Long Weekend

Well, I am leaving you folks for another country.

Okay, its just for the weekend. And okay, it's not really another country. But it is another city and its far far away from my little home town and I am so excited to go!
I promise to share my adventures with you digitally upon my return. So stay tuned!


You all have a safe, happy, long holiday weekend! Ya hear?

For you Men...

Because I know I have a few male readers out there, and I know that most men don't always care to read about a woman's life (why are you still reading my blog then, huh?) or to read about dogs and horses, or to read about my little sister's crazy garage sale adventures, I will offer you up something new.
This is the best I can do today. And it's the only thing I can think of that would make all you men grin like fools and nod your heads while you read it in agreement. I'm tired. Enjoy.

Why dogs are better than women ~ (Obviously written by a man)

~Dogs don't cry (unless they have to pee).
~Dogs love it when your friends come over.
~Dogs think you sing great.
~A dog's time in the bathroom is confined to a quick drink.
~The later you are, the more excited dogs are to see you
~Dogs will forgive you for playing with other dogs.
~Dogs don't notice if you call them by another dog's name.
~Dogs don't mind if you give their offspring away.
~Dogs can appreciate excessive body hair.
~Anyone can get a good-looking dog.
~Dogs like it when you leave lots of things on the floor.
~A dog's disposition stays the same all month long.
~A dog's parents never visit.
~Dogs understand that instincts are better than asking for directions.
~Dogs like beer.
~No dog ever put on 100 pounds after reaching adulthood.
~Dogs agree that you have to raise your voice to get your point across.
~Dogs never expect gifts.
~Dogs don't worry about germs.
~Dogs would rather have you buy them a hamburger dinner than a lobster one.
~You never have to wait for a dog, they're ready to go 24 hours a day.
~Dogs have no use for flowers, cards or jewelry.
~Dogs don't borrow your shirts.
~Dogs never want foot-rubs.
~Dogs enjoy heavy petting in public.
~Dogs find you amusing when you're drunk.
~Author Unknown~ (but again, obviously male!)

Goodbye Sackett

Ahhhhh it's finally Friday. Finally!
I was going a little crazy. After stuffing my face with fair food for 6 days strait, its been rough getting back into the swing of normal life! (And normal food!)

Yesterday I learned that a good friend of mine passed away. It was quite a blow to the system. Okay, he wasn't a good friend of mine. I disliked him very much actually. And okay, he didn't like me that much either. But it was still a shock. And okay, he wasn't a person, he was a dog.
Sackett was a handsome yellow lab owned by a super talented wildlife photographer. Sackett was a phenominal hunter... I got to watch him in action on many occasions, and I feel honored to have witnessed such acute hunting and retrieving skills. Sacketts owner had only to breath different and this dog would pick it up a mile away.

I used to work at a hunt dog kennel, as some of you know. And there is where I learned most of what I know about dogs, and this is also where I met Sackett. When his owners were away, Sackett and his canine 'brother and sister' would be left in the kennels care. So my care, really. The other two were great, black labs who had a lot of enthusiasm for entertaining me, playing fetch with me and kissing me to death. But Sackett.. Not so much. He knew he was royalty and he treated me like a peasent. But he was gorgeous and I was briefly start-struck when I met him the first time anyways. He had such a passion for the hunt. And eyes only for his owner.

I have found a lot of hunting dogs, especially those owned by men, seem to just melt when their owners are around, but with everybody else... They could care less about anybody else. But you know what? That's okay. I wish my dogs had only eyes for me. But nooo... They would cheat on me with any person to come along. But that's okay too. Because I love that my mutts are friendly!

Rest in peace my friend.


Photo by Lee Kjos

He really was gorgeous though, wasn't he? There will never be another one like him, that's for dang sure.

Have a fabulous weekend, folks! New recipe to follow shortly!

Leave me a comment below if you liked what you read today!

Wednesday

The middle of the week is always the worst. I almost think it's worse than Monday. Its not the beginning, where you can prepare for a long, grueling week ahead, and it's not the end, where you can celebrate and whoop it up. So instead of complaining more about it, I'm going to share more pictures with you.

Here is Tess. This was the day after the sisterly fair night. We were on our way to town, and she is clearly explaining something to me while driving. Or maybe she is bitching about something. Whatever she's doing, she's making a real good point of it with the hand gestures.

So we get to town and decide that instead of hitting up the fair right away, we are going to hit up a movie. Pineapple Express to be exact. Great movie by the way.
And Tess decides to get a giant bag of heavily buttered popcorn... And pays for it. With her pants. I dont mean what you think though. Her pants were brand new and the popcorn butter leaked through the bag and stained her pants.

But shes a good sport and she got over it. Not quickly.

I'd like to tell you a story about a barn. This barn actually.

Back in my dairy days, we showed our heifers in a rickety old show barn. It was basically a bunch of wood and aluminium nailed together. All we did was crap and moan about the old show barn. Plus the lighting was bad, which didnt help the angles on our already gangly tween heifers. If you look off to the left of the photo, you can see the roof of a cattle barn. See that rust? Thats what the whole old show barn looked like! Then one year, magically, this beautiful piece of construction appeared in place of the old show barn. We were impressed. At this time, I wasnt dating, I was in high school. I dont think I had a license. One thing was for sure: I hadn't yet met Red. Our first date was still years into the future. Do you want to know who built that magical show barn? Red did. Red, and the construction company he co-owns with his father and brother, built me this beautiful barn to show my cattle in. And he didnt even know it. Okay, well he knew he built the barn of course. And he probably knew what it would be used for. But he didnt know how much it would mean to a young girl who was his fated future wife. You see, when we arrived with our trailer full of cattle that year and discovered this barn, we were stoked. We were excited. We could not wait to scrub down our cattle and show them to the judge inside of this barn. Its a big deal. And I tell Red about it every year. And Red just smiles that sexy smile and rolls his eyes. "Yes, I know dear", he says.

And to send off the 2008 county fair, we were blessed with a miraculous sunset.

Yes, I realize how that stop sign warning sign is ruining the shot. But I dont care. I dont care!

Leave me a comment below if you liked what you read today!

Fair Time Fun

I told you that I would have fair pictures for you! You didn't believe me, huh... Because I always lie and never get you photos on time. Right? Well I showed you! Maybe not.

Regardless, we had a blast at the county fair. My little sister stopped by beforehand and posed. I think this is the most normal photo I've taken of Tess in a long time. No seriously.

And showing off her new hat... See Jake in the background staring at her like he's confused? Thats a pretty typical reaction to my hippy sister's crazy antics.

In other news, my older sister (yeah, the one who just turned 30. But you didn't hear it from me) and her man, Jake, came to the fair with us. They brought my fur-nephew, Pedro, with them.

And yes I do believe that is Pedro's valid Minnesota driver's license hanging from his collar there. Watch out. They also brought along my brand-newest fur-nephew! Jake just got a Jack Russell mix named Owen. Check out those ears!



I just love him! He's very mellow for a jack.

We finally got to the fairgrounds... Check out that sky!

If you ever attend a fair or some event with food vendors, you need to search out this stand.

If you have never had a spaghetti sundae, then you are missing out. Not only are they cool looking, they are delicious! First they send italian vanilla ice cream through this machine to make it look like noodles. It reminds me of my old Play-Doh machine.

The ice cream is the noodles, obviously. Then they douse it with chocolate or strawberry syrup (yuuuum) which is the marinara sauce. Then for mozz cheese, they sprinkle white chocolate shavings over it, and top it off with some chocolate truffles which represent the meatballs. Yuh. Mee. Is all I have to say about this heavenly creation.

Thousands gather for the county fair here.




