GASP *&! ..GURGLE*@!

AHHHhhhhh! ... A breath at last!

It's been a l.o.n.g.......4 months since I posted...

Tonite I decided I very much needed to take a few moments, to see if blogging was still occuring or if some new form of communication had been developed in my absense.

~~~

FYI...I am in the market for a new calendar & clock!

Ones that will give me back some days and hours!

...and even some seasons!

I'd pay dearly...if someone can scrounge them up!

My last post was barely a month into Spring,

and here it is now a month until Autumn! WOW!
~~~

We have been working non stop since this new "adventure" came to us. Progress has been made, but it is slow, tedious and frustrating!

20+ years of neglect and abuse just may take forever

~if ever ~

to turn this place into half of what it was so long ago.

Do we have the stamina to do just that?

That is yet to be seen....

We promised ourselves we'd not push ourselves as in years past....

as it is not OUR place!

...but old habits are hard to break!

**

*

DON'T EVER EVER judge a book by it's cover!

Remember, we had not seen the inside of this house before we agreed to take on this new direction in our lives.

We Knew what we were getting into with the barns, pastures, fencing etc.

But the house?

Foolishly, we thought

"It's a brick house! What could be wrong?"
***

Well............we may not have said yes...

had we seen beyond the brick facade!

GRUELING beyond anything else we've tackled in our lifetime!

(and mind you, we have taken on many challenges...)

May 1 to July 1, was 7am - to wee hours of the night for me!

EVERY SINGLE DAY!

I cannot believe how some people live...and abuse!

The first night I "slept" here...on an air bed, I woke every 15 minutes unable to breathe!

At 2 am, I woke up Cowboy and told him that I'm too old to take on such a daunting task!

The grime, the filth, the stench! The next day, we called the owner and he scheduled a carpet cleaner for the following day.

~~~

This started a a huge snowball effect...

one which, to this day, has not quit rolling!
~~~

The night it was cleaned (they said it was the worst job they'd ever tackled!)

the urine smell was worse!

Cowboy's smeller doesn't work like mine,

maybe because he's around horse and cattle excretions all day,

but mine is fine tuned and it did not like what passed over the sensors!

I ended up sleeping in my car most of the night!

I came inside once to get a drink of water

...only to run to the toilet and puke!

I gathered my purse and the Yorkies,

ran back to the car and headed home to our other place!!
~~~

Needless to say, before anything could progress within these walls,

the old flooring had to be removed, the floors and walls

primered with Kilz...several times.

The one and half year old carpet & pad was sooooo saturated

with cat and dog urnine, one couldn't have salvadged a

'clean' square yard of it if one wanted to!!

That was just the beginning...........

many many other daunting challenges,

disgusting discoveries have come to face us since May 1.

Luckily, my job's starting date got put off until July 1

because she saw what we were faced with here!!

~~~

Our home an hour away, was becoming a burden...

watering, weeding etc...every waking hour and waning muscle

was needed for this place if it's ever to be comfortable

for us to make a positive 'go' of our choice to move here.

~~~

We pondered for sometime on what to do...

~~~

There are only so many hours in a day,

there is only four hands between us...

and the wanting for an "easier" life,

was increasingly becoming a tougher life!

~~~

So...we advertised on CraigsList...to lease our home out.

Within 2 days, a gal from Boise, Id. with 2 kids wanted to lease it and be closer to her family.

~~~

...As of last Wednesday....

that burden was taken off of our shoulders for the most part.

No extra hours have to be squeezed out of the week to tend to it;

no more double power bills, 2 yards to mow and maintain....

~~~

So tonite, after spending a whole day of doing nothing....

truly nothing,

I decided I'd make a post....and then take one hour each evening

after work, to try and catch up with all of my friends

in the world of Blogland!

I've missed out on a bunch I'm sure! I know of two young gals who probably already had their babies and I missed the big event!!!

I know of one who was getting married...and I've missed out on all the fun!

But....

this week, I'm hoping to catch up on all of you!

I've missed all of you!

This W.O.W. is definetly triple W.O.W. these days....

but not ready to hang it up or to be turned out to pasture...

...

maybe next week, I'll think so....

Here Is The Scoop...

...on our Changes (and my absence)

Twenty years of sh** can take a toll!

I'm pretty darned sure this is a portrait of Us,
if we had the time to look in the mirror!

~

We have been hopscotching back and forth,

east & west, and back again!

Working here, working there, going after this, going after that.

~

Doing what?

Cleaning up what twenty years ago, used to be a fancy Registered Hereford facility.
No occupant since it's closure has maintained a thing.
It appears to have been used more as a dumping ground for anything and everything.

Sure, there has been herds of cattle in there and horses too, but no one took pride in what they were doing.

Nothing was fixed or maintained properly.

~

In walks US...the workaholics!

Known for taking on the most rundown places
and turning them into something worth having.

This time though, our pocketbook is tucked away!

The man who owns it is footing the bill.

And he'd "foot" more by providing a labor force if we could be there the whole time to make sure things were done properly and to our specifications, but we can't be there 100% of the time.

So we are using our energy, our muscle power to make things as they should be,
the way we want them...

...as much as we can until we are there everyday.

~

What will we have?

...When the tons of garbage have gone to the landfill (so far 3.5 tons!),

the 20 years of manure accumulation has been spread on the fields,

the paddocks are repaired and gates rehung,

old feed trucks, tractors and other equipment are disposed of,

fences repaired, weeds removed, old dead trees burned,

and a good old fashioned power washing....

(if we survive...)

~
We will have this...

• An insulated indoor riding area (sand has already been placed) for Cowboy to work his colts
• A outdoor riding arena 130' x 200'. (materials for construction arrived last Friday!)
• An indoor wash area for the horses complete with hot water, floor drain and safe 'footing'.
• An office space 14 x 20 (NO more invasion of my house by clients and their dogs!)
• A tack room 14 x 20
• A His and Hers restroom
• Enough large paddocks, some under cover, to house 20+ horses if one was so inclined
• 35 irrigated acres which are cross fenced
• Paddocks and pastures have automatic waterers with electricity for no freeze ups in the winter!
• And then there is a brick home..2400 sq ft...which we haven't got to see the inside of yet and what it's going to require...the renters are to be gone by the end of the month.

What is this costing us?
Not a dime!
We don't have to sell or rent out our home here.
We are giving this a try until the first of the year to see where it takes us.
Maybe we will hate the location,
maybe the owner will re-neg on his promises.
..maybe anything...
we then can pack up and come home...here!
It won't be a lot of packing either, as we have no intentions of moving all of our belongings. We will take some basics...like my coffee pot for sure!
We will come home on the weekends to mow my lawn
and water my flowers and gardens.
~
But maybe...just maybe, we will like everything!
The owner has the feedyard and the hay fields contracted out for 5 years, maybe we can get the same time contract for little or nothing.
~
That's too far off to worry about.
~
How did this come to be?
A friend I worked with years ago (22 to be exact!)
..came back into my life in January!
She and her husband are an hour away where they operate a 6-8,000 head feedyard
(Cowboy can daywork all he wants...if he wants!)
They run a separate business with their own cow/calf herd on 10,000 acres
(more land for Cowboy to ride colts on!)
They raise Quarter Horses too.
(more colts for Cowboy to start!)
She's been wanting me to come to work for them.
We couldn't justify it until this other opportunity arose.
This gentleman contacted her looking for a "caretaker" of sorts!
...and she thought of us!
After meeting with the gentleman, seeing the place and discussing his wants and our requirements and reaching an agreement...
...I accepted the job...
So, June 1, this ol' night owl, aka Cowboy's Wife...
must relearn getting up each morning and going to a job!!!
Yikes!! It's been a long time!
I am looking forward to it though.
I miss having interactions with humans ~face to face.
I miss using my tongue and jaws to actually speak words instead of typing them!
My drive to work will be 3.5 miles!
I can still wear my Wranglers!
I can go home at lunch to make sure Cowboy hasn't eaten too much dirt
and that he is still in one piece!
It will even provide us with much needed medical insurance.
I don't have the schooling for it, but accounting has always come easy to me.
(I would MUCH rather work in a horticulture nursery but one of those didn't land in my lap!)
But...it is what it is!
And I am excited to get back into the world of 'living'!
~
Better than all of the above...
We are going from a dying town of approx. 300 people to another agricultural town of approx. 6,000 people.
Which means...
I will have access to a grocery store!
~
More importantly...
~
I can order PIZZA!
I can even have a WHOPPER anytime I want!!!
~
Ahhhh.....I can smell and taste them already!

(Do you see now why I chose W.O.W. as my name??
Today, I am W.O.W. more than ever! )

Beep....Beep...

...Beep!...Beep!

I'm sorry but all lines are busy right now.

If you care to leave a message, I will get back to you as soon as possible!

My brain has been busy.

