Meet Buddy

The newest addition to our family is Buddy, a purebred 18-month-old male miniature poodle. He’s apricot colored and about the same size, maybe even slightly smaller than our housecat, Tiger. I first saw Buddy on the day before Thanksgiving at the Cambridge Pet Salon. I stopped to learn the cost of having our Labrador mix, Lady, bathed. She had been smelling quite doggy and needed her nails trimmed.

I saw this sweet-looking poodle cuddled in one of the groomer’s cages. Groomer Becky explained that he was for sale and had come from a puppy mill some weeks earlier. She said Buddy hadn’t been socialized and had been very thin. I held him and he was a good weight for his size/breed, was quite snuggly and came fully vaccinated. I’ve never owned a true lap dog, although Lady likes to jump up on our laps sometimes, but at 80 pounds she is so NOT a lap dog. Buddy weighs about 12 pounds, less than Tiger who last weighed in at 14! I don’t know where it began, but I’ve always loved an apricot colored poodle – regardless of size. Now, miniature is not the smallest, which is toy (think: Chihuahua). Anyway, I asked Ian, who looked at me like I had truly lost it, but said, “Yes.” We picked up a freshly groomed Buddy that day after Thanksgiving. We also dropped Lady off for her doggy spa treatment. Both smell great now.

In coming weeks we’ll have Buddy fixed. Lady’s spay, so there’s no true rush. I want him completely settled in to a routine with us, before we add in surgical procedures.

Being a poodle, Buddy requires grooming once every six weeks and he eats small dog food versus the larger chunk stuff Lady chows down. The winter weather may also require getting him a jacket for poop/pee outings. I draw the line at boots and hats though. Since we clip our horses, we may well learn how to clip Buddy’s coat properly and be able to handle this ourselves eventually. It cannot be rocket science!

Buddy has also been introduced to the outdoors Macdonald menagerie – the chickens, barn cats, geese and the horses. He thinks the latter are the biggest dogs he’s ever seen! The horses find him quite curious and line up at the fence when he bounces down to the barn accompanying Lady and me to do chores.

The best blessing of all so far is that Buddy is not a yappy dog. It’s just not part of his nature, and this may have something to do with his time at the puppy mill. Whatever the cause, we appreciate him not being a small dog vocalist.

E-I-E-I-O

Back at USPS

On Wednesday, something happened to me that has never happened before – I was asked to not go through with my resignation, which as of the 20th I had already submitted. Let me back up and fill in some details. As I had mentioned in earlier posts, my 70-some-year-old postmaster, Helen, had been off work since the beginning of September. Helen takes the blood thinner Coumadin, which by some weird twist made veins in her left arm bleed and cause a painful bruised limb. Helen also has a blood clot pressing on a nerve in her upper left armpit that puts her hand to sleep. She was hospitalized Labor Day weekend in September for several days, then went on sick leave and I worked six-day weeks as her relief (my position title is Postmaster Relief - PMR) for the next eight weeks until Halloween week.

Against her doctor’s recommendation, Helen returned to work, which meant I worked only in the mornings helping to lift tubs and trays and with mail sorting; all of which she could not do. One of the many job requirements for all who work in a post office is that they can lift 70 pounds, which she’s not been able to do in recent years. Getting up at 5 a.m. every day to work 2 or 3 hours was just not worth it to me. Also, Ian and I have been discussing going to our home in Spain and being there for long stretches of time. OK, then why am I working when I could be focusing on selling more horses, packing and getting ready to spend time in Spain? So, on November 10, I gave Helen my written resignation that would be affective December 20. I also began working the standard PMR shift, Monday and Saturday mornings only. I did tell Helen I would be available if she went on full-time leave again and for any days when she has doctor appointments or doesn’t feel well. Because Helen could not do the morning sorts, she asked Dan, a neighboring post office PMR, to work the few weekday hours.

Dan and I are friends outside of work and when I visited him Thursday morning the 20th, he said there was a new person at the Stanchfield Post Office and that Helen was going on leave again. Needless to say, I was confused and shocked. I called and spoke to Helen, who informed me that it was her last day for many weeks and she had brought in Linda as Officer In Charge (OIC) from neighboring post office Mora. I asked why she hadn’t called me and she said she thought I didn’t want to do it, blah, blah, blah. I decided why wait til December to resign and I offered to turn in my keys that day – she accepted. This is the tale I did not go into in the earlier post saying I’d left USPS.