And the rides and food vendors and attractions are phenominal. See that ride sticking up in the middle of the photo there? Thats the 'Zipper'. I have never ridden it. I'm too scared. About 7 years ago, I finally got up the courage to ride it, stood in the half hour line, then I sat down in it with my friend, and when the carnie was about to lock me in, I pushed it open and bolted. It's a true story. I dont like the Zipper.

But I do like these people. My big sister on the left, my little sister on the right. Aren't they beautiful? And behind Tess there is one of my readers... Hi Jenna! Ha! But Jenna is shy and doesn't want to be blogged about. She prefers to read only. But thats okay. And this technically doesnt count as blogging about you. Or does it?

Let me tell you a little story about a really meany carnie at the fair this year. My two sisters were playing the throw-the-dart-at-the-balloon game and our men were all there too and they got roped into playing. I stood in the middle and watched. And this stupid carnie, he kept mixing up words and demanding money and holy cow they have gotten sly! Them are some slick flippin characters there who know how to whittle every dollar from your pocket. But anyways, after this jack*ss had taken like $30 from our crew, I stepped in and asked what they got if they stopped now. He wont even look me in the eye, coward, and you know what he says? I dont talk to noone without the money and then he quick goes back to tricking my homeboys and homegirls! No way! Finally Tess got brave and folded her arms across her chest and said "I'm not paying anymore money!" She's so brave. I was bitter about that carnie for a good long hour. Or maybe like a day. Actually I think i'm still bitter about it. Jerk.

We finished the evening here:



Ye Olde Beer Gardens. It's the local watering hole when the fair is around. It was fun! It was a great time. Except I'd really like to hunt down that carnie and punch him in the mouth. Jerk.

Leave me a comment if you liked what you read today!

Pet Rules

I have nothing to entertain you with today. My deepest apologies, folks. However I do have a ton-load of fair pictures to share with you tonight! I just have to get them downloaded. Be patient with me. In the mean time, please enjoy these rules for your pets. Please feel free to print them and share them with your own furry ones.
Peace!
Em

To be posted VERY LOW on the refrigerator door - nose height.

Dear Dogs and Cats,

The dishes with the paw print are yours and they contain your food. The other dishes are mine and contain my food. Please note, placing a paw print in the middle of my plate and food does not stake a claim for it becoming your food and dish, nor do I find that aesthetically pleasing in the slightest.

The stairway was not designed by NASCAR and is not a racetrack. Beating me to the bottom is not the object. Tripping me doesn't help because I fall faster than you can run.

I cannot buy anything bigger than a king sized bed. I am very sorry about this. Do not think I will continue sleeping on the couch to ensure your comfort. Dogs and cats can actually curl up in a ball when they sleep. It is not necessary to sleep perpendicular to each other stretched out to the fullest extent possible. I also know that sticking tails straight out and having tongues hanging out the other end to maximize space is nothing but sarcasm.

For the last time, there is not a secret exit from the bathroom. If by some miracle I beat you there and manage to get the door shut, it is not necessary to claw, whine, meow, try to turn the knob or get your paw under the edge and try to pull the door open. I must exit through the same door I entered. Also, I have been using the bathroom for years - canine or feline attendance is not required.

The proper order is kiss me, then go smell the other dog or cat's butt. I cannot stress this enough!

To pacify you, my dear pets, I have posted the following message on our front door:

To All Non-Pet Owners Who Visit & Like to Complain About Our Pets:
They live here. You don't.
If you don't want their hair on your clothes, stay off the furniture. (That's why they call it "fur"niture.)
I like my pets a lot better than I like most people.
To you, it's an animal. To me, he/she is an adopted son/daughter who is short, hairy, walks on all fours and doesn't speak clearly.
Remember: In many ways, dogs and cats are better than kids because they:
Eat less
Don't ask for money all the time
Are easier to train
Normally come when called
Never ask to drive the car
Don't hang out with drug-using friends
Don't smoke or drink
Don't have to buy the latest fashions
Don't want to wear your clothes
Don't need a "gazillion" dollars for college. And finally...
If they get pregnant, you can sell their children.
~Author Unknown

