Cats, Dogs, and Old Friends

Today we have a small animal vet appointment with the local veterinarian in Halifax.  A few of the small animals need vaccines, and I want to have some bloodwork done for Sabbath since he's closing in on sixteen years old!

I've arranged the tack room so that Orzo can hide up high, in her box where she feels safest.  She just found it yesterday, even though I set it up weeks ago with the carpet ladder. 

 

Orzo has also been venturing outside and investigating trees.  We didn't have this many trees in Colorado, so she's super interested.

All the dogs, but Mahzi in particular, have been enjoying the pond.  There is a funny dynamic between the Canadian geese and the dogs.  I don’t love the geese, but they are humorous to watch.  The dogs will charge right into the flock while they are in the grass, prompting them all to fly squawking into the lake. Rizzo, Mahzi, and Pascal only goes in a little ways after them, since the pond gets deep fast and the dogs like to wade but really get in over their heads.  Once they've gotten their toes into the water but it's become obvious they are not going too much farther, the geese all turn around and swim towards the dog menacingly.

 

 

Last week a childhood friend came to visit!  We rode together when we were kids, Liz and I spending nearly every day after school at the barn riding and taking care of Sporty, Tonka, and Penny.  Liz calculated, and we probably haven't actually seen each other in person in nearly 27 years!  But due to the miracle of the internet and social media, we have been able to keep in touch.  Liz was in town for a brief vacation before her busy work season starts, and only an hour away from our new place.  I saw how close she was on facebook, and messaged her inviting her to come see me and the ranch.  It worked out that she had a free morning, so she drove up here in her rental car and we were able to reconnect.

It's poignant to me how true Mary Schmich's words are, "The older you get, the more you need the people who knew you when you were young."  Liz and I talked for hours and reminisced about our riding instructor, horses we knew then, and generally caught up on the intervening years.  It was a really fun visit, with Liz as our first guest since moving here!