Echo gets an upgrade

This poor little mare came to EverStuff Ranch today. I'd been seeing her advertised here and there on the internet for a while. She was listed the first time for something like $1200. She's six years old, only halter broke. Cute little head, nice bloodlines. She's actually related to Spooker Dude, the paint gelding we used to have. I saw her listed again a few other times, each time at a lower price. I wanted to go take a peek at her each time I saw her. None of the pics I saw were ever really good pics.

Went to Boise for Turkey Day. Tried to teach the grand baby to bark and growl like a dog. Only, my little weenie dog cries like a little girl. Well at least now she makes yippy noises. I did give her the top of the whipped topping lids. YUM.

I really wanted to have the holiday here at our house this year. I've been thinking about it since Mom Linda said last year she thought we should do it here. I made Jeff promise to help me. I've made Turkey Dinner once, over Dad's with Wendy to help me. Loved Jeff's stuffing, but I'd like to try the stuffing I call Wendy every year and ask... how do I make that again? It just wasn't doable this year after two surgeries in four months. I looked for turkeys and hams on sale to stock in my freezer. Nothing was on sale enough to make me want to buy it. I can get four broiler chickens for the price of on turkey this year. And they taste better. The only thing I really missed was having the left overs.

 So I promptly came home and re-organized my freezer. I had the neck and gibbets from a turkey I made earlier this year. Two carcasses from rotisary chickens I saved. The left over veggies from Scott's chicken noodle soup. I made 5 quarts of chicken stock.

It'll go in the big freezer out in the garage that I cleaned out tonight. I still have to have Scott move the plywood behind it, so I can plug it in.

And while the soup was simmering merrily on the stove, I made bagels. This time, they actually tasted like bagels. The first time I made them, I don't know what the hell recipe I was following off the internet, but either I didn't follow it ( I didn't) or it sucked to begin with (it did),  but I didn't make bagels. I made inedible hockey pucks. Oh sure, everyone all Tried one, but I found bagels with one or two bites out of the in the garbage.

3-3/4 c all purpose flour
1 tsp salt
2 tsp sugar
1 tsp active yeast
1-1/4 c warmed milk
1/4 c softened butter
1 egg yolk
1 egg white (optional)

Dissolve the yeast in the warmed milk. Add butter, salt, eff yolk, and mix well.
Mix in the flour, turn out onto a floured bread board, or counter and knead for 6-8 minuets.
Cover with a wet dish towel and let rise for one hour.
Punch down and knead for 1-2 mins.
Divide into 12 balls, and press two fingers through the middle of each ball to for the bagel hole.
Cover again and let rest for 10 mins while you bring a pot of water to a boil.
Pre-heat oven to 400.
Add two or three bagel at a time to the boiling water, and cook for 1 min on each side.
Remove with a slotted spoon to a greased baking sheet.
Bake bagels for 20-25 mins untill golden brown.
Remove from oven to a wire cooling rack.

Teh Spawn and I went to Eagle while we were in Boise, to deliver Spook's paper work to his new owners. I feel rotten after seeing Jess with her horse again.  I know she didn't want to sell him, but she was being very adult about it knowing we didn't have the money to buy hay for four horses through the winter. She walked into the paddock he was in and he was facing away from her. As soon as he saw her, he turned around and came walking right up to her and put his head in her chest. I felt like a jackass. He looks really good, and I know the new owners love him to death. She even sold the horse she already had before Spook, and made him her main ride. This pic breaks my heart. 

Tonight I'm making yogurt  in the crock pot and quiches.

 

Bacon cooked slow and crispy. I had a couple acorn squash halves from the other night, so I mixed them with cream cheese and added them to the eggs and bacon. I cooked one, and the other three are to go in the freezer to pop into the oven for breakfasts in the future. 

Selling horses

We had to sell Spook last week. I put an add up for him on Thurs, Fri morning I had an email in my inbox. Fri afternoon they drove down to Gooding, and took him home. I feel like such an asshole. I gave the horse to Jesse. She rides him, not all the time, but alot. She takes him into town on her own, rides all over the place by herself. I just can't afford to buy hay for four horses this year after being out of work for two months. He's the only one I could sell to get enough hay to keep two of them. Well I could have sold Ben and Apache. I don't know if I'm just a bad person for being selfish. She is the one who said sell Spook. She's not going to be here long she says. She's wanting to move to her Dad's house, and in a year join the Airforce. I think she needs to have a plan B when that happens, but... Meh. Some one did come out and look at Ben lastnight. I think she really liked him. I'm not sure she was crazy about his age, but I do think he's what she is looking for, for her husband. She looked him all over nose to tail. I liked her.

Pony shots after the rain

Ben's dark stripes coming in on his legs, chest, shoulders and the dark patch under his throatlatch

Dark shoulders and dun stripe

Pretty Patches

Spooker Dude

He's gotten so much darker and trimmer compared to this winter

House and horse pics

Took Jess, Liam, and their friend Lance  out to see the house and the ponies. We have windows and doors!!

