February 10, 2025 Lake Tahoe's Beautiful Blue Skies...

February 10, 2025•9 min read

The sky is so blue today, a typical Tahoe Blue.

My Mom's not sure why it is so noticeable here, I mean there is a sky in New Jersey, but it's just not the same.

Maybe my Mom has the time to look up now that she's retired, and the view from the dining table does offer a great window seat.

The photo at the top of the page is from the dining table, here's another one, from the back door:

More blue sky, from the Nevada side of the Sierras, on the road to the ranch.

My Mom is thinking about her next book.

It has always been her plan to write about her sister Robin's dog, Nia, next, and she has started, but her horse interest is pushing a horse book ahead.

I think it would be ok with Nia, for now and we hope for Robin too!

My Mom had envisioned Book 8 to be about therapy horse Jasmine, from New Jersey, along with a focus on New Jersey Bergen County Horse Rescue and Gentle Giants Draft Horse Rescue, in Maryland.

But now, she's thinking that all of her horses can be a part of this horse book.

I'll have to keep you posted on that, but for now, my Mom may go forward with this new vision.

My Mom is also thinking about spending more time with her Senior horses (and every other horse she chats with during her visits).

Why?

Because she's really drawn to them.

Plus her "group" seems to have expanded quite exponentially.

My Mom's friend Linda, from the ranch, told her that she can give carrots to Harmony (Linda's horse),

Daniel (Kristen's retired race horse) and Calvin (the lovely horse living next to Chief)!

My Mom has chatted with these horses but giving them carrots kind of changes the game.

They would no longer be simply acquaintances,

they will now become a part of my Mom's regular receivers of love and affection.

I think it's a pretty special group to be a part of.

Yesterday my Mom also heard Linda and another woman talking about the Spring baths for the Seniors, when the weather warms up.

My Mom had heard about that last year when she first started going to the ranch.

Now that I say it, I should qualify, yes my Mom is also considered a "Senior" but she won't be having a Spring bath...the baths are for the Senior horses!

My Mom can attest to the Seniors needing baths after the winter.

Yesterday she was brushing Scooter and Wiki, who both had thick layers of mud on their coats from lying and/or rolling in the mud in their paddock.

They didn't seem to mind that my Mom was breaking up the mud on their coats.

Later my mom read that the caked on mud actually acts as an insulator for them! OY!

Maybe they liked the attention and felt like they could lather up again after she left!

Oh Brother! So much to learn about these horses!

Here's Wiki looking beautiful after his mud removal! We hope he isn't chilly!

Do you remember Liam and Faralli, who are privately owned? They truly can use a good brushing! They live next to Scooter and Wiki.

My Mom also heard that a few of the horses had dental work done during the week!

Yikes! How does that work?

Apparently the horses are sedated (not enough that they fall down) and some kind of brace is put in their mouth so the dentist can get a good look.

It seems that horses' teeth grow throughout their lives!

This past dentist visit was a lot about "floating" or filing teeth to smooth and balance them.

Gosh I'd hate to be around for an extraction!

Having a horse companion is an expensive adventure.

(Mind you, my Mom is just a visitor, none of "her" horses are actually "hers".

Although she loves thinking that they are.) ❤️

A dentist's visit can start at about $175.

Imagine if a person has 4 horses? (Actually I think Kristen, the equestrian center owner, may own 20!)

And how about hoof care?

Just trimming hooves, without putting shoes on, can start at $60., with shoes, that cost begins at about $100.+ a visit!

And, I'm not even sure that's for 4 shoes!

Plus,...that cost is every 4-6 weeks!

That's not including feeding, housing and Vet visits. Wow!

You can clearly see why animal rescue organizations need donations to be able to continue good care for animals, whether, horses, cats, dogs, birds, wolves, elephants (they've got to be really pricey), etc.

So, in some small way, our books will help to care for animals.

We're pretty proud of that.

However, we have to sell A LOT A LOT of books to cover some of these expenses.

If you'll recall, royalties paid on book sales, through Amazon is very small.

Most of the cost of our books goes toward printing and Amazon processing.

But, you can always donate directly to animal rescues (you can do that through our website).

Either way, we Love that you care.

So anyway, my Mom has a little work to do since she wants to write, care for horses (of course our cat Onyx too)

and she's having visitors in April and part of May!

Not animals, humans!

Part of the visits won't actually take place in our cabin for much of the time.

My Mom and her friend "Babe" (please read Book 2, "Rescued)