Five Hundred

 Juanita started this blog with our oldest daughter, "GunDiva" On the 9th of November, back in '08.

A recipe, I think.

After a month and a half or so, she started giving me a hard time about not posting anything.  So I did.  "Hunt Camp"

 My skill as a bard even amazes ME.


Five hundred posts.

Juanita and I thought a giveaway is in order to celebrate.  We are each picking out five of our favorite blogs; right, out of 499.  We then thought we would let you decide which of those (or any others) you liked best.  We will then choose, at random, three of you who leave us a comment - and send you an Allenspark Lodge B&B t-shirt.


Some of the posts Juanita likes best...

I thought this would be quick and easy!  Ha!  It has been really, really hard.    I found myself mostly picking blogs that brought back fun memories in our horse life - or traumatic moments.
1)  Cattle Drive (12/2/08)  Something that had always been a dream of mine.
2)  Hay-L's Bales  One of those many, many lessons learning to live with horses.
3)  Back in the Saddle Again  This one is particularly poignant for me.  Six weeks after my 2nd hip replacement (with the 1st one just six weeks prior to that), I was back on my horse!  I also adopted the name Bionic Cowgirl.
4)  1st Annual High Country Rendezvous Our very own first gathering of bloggers to enjoy riding the high country together!
5)  Worst. Picnic. Ever.   The day I truly earned my new name.



Some of the posts "GunDiva" likes best...

1)  Anthropomorphism  Love the horse boarding :)
2)  Touch  One of my faves about clicker training.  It's a shame it didn't get more views (only 20).
3)  Joust No Darn Fun   This was pre-Bill's Fine Art, but since I had a front row seat for the action I don't need any pictures.  However, it might be time for Bill to illustrate this particular story.
4)  Guess Who's Graduating?  How often do you get to see your Mom graduate from college?
5)  We Play Touch  Ranger's so damn expressive
Bonus)  Can't-tering  (because I hadn't chosen one with my girl in it)
 
 
Some of the posts Bill likes best...

I like most of my posts because, well, I crack myself up.

1) Rodeo 101  Shows my fine appreciation for the good things in life.
2) It Worth It   Shows my fine appreciation for the good things in life.
3) Why Ride    Shows my fine appreciation for the good things in life.
4) Vacation, A point of view 'Cause I'm glad I survived.
5) Foot  Shows my skill as a farrier

Comment on YOUR favorite (these or any others), and we will choose 3 comments at random.
Enter as often as you want, but I'm only gunna write your name on a slip one time 'cause I'm lazy that way.
Last day for entries-Monday, February 25th, 2013.

A Mystery

Juanita and I got a calendar for Christmas.

Sophie the lodge dog got a squeeky-toy for Christmas.

This month's picture---

Left blaze.

Right blaze.

Coincidence?  I don't believe in coincidences.  So it must be a conspiracy.

But to what end, I wonder.

Bill

Off Day

I started getting "twitchy" here in the lodge this morning.  We had no guests, and it's not that I needed an escape from the cabin fever.  It's a HUGE cabin.  But still, we were almost out of toothpaste and Q-Tips.  Hardly enough for the rest of the month.

Juanita and I went down the mountain to Fort Collins and had lunch with the oldest daughter (GunDiva), and ran a few errands (tooth paste and Q-Tips).

Driving back up the mountain, I shifted the cell phone in my pocket, and heard a crinkling sound.  Aha!  One of the receipts from the day was in my shirt pocket with my phone.  I hurriedly gave it to the book-keeper before I lost it.  You should never anger the book-keeper by losing a receipt (it's even more important when you are MARRIED to your book-keeper).

"That reminds me of a story I heard once."  I told Juanita.

"There was a poor, almost destitute cowboy once, that couldn't afford a real set of chaps, or a vest.  So he made himself a set out of paper.  When he got to town, the sheriff arrested him and threw him in  jail."

"The charge was, of course...

Rustling. "

Did you know I can hear her eyes "click" when she rolls them?

Bill

Drive In Cowboy

These showed up in a snowdrift in the parking lot yesterday.

Ranger and I will be styling next ride.

Wish he had a rear-view mirror...

Bill

She Didn't Think She Was Broken...

 We have a couple of cats that live in our bedroom at the lodge.  Too many people have allergies to let them be free range, so they live with us only.  It's a large bedroom, with lots of windows, so they are happy for the most part.  Except that the kitten had reached kitty puberty.

Yesterday, Juanita and I took the kitten, "Pounce De Lion", to be spayed at a clinic, the Fort Collins Cat Rescue.  They are running a "Beat The Heat" special in February.  Spaying for $20, +$14 for a rabies shot.  So for $34.00, she was out the door.

We got her home last night and there was a replay of day one for our older cat.  Every time Pounce would get near the older cat, the cat would smell the new odors (probably disinfectants or whatever you clean a surgical site with) on the kitten, and the older cat would HISS UP A STORM!

I finally got fed up and painted some "Vicks VapoRub" on the older cat's nose and she couldn't smell ANYTHING else after that.

We all got a good night's sleep after that, and we are planning a nice, long, quiet, future with the little critter now that she is fixed.

Here's to hoping,

Bill

First Ride of 2013

Well, the wind finally settled down to under 30 mph for a bit - and the temp was over 30* - the sun was out and the horses called to us.  OK, something called to us - but the horses didn't complain. 

Obviously, Beel and Ranger were enjoying themselves.  Ranger kept breaking into his 'floaty' trot.

If fact, Jesse was delighted with being outside 'the walls', as I'm sure she calls the corral.  Poor Washoe got left behind - with an extra flake of hay.  What a great day.
Bionic Cowgirl

Februrary's Recipe: Grapefruit Wedges

Allenspark Cinnamon Grapefruit Wedges

Juanita has figured another way to get fruit down me.  Sneaky woman.

Take a large grapefruit and cut it into 12 wedges, or 8 for a medium grapefruit.

 Dip each wedge into cinnamon sugar until well coated. (one cup sugar to 2 teaspoons ground cinnamon)
Spray a cookie sheet with a non-stick cooking spray and line the wedges up on it, skin side down.
Bake at 350 degrees for 20 minutes.

Enjoy! (I do)

Bill

Februrary Secrond

It is cold.  But it is morning.

I will come out of my cave.

But I will not look.

Aw, no.

This is terrible.

I am much larger than a rat.

I think this means we have 6 more years of winter.

Ranger.  The horse.

Pinnacle of Bravery

Guess who all were lined up - very politely - at their bowls this morning when I took feed out? You could not have asked for better behaved horses.  It's amazing how they figure things out; food keeper gets extremely 'grouchy' when they don't behave.  They figure if they want their bowl food .... (remember, they did not get bowl food last night).

Watching them eat, I realize Ranger is standing kind of sideways and tipping his head funny to get into his bowl.

"What's the matter, bud?"


 R:  "There's something trying to attack me back there!"


Upon closer inspection, I find a section of the hay tarp has blown into their corral, right behind where he needs to stand.  On top of that, the top fence rail had popped loose and was hanging over his bowl.  Not to be deterred from his 'bowl food', he meekly tried to slip his muzzle under the pole.

 "As soon as you are done there, I'll move that tarp and fix the rail, OK?"


This is the pinnacle of bravery for this old, wild horse!  I swear he understood, because he walked over to the hay bin and started eating.  I moved the tarp back where it belonged and tied up the rail.  As soon as I was out of the corral he went back to his bowl.  Walking away, I looked back over my shoulder and he was happily munching on his beet pulp, standing in his 'normal' stance.

So glad to have them home.
Bionic Cowgirl