Beauty Everywhere

The sky was beautiful this morning It was hard to decide which was more lovely- sky..

or Jane.

Sky or

Jane.

The sky certainly made a spectacular beginning to the day.

Frankie said to quit taking pictures and feed the horses. Moon Dancer agreed.

Just one more sky picture, I promise.

On the way to the lower barn there is a distinct odor of skunk. Pretend this is a smellophotic
picture. Can you get the drift of passing skunk?

How about now? It is only for a bit, but it is there every day. I wonder if Mama Skunk has a nearby family or if a rogue skunk is temporarily spending the Fall here. I have a dear friend who finds eau de skunk the best smell in the world. She opens the windows and invites the perfume to scent her house.

The dogs, Love, Mac, Zoe and Keecha lead the way back. So far they have not tangled with the Smelly Family. Some days Mac stays near the top of the road, but today he ventured all the way down with us. His old legs and hips hurt and he's not always up to the trip.

This is one happy herd.

The silly sign welcomes all to Home At Last.

The sun was just coming over the Sierras as I made it to the front gate.

The goats celebrate every sunrise, sunset, breakfast, lunch, dinner, treats, pets. You name it . They celebrate it. The best celebrations take place on the house.

Rico and Ruby enjoy their meals together.

OK. Just one more beautiful sky picture.

Here is the trench Martin dug and Jim has been filling in. He said at least 50 times, "Be careful. Don't trip. Don't fall in." You'd think I was clumsy or something. (Maybe being married for 45 years means I don't have any secrets. Yes. I'm clumsy).

Nice and smooth. I only tripped over 2 rocks and a root. Not bad.

The rocks were big. Anybody would trip over them. Jim said most people would go around them

I love a man and his tractor.

Jackson has sores on his legs and his face.

He and Jane get treatments twice a day .

Su and I planned and made lists for tomorrow. Hope I remember the camera.

See you at Camelot. Be sure to come by and say Hi.

Pictureless Blog

As usual the day got started before I could grab the camera, so once again you'll have to visualize.
Martin and Adrianna came again and this time Martin used the backhoe to dig a ditch for a permanent waterline. Adrianna collected pine cones for the wood stove. Can you believe it will be cold soon? It's still 90 degrees here. The clouds began to roll in tonight so maybe we'll have some cooler weather.
When Adrianna and Martin left Jim hopped into the ditch to begin gluing the PVC pipes together. Then he used the tractor to fill in the ditch. Now we have permanent water. Is water permanent? Any way the pipe is underground and I won't have to worry about smooshing it with the tractor.
My day included more away time from the ranch chores. First, the Yankee Hill Post Office. There were 5 wonderful letters with donations. Thank you , Lorie H, Lin C., Mary R, Arthur and Linda H., and Ruthie C. Your generosity warms our hearts and fills the horses' tummies. Thank you, thank you.
Then to Paradise for pictures, the bank and the insurance office.
Off to Chico for more hay. Doesn't seem like much but it took many hours away from the ranch.
Jane donkey went 9/10 of the way down to Jackson. She wanted him to know she was still around, but still mad at him. Then she went back and stood with Jonathan. I think I know what made her mad.
She and Jackson were picked up at their home in the Santa Cruz mountains and taken to NorCal Equine Rescue where Sparkle, Wild Bill, Promise and Charity were picked up to be brought to Home At Last, too.
At 29 years old Jackson is a suave handsome rascal and I bet he said something like this to the Standardbreds.
"My, you girls certainly have long legs," to which the girls giggled demurely. Then he said, "Your ears are so petite." That's when Jane lost it. Her ears are long, fuzzy and beautiful. They are white outlined in black. Never once in 20 years had Jackson told her that her ears were attractive. You know what they say about a donkey scorned.
Now that Jackson has removed himself from the long -legged, petite -eared beauties perhaps Jane will find it in her heart to forgive him. He hasn't given a second look at any of the lovely mules who hang out at the lower barn.
Tomorrow Su will come and we'll get organized for Saturday's event at Camelot's Ride and Dine. We'll have some things to raffle, some pictures to share and lots of stories to tell. We love seeing old friends and meeting new ones, so come on out to Butte Valley and have some fun.
Camelot Equestrian Park is a wonderful venue for horsemen.
A neighbor's dog got in with the horses and mules tonight and ran after them barking and nipping. We were so afraid one of the mules would kill him. As you know, mules and donkeys are not tolerant of invaders. Dog got out, safely. Hope the owners caught on it's a bad mix.
Jane is moving around a lot and Sparkle is eating like, well, like a horse. He is perky and playful. Today he and Dunny were playing "Get Your Knees" through the fence. They nibbled and nipped, then Dunny would run in circles and come back for more. They are on opposite sides of the fence, but they had a great time. Sparkle has a real zest for life.
Will try to remember the camera tomorrow.

