Routines

Yesterday was a fun Monday!

My friend, Lisa Marie came over to refresh herself on how to take care of the critters.

(She is hoping to start a Pet Sitting business...)

She arrived just after 7:30.

I always feel badly when I "train" people, because I have such an easy routine.

It takes longer to drive to my house than it does to do the chores.

(Frankly, it takes longer to type it out than to do it!  LOL)

1. Let the dogs out.  (I do this as soon as I get up, before working out...)
2. Put 2 cups of feed in each of the horse's feed buckets.
3. Put 1/2 Cup diatemacious earth in each feed bucket.
4. Pour 2 cups water in each bucket & stir (using the cup)
5. Open the barn gate and get out of the way. (the horses put themselves away... if only I could teach the dishes and laundry that trick!)
6. Walk by each stall and close the doors.
7. Fill the chicken feed rubbermaid/tupperware thingie.
8. Re-fill the blue water bucket.
9. Carry both out to Rocky - refill her feed and water.
10. Open her door for the day.
11. Carry both out to the main coop.
12. Refill feed and water.
13. Check for eggs.  (never any that early in the morning - my girls are lazy...)
14. Walk back to the barn and put chicken feed and water bucket away.
15. Grab the grey soaked alfalfa bucket.
16. Give each horse a "scoop of soup" (spoonful or 3 of soaked alfalfa)
17. Drag the hay wagon (and "soup" bucket) to the pasture.
18. Turn on the water in the trough as you walk by.
19. Put out a couple flakes of hay.
20. Dump the soup on the floor in the main coop.
21. Bring the wagon and soup bucket back to the barn.
22. Turn off the water in the trough as you walk by.
23. Open each stall door and get out of the way.
24. Close the barn gate.
25. Put the chain over the feed room entry.
26. Call the dogs to the house and feed them. (I wait and bring them in after I shower & dress so they get to stay outside longer...)
27. DONE.

Takes 15 minutes total.

If you doddle.

In the evening you do exactly the same thing, except instead of feeding soup, you make the soup.

And no diatemacious earth.  They only get that in the mornings.  I take it at night.

Put enough dried alfalfa cubes in the bucket to make a single layer on the bottom.

Fill the bucket 3/4 full with water from the trough.

Put it in the hay room.

So anyway.

I felt badly that it's so easy! 

So, we put a couple of saddles on the horses and went for a ride!

I couldn't get the stirrups on Rod's saddle to adjust (rusted)

so instead of switching saddles, we just switched horses.

I haven't ridden anybody but Andy in several years!

CJ walks FAST!

And when you are in the lead, you get all the spider webs.

But we had a great ride.

It was a beautiful fall morning - with just enough dew on the trees to be refreshing.

I enjoyed the company.

But it felt weird to talk first thing in the morning.

Usually it's just me and the animals.

And I LOVE it.

Tomorrow I have to tell you about Rocky's latest adventure!

But I need to take pictures.

I forgot this morning.

Oops!