tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-53826092014979696672024-03-23T08:45:15.101-04:00 WoodFinn FarmRural Ramblings from a Retired Horsewoman...WoodFinn Farmhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/01024391051623278573noreply@blogger.comBlogger340125tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5382609201497969667.post-65700926118253591782024-01-06T12:27:00.004-05:002024-01-06T12:28:21.977-05:00Happy New Year! <p><span style="font-family: Raleway;">A day or two late… </span></p><p><span style="font-family: Raleway;">Since I have been forced to enter the realm of people more than horses, life has changed. Being able to observe them easily, I think they are fascinating. I spent a lifetime studying horses and ignoring humans…but they are even more fascinating to watch. Sit in an airport and just look around, you’ll see what I mean. </span></p><p><span style="font-family: Raleway;">Told you that so I could tell you this… I decided to not continue seeing the guy that I had met. As I got to know him better I realized that he was a little more troubled than I wanted to deal with. We parted ways and few weeks ago. He was very wrong for me. This is why I have never been one of those women who go around professing their love to people after knowing them for a few months. That’s lust or desperation to me. Nah, I enjoy being with those special to me and observe. He checked off most of the boxes in my ‘ want’ list but as I got to know him more, he was not willing to give me any time. That among other things made me feel like I was marching in place. A relationship has to move forward or it stagnates, in my opinion. So we parted ways and after a few days I realized that I wasn’t into him as much as I thought. And that it was okay., </span></p><p><span style="font-family: Raleway;">I was laid off from work and am trying to get through to April without finding a job. This is the first year I have ever dealt with seasonal work. My carriage business was available until the new year kicked in and usually it was nasty weather from then until Spring. Finances are tight but they have always been. I have a small business going , well, almost going, on Facebook. Miscellaneous hand painted rocks, some suncatchers , etc. A couple of nice photographs of mine and some other prints by some of my favorite artists. If you’re interested, and a part of Fb, the page is ‘Winter Wytch Designs ‘. I’ve done a few custom orders and they were great fun. </span></p><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><span style="font-family: Raleway;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhIvvtOpCV1Pcp3tAikjwvgelyEwu9GcnRhdzu1UtxzZZFqDktitlYUmqJZ6G_z1mxtUwpozwApL6ag7g6oTu0mjw4nOh7l4fsHtICtChofL4n1P0gp-yu4SOhYQwYNnLXHAVkhctexLXdjVkxuL_snrE2XcBca-gvF94jjxlHg2rvdshTNkrQ4zhGKx7jL/s4000/IMG_20231201_163631507.jpg" style="clear: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="4000" data-original-width="3000" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhIvvtOpCV1Pcp3tAikjwvgelyEwu9GcnRhdzu1UtxzZZFqDktitlYUmqJZ6G_z1mxtUwpozwApL6ag7g6oTu0mjw4nOh7l4fsHtICtChofL4n1P0gp-yu4SOhYQwYNnLXHAVkhctexLXdjVkxuL_snrE2XcBca-gvF94jjxlHg2rvdshTNkrQ4zhGKx7jL/s320/IMG_20231201_163631507.jpg" width="240" /></a></span></div><span style="font-family: Raleway;"><br /><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgHIRNMJ8D-HKDP4sLjDJZG2mNF0E1xAOEtVTo9thW54dugiuDB3uj0ReEQu1PUW-KHuTyvurXshpoTJB7__QsBj2UugfrMvy4vrP2W-4ubdwpr9BIfP-LCNvRTB-btDmP9PKM94aOcKNgUbfPr5RYiNtYLg435dYtAFmT5jX3KK4S794D_2hWay7VIysOp/s4000/IMG_20231201_163919720.jpg" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="4000" data-original-width="3000" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgHIRNMJ8D-HKDP4sLjDJZG2mNF0E1xAOEtVTo9thW54dugiuDB3uj0ReEQu1PUW-KHuTyvurXshpoTJB7__QsBj2UugfrMvy4vrP2W-4ubdwpr9BIfP-LCNvRTB-btDmP9PKM94aOcKNgUbfPr5RYiNtYLg435dYtAFmT5jX3KK4S794D_2hWay7VIysOp/s320/IMG_20231201_163919720.jpg" width="240" /></a></div><br /><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjuWrAYkvawEIBzAnEkVl_NZpPQX4gT7_rKneMKmxWfKkQ7DoNazhWGQDL_8fOFpMmRgN_IFBw5qoInlTn2TLy9c0kpkJ5X_hulv_85x-ttmC3mEyWT4mBhUXBwKRSiaWBZ2fKMOeFRsho3sFNDlGfDlOeIFFSuoD_LNjO7ciN5hGchB80zW7a0fsouK62n/s4000/IMG_20231201_163352855.jpg" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="4000" data-original-width="3000" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjuWrAYkvawEIBzAnEkVl_NZpPQX4gT7_rKneMKmxWfKkQ7DoNazhWGQDL_8fOFpMmRgN_IFBw5qoInlTn2TLy9c0kpkJ5X_hulv_85x-ttmC3mEyWT4mBhUXBwKRSiaWBZ2fKMOeFRsho3sFNDlGfDlOeIFFSuoD_LNjO7ciN5hGchB80zW7a0fsouK62n/s320/IMG_20231201_163352855.jpg" width="240" /></a></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><br /></div><br /><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEj17WqMtwD93V5QEv06AzjaNHxbOhl2wp1u9pD1O9CkvJqZTEer6QiC6am8sl1JXeH1aWBRutzyGtH5IQYj_1suMbCHLKyKJeHgcLYoKbls2n_EEDrw8BkpUTFqOKRLohc_cQYQ2ThsSHGNyM4NJMUV9JczSjrqrr2KKKEesGFyW8keVQ4DyNnV2wqZHydP/s4000/IMG_20231112_153239369.jpg" style="clear: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="4000" data-original-width="3000" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEj17WqMtwD93V5QEv06AzjaNHxbOhl2wp1u9pD1O9CkvJqZTEer6QiC6am8sl1JXeH1aWBRutzyGtH5IQYj_1suMbCHLKyKJeHgcLYoKbls2n_EEDrw8BkpUTFqOKRLohc_cQYQ2ThsSHGNyM4NJMUV9JczSjrqrr2KKKEesGFyW8keVQ4DyNnV2wqZHydP/s320/IMG_20231112_153239369.jpg" width="240" /></a></div><br /></span><p></p><p><span style="font-family: Raleway;"><br /></span></p><p><span style="font-family: Raleway;"><br /></span></p><p><span style="font-family: Raleway;"><br /></span></p><p><span style="font-family: Raleway;"><br /></span></p><p><span style="font-family: Raleway;"><br /></span></p><p><span style="font-family: Raleway;"><br /></span></p><p><span style="font-family: Raleway;"><br /></span></p><p><span style="font-family: Raleway;"><br /></span></p><p><span style="font-family: Raleway;"><br /></span></p><p><span style="font-family: Raleway;">Those are a few. 😇</span></p><p><span style="font-family: Raleway;">In the meantime, I have met another man who is into horses. This is the second time I have dated another horse person, so we will see. He’s very nice..good sense of humor and smart. He’s supposedly retired but he is still working every so often. He checks in every evening and we have a lot of different things to talk about. He knows a bunch about horses and loves the ones who are there now. </span></p><p><span style="font-family: Raleway;"> All in all, the new year has been a good one. Only a week into it! 👍👍Stay tuned as we learn more about each other.</span></p><p><span style="font-family: Raleway;">Oh! IT IS SNOWING!! The first snow of the winter. Here are a few photos of a city snow. I much prefer a country setting, but it is what it is. I have learned how to use the iPad to take photos 😁😁</span></p><p><span style="font-family: Raleway;">Have a wonderful weekend 🩵🩵</span></p><p><span style="font-family: Raleway;"><br /></span></p><p><span style="font-family: Raleway;"><br /></span><span style="font-family: Raleway;"></span></p><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><span style="font-family: Raleway;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhJd3o2QS3FTnpI5E0bSrwvs4Gh6WZbrEq6yCNB0uWcUEwmovMe_hyiDA0aAevARMxrLYFquWIjDoedNV3lAV9KSGRq1eqE0o2_0NCxg-oZbO8NFJHD16ojgeXve4AZyuyN1CxatDz_IKmIbEGYmiWmzzdo0Ygsyh0hXEr-K-MNVtiG2Pa6dLuQ7P3JU9xO/s3264/IMG_0068.jpeg" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="3264" data-original-width="2448" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhJd3o2QS3FTnpI5E0bSrwvs4Gh6WZbrEq6yCNB0uWcUEwmovMe_hyiDA0aAevARMxrLYFquWIjDoedNV3lAV9KSGRq1eqE0o2_0NCxg-oZbO8NFJHD16ojgeXve4AZyuyN1CxatDz_IKmIbEGYmiWmzzdo0Ygsyh0hXEr-K-MNVtiG2Pa6dLuQ7P3JU9xO/s320/IMG_0068.jpeg" width="240" /></a></span></div><span style="font-family: Raleway;"><br /><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhUlbyfWcGeu5hgW2yHjwzuW4xBDgaxCHzzzMclLYdy3h3SId2XwndH18PnMI8sXC_R4a7RyvaZBDqJXPzqyJu_Pv_uEUZ9d_EjqXP8g-8Oc9YZkhgR6M7aL8jFz_2uxb9DR_VsKUn-_8pbdWVHu0i4TZyLcaNXElEKa4yEoFyK00tNsHfTcjc60JQf6db6/s3264/IMG_0066.jpeg" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="3264" data-original-width="2448" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhUlbyfWcGeu5hgW2yHjwzuW4xBDgaxCHzzzMclLYdy3h3SId2XwndH18PnMI8sXC_R4a7RyvaZBDqJXPzqyJu_Pv_uEUZ9d_EjqXP8g-8Oc9YZkhgR6M7aL8jFz_2uxb9DR_VsKUn-_8pbdWVHu0i4TZyLcaNXElEKa4yEoFyK00tNsHfTcjc60JQf6db6/s320/IMG_0066.jpeg" width="240" /></a></div><br /></span><p></p><p><span style="font-family: Raleway;"><br /></span></p><p><span style="font-family: Raleway;"><br /></span></p><p><span style="font-family: Raleway;"><br /></span></p><p><span style="font-family: Raleway;"><br /></span></p>WoodFinn Farmhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/01024391051623278573noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5382609201497969667.post-7950122217132180962023-12-24T23:54:00.003-05:002023-12-24T23:57:44.295-05:00Merry Christmas to everyone <p><span style="font-size: medium;"> 12/24/2023</span></p><p><span style="font-family: Raleway; font-size: medium;">Firstly again I have to apologize for my not being present much. Just when I think I have things under control I don’t.Anyhow I’m back and have a lot of things to write about.</span></p><p><span style="font-family: Raleway;"><span style="font-size: medium;"> </span><span style="font-size: large;"> Tonight is a special night and this is one of my favorite moments…</span></span></p><p><span style="font-family: Raleway; font-size: large;"><br /></span></p><p><span style="font-family: Raleway; font-size: medium;">I used to tell my students that I was on personal terms with Santa. I had delivered him to many towns so we were pretty good friends. They would look at me with wide eyes and in wonder. How could I know Santa!?</span></p><p><span style="font-family: Raleway; font-size: medium;"> It turned out that one of the Santa’s had left a black glove behind and I would show it to the disbelieving. It wasn’t long before they too were asking about him. This is truly my favorite time of the year. When true magick happens and love abounds. </span></p><p><span style="font-family: Raleway; font-size: medium;"> Did you know that all animals are able to actually Talk on Christmas Eve? Yes they do ,and we are able to understand them! It was and still is a beautiful time of the year. Cold days and colder nights ; maybe it will snow? So bundle up and keep warm, head to the barn or wherever you beloved horses are and sit quietly. As the clock strikes midnight, listen very carefully…. Hear them? They are talking amongst themselves . <i><b>Hear them? Listen closely</b></i>. If you are lucky enough to be loved so deeply by them, You will be able to talk with them. Just maybe. </span></p><p><span style="font-family: Raleway; font-size: medium;">Hear the Christmas bells ringing in the distance? Be oh so still and tell God thank you for being allowed to come to a barn just like many years ago when a couple needed a place to stay. A barn is an incredible place to be on Christmas Eve, because it’s where a special babe was born thousands of years ago. We horse folks are very lucky to be able to be in touch on a Very magical night. Can you imagine us all sitting quietly in our barns, maybe holding hands and listening? 🎄🩵🎄❤️ 🐎🎄🐴</span></p><p><span style="font-size: medium;"> <b><i>Shhhhhhh, can you hear them?</i></b></span></p><p><span style="font-size: medium;"> </span></p><p><span style="font-size: medium;"> 🎄❤️🐎🎁🎄</span><span style="font-size: large;"> <span style="color: red;"><b><i>Merry Christmas…. </i></b></span></span></p><p><span style="font-size: large;"><span style="color: red;"><b><i> And sending love to you all 🎄🩵🎁🐎🎄❤️</i></b></span></span></p><p><span style="color: red; font-size: large;"><span style="caret-color: rgb(255, 0, 0);"><b><i><br /></i></b></span></span></p><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhIgiz5wpnX4K7ndNGNwo56imz5Eo5ON-b_f8GaE1I7GsEx1bVKD0EH8ZGIpc8EDlys-_LHXkJTfTWMUW_0rgh8hqzGLp8KZJVPR3yeCpmlYllqEWTmZLE0Cqrmft4qGkgJxAmbx6bTcgAsPlQlBZ2gvXxxoEaM2-phVS7-QAHeIRyQ3cvg19lAqwnfuYvk/s3803/lynna%20Merry%20CHRISTMAS.jpeg" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><span style="font-size: medium;"><img border="0" data-original-height="3803" data-original-width="2379" height="413" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhIgiz5wpnX4K7ndNGNwo56imz5Eo5ON-b_f8GaE1I7GsEx1bVKD0EH8ZGIpc8EDlys-_LHXkJTfTWMUW_0rgh8hqzGLp8KZJVPR3yeCpmlYllqEWTmZLE0Cqrmft4qGkgJxAmbx6bTcgAsPlQlBZ2gvXxxoEaM2-phVS7-QAHeIRyQ3cvg19lAqwnfuYvk/w325-h413/lynna%20Merry%20CHRISTMAS.jpeg" width="325" /></span></a></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><span style="font-size: medium;"><br /></span></div><br /><p></p>WoodFinn Farmhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/01024391051623278573noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5382609201497969667.post-55656257584306479352023-07-25T17:01:00.002-04:002023-07-25T17:01:38.874-04:00Men in general.<p> 7/25/23</p><p><span style="font-family: Raleway; font-size: medium;">Men,Eh? I have always liked them a lot. Not because they are good to go places with,but because they are more interesting than many women.</span></p><p><span style="font-family: Raleway; font-size: medium;">Women are to competitive and sometimes right rude about it. I imagine many of you have been in the “ I have more than you “ game… You know, they have more men, if they are married, or not , they have more money,diamonds, bigger farms,deeper pockets. Ohhhh,a higher paying job, a bigger barn,fancier trailer, etc. If horse oriented, it is worse I think. Maybe I just have watched it happen so much in the world of horses. Jealousy is crazy with women. Heaven forbid you talk to a man who is standing beside you at a horse show. </span></p><p><span style="font-family: Raleway; font-size: medium;">Well I guess I don’t know how to play the game Or more truthfully, I don’t care. . I was never impressed by money. Yep, it can buy you anything you want but, I usually want to get to know the person inside. It’s what I look for. Can’t be bothered otherwise.</span></p><p><span style="font-family: Raleway; font-size: medium;">Okay, back to the men. Don’t worry, guys, I still think that you are great. In my last few years travels I have chatted with and met some Very odd guys. I think I mentioned that I decided to join a dating site and see how it goes. When the subscription ran out I didn’t renew it. </span></p><p><span style="font-family: Raleway; font-size: medium;">Early on, there were men who were incredibly picky about the ladies they talked with. They wanted a Barbie girl and at our age, those women didn’t exist anymore. I found myself thinking “ ya gotta be kidding me!” Oh, some even had body measurements listed. If you don’t have a PhD,then you’re out. Good grief! I was learning about what I would not want to meet. One guy kept sending me messages and wanting to talk to me. Turns out he wanted an “older woman “ to teach him about sex. <b><i>HELLOOO</i></b>? 🤪 The guy was in his early 50s. If he didn’t have a clue, then he was going to have to learn on his own. Another one didn’t want to see me again because I didn’t dress up like a fashion model for a lunch date …. Ummmm at a crab shack? Sorry pal. It began to get funny as the requests showed up. </span></p><p><span style="font-family: Raleway; font-size: medium;">Unfortunately, I am a very kind person who has been used a lot. I should have applied my rules a little more but I started feeling bad for some of them. Wrong. One was looking for a woman who was a perfect choice for him. I really don’t think he actually knew what he was looking for, but I wasn’t it. Turns out, I’m glad I wasn’t. A few guys I clicked with but it was distance or other things that kept us being friends. There was one guy who lived a long way away and basically wanted phone sex. Ummmm, no thanks. One man I met was not a part of the site and I liked him a lot. Ha, turns out that his wife didn’t ‘understand ‘ him…. ‘ see ya’. </span></p><p><span style="font-family: Raleway; font-size: medium;"> One needs to be careful when meeting people anymore… Not just sit and talk in a car, or whatever. I’m aware of the fact that there’s some real sick people who are out there. Scammers run rampant and I have learned to despise them when they show up. What a waste of time and air space. The pill droppers are not for me at all.</span></p><p><span style="font-family: Raleway; font-size: medium;">So, I guess I am a picky person who is not going to‘settle’. It’s been said that I am,from many men, lately. They’re right. I am picky and never going to make mistakes I made in the past. Which leads me to the man who is slowly stealing my heart. So far, he’s been great. Summer is a time to get out door things accomplished and the man is busy. We are getting along famously and there’s no frantic rush to get together every single free moment which I am enjoying immensely. Thanks to this amazing man who is becoming a good friend, I am finding myself smiling a lot more often. 😁🩵</span></p><p><span style="font-family: Raleway; font-size: medium;"><br /></span></p><p><span style="font-family: Raleway; font-size: medium;"><br /></span></p><p><span style="font-family: Raleway; font-size: medium;"><br /></span></p><p><span style="font-family: Raleway; font-size: medium;"><br /></span></p>WoodFinn Farmhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/01024391051623278573noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5382609201497969667.post-44640254130595065472023-07-20T16:43:00.010-04:002023-07-21T15:23:06.249-04:00Regards con’t: Decision Made <p><span style="font-size: medium;"> 7/20/23</span></p><p><span style="font-family: Raleway; font-size: medium;">The choice was easily made. Regards was hopefully going to be a mama. She had been letting me know that she was feeling a little bit sore after her jumping classes, so of course I let the boss know. We had a equine vet available for pictures to show us how her tendons were after her class.</span></p><p><span style="font-family: Raleway; font-size: medium;">Regards had been winning every class she was entered in and loving it. I knew by then that we were to go walking about before she would allow me to wash her off. She was such a show off. Anna had brought her to the point where Regards was racing fit and then added in a lot of gymnastics. To Regards,it was like a game that was so easy. She was incredibly athletic. I wished I could have met her before she had beef almost wrecked mentally and physically. Wow! </span></p><p><span style="font-family: Raleway; font-size: medium;">The last show for us, and luckily it was close. Once she was all tacked up, Anna said that she could feel her mare’s excitement . It was time and they were in second place. Regards jumped each first round jumps easily, clearly enjoying herself. There were only two horses left to decide the winner.</span></p><p><span style="font-family: Raleway; font-size: medium;">The heights were raised for a jump off between another great open jumper and herself. Two had a very tricky take off angle and almost enough space to make it, so long as a horse was easy to turn and rate their speed. Two were monsters. It was going to cut the top horses from the lesser horses for sure. </span></p><p><span style="font-size: medium;"><span style="font-family: Raleway;">I could see Anna and the other horseman talking about it while waiting for their call. All I could do at that point was to wish them both the best of luck. Due to Regards being a fraction of a second slower, was to go first. They entered the ring and picked up a canter, while Anna let Regards see the heights. Regards shook her neck and head as she was saying. “ </span><span style="font-family: Raleway;">Let’s go, human… I have work to do!”</span></span></p><p><span style="font-family: Raleway; font-size: medium;">Anna aimed her towards the one simple jump and they sailed over it. Next was the first of the two tricky jumps. I knew Anna was glad she’d taken the time to look at those two. She swung Regards out to one side to get a better take off and left it up to her great mare to bring the ribbon ( and the huge check) home. </span></p><p><span style="font-family: Raleway; font-size: medium;">They thundered towards it in complete unison and I swear Regards kicked her turbo booster into action. Leap, fly, land ,one stride .. leap, fly and land. She’d done it. One more to go….. they cantered around directly into the big fence. No easy angles for those two. With a Big grunt of effort Regards took off, cleared the huge jump and one stride after, she threw in a giant buck to let it know that she could have gone higher.</span></p><p><span style="font-family: Raleway; font-size: medium;">The whole stadium went wild. Anna asked Regards to slow down and then to walk. Anna was never a person to show many emotions, but I could see she was in tears and rubbing her wonderful mare on her neck, then top of her rump. They exited the ring to allow the other team to have a good round.</span></p><p><span style="font-family: Raleway; font-size: medium;">I was drooling over the horse in the ring … he was spectacular. I had seen him before and he was absolutely perfect in confirmation. A huge deep bay, with a stunning head… wow, just wow. They took the first jump easily but came in the tricky ones a little bit too fast and had a pole down. The rider was done. He slowed his gorgeous horse down and took his hat off to honor the winner. </span></p><p><span style="font-family: Raleway; font-size: medium;">Later when it was time to receive the awards, they both entered the ring together and cantered their way around the ring. They stopped in the middle and did a typical dressage move… hats off, and bowing their heads to the crowd, instead of the judge. There was some music playing in the background and when it was turned up, it was “We are the Champions “ by Queen. Anna and Regards turned around and went to the award presentation area, after she gave the second place winner a kiss on his cheek. </span></p><p><span style="font-family: Raleway; font-size: medium;"> After all the excitement had settled down a little, we were able to talk about the class and how Anna thought it went. She was so incredibly amazed at Regards’ effort that each time she began talking about it,the happy tears began. Regards herself was still high from winning and was being an amazing horse. Allowing so many face pats and praise from her fans. She loved it. She would grab a mouthful of hay, then stick her head out of her stall for more attention. </span></p><p><span style="font-family: Raleway; font-size: medium;">Something caught her attention and she lifted her head to see who it was. I had learned that her competition was named Sternlicht. He was a Hanoverian stallion who was at stud a few hours drive from the farm. I got to meet him and I was in love. Oh my gosh, he took my breath away. We chatted with the rider and when he walked away! I told my ‘family’ what I thought of him. </span></p><p><span style="font-family: Raleway; font-size: medium;"> We had gotten the bad news about Regards’ tendon deterioration, it was decided that she would be retired from the show ring. The vet had let us see the injured tendon photos and they would not have lasted much longer…</span></p><p><span style="font-family: Raleway; font-size: medium;">We all agreed that the second place stallion was one stunning animal. Then my boss asked me I thought he would be a good stallion for Regards. </span></p><p><span style="font-family: Raleway; font-size: medium;">??? !!!! </span></p><p><span style="font-family: Raleway; font-size: medium;">I was stunned.. Really??? Everyone was nodding their heads ‘yes’.