Shoot The Cat

Alexa gave me an expression of pure confusion and growing horror when I told her I had to shoot my aunt's cat. I, of course, snickered. She's more of a sister than a best friend, but if we did share genes she'd have gotten all the gullible ones.

Snowed In

We got hit with a big blizzard this morning that turned our green land into ice land (ha). We haven't had this much snow since the 2010 Snowmageddon. Our roads are completely covered despite the snow plows scraping by every few hours.

Merry Christmas!

I hope everybody had a wonderful Christmas with their families!

Tiny Angels

My country cried today. Our hearts all broke, each one, when as one by one we heard about the elementary school shootings in Sandy Hook Elementary, Newtown, Connecticut.

I had just finished my second final of the day, and last final of the semester, when I read a status on Facebook about the news. I looked it up on Yahoo and read about the horrors that had taken place in the morning. I didn't finish the short article before tears were streaming down my cheeks in the school parking lot. Children, tiny children, were senselessly massacred. Innocent lives lost for no reason.

I cried. I called my mother and cried. She calmed me down enough to drive home safely. I stopped at the barn to feed the pigs, and didn't even make it through the door before I was sobbing again. My two horses were out in the field, but Kerrianne's  little horse, Redd was inside today. I walked into his stall, buried my face in his soft chestnut fur and bawled my eyes out. I cried to that pony until I had no tears left, then I cried some more. I cried until I physically could not cry any more. Redd stood over me and softly sniffed my hair, face, and hands. He was trying to comfort me. When I could not cry anymore, I stood and stroked his neck and face, unable to move.

"It's so unfair," I repeated to him over and over again. It's so unfair that those little children woke up this morning, happy that it was Friday and one week closer to Christmas. Unfair that those parents sent their sweet children to school to be protected. Unfair that children's idea of a monster should be the boogeyman under the bed, not a man with a gun.

I truly believe that man was evil. Pure evil. And that he should rot in every imaginable level of hell for all of eternity. He should pay for his terrorist crimes. He shouldn't have gotten off so easily by committing suicide. The coward.

Twenty. Twenty children died in one day, one for every year that monster spent on Earth, more than those children ever will. It's truly, beyond sickening.

I think last night's meteor shower wasn't just a bunch of shooting stars. They were symbols of angels coming to retrieve the babies, and to protect the rest. Watching over the students, and guiding the teachers to instinctively guard their children. My thoughts go out to everyone in Connecticut, especially the families who lost their precious gifts.

Rest in peace, all the adults who died protecting the little ones.

Rest in peace, tiny angels.

Farm O'Clock

This will be a ranting post, because I have to get it off my chest. It frustrates the heck out of me when non-farm people don't understand how much time a farm takes out of our day. 

Country is in style

I've noticed recently that country is the latest fashion style. Plaid, loose button-downs all summer, western-themed belts, and now cowboy boots in JCPenny's. But really, does the attire make you country? Of course not.

Rotting Orange Hand Lotion

I've been watching my cousins all week (which is why I haven't posted much!), and the other night my 16 yr old cousin walked in with a bitten apple and said "Smell this, it smells like lotion!"

Pumpkin rash?

While feeding the piglets this morning, I broke a pumpkin in half so they didn't have to fight (as much). But as I was breaking it into smaller pieces, my hand slipped and the pumpkin attacked my arm. Those pumpkin rhinds feel like planks of wood. Now I have a brush-burn sort of mark on my wrist. Who knew pumpkins were so dangerous?!

Bacon Grease

I made bacon this morning (not from our own pigs, yet) and my mom told me to save the grease in a jar. So okay, I know grease can be damaging if poured down the drain, but mom said it's for a better reason.

Happy Thanksgiving!

Happy Thanksgiving to all my American readers! I spent the day at my grandparents' farm with half of my cousins. We couldn't have asked for better weather, better company to enjoy it with, or better food.

Weaning Wee Little Piglets

We've separated the little guys from Wilma this week. They're not too sure about the big scary world now that they don't have mom, and mom is one grumpy gal.

Cat Food

Over the past ten years, I've only seen the barn cats trap themselves in the back feed stall three times. The third, yesterday morning.

Happy Veteran's Day!

A few days late, I apologize, but it's never the wrong day to thank our Veterans and currently serving men and women. Thank you, all who fight or fought to protect my beautiful country!

