A Busy BEE with an E (for exponent)

It's covert operations! The Girls have some new neighbors. Well, sort of.  It would seem that the big dog (photo left) was getting into trouble with chickens somewhere down the road, so his owner built a pen. In order to keep his dog from getting bored in said pen, he got two pudgy little puppies for company. The pen is large, they have plenty of shade, and he keeps it meticulously clean. BUT - It seems to me that plunking down three dogs [two of which are curious puppies] right next to a yard full of horses may not be the best of plans...  

In case you are a dog person but not a horse person here's how it works: Dogs [in general] seem to consider horses several steps up from cars when looking for ways to liven up a hum drum day. Since dogs are essentially predators with an ingrained chase instinct and horses are prey animals with an ingrained flight instinct, you can see where this can easily be a recipe for disaster.  I dubbed the puppies Thing One and Thing Two and yes they are adorable, (so go ahead and say it: Awwwww), I did. I have, however, been cautious to the point of paranoia not to speak to them at all, or even look at them too much. Why? Because they're lonely in there and I have no desire to give them any incentive to come over for a visit.  Of course since I spend lots of time outside and talk to the horses incessantly, you can guess the inevitable result...

 At the risk of sounding mean, the best case scenario has me strolling outside to find a puppy pancake in my yard (Lady hates dogs). I even warned my neighbor of the danger, and he quickly pointed out that it wouldn't be my fault (um, well

yeah, but do I even want to see a squashed dead dog???). How about trying to explain what happened to his son, who is in kindergarten? You just know that he is not going to understand who is ultimately responsible for the death of his dog. Of course the worst case scenario would be the dogs running the horses through the fence and out into the road; this is the stuff that horse owner nightmares [and lawsuits] are made of. Hopefully, they will grow up to be good little neighbors who learn to stay where they're put ('cause they are awful cute :o) 

In the interest of full disclosure, I would like to state [for the record] that apparently puppies are not the only things sneaking underneath fences these days...

Mad Max's Micromini Movie from Jen on Vimeo.

Can you believe it? There is actually a second fence after that one so he wasn't really out (it's where we keep the hay rolls, which tells you exactly what that little turkey was doing in there :o)
See y'all next time!

Are you ready to see what the answer is?

I can't believe so much time has lapsed between posts (yeesh).  We spent an entire week at the Mayo Clinic; and a spinal tap was the highlight of my spring break, how about you? (I'm still waiting on test results.) We hit the ground running when we got back getting ready for the senior prom. You need to understand that my daughter is a laid back T-shirt and blue jean kind of gal [photo right] and I've never really pushed her to be anything else.
 
Considering some of the scary *cough* fashion statements I see walking around at school, I'm thinking this was probably a wise decision ;o)  
We can, however, Girl Up pretty darn well when the occasion calls for it. I debated whether or not to post these here, because in spite of the whole public non-profit thing we're kind of shy. But then, she and Blake look so darn cute together I just had to share them with you guys.

For those of you who missed this previous post, they are both deaf and the little round thingamajig (a technical term :o) on the side of his head is part of his cochlear implant. After umpteen stores, Cassandra finally found THE DRESS, and although it was considered "reasonable" at less than $200, for us it was a big extravagance. Not only was the color her all time favorite royal blue, the straps were beaded and the back was nothing short of spectacular. [photo right] Whaddaya think - isn't it fabulous??
Since we splurged sinfully on the dress, we went with homemade/handmade earrings and yours truly as the hairdresser and makeup artist. Since I had to all but tie her to a chair to get this accomplished, (she hates makeup) I'm thinking that was probably for the best *grin*. Blake's mom used to be a floral designer, so she made the boutonniere and a gorgeous corsage using silk flowers so they could keep them. Handy bunch of bananas, aren't we? Ha. Of course you know I've already bought the shadowbox :o)

They had a great time, and since Blake is home schooled it turned out to be quite an adventure for him. Worrywart that I am, I admit to saying an extra prayer that he would be okay plunked down in the middle of a public high school prom. I'm going to chalk that one up to a neurotic "mom thing", as my concerns were [thankfully] for naught.
So what do you think? Aren't they a cute couple? Don't worry, the wedding is still a long way off...honest.
Hope to see you next week!

Well I don't see it splashed on a Hollywood tabby...

Shadow here thinks he is ready for show biz...

