Spring mega update

1. We are going back to Charleston in June!
2. We might be buying property and building our own house and barn!

3. I have attended two Brendan Curtis clinics with Jaeger in the last five weeks and improved and did well:

Brendan Curtis clinic

Brendan Curtis March 19, 2011

4. Spring has come and I'm loving it! The backyard looks gorgeous.

5. Lady Spur is laying, though has reverted to being wild.



6. I think that just about covers some of the bases!

New nesting box for chicks and homemade donuts (not for chicks)!

So the chickens have needed a real nesting box ever since we put them in the modified doghouse, and HR and I finally gave it to them! Two nesting sites affixed to the side. Our doghouse is looking more and more like a coop!



And the girls ...


Lady Spur has not joined the flock just yet, but is fattening up and getting healthy all the same. She has spent two "outside" sessions with the big girls. One resulted in Rose pecking her harshly (I intervened even though you're not supposed to) and the other they got along swimmingly (or flightlessly?).


She's getting big! And she's tamed down to the point where she will hop onto your lap for a treat. I'm very pleased with her!

And, Happy Hanukkah!


*Sucks in air* Homemade, gluten-free, vegan pumpkin rice powdered sugar donuts ... that's a mouthful! And a good mouthful too.

Playing shoot 'em up games

It rained yesterday and instead of riding in the rain, I went to the shooting range with HR. He shot his big ole muzzle loader and I played with my personal gun: .380 Micro Desert Eagle. Handy little thing with big bang! 

HR said that I gave my guy a nice slow painful death and probably really ticked him off. Mission accomplished. That shot above the red circle is HR's. Everything else is mine. First time shooting with this gun, so not bad. All shots taken at 10 and 20 yards.

HR and his big puff of smoke. He was shooting his gun at 50, 100 and 200 yards! He ended up scoping himself though and now is sporting a butterfly bandage on his brow. I did take a pic of the blood and the gore on his face, but he erased it before I could post it. Darn digital technology! 

New chick!

Meet Ms. Spur!

Ms. Spur arrived last night from Lane, S.C., where HR's granddaddy lives and keeps thousands of chickens. They are game chickens, and Ms. Spur is about as wild as they come. 

She is 6 weeks old and named after the Carolina Gamecock's rooster Sir Big Spur:

Anyway, she is undergoing socialization for the next few weeks and then she'll get to join her sisters Rose and Dorothy once she's a little more ... tame. 

Dressage show

Went to a dressage show this past weekend with my leased horse Jaeger Meister. We got a 61% and second place in Intro A, and 59% and third place in Intro B.

Show Oct. 23, 2010

Also riding with my barn (sixstarstables.com) was Susie on Toby (other red horse), Renee on Trissa (gray arabian) and Caitlin on Paramour (black bay horse).

And a good time was had by all!!!

Hungry, hungry caterpiller

Took these photos a month or so back but wanted to share. I picked up a dill plant for my herb potter and it had an unexpected and voracious friend. He started eating up that dill quicker than it could grow and he was promptly asked to leave in search of other delectables (I put him on my equally voracious rosemary bush since they seemed well-matched). 

I think I had him ID'd as a black swallow tail caterpillar. Never did get to see him transform into a butterfly, but he made a pretty neat looking guy.

Also, tiny bugs are really hard to get good pictures of. Those photos were the only good ones out of like 20! Thank goodness for digital camera! 

First Class HR

HR made FS1 today and I got to put the pins on his hat. His captain was really proud of him and said that he was a good leader and always goes a step beyond. He also said he was good in the kitchen (all stuff I already know! :) ). Anyway, I'm real proud of him and I could tell he was really proud of himself (as he should be).