</span></p><p><span style="font-family: Raleway; font-size: medium;"> Come February, Regards was hopefully going to be a new mama… I could barely wait .</span></p><p><span style="font-family: Raleway; font-size: medium;"></span></p><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhOGIgrjRzhlO7GOvhYg8USpZnZjtUKZ0W-RvPkOTkqOOIr0U9pVKIP1mEMNdLL53Rb143giQSCLIN09UAoZ_FZMF5ZWCNNrAFYqbqDck26NVgsOzx8usOe_9EyvHyJC_6ACfZeGiAV2dn11xWtCj-aUvsWxud7rhmKNzGU7gdaAwWiUCU58VGmGwja9tU7/s3264/IMG_1374.HEIC" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><span style="font-size: medium;"><img border="0" data-original-height="3264" data-original-width="2448" height="285" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhOGIgrjRzhlO7GOvhYg8USpZnZjtUKZ0W-RvPkOTkqOOIr0U9pVKIP1mEMNdLL53Rb143giQSCLIN09UAoZ_FZMF5ZWCNNrAFYqbqDck26NVgsOzx8usOe_9EyvHyJC_6ACfZeGiAV2dn11xWtCj-aUvsWxud7rhmKNzGU7gdaAwWiUCU58VGmGwja9tU7/w213-h285/IMG_1374.HEIC" width="213" /></span></a></div><span style="font-size: medium;"><br /></span><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><span style="font-size: medium;"><br /></span></div><span style="font-size: medium;"><br /><br /></span></div><span style="font-size: medium;"><br /><br /></span></div><span style="font-size: medium;"><br /><br /></span></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><span style="font-size: medium;"><br /></span></div><span style="font-size: medium;"><br /></span></div><span style="font-size: medium;"><br /><br /></span><p></p><p><span style="font-family: Raleway; font-size: medium;"><br /></span></p><p><span style="font-family: Raleway; font-size: medium;"><br /></span></p><p><span style="font-family: Raleway; font-size: medium;"><br /></span></p><p><span style="font-family: Raleway; font-size: medium;"><br /></span></p><p><span style="font-family: Raleway; font-size: medium;"><br /></span></p><p><span style="font-family: Raleway; font-size: medium;"><br /></span></p><p><span style="font-family: Raleway; font-size: medium;"><br /></span></p><p><span style="font-family: Raleway; font-size: medium;"><br /></span></p><p><span style="font-family: Raleway; font-size: medium;"><br /></span></p><p><span style="font-family: Raleway; font-size: medium;"><br /></span></p><p><span style="font-family: Raleway; font-size: medium;"><br /></span></p><p><span style="font-family: Raleway; font-size: medium;"><br /></span></p>WoodFinn Farmhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/01024391051623278573noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5382609201497969667.post-11129225149994705822023-07-13T16:01:00.014-04:002024-01-06T15:27:47.791-05:00Regards…. And other things <p> 7.13.22</p><p><span style="font-family: Raleway;">Finally, I had a full time job. Before I was morning help, but since I was being much more than that, I was told that I would be getting full time pay and also an basic health insurance policy. I was totally pleased! That was going to be very helpful for me to catch up on my bills.</span></p><p><span style="font-family: Raleway;"> I had been working with one of my personal horses and she was lookin so very good lately. So good that I thought we could be ready for an easy day trip to a show. I just wasn’t sure though. I owned Appaloosa horses and loved them so much. One was moving into a wonderful English pleasure horse and one other was just so sweet under western tack.</span></p><p><span style="font-family: Raleway;">Jellino had been showing in baby classes and he was loving it. What a complete show off he was! He would jump so high that it was like he knew this was for ‘ babies’. Each time he’d return happily and full of energy ,Anna had been saying that he might be more interested in eventing than a boring show ring. She was not sure if the damage that had been done before would rear its ugly head or not. This was one of the reasons I loved working here. The horse’s health came first… not the status or ribbons. This is why Regards had been held back before her re-entry to the world of show jumpers. To be completely sure that she would have a good time, and she did. In fact she still was. </span></p><p><span style="font-family: Raleway;">My little monster was growing like a weed. Every day she changed. Butt high for a couple of days, then she’d level off and be gorgeous. Then it was back to</span><span style="font-family: Raleway;"> “ O<i>mg, Who are you today ?”</i> One day I was grooming her (she adores being groomed, especially when she is muddy) and was trying to get her tail a little neater when I noticed that she had a white area starting from the top of it and traveled about half way down. Sure enough, it was white hair… I asked my boss about it and he told me it was inherited from Cliche’s side … many decades ago a foal had been born with a white area in his tail.Try as they might, it would not go away. Owners had tried braiding it at shows, pulling the white hairs out so they wouldn’t show up… just didn’t work. I thought the white hairs in my filly’s tail were cool looking. In fact I told her that she reminded me of a little skunk. Oddly enough,that became her barn name. “ Skunk “. She was so incredibly friendly and kind,that there were times when I could not believe she was so young. She would pick up all of her feet for me, she’d let me brush her all over ,bend her little ears almost inside out, rub her gums and loved to get her tummy scratched. We’d go out for walks with mama and she’d have the best time with the snow. I could say the word to back up or to walk on with out touching her. Such a smart beautiful baby she was becoming. Cliche’ was a great mama too. She was patient but when little Skunk was wrong, she was firm in her discipline.</span></p><p><span style="font-family: Raleway;">One morning, I was having some coffee with my boss’s daughter and she asked me if I was going to breed Regards,what stallion would I choose.After almost choking on my coffee I got out “ I have no idea “. Anna grinned at me and said that I should think about it because it was going to be a family decision. A “family “ decision? Wow. They wanted Regards leave a legacy for them after she was gone. Well, I didn’t have a clue but I was going to have to think about it all. Hmmmm, a Hanoverian mare would match perfectly with What? Yes, I certainly needed to think about that. I needed some options to consider too…. </span></p><p><span style="font-family: Raleway;"></span></p><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><span style="font-family: Raleway;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/a/AVvXsEgHeeXWcxBG0l6QjoEeBr9XN1tFmSS8J1PlBKoGaAAnktiWfhNhtWnYAWIubLq6gbZlGfrqyrvUNJf3CVp5mGnsMhRi3tSJo9y-e4gjrUOd5O0F5wysDRVJuThz4dgb34FVc1xEHxqOu39RzWk6ECi1AIhXvXvxXSj1F3vZn0D-9LOZNVkx_qhH0zsdpMY5" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img alt="" data-original-height="1920" data-original-width="1920" height="240" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/a/AVvXsEgHeeXWcxBG0l6QjoEeBr9XN1tFmSS8J1PlBKoGaAAnktiWfhNhtWnYAWIubLq6gbZlGfrqyrvUNJf3CVp5mGnsMhRi3tSJo9y-e4gjrUOd5O0F5wysDRVJuThz4dgb34FVc1xEHxqOu39RzWk6ECi1AIhXvXvxXSj1F3vZn0D-9LOZNVkx_qhH0zsdpMY5" width="240" /></a></span></div><span style="font-family: Raleway;"><br /><br /></span><p></p><p><span style="font-family: Raleway;"><br /></span></p><p><span style="font-family: Raleway; font-size: medium;"><br /></span></p>WoodFinn Farmhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/01024391051623278573noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5382609201497969667.post-12268582077491762362023-07-12T22:00:00.008-04:002023-12-25T11:21:49.987-05:00A short one tonight..<p><span style="font-family: Raleway; font-size: medium;">7.12.23</span></p><p><span style="font-family: Raleway; font-size: medium;"> I am liking this man more and more in getting to know him. We seem to agree on important things the same. You know,like ethics, morals , and standards. I’m feeling like if this doesn’t become something “serious “, we will end up being close friends.Of course I am hoping for the first one. I get called daily as we live a bit of a distance from each other. ( around 50 miles) It’s not close enough to just pop over for the evening. 🥲 He lives closer to where I work though which is cool.</span></p><p><span style="font-family: Raleway; font-size: medium;">He’s funny, smart and knows a lot of things that I have no clue about. He’s close to his family and I like that.. Plus the man has a Harley. Woooohoooo. Oh and he’s taller than me too! It’s a stay tuned sort of thing and we’re not in a hurry . Another thing I prefer 😃</span></p><p><span style="font-family: Raleway; font-size: medium;">All in all, it’s been a wonderful time getting to know who he is, really.</span></p><p><span style="font-family: Raleway; font-size: medium;"> Subject change… omg I was so hot today! Summers don’t agree with me anymore. I now have the typical Farmer Tan. Just my arms are tan and that is it. It’s been many years since I have not been able to get more than that. Ah well,it’s been a great week and the horses are behaving, so life is going great!</span></p><p><span style="font-family: Raleway; font-size: medium;"><br /></span></p><p><span style="font-family: Raleway; font-size: medium;"> </span></p><p><span style="font-family: Raleway; font-size: medium;"> Have a great day tomorrow </span></p><p></p><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"> </div><br /><span style="font-family: Raleway; font-size: medium;"><br /></span><p></p><p><span style="font-family: Raleway; font-size: medium;"><br /></span></p>WoodFinn Farmhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/01024391051623278573noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5382609201497969667.post-82042066017344874782023-07-08T20:28:00.009-04:002024-01-30T19:35:59.962-05:00Regards, continued & a Surprise.7?<p>7/8/23</p><p><span style="font-family: Raleway;">The moment we got to the stall, there was a big crowd all wanting to see the super hero. She’d out jumped one of the best open jumpers on the East Coast. Regards was ever so pleased with herself, she bounced all the way back to her stall. </span></p><p><span style="font-family: Raleway;">It was my job to give her a bath to get the sweat off of her coat and to help cool her off. Normally she loves a bath but today she was very anti-shower. We took a long walk around the show grounds to let her relax some and tried it again. No problem this time… it seemed like the “Jumping Queen” had appeared. </span></p><p><span style="font-family: Raleway;">‘<i>Noooo, I don’t get a bath until I have been shown off to everyone’</i>. </span></p><p><span style="font-family: Raleway;">Hmmmm….. seems as though the one that jumped over the moon (almost) was declaring the rules… </span><span style="font-family: Raleway;">silly ol me. Once she was dry and in her stall, I wanted to wrap her legs. Just a good rubdown and standing wraps. Hahaha, I would get one almost finished and she would reach her face down and pull the bandage loose. I would have to begin all over again. She’d offered to do that back at the barn but never as much as today. I told her that she was being worse than Jellino… she paid no attention, gazing down the aisle.</span></p><p><span style="font-family: Raleway;">We loaded the up and got on the way home. When we arrived the whole farm was nickering and whinnying, saying “hello!”. Finally we were all done and I headed home to my little house.</span></p><p><span style="font-family: Raleway;">The next morning, I was doing the normal routine turning some horses out and feeding the horses who were retired, living outside. Mucking up manure, setting up haynets and all that comes along with caring for a barn full of horses. The weather had been getting colder now as winter approached. Soon it would be Christmas time and I was excited about the gifts I had for the Boss, his wife and Anna. It was going to be the best, I thought to myself.</span></p><p><span style="font-family: Raleway;">My favorite mare was so heavy in foal that she looked like she was going to explode. She had two more weeks to go in her pregnancy still. She was miserable and it was like she couldn’t get out of her own way. She’d stand by herself so the other mares would not bother her. I tried to spend extra time with her and I think she enjoyed it. Plus she got all of the best carrots.</span></p><p><span style="font-family: Raleway;">Jellino was flourishing in his new life. He wasn’t sore at all and acted like a big nincompoop when he thought he could get away with it. One day he decided that Jellino was to come in first rather than 4th… so he calculated the fence height and popped right over it, trotting into the right stall. I was floored in watching him. Wow!! From a trot,he cleared the 5’ fence easily. My boss was amazed at his ability. Perhaps we’ll have another jumper in the future? He was a favorite ‘ big putz’.</span></p><p><span style="font-family: Raleway;"> Because I had just about been living at the farm, I was told to take a few days off and then return on a certain day. I had time to get back to riding my horses and get everything cleaned up before the big holiday arrived. It was not as though I was going to get any company but it was nice to get home to a sparkling clean house. </span></p><p><span style="font-family: Raleway;">The morning I went back to work I was excited to see if everyone was alright. Sure enough, there was Anna riding a colt who had been on stall rest for a while. He was looking sound as could be. The farm was able to redo the old track with Regards’s earnings and what a big difference it made. The new footing was slow to freeze ,making it much safer. Jellino was upset being outside because he was no doubt getting chilly. I told him that if he kept running the fence that he would be warm in no time. </span></p><p><span style="font-family: Raleway;">I turned the broodmares out for the day and got started on the stalls. It was then that my boss showed up and helped me with them. I was thankful that it was not a big place like some other places. I would have been cleaning stalls all morning…</span></p><p><span style="font-family: Raleway;">The clouds began rolling in as predicted and wow, the temperatures dropped considerably. A cold wind picked up making it feel a lot worse.At noontime,I was too bring my mares back to their stalls.They were ready, standing at the gate, whinnying for me to come get them. Two by two, they were led in. Every time a gust of wind hit them, they would jump around like one ton hippos. I could imagine the ride to the barn being an unborn baby that day. I didn’t see Cliché’ anywhere though. My last trip out was for her. I called and called through the wind getting no reply. ‘ where was she?’ my mind wondered… Still calling her, I headed down the long hill and saw nothing. All of a sudden I heard a gunshot. That was the way my boss let everybody know that we had to get to the house immediately. Dashing along as best I could, I still got there last We all sat down at the kitchen table to listen to the news. It turns out that the neighboring farm had lost two of their broodmares last night. Heavy in foal and Stolen , it was like stealing four horses. We were told to be extremely diligent about locking doors to the tack rooms and feed rooms too. For the next few weeks, the security cameras were going to be on and to be sure that they were all working. That’s when I realized that I had not brought my favorite mare in yet. I asked permission to go look for her, so I left. </span></p><p><span style="font-family: Raleway;">Back to the broodmares pasture to see nothing. I hoped that by then Cliche would have made it to the gate. There was nothing but some falling snow. That’s when I thought. “ omg,noooooo!” Had Cliche been stolen too?? I raced to the house and tried to let everyone know what was happening. Finally the police arrived and took notes, listened to everyone and then checked for fingerprints on the gate. I remembered that there was an old gate on the other side of the field that might show something. We all tramped down to where it was and found it pried open. Fortunately the snow didn’t dilute the thieve’s prints. The police were optimistic about having something to work with now, and left. I didn’t want to go home but I had to care for my two horses,etc. Once I got to bed, I realized how tired I was… it didn’t take long for me to fall asleep.</span></p><p><span style="font-family: Raleway;">For almost a week, we heard nothing about “ my” mare. I was beginning to give up hope. Never to get gentle hugs from Cliche, or hear the soft nickers. I would never see her new baby! Christmas wasn’t as good as I thought. It was just sad, waiting to hear from the police that all of the mares had been found. In fact , we decided to delay it until the mares were found. We asked neighbors to watch for the mares at any auctions or advertised for sale. Nothing. Even the guy that I had been seeing would drive all over, trying to see if the farms had any new horses. No one really knew him, so he could easily pretend to be wanting to buy mares in foal. Still nothing. It was as though they had disappeared into thin air. New Year’s Day came and went with no news at all. The neighbors were concerned that they might have their babies early due to the stress. I knew that Cliche was due a few days after the first of the year. Her baby was going to be a special addition to the farm as she had been bred to a stallion known for his jumping talents. </span></p><p><span style="font-family: Raleway;"><b><i>Where Was She???</i></b></span></p><p><span style="font-family: Raleway;">One day when I was finishing my chores up, the barn phone rang and rang. Usually it was answered by those in the house. Not today though. Finally just to make it be quiet, I answered it. Turns out it was my boyfriend. He’d been told by a friend at work that someone had some horses for sale and cheap. He was going to see them after work and would get back to me. Of course, when I checked the house, everyone was gone. I didn’t know what to do. I didn’t know where anyone was so I thought I’d just get done with setting up feed for nighttime and wait. It was close to 5PM when they all got home. Quickly I told them the days events. They wanted to go see it those horses belonged to us and our neighbors. To do that would make a mess of things, so there we were, sitting around the kitchen table, waiting and willing the phone to ring. Finally it did. He was not positive that the horses he saw were the stolen ones. We heard a truck drive in and it was the neighbors who had lost their horses too. They told him what white </span><span style="font-family: Raleway;">markings they had and as much as they could remember of anything that might ID them. We couldn’t think of anything else that would make the extra horse be Cliche when all of a sudden I remembered a little scar on her nose from when she had a small cut on it. I described it and my boyfriend said it was the right group of horses.He said he would try to stall the sellers as long as he could but it would not be long. The police were called and we were told to ‘just sit still’. It was mighty difficult but we did it. I ran to the barn to make sure Cliche was coming home to a safe clean stall. It seemed like we waited for days but it was just a couple of hours. Finally we got the phone call that the horse thieves had been apprehended and we were welcome to come get the horses. </span></p><p><span style="font-family: Raleway;">The old farm was a good 40 miles away but we were there and fast. Our neighbors were following us with their big horse trailer. The police tramped thru the snow to a barn way off to itself. As they slid the old heavy doors aside, there were our horses! Covered in manure and crud, tangled manes and tails, but not in terrible shape. I ran over to my girl and she whinnied to me. I was never so happy to see a dirty, big pregnant horse in my life. We led them out to their trailers and loaded them up. We invited everyone to come over for a belated Christmas dinner later that weekend . I was in tears most of the time that day.; All happy tears. My mare had been found. There was no way I could thank my boyfriend enough. He truly understood me when I was so scared and he did his best to make things happen. He had my heart at that point… </span></p><p><span style="font-family: Raleway;">The next day, I cleaned Cliché up as best I could. Got her mane and tail detangled, and curried her until her coat was shining again. She was so happy to be home . Regards was pleased to see her too. They had become friends when Regards really needed one. </span></p><p><span style="font-family: Raleway;">It was just about time for our delayed celebration and I wanted to get home to get out of the barn clothes. I was just gone for an hour when I got a phone call to “ HURRY !” Oh no, not another delay for Christmas! In no time I was rumbling down the snowy lane to the farm. The bosses wife pointed me to the barn. It’s hard to run in heels, let me tell you. I followed the noise and realized it was close to Clichés stall. Oh noooooo, she could not be sick… nooo.</span></p><p><span style="font-family: Raleway;">I turned the corner to see she was down on her side and groaning something awful. My boss was there along with Anna. I was going to ask him what had happened and he smiled. “She’s having her baby. “ </span></p><p><span style="font-family: Raleway;">‘ No! She is????’ I thought to myself. I would miss the foals being born, only to find them in the mornings all the other times. This was my first time seeing a foal being born in person. And so it came to be a tiny black filly was born on that cold winter night in a barn with all of her family around her. Cliche did it all by herself and what a wonderful mama she was. I sat there with tears running down my cheeks, destroying my makeup. I didn’t care though. We turned on the heat lamps for a little warmth for the new one to get dried off under. </span></p><p><span style="font-family: Raleway;">After dinner we were sitting in the living room and relaxing when my boyfriend wanted to open gifts. He sure was in a hurry. So we all moved to the next room. It had been a parlor in the early days but was a TV room now. We all opened our gifts one by one, Ooooing and ahhhing over the gifts for the others. I got a gorgeous pair of custom made riding chaps from my boss and his wife, a perfect gold necklace with a silver horseshoe on it from Anna. That’s when my boss told us that there were two more presents for me. Did I want the small one or the big one? Having never been good at choosing that sort of thing I said to surprise me. A small package was given to me and I had no idea what it was. I gently opened the paper and inside was a long jewelry box. The wonderful man bought me something beautiful I thought to myself…a necklace or bracelet… I sat there thinking of what it would be when Anna said</span></p><p><span style="font-family: Raleway;"> ‘ if you don’t hurry up and open the box, I am going to faint’ </span></p><p><span style="font-family: Raleway;">Well we all knew that she had never fainted in her life, so everyone laughed. As I was opening the box, completely expecting a beautiful piece while my boyfriend sat on the table beside me and watched. I opened it and there was nothing there. Nothing. He said that before I got any further, there was something he had to say. I was confused and shook my head okay. He said that he had been in love with me ever since he saw me take a nose dive off a horse at a show… that he wanted to protect me from anymore harm… only to give me happiness. Then he took the box from me and I looked underneath. There was a diamond and emerald ring sitting there. It had been custom made by a favorite jeweler just for me. I knew it was as I had drawn it out to show my boyfriend . I had no idea about the secrets and surprises going on that winter.