A City Girl's Life In The Country

12:38:34 PM EDT
Feeling Frustrated
Hearing Watching TV

Here I am BROKE, waiting for that $132.00 check from Dogtime, the yahoo spammers which still hasn't arrived.  Gotta wonder about those guys, no wonder they layed me off, they can't even pay their employees on a timely manner!

Anyway, to top things off, last Wednesday, the "OTHER" boarder thought she was being helpful decided after taking her meds and drinking wine all day long, to take Cali out when it was windy and at dusk to "GRAZE" her on the fresh green grass outside of the arena, stall area.

Well the horses all four were turned out together and as Kathy (The "OTHER" boarder) lead Cali out the gate, Grey and Buddy fired up, so did Cali and she bolted!  She RAN through the open gate, getting away from Kathy and took off.  Kammi and Tom, saw Cali running around and came out to try and catch her.  The end result of all the confusion was that Cali ended up running into and taking out 2 posts of 3 wire, barbed wire. 

Kami called me by the time it was dark and I'm night blind nowadays...  She rightly assessed the situation and most of the damage done.  I told her I'd be there that morning and we'd see what was going on if there were more.

Turned out, when I got there that following morning, outside of cuts and scrapes, she had a swollen right knee, and was moving quite badly on her back end.  Time to call a vet who I can't afford!

When Dr. Lange (Who's a gruff older gentleman) and his assistant, Chris got out there Doc Lange diagnosised Cali's backend problem as possibly being a bruised hip.  Gave us pills for the little gal to be given twice a day crushed up and mixed with the only feed I had available, my BRAN!  Mixed with water, vinegar and corn oil...  Which got tiring for Cali within a couple of days...  AND ran down what I had on hand for her and the REST of the crew!

Sorer for her outing, but at least it doesn't look like anything major happened...

You'd think that things had settled down by Friday, wouldn't you?  Well come 10 AM that morning I got a phone call... 

A BIG beautiful Palomino Filly...  I named her Calisands Roberta (Bobbi) in honor of Robert, afterall he did name Cali after me!

My baby girl!!!!!!!

Baby Bobbi...Sleeping...

Nice thing about having a cell phone, you can send pictures to all your friends!  The halter you see on her is over 26 years old.  It's been on EVERY baby that's survived since Lil San was born 4/13/82...

 

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10:53:20 AM EDT
Feeling Chillin'
Hearing Watching My Favorite Western, Silverado.

Well seems like Summer is already making her appearance!  I'd just like to know what happened to Spring?  One moment we're in the 20's at night and the next, I've got the front door wide open, the fans running full speed!  It was 80 yesterday!  Sheesh!

One thing about getting older that I'm learning is that things happen to your body and you don't even have to fall off a horse to have them happen!  A couple of weeks ago while sitting in this recliner, being on line, I somehow managed to pinch a nerve under my left shoulder blade.  WHICH in turn made my entire shoulder hurt like nobody's business!  For five days I sat in this recline in dire misery, even with several vicodin in me.  As for sleep, I couldn't! 

Finally about 10 PM on a Sunday night, I loaded myself into the old, ever faithful pick up and headed down 178 to Mount Mesa Hospital, where the last time I was there, my beloved Robert was still alive and was taken from there, to Las Vegas, via a plane.  I walked into their Emergency Room and said, "I've pinched a nerve.  I have NO medical coverage and NO money."  Even after all this, the attending physician went through all this B/S saying that it COULD be a heart attack, etc...  So, they X-ray, took blood (Took the gal two tries to find a vain.), then gave me some Tramadol because it was the only drug they could give me for pain that I could drive under...  After all the tests, the physician came in, looked at me and said, "I think you've pinched a nerve!"  DUHHHHHHHH!!!!!