Today's post is going to be super short, as we are having our Missions Conference this weekend and I am helping out with the children's program so I have to be back early this morning. There is, of course, the fact that I arrived home rather late after last night's program and overslept (but we aren't going to mention that, 'kay? :o)  I will say that Mr. Former Big Lick Horse (photo left) is capable of lifting his legs up very high all by his lonesome, and I may eventually try to teach him the Spanish Walk. I just have to figure out the best way to do it without traumatizing him (you can read about his PTSD issues here if you're interested).

Is this picture wild or what? I remembered this shot when I was collecting photos for the video slide show, and was tickled pink to note that it actually was his right foot; and how awesome is that? I am, however, honor bound to restate that this picture really was a happy accident (but it doesn't detract from the coolness factor, now does it?) 
Well, that's all for this week and if you'd like to watch the video again, you can scroll down to last week's post ('cause it's not far) or click here. Horsey hugs and happy thoughts everybody! 

RAIN ROT??? SURELY NOT!

...but over all, I don't think it's too shabby
This slide show video clip was done well before the video I posted a few weeks back (here's a link to the post in case you missed it: Cold and Colder). What was supposed to be a simple thing, turned into a ginormous (er, that's a technical term) ordeal to get it from the iMac at work to home, then uploaded to Vimeo. Being human, many repentable words were snarled at the computer by yours truly; but I finally got it - WooHoo!) I worked hard on getting the right photos to match with the words in the song, particularly at "big right foot". So let's see how many of you have eagle eyes and can see why that shot might be pretty darn cool, 'cause it's a tricky one. I can't remember who said it (was it you Ratty?) but the photo was one of those "happy accidents" I discovered after the film was developed. Enjoy!

Horses Are A Gift from Jen on Vimeo.  
Oh, and there's no prize for getting it right, but I promise to give you a nice big round of applause if you spot it!

Now I'm off to sit in class for a couple days to earn some CEUs for interpreting; hence the Friday post. I'm taking hubby's laptop with me, though (pretty sure I'd get the DT's if I had to go cold turkey for two days :o) Thanks for reading! 

Whoa-Whoa-WHOA...

Thars a psuedo-fungus amongus...

If you've never heard of rain rot, I can tell you it is not a fun thing. It's not considered dangerous in and of itself, but: Throw in some freezing temps and continuous rain, and you have the potential for a serious problem. Rain Rot is caused by an organism known as dermatophilus congolensis and while it is not an actual fungus, its behavior is similar to both fungi and bacteria. It occurs in damp, rainy conditions (like the oh-so-soggy south this year, perhaps?) Tiny tufts of hair clump together before falling off with bits of skin attached (Taya's hair in photo left). Also known as rain scald, (and more officially as streptothricosis), rain rot can spread from one horse to another by contact. It is primarily a warm weather issue, which is the reason I never even saw it coming.

When Ya Got the Rot...

Unfortunately, the combination of constant rain, frigid temperatures, winter woollies [theirs], and woolly mittens [mine] allowed this condition to get much further along than it would have at any other time of year. In the early stages, tiny bumps can be felt along the back and across the rump (unless you're wearing heavy mittens). Sometimes the bumps are even visible underneath a horse's summer coat (but not their winter woollies). It just so happened that I laid my hand on Rina's back one afternoon for balance and she gave a subtle wince. I immediately pulled my mitten off to see what was wrong with her back and found the bumps - they were all over the place. Uh oh. I quickly checked everybody else, and found that while Lady only had a few on her rump, Taya's back was covered with the tiny bumps as well (oh dear). Bella and Sara were, thankfully, completely clear. I guess there is an upside to life on the fringes.

 If at first you don't succeed, fail fail again...

Normally, the first step in treating rain rot would be to bathe the horse with an antimicrobal shampoo like Absorbine. Obviously, with daytime temps in the 30s and 40s this was not an option; nor is covering the area, as this will only cause the hair to fall out more quickly. We started with a Tea Tree Oil spray, which I have used successfully in the past. It usually takes a few days of treatment to halt the progression before new hair growth will start to appear; but after several days with no change at all, I had to try something else. Next up was Shapleys which is also rather expensive, but absolutely awesome for manes and tails; it listed rain rot among its many uses. Unfortunately, this was unsuccessful as well. Since we happen to live less than a mile from Jeffers Vet Supply, [and feel free to shop through us as they will send us a donation with each purchase] I made a gun run to see what else I could find.  With the temperatures so cold and hair starting to fall out, I was by this point a very desperate woman. I ended up with a bottle of Agri Labs' Foot Rot and Ringworm Spray which was a measly $4.39 (go figure) and a large bag of Manna Pro's Apple Nugget Treats in lieu of lollipops (do you know how hard it is to spray my poor girls with wet stuff every day when it's so cold outside?) My guilt is huge; and even though I know it's in their best interest, they certainly don't.

