My New Goal

What is this I see?

So, since money is a thing of the past (what else would I expect with a blog title called Four Mares. NO GODDAMN MONEY) I started to get over the fact that I will not be competing in my first recognized event this year. That's ok because I haven't been able to ride and I would actually hope and like to do decently at one of those things.

Also, why can't I ride? Welp, when you don't put a base down in your arena, and someone has burned a big pile of stuff where you placed your arena sand, that stuff starts to come up over time. Stuff like nails. And an exacto knife. And more nails. So, until we get our hands on a metal detector, everybody is on vacation. It's not like I can do much anyways, because, health. But still. I like to toodle bareback to keep my sanity.

Now that my sanity is out the window, I came up with making a bucket list. First: Go to Rolex and the Kentucky Derby (and all stud farms and Keenland, etc). Second: Compete in recognized event (I'm not letting that dream go). And third: hike up to Goat Lake in the Sawtooth Mountains.

Part of the Sawtooth range

That's all I have. I showed my husband the list. He looked at number three and said "let's do it". You see, my arthritis has begun to cause me far more pain than before. Just the other day while I went to pick up my meds, I had two people point at me and talk to the person next to them. Why were they pointing? Probably because of the way I was walking. One of them was a kid, so he hardly counts, but the other two old ladies made me feel pretty bad. I am starting to get use to people looking and staring, and there are a large handful of people that ask what is wrong with me. They always assume I am sore or hurt a leg and none are ever expecting the answer I give them. Some laugh, like it might not be true. Others look at me funny. That is just the way it is now.

My brother is going with me!

I have an appointment with a new doctor at the state's arthritis center. He may not be able to help my Lyme disease, but maybe he could help me alleviate some arthritis pain. I also have had some swelling in my right leg just above my ankle, somewhat edema like, and that is a bit concerning. I noticed it about a week ago, no idea how long it has been there, but it doesn't seem to want to leave. I threatened to wear a polo wrap around the house to see if that helps.

Picture of Goat Lake from here

You are probably now thinking, how the heck are you going to hike up a mountain? It is an 8.5-mile round trip to an alpine lake in my favorite place, Stanley. Since I appear to be getting worse and not better, might as well try to bust this thing out now. I may need the help of some left over pain meds from my surgery (shhh, don't tell) but hey, if it let's me have one happy day where I feel like I accomplished something this year, then fine. Blake is very excited and has been researching and gathering items for the hike. You start off at a campsite and hike up a trail along Goat Creek to Goat Falls. This is where you take an unmarked trail and over some scree to get to Goat Lake. If I am doing alright with that, we may hike the additional 1.5 miles to Sawtooth Lake, which is bigger. The trail is marked as moderate, and based on what others have said, it should be doable.

Picture from here

And another of Goat Falls borrowed from Boise Weekly

August 9th is the big day. And hopefully I will feel on top of the world.

Sawtooth Lake captured from here

More Goat Fun!

Can I help you?

If there is something in my life right now that is guaranteed to put a smile on my face instantly, it is the goats. They may have been my husband's wedding presents, but I am enjoying them very much too. I have been trying to learn as much about goats as I can (especially health wise) and there are lots of different things you can do with them.

Outfits to try and cover their "pickles". They actually worked well for that person, but not the poop.

Their other outfits.

I am somewhat limited because of our goats' size. Goats can pack, pull wagons, drive, and do tricks and agility. I have been trying to teach them to do a few tricks, but I think the process will move along quicker once I have a clicker in my hands. We have also been taking them on walks with the dogs, and although their "forward" button is slow to start, the get moving soon and walk like pros. Cars are still scary to them, but they are learning that they will be ok.

Lap goat.

I would also like them to go on little hikes with us and and carry small packs. They won't be able to carry much, but it will give them a job and they can carry things like lunch and water. Of course, we will have to wait for them to grow a bit more before that happens. Cart pulling may also be an option in the future as well. In my super wild dreams, they would be the lead driving a cart with the two dogs, but that would take some training and engineering feats.

How Reaper tries to help with weeding.

Chest goat.

They also keep me on my toes. Remember how I mentioned that Reaper injured his hock? Well, a week later, we were putting the horses back into their pens from turnout. I had Vegas and had just let her go when I turned around and realized the goats were in the pens with us. I am still unsure of how to go about them mingling with the horses, so I went to catch them. Blake had just let Lucy into the pen (she shares the pen with Vegas) when the other two bay turds took off in the pasture. Of course, this startled the paint mares quite a bit. They went scooting around there pen and also realized that there were goats in there too. They tried their hardest to not step on them. All the while, the bays took off out of the pasture and went and stood in the arena totally still, watching the madness.

They DO NOT enjoy being brushed with a curry.