Horse Show Beauty

I was blessed to grow up with a group of people who literally made most of my childhood dreams come true. A group of people who entrusted me with responsibilities that many would not have. My lifetime equine mentor, Tami, has horses. Lots of horses. Beautiful quarter horses and paints. Tami gave me lessons, put me to work, and taught me everything I know about these beautiful animals. She trusted me with her precious horses. Every single one of them. Even when I didn't trust myself with them! For some reason she's always been one step ahead of me. She's always seen the potential and she pushes for more, even when I am sure I have nothing left. She's made me a better person overall.
The last few days have been kind of a blur to me, but it was awesome. I used to show regularly in horse shows and since my riding accident 2 years ago, I've kind of switched from horses to dogs, as you all well know!
But this year, I was blessed to be welcomed back into the old routine with the old, original crew, and was even given a few opportunities to show!!

You can't see them clearly, but in those 2 pictures hanging on the stall door, is a gorgeous bay mare named Sunny. She passed from a fractured femur bone in Oct 2005, and it was a devastating blow to all of us. "Ma" as she was affectionately called by everybody who knew her, is the reason for just about every single horse in the show. All of us kids learned to ride on Ma. She was a moody mare, but one of the best, and she shaped the future for many of us. I like to believe that she made Tami who she is as well. Ma is the very first horse I ever showed in my life.

Ma's gorgeous daughter, a sorrel overo paint mare named April:

And there of course is the lady of the hour, Tami. April is a very special horse. And gorgeous to boot. She's very abley stepped into her mother's horseshoes and is the light of all our lives.
April's foals are creating their own legacies already as well. Elvis is her 5yo son, and Shania, her 2yo daughter. Elvis is a stunning sorrel gelding.. He was a stud until 2 years ago, but he did have a colt of his own, named Skippy, with the mare Dori, whom you will meet later.

Elvis is gorgeous, and such a sweetie. Well, except for his occasional mood swings, which shockingly remind me of his grandmother.

Shania is Elvis's sister, out of April. Shania is just as stunning as her mother.



I was lucky enough to get to take Shania through the show ring a couple times this year. She was magnificent. I never expect too much from such young horses, especially in the show ring. Shania is, after all, only 2 years old. But she proved me wrong. She squared up almost effortlessly, and she stuck it. She kept her head low, her weight balanced, and made me look good.. Ha! And from that came Grand Champion. She was a good horse to get me back into the ring. Shania has got a bright future.

Faith is another mare who is key to Tami's herd. I believe she is a granddaughter of Ma's. But I cant remember. Man, I've been out of it too long. Shes a gorgeous Palomino mare.

Many of us have learned much from Faith as well. I remember riding her forever ago. Always an adventure with Faith. Faith is another great producer of show babies. She's got a 3yo pinto son named Cowboy who is growing up gorgeous.

Cowboy is being shown here by one of my dear friends, Brianna. Brianna is one of the girls whom I grew up with out at Tam's place. Bri and I snuck out many times to meet up in the middle of the night and we'd grab our horses, Foxy and Doc, and ride them bareback side by side around the outdoor arena and talk for hours. It was so much fun. We had great horses and great friends.

My very first horse was there. I have mixed feelings when I see him. He was mine, I'd signed the papers, he was everything to me. But a certain someone forced me to give him up. It was a sad time in my life. But hes now owned by a little girl who's getting a kick out of him and learning a lot from him.
Cherokee is a 21yo bay overo paint horse.

And Ashley, who now owns, rides and shows Cherokee. What a spectacular pair they make!
Dori is a sorrel mare who belongs to Vicki... She is the mare I'd mentioned earlier.

