hqueen's collection of Far From the Usual stuff.

Aww, Corn Woman, poor puppy!! I've felt TERRIBLE for Toby because he's been itching for well over a year. We think it is mange at this point, so I'm having him checked tomorrow evening when the vet is here. Even my mentor that does everything naturally recommended using chemicals to get rid of it just so that it is gone. We've been treating him for a yeast imbalance for the past year, and now it seems like that wasn't it. Poor pup!
There are a couple things you can do that we've been through. Firstly, we ruled out a food allergy, which often causes imbalances that results in itching. Grains are a big trigger for itching/yeast issues in dogs. I've fed him just about everything under the sun for all sorts of different issues, including doing a gall bladder cleanse diet for a period of time in which he ate nothing but carrots with olive oil, and then had green beans added in. I was actually feeding him raw for a while, but that didn't work for him either. He's 11 and ate pretty poorly the first 9 years of his life, and now that I have him on good food he's been in a bit of a healing crisis for years. I think getting the mange under control will be a good thing and maybe he can start to be normal again for a while. Neem shampoo is really good for itching and healing the skin. I also have used a liquid pro-biotic to give him a bath in which helps the skin issues. In addition a few weeks ago we clipped him down to 1/4" to be able to get to his skin better so that we could do more to help him heal. I use Dynamite Speciality Products, and have had good luck with a number of their things. Currently, I'm treating the raw spots that keep appearing with a clay and essential oil mixture, which has dramatically reduced the itching. He's still getting raw spots, but not like he was. Hopefully the vet will be able to knock it out and we can get him all healed up completely!
I know this is a really hodge podge answer - feel free to send me a message more specifically and I can try to work on getting more specific answers and sources for some of the products.
 
I had a fantastic lesson this weekend, Storm was working so hard, and did a great job. Everybody was commenting on how good he looked. I have only 2 weeks before she'll be back again for the make up lesson since she missed some of the winter lessons, and this weekend we have another Epona workshop, so that will take away all my time to ride there. I have too many things to do this week in the afternoons to manage a ride. Thank GOODNESS Monday is Memorial day, that will give me an extra day and so I should be able to get one ride in at least.
We all woke up in the middle of the night to the cats yowling outside. I swear I was about to shoot something. We finally closed the windows so we couldn't hear it anymore. I found out when I got up this morning that The Other Half has pink eye, so he's at home, and I told him that he must clean everything he touches today so that hopefully E and I don't end up with it (though I wouldn't really complain about not being in the office, I suppose!).
I got a call back from a guy about a property for rent that includes a 3 br/1 bath house with 4 acres set up for horses. They want $1500/month for it, but it sounds like they're more concerned about the 'right tenant' than the money, so hopefully we can negotiate him down, and I'll be able to keep Storm on the property with me. I'll have to figure out what to do about having a companion for him, but I'm sure I'll be able to come up with something. I feel really good about this place, even sight unseen, so we'll see what happens. Send good vibes or voodoo or whatever you do! Not that I want to move so quickly, but if the right door opens, I need to go through it.
I sent a message to A this morning to see if I can negotiate to work her horses and keep an eye on them since she'll be going through a lot this summer between surgery and travel. She's also changing her horse's diets over to a nongrain based diet, and she's going to end up in surgery one week after they are moved to a new barn, and so I'm hoping she'll be open to me keeping an eye on them and making sure that everything is done the way it should be for their health. Plus I know them basically better than she does at this point since I live with them and feed them several times a week, so I'll be able to keep a good eye on them for her. I hope it comes through, because if it does then I think I'll apply to work at the local feed store. They pay ok, and you do get a discount. My only concern is the fact that I don't feed/work my animals normally, so I'll be working in a conventional situation and not following conventional protocol. I don't know how that will work out, but it could be a good job for the interim. If I could pick up a few more clients to work horses or monitor things then that would really pay off for me, and keep me afloat. We'll see what happens anyway.
Toby's vet appointment is tonight, so hopefully we'll get whatever skin issue he's got cleared up and he'll be better again. I feel bad for the poor little dog!
I have my second EFT session with the communicator tomorrow evening when I get home, and then we have to feed. Then Thursday we're helping friends pack to move (raking in the brownie points before we have to move!) and then Friday I've got to make sure the house is clean before the workshop over the weekend just in case people come in the house.
I need to work on getting extra blankets and linens packed up so they can go to storage and be out of the house. I also need to get the curtains washed and put up the old curtains since I'm taking the thermal curtains with me. I'll be damned if they're staying in the house!
So much to do and so little time....
 
Sounds like you've been busy!

Don't know about your area, but around here I'll see horses on CL at times advertised as companion animals. Might be something to think about.
 
Yes, Deb, the rescue has a couple of those, too, so I don't know what we'll end up with if we have to move, but we'll see. I also thought about approaching the rescue and offering to foster a horse and work with it if they pay its bills. That way I don't have to worry about the cost, but Storm will have a companion.