My feelings were hurt. In September, I’d dropped everything to go to Helen’s aide. There had never been any issues with me being in charge – in fact, I’d gotten things accomplished (reports files, etc.) that Helen hadn’t because she didn’t understand how to do what was needed on the computer. Why hadn’t Helen called me? I have finally come to realize that it is not important. I enjoyed several days off with days infused with joy and hunger to regain habits I’d given up – like writing, visiting friends, attending performing arts, etc.

On Tuesday, the 25th, Linda called me. On the day I’d counted out my cash drawer and turned in my office keys, I’d told her that I would wind up any last needed details on the 28th when I collected my final check. Linda asked if I would consider staying on as PMR for at least the weeks she was there managing the office in Helen’s absence. When an OIC is installed there is no coming in part days, as Helen did when I was there. She is officially off until she is fully capable to return to her position. Very diplomatically, Linda said she thought what had happened with Helen not contacting me, my abrupt departure, etc. had been wrong. She was also very up front with the fact that she was in a pinch without adequate back up to run the office or with someone to deliver mail, as I am also a Rural Carrier Associate (RCA) if a carrier is sick or takes vacation. It was her frankness that led me to say yes. Linda quickly put the wheels in motion to find my resignation paperwork and rip it up. My keys and badge were returned to me on the 28th. I worked my usual Saturday shift and will work as fulltime PMR December 2-9, RCA on the 17th, PMR again 18-22.

I have not forgotten that joy infusion and am working to fold creative events back into my life so that I don’t have all of my outlet eggs in one basket.

E-I-E-I-O

A Prairie Home Companion

We had a great time attending the live recording of A Prairie Home Companion at the Fitzgerald Theatre in downtown St. Paul. We rendezvoused with Marcia out front and then tucked into seats 8, 9 & 10 of Balcony 2 Right. The Fitzgerald uses its space well and while the row leg room is reminiscent of flying transatlantic coach, it wasn’t uncomfortable.

I knew the other friends we were meeting, Lisa and Frank, were somewhere in the auditorium, and via cell phones and roundhouse arm gestures, Lisa and I found each other during the short intermission.

The featured musical guest was Indy singer Kristin Andreassen. I had never heard of her, but over the years I’ve learned to trust APHC host Garrison Keillor’s eclectic, wide-ranging musical tastes. Andreassen’s “Crayola Doesn’t Make A Color to Draw My Love” is accompanied by a patty cake game, which you can listen on her My Space page.

Multitalented Gospel singing sisters Jevetta and Jearlyn Steele were also folded into the show’s various skits.

I marvel at Garrison Keillor’s huge talent; his capacity for memorization, spontaneity, and how generous he is with his guests, showcasing them in the best light.

Assembling in the lobby, we headed to Everest On Grand, a Nepali restaurant, which is one of Lisa and Frank’s favorites.

A 25-minute wait turned into 40 minutes, but it was well worth it. A new friend, Katherine, joined us for dinner. She had bought a last minute “rush” ticket and got a standing-room-only space on the rail. A page from the small world book, Marcia and Katherine knew one another from working at the University of Minnesota! Once the six of us were seated, we began with “Yak balls” appetizers, which are showcased on the restaurants homepage.

The wine and beer menu revealed a wonderful French surprise, a bottle of Cotes du Rhone (Rhone Hills) red wine by a tasty vintner, Monsieur Chapoutier, which we ordered tout de suite.

Ian ordered lamb curry and I got an Indian favorite, Palek Panner, which we shared. The dinner conversations were wide ranging, interesting and rapid, all done as we sampled each other's main courses. Sated, we headed to W. A. Frost & Company bar on Cathedral Hill at Selby & Western Avenues for a nightcap.

Ian, Lisa and Frank enjoyed Laphroaig (pronounced “la froig”), which is a single malt Scotch whisky. Katherine ordered port, Marcia a brandy Manhattan, I had a lovely dry sherry and four of us savored crème brulee.