This is not her most flattering photo. But it was pouring rain and Dori and Sean there were both drenched. As was I. Sean is Tami's husband. Sean and Brianna are the two who got me into showing Dairy cattle. See, I told you it was all connected! These people and these horses shaped my entire future.
Anyways. Dori and Elvis got together and had a colt. Skippy is a sorrel 3yo.

Skip is a one of a kind gelding. He was born the same time as Cowboy. Hes got this mysterious white spot up there in front of his hip. Just appeared one day. And showing Skip this year was Sam. Sam reminds me a lot of myself at that age. I dont know her well, but she was very shy and unsure. And thats how I was. But Tami will change all of that in time. She always does! And Sam did a great job this year with Skip. The judge this year was fantastic and allowed me to go into the ring with Sam as her coach. Tami went in with me when I was young as my coach and I remember how much of a difference it made to my confidence level.

And last but certainly not least, Trace.

Trace isnt related in any way to anybody. However, he will play an important role in the next couple of years. Trace is the farms 2yo stud colt. He will be bred for the first time next year as a 3yo, and if he produces color, he will get to keep his danglers. However if produces solid colors, he will most likely be gelded. You see, this paint horse farm wants color. And Elvis had his chance at ruling the kingdom. But he threw solid sorrel and got himself gelded. Trace has one shot. Hes a good horse. Hes got a great disposition for a stallion. I am crossing my fingers for some color.

More horses to come later! But this is all I have time for at the moment! And I'm sure you're sick of reading and seeing horses.

Love Em

Night Terrors

I don't quite know how to explain what happened to Red and I last night except for saying, it was terrifying. It was the kind of experience that draws out a person inside of you that you didnt know exsisted until that point.
Last night, Red and I went to bed as usual. The doors and windows were locked up tight, as we both have a habit of checking everything before bed. We usually fall asleep to the news and set a timer on the TV so that it shuts off after an hour. I am not a light sleeper, and in fact a rarely wake up in the middle of the night. I'm like a rock in a cave. Red, on the other hand, will awaken if I breath wrong.
So last night when I woke up at 11:58pm, I didn't know why. I looked around, checked the time.. The TV was off of course. So I rolled over and went back to sleep. Just before 12:23am, I was awakened again to Red jumping out of bed. I sat up, noticed the TV was on. I look over in time to find Red reaching for the metal bat that he keeps near the bed and his flashlight. Red looks at me and says the most terrifying words I've heard in a long time. "Em, you need to load your gun, and you need to be ready to dial 911". Um... Excuse me? Red continues, "I just heard the window break". This sets off a series of emotions and fears that lie very deep within me. You see, one of my most annoying traits, I'm sure to Red, is that I am always hearing noises. I always hear thumps and bumps in the night. And my vivid imagination is always turning them into murderers and chupacobbras and big foots ready to pounce on me if I breath wrong. I'm not kidding. And added to that, I watch CourtTV all the time. So I know how this stuff works. And then I send a sleepy Red to investgate those noises, even though he has a logical explaination for all of them. So you can see, if Red is suiting up for battle, then there is something to truely worry about.
So now that one of my worst fears has apparently come true, I go into overdrive. And I am a panicker. Without a doubt. I become blind and deaf and stupid with it, and I'm not afraid to admit it. By this time I'm shaking and not thinking. But I grab my phone and follow Red out of the bedroom. I am standing in the doorway of the bedroom while Red starts searching the house and turning on lights. My heart races like I've never experienced before. This was an entirely new kind of adrenaline pumping through my veins. Maybe its because I've never been faced with the potential for real, live danger before? If someone was in our house and we surprised them, I had no doubt we would have to fight to come out of it. And it was at that point that my body changed. My thinking cleared, my body relaxed, and I became very calm and focused. I'd accepted the situation at hand, and my body went into fight mode. Its like it wasnt even me. LIke I had floated out above me and was watching the whole thing. I was ready to defend, I was ready to move forward and deal what was inevitably coming next.
But there was nothing. Red and I sweeped the entire house and checked every single window in the house. Everything was intact. Nothing in the house had fallen over and broken. The animals were all zonked out or looking at us through slitted eyelids, thinking "C'mon man, turn off the lights!" Maybe Josh dreamed it? Maybe it was a ghost? Maybe the cat had knocked something over? Whatever it was, it gave me a night that I wont be forgetting for a looong time.
And that's my break in story. I've never been so happy to see the sun before.
Love Em

