For River....

Look!  A chicken!

 

I am such a city girl.  Even after living in suburban TX for 17 years, I am still thrilled to see any kind of farm animal. 

While the guys were working on the project, I was distracted by the neighing of the horse, the chatter of chickens and the curiousity of the goats.

More photos to come, but I wanted to get this out to River...

 

 

Eagle Scout Project...first user!

 

 

 

While this young woman has been taking riding lessons at this ranch for quite some time, this is the first time she has ever been able to get onto the horse on her own.

I think the smile says it all.

 

Group photo.

 

 

Freddy's Eagle Scout Project

So while it seems like our family has been "all about me" the last couple couple of months, Fred has been busy working with the boys and Scouts; particularly getting Freddy ready for his Eagle Scout Project. 
Now the hard part about the project is that it has to be kid led.  Freddy had to initiate paperwork with "the council," email volunteers, get donations, etc.
Freddy, like many teenage boys is not all that proactive.  He needed reminding.  This job fell to Fred. 
Anyway...Freddy found a project working on a horse ranch in the next town over. Riding lessons are given there, with a focus on disabled persons.  The ranch is called Ride with Pride.
The project was to build a set of ramps so that people with disabilities could mount a horse; some independently, some with assistance.
Fred, Freddy and volunteers worked last weekend, cutting wood to size and giving it its first coat of paint. This past Sunday, they put the ramps together.  On one side there are steps leading to a platform where an able bodied person could assist from one side of the horse, and the ramp on the other for a wheelchair to be pushed or someone with limited mobility could climb with ease.
Here are a few shots....
Before....

During....


Checking for fit....


After....

(It still needs another coat of paint and handrails...)
The Crew:

More ranch photos and first use photos next.

Eagle Scout Project

I have been released.... The paper is turned in. It still needs to be approved by my committee and the graduate school, but the writing part is done. I feel a little queasy.

Dissertation is due on Monday. Three out of the five chapters have been returned to my professor after making the corrections and revisions she has suggested. Appendix L is 35 pages long.

I'm all thumbs

Do you want the good news or the bad news?

Ok...since you insist, I'll give you the good news.

My knee is better! Hooray! I just woke up one morning and it was good. I had been better about wearing shoes and have started taking glocousamine (?) so I don't know if that is what has helped, but either way...I'll take it!

My latest ailments...well, I have disabled BOTH of my THUMBS. On the same day too.

Sunday morning I woke up and let the puppy do her business outside, while I put a pot of coffee on. Next thing I know she is doing that panicked puppy cry.."Aik! Aik! Aik!" I dashed outside to see what was wrong and found her little foot stuck in the rack shelf on the bottom of the grill. I reached over to help free her foot and CHOMP!

I was in shock. She really bit hard! I know it isn't her fault, but now I have puncture marks on my thumb and a pierced thumb nail. I will spare you and not take a photo.

Sunday evening I was making chili and chopping onions. I guess I was holding the knife improperly, since my other thumb was throbbing and wrapped in a bandage.

You guessed it. I chopped more than onions. I seriously thought I needed stitches, but Fred thought otherwise.

So now I have both of my thumbs bandaged. I got in to see the doctor yesterday and when I explained my Sunday to the nurse, she laughed. Then when she left the room, I heard her explain my wounds to the doctor. They had a nice chuckle at my expense...so I shouted: " I can hear you!"

I ended up with a tetanus shot, antibiotics and some freaky news.

1) The nail the dog bit will fall off and when it does I need to be very careful about the bed of the nail. He said if I ding it up too much I may end up with a warped finger nail.

2) The portion of my finger that was cut by the knife will turn black and fall off. He said this is normal and that there will be new skin below it, but he wanted to warn me so I didn't freak out.

Too late.

Texting has been torture.