Well, it is Christmas day today. A few more days and it will be another year behind us. I was cleaning yesterday and found an old "wish list". Usually, when I wake up, I get a cup of coffee and make lists for the day-- everything that needs to be done, and everything that I want to do (sometimes my goals are one in the same, mostly they clash). One morning I must have made this list of long term wishes and goals. I think the list is 5 or 6 years old. As one day blends into another-- and so it goes with weeks and months, then years--- I forget to take stock in my accomplishments. I am happy to say--- I can check every "wish" off on that list.. amazing !!! The things we can achieve without ever actually noticing until we sit down and look back with a list to remind us.

This morning I woke up thinking I may go for a ride-- but, here's where my needs and have-to's collide. On top of all our beautiful winter snow, it rained for a day and night.. we still have plenty of snow, but the ditch along side my driveway is packed with heavy compressed hard snow banks.. so that the water from my little spring is running out onto the driveway and freezing into rivers of ice. Technically-- this is not my job as my driveway is a town road (how handy is that?) But I know the town crew will never attend to it-- so I must dig out the snow and get the water flowing in the right places. I have quite a few springs on my land. I often joke with people -- this is why they call my town Springfield, because there is a spring in every field. I am not sure where this actual spring is, but there is an old lead pipe-- which as far as I can tell from finding pieces of that lead pipe when I had ditches dug for various improvements-- that spring fed the barnyard in several locations. It started out as an eternal wet muddy spot which has over the years evolved into a 2 tiered gold fish pond with a small waterfall. Here is what it looks like now, in the summer. When the water lilies are in bloom it is very beautiful.

My grand-son, Patrick, is working a badge for cub scouts-- he has to learn about horses. He has been coming on Saturdays to get acquainted with leading, grooming, how to put on a halter, how to tack up etc. Now he is up to riding the horse. Here he is on my horse Keri-Orla, navigating around cones in the indoor. He is planning to trade work around the farm for payment for the lessons. He's an excellent worker and at first he was looking forward to helping pick up poop more than he was the riding. He might have changed his priorities now, he enjoys the riding.

I received an e-mail from the couple who purchased Teena's Avis Jane a few weeks back-- they report she settled into her new surroundings like she belonged there.. which is great to hear.

They are riding her with a bitless bridle and a treeless western saddle, lots of tack changes for Avis.. she and Shelley's husband are doing great and having fun. Shelley rides Avis's son, The Sojourner.

I also heard from the family who chose OYY TigerHawk-- in TN. They have not sent photo's yet but apparently their son is enjoying Tiger and no hives !!

Last week, I started riding OYY Nimue-- no photo's of that, because I am always the one behind the camera. She is such an awesome little mare... forward and unbelievably comfortable at the trot. Someone missed out on an outstanding horse-- because I don't think I will part with her now !! She's the perfect size for me-- I have come to love the smaller horses... and she moves incredibly. I have 2 saddles-- one , a wintec Isabella dressage, one a wintec 2000 I think it is. Both with changeable gullets. I had to change the gullet for Nimue... and even though the wintec company claims this is an easy job-- it is more like wrestling a weanling greased pig. When the saddle fits the horse perfectly.. and you settle your butt into the seat and feel like -- AHHHH !! this feels so good---- everything seems right with the universe !

Enjoy the day-- and I hope all your wish lists come to fruition for you too !!

The latest news from Top O' The Hill Farm is snow and more snow. It's been several years since we have had appreciable snow at this time of year. The last few years in Vermont, the ground has been bare until February or even March, which is far from the norm-- when in the past, snow starts on Halloween and keeps up until spring (when we have the opportunity to enjoy Vermont's fifth season-- MUD).

This most recent storm dumped quite a bit of powdery snow on the farm over the weekend. Sunday late in the afternoon I went out and moved some of it. Early Monday morning, back out to finish up. Because we have riders coming for lessons, many of them handicapped-- I have to do a better job than I usually would, clearing away parking space and the short road up to the riding arena. I have a super snow blower which runs off the PTO of the tractor-- that makes my job a LOT easier and faster. But what I dislike the most of course is the hand work that is necessary after most of the big stuff is cleared away. Shoveling the gates out so they open both ways is almost the worst of it-- shoveling roofs is at the top of the list for my "I HATE to do this job" !! Some times the sun comes out and all the snow slides off (leaving big piles of snow which will freeze into place in front of doorways if you don't move them immediately)-- other times.. depending on the type of snowfall and the temperatures, the snow gets a crust of ice which adheres the thick blanket of snow to the metal roof. It has to be shoveled off. You do get a glorious view from atop a roof however-- and it does burn calories.

Last week, OYY Rosalee left with her new owners to Floralake Curlies in Canada. Florence and Oscar Martin chose Rosalee to start up their pony breeding program. Rosalee is out of Biscuit, a wonderful extreme pony with great curly bloodlines and my cremello stallion, Classic Dreams Cherokee Storm. Biscuit, so far, has given me all curly fillies. She has been outcrossed twice, once with a fabulous sport pony and once with a beautiful black Morgan pony sized stud. Each of these curly fillies are still here on the farm and doing great with their training. Rosalee is a yearling palomino with a friendly eager disposition. If she's anything like her sisters, she'll be easy to train and it will fun to see her offspring when the time arrives for that. This photo is of Rosalee in October- I wish I had gotten one of her as she left for Canada.

The horses are getting their work out in the ring and on the trail.. figuring out their balance and way of going through deep snow. It's warm in the woods and really makes an enjoyable ride. OYY Cosette, a 2 year old out of Anniva M and Lynn Downer's WCC Benjamin, is being ground driven and I can tell she is looking forward to being ridden. I can't wait either-- she is a really super little horse and I know she's going to be awesome to ride. While I did get quite a few smooth coats from Benjamin-- I can't complain one iota about the quality of his offspring. All the horses born from him are approaching 3 years old now, so we are excited about getting them all under saddle. All of his have great style and super legs and feet-- intelligent and easy to get along with. Here's Cosette coming up the driveway after working around obstacles down in the big arena.

Yesterday, my outdoor wood boiler was FINALLY hooked up. It's zero degrees outside, and the house is snug and cozy-- so far.. so good. All the hot water and heat I want and no oil to buy. I have plenty of wood- as I am always cleaning out fencerows and clearing more land. My eventual plan is to have heat in the tack room, office, workshop and maybe even a waiting room for the parents/caregivers of our riders during lesson time. Next year !! I had the underground insulated pipe laid to the barn as well as the house.. so it's ready. I am still ruminating on some kind of idea to stay warm holding horses while the farrier is here. That's a cold and boring chore-- I think I'd rather shovel a roof.

enjoy the day ~

Yesterday was one of those wonderful snowy sunny days. It started out with snow and hail.. but the sky cleared and it was truly "frabjous" . My orchids are blooming again... very beautiful. I always feel rather special when the orchids choose to bloom since they are such an exotic flower-- and mine rarely take a break-- but in truth, orchids are an easy flowering plant to care for. In the center of each bloom is an angel. I mentioned on a previous post that even though we have snow.. we are still riding and working horses. OYY Wassee is ridden almost every day now, and he does not mind a little snow at all. Wassee has been sold, but he is being boarded here until spring.

And on Saturday, my daughter took OYY Yemaya out for a quick ride in the big ring... whenever I snap a photo of Zoe and Yemaya together, they are both always smiling. Yemaya is a joy to ride, as Zoe says-- what a difference to ride a well trained horse after a lot of young green horses.

Saturday, 78 round bales were delivered and stacked in the barnyard. They are plastic wrapped so they don't have to be under cover. Looks like a big pile of marshmallows.

I also had to replace one of my frost-free hydrants... so rather than struggle with frozen ground and digging-- I had an excavator come in... 3 scoops and the hole was open for the new hydrant to go in. How handy is that?? Makes me wish for such a machine for myself. Along with lessons with the therapeutic riding program from 8:00 to 2:00... it made for a very busy day. Sunday was the day for relaxing a bit and quiet !

The past few weeks, I had the inspiration to re-do my web site. This is a BIG project and on-going... as you know, change one thing on a page and the entire site has to be altered. I added some new photo's, made pages for some broodmares that were previously not on the list, updated information and checked and re-checked all my links. Check it out !!
www.vermontel.net/~top

My 4 year old grand-son again.. he is turning out to be quite the little horseman. Pictured with the very handsome OYY Hendrix. This photo was taken yesterday.

Off to start another new day-- Enjoy yours ~

Once again I have fallen behind in my posts-- certainly not because there is no news.. as there is always something going on here on the farm. We spent the last few weeks de-worming horses. We finally got our first hard frost and I like to de-worm right after that. This was late for us- the pansies were still blooming up until after Thanksgiving !

Saturday was spent preparing for our first big snow storm. Weathermen work up such an anticipatory enthusiasm when there is a "nor'easter" looming on the weatherboard. They must get a commission on grocery sales as incentive-- the more they talk up a storm, increasing potential inches into feet, the grocery stores are full of distressed shoppers.

I picked up most of the "debris" from the lawn and around the barn-- stray pieces of firewood, any tools left out, the last lawn chair remaining out, coiled up all the hoses so I could find them again in case of heavy snowfall. Got out all the tub heaters and plugged them in. it's been fairly warm to date so I have not needed them. Right now-- this is 6 tubs with heaters-- so the old electric meter is a-whirrin' ! The horses surely love those heaters and I do too.

Sunday-- Teena's Avis Jane (ABC HB-60) left for her new home. She will join her 5 year old curly son (The Sojourner) to be a trail horse. Avis is a very special mare -- beautiful and in addition, out of Teena ~ pretty nearly the BEST horse in the world. OYY TigerHawk was scheduled to leave for TN on the next day, Monday but due to the impending storm, the haulers wanted to skeedaddle out of New England all together, quickly. They were anxious about the prospect of any amount of winter precipitation. They pushed up the their schedule and picked Tiger up at 1:30 Monday morning. By then, the snow was falling rather heavily-- Tiger walked out of the barn, sniffed the ramp and walked right on in to his little slant stall. What a great little horse! After his sale, Tiger stayed a few weeks with us in order to learn some neck reining. I made a short video before he left which you can view here- http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=bhcpl6ozOks

Now that the snow is here, I love the look of it. Around this time of year - when the first snow arrives late as it did this year -- I get spoiled and accustomed to the bare ground. I begin to wish the snow would never happen.. but when you wake up to that beautiful first covering, it is so beautiful- you want it to stay. The aspect of plowing and shoveling is not so appealing, but the scenery is gorgeous. Even when the snow is deep, we can still ride and we have the indoor for lessons and other training if we need to use it.

I had to take a walk around the fenceline to shake the snow off the hemlocks that are near the fence in my new areas I finished this fall, which are in the woods. Very beautiful ~ However, I quickly realized that I should have put my hood up before I started .. snow down the neck is not fun.

Enjoy the day ~