One Day To The Next

Last week, each day seemed to have something break, not go on fire, leave for a fire, not shock and then get shocked.  We had an eleven o'clock appointment for a bull to come in to get semen tested.  So, first thing I did that morning was to pull out the ejaculator and charge up.  At 10 o'clock, I decided to just check that it was all ready perform and... it  wasn't.  There wasn't a charge to be aroused.  I told the doctor the ejaculator wasn't going to make any memories that day and ran for the phone.  


Piece of crap ejaculator!



The clients that were coming in had to round up their 2000 plus pound crazy hill bull, load him in the trailer and drive a switch backed road from hell for an hour to make it to our office.  I called their house and his wife said he was on his way.  I tried his cell phone but it went straight to voice mail.  Crap.  He pulled up an hour later and we had to tell him we wouldn't be able to get our end of the bargain up.  Next thing I know, I'm online trying to figure out where the hell you get an ejaculator fixed.  Let's just say you need to be real specific on your search phrasing when the word ejaculator is in it. I also wouldn't recommend hitting the image selection unless you have really narrowed down your search.  Eventually, I did find the right place to send it and and off the ejaculator went on the wings of the postal service. 
     Now Tuesday, I told myself on the way to work, was going to be a better day.  It started off plainly enough then all of a sudden two bright red fire engines pulled up in front of the office.  I gave the look around over my shoulder.  No smoke.  Next thing you know I have six young firefighters, in uniforms standing around me.  The doctor walked in after them, coming back from a farm appointment, and gave me the raised eyebrow.  They explained that they wanted a tour of the office in case there was a fire and they needed to get in to rescue the animals. I graciously showed these young heroes around the office and walked them outside pointing out this and that.  Then a white pickup swerved into the parking lot and screeched to a halt right beside us.  It was my husband.  He was driving by and saw the trucks and sped in to see if everything was alright.  When he found out that there wasn't a fire he gave me "the look".  When the firefighters left I gave him a call to explain what was going on.  He said "Yeah I saw you.  You were having a real life  fantasy." 
No... no...That's a ridiculous thing to say.  I'm mean come on.  A real life fantasy? Please!  I have better things to fantasize about like figuring out how to get an ejaculator fixed.  
     The rest of the week was filled with helping sick goats get back up on their feet again, getting dragged around by mules, spinning blood samples without the cover on and exploding the test tubes in the centrifuge machine, getting hung up on the electric fence at the ranch by my back pack and having to find a stick to whack it off with while getting repeatedly shocked at 6 am...Up and down, up and down...the whole week was like that. 
    By the end of the week my husband got a phone call that he was going to have to travel eight hours east of us to fight a wildfire...in a uniform.  He'll do anything to make me happy! 

My Real Life Fantasy.   I love you Casey!



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Copyright (c) 2011 Jacksonhillhorseygirl.com

A Whale That Stopped Traffic

Crowds hanging off the Klamath River Bridge on California's Highway 101 to see Mama Whale.

     For almost two months a gray whale had parked herself underneath California's Highway 101 in the Klamath River.  For the first month she was joined by her calf  but then he left her for the ocean.  I hadn't heard about it until I saw the story on the cover of our local newspaper.  I picked up a copy, took it home, showed my husband and by 7am the next morning we were on our way to see her.  Excited road signs warned that in 53 miles pedestrians were crossing the highway at the river.  We arrived at the Klamath River, that runs through the Yurok Indian Reservation, and pulled onto the side of the road behind a bunch of early risers.  I looked anxiously ahead, worried that she was gone.  I read that Mama Whale (this is the name that just sort of became hers on it's own in media circles and by the people) and her calf swam up the Klamath River on June 24th, 2011 and on July 22nd her calf left her to swim back to the salt of the Pacific Ocean.  Mama Whale stayed behind and continued to circle under the bridge. 
     When I got to the railing I watched as the 45 foot gray whale floated through a mirage of green waters beneath me. 

This beautiful giant that has swam through my mind in stories and photos now appeared right below me.  Everyone on the bridge was transfixed.  Every time she swam back under the bridge the growing mass of people would dodge the logging trucks whizzing by at 65mph to get to the other side.  Adults, kids, foreigners even dogs looked over the bridge. For weeks, above and below, the bridge was filled with on lookers.  People kayaked out to her, they paddled out on stand up paddle boards.  People even dove in the water to swim next to her.   She cast a spell over the people who saw her.  When she exhaled her heart shaped spray would cause all that watched to inhale it in.