 

 

 

This horse is body clipped in honor of our service men and women! Thanks to HomeFront Equestrians on Facebook for the photos.

The end of a pumpkin's story

I finally carved my pumpkin. You remember the surprise pumpkin growing in the front garden? Well, here it is:

I especially love Snoopy laughing manically in the background, it added to the Halloween night. The finished product is a #48 and JJ carved into it, in support of my new favorite sport and athlete, Jimmie Johnson.

I'm lobbying to my mother in support of turning the back yard into a pumpkin patch next year. We only use it for hay anyway, so we could sell homegrown pumpkins next October! I'll let you all know how that works out in the spring. As for this year, we're thoroughly enjoying the saved $12 from our surprise pumpkins, and Wilma will be enjoying them even more in a couple days.

Click the "Read More" if you want to see the pictures of the whole plant's life this summer!

Happy Halloween!!

Happy Halloween, readers! I hope you all get lots of candy and frights tonight!

I don't think this is what they usually mean when they add the Arabian "Costume" class to the show bill.

The Ugly Turkey

My morning sounded like this:
Jeff: Hey someone's selling a peahen on Craig's List.
Mom: What would you do with a peahen?
Jeff: Breed it to the peacock that's been running around Herb's farm.
Mom: Herb has a peacock?
Jeff: It's not his, it just showed up one day and is living with a flock of wild turkeys on his land.

He made whole thing sound absolutely normal. Mom and I thought it was pretty damn funny that a peacock is living with wild turkeys.

Hurricane Sandy

Just want to tell all my readers on the East Coast to stay safe! The rain has hit here already, but no sign of the strong wind that's promised to come. Be careful everyone!

We are the champions!

You have to sing that title. It's more fun that way. Anyway! Our lesson girl is a STATE CHAMPION!!!!!!!!! We're so immensely proud of her and her pony, Redd! They worked so hard for that ribbon and they deserve it!

States!

The PA 4-H State Horse Show is one of my favorite shows of the year. Even though I've graduated and can no longer compete at it, I still get to go because one of our lesson girls made it this year. It's a great show for kids because it's not just their county, it's kids from all over the state competing against each other. To make it to States is an accomplishment alone. We'll be leaving bright and early tomorrow morning for Harrisburg.

This is Redd, Kerrianne's horse, at States last year.

Interesting Facts

Thanks to UberFacts on Twitter, I learned today that about 56 million years ago, horses the size of ducks roamed North America.

I want one.

Country Humor

We don't have sheep. But we do have a border collie. But she doesn't herd.

Corn mazes aren't just for kids

For my Travel Writing class, we met at a local farm where they sell all kinds of homegrown produce and products. In the fall, there's a ton of activities geared mainly for kids, a box of corn kernels to play in like sand, a pick your own pumpkin patch, and a little corn maze. But the best part was the big corn maze.

I created a new blog!

Hey readers, I made a new blog to help my frustrations as an English major deal with the world. Check it out!

A World Misspelled

A delicious surprise for Wilma

I was driving home today when I passed a pumpkin on the side of the road. It was a big guy, hollowed out with a hole in the side. So naturally, I pulled over on a busy mid-town road and tossed the pumpkin in my trunk.

Despooking your horse

Today was a really windy beautiful day, and it got me thinking that the world is terrifying. At least to horses it is. With the autumn leaves and breezy days here, I found some great tips on how to despook or desensitize your horse.

Grand National & World Championship Morgan Horse Show

We show Morgan horses, and this week in Oklahoma is the biggest show of the year for our breed. It's my goal some day to be able to show at Nationals, because this is where all the big guys compete.

Pumpkin Fun

Again, found this on Facebook courtesy of United States Equestrian Federation.

"Bruno Bohrer and the Trojan Horse he made entirely of pumpkins and gourds on his farm in the German district of Breisgau-Hochschwarzwald."

I love what people will do for art and horses! 

Autumn

It's autumn for sure. The leaves have changed and are falling, the weather can't decide if it wants to be warm or chilly, and the ponies are growing thick, fluffy, winter coats. But just because summer is gone doesn't mean we can't still enjoy time outside or at the barn.

Stinkbugs...attack!

For a few years now we've had a major stink bug infestation problem. But I've only ever seen them like five at a time. Until this week. We had a warm front come through after a week or so of chilly, rainy days and the little suckers came out of the woodwork. They were literally, all over the girl I babysit's house, all around the barn, everywhere. I've never seen so many at once.

