Monday morning

Good Monday Morning Everyone,

Well, we are still working on various projects, bouncing back and forth to get them all complete. But we see light at the end of the tunnel and it's not, or a least I hope it's not, a freight train headed towards us.

The weather is cooling and you really can see the horses are becoming much more active, yesterday morning especially. This last spring we had a clutch of chicks hatched and of course they have grown and are always running around..busy..busy. After the football field was fed (and so was everyone else) I was going around checking and filling the water barrels. As I was standing by Dumplin's stall I noticed quite a bit of activity in the field. A couple of the horses were scurrying around and then walking back to their food. Seems they had found something that captured their interest or were being annoyed. I wandered over and saw what it was....seems a couple of the little hens and one brave rooster were attempting to scratch around in the horses hay...well...that was not going to happen.

Rosie, Trooper, Whiskey and Grace were not going to have anything to do with this. Remember the childhood game "Hot Potato"? Well, every time one of the chickens would get into some hay (brave little souls) a big soft velvety nose would bump it, lifting it in the air and tossing it a bit, this was going on between the four of these horses, and the little chickens were not giving up. It was quite comical to watch, but knowing how things can go bad, I figured I had better feed our little winged friends to ensure their safety. I went to their grain barrel and began calling them and from all corners of the property a flurry of feathers and tiny little dust clouds came rushing to me for their breakfast. I think the first time the FOBs witnessed this they laughed so hard, I like to think I have trained our MHR chickens, but they are so food motivated that it does not make any difference who calls to them, they will come a runnin'.

All the horses are doing well. Hope will be leaving on October the 19th to her "Forever Home" with Lisa. I did tell her via email that this was going to be a hard goodbye, but what I did not tell her was I was crying as I responded and as I write this to all of you the screen is a bit blurry. Our mission is to find "Forever Homes" and Hope is getting one of the very best out there, it is just when you have rescued her mother, lost her grandmother, and then watched this beautiful little one enter the world and realize that she would not be here for it not for all of you, it makes it tough. Rob told me last night after I walked away from the computer, as he knows the emotional attachments I get with our horses, he said "This is what we strive for, to find the best homes. You have accomplished your goal, now it's time to let go, not to say goodbye. Hope is moving on to the next phase of her life, to live and learn and to give pleasure to others." Though it makes sense, it does not mean I relish the day she leaves MHR. She will always and I do mean always be a part of my heart and the heart of many others around the world. Look at what all of you have done for this beautiful little/big filly.. Again many many Thanks to Lisa for opening her heart and her gate for Hope.

Well, with all that said, I have many many chores to accomplish today and as John Wayne said in his movie "The Cowboys" were "We're Burning Daylight" I will get going. I hope everyone has a splendid Monday and be safe and take care of yourselves. I hope maybe I can get in some fun puter time with all of you this evening.

Stephanie