My life has been playin' hop scotch....

Change is Good...

....Right????

~

I'm not talking about changing your underwear, although,

a person should seriously consider doing so on a regular basis!

~
I'm not talking about changing your name either,

though there could be advantages to doing so if you are

inclined to live a double life.

~
But Change...

~
Change means pulling yourself out of the pit you have fallen into and exposing yourself to new ideas, new people,

and new adventures!

~
Change will add new perspectives, new hopes,

and even new dreams!

~

Change is about setting yourself free of complacency

if one has fallen into that stagnant stage of life.
We have never enjoyed being complacent or stagnant.
Yet, somehow, we allowed ourselves to fall into that trap.
It has become our "accepted" pattern of living

since the economic crisis hit last fall.

We have not been willing to step out of our

state of complacency ...

to even consider there might be a better way!

It became our safety net of sorts.

We avoided taking any risks (which is not normal for us!).

We simply accepted things the way they had become

and hunkered down for the impending storm!

Survival was our daily motto.
~
But not anymore!

~
We began scrambling to free ourselves

from the burdensome bind

that webbed itself around our existence.

Life became a twisted knotted mess.

We knew we had to set ourselves free,

become untangled...

...before strangulation took place!

We don’t seek riches and material things,

we only want to enjoy life…and to dance again !

~

~

I am elated to say...

We have found the dance floor once again…
We are eager to feel that gentle touch on our soles.
…One step at a time.

~

~

Life isn't about waiting for the storm to pass,
it's about learning to dance in the rain.
(unknown)

~~

I have tossed the umbrella aside...

And I...

You...

...to this crazy dance called Life!
~

Don't waste anytime wiping your feet..

We do not know where this dance will take us,

but there is one thing we know for sure,

~

Dancing not only cleanses your SOLES...

but it also cleanses your SOUL!

Am I being vague? Not telling you what Change is to us?

That's part of the excitement of Change!

I reassure you, Cowboy will remain a Cowboy...

...and me?

~

Always

will

be

a

What Do You Have...

...When a 13 year old boy is almost 6 foot tall?

~
A rambunctious gangly kid...

~
With

L~~~ L

O~~~ E

N ~~~G

G~~~ S

! ~~~ !

°°__ ~~~ __°°

~

What happens when said kid and his rowdy cousins stuff M-80’s

up a car's tailpipe and take off running?

~
An accident looking to happen!

~
Left leg at the knee does a 360° rotation as said kid

tumbles down an embankment.

~
#1 Surgery!

~

*

~
What happens when said kid is 14 and decides to out race

traffic down a hill on his bicycle?

~
A semi truck gets in his path and sends him sailing!

~
Left leg at the knee is bent and the foot now lays on said kid's chest.

~
#2 Surgery!

~

*

~
What happens when said kid turns 15 and decides to play football,

hoping to entice his Dad for some attention?

~
Run like a long legged kid should,

onto the playing field at the start of the first game of the year!

~
Left leg at the knee buckles and foot now lays aside said kid's hip.

~
#3 Surgery!

~

*

~
What happens when said kid becomes a grown man

and thinks nothing can stop him in his tracks?

~
Not even an ornery Shetland Pony getting a “pedicure”.

~
Cowboy Wife hears a crunch and a click from the Left leg at the knee,

and an “Oh Sh**” from said kid - turned Farrier's lips as he becomes immobile in a knee scrunched position

under an extremely delighted Shetland Pony’s belly.

~
#4 Surgery!

~

***

~
What happens 25 years later, when said kid, said farrier,

said grown man-Cowboy cannot make the trek up to the house~

Because Left leg at the knee is locked in a 45° angle back?

~
There is a lot of grumbling, groaning, whistling and hollerin'!

~

Where is that dern'd Woman he calls his Cowboy Wife?

~

She is NOT hearing anything, or even worrying about anything!

She has her tunes playing as she works on her projects,

~~happily indoors!

~
Glancing out the window, said Cowboy Wife sees a figure

crouched and crawling in the dirt.

She thinks about getting the shotgun; an intruder seems to be lurking!

~

Where is her Cowboy anyway?

~

She heads for the door, grabs the shotgun along the way,

steps out onto the porch and fixes to take aim... *wink..
~

“Geez Woman!! ..Whatcha doin'? ..

Where have you been?”

~

~
~
***
~

~
~
What happens when Dr. takes his first peek at the

Left leg at the knee without even a touch?
~
“There ain’t nothing I can do for you!”
“Here’s an Orthopaedic referral!”
~

***

~
What happens when Orthpaedic Doc walks into the room
after looking at X-Rays of Left leg at the Knee and says

~
“Well Cowboy, you are BALD!” ??
~
Cowboy Wife giggles and cries out..“Duh!”

~
Cowboy chuckles and takes his hat off to say,

~
“How did you know that by looking at my knee x-ray?”
~
Doc laughs too!
~
Then Doc frowns.
~
“Your Left leg at the knee…It is balder than a billiard ball!”

“It is even Balder than your head!”

~

Doc Continues..

~
“You have less than zero cartilage,

you have nothing at all left in your left knee!!”
“You don’t even have a legal amount of bone…”
“You’ve been running bone on bone…you have no tread left!”
~
#1 Total Knee Replacement!

~

~~~~~~screeeeeeetch!

Halt~~~~~~~~~

*** We say WHOA! ***

....Let's back up here....

~

~

***

~

~
“Sorry, Doc!” .. “We are out of here!”

~

Cowboy and Cowboy Wife say in unison!
Cowboy makes his final plea...

~

“Give me a shot of some magical concoction to get me by!”
~
U
N
T
I
L
.
?
~

please.......

~

***

~~

Walking hand in hand from the dreaded confines of the truth,

turning to each other, Cowboy and Cowboy Wife smile,

saying together ..

"In His Dreams!!!"

~

Shaking the dust from their minds,

cinching up their boot strings,

and wrapping another layer of tough leather around their resolve...

Cowboy and Cowboy Wife climb on their horse,

gather up the reins to their life...

~

....ride off into the sunset!

~

***

~

Tomorrow will be just another day...

~

in the life...

~

of

~

a