Who cares about SPRING--it was the first day of COWS!!!

What a gorgeous day! It was sunny and warm, with a slight breeze. We had 9 or 10 cattle to work. They've been used as roping steers, but are getting a little bit too big to be roped safely, so we're using them for VRH practice and team penning practice. This is the first time we've been on cattle this year. As always, when Ranger has had time off, I'm AMAZED at the difference in his athletic ability and his training level. One would think that he would lose skills when we haven't practiced them--instead, he comes back and performs as though all he's done all winter is think about how to cut cattle better...and trained in secret to impress me! I own the BEST horse on the planet--I'm certain of that!

Ranger really didn't like this particular red steer--note Ranger's pinned ears.

Move, cow...MOOOVE!

OK, enough with the red one. Let's chase the frosted steer instead!

This was the scene out of my window on my flight in to DEN last week, from Tucson. I think that my office has the best view!

I dove a little deeper into the tech world yesterday--I bought a Blackberry Pearl! When it arrives, I'll be able to surf the web, check email, get maps and GPS, and do everything a teeny-tiny hand-held computer phone can do. I'll let you know how it goes...but I have a sneaking suspicion that the phone is going to be smarter than me! It's definitely a step above the phone I have now--my Nokia has two photos--one of me & Sara, and one of Kalisha. It is out of memory with those two photos--isn't that ridiculous? The Blackberry has 64MG of memory, with an expandable memory card slot.

I'm also one step closer to my VersatilityRanchHorse.com website. I obtained a bid for design and service, and I like the designer a lot. I'm hoping to be online by the end of April, just in time for VRH season! My goal is that the website pays for itself, funds my Roth IRA, and helps to pay for VRH clinics and shows. Becoming a multi-millionaire might be nice, too, but I think that those goals are attainable.

I hope that the end of March finds you having as much fun as I did. Watch out for April Fool's Day!

Karen

St. Patrick's Day Parade

I went up to Denver today. When I got there, Sara had a big smile for me! She's seven months old, and just got her first teeth, the two front teeth on the bottom!
We attended the St. Patrick's Day parade in downtown Denver. Below are some of the classic cars from Ireland, of course--didn't you know that muscle cars originated in Detroit, Ireland?

Odette, Sara and I had to have our photo taken with the bagpipes (from the Irish country of Scