That Feeling

 You know that feeling you get when you have finished something that you have practiced for and looked forward to for a very long time and now its done? But, what do you do now?

That's how I've been feeling since I decided not to do the cross state ride. 

I know we're going to go to the Pioche house, I know we will get some awesome things done there and we'll have a great time in the desert on the sxs but I feel like something is missing, I feel a little despondent about it. I feel like this was my one & only chance to do this ride and the chance to do it won't happen again. I know Amble isn't ready and I simply couldn't do that to her but inside ME, I really needed this. 

I'm whining and shouldn't be.

Feeling Better

 I'm feeling better about my recent life decisions. I KNOW Ambleside won't be ready to go on a 2 week trek across the state, I'm not going to be ready and I don't feel like Lan is too excited about it. Even as I was planning on the ride, I was dreaming of being in Pioche and working on the house.

I've started watching a LOT of YouTube renovation channels, there and thousands to choose from. What to do in a bathroom, what not to do in a kitchen, how to change this for that, how to make this better or hide that. It's all available at the tips of our fingers. Most of the people are flippers and I'm really not interested in their cheap changes, I really like watching the people who are going to live in their homes once they are finished. 

Janna Phipps has been great, for a young girl she's fun to watch and her disposition is funny. She can take a down turn and make it UP. She can cry and then sees the bright side.

In other news...

I have paid for 1/2 a beef and we should be able to pick it up in a couple weeks I guess. I'm not asking for them to do anything extra, mostly steaks. I'll be glad to not have to go buy hamburger at the grocery store.

Amble and I will be having another driving lesson with Stephanie, she will be here in an hour. She texted that she wants to drive Amble in her halter and since I did that myself last week I know Amble will be OK with it. I might need to use a better halter, her regular one has squared metal side thingys and the long lines don't hold onto it well.   I just grabbed one of the leather halters thats been hanging on Bucking Brown and washed it up really quick, that might work.

I need to go open the gate for Stephanie, take some boxes out to the barn for her and sweep the barn aisle. I'm looking forward to this lesson.

Re-evaluating Life

 I've decided to not do the John Wayne Riders & Wagons ride across Washington state this year. Its been a Bucket List item for 30 years, I wanted to do it with Joey but never got around to it. Now, I have Amble and was planning on it with her this year but we're not ready; I don't have her saddle figured out, I don't have a cart that fits yet, I don't have money ($3,500) to buy the cart offered last week, I need to sell these ones that I do have that are way too small and I don't have the $2,000 to pay for the ride this year.

We DO need to go to Pioche and work on the house there and we do have cash for that but its a separate account and neither of us are getting into that money.

I also have a big too much personal debt and can certainly pay more of that off.

I'm sad today, having made all these life plan changes.

Friday the 13th, 2026

 I thought we could just sit at home & avoid any bullshit today but 

NOOOOO, 

bullshit came to our door, quite literally, via USPS.

On February 2nd, I complained to my boss about my back hurting so I got off work early and I went directly to a chiropractor. He doesn't do L&I claims and told me DO NOT tell them you saw me at all, so he is now out of the equation.

The next week my supervisor encouraged me to fill out a 'Green Packet', our departments on the job injury paperwork. You fill it out, turn it in and when you go to a doctor they give you a claim number. I found a chiropractor who does L&I and I've seen him about 4-5 times already. Meanwhile, I got a letter saying L&I WOULD cover my injury. Now, today, on FRIDAY THE 13TH, I get a shit-ton of letters from L&I saying they are reviewing my claim and might not cover it.

My boss told me LOTS of people in our business get this exact injury and that's why she wanted me to fill out the green packet. She thought I'd be out of work for a long time but I came back on my next scheduled day because I don't have an unlimited amount of PTO and I certainly wouldn't want to waste it on a work injury.

Heres a photo I took of one of the many xrays the doctor took, this shows how my hips are rotated, the left one looks smaller and my butt crack isn't in line with my tail bone. 

I didn't get a photo of the head so I borrowed one from the internet, this one has teeth missing, lol.

The head xray of me was awesome and next time I go see him I'll ask if I can get a photo of it.

And, in horsey news, I have received the neck strap retainer strap attachment that goes to the saddle on Amblesides harness and I have ordered the noseband hangers, the new crupper and a browband. I bet that fucker doesn't work or is too big or whatever. with the amount of money I have had to pay for all these new/missing parts & pieces to the harness, I could have ordered a brand new custom Comfy Fit harness made FOR AMBLE from Chimacum Tack.

