'Twas the night before Christmas...

We've had a wonderful year. So many people stepped up and helped out after our barn fire last December, and we'd like to thank you all again and again for all that you donated, shared and the care you gave our ponies and cows. Thank you, too, to all the volunteers who come and help on the farm - you make our lives much easier and give so much to the ponies and horses.



The barn is up, with 6 big (14 x 14') box stalls and 4 standing stalls, a partly completed tack room, and hay storage. Our cows, horses and ponies are all home again, too. Fences up, some with new gates, and our riding ring has some tile draining and a lot of new sand. There's a hydrant in the tack room, too, so we don't have to worry about the pipe freezing anymore.



Toro the bull came to visit for a while. We hope to have calves out of Aggie and Cooba again next summer. T-Bone and Lunch are growing well and should be ready for the freezer right around the time the cows calve again. Toro left a week ago - off to his new home with a pasture full of cows.



Dreamer (Dreaming of Willie), Annabelle and Daisy have gone to new homes. We added one new horse, CW's Totally Silver (aka Silver), a stunning silver Morgan stallion. He's broke to ride and lovely to handle. He came from the Galetta auction, and with a bit of sleuthing by mom and me on the internet, we managed to figure out his story and find the owner who holds his papers. We hope to have him inspected as a Canadian Sport Pony next year.



We also added a puppy to our menagerie: Jesse. He's a "Texas Heeler", but looks more like his dad, an Australian Cattle Dog. Jasper seems to be pretty happy with the new addition, but Stripe is not impressed by the additional competition for couch space. Jesse likes to herd the chickens round and round in circles - we'll have to find him some work to do (agility, maybe?) when he's a little older.



Two weeks ago in a snow storm, I found a black Labrador male dog in my driveway wearing a brand new collar with no tags. We named him Max and posted Found notices all over the neighbourhood, on Facebook, and in the Citizen. We also notified all the vets in the area (had him scanned for a microchip) and talked to all the neighbours. Since we couldn't find his owners, Susan B. has agreed to foster him until the 30-day wait period for adoptions is up. Once that's past, she'll adopt him and have him neutered. She's already taken him into her heart and home - and to the vet for a rabies shot. His new name is Samson (Sam for short) and I'm sure he'll be a regular visitor out to the farm.



We plan to participate in the International Spotted Horse Registry's All Breed Open Online Photo Competiton next year with as many of our horses and ponies as possible. It's open to both ISHR registered equines and those that are not, both patterned and solid. Check it out here: ISHR.



We're also looking forward to SummerFest Breeders Show next year - and hoping to bring Beauty's offspring to show again. We may bring a whole bunch: Beauty, Breezy, Firecracker, Spot (gelded now), Pebbles, the 2011 foal, Peanut, Silver, Jasmine and Spook, so the more helping hands we have, the better. Depending on how they do, we may even fill our own trailer to go to the Royal Winter Fair. I'm planning to show in dressage again, and may show Silver as well as Porto.



Mom gave me my Equine Canada, Dressage Canada and ParaEquestrian memberships for Christmas, so I'm nearly all set to show. Still need my Eastern Ontario Paint Horse Club, Federation Equestre du Quebec, and perhaps my CADORA and OADG memberships, but I'll get those one at a time. Now I have to start learning the new dressage tests for 2011.

That's it for tonight folks, time to get to bed so Santa can come. I'll add photos tomorrow.

Merry Christmas to all, and to all a good night!