Laziness always comes back to bite ya...

Today I had mowing to finish up, had left the trimming until the morning knowing it would be a bit cooler. Got that done and decided to finally jump start the truck and take the branches that had been in the bed (for a while) back to the branch dump in the back pasture. Got that done and decided it was time to try out the brush hog in the back pasture after seeing how overgrown it was getting.



I mowed for an hour or so and decided to take a break as it was getting really hot and I'd not brought anything to drink. So I leave all the gates open so I can just drive back thru without having to get off the tractor. Laziness always bites ya in the rear.

Bridget came out to deliver her 3 dogs for me to dog sit before leaving on her trip to Alaska. While I was mowing, she went out to put fly and tick preventative on the horses that I'd penned up in the paddock.

During my break from mowing, we decided it was time to finally brush Ollie as he had been molting and the mats were getting pretty bad. Its usually impossible for one person to brush Ollie because as soon as you get to a sensitive area, he tries to bolt. Ever try stopping a 125 lb dog? Yeah. So out we go with leash, brush, matt remover and scissors in hand. He was fairly cooperative this time, maybe he realized he was out numbered. We worked on him for at least an hour fending off Bella (who nicely shed all by herself) as well as Eve and Nike, our spoiled wrotten yearlings. Don't let anyone try to tell you that sheep don't bite. Trust me they do.



We finished that chore, Ollie now looking a little strange after a shear job on his back. I think the amount of rain we've had cause the matting to be worse there so we had to cut a patch off his back.

Bridget then unloaded the dogs food, crates etc and headed out. I am SO looking forward to 2 weeks with 6 house dogs... :).

So about 4pm, I'm in the house making myself a drink, just got out of the shower and I'm in my nightshirt. Yeah so its early but I'd had a long day and really didn't want to go back out into that nasty humid, hot day. I was looking forward to an evening in front of the spinning wheel and a/c.

I hear the dogs erupt into barking outside and I think great, I'm in my nightshirt and someone's here. Figures. So I look out the window and what do I see? Three horses. OUR horses....in the barnyard headed for the road. CRAP. Remember those gates I left open thinking I was going to go back out to do some more mowing? When will I learn? I never go back to things when I think I will because I get distracted doing something else and then am too tired to finish the other thing I "took a break from". While doing chores, I'd opened the paddock gate to let the horses back into the back pasture, totally forgetting that I'd left the alley gates open. Imagine their glee when they discovered the open gates...

So I race outside, jump into my shoes and frantically think, I need something to lure them FAST. I see the bucket of water left for the dogs to drink from, sitting on the porch. I think bucket, they'll think its grain so I grab it and run for the barnyard.



Gypsy was headed for the road, Gracie and Breeze were right behind her. Our little fearless Gypsy leading the way. It was obvious they had no interest in whatever could be in the bucket so I give up on that tactic. It was like trying to herd cats. Very large, very fast cats that seriously didn't want to be caught.

I focused on Gracie knowing that they usually follow her. Plus I can scare her easier :). So I threw the water from the bucket in the direction she was trotting which was around the white barn/lean-to. I knew they could easily get to the road that way too. I slowed her down but didn't stop her so I then thru the bucket in her path. That did it. I started throwing my hands in the air and hollaring at her like my dad did with the cows. That too worked. She turned and headed back to the alley. I knew if I spooked her she'd head back to a place she felt safe. Breezy predictably followed her mother and as I turned back to address Gyp, she too was turning to follow them back to the alley. She looked disappointed but once back together, they tossed their heads in the air and gleefully galloped back to the back pasture.



Witches (I'd rather use another word). Here I was, just out of a nice cool shower, a clean nightshirt, ready to sit down and relax. Now I was drenched in sweat (doesn't take long in this humidity) and standing in the barnyard for all my passing neighbors to see. Lovely. No one to blame but myself though. I'll think twice about leaving ANY gates open for MY convenience EVER AGAIN.