I've also had to order about $300 of parts for the wooden cart.

February Already

 I can not believe how fast time flies, seems just recently I was 12...

Yesterday we drove 400 miles r/t hauling Amble to the trainers, just so we could check out a cart.

And its a dang fine cart!

I have only 1 photo of it now, with another horse pulling so I'll post photos IF I get to buy the cart.

Anyway, long day that was exciting and fun.

I've been working on the old wooden Jerald cart Meghan gave me, too bad I didn't realize how many parts she had removed from it by the time she gave it to me. I've already spent about $300 and it easily needs another $300, just for silly little things. I'm just going to get it done and sell it, all monies going toward the new cart.

Jerald Cart

I'm putting a little effort into fixing up the Jerald easy entry cart I've got. It was supposed to fit Amble but its way too small, it's for a 14hh horse, not a 15.2hh one.

this first photo is a google image and how mine is supposed to look.

Heres mine now

I sanded the pieces a little, so it would accept the new clear coating. 

I'm pretty sure with about 4 coats that it will look just short of amazing, for it. The boards have 1-2 coats on each side, the shafts have 3 on the back, just 1 at this end.

I've ordered & received most of the small parts it needs to make it complete and I'll still need more, I'm sure. I bought a new singletree (which needs a few holes in it) and a cross bar (which needs to be shortened) but I didn't stain either and I also didn't sand them and I think you can tell with the cross bar but oh well. I'm not going to have it any longer than I need to.

In other news, the beautiful saddle I bought for Amble has been sold for $1,000 (I had $1,300 into it & never used any of the pieces) and the consignment store gets to keep I think 20% so I'll get a nice check to put toward a marathon cart <- IF Teresa and Will have one to sell me. 

Today I had another lesson with Staphanie but I went to the barn where her 2 mini's are living and I drove Bo. Hes a skinny little guy, has a disease that took all his front teeth but they all get the BEST vet care available.

These are Laddie, the mini I gave her in 2018 and Bo, the little guy with no front teeth. Sweet boys.

Stephanie dolled them up and I took photos for her & she ChatGPT'd this photo.

 

I'm A Snake

This is one of the x-rays taken of me today and I'm pretty messed up, all wonky, crooked and misaligned. 

I've been selling at work all summer which requires me to reach out a window to cars to take payment and to return their cash change or credit cards. I try to use my right arm equally but it hasn't worked and I'm now just in pain.

Too bad I can't even say its caused by my horses bucking me off or anything.

 

IVC Carriage

I have to leave for work in 35 minutes and there is a package from IVC Carriage being delivered sometime in the next 2 hours.  I'll have to hope they actually bring it HERE and toss it over the fence or that Lan can come home and bring it inside and stoke the fire at the same time.

The box has cart and harness parts and next week I should be getting another one, or 2.

This is the dirty cart. When it was given to me it was supposed to fit a 16.2hh appaloosa, she had actually used it with him for 4-H, but this is for a 14hh horse.

Theres a little wear on the wood, some from weather, some from rubbing on her horses.

A couple of the bolts are missing.

I sanded them lightly to get the old shine off,

then I applied Polyclylic.

One coat of this did not make it shiny but many coats will BUT the gray on the wood is still showing up. Oh well, since this wont work for me I'll be selling it anyway.

All the money I get will go toward another cart and I seriously hoping Teresa and Will have one to sell.

 

 

Motivation

I'm trying to stay motivated, trying to keep the house in order and actually clean it up some. I took an extra day off yesterday and got the kitchen clean and started on a couple piles on the kitchen table. My house is not a pig sty, but with both of us working full time during the short days and we easily let things go and it ends up taking a full day once a month to get it in order again.

I am going to bring the horse cart up to the patio and begin taking it apart to sand and refinish it. 

I do need to take more photos too.

 

Winter Blues

I miss my brother, I miss my best friend and I miss the summer sunshine. 

I've been feeling rather emotional and depressed this last week and even though I just had a vacation, I know I need to get away again. I'm going to start planning my next vacation & the fun part is that I have two options, either go to Pioche with the sxs and do some work on the house 

OR 

do the BUCKET LIST  thing I've been planning for a long, long time.

Riding Amble across the state. 

I had originally planned on doing that with Joey but, life. Now I have the means to do it, I've got the time scheduled off and another horse that can go with me.

