Weekend Coffee Share; April 16, 2022

On By DianaIn Living life, weekend coffee share
Welcome to my weekend coffee share!

I can’t believe it is the middle of April! The weeks just fly by so fast. Can I get you a cup of coffee or tea? It has been a nice April so far with only one heat wave just over a week ago. It was almost 100 (38C) degrees here in Southern Calif for a few days. We get these mini heat waves before the summer comes and then it cools off again. I just looked up our climate here and it’s considered a Mediterranean climate. I really can never complain about the climate here which is so loveable and livable! Hence why there is too many people here. I can tell you that our freeways overflow with too many people with too much traffic, and the construction to widen and/or add lanes or toll lanes continues and never ends. But we all love living here, and those who don’t will move away. Haha, I read that more people are moving out of California in recent years then moving in which is totally okay with me! (I think the cause of this is affordability or cost of living is so high, so people are opting to move elsewhere. It is expensive but we own our house so it’s not too bad for us for now.) As I write this I am not sure if this is where we will retire and I am all for living near my grandchildren when I retire if that is possible someday. ❤

Okay, how did I get on that subject? I do write as my mind rambles and I definitely have a lot on my mind. I will say I am definitely missing my grandchildren especially since this is Easter weekend. Happy Easter to all of you who may be celebrating. With no little ones around we will just have an Easter dinner that I will make tomorrow. No Easter baskets or hiding eggs, no little ones around which I miss. I will see if I can video chat with the littles tomorrow! Now that’s a great idea! Now I am smiling. 😀

My beautiful Iris blooms!
Cactus blooming at the feed store!
My roses are blooming and this one is just about done! I just love roses smell!

Such happy flowers! The beautiful Iris and the cactus blooms are just amazing, I just had to take a photo when I went to the feed store and saw their beauty. My very, very light pink rose bloom is almost done blooming but the smell is just divine. I always stop to smell the roses, one of my favorite smells! I just have to share the flowers as Spring brings in it’s gloriousness.

On to my horses. How can I not share any kind of post without sharing how my horses are doing. I see them every day and ride one or the other like I’ve mentioned before. This last week was a Vet appointment for Spring vaccines and the Vet checks them all out listening to their heart and lungs and checking their teeth. Horses need teeth care and because of the way their jaws are aligned and the way they chew when they grind down on the hay they can get sharp points along the sides of their molars. Horses teeth erupt all throughout their life and because they can get these sharp edges they need dental care called teeth floating. The Vet or Equine Dentist will take a tool to grind down the sharp edges on their teeth so they are nice and smooth. The sharp edges can in time cause tongue sores or cheek sores depending on if the points are on the inside or outside of their molars. They should be checked yearly.

I had Chloe’s teeth floated just over a year ago and so her teeth look good at this Vet visit. Murphy who will be turning 4 yrs old at end of this month has some sharp points but he also has 2 wolf teeth that are only on the upper jaw in front of the first molars on each side. Wolf teeth (which are very small) are usually removed because horses when ridden and a bit is in its mouth, the bit can hit or interfere with these teeth and can cause issues (pain) which no one ever wants. (About 70% of horses are born with wolf teeth that will erupt. I have had Chloe since she was 2 and she had no wolf teeth.) We want the bit to be in their mouth with no problems. For those non horse people, horses have a natural gap in their jaw where the front teeth are and the molars begin. This big gap is just gums and is where the bit sits in their mouth. It is amazing how we can ride and communicate with them and have the control we need to stay safe when mounted and riding. We communicate with the bit through the reins in our hands, and the horses learn so many really cool things. Think Olympics!

Murphy has only one erupted wolf tooth on one side and the other side it hasn’t erupted yet. The Vet wants to wait 6 more months to see if that other tooth will erupt so it can be pulled out. He will be sedated for this procedure and they will float his teeth at that time to smooth the sharp edges that have developed over time with his chewing. I use a French Link Snaffle bit which the Vet said is perfect for riding him and hangs in his mouth in a way that it should not be a problem for the 6 months I have to wait for the teeth pulling. I’m grateful I can continue riding him with this bit. He also lost a cap which is part of his teeth as they grow which I found just outside of his stall last month. Baby teeth! Haha! Here are some fun photos of my ponies! ❤

Murphy out and about in the round pen. He is filling out and is still growing!
Hi Murphy, he has a huge head, but then he is huge!
Hi Miss Chloe! She is such a good girl!

As my time with my horses has morphed a bit, mostly because I have such a young horse I have really enjoyed arena riding. My horse Chloe has a bad back leg which is an old injury and now arthritic so the best thing to do with her is walk. I can walk in the arena but it gets boring and since she is a seasoned trail horse, I can take her out by herself and I have shared many trails riding her. I now get the best of both worlds by riding and training Murphy in the arena because he is young and athletic and he can do all the arena exercises easily. It has been so much fun!

I have a super good friend, my best friend who I’ve been friends with since we were 10 years old. Gosh, we have known each other for 50+ years now. We were riding trails together for the last 10 years but she has needed to retire her mare Gracie from the trails due to age and health. She will be 30 yrs old April 25th!! She bought a younger horse Roscoe and after some trail riding she decided to devote her time to just arena riding and has moved him blocks away to another ranch. She now just rides at that ranch and I visit with her often. Recently, I helped her move Gracie to this ranch (she wanted to check it out first with Roscoe and make sure it was a good fit for her and her horses before she moved Gracie.) I helped her hand walk Gracie about a week ago and I took a couple of photos.

Gracie is a little thoroughbred mare, she is beautiful!
This is Gracie saying Hi to Roscoe, her other horse.

My girlfriend and I do not see each other near as often any more but that’s okay because we are in the same town when she comes and visits and takes care of her horses. We meet for lunches and I will continue to take time to make these visits happen. Paths change, and I am finding my horse riding goals are changing and morphing all the time. That’s A-okay and that is life, full of changes! ❤ ❤ ❤

I have taken up so much of you time but I know you can read this faster than I can type and put this all together. I was going to make it shorter but since I haven’t been sharing as often I will just make my blog posts a little longer, I didn’t think ya’ll will mind. 😀 I’ll end with this pretty photo of a happy horse eating his breakfast!

This morning at the barn ~ Murphy is so handsome!

Thank you for visiting and I want to thank Natalie for hosting and if you would like to read others coffee shares just click here! I hope you all have a wonderful weekend and week ahead!

Horsey and Flower Crazy Grandma,

~Diana ❤

41 thoughts on “Weekend Coffee Share; April 16, 2022”

  1. Murphy is filling out so well. His head does not look big when you see his whole body. Very handsome fellow. Your iris is stunning and the rose is lovely. I am surprised it can take the 100 degree heat! And the beautiful cactus flowering at the feed store. We have nothing like that up here.

    Liked by 1 person

    1. Thank you so kindly Anne!! And you’re right about his head matching his body, but when I take head shots, his ears look so big and his head so long. Haha! He’s a funny guy and filling out well. His energy level has picked up a bit too. Not bad, still has a laziness about him but he can sure get up and excited like a thoroughbred does. Thankful it’s when he’s lose running around in arena. Thanks too for the flower comments!! I didn’t realize how beautiful cactus flowers can be and yes, they wouldn’t like the cold weather there in Canada!

      Liked by 1 person

      1. When I did the Equine Photography course they had a whole class on how to photograph horses so they didn’t look like they were distorted with huge heads. It is tricky when you are standing in front of them to not have them look like that. If you back up an get farther away it helps.

        Liked by 1 person

      2. Oh thank you for letting me know! That’s so neat you took an equine photography class, and that’s good to know the trickiness of that angle! Thanks again!! 😀

        Liked by 1 person

    1. Thank you Susie! I’m soooo happy you are there for Easter with family. You deserve every minute you are spending with your beautiful family! I’m excited to video chat later today. ❤️🤗😀❤️

      Liked by 1 person

  3. I would like a cup of coffee, black please no sugar. Love the flower pics. It’s a shame they aren’t scratch and sniff.
    Once again very good information for non equine owners. Good job. Back in the day we seldom floated horses teeth. However whole corn was heavy in their diet and helped to keep the edges down.
    The coffee was great. Thanks for the company and conversation. Murphy is looking good. Have a fabulous day.