Social Media!

Hey readers, Suburban Hoofbeats has a twitter where I tweet the link to every new blog post. Some of you social network savvy readers might find that more useful. It goes by @suburbanhooves if you want to follow!

I also have an Instagram account, which just posts fun pictures. Most of them have to do with the farm, so if you want to follow that, go right ahead. Although, not ALL the pictures will be farm related. ;)

Twitter: @suburbanhooves
Instagram: audreya007

Barbara Ann's Country Shop

Yesterday was my wonderful momma duck's birthday. (That's my mom's nickname, we don't actually have a duck. Yet.) And I wanted to get her a present that she would really like, and not something that would just sit around the house.

Raising piglets

At a day over one week old, the piglets are already twice as big, and twice as cute. They're learning so much also. At first it was how to run, then it was what to chew on, and now one of them has learned how to escape. The world outside the stall door is a much bigger place, and much more interesting.

Happy October!

October is one of my favorite months, because it starts the holiday spree. I love everything about the Halloween atmosphere.

What's your favorite month?

Happy October!

Freakish Fisher

Sometimes we hear this really creepy scream in the woods. It sounds like something out of a horror movie. No matter how many times I hear it, it never stops being freakish.

Happy Birthday, Fire!

Since I don't know when his real birthday is, because I adopted him from a friend, I'm making the day I brought him home his birthday. Which was yesterday! I just found the pictures on my computer of the day I got him. He was soooo tiny!!

Wilma has babies!

Wilma had her piglets yesterday night!

Something Interesting

Just saw something interesting on good ol' Facebook. Though I'd share with you guys!

650 enlisted men at Camp Cody, NM sometime during WW1. (Photo by Mark Raen). We love our horses, and our men & women who've served!

Farmer's Haircut

Jeff has been pretty busy with the crops and cows lately, and he didn't have a chance to run to his barber. So one of the ladies at the stable told him she'd trim it for him. 

Having friends at the stable who know how to cut hair can be pretty convenient for a farmer. She did a great job, and we didn't have to break out the horse clippers.

Riding in the rain

Of course, one of the most important horse shows of the 4H show season is also one of the rainiest. It's actually an urban legend/joke in 4H that either the Round-Up show or Districts show is going to be rainy. I've had my fair share of riding a class in a downpour, with mud up to your kees, and I'm more than happy to see the next generations of 4H-ers suffer through the same.

9/11 Tribute. Remember the Heroes

I was ten, in fifth grade when we were attacked on September 11th, 2001. Some teachers turned on their televisions, but mine just kept teaching. I had no clue why kids were being picked up early all day long. I found out once I got home and my neighbor showed me, but I still didn't fully comprehend the gravity of the event. Today, I wish I'd have been old enough to realize at the time what had happened.

Cows say...beep beep?

In my developmental psychology class today, my professor was explaining that children who live in a large city, (she used Chicago, Los Angeles, and New York City as examples) wouldn't know what sound a cow makes when they're at a young age.

What?

Country Humor

Wilma is Home!

Back in April I posted about getting a pet pig. Well, we finally got one! Her name is Wilma. She's not a baby but she's pregnant, so we're going to have piglets in about 20 days!

Adventurous Weekends

This weekend I've been house-sitting for a friend of the family who also happens to be my dogs' vet, as well as a boarder in our stable. I've house/dog sat for her many times before, so this was nothing new. Or so I had anticipated nothing to be new.

Blue Moon

No, I'm not talking about the Billie Holiday, Elvis, or Grease song, or even the color of the moon. A blue moon is a rare event that won't happen again until 2015.

Pumpkins!

We are pretty much set for Halloween this year. With four pumpkins growing in the garden, we won't need to buy them to make jack-o-lanterns. We have one little plant with an already orange pumpkin growing in the back yard, and the big vine out front has three green ones.

Fair Week

The best week of our summer is hands down the week of the county fair. Games, sloppy finger food, animals, and truck pulls...who wouldn't love that? I went three days in a row to the fair and I loved each of them, but this year was truly special.

Life lessons while babysitting

We learned this fun fact courtesy of Diet Snapple.

You can't really get away from farm life, even when babysitting 3 boys in the heart of my town.

