'Bites' refer to the first part of the outdoor adventure. I shot some more video. I haven't looked at it yet, however, so I can't tell you how it looks. Anyway, I got some more creek shots (overflowed creek, by the way), and some of me standing there blabbing. I'm toying with a 'teaser trailer' idea. I found out that I can turn the LCD screen all the way around and so I can stand in front of the camera and watch myself! That was pretty neat. And no, I'm not being narcissitic--it really is helpful...that way I didn't have to record--then go check where I showed up at in the frame. I also used a filter, so I look forward to seeing how that turned out.

'Bits', 'Bucks', and 'Bounces' refers to the second, more grueling part of the afternoon. I first had to fight the bit into Snip's mouth. I didn't exactly lose my temper, but I came awful close. I'm tired of his dumb fighting. He knows how to take the bit--he just makes me work at it. Brat.

Almost as soon as I got on him and took him through the gate ('the' gate...ha! as many gates as there is on this property that is rather undiscriptive), the bad boy started to actually buck! Now this wasn't any of that half-hearted trying stuff that he's done before, either. I guess I'm an okay horsewoman 'cause I stayed on--even after my feet (or at least one of them) came out of the stirrups. I kept my head and a steady pressure on the reins. I'm a tad sore in a strange place, but I don't know if that is from the bucking or the other almost 'Racheal went flying' moment. That happened at the other end of the pasture.

Snip decided, as he streached his neck into a faster run, that he wanted to go down that little hill to the wet creek area. Uh-huh. Well, all was fine (as far as my seat went) until he skipped through a bull hole and continued his left-ward drift; speeding up as he did so. Left foot took to the sky. I came *this close* (hold up fingers) to cracking my head into the ground again. (If I had, at least it would have been squishy--that whole area is wet and boggy right now.) I hung on to the saddle horn, pulled on the reins, squoze with my knees (as hard as I could while bouncing down a hill), and tried to throw my weight to the left. Well, I guess it worked because I stayed on and got the stinker stopped.

He really wanted to RUN RUN RUN today. So even though it was hot, I ran him. There were no 'sweet Snippy' feelings today. It was 'Boy, you are going to behave.' I was somewhat more forceful--I'm thinking that is what he needs. Reading pro's writing they make it sound so easy: you ask--and give the animal time to respond--but some how I think they do a bit more 'making' the horse behave than they let on. Snip finally decided that he would at least pretend he was paying attention to me. It was after that that I quit. I needed a drink.

Stink pot. Anyhow...it isn't like I have even been naughty! :)

Ho-hum. Today was the day to rotate the cows. So, I went out and after a good long fight, in which I had to go get Savannah for assistance, finally got the bit in Snip's mouth. Saddling took just moments after the bit was inserted.

The wind was (still is) blowing like crazy, so that didn't help matters any. For some reason wind makes Snip frisky and less complient. It also didn't help that almost as soon as I mounted the sky start hurling some big and somewhat painful raindrops at the ground. Snip put his rump towards the south and wouldn't move. My back got soaked. Finally he got moving. I rode over to the west gate and opened that. We goofed off for a few minutes in the north pasture trying to encourage the cows to start moving. They were a bit skeerdy since they didn't know what a horse/person combination is. They sort of know me, so I think that helped keep them from really going nuts.

Well, I left them to themselves after a bit and zipped off and opened the gate into the woods--on the south. Then I tried to get Snip to go ankle deep in the flooded creek area. He was like, "Uh-uh...I ain't  goin' to do that!!" Finally he did get a bit wetter than he wanted.

After that I returned to the north side and went back and opened the gap gate. From there I came up behind the cows and gently started pushing them toward the open gate. Snip behaved himself wonderfully. The only animal I felt I really needed to keep an eye on was 'Gorillia Cow'. She's been a bit more obsinate lately. Eventaully, she decided to move. I followed her, but gave her plenty of room--don't crowd a hairy cow :) When she stopped, I did. Then I'd move Snip in one or two steps and stop again. It worked.

Once I got them all moved I shut the gate (I did a lot of on and off today!) Then I did some serious galloping (oh yes, that was after I rode him down the drive way and checked the mail! More gate work...) I didn't work much on circles, but just simple weaving. That row of old orange tree stumps is great for that--including the close proximity to the electric wire. It keeps him from going too far 'thataway'...but also it helps with his trust in me that I won't run him into anything. (I wish I could say the same. Some times I abort an action simply because I have this sixth sense that he's going to drag my leg on something. It happened not to long ago. I'm just glad we weren't going super fast when it happened or tht would have really hurt.)

The whole ride there was wind and on and off sprinkle. Perfect training weather! :) :)
(Inside joke ;} )

Well, he wasn't quite sure of that once he got here...but I think he'll be fine.

I rode the fat bay from where he had been being kept to Granddaddy's this afternoon. I think it is about 3-4 miles. To start with, he didn't want to leave through the front gate so I had to get off and walk him out and across the road. I figured riding over next to the orange groves would be safer. I was grateful to the people who, when they drove by, slowed down and eased over to a more central position on the road. I didn't have too much problem.

At one point, a guy on a porch hollered at me that the flank strap was dragging. (Not suprising, seeing as I barely got it hooked anyway--Snipper's gotten FAT!) Once I finally realized what he said (it was rather far), I grabbed the strap and stuck it up behind me on the saddle. I also yelled, "THANK-YOU!!" back to him.

Anytime I passed a place where there are horses, Snip almost started dancing. After passing the bridge, which was an adventure in and of it's self, the pony that lives right there literally came galloping up. I had to fight Snip to get him to keep going forward. At one point I kicked him and smacked his rump with the reigns at the same time and he reared up on me (not very far, but enough that it was noticable). I had no problem staying on and after that he moved off like he was supposed to.

Back to the bridge though. I arrived and urged him forward. He would not step on the wood. I got off and lead him out a bit. Once he seemed comfortable, I got back on. The whole time, a car was sitting there, waiting patiently for me to cross. I was quite thankful. (Like as not they were enjoying the show.) After about two steps, a truck comes up (I've seen this truck many times.) Well, Snip starts backing up, even though the truck also stopped. I had to get off again and lead him off the bridge. The man in the truck, on the upper side of 50, I'd guess, asked me who I was. I told him and added, that I was my granddad's grandaughter :) For some reason I had a feeling that he knew Granddaddy. As soon as I told him, he grinned and said, "Oh!" in a very understanding tone of voice and added something like I "should know what you are doing then". I made sure I mentioned that I was still training the booger. I stayed off and calmed Snip while he drove off and the other waiting vehicles (for now there were two) crossed the bridge.

We made it home safely. I grinned like an idiot a couple of times on the ride and I talked to Snip almost the whole time--as much for my nervousness as for his. I was suprised that I wasn't more nervous than I was. Snip...well, it was all new and he was curious...which means he wasn't as well behaved as he might have been. Of course, it surely didn't help that he hadn't been ridden in a week. (At least.)

And what was the weirdest? Well, the fact that half-way up the driveway, he turned toward the south and whinnied. I have only heard him whinny, maybe three times before...he's a silent kind of animal. At anyrate, this was the first time I've heard him whinny while I've been on him.

Right...so the title really goes with the last portion of this post. I'll get there when I get there :)

Our dear friends from church, Carol and Herb, kindly gave us their pop-up camper! Totally unexpected, but very thoughtful. Anyway, they came to Granddaddy's and from there we led them over to our place. The plan was to back the camper into the bay where the Kuboda sits. I COULD NOT get that tractor started. I cranked and cranked, and tried the trick Daddy showed me, but I still couldn't get the thing started. Next time I need to mow, I think I'll do a diagnostic call with Daddy. Anyway, Herb parked in parallel to the fence instead.

Almost immediately upon arrival I noticed that Snowflake was no longer the shape of a barrel on legs. One problem--no calf. Savannah and I came home and I called Daddy to ask if I ought to go look for the calf. (I was inclined to.) He said yes, "put on your rancher pants"...I did :) I spent two hours walking around and saw neither hide nor hair of the calf. I kept my eyes, ears, and nose on the ready. I saw only one buzzard, but he was just on a recon mission. So, is the calf dead? Very likely. Did Snowflake just hide it very cleverly? Maybe. 

I went to ride my horse after I was done meandering. I decided that because it was so late in the day, I would just tie the lead-rope to Snip's halter and ride him around bareback for a bit. Everything was going okay until I decided to attempt a trot. Even that would have been fine if he had payed attention to me! He slipped through the west gate (I'm pulling on the rope and 'whoa'-ing him--to no avail) and did a neat turn to the right--straight toward those oaks with all the low branches. I leaned off to one side and ended up cracking my head into the dirt. I still have  something of a headache. I imagine that my neck is going to be stiff as a board in the morning; it already is stiff. Thank-God for sanding landings and a hard-head!