    Liked by 2 people

    1. A cup of black coffee coming right up! Thank you so much for your wonderful comments, it’s so fun to share all the horsey stuff. That’s interesting and understandable about the corn in the horses diets years ago so less dental care needed. I always love hearing from you Wayne, so good you stopped by as I do appreciate you and our conversations!! Have a wonderful Easter and week ahead! 🤠🐴❤️

      Like

  4. We too are having those mini heat waves here and it’s nearly 37 C today!!
    Cactii aren’t common here and neither are iris flowers I guess, but spring is in full bloom here as well. Wish good health to you, Murphy and Miss ‘Good Girl’ a happy Easter. By the way, how about the health of the horses in the summers…. Do they get along with the heat or do they require some extra care, (as I think they do) ?

    Liked by 1 person

    1. I’m so happy spring is in full bloom for you there. I know in some places it’s actually fall as they prepare for winter. Crazy the opposites on the other side of the world!

      Happy Easter to you and family and thank you! The horses are doing great as am I as well. Horses do good in hot weather but if extremely hot we do need to watch out and not over work them as they can get over heated much like people can. We can hose them off and the water will cool them if needed. Since it’s hot for us as well, we just exercise in the cooler morning or evening hours. Or light exercise during heat waves. Have a wonderful week ahead! 🤠🐴❤️

      Liked by 1 person

      1. Oh yes crazily funny, isn’t it!! 😀 It was only today that I heard from a South African blogger friend that they are preparing for winters out there….
        Glad to hear the horses are on excellent form. Agree with your points. And oh yes, don’t forget to pet them from my side. 😄 🐎
        Keep sharing and keep smiling Diana!!

        Liked by 1 person

  5. I’m sure Easter is easier with grand kids around. Oh, well, maybe you can be there, or they can be there, next year, but a video chat works.
    Nice catching up with the horses. Yes, Murphy is handsome. I didn’t know about all of the teeth problem horses have, but not too surprised. Glad you can keep riding and training Murphy while waiting to have the tooth or teeth removed.
    Hope you are having a great weekend and have a wonderful week ahead!

    Liked by 1 person

    1. Thank you so much Trent! I didn’t plan very well this year concerning Easter. Next year would be fun as Teddy will be 3yrs old and will understand the Easter egg hunt much better! This year my son said they have plastic eggs they will hide much harder and as my granddaughter finds each egg there will be a clue to find the next one until she gets to the last golden egg which will have some surprise money inside! Haha, I found this out after I posted – that will be fun and I can’t wait to find out how she liked egg hunting!
      Thanks too, I still can’t believe I have Murphy sometimes. But there he is and I do love him so much. I lucked out with Chloe not having the wolf teeth, but am happy I can still ride Murphy until those can be removed. I’m enjoying this weekend, I hope you are too and have a great week ahead!!

      Like

  6. Hi Diana,

    Today is Easter and this year, it brings a small amount of sadness as our oldest son and DIL are one of those younger couples who are leaving California in just over a week.
    They met as he was playing music for both our church, the church he was raised in, and recently had begun helping occasionally with a stronger music program in a nearby city where she had just begun working as part of their music program.

    Today is the last Sunday for both of them at both churches. Tomorrow, begins the final packing and I’m joining the U-Haul caravan to take them from living just 15 minutes away to 2 full days of driving and a whole timezone away from us.

    They’re very mature and ready, but being so far apart from another child will never be pleasant..

    I know you already suffer from the same things with your kids.

    We’re pretty sure we won’t be very far behind as I’m getting ready to retire and neither of us want to try doing that in California.