Black Dog

This has been a long time coming... And I should have known it from the minute I met Cj. But I didnt. She is black dog crazy. And honestly, this was more her idea than mine, and I am pumped to jump on board! Cj is always full of good ideas. I mean brillient ideas.
My feelings were only strengthened this morning by the arrival of an update and a photo of a past rescue dog. I rescued Manny, a 4yo Black Lab, back in February of 2007. He was adopted the following month by a fantastic family. Today, they sent me a photo of him taken this past weekend on a family camping trip. And the emotions I felt from looking at this new photo of Manny is what pushed me to write about black dogs today.
Here is Manny:



I love endings like Mannys. Well, it was a rescue ending. For Manny, it was a brand new beginning.

I am excited to annouce the beginning of a new dog rescue in Minnesota. And while I dont anticipate us flopping anytime soon, I am nervous about how it will do in the ever nasty world of animal rescue. Those of you who have never experienced the insides of rescue, you'd be surprised to learn how mean and petty most rescuers can be. And this doesnt include them all. Many are very good natured, kind hearted human beings who are only trying to save lives, no matter what the cost. But most rescues are way too caught up in the money aspect of things. And its not the costs of vetting and supplies and transports and dog food that I'm talking about. Yeah, all that adds up. But I'm talking about those rescues who will only take the 'good dogs'.. They will only pull young, perfect, shiny dogs who've been vetted and housebroken already. Did you know that rescues actually fight over who gets to pull a certain dog from a kill shelter? Multiple dog rescues, fighting over who gets that pretty, young purebred dog. While there are dozens of dingy, sad, mixed breed mutts cowering in the back of their kennels because they know that they are not wanted.
I still have trouble understanding why these petty, bickering people who call themselves rescues can live with themselves, fighting and knashing over one dog, when there are hundreds of thousands of other dogs who need a haven. Now. Not later on when those rescues finally realize defeat and decide to 'settle' on something else. It bums me out to know this about so many of the people I thought were my friends, working side by side with me for what I thought was a common goal.
So, after resigning from the first rescue I've ever been with, Cj and I have decided to start a Black Dog rescue. Which despite the name, is going to be for those sad, dingy mutts who nobody else will give a second glance. Because they deserve a chance too! Because those are the dogs who really shine once they realize they havent been left for dead. Some of our greatest successes have been mixed breed black dogs that nobody else had ever even considered. I think Cj would agree with me.
So without further ado (adu? adue?) I would like to introduce our very first BDRMN dog, Drifus. This dog is currently sitting in a kill shelter. Hes been there the longest, because none of the other rescues would give him a chance. Those same rescues who were quick to pull the chocolate labs and the purebreds, regardless of their behaviors.
Drifus is an 80lb Black Labby boy... He was found as a stray in Iowa. He has proven to be excellent with dogs, kids and cats. I cannot wait for him to arrive. Drifus will be fostering with Cj, and I know she cant wait. Can ya, Cj.
Meet Drifus!



More photos of this handsome boy to come.
Thanks for listening to me rant and rave. I love ya for it.
Em

Birthday!

Happy Birthday, Jennifer!

My big sister has a birthday today. But I'm not going to tell you how old she is, because she might ream me for telling everybody that she's 30 now. Oh crud. Oh well.

Happy 30th Birthday, Jenny!!

Love Em