"Oh really? After turning up your equine nose at apples ("All horses love apples!"), carrots ("Have you tried giving him carrots as a treat?"), and mulberries, you are going to tell me that you like briarberries!"

*Snuffle...snuffle* *bumps gently with head*

"Okay...here, have some more."

It's true, Snip decided he likes briarberries as much as I do! (Maybe better--some of them were rather bitter.) I got off at in back pasture along the fence line because I wanted some of those berries. On a whim I offered my sweaty horse one, figuring he'd turn it down. Much to my suprise, he lipped it right up and ate it. I gave him a few more and he started poking his nose into my back when I turned around. Interesting...I wonder if they taste like sweet feed? They don't smell like it...

When I came home, as I was coming up the driveway, I see Savannah coming down it (in the car). I had just closed the gate, too. Anyway, we pull up window to window and she tells me Granddaddy was sending her to town for a BK burger and fries! Oh well. I told her, "Don't let any of those cowboys pick you up!" She sure looks cute in her cowboy hat with her earrings and make up on :) I look just the opposite most of the time--cowboy hat on top of a grimy face. Doesn't mean I can't smile as hard though!

I think it is now time for supper--so bye for now!

P.S. Mr. Bill--if you're reading this--I finally got the RSS feed put on here. You were interested a couple weeks ago and I forgot to do it until today! Sorry. ~~R

That's the day in a couple of words.

First, we sprayed soda apples. Unfortunately we didn't finish (I think we could have, but anyway...) It was time to go in for lunch and then because it was perhaps looking like rain Savannah decided that we shouldn't bother (didn't want the rain to wash it off). However, it didn't rain at all. Savannah drove the truck and I did the spraying...most of the time I was actually walking around with the spray wand.

After lunch Savannah went and got vegetables. I messed around on the computer, drank my coffee, washed the dishes, and started to match footage to narration...which leads to the next point.

I had Savannah read my narration, both as a voice test and as an editor. The latter kind of just happened. She is my best critic :) I really would like a male voice so I may end up posting a 'Wanted: Male Voice Actor' in the Jobs forum on CF.org. I'm fully intending on doing that for the voice overs anyway. Anyway, that brought on a conversation about how we talk. I'm terrible at V/O (I guess I can call it that) because unless I talk REALLY slow I tend to slurr my words...and when I do talk very slow, it sounds awful and it makes my jaw hurt!

Snip and I had another 'bit-fight' but I won in the end. Then we took a gallop...or two...or half a dozen...or maybe even a baker's dozen :) In between we walked...and worked on spins...and backed...and sat...Normal stuff all :)

Good morning! Before I get started with my day, I thought I'd try Weebly on the "big computer" (i.e. my video computer--it's newer so I thought maybe some of these changes might work better over here...)

I am going to spray soda apples today. Here's why--some of them are getting ready to drop their seeds. I can't very well dig anymore until we get the ones in the burn hole burned--and it's been too wet and the plants are still soggy (not so grand for burning). In fact, I had a thistle that I dug one day; the next day it was still rigid and green!

This morning I intend to go through my Narration and look at my footage and kind of map some of it together...you know: this shot to that paragraph and part of this shot with that paragraph.

After lunch I'll spray soda apples and then hopefully ride Snip again this afternoon. It took the usual 30 minutes to get the bit in him (I'm a bit stiff from that yesterday). After riding I changed the bits out because the one I've been using isn't wide enough for him. He kept getting the side shaft between his teeth (NOT good). (Maybe...just maybe that's why when after I switched headstalls he started to throw his head like a idgit.)

I dug the above mentioned yesterday. I think I actually dug/pulled more thistles than I did soda apples yesterday.

Okay, so we all know what thistles are...they come in various shades of green, different lengths and sharpness of spikes (these here are MEAN), and leaf shapes. But who knows what a
soda apple is? Nope. It ain't an apple you drink soda (or pop, depending where your from *grin*) out of. Absolutely not. So, what is a soda apple? It's a plant that somehow got to Florida from South America (I think).  They have nasty spikes. The 'apple' looks something like a a tiny zebra striped eggplant...at this stage of the game. Later they turn yellow and bust, sending seeds all over the place.