</span></p><p><span style="font-family: Raleway;"><br /></span></p><img alt="dainty-emerald-engagement-ring-in-FD9275EMR-NL-WG-GS" class="lazy" id="product_main_img" src="https://30d01f9adcdd9ca8bb29-e7821b1789d66a252f67999ba68e5823.ssl.cf2.rackcdn.com/dainty-emerald-engagement-ring-in-white-gold-FD9275EMR-NL-WG-GS.jpg" style="-webkit-text-size-adjust: 100%; border: 0px; box-sizing: border-box; caret-color: rgb(71, 71, 71); color: #474747; display: block; font-family: "Quattrocento Sans", sans-serif; font-size: 13px; margin-left: 77px; pointer-events: none; text-align: center; vertical-align: middle; width: 616px;" /><p><span style="font-family: Raleway;"> </span></p><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><br /></div><span style="font-family: Raleway;"><br /></span><p></p><p><span style="font-family: Raleway;">When he asked me if I would do him the honor of becoming his wife, I said yes,of course! Everyone clapped and cheered. What a great Christmas! I wanted to go to the barn and wish Regards and Cliché a Happy Christmas . My boss said he would be there in a few. Due to my shoes already being ruined I slopped through the snow to the barn. </span></p><p><span style="font-family: Raleway;">Quietly I slid one door open and stepped in. I didn’t want to wake anyone up so I was very quiet. Regards was laying down in her deep bed of straw, sleeping. Whispering that I loved her, she flicked an ear. When I was almost to Cliche’ stall, my boss caught up with me. </span></p><p><span style="font-family: Raleway;">They were both awake and when Cliche knew it was me, she gave me a soft nicker. Her little daughter nickered too ( she had no idea what she was nickering about but she made a little grunty noise.) It was then I noticed that she had something on her neck. It was red and well chewed. I looked at my boss in confusion. Had someone been in the stall…if so,what happened with the alarm ? He was grinning from ear to ear and as his wife and daughter joined him, he said that I needed to go take the thing off. The little one might get hurt. I did but with a little monkey not wanting to be touched much, it got to be interesting. Finally I got it free and stepped out of the stall. Thinking who on earth would be so stupid as to do this to a baby.</span></p><p><span style="font-family: Raleway;">By then my new fiancé had showed up wondering why the delay. I was standing there,holding the red “ thing “the boss’s wife said that she wanted me to read the words on it. Ooooookay,so I tried to read it even though there were places where I could not …slowly but surely I realized what I was reading. </span></p><p><span style="font-family: Raleway;">“ <b>Merry Christmas, Kris.</b></span></p><p><span style="font-family: Raleway;"><b> May all your dreams come true </b></span></p><p><span style="font-family: Raleway;"><b> and let them begin with Me” </b></span></p><p><span style="font-family: Raleway;"></span></p><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/a/AVvXsEi9Y5Wh8w8vYGFc2aLbW8E4uCmkeDCUx2U--mPlpPjZSpUPrbHHSMUF3Z9A2ReGxyN8l4fuHNd2M_7n1RRuCn4aQMpSTdaSQMO9J9tb8Qb6jkIu-7VlzQTREIW7wuseyu3fahWmW-Re-WX4d_FaIB61QqKrDsMqKosfHxVz-DiN0CU6Lh5EpsXQP5eBJLKQ" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img alt="" data-original-height="384" data-original-width="500" height="240" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/a/AVvXsEi9Y5Wh8w8vYGFc2aLbW8E4uCmkeDCUx2U--mPlpPjZSpUPrbHHSMUF3Z9A2ReGxyN8l4fuHNd2M_7n1RRuCn4aQMpSTdaSQMO9J9tb8Qb6jkIu-7VlzQTREIW7wuseyu3fahWmW-Re-WX4d_FaIB61QqKrDsMqKosfHxVz-DiN0CU6Lh5EpsXQP5eBJLKQ" width="313" /></a></div><br /><span style="font-family: Raleway;">**Next, Regards becomes a mama, and Cliche’s Christmas Gift grows up.</span><p></p><p><span style="font-family: Raleway;"><br /></span></p><p><span style="font-family: Raleway;"><br /></span></p><p><span style="font-family: Raleway;"><br /></span></p>WoodFinn Farmhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/01024391051623278573noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5382609201497969667.post-60208052185690591972023-07-01T13:34:00.005-04:002023-07-01T13:55:55.624-04:00The Attack Cat <p></p><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEip15J0kNzE7pNjEog1o72oK9Uxz1AAp0O7yrKjo0tFQlTVK2RjzpVLhi2zxxxW4uuVt0D7hXwHaqG47VagKDEzffoIIbzHJnZ8o0lz97q5-wAYdLWRJAaEemZls-xyR2L3Wx7dLk0lPkCGVfHV5Kqhh0EnhPRXJHGy_Lf8gEW9804pQowXNRr47seWWSbA/s726/Simone%20up%20close-%204.12.17.jpg" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="642" data-original-width="726" height="283" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEip15J0kNzE7pNjEog1o72oK9Uxz1AAp0O7yrKjo0tFQlTVK2RjzpVLhi2zxxxW4uuVt0D7hXwHaqG47VagKDEzffoIIbzHJnZ8o0lz97q5-wAYdLWRJAaEemZls-xyR2L3Wx7dLk0lPkCGVfHV5Kqhh0EnhPRXJHGy_Lf8gEW9804pQowXNRr47seWWSbA/s320/Simone%20up%20close-%204.12.17.jpg" width="320" /></a></div><br /><span style="font-size: medium;">7/1/23</span><p></p><p><span style="font-family: Raleway; font-size: medium;">Welcome July! I always thought of July as being Midsummer, even though it is not. What it is, is <b><span style="color: red;">Hot</span></b>! Holy moly it is hot. Perfect for crops to grow and the hay to grow for winter feed. This year has been a great hay growing season. I look at it growing up , being made into bales and sigh to myself. No hay orders for me this year… No one to feed it to.</span></p><p><span style="font-family: Raleway; font-size: medium;">Back to the reason for the title of this tale. I am owned by a lovely long haired cat. She came to the farm as a stray 3-4 month old kitten and stayed. She was scared and spooked easily when someone came by. Whenever she was in the tack room, she was as sweet as could be. Never did she act nasty or grumpy around anyone, ever. She was a perfect barn cat. When I left she came with me. No way she was being left behind. I would never do that to any animal.</span></p><p><span style="font-family: Raleway; font-size: medium;">There we were, apartment dwellers. I was not used to it and neither was Simone. Cleo was all good though. Inside or out, Cleo was cool. I was planning a week long trip to Florida. Cleo would be okay being boarded… I didn’t want to but she would be fine. Simone? Hmmmmm…</span></p><p><span style="font-size: medium;"><span style="font-family: Raleway;">The perfect plan came to mind. I would ask my brother in law if he could stop on his way home from work and take care of her. He said he would. Yayyyyy. </span><span style="font-family: Raleway;">Before I left I put her food on the dining room table with instructions. All was good.</span></span></p><p><span style="font-family: Raleway; font-size: medium;">The trip was a non event and they very kindly picked me up at the airport. On the ride home, I was told that Simone had not been very ummmm, hospitable. It seemed that when my brother in law had stopped by to first couple of times… he said that he didn’t see her at all. The next day he said that she was laying on the sofa and watching him intently as he cleaned the litter box and gave her some more food and water. </span></p><p><span style="font-family: Raleway; font-size: medium;">Then on the 4th day she was laying in the living room, watching him. Now this guy loves animals… so he would talk to her and make pleasant sounds to her. Simone hissed at him. She knew who he was because they had met before.</span></p><p><span style="font-family: Raleway; font-size: medium;">The 5th day, Simone was in the living room and hissed at him as he cleaned up the litter box and fed her. He said that she fuzzed her coat up, doubling in size, looking huge and fierce. The next, she did did the same with more anger.</span></p><p><span style="font-family: Raleway; font-size: medium;">As he was telling me about her, I was very surprised! Sweet Simone? Scared of her own shadow, Simone? She’s never been nasty to anyone, ever. </span></p><p><span style="font-family: Raleway; font-size: medium;">The last day before I got home, she was ready for a big discussion about him even being there. She paraded around, doubled in size,due to fluffing herself up, hissing at him and growling. My poor brother in law didn’t know what to do. He quickly got things done and then as he turned around to leave, Simone was sitting between him and the door. Growling and hissing at him loudly. He said that he waited for her to move. Finally she did and he left as fast as he could.</span></p><p><span style="font-family: Raleway; font-size: medium;">Again, I was floored by her behavior. Why on earth would she be so upset and defensive when she was not like that at all? </span></p><p><span style="font-family: Raleway; font-size: medium;">When I got home, I didn’t see her at all. Finally she showed up and was so happy to see me! Of course, Cleo chased her away, hogging all of the attention. Later on, we watched some TV and I headed to bed. Cleo sleeping in her bed on my bed. </span></p><p><span style="font-family: Raleway; font-size: medium;">The next morning, everyone was fine… no bad tempered cat at all.</span></p><p><span style="font-family: Raleway; font-size: medium;">The only thing I can think of is that Simone had been left alone and decided that she was the one in charge of protecting the place. This, the big protective measures… I don’t know if she would have gone any further than being intimidating or not, but I’m glad my now not so willing to feed her brother in law didn’t test her. </span></p><p><span style="font-family: Raleway; font-size: medium;"> He said she was like a mountain lion in miniature. </span></p><p><span style="font-family: Raleway; font-size: medium;"> Haha, not my sweet little Simone!</span></p><p><span style="font-family: Raleway; font-size: medium;">🩵💜🩵💜</span></p><p></p><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjDmuqW_o-YGfe7ac-rigCI9uernVJBB15A6PQpoBWmCLj6SfL4iWlYjyOJOHsSuwxJz4wn-j9wF-oXWqLxemUvNtOSYIQr_COdPGtTHQE8LI0z_KFVgZB65paheebOQ5aRKkQQ416z_YEGf10umPjh2PSG3sVymvEdoWaPoH2TJyDN14GZVGYiaJDxpaUu/s3264/Simone%20new%20apt.%202021.jpg" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="3264" data-original-width="1836" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjDmuqW_o-YGfe7ac-rigCI9uernVJBB15A6PQpoBWmCLj6SfL4iWlYjyOJOHsSuwxJz4wn-j9wF-oXWqLxemUvNtOSYIQr_COdPGtTHQE8LI0z_KFVgZB65paheebOQ5aRKkQQ416z_YEGf10umPjh2PSG3sVymvEdoWaPoH2TJyDN14GZVGYiaJDxpaUu/s320/Simone%20new%20apt.%202021.jpg" width="180" /></a></div><br /><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEh_EmVyjqESn-seYOkTjAMoWnDvOhjeDEVILblm08I8RLWOBOgQne_79Q8JT34qWPWJitqxykVjDyyzvv3WpYam04SJqhAK2JUOvAA-o899HgkEDmja4u-W1Hcjtc7aJBMUTnMs8ZCNF98_J7-Ufkvwv2K1vESHv_T-xS504Q-obOOdAQ2rzGU9VeKh48KJ/s1032/20210127_230438000_iOS.jpg" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="817" data-original-width="1032" height="253" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEh_EmVyjqESn-seYOkTjAMoWnDvOhjeDEVILblm08I8RLWOBOgQne_79Q8JT34qWPWJitqxykVjDyyzvv3WpYam04SJqhAK2JUOvAA-o899HgkEDmja4u-W1Hcjtc7aJBMUTnMs8ZCNF98_J7-Ufkvwv2K1vESHv_T-xS504Q-obOOdAQ2rzGU9VeKh48KJ/s320/20210127_230438000_iOS.jpg" width="320" /></a></div><br /><span style="font-family: Raleway; font-size: medium;"><br /></span><p></p>WoodFinn Farmhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/01024391051623278573noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5382609201497969667.post-28311613601351622152023-06-30T16:42:00.001-04:002023-06-30T16:45:18.825-04:00Omgosh… more<p> 6/30/23</p><p><span style="font-family: Raleway;">There have been a lot of changes again in my life. Yeah, again! I moved from Maryland to Southern Pennsylvania a few months ago. I have come to the conclusion that I really do love PA. The land is beautiful and peaceful, the humans seem to be nice enough even though I try to stay away from many and again, the land…. 🩵🩵🩵🩵.</span></p><p><span style="font-family: Raleway;">One of the best things is that I have a new job. I’m a tour guide for a small business that offers buggy rides through the countryside to learn about the Amish culture and way of life. So far, it’s been great. I get to be around horses and meet different folks from all over the country while they are on vacation. </span></p><p><span style="font-family: Raleway;">It’s the horses that attracted me and the fact that I know how to drive. At least I thought I did. Some of the rides are along peaceful country roads but some? Being on a Very Busy Road with a horse and a buggy full of passengers is quite different than a show ring. At first I was pretty much sure that it was not going to be a good idea to drive on a road like that. Eventually I learned about some of the horse’s’ personalities. Which were lazy or a little frightened to be in the midst of heavy traffic. It’s entirely different from showing! It was not long before I was getting the hang of it all. Learning how to ignore people who were much better drivers and would be the first to tell you…for example.</span></p><p><span style="font-family: Raleway;">The horses are a mix of breeds needed for the job they were to do and all kinds of dispositions hangups and soundness . From huge draft crosses, to Dutch Harness horses and a couple of other mixes. Of course I had my favorites.. and some were dropped from my list due to showing who they truly were. I’ll be sure to add some pix to some as this story develops. </span></p><p><span style="font-family: Raleway;">It’s a long drive to get to work but to me? Doing what I love and know is a little more important. I never needed a lot of money…enough to get my bills paid and that’s about it. So, so far so good. I’m enjoying heading to work daily and like what I do. 🩵🩵😁😁🩵🩵</span></p><p><span style="font-family: Raleway;">Below is one of my favorites… I believe he is a Dutch Harness horse named Commander. </span></p><p></p><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><br /></div><br /><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjCziJ9XObJ80vAP0p_zuH5DYUN9VZflGAAjh1cguw8cWi8q0NrtIgPR9PSi7m5plMWJzOm_1jUfm8chPj_Uvj1nLqUGC7eTFxbwGKSG69a1a5NqBA_HMrW5otbCN3Yf1X-hMd0E5c17hfaf61nUsYwqxpNmPSH73HIEOTG71EIzLKNLeO35nyP_SpySvMS/s4000/IMG_20230501_141635352_Original.jpeg" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="4000" data-original-width="3000" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjCziJ9XObJ80vAP0p_zuH5DYUN9VZflGAAjh1cguw8cWi8q0NrtIgPR9PSi7m5plMWJzOm_1jUfm8chPj_Uvj1nLqUGC7eTFxbwGKSG69a1a5NqBA_HMrW5otbCN3Yf1X-hMd0E5c17hfaf61nUsYwqxpNmPSH73HIEOTG71EIzLKNLeO35nyP_SpySvMS/s320/IMG_20230501_141635352_Original.jpeg" width="240" /></a></div><br /><span style="font-family: Raleway;"><br /></span><p></p><p><span style="font-family: Raleway;"><br /></span></p><p><span style="font-family: Raleway;"><br /></span></p><p><span style="font-family: Raleway;"><br /></span></p><p><span style="font-family: Raleway;"><br /></span></p><p><span style="font-family: Raleway;"><br /></span></p><p><span style="font-family: Raleway;"><br /></span></p><p><span style="font-family: Raleway;"><br /></span></p><p><span style="font-family: Raleway;"><br /></span></p><p><span style="font-family: Raleway;"><br /></span></p><p><span style="font-family: Raleway;"><br /></span></p>WoodFinn Farmhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/01024391051623278573noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5382609201497969667.post-20462434582811143822023-06-30T14:36:00.002-04:002023-07-10T08:56:02.444-04:00“I just wanna ride”<p><span style="font-size: medium;"> <span style="font-family: Raleway;">6/30/23.</span></span></p><p><span style="font-family: Raleway; font-size: medium;">How many times have I heard that. With over 40 years of teaching people how to ride, I don’t remember. Many times at least. One simply needs to start at the bottom and move up the ladder to be able to “ just ride “.</span></p><p><span style="font-family: Raleway; font-size: medium;">As stated in the note below, it’s imperative that you begin with the basics and start learning. Learning how to enter a horse’s stall, how to use the many safety precautions required for not being killed… how to clean a stall properly and safely with a horse in it.Learning how to groom a horse in a safe correct way.</span></p><p><span style="font-family: Raleway; font-size: medium;">There are so many things to learn that we horse people don’t even think about anymore due to learning it all correctly. Safety precautions will prevent a bad kick or more. You need to learn how to halter a horse and then lead it to any area.</span></p><p><span style="font-family: Raleway; font-size: medium;">Just simply knowing how a horse thinks and will behave is huge. What does your horse see when being anywhere… What will a horse react to, remembering that they are prey animals. </span></p><p><span style="font-family: Raleway; font-size: medium;">I remember teaching my students how their horses are not as brave as they seem to be. That given a chance to flee from something they perceive as a threat, they will run right over the human to save them selves. Most horses are basically frightened of things they don’t understand or remember from earlier in life.</span></p><p><span style="font-family: Raleway; font-size: medium;">So when I hear about how one just wants to ride, I have to chuckle. There have been times when I brought a very quiet horse into the aisle of my barn and told the “I just wanna ride “ student, okay, let’s just ride. Often times they’re not going to have a idea how to even get started. It takes all of my patience to not tell them what to do. Most of the time, I find something else to be doing so I don’t.Every single time, they will stand there helplessly, waiting for me to at least give a hint. Nope. Soon, I can’t stand it and we’ll end discussing the why’s behind how important it is to learn from the beginning. </span></p><p><span style="font-family: Raleway; font-size: medium;">All of a sudden, I have a student who is very interested in learning it All. From “horses are very dangerous to be around, all the way to mounting correctly, and having a good time. </span></p><p><span style="font-family: Raleway; font-size: medium;">If you “ just wanna ride” next time, go to a local trail riding place and pay for a ride. Chances are going to be great that you will Still be given the basics on how to ride.</span></p><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEho9qnL2VHdFVXICw22RRZzhLf3_aDFLjYBkHZORQes0CH4B-D_biCBDtx2gmAwtC_qbaTX47jxSW2JtjgLwRk5MmDlWPesIbuhwza74oh8rj8mWhAiPMdi2vIMJcphxgzKg0Gq4XI1SwULa6TWcDgCE-DCU3sx6cKMePRP3afx6cS8nbsl_lGVWgsEnU8E/s290/Kara%20w%20halter%20on%20backwards%201995.jpg" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="290" data-original-width="247" height="365" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEho9qnL2VHdFVXICw22RRZzhLf3_aDFLjYBkHZORQes0CH4B-D_biCBDtx2gmAwtC_qbaTX47jxSW2JtjgLwRk5MmDlWPesIbuhwza74oh8rj8mWhAiPMdi2vIMJcphxgzKg0Gq4XI1SwULa6TWcDgCE-DCU3sx6cKMePRP3afx6cS8nbsl_lGVWgsEnU8E/w311-h365/Kara%20w%20halter%20on%20backwards%201995.jpg" width="311" /></a></div><br /><p><br /></p><p><br /></p><p><br /></p><p> ****************************************************</p><p>‘I want to just ride’ - Say this to any seasoned professional in the game and they will look at you like ‘Oh honey’ 😂 </p><p> You have to learn to be a rider, groom, horseman/women, business owner, lead a team, handle clients and alongside all this you’ve still got to muck out and pick a broom up until you can earn enough money to have someone help you do this whilst you are doing something else to earn this said money. </p><p>‘I want to just ride’ doesn’t exist and if you see someone doing that you have no idea how hard they worked to get in that position. So get sweeping my friend ♥️ </p><p>#reality #horseworld #equestrianlife #horseriding #horserider #dressagerider #truth #equestrianstyle #equine #horsemanship</p>WoodFinn Farmhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/01024391051623278573noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5382609201497969667.post-2739634517040895832023-06-28T20:27:00.002-04:002024-01-06T15:31:15.869-05:00What the Heck?<p> 6/28/23</p><p><span style="font-family: Raleway;">It gotta be a long time since I was in dating mode but I still remember how it goes. Now either person can ask the other person out, and usually they have some enjoyable things lined up to do… right? It’s called a “ date “. People get to know each other slowly and learn about each other’s thoughts and feelings.</span></p><p><span style="font-family: Raleway;"> I also understand about “ hooking up “ To me it’s just a meeting of two people who are attracted to each other basically to have sex. Sometimes not even attracted to each other . Nothing more… no emotions needed..Back in my day it wasn’t called that, but it was the same thing.</span></p><p><span style="font-family: Raleway;">So, what the heck is the point of it all? I don’t believe things have changed in a kazillion years one bit. It’s still pretty much the “ I want your body “ with perhaps a little finesse added called a date . Why would someone want to give something that has been around for centuries a new name? I know my generation did it and I wonder what it was called say, during WWII?</span></p><p><span style="font-family: Raleway;">From what I understand it’s pretty much the same game but with a different name. Sighhh….and chuckling at the same time. Preferably I enjoy getting to know a bit about another person before jumping into bed with them. Used to be I wasn’t like that ,but now? Slowly getting to know another is a lot more important and enjoyable. Maybe I am truly old fashioned or maybe just old ? At any rate, don’t tell anyone else < grins> </span></p><p><span style="font-family: Raleway;">Have a great day tomorrow!