New Years Eve

Just a short post to wish all a very happy new year!

Best wishes for a safe, happy, healthy, horsey, and prosperous New Year! We look forward to seeing everyone in 2009.

Eleanor, Serge and Natasha
Daisy and Jasper
Whisper and Stripe
and all of the horses, cows and chickens!

Holiday gathering postponed

The weather is balmy and warm, but after yesterday's freezing rain, followed by more rain, the fields are full of ice and snowmelt (water).

We've decided to postpone the holiday gathering for two weeks to January 11, 2009. Hopefully the weather will be better and we'll have some fresh snow on the ground to make walking or riding about a bit easier.

If you do come out today, bring your rubber boots!

Christmas Eve 2008

December is almost over - and Santa comes tonight!

Thank you to Lisa M. for donating about 25 bales of straw and old hay. We're using it to bed the shelters for the winter.

Thank you to Jennifer (from Full Circles - a Yahoo group for free stuff) for saving all the shredded paper from her office for us - mom picked up ten bags of shredded paper on Monday. Cross-cut shredded paper makes wonderful absorbant bedding for the stalls - and you can bet no one will ever put your VISA bill back together again after it's been in a stall!! It composts really quickly, too.


We've had snowy days, cold days, and apparently we're going to have some warm weather this weekend. Finnigan and Cinder are out of quarantine now and are turned out with Reba's herd.

Mom came over and baked gingerbread and shortbread cookies.


Natasha and I decorated the gingerbread - I did the fancy icing with mom's decorating set.



Stripe and Whisper spend lots of time napping on the dryer and looking adorable. Although they're officially barn cats, they get to come in the house to eat and sleep.

Finnigan and Cinder both need blankets when they're outside. They're outside for longer now than when they came.

Finnigan likes to be brushed and fussed over. He's such a good boy! We're looking for a good home for him. Finnigan fell asleep when Yvan came to trim his feet - he's definitely an old pro.

Cinder was unsure, but behaved wonderfully considering she'd probably never had a farrier touch her feet before.

Both Cinder and Finnigan still come in at night since they don't have good coats.

Thank you to all of you for all your support this year!

2008 Sponsors

Jennifer G. - Delilah

Alex - Grandma Reba

Sam - Kittens and chickens

Natalie - Nikki

Lynn - Otis

There's a small gift for each of you in the house. Please stop in when you come to visit your sponsored horse.

2008 Adoptions

Grace and family - Princess

Susan - Beauty, Fire, Spot

Lisa - Levi

Elisha - Squish

Leisa - Finn

Elmer - Gypsy, Queenie

Natasha - Dash

Jenidy - Julie

2008 Volunteers

Kirsten

Natasha

Susan

Don't forget the boarder, sponsor and volunteer holiday celebration on Sunday, December 28, 2008 starting at noon. Please let us know if you can make it out for a cup of hot chocolate (or coffee, if you prefer) and a cookie or two.

Merry Christmas!

December news

Sorry for the delay in updating the blog. Mom's employer laid her off, so she had to send the fast laptop back to them. She bought a new one, so the blog can now be updated.

Big news!!
Autumn was adopted by S.K. and family. Autumn left on Saturday, November 29 and went to Dr. Butler's Ottawa Valley Large Animal Clinic to be evaluated. Her new owners want to be sure that she has the best of everything -- and we're very happy for Autumn. They promise to stay in touch so we can see how she grows up. The latest update is that Autumn is eating well and gaining weight.

Dreamer doesn't seem to miss Autumn at all.

All of the fluffy kittens have new homes! Hurray!

The last one left on Friday afternoon. I miss the entertaining "kitten TV" that happened in Jasper's cage every day, but Jasper is happy to have his cage back.

New sponsors
Thank you to Sam for sponsoring the barn kittens and the chickens! Sam shaved her head as part of her campaign to raise money to fund cancer research and donated her hair to Locks of Love, an organization that creates wigs for children with cancer. Sam is Alexandria's sister - these are amazing kids who do more for their community than many adults. We're proud that we know them - and thrilled that they chose to support our horse rescue, barn kittens and chickens. Thanks!

Nikki has a sponsor! Thank you to Natalie Munro for sponsoring Nikki! Natalie is a real estate agent and mom's friend. She's helping mom look for a house closer to here.the farm.