Once the plants are dug, they have to be burned. I didn't get to the burning part yesterday because of the thunder...they say if you can hear it, the lightening can hit you...not exactly my cup of tea. I also did not get done. I think I may do some more today...if it doesn't rain some more.

It rained so lovely yesterday evening!! I got sprinkled on and I looked up and exclaimed,
"Amen! Thank-you Lord for the rain!" (I tend to talk like that more when no one's around...) Now the grass will green up some.

YES! I finally got what I need to assemble my lighting kit! Two chinamen's hats (ya know, those metal globes that go around heat lamps), a stinger (a.k.a. extention cord), and some daylight bulbs. Not suprisingly the man at the hardware store thought I was raising chickens :) Which I still want to do...but I have to build a coop or something first...if I can even get chicks in the summertime?

Snip got his hooves trimmed today. We got to watch while Barney did his feet and I hope to be able to copy some of that in the future. After that I got on him (out of the back of the pick-up) and now have a great deep bruise appearing on the inside of my left calf. Anyhow, I rode Snippy bareback out to the pens. He behaved alright and was super glad to get his food.  

I had fun a couple of times today :)

What do all the above have in common? Well, they all have to do with today.

First--Westerns. That's right, and I don't mean I spent the whole day watching Westerns either (I did see a few pieces of Bonanza, The Big Valley, and most of the Rifleman--during dinner and washing dishes). What I mean is I'm writing a Western. A screenplay, that is. I got the idea for it from an old rusty revolver we found in the garage the other day. I asked Granddaddy about it and he said, "Oh it was [Uncle] Pat's. He got it off an old [black man]." That's all he knew and obviously there has to be more to the story. It gave me the idea...here's the brief run down of the plot (not 100% figured it all out yet.)

It's 1942 and Jerry is avoiding joining. His Granddad dies and they clean out his stuff. Jerry finds an old rusty, useless revolver (see, there's the gun!) and gets this strange, obsessive drive to discover it's story. He uncovers his Granddad's diary from when he was about 27 and there he finds the story of the weapon--and his courage to face the war. That's it without all the details. The "Western" part is the Granddad's tale. I just keep writing on it because it's there (in my brain I mean). Once it's written I can go back and tweak it at will.

Second--Bathrooms. Savannah and I cleaned Granddaddy's bathroom today. I scrubbed the shower while Savannah did everything else. I spent almost the entire time in the shower cleaning the mold out of the grout with baking soda and vinegar. That vegetable scrubber I found under the kitchen sink was perfect for the job...

Third--Pastures. I went out to see if there was an old gate in one of scrap piles (NOT). I ended up pulling some wicked thistles. Some of those thistles are taller than me and the bases are one, one and a half, to two and a two and a half inches thick! From there I wandered down to the creek.

Fourth--Creeks. I ended up location scouting down there. I hopped the creek here, there, and yonder. Looked at the fish (one of them I saw was big enough to eat!), squinted at the trees, considered this angle, and that angle...and all around got excited about my Cow Cavalry project again. I need to take my camera down there and set up shop. (Maybe I'd better remember to oil my tripod first! Speaking of which, I forgot to pick up some gun oil when we were over at our place this afternoon...)

Fifth--Horses. Well, I go down and feed Snip every afternoon. This is the way it went today: Savannah and I went to our place where I basically dropped her off...she wanted to walk while watering the citrus trees. I zipped off to go ride my horse. Snip was up the lane and I finally got his attention and he came barrelling down ready to eat! Well, I decieded to attempt to get on him bareback again. I finally got on him once I went and got a bucket to stand on (I'm kinda short you know.) Even then, I ended up laying over him squirming in an attmept to get my leg over him. I hurt that stupid rib of mine again :) I did get upright eventually. Anyway, it's rather crazy for me to even attempt to get on him bareback...after all, when I get on him with the saddle on, I have to stick my foot up about waist level to get it in the stirrup! Oh well.

I went back and picked Savannah up (along with her bike and some bones out of the freezer for broth.) We got home and I noticed that one of the neighbors calves, a little, tiny bull was on our side of the fence. I knew it was his because 1) all Granddaddy's cows where WAY at the other side of the pasture, and 2) Mama cow was right there looking at her wayward baby. So, Savannah and I jumped in the golf cart and meandered out there. Poor baby got so scared that he went through the fence and didn't stop running for over 100 yards. (Of course, that was the point of going over there.) Glad that worked out :)