Equestrian Olympics

I love it when people say horse riding isn't a sport. If it's not a sport, then why is it in the Olympics and practiced around the world? The 2012 London Olympic Games are well underway, with all of the equestrian competitors riding hard for the biggest test of their lives.

Can't get to sleep?

My sleep schedule has been all sorts of weird, since it's summer and I'm the definition of a night owl...without the wings and hollow bones and whatnot. I tend to stay up until 3am and wake up later, as opposed to the school year when waking early is a must. Anyway, as I'm writing this at about 3:40, the idea came from trying to get to sleep half an hour ago, I researched helpful tips to get to sleep faster.

I'm Jealous of my Mother's Childhood

I constantly envy my mother and the parental generation for their childhoods. The lack of today's technology made kids appreciate the outdoors and actually learn skills. Kids today don't know how to pitch a tent, bait a hook, or that "funner" is not a word and should not be on the Chuck E. Cheese commercials.

Anti-PETA

I do not agree whatsoever with the actions and decisions of the group PETA (People for the Ethical Treatment of Animals). They have taken a good idea and concept,  protecting defenseless animals against abuse from humans, and turned it into one giant laughing stock.

Pumpkin Progress

Remember I mentioned our surprise pumpkin? (If not, check out this post!) Anyway, the plant is getting huge and taking over our sidewalk. Jeff has been training the vine to curl around the concrete and stay in the garden so far. We haven't seen any actual pumpkin fruits yet, but we have a couple flowers so we're hopeful. I'll keep you updated!

The Hottest Ride in Town

For my family, it's completely normal to get a phone call from our friends and neighbors over the hill, saying "Come outside and see our new horse and cart!"

My Cat is Vertically Challenged...

I thought as a kitten Fire was just special, and didn't know how to live in a barn without getting hurt. But he's almost a year old and still not very barn smart. The rest of the cats here know to stay away from the horses' hooves, how to climb the stalls to get into the rafters, and how to catch their own food.

How to Wash a Dog that's Too Big for the Tub

My brother's dog, Maggie, is too big for the bathtub. And she smelled awful. So where do you wash a dog that clogs the drain and shakes everywhere? The same place we bathe the horses, of course!

Chasing Chance

Our horses rarely get loose. I've only seen it happen maybe four times in the ten years we've owned the stable. Over the weekend though, one of the newer horses somehow took off when my brother tried to lead him to the field, and began the chase.

(What Chance thinks he looked like.)

Happy Birthday USA!

Happy Independence day! I hope you're all celebrating with families and watching fireworks.

We won't be lighting our own fireworks because 4th of July is generally a stressful day for the horses. We keep them inside most of the evening so they don't hurt themselves running in the fields. And my dog Pudge tends to hide. I have to keep an eye on him for seizures. Otherwise we love this day and all it celebrates.

Enjoy your festivities, everyone! Happy birthday United States!

Mr. Sun is a Cruel Man

I've been sun burnt before. Like, red-as-a-lobster burnt. While that hurts for a couple of days, it's not as embarrassing as a big ol' sunglasses tan across your face. The joke "raccoon face" wore out its humor after the fourth person to say it.

What the...wasp?

I always see those little mud tubes on the sides of the house or around the farm, but I assumed they were some type of worm or something. That is, until I saw a group of them on the bench on our front porch. One was knocked off and what was inside was not a worm.

Rest In Peace

It's never fun writing a post like this. It's even worse, getting the news. Saturday morning, about 5:30am, my brother's two friends were driving home, when the boy lost control of the car and crashed. Both boys in the car were alive, and the driver got out to help his best friend out of the car. A third friend was not far behind them, but speeding. Unfortunately the driver couldn't help his friend, who was stuck in the car, get out before the truck rounded the curve. The first boy lept out of the way, but the truck slammed into the already wrecked car, and killed the second boy. Both drivers survived.

The boy killed, Andy, was a happy, fun to be around kid who was just starting to get his act together before college. All three boys graduated with my brother, just two weeks ago. Andy worked at the same restaurant as me, but I didn't know him very well. The rest of the employees that knew him, loved him and he had friends everywhere he went.

It's completely heartbreaking to see my brother lose a close friend. I have no idea how I would cope if I'd lost one of mine. The most I can do is be here for him.

My town has had to bury far too many kids.

Rest in peace, Andy.

Steven, second from left. Andy, second from right.