Hello, November!

First off, a Happy Birthday wish to my father...The Mule Whisperer!

October was a crazy busy month for me, from Kitty's and my first cutting (green/green...me, Kitty and one cow), to our trip to Oregon with my folks.

A week after returning from Burns, I was asked to photograph the youth show, which was held at BB Stables. This is where Darling used to lesson with Steve Holt!; beautiful views, but a bitter, chilly northeast wind. I came home chilled to the bone.

Freezer camp awaited Sizzler, the pig. I drove in the driveway to find her loose in my yard, playing with 'toys' such as empty trash cans and the hose. I thought she was so cute! Ran and grabbed my camera so I could get a photo of her running with the hose. I let the dogs out of their very large run (formerly Momma Pony's turn out area) and hoped to lure Sizzler into it. No way was I going to be able to get her into her pen. Opened the gate, and she came running toward me...only it wasn't to investigate the open gate.

She BIT me! Grabbed my leg in her mouth, she did. The only thing I had to smack her with was my camera. I actually thought twice, but then...THUMP!...and was happy it connected on the back side rather than the lens.

She snorted, shook her head, and came at me again. All I could think was 'how quick can I climb the gate?', but then she saw the opening and squealed in delight as she ran off into the grass. Whew! Crisis averted.

The horse show seemed to have knocked the wind out of me, though, and the following days I was suffering from fever and chills, alternatively, and after that, coughing that racked my body to it's core. After a week, I decided to head to the doctor, as I had the Cascade Horse Fair in just a few days. I saw my favorite Nurse Practitioner (former eventer) and she gave me some drugs to help reduce the coughing over the weekend so that I could function.

No rest for the wicked, they say, which must mean I'm pretty darn wicked! Ken McNabb was here this year and it was wonderful! Our parking lot was full both days. Curt and his HydraBull were a mega hit as well...and look at that Cowboy dancing during Saturday's karaoke!

By Sunday night I was exhausted, but it wasn't time to stop. Not yet. Had to make trips to the bank to deposit money, and while I was there...well...I had to use the little girl's room. Not that you really need to know that, except there was a sign in there telling us to wash our hands, and giving the symptoms of H1N1 flu...aka...swine flu! And do you know what? It matched exactly what I've been experiencing! I think I've got the swine flu! And you know, that pig bit me, so it all makes sense!

No, not really...I don't think getting bit by the pig was the culprit (just in case you thought it was!) But I sure was sick there for awhile, and I'm happy that all the craziness of October is over, and that November is here. I think I'll like November much better. After all, it looks much cheerier, doesn't it?

Cascade Horse Fair

Do you recognize him? How about the horse?

This would be Ken McNabb and his horse, Stormy. Ken is a friend of Curt...and Stormy was purchased from Curt. Ken will be here at the Cascade Horse Fair in October. So will Curt. I'm not so sure about Stormy.

It's count down time, to be sure. October 29-30 at the Northwest WA Fairgrounds in Lynden, WA is where the event is being hosted, same as last year. Vendors, demonstrations, clinicians. And, of course...the famous HydraBull cutting competition!

This is the second year we'll be doing our Rail to Trail event, where horses compete in Ranch Horse Pleasure, Trail and Reining. Top ten advance to the free style where anything (well...nearly) goes!

It's gonna be a lot of fun. But I need your help in spreading the word! We'll be having drawings for free bags of grain all weekend along with many other goodies and treats for both spectators and competitors. Help me out! Share this post either in your blog or on facebook, and I'll put you in the drawing for an 8x10 photo of 'The Old Man'! Drawing to be held on Thursday...so post and let me know so I can get your name in the drawing!

The Planning Begins

Video from the Calcutta/Open Cutting
Cascade Horse Fair

Last year was the first time I attempted to plan anything so big and crazy as a horse fair. We had fun. I didn't go broke. Let's do it again!

Ken McNabb with a stallion he purchased from Curt.

Curt has agreed to come back with his little herd of HydraBulls, and in addition to him I've got Ken McNabb agreeing to do a clinic for us! Also Mary Cornelius, a professional photographer from Portland Oregon, will be teaching a class on equine photography. Cool, eh?

There will be a sale and adoption alley in the barn, and I'm excited to have a Kids Corral this year, too! Putting Darling and her cousins, Lanky Hanky and Miss Banana Head, to work organizing a stick horse drill team. That oughta be interesting, don't you think?

If you happen to be in the northwest and would like to help out as a volunteer, become a vendor, or participate with your horse, let me know!

And We're Back!

Tired, exhausted, dragging our hiney's across the ground. The Cascade Horse Fair was three long, weary days. Amazingly, my toe and knee held up through the entire thing.

Local trainer, Roger Saur, gets ready for his practice go while
Emily Diaz enters the ring with her paint gelding.

I wasn't able to get many photos during the event since I was running about like a chicken without a head. A few photos snapped on Friday evening of some of the cutters as they got ready to warm up, but then I was off on Sandy and cameras were the last thing on my mind.

Curt's daughter, Janel, sits atop Buddy as she waits her turn.

