This 'n That

[SandyG]

It has been a whirlwind of the last 24 hours!!!

A Bacon Fest in River Falls with a Classic Car Show on Main Street - what a fun time! Once again standing and talking with like minded Car Heads for the afternoon. Starting the Vette (just to show off!) and even selling tickets! To those that know the classic cars, the Vette is so unusual being a 40 year old ONE OWNER stock vehicle - and it's a blast to drive!

Then home to care for The Herd and to wait for the arrival of Freedom - a blind Palamino gelding from Indiana. I grabbed a pillow and a blanket and waited in the truck - had I sat in the chair in the house they never would have been able to awake me! They called at 12:05AM to tell me they were taking Exit 28 off of I94 and so I got up and out and met the boy.

The most beautiful 74' rig pulled in the yard, flipped on all of their spotlights, and literally rolled out the red carpet for Freedom. So trusting, he walked down the ramp and with me into the barn. Found the water and the hay but went nose deep into the feed. I feel in love within 30 seconds.

He spent the night in a box stall smelling his new world and then by 8AM I was back in his stall with him and once again, he was walking down the driveway and into yet another trailer! Without hesitation or reserve. Again, that trust of his so very visible.

We went to his new home where he met Sally - a large, round, beautiful Belgian mare that we rehomed over 10 years ago. Back then she was thin, wounded, limping, and in trouble . . . certainly not the girl of today! Within 30 minutes she had learned he could not see her and so she had to tap his neck with her nose to tell him where she was and invite him to follow her. I was in absolute awe of how quickly they both adapted to each other.

My bet? In a year, Freedom will also have a round butt, a full chest, and be full of confidence and even more calm. He just needs food and exercise and to stay in one place for a while! The love of a big mare won't hurt any, either!

Then home to get out of wet clothes and into dry warm clothes to care for The Herd this evening. Snorty and stomping, the kids were moving well and almost glad for the cooler air. They have that hide, you know!

Tomorrow brings WQOW to THE FARM to film a spot on the Hospital Building so I get to show off how far we came on Saturday. What a crew! We exceeded all expectations and so are actually sitting almost ready to house Gracie and PONY! and treat Clyde Mare! Unbelievable!!!

But tonight, I'm going to have my first fall cup of hot chai and then a hot shower to get some sleep - in bed, not the truck, please.

Enjoy the sunshine tomorrow! We did, actually, need the rain . . . . !

[SandyG]

BIG NEWS!!!

Refuge Farms

on tonight's 6PM NEWS

on Ch 18 WQOW

[SandyG]

We are sore but good here at THE FARM!

Our dear Charlie took most of his day yesterday and retrieved and then moved over 5 TONS of limestone screenings into the floor space of the Hospital stalls. So we are ready to build those stalls when we have Cops Weekend on October 7th!

The breeze is good today but I still will have the fans on to keep the air moving. This peculiar summer is going out with a bang, isn't she???

Be careful today - drink water!!!

[SandyG]

Last minute TO DO LIST in getting ready to draw the winner of the ONE OWNER 1977 Corvette at our Dine-To-Donate in Menomonie at Applebee's tomorrow evening! Papers to collect, balloons, microphones, step stools . . . . all kinds of pieces needed to pull this off in the front yard of our friend's restaurant! And the drawing will be held right in front of our corral with horses in it, too, by the way! Which horses will we bring tomorrow night? Come and see! It will surprise you!

Talked with Dr. Rande's office this morning to follow-up on the article we ran in our Summer Newsletter looking for a home for Huey, the cat Dr. Rande decided to absorb rather than euthanize. And guess what??? Huey was re-homed! After our first Dine-2-Donate dinner at Applebee's a lady appeared and Dr. Rande said, "She passed!" and so dear Huey - with the permanent scowl face - has a new loving home.

Thank you to all of you who took the time to read our newsletter. And especially thank you to those of you who inquired about Huey and to the lucky woman who now calls Huey "mine". Just how cool is this little life that was saved???