</span></p><p></p><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/a/AVvXsEgq6NzVS5rHsZHB3dqHlGPYCiaduloJTBf2WLS7inlKOaBC5CbsrLJIFXy409yNuh9cB-7aqzYeLadPeuBzje0J5ecMfAIwvyR7O2GIb_g92fA3FGomMvyOFPQoZ0utVDoelTFbWGRcPOmhM2ddWOAfejxC9aPQqqafk1365FIaMVIxbn-29WK-hf3YnX2q" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img alt="" data-original-height="420" data-original-width="420" height="240" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/a/AVvXsEgq6NzVS5rHsZHB3dqHlGPYCiaduloJTBf2WLS7inlKOaBC5CbsrLJIFXy409yNuh9cB-7aqzYeLadPeuBzje0J5ecMfAIwvyR7O2GIb_g92fA3FGomMvyOFPQoZ0utVDoelTFbWGRcPOmhM2ddWOAfejxC9aPQqqafk1365FIaMVIxbn-29WK-hf3YnX2q" width="240" /></a></div><br /><p></p>WoodFinn Farmhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/01024391051623278573noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5382609201497969667.post-927029442347873172023-06-23T16:36:00.009-04:002023-07-01T21:08:52.798-04:00Men & Other Things<p><span style="font-family: Raleway; font-size: medium;"> 6.23.23</span></p><p><span style="font-family: Raleway; font-size: medium;">Shhhhhh! It’s a secret but I have met a most wonderful man. My sorta-kinda want list IF I was looking for a guy ( I’m happy with being single but it would be nice to have someone who wants to be around me that doesn’t have 4 legs 😊) has grown exponentially. Slowly, with more being added as I meet men who I don’t want to be around.</span></p><p><span style="font-family: Raleway; font-size: medium;">You see, I have known that I am rather picky about living things in my life for a long time. Dogs, cats, chickens, and of course, my beloved horses. Now? Add men. For my whole life I have never been one to hang with women, I always thought men were more interesting.<i>Ahhhh, she just likes the attention, you’re thinking…</i> No, really; Men have more interesting things to say than many women I know. I enjoy talking to them and learning from them. Yeah, well it helps if he’s a bit more than good looking. A while ago,I made one of the worst mistakes I could have in choosing a man. I chose the <b>Wrong one.</b> Life lessons learned! </span></p><p><span style="font-family: Raleway; font-size: medium;">Anyhow, back to the “ list “</span></p><p><span style="font-family: Raleway; font-size: medium;">* He needs to be smart. Not just ‘book-learned’ smart as in having a PhD in something or a swank college degree, but smart in other ways too.(fill in the blanks here) Unintelligent people are boring after a while and I find myself wandering off mentally.This in turn, gets me in a world of trouble. </span></p><p><span style="font-family: Raleway; font-size: medium;">* Well traveled. I would love to see some of this grand planet before I am too old. Having a person who knows his way around is a huge plus.</span></p><p><span style="font-family: Raleway; font-size: medium;">* A good conversationalist. I’m tend to be quiet until I know someone…. Sitting and listening. Observing. Once I get to know the person better, I will be more chatty, maybe. I also might get up and politely wander off. ( see note before)</span></p><p><span style="font-family: Raleway; font-size: medium;">* High ethics, morals and values… standards. As I have gotten older I don’t want to hear that he ‘seened’ something for example.</span></p><p style="text-align: center;"><span style="font-family: Raleway; font-size: medium;"> 🤪 <i><span style="color: red;">See? Told you!😛</span></i></span></p><p style="text-align: center;"><span style="font-family: Raleway; font-size: medium;"><br /></span></p><p style="text-align: left;"><span style="font-family: Raleway; font-size: medium;">* Oh<i style="color: red;">, </i>preferably taller than me. Used to be it was difficult to find a guy who was most of the above and be taller. Especially in heels. (Sadly I can’t wear heels anymore because I blew my ankle out a good while ago.)</span></p><p style="text-align: left;"><span style="font-family: Raleway; font-size: medium;">* Reasonably in good health… we all know how things creep up on us ‘ older’ folks, ( like the ever popular fat/fluffy areas) but I enjoy being able to get around a little. </span></p><p style="text-align: left;"><span style="font-family: Raleway; font-size: medium;">*Pretty much I like a country man. Nooooo, not a red neck,but a man who loves the country life. I have had my fill of the City Men. Oh my gosh.. lesson learned there too. Someone who understands how a gal might be forced to break a date because she has a sick animal and not pout. Someone who is loving and affectionate to all living things … also not afraid to show it.</span></p><p style="text-align: left;"><span style="font-family: Raleway; font-size: medium;">* A guy who treats a woman as she wants to be loved/ treated. One who doesn’t do that to gain ‘ brownie points’.Not a fake… if he is the sort who has more than one woman, then I am gone. </span></p><p style="text-align: left;"><span style="font-family: Raleway; font-size: medium;"> Okay so back to this guy… He’s not a scammer or a con man- Yayyy. He’s a little younger than me but I don’t mind. At our age, it doesn’t matter. ( omg, I’m a cradle robber!!! ) I can click pretty much all of the boxes above . The ones that are not clicked are due to not knowing him that well. </span></p><p style="text-align: left;"><span style="font-family: Raleway; font-size: medium;">There you have it. Finally a good person who is willing to be in my life and has no hidden agenda. It will be great getting to know him as time passes. I hope that he wants to stay in my life for a long time, too. 💜🤗</span></p><p style="text-align: left;"><span style="font-family: Raleway; font-size: medium;"> In case you’re thinking about the below photo being the perfect guy for meeee? think again.</span></p><p style="text-align: left;"><span style="font-family: Raleway; font-size: medium;"> 😅😅😅 😅</span></p><p style="text-align: left;"></p><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/a/AVvXsEgeEUpFay5SEPyU0_dBqgO0pCLFMjKr6Uv-NRPaUDdTA7yux9PPHgjgGWZQNw6B2iDRh9Bn9ZvBFLBNqvSUq30PfE7QpHY1wMq7JrTx-8xyapClz0sCSrWAxjDvdudDhdJGWCIFAIgEfLgweFbzG9FVuFsXQDGwp_XeeVHJ9TWGFwMU1RWab21sx3lsl1Ig" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><span style="font-family: Raleway; font-size: medium;"><img alt="" data-original-height="1040" data-original-width="780" height="240" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/a/AVvXsEgeEUpFay5SEPyU0_dBqgO0pCLFMjKr6Uv-NRPaUDdTA7yux9PPHgjgGWZQNw6B2iDRh9Bn9ZvBFLBNqvSUq30PfE7QpHY1wMq7JrTx-8xyapClz0sCSrWAxjDvdudDhdJGWCIFAIgEfLgweFbzG9FVuFsXQDGwp_XeeVHJ9TWGFwMU1RWab21sx3lsl1Ig" width="180" /></span></a></div><span style="font-family: Raleway; font-size: medium;"><br /><br /></span><p></p><p style="text-align: left;"><span style="font-family: Raleway; font-size: medium;"><br /></span></p><p><span style="font-family: Raleway; font-size: medium;"><br /></span></p><p><span style="font-family: Raleway; font-size: medium;"><br /></span></p><p><span style="font-family: Raleway; font-size: medium;"><br /></span></p><p><span style="font-family: Raleway; font-size: medium;"><br /></span></p><p><br /></p>WoodFinn Farmhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/01024391051623278573noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5382609201497969667.post-57245082110259172242023-06-17T17:50:00.007-04:002023-07-01T21:09:20.290-04:00Farmer Cheese?<p><span style="font-family: Raleway; font-size: medium;">I <span>saw this and wondered if it is a good idea for making Farmer Cheese. For those who are interested in making it or those who have made it before, what do you think? It looks pretty involved.</span></span></p><p><span style="font-family: Raleway; font-size: medium;">A good recipe or do you have a better one?</span></p><div id="ingredient_section" style="-webkit-tap-highlight-color: rgba(0, 0, 0, 0); cursor: pointer;"><div id="ingredient_section_inner" style="cursor: pointer;"><div class="header ingredient_header" id="ingreds_anchor" name="ingreds_anchor" role="heading" style="-webkit-user-select: text; color: #363a3c; cursor: pointer; font-weight: 700; line-height: 28px; min-height: 28px;"><span style="font-family: Raleway; font-size: medium;">Farmer Cheese</span></div><div class="header ingredient_header" id="ingreds_anchor" name="ingreds_anchor" role="heading" style="-webkit-user-select: text; color: #363a3c; cursor: pointer; font-weight: 700; line-height: 28px; min-height: 28px;"><span style="font-family: Raleway; font-size: medium;"><br /></span></div><div class="header ingredient_header" id="ingreds_anchor" name="ingreds_anchor" role="heading" style="-webkit-user-select: text; color: #363a3c; cursor: pointer; font-weight: 700; line-height: 28px; min-height: 28px;"><span style="font-family: Raleway; font-size: medium;">Ingredients</span></div><ul class="ingreds" style="-webkit-user-select: text; margin-top: 0px; padding-left: 18px;"><div class="ingred" id="ingred_container_1" style="cursor: pointer;"><li class="ingred_line" id="ingred_1" role="text" style="color: #7eb348; line-height: 25px; list-style-image: url("https://cdn.copymethat.com/static/li-style.png"); list-style-position: outside; margin: 2px 0px;"><span class="js_ingred_used" style="color: black; font-family: Raleway; font-size: medium; margin-left: 2px; vertical-align: middle;">1 Gallon of Milk (it doesn’t matter if it’s raw or pasteurized. Whole milk makes the best tasting cheese, but you can use 2% or skim milk too)</span></li></div><div class="ingred" id="ingred_container_2" style="cursor: pointer;"><li class="ingred_line" id="ingred_2" role="text" style="color: #7eb348; line-height: 25px; list-style-image: url("https://cdn.copymethat.com/static/li-style.png"); list-style-position: outside; margin: 2px 0px;"><span class="js_ingred_used" style="color: black; font-family: Raleway; font-size: medium; margin-left: 2px; vertical-align: middle;">1/2 cup of Lemon Juice, Apple Cider Vinegar, or White Vinegar (I use a mix of fresh lemon juice and ACV)</span></li></div><div class="ingred" id="ingred_container_3" style="cursor: pointer;"><li class="ingred_line" id="ingred_3" role="text" style="color: #7eb348; line-height: 25px; list-style-image: url("https://cdn.copymethat.com/static/li-style.png"); list-style-position: outside; margin: 2px 0px;"><span class="js_ingred_used" style="color: black; font-family: Raleway; font-size: medium; margin-left: 2px; vertical-align: middle;">Salt, Pepper & Herbs To Taste (I typically use chives, garlic powder, and parsley)</span></li></div><div class="ingred" id="ingred_container_4" style="cursor: pointer;"><li class="ingred_line" id="ingred_4" role="text" style="color: #7eb348; line-height: 25px; list-style-image: url("https://cdn.copymethat.com/static/li-style.png"); list-style-position: outside; margin: 2px 0px;"><span class="js_ingred_used" style="color: black; font-family: Raleway; font-size: medium; margin-left: 2px; vertical-align: middle;">1 or 2 Large Pots</span></li></div><div class="ingred" id="ingred_container_5" style="cursor: pointer;"><li class="ingred_line" id="ingred_5" role="text" style="color: #7eb348; line-height: 25px; list-style-image: url("https://cdn.copymethat.com/static/li-style.png"); list-style-position: outside; margin: 2px 0px;"><span class="js_ingred_used" style="color: black; font-family: Raleway; font-size: medium; margin-left: 2px; vertical-align: middle;">Cheesecloth</span></li></div><div class="ingred" id="ingred_container_6" style="cursor: pointer;"><li class="ingred_line" id="ingred_6" role="text" style="color: #7eb348; line-height: 25px; list-style-image: url("https://cdn.copymethat.com/static/li-style.png"); list-style-position: outside; margin: 2px 0px;"><span class="js_ingred_used" style="color: black; font-family: Raleway; font-size: medium; margin-left: 2px; vertical-align: middle;">Colander</span></li></div><div class="ingred_note" id="ingred_container_7" style="cursor: pointer;"><li class="ingred_line" id="ingred_7" role="text" style="font-style: italic; list-style-position: outside; list-style-type: none; margin-left: -22px;"><span class="js_ingred_used" style="font-family: Raleway; font-size: medium;"><a class="note_asterix" style="color: #7eb348;">*</a>If you’re keeping the whey (which you should!) you’ll need a few mason jars and a funnel</span></li></div></ul></div></div><div id="steps_section" style="-webkit-tap-highlight-color: rgba(0, 0, 0, 0); cursor: pointer;"><div id="steps_section_inner" style="cursor: pointer;"><div class="header step_header" id="steps_anchor" name="steps_anchor" role="heading" style="-webkit-user-select: text; color: #363a3c; cursor: pointer; font-weight: 700; line-height: 28px; min-height: 28px;"><span style="font-family: Raleway; font-size: medium;">Steps</span></div><ol class="steps" id="steps_pretty" style="-webkit-user-select: text; margin-top: 0px; padding-left: 5px;"><div class="step_anchor step" id="step_container_1" style="border-left-color: rgb(255, 255, 255); border-left-style: solid; border-left-width: 3px; cursor: pointer; padding-left: 15px;"><li class="step_line" style="color: #7eb348; line-height: 25px; list-style-position: outside; margin: 5px 0px 8px;" value="1"><span style="color: black; font-family: Raleway; font-size: medium;">Heat Milk To A Boil</span></li></div><div class="step_anchor step_after_line1" id="step_container_2" style="border-left-color: rgb(255, 255, 255); border-left-style: solid; border-left-width: 3px; cursor: pointer; padding-left: 15px;"><li class="step_line" style="line-height: 25px; list-style-position: outside; list-style-type: none; margin-top: 5px;"><span style="font-family: Raleway; font-size: medium;">In a large pot, heat the milk on medium-high heat until it’s at a rolling boil. Be sure to stir continuously to avoid scorching!</span></li></div><div class="step_anchor step" id="step_container_3" style="border-left-color: rgb(255, 255, 255); border-left-style: solid; border-left-width: 3px; cursor: pointer; padding-left: 15px;"><li class="step_line" style="color: #7eb348; line-height: 25px; list-style-position: outside; margin: 5px 0px 8px;" value="2"><span style="color: black; font-family: Raleway; font-size: medium;">Quickly Turn The Heat Off and Add Lemon Juice, ACV, or White Vinegar</span></li></div><div class="step_anchor step_after_line1" id="step_container_4" style="border-left-color: rgb(255, 255, 255); border-left-style: solid; border-left-width: 3px; cursor: pointer; padding-left: 15px;"><li class="step_line" style="line-height: 25px; list-style-position: outside; list-style-type: none; margin-top: 5px;"><span style="font-family: Raleway; font-size: medium;">Once the milk is boiling, turn off the heat and quickly add your lemon juice, ACV, or white vinegar.</span></li></div><div class="step_anchor step_subheader" id="step_container_5" style="border-left-color: rgb(255, 255, 255); border-left-style: solid; border-left-width: 3px; cursor: pointer; padding-left: 15px;"><li class="step_line" style="color: #363a3c; font-weight: 700; list-style-position: outside; list-style-type: none; margin-bottom: 15px; margin-left: -20px; margin-top: 15px;"><span style="font-family: Raleway; font-size: medium;">Be careful! It can easily overflow and make a huge mess!:</span></li></div><div class="step_anchor step" id="step_container_6" style="border-left-color: rgb(255, 255, 255); border-left-style: solid; border-left-width: 3px; cursor: pointer; padding-left: 15px;"><li class="step_line" style="color: #7eb348; line-height: 25px; list-style-position: outside; margin: 5px 0px 8px;" value="1"><span style="color: black; font-family: Raleway; font-size: medium;">The pot I use to make this farmer’s cheese is a standard large pot, and it usually overflows once I add the acidic ingredient. For that reason, I immediately move the pot to the sink before adding my lemon juice and apple cider vinegar!</span></li></div><div class="step_anchor step_after_line1" id="step_container_7" style="border-left-color: rgb(255, 255, 255); border-left-style: solid; border-left-width: 3px; cursor: pointer; padding-left: 15px;"><li class="step_line" style="line-height: 25px; list-style-position: outside; list-style-type: none; margin-top: 5px;"><span style="font-family: Raleway; font-size: medium;">If your pot is large enough, this won’t be an issue for you!</span></li></div><div class="step_anchor step" id="step_container_8" style="border-left-color: rgb(255, 255, 255); border-left-style: solid; border-left-width: 3px; cursor: pointer; padding-left: 15px;"><li class="step_line" style="color: #7eb348; line-height: 25px; list-style-position: outside; margin: 5px 0px 8px;" value="2"><span style="color: black; font-family: Raleway; font-size: medium;">The Milk Will Immediately Separate/Curdle</span></li></div><div class="step_anchor step_after_line1" id="step_container_9" style="border-left-color: rgb(255, 255, 255); border-left-style: solid; border-left-width: 3px; cursor: pointer; padding-left: 15px;"><li class="step_line" style="line-height: 25px; list-style-position: outside; list-style-type: none; margin-top: 5px;"><span style="font-family: Raleway; font-size: medium;">After adding your acidic ingredient, you should immediately see the milk curdle and separate into curds and whey. Stir it around a bit.</span></li></div><div class="step_anchor step" id="step_container_10" style="border-left-color: rgb(255, 255, 255); border-left-style: solid; border-left-width: 3px; cursor: pointer; padding-left: 15px;"><li class="step_line" style="color: #7eb348; line-height: 25px; list-style-position: outside; margin: 5px 0px 8px;" value="3"><span style="color: black; font-family: Raleway; font-size: medium;">Line A Colander With Cheesecloth</span></li></div><div class="step_anchor step_after_line1" id="step_container_11" style="border-left-color: rgb(255, 255, 255); border-left-style: solid; border-left-width: 3px; cursor: pointer; padding-left: 15px;"><li class="step_line" style="line-height: 25px; list-style-position: outside; list-style-type: none; margin-top: 5px;"><span style="font-family: Raleway; font-size: medium;">Line a colander with cheesecloth and place it in the sink. Using a wooden spoon, add the curds to the colander and add salt, pepper, and herbs.</span></li></div><div class="step_anchor step" id="step_container_12" style="border-left-color: rgb(255, 255, 255); border-left-style: solid; border-left-width: 3px; cursor: pointer; padding-left: 15px;"><li class="step_line" style="color: #7eb348; line-height: 25px; list-style-position: outside; margin: 5px 0px 8px;" value="4"><span style="color: black; font-family: Raleway; font-size: medium;">*If You’re Keeping The Whey* – Strain The Whey Into Mason Jars</span></li></div><div class="step_anchor step_subheader" id="step_container_13" style="border-left-color: rgb(255, 255, 255); border-left-style: solid; border-left-width: 3px; cursor: pointer; padding-left: 15px;"><li class="step_line" style="color: #363a3c; font-weight: 700; list-style-position: outside; list-style-type: none; margin-bottom: 15px; margin-left: -20px; margin-top: 15px;"><span style="font-family: Raleway; font-size: medium;">You can strain the whey into another pot to get the rest of the curds out, or you can do what I do:</span></li></div><div class="step_anchor step" id="step_container_14" style="border-left-color: rgb(255, 255, 255); border-left-style: solid; border-left-width: 3px; cursor: pointer; padding-left: 15px;"><li class="step_line" style="color: #7eb348; line-height: 25px; list-style-position: outside; margin: 5px 0px 8px;" value="1"><span style="color: black; font-family: Raleway; font-size: medium;">Place a small piece of cheesecloth over the top of a mason jar, then add the ring to hold it in place. Allow enough slack for it to hold the bits of curds that are still in the pot.</span></li></div><div class="step_anchor step_after_line1" id="step_container_15" style="border-left-color: rgb(255, 255, 255); border-left-style: solid; border-left-width: 3px; cursor: pointer; padding-left: 15px;"><li class="step_line" style="line-height: 25px; list-style-position: outside; list-style-type: none; margin-top: 5px;"><span style="font-family: Raleway; font-size: medium;">Put a canning funnel on top of the mason jar and pour the whey in.</span></li></div><div class="step_anchor step_after_line1" id="step_container_16" style="border-left-color: rgb(255, 255, 255); border-left-style: solid; border-left-width: 3px; cursor: pointer; padding-left: 15px;"><li class="step_line" style="line-height: 25px; list-style-position: outside; list-style-type: none; margin-top: 5px;"><span style="font-family: Raleway; font-size: medium;">I recommend keeping the whey! I’ll write an article about it’s various uses, but a quick Google search will show why it’s worth the extra step.</span></li></div><div class="step_anchor step" id="step_container_17" style="border-left-color: rgb(255, 255, 255); border-left-style: solid; border-left-width: 3px; cursor: pointer; padding-left: 15px;"><li class="step_line" style="color: #7eb348; line-height: 25px; list-style-position: outside; margin: 5px 0px 8px;" value="2"><span style="color: black; font-family: Raleway; font-size: medium;">Hang or Press Your Farmer’s Cheese</span></li></div><div class="step_anchor step_after_line1" id="step_container_18" style="border-left-color: rgb(255, 255, 255); border-left-style: solid; border-left-width: 3px; cursor: pointer; padding-left: 15px;"><li class="step_line" style="line-height: 25px; list-style-position: outside; list-style-type: none; margin-top: 5px;"><span style="font-family: Raleway; font-size: medium;">After mixing the herbs, salt, and pepper into the cheese, grab the sides of the cheesecloth and twist to squeeze out the remaining whey.</span></li></div><div class="step_anchor step_after_line1" id="step_container_19" style="border-left-color: rgb(255, 255, 255); border-left-style: solid; border-left-width: 3px; cursor: pointer; padding-left: 15px;"><li class="step_line" style="line-height: 25px; list-style-position: outside; list-style-type: none; margin-top: 5px;"><span style="font-family: Raleway; font-size: medium;">Then, hang the cheesecloth on a cabinet with a large bowl underneath to catch the whey as it drips. Alternatively, you can place the cheese and cheesecloth on a dish and put something heavy on top of it to press your cheese.</span></li></div><div class="step_anchor step_after_line1" id="step_container_20" style="border-left-color: rgb(255, 255, 255); border-left-style: solid; border-left-width: 3px; cursor: pointer; padding-left: 15px;"><li class="step_line" style="line-height: 25px; list-style-position: outside; list-style-type: none; margin-top: 5px;"><span style="font-family: Raleway; font-size: medium;">Don’t over-press or allow it to hang for too long or it will dry out! It takes some experimentation to get it just right. I tend to over-press, so I prefer the hanging method. I usually allow it to hang for about an hour to an hour and a half.</span></li></div><div class="step_anchor step" id="step_container_21" style="border-left-color: rgb(255, 255, 255); border-left-style: solid; border-left-width: 3px; cursor: pointer; padding-left: 15px;"><li class="step_line" style="color: #7eb348; line-height: 25px; list-style-position: outside; margin: 5px 0px 8px;" value="3"><span style="color: black; font-family: Raleway; font-size: medium;">Shape or Crumble Your Cheese and Refrigerate</span></li></div><div class="step_anchor step_after_line1" id="step_container_22" style="border-left-color: rgb(255, 255, 255); border-left-style: solid; border-left-width: 3px; cursor: pointer; padding-left: 15px;"><li class="step_line" style="line-height: 25px; list-style-position: outside; list-style-type: none; margin-top: 5px;"><span style="font-family: Raleway; font-size: medium;">I prefer to leave my farmer’s cheese in whatever form it takes while hanging, with a bit of pressing at the end. Some people serve their farmer’s cheese crumbled. Either way, it’s delicious!