Christmas for Cowboys

QUEEN - Thank God It's Christmas

Cave Creek Frontier Town!!!

Just north of Phoenix is the little town of Cave Creek.   It was established in 1870.  Its still small town...rural, with lots of horses around... it tends to be a little more comfortable temperature wise, than Phoenix, due to its lack of too much concrete.   I went there yesterday, and wound up in the midst of a Harley get together, with so many motorcycles, it looked like a showroom floor!!!.......  But, rather than behaving badly, these bikers were well-behaved, and orderly.  Apparently, this happens most weekends there.  Its a good ride, apparently, and there's several places that the riders group and refresh themselves.  Its good business for the town....  My focus, however, was an art fair, where I met up with a woman by the name of Crystal Carol, who makes beautiful paintings of horses, both modern and prehistoric, or primitive Indian style renderings on leather, fur-backed skins.  I was so impressed by the paintings.... Crystal has a gallery called SpiritHorseGallery.com and, you can contact her at spirithorsegallery@yahoo.com, if you would like to buy some of her fantastic art.  I bought a medicine horse painting from her, myself and if I'd had more cash to spend on myself, I'd have loved to buy one of the skins.... I also would have gotten one of the cave dwelling paintings of horses.... just beautiful.... and she usually puts spotted horses in many of her artwork.... and you know me, I can't seem to resist SPOTS!!!!  ... I didn't have my camera with me or I'd show you some of her artwork here.  But cruise her website... You won't be sorry you did!................... 

Phoenix Rising.......

Well...I've been here for about nine weeks now.  I've been trying to learn my way around in Phoenix...at least on the west side... north end of the city.  I am gradually learning a little more about how to find my way around in a small area of about 3 streets.  I try to get out and drive around on days I have no work...and scout out the roads that connect to get me places quicker.  I hate the traffic here.  Its a constant battle to get through the sluggish freeway tangles.  I think the city grew larger than their road control plans... there should have been more freeways and not just a few loops.  When an accident happens...which is very frequently... all the traffic comes to a standstill.   And, you can't get off to get anywhere else if you have only one way to get to your destination.  I'm hoping to find a job out on the edges of town... so I miss all the traffic and concrete.  And, where I will be able to stable Comanche' and get to her quickly.  So, say prayers I find this....  I've been working hospice lately, and have met some really nice people... but, I am still searching for a permanent place to work...and hopefully, on a dayshift.  I am so not a night person.... but at the moment... I have to grit my teeth and try to stay awake all night.  I makes my head ache!!!........  My Comanche' girl has been being very good for Goody, our barn lady.  She tells me that Comanche' talks to her everyday.... LOL... she's trying to talk her into more peppermints, no doubt..!...

Missing my Comanche'

Well...its been a long 7 weeks... I miss my horsey girl...  I haven't had the time to drive back to even visit yet.  My work has been too off and on..to know I could have a few days to do my trip.  I'm trying to get my permanent job situation set up first, and then have Comanche' brought over by a transporter.  This is not a good time to be hunting for work, unfortunately, with the holidays coming up.  But, I'm hoping I can find something very soon.  My temp work is not enough since so many hospitals are organizing their own float pools.  That cuts down on the agency work available for outside nurses.  And, you have to know how to do the computer charting.  The one day class is NOT sufficient for learning all you need to know, either.  They don't tell you the shortcuts, nor exactly what you have to do to keep everything flowing well. I just do my best... and pray a lot!  So, in the meantime... I've been visiting other people's horses when I get the chance.  I'm kind of  craving the smell of sweet hay.... you know what I mean?????

Festival of Horses!!!

Last Saturday, I attended the annual "FESTIVAL OF HORSES".... in Queen Creek, Arizona, at their new Horse Park.  Its a great way to meet new people, make friends and see the latest things in the horse world, and clinicians who have demonstrations with their horses to show how to do this or that, to improve your skills and safety with your animals.  I got to see the cute mini horses with their one person carriages, that did a great routine complete with spins.  I enjoyed  hearing the clinicians, and will remember many ideas they expressed.  I got to talk with some women who have an arabian horse riding group in the Phoenix area, and who go to the local state parks nearby, to ride the desert trails.  When I find my new permanent job, at one of the hospitals in the area, I am hoping to do some of the same.  I just LOVE horse people!!!........  friendly, and helpful only begin to describe them.    Have a great day, and Happy Trails!!!!

Sometimes You're the Windshield, Sometimes You're the Bug!!!

Well, have you ever gotten up one morning, and things  went just so wonderful, that you thought you must be dreaming, or that you are a star in a Disney movie?....  More often than not, have you ever awakened, and realized, that no matter what you did that day, it was going to turn in some mushy jello sort of day?........  Unfortunately, those seem to occur more frequently than the first kind of mornings.   So, what do you do at that point?  Suffer though, or try and force things into being better?....  It sounds kind of pitiful, but, if you CHOOSE your attitude, it may not make things better, in general....but, you may feel as if you can survive at the very least.  And, there's always tomorrow, to hope for............. the Disney channel days.    I've had to decide to use my free time to look around the city I am now residing in....and check out my options.  So far, my life seems to be in a holding pattern for the moment... hopefully, not the circling of the drain, pattern.   But, I'm trying to see this as a way to learn where I want to wind up.  I still am worried about finances.... and I am really missing my Comanche' girl.... but I am searching for work areas I may want to be employed by, and where I can find housing for me and the Kitty Sisters, Sweet Sage, and Sister Sarah... and of course, a close barn near us for Comanche' the Peppermint Queen.   My friend, Gudrun, or Goody, as we call her at the Corrales barn, is making certain that Comanche' gets a peppermint in the morning and one in the afternoon.  This has made Comanche' pay close attention to what Goody is saying... and Goody sees a difference in how Comanche' was prior to peppermint dispersal and now.  LOL.... I'm telling you... if your horse loves peppermint...its worth going to the dollar store for a big bag of that stuff.  Mine will do ANYTHING just for one candy.   I'd load up some pics to here but I'm still trying to get my camera figured out.  I sure go through batteries with this thing..... so, I do have pics...just need to figure out how to post them now.  Happy Trails, Y'all!!!