Back In Saddle

The children took a break from riding, or maybe Mama got pre-occupied with her riding, or life happened….who knows exactly! Needless to say, they had stopped riding and wanted to go back to it. I knew what to do to fix this predicament. Mention to my cowboy buddy Ben that some children wanted to ride Little Bit. Knowing his soft heart for children with a desire to ride a horse, I might have foreseen the outcome. ;-) We got those children in a saddle asap! Ben is wonderful about making sure children get to ride when they have a desire. So the children are thrilled and Little Bit gets some exercise. It is a win win situation!
My cautious, rule abiding Abigail, listening intently to instruction.

Luke enjoying a friendly new colt.

My Hope trying to get Little Bit to lope!

There are reasons we don't give Hope spurs!

Luke finding something to entertain himself with.

Sweet times!

Headed to Long Meadow

Long Meadow is one of the highlights of my summer. Out of the city, the smell of pine, Pearl, cowboy buddies, cattle, & lots of stars! The trip this weekend had a little excitement to it. On Sunday morning Ben & I set out to mend the fence around Long Meadow. It took us all morning. I had a blast learning how to mend fences. I think I was looking for places to mend just so I could do it! So it was noon before we headed back to the cabin. Ben wasn't feelin' too hot & needed something to eat. We had been talking about the rattle snakes that were in the area when what do I hear.........Yep, a stinkin' rattle snake! My first encounter I'll have you know! Ben doesn’t hear it right away; I am looking for it, & flippin’ out on the inside. Ben is determined to smack it with his rope! This is the same light-headed, dizzy, can’t hear the snake cowboy, which wants to get close enough to smack it with his rope! Are you stinkin’ serious?! I want out of there. At this time it is only Ben & I at the cabin, so if he gets bit I have no help to run for. I am feelin’ quiet inadequate in my snake bite first aid! So I am yellin’ at Ben to get away, but noooo he is gonna kill that critter. Lo and behold, Ben smacks that rattle snake and breaks its back. He steps on its head and cuts it off before I can yell, “Boy Howdy!”
Ben is my hero!


Long Meadow

Does anyone else see an old indian hot tub in this picture?! :)

Retreat At Joyner Ranch

We have had a rainier season than normal this year. I am NOT complaining, for we need the rain. I do have a mare that would like to file a complaint. With the rain, she hasn't had the exercise she needs and her living quarters just aren't getting a chance to dry up. So she went out to pasture at Joyner Ranch. She has 20+ acres to run on and friends to play with. She is loving it.

Well, we needed a change of scenery one Friday after school. I needed some horse time & to down time with my babies. Even though they are 9,7, & 2, I will probably call them my babies. We headed out to see Pearl at the ranch. It was just what I needed.

Luke loves the new puppies out there. Can I order one of these for the house? He sure loves it at the ranch!

Dangerous Duo in the golf chart!

We are outta here!

Here is my sweetie, Pearl. I dig her!

I went for a walk with my little man. Can you feel my heart swell?

These are precious times!

This was exactly what I needed!

True Beauty ~ Horseback

This weekend I was able to visit Long Meadow one last time before winter. It was a beautiful weekend. We were gathering the last of the cattle. We had to find those critters in those mountains. What a beautiful time of year. All the trees were changing color and the air was crisp. Saturday was filled with a day of riding through some beautiful country looking for cows. We didn't find any that day but saw a lot of beauty. I never have my camera, which I often regret. I need to get a small camera that can fit in my vest. Sunday I got to go down the chute by myself. It was a great experience for both me & my mare. She is horse-sour, meaning she doesn't like to be alone. I had never ridden like that alone and was excited to be able to do so. We both did alright. We both have work to do but I couldn't have asked for a better partner. Pearl is fabulous. I look forward to many years and trails ahead of us!
I had a wonderful time with the Lord, my mare, & my friends. Even with all the beauty, my heart is never far from home. Aaron's favorite song for us is "My Front Porch Lookin' In". I understand that so much. My favorite view is from my front porch looking into our home. There is nothing to compare with when those you adore come running to you when you get home and grab your legs. They are so excited, and so am I, to see them, grab them into my arms, and hear their stories. It makes my heart swell at the recollection. I can't imagine what it will be like to run into my Abba's arms or grab His legs and tell Him how happy I am to be with Him. I can't wait! :)



Fall Colors in Sequoia National Park

Pearl's Debut

I am thrilled to report that Pearl had a fabulous debut. We have had the opportunity to work cattle the past couple of weeks. We had to gather cattle at a friend of my father-in-laws and I was able to see how Pearl was going to work out. She did great. She gives me what I ask for, when I ask for it, and doesn't get bothered by much. Okay, I still have not got the sorting thing down, especially when four people are telling me what to do! But experience will be the best teacher on that issue.

