Just a regular occurance around here...

Nothing puts a little excitement into your day like this kind of phone call: Allen calls me at 4:27 p.m. "don't panic, but the neighbor just called and said a horse is out" and honestly, I didn't panic - LOL - this is like a regular day on the farm anymore. I had to pick up feed on my way home and Allen said he was almost home anyways, so I just continued on my merry way to pick up the feed.

So a few minutes later, he calls back and says the neighbor told him the horse is by the barn and it is a 'dirty white one' ;) That tells me one thing - it's Gypsy! Poor girl; people think she is dirty even when she isn't ;) So then I REALLY didn't panic because I know she won't go anywhere out of view of the rest of her herd!

Allen said he pulled in the drive and around to the back of the house and there she was, just chilling in the yard! He just casually walked past her and into the barn for her halter and she basically followed him! She must have been out most of the day though, there were decent poo piles all throughout the yard, back by Daisy and even one on the SIDE OF THE HOUSE! Clearly, she enjoyed herself ;)

Oh, and how did she get out do you ask? Allen latched their stall doors in the morning, but failed to put the extra lock on; she must have kicked until the latch popped and the door opened! We tested our theory. I told Allen "you don't weight 1200#, you kicking this door could do nothing" --- three kicks and TA-DA, the door was open ;)

But I must say, this is my kind of loose horse case! Not like this, or this, or THIS!

Chili & a Fire

Well, I sure didn't think we'd be doing this already, but today we had our first official fire in the fireplace for the season! And it smelled and felt wonderful with the chill we have in today's air. It's been a damp & deary kinda day so this was wonderful to come home to!

I was feeling a little adventurous today and decided to try and make chili for dinner. I was thinking I could handle it, smells and cutting the onions and all. And I was right, I did it! It felt so good to be back in my kitchen and cooking! I even decided to flip through a cook book on the counter while the chili was simmering and I did it without feeling nauseous!

I forgot to snap a pic of the chili, but here is a quick, decent chili recipe that isn't too spicy for those who can't handle the heat!

Fall Fireside Chili

Ingredients:

• 2 tbsp butter and some olive oil
• 1 large onion
• 4 cloves garlic (give or take depending on clove size)
• 2 jalapenos (or whichever hot peppers you have on hand is fine)
• 1# ground chuck
• 1 tsp onion powder
• 1 tsp garlic powder
• 2 tbsp chili powder
• 1 tbsp paprika
• 1 tbsp cumin
• 1 tbsp coriander
• 1 tsp kosher salt
• 1 tsp black pepper
• 1 can tomato sauce
• 1 small (6 oz) can tomato paste
• 1 tbsp hot sauce (2 if you want more kick!)
• 6 oz beer (half bottle or can)
• 1/2 cup chicken stock
• 2 cans of beans - your choice! It's chili, have fun with it :)

Melt your butter and olive oil and saute your onions are garlic in them. Then add in your ground chuck - brown it.

Then add in all your spices and cook for 1 minute. Now add in your beer and let it deglaze the bottom of your pot. Make sure to scrape the bottom of your pot after you add in the beer to get all that goodness off and into your chili! Cook 2 mins med/high.

Now add in your tomato sauce & paste, your hot sauce & chix stock and your beans. (We do pinto and kidney beans over here in chili). Stir and let simmer until you are ready to enjoy. Serve with some nice, hot rolls/buns/bread or whatever you like to butter and dig in!

Hunt for the Great Pumpkin 2010!

Yesterday was our annual family outing on the hunt for 'The Great Pumpkin!' I took almost 100 pictures so it was hard to choose just a few to show here ;) But is was a picture perfect day and I think everyone found their 'great pumpkin!' We brought home 17 and had 6 more at home that grew from lasts years seeds :) Plenty to decorate the orchard with for our annual hayride in 2 weeks!

My sister Mallory with her adorable daughter Madelyn!

White Pumpkins & Pie Pumpkins

Indian Corn...a sure sign of Fall!