On that note, I'm off to drop the trailer, empty it so we have room for the corral panels, and then load it up for our final dinner tomorrow evening. We will be in the Menomonie Applebee's front yard from 4 - 7pm with the small item raffles being drawn between 6 and 7pm. The Corvette drawing will be held at 7pm with the I Heart Radio personality, Tess Morgan, doing the honors. Some lucky person will drive that vintage car home for $100!!!

Tickets will be available tomorrow at Applebee's from 4 - 6:45pm or yet today and tomorrow morning at THE FARM - 715.505.5626. Thank you to all of you and GOOD LUCK!!!!!

[SandyG]

We have stories of Josephina, the Corvette giveaway, hospital progress and plans, Freedom's progress, and so much more to tell! But, as my Mother used to say, "Right now I'm busier than a one-armed paper hanger!" My Mom was a hoot! So don't wander away - by Monday I should have desk time to relay some of the experiences that have been remarkable around here!

Taking 4 or so horses to Eau Claire on Saturday for 3 educational sessions . . . . think I'll take the blind horses? Maybe throw a broken leg in there for good luck?

So right now I'm heading out to empty the trailer, clean the trailer, and then restock it for Saturday. Stay true! Great stories to come!!!

Sandy and The Herd

[SandyG]

Get a cup of coffee . . . much to tell . . . .

I spoke with our big Corvette winner last evening (Thursday) and he has had the time he needed to update co-workers, family, and friends. In our conversations, he told me it was like getting a new member of the family and so he took the care and the time to inform people individually of their "new addition" and I respected that time. It tells me a lot about the family that has adopted this car. And I am very pleased!

A young man came into the life of Refuge Farms when we were working very hard to modify the shoeing bed so our dear Josephina could walk into the bed, get her feet examined and treated, and then walk out. Her hips are not working well so backing out of the shoeing bed - as the bed had been originally designed - would not be possible any longer and her left rear foot needed attention and thus the problem: modify the shoeing bed to accommodate Josephina or put Josephina down.

Our dear Charlie came to the rescue of Josephina and spent four (4!) hours - on an evening when he should have been driving to Madison for an 8am next day meeting - disassembling and modifying the shoeing bed to allow safety for the horses and also the walkout exit that would save Josephina's life. Charlie did a great job and left to drive to Madison at 8pm. Bless that man's heart!

In preparation for the modification, Charlie sent me to Steel Town, just west of Menomonie, earlier that day to purchase the needed materials for the modification. I was carrying our ONE OWNER Corvette raffle posters with me and so, with permission, I put one up on the bulletin board at the steel store.

A few days later, I was back at Steel Town for a slight modification to our shoeing bed front gate. While there, a young man purchased a ticket for the owner of Steel Town and then asked if he could stop out and look over the Corvette. Sure! And so that evening, he appeared and we began a conversation about cars, kids, work ethics, the history of the Corvette, and what he would do with it if he would be lucky enough to win the car.

Three tickets later, he departed and I smiled as I thought of him - a young man with manners who called me "ma'am". When I told him he could call me Sandy, he told me that the "ma'am" would be hard to change - he had been brought up that way!

Fast forward to the night of the drawing at Menomonie Applebee's . . .

I am talking with Nick and up walks this young man to get his take-out snack on his way to pick up his young daughter. We talked about big bale hay movers for the skidsteer and made plans for me to drop off a piece to be modified for THE FARM. Still polite. Still calling me "ma'am". And he had purchased one more ticket for good luck.

At a bit past 7pm, the ticket that was drawn out of the FAITH bucket by Jen, the Applebee's Manager, was none other than for this young man: Kael F. of Eau Claire, Wisconsin. Kael was home with his family and so I called him and asked him to spell his last name for me. Kind of an inside joke as we had talked about his first name and how people have trouble with the saying and spelling of his first name.

The Corvette was picked up by Kael at about 9:30PM at the Menomonie Applebee's. He left his pickup in the Applebee's parking lot as he thought he would rather have the Corvette home in the garage that night than his pickup. Good choice. And he still called me "ma'am" as we hugged and he drove off in his new family member.

It feels great to have a car that was your youth and a big part of your young identity go to a family that treats it like family. That will respect it, restore it, and be a "father/son project for me and my son". Bullseye. The Corvette has a new family and a new purpose and the old owner is very pleased.

[SandyG]

GREAT educational ops at the ECCHA Paws Fest yesterday afternoon! Great assistants joined me and we did our best to show our horses without eyes and even with a trach were "just normal horses", as one man stated. Yes, indeed - just normal horses!

Today is dedicated to working in the hospital and the big barn. Much to do!!

Enjoy the day!

[SandyG]

I remember years ago when this little black squawking cat with the crooked head came flying out of the feed tank one very dark, cold morning and, in her subsequent initial exam by Dr. Brian, he stated, "She's a quirky little thing, isn't she?"

Fast forward a decade and here I sit with Crooked Head on my lap as I work at the computer. She has no lack of creative thinking abilities. In fact, this past few days, she has displayed a new tactic she has learned for her daily dose of attention:

As I sit at the keyboard, Crooked Head is perched with her duppa in my lap and she has her chest and upper body draped over my left arm. Her front paws are laying over my wrist with her head sitting just over the back of my left hand. Her face is glued to the screen as she watches the activity that so mesmerizes her - the characters that appear and the changes in the screens. Crooked Heads loves the pictures!!! Her tail is curling and slapping my right hip as she decided when to strike.

Yup. This little feline is not content to watch the screen and weigh my left arm down by a good 10 pounds. No . . . she strikes when she decides it has been long enough between hugs. A strike is the creative technique she has learned: Crooked Head lifts her right paw and reaches out to tap the space bar. Now that may cause me to stop and backspace or it may cause me to have to undo an entire process or program termination!!! Her little paw strikes quickly and without warning and so, as I work and become engaged in my keying, the space bar may be the kiss of death to my efforts or it may simply be a distraction. But regardless of the impact on me, Crooked Head has achieved her desired result - attention.

I will have to draw her up to my chest to get her paw out of striking distance. My voice undoubtedly is heard as I either laugh with her or swear at her but she gets love and personal attention from the technique that she has learned never fails - press that space bar once or multiple times for love! Tonight - as I was keying this - she actually reached out and simply pressed the space bar and held it down. Ugh!

Welcome to life at Refuge Farms. Where we support them (on our wrist), love them (dearly), and care for them (by undoing her computer doings). "This quirky little thing" has never failed to amuse and please me. Absolutely love you, Crooked Head!

[SandyG]

I am expecting Isaac, our farrier, in 15 minutes or so and then we will begin the task of trimming 64 horse's hooves - including the resetting of Jeri-Ann's shoes. Without a break for lunch or anything, we should be wrapping up about 6pm or so.

Your thoughts of us today will help. We need to be careful, safe, thorough, and calm with this herd. They know the routine and they do very well so if mistakes happen, it is because we humans were not attentive or distracted. We need to stay vigil! Every hoof is as precious as every other hoof and that is one of the constants with Isaac. I've said it a hundred times - literally: Isaac will be as careful with the last hoof as he was with the first hoof.

And today, the new guy will be trimmed (which he hasn't been in a long time), will received his first round of vacs, and will be dewormed. He will be tired by the time we turn him out into the yard for grass!!!!

Keep us in your minds today, please!

Sandy and The Herd

[SandyG]

Our dear friends and supporters from Madison are here for help with the hospital buildout today. Bless their hearts for giving of their time and backs to help us prepare for the cold air that is coming! We will get the stalls formed and sliding doors hung today - and throughout enjoy the company of like hearts and souls. As I've told you all a hundred times, I am the richest woman you know!!! To be considered a part of this clan of protectors and enforcement officers who risk their lives every single day is a true honor - and I am beyond grateful! Blessings to them in abundance!

[SandyG]

Work! Work! Work! WORK!!!! That's all it has been! The panic and list of things that just MUST get done before the ground freezes never ends.

BUT!

Today I am taking time to travel to Tomah and bring our newest family member home - Mazie. A rescue dog of 15 years young who needs a ton of love, time, and space. We have all of that - plus a bit of noise and even some big horses to welcome her!

How exciting to have a dog on THE FARM again! It is Christmas morning here at Refuge Farms. Stay tuned - of course, there will be pics and stories!!!

Welcome, Mazie!!!

[SandyG]

Mazie and I spent some time together and we seemed to be just fine. So we loaded up and headed west.

About 20 minutes into the drive, I needed fuel and so I stopped and, while the fuel was pumping, I checked on the little one. There was blood on her blanket and her incision from last Wednesday's surgery had opened. Things went worse with tissue protruding and more blood and so I called the rescue and we headed back.

An emergency visit to their local vet and Mazie was back in surgery. The vet contacted me about 8:30pm and Maize was waking up and appeared to be coming out of the surgery just fine. However, there are blood clots, infections, and tissue tears to be watched and guarded. So Mazie will stay in the hospital a few days and then move back to the rescue facility while she heals completely.

Much more quiet around here this morning than I had hoped but she needed the surgery and now she needs to heal. And before we move here, we will insure she is fully healed this time. The vet feels that at her age, there is a risk that the tissue just will not heal/seam together and so Mazie is telling us that her body is a bit more wrecked than we had all considered.

Thank heavens we stopped for fuel!!!

[SandyG]

If you search the Chasing Daylight Animal Shelter, they have put a picture of Mazie as their cover photo. A cutie, isn't she?

[SandyG]

The crew at Chasing Daylight are already sending out their postings on Mazie this morning. She is being fostered (loved, spoiled, babied!) by Beth and has eaten a great breakfast - I believe the word was "gobbled" - and is taking her medicine just fine. From all the signs she is giving us, Mazie has decided to hang around a while! She could have just backed out of this life but that little creature has a strong will to survive and so here she comes again!

I'm so eager to get her home and introduce her to Lucy and all of her other companions. Crooked Head will be the first one to venture into her kennel and will begin to groom her face. Mazie will have some learning to do but she has a kind spirit and Crooked Head will do her usual introduction and then camp out with her to keep her company.

Having a dog at THE FARM is an element that has been missing since Lady and Man were stolen. I pray for those two labs every morning and am hopeful whoever ended up with them appreciated the character and quality of those two feral dogs that became domesticated in just days. They were so very grateful for a warm kennel and food! In a bowl, no less!

I'll keep you posted on Mazie or you can go to Chasing Daylight Animal Shelter facebook and see pics of her and read the latest news. So far, it's all good!

[SandyG]

So . . . . . !

On Tuesday of this week, I spent a bit of time chatting with Brian, my wonderful neighbor, about "things". The cougar, of course, came up. And, guess what? Brian's son saw "The Creature" while he was hunting this past weekend! Close enough he snapped a picture (so people would believe him) before he jumped on the 4 wheeler and left the vicinity. Brian thought it looked very much like the cougar we were aware of from 4 years ago. In fact, Brian casually said, "He never left." Yikes.

So, we are back to leaving barn lights on inside the barn at night. Spotlights on outside the barn at night. Driveway lights on outside the garage at night. And radios going in all barns 24/7. Once again, between Brian's dairy farm and Refuge Farms, it looks like an air strip around here! Geez.

The rabbits that I was so happy to see this spring did disappear about halfway through the summer. Have not seen a single dear all summer. Coyotes are not as close or as noisy as they were say 6 years ago. Haven't seen a fox in years. All that is missing is the snow under the neck of the Exiss so the cougar can, once again, use that space as his litter box.

Refuge Farms is now actively looking for a donkey as a watchdog for the horses. We have horses that cannot run, if they had to. We also have horses with open flesh all year long. We are just too close to this creature and too many that are too tempting to him, as well, to be without a protector.

Back to being aware and not walking in the pastures at night! Hah! Even the harvest full moon would not have helped if he had shown up!!!

And, Auntie Trish, no more sleeping in a tent in the yard while you visit here at THE FARM. This guy knows the neighborhood and knows the shortcuts all too well!