Near the bewitching hour, Ian pointed our 1996 Chevy Lumina homeward and began the hour drive. Lady and Tiger were extra pleased to see us, as the pellet stove had gone out and the house temperature was around 40 degrees. I restarted the stove and turned on our electric mattress warmer while Ian closed up the barn. We had anticipated a late night and had done chores earlier in the afternoon. Windy and Bentley were brought into their stalls, fed and watered at 3 versus 6 p.m. and we left the barn door open so that the six geese would come in and settled in for the night. Ian noted they were cuddled in the barn aisle when he came to say good night.

E-I-E-I-O

Saturday freedom!

This is the first Saturday in I can't remember how many when I am not working at the post office. I resigned and my last day was Thursday, the 20th. Actually, my last day was to be December 20, but things came together more quickly in a tale of events I won't go into here. I am happy and feel very blessed! I enjoyed my 13 months there, but have been feeling the need to move on for a while. I am not using my God-given talents and was really feeling the pressure of that. So, in releasing that obligation, we will see what God has planned for me ... His plans are always best!

Ian continues to work as a contractor with General Mills. He is working on revamping its entire online recipe division - this is a LONG TERM, well funded project and the Big G are happy to have Ian on the lead team.

This morning, Ian and I attended a U of MN sponsored horse program held in Cambridge at the local high school. There were a series of workshops on various topics, including the three we attended Winter Horse Care, Older Horse Care and what resources are available to people who own unwanted horses. I learned some and had info I already knew validated, so that was good.

This afternoon, we are meeting friends in St. Paul at the Fitzgerald Theatre to see Garrion Keillor and A Prairie Home Companion. The program begins at 4:45 CT and will be taped for broadcast later this evening and replayed again tomorrow. You can hear it on your local public radio station.

The program is 2 hours. Afterwards we are going to eat Tibetan food at a place on Grand Avenue. Should be fun!

Last night, Ian and I watched The Water Horse on DVD. What a great movie. I recommend it for kids of ALL ages.

E-I-E-I-O

Deaths in the family

On Monday, October 13, my 2nd husband, Niels van Everdinck, died from a brain stroke after being hospitalized for pneumonia. Niels was only 50 years old. He lived alone, save for three cats, estranged from his two wonderful sisters, in the same apartment he and I shared in The Hague, The Netherlands (Holland) in 2001. A neighbor had noticed that she had not seen Niels leave the apartment in as much as a week, and notified the police, who after bashing in his door, found Niels half conscious and sick with pneumonia. He was rushed to the hospital, but died the next day. One sister contacted me for a hint about who his friends were and luckily I could put her in touch with one, who was a link to the others. As you can imagine the news was quite a shock. I can't say I thought of Niels often, or maybe even thought of him at all, but this end was certainly a sad ending.

[The balance of this post was entered at a later date] The following Monday, the 20th, my stepfather, Ernie Pfannschmidt, died from a cerebral hemorrhage that resulted from a fall in his home on the 18th. Dad was 90 years old, still living and running his home in Anoka, MN.

My two younger brothers (Ernie's sons), Mark and Matthew, and other close family members were at Dad's hospital bedside when he died. It was very peaceful. His pastor was also at the hospital and conducted a wonderful bedside service. Dad's funeral was at his home church in St. Francis, MN on October 24. Mark played Bach's Jesu, Joy of Man's Desiring on viola while wife Laura accompanied on piano. Later during the service, Laura accompanied Matthew as he sang, "I Need Thee Every Hour." I'm confident Dad is happy to join his 2nd wife Gladys, who preceded him in death in 1999.

E-I-E-I-O

Fall update

I bought six Pilgrim geese at a local auction. There are 4 ganders (males) and 2 geese (females). The sex of both goslings and mature Pilgrim geese can be distinguished by color. This is known as auto-sexing. Males are white and females are grey. Bills and legs are orange in both sexes, while the eyes are blue in ganders and dark brown in geese. Only the mating pair came assigned with names; George & Gracie. The remaining geese are their offspring hatched in 2007. They spent the night in the barn aisle and their days in the horse pasture eating grass and drinking from puddles. I filled the wading pool I had some our first set of geese and they like to visit that too.