     No one knew why she let her calf swim off without her...why she didn't follow him back out to their home.  Everyone, who marveled at her on the bridge and uploaded photos of her on to their Face book page all wondered why she was there.  She was giving us all an exciting experience with her presence but were we watching her  suffer?  Was she sick? Dying? Exhausted?  Were we watching her demise?  I heard many times on that bridge with the traffic screaming by unnoticed "I hope she's okay." The Yurok tribal members were praying for her and singing her sacred songs.  Others went to the river's banks and played flutes and violins to bring her comfort. From the railing I wished to her that she would be okay and swim back to her home.
     I looked at the stream of new arrivals walking on to the bridge and I was struck by how many people wanted to see this natural wonder.  This wasn't an amusement park.  This wasn't an animal trained to do tricks.  It was just a giant gray whale swimming beneath us on the bridge.  She was circling beneath us alone, her calf had left her or maybe she made it leave.  She circled beneath us not letting us know why or how we could help her.  She didn't ask for anything with all of us watching her.  She let us wonder. 
     I wondered why she picked under the bridge.  Some thought she liked the attention.  Some thought that she was sending a message.  Some thought there was no motive...that she was just a whale.  I don't know.   Maybe with her last few weeks of life she wanted people to see her.  She is a mother.  Maybe she wanted people to see her and to remember that her baby was still out there.  A piece of her swam out to the ocean to begin it's life that could span the next six decades.  Maybe she was asking us to protect it.
     She passed away on Tuesday August 16th.  She spent over 50 days in that river until she finally rested herself on the beach.  She shared with us her mystery and gave us all who watched her on that bridge the memory of her and her calf.  Sitting here now, I just sort of know...she wanted us to remember what her wonder brought us.

Good bye Mama Whale.

Thanks to my great photographer and Hubby Casey!
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Copyright (c) 2011 Jacksonhillhorseygirl.com

Washed Away

I roll over and beat another five minute snooze out of the alarm clock before I jump on to the freight train that stops at the routine of my life. Wake up, feed the cats, get dressed, feed the horses, go to work, spend 9 hours getting flabby in the office, stop at the post office, feed the horses, go home, feed the cats, again, feed the dog and eventually my husband and myself.  After all that's done I  get everything ready for the next day and I fall over.  Next day...repeat. Dot…dot…dot…
Lately, the weight of my routine has been slowly crushing the hope that has filled my dreams.“Let me get my violin.” is what my mom would say to that. And she’s right.  I’ve got nothing to complain about...But, I still get stuck in dumps once and I while and that’s when I go and find Autumn.  She carries me away from the loneliness of not having my family near, from my inventory mistakes at work, from my jeans fitting too tight, from the bills that need to be paid, from the gibber jabber at the ranch.  All that gets  left behind in her giant hoof prints as she carries me away.

Then it's just me and her. 

No dreams needed.

Autumn takes me to a place where all of my troubles get washed away.

She never asks for anything in return.

She's just there for me.

And life is good again.

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Copyright (c) 2011 Jacksonhillhorseygirl.com

First Day Of School

Standing at the gate I wondered where the rest of the fence was. The hot wire fence ran left for a couple dozen yards and it ran right  a few dozen yards before each end disappeared through the trees. 



Standing in front of Autumn's school yard.

 I was told that the upper pasture was on a few hundred acres that were partially fenced.  There is fencing to keep them out of the road and barn areas but at the opposite end of the property...the end that joins up with tens of thousands of wilderness acres...well that's not fenced.  Due to a lack of meadows aka food in the untamed forest, the horses just stick around the ranch. 

The Playground.

Well, it took me a few months of walking Autumn up to that gate, unlatching it and latching it back up and quickly aborting the idea before I actually did it.  Every time I stood at that gate I was transported to my first day of school....a new place...new people...no mom... Every time I lifted the handle I worried about Autumn's first day in the pasture.  How was the herd going to treat her?  Would they be protective and nurturing to this one year old giant filly?  Or were they going to try and steal her lunch money on the play ground? Would she have anyone to sit next to at lunch?  Would I be able to find her again? 
It was a gray day when we actually walked through the gate and I latched it behind us.  I took off her halter and I let her lead the way.  She was curious about everything.  Everything that was new to her she bravely marched up to and sniffed, climbed, splashed and tried to eat.

Autumn checking everything out.

 Her curiosity took her deeper into the woods and led her right to the herd.  Crap!  Right away I knew that Autumn was going to get her lunch money stolen on the playground that day. The herd of about fifteen encircled her.  Swishing tails and stomping feet blocked me from jumping in to the fight. Autumn was making little chewing gestures (this is body language used by young horses when they are in a threatening situation to show other horses that they don't want any trouble and they are just babies) but the herd wasn't buying it.  At age one Autumn was now the biggest horse in the herd.  Not only was she the new kid but she was also the big kid.   


Oh no!  Bullies!

 With their lips snarled back, I stood helplessly and watched, as the horses sank their teeth into her.  Others charged her at a dead run stopping last second to wheel around and kick at her with their sharp hooves.  She tried to run out of their circle but they would cut her off.  I started yelling, throwing sticks and rocks at the horses but they ignored me. 
I didn't know what to do.  I decided that I needed to get some help but as I turned to run, help came to Autumn.  A little chestnut gelding named Copper, came running to Autumn's side.  He pinned his ears back and jumped at any horse that came near her.  Copper kicked out and  snapped his teeth at the punks that dared to take another shot at Autumn.

Autumn's new best friend!

When the horses stopped rushing at Autumn, Copper tenderly embraced her with his head.  He soothingly reached up and rubbed his face next to hers.  Although, Autumn was only one year old, she was already bigger then her comforter.  The herd lost interest and wandered off leaving Autumn with her new friend and her totally relieved horse mom.  After that, I didn't have to worry about Autumn loosing her lunch money on the playground or not having a friend to hangout with at lunch anymore.  She had Copper.

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Copyright (c) 2011 Jacksonhillhorseygirl.com