My stinkin' cute nephew Benny checking out the patch!

My Brother-in-Law, Jay, finding his great pumpkin

Hubby hauling another back to the truck!

The Family

The Pumpkin Patch

Lucky

I can't really explain it. Today, as I was walking into a local store to grab some lunch, I had 900 thoughts going through my head (as usual).

For as much as I secretly stress and panic, on what seems like a daily basis, on how my husband and I can afford all we have, the reality is, we've done it for 2.5 years now and while we basically go paycheck to paycheck, what more could I ask for. We have property, an orchard, a country setting for our 'homestead', crazy dogs, crazy cats and our horses on the farm with us.

For as long as I can recall, this has always been my dream. And I remember, before we were even engaged, I was speaking with a friend on the phone and I remember panning this "setting" out declaring that this is what I want and gosh darn it, it is what I will have! And I won't stop looking until I find it. I think the conversation came up because her and her significant other were in the process of house hunting. I remember her response to me being something along the lines of 'No one gets what they want upfront, the first time around. Why disappoint yourself.' And the conversation went on with more negativity, but I guess that is where I defined myself as more of a Glass Half Full kind of person.........

So anyways, where I am going with this, is then I was thinking, 'and now we're having a child! If I am stressing about finances now, good god how will it be come March!' But in the same thought, I smiled. I was proud of myself and my husband; where we are and what we've done. And to think that I now have the opportunity to raise my child on a farm, with horses, all the experiences they will get - WOW! How Lucky! This kid doesn't know it yet, and may not realize it for 30 years, but one day, he or she will, and that makes me smile! And I know that since this child will be brought up with horses, he or she may not even be interested in them (isn't that the way it goes), but one day, I am sure of it, they will understand! And I am so happy to have that opportunity!

Misc. Mumblings.....

I have been starting to feel a tad better...I have to start getting back into my regular blogging mode. I guess, as of late, all I could blog about is sleeping, vomitting and feeling like a truck has ran over me!!

I did some canning over the weekend; here are some misc. pics to share.....

Pear Sauce

Our 'Mystery Apple' - Red on the inside and oh so good....

Apple Pear Chunky Sauce!

Bliss

Flash Back

My gosh, I had such grand plans to whip the house into a Halloween Festivus this weekend.....and here I still sit....feeling like....well, you know.

I peeked back into the archives to see what I was doing this weekend last year. Boy am I envious! I could only WISH to have that energy right about now!! And enough apples from the orchard to take to market would be nice too ;)

Hope everyone is enjoying their holiday weekend.

Mystery of the Day

Today we came home from work to find the following:

• Hay all a mess in the big barn
• A pile of poop in the middle of the barn aisle
• Leg wraps, a bottle of hydrogen peroxide and a container of fly ointment all over the barn aisle (Note, when I left this morning, they were all in their own places! Not on the ground!)
• A grooming bucket knocked over onto the ground, upside down, all grooming tools all over
• A clay flower pot near the minis barn knocked over and shattered
• Romeo's halter unbuckled from his stall gate and laying on the ground

Naturally, my first instincts were that someone was here and doing something with the horses?! Ok, but who. Only a select few people [that I would be ok with even doing that w/o me] would do something like that and any of the above said people would have told me or left a note!

My second instinct was, did I not lock a stall door this morning? Did someone get out? But, if that was the case, as has happened in the past, I usually get a call at work!

My third thought, which would explain everything but Romeo's halter unbuckled and on the ground is that the lonely horse two doors down got out of his paddock again and came over to my horses. I think I am going to assume this is what went down, but I am still perplexed on Romeo's halter situation. Now mind you, hubby got home first, so he had already contaminated evidence ;)

But that poor horse next door. It constantly calls out to my horses when they are outside. It is lonely; no horse wants to be alone. They are herd creatures; co-dependent. They NEED another horse with them. Maybe I should offer to the neighbor to let Apollo gallop around with him. I am pretty sure he is a younger gelding which would be right up Apollo's rambunctious side ;)