</span></li></div><div class="step_anchor step_after_line1" id="step_container_23" style="border-left-color: rgb(255, 255, 255); border-left-style: solid; border-left-width: 3px; cursor: pointer; padding-left: 15px;"><li class="step_line" style="line-height: 25px; list-style-position: outside; list-style-type: none; margin-top: 5px;"><span style="font-family: Raleway; font-size: medium;">Wrap the cheese in a beeswax wrap, wax paper, or an airtight container and refrigerate. Enjoy!</span></li></div></ol></div></div><p></p><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/a/AVvXsEjwKr35wfOv-GJw36Xb3E3pH13fWhfi2H28xbF-BPJhWJMUyQIn8PGnbQpsmz7mmBGlHw7jiFA7-QUCJKEWcwjldVIHWkYeLiw8gA29666goreoQc5FvpSkwgfwYF8bsvqa2TAuO3ThNqE7xhd7gzDwK4LH34wDMkjIfJuyzZA3uPb4gWbv7emG7tlRUw" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><span style="font-family: Raleway; font-size: medium;"><img alt="" data-original-height="500" data-original-width="750" height="213" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/a/AVvXsEjwKr35wfOv-GJw36Xb3E3pH13fWhfi2H28xbF-BPJhWJMUyQIn8PGnbQpsmz7mmBGlHw7jiFA7-QUCJKEWcwjldVIHWkYeLiw8gA29666goreoQc5FvpSkwgfwYF8bsvqa2TAuO3ThNqE7xhd7gzDwK4LH34wDMkjIfJuyzZA3uPb4gWbv7emG7tlRUw" width="320" /></span></a></div><span style="font-family: Raleway; font-size: medium;"><br /></span><img alt="Close ad" class="mv_unbutton" id="iconCloseSvg" src="data:image/svg+xml;base64,PHN2ZyB3aWR0aD0iMTAiIGhlaWdodD0iMTAiIHZpZXdCb3g9IjAgMCAxMCAxMCIgZmlsbD0ibm9uZSIgeG1sbnM9Imh0dHA6Ly93d3cudzMub3JnLzIwMDAvc3ZnIj4KPHBhdGggZmlsbC1ydWxlPSJldmVub2RkIiBjbGlwLXJ1bGU9ImV2ZW5vZGQiIGQ9Ik05LjM5NDg1IDBMNS4wMDA0MyA0LjM5NTI4TDAuNjA1MTUzIDBMMCAwLjYwNTE1M0w0LjM5NDQyIDUuMDAwNDNMMCA5LjM5NDg1TDAuNjA1MTUzIDEwTDUuMDAwNDMgNS42MDQ3Mkw5LjM5NDg1IDEwTDEwIDkuMzk0ODVMNS42MDQ3MiA1LjAwMDQzTDEwIDAuNjA1MTUzTDkuMzk0ODUgMFoiIGZpbGw9IiM5MTkxOTEiLz4KPC9zdmc+Cg==" style="border: unset; 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width: 1px;" width="1"></iframe></div><p style="-webkit-text-size-adjust: 100%; box-sizing: inherit; caret-color: rgb(85, 85, 85); color: #555555; letter-spacing: 0.38px; margin-bottom: var(--global-md-spacing); margin-top: 0px; overflow-wrap: break-word;"><span style="font-family: Raleway; font-size: medium;"><br /></span></p><p style="-webkit-text-size-adjust: 100%; box-sizing: inherit; caret-color: rgb(85, 85, 85); color: #555555; font-family: Sen, sans-serif; font-size: 19px; letter-spacing: 0.38px; margin-bottom: var(--global-md-spacing); margin-top: 0px; overflow-wrap: break-word;"><br /></p><p data-slot-rendered-content="true" style="-webkit-text-size-adjust: 100%; box-sizing: inherit; caret-color: rgb(85, 85, 85); color: #555555; font-family: Sen, sans-serif; font-size: 19px; letter-spacing: 0.38px; margin-bottom: var(--global-md-spacing); margin-top: 0px; overflow-wrap: break-word;"></p></div>WoodFinn Farmhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/01024391051623278573noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5382609201497969667.post-58456478410981320152023-06-17T16:52:00.002-04:002023-07-01T21:09:47.273-04:00See? Told ya so!<p><span style="font-family: Raleway; font-size: medium;"> 6/17/2023</span></p><p><span style="font-family: Raleway; font-size: medium;">This morning I woke up with a bit of a panic. I’d glanced at the clock and saw that it was late! Late when I was supposed to feed my horses. Oh my gosh… that woke me up fast. Then I realized that I didn’t have any horses to care for anymore. 😢 </span></p><p><span style="font-family: Raleway; font-size: medium;">I flopped back on the bed and felt sad for a while. Not being one of those who allows sadness to really get to me, I began thinking of how far I had come since 2000. </span></p><p><span style="font-family: Raleway; font-size: medium;">Sure I was doing without my own horses for the first time in my life but I was alright with it. I once again counted my blessings and faced my day. </span></p><p><span style="font-family: Raleway; font-size: medium;">Do I miss the life I had before? I DO! I’m just not able to do all the heavy things I used to do. That was a very difficult fact to deal with. I’ve never not been able to get things done, and this knowledge really didn’t help a bit. </span></p><p><span style="font-family: Raleway; font-size: medium;">Such is life, though, right? Getting to be “ older “ totally sucks most of the time. Being positive, I do happen to be around horses who are older too. </span></p><p><span style="font-family: Raleway; font-size: medium;">And that’s alright with me! </span></p><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/a/AVvXsEgW3vAPtr0hc35ShXqqVDizoPRt796m8ST6dYZcW4WMuUzy9x4F5lTPZJYP5FryT7RPIezonxrsNhRTdW3LxgeaLqmj_3OyRrNQmg2LZdF9h_WxBS0uvsF1vO6q-M1zjJhEMT8SNSWq-dnBJL7uQxaCag_31Uq1sf1b2oJvHee9qpuGNMOTsdbIt-U79Q" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><span style="font-family: Raleway; font-size: medium;"><img alt="" data-original-height="2332" data-original-width="1380" height="240" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/a/AVvXsEgW3vAPtr0hc35ShXqqVDizoPRt796m8ST6dYZcW4WMuUzy9x4F5lTPZJYP5FryT7RPIezonxrsNhRTdW3LxgeaLqmj_3OyRrNQmg2LZdF9h_WxBS0uvsF1vO6q-M1zjJhEMT8SNSWq-dnBJL7uQxaCag_31Uq1sf1b2oJvHee9qpuGNMOTsdbIt-U79Q" width="142" /></span></a></div><span style="font-family: Raleway; font-size: medium;"><br /></span><p></p><p><span style="font-family: Raleway; font-size: medium;"><br /></span></p><p><br /></p>WoodFinn Farmhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/01024391051623278573noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5382609201497969667.post-21631682475636168782023-06-16T19:43:00.006-04:002023-06-17T15:14:12.964-04:00Apologies <p> 6/16/23</p><p><br /></p><p>I owe you all an apology... </p><p>I have not been around due to personal life changes... Things got really tough to deal with but thanks to some positive folks in my life, it's looking much better. 😀</p><p>I had no signs of how to support myself and Simone, when all of a sudden, I was emailed a list of jobs relating to horses. It was a Buggy business... wanting to hire drivers. Noooo, not an exterminators' job,but a real honest to gosh Job with horses. Well, I called and they called back almost instantly, and I was hired almost the next day. I Do know how to drive.</p><p>Or so I thought. Let me tell ya- driving hack horses on roads is FARRRR different than training and driving show quality horses. They come with their own set of hangups and bad manners. Of course, I wanted to work with a few and create a happier horse but I have quickly realized that it isn't happening. I so wish I could and was allowed to work with a Dutch Harness Horse mare but, she was unsound when I began and is now unsound . I feel horrid for her and would Love to own her as I know exactly what to do to help her heal those tendons. Pounding for hours and hours on pavement will eventually break down legs, joints, and tendons to pieces and it's what had happened to this lovely mare long before I was working with her. What she needs is time off, poultices to help remove the pain and inflammation, proper wraps nightly and time. A Lot of Time off, so those legs can heal. She'll never be as sound as before,but completely usable. Just no more pounding that gawd awful asphalt. I don't think that will ever come to fruitition but I'd love for it too. My own precious mare who I could adore... </p><p>In the meantime, I'm slowly getting my credit cards paid off, bills caught up and life is good. Oh, I met a wonderful man too!. He's kind and is oh so similar to me in tha we seem to feel the same about many things. Who knows where that will go, but I hope it keeps becoming more positive daily!</p><p>I hope to keep up here a lot more. I promise.</p><p><br /></p><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/a/AVvXsEi-D6rLgnAJ8a4WOfqsR-RVTVWKL3O1dhcF0EVjglYd1-c2gcWuaSWK5Qe3afrDlpRCd6hn9VmAJiSNo4B82A2hI08drl2u45tbi7HcPfxS-31o0r5EI4ppAQo4ZtECYOpwZLMCLN8DcQPf6xbNdL3LVBZijIwK0ltuVT7yLbA8UNkBZdDr3gDG1Wxj6g" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img alt="" data-original-height="194" data-original-width="259" height="240" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/a/AVvXsEi-D6rLgnAJ8a4WOfqsR-RVTVWKL3O1dhcF0EVjglYd1-c2gcWuaSWK5Qe3afrDlpRCd6hn9VmAJiSNo4B82A2hI08drl2u45tbi7HcPfxS-31o0r5EI4ppAQo4ZtECYOpwZLMCLN8DcQPf6xbNdL3LVBZijIwK0ltuVT7yLbA8UNkBZdDr3gDG1Wxj6g" width="320" /></a></div><br /><p><br /></p><p><br /></p>WoodFinn Farmhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/01024391051623278573noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5382609201497969667.post-67254522368927166772023-06-16T19:15:00.008-04:002023-12-25T11:38:32.530-05:00Regards #3<p><span style="font-family: Raleway; font-size: medium;">6.16.23</span></p><p><span style="font-family: Raleway; font-size: medium;">Over time, we got to know each other very well, Regards and I. She flourished with kindness, good care and down time. In the evenings, I was the one to bring her back to her stall from being outside all afternoon in the winter. Mornings were spent with re-learning how to behave like a proper horse. She learned how to stand to be mounted, how to accept a bit without a big arguement... and so much more. Apparently her former owners had just wanted the results and of course, the money from winnings. Regards had to relearn so much! </span></p><p><span style="font-family: Raleway; font-size: medium;">She also had to get past being ring sour. The boss's daughter was the one schooling her and they had some major discussions over how to enter any ring even if it was the one at home. It wasn't long before Regards learned being there was kinda fun. This lady had a never ending pocket of sliced apples! Regards was offered one every time she did something correct, no matter how small. Eventually, this big red mare couldn't wait to get to the ring. They practiced so many things that she already knew but had gotten rusty on, like trotting all three speeds of a huge trot, stopping gently when asked, to stand quietly outside and inside the ring...lead changes at a canter and gallop and more. I was amazed at what this mare knew . One day, I told myself, I will know how to ask those things of a horse. One day.</span></p><p><span style="font-family: Raleway; font-size: medium;">It wasn't long before she was deemed ready for a small show. She'd been gaining confidence and muscle also. Regards wasn't the same dangerous, unpredictable horse who had arrived almost a year before. When I would come in the barn mornings before anyone else was there, I heard nickers, but just one waited to hear my voice... when I would tell them all <i>"Good Morning!!" </i> then I'd hear a get that deep loud whinny saying <i>'HELLO'</i> back to me. </span></p><p><span style="font-family: Raleway; font-size: medium;">The day of the show dawned bright and sunny. A beautiful late Spring day for a new beginning. Regards backed off the trailer, looking around as though looking for a friend. We doubted she would find any as this was a very small show, not the bright lights of the big time shows. She stood quietly as she was tacked up and all but put her bridle on by herself. Yes, Regards hadn't forgotten but still looking for something or someone in the distance though. Surprisingly enough, I was told to warm her up in the open ring, so off we went. Oh what a glorious mare I was riding~ anything I asked for, she responded perfectly. A happy 25 yr old and a happy chestnut mare. <i> I was in heaven.</i></span></p><p><span style="font-family: Raleway; font-size: medium;">Soon it was class time. <i>Open Jumpers, 3' 6" -- 4'.</i>.... There were some huge fences in the ring and now, they were being raised higher. Regards watched the fence crew changing the height of the fences, and seemed to be checking out each one carefully. They were number 4 in the ring. No clear rounds and it was time. They entered the ring at a walk, calmly wandering about through the fences. Regards was soft and quiet as they picked up a canter. a circle and towards the first jump. Over she sailed like it was a beginner jump. The next two were difficult due to some very tight turns and a mistake of dropping a hind toe allowed a pole to go down. She realized that she had made a mistake and corrected it. The rest were clean and clear. The other horses had faults enough to count them out of the competition, so it was Regards and the other horse who had only one pole down. There were only four jumps to take and they'd been raised another 2". Was Regards ready for such a high jump with difficult angles? The clock was set and the other horse/ rider entered the ring. I was standing outside the ring, beside Regards and watching. She was too. As they came to the two jumps at a very odd angle, a pole almost went down..but it held on. There was a time fault though...</span></p><p><span style="font-family: Raleway; font-size: medium;">It was Regards' chance to do what she'd been trained and bred to do. Win. They again entered the ring at a walk and I heard murmers about how odd it was at a medium level show to just wander about. Her rider asked for a slow canter as they did a circle around to be sure of the jumps... My boss's daughter then aimed Regards at her first jump. The rest was a blurr to me as I watched the time clock ticking on. Last jump of that tricky sequence and they were done. Regard's rider pushed her over the jump as kids learn at those first jumping lessons. " throw your heart over and your horse will follow". Regards kicked into another gear and cleared the jump and as they thundered past the timer, they were two seconds ahead of the other horse!! </span></p><p><span style="font-family: Raleway; font-size: medium;"><span>As applause thundered around the ring that day, I was cheering and clapping for that glorious red mare who had all but attacked me that first day. Of course, as they did their victory gallop, Regards' head went down and gave a mighty buck, almost unseating her rider, letting anyone who didn't know it that</span>... <i><span> </span></i></span></p><p style="text-align: center;"><i><span style="font-family: Raleway; font-size: medium;">" Regards Was Back!!!" </span></i></p><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiOxJXq4HVYAtTEXKmxYLEmGuugSNwru7Pd_5DJmCInyomnRiRuhhsst53ZGkK2dfLIAxDzvtxj1E4ovyI5sbvoltYPJh0l-UNd2bjOxSxGiq2rb-qTrgBlJRb33zkWPM4lWpj-kZcxCBhyxnEVZ6UxswWIoSVrrDgNG2Co79lC_9M33ps-AOo_lpLakg/s590/carly%20j.webp" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><span style="font-family: Raleway; font-size: medium;"><img border="0" data-original-height="590" data-original-width="380" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiOxJXq4HVYAtTEXKmxYLEmGuugSNwru7Pd_5DJmCInyomnRiRuhhsst53ZGkK2dfLIAxDzvtxj1E4ovyI5sbvoltYPJh0l-UNd2bjOxSxGiq2rb-qTrgBlJRb33zkWPM4lWpj-kZcxCBhyxnEVZ6UxswWIoSVrrDgNG2Co79lC_9M33ps-AOo_lpLakg/s320/carly%20j.webp" width="206" /></span></a></div><span style="font-family: Raleway; font-size: medium;"> with thanks to CarlyJ for this wonderful photo!<br /></span><p><span style="font-family: Raleway; font-size: medium;"><br /></span></p><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><span style="font-family: Raleway; font-size: medium;"><br /></span></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><span style="font-family: Raleway; font-size: medium;"><br style="text-align: left;" /></span></div><span style="font-family: Raleway; font-size: medium;"><br /><br /><br /><br /></span><p><span style="font-family: Raleway; font-size: medium;"><br /></span></p><p><span style="font-family: Raleway; font-size: medium;"><br /></span></p><p><span style="font-family: Raleway; font-size: medium;"><br /></span></p><p><span style="font-family: Raleway; font-size: medium;"><br /></span></p><p><span style="font-family: Raleway; font-size: medium;"><br /></span></p><p><span style="font-family: Raleway; font-size: medium;"><br /></span></p><p><span style="font-family: Raleway; font-size: medium;"><br /></span></p><p><span style="font-family: Raleway; font-size: medium;"><br /></span></p><p><span style="font-family: Raleway; font-size: medium;"><br /></span></p><p><span style="font-family: Raleway; font-size: medium;"><br /></span></p><p><span style="font-family: Raleway; font-size: medium;"><br /></span></p><p><br /></p>WoodFinn Farmhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/01024391051623278573noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5382609201497969667.post-26824268833334899262023-01-09T16:46:00.005-05:002023-07-09T21:46:15.856-04:00Regards, continued <p><span style="font-family: Raleway;"> 1..9.23</span></p><p><span style="font-family: Raleway;"><br /></span></p><p><span style="font-family: Raleway;">Regards #4</span></p><p><span style="font-family: Raleway;"> </span></p><p><span style="font-family: Raleway;">Regards must have been worn out with being nasty towards humans. For her, it was a full time job.She slept most of the afternoon, even snoring a bit. This was from my boss as he was the one doing the evening chores.</span></p><p><span style="font-family: Raleway;"> I got busy turning the geldings out and bringing the broodmares in for the day. It would not be long until we would be changing the turnouts around. The broodmares would then be out during the daytime and inside during the nights as it was getting to be early Autumn. The geldings that were healing from whatever injury had happened to them during their time on the track enjoyed being outside. Most likely, once they were sound as possible, plans would be made to find a new home for them to retire in.</span></p><p><span style="font-family: Raleway;">Jellino was so happy with his new vocation, he would tell everyone about it. He’s such a giant puppy dog; Big and he can look fierce easily. I loved him and I don’t usually care much for geldings. Jellino was the first horse who would give hugs in return in my life. One time I was feeling particularly bad and I was in Jellinos stall, in tears cleaning up pooh and telling him about it.. I turned around and wrapped my arms around his neck, sobbing into his mane. He curled his neck down and back, giving me a warm hug. So sweet and it helped a lot. Once again I was shown how intelligent horses are and how they truly are sensitive to other’s feelings. I was just in the beginning of allowing horses to be come into my mind, to learn from them and to enjoy them honoring me by letting me into the real world of the horse. I had learned how to block the constant noise from their chatter. It was around this time that I was really getting into talking with horses. I was in my middle 20s and learning to learn, just like the horses needed to do. </span></p><p><span style="font-family: Raleway;"> Finally, I was done with the morning chores and time to get busy getting to know Regards. I took the carrots the I brought for my favorite girls. Cliché was waiting for me. How do horses make carrots sound so good? I bit off a piece for me,too. Grabbing my brushes, I wandered around to Regards stall. She had not been outside since she arrived and she desperately needed to move. Not to mention that gawd awful stall. Yuck! </span></p><p><span style="font-family: Raleway;">She met me at the stall front, expecting to get a carrot, but I didn’t give it to her right away. Instead, I slid the stall door open,took a huge deep breath of bravery. Stepping into the stall, those ears flattened in an instant. Nostrils flared as she sucked in a breath of me. I got a serious flash back of pain and complete feeling of hysteria .</span></p><p><span style="font-family: Raleway;">“ <i>why?Why? It hurts so much! I can’t get away-HELP, someone, HELP!” </i></span></p><p><span style="font-family: Raleway;"> I didn’t have any idea why I was thinking that when all of a sudden, I realized it was coming from the horse standing right in front of me. She was studying my face as the tears began. I slid my back down the wall until I was sitting. I was sobbing for the dear mare in front of me who had dealt with so much incredible pain and fear. I remember saying over and over again that I was sorry. She asked ‘for what?’</span></p><p><span style="font-family: Raleway;">For what they did to you… I now understood what happened. Putting my brushes down, I thought it was not going to be a grooming sort of day at all. Regards looked away like horses do when they are thinking or deciding what to do next and then took a small step in my direction. I thought that sitting in horse manure on the ground was not a wise choice of places to be sitting with a known vicious horse. I stood up and didn’t move, all the while ready to leap for the door in an instant. She was studying me as though she had never seen me before. So, I turned around in a small circle. That surprised her. She lifted her neck up ,watching me closely. I explained that that way she could see that I didn’t have anything to hurt her with. </span></p><p><span style="font-family: Raleway;">Then, I stood still, waiting. It was up to her to make the first move. I would either be bitten by those humongous teeth or I might survive. We stood there, looking at each other for what seemed to be like 2 days at least. Then she turned her head around as if she had a bit of stomach pain and thought some more. She looked back to me and took another step, then another and another. She dropped her head and sniffed my jeans, tee shirt and hair. ( which by the end of the day, also smelled like horses.) Ever so carefully I raised my hand to her forehead and touched her. Man, those ears flattened so fast! I dropped my arm. </span></p><p><span style="font-family: Raleway;">‘It’s okay, I’m not in a rush.’ That’s when I remembered the carrots I had. I slid one from my pocket and she must have known that movement because her put her ears forward,looking for her carrots. I moved soooo slowly with one I my hand (which was shaking at this point) . She gently took it from me. Once again,tears flowed. Not sad tears this time,but tears of joy. </span></p><p><span style="font-family: Raleway;"><br /></span></p><p><span style="font-family: Raleway;"></span></p><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><span style="font-family: Raleway;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/a/AVvXsEj1m4G-c-UGmOsIk2v8Orf-wY6iPyqy2TWBlX9xwQjrpn1Pc859ityC4PqbwGYwMYSYVaJ-WNIRLJAV_6gtyx9w9xTRw8Z4y9Fbr-62J-Xrd_VRglOgNbvtRU1U1Soopzsdo-fRLKy-nRZnLProtu4l-kiBJSpznBNZ-VunHKpqcCdJsmhlys8tUv4e-g" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img alt="" data-original-height="1063" data-original-width="1600" height="213" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/a/AVvXsEj1m4G-c-UGmOsIk2v8Orf-wY6iPyqy2TWBlX9xwQjrpn1Pc859ityC4PqbwGYwMYSYVaJ-WNIRLJAV_6gtyx9w9xTRw8Z4y9Fbr-62J-Xrd_VRglOgNbvtRU1U1Soopzsdo-fRLKy-nRZnLProtu4l-kiBJSpznBNZ-VunHKpqcCdJsmhlys8tUv4e-g" width="320" /></a></span></div><span style="font-family: Raleway;"><br /><br /></span><p></p>WoodFinn Farmhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/01024391051623278573noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5382609201497969667.post-59187799516964994752023-01-06T19:51:00.008-05:002024-01-30T19:33:11.235-05:00 'Regards' #1<p> <span style="font-family: Raleway; font-size: medium;">1.6.2023</span></p><div><div dir="auto"><div class="x1iorvi4 x1pi30zi x1l90r2v x1swvt13" data-ad-comet-preview="message" data-ad-preview="message" id="jsc_c_di" style="padding: 4px 16px 16px;"><div class="x78zum5 xdt5ytf xz62fqu x16ldp7u" style="display: flex; flex-direction: column; margin-bottom: -5px; margin-top: -5px;"><div class="xu06os2 x1ok221b" style="margin-bottom: 5px; margin-top: 5px;"><span class="x193iq5w xeuugli x13faqbe x1vvkbs x1xmvt09 x1lliihq x1s928wv xhkezso x1gmr53x x1cpjm7i x1fgarty x1943h6x xudqn12 x3x7a5m x6prxxf xvq8zen xo1l8bm xzsf02u x1yc453h" color="var(--primary-text)" dir="auto" style="display: block; line-height: 1.3333; max-width: 100%; min-width: 0px; overflow-wrap: break-word; word-break: break-word;"><div class="x11i5rnm xat24cr x1mh8g0r x1vvkbs xtlvy1s x126k92a" style="margin: 0.5em 0px 0px; overflow-wrap: break-word; white-space: pre-wrap;"><div dir="auto"><span style="font-family: Raleway; font-size: medium;">Once upon a time…. Another Kristale…</span></div><div dir="auto"><span style="font-family: Raleway; font-size: medium;"> I had a job at a small Thoroughbred farm close to Middletown Del. The job covered everything that goes on within a small race training barn. I got there early and dished out breakfast for the horses, bringing the broodmares in for the day. It was early summer and the mornings were breathtaking that early. One mare and I used to stand outside and enjoy the sunrise. She was my favorite so she was just a little <span><a style="color: #385898; cursor: pointer;" tabindex="-1"></a></span>spoiled. </span></div></div><div class="x11i5rnm xat24cr x1mh8g0r x1vvkbs xtlvy1s x126k92a" style="margin: 0.5em 0px 0px; overflow-wrap: break-word; white-space: pre-wrap;"><div dir="auto"><span style="font-family: Raleway; font-size: medium;">After all the ‘night mares’ were in for the day, the farm owner would usually show up, coffee in hand. I’d get busy with stalls, dumping water buckets and rinsing feed tubs. The first horse would be out on the track by 7:00 AM during those days… before the sun got too hot. And so it would go. Most times I was done by noon and could head home. </span></div></div><div class="x11i5rnm xat24cr x1mh8g0r x1vvkbs xtlvy1s x126k92a" style="margin: 0.5em 0px 0px; overflow-wrap: break-word; white-space: pre-wrap;"><div dir="auto"><span style="font-family: Raleway; font-size: medium;"> One morning, I was just a bit late. There was a fender bender and I had to wait for them to get off the road. Guess who was hustling? My favorite mare was even hurriedly brought in much to her dismay. I was walking fast up the shed row to get the geldings out, not really paying attention as that side of the barn was empty of horses. </span></div></div><div class="x11i5rnm xat24cr x1mh8g0r x1vvkbs xtlvy1s x126k92a" style="margin: 0.5em 0px 0px; overflow-wrap: break-word; white-space: pre-wrap;"><div dir="auto"><span style="font-family: Raleway; font-size: medium;"> There I was, all but jogging when I went past one of the end stalls and into the barn. All of a sudden it was like there was a big explosion from one of the stalls. A huge red explosion. Eyes all but shining red, teeth bared, mouth wide open, ready to sink onto whatever body part of me was available. I was so startled, I hit the wall on the other side of the wall in shock. </span></div><div dir="auto"><span style="font-family: Raleway; font-size: medium;"> “ holy crap! What the hell is going on?!” </span></div><div dir="auto"><span style="font-family: Raleway; font-size: medium;"> I stood there trying to catch my breath, trying to see what it was. </span></div></div><div class="x11i5rnm xat24cr x1mh8g0r x1vvkbs xtlvy1s x126k92a" style="margin: 0.5em 0px 0px; overflow-wrap: break-word; white-space: pre-wrap;"><div dir="auto"><span style="font-family: Raleway; font-size: medium;"> Circling inside the stall was a big chestnut mare. Her mane was tangled in witch's knots, her deep red coat showed a lack of care, and her eyes were sunken into her head from abuse, scary to say the very least. She stood there, ears completely flattened against her neck, glaring at me with all the hatred she could muster. I said good morning and went back to my normal routine. My normal horses! </span></div></div><div class="x11i5rnm xat24cr x1mh8g0r x1vvkbs xtlvy1s x126k92a" style="margin: 0.5em 0px 0px; overflow-wrap: break-word; white-space: pre-wrap;"><div dir="auto"><span style="font-family: Raleway; font-size: medium;"> I was still shaking inside when my boss came in. I asked him what Is the new horse in for??? He started laughing and said that he forgot to tell me about ‘Regards’ shipping in. He motioned me to sit down. </span></div></div><div class="x11i5rnm xat24cr x1mh8g0r x1vvkbs xtlvy1s x126k92a" style="margin: 0.5em 0px 0px; overflow-wrap: break-word; white-space: pre-wrap;"><div dir="auto"><span style="font-family: Raleway; font-size: medium;"> As the story goes, she had been a “big horse” in the world of Open Jumpers. Anything she was pointed at, she’d jump easily. She was the horse to beat back then. No one knew what happened to her as she kind of disappeared from the show world. One year, she appeared again, fit as a fiddle and began winning again. Slowly but surely, she started refusing jumps. Back then, there was no internet to find things of this sort. One time, she slipped and almost went down. </span></div></div><div class="x11i5rnm xat24cr x1mh8g0r x1vvkbs xtlvy1s x126k92a" style="margin: 0.5em 0px 0px; overflow-wrap: break-word; white-space: pre-wrap;"><div dir="auto"><span style="font-family: Raleway; font-size: medium;">That’s when she was purchased by a couple of ladies from New York State. According to what my boss had discovered, these two saw Regards as a money-maker. They’d hired what everyone called ‘the cowboy’… Regards jumped or she was spurred and beaten with a whip. She was broken mentally and just about physically. She tried to refuse her jumps but was beaten so, she tried to jump each one clear. By then, she was not being fed. ‘Don’t feed her till she decides to jump’ was the rule. </span></div></div><div class="x11i5rnm xat24cr x1mh8g0r x1vvkbs xtlvy1s x126k92a" style="margin: 0.5em 0px 0px; overflow-wrap: break-word; white-space: pre-wrap;"><div dir="auto"><span style="font-family: Raleway; font-size: medium;"> She lost weight and became a horse to be reckoned with. No one could handle her; she had become so vicious. That’s where my boss came into it all. Regards had attacked her “trainer “, breaking his arm. The story was that Regards had to go or they were going to shoot her in the far pasture and leave her for the coyotes to enjoy.</span></div></div><div class="x11i5rnm xat24cr x1mh8g0r x1vvkbs xtlvy1s x126k92a" style="margin: 0.5em 0px 0px; overflow-wrap: break-word; white-space: pre-wrap;"><div dir="auto"><span style="font-family: Raleway; font-size: medium;"> And that’s how she ended up in ‘my’ barn.</span></div></div><div class="x11i5rnm xat24cr x1mh8g0r x1vvkbs xtlvy1s x126k92a" style="margin: 0.5em 0px 0px; overflow-wrap: break-word; white-space: pre-wrap;"><div dir="auto"><span style="font-family: Raleway; font-size: medium;"> In my spare time or at the end of my day -every day, I would sit outside her stall, talking to her. Every time I made a loud noise, she’d attack the stall wall, trying to stop me or the loud noises. One day I had to leave on time because I had an appointment to make. Hurrying to her stall, I told her that I was going but here was her daily carrot treat. As I jogged down the shed row, I heard her whisper a soft nicker. Tears in my eyes and feeling happy, I got into my little car and drove away, promising to see her in the morning.</span></div></div><div class="x11i5rnm xat24cr x1mh8g0r x1vvkbs xtlvy1s x126k92a" style="margin: 0.5em 0px 0px; overflow-wrap: break-word; white-space: pre-wrap;"><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjy_xT3eWxcoVZr1iz76DokK7Q8afvxPhUUxRVwGch4Pw_7i2oSexJEaMJHYgbtoTeJk3vOEXUcpOIO9wg5XrcZex-tOiSSffY3in_4ETJzUusqn-cN49iGFHnrdmerpDJN03fllrFG1QqnsgkIXbfp9TICCMKEE-k3A7l56eKe4921VSBd8IFZeYhq8Q/s612/IMG_2229.jpeg" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="408" data-original-width="612" height="213" 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x18d9i69 xkhd6sd x16tdsg8 x1hl2dhg xggy1nq x1o1ewxj x3x9cwd x1e5q0jg x13rtm0m x1n2onr6 x87ps6o x1lku1pv x1a2a7pz x1heor9g xnl1qt8 x6ikm8r x10wlt62 x1vjfegm x1lliihq" role="button" style="-webkit-tap-highlight-color: transparent; background-color: transparent; border-color: initial; border-radius: inherit; border-style: initial; border-width: 0px; box-sizing: border-box; color: inherit; cursor: pointer; font-family: inherit; list-style: none; margin: 0px; max-height: 1.3333em; outline: currentcolor; overflow: hidden; padding: 0px; position: relative; text-align: inherit; touch-action: manipulation; user-select: none; z-index: 1;" tabindex="0"><span aria-hidden="true" class="xrbpyxo x6ikm8r x10wlt62 xlyipyv x1exxlbk" style="float: left; font-family: inherit; overflow: hidden; text-overflow: ellipsis; width: 100px;"><span style="font-family: inherit;"><span class="xt0b8zv x16hj40l" style="font-family: inherit; padding-left: 6px;">6</span></span></span><span class="xt0b8zv x1jx94hy xrbpyxo xl423tq" style="background-color: var(--card-background); float: left; font-family: inherit; margin-left: -100px;"><span style="font-family: inherit;"><span class="x16hj40l" style="font-family: inherit; padding-left: 6px;">You, Louise Leister, Laurel Fedak and 3 others</span></span></span></div></span></div></div><div class="x6s0dn4 x78zum5 x2lah0s x17rw0jw" style="align-items: center; display: flex; flex-shrink: 0; font-family: inherit; height: 22px;"><div class="xnfveip" style="font-family: inherit; margin-left: 7px;"></div><div class="xnfveip" style="font-family: inherit; margin-left: 7px;"><span class="x4k7w5x x1h91t0o x1h9r5lt xv2umb2 x1beo9mf xaigb6o x12ejxvf x3igimt xarpa2k xedcshv x1lytzrv x1t2pt76 x7ja8zs x1qrby5j x1jfb8zj" style="align-content: inherit; align-items: inherit; align-self: inherit; display: inherit; flex-direction: inherit; flex: inherit; font-family: inherit; height: inherit; justify-content: inherit; max-height: inherit; max-width: inherit; min-height: inherit; min-width: inherit; place-content: inherit; width: inherit;"><div aria-expanded="true" class="x1i10hfl x1qjc9v5 xjqpnuy xa49m3k xqeqjp1 x2hbi6w x1ypdohk xdl72j9 x2lah0s xe8uvvx x2lwn1j xeuugli x1hl2dhg xggy1nq x1t137rt x1o1ewxj x3x9cwd x1e5q0jg x13rtm0m x3nfvp2 x1q0g3np x87ps6o x1a2a7pz xjyslct xjbqb8w x13fuv20 xu3j5b3 x1q0q8m5 x26u7qi x972fbf xcfux6l x1qhh985 xm0m39n x9f619 x1heor9g xdj266r x11i5rnm xat24cr x1mh8g0r xexx8yu x4uap5 x18d9i69 xkhd6sd x1n2onr6 x16tdsg8 x1ja2u2z xt0b8zv" id="jsc_c_dk" role="button" style="-webkit-tap-highlight-color: transparent; align-items: stretch; appearance: none; background-color: transparent; border-bottom-color: var(--always-dark-overlay); border-left-color: var(--always-dark-overlay); border-radius: inherit; border-right-color: var(--always-dark-overlay); border-style: solid; border-top-color: var(--always-dark-overlay); border-width: 0px; box-sizing: border-box; color: inherit; cursor: pointer; display: inline-flex; flex-basis: auto; flex-direction: row; flex-shrink: 0; font-family: inherit; list-style: none; margin: 0px; min-height: 0px; min-width: 0px; outline: currentcolor; padding: 0px; position: relative; text-align: inherit; touch-action: manipulation; user-select: none; z-index: 0;" tabindex="0"><span class="x193iq5w xeuugli x13faqbe x1vvkbs x1xmvt09 x1lliihq x1s928wv xhkezso x1gmr53x x1cpjm7i x1fgarty x1943h6x xudqn12 x3x7a5m x6prxxf xvq8zen xo1l8bm xi81zsa" color="var(--secondary-text)" dir="auto" style="display: block; font-family: inherit; font-size: 0.9375rem; line-height: 1.3333; max-width: 100%; min-width: 0px; overflow-wrap: break-word; word-break: break-word;">6 comments</span></div></span></div></div></div></div><div class="xq8finb x16n37ib" style="font-family: inherit; margin-left: 12px; margin-right: 12px;"><div class="x9f619 x1n2onr6 x1ja2u2z x78zum5 x2lah0s x1qughib x1qjc9v5 xozqiw3 x1q0g3np x150jy0e x1e558r4 xjkvuk6 x1iorvi4 xwrv7xz x8182xy x4cne27 xifccgj" style="align-items: stretch; box-sizing: border-box; display: flex; flex-flow: row; flex-shrink: 0; font-family: inherit; justify-content: space-between; margin: -6px -2px; padding: 4px; position: relative; z-index: 0;"><div class="x9f619 x1n2onr6 x1ja2u2z x78zum5 xdt5ytf x193iq5w xeuugli x1r8uery x1iyjqo2 xs83m0k xg83lxy x1h0ha7o x10b6aqq x1yrsyyn" style="box-sizing: border-box; display: flex; flex-direction: column; flex: 1 1 0px; font-family: inherit; max-width: 100%; min-width: 0px; padding: 6px 2px; position: relative; z-index: 0;"><div aria-label="Remove Love" class="x1i10hfl x1qjc9v5 xjbqb8w xjqpnuy xa49m3k xqeqjp1 x2hbi6w x13fuv20 xu3j5b3 x1q0q8m5 x26u7qi x972fbf xcfux6l x1qhh985 xm0m39n x9f619 x1ypdohk xdl72j9 x2lah0s xe8uvvx xdj266r x11i5rnm xat24cr x1mh8g0r x2lwn1j xeuugli xexx8yu x4uap5 x18d9i69 xkhd6sd x1n2onr6 x16tdsg8 x1hl2dhg x1ja2u2z x1t137rt x1o1ewxj x3x9cwd x1e5q0jg x13rtm0m x3nfvp2 x1q0g3np x87ps6o x1lku1pv x1a2a7pz x5ve5x3" role="button" style="-webkit-tap-highlight-color: transparent; align-items: stretch; background-color: transparent; border-bottom-color: var(--always-dark-overlay); border-left-color: var(--always-dark-overlay); border-radius: inherit; border-right-color: var(--always-dark-overlay); border-style: solid; border-top-color: var(--always-dark-overlay); border-width: 0px; box-sizing: border-box; cursor: pointer; display: inline-flex; flex-basis: auto; flex-direction: row; flex-shrink: 0; font-family: inherit; list-style: none; margin: 0px; min-height: 0px; min-width: 0px; outline: currentcolor; padding: 0px; position: relative; text-align: inherit; touch-action: none; user-select: none; z-index: 0;" tabindex="0"><div class="x9f619 x1n2onr6 x1ja2u2z x78zum5 x1r8uery x1iyjqo2 xs83m0k xeuugli xl56j7k x6s0dn4 xozqiw3 x1q0g3np xn6708d x1ye3gou xexx8yu xcud41i x139jcc6 x4cne27 xifccgj xn3w4p2 xuxw1ft" style="align-items: center; box-sizing: border-box; display: flex; flex-flow: row; flex: 1 1 0px; font-family: inherit; height: 44px; justify-content: center; margin: -6px -4px; min-width: 0px; padding-left: 12px; padding-right: 12px; padding-top: 0px; position: relative; white-space: nowrap; z-index: 0;"><div class="x9f619 x1n2onr6 x1ja2u2z x78zum5 xdt5ytf x2lah0s x193iq5w xeuugli x150jy0e x1e558r4 x10b6aqq x1yrsyyn" style="box-sizing: border-box; display: flex; flex-direction: column; flex-shrink: 0; font-family: inherit; max-width: 100%; min-width: 0px; padding: 6px 4px; position: relative; z-index: 0;"><span class="x3nfvp2" style="display: inline-flex; font-family: inherit;"><img alt="Love" height="18" src="data:image/svg+xml,%3csvg xmlns='http://www.w3.org/2000/svg' xmlns:xlink='http://www.w3.org/1999/xlink' viewBox='0 0 16 16'%3e%3cdefs%3e%3clinearGradient id='a' x1='50%25' x2='50%25' y1='0%25' y2='100%25'%3e%3cstop offset='0%25' stop-color='%23FF6680'/%3e%3cstop offset='100%25' stop-color='%23E61739'/%3e%3c/linearGradient%3e%3cfilter id='c' width='118.8%25' height='118.8%25' x='-9.4%25' y='-9.4%25' 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x1yrsyyn" style="box-sizing: border-box; display: flex; flex-direction: column; flex-shrink: 0; font-family: inherit; max-width: 100%; min-width: 0px; padding: 6px 4px; position: relative; z-index: 0;"><span class="x193iq5w xeuugli x13faqbe x1vvkbs x1xmvt09 x1lliihq x1s928wv xhkezso x1gmr53x x1cpjm7i x1fgarty x1943h6x xudqn12 x3x7a5m x6prxxf xvq8zen x1s688f xi81zsa" color="var(--secondary-text)" dir="auto" style="display: block; font-family: inherit; font-size: 0.9375rem; font-weight: 600; line-height: 1.3333; max-width: 100%; min-width: 0px; overflow-wrap: break-word; word-break: break-word;"><span style="color: #f33e58; font-family: inherit;">Love</span></span></div></div><div class="x1o1ewxj x3x9cwd x1e5q0jg x13rtm0m x1ey2m1c xds687c xg01cxk x47corl x10l6tqk x17qophe x13vifvy x1ebt8du x19991ni x1dhq9h x1wpzbip" data-visualcompletion="ignore" style="background-color: var(--hover-overlay); border-radius: 4px; font-family: inherit; inset: 0px; opacity: 0; pointer-events: none; position: absolute; transition-duration: var(--fds-duration-extra-extra-short-out); transition-property: opacity; transition-timing-function: var(--fds-animation-fade-out);"></div></div><div aria-label="Change Love reaction" class="x1i10hfl x1qjc9v5 xjbqb8w xjqpnuy xa49m3k xqeqjp1 x2hbi6w x13fuv20 xu3j5b3 x1q0q8m5 x26u7qi x972fbf xcfux6l x1qhh985 xm0m39n x9f619 x1ypdohk xdl72j9 x2lah0s xe8uvvx xdj266r x11i5rnm xat24cr x1mh8g0r x2lwn1j xeuugli x16tdsg8 x1hl2dhg x1ja2u2z x1t137rt x1o1ewxj x3x9cwd x1e5q0jg x13rtm0m x3nfvp2 x1q0g3np x87ps6o x1lku1pv x1a2a7pz x4r51d9 x1d0ri9u x4uap5 x1ug4tga xkhd6sd xnfr1j xzpqnlu x179tack x10l6tqk x5ve5x3" role="button" style="-webkit-tap-highlight-color: transparent; align-items: stretch; background-color: transparent; border-bottom-color: var(--always-dark-overlay); border-left-color: var(--always-dark-overlay); border-radius: inherit; border-right-color: var(--always-dark-overlay); border-style: solid; border-top-color: var(--always-dark-overlay); 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data-visualcompletion="ignore" style="border-radius: inherit; font-family: inherit; inset: 0px; opacity: 0; pointer-events: none; position: absolute; transition-duration: var(--fds-duration-extra-extra-short-out); transition-property: opacity; transition-timing-function: var(--fds-animation-fade-out);"></div></div></div><div class="x9f619 x1n2onr6 x1ja2u2z x78zum5 xdt5ytf x193iq5w xeuugli x1r8uery x1iyjqo2 xs83m0k xg83lxy x1h0ha7o x10b6aqq x1yrsyyn" style="box-sizing: border-box; display: flex; flex-direction: column; flex: 1 1 0px; font-family: inherit; max-width: 100%; min-width: 0px; padding: 6px 2px; position: relative; z-index: 0;"><div aria-label="Leave a comment" class="x1i10hfl x1qjc9v5 xjbqb8w xjqpnuy xa49m3k xqeqjp1 x2hbi6w x13fuv20 xu3j5b3 x1q0q8m5 x26u7qi x972fbf xcfux6l x1qhh985 xm0m39n x9f619 x1ypdohk xdl72j9 x2lah0s xe8uvvx xdj266r x11i5rnm xat24cr x1mh8g0r x2lwn1j xeuugli xexx8yu x4uap5 x18d9i69 xkhd6sd x1n2onr6 x16tdsg8 x1hl2dhg xggy1nq x1ja2u2z x1t137rt x1o1ewxj 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style="align-items: center; box-sizing: border-box; display: flex; flex-flow: row; flex: 1 1 0px; font-family: inherit; height: 44px; justify-content: center; margin: -6px -4px; min-width: 0px; padding-left: 12px; padding-right: 12px; padding-top: 0px; position: relative; white-space: nowrap; z-index: 0;"><div class="x9f619 x1n2onr6 x1ja2u2z x78zum5 xdt5ytf x2lah0s x193iq5w xeuugli x150jy0e x1e558r4 x10b6aqq x1yrsyyn" style="box-sizing: border-box; display: flex; flex-direction: column; flex-shrink: 0; font-family: inherit; max-width: 100%; min-width: 0px; padding: 6px 4px; position: relative; z-index: 0;"><i class="x1b0d499 x1d69dk1" data-visualcompletion="css-img" style="background-image: url("https://static.xx.fbcdn.net/rsrc.php/v3/y4/r/0BbQwEKQ9qi.png"); background-position: 0px -163px; background-repeat: no-repeat; background-size: 25px 759px; display: inline-block; filter: var(--filter-secondary-icon); height: 18px; vertical-align: -0.25em; width: 18px;"></i></div><div class="x9f619 x1n2onr6 x1ja2u2z x78zum5 xdt5ytf x2lah0s x193iq5w xeuugli x150jy0e x1e558r4 x10b6aqq x1yrsyyn" style="box-sizing: border-box; display: flex; flex-direction: column; flex-shrink: 0; font-family: inherit; max-width: 100%; min-width: 0px; padding: 6px 4px; position: relative; z-index: 0;"><span class="x193iq5w xeuugli x13faqbe x1vvkbs x1xmvt09 x1lliihq x1s928wv xhkezso x1gmr53x x1cpjm7i x1fgarty x1943h6x xudqn12 x3x7a5m x6prxxf xvq8zen x1s688f xi81zsa" color="var(--secondary-text)" dir="auto" style="display: block; font-family: inherit; font-size: 0.9375rem; font-weight: 600; line-height: 1.3333; max-width: 100%; min-width: 0px; overflow-wrap: break-word; word-break: break-word;">Comment</span></div></div><div class="x1o1ewxj x3x9cwd x1e5q0jg x13rtm0m x1ey2m1c xds687c xg01cxk x47corl x10l6tqk x17qophe x13vifvy x1ebt8du x19991ni x1dhq9h x1wpzbip" data-visualcompletion="ignore" style="background-color: var(--hover-overlay); border-radius: 4px; font-family: inherit; inset: 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x13faqbe x1vvkbs x1xmvt09 x1lliihq x1s928wv xhkezso x1gmr53x x1cpjm7i x1fgarty x1943h6x xudqn12 x3x7a5m x6prxxf xvq8zen x1s688f xi81zsa" color="var(--secondary-text)" dir="auto" style="display: block; font-family: inherit; font-size: 0.9375rem; font-weight: 600; line-height: 1.3333; max-width: 100%; min-width: 0px; overflow-wrap: break-word; word-break: break-word;"><br /></span><span class="x193iq5w xeuugli x13faqbe x1vvkbs x1xmvt09 x1lliihq x1s928wv xhkezso x1gmr53x x1cpjm7i x1fgarty x1943h6x xudqn12 x3x7a5m x6prxxf xvq8zen x1s688f xi81zsa" color="var(--secondary-text)" dir="auto" style="display: block; font-family: inherit; font-size: 0.9375rem; font-weight: 600; line-height: 1.3333; max-width: 100%; min-width: 0px; overflow-wrap: break-word; word-break: break-word;"><br /></span><span class="x193iq5w xeuugli x13faqbe x1vvkbs x1xmvt09 x1lliihq x1s928wv xhkezso x1gmr53x x1cpjm7i x1fgarty x1943h6x xudqn12 x3x7a5m x6prxxf xvq8zen x1s688f xi81zsa" color="var(--secondary-text)" dir="auto" style="display: block; font-family: inherit; font-size: 0.9375rem; font-weight: 600; line-height: 1.3333; max-width: 100%; min-width: 0px; overflow-wrap: break-word; word-break: break-word;"><br /></span><span class="x193iq5w xeuugli x13faqbe x1vvkbs x1xmvt09 x1lliihq x1s928wv xhkezso x1gmr53x x1cpjm7i x1fgarty x1943h6x xudqn12 x3x7a5m x6prxxf xvq8zen x1s688f xi81zsa" color="var(--secondary-text)" dir="auto" style="display: block; font-family: inherit; font-size: 0.9375rem; font-weight: 600; line-height: 1.3333; max-width: 100%; min-width: 0px; overflow-wrap: break-word; word-break: break-word;">Comment</span></div></div><div class="x1o1ewxj x3x9cwd x1e5q0jg x13rtm0m x1ey2m1c xds687c xg01cxk x47corl x10l6tqk x17qophe x13vifvy x1ebt8du x19991ni x1dhq9h x1wpzbip" data-visualcompletion="ignore" style="background-color: var(--hover-overlay); border-radius: 4px; font-family: inherit; inset: 0px; opacity: 0; pointer-events: none; position: absolute; transition-duration: var(--fds-duration-extra-extra-short-out); transition-property: opacity; transition-timing-function: var(--fds-animation-fade-out);"></div></div></div><div class="x9f619 x1n2onr6 x1ja2u2z x78zum5 xdt5ytf x193iq5w xeuugli x1r8uery x1iyjqo2 xs83m0k xg83lxy x1h0ha7o x10b6aqq x1yrsyyn" style="box-sizing: border-box; display: flex; flex-direction: column; flex: 1 1 0px; font-family: inherit; max-width: 100%; min-width: 0px; padding: 6px 2px; position: relative; z-index: 0;"><div aria-label="Send this to friends or post it on your timeline." class="x1i10hfl x1qjc9v5 xjbqb8w xjqpnuy xa49m3k xqeqjp1 x2hbi6w x13fuv20 xu3j5b3 x1q0q8m5 x26u7qi x972fbf xcfux6l x1qhh985 xm0m39n x9f619 x1ypdohk xdl72j9 x2lah0s xe8uvvx xdj266r x11i5rnm xat24cr x1mh8g0r x2lwn1j xeuugli xexx8yu x4uap5 x18d9i69 xkhd6sd x1n2onr6 x16tdsg8 x1hl2dhg xggy1nq x1ja2u2z x1t137rt x1o1ewxj x3x9cwd x1e5q0jg x13rtm0m x3nfvp2 x1q0g3np x87ps6o x1lku1pv x1a2a7pz" role="button" style="-webkit-tap-highlight-color: transparent; align-items: stretch; background-color: transparent; border-bottom-color: var(--always-dark-overlay); border-left-color: var(--always-dark-overlay); border-radius: inherit; border-right-color: var(--always-dark-overlay); border-style: solid; border-top-color: var(--always-dark-overlay); border-width: 0px; box-sizing: border-box; cursor: pointer; display: inline-flex; flex-basis: auto; flex-direction: row; flex-shrink: 0; font-family: inherit; list-style: none; margin: 0px; min-height: 0px; min-width: 0px; outline: currentcolor; padding: 0px; position: relative; text-align: inherit; touch-action: manipulation; user-select: none; z-index: 0;" tabindex="0"><div class="x9f619 x1n2onr6 x1ja2u2z x78zum5 x1r8uery x1iyjqo2 xs83m0k xeuugli xl56j7k x6s0dn4 xozqiw3 x1q0g3np xn6708d x1ye3gou xexx8yu xcud41i x139jcc6 x4cne27 xifccgj xn3w4p2 xuxw1ft" style="align-items: center; box-sizing: border-box; display: flex; flex-flow: row; flex: 1 1 0px; font-family: inherit; height: 44px; justify-content: center; margin: -6px -4px; min-width: 0px; padding-left: 12px; padding-right: 12px; padding-top: 0px; position: relative; white-space: nowrap; z-index: 0;"><div class="x9f619 x1n2onr6 x1ja2u2z x78zum5 xdt5ytf x2lah0s x193iq5w xeuugli x150jy0e x1e558r4 x10b6aqq x1yrsyyn" style="box-sizing: border-box; display: flex; flex-direction: column; flex-shrink: 0; font-family: inherit; max-width: 100%; min-width: 0px; padding: 6px 4px; position: relative; z-index: 0;"><i class="x1b0d499 x1d69dk1" data-visualcompletion="css-img" style="background-image: url("https://static.xx.fbcdn.net/rsrc.php/v3/y4/r/0BbQwEKQ9qi.png"); background-position: 0px -220px; background-repeat: no-repeat; background-size: 25px 759px; display: inline-block; filter: var(--filter-secondary-icon); height: 18px; vertical-align: -0.25em; width: 18px;"></i></div><div class="x9f619 x1n2onr6 x1ja2u2z x78zum5 xdt5ytf x2lah0s x193iq5w xeuugli x150jy0e x1e558r4 x10b6aqq x1yrsyyn" style="box-sizing: border-box; display: flex; flex-direction: column; flex-shrink: 0; font-family: inherit; max-width: 100%; min-width: 0px; padding: 6px 4px; position: relative; z-index: 0;"><span class="x193iq5w xeuugli x13faqbe x1vvkbs x1xmvt09 x1lliihq x1s928wv xhkezso x1gmr53x x1cpjm7i x1fgarty x1943h6x xudqn12 x3x7a5m x6prxxf xvq8zen x1s688f xi81zsa" color="var(--secondary-text)" dir="auto" style="display: block; font-family: inherit; font-size: 0.9375rem; font-weight: 600; line-height: 1.3333; max-width: 100%; min-width: 0px; overflow-wrap: break-word; word-break: break-word;">Share</span></div></div><div class="x1o1ewxj x3x9cwd x1e5q0jg x13rtm0m x1ey2m1c xds687c xg01cxk x47corl x10l6tqk x17qophe x13vifvy x1ebt8du x19991ni x1dhq9h x1wpzbip" data-visualcompletion="ignore" style="background-color: var(--hover-overlay); border-radius: 4px; font-family: inherit; inset: 0px; opacity: 0; pointer-events: none; position: absolute; transition-duration: var(--fds-duration-extra-extra-short-out); transition-property: opacity; transition-timing-function: var(--fds-animation-fade-out);"></div></div></div></div></div></div></div><div class="x1jx94hy x12nagc" style="color: #1c1e21; font-family: "Segoe UI Historic", "Segoe UI", Helvetica, Arial, sans-serif; font-size: 12px; margin-bottom: 4px;"></div></div></div></div>WoodFinn Farmhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/01024391051623278573noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5382609201497969667.post-4422399473526690872023-01-03T20:43:00.010-05:002023-11-09T14:13:11.194-05:00Another…<p></p><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjiaBob6tFzFVqfXlXaorJ3WgATGamXSorelOlbWwFKjhrP58nEozDAJn9YTccbvOKfw-b00ZKTgSUCce5R74G9QQeylG8v6S7X89FluL332sNOShzA5Z8j0PMLc42PGxkM8BL0Mv2pHVeDyGxRoTK9Pw36SyZYi_IZDPSYscQzewCMFAogEg6k2UEkaQ/s960/35E41C52-1E73-4CFD-8CE3-42CA5E1D7BB6.jpeg" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><span style="font-family: Raleway; font-size: medium;"><img border="0" data-original-height="639" data-original-width="960" height="213" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjiaBob6tFzFVqfXlXaorJ3WgATGamXSorelOlbWwFKjhrP58nEozDAJn9YTccbvOKfw-b00ZKTgSUCce5R74G9QQeylG8v6S7X89FluL332sNOShzA5Z8j0PMLc42PGxkM8BL0Mv2pHVeDyGxRoTK9Pw36SyZYi_IZDPSYscQzewCMFAogEg6k2UEkaQ/s320/35E41C52-1E73-4CFD-8CE3-42CA5E1D7BB6.jpeg" width="320" /></span></a></div><span style="font-family: Raleway; font-size: medium;"><br /> 1/3/ 2023</span><p></p><p><span style="font-family: Raleway; font-size: medium;">More memories…. ☺</span></p><p><span style="font-family: Raleway; font-size: medium;"> “I thank you for the music</span></p><p><span style="font-family: Raleway; font-size: medium;">And your stories of the road</span></p><p><span style="font-family: Raleway; font-size: medium;">I thank you for the freedom</span></p><p><span style="font-family: Raleway; font-size: medium;">When it came my time to go --</span></p><p><span style="font-family: Raleway; font-size: medium;"> I thank you for the kindness</span></p><p><span style="font-family: Raleway; font-size: medium;">And the times when you got tough</span></p><p><span style="font-family: Raleway; font-size: medium;">And, papa, I don't think</span></p><p><span style="font-family: Raleway; font-size: medium;"> I said 'I love you near enough --</span></p><p><span style="font-family: Raleway; font-size: medium;"> The leader of the band is tired</span></p><p><span style="font-family: Raleway; font-size: medium;">And his eyes are growing old.</span></p><p><span style="font-family: Raleway; font-size: medium;">But his blood runs through</span></p><p><span style="font-family: Raleway; font-size: medium;">My instrument,</span></p><p><span style="font-family: Raleway; font-size: medium;">And his song is in my soul --</span></p><p><span style="font-family: Raleway; font-size: medium;"> My life has been a poor attempt</span></p><p><span style="font-family: Raleway; font-size: medium;">To imitate the man</span></p><p><span style="font-family: Raleway; font-size: medium;">I'm just a living legacy</span></p><p><span style="font-family: Raleway; font-size: medium;">To the leader of the band</span></p><p><span style="font-family: Raleway; font-size: medium;">I am the living legacy</span></p><p><span style="font-family: Raleway; font-size: medium;">To the leader of the band.”</span></p><p><span style="font-family: Raleway; font-size: medium;">**********************************</span></p><p><span style="font-family: Raleway; font-size: medium;">“And Papa, I don’t think I said ‘ I love you “near enough.”</span></p><p><span style="font-family: Raleway; font-size: medium;">** This song means so much more than being about Dan Fogelberg’s father. My dad, even though he never had much to say by the time I came along. He’d been shut down by my mom so often, I think he gave up. The lyrics of the last part make me get teary-eyed. I remember as I got past the snotty kid stage, my dad let me help paint with him.We used to like taking long walks through the woods... As we walked down our long lane, Dad pointed out some of the birds, the rabbit hiding under a bush, thinking he was hidden. He showed me how to scrape old paint from an old piece of furniture. He told me about helping his dad (my grandfather) who took him hunting geese or ducks out on “The Flats “. His Irish ancestry gave me my absolute love for horses. Thanks, Dad.</span></p><p><span style="font-family: Raleway; font-size: medium;"> One time, after I had moved out, I stopped in to visit.We were sitting against a huge tree after they had moved into town… We shared a bottle of wine. By that time, he knew that his heart would not continue to keep him alive, and had begun having a glass of wine or a beer every so often. He got very serious and looked at me. He said that I was the one person who could keep the legacy of the duck carvers alive. It was in my blood… all of the others were not going to want to, but he hoped that I would continue loving this area as he did and that when I heard the shotguns over the fields and rivers, I’d remember.</span></p><p><span style="font-family: Raleway; font-size: medium;"> Ohhh, the wonderful stories I got to hear. From the hard work and the arguments, he grew to know as normal, the drinking that went on almost daily. </span></p><p><span style="font-family: Raleway; font-size: medium;"> That was when I was much older… when he died in California, I felt him leaving me. I remember sitting outside on some steps crying my heart out. </span></p><p><span style="font-family: Raleway; font-size: medium;"> I still miss him and seeing him walking down the path from my parents' house to mine because he knew I was scared of the massive thunderstorms that happened every summer. </span></p><p><span style="font-family: Raleway; font-size: medium;">‘Dad, I am still scared of those storms. Yeah, I know that it’s silly, but sometimes I wish we could sit once again talking as they move through. I miss you .</span></p><p><span style="font-family: Raleway; font-size: medium;"> James R. Heverin Sr./ WW II </span></p><p></p><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhzeaLYm95Hkh60g_UgtW_d3ln6SED_2qap3G59HJ9RwfFv5LpC0-HNc8ckUlqwmcWgU3sElmUhpeUMuqwkbS_CYoX_jPsSltjXwnoQ2TgR1JO9xyaUTXDzhLgjZrD2gtgRuyb6WC0k_fYvQ8XK6Ei_7h5BLrQV-dCY21ZZ5AHzsbZGvzwTMpG9P3LQ5kHD/s960/IMG_1612%20Copy.jpeg" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="960" data-original-width="720" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhzeaLYm95Hkh60g_UgtW_d3ln6SED_2qap3G59HJ9RwfFv5LpC0-HNc8ckUlqwmcWgU3sElmUhpeUMuqwkbS_CYoX_jPsSltjXwnoQ2TgR1JO9xyaUTXDzhLgjZrD2gtgRuyb6WC0k_fYvQ8XK6Ei_7h5BLrQV-dCY21ZZ5AHzsbZGvzwTMpG9P3LQ5kHD/s320/IMG_1612%20Copy.jpeg" width="240" /></a></div><br /><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><br /></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"> </div><br /><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"></div><span style="font-family: Raleway; font-size: medium;"><br /></span><p></p>WoodFinn Farmhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/01024391051623278573noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5382609201497969667.post-90539546182342703552022-12-13T00:04:00.007-05:002023-06-17T15:14:54.286-04:00 Yet, More Memories <p>12.13.22</p><p> <span style="font-family: Raleway;">A bedtime story for you…</span></p><p><span style="font-family: Raleway;"><br /></span></p><p><span style="font-family: Raleway;">Off to sleep for me…feeling a little down thinking about Christmas’ past. This year I will most likely be alone and it’s so different from all of the others. Certainly not what I would choose…</span></p><p><span style="font-family: Raleway;"> I remember the first time we were hired to deliver Santa with Lynna and our new carriage. That was so long ago… All the way from the town park along the river, and through my home town. We drove right down Main Street to the Santa House. There he would exit the carriage and greet all of the little ones waiting for him. The town was decorated with lights and fresh greens. The stores had stayed open later than usual. People calling “ Merry Christmas” or even “Happy Hanukkah”. It didn’t matter, there was good cheer was all over.</span></p><p><span style="font-family: Raleway;"> It took me back to a time when I was just a kid. Then there were multicolored lights stretched across the street. Now, there are white lights. Cramers’ department store (now an antiques store) had an upper area that had been almost solid windows filled with glorious toys. Bikes, sleds and more. It looked like a fairy land to a little girl who knew that Santa would never bring such wonderful gifts. </span></p><p><span style="font-family: Raleway;"> Driving our carriage through town on that very first night brought it all back again. So many wonderful memories and a few bad ones, but the good ones took over in my mind. All of a sudden I was transported back to when I was a little girl, looking up at that second floor all lit up with multicolored Christmas lights in awe. The blkes shimmering , the wagons in glimmering red and the sleds? Ohhhhh, the sleds 🛷. </span></p><p><span style="font-family: Raleway;"> One little girl in pony-tails would fall asleep, dreaming of a beautiful white horse pulling a big white carriage down Main Street, </span><span style="font-family: Raleway;">and guess who was in it? ❤️</span></p><p><span style="font-family: Raleway;"></span></p><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><span style="font-family: Raleway;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/a/AVvXsEisWZfv_3WiSSNv0OLf58uFTODq3SCL-kg-Ir9mq0v7w2hGYO1Rj-BYQkHOWR0G_0sskJAmj5gqK-e-u8TZGm2MB3heBZ70vr-k14IYShinV8ttRLMtkofXd3WxKaFZeoQHosFV12HsMQklopzBRNw3nYqFBokaU_AIex5e4W-TrMD2jgWSETCYZl28bQ" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img alt="" data-original-height="550" data-original-width="1200" height="147" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/a/AVvXsEisWZfv_3WiSSNv0OLf58uFTODq3SCL-kg-Ir9mq0v7w2hGYO1Rj-BYQkHOWR0G_0sskJAmj5gqK-e-u8TZGm2MB3heBZ70vr-k14IYShinV8ttRLMtkofXd3WxKaFZeoQHosFV12HsMQklopzBRNw3nYqFBokaU_AIex5e4W-TrMD2jgWSETCYZl28bQ" width="320" /></a></span></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><span style="font-family: Raleway;"><br /></span></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><span style="font-family: Raleway;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/a/AVvXsEiIBMXUXecPHiDSiwkiwU1gmCFra85IUvI_XDh1lrcow-kIw5hR6LTpRzGtLM234NL-fuxaewovzXTnbuorFAa3t4xGPwWyCDu2Uu-tRTFS8eveUmPMG0hiOPVbLyyYIi76wS-NO4r2-bFD_nSzHTsGvd4qxka510KhbASaVeUeKErmqF-u73Is1tY37A" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img alt="" data-original-height="400" data-original-width="600" height="213" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/a/AVvXsEiIBMXUXecPHiDSiwkiwU1gmCFra85IUvI_XDh1lrcow-kIw5hR6LTpRzGtLM234NL-fuxaewovzXTnbuorFAa3t4xGPwWyCDu2Uu-tRTFS8eveUmPMG0hiOPVbLyyYIi76wS-NO4r2-bFD_nSzHTsGvd4qxka510KhbASaVeUeKErmqF-u73Is1tY37A" width="320" /></a></span></div><span style="font-family: Raleway;"><br /><br /></span></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><span style="font-family: Raleway;"><br /></span></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><span style="font-family: Raleway;"><br /></span></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><span style="font-family: Raleway;"><br /></span></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><span style="font-family: Raleway;"><br /></span></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><span style="font-family: Raleway;"><br /></span></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><span style="font-family: Raleway;"><br /></span></div><span style="font-family: Raleway;"><br /><br /></span><p></p>WoodFinn Farmhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/01024391051623278573noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5382609201497969667.post-14614144923520992782022-12-04T18:54:00.005-05:002023-06-17T15:15:03.244-04:00More Memories… <p><span style="font-family: Raleway;"> 12/4/22..</span></p><p><span style="font-family: Raleway;">Ohmy gosh, three?</span></p><p><span style="font-family: Raleway;"> Yes! Three!</span></p><p><span style="font-family: Raleway;">I sometimes feel lonely for my past and it’s fun to remember good times in my life. </span></p><p><span style="font-family: Raleway;">I remember when I was trying to explain about how anyone can think about how it would be to think about something and the horse would oblige..Sometimes a horse will actually allow us to be in their world. The world of the The Horse is an amazing place to be allowed. I have been welcomed into many equine lives and I am still amazed at how welcoming they are once the ever missing trust is added. There was one time that I was giving a lesson using Lullaby Dixie. Dixie was the consummate show mare. When she hit “show mode” everyone knew she was coming. At home, I had her to the place where she was relaxed and happy. One of my adult students had asked about how I could do that… to merely “think “ a horse to stop or turn or even a trot. No physical signals but all thought and having the horse say “ ok, I will do that”. I have to say that sometimes I was amazed myself!</span></p><p><span style="font-family: Raleway;">I explained how she was to do in order to be able to communicate with her horse. Non- verbally… She had a tough time communicating with Dixie,but I could see Dixie beginning to listen to her just a little bit. All my student was doing was asking Dixie to stop. Simple, right? Not when you are attempting to Talk her into stopping, using only one’s mind.</span></p><p><span style="font-family: Raleway;"> My student was getting frustrated and wanted to quit. She thought that she was adding more stress to Dixie, not to mention herself. We discussed it a little more and she decided to try once more. </span></p><p><span style="font-family: Raleway;">Around and around the ring they walked…..</span></p><p><span style="font-family: Raleway;"><br /></span></p><p><span style="font-family: Raleway;">My student trying to clear her mind of everything that she was bothered by,and to open her mind to hear her favorite mare’s thoughts. They must have done three times around the rings, and I sure could hear her thinking “ slooooowwwww,Dixie, slooooowwww” Dixie was walking as slowly as a turtle might move. All of a sudden I “heard” stop, my love” . </span></p><p><span style="font-family: Raleway;">Dixie stopped and chewed on the bit a little, looking around at my student. Waiting for the next thought from her rider. I looked up at my student.. she had tears in her eyes as she patted Dixie softly saying “ thank you, my wonderful friend “. We never smacked our horses when they were good, instead a soft rub or caress. Words weren’t needed but they happened anyway..</span></p><p><span style="font-family: Raleway;"> The rider jumped down the long distance from the saddle as Dixie was pure Percheron. She hugged her around her big neck and Dixie hugged her back by bending her neck gently around her human . Absolute love… a person could feel it, if they were open enough.</span></p><p><span style="font-family: Raleway;">To see something like that, well, it will made me a little teary eyed. Dixie got the treat she knew were in a sweatshirt pocket and then they both walked in to the barn. </span></p><p><span style="font-family: Raleway;">❤️❤️💙💙💜💜</span></p><p><span style="font-family: Raleway;"><br /></span></p><p></p><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgOuWXGc3AUEnd5TeuB2rNAuIDbP97PMtR9hJFd4sFxRbL8YnvrNsFJGWkcp-Vvjs-OrsAgjE53vd6xf78bGgCyt6zQEV1lPue3Y6xMQTHRqmhEqIgqWwnu9MuZPBDRvF7mdQByzYSsnySXCRcf6N0oesSrKMuBYEu6sNP2pt5mxapChJr5k-2YVlrXGQ/s1936/164045B4-D10F-4612-B44D-01C282308397.jpeg" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1296" data-original-width="1936" height="214" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgOuWXGc3AUEnd5TeuB2rNAuIDbP97PMtR9hJFd4sFxRbL8YnvrNsFJGWkcp-Vvjs-OrsAgjE53vd6xf78bGgCyt6zQEV1lPue3Y6xMQTHRqmhEqIgqWwnu9MuZPBDRvF7mdQByzYSsnySXCRcf6N0oesSrKMuBYEu6sNP2pt5mxapChJr5k-2YVlrXGQ/s320/164045B4-D10F-4612-B44D-01C282308397.jpeg" width="320" /></a></div><br /><span style="font-family: Raleway;"><br /></span><p></p><p><span style="font-family: Raleway;"><br /></span></p><p><span style="font-family: Raleway;"><br /></span></p><p><span style="font-family: Raleway;"><br /></span></p><p><span style="font-family: Raleway;"><br /></span></p><p><span style="font-family: Raleway;"><br /></span></p><p><span style="font-family: Raleway;"><br /></span></p><p><span style="font-family: Raleway;"><br /></span></p>WoodFinn Farmhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/01024391051623278573noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5382609201497969667.post-87336829686304869362022-12-04T17:49:00.004-05:002023-06-17T15:15:12.534-04:00New small Business!<p> 12/4/2022</p><p><br /></p><p> <span style="font-family: Raleway;">Guess who decided to begin her own small business ? Yep, meeee. I have always been art oriented…. Painting, sketches ,photography and needlework. I also love to write too. ( haha imagine that!). I have been thinking about opening an online shop but never got around to it. I have now😁. </span></p><p><span style="font-family: Raleway;"> At first I thought about eBay, noooo. Then Etsy but they also want one’s first child as payment so that was out, as I didn’t have any kids to offer. What I decided on was to create a page on Facebook. It’s called “Winter Witch Design” and anyone can see it. I have actually sold a small piece. My most favorite one too… </span></p><p><span style="font-family: Raleway;">I am painting rocks and making horse shoe suncatchers. I have not done many but for a couple but I think they have turned out nicely. The rocks so far, become what the shape tells me will work best. I am still learning… </span></p><p><span style="font-family: Raleway;">Also, I can create personal suncatchers .. with a horse shoe from a best friend who has moved on and the person can decide which colors I will use. If I can find where I saved the photos I will share a couple. </span></p><p><span style="font-family: Raleway;">Have a wonderful upcoming week! ❤️❤️</span></p><p><span style="font-family: Raleway;">Below are the two “wols” ( remember Winnie the Pooh? Owl didn’t know how to spell Owl correctly, thus the “wol”) The small one has been sold… my favorite. 😉</span></p><p style="text-align: center;"><span style="font-family: Raleway;"> The bigger “Wol” is still for sale… </span></p><p style="text-align: center;"><span style="font-family: Raleway;">If you see something, get in touch with me . Winter Witch Designs</span></p><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjdI2zwjE2Pr_-1a51sWdB_UBcJu3i9uejkg03ryoXN-fLhjRd1flq_wBQoBWyMYswuw2hi1Afc5cMJ-jg5_NGoj9y07RIsZHPdMvMb8XmHesVudOQriQ1qaROm6wTbCzHf2VnBxsAuHzUvicikLl0f9lWi6OI2tqXRPOnW0uLMTv9xFzOjBjg2WnIUBg/s3264/92695706-F114-48C7-AE9B-D5AB5FBED8C0.jpeg" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><span style="font-family: Raleway;"><img border="0" data-original-height="3264" data-original-width="2448" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjdI2zwjE2Pr_-1a51sWdB_UBcJu3i9uejkg03ryoXN-fLhjRd1flq_wBQoBWyMYswuw2hi1Afc5cMJ-jg5_NGoj9y07RIsZHPdMvMb8XmHesVudOQriQ1qaROm6wTbCzHf2VnBxsAuHzUvicikLl0f9lWi6OI2tqXRPOnW0uLMTv9xFzOjBjg2WnIUBg/s320/92695706-F114-48C7-AE9B-D5AB5FBED8C0.jpeg" width="240" /></span></a></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><br /></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiiAyIIvK-mdEfJ8sToDc1fSzhS_Rn3bzDyfNONv0KJd3MlcrXOGLWW_veVFEE1cqtPpcR-xA8kQcQtBBRsRiNj87_6M4Zx38Q9SLzVAN2YBadbp3bwJt5w93U3PBk1MIFEWBSYzCkcxiTb_CStDfmmhqf93uNHFkWFHZOC81OHwIyqAK-TOt5mv6qAnA/s864/IMG_1280.JPG" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="864" data-original-width="648" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiiAyIIvK-mdEfJ8sToDc1fSzhS_Rn3bzDyfNONv0KJd3MlcrXOGLWW_veVFEE1cqtPpcR-xA8kQcQtBBRsRiNj87_6M4Zx38Q9SLzVAN2YBadbp3bwJt5w93U3PBk1MIFEWBSYzCkcxiTb_CStDfmmhqf93uNHFkWFHZOC81OHwIyqAK-TOt5mv6qAnA/s320/IMG_1280.JPG" width="240" /></a></div><div><br /></div><br /><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEh37znF0qtahCdAN6zgA-722tAJHYaSEQ9K8mOxSIq9E5Z-QMWbKrXXkXFaeWzI-9IFzY5PPS4HXldAAI0JwxUVFqEcKAJUfmrxa4HK1sUTmR8aBAW2roYEzJaRGn3kBBFZicXtBGlZCtN1DXMgswkaW95b_EGoiG2gRbucuChWOUPjRO6wB_hIcsrWRw/s3264/IMG_1229.HEIC" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="3264" data-original-width="2448" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEh37znF0qtahCdAN6zgA-722tAJHYaSEQ9K8mOxSIq9E5Z-QMWbKrXXkXFaeWzI-9IFzY5PPS4HXldAAI0JwxUVFqEcKAJUfmrxa4HK1sUTmR8aBAW2roYEzJaRGn3kBBFZicXtBGlZCtN1DXMgswkaW95b_EGoiG2gRbucuChWOUPjRO6wB_hIcsrWRw/s320/IMG_1229.HEIC" width="240" /></a></div><br /><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><br /></div><br /><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">This is my first endeavor… it is a small pony sized shoe and I couldn’t find a decent place to get a good photo… stay tuned.