Reminder
Barn hours are from 7:30 am to 10 pm. Please respect our privacy outside those hours. We have to get up early every day. We can't go to bed until all the horses are tucked in for the night and the barn closed up (especially in the winter).

New horses on the farm
I picked up two new horses at the Galetta auction on Saturday. Both would have gone to the meat man if I hadn't bought them.

Finnigan (Dream's Nice and Easy) is an 8 year old grey gelding. He's well broke and was a family horse. He's just 14 2 hh on the nose, steel grey with a silver mane and tail. He has excellent ground manners. Natasha and I rode him yesterday in the riding ring and out on the race track - he's well behaved and has wonderful gaits. He's for adoption for $800 to a good home only - no dealers.

Cinderella (Cinder for short) is a 13 hh chestnut pony mare, 3 years old, in foal to a Paint stallion (chestnut and white tobiano) (due in July - should be a foal with colour with all that colour in its background!). Her mom was apparently a pinto pony and her father another Paint stallion (tobiano). She's missing her right eye as her mom kicked her when she was a foal and then abandoned her. She's not started yet, but now that she's in a calmer environment than the sale barn, she leads well, loves to be groomed, and picks up all her feet. You can adopt Cinder for $300 - Absolutely NO DEALERS!!!

Both Finnegan and Cinder are in quarantine at the moment, so please do not use brushes not specifically labelled for them or mix up their water buckets. If you want to pat Cinder, make sure you talk to her so you don't startle her - and approach her on her left side where she can see you.

Seasonal gathering
We'd like to celebrate the holiday season with you, our friends, boarders, sponsors and volunteers!

We're holding a Seasonal Gathering between Christmas and New Year's on Sunday, December 28 starting at noon. Come down to the farm for some hot chocolate, cookies and fun with horses. Please let us know if you can make it - we'd love to see you!

More November news

Elisha came today and adopted Squish (Perfekt Song)! She's gone off to her new home in North Gower - we hope that she settles in well and enjoys the "princess" treatment. Squish will have a stall as well as regular turnout there, and hopefully, provide Elisha with a foal in 2010.

Elisha dressed Squish in shipping boots and her winter blanket before walking her into the trailer.

Elisha's friend adopted River, the female kitten, when they came out to see Squish last week. River is now an adored and loved house cat.

Whisper and Stripe are busy chasing bugs and mice in the barn. They're both boys, so they can stay. They'll be neutered as soon as they're old enough so that they don't stray looking for the ladies. They know their job and have already caught a mouse or two even though they're only 10 weeks old. Good kitties!!

Whisper has more black on his head and Stripe has a white bib under his chin. Whisper had a collar on, but managed to lose it within a day.

Many thanks to Jennifer G. for cleaning out her garage and donating all her horse stuff! It is very much appreciated - and all of it will be put to good use. Jennifer was out today and brought Delilah in and groomed her thoroughly - Thanks, Jennifer! I'm sure Delilah enjoyed the brushing, and it's really good for her to be handled regularly.

Kirsten, the lady who leased Gilligan when he was here, was out today and rode Nikki. She brought her dog, Sky, and took all three dogs with her when she went out for a hack. Jasper is tired out after running with Sky and Daisy - he's sound asleep now.

Jennifer N. would like to find someone to part lease Maggie. She's found that money and time don't stretch as far as she'd like now that she has children, hubby and job to squeeze in as well as "horse time". If you, or someone you know, would like to part lease Maggie, please let me know and I'll pass on the information.

If you part lease, that means that you pay part of Maggie's board, farrier and vet expenses in exchange for riding privileges. The cost would be negotiated between you and Jennifer N.

Kittens for adoption

Some inconsiderate, irresponsible pet owner tossed a cardbox box of kittens in the ditch out front earlier this week. The kittens were filthy and encrusted with feces when I caught them walking up the driveway. Six hours later, all four were clean and dry - and I only got one small scratch!

We've named them Eeney, Mini, Miney and Moe for now. Two are male and the other two female. Mini had a dislocated hip, so he's already run up a $90 vet bill and Miney is on antibiotics to clear her eye infection. All have been dewormed and are litter trained.

If you'd like to adopt a cute little kitten, please let me know. They all have long fur, so they're not suitable for barn cats. I'd like to find good homes for all of them - and Jasper would like them to get out of his cage (they're in there so I know where they are).

Bart-allo-Mew is missing
Barty-cat disappeared a couple of weeks ago. He's gone exploring before and been away from home for a day or two, but never this long. We walked all over the property calling and listening for him (he got stuck in a tree once), but didn't find him.

He may have found someone who let him in, fed him and turned him into a full-time house cat. Bart delighted in lounging on the bed and couch, so I hope that's where he's gone.

We miss him, but hope that he's happy wherever he is.

The chickens now have a heat lamp in the coop to keep their water from freezing. Please make sure the big door stays closed so the heat stays in - the chickens come out during the day and go back in at dusk. We still have eleven chickens - Mama hen still protects them from Jasper and any other perceived threat. We haven't found any eggs yet, but they may start laying in the spring since we don't keep them in the coop all the time.

Correction: We new have 10 chickens. Fluffy (black and white with yellow legs) refused to be caught and didn't go in the coop last night. He died of exposure. RIP, Fluffy.

Alexandria, who sponsors Grandma Reba, runs a pet service to help raise her sponsorship money. It's called Pet's Matter, and she offers walking, feeding, and visiting services in her neighbourhood in Orleans. You can see Alex's website here. If you need a responsible pet sitter and you live in Orleans, why not contact Alex?

Sponsors...

We love our sponsors!

They make it possible, through their monthly donations, for us to continue helping horses. It's tough, though, when we get a sponsorship promise, but the sponsor forgets to pay. Should we call and remind them, or just help fewer horses?

The bills for vet, farrier and food don't wait, so while we wait for our sponsors to fulfill their promise, we sometimes have to turn down horses that need help.

If you're one of our sponsors who pays promptly, thank you. If you're one of the sponsors who might be a bit late, please think of the horses and send your cheque now. They need your help.

We ask for a minimum four month commitment so that we can plan ahead when we take on a new rescue. All of our sponsors can choose to continue past the four months, of course.

Sometimes horses are adopted quickly, others spend a long time here. All need to be seen by a vet and the farrier, and some need special supplements or drugs to get better.

More changes...

Classy is here! I picked him up last Thursday. He's in quarantine in the riding ring right now (let me know if you want to ride in there and I'll move him) and has settled in just fine.

This month we sadly say good bye to Gilligan. His owner, Natalie, sold him and he went to his new home on the weekend. We wish him well and hope that his new owner loves him as much as we did - he's a sweet guy.

Roxy is also leaving. She's going off for training for the winter. Natasha is pretty disappointed - she'd hoped to show her next spring and summer. There are other horses here for Natasha to ride, as well as her pony, Dash, so she'll be okay.

That means that we have two spaces available for outdoor board immediately.

Delilah comes back from Saddle Ridge tomorrow. She's been there a month already - and has made a lot of progress. Reuben and Karina got her to the point of accepting a saddle on her back. She's not ready to be ridden yet, but with lots of patient handling, she will continue to improve. If you go to the Saddle Ridge blog, you can see photos of Reuben and Delilah working with the saddle.

Many thanks to Dan Angell of Animal Care Solutions - he gave us a great discount on the ANIVAC System that should arrive here on Friday. This system will allow us to wash horses even in the winter without leaving them soaking wet or leaving huge puddles in the barn or yard. It'll save water, too - that's important when all our water comes from a well. It's a portable unit, so you can even use it outside (not in the depths of winter, though, the water in it would freeze). We'll make sure everyone knows how to use it safely.

Natasha, Mom and I spent the weekend in Toronto at the Royal Agricultural Winter Fair. We spent all day Saturday (from 8:30 am until 10:30 pm) and most of Sunday there. We rode the mechanical horses, shopped (I bought two more winter blankets, and Natasha and I both bought new helmets), handed out business cards, watched the horse shows, and collected free stuff.

Although our hotel room was tiny, it was clean, and we had a microwave and fridge. A continental breakfast (muffins, coffee, juice, waffles, apples) came with our room, too, so that saved us money on food. We had a great time, but we were still pretty happy to be home and to sleep in our own beds again.

Serge did a great job of holding down the fort at home. He took care of Mom's dog, Tinkerbelle, as well as our dogs, Jasper and Daisy, the three new kittens, all the horses, the cows, and nursed Stew (the Jersey steer) back to health after an episode of bloat (another vet bill). Serge seemed pretty happy that I was home when he got home from work on Monday!

Lest we forget

Today is Remembrance Day in Canada.

On November 11, at the eleventh hour, we pause to remember those who sacrificed their lives so that we could be free. Many others lived through the wars, some physically injured, others with memories of horrible sights and experiences that continue to haunt them. We thank them for their sacrifice, too.

We thank them and promise that we will never forget the terrible tragedy of war.

We also thank those who enlist and serve as peacekeepers and teachers to preserve our freedom, the men and women who stand guard for Canada and Canadians around the world, the men and women now in Afghanistan, and all who prepare to pay the ultimate price to make our world a safe place.

We also thank the story tellers who keep the memory of why, who, and how alive, so we can remember and can pass that wisdom onto the next generation.

We also remember the animals, birds, dogs and horses (and one cat), that give their lives to keep us free and to save the lives of humans.

Thank you.

Halloween Fun Day!

Natasha's mom came out on Wednesday and brought Natasha another birthday cake. Lucky girl - two birthday cakes!

Halloween Fun Day

Although it was a little cooler today than we hoped, the sun shone, people came, and the ponies showed off their costumes! Some people couldn't stay for long, but I'm really glad they dropped by.

First, though, I have photos of Sneakers and Dash from Halloween night. Sneakers was a cow - Natasha was a cowgirl, and rode him - and Spot was a unicorn. I led him - he's too young (and too little) for me to ride.


I parked the trailer in the parking lot by the Tim Hortons and we walked around from there. Both Sneakers and Spot were exceptionally well behaved -- and a big hit with the townspeople!



Sneakers and Spot both love children and both of them were pretty happy to be petted and told that they were good boys. Some generous people even made sure that they added an apple or two to Natasha's treat bag just for the ponies!



If you even has occasion to tie Spot, be aware that he knows how to untie a quick release knot. He untied himself from the trailer, but didn't go anywhere. You have to keep a close eye on him if you tie him!


We decorated the living room and dining room for the Halloween Fun Day.

Spider webs and spiders lurked in the corners. I put together treat bags and tiny pumpkin cauldrons of treats for everyone. Mom gave me a bunch of stuff from when she did more Girl Guides and Pony Club parties, so I didn't have to buy much.



We had a couple of new horses arrive today... They just came to visit, not to stay.

Michael rode a sorrel stallion into the living room.

Jasper was intrigued by ponies in the house and had to sniff him all over!

A pinto pony came, too!

The kids made ghosts out of felt, pipecleaners, and sparkle glue. I hung them from the curtain rod to dry.



Then the ponies were decorated.

Reba became a big green uni-dragon!

The pinto pony rode the uni-dragon.

Super Dash!

Jack Sparrow and his pirate pony (aka Otis), escorted the Princess.



Everyone lined up in a dry part of the field to be judged. Mom did the judging and handed out the ribbons.

Otis the pirate and Jack Sparrow give us their best pirate faces.

Otis the pirate took the ribbon for most original costume! Congratulations!

Levi was a purple princess. I know he's a gelding, but doesn't he look pretty?

He was very good, standing quietly to be brushed and dressed in many layers of purple.

Princess Levi took the ribbon for the creepiest costume - it's just wrong for a gelding to be a princess. :-)

After all the ponies were undressed and brushed, five of us (Otis, Dash, Levi, Sneakers and Reba) went for a short trail ride around the track and through the trail in the bush.

Then it was time to turn everyone back out into the field.

I had a great time - and hope everyone else did, too!

Thanks for coming out and making our first annual Halloween Fun Day a fabulous event!!

Happy Halloween!

This week brought a real mix of weather. Sunday was glorious and sunny, Monday was cooler, and on Tuesday, it snowed.

And snowed.

And snowed.

And the wind blew. Most of the horses had either a winter blanket or a rainsheet on to keep them dry and warm in the heavy, wet, blowing snow.

