The Hobbit Hole III - Journey to the Cross-roads!

[HairOfTheDog]

Welcome to The Hobbit Hole!

Journey to the Cross-roads
The Two Towers Edition

Come on! Come in! -if you would like to have some seedcakes and a pint and relax a while. (If it is a special occasion, we still have a few bottles of the old wineyards left!)

Our first thread ( New Zealander builds Hobbit hole ) reached 4,100 posts, and we thought that was big. Our second thread (The New Hobbit Hole ) held us for over 48,000 posts, and we loved it dearly. We talked about moving to a new thread for the last 38,000 posts, but we are really slow to muster! Finally, the time has come. Tomorrow (at 12:01 am, to be precise!) The Two Towers comes out, and we start a new chapter.

[Samwise]

That's the funniest thing I have read in a long time.

I can't believe it's true, though. At least, I sincerely hope isn't true.

Why don't they just hire a telepath? Then it won't matter what language the "mental health client" speaks.

[Wneighbor]

Okay, I just got in from a couple of hours of gardening (after my 3 hour nap) anybody under the storm watch tonight?

[Wneighbor]

My sister has been playing her Beatles CD and educating me on this whole "apeman"/ "eggman" thing. :)

So, did you enjoy the Beatles? I pruned a bunch of my mint and wormwood. I've got rust on my mint. They say you should just yank it all out and start over again for that but I've had a bit before and sulfer has helped. I didn't have sulfer. I need to go get some tomorrow. But, since I was pruning I went ahead and potted up a bunch of cuttings in case I end up yanking it all up and replacing it.

So, the important question is.... you don't have rust on yours do you? I did not see any until this week. I don't think there was any on the mints I mailed.

[HairOfTheDog]

Hullo! - Good evening! - Good tips on how that Texas thread can start out a bit more friendly!

I hope the people in twister country check in tonight too and let us know they are OK!

I did give Bay his heaviest workout yet on the lunge, worked him till he had a good sweat, and tomorrow I am going to have a gentle ride. I had a friend offer to take me on a trail ride today, but I didn't know the trail he was going on (neither did he, he was going with someone else) so I decided not to risk it. He thinks I am being too careful, and that Bay is in better shape than I think, but my inner sense is telling me to start out right so he will be strong all year, and not get him hurt because I pushed it.... He is 22 years old after all.

[Wneighbor]

I saw your note earlier about your son's graduation.

CONGRATULATIONS

(I just had to wait till after my nap to reply coherently)

The Russian student's speech sounds very inspirational. I really wish that more of our long term Americans with the lib-iot mentality could be cognizant of what the young man was saying. These citizens fresh from other political systems are some fresh blood our country needs IMO. Of course not all of any sub-group of people can be expected to have political, social and economic savy. But, I love talking with these folks experiencing our kind of liberty for the first time. They do that Lee Greenwood thing for me.... "proud to be an America."

[HairOfTheDog]

Let me second the

CONGRATULATIONS!

I missed that in the posts from today.... groggy myself! I caroused a bit too much last night!

[Wneighbor]

Hi there. Thanks for keeping me from funkling!

Of course you know that I know very little about horses but it sounds like to me you are very wise in your choice today. All I can compare the horses to is dogs. Somewhat different I'm sure, but it seems to me they are here as our friends and companions. As their keepers, we are responsible for their health, well-being and "happiness." :-) Isn't 22 VERY old for a horse? I don't really know but that's what I thought? If it's as old as I think then you must be cautious to build him up at a steady pace. (I'm kind of taking this also from the 45 year old body I've got that doesn't quite do things the way it used to.)

So, I think you are Bay's responsible party and you MUST go with your personal feelings on what's best for him.

I know. You already do. Just supporting what you said.

[Wneighbor]

My sister has been playing her Beatles CD and educating me on this whole "apeman"/ "eggman" thing. :)

You know, I think it might be. I expected to have to catch up when I got back from graduation. Then again when I got up from my nap. But, even after adding 2 hours of gardening to that.... there were less than 40 posts today I think.

[Bear_in_RoseBear]

there were less than 40 posts today I think

Well, there were... ;) We've gone over 40 now, but not very far over!