I continue to work part-time at the local post office. Lately, I’ve put in fulltime hours because the postmaster Helen is out on medical leave. Helen does come in a few hours a week, which is very helpful.

After not working since February, Ian began a consulting job just after Labor Day. He commutes an hour to the Cities and enjoys the work. It’s nice that gas prices are getting lower, as it makes the commute much more affordable.

The horses are all fine. They’re all situated in the pasture closest to the barn munching on two round bales of hay we bought last weekend. The three 2008 fillies are growing nicely. They’re stabled in the barn and learning halter training and being handled.

Renoir enjoys his big box stall and his outdoor paddock. In late September, we took him to the Minnesota Fall Fest at the MN State Fairgrounds for the Minnesota Arabian Horse Breeders Stallion Parade. Ian did an excellent job showing him off to the audience. Ian showed a 2 yr old stud colt for a friend of ours at that show too.

Weekends are spent getting the house ready for the MN winter. Ian’s installing thick insulation panels around the first floor of the house and sealing the window edges with foam. We’re planning to install a new main exterior door, which will help cut down on the draft. The in-floor heating system needs to be hooked up too, which along with the pellet stove, will keep us very warm.

The autumn colors are lovely – lots of oranges and yellows and the occasional red.

E-I-E-I-O

All to happy homes

This afternoon we hauled Clifford, the Half Arabian gelding, to his new home - a full service boarding stable - near Nowthen, MN. His new owner Michelle will do a good job with him - they will teach one another.

Cliffy is the last of the three geldings (the other two are purebred Arabians) we sold in August and got off to new homes - all to female owners! We've still got more to sell, but having a few less mouths to feed always helps.

The weather feels like fall in the mornings and evenings; not cold, but decidedly cooler than the deep summer weeks. It's welcome as long as we don't plunge into winter too fast. We've got to winterize the outside of the house before the snow flies. As long as we keep that on the upper most part of our To Do List, we'll be fine.

E-I-E-I-O

Selling and weaning horses

Yesterday, I sold our four-year-old unregistered purebred Arabian gelding, Jay, to a family in Dundas, MN. He will be going to a good home where he will be ridden and well cared for.

On August 19, "Cairo" (Windstorm GTC), was sold to a lady in Sartell, MN. He will be boarded at a nice facility and be used as a trail horse. Like Jay, Cairo is also a purebred four-year-old Arabian gelding - but Cairo has registration papers. Cairo was the first horse we bought in December 2005, shortly after we bought the farm.

Our 2007 gelding, "Clifford" (AMF Royal Red Ferrari), who was sold earlier this month, will be going to a new home at a boarding facility that has a heated, indoor arena where he can be worked during the winter months. It is also closer to where his new owner lives in Elk River, MN.

All three horses we've sold this month were posted for sale on the Internet.

On Sunday evening, we weaned our three 2008 fillies. There's always lots of noise with any weaning, but things seem quieter today. The mommies are out in the back pasture with the rest of the herd. The fillies each have their own stall and will be handled more and more each day. We'll work on halter training them and socializing them to be handled by humans.

E-I-E-I-O

AMF Royal Red Ferrari

We sold our Goldmount Royal Design yearling gelding "Clifford" today to a couple from Elk River, MN. He is going to grow up to be an awesome performance horse and can begin his under saddle training this time next year.

E-I-E-I-O

Bye-bye baby Latte

Sadly and unexpectedly, our 2008 chestnut tobiano colt, Latte, died. He was born on June 3, sired by American Saddlebred stallion Famous Echo SCA and out of our Arabian Psyche mare, RJ Kissthe Wind. We had no clues as to why, so I suspect the cause was something he was born with. He will be missed, but we know he's galloping in God's greenest pastures ... where the bugs don't bite!

E-I-E-I-O

Renoir gets Region X Reserve Champion Stallion AOTH

Yesterday morning, Ian and Legacys Renoir took a Regional Top Five ribbon and the Reserve Champion (2nd place) in the Amateur Owner To Handle stallion halter class! Yippee! There were three horses in the class and the horse that won was a Magnum Psyche son trained by Mike Neal.

So, Renoir and Ian are now qualified to show at both Canadian Nationals (Regina, Saskatchewan in August) and US Nationals (Tulsa, Oklahoma in October) in the amateur and open stallion classes.

Our friends Steve and Terri came to cheer and take photos and I’ll share some highlights when I get copies. As you can imagine, we’re very happy!

It was nice to have our former trainer, Jerry Schall, to come up and say how wonderfully Renoir showed and how great he looks. We brought Renoir home from Shada in May and are handling all his care and training ourselves.

We opted for two days rest away from the show and came home just after noon yesterday. We will return Saturday afternoon to show in the evening stallion class that closes the Region 10 Championship Show.

E-I-E-I-O

Renoir's Region X Pre Show Results

This morning we showed our stallion, Legacys Renoir, at the Region X Pre Show in St. Paul, MN on our own. Ian showed in two classes; number 108 Arabian Stallion Breeding 2 Years Old & Over and number 110 Arabian Colt & Stallion Breeding Amateur To Handle.

In the first class, Ian was entry number 307 and took third following professional handlers Andy Sellman and Jeff Schall. There were four horses in that class. Then, two classes later, Ian and Renoir got a second place ribbon. There were three horses in that class. I didn't have time to find out who we were competing against - no use to psyche ourselves out beforehand. I'll look up online results after the show!

Now Renoir and Ian are qualified to show in the amateur owner to handle (AOTH) class number 301 at the Region 10 Championship Show that begins here tomorrow morning. We’re also going to show Renoir Saturday evening in class 416 Arabian Stallion Breeding 2 & Over class. Ian and Renoir will be entry number 901 for the Regional show.

I’m very proud of how Ian handled Renoir. They made a good team and looked good together. It's the third time Ian's ever shown and the first time he's shown in MN, the other times were in Scottsdale, AZ.

After tomorrow morning’s class we’re going to take Renoir home and we’ll return Saturday afternoon.

It was fun to bathe, groom and prep Renoir ourselves. We like being hands-on owners.

Right now we're with our dog Lady snuggled cozy in our trailer parked on site with rain coming down pretty steady. Thankfully, our classes were done before it began pouring. Renoir's bathed and happily munching hay in his stall.

E-I-E-I-O

Region 10 and a new foal!

Tomorrow, Wednesday, is the 2008 Arabian Horse Association Region 10 Championship Pre-Show. The pre-show is a qualifying show to compete at the regional level. There are other ways to qualify – going to other shows earlier in the season and placing 1st or 2nd in your class – but the pre-show is the last opportunity before the championship classes, which run Thursday through Sunday.

This is the first time we are showing Legacys Renoir ourselves, without a professional trainer/handler being involved. We believe that God wants us to do this horse stuff ourselves and not spend money on outside boarding and training. We have learned a lot since we began showing two years ago and now, with Renoir living on the farm with us, we’re going to put what we’ve learned into practice. We show twice tomorrow morning and once Thursday morning, then we’ll go home and return Saturday afternoon to show that evening.

Renoir is already qualified from his win here last year with a professional handler, but Ian wants to show Renoir in an Amateur Owner To Handle (AOTH) class at the regional level and they’re not qualified together for that. Our goal is to continue from regional level to show at the national level. We need 10 points from class A show placements or a Top 5 placement at a regional championship. Renoir and Ian showed AOTH in Scottsdale and have accumulated five of the 10 needed.

This season’s only colt was born in the wee hours of June 3. I came to the barn to feed breakfast and his little white nose poked through the stall door to greet me. Windy had handled everything herself and all went well. His registered name will be AMF Famous Latte Kiss and his barn name is “Latte.” He is a chestnut tobiano Half Arabian pinto, with lots of white, hence his name. His sire is the homozygous tobiano pinto Saddlebred stallion, Famous Echo SCA. I can see the characteristics he’s passed on, in addition to the pinto coloring, as Latte has long legs, a strong build and a beautifully arched neck.

