Walls go up !

With Spring and warm weather comes increased activity at
Country Lane/Safe Haven.
The walls are going up on the new bird building which will be heated,
have an infirmary, food prep and play area. The birds will love it !

Riding Season Has Begun !

Nebraska Horse Expo was Fun ! We participated in Julie Goodnight Clinics, Riding with Rhythm and Balance in english/hunt seat and Canter Departure with Proper Lead in western. What an opportunity to ride with this accomplished horsewoman. Our Mane Challenge entries were Trail Class and Stake Race. Chief completed his patterns with his own flair.:) March 18th, 2010 saw 64" and a warm, windy day for a nice trail ride at home. Looking forward to more warm days and good rides.

Hyacinth Macaw

Country Lane Hanging Wooden Parrots
World's largest macaw, the Hyacinth, (Anodorhynchus Hyacinthinus) current range includes light forest and grasslands of Brazil, Bolivia and Paraguay. Hyacinths measure 40' in length and can weigh 1250 grams. Feathers are deep cobalt blue, bare eye ring and peri-mandibular are bright gold, bill is black and deeply curved. Diet consists primarily of palm nuts.

Here We Go Again !

5 new in. of snow overnight. This is getting really old.
43 more days till Spring......
43 more days till Spring......
43 more days till Spring......

Sunday Rider

Sunday, January 17th and finally a break in the frigid weather ! My neice loves her buddy, Frisco and she got in a nice 45 min. ride. Of course it didn't end there, horse cookies and apples had to be hand delivered, water buckets filled, manes combed and lots of fence climbing and laughing. It's hard to get her out of the barn ! Like a friend said, yep she's another one I'm corrupting with horses.:)

Christmas Blizzard 09

Christmas Blizard 09 buried not only the Little Red Barn, but the entire compound with 15" of snow, ice, more snow, wind, -17' temps, 4 ft drifts and a December we'll not soon forget ! Good humor, good neighbors and a good tractor go a long way to make lemonade out of lemons.

Nebraska Horse Trails Game Day. Decided to bring the Gelding and ride the horse that showed up. So glad we went ! How much fun to participate in games of patience, trail skills and a "little" speed thrown in. The Rescue Race was our favorite, a gorilla patient pulled on a stretcher was no match for Chief. He handled everything with a calm, steady attitude, even the cows & bonfire.

Thanks NHTC for putting on a great day !

Late November Indian Summer

This was a fun riding day, horses were up for anything I suggested and what great weather !

Saw a few geese flying, and the deer were everywhere. A buck with a full rack got our attention when he came bounding out of no-where and came straight thru the yard ! Looking forward to the Game Day and the Gelding taking it all in stride.

Beautiful Fall Day

I'll remember today's ride when it's cold & sleety out. Gorgeous weather and a smile on my face from riding Wednesday's good horse with a go-forward attitude. No spooks, no spins, just walking down the trail on a loose rein and a confidence in him that is just now showing. Visited the pear tree again and found a hold out hanging up high that I hid in my pocket. A couple deer jumped up, but it was in the underbrush of the pond, and the Gelding was too busy eating grass to notice. We worked our way down to the creek and went further than ever before. Forecast says 4 more warm days and we intend to ride ! Oh, and he found that pear !

Fall Riding Days

Nothing better than Fall Riding. All it includes, changing of the seasons, crisp colorful leaves, cool afternoons, layers of clothes, misty moist fields, pheasants jumping up, visiting the pear tree, horses getting thick hair, the dog following, trying to made each ride last longer. Memories.

Country Lane Dinosaur

Spent Saturday hauling home 3000 lbs of concrete blocks for the bird building and 60 bags of concrete. Mixed it up last night and the dog kennel is closer to being done. After coffee this morning, Scott & I unloaded the blocks and found this huge guy was sunning in the warmth and safety of the holes. He flew to the Sedum, we grow em bigger in the country !

Platte River Pelican

Safe Haven was asked to help with an American White Pelican, summering on the Platte River and unable to migrate out, due to a wing injury. After a flurry of phone calles, a concerned couple in their airboat secured him and delivery to our compound involved an evening meeting in a Meade gravel parking lot. He has taken over Chiefs stall and is eating his weight in minnows. He leaves soon in a coordinated effort with the local wildlife group to his new home in a western Nebraska Zoo.

09 Summer Winding Down

Fall is my favorite riding time, cooler weather and changing colors, migrating birds and autumn blooms. The Mare, China, has become my go-to-girl, we've had some fun times this summer. Logged 60 miles in August behind the boat in Branson, a new record ! The garden has some monster pumpkins, and making salsa with the tomatoes and hot peppers. If the snow & cold will just hold off till December I'll be happy.

The Dog is Out

Spring Has Arrived ! March 29, 2009

What a difference a couple weeks make, in the weather & in your mood ! Attended Expo 09 at the Lancaster Event Center and Ella loved the Youth Rodeo, she was so impressed with the rodeo queen & her tiara. The day after, she called me to say she wanted to come out to ride FRISCO and didn't want me to lead-line her, thank you very much !...:)

The chives, chocolate mint & rhubarb are up in the garden, and poppies, daylillies & sedum in the flower bed. The horses are shedding like crazy, the ponies holding onto their coat a little longer, hmmm, maybe they know something.

Work continues on the bird building now that it's warmer out. The cracked cement floor needs to be removed and a new one poured. We are keeping the chain saw busy taking down the stumps from last Junes storm. We are either out of firewood or drowning in it !

After a few setbacks healthwise, I am raring to go as soon as the BFLdr (a friend correctly named him !) give's me the go-ahead. The scheduled PRR at Two Rivers is a few days shy of my release, so I may have to sit it out, but I'm figuring in my head & juggling the days in hopes !