So...

Over the last months Nancy and I have been working hard on getting the maximum tax returns from buying the property last year. Part of our plan - and yes, we did have a plan, - was to suffer through the remainder of last year because we really did not have the spare money to get all the stuff we needed. We knew we were stretching but we figured it was the best time for us to buy - we were right. But this year we needed to get the maximum returns, credits and everything else - we have plans!!

So Nancy has been working out how much extra pasture we are going to fence off (around 4 to 5 acres) and the costs of T-Posts, Fences, gates, wood corner posts and so on. We have a horse and hay shelter to finish and possibly a smaller shelter to build in the new pasture. We paid off our truck - we were at the last three months anyway and now it is actually ours!! Yay! We bought a Roomba. Why a Roomba? When you have the pets we do there is a lot of fur around - we thought having a robotic vacuum cleaner around that would at least get the main areas clean would really help cut down our housework. So far it has - the Roomba is excellent!

We have a well for our water and though it is potable it doth suck mightily, It has tannins which gives it a yellowish tinge (not the most attractive of colors when it comes to water) and it also smells of sulphur - not overwhelming but just enough to be annoying. So we ordered a reverse osmosis water filtration system which our local handyman, Tom Linnebur, installed yesterday - and which is working just great. So we will not have to be buying drinking water in the six gallon cases we have been doing for the last 10 months. Phew! Those cases are heavy. Our friends in Tucson, Carl and Holly did offer to help supervise and advise me on the installation as Carl installed one at his place but, in the end, I decided that it was better to pay Tom because he has the tools...

Which leads me to our next investments - getting the right tools. This is going to be an ongoing job, I got a Skilsaw and a drill so that we have the start of the powertools for building. I also got a transit level - finally an engineering tool I can actually use!!

So much stuff has happened! What a great time - and I have much more to write about!!

Sean and I have been doing a lot of walking this weekend - what fun! I really enjoy walking with him and, I hope he does with me. He was chuckling up a storm this afternoon!!

More to come!!

Has it really been this long?

Since we posted anything on the blog? Good lord, the time has flown and we have been busy as all get out. We have so many things to blog about it's hard to know where to start! Let's update the menagerie in this post and then we'll update the rest of the news in later posts. Just to reassure anyone who reads this - we are all fine, in fact we are doing great. The house and property are doing great too.




As you can see from this picture Bailey is still noshing away. I took this picture this afternoon after Sean and I got back from a walk. The horse shelter and hay storage area are still works in progress though the hay storage area roof trusses and beams are up and we just need to lay the tin.




And here are the other 5 nags! They were hanging out by the fence while Bailey was noshing. From left to right they are;

Calypso - a Paso Fino, she belongs to the daughter of our friend Viveka. Calypso is one pretty horse and Michaela and her are building a great partnership

Moon - our BIG horse - she is the one with the mask... she is flourishing and looks great. She lives in the west pasture with Calypso and Durango.

Durango - he is a Paso Fino gelding and is Nancy's latest horse, Nancy has just started riding him.

Chuparosa - a familiar name to people who have read this blog. She is doing very well - the medication she gets for Cushings seems to be working very well. She lives in the East pasture with Bailey and Irish.

Irish - last but not least. She is another Paso Fino owned by Viveka. She is a youngster.



Kokopelli came out with me when I went to take the pictures so here he is in all his glory! Kokopelli of the Serengetti!!



Snowby and Dodger managed to hold still for about 10 seconds so I could take this picture. We all had a nice walk this afternoon and the two lads are doing OK though Snowby is now grounded thanks to the fact that he kept running over to a neighbor's house and chasing their chickens.




And last, but far from least, the young lady - Giselle. She is growing as you can see - and she is beautiful.

So now you are updated on the menagerie!!