The heavy wet snow bent a lot of trees down. It was almost as though we were headed for another ice storm (January 1998 - Eastern Ontario and Western Quebec were devastated by days of freezing rain).

Then, on Thursday, the sun came out.

Now, on Friday, it's 15C (about 55F), the sun is shining, and most of the snow is gone. The weekend is supposed to be a bit cooler, but the high for Monday is warmer than today.

We have a new stallion arriving early next week. Classy Bingo Bar, a registered APHA Tobiano. He'll be standing at stud next spring (2009) at an introductory rate of $200 (plus mare care).

Call or email to book your spot now! I'll post more photos when he arrives so you can see how handsome he is from all sides.

Levi has been adopted!

A 14-year old girl down the road from the farm adopted Levi last night. He'll be here at the farm for two more weeks, then moving down the road. She hopes to compete locally with Levi next spring and summer, and he'll be a companion for her sister's horse.

Grandma Reba has a sponsor! Alexandria decided that she will sponsor Reba since Levi was adopted. Thank you, Alexandria!

We're still looking for a sponsor for Soul. She's in Our Soul is a ex-racehorse that won quite a bit of money at the track and had a couple of winning foals, but was discarded when her owners decided that she wasn't useful anymore. She ended up at a sale barn where she starved because she wasn't dominent enough to push her way to the hay bale. She got the leavings, and ate a lot of binder twine (the vet had to remove it from her bowel), further hindering her ability to absorb nutrients.

When she came in March 2008, the vet thought she wouldn't last another week as she was so emaciated. You could see every bone in her body - a walking skeleton. A month later, the vet didn't recognize her as she looked so much better.

She has put on about 300 lbs and she's still gaining weight slowly, and the vet says she's healthy now. She'll never race again, and will always be lame as the tendons on her front legs are badly bowed and have been fired at least once.

Soul is a sweetheart to handle and loves to be groomed. She'll stand in the aisle for hours if you have a brush in your hand. If you'd like to sponsor Soul, please send us an email.


Remember: Our spooktacular Halloween Fun Day will be on Sunday, Nov. 2nd, starting at noon! Bring your pony costume stuff and your own costume. There will be prizes and loot bags!!

Natasha and I took Sneakers and Spot out trick-or-treating in Casselman. Natasha was a cowgirl, Sneakers was a cow, and Spot was a unicorn. Spot and Sneakers were a big hit - and both were really well behaved. I'll post pictures later.

Monday posts - wrapping up the weekend

On Saturday, Mom went to the Oxford Downs Pony Club Used Tack Sale at Rooney's Feed and Seed in South Gower. She picked up a nice 64" winter blanket that will do for S'Heir or perhaps Spook this winter, some pink gaming reins and a matching curb chain, a few bits, and a battered (but cheap and still usable) leather halter.

The weather was dark, dreary and wet. Natasha was disappointed - she wanted to ride. Chores seemed to take a long time, as did putting on rain sheets.

As it was Natasha's birthday, she got to pick what to have for dinner. She chose Mom's spaghetti and garlic bread - perfect food for a cold, damp day.

Dessert was birthday cake: a white, green and purple cake!

As you can see in the photos, Natasha was pleased. There was a purple swirl on the inside. Green and white chocolate ponies decorated the edge and a few more decorated the top. Green and purple are Natasha's favorite colours.

Natasha says THANK YOU!!! for all the lovely presents. She really appreciates your thoughtfulness!

On Sunday, we went to look at a possible house for Mom near Embrun. Lori came to see it, too, arriving just as we finished up looking at the barn. We headed home for lunch and Lori came back after her tour to visit for a bit.

Despite the forecast, Sunday turned out to be sunny and warm (14C - about 60F). We'd already postponed the Halloween Fun Day based on the forecast (it was supposed to be the same dreary weather as Saturday), so we introduced Mom to Squish.

Alexandria and the rest of the Clarke family came out to visit Levi and help out with the chores. Thank you!

Otis was busy stuffing himself with hay - he's settled right in and seems pretty happy here. There's lots of food, so life is good.

Jasper is seven months old now. He's still growing - just look how big his feet are! At least his tail doesn't drag on the ground anymore.

The chicks are starting to look like chickens now. Momma hen still rounds them all up at the slightest threat (Tink got too close - she was curious). It's amazing how different the chicks are - it's quite obvious that they're not all from the same parents.

The chickens like their new coop. You can see the ramp to the door at the edge of the last picture. They'll be snug and warm this winter - the coop is fully insulated. Jasper likes to help round up the chickens at night when it's time for them to go inside.

Natasha is glad she wears her helmet every time she rides. Dash spooked when something big and brown moved in the bush (the resident moose, perhaps?) when she was on her trail ride. Natasha came off - and Dash's hoof clipped her helmet. She's okay - a bit bruised from the fall - and her helmet did its job and protected her head. She needs a new helmet (always replace your helmet after a fall - helmets can be bought, but no one sells replacement heads), but that's a small price to pay to be safe. Dash is okay, too.

This afternoon, Natasha and I went down to Saddle Ridge Stable to see Delilah. She's progressing well and Reuben and Karina really like her. On our way back, we saw one of Star's (Call Me Starmaker) babies - a pretty little filly. Unfortunately, the camera batteries died, so I can't post a photo. She sure looks like her daddy - what a cutie! I can't wait to see Beauty's foal in the spring.

Lousy weather

It's raining, and the forecast for tomorrow doesn't look much better.

Since it will be more fun if we're not all soaked or stuck in the aisle of the barn, the Halloween Fun Day is postponed until next weekend. (Nov. 2) It's too back we can't do it this weekend, but it does mean that Halloween candy will be on sale!


Halloween Fun Day POSTPONED - Rain Date: Nov. 2nd - 12 noon until whenever.


Natasha had a great birthday supper -spaghetti and garlic bread - and thought her cake was fabulous. She seemed pretty pleased with her gifts, too; a purple saddle pad and purple and lime green photo album, and another saddle pad (green) with matching polos from Serge and me. If you guessed that lime green and purple are Natasha's favorite colours, you'd be right!

Photos to come.

It's Friday!

Once chores are done today, Natasha and I will be heading off to North Gower to pick up Squish (aka Perfekt Song), a 20-year old Selle Francais mare. We'll settle her in here, then head off to Jen L.'s place to show off Mackenzie for a potential buyer.

Tonight is the Think Pink for Deb fundraiser at the Lucky 7 in Embrun. There will be a draw for 2 VIP seats for a Senators' game - come on out and buy a ticket or two!! All the money raised goes to help Deb with her cancer treatment. Click on the pink link to get details.

First thing tomorrow, we're off to the Oxford Downs Used Tack Sale in Rooney's in South Gower. I was a member of Oxford Downs for a long time - mom was the District Commissioner and the secretary at various times - so I think it's important to support the sale and it's great to see the new Pony Clubbers. They should have their new calendars on sale, too, so if you have a horse-crazy child in your house, this could be a perfect stocking stuffer!

Saturday evening, we'll celebrate Natasha's birthday with spaghetti and garlic bread and birthday cake. Yummy! I'm pretty sure there will be presents, too. You can leave a comment here to wish Natasha happy birthday if you don't get to say it in person - I'll make sure they get passed along to her.

Delilah is doing well at Saddle Ridge Stables. Karina updated her blog with a paragraph about Delilah's progress. We're very happy that she's progressing. If you're looking for a well-started horse, check out the Saddle Ridge blog - Karina and Reuben have a couple for sale that have at least 30 days of professional training.

On Sunday, weather permitting, we'll have our Halloween Fun Day. We're having a costume class for kids with the ponies and horses - Mom will be the judge - with ribbons for first and second prize as well as games. There will be loot bags for everyone and a barbeque and bonfire. We'll post pictures of the costumes here. I'm looking forward to it, that's for sure.

It's hard to believe

But tomorrow's forecast includes the possibility of snow flurries! I'm not ready - are you?

The ponies have good winter coats of fur - and warm blankets in the tack room just in case.

Gillgan appears to enjoy the fall weather in this photo. He's found some grass and some sunshine and a beautiful spot to relax by himself in the boys' paddock.

We had a busy weekend.

On Saturday, we went to Kemptville College to watch the Canadian Sport Horse (CSH) Mare Inspection. Natasha, Mom and I met up there and watched four mares go through the inspection process. The inspectors described how each mare met the criteria to become an approved brood mare. That was very informative. We hope to bring Delilah to an inspection next spring. We already know she makes great babies!

