirmed, but rumours usually have some truth to them). So I am reluctant to haul her to one of the indoor arenas here. Fortunately, I am not in a hurry, even though I am a bit impatient with this weather that keeps foiling my plans! Oh well, spring will be here soon.

Sunday Stills- goals

 Usually at the beginning of the year I do contemplate what I will be doing; this year it is rather difficult to plan ahead- for all I know I may be in a Covid concentration camp. However, it's always best to plan for what we want to happen and not worry about how things can go wrong. 

So for this year, I have a goal to get this 

off the saddle rack and on this

as  often as possible!

More snow and Sophie is a sweetie

 Snowmaggedon part 2 is over. We got hit with nearly a foot of snow this time. 

Beamer was hiding deep in his house. No coming to greet me at the gate this time!

Jayne was none too happy to be knee deep in snow. 

Apparently Sophie doesn't mind the weather, she was out  building up her snow blanket 😀

Ted and a friend spent hours snowblowing all the paths around the house, woodshed and barn. Even right into the horse pens so I can use the wheelbarrow to feed! Thanks guys!

Jayne sez thanks! much better!

Today I was down doing some touch up shovelling and took the opportunity to have a good visit with Sophie. I think isolating her was a really good idea; she is getting much friendlier with me. She no longer flinches when I touch her, and comes looking for company. 

She always has eye goobers no matter how often I wipe them! 

I found all her itchy spots

When I was done, she followed me to the gate and wanted to hang out with me some more. 

I'm pretty sure that's horse speak for " I'm bored! Let's go for a ride!"

Soon, Sophie. Soon.

Snow and sunshine

 Weather is always a good place to start on a winter day. We had a snow storm roll through that dumped about 8 inches of snow, big fat lazy fluffy snowflakes that brought our snowpack up to about a foot. 

When I went down to do chores, all the horses were standing out in the weather, covered in snow and they seemed to be enjoying it. It had warmed up a bit.

You has food?

Beamer wears Streamz bands on his front legs to help with his arthritis, so I check to make sure they aren't building up with snow and ice against his skin. (They never do)

Jayne was snoozing in her corner, and her mane was a tangled mess of icicles.

Sophie has a favourite spot to stand, it's on the other side of the shelter Jayne has in her pen. 

They were all pretty much dry next to the skin, with just the top layer of the hair on their backs wet. 

The next day, more snow. This time Beamer stayed in his shelter. 

Can you see him? He's there ! Zoom in!

There he is! I often have a little heart attack when I can't find him. He blends in so well!

However , the next day, the sun was out in all its glory and glistening on all the new snow. 

Piled up on the fence boards

and dripping from the roofs

Sophie in her usual spot, soaking up the rays

We had to snowblow all the paths for the first time in 4 years. Sure beats shovelling!  It's supposed to warm up quite a bit by the weekend (with more snow on the way first). I finally adjusted the latigo on my saddle with more holes, so now I can get back to working Sophie. Hopefully get to ride at last! I actually like riding in the snow especially when it's all light and fluffy like this. 

A blogger returns

 Hey everyone, just a quick note that one of the original blogs that I followed is back after a 5 year hiatus. 

Linda over at Just Another Day on the Prairie. She's a ranch wife, photographer and saddle maker. Stop by for a visit!

Sunday Stills- still

 I had lots of ideas for this post- would have loved to find a Moonshine Still to photograph but none in the area!

I opted for a photo of Sophie, who goes on alert to check thing out and stands stock still.

 

2022

 Today I begin my 14th year of blogging. Closing in on 3000 posts! (This is 2,827)

The day dawned cold, the coldest one of the winter so far, -18 C.  Nowhere near the -40 temps that Alberta got though. 

I wish you all a blessed year. There will be good times and tough times as there always is, but I pray a blessing on each and every one of you and your families. 

Let the Light of Love shine on you.