Friday, March 5, 2010

Goats, Blankets, and Flying Pigs

I'm quite certain that at this moment in time, somewhere in the world, there is bacon on the hoof in flight. Why do I say this? My Father has a Facebook account. This is the man who didn't own a computer until a few months ago.

That leaves me as the final hold out in our family. I obstinately refuse to join Facebook. I ask you, gentle readers, am I being stubborn, or do these social networking things allow us to put too much of ourselves out there for all to see?

I took today off work, because I could. The weather was clear, albeit it a bit cool. Smokey and Bailey were paid a visit from the farrier to have their hooves trimmed and shoes replaced. Smokey's soles are a bit soft, which is common for him this time of year, so we opted to keep the pads on until next time. Neither of them had much hoof growth since last visit. This is not unexpected, as much of their nourishment through the winter months goes toward coat growth and staying warm.

With the warm days and cold nights, we remove horse blankets in the morning, and replace them at night. Most of the horses are non-plussed by this event. Note that I say most. With Dozer, our 8 year old Paint gelding, blanketing is an event I refer to as "Blanket Rodeo". As you approach with the blanket, he tenses up and gets this wild look in his eyes. On about half the occasions, the young punk will wait until you are within arms reach, and then bolt, bucking and running across his paddock. Thus one has to march off after him. He got past me twice tonight before I was able to use my best cutting moves to force him into a corner, and applied said blanket. I know I should get a halter and lead rope for this, but it just seems ludicrous for it to be such an ordeal.

"What??? I have my blanket on. See?"


On a final note, for Laura over at Fetch My Flying Monkeys, I snapped a couple photos that I know she will appreciate.


10 comments:

Christina RN LMT said...

Facebook is what you make of it. Put as much or as little out there. It's a great way to stay in touch with friends and family. I, too, was stubborn about it, but my kids talked me into it. Just don't start playing all the stupid games. :D

Anonymous said...

I don't do Facebook either - although I expect it's fun - it just takes too much time (like blogging!).

Andy said...

Buckskins, I am gonna bug you with a couple of old posts. Read 'em if you want to, or not if you don't.

Facebook really is what you decide to make of it. It can be aggravating, as I learned. But, I do know many people that find it to be a real source of enjoyment. If I had it to do all over again, I probably would sign up on Facebook. I did it as an experiment, and learned an awful lot.

And hey, if you join up, be sure and "friend me." ;)

http://andysredneckramblings.blogspot.com/2009/06/all-is-right-with-world-andy-is-finally.html

http://andysredneckramblings.blogspot.com/2009/07/facebook-and-my-light-bulb-moment.html

Later, Andy

Andy said...

And oh, Buckskins...This is a funny vid I came across the other day about Facebook.

The language gets a tad rough near the end, but you might enjoy it.

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=pLefo0fn96o

Becky G said...

Re: Facebook--It isn't like your innermost secrets are laid bare before the whole world. You only put out there as much as you want others to see, and by making your profile private, you can control who sees what you put out there. In my humble opinion, FB allows more privacy than blogging.

Buck said...

Ah, I succumbed to peer pressure and did Facebook for a few months. But I quit. Too danged many stupid games, "gifts" and the like. I decided I could live quite well without it. And I have, strangely enough.

Jessica Boyd said...

I dread the day my mother finds Facebook, but I have found it a useful way to keep up with people (e.g. ex-coworkers) I might not otherwise have time for. It reminds me to stick my head out of the office and have lunch with them, so that's good. It also helped me touch bases with some people who knew my dad after he passed, so that was useful.

However, I do see your point and there is a lot of TMI out there.

Remind me to share our blanketing stories around Lena (our Paint mare) at a later date. We're over them now, but it was a long journey.

Anonymous said...

OH MY GOD! GOATSSSSSSS! Thank you!

You should get a FB account. You can set things to private. It's a good format to keep in touch with family because you choose who sees what, ect.

Now, more goats!

Gordon Scott said...

Mmmm...goat chops. Rub them with a bit of olive oil, salt and pepper...then 60 seconds per side in a hot skillet.

Dave (aka Buckskins Rule) said...

Thanks for the info on FB, everyone. Andy, I think you touched on it exactly with the posts that you left the links for.

Laura, glad you enjoyed the goats.

Gordon: Heh!