I thought the goats came out unscathed. But as Mr, Mayhem got out of the pen, he started limping on a front leg. I snatched him up and investigated. There was a small gash in his leg, so I went to doctoring it. Blake went to put the Bacon and Pandora away, and they looked at him and then put themselves in their own pens without him doing anything. At least they somewhat redeemed themselves. Mayhem was released and immediately went to running and jumping around normally, so that made me feel a lot better. He also thought he was really something after receiving his battle scar, and tried to take on Moo. It was laughable.

Bring it on, cow.

Mayhem and his battle wound.

Tough guy.

I also had to start their own instagram account because it was getting a little ridiculous on mine. I had more comments of people tagging other random people on their pictures and video over anything. So now, @the_goatlaws is up and running and attracting a lot of attention from random people all over. People love goats. And I certainly do too.

Goat smile!

Adorableness/terrorists.

Keepin' On

This field was supposed to be full of flowers.

It seems like there is somewhat of a theme for a handful of bloggers lately where that theme is to disappear from blogger for a bit. I ended up in that group. It is hard to keep writing a blog where the only things you have to say are "I still hurt. I haven't been able to ride. Life is frustrating." Ain't nobody want to read that.

Brother, mom, and grandma!

I did have some joy when my mom and grandma Shirley came to visit for 8 days. I get to see them once a year, and I treasure it so much. My dad, brother, and I moved up to Idaho back in 1998, where we had no family and nothing was familiar. We hated it at first, but slowly came to realize that Idaho was not a bad place. It had grass, trees, a river flowing through town and my new Border Collie puppy. It even had seasons. Still, if I think about looking out the back window of my dad's van as we pulled away from my grandparent's house with them and my mom waving goodbye, tears come to my eyes.

Goat massages. Yeah, "massages".

Husband laughs at me every time we go to pick them up at the airport because I can barely contain my excitement. My mom has been in and out of prison for a good chunk of my life (drugs are bad) so it is always nice to know that I will get to see her this time around. Anyways, we had a good week. We went to the horse races, where we had a freak rain storm, and our horse was entered in the last race. We all huddled in a stall until it was race time, but the wait was worth it. Yuma Landing went wire to wire to win her first race of the year, and my mom and grandma got to be in the win picture.

Grandma and Johnnie

Mom and Saro

It was a bit sloppy.

Go Yuma go!

Cleaner than the rest!

The next day, we went to our local water park, Roaring Springs. I hadn't been there in at least 10 years, so I was pretty pumped. I love thrill rides of any sort. We did a few family rides and raced each other on some drop off slides, and floated down the never ending river. My mom and I decided we were going to try one of the newer rides. I got a little worried when at a packed water park and there is nobody in line for this particular ride. I went first. Basically, you get it the portal tube, they shut the glass door, and you stand there and wait for the stupid thing to drop the latch. And then you feel like you are free falling (I didn't even feel the water or the slide behind me) and magically land in the bottom, where your boobs pop out and you don't even care that anyone saw them because you are still trying to figure out what the hell just happened.

Sweatshirt weather

Clouds eating the mountains.

Another goal on the list was to go to one of my most favorite places ever. Stanley Lake, in Stanley Idaho. I hadn't been there in at least 5 years and I wanted to share my favorite place with them. I was a little worried when it rained the whole way up there, but fortunately, it stopped just as we set about our hike. My brother and I laughed as we watched grandma and mom freak out about pine cones and collect them into their purse as souvenirs. My favorite part, the meadow full of wildflowers, was not full of wildflowers this time, so that bummed me out. But it was still glorious.

The start of the journey

Can you tell why this is my favorite place?

It has horse trails too.

I am the tallest girl in the family. And I am 5'2".

That is some cold ass water.

Yep. Love it.

On our way back.

They also got to play with the goats, of course. At one point, Reaper had injured a rear leg so badly that he would not stand at all. I promptly called the vet. Let me tell you, it is hard to try and hold a phone, palpate a teeny little leg/hips, while another bastard goat is jumping on your bare-skinned back. The vet was pleasantly surprised that I already knew my goat's weight, knew his anatomy, and had injectable banamine on hand.I found that he had a swollen hock, and not a dislocated hip like I had originally guessed, stuck him with some banamine, and he was good to go. Phew!

They are snuggly. And love hair.

Mmmm. Hair.

Eeeeeee.

I was so sad to drop them off at the airport once again. Those few days are not nearly long enough, and I now feel so lonely at home again. I know I can't complain, because I have a Blake and dogs, goats and ponies. But I never really had any friends that stuck around (except Blake) for too long, and they were always there for me. Just a phone call away. I hope I can see them again soon.

Bowling. And phone questions for the tech hubs.

Playing lawn golf, or something.

Pine cones!