The one thing I learned while I was there that did help was that a pillow under my left armpit seemed to relieve the pain...  So for the following week and a half, I had to deal with wherever I went in the house (I was still loaded on vicodin during the day and vicodin and soma during the nite.), I went with my trusty pillow under my armpit!  :::Laughing:::

Gradually the pain has dissipated, but the arm's still weak.  Then I had to kick the vicodin and soma habit.  Which meant one night I didn't get to sleep until finally 3 AM!  The following day, I had to go with my 88 year old neighbor, Andy Dolak to Ridgecrest for free food for the elderly and the low income (I qualify here because I'm at the NO income at the moment.).  We traveled over 40 miles for a box of cornflakes, 2 cans of french cut green beans, a loaf of stale bread (Bagget), one 48 oz can of fruit juice, a bag of pasta and a jar of peanut butter.  IF I'd been driving my pickup it would have cost me roughly $30.00 round trip for what was probably $20.00 worth of food.  How they expect the elderly to get by for a month on that, is well beyond my understanding.

 

The week that my shoulder did it's thing, Andy also ended up at Mount Mesa...  They did tests on him as well and told him he had kidney failure!  Now Andy didn't live to reach the ripe old age of 88 by listening to doctors (Thankfully), he'd JUST had a kidney test in Bakersfield and all was fine.  He thought it was his prostrate and is a firm believer in homeopathic medicines.  After four days in the hospital at Mount Mesa, he checked himself out and went HOME!  So, he e-mailed me and told me what had happened.  I e-mailed him back, told what was going on with me, but didn't hear back from him.  I called but he didn't answer his phone.  After 4 hours of this, I called our local 911 and explained the situation, that I was loaded up on pain meds and didn't dare drive but was worried about my neighbor who'd just checked himself out ofthe hospital and I couldn't get ahold of him.  After two calls they finally sent a couple of sheriff cars out to check on Andy.  Where was he?  He was outside working on his Dodge pick up! 

Anyway, last Friday, Andy needed somebody to ride shotgun for him on a trip to Bakersfield for several doctor appointments and to run errands while we were there.  However Andy didn't take an address for the doctors!  He got us (I actually ended up driving his Ford Contour STICK SHIFT!) to the business park, but finding the right office was another story.  After 3 attempts and the WRONG offices, Andy finally found a phone number which I called on my cell phone (God bless those little hummers, they are HANDY!) and found out WHERE in the complex they were!  So, while Andy had tests done, I sat outside with a soda, smoke and cell phone in hand in the shade on the lawn, making calls to Barbie, Lisa and Ceci...

I am VERY proud of myself when it came to driving Andy's Contour, which is the SAME car that Andy hit a bear with last year and after the insurance company totaled it, he bought it back and restored it.  I'd ridden with him all the way into Bakersfield where he got the parts to repair it with, last year.  Anyway, after 28 years of not driving anything but automatic transmissions, I handled Andy's car like it was old hat, never once stripping a gear or killing the engine!  YEAHHHHH!!!  I even drove it back up the steep, windy 178 home!  Then Andy went home, checked on his little poodle, Pompy (The meanest dog in all of Onyx!) and came back for lasagna!  We were exhausted.

The following day, I stayed home and SLEPT!  My poor left arm was tired, but better for the exercise of hanging onto the steering wheel while my right arm/hand shifted gears.

 

 

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12:10:02 PM EDT
Feeling Frustrated
Hearing Watching The Outer Limits

This life never fails to amaze me...   Just when I figured they were ready to turn off my water, electric, cable and all my beloved Robert although gone now for over a year, came through again for me.  This time, with the sale of his late stepdad's mobile home in Pismo Beach and my recieving his share of money from the sale. 

Things had gotten so bad that I even placed my equine crew up for sale!  The funny thing about it is that I got the most responses from the add for Robert's horse, Buddy.

I've had some "different" responses to Buddy's add.  Most, when I tell them that he "Wind Sucks", "Digs" and is "Navicular", RUN very fast in the opposite direction!  Some had intelligence enough to read on and find out that he's one of the smartest horses I've ever known.  He's been a GREAT lesson horse and took care of Robert before his injury at work and he could ride.

Anyway, once the money came in I got Buddy his EPONA shoes and he can go to work with the rest. 

I also "clipped" the whole crew.  Grey, Babe and Cali all got bridlepathed, ears done and booted.  Buddy, got the "WORKS" which means seeing how he rubbed out his mane, he got his mane ROACHED, which means shaved, so it can all grow out evenly.

And Cali's gotten so BIG!!!!!!  I'm so proud of her!