I've been working on Ambles cart; Meghan had taken it apart to 'refurbish' but she lost all the parts and did none of the furbishing. SOOOoooooo... I paid $200 for parts two days ago and I know I'll need to spend a lot more, I still need trace holders & they're $22.99 before tax and shipping plus I need two bigger wheels and tires since the cart is a good 8" too low to the ground for her. The shafts need to be level and that isn't negotiable. The harness needs a couple parts, not sure if I've ordered those or not... 

I also need to get her saddle fitted to her correctly or get another saddle and I just simply do not have the funds for that. I also need a 6" ported curb bit and good luck finding one thats not $200.

Dirty Feather

 Black Orchid Ambleside

Shes got a lot of feather but thankfully not as much as so many Gypsys. It's enough to be impressive and gorgeous but at the same time not too heavy and cause problems.

On Thursday we're going to have a visitor, Stephanie will be coming over to help me get our harness sorted, the biothane harness I purchased for $900 & had shipped here from southern California. I know its got 3 pieces missing, 2 of which are the ones that will attach it to the cart. Stephanie is also going to be teaching me how to drive, since Amble already knows how to be driven.

The photo above is Amble with semi clean feather and tail, which this IS NOT a current thing. She hasn't had them washed off in quite some time and I do not want them dirty when Staphanie arrives. So on Wednesday afternoon, after I get home from work, I am going to give them a good washing.

I will be taking the Dawn dishwashing soap to the barn with me and I will follow directions I have had written down and attached to my computer monitor for over 10 years.

1. Wash tail

2. Condition.

3. Soak in white vinegar

4. Using Dawn, wash feather, deep down to her skin, watching for anything in there that might irritate her or cause concerns.

5. Wash, rinse, condition again

6. Leave in conditioner, aka Cowboy Magic

I'll leave her overnight in her stall with a deep bed of shavings. In the morning they will be dry and fluffy and as long as there were no issues noticed while washing, I will brush them out let her hang out in the arena till noon, when Stephanie arrives.

In November I had the riding instructor over to give ME a lesson & Amble bucked her off. I do not know if that was due to an ill fitting bit since I have a 5.5" and need a 6" or if it was the saddle not fitting properly. So I have ordered a saddle pad with shims. 

This is a dressage pad but I am hoping it will work with she short western saddle. I could not find any in a pony length.

Hollywood!

Flew into Las Vegas & headed south on Hwy 15 toward Los Angeles

Its true, hardly anyone in Las Vegas but this was a Sunday morning

Stopped to see these colored rocks

And the Aliens

Got a bit of rain.

Not too long after this photo was taken, I was driving and avoided a multi car pile up: 3 lanes, 70mph, slamming brakes, cars flying off road on both sides. I saw at least 4 cars go off, didn't see anyone hit another car but I wasn't sticking around. I was in right side lane & got the hell outta there.

Michelle & me, reunited again after 5 years, we originally met in 1996 when she worked at YMCA Camp Seymore in the kitchen with Amy & me.

Michelle is from UK, I've been over there to visit her 3 times & shes been back to the USA about 4 more times.

Friends for life.

Guy & Michelle. They got married last summer and get to travel the world together

In Hollywood we saw these little robot delivery things all over

famous signs we saw

While Michelle & Guy had a little 'lie in', Lan & I went up to the Griffith Observatory

Thats the Pacific Ocean out there

This was seen from the Observatory and we could see it from our room as well

Our room was on the 6th floor & we only had it for 1 night, I think it was the one below the christmas lights

End of the line.

On the way home we went on Zzyzx Road and stopped in to see the Desert Studies place. It used to be a high end resort for the rich & famous but now its just a lot of untended trees and filled fountains alongside the dry lake bed.

Then we flew home

 

We fly tomorrow

 We will leave home at about 5:00pm and arrive at the airport at about 6:00; we'll check in and go thru security and go wait for our plane, which pushes at 7:28pm. We will arrive in Las Vegas at 10:00pm and theres supposed to be a shuttle to pick us up to go to our hotel, which is a cheat ass one off the Strip.  I'm not going to overpay for a room there.

We pick up our car Sunday morning at 10:00am 

And instead of driving to Palm Springs, we will head into the heart of Los Angeles to spend about 36 hours with Michelle and Guy there, since she told me the dates they would be there incorrectly. Ugh. But we'll make it work.

It will just be so good to see them again.

They have reservations to stay in West Hollywood so I suppose we better get a place near them.