Princess and her dam Elly are also at the Auld Macdonald Farm. All four foals that we bred last year have arrived and are growing very nicely! We’ve already begun breeding for 2009! All of our mares are being bred to Renoir.

Send us good wishes as we strike out on our own in the horse show business.

E-I-E-I-O

AMF Renoirs Bey B

Our 1994 grey mare, Khatalina Bey, caught us off guard when she delivered a filly in the pasture Friday morning. Legacys Renoir sired this chestnut filly and she looks very much like him. Her barn name will be “Baby.” She was not due until June 1, but is coming along well.

We’ve got one more foal coming; this one will be a Half Arabian pinto out of our purebred Arabian mare RJ Kiss the Wind ("Windy"), sired by a homozygous pinto American Saddlebred stallion named Famous Echo (“homozygous pinto” means he always sires pinto babies). We own all of Windy’s babies – Windstorm GTC ("Cairo"), the 2004 purebred chestnut gelding sired by Desert Heat VF, the 2005 Half Arabian pinto gelding, AMF Xtreme Kiss ("Kiss"), sired by the homozygous pinto American Saddlebred stallion, TF Xtreme, and last year’s purebred bay filly, AMF Troublesomes Kiss ("Kisses"), sired by RSA Troublesome.

This morning, Windy is waxing (sticky droplets on the ends of the teats), so we're keeping her comfy in her box stall and expecting her to foal within the next 24-48 hours. According to the gestation calendar, she's not due until June 1, but ... frankly, it will be nice to have all of our 2008 babies born before the month of May ends.

Yesterday, we went to New Richmond, Wisconsin to our friends Kathy & Larry and to pick up two of their purebred grey Arabian mares, Mara and Eve, to breed to Renoir. Mara, is actually a re-breed. She bore a filly sired by Renoir earlier this month, but sadly it died during the birthing process. As you can imagine that was very sad for her owners. Once these two mares are confirmed in foal we will haul them home again.

Tomorrow morning, we return to Larry & Kathy's again to pick up purebred Arabian mare VG Elambra ("Elly") and her filly AMF Renoirs La Tiara, who was born on May 1. The filly's barn name is "Princess" and she’s so friendly. She likes to nibble on Larry's shirt tail and then scoot away when she's discovered. Last year, we leased Elly from Kathy & Larry because we felt her double Gamaar bloodlines would cross well with Renoir’s – we were right! Princess is ours and we will breed Elly to Renoir again.

Our Half Arabian palomino filly, AMF Royals Gold Tango, born May 4, is growing very well too. Tango likes to run, run, run when she and her mother are outside. She’s friendly too, which is the way we like to keep all of our horses.

Those are today's horse news updates!

E-I-E-I-O

AMF Royals Gold Tango

Our MaRoSh-bred chestnut Arabian mare, MAF Last Dance, had a huge, golden palomino filly yesterday. She was born around 9 p.m. and is colored much like her sire, palomino Saddlebred stallion Goldmount Royal Design. This Half Arabian filly is really pretty and already quite curious.

We will register as AMF Royals Gold Tango. Her barn name is Tango.

That's two fillies for us since May 1. Renoir's first foal out of a double Gamaar daughter was born Thursday.

We've still got 2 more mares foaling this month; one foal will be a Half Arabian pinto sired by Saddlebred stallion Famous Echo SCA, and the other purebred Arabian mare is in foal to Renoir.

It pays to 'think pink.'

E-I-E-I-O

AMF Renoirs La Tiara

Last night, the first foal sired by our stallion Legacys Renoir was born to VG Elambra (V G Elerros x HCF Ambruzia, a *Zbrucz daughter), a 1997 chestnut mare we leased from our friends Larry and Kathy Rappley of Valglynya Arabians. The filly is chestnut with four white socks and a thin strip blaze. She and mommy are doing well at home in New Richmond, Wisconsin.

We’ve decided that her registered name will be AMF Renoirs La Tiara. Her barn name will be “la princesa” (the princess).

Ian and I are going to see the pair later today.

E-I-E-I-O

End of April 2008

I cannot believe it’s been so long since I’ve written an update! Springtime is trying to spring in Minnesota. We have had some nice sunny days, but things are still a bit cool and we did have a snowstorm just last week. This weekend’s weather prediction is highs in the 40s, so it’s still cold!