As with the way of things, the door was just kicked open for me. Yesterday afternoon I had a meeting with the new owner, and he informed me that as of the end of the month my position will be terminated. He's shooting himself in the foot, but at this point only he knows best, and so he doesn't need to consult anyone else for help. /sarcasm I should be receiving the roughly 10 days of vacation time that I'm due, so that gives me an extra pay period of being paid when I can be busy looking to recreate something for myself and not have to worry too much about it. Plus it will give me a big boost on being able to work on the house in prep for the move as well as work Storm. I'm rather looking forward to it for the short term.

I've got to put the finishing touches on my resume, and then I'm going to begin contacting small farms and see if I can make a deal to provide services that I'm currently providing between my current job and the events coordinating at the equestrian center to a small farm that needs a little organizational boost and help getting on the map in the local community. I hope that comes through, I realized I could even consult with a couple of farms and probably make up enough of my income to make it work. Plus throw a little horse work in on the side, and I should be fine. Its going to be convincing the farms that they need what I have to offer that will be the challenge. First step - get the resume finalized.

Tougher than any of that is going to be working through the end of the month. I'm not going to tell anyone, so I have no idea who actually knows and who doesn't. I think K probably does, just based on a couple things that happened yesterday, and the bosses have to know, but beyond that I'm not going to say anything. I did tell my close friend H, and also B, since they are close to me, and can help protect me and work with me. The most annoying thing I don't know how to handle is the staff meeting that will be next Thursday morning. There's a big part of me that doesn't want to go. I'm afraid they're going to announce who is and isn't staying or something like that. I want to handle this situation with grace, and just allow the balls to fall where they will once I walk out the door. He'll have to figure out everything I did do since he never bothered to really reach out to me to figure out what I do to keep the company running. I hate to make more work for the others that will be left here, but at the same time he has chosen the path he wishes to travel, so he'll have to deal with the mess. Its going to be pretty nasty around here for a while, and I don't envy anyone that is staying on board.
I also curiously found out that one of the docs here is also getting a divorce. There's big change everywhere right now.

So the massive changes continue to happen. Its been one hell of a year so far, and its not over yet. I just hope that this is the last major shift (its the last one that I'm aware of!) and that now the dust can begin to settle again.
 
My life just keeps getting more and more interesting... And the universe always seems to provide what I need to keep on moving onward and upward in my life.
My good friend A that I assist with the Epona workshops that she does decided to move her horses about a month ago. In talking to the barn manager at the new place, she found out about a little farm for rent. So she told me about it. And so I called... and long story short, E and I are moving at the end of the month.
The farm is owned by (on the same property, really) a guy that runs a commercial real estate company, and everything is super nice. Its beautiful, overlooks a sweeping shallow valley, and is at the end of a long road that has another really high end equestrian center on it. The house is a 3 bedroom, 1 bath 1900s barn that was converted into a house that still has exposed beams here and there. The barn is also original itself, and has been very well maintained. The owner really just wants a quiet tenant that enjoys horses and wants to have them close by. When I told him that the rent was a bit more than we could afford, and we were interested in knowing how we could work it off, he commented that he had all the services around the farm contracted out to the same contractors that handle his commercial work, so he didn't really know if there was anything he could do. He did suggest that I could bring in a friend or two and keep their horses for them and take care of the money and work down my rent that way. I was really surprised he made the suggestion to me at all.
So I started thinking... and E and I tossed around a few ideas, and so then I approached A about going in with me. A was skeptical, but liking the idea. And A immediately suggested another friend of ours that might be interested too. When I did the math I realized at that point I would be making enough to cover the rent for each month. So Sunday E and I took A and her husband up there, and they LOVED the place. He got out of the car and his first comment was "Well this is a step up in the world!" I laughed and smiled. A couldn't stop gushing over how beautiful it was. They met landlord, and liked him too, and we checked on a few more things in the house and asked a couple more questions. Then we all shook hands and it was a done deal.
A called our friend KE later that evening, and she was on board, too. Plus the landlord told us about the lady who kept her horses there already, and suggested that I get with her to talk about her staying and what she could pay for. I quickly saw the advantage to the situation. She's self care, and so I wouldn't be caring for her horses, and she could be a person I might be able to count on when we would go out of town, and vice versa. Her board would put us making a profit each month on the whole deal. And that profit would cover the cost of feeding the 5 horses I would be responsible for. It seemed almost too good to be true. But E and I both felt really really good about it, and recognized the delightful opportunity when it presented itself. E was a little concerned before A visited, but once she visited, and once we got the confirmation from our friend KE that she was on board, he felt much much better.
So in a month I'll be moving everything. I suppose its about time, this is about how long I was in the house when I moved up here with the other half, so I guess its time to move on again. Onward and Upward.
The place is drop dead gorgeous... 3 bedrooms, 1 bath, small kitchen that is a bit awkward, but it will suffice. Laundry ROOM, nice sized bathroom with standard fixtures, large master bedroom with a fairly big closet, the bedroom is also on its own Heat/AC separate from the house. Long narrow living room, with a pellet stove, and a smallish dining room. The upstairs has a small room and a much larger room that is almost the size of my master bedroom here. Lots of space, a nice little wrap around porch, and gorgeous views of the valley out the door. The barn is barely 10 steps from the house, and I'll have 5 stalls for the horses I'm caring for, and then there is a huge pasture, and several decent sized paddocks. A private tack room with a locking door, a small round pen, plus a little arena area. The guy also has 40 acres with trails, plus a pond and a huge field. Part of the barn he keeps for his daughter and her kiddo who bring their horses over once in a while as well. The place is a dream come true. The landlord is as nice as can be, puts real effort into making things nice, and cares about things. He even commented that he hopes that we'll stay for 5 or 6 years and that our next move will be to our own property. I'm delighted to have had the universe provide this for me, its just wonderful. The ONLY downer I've come across so far is that there is NO option for anything better than dial up or satellite internet. Oh, and its an electric stove, not gas, which is what I prefer. I think I'll find a way to live with that!

