Happy New Year

It is hard to believe that another year is in the history books and a new one awaits us. Where does the time go? Most of the time was spent with the usual things such as morning and afternoon chores, farrier days, dentist days, vet visits and the never ending farm maintenance. A few of the things that happened in the last twelve months:

Last winter was the Winter of the Polar Vortex and we were placed in a State of Emergency by TEMA, and then we were in a State of Emergency again and again. I should point out that in all of these State of Emergencies we had a grand total of maybe a half inch of snow on the ground for less than 24 hours at the farm through the entire winter.

Working around Jason was hazardous to my health.

We saw a vet an awful lot this year, including the week where we saw a vet five times in four days.

We attempted to raise a fish but he didn't make it.

We flew the redneck flag with pride the night opossum came to visit.

Jason backed into our car with our truck in our driveway.

We break lots of things every year and 2014 was no exception.

Our specialty seemed to be breaking gates and gate posts this year.

Carter's pony Timbit learned he could take himself on tours of the farm.

Jason and I both experienced the misery of a moquito born illness.

We had some issues with leaks in our water lines - round one and round two.

As we do every year we always have sad losses, such is the major downside of a retirement farm. We had to say several goodbyes in the last year:

We lost Buster the pet cow

We lost Noble

We lost Miracle

We lost Bergie

We lost Darby

To help lessen the hurt of the losses we also had the opportunity to greet new faces and welcome new residents to the farm. 

Overall 2014 was a great year at the farm for us. I wouldn't complain if we had a few less vet visits and we generally managed to break less things. At times it does feel like we move from one broken something to the next broken something, be it a horse, tractor, downed tree, fence, or any of the endless things that manage to break around a farm. However even with all of the broken things I still wouldn't trade a day of 2014 for any other life. The best decision I ever made was to sell my company and leave corporate life behind. I've never regretted it for one second over the last ten years. Not when we're repairing water lines in a thunderstorm, not when we've seen the vet for the 5th time in four days, not when Timbit is taking himself on self-guided tours around the farm, not even when we have to euthanize one of the horses. 

I want to thank all of you for joining us this past year, and we hope you come along with us for whatever fate has in store for us in 2015. I'm not making any promises, however I am pretty confident we will handle it all with our usual lack of grace or style. 

Happy New Year!

______________________________

I have to say my first view of 2015 was pretty fabulous

Rocky says nom nom (that is Largo with his buried in the hay behind him)

the group roll started with River and Rubrico . . . 

 

. . . and continued with Kennedy down and Clayton making preparations

Renny and Mick were playing

Hesse grooming Remmy while waiting for breakfast

Calimba and MyLight

Africa and Lighty

Rubrico and Donovan

Donneur and Lofty

George and Silver

Walon and Oskar went from this . . . 

. . . to this . . . 

. . . to this