Treatment gets old in weather this cold...
Finally! Success! WooHoo, and thank the Lord. I have to say that the girls have been absolutely wonderful during all of this. I have been treating Rina every afternoon after supper in her stall, and although she goes through a daily protest ritual because hey, it could work (you know, the worry lines pop up, ears swivel back, chin drops and she assumes a mournful expression that is absolutely pitiful) she still lets me spray her all over. Wondering at some of the words in parenthesis?  Click here to visit our lens on equine body language. Although Rina is loose in her stall, (no halter or tie) she has gradually gotten much better at holding still and just getting it over with. I will say I've had to struggle hard against laughter (it would honestly hurt her feelings) because the moment I lift the spray bottle up, her back drops waaay down and her butt flattens out in preparation against the wet spray. Poor baby. Taya doesn't like it either, but she is a more cooperative soul and I am able to treat both her and Lady unfettered and outside the stalls (simple greed for treats being a mighty motivator :o)

Medical Update: No news is bad news...

Unfortunately, my MRI and the EP tests all came back clear; this is not good. Now for those of you who are thinking I am some kind of idiot [or Munchausen mope] for being disappointed over negative test results, here's the why: The neurologist was 99.9% sure I have Multiple Sclerosis, (based on physical findings and an entire year's worth of strange and snowballing symptoms). Early treatment is absolutely critical with this disease. He expected the testing to verify his diagnosis and after looking up the symptoms, so did I. While clear tests do not completely rule out MS, they do leave me in a state of limbo without any treatment options. So it looks like I am back on the medical merry-go-round, and will be returning to Jacksonville (this time to the  neurology department) for more extensive testing. Whoopee :oP

Someone once said that friends are God's way of taking care of us here on earth; and that is so very true. Especially when it's one who shares my bent sense of humor (because sometimes it's either laugh or cry, right?) Knowing how miserable the past few years had been before this latest health hiccup (cancer, etc.), my friend Lori suddenly showed up on my doorstep with a large piece of sackcloth for me that she had written some scripture on. I have to admit, the not so subtle reference to Job had me laughing like a loon and thanking God for giving me such a wonderful friend. Now all I need are some ashes from the wood stove, and I'm all set, *grin*. Mayo Clinic, here I come...

TechnoTwit Strikes Again

Whaddaya mean SNOW?!?!?

To call yesterday "Freaky Friday" would be a bit of an understatement. The fact that we are less than 10 miles from the Florida line should tell you how often it snows around here; almost never. The last time it snowed was 17 years ago and everything (including our heat pump) shut down; we left when the temperature inside the house hit 53 degrees. While we were in better shape this time (a wood stove with a blower and a generator), a snowstorm in the south always spells d-i-s-a-s-t-e-r. If you've never seen a Southerner try to drive in the snow, I can promise you it is NOT a pretty  sight.  Of course school was cancelled, and businesses were closing up shop left and right.  

Since I had a full day of testing scheduled at the hospital (and they called 3 different times to make sure I was still coming), Cassandra [DD] didn't get a whole lot of  playtime in before it was time to go. She was only two the last time it snowed, so she booked it outside to play in the white stuff until it was time to leave. Her first order of business was to write this terribly important piece of teenybopper information on the back of her dad's car before running around catching snowflakes on her tongue and making some snowballs :o) She managed to bean yours truly with the first one before dashing into the house to stick the other one in the freezer for posterity.

I have to say I had a good laugh upon leaving the hospital when I spotted this man-made decoration just outside the doors of Outpatient (and after almost 6 straight hours of tests, I needed a giggle or two :o) It's kind of hard to see in the photo, but there is a small (yet decorative) sprig of leaves sticking out of the top. The short story behind all the hospital testing has been an ongoing [and increasing] series of bizarre symptoms that have plagued me since February 2009 when I reluctantly got back on the medical merry-go-round. It seems, however, that we may have spent the past year chasing the wrong rabbit; and isn't that just special? With clear test results and puzzled physicians all the way to the Mayo Clinic a couple of weeks ago, I am pretty much to the point that I don't care what it is I just want to know. Hopefully, I will finally know something by next week's post (just in case you're interested ;o) Thankfully, we made it back home in one piece and before dark to feed everybody. Even as an official member of the worldwide organization of the SCC [that'd be "Scary Christian Chicks"] I don't mind telling you I was really worried and praying like crazy about the horses. With rain and sleet that started before daybreak, the horses were soaked to the skin before breakfast.  The sleet was followed by big fat flakes of snow that accumulated on the soggy ground, dropping temps and a biting wind. Fun for people maybe, but deadly for animals that live outside. While the Moo Crew usually heads up the hill and shelters in the trees, the girls' stalls are an open design, and shutting them in there would have prevented them from moving around to keep warm.  Here's what it looked like in the pasture late yesterday afternoon...Can you believe it?