The winter was tough – weather-wise and financially – tough enough to consider packing it in and returning to live in Europe, where the Euro is strong and there’s no double-digit below zero temperatures! However, with some more time and reflection, kind of like the weather, we too are on an upswing. I continue to work part time at the post office and really enjoy the people and the work. Ian has been hauling horses around the country using our one-ton truck and the 3-horse, living-quarter trailer. He finds clients online and takes horses from sellers to their new homes. The longest trip to date was from the panhandle of Idaho to Illinois. He’s been hauling a lot between Minnesota, Wisconsin, North Dakota, Illinois, Iowa, Indiana and Michigan. He’s driven through all four seasons of weather these last weeks – snow in the Rockies, thunderstorms in Illinois, warm sunshine in Michigan and chilly Wisconsin mornings! It keeps us afloat and Ian’s seeing some beautiful parts of this country!

The animals are all fine. We’ve got three mares that are due to deliver during May. Two are Half Arabians sired by Saddlebred stallions – one of which will be a pinto, like our two-year-old gelding, Kiss. The other, a purebred, is sired by our stallion, Legacys Renoir.

Speaking of Renoir, we’re going to bring him home from the trainer. We have learned a lot about horse care in the two years we’ve had horses at home and we’ve learned another level of care and training during the time we’ve boarded and shown horses with trainers. We’re confident we can do it ourselves now.

Ian is building a lovely stall for Renoir and we’ll finish a nice outdoor paddock too, so he should be a very happy horse. He’s never lived anywhere that has an outdoor space. Of course, we’ll be using him to breed our mares and not have to pay the hefty “collection” fee charged by the trainer. We are also going to market him as a breeding stallion ourselves. Renoir is admired in the Arabian show world and even in this tough economy, his breedings should sell. We’re also looking forward to learn the quality of the babies he sired due in the coming weeks, as that will also help to sell breedings. It will be nice to work with Renoir on a daily basis.

We sold two horses recently, Whisper, a four-year-old blue roan gelding and Nutmeg, a 10-year-old chestnut Quarter horse mare. Both are going to really special families. It’s interesting that they were sold during the same week, as we bought them two years ago together at the same horse auction. We still have six more that are actively for sale and the market is picking up. I say “actively” because every horse on the farm is technically for sale!

My show gelding, Lookin For Trouble, came home from the trainer in March. I’ve not ridden him yet, but he has been started under saddle. He’s enjoying just being a horse in the pasture right now. As soon as things dry out – the snow melt and spring rain has things quite soggy – I will saddle him up and see what he’s learned.

I’ll make an effort to keep in touch more regularly. The coming weeks should be very interesting and fruitful here on the farm.

E-I-E-I-O

Renoir's Class Results

Renoir’s class was this morning (Arabian Breeding/Halter 6 & 7 yr old Stallions) with our trainer Jerry Schall. It was a tough class and Renoir came in third behind two US National Champions (MPA Giovanni and Major Jamaal). He was awarded two Scottsdale Top Tens (the first with Ian), which is nothing to sneeze at. Scottsdale is an excellent indicator of how a horse will be able to compete nationally. Both Jerry and his brother Jeff said for us to keep in mind that this show is especially political – with back scratching and other conflict of interests sometimes adding to the competition. Regardless, we are pleased with the outcomes from both Renoir’s showings. Ian and I are very proud of our boy!

I’m hoping his 2008 show debut gets more people interested in breeding to him, which is where the money is really made in owning a stallion. Of course, his first foals begin arriving in April and it will be fun to see what he sires.

We met some nice horse people here, including the couple who bred Renoir. They were very pleased with his development and how we are bringing him along on the show circuit. That’s quite a compliment for us – we’ve only been doing this for two years and with Renoir, only since last summer.

We’re packing up the trailer to get it itched to the truck and will begin heading home this afternoon. It is bright sunshine, blue skies and 70+ degrees. We plan to drive as far as Albuquerque and then we’ll stop for the night. Ian expects – weather permitting – we’ll get home late Sunday/early Monday morning.