She's already at 15.2 hands and won't be 3 until the 26th of this month.

Then, there's Babe...  She's due to foal in May and you can tell she's gonna be a mommy soon!

 

She REALLY needs her mane pulled!

Yesterday, I went to Bakersfield with Robert, my handyman.  He wouldn't take money for all his help around here since Robert passed away and money got tight, so I treated him to lunch at my favorite Sushi Kato.  We both ate WAY too much but boy was it good!  Then went to Wally World (Walmart) shopped a little there for some necessities and then on to Costco, where I stocked up for the rest of the year!

This morning once 10AM comes around, I'll be on the phone with the DISH guy, the VET (Time for shots) and a couple of other places...  Oh joy!

Later that same day...

Thought I'd add a little bit more...  My turn to berate "Best Buy" and their sales force and their "insurance for pcs" coverage...  I am NOT a happy camper and think in the future, I'll spend my hard earned cash at someplace else, like Costco.

Back on June 21st, 2005 I got Robert a pc that would supposedly do all sorts of things BESIDES play all his beloved video games.  It was suppose to even convert VHS tapes to DVDs.  Guess what?  That ain't gonna happen!  I've called a couple of times about that pc with operation problems and have been told that the coverage does NOT include software that WE had them install...  (Oh joy!)  NOR printer problems because we didn't buy insurance for the stupid printer when we bought it at good old, (You got it!) Best Buy.

Good thing we bought the other two computers at Costco!  Half the price and the same basic coverage...ROFLOL

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

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11:19:53 PM EST
Feeling Chillin'
Hearing Movie Scores

I'm HOME!!!!!!!!!!  Finally!!!!!!  6 hours on the road and I came home to 3 water leaks and finished by locking myself out of my own bedroom!  Grrrrrrr

Anyway...

Yesterday was my birthday.  It started out with Mrs. M telling me that she'd had her heart rushing and she didn't get much sleep the whole night.  So, I was willing to put my plans for my birthday on hold, but she would have NONE of that.

Ceci, Mrs. M's daughter, had a VERY SPECIAL day planned...

We started off with a trip to Half Moon Bay, where for the first time in 21 years, I went riding at Sea Horse.  BUT the irony of it is that 41 years to the day, I'd stepped aboard my first rental horse...

Then after having my own horse for several years, I worked there to support them.

Yup, that's Ceci and I, in February of 1968, I'm sitting on Bannon a then 4 year old Quarter Horse gelding, owned by Lou Runyan and Ceci's sitting on Taj, my first horse.

Yup, that's us again, nearly 40 years later.  The house in the background is the place where the Wiley's used to live.  It's a far cry from the trail I rode back in '66 through '74.  I think it's been homogenized...  With bike/foot paved trails along side of it until you reach Pillarcitos Creek, then resumed along Francis Beach.

Yup, that's me with the wrangle whip in hand, pushing out two of Earl Caudle's rent horses, February of 1971.

After a GREAT ride down Memory Lane, Ceci took me to the Miramar Resturant.  Which in it's prior form, the Miramar Hotel, I'd had lunch at 41 years prior after my first ride at Sea Horse.  Back then you could have all the dungeness crab you could eat for $3.95!  No such luck nowadays...  A bowl of Seafood Chowder was double that price!

Besides, the last time they offered all you could eat crab to me, I ate 3 platters!  Shortly afterward the hotel burned down and after that, my parents used to tease me that the owners HAD to set it on fire because I ate them bankrupt!  LOL

The chowder was VERY good I have to admit.

Then the trip home was uneventful.  Both doggies and all 3 cats once again had to put up with 6 hours in the truck as we made our way South East back to our home...

 

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2:58:41 PM EST
Feeling Happy
Hearing Watching the NBC News This Place has NO Cable!

Well after a 33 year absence from the San Francisco Bay Area, here I sit in Belmont, about 16 miles from my beloved Half Moon Bay, the place I spent my happier teenage years.  BUT in 33 years, all has changed.  The 500 folk who populated HMB (Half Moon Bay) back in the 1960's has jumped to 10,000 and it's become yet another suburb of the San Francisco Bay Area.  San Mateo Road is now referred to as Highway 92 and has bumper to bumper traffic on a daily basis.