</div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><br /></div></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhssaUvhEtbpZJmOHLucmGAxXMQWzTsgoUyUfJqPnL8fJB01MjvxKXtZKooPuFIFlQAgK36sfvwKYi1EaZQZJiTWY6Lzq3jespM7DNVfX8pZQRhqZvC7B-fteKvELG7Z2Bo92mX05YOcHNfATFMbR_eUd5UVsEF307LHn1M1twPLHIqWg-x-6g_61NyiA/s4000/IMG_20221118_141822103.jpg" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="4000" data-original-width="3000" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhssaUvhEtbpZJmOHLucmGAxXMQWzTsgoUyUfJqPnL8fJB01MjvxKXtZKooPuFIFlQAgK36sfvwKYi1EaZQZJiTWY6Lzq3jespM7DNVfX8pZQRhqZvC7B-fteKvELG7Z2Bo92mX05YOcHNfATFMbR_eUd5UVsEF307LHn1M1twPLHIqWg-x-6g_61NyiA/s320/IMG_20221118_141822103.jpg" width="240" /></a></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><br /></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"> This is going to be a tiger or ginger cat, but it’s going to get a lot more done yet.</div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><br /></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjdWB1Ej7V8n9DbpasPTaL0Of7r4Evz7RSi1DRHPW9RYocX5saXVhJl-b-VEtnMaw9G72cWOwYHh_UwfA0D7BtPu6UCBoRxNQw5R426WRxze7i6q3SX_u2NbcRx10fnO7iH7FkbTj8t6Zm98IqBzjSVUq0xiYSQHI8XdNeEnn7_wE-laNXOVlQWt9pvjA/s3264/56E32B29-2C0F-4BF6-A0C2-70A5D4617BF8.jpeg" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="3264" data-original-width="2448" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjdWB1Ej7V8n9DbpasPTaL0Of7r4Evz7RSi1DRHPW9RYocX5saXVhJl-b-VEtnMaw9G72cWOwYHh_UwfA0D7BtPu6UCBoRxNQw5R426WRxze7i6q3SX_u2NbcRx10fnO7iH7FkbTj8t6Zm98IqBzjSVUq0xiYSQHI8XdNeEnn7_wE-laNXOVlQWt9pvjA/s320/56E32B29-2C0F-4BF6-A0C2-70A5D4617BF8.jpeg" width="240" /></a></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"> </div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">Again, terrible photos but I hope you get the idea.</div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjPzvsoGndKFbEocNnREW-I0cjTv67CBpRK-dEnvvV3_2Smr3Ur5l2evYDeKYFgudo6u9I3BuT7VK6vLLcRhliVS7LmPZaH-QjpyAeE0Nv3J7gTdCVWlAw5PW6I1XQkFpNmP0Bv-Pd0OM-mX_oVWfnpIYJqOtdvftAet8cVhvH5blZy5m3Jx3LmXaN0VQ/s2592/IMG_1257.JPG" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="2592" data-original-width="1944" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjPzvsoGndKFbEocNnREW-I0cjTv67CBpRK-dEnvvV3_2Smr3Ur5l2evYDeKYFgudo6u9I3BuT7VK6vLLcRhliVS7LmPZaH-QjpyAeE0Nv3J7gTdCVWlAw5PW6I1XQkFpNmP0Bv-Pd0OM-mX_oVWfnpIYJqOtdvftAet8cVhvH5blZy5m3Jx3LmXaN0VQ/s320/IMG_1257.JPG" width="240" /></a></div><br /><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><br /></div><br /><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><br /></div><br /><p><br /></p>WoodFinn Farmhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/01024391051623278573noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5382609201497969667.post-64122528923491469812022-12-04T17:10:00.006-05:002024-01-06T15:34:03.456-05:00December 2022<p> 12/4/2022</p><p><span style="font-family: Raleway;">Welcome, December! </span></p><p><span style="font-family: Raleway;">The Florida trip was a disaster. What I “ thought “ was going to be a chance to begin a small business changed from that to a big fat Nothing. The partnership I was told was to happen didn’t, nothing much happened with getting things ready to go , stopped. I was confronted with a grouchy person who acted like he didn’t even want me there. I tried to get along as best I could but after a while I didn’t try. Grouchy remarks got grouchy returns and I stopped trying to get his small trailer cleaned. It wasn’t worth the hassle or trouble. I got no thanks,no acknowledgement of it at all. I felt like I was heading back to where I had just gotten away from. The man is very unhealthy and becoming more so. While I was sick of the rude remarks, I did understand why. When one is worried silly about health, it sometimes makes one short tempered. Still is it okay to be rude and mean to another person? I don’t think so…So I made plans for leaving. The auto train was my choice and Mr Grumpy at least paid for my ticket back which was very nice of him. </span></p><p><span style="font-family: Raleway;">The trip to Florida was okay but I got to sit by a woman that was seriously into complaining. She told me that I might have to go sit somewhere else because <b>She</b> had asked for no one to sit in the seat beside her. She grumbled almost the whole trip down. It got a little funny as she paraded about like it was her train. One time she was flouncing her way to the cafe car and ran into the porter. He in turn, told her to take her seat. I didn’t hear the whole conversation, but she was pretty much put in her place. I heard snickers from the front of the car all the way down to her seat… when the train arrived at the station, she jumped up,grabbed her bag and proceeded to get off the train. It wasn’t long till she was stopped, being told that she was to wait until the handicapped people exited.😉 Oh my, such a commotion! She finally got told by one of the passengers to just to sit down and be quiet. ( yayyy) </span></p><p><span style="font-family: Raleway;">The trip back was peaceful until it was night. I had the two coach seats to myself. Things were super. I had been unceremoniously dropped off at the train station and had to wait till it was time to board. Seat was found easily, and I read for a while . Like I mentioned, all was wonderful until it was time to go to sleep. Oh my lord! The guy across the aisle snored. He just rattled the windows loose! Needless to say I got very little sleep that night. Then I had a two hour drive through Washington DC to get back also. I was so tired when I finally got to where my bed was, I couldn’t keep my eyes opened. A early night felt great.</span></p><p><span style="font-family: Raleway;"> Sooooo, here I am, once again. Believe me, life isn’t fun right now, but I am hoping it begins to look up again. </span></p><p></p><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiFzX9Y98U1Iy41NMMfpst_N2gG8F5otfdDQ0ktzzSbvfEnF_kRhb7s78C0YpvoIQuLfsPOiXsuNyI4b3K_rry-btyNS_CK4_Wo1vYc3CIetggS7By0HQovswMERUZ8EUi0H1JjxV8lmGq8aEX6D0ZY6hChaMFa99nK9eRsP_KbPFg7Ov77VEibB_B5pA/s2048/F40DE487-F228-487F-905C-D6B0F613BC66.jpeg" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="2048" data-original-width="1401" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiFzX9Y98U1Iy41NMMfpst_N2gG8F5otfdDQ0ktzzSbvfEnF_kRhb7s78C0YpvoIQuLfsPOiXsuNyI4b3K_rry-btyNS_CK4_Wo1vYc3CIetggS7By0HQovswMERUZ8EUi0H1JjxV8lmGq8aEX6D0ZY6hChaMFa99nK9eRsP_KbPFg7Ov77VEibB_B5pA/s320/F40DE487-F228-487F-905C-D6B0F613BC66.jpeg" width="219" /></a></div><br /><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiEPv5zzTAgfsr4herqDLvysgTWH5Ue9bQlxk-lRvZskYjLWWQ_vCSbNcLxgiDvMmXm6sJjwW99nIbJK-vjDdruT7edYQWyHZphd58HsIChOt-6cSrvxu2Qez-_oczAnTqF29vTtoRNNYPtDnN6bhcT7WkgXDQAgRmj1Ob3b__eGfvT4uaBH471_6Lk_g/s2048/DD624994-4B9D-4479-91AF-5A368F7C1D9D.jpeg" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="2048" data-original-width="1536" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiEPv5zzTAgfsr4herqDLvysgTWH5Ue9bQlxk-lRvZskYjLWWQ_vCSbNcLxgiDvMmXm6sJjwW99nIbJK-vjDdruT7edYQWyHZphd58HsIChOt-6cSrvxu2Qez-_oczAnTqF29vTtoRNNYPtDnN6bhcT7WkgXDQAgRmj1Ob3b__eGfvT4uaBH471_6Lk_g/s320/DD624994-4B9D-4479-91AF-5A368F7C1D9D.jpeg" width="240" /></a></div><br /><div style="text-align: center;"> I wish you all a wonderful holiday with whatever you celebrate</div><p></p><p></p><div style="text-align: center;">. Lot’s of love, family and cheer! </div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhqxiCtZA4MSQFnjn91jgEQoHmjF83uUmIglrYsyRaN3i3_man9ixRI6893l3BqegeBWS037Xj1IV5Vs3RTZERGYYGsizXd1B0471frgYlbUh_N5YjOpjw2ToZ_-GApUtwBQcRl54hykhqisDi_6Hql_Yfhjt-Nm7mzb4RYIMmR93lHx4kPMfrKZzmQng/s1251/7E4F1546-A4F3-472F-94A3-8280CA34DBFE.jpg" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="844" data-original-width="1251" height="216" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhqxiCtZA4MSQFnjn91jgEQoHmjF83uUmIglrYsyRaN3i3_man9ixRI6893l3BqegeBWS037Xj1IV5Vs3RTZERGYYGsizXd1B0471frgYlbUh_N5YjOpjw2ToZ_-GApUtwBQcRl54hykhqisDi_6Hql_Yfhjt-Nm7mzb4RYIMmR93lHx4kPMfrKZzmQng/s320/7E4F1546-A4F3-472F-94A3-8280CA34DBFE.jpg" width="320" /></a></div><br /><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><br /></div><br /><p></p><p><br /></p><p><br /></p>WoodFinn Farmhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/01024391051623278573noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5382609201497969667.post-74751324377544445692022-11-24T15:22:00.007-05:002023-06-29T19:12:34.895-04:00Happy, Happy !!<p><span style="font-family: Raleway;"> 11/24/2022</span></p><p><span style="font-family: Raleway;"><br /></span></p><div class="x11i5rnm xat24cr x1mh8g0r x1vvkbs xdj266r x126k92a" style="background-color: white; color: #050505; font-size: 15.9375px; margin: 0px; overflow-wrap: break-word; white-space: pre-wrap;"><div dir="auto"><span style="font-family: Raleway;">A Thanksgiving story for you on this important day of being thankful for the people we love, those who are here and those who are unable to.</span></div></div><div class="x11i5rnm xat24cr x1mh8g0r x1vvkbs xtlvy1s x126k92a" style="background-color: white; color: #050505; font-size: 15.9375px; margin: 0.5em 0px 0px; overflow-wrap: break-word; white-space: pre-wrap;"><div dir="auto"><span style="font-family: Raleway;">As many know, I gave riding lessons to adults and kids, for decades. One family had two kids taking lessons that year. It was destined to be a normal Thanksgiving weekend and I was looking forward to a few days off. Hahaha, so were my two bronze turkeys! Harry and Mary were their names. I raised them from little teeny babies and they were great friends with my chickens and horses. Harry used to strut about, tail feathers all plumed out doing his best to impress Mary, but she never showed any interest. He wouldn’t coo at her, obviously saying sweet nothings in ‘Turkish.’ Nothing.</span></div></div><div class="x11i5rnm xat24cr x1mh8g0r x1vvkbs xtlvy1s x126k92a" style="background-color: white; color: #050505; font-size: 15.9375px; margin: 0.5em 0px 0px; overflow-wrap: break-word; white-space: pre-wrap;"><div dir="auto"><span style="font-family: Raleway;">That was the year I had the most glorious “night before Thanksgiving' that I will never forget. But I’m getting ahead of myself. The Wednesday before the big weekend, I rode my favorite Appaloosa mare, Miki, bareback to get the mail. The boxes were all down at the end of the long driveway, so it was a nice ride. A beautiful day and my favorite time of the year on the best little horse I had ever owned. Perfect.</span></div></div><div class="x11i5rnm xat24cr x1mh8g0r x1vvkbs xtlvy1s x126k92a" style="background-color: white; color: #050505; font-size: 15.9375px; margin: 0.5em 0px 0px; overflow-wrap: break-word; white-space: pre-wrap;"><div dir="auto"><span style="font-family: Raleway;">We got to the mailbox and I stepped Miki sideways to get the mail from the box. She was such a pro in everything she did. I reached into the box and grabbed the pile of mail. Being the last day for mail that week, there was a pile of it. I stuffed it under my arm, swung my little mare around, and headed home.</span></div></div><div class="x11i5rnm xat24cr x1mh8g0r x1vvkbs xtlvy1s x126k92a" style="background-color: white; color: #050505; font-size: 15.9375px; margin: 0.5em 0px 0px; overflow-wrap: break-word; white-space: pre-wrap;"><div dir="auto"><span style="font-family: Raleway;"> When I got home, I began sorting through the mail: A few checks from clients, a few Thanksgiving cards, and some junk mail. I sat down at the kitchen table and began opening the card envelopes. </span></div></div><div class="x11i5rnm xat24cr x1mh8g0r x1vvkbs xtlvy1s x126k92a" style="background-color: white; color: #050505; font-size: 15.9375px; margin: 0.5em 0px 0px; overflow-wrap: break-word; white-space: pre-wrap;"><div dir="auto"><span style="font-family: Raleway;">There was one big envelope that got my attention. It was addressed to Harry at WoodFinn Farm.</span></div><div dir="auto"><span style="font-family: Raleway;"> ???????</span></div><div dir="auto"><span style="font-family: Raleway;">The envelope was obviously handmade…Was it from a student? I got many wonderful things from them and this could be a holiday card from one.</span></div></div><div class="x11i5rnm xat24cr x1mh8g0r x1vvkbs xtlvy1s x126k92a" style="background-color: white; color: #050505; font-size: 15.9375px; margin: 0.5em 0px 0px; overflow-wrap: break-word; white-space: pre-wrap;"><div dir="auto"><span style="font-family: Raleway;">Opening that card that day so long ago, I still remember it clearly. It had to be unfolded and the words were printed in crayon. As I read it, I realized that it was a thanksgiving card…. But for my Turkeys? </span></div></div><div class="x11i5rnm xat24cr x1mh8g0r x1vvkbs xtlvy1s x126k92a" style="background-color: white; color: #050505; font-size: 15.9375px; margin: 0.5em 0px 0px; overflow-wrap: break-word; white-space: pre-wrap;"><div dir="auto"><span style="font-family: Raleway;">As I read the card I started laughing:</span></div></div><div class="x11i5rnm xat24cr x1mh8g0r x1vvkbs xtlvy1s x126k92a" style="background-color: white; color: #050505; font-size: 15.9375px; margin: 0.5em 0px 0px; overflow-wrap: break-word; white-space: pre-wrap;"><div dir="auto"><span style="font-family: Raleway;"><i> “Dear Harry,</i></span></div><div dir="auto"><span style="font-family: Raleway;"><i>We would love to have you for dinner so you are invited to our house tomorrow. Don’t bother dressing as we’ll supply that. We hope you can make it! </i></span></div><div dir="auto"><span style="font-family: Raleway;"><i> To the other people at WoodFinn Farm, we wish them a happy Thanksgiving. “</i></span></div></div><div class="x11i5rnm xat24cr x1mh8g0r x1vvkbs xtlvy1s x126k92a" style="background-color: white; color: #050505; font-size: 15.9375px; margin: 0.5em 0px 0px; overflow-wrap: break-word; white-space: pre-wrap;"><div dir="auto"><span style="font-family: Raleway;"><br /></span></div><div dir="auto"><span style="font-family: Raleway;">There was a big drawing of a turkey like Harry would look and then one of a cooked turkey on a big table. At the bottom were the signatures of the whole family.</span></div><div dir="auto"><span style="font-family: Raleway;"> The whole card made me laugh and again thankful for people who cared about me.<br /></span><span style="font-family: Raleway;"><span class="x3nfvp2 x1j61x8r x1fcty0u xdj266r xhhsvwb xat24cr xgzva0m xxymvpz xlup9mm x1kky2od" style="display: inline-flex; height: 16px; margin: 0px 1px; vertical-align: middle; width: 16px;"><img alt="💙" height="16" referrerpolicy="origin-when-cross-origin" src="https://static.xx.fbcdn.net/images/emoji.php/v9/tb/2/16/1f499.png" style="border: 0px;" width="16" /></span><span class="x3nfvp2 x1j61x8r x1fcty0u xdj266r xhhsvwb xat24cr xgzva0m xxymvpz xlup9mm x1kky2od" style="display: inline-flex; height: 16px; margin: 0px 1px; vertical-align: middle; width: 16px;"><img alt="💜" height="16" referrerpolicy="origin-when-cross-origin" src="https://static.xx.fbcdn.net/images/emoji.php/v9/t35/2/16/1f49c.png" style="border: 0px;" width="16" /></span></span></div><div dir="auto"><span style="font-family: Raleway;">*******************************************************</span></div></div><div class="x11i5rnm xat24cr x1mh8g0r x1vvkbs xtlvy1s x126k92a" style="background-color: white; color: #050505; font-size: 15.9375px; margin: 0.5em 0px 0px; overflow-wrap: break-word; white-space: pre-wrap;"><div dir="auto"><span style="font-family: Raleway;"><b> </b><i><b>May you all have a Wonderful Day!</b></i></span></div><div dir="auto"><b><span style="font-family: Raleway;"><br /></span></b></div><div dir="auto"><b><span style="font-family: Raleway;"><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhrTTvmPCzTGHRXJS-9dGnalCwH0Qa7YoAdtW3_LRoJVdP98D-jo9AlVclILBB6umrh4DqaIe0UktKMn4VsNQ6AiIicR8azT7fl1FCVpDLCOjbL7mAmoL_NOtgJVkH6yUrAf_Qv3mopJKsXUohgk9wvTO6f2ShkmwJgTKUZrk1uuvL708jpAd6rSG6Q6w/s768/WOL%201.jpg" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="768" data-original-width="576" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhrTTvmPCzTGHRXJS-9dGnalCwH0Qa7YoAdtW3_LRoJVdP98D-jo9AlVclILBB6umrh4DqaIe0UktKMn4VsNQ6AiIicR8azT7fl1FCVpDLCOjbL7mAmoL_NOtgJVkH6yUrAf_Qv3mopJKsXUohgk9wvTO6f2ShkmwJgTKUZrk1uuvL708jpAd6rSG6Q6w/s320/WOL%201.jpg" width="240" /></a></div><br /><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><br /></div><br /><br /></span></b></div><div dir="auto"><b><span style="font-family: Raleway;"><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><br /></div><br /><br /></span></b></div><div dir="auto"><b><span style="font-family: Raleway;"><br /></span></b></div><div dir="auto"><div class="x11i5rnm xat24cr x1mh8g0r x1vvkbs xdj266r x126k92a" style="margin: 0px; overflow-wrap: break-word;"><div dir="auto"><br /></div></div></div></div>WoodFinn Farmhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/01024391051623278573noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5382609201497969667.post-84411360435877328322022-11-21T15:36:00.009-05:002023-06-17T15:17:01.038-04:00Florida?<p> 11.21.2022</p><p><span style="font-family: Raleway;">So, once again, life has changed for me. Guess who is in Florida? Yeah- me. I know you're asking " what the heck?" Turns out that a friend I've known for a couple of years asked me to come down as he thought of going into business together ... making cool things to sell at various festivals, and the like. He was/ is remodeling an older motorhome and I understood that it was for traveling about, seeing the country, etc. I have always wanted to do just that so I thought about it and said yeah, let's do it. I no longer have any animals but my kitty and my sister said she'd take care of her.</span></p><p><span style="font-family: Raleway;">Here I am in Florida. Land of heat and humidity. Not to mention bugs I had never seen before, alligators everywhere water is and snakes and more. Did I mention alligators? Never being one to simply dismiss things I don't know about; it could be a fun time to explore the deep south. </span></p><p><span style="font-family: Raleway;"> Okay... I have seen enough that I know it's not where I will be settling down. Don't get me wrong- it's a lovely state and there are many things to do when it comes to horses. WEC is down here, and many top-notch horse farms as well... in the winter months, the weather is decent and according to some who have been here for a while, it gets downright cold. ( nottttt) It's just that I prefer the four seasons and the summers here are unbearable. So, no thanks.</span></p><p><span style="font-family: Raleway;">I have planned a small store on Facebook... "Winter Wytch Designs"- and have one (yep, just one now) item listed! Turns out that I couldn't find many of my craft things when I left and they remained in Maryland. Having to buy just about everything new again, it's taken me a bit to get going. I hope others like my designs. 😀 </span></p><p><span style="font-family: Raleway;"> That's about it for now. There's an odd feeling/ energy on this farm that I don't like. It also could be me injecting my feelings into it all, but it's still there in the background. An odd feeling though, even so. it's almost as though there's an undercurrent of negativity around. </span></p><p><span style="font-family: Raleway;">Below are a couple of photos I snapped here.</span></p><p><span style="font-family: Raleway;"><br /></span></p><p><span style="font-family: Raleway;"> This is a "Gopher Tortoise". </span></p><p><span style="font-family: Raleway;">They are very special in Florida and protected. If there's a burrow made by a tortoise, then anything like improvement is out of the question<br /></span></p><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><span style="font-family: Raleway;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEh3UDHrjka1lvLnMZLBeiIhpqi6TpZ7IauVlVqjJcpYWIG5XYfsO9cg9e8IDfWut8UHkJmXY0jtqrhDHNgYXd7Q8xtq6i34NL_bMW6JCRj_-WvRJyKIXbZItdmWaJeA2-xRMLTvWUEWoRysAMnyiY3tGExtDV4PDUT1gTr41pr5pPeIfJAT_mXENCQIrw/s1636/DSC_0685.JPG" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1095" data-original-width="1636" height="214" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEh3UDHrjka1lvLnMZLBeiIhpqi6TpZ7IauVlVqjJcpYWIG5XYfsO9cg9e8IDfWut8UHkJmXY0jtqrhDHNgYXd7Q8xtq6i34NL_bMW6JCRj_-WvRJyKIXbZItdmWaJeA2-xRMLTvWUEWoRysAMnyiY3tGExtDV4PDUT1gTr41pr5pPeIfJAT_mXENCQIrw/s320/DSC_0685.JPG" width="320" /></a></span></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><span style="font-family: Raleway;"><br /></span></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><span style="font-family: Raleway;">Lo and behold, there are what we kids used to call 'Monkey Vines'. </span></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><span style="font-family: Raleway;">We would swing on them and have a great time.</span></div><span style="font-family: Raleway;"><br /><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEg2gVRkeFIxkjFAwGXXhIVq_-6h9iBfCLKr38_kktvH1VW5kJjONop_DCi0dpyOwixYgeguzRnCUVbN84OpoQ-qwBcTJkuvQZmOhRrh6oyg8nT3oWBJg4bnj26ZfjX4JY2593THV0-_lItsl9ldSbagLaJvL5aMx2c8f5rOow3OdNr1ow2x5qvQCs3Kzg/s1936/DSC_0681.JPG" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1936" data-original-width="1296" height="362" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEg2gVRkeFIxkjFAwGXXhIVq_-6h9iBfCLKr38_kktvH1VW5kJjONop_DCi0dpyOwixYgeguzRnCUVbN84OpoQ-qwBcTJkuvQZmOhRrh6oyg8nT3oWBJg4bnj26ZfjX4JY2593THV0-_lItsl9ldSbagLaJvL5aMx2c8f5rOow3OdNr1ow2x5qvQCs3Kzg/w242-h362/DSC_0681.JPG" width="242" /></a></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><br /></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">Goodbye Mr. Tortoise.. safe travels.</div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhZZoGx1buNpvAV4uChhhb3fAwy4N_XqdEJXD6xbUiBgmzSS1DldRQQG6THxZCsFfNzCtHAvqfMv2CemWxNzJW51HEh7mVB2pOYTZCQxyl2GzFyzBb6b3q1xWaUzSsZEn5JJF8XhDYtY-rooTEKAzHa2wZFkWtSSv8GLbfUNk1ljRBSx6aFuTx6GZEWYw/s996/DSC_0688.JPG" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="996" data-original-width="996" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhZZoGx1buNpvAV4uChhhb3fAwy4N_XqdEJXD6xbUiBgmzSS1DldRQQG6THxZCsFfNzCtHAvqfMv2CemWxNzJW51HEh7mVB2pOYTZCQxyl2GzFyzBb6b3q1xWaUzSsZEn5JJF8XhDYtY-rooTEKAzHa2wZFkWtSSv8GLbfUNk1ljRBSx6aFuTx6GZEWYw/s320/DSC_0688.JPG" width="320" /></a></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">have a wonderful day...</div></span><p></p><p><br /><span style="font-family: Raleway;"><br /></span></p>WoodFinn Farmhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/01024391051623278573noreply@blogger.com0