Riding the range

It does my heart good to see my hub and his eldest son riding our range. Buck was a stalwart leader for our new Ellie Mae. I think he likes her! With the rain we're getting now (after months of drought) our place is green and bushy again!

A true story

One day a long time ago, there was a middle-aged woman who was prim and proper and dressed to the hilt. She was all ruffles and curls and posture-perfect. She showed the utmost honor to her husband and devotion to her mother. She was a wonder to behold.

That woman was me.

But that was a long time ago and it was just that one day. Actually, it was just one hour of that one day.

The End.

I didn't want you to miss this story since it does illustrate how important it is to preserve the past. Or at least a few moments from it.

Lifestyle

WHEEEE! Exuberance! Remember running or rolling down a grassy hill? Those were the days!
I'm taking a Lunch N Lose weekly seminar which has raised some questions in my mind about what amount of physical activity is optimum at my advanced age. I've learned some interesting things already (only been to two sessions). I've learned about websites which allow you to keep a food diary. Keeping one has been eye opening for me. I knew already that being of small stature, and post menopausal, and somewhat sedentary, my caloric requirements were much diminished from my youthful years, but, tracking calories and comparing my intake to what I'm burning through my daily activities, is actually fun. I really like being able to list what I've eaten, see the resulting total and then apply the activities to see how many calories I'm burning over and beyond what I've taken in. Math folks may yawn here. If I'm supposed to stay under 1500 calories a day (and I am supposed to) and my lifestyle requires 2100 a day (for functioning), then the difference of 600 calories is drawn from storage and burned every day. So, if I just did the daily minimum, I'd lose a pound a week. But, I've been averaging 800 more I'm utilizing once I figure in the rest of my activities. That translates into 1-2 pounds a week I can lose if I'll keep puttering!

I've also realized, that if I were to do more weightbearing exercise (like if we lived nearer the grandkids and were lugging them about)
or if the "uphill" walking I do were in NH in the dead of winter
or if I were rounding up horses and harnessing them and walking behind them as they plowed, that would burn more calories that casually tossing them hay and grain...

but, it is still gratifying to see that I do get credit for the walks round campus, doing the laundry, feeding animals, even taking a shower!
I can't eat like a lumberjack, but I am getting some productive exercise. I'm realizing that steaming and grilling food allows some of the fat to just run right off. Twice I've let the water boil out of the pan under the steamer basket and the resulting black syrupy stuff sticking to the bottom of the pan is sugar that I didn't consume! Sugar from lima beans!

Cause to Celebrate

After months of severe drought, and 68 days of temperatures over 100F, we got 2.5 inches of rain last week, in several installments. We went from brown and crispy to


green and luscious in just a few days! It continues to amaze us how a good rainy week cheers everything on: grass, trees, critters, us...!

And although it may be dreary for a few hours; showers of blessing are well worth weathering!

Our pond is almost brimming again.

Our beasties are getting their greens.





And we finally got back to Square Dancing last night (we had been absent for more than two months). It seemed a "fit" way to celebrate the prospect of fall!

Top of the season to ya'll!

Ellie the Haflinger

This is Ellie. She is a 6 year old Haflinger mare. She was raised by the Amish. They taught her to work in the fields. She is trained to drive. She was purchased last spring ('09) by a lady who used her in a summer riding program. A 13 year old girl worked with her under saddle. She has a comfy canter!



Haflingers originated in the area between Austria and Italy. They are not tall, but very sturdy. Ellie is 14 hands.