WHY am I here?  I'm here because my very best friend of 41 years put out the call for help.  She lost her dad back in October and her mother wasn't handling it very well with hourly calls to her, not eating and generally very "needy".  Well guess if I handled my loss of Robert after just 7 years, then I'd have really been a wreck after being married for over 60 years!

So, I loaded up the dogs, Gigi and Bear, put the two  older cats in their cat harnesses and Gidget in the cat carrier and headed Northwest to Belmont on November 7th, 2007.

The critters have handled it stoickly!  Gigi and Bear have adapted to just living in a small back yard, guarding it, making sure that nobody comes into their new digs without them making LOTS of racket and even a visiting cougar (In BELMONT???).

See Gigi's smiling at the camera!!!  She was daring the cougar to come and visit!  Afterall she's dealt with cougars, bears, bobcats and LOTS of coyotes in Onyx and Walker Basin!  So, what's one cityfied cougar got that they don't?

Then within the first couple of days, Ceci plops my fanny up on HER horse, Rocky.  He's an aged tobiano pinto gelding, who's as cute as a bug's ear and all the fire of a mini Grey.

See, isn't Rocky CUTE?

Well I came into this house and immediately started cooking.  There's no way to better get another woman going than to take over her kitchen.  First, she started eating, then belly aching about what her cleaning woman did with stuff, then finally a month later, she's basically thrown me out of her kitchen...:::Laughing:::  Mrs. M has started finding herself again.

Yesterday, for the first time in years, she actually drove herself to her sewing club meeting (They don't sew, they gossip and eat!) and I stayed home, like a nervous parent, by the phone waiting to make sure she got there safely and that she was having a good time.

In the interm of while I've been here, my best friend, Ceci's hubby got injured so she really couldn't dedicate full time to her mom, so she was still busy, but more of it spent with her hub and not her mom. 

There's Ceci and Rocky, getting ready to ride.  Okay, I don't wear a helmet and if I get my neck broke, it's my own stupid fault, but too many years of riding without one makes it hard for me to use one unless I'm going over a fence and I'm too old for that nowadays!

Anyway, I'll be home on the 27th finally and hope all is still in one piece and I don't have any water leaks or things like that.  Jack and Denise are watching over the place and Andy shows up periodically.  Thank you guys!

 

 

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8:09:56 AM EST
Feeling Frustrated
Hearing NBC News

Well now the horses are close to home...  9/30/07 We moved the entire crew to Weldon which is about 11.8 miles from my place and just a couple of miles down the road from my favorite swapmeet.

There's Grey, FINALLY really wearing his 1960's Circle Y saddle getting ready to go on his FIRST trail ride in over 3 years.

There's Grey and I on our first trail ride to the lake (Lake Isabella) from the stable in Weldon.  Grey was on his BEST behavior and I couldn't believe he was the SAME horse I'd known for over 6 years.  This pic shows just how much weight I've lost since moving EAST.

 

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6:59:59 PM EDT
Feeling Happy
Hearing Star Wars: Phantom Menace

Well come June I completely ran out of money.  Couldn't even pay rent, let alone utilities and this thing with Robert hasn't been settled.  I was looking at having to relocate lock stock and barrel.

Then Wes and Carolyn made me an offer.  So, after careful deliberation, I decided to take them up on it.  For my 20 acres in Walker Basin, I got this place, my national truck debt settled and some cash to keep me going and the bills paid.

So, it's now official the deed's in MY name and this 1.25acres with the Rocky Hill in back is ALL mine!

Today we started fixing up the old place.  With the help of the area handyman, also named "Robert" (Which feels really WEIRD, using that name to call somebody.) we've started on the walkway lattice work and on cleaning this place up.

See the lattice work is all pulled off the canopy...Actually, it's laying out in my front yard (Can't call it lawn, 'cause I'm too broke to water it.).  We're pulling off the 5 pieces in the back to replace these and replacing those in the back with the plastic lattice work Robert brought from the coast.

Now the carport still looks cluttered, BUT you should have seen it BEFORE!!!!!!

During our clean up time, we discovered we have a NEW problem...In the form of WASPS!!!!!!!!!!!!

See that tear just below my kitchen window?  Well that's where those NASTY critters have decided to build a nest...

I'll let ya know what happens on Monday...  We're gonna BOMB the nest Monday night.

 

 

 

 

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9:57:26 AM EDT
Feeling Hopeful
Hearing HBO

Well it wasn't what I'd hoped for business wise yesterday.  I must be a regular now, when I got there at 6:45AM, Adele already was set up and had my place saved for me.  Although the weather yesterday was phenomenal! 

I have finally gotten the hang of selling at the swapmeet.  NEVER let the guys pick through your tool box, eventually you'll sell the whole tool box.  It's just a matter of time...

Also bring something that's an eye catcher.  My choice for yesterday, was my 1960's Circle Y saddle.  I brought it to show that I do saddle repair/restoration.  This week, I HAVE to print out more business cards!  In my depression over the loss of  Robert, I've been slack when it's come to the business side of my life.

I did get an order for a set of 5/8" reins for next Saturday, so I guess I'm making some tack to sell for NEXT weekend!

I'll keep ya posted!

 

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10:09:10 AM EDT
Feeling Silly
Hearing Watchin' The Local ABC News

With an abundance of things that are cluttering up my place, I decided a few months ago to frequent the local swap meet and hopefully sell off duplicates of items, old VHS tapes, and pc games at the swap meet.

I've learned that this is the biggest social event in the area!  I've also learned that if you put tools out and you're a lone woman, you're like catnip to the fellas!  They converge on you and "pick through" the tool box hoping to find a single piece of some socket wrench, some screwdriver that they want.  Of course after doing this for several months, the LAST tool box of Robert's I put out there had a $50.00 price tag and NO PICKING through it sign!

I was amazed last month when I spotted Jimmy Smith sitting there in the back of his Ford F150 pick up with his saddle sitting there.  Jimmy and I went to El Monte back in '05 to pick up an old FARMALL tractor a friend of mine had.  It was the trip from hell, but that's another story...  I am still amazed that the state of California actually gave Jimmy back his driver's license!

Well looks like it's gonna cool down this weekend for a bit so should be a good day for selling and buying (Speaking of which, I ordered 1/2 a dozen sweet tamales for Sat!).

The swap meet also seems to be the place to show off your dog!  Last weekend I saw a tri coloured and a red merle Australian Shepherds!  MAYBE if I get Gigi a bath tomorrow, I'll take her on Sat and let her play guard dog again.

 

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4:14:33 PM EDT
Feeling Chillin'
Hearing Watchin' HBO

April 15th, 2007 at 6:30 AM I hopped into my 1995 Ford F250 pick up truck and headed West down the 178 hwy enroute to the Pismo coast for Robert's memorial.

I got there about 10AM with the memorial starting at 1PM, so headed immediately to Janine's house.  Where I was taken to go see Mariah and guesstamate WHEN the foal was going to happen. 

Then got a call from Ceci who'd reached Avila Pier about noon so, hopped into the truck again with Robert's urn in the passenger's seat with me.

It was windy, but beautiful out on the water.  My mom's side of the family came out to be with me, most of my close friends made it as well.  Lisa, Barbie and Cheryl were unable to attend.

Robert's siblings were all there, Bill his 1/2 brother and his son and his son's family, Diane, one of his 2 1/2 sisters and her hubby (Kids were all away at school), Pam another 1/2 sister and our little niece, Mandy and finally his sister, Roberta with her hubby John, their daughter Sunny and her three boys in tow.

We spread Robert's ashes out on the water beyond Avila Pier.  Bill and Roberta placed flowers out onto the water and we then toasted Robert with amaretto and said our farewells.

That night, Ceci and spent it at Janine's while Janine was on "mare watch" and then I met with my cousin Annie and her family to go to storage where Lisa would meet us and load ALL into Lisa's stock trailer and finally after nearly a decade, there would be NOTHING left in storage.

Then Lisa went one direction and Annie and I went back to Onyx, where they picked up my 1987 Dodge 600SE for their youngest daughter, Heather.

More to come about the past month...

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