E-I-E-I-O

Ian & Renoir

Yesterday was a LONG day waiting for Ian and Renoir to show. Ian was dressed in his suit and ready to show by 1 p.m. but because of the large classes that ran before, the pouring rain, unseasonable cold and eventual venue change, he didn't show until 5 p.m. We made ourselves comfortable at the Shada Arabian stalls, where we waited in its living room area. Finally, just after 4 p.m. classes were moved from the outdoor Wendell Arena to covered Arena 5a, and this patient duo showed in a class of nine. The two moved beautifully together and Ian always had him under control -- no small feat with a stallion. I was proud of both and so was our trainer Jerry. In fact, Jerry was SO sure Ian had nailed the first place that when the second place horse was named he said, "Come on, Janet, let's go and get his [Renoir's] ribbons so Ian can take him back in a show him in the Championship class." BUT as we walked to the arena gate another horse was named in first place. Renoir DID get a Scottsdale Top 10 ribbon and plaque - which is a great honor too.

Today, we will be able to review the judging cards and learn where each of the three judges placed Renoir in the final class standings.

All of the supportive, good wishes were really appreciated.

Now, Renoir shows with Jerry in a tough open stallion class on Saturday morning the 23rd! They will show before a different judging panel.

Sure, it would have great for Ian to win with Renoir in the AOTH class, but neither of us are disappointed with our efforts. Ian had FUN and that's a big part of why we are doing this.

E-I-E-I-O

Happy Valentine's Day from Scottsdale

This morning on the radio, NPR's Morning Edition did a segment with one of my favorite chefs, Nigella Lawson! To listen to her talk with the host about chocolate was a treat in itself.

Listening to chefs inspires me, so for breakfast, I baked blueberry/cornbread muffins and made cheesy scrambled eggs using black pepper-laced cream cheese. We bought cards for one another – Ian’ a very good card-picker-outer. He also reminded me that our first Valentine's Day together (2002) was spent amongst boxes in our rooftop apartment on Padilla in Barcelona - we had moved in days earlier. This afternoon he brought me three delicious chocolate truffles, which I shared, and a bottle of Spanish cava, which is chilling for a Valentine's dinner toast.

Here in Scottsdale it’s a day of waiting. All of the barns and vendors have finished putting their storefronts together and are ready for tomorrow’s show opening. We’ve listened to saws, hammers and staple guns for several days as things come together in the stall areas. Now all the draped fronts with farm logos are up – kind of like booths at a trade show – and we’re ready to begin. We joined in by putting up a 48-inch high, twinkling lighted horse at the front of our living quarter’s trailer.

Lady, Ian and I have walked the West World grounds watching horses being exercised. We noted how many riders multitask talking to clients or staffs back at home while either atop steeds or standing point as a horse lunges around them.

Tomorrow the vendor areas will open! There are hundreds of square feet of everything equine related that you can imagine. I rarely buy, but it is fun to shop. These tents are also dog friendly, so Lady comes along on her leash.

I trimmed Ian’s hair and beard, so like Renoir, he’s “show clipped” and ready to perform. He’s decided to wear a charcoal grey suit with a pale pink shirt and a two-tone purple tie. His class is number 50 in Wendell Arena tomorrow afternoon. The afternoon sessions begin at noon, and since his is the tenth in it could be around 2 p.m. MT. If he and Renoir place first or second in class 50, they return immediately and compete for the championship in class 51, which is composed of first and second place winners from classes 50 (Arabian Breeding /Halter 5 year & older Stallions Amateur Owner To Handle) and 49, (Arabian Breeding /Halter 3 & 4 year old Stallions Amateur Owner To Handle). The winner of class 51 will be named Scottsdale Senior Champion Stallion AOTH (amateur owner to handle).

If you’re into watching some classes live, you can do this online at Arab Horse.

Legacys Renoir will also show in class number 386 on Saturday morning, February 26. The classes begin at 8 a.m. (Arizona is in Mountain Time) in Wendell Arena and Renoir shows with Jerry Schall in the second class of the morning. We will be packed and ready to head home soon after that class runs. It’s a long way home and I am scheduled to work Tuesday morning.

E-I-E-I-O