    Blessings

    Liked by 1 person

    1. AWW, I’m right there with you watching your grown kids relocating. We helped our son and DIL move to AZ, it’s bittersweet. So exciting for them but we do miss them so much. One day we will all be much closer, just like you will be with your family eventually!! Life is always full of changes. ❤️🥰❤️ I’m happy they stayed around for Easter Sunday to finish up in the churches they play in as that is extra special I’m sure for you and your family. Sending warm HUGS your way!! ❣️

      Like

  7. Aha, here I got the answers of the questions I asked you as a reply to your comment on my coffee share 🙂 100F is HOT. I handeld the heat excellent for the first 6-7years in California, don;t bother me at all, but after that something happened and now heat REALLY bothers me. Are you OK with it?
    The blooming cactus is exquisite. I miss going to the Mojave National Preserve this time of the year, and look at the cactuses. I hope your Easter weekend is wonderful, and that you at least got top see your grandkids via video chat. ❤

    Like

    1. Haha, the time zones definitely have us hit or missing each other’s comments as I answered yours but am happy you left these comments here too! 😉🥰
      Heat can definitely get to me. One time we took our kids to Calico Ghost mine in the desert near the summer and it was brutally hot with a tiny breeze. We were walking around and my muscles started seizing up on me and I felt faint. (My legs felt like rocks, so weird) I was able to sit down and rest while the family walked around and I had water to rehydrate with. It was so weird, and I was able to walk around a little bit after resting but was happy when we finally left that intense heat. It was over 100 degrees, but can’t remember exact temp as it was many years ago.

      Since that time I’ve not had that recurrence and I always make sure I have water with me with any heat. I’ve been thinking about it and I try and go to stables early morning if it’s to get to 100 or higher. I will say I have acclimated over the years which has helped me out but I’ve never lived in Vegas or Arizona and what both those desert places have in common is there is no nearby ocean. Being so far inland they never cool off at night like it does here in Norco. Since we are much closer to the ocean, we always cool off at night and it’s significant cooling, so that the mornings are good. (I’m thinking that’s why you were okay in California because you had the ocean weather cool the evenings off significantly! At least that’s my guess.) We use to go to Vegas with the kids every summer (cheaper deals for hotels) and it would reach 110+ days and be 90 or 100 degrees at midnight and even at 6am…. It can be that way in AZ too, it just doesn’t really ever cool at night. I’m actually rather happy we were unable to make the move to AZ, as my son and DIL are hating the heat and want to move eventually. One day we will be close again, just need to wait for that time to come. 🥰❤️
      The cactus blooms were such a nice surprise. So cool you have seen them in the Mojave national preserve!! It’s been a wonderful weekend and thanks for reading my long response!! ❤️

      Like

  8. Happy Easter Diana and thank you so much for the coffee! ☕ Your flowers look beautiful and it’s great to see the horses blooming in their coats too! Wishing you happy trails and please give sweet Chloe and Murphy a big pat from us all 🤗🧡🐴 xxx

    Liked by 1 person

    1. Thank you so kindly Xenia! Happy Easter and I will give Chloe and Murphy a big pat from you all. I was able to ride them both today and gave them much love too. Sending pats and hugs to you and Eivor and Pearl! ❤️🐾🐴💙

      Liked by 1 person

  9. Happy Easter! I agree with missing having little ones around sometimes I look at my boys are miss them being little and playing with my pots and pans in the middle of the kitchen floor 🙂 ❤ That reminds me I have a vet bill to pay this Friday lol Oh my goodness I do not miss the California gridlock when people in Wa complain about our freeway traffic I tell him you can't complain till you sit in California gridlock lol I mean yes ours like all states have gotten worse over the years but lets be real it's nothing compared to what you have there.

    Liked by 1 person

    1. Happy Easter! And thank you for stopping by. I’ll have a vet bill coming soon too since he was out last week. I’m glad your traffic there isn’t as bad as here, it’s just horrible!! I’m thankful I drive off hours so I don’t sit in traffic either way to work. I hope you have had a wonderful weekend! ❤️🐴🤠❤️

      Liked by 1 person

  10. Thank you Diana for your weekend coffee share. I hope you’re enjoying Easter with your family at home and via video chat. Your flower photos are beautiful. Please give Chloe and Murphy gentle pats from me. They’re both gorgeous horses.

    Liked by 1 person

    1. I’m so happy I could join in this weekend! Thank you Natalie!! I’m having a wonderful weekend and thank you for your kind comments. I’ll give my sweet horses pats from you, you are so sweet! I hope you have a wonderful week ahead! ❤️

      Like

  11. Glad you made it for virtual coffee DIana. The where to live in retirement question is one I have with my husband regularly even though it is a ways off yet. I want to be close to my boys and once there is grandchildren I can’t image not being close to them either. Such a big decision.

