Welcome to Fern Valley

Here in central Alberta prime farm country,my husband Martin and I work together raising beef cattle and Appaloosa horses. Fern valley appaloosas have long been known for their quality of temperament conformation and color.I have recently rediscovered a love of writing and have published 2 collections of poetry. "Telling Tails" and Tails Trails and Campfire stories" . I look forward to a future spreading my wings as an author and as a horse woman .

Sunday 26 July 2015

Signed sealed ,delivered!

Took Tango to his new home yesterday. He traveled well ,and unloaded like a champ! Kat was there to receive her new horse and I enjoyed a brief visit with her, I didn't get out to see Maggie while there but I hope to get a chance next time.I left her and Tango getting to know one another. ( I forgot to take pics ,but Kat's mom was out today and shared these.
I think they will be a great pair!


Today was all about me standing around while the farrier did the hard work. All of the horses were pretty good, and best of all the bute protocol we have Johnny on continues to work, he stook like a champ! Harley had a moment or two, but even so, Charlie commented on how quickly this colt learns things, He did try a couple times but with very little correction he gave in! 
I do need to remember to put Cactus in the barn to trim this time of year, the distractions made him a bit fractious but nothing serious, better to just put him in a position to succeed in future.
Aside form all of that Martin is home now for a while and we have been spending time together and getting a few things done, checking cows, checking fences, and the like . 
Life is pretty good right now.
Until next time... 
Stay safe  my friends 

Wednesday 15 July 2015

On a good day

On a  good day I can do anything
Just like I could before
On other days I try and fail,
As pain begins to soar
It comes and goes, from time to time
For no rhyme or any reason
Not from overwork or stress,
The weather or the season
Not from something I have done wrong
I did not rest too little
 Or too long
Day to day I walk a line
But if you ask me, I am just fine
Because I am overall,
The pain is a part of me that’s small
It does not change my heart or mind
It is simply not how I am defined
I am not alone, nor first to feel
This pain that is so very real
Judgement comes now and again
From those who cannot see
What is going on inside or
 How those words hurt me
Yet on a good day I can do anything

Just like I could before…


I wrote that some time ago, I believe I actually posed it here at the time.It describes pretty well how I feel about having Lupus,and Rheumatoid Arthritis. On a good day I am great, on a bad day ,not so much. But I prefer to celebrate the good than to linger on the bad.
I am not a big fan of negativity and complaining, not to say I  never do it,but I try not to live there. I feel that constant focus on the negative is in effect circling the drain, and just suck the energy and life out of a person. So as often as I can , I remind myself to think about "what went right" so that I can change the flow of energy to  positive.
That all said, I am posting this to in a sense explain where I have been, I am usually a regular poster and I read and comment on others blogs. The past few months, not so much.Yes I have been busy but also I have been tired, and having some pretty severe pain with my elbow and arm. Making typing quite uncomfortable . I have done some "speech to text " to post but that comes with its own issues lol (gotta love technology!).
I had another cortisone injection today so I am typing this  while the freezing is still in effect. And I finally gave in and accepted the surgical referral to have the elbow repaired or replaced. The idea of it still scares me but not as much as the idea of losing anymore use of my arm . So there it is.

On to the good news,
Tango has been sold! And while I will miss that kind soul I am so pleased to say he has been sold to a friend, a matter of fact to the same girl who bought his full sister Maggie!! So again I will be blessed to be able to follow him and his career! Harley is still available though I have a few folks interested ,it will just depend on the right buyer and the right timing I guess.




Calving was good this year with a 100% success in a reasonable amount of time. The dad bought a few, and they too have nearly all calved out without complications !


I continue to work with the EAPD program enjoying it and marvelling at the great work the horses do.
 Sometimes the coach gets some therapy too! 
and other times its just good fun



I had the opportunity to judge at a American Competitive Trail Horse Association ride earlier in June ,what a great time! Also following the ride I was asked to present a talk on Equine assisted Personal Development. This was held at the facility I boarded at and worked out of last winter. It went well,(sure funny how I am so uncomfortable with public speaking but this in probable the fifth time I have done a presentation of some sort in the past couple years! I have to admit it is getting easier.)

I will hopefully have a new crop of foals next spring we are breeding  1or2 mares to Phoenix and one to Cactus , also we had 1 outside mare in for breeding earlier in the year. 



The weather has been screamin hot and very little rain so hay is at a bit of a premium already, we are sure hoping the forecast is right now as they are calling for rain,in the hopes that the pasture will recover, the grasshoppers will drown and the second cut yields some better results !
I have been supplementing Phoenix and Cactus with cubes and beet pulp and they are both doing well, the rest are on grass,its just a matter of really strict pasture management . That and the fact that many of the horses here are air ferns, lol we are holding our own! Plus the dipping pool helps me to keep my cool!

Held a bridal shower for my niece Deanna who is getting married at the end of August, I am so excited for her, and yet a little melancholy, it seriously seems like just yesterday I held her in the hospital and cried tears of joy for meeting that precious little girl! 

Martin and I bought ourselves a little present, a "new to us" motorhome! so maybe a little travel is in our future! 
 As you can see Henry is growing like a weed and fitting into our family just fine


So there we are, all caught up,and it only took me half the night to type it lol. Its all good. I hope to keep more up to date soon and I really want to catch up on what everyone else is up to ! 
Until next time my friends, stay safe! 

Monday 6 July 2015

place keeper

Just this while I collect my thoughts