I also got to go help push cattle down from Tyler Creek. It was suppose to be an easy/short day. It was everything but that. It took a crazy amount of time. We had soooooo many calves we had to stop and load some up and just trailer them. The one funny story from this day was when I was chasing some cows that had turned back, my reins ended up on the same side and I was pulling the wrong one to stop. Hence Pearl was not stopping, or even slowing down at this point. I am running by Benny yelling, "We're gonna have a WRECK!!!" I was actually laughing and trying to get my reins in order. I was able to get her turned without having a wreck ~ thank you Jesus! That was a crazy day. The calves were so young and so many, they just made for the slowest day ever. We only did half the job that day, as we quit at dusk. I was assured that that was the worst they had ever had it go. Good, I can't wait for next year!

One thing is very true ~ cattle predict how long things take!

With all this, Pearl did a wonderful job. Wow, what a difference. Once you have had a "sassy" mare and then get one with a great temperament, it is crazy how good it feels. I am so thankful to have had Baby Girl first. I learned so much on her and through her. I would have been spoiled if I had had Pearl as a "first" horse. I have so much to learn & work on with Pearl.

I am excited for this journey in front of us.

My New Pearl

I wasn’t really looking for a new horse, regardless of what my past posts stated about Baby Girl. She and I had come to terms with things and were fine. BUT my buddy Benny had found a pair of horses he felt we needed to look at that might be “too good to pass up”. So off to Glenville we go looking & riding horses the next morning. We took the trailer to make us look like we were serious (a bargaining technique). After an hour or so of riding and I had ridden both horses, I knew the one for me ~ Pearl. She is a “quarter” horse that stands a little over 15 hands high and 8 years old. She has such a sweet disposition, which I am not used to. Sorry Baby Girl if those last words stung. I wanted a horse that would be good with my family, use to the mountains, use to working cattle, and preferably younger than my first horse. That was a tall order to fill, to which Pearl met. So Benny & I left there with a full trailer and empty wallets. I took Pearl & he ended up getting Lacy (the other horse). He claims that it is my fault he is “horse poor” but it really isn’t. No one made him buy another horse, but he is happy with his purchase.
If you ask me…..I got the “Pearl” of the pair! :)
Here are some pictures of my new mare & my lil’ cowpokes:

Longing for Long Meadow

With the craziness of the past week, a trip to Long Meadow was good for the soul. Benny & I headed up to move some cattle around for the last time before they gather them. It was a crazy, busy week, but I had a BIG sigh as I got in the truck. We didn't ride Friday because we got to the cabin too late and had to get everything settled. Saturday we moved cattle to a closer meadow, with more grass, until they gather them. It was a good ride, probably about 12 miles of riding that day. I loved it! During a waiting time to meet up with the cow boss, "Cowboy Steve" gave me some horsemanship tips with Baby Girl. I love learning new things with my horse. At supper that night I got a steak knife lesson. I was cutting my steak with a steak knife. Okay, I was struggling to cut my steak. One of the cowboys noticed my struggle and asked, "Don't you have a pocket knife? Cowboys always cut their steak with their pocket knives." So I pulled my pocket knife out and proceeded to cut my steak with ease. Then I was asked, what kind of knife I had. I held up a Case and laughed, as the three other cowboys I am sitting with hold up their Case knives. We all had a good laugh. One other lesson I got this weekend was mending fences. Benny & I went to go mend some fences that were in desperate need of repair. I watched Benny mend three of them and by the fourth I was tired of holding the wire. I asked Benny, "Can I do this one?" Benny is always happy to teach me something. I got to mend the next four fences. I loved it! My hands weren't lovin' it after I was finished. Again, I learned that I should always have a pair gloves on me when I am working.

Experience ~ gotta love it.

The nights are always a favorite for me at Long Meadow. The stars are amazing up there! I can't wait for them to come out. The camp fires with s'mores are a good warm up for the star show.

Camp fires & stars, there is just something about that combination.

Well, that was it for me this year up there. Benny reminded me of that as we were getting ready to head out. It caused me to pause for a moment and really take it all in before I go. I wouldn't see it all again for another year. I was thankful & grateful for my time & experiences up there at Long Meadow.
Happy Trails!!!

Long Meadow

Addison watching the horses & mules in the meadow.

Sydney, my buddy, making me rock pancakes.

With temperatures running pretty hot here at home, it was a get time to head to the high country and chase cattle. Benny & I headed up to Long Meadow for the weekend to help some friends move cattle. As we came into Tyler Creek we were to look for any cattle that were down there and move them to the shoot to push up the next day. We had five head to move, so we jump out and got to work. **Note to self, a sleeveless, chink-less, spur-less cowgirl is not a good combo with brushy terrain! ** But it was a good ride. So Saturday morning Benny & I are to push the cows we have in the chute up to the top. Simple enough!! From the start Baby Girl (my mare) is having attitude! We couldn’t figure out if she wasn’t warmed up (we started out uphill right off), was she sore from the day before, or hurt. Regardless, she didn’t want to go uphill. So for the first hour it was crazy & frustrating. She doesn’t get me mad very often, but I was MAD today. She didn’t care that I had spurs on! She would let me lead her up but she wouldn’t go with me on her. So off I go leading my horse up a STEEP hill. After about a half a dozen stops Benny has any idea. He grabs her reins, I grab the very back of her tail, and he says just keep picking up your feet! Here we go! It was great; she pulled me up that hill!
She did great the rest of the day after we were off the steep stuff. I do have to confess, I was shopping in my head for a new horse the rest of the day! Don’t you tell her that! She is already sassy enough!
At the end of the day when you are looking at an amazing sky for of stars and listening to the horses in mules in the meadow, it was a great day and would do it all over again. Well, maybe skip the first part of the shoot. I do love working cattle and am thankful I have some great friends who love it too.

This is some beautiful country!

The Adventures of our 2009 Vacation

Our family vacation this year was full of discoveries, laughter, tight corridors, mileage, & FOOD! Rob has always talked about his time in northern California and how beautiful it is. Well the perfect opportunity arrived to visit this area. It all started with a wedding. Rob's Dad, Jim was getting married. We arrived the night before just in time for a fried chicken cook off. Oh my, how very yummy!

Hope is about to dive in!

We discovered how very funny yet sweet a wedding could be! The Bride in this picture gives you a glimpse of the fun that was involved.

We discovered some pretty good looking people in the wedding party.

Sorry Rob, no dashing picture of you!

We all had a good hard laugh about a red headed cowboy! :) And he never even knew! We (Aaron & Keri) are so childish sometimes!

On Sunday we got to visit with some friends in Redding and visit their church, The Stirring. We were so glad we got to visit and hear what Jesus is doing in our friends lives & in their area.

We can not visit a new area without checking out their pizza. We discovered a new fabulous pizza! Mary's Pizza Shack has pizza called The Napoletana
"Our legendary homemade pizza dough topped with diced fresh tomatoes, garlic, basil,
olive oil, and a light layer of mozzarella cheese. Authentic Italian pizza pie." Look for me to copy this one for our Friday Night ~ Pizza Nights!

On Monday we headed up to a cabin on the Klamath River.

Jim insured there was great food. Aaron & the girls got to go rafting and have a blast. Mama got to sit in her favorite spot on the porch and read & listen to the creek. It was so peaceful and quiet up there. It really was so good for the soul to just be away and in His creation. One of my favorite things was looking out my bedroom window at this:

I could totally get use to a horse grazing outside my bedroom window!

After a few days of rafting & swimming at the river we headed for the coast & the Redwoods.

We discovered that our children had never stayed in a hotel and were in awe of the experience. We had connected rooms with the Cobbs and had a blast. We also discovered how bad pizza can get!

We discovered how small we really are next to trees that wouldn't even be a splinter to God.

We discovered how good a lunch can get when the Abshires forget the peanut butter!

There were a ton more discoveries but I wanted to capture some of the best here so we wouldn't forget and share them with friends & family. We will close with two last discoveries. One is that Adventures In Odyssey are a great thing in a very long car trip. Second is discovery two of Luke's newest things!

His newest position he loves and his newest trick!

He is lucky he is so stinkin' cute!

Click here for all the pictures ~ Mom! :)

Visit the Cobbs

Cattle Call

Psalm 50:10 For every beast of the forest is Mine,

the cattle on a thousand hills.
What time does that alarm clock say? Oh yeah, 2:45 AM!!! Benny picked me up at 3:15 AM this morning to go gather cattle for the McNultys. I was dragging a little until I got some coffee in me. Our ride up to the mountains was a chatty one. God has clearly put Benny & me together for some reason. We enjoy a friendship that is sweet! Okay, an old cowboy would not want to hear that but I don’t have to worry about Benny getting on the internet!
Today the temperatures were over 100 degrees, so we needed to get an early start. We left headquarters on horseback at 5:15 AM. Our goal was to gather the cattle off of "Bald Mountain", due to the lack of trees. Yep, not many trees there. I always wish I had pictures of things I get to see in the hills & mountains. Being able to watch the sun rise over the mountains with such beauty makes me thank my Creator for another day to love & serve Him.
Gathering the cattle went well. Okay, so I let a bull get away from me! I was mad at myself until they told me the others had picked him up on the way in. Baby Girl, my mare, did great. She likes to test me and we have a battle of the wills sometimes but I am starting to win more of those. She did a great job cutting off some calves when we were sorting. Okay, nobody mention the other bull that got by me! Today was not my day with the bulls, but experience is the best teacher. Not to mention every cowboy I have worked with is willing to help me learn. For that I am very thankful because I have so much to learn.
One of the interesting moments was when Jennifer couldn't figure out what something was. It was not a cow, it was too fuzzy to be a wild pig, then the bear stood up & looked at her before it ran off. One of my favorite parts was when we were driving the cattle to the corrals, I was ahead of them. The background was filled with cows bawling and the scenery was wildlife scurrying in front of us and purple wildflowers dancing on the hills. I just soaked everything up with a thankful heart. It was a great time.
It was a hot, long day. I got off my mare about 1:15. My bottom felt that it had been in the saddle for 8 hours. I gave Baby Girl a nice cold bath when we got back to the stables. Benny just kept smiling at me because I was so dirty. My girls wouldn’t hug me much because I was stinky! It was nothing that a good, cold shower didn’t fix! I had a great time with some great people doing one of my favorite things.
Thank you Jesus!

You can't say that yet!

Our beloved Luke is almost 2! Can you believe that??? His Mama can't believe that. I believe I am in denial that he is getting so big. He is doing well at keeping up with the Abshire Clan. He is trying to communicate with us. He doesn't talk except for "Mama", which he says with 6 different inflections depending on the need. We have all figured out these inflections and meet his needs. So, yeah, why learn to talk!!!! Papa cannot wait to hear his name from Luke's lips and has been trying to get him to say it. I keep telling him, "Luke is an Asbhire. Once he starts talking, Honey, there will be no stopping him! He, too, will fight for air time at the supper table!" Aaron knows this because we have seen it with the girls.

Well last week I was sitting at my desk doing paperwork when I heard Luke trying to say something. He was getting louder and pointing, trying to make me understand. I could clearly understand what he was saying ~ "orse"! He is pointing at my calendar of horses and yelling "ORSE"! It sounds exactly like horse minus the "H". I was so excited! It would be a natural word for him being that he hears Mama say, "Let's go feed the horse" twice a day, everyday. After the initial excitement wore off I thought, Papa may not be as excited about this as I am. What Papa would want their child saying "orse" before Papa? But Aaron was happy and not surprised.

Since that time Luke has said "Pa" clearly referring to his Papa, and Aaron is tickled!

A Day In The Hills ~ Butch's Branding

Today was a day filled with God's beauty in creation, family, friends, & horses. I always wish I had pictures of the beauty you get to see horse back in the hills but never have a camera. I love to see my Master's handy work as I watch the flowers dance in open meadows. It sets a heart free.

We spent the day with our family & friends branding Butch's cattle. Some of us went out to gather the cattle.

My buddies Benny & Steve joined in on the day.

Here are the three amigos!

We got to sort the cattle.

Benny & Steve were ropers.

I liked this shot.

I got to give shots.

My girls hanging out in Papa Bill's truck watching the action.

Abbie lovin' on Papa Bill.

The girls getting a ride on Joe before we head home.

Hugs from my babies!

Our Clan minus Luke.

He was home safetly with Uncle Rob & Auntie Keri.

'>Here is the whole day of photos if you want to see them all.

Love At First Spur

I had to show off my new pair of spurs. They are gorgeous! Benny brought these back to me from his recent trip to Oklahoma. I was in awe of them as I inspected them and then I turned them to check out the “emblem”. When I discovered it was a cross I was filled with emotion. My buddy went looking for a pair of spurs, for his partner, and made sure that they properly represented her. I love My Savior, Jesus, more than anything else, and my buddy knows this. I was so touched by this incredible gift. I proudly displayed them Sunday at a branding. Benny was tickled I was still wearing them, hours later, as we put our horses away.

Hebrews 10:24
Let us consider how to spur one another to love and good deeds

8 Seconds......well maybe not quite!

Last Sunday my father-in-law, Bill, needed some help gathering some cattle for a friend. My buddy Benny & I were happy to help! If it has to do with horses, cattle, beautiful country, count us in! There were six of us to help so we split into two groups when we went to head out. Bill, Benny, and I headed out together. We hadn’t been out 5-10 minutes when the other group had run into to cattle and we were just going along. I had just turned to my father-in-law and joked about who picked this side of the mountain (he had) ~ no cattle! Just then Baby Girl, my mare, went to hopping a little, as she does when she is scared by something. I turn to see what is upsetting her and see two free horses running our way to play with our horses. Note to self ~ free horses can be VERY dangerous for those of us horseback! Anyway, I turn to check on the others and find my father-in-law lookin’ like Lane Frost on his mare. Dee Dee went to bucking and Bill was hanging on. He tried his best to ride through it but there was no way. After he was on the ground she still was bucking. There were some scary thoughts for a few seconds until the horses settled down. Bill took a good spill but is on the mend. He has takin’ some pretty hard teasing from his buddies. What was probably 4 seconds felt no less than 8 seconds! He is my father-in-law, that’s my story and I’m stickin’ to it!

Rise & Shine & Give God the Glory, Glory

As I laid in bed this morning watching the sun rise, I was thinking of my buddies who were gathering cattle this weekend. Trying not to be too upset that I wasn't with them. I was thinking of what they were doing right about then, which was probably heading down the trail to find some cattle. Then I was brought back home to some familiar noises coming from the kitchen below us. It consisted of some dishes bumping around, then some out bursts of laughter, followed by "sssssshhhhhhhh"! I knew the code. I was to stay in bed until summoned. I laid there with a smile on my face just picturing two little girls trying to figure out pancake mix. There came the occasional question of measurements, which a yell downstairs would do. I did have to intervene when they came upstairs to ask what number they turn the stove on to cook pancakes. :) Alright, Mama will help from here! When I hit a wall of protest, I gently reminded them of the time Mama's robe caught on fire while she was in it! That quickly ended all arguments. We dined on a lovely breakfast of pancakes with chocolate chips. It was fabulous!

Dee Dee

A couple of weeks ago Mom called me (Liz) to ask a favor. Papa Bill has a job that takes him out of town during the week. So, Mom was wondering if we could take care of Dee Dee, their mare. Of course I didn't hesitate with my answer ~ "YES" and "YOU BET" and maybe a "NO PROBLEM!" Man, twist my arm! Dee Dee is 3 1/2 years old and is so friendly. She is one that Aaron can ride, which plum tickles me to death. I will make sure that Baby Girl (my mare) doesn't get too jealous of the new mare at the sables. So for the next couple of months if we're not at the house, we are probably out either cleaning corrals, grooming horses, or actually getting to ride together. Yippee!

So let me introduce you to Dee Dee.