Bobcats, Barn Cats and Disgrunted Donkeys

Yesterday morning while watering I was enjoying the roses and



the green orange

when the goats started putting up a fuss. Zang said, "Maybe if I close my eyes it will all go away."

Jim told them not to worry . All would be well. What in the world was going on?

Aha!! A Bobcat was skulking about. Cecilio was clearing the old goat yard and hauling the straw away.

The big backhoe helped move dirt away from and into the barn. When we had the upper barn built it was summer time. Little did we know the springs that flowed in the winter and the run-off from the hiway. Our barn is a swamp in the winter. Now it is a few inches higher with a drain around the back. As Martin says, "We'll see. If this doesn't work we'll do something else."

Martin Rivera of Rivera Concrete and his wife Adrianna are great supporters of Home At Last. They donate their time, energy and equipment when we need help.

Oliver Barncat is not pleased that his space has been invaded. He thought things were just fine as they were..

Martin moves dirt like some folks frost a cake- smooth and easy.

Cecilio had moved the straw from the goats' yard to our back yard. We are going to put pasture grass there for the horses. We'll sow the seeds in Nov., then cover them with the straw. We'll hope for a good rainy season and lots of good growth.

That's a lot of straw. I'm glad I didn't have to move it by hand, or wheelbarrow or even the tractor.

Jonathan has been spending time in the barn and was not happy to be so rudely disturbed. He stayed under the horse trailer until everyone left. Then he motored back to the barn to see what had been done to his space.

Banjoe and Julian enjoyed the whole show while chewing their cuds. Not much bothers them.

Then Jane donkey's stall was taken apart, cleaned and graded. She meandered about for a while, still sore, but curious about the rest of the ranch. She went to see the goats (strange little critters), Wild Bill ( who almost looks like a donkey), and Levi who entertained her with a few aerial twists and turns. When she returned to her stall area, but still no stall , she said Hi to Jonathan and they shared a few bites of hay.

She and Jackson have not been in touch since the day they arrived. He stays under the trees and she stays away from him. I wonder what he said that made her so mad at him.

We are getting ready for Camelot's Ride and Dine this Saturday. They will have exhibitions, booths, great riding trails, items to bid on, entertainment and a delicious dinner. Come on out to Butte Valley and say Hi to us.

Thank you to Rod and Karen H for their very generous donation and to Rivera Concrete for all you do.

We have some great plans that are taking quite a bit of our time, but it's too early to share them yet. Stay tuned.

One Escape Vet Day Three Escapes

After breakfast Callie opened her gate and meandered around for a while. When she saw the camera she headed to the lower barn.

She was in the barn waiting for me with a big mule smile on her face.

Dr Darling and Kelly arrived to meet the new family members. Promise and Charity the Standardbreds are in good shape. They will need some dental work and their shots, but otherwise they are fine. They are such sweet girls who love when company comes to see them.

Jackson thought if he hid in the tree we wouldn't find him. Too bad, Jackson. Jackson has Cushings Disease and all that goes with that. He has some sores that need treated, some dental work to be done and some hoof care. He is eating well now, but stays in his hidey spot most of the day.

Jane has a severe case of Cushings, which is a pituitary gland malfunction. She has the three major symptoms of Cushings- laminitis, long hair, and loss of vision. She is very foot sore. On Monday Dr Darling and Aaron will sedate her and trim her feet, do her teeth and give her a good check -up. We think we can give her some very good years.

Juan got checked, too. His hoof is doing so well. The shoe Aaron made for him works just like it is supposed to. Juan can walk on the hoof like everyone else, but can rest it when he needs to. This was a first for all of us.

Wild Bill is making sure his buddy Sparkle is OK with all the strangers in their pen. Wild Bill did not get a hands-on check up but he eats well and seems very healthy. He is a super bright mule.