Some decent checks were given out at the cutting, along with pretty buckles for the winners of the three cutting classes as well as a couple of rail to trail trophy buckles. The arena was packed on Saturday as folks came to see what the HydraBull cutting was all about.

Sandy got a bee in his bonnet on Saturday about halfway through the clinic. We rode fine in the first half, took a break, and when we returned he was so wired I couldn't get him to settle down. No clue what the problem was. Later in the day when we finally got to cut..for real and for points...he had his head up and we missed an opportunity to work (that's what the score sheet said), when he didn't get a turn. But it was a blast, either way. By Sunday he was too tired from all the stopping he'd done with the bull, and when I asked him to stop in the ranch pleasure and reining classes it was more on the forehand than he usually does. He was pooped, and had nothing left to give. But it didn't matter. I had a good time with him, gave him a couple days off, and may take a short trail ride a bit later today. I try not to dwell on the shortness of time that we have left, but rather our accomplishments and the fact that Dave is excited to get his new horse.

Photo snapped by my mom

Back to the horse fair....I'd been quite concerned that I'd not have enough riders in the clinics, or in the Rail to Trail competition, or people there to watch the demos...but in the end it all turned out. Everyone was smiling and having a good time, and they want to come back next year.

Next year? Okay! Already working on the schedule of events. How about Cowboy Mounted Shooting?

We have one more weekend of craziness here, though, as Darling puts the finishing touches on Beamer and gets her ready for Saturday's competition and adoption at the Youth & Yearlings event. Beamer doesn't like to trot...better wish the kid some luck.

Can I Panic Now?

So here it is...early, still dark, Friday morning. I've been up for two hours and Lord only knows when I'll get back to bed.

Today I haul horses to the fairgrounds and begin setting up for the Cascade Horse Fair. And yes...I'm in stress mode.

In an effort to cope, I think I'm just going to slip into a case of denial and let the volunteers run everything. I mean...I'm not into stress, so why shouldn't I just hand it off to someone else, right? Right. Good plan.

Have I got any volunteers???

Three bulls waiting to outfox the cutting horses.

The highlight of the weekend, of course, will be the HydraBull clinic and competition on Saturday. That has drawn the most interest from people...and why not? That crazy bull is just too much fun to chase around!

I've also got my friend, Keith Danielson, coming from Hooper WA to do a trail clinic, Mission Farrier School doing a couple of demos, Dr. Brooke Johnson is an equine chiropractor who will be there on Saturday, and the popular computerized saddle fitting demo both days.

Curt gives John a couple of pointers during this week's lesson

I was quite concerned that my knee and toe wouldn't handle the pressure of the weekend. I still am...but the good news is I've been riding since Monday! So who cares about anything else, right? Sandy and I will be able to compete on Saturday afternoon.

And you'd better all be there to watch me! Not that I'm threatening you...but yes, I'm threatening you. Be there! And bring your wallets because we've also got some To. Die. For. Vendors!

Is this beginning to sound like an advertisement? Okay, I'm good with that.

Alrighty then. Backing away from the blog and other social networking sites in an attempt to finish the paperwork needed for the weekend. Last call for volunteers! Anyone?

Fair Time!

Wow...not only have I been swamped trying to get the Cascade Horse Fair up and running, but now I'm looking at the calendar and seeing that I need to haul horses up to the Northwest WA Fair in just a couple more days! Darling and I went up yesterday to set up panels and found we were in a slightly new location than the past two years. A better location, with greater visibility! But it's a funny shape, and I don't know how I'm going to get 4 pens together for the horses. Guess we'd better figure that out, eh?

Duns, of course, will be there to meet and greet the public. He's a bit ticklish under his belly, which will make life interesting when trying to saddle him up, but that's the goal for this next week; get the boy saddled so that he can be started sooner, rather than later. He's also struggling with picking up feet, so that's another issue I'll be tackling with him while there.

Darling will have Beamer on hand, of course, trying to catch the eye of some potential adopters. I hauled the kiddo and her pony out back to snap some photos the other day. In a dress, of course!

Working on the vintage look and feel. Darling was not feeling like posing. Here is her vintage backside.

I dunno...what do you think?

I'm pretty sure I know what Darling is beginning to think!

For those of you who live in the northwest and would like to come hang out at the fair with me, I've got tickets! Only catch is you need to schmooze with the public and talk mustang with strangers. And, of course, tolerate me. Come on...you can do it!

What's That Bright Thing In the Sky?

It's been such a wet, dark and dreary spring that I'd almost forgotten what sunshine looked like. There is a saying here in the northwest that summer doesn't begin until the fifth of July. Looks like this year, it's the sixth, as temps move from the 50's to the 80's almost overnight!

I gotta share this with you...Cowgirl Candy! She's one of the Cascade Horse Fair sponsors. Cute stuff and loads of bling...like this headstall!

Okay, so I'm down at the cutting a couple weekends ago and Curt says, "We got an idea for your event."

"Great," I say...full of curiosity.

"How about a Hydra Bull cutting? We'll have a novice class, and an open class. Get a few bulls there, they draw their driver and cut their bull from the 'herd', just like a real cutting."

Got a mental image of this? I'm so in...