That's Bella near the center, poor baby, with her legs together and tail tucked tightly against the wind. For those of you that are wondering why I didn't just slap horse blankets on everyone, it's a bit more complicated than you might think. Aside from the fact that we don't even have any blankets because the climate here doesn't warrant them (and it would cost between $700-$1,000 to buy them for everyone;  that's if we could even find them locally) individual measurements would have to be taken for specific  

sizes. Since most of the horses have never even seen a blanket (let alone worn one) the middle of a winter storm would probably not be the best time to try a training exercise times ten. With the horses soaked to the skin, the coming darkness, wind picking up and the temp dropping into the 20s, I went to bed and woke up on  a prayer. In all honesty, I was scared to death to go outside this morning, afraid of what I might actually find in the pasture. But...

Praise the Lord, everyone was fine! Even though the high today is only supposed to be 45, the sun is shining so hopefully my four-legged children can all get some much needed rest after such a miserable night. So...how's the weather at your house? 

Sanity Busters: Technological Tedium and Tenacity

Maybe it's just me, but some days I have exotic fantasies about drop kicking my PC out of a seventh story window, pitching it (without a parachute, of course) out of a plane, or (my personal favorite) letting the horses play with it for a day or two before tossing it in the biggest pile of horse poop I can find.  

Browser Braindrain: I Fired the Fox

Which browser do you use to surf the web? Does it make you mental? Up until recently I've been a diehard Firefox user, but their latest updates have given me nothing but malfunctions and migraines. Our website no longer loads correctly, and my email has ceased to function among other hiccups and aggravations.  Intrigued by a discussion on Google Chrome, I downloaded it for a test drive. Our home page loaded quickly (and correctly - yay!) but although my email was accessible on Chrome, attachments were an annoying  malfunction and did not open properly, and shippings labels refused to print in Paypal *sigh*. Opera was the next trial and error. Attachments were a breeze, but the back button is slower than a one-legged turtle, Google Friend Connect did not function and Paypal wouldn't work right either *snarl*. Would you believe I actually found a post on the Paypal problem from 2006? Apparently, this is not exactly a new issue. Definitely a disappointment, as Opera had been my favorite thus far.  I may just go all the way back to Internet Explorer - I wonder what their issue will be? You just know there's going to be one....

Are you having one of those days? Here's a handy helper to have...  

    

Corel's Video Studio Pro X3: Adding Insult to Injury

I've been experimenting with photos and video clips recently, using a Mac at work (pop over to this post for my last experiment). Since I obviously can't do everything at work, I decided to look into purchasing some software. In hindsight, attempting both of these thing in the same week was a phenomenally bad idea. After considerable research, Corel's Video Studio Pro X3 appeared to be exactly what I was looking for. They even offered a free 30 day trial which is something I can definitely get behind. Unfortunately, the program crashes incessantly (which is too bad, because the few things I have been able to do were really great and super easy to accomplish). In attempting to find a solution (when a Google search netted nothing helpful), I visited their home page to contact Tech Support to find it is only available after you purchase the software. While I understand this policy to a point, I'm hardly likely to buy it if I can't get it to work properly now am I?? If you have any ideas, I'd love to hear them...right now the only thoughts I seem to have are centered around the first paragraph of this post (you know; like turning my fantasy into a reality with those delectably destructive deeds... :o) 

 Okay, Okay: How About the Giveaway??

Well I guess it would be nice to know who won, wouldn't it? Apparently giveaways are not the thing to do these days, unless it's something really big like a new car (which is soooo not gonna happen on our itty bitty budget :o) We only had one person send an email and the winner is: drumroll please.....

Ann of Snap Edit Scrap

HOORAY! *Throwing confetti* While I thought it was pretty darn pitiful that only one person participated, I am tickled pink that she was our winner. Thank you Ann, not only for participating in the giveaway but also for being a wonderfully consistent commenter and all around lovely person. And (because you are all of the aforementioned) I'm going to see if I can't find a little something extra to tuck in there just for you... Congratulations girl!