Had a great lesson with Storm on Saturday. He looks fantastic and is putting a huge amount of effort into the work. I'm so thrilled with how far he's come. My job in the next month is to get him used to being in the trailer, and happy hanging out in there again. He put a lot of effort into loading the last time I tried, so I'm hopeful that it won't take much work to get him comfortable again, especially if he knows we're moving on to bigger and better things!
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So despite not being in the office, I'm busier than I was when I worked 40 hours a week. Storm's getting clipped to help him stay cool (though he is sweating, so that is a good thing this year!) and I have to wash the dog tomorrow (that was supposed to be today, but oh well). I'm trying to catch up on laundry, which hasn't been done in too long around here, and trying to get the house back into some semblance of order. It is frustrating that I have to do that before I can even start to pack, but it is what it is. I got a tote of winter blankets and bedding packed up yesterday, and was annoyed to find that the tote held far less than I hoped! I guess the other blankets will get packed into boxes... Its strange trying to figure out what to pack and what not to pack, we're having to divide things up. He's letting me keep the majority of the furniture, but there will be plenty that I'll need to get. The landlord is also being really nice and letting me start moving things next week after the final work is done getting the house back in top shape again. That will make my life easier in the long run. I think the canning jars will go over in one trip, as well a number of other things that I'd rather other people not have to deal with. I'm grateful I can make those trips myself because I think it is going to let me keep my sanity in the mean time as I work through this! The only other advantage is that the other half is going to stay here, so I don't have to worry about getting everything out by a final date. I can come back and continue to move small things once I'm out of there, so it won't be a big issue. I also decided that much of the deep cleaning of this filthy house is going to happen after I'm out of here! There's too much stuff to try to clean and pack at the same time. Things are a wreck, and I just can't handle all of that at once. There isn't a hurry, so that's just fine the way it is!
I might end up posting really mundane updates on here for a while, but it helps me to be able to mark progress if I note things I've gotten done as well as my todo list. It might help keep me sane... naa, probably not! ;)
 
I cannot WAIT to see some pics of your new place! I don't know if you heard a deep intake of breath when I was reading, but that's what I did when you started to describe the house! It sounds gorgeous!
 
Isn't it awesome when things work out better than you could ever hope for? Congrats, sounds like a great place!
 
Thanks, yall! I'm so excited, a bit over whelmed at the moment, so many things to do... but really really excited too!

Just have to say that I cooked scrambled eggs in my freshly seasoned cast iron this morning... and it was awesome! Love the cleanup! I'm just going to have to be really careful about handling them, I was using a small frying pan, probably no more than 6" and it was a struggle to hold it and scrub it while it was still hot. My arms and wrists are going to have to get stronger before I can really use them easily. I don't think that will be a problem upcoming with all the physical work I'll be doing! I'm really happy about that!!
Starting off slower than I'd like... but I've got to hit the ground running.
Today's list:
- Put towels in wash before I leave
- Feed Cowboy & Coyote (horse sitting for a week)
- Come home, put towels outside to dry
- Work the horse at the trailer to practice (T-3 weeks!!)
- Wash the dog
- shower myself
- Find some other junk to put into a box somewhere to make me feel better
- Clean any number of things that are filthy...
- Feed Cowboy & Coyote again
- Head up to my office shindig for me leaving

Gotta run!!! (I don't hold complete hope that I'll get all of that done.... but a girl can hope!)
 
Checked off the list:
- Fed Cowboy & Coyote
- Washed the dog
- Worked the horse at the trailer (He did good!)
- 2 loads of towels through the wash and hanging outside to dry

Next:
Lunch, then working on the rest of the list...
Keep on moving....
 
Still working away.
Got my clothes that I won't need packed into my large suitcase, plus a big duffel, then packed shoes and boots into another two duffels. That stuff can be moved up and unpacked whenever there is time. Its all stacked out of the way in the second closet in the bedroom right now.
Waiting for the towels to finish drying so I can pull them in and get them folded up before I have to get ready to leave. I think I might take a break and take a shower now, and then fold them before I leave that way they should be completely dry. My back could use a break, anyway...
 
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