The Little Horse Who Wouldn't

This morning, my phone rang. It was Elder Son, though I could barely understand him.

ES: Mom.

Me: Yeah, babe?

ES: Mom, I had to ...call you. (He’s hesitating, sounds like he’s crying.)

Me: What’s up? Is SOMETHING WRONG????

(I can hear all this snuffling, and scuffing around, and some type of weird guttural noise.)

ES: Jason and I are having to load these little...(more snuffling, weird sounds) miniature horses that Jason’s granddad bought for Jason’s kids at the livestock auction, and...and...(mumbles off into nowhere, and I can hear him laughing and trying to catch his breath.)

(I can hear Jason laughing out loud.)

Me: What? What's going on?

ES: Well, Mom, it’s just that.....(fades into laughter again. He finally composes himself)...we got all the horses loaded except for...(and off he goes again) except for this (Jason laughing his butt off in the background)

Me: (I start laughing, too.) Tell me! Finish your sentence!

Now, I ask you, how stupid is that, that I start laughing? I can’t even see them, I don’t even know what’s happening. But I can imagine. Jason isn’t a tall guy, but Elder Son tops out at 6’4”...one tall lean bean. And a miniature horse, much less 7-8 of them? Just the visuals are funny!

Me: Elder Son! Finish, please?

ES: Mom....I can’t....it’s just that, I’m really trying...okay, give me a second....okay....we’ve been trying...trying to...(and he dissolves into man giggles again.)

I just sit there, grinning like a cheshire cat. I don’t know what it is, but I know it’s going to be good. It’s gonna be one of those worth the wait ones. I wait.

He finally calms down a little bit.

ES: Mom, we’ve got all these teeny horses loaded in this honking huge trailer, ( and they're laughing again, they’re losing their voices)...(they finally catch their breath and ES resumes) except for (bustin’ gut laughs now) the little stallion. (And he cracks up again.)

Me: The what?

ES: The stud miniature horse, Mom. He’s a stubborn little &*O(^)%(&.

Me: Oh, Lordy me (I really started laughing now)!

ES: Oh, Mom, we are so frustrated. We tried to herd him up with the rest of the horses. He’d get halfway up the ramp, which is really short to the ground, then fall off. He’d just tip over. He’s really fat. We’d start again - he’d back down the ramp. He did not want to go. Then, we tried to lead him up. No go. Then, I led and Jase pushed. That didn’t work. So, Jase led, and I pushed. (Laughter. Then escalating laughter.) That didn’t work, either.

And now, Mom, the horse is mad. He’s snorting at us and pawing at us - it is so funny, the little thing! (Uncontrollable laughing from both he and Jase.)

(By now, tears are running down my face and I’m having trouble breathing!)

And then, Mom....(giggles)....I finally got so frustrated I tried to pick the little b*st*rd up and throw him in the trailer. (huge laughter.)

Me: What? You tried to pick him up?

ES: Yessssssssss...(fades into sputters and they’re off again, laughing hard!.)

Me: Did it work?

ES: Hell, no, Mom, it didn’t work (and they crack up into laughter again), he weighs 400 pounds and he was thrashing around and trying to get away!

Me: Oh, Lordy.

ES: I gotta go, Mom, we gotta figure this out, I just had to call you.

And he hangs up laughing.

I talked to him this morning. They finally got the little stud horse loaded into the trailer. Elder Son and Jason physically picked up the horse, together, and stuffed him in the trailer.

Elder Son is still laughing.

Me, too!

Saved By The....Recuperating Advisor (From Her Bed)

Thanks for your prayers and thoughts yesterday - they worked!

Thanks to his advisor, who is home recuperating from surgery but thankfully replied to my e-mail just in the nick of time, Younger Son was able to go in and register his classes through the Music Department advisors, get all his original classes plus some, and came out with a full 18 hours. He was able to totally skip the “registration” hassle. And, because Younger Son got to talk to actual music teachers and advisors, he’s pumped about his classes.

Music is his passion. We’re hoping that these classes will springboard him towards a career. I’m excited for him!

And, by the way, ThatManILove has withdrawn my casket order.

I’m safe. And thankful. I don’t think I could take getting laid off AND buried in the same month.

Arrrrgh! Frustration!!!

Well, just shoot me.

It’s not as if I haven’t had a million things going on. Like getting laid off. Or going on vacation and getting sick WHILE on vacation. Or coming home just in time to help put on a team roping.

Not to mention wading through job prospects and trying to make decisions therein.

Two of the men in my life, ThatManILove and YoungerSon, had made a trip up to Ye Old College, secured an apartment for YoungerSon, etc. While they were there, they signed the Younger Son up for all his classes. I was so proud of them.

