The Home Depot Kids Clinic And Cool Event

My daughter and granddaughter are here from California. The Home Depot has childrens clinics on the first Saturday of the month and I took the opportunity to bring them to the clinic yesterday. The subject was pencil boxes.

The things the kids build come in a kit and The Home Depot provides the extras like the glue, paint, or other things to decorate the finished project. The kids even get their own orange apron. The parents help the kids build the project.

Ta da! We decided to wait til we got home to paint because we have a big kit of different colors including sparkly paint!

The kids clinic is on the first Saturday of every month from 9a - noon. Yesterday The Home Depot also  had a "cool" event from noon to 3p. They had free popcorn, snowcones, ice water, face painting, and various games for the kids. One of the things advertised on the flyer was a "cool dog contest" and they were taking free pictures of your dog (or kid). 

Here Siena is getting a butterfly painted on her arm from our very talented face paint artist, Aricelli. 

Beautiful!

I can't believe I didn't get more pictures of the dog. We brought Sadi along for the cool dog contest and photo. We think she totally blew the competition away. She and Siena were in matching tutus! I also wish I had taken a photo of the little boy in the wheelchair who was giving Sadi kisses while she had her head in his lap. And she gave him a kiss or two also. It reminded me of our late therapy dog, Gus.

While we were there we bought some lumber so we could make some more adirondack chairs. And we found a plan for a mini chair so we can make one for Siena to bring home. More on that next time.

UPDATE!!!

They sent the picture from the Cool Event and of course, Siena and Sadi WON! And rightfully so, of course.

The Fire Is Kind Of Close

You may have heard that Oregon (and Washington and a few other places) is on fire. 

We seem to have a fire every year somewhere in Oregon but this is by far the worst since we've been here.  The Waterman Complex Fire is about 30 miles or so as the crow flies to the northeast of us. The smoke is really bad. My throat is sore and my eyes are burning.

You can't see the town or mountains like you usually can.

I don't think we are in any danger at our place unless something really bizarre happens.

 We're just trying to breathe.

New Horse

Last week my daughter texted me and asked if I would go to Medford to pick up a horse she found on-line. He looked nice in the photos and she had been talking with the owner and decided she wanted him.

We made arrangements to spend one night with our friends in Roseburg and took off the next morning for Medford to see the horse. When we got there he was in a field with some cows and when I went to get him he trotted straight up to the gate. I haltered him and took him out.

As we were talking with the owner I gave him a cursory look over and picked up his feet. The feet were a little rough but not too bad. At least he picked his feet up right away with no problem. He seemed very sweet.

Then we tried to load him. 

Umm, I thought he loaded easily???  NOT.

A cowboy at the training stable tried to give us a hand but I sensed his frustration after about 20 minutes of fruitless attempts. Then someone suggested backing the trailer to the opening of the indoor arena, so the only place he could go would be into the trailer. At least that was the theory.

I tried to walk him in twice with no go. On the third try I muttered to myself (and to the horse) "If you don't go in this time you are staying here."  

He walked right in like it was no big deal.

The ride home was uneventful.

Here is the new horse in the third pen, next to the two mares' pen.

Not the best head shot. His eyes really aren't crooked.

He has no problem with the dog.

After giving him a week to settle in I decided to take him for a little ride.

He was very good. 

One thing is certain and that is it's time for me to start exercising again.

Sigh...

Big Egg

Last week I got an egg that was so big it hardly fit in the egg carton.

I'm pretty sure I heard the hen screaming when this one came out!

Tonight it was breakfast for dinner so I thought I'd have the giant egg. Sure enough it was a double yoker!

Sunny side(s) up with a buttered biscuit with Bonne Maman mixed berry preserves. 

Delicious!