Dancing Drum, Star and Dunny don't want to miss anything.

There is a difference between starvation and malnutrition. Malnutrition is the lack of proper food, while starvation is the lack of food. Sparkle has been starved. It is as though someone just quit feeding him. The body score for Sparkle is a one in all nine areas that are checked. That is the lowest possible body score a horse can have. Dr Darling said he was about a week away from death. If NorCal -Horse Plus- had not taken him he would have been dead by now.

Dancing Drum was thin, too when she came, but not nearly as bad as Sparkle.
"Look at me now," she says.

Dr Darling and Kelly gave him a thorough check-up. In starvation the metabolism slows down causing organ, tissue and muscle issues. When the liver slows down there is a decrease in insulin production and an increase in counter regulatory hormones that break down the muscle protein.

Sparkle has no fat. There is nothing to protect him from the elements. Hypothermia is a big problem for horses who have been starved.

He weighs about 811 pounds and should weigh about 1100-1200 pounds.
It was hard to get an accurate reading because of the muscle loss.

Starvation means impaired digestion which increases the risk of bacteria entering the bloodstream leading to sepsis

Starvation means that Sparkle's immune system is compromised. There can be possible dental and gum problems, though Sparkle wasn't too bad. He will get some treatment when he is stronger.

Today he got a mild deworming and a Vitamin B shot. We give him probiotics and rice bran daily. Feeding must be done very carefully as abrupt refeeding can result in death 3-5 days after starting the feeding program. He gets beardless wheat and senior feed with a few timothy hay pellets. He has lots of water and drinks often.

Sparkle is one of the worst cases of starvation that Dr. Darling has even seen. He could actually see the hip joint. The good news is that he thinks Sparkle will recover!!!!!! At 21 Saddlebreds are old, but if we can give Sparkle a few good years then we are willing to do all the work necessary to help this wonderful horse. It will be costly and time consuming. We are willing to work. Can you help with the cost? Even $5.00 will make a difference to Sparkle, Jane, Jackson and all the others at Home At Last.

Thank you to Lisa W who opened her heart to the horses and to Cathy S who is a regular sponsor.

At last count we have 33 horses, donkeys and mules who have come from NorCal Equine Rescue-Horse Plus Humane Society. We try to take the animals who cannot be placed elsewhere. We are proud of what Tawnee and Jason do to help the horses. Many of you are so generous in helping them save the horses from slaughter. Now we are asking that you help the ones who were saved, but unplaceable. Please, help them have a wonderful retirement. Thank you.

We can still see you, Jackson.

You can't hide from us.

The garden is just about done. Cute little birds sit on the sunflowers to take their seeds.

Thank you, friends, for helping the Home At Last herd.
OH!! Right before dinner Star opened his gate. He, Dancing Drum and Dunny got in with Sparkle and Wild Bill. Now Sparkle and Wild Bill are in their yard. We'll switch tomorrow.

There must be an equine contest of gate opening and escaping. Wonder whose turn it is next?

Volunteer Sunday

The day started with a bang. Wild Bill had let himself, Amira and Tess out. Brian finally urged Wild Bill into Sparkle's turnout-again- where he seemed perfectly happy all day. The girls saw the hay coming and strolled into the barn as if to say "What took you so long?"
Then our wonderful volunteers stared to arrive. Jesse and his daughter, Mallory, Lindsay and her daughter, Jade, Tina and daughters Leah and Carly, and Laura worked so hard cleaning stalls, grooming horses and generally working for the animals for many hours.

We are so very lucky to have a caring dedicated group who loves to work and eat. Boy, the goodies that they brought. MMMMMM Thanks, everyone. You did a great job.

Jane donkey had some Bute and was sticking her tongue out for the longest time. I grabbed the camera to take her picture, but Frankie thought he should be first.

By the time I got to Jane she had pulled her tongue in and would not stick it out again.

As usual I was so busy with everyone I did not get many pictures. We were busy for several hours- working, talking, eating, talking, working, eating, talking.

A special thank you to Mustang Heritage for their concern about Jane. It is wonderful to have a caring horse community that offers ideas, help, advice and care. Check out their blog. They do good work.
Like Patches below I am exhausted so I'll say "good night" and hope all of you rest easy and sleep well tonight- like Patches.