[Wneighbor]

Don't know about them folks on the Texas thread. I laid out T-bones off the grill, baked taters, roasted corn-on-the-cob, salad, chips, salsa and good sweet tea to drink. I fixed 'em peach cobbler and got Bluebell Homemade vanilla to go on top and ain't a one of 'em touched a thang.

Ya'll better get this stuff before it gets cold and I have to feed it to Smeagol.

Corin- the most well-done steaks are on top. You better get one quick before they're all gone and you have to have one that will make you puke.

OT, the rare ones are on the bottom of the stack. They're all still hot.

[HairOfTheDog]

22 is an older horse, to be sure.... but it is not unheard of to have horses able to be worked through 25 or more if they are kept sound, and not rare at all for them to live into their middle 30s if they don't have something go wrong. A friend has a nearly 30 year old mule that is still working and still strong. Horses certainly live longer now on average than they used to when they were not pets, but rather replaceable work animals that were only kept through their prime.

I bought him at 19 precisely because I was fond of him and wanted to make sure that when the time came, he got the retirement he deserves.... not all good beasts get that. I can picture a transitional job for him in a few years where, no longer able to carry me, he would be able to teach a child to ride.

[Wneighbor]

I can picture a transitional job for him in a few years where, no longer able to carry me, he would be able to teach a child to ride.

Oh! Hair I think that is a wonderful idea. Myranda loves to ride. Loves horses. I have sent her to summer camp where she was able to learn to ride and care for "her" horse. She grew so fond of them.

I am really surprised though at the age information. Somehow, I was under the impression that a life span would be about 25 max for a horse. Shows how much I know. So, with the information you just gave me, my analogy to Bay getting in shape for the season is more in line than I thought to me at my age getting ready. I can still do pretty much everything I did at 15 - 20.... sometimes I just have to take a few days to work up to it. LOL

[Bear_in_RoseBear]

Don't know about them folks on the Texas thread.

I don't know if I want to keep up with another endless thread... the HH feels like home.

[Wneighbor]

So, do you think we really count the last 3 posts on the previous page???

You're lucky Hair lives up in Washington where they have bears. She knows better than to hit a bear with a stick.

[Wneighbor]

the HH feels like home.

The Hobbit Hole is home! Anyway, I probably ticked 'em off because like any good southern lady, before I set out the food I set 'em straight on my friends over here in the Hobbit Hole.

So, did you get your T-Bone? and the sides?

[Wneighbor]

Lookin' at the weather radar...

Northeast Arkansas,
Southeast Misery,
Indiana
Illinois
Western KY and Tenn.
Wisconsin!


Moving east into Mich it looks like too.

That would be 300winmag. Isn't Carton in the midwest? Do we have anybody else in these areas?

[Bear_in_RoseBear]

Because of the late hour, I stuck with chips and some of your excellent salsa. ;)

I'm usually a rather placid Ursinoid... just ask Rose. She whacks me all the time and I never react.

300Winmag is in Michigan (lower peninsula) IIRC. I believe carton is in Ohio.

[HairOfTheDog]

Well, like people, some age more gracefully than others, and disease or injury can shorten their careers or their lives... Bay is remarkably sound for a horse that his done some hard work in his life... He came into my life when he was 10 years old and my friend who is a big man bought him - the man in the middle in this photo.

He liked Bay alot for his heart and ground manners, but Bay was pretty green and frisky then, and he sold him to a lady who endurance raced Bay for five years 50 and 100 mile races... at 16 he was sold to the man on the left in the photo above, another friend, and also not a small person. That guy worked him hard.... taking him on long backcountry rides through Montana... I am not a tiny elf person either, but I am, at least a lighter load than his last owners and hopefully he can carry me still, thought it wouldn't hurt for me to help him by being leaner.

But despite carrying some heavy loads, and running races in his youth, he has had good care and no serious injuries, so his legs are still sound, and arthritis doesn't seem to be setting in.... He is on good joint supplements and good food. He is a bit swaybacked, and his back is the weak link I want to condition and take care of.... that is why I am working him riderless over the jumps.... Jumping low obstacles like that is good work for his back.

[Wneighbor]

You had the cyber-supper that I had for real. :-)

Have you tried the HEB or Pace Roasted Pepper salsa? MMMmmm. And you know, I don't usually buy my salsa. But, I recently found that I could make an exception for that one. :-)

[HairOfTheDog]

I would let a child come and learn on Bay, but I will never sell him. He is with me for life.