It's true.  We have been getting a lot of rain.  It's not heavy rain, but steady rain, so...the barnyard is back to slippery, slimy, clay mud again.  I slipped and fell once down to my knees yesterday.  (Hoy.)

We need the rain of course! It is just not my favorite weather scenario when taking care of farm animals. Especially because Willow will not go under any shelter that we have built for her thus far.  She will stand under trees but I don't see how that helps when it is raining. Silly old girl.

I am not sure I have mentioned this, but I am starting to see Willow's age.  She fared wonderfully through this last winter and seems to prefer winter weather over hot summer weather, as long as she gets extra alfalfa. I have a blanket that I may be pulling out for her this next winter season but for now she is fine. She is as beautiful as ever and doing well, I can just see her age more clearly. 20 years this March.

I finally got brave enough to create a Facebook fundraiser for Chewy, the mini pony. I am so humbled that his goal was met within the first couple of hours!  I honestly have not found the right words to express my gratitude to those who donated, to keep fighting for Chewy to have a life without chronic pain.  I am so blessed and will definitely find ways to pay it forward for others in the future.  His hooves have given him grief since the day I met him, December 31, 2019.  I have vetted him and spent thousands of dollars on his needs and comfort. Thankfully, this has not been spent all at once but lots of money has been put into medications, farrier care, his own type of hay, shavings to pad his stall, and boots to help cushion his feet, to name some of the costs. I never suspected he would cost more than my full sized horse, or any other full sized horse that I've ever had for that matter! This time I wanted blood work from the vet to see if he might have a thyroid issue, or Cushings Disease, or an insulin problem of some sort.  He still has awful skin and sore hooves, even with all the daily care, special diet, and good farrier work. These are all signs to me that there is more going on than I am aware of. 

I did not succeed with any of the fosters that I offered to take on recently. They are back at the shelter. (I feel so guilty!)

What was I thinking? And how did I ever manage to foster so many animals for years and years, while raising kids, working, and always having extra kids around on top of it all?

I was a miracle worker. A bonified wonder woman!  What happened to that gal?  I miss having her around.

Today, I sort of dreaded getting out of bed when I woke at 7 a.m. because of the rain. I knew I would get outside to give Willow, Chewy, and Clover their hay and I would once again witness Willow standing in the rain and Chewy hobbling around. I am convinced it bothers me more than them!  Plus, I tend to fall victim to seasonal depression so after all this rain, I am more than ready for some sunshine.  I am grateful that even through gray rainy days, we live in such a beautiful place surrounded by nature.  There is always hope in the roses, the wildflowers, and the budding green trees.

I will always do my best to remain optimistic and my mantra is, "High vibes only!

Chewy's not giving up, his fan club who donated for him are not giving up, so neither will I! (His fan club of donators consists of all women by the way.)

So...instead of letting myself worry or mope, I got busy.  I emptied and loaded the dishwasher, thankful for it and the fact that I no longer have to wash and rinse dishes by hand. Then I folded and put away the laundry and took a quick shower. 

After that, the animals were done eating their breakfast so I lead Chewy from his stall to the round pen.  (He can't be out on the grass grazing all day due to his diet needs, so we break up his days by using the round pen.  He will be let out to pasture at about 1:00 p.m.)

Then I made my bed, made another pot of coffee, journal-ed a bit, started a load of laundry, and cleaned the entryway. I also swept off the porches and cleaned out my car. Thankfully, Trevor drove to our little local post office to pick up a package for me.  The package contains more skin treatment for Chewy, of course.  I had Blake feed the dogs and check in with his on-line school work since he is not working in the orchard today due to the rain. Megan was instructed to take a shower and lucky for her, her home school day is an easy one. 

In the meantime, I  made some home made bread which is rising for a few hours while I type this.  I plan to wash more laundry and clean the floors, as well as clean the bathrooms and the bedrooms.  The vacuum was out of commission for awhile, and since we were able to get a  replacement, all of a sudden I feel overwhelmed by how dirty everything is!  

Or...maybe it's the weather getting me into a cleaning mood, but whatever it is, I'm just going to roll with it.

Travis is at work so I am keeping busy.  Tomorrow is a school parade for our local elementary kids, and Friday will be filming day on our little farm for a virtual field trip for the school kids. 

I am grateful for the goals to keep me moving through these gray days. Waiting for the results of Chewy's blood work is always at the back of my mind. Let's face it, I am not a patient person so waiting is like torture to me.

I am going to sign off now because it's time to let Chewy out of the round pen for a bit.  I am glad the earth is soft for him at least.

I wish everyone the best and please be diligent and careful when integrating back into society if the ban in your area has been lifted. 

Feel free to follow along with us on Instagram, Facebook, and YouTube.  There are always many adventures on our little farm!

Many blessings to all,
Amy at 3 Corners Farm
Mosier, Or. U.S.A.