Thought I'd actually use this feature!
Yes, I'm much better, now. The carpal tunnel problem
that left me mostly not able to even pick up beads for long periods of time has fixed itself with a lot of rest, and I've
found I pretty much have had to go back to glasses after a bad experience with daily wear contacts. I may use contact
lenses again, but will go back to extended wear. It's great to be able to do artwork again without frustration and
pain like I had for a few years, there.
It's an experience I don't wish on any artist, but at least I
had the sense to quit while it was fixable, rather than risk permanent injury or at least surgery like I've seen some
stubborn folks end up perpetrating on themselves. As it is, there are too many stories of folks who have done permanent
eye damage to themselves because of contact lens types that didn't agree with them or their lifestyle. Dailies just seem
to not work well with horse care--I think the gelly nature of many of them just make them mold and pollen magnets, not a good
thing in allergy capitol Austin, Texas. I have a supervisor at my current evening job I took to make ends meet who has
to wear a brace and mostly can just supervise, not help because she did a bit too much quilting over the years and has pretty
much messed up that wrist. If you have to take even OTC meds daily for pain or discomfort, it's a good clue you
need to stop something. Easier and cheaper to just change tactics for a bit, which is the route I took.
The horses
are doing great. Daisy and Kariska are finally settling down, ground-manners, wise. I'm not surprised that once
again, in both cases, a diet with a bit more protein and alfalfa seems to have made the difference, as has being in a large
enclosure with varied terrain and a place to get out of the rain when Austin gets one if its characteristic flash floods.
Kariska has had no problems with her knee, and the fur has started to grow back since I've taken over her care.
Daisy hasn't managed to re-injure herself, probably mostly because she is learning she doesn't have to do something
to herself or break things to get some human attention. Shine has been a great influence on them, and has greatly chilled
out in areas where he was having issues, most notably being handled or even petted while in the run-in. All are doing
better with hoof trims, and allowing strangers to pet them, so the trust issues are slowly disappearing with them, too.
The
run-ins look much better. The rennovations are going great, with a kind freecycler donating some old fence sections
to shore up the old run-in in the new horse pen, and two neighbors donating a bunch of old plastic mesh feed bags to help
patch up the roof sectons on both units. It's the biggest, silliest two crazy quilts, but both are still standing
up to the gale force winds we get out in Cedar Park just fine, and both are the driest they have ever been. Let's
hear it for frugal horsekeeping, and still keeping within current local codes!
All the rains have brought their
own problems, though. The front five main enclosures are covered with a species of broadleaf, I think a form of Dock.
Rather than pull it up wholesale and ruin the compaction I have gotten in those areas and hurt all the grass growing next
to it, I have found that it makes a great "cover crop" even if it is a taproot plant. There is enough of it
that it has made a difference in letting a lot more grass take root. It seems to actually work better to just keep deadheading
the flower stalks as they shoot up and use that in compost piles, or let them just lie on the ground and be mulch when we
have those scorching days between the storms. I'm digging loads of tiny holes in bare aeaas, mostly on fencelines
where they won't get just kicked up again, and filling them with the leaves as I have time to cut some off at the roots
and trim around the grass. The horses are following behind me to get at the stuff I uncover--it's cute.
Meanwhile,
my pasture is purple, while surrounding fields are more yellow--too funny. I didn't get many bluebonnets, I think
because my soil was just too rich with all the manure spreading I did while it was dusty during the drought. Just wish
it was more edible--the horses ignore those flowers.
The good part is, it's all more erosion control. At first,
I was hoping I had loads of baby grass coming up. Instead, it was a cute tiny pink flower that looks like a Carnation
or Sweet William relative in miniature. At least grass is coming up, now. There has been some, but mostly annual
bluegrass and I think some sort of wild barley or rye that was cold-hardy--both were growing even after freezes, and setting
out seeds to replenish themselves. They are all still growing, too, even with our hot spikes, thankfully. Just
happy to have some free food until the Bermuda babies get more numerous.
That's enough for now.
:D
--Cindy
