I knew it was going too smoothly....

Here we go again ~ my stepdad is in the hospital AGAIN. This time he fell off a ladder which he shouldn't have been, nor needed to be on. He broke his leg. He had surgery around 10:00 pm Tuesday to repair the leg. I guess there are rods & pins... the normal thing when someone breaks a leg.

My dear husband retrieved my mom from the hospital at 1:00 AM since the ambulance crew insisted she ride with my sf when they took him in. Still not exactly sure why that was needed but anything to make an already bad situation worse and more inconvenient. Doug had to get up at 5 so needless to say we were all exhausted yesterday.

So while he lays in his cushy hospital bed barking orders, Mother & I are handling everything else, as usual. He hasn't been doing much anyway since he became sick. I'm not talking about physical duties, I've been handling most of that, it's handling of issues with the business and what not he occasionally handled now fall mostly upon my mom.

I realize I am not sounding very sympathetic. Of course I am sorry he broke his leg but it is the circumstances that irritate me. He didn't need to be on the ladder - his health is too poor and he is too weak (physically) to be pruning trees and the kicker is he was to have a new employee start on the farm today. It could have waited until today and the new fellow would have been more than capable of handling the task. Always something with him, he's just that kind of person it seems.

As they say, this too shall pass. It's going to be a long road though with all of his other health issues. It's my poor mom I feel sorry for the most, she is always stuck taking care of him in one way or another.

Other than this everything else is going okay, all the animals are doing well and enjoying our beautiful autumn weather. It was 29 this morning...brrrr...time to get out the warm clothes!! I enjoy how crisp & clean everything feels.

That's all for today ~ I realize you must think I am a total witch but as they say, you just don't know what goes on behind the scenes.

Peace & Harmony on the Farm

I thought it was time Samson joined "The Boys" in pasture. Until today he had been in his own pasture. It went well - of course these photographs don't exactly prove this but....you'll have to take my word for it.

The cutie above is Billy ~ looks like he is floating.

Awww, this is my old man Flash ~ he's 24 but can still throw it down when it comes to attitude. He is blind in one eye.

Chief & Flash are best friends. Chief is Flash's seeing eye horse. Chief is 25. Doesn't it look like they are saying "What now?"

Oh Samson....he was full of himself today!

Oooops, looks like I caught Chief trying to give Samson a swift (two-legged) kick!! I see Billy is hustling to get out of the way.

Pictures & a few words

Good Evening friends ~ Happy Autumn to all. It's hard to believe we are turning the clocks back this weekend. Life is just speeding by.

I am doing great and still not smoking. It's been five weeks now. I had my follow up appointment with my Doctor last week and he has decided there is no need for me to have further pulmonary testing. I've progressed very well and my lungs are clear.

It's been a busy month but I find I am drawing a blank right now and the words aren't coming....don't you hate when that happens. It's been a long day and I'm very tired.

Anyway, rather than just babble I'll leave you with some recent pictures.

I know these pictures will come as a huge shock ~ everyone is always amazed at how clean I keep my boy....I turned my back for an hour today and look what he did!!!!

Happy Tuesday!!

Hello friends ~ let me first toot my own horn and VERY proudly state......IT HAS BEEN THREE WEEKS TODAY SINCE I'VE SMOKED!!!!

It's really starting to feel normal not to be smoking. I have my moments but overall it's not so horrible and the benefits of how I am feeling far outweigh the desire to pick up again.

I have been feeling really, really good, better than I have in a long time. My energy & stamina is up and I am rarely inside anymore. The weather is cooler and it's been gorgeous lately.

Samson is fabulous ~ we are getting so bonded, he is definately my baby (a very big baby!). I've been riding him almost daily and our trust & confidence in one another builds each time.

I was having some issues with respect. He lost his respect for me since I was loving up on him a little too much and became too soft with him. He decided he didn't want to go away from the indoor arena. I was getting a bit bored riding in the arena all the time :(

Last Tuesday, Don, the fabulous, superduper, magical horse trainer came and spent the day working with me and after a pretty intense training session all is well. I've once again regained control and since then it has been smooth sailing for us on our rides.

Other than that I am just trying to keep on top of everything else. You know, laundry, housework and the mundane things we don't like to do but must.

I've been reading journals but haven't been commenting. I'll get back in to my routine, right now I am just enjoying feeling good & spending time with all the critters before old man winter blows in.

Update

Hello friends ~ thank you for the support, well wishes and encouragement. I appreciate each and every one of you!!

First off I have to say, I HAVE NOT SMOKED IN 9 DAYS!!!!! This is the longest I have not smoked in 30 years!! I am so proud of myself. I am using the Nicoderm Patch to help me through it.

Today is the worst day I have had so far. I am really struggling this morning but I know it will pass. I am using the coping tools I've learned and I realize smoking is not an option so I just have to get over it.

I've been getting back to the norm ~ I went in to the office a day and half and have resumed my farm duties as of Tuesday. Seeing the animals is the best medicine, it's good for my body & spirit.

I had a favorable follow up appointment with my primary doctor. He feels the ER doctors may have been hasty with their COPD dx. It is his opinion the only way to properly dx COPD is with pulmonary function tests, not an xray. He feels I may not have COPD. My last xray was perfect and my overall health is his basis for this.

I will be having the pulmonary tests done early November so we'll know more then. In the meantime I am getting better each day and am off all medicine. I have a nebulizer here so I can do a breathing treatment if I need it. I've only needed one in the past 2 days...to compare, I was doing them every 4 hours so I am making progress.

I am not too proud to say I have never been so scared in my life. I had a wake up call, big time.

I am not going to dwell on what happened but rather move forward but what took place is never far from my mind.

Last Tuesday I collapsed in the barn while feeding, I had been sick since the preceeding Saturday. I was totally alone on the farm and as I lay there on the barn floor I recall thinking I was going to die right there, I was terrifed. I remember looking up at the horses, they were silent, watching me gasp for air.

I crawled & staggered to my car and drove home. The same thing happened a few hours later. Luckily Doug was here and administered his inhaler as I was gasping. I doubt I will ever find the words to describe that feeling of suffocation, it is unlike anything I've ever felt.

The following day I was in the ER per my doctors instructions. They indicated my airway passages were so closed I could have died....that is frightening to hear. I know I had an Angel watching over me.

I feel I have been given a second chance, an opportunity to make my life better and not take for granted the one and only body I've been given.

I should also add Doug has quit his chewing tobacco habit as well. I'm so proud of him!

I'll be getting around to visit everyone as soon as I can, thanks again ~ you guys are the best!

Lisa will not be on here, for a few days

Well, I am not the best blogger but Lisa wanted to let her friends on here know that she will not be posting for a few days or checking other blogs out, for a few days.
She got sick with the virus that is going around ( chest and head cold ). With her smoking for as long as she has, it hit her very hard. It is hard to explain how scared she was when she tried to walk 10 steps and just starting gasping for air. There are so many things I could write on here but I will leave that up to her when she gets better. Short story - I had to rush her to the hospital yesterday and she was diagnosed with COPD - This was a wake up call for her. They said her lungs are so weak right now but she will get and be so much better, then she has felt in a few years, if she quits smoking. But if she starts back up - it isn't good - which I know a lot of people should know. So it has been a little over 2 days that she has not smoked, which she said no more to smoking!
I am not a perfect person and know I need to change a few things but she knows how I feel about this. I honestly think there will be no more smoking for her - which I am praying so much. Don't worry, I will be sticking by her and would give up anything to see her quit!
It has been a very scary situation and I could not imagine her on oxygen all the time, let alone seeing her not do the things she loves.
Take care and thanks to all her friends on here, that let her know how you feel.
Doug

The Fruits of our Labor

I'm posting some photographs of the trails we've been working on. We're not even close to being completed in just this section of our woods. We're going to try and get at least this trail finished this weekend and then move across the stream and work on those trails. Once they are complete we have another unrelated area to finish.



You may be able to see how pristine these trails are. We want them to be dual purpose trails suitable for horses, hiking, mountain biking and we do have our ATV's we take on them.



Why put all this work in to a trail system?



I haven't announced this previously but since my mom mentioned it to our hair stylist I figure that is like putting up a billboard so I might as well blog about it.



I am going to be opening up one of the houses on the farm as a vacation home. It's a 4500 square foot, totally private, modern house surrounded by woodlands and hay fields. It is beautifully decorated with marble floors, Corian counter tops, stone fireplace, cathedral ceilings and is almost all glass for a stunning view. It has a 13' deep in ground pool.




The bedrooms are themed, there is the Cowboy Room which is all western and a Peach Room which is Victorian and has windows which overlook the great room of the house. The Master Bedroom has its own private deck and a sunken jacuzzi tub. The library has been converted to an additional bedroom on the main floor.



Our plan is to allow folks to bring their horses. They can pasture them at the house with them or use one of our barns. We have 14 stalls available so I doubt we'll run out of room.



I am going to market to artists, photographers, outdoor enthusiasts and of course, equestrians. I'll be using the trails for guided trails rides. We've had interest from several groups in the past for bird & butterfly watching as well as a therapy group so I think it will go well. Guests will have the option of seeing how the buffalo & cattle are fed and will get an up close and personal look at the animals if they desire.



In comparing our place to the other vacation homes in the area, well to be blunt, nothing comes close. Most of them are normal houses for rent in populated areas ~ this is so different than anything else out there.



I'll be posting more pictures on here, right now I am trying to figure out what kind of website I should do. I am out of my element with that so any direction you may have would be appreciated!



In the meantime, these are the trails we have completed...come, take a walk with me and tell me what you think.

This is Little Muddy Creek which runs through our property ~ we own the land on both sides. There are trout in this stream ~ I would permit catch and release fishing.