After that, we had lunch at Broadway in Kemptville, then went down to visit Delilah at Saddle Ridge Stables where Reuben and Karina are working with her to get her to be more comfortable with humans. Reuben let us watch him work with Delilah - she joined up with him really well and let him pat her all over and even run his hands down her legs. She's still a bit anxious about his hands on her legs, but we could see the improvement.

Then it was home to do chores.

On Sunday, we had a lot of wonderful visitors. Jen L. asked us to post Roxy on Equistation and several people called or emailed about buying her within minutes of posting her photo in the ad.

Lynn V. came to see Roxy and bought her!!

Congratulations on your beautiful new horse, Lynn!

Welcome to the barn as a boarder, too!

Yes, Roxy will be staying here as a boarder, and we're thrilled. Natasha looks forward to showing Roxy next spring and summer, too.

Lynn V. has also decided to sponsor Otis. Thank you, Lynn, for your generosity!

Alexandria Clarke came to visit the farm with her parents and decided that she wants to sponsor Levi. Thank you very much to the Clarke family, and especially to Alexandria. We look forward to your visits.

Two more of the chicks have names: Fluffy and Rosy. That means that six out of our eleven chickens now have names. If you'd like to name a chick, we'll tell you which ones are which and you can name one of the last five. So far, we have Fluffy, Rosy, Chip, Harry, Nemo, Red, and Mama. They live in the coop by the barn - they'll be part of our fly control program next spring and summer. We hope that they'll lay eggs for us over the winter, too.

Otis is a bit of a ham. Natasha took this picture as he appeared to laugh as Mom tickled him on his neck. Standing still is one of his best tricks, so it's easy to get photos of him. (Sorry, Natasha, it's hard to tell who took which picture when we all use Mom's camera.)

Despite his short stature, he's happy to have one or two children or an adult on his back for as long as they want to be here. He's got really good ground manners, so he's a pleasure to lead, too.

Fire is growing up. She's a year and a half old now.

Mom listed Dreams Firecracker (aka Fire) for adoption for $500 on Used Ottawa. I know she'd rather not sell her, but I think she'd make a wonderful child's hunter pony. She's about 13 hh now and should finish about 14 hh - not too tall for a child. Beauty, Fire's mom, is due to foal again in April. Mom doesn't really need five ponies - with Beauty's new foal, she would have six. Someone has to go.

We'll make sure Fire gets a good home and we'll ask them to keep us up to date on her progress and send pictures.

Bart, the beautiful black barn cat who thinks he should be a house cat, brought me a salamander the other day. It's a Blue Spotted Salamander (Ambystoma laterale). Blue spotted salamanders have a range that covers most of North America. Mom found a lot of references to variants of blue spotted salamanders all over Eastern Canada and down into the United States.

The salamander had an injury to his tail, so I put him in the aquarium with some rocks and some water to let him heal. He's all better now, so I released him in the woods so that he has time to burrow or find a den for the winter. You can see the notch in his tail in the photo that I took. The picture that Mom took through the side of the aquarium shows his blue spots.

It's a plastic aquarium designed to hold a Beta fish, so it was tough to get a clear picture. We didn't want to stress him by picking him up repeatedly, though, so Mom did the best she could.

Congratulations to Amelia on her engagement! We wish you all the best and hope your beau loves Scrappy as much as you do.

Serge finished the run-in shed in the cow field. I think he did a marvellous job - take a look and be sure to tell him how great it looks. Spook, Aggie, Belinda and Stew will enjoy it this winter. We hope to build some new run-in sheds in the other fields soon, too. If anyone has a few money tree seeds to spare, we have lots of room to plant them and good fertilizer, too!

Reminder: The Halloween Fun Day is this Sunday. Be sure to bring costume stuff for your horse or pony - if you don't have one of your own, you can borrow one of ours.

This weekend coming will be a busy one, too. We plan to attend a Breast Cancer Benefit for a friend of Mom's on Friday at the Lucky 7 in Embrun. Saturday is Natasha's birthday (Happy Birthday, Natasha!!) and the Oxford Downs Pony Club Used Tack Sale at Rooneys in South Gower, and of course, Sunday is the Fun Day.