Thursday, December 22, 2011

Merry Christmas!!

Merry Christmas from me and all the furkids!!


Wow! It's been over two years since I updated my blog! I'm surprised anyone at all looks at it, but I still get 2 or 3 views per week. It has been a long year. I am almost finished with my treatment for breast cancer. I was diagnosed in October of 2010, started chemo in November of 2010, and had a double mastectomy with reconstruction in June of 2011. I still have about 3 chemo treatments left, to be finished in February 2012. As of the mastectomy, I am cancer free!!!

Five days prior to Christmas last year I lost Emin, my first horse, at the ripe old age of 30. It is still hard to believe a year later, that he is not outside waiting for me to come out and feed. He had a long and wonderful life, which we shared for over 28 of his 30 years. His passing was sudden, a suspected cardiac event, and he was beautiful and happy right up until then. I wish he could have been with me to celebrate my beating cancer, but I know he was celebrating up in heaven.

In March of this year, I lost Halid, my stallion, at another ripe old age of 28. His passing was not so easy, as I discovered him having a severe colic episode and had to end his pain. He was a beautiful, wonderful, gentle stallion and also a great friend.

On the other hand, Chesney and I have done a lot of agility this year. She is doing great at trials, and is usually a pretty reliable little competitor. She is up to 14 titles at the novice and open levels in NADAC, and will hopefully be competing at Champs in 2012! She only needs one more Hoopers Q and two more Chances Qs to earn her Novice Versatility Award! Our next trial will be in March in Austin, TX and will be a visit with Tyler as well!

Wishbone is still hanging in there, and will be 14 in April. He is totally blind, pretty much deaf, and a bit senile, but doing great for a dog diagnosed with GME 9 1/2 years ago! He still loves to eat and loves his mama!

This year has seen the addition of a few new furkids to the household/farm. In April, I adopted a Papillon puppy from a lady who brought the litter of three into the clinic looking for homes. She is a totally different type of dog from the Russells, but she is absolutely adorable, and may do agility someday. While recovering from my surgery this summer, I found Naomi, a broken-coated Jack Russell, on a rescue website. She was in a high kill gas chamber shelter in Abbeville, LA. They pulled her for me and transported her here. She is heartworm positive, and though she was treated with Immiticide in Louisianna prior to coming here she is still positive We are treating her with Doxycycline and Interceptor. She is a wonderful dog! Gets along very well with all the other dogs, but likes cats a bit TOO much. I think she will make an awesome Lure-coursing dog, and eventually agility. Then, in September, I rescued 3 Arabian horses from a real estate auction. Two were elderly, the gelding being emaciated the mare being just a little thin, and the third was an overweight gelding about 18 years. They are wonderful old souls, very appreciative of a good home with plenty of proper feed and care. Mecca, the younger gelding is always very concerned about where the older two, Dinah and Oggi, are. I think he will make a great trail horse! He has lost some of his weight and his mane is growing back in. Oggi is gaining weight and looking much better, and Dinah looks great! Last fall, right before my breast cancer diagnosis, I purchased an Arabian mare and colt, and bred back. I was blessed with a filly this year. Both foals were sired by Straight Egyptian Babson stallions and are very nice! My oldest horse, Scooby, is 31 1/2, and though arthritic, is doing very well.

Tyler will be coming home on the 2nd of January for two weeks! I haven't seen him since he was here in June for my surgery. He is doing very well in Texas! He is attending college at Texas State in San Marcos majoring in Business and is working at HEB, a large grocery store chain in Texas. He has been at HEB for 2 1/2 years, starting out as a bag boy, moving to cashier, then on to the business office. He is now in the Produce department and may be entering HEB's retail management training program next year. I am so proud of him!!

Looking forward to Christmas!! Merry Christmas to all!!