                                                         Stairs to the bonus room

Shower stall in the master bath

Inside the house

Back doors out to the deck

Front of the house

Garage hasnt had the door cut out yet

Lance riding my boy Spook

Kids and the horses

Jess on Ben

Liam on Spook

Nov 16th

The house is coming along so fast. They were just finishing up sheeting the last of the outside with plywood while I was out there today. No pics, cause It doesn't look too much different now Just the top is finished now. All the plywood is on the roof. Inside the windows aren't cut out yet, and it was too dark with my camera phone to get anything seeable. The septic tank is dug and set. They are going to do the leach field in the next couple days. We're waiting on Idaho Power and the well guy still. Idaho Power is gonna take their sweet assed time now that they have our money. The well guy I can understand the delay. That tractor with the drill on it only gets about two miles to the gallon. So he's trying to set it up to go in a big circle around the surounding countryside with everyone who needs a well done, or work done on an exsisting well. Scott wants them to dig a trench from the well out to the front pasture so we can run a water line later. I asked if we could put an electric line in with it for an electric water heater for the water troughs. I don't really fancy getting up early every morning to drive out before work and break ice. Gonna have to for a while untill the property has electric through. I did go out and see Spook today. We went riding again yesterday. Me, Scott, Kurt, Liam, Tim and his daughter went. Tim's been bringing Cream Puff over to Kurt's to round pen. I see a difference even if Tim doesn't. Ben got his first lesson as well. Don't think he's ever had to do it before. It took forever to get him to figure out to turn to the inside and bring his head around to us instead of swinging his ass around when he turns. Butts never get to to turn to the people. Scott made huge headway with Patches. She's following around people now. When I went out to dink with the horses today she actually followed me around. I was impressed. We have her in a smaller pen in the pasture. It's portable electric like you take camping. Two and a half acres is just too much room to chase her till she gets tired of running. Today I walked up slow and she let me. She's been avoiding being touched like we have the plauge. I rubbed on her, scratched some itchey places, and then walked around a little, and she followed me all over the place. Even took pics on my phone to send to Scott with her all up in my business.

Spook

This is his dad, Cowboy Spook

Spook

Went riding today. On my new Palamino Paint Gelding, Spook!!!! What a dream he is. I've ridden him before and fell in love. He belonged to our friend Kurt. Well Kurt has a friend who has a red dun mare that looks identical to Kurt's Two Bit. Kurt's whole everything lights up when he talks about her. Scott had told me about her a few days ago. I've recently been having a thing for red duns. Even more so since Kurt got Two Bit. I was really interested in this one Dirk has. But Scott told me how much Kurt talks about her. Well he already had Spook who was a great horse. Go all day kinda guy. And Two Bit is a serious powerhouse. No way was Kurt going to be able to ride enough to keep three powerhouses in training. So we went out two nights ago to talk to Kurt. Was he Really wanting this dun mare? If not, I thought I might want her. But she's only three, and just being started. Did I want to have to deal with another horse I was really going to have to work with? I knew Dirk would put an amazing start on her, but still... So we talked to Kurt and I could tell he's in love, so I asked him if he'd want to part with Spook. Then he'd have the money to buy this red dun. We both win out. And he agreed!! Spook is a nine year old, palamino, paint gelding.He's been everywhere and seen everything. Side passes if I can learn how to make him do it. I already have him stepping over on the trail off my leg. Moves cows all day. Packs and he's been hunting. Some hunters where out after ducks where we went for a ride today. The first shot he just twitched. The second two here close to us and he flinched. Just flinched and kept on going. The third time he didn't even twitch an ear. He has the most wonderful, slow, easy lope. And he can keep it up all day. And even better, the new aussie saddle I bought, I worried might be a little narrow for him, fit him just fine. Kurt rode Roxy today, and she did fantastic. She's his wife's coming 4 year old curly. She needs to fill out more still, and he's put off really riding her due to that. She stayed in a nice little lope next to Spook, no problems. Didn't flip out and loose her mind even a little when the guns went off. Scott took Patches. He's coming along so nicely with her. Doesn't let her pull any crap. He's doing so good at staying out of her mouth, and woking more with her  moving off his feet and legs. His new saddle looks amazing on her.

Creaky as all get out, but that will go away the more he rides it. They look so good together. She didn't seem to mind the hunters either. We just had her feet and Benjamins feet done yesterday, so she was a little tender. He took Alot off her toes. But all in all we had a great ride.
                                            Me n Spook

Kurt n Roxy

Honey Jo n Brownie

Andrea n Sota, Scott n Patches

Saddles, and hay, and trusses, oh my

So I've missed a few days. So much has gone on. The big tree in the pasture had to come down. The horses had ate the heck out of the bark anyhow, but Idaho Power said it was going to be in the way.

Hauled all the branches off to the dump, and cut up all the usable wood to burn in the fireplace once it sits and seasons for a year. Youcan see in the backround the walls going up on the house. They poured the cement slab for the garage and have been hauling ass ever since.

Yesterday the trusses started rolling

Garage with the bonus room over head

Out back digging the septic

Tuesday evening we got 4 tonof hay delivered. Grass alfalfa mix. We brought it out and stacked it up and everything. Well it was on a squeeze truck, so it was already stacked, but yay, we didn't have to haul it.

Scott got one of the nicest saddles I've seen in a while. It's a Billy Cook Wade Tree. It's beautiful. He went down to the little saddle and boot place there in Jerome by where we work. I groomed their dogs just a couple of weeks back. He called me and wanted it. I just wondered why he didn't already have it bought.

The palamino is gonna be mine!!!!!!!!!