Except for...they didn’t pay for the classes. I remember asking the cost, and ThatManILove couldn’t tell me.

TMIL Oh, baby, I dunno. I’ve got those papers around here somewhere.

And then, in the next two weeks, voila! My world fell apart.

So, yada, yada, yada, yada. Here we are, one week before college begins, and I go online to pay for said courses.

The courses aren’t showing up on his transcript.

At.

All.

I sound the alarm. The alarmee turns on me.

TMIL: You said you’d pay those last week!

Me: I did?

TMIL: Yes. You said you were going to get online and pay them.

Me: I did?

TMIL: Did you?

Me: No, I mean, did I say that? I remember getting online and paying his rent.

TMIL: That’s what you said.

Me: What did I say? His rent? Or his tuition?

TMIL: Tuition!

Me: Oh, NNNNNOOOOOooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooo!

Yup. We had to get Blondie up and head him towards the school, 2 hrs away. Now he’s renavigating through registration, and hopefully he’ll be able to get most of the same classes. Thank God today’s registration...y’all pray for him!

I think I’m going to run to Vegas before ThatManILove hits the casa this afternoon. Maybe I can make enough cashola to make up for my freakin’ mistake. Meanwhile, Vodka Mom, will you start designing my casket?

Turning and Burning (A Team Roping Term)

This is Elder Son, after he took his steer down to the catch pen. It's dark, indoor arena lighting is kind of weird, and it was a while before I figured it all out. It forced me to get away from my Canon 40D and to utilize my full-frame Canon 5D Mark II. (Remember, I've had zero professional training.) And now, I love it - the 5D!

Two of the three men in my life - ElderSon and ThatManILove, discussing the price of tea in China - oh, no, that's not right! They're talking about horses. Specifically, high dollar Team Roping horses. (And, yes, ladies, this is one of the things y'all have been oohing and aahing about...cowboy butts in cowboy jeans. Cougars Be Gone!!)
Elder Son heading, Steve Taylor heeling. Making The Turn - and yes, they caught their steer and had a time, which took them into the short-go for this rotation.

This was shot 1 before the prior shot. Somehow, I can't get them in order from my Mac. I think it's something to do with Safari.

I caught this shot of Elder Son, watching the roping from the stands after his first rotation. I like it...a lot. I love catching natural shots.

Anyway, there are more, but I won't bore you with the roping shots. I love watching team ropings, but most people don't. They don't understand a good roping run involves at least 5 athletes...two horses, one steer, and two ropers. It is a finely tuned dance, if executed properly, and is beautiful.

Happy Trails!

Team Ropers a la Familia!! (A post not about dogs!)

It's a good thing I made my 30 day challenge and now it's over! I just realized I haven't posted in three days.

Well...that's okay! Tonight Elder Son will rope in a local benefit roping. Here's hoping my photography skills are still intact on team roping shots. I used to help pay our bills by taking roping action shots when Elder Son and I were on our own. And I want some of my own shots of my kiddo roping!

ThatManILove and I went to a friend's house and watched Elder Son rope this morning. Now, ThatManILove is wanting to learn how to team rope. When will I learn?

So, off ThatManILove and I go to the team roping. Tonight, registration, dinner and dance. Woohoo! Tomorrow, a oilfield sponsored cookoff, along with Cowboy Church, then team roping, all day long. At least it's in an air-conditioned indoor arena. More proof there is a God, and He definitely cares about Ropers and Horses! (And ropers' moms!)

Here's a shot when Elder Son wasn't quite so elderly (maybe 4) - and the horse was extremely well behaved. Ha!

Have a great weekend - and turn 'em and burn 'em, cowboy!

Pretty Girl

Zanna the Wonderpup has been soaking up some New Mexico rays on the deck this trip. ThatManILove calls this her "Bedroom Eyes" look. I call it her "What Can I Get Into Next?" look. At her feet is a sock - she thinks our socks are her special playtoys.

Monday Morning Ruidoso Time

Above are some pix of the dogs. You think they're having fun, by the way they're staring at that door? The answer is YES!. Zanna has come upon deer several times, and she thinks they’re fun to chase. We think she’s never going to come back when she takes off, but she does. I think she thinks that they’re big dogs. Zack has disappeared once himself, but he came back as well. All your training goes out the window when the dogs are exposed to new circumstances like deer, we've learned the hard way. And the terrain is just too rough to keep them on leashes, hence the e-collars.

We’re winding down on our mountain trip - we’ll leave this beautiful place on Wednesday. We’ve had a beautiful, relaxing time and the weather has been awesome here. I think we’re heading to the golf course today, time will tell!

Thanks for sticking by me during this funky time in my life!

XOXOXOXO