    I confess that besides knowing horses are smart and beautiful, I don’t know a lot about them. I have ridden a few times and I had a horse use its large head to cuddle me (although I suspect he was draw to the wool sweater I was wearing). Anyway, teeth floating caught my attention. I would never have imagined this was a thing. Long sharp teeth would be unpleasant, but I am not sure how the thought of grinding them down sounds either.

    Have a great week.

    Liked by 1 person

    1. I’ve got at least 5 years before I can consider retiring even though I do think about it and I’m not sure where my grown kids will move. So much to consider too! Like you said, big decisions!!

      I’m also happy you enjoyed my horse adventures including the vet stuff! It’s not a bad procedure to file the teeth as they sedate them. That’s so cool you got a big horse head cuddle, they are very sensitive animals and I’m sure he enjoyed your company!!
      Have a wonderful week too!

      Like

  12. Those flowers are amazing (especially that cactus!). Your horsies are as gorgeous as ever. They sure take a lot of care and attention. I wonder if all horse owners are as dedicated as you are. Your horses are so well cared for – as evert domesticated animal deserves. I hope you had a chance to call your littles for Easter! Have a great week, Diana. 💞

    Liked by 1 person

    1. Thank you so kindly Anne! I’ve never seen such beautiful cactus flowers before, I’m so happy I took a photo of them that morning. And I sure appreciate your wonderful comments as I’m rather obsessed with the care of my horses. I will tell you not every horse owner sees their horses daily and some not even weekly. And there are neglected horses too, which is so very sad. Where I keep mine most horse owners take decent care some daily like me, and some not as often but the horses do fine and aren’t altogether neglected. Thankfully, we horse women take it upon ourselves to help out those horses that are neglected and often this in turn helps the owners see that they need to come more often for care. I agree, all domesticated animals deserves a level of care but it’s like all animals across the board, not all are cared for well.
      My littles I got to see thru video chat, my grandson got a flu bug again which is going thru the family. Day care is great but not so great when it comes to getting sick, all the time it seems!! I hope you had a wonderful Easter weekend with family and have a wonderful week! 💞

      Like

      1. Thank you, Diana. Sadly, I figured that some horse owners were not as devoted as you. I hope your grandson is feeling better. My granddaughter Genie went to daycare when she was only a few months old and she was sick ALL the time. It took a few months for her doctor to figure out it wasn’t the germs that were an issue. She couldn’t adjust to all of the chemical disinfectants that they used. Take care, enjoy the beautiful flowers you have around there, and have a great week Diana. 💞

        Liked by 1 person

    1. Thank you Beth! My sister, best friend and I were at some local artisan shops when we saw the mug. They went in together to buy it for my birthday which was the next week. It’s now one of my favorites! 😀

      Like

    1. Thank you so much for your kind comments. I’m so happy you enjoyed the horses teeth info because after I wrote it and proofread it I thought maybe this is just too long. I’m glad I left it as is, and it was fun to share. Thank you for stopping by! 😀

      Like

  15. Here’s to life’s path changing and the things that bring meaning to each moment 🥂
    Haha thanks for explaining the horsey stuff to us non-horse people🤣 otherwise would have had to be Googling what the deal was😁

    Cheers and hope the Easter weekend was awesome
    ~B

    Liked by 1 person

    1. Aww, thank you for that sentiment! I struggled with my best friend and my friendship with her, long story, hurt feelings but we are both A-okay now as our horsey shared lives have had this huge change. I realized that’s life! I’ll clink those glasses 🥂 and I’m learning it’s the things that bring meaning to each moment that’s important! ❣️ Well said!!
      I’m happy you enjoyed the horsey stuff/explanations 🤠 I love to share and glad you didn’t have to Google! Haha!

      Cheers and it was a nice Easter weekend! 🤩 Hope it was great for you too!!

      Liked by 1 person

    1. Thank you so very much! 😀 Yes, Miss Chloe’s leg is stable and she is doing good. She’s on a mild pain relief pill that is like taking an aspirin a day but for horses. She’s so sweet, and you are very kind. Best wishes!

      Liked by 2 people

Comments are closed.