Hello again!

~ November 25 ~

   Lots has been happening since I got home from Saskatoon. And that's my only excuse for not writing. I guess I could think up a lot more… but, the fact is that I haven't written for a long time. :-P Sorry! Now, with that being said…

 Ellie's gotten sick again. She needs prayers. She's getting her nasty cough again. Other than that we are all doing well here. Dad, Ellie, and Jesse all got their deer. Two each. I found out that I don't like shooting the high powered rifles, so I have two unused deer tags. Jesse has yet to get a moose and then Dad, Lell's and I, all have our cow elk tags. So we still have a bit of hunting to do. Jesse makes jerky out of the elk and deer meat, it's sooo good! We all prefer the elk meat to the deer meat but all of it is good. :-)

 My biggest news would be that I bought new horse! Well, actually he's not really new to us but… He is a black Quarter Horse cross gelding named Coyote. Some of you may remember me mentioning him before. Dad used him on our 310 mile ride through SK, MT, and ID (we trailered the horses a good bit of the way). While us girls were at camp this summer Dad put his two horses, Coyote and Al, up for sale. Both of them sold, and nobody really minded them being gone. Until I got home and didn't have a horse to ride. It was kind of a bummer but I put up with it. Then a couple of weeks ago when we were in the Endeavour Store (the general store) Dad picked up a copy of the 'Bargain Hunter' (a free advertisement paper). When I got it I turned right to section #47 (Livestock /accessories). There I found an ad for a 9 year old black QH gelding, broke to ride, but needs experienced rider… I laughed to myself that it sounded like Coyote, then I checked  and wouldn’t you know it was in Yorkton which is where Coyote was sold to. We looked up the phone number and sure enough it was the same people.  So to make a long story shorter, Dad called them and they delivered Coyote here a couple of days later. Just a couple of days ago I took him for a ride. I had a blast getting frozen! It was around -20* C, but it was still fun to be riding again! Coyote did pretty good. He was freaking out when I first brought him into the yard to saddle him up but settled down on the road. Hopefully I'll be able to get him in shape throughout this winter. Right now he looks like a broodmare that's in foal. His belly is huge! LOL!

 I've caught Bucky a couple of times. But he's got more tricks than I do. So I'm rather stumped with what to do. I'll be leading him and he's walking along quietly then all the sudden he spins rearing and gets the rope on his shoulder and then bolts. There's no way I can hold him. So if there's any horse trainers reading this, please help me here. He only does this when I get him away from the herd, so I know is herd boundness. Anyways. Fandango is getting friendlier, especially if you have carrots. :-) I haven't tried haltering her yet but have worked on being able to pet more and more of her.

  Tomorrow we are, Lord willingly, going to the Agribition in Regina. We are hoping to get there in time for the Premier Select Ranch Horse Competition at 9:00 in the morning. That means we'll be leaving here around 5:00, which means getting up around 4:15. And yes I'm talking am. Sounds lovely eh? Should be worth it! :-) My greatest problem is that Martha heard this interview on the radio of this 17 year old kid that's selling wild rags (neckerchiefs) there. I guess he's been a bull rider for 2 years. Anyways the crazy girl wants me to take a picture of him for her. And to make it worse Mum thinks I should too. Maybe I'll take a random picture of him, but I NOT going to go up to him and tell him that my sister at home wants a picture of him so would he mind I took one, like Mum suggested. I told her that if she thinks it's a good idea she can do it. I'll even lend her my camera. I think that if Martha wants to see him so bad she should come along. She and Jesse are staying home so they can go to youth. Oh well! LOL! Talk about a crazy family!

I started studying the drivers handbook so I can take the written test and get my learners permit. But I made the mistake of starting a book called 'Wild Horse Annie ,The Last of The Mustangs' by David Cruise and Alison Griffiths. A very good book about how Velma Johnston helped the mustangs not to become an extinct breed. But I would not suggest starting it at the same time as the drivers handbook… Which one do you think gets read more? Ugh! Okay, now is a very good time to practice self control :read Wild horse Annie and then read the drivers handbook:! LOL! Just kidding. But I'm telling you it's a good book! I would even recommend it over Marguerite Henry's book on the same subject, which is a good book as well by the way. I just like how this one is written better. Right now Martha's reading it. Ha, maybe she won't finish it until I get done with the drivers handbook. LOL!

 Anyways.. I guess I'll go for now.

   Hopefully I'll be able to post this while in Regina. :-)

               G'day!

                      ~Lydia~