Max: Ride #3

Goodness!  While the cat's away, the mice will play.  

Mr. Bechtel and I went on a date last week.  When we came home I started unloading the dishwasher.  Nova Spy leaned against the counter next to me, watching.  He had a bright, expectant look about him.  I said, "Nova, what's up?  Is there something you want to tell me?"  He looked at me and a smile broke across his face.  I thought, what is this?  And then I got it.

"Nova!  Did you ride Max??!"

He nodded, his whole face wreathed in smiles now.  Just then Prairie Spy came up. "Mom,"  he said, "tomorrow why don't you come out when Nova works Max?"

Nova said, "She knows, Prairie"

"What!  You weren't supposed to say anything!  You were going to keep it a secret 'til tomorrow."

"I didn't tell her!" Nova said.   She just guessed.  "You know, that mom thing."

He rode Max the second time when I wasn't there either.  But finally, on the third time, I got some pictures. 

Max is coming along great.  Nova is now using a snaffle bit and is out of the round corral.  

I think Nova is doing great too.  For his first colt, he is doing awesome.

Loving Primary!

I'm so proud of my mom (Grandma).  

She has finished her primary book that has been in the works for years.  Yeah!!  

All of us kids have pestered her for advice with "behavior problem" questions, "how to arrange the room" like President Packer suggests questions, etc. etc.

She has compiled her best advice, experiences, and visuals into a beautiful book.

She has also designed a web site (Amazing!!)

lovingprimary.com

She is determined to help primaries everywhere.  

If you serve in primary or know people who do, go look and see!

For under 10 bucks you can download a treasure trove onto your ipad, reader, etc.

Or, if you're old fashioned like me, pre-order the book.

(Ooh, and check out the song time visual aides - Crabapple Kids show up in several!)

Please help me spread the word.  I appreciate it tons.

lovingprimary.com

Good Job Mom!  Way to Go!

The First Saddle On Max

This afternoon Nova Spy put Max's first saddle on.  He's been working Max with the saddle and actually had it on once or twice before, but yesterday was the first day he cinched it up and did the real deal.

Max was a sweetheart.  Prairie Spy was on Nikita watching and he said, "Dang, that horse is going to be easy to start."  Nova looked up and grinned.  It was a good afternoon.

You can see Max is a bit concerned, but he handled it great.

Going the other way too.

Then Nova worked on getting him to come up to the fence.  He swung his rope over his head a bit and even swung a leg over a time or two.  He wanted to get on, but I was scared.  (not him, just me...  I told him Mr. Bechtel had to ok that first....yikes!)

I hope Max keeps being a sweetheart.  I still think he needs a new name, though.  Maybe that can be my contribution to this process!

Introducing "Max"

There's a new horse here at Crabapple Farm! 

 Last week Nova Spy found this guy and fell in love.  He's a little 4 year old line back dun gelding.  Nova and Mr. Bechtel went down to Blackfoot to take a look at him, and needless to say, he came home with them.

Granny Smith and I liked him right off.  (although I'm not sure about the name Max - it's the name he came with... there are varying opinions about renaming horses, but we have thrown around, Ace, Tex, and Doc as possibilities.  I guess we'll wait and see what his personality is really like before deciding for real.)  Oh, and I have to put in another caveat:  Nova hates these pictures, thinks he looks like a team roper in them, and wants me to edit him out.  I am not doing that, because to me he is a very important part of this story!  But I do admit that he looks sharp working with horses in his boots and cowboy hat, so as soon as I have some pictures like that, I'll add them!

Right now Nova's plan is to turn him into a great kids horse.  That takes a long time.  But we'll see what he can get done over the winter.  If he'll pack Nova, he should pack anything!

"He's a Giant of a Lumber Man"

The boys have transformed into Paul Bunyans this last month.  We had 12 plus cords of wood waiting to be sold.  Nova Spy has successfully sold all of it.  The boys block it, stack it, and deliver it for $160 a cord.  Yesterday was a beautiful fall day and Granny Smith and I helped them load some of their wood into the trailer.  16 inches is standard blocking length, but this customer wanted 14 inches so they cut it shorter.

A cord of wood is 4x4x8.  It is more wood than I thought.  I realize now that whenever we have ordered blocked wood in the past that we have been shorted every time!  They would just dump a bunch of wood in their truck, call it a cord, and have us pay.  But not us!  We deliver the full amount!

Nova's measuring to make sure we have enough.

I need to remind them that we need to keep enough for us!

Welcome Back, Carbide

 Our old buck goat, Carbide, came back to live at Crabapple Farm last Saturday.  He smells really, really terrible right now.  I mean, terrible.  But, other than that, he is a gem.

This is Senorita, or Wicked Rita as she is affectionally known.  She is probably the best looking yearling doe we have ever owned.  I hope she has a couple of beautiful doelings next spring.  She is actually much calmer these days.  It helped a lot when we made the Spy Twins stop roping her.

For some reason they always like ditch grass best.

Ah, the mighty king, surveying his new kingdom.  Hopefully he'll be smarter than Stainless, our last goat, who fell wildly in love with Prairie Spy's horse, Nikita.... Very dumb.

Mr. Goat Man.  Ha ha.