Ronnie and Mernie at On A String Ranch.
Another bloody Xmas letter!
Another year gone by
Year by year time just keeps rollin
Until the day we die
Some one’s born
Someone’s gone
There’s cause to laugh and cry
But now its time to sing and dance
And tell those blues goodbye!
G’day, and what of 2008.
January the 11th marked the first year of no alcohol for this little black duck. Probably my greatest achievement. Who would have thunk!! I guess this shows that anything is possible!
February 10th I spent $3000+ on arthroscopic surgery for my endurance horse Flambeau., (Flamboyant Beau). I had a sort of fundraiser that really helped. Thanks to all those who contributed, Flambeau is doing great coming in 6th at the Kenlyn Challege 50 mile ride this October and top tenning all but the first ride where naturally we took it easy.
On the 10th June our best and dearest friends Beth and Rod had a bouncing baby boy, Cole James Keller. He has added a little ray of sunshine to our extended family here and I’m already trying to figure out which horse would be best for him to ride.
In June Mernie’s Family visited.Chester, Corky, Marston, Maeline, Cindy, Finley and Mernie’s Mum Sue. They range in age from 2 to 83. It was so nice having them here. They just hung out have a great time always adding cheer to the household. Mernie’s youngest son Chester stayed the on and really help us out on our busy horse ranch which now houses around 60 horses. Actually 57 horses, 2 mules and a miniature donkey.
July saw me going back to Adelaide for a week to visit my ailing Dad. I am soooooooo thankful I did this as he died only a few weeks later. No money can buy the look on his face and the way he perked up, as weak as he was, when I entered his hospital room. He is at peace now and hopefully backing winners and drinking beer with Mum and his mates in greener pastures.
In June I also ran a small class on Children’s book illustration at the University of Wyoming. I met some lovely people and it has inspired me to really work at getting my work published. Around this time Cormey emailed with a ‘hare brain’ idea for a children’s book based on the Foot Foot song. If you don’t know the song you will soon as we are getting a book published through Authorhouse and Corm is working on a CD and DVD. You’ll just have to follow my blog to find out more. http://roodroppings.blogspot.com
Sometime in August or maybe September we purchased a new horse (As if we need another one) a young Tennessee walking horse called Ice. Walking horses are really smooth and comfortable to ride. He decided to buy her when he was told he could ride her at a fast pace and still drink a beer without spilling a drop. LOL.
Throughout the summer I competed in several endurance rides sometimes riding Flambeau and at other times Dorothy Sue Phillips horses. Dorothy Sue is an exceptionally accomplished endurance rider with about 15,000 miles under her belt. I think I did about 250 miles and hope to do much more than that next year. Wow I’ve got a long way to catch up with Dorothy Sue.
Mernie has worked harder than ever (I think) this summer completing a wonderful mud room( that I wonder how we ever did without ) and re siding the entire house! He had some cheap help along the way of which he was really thankful but most of the credit goes to him. Check out his blog http://wyofool.blogspot.com for pics and more details.
Rod and Mernie have been partners in crime brewing beer in our kitchen. I don’t know too much about it but they make it look like very serious stuff. I call it their ‘secret mens business.’ At the end of October Rod says that they made the best stout ever. They’d been at it for one year in November.
In October our good friends, who already have two horses here brought in two adorable little fillies 4 and 5 month old. This was around the same time Tristan the mini donkey came to stay with us. On A String has a lot of cute going on these days.
In December Mernie’s very good friend Frank died after a long battle with Cancer. Mernie went to Kansas for the funeral. Fitting the trip into his busy schedule was very much appreciated by Frank’s loved ones.
Our birthdays came and went
Peaceful, Sane and sober
Turned 62 and 52
In November and October
Have a delightful, glorious, safe, fun filled Holiday Season.
Keep on keeping on, and “don’t fret the small stuff”
Love from Ronnie and Mernie.
See the hole in this feed bin. There was a mule stuck in it this morning!
Mernie returned from feeding the horses and told me to go fetch a halter, a bucket of grain, some tin snips and a camera! They're for Casino the mule he said. I thought Casino must have jumped the fence 'again' and we'd have to go get him but when I glanced over there I saw him eating contentedly.He looks OK to me i said. You'll see said Mernie, and don't forget to bring your camera!
The mule impaled his foot right through the little plastic feeder and had probably been wearing it all night.He didn't hurt himself and seem to view the whole ordeal as an inconvenience more than anything else.
Mern made the hole bigger with the tin snips and eventually got his hoof out while I kept him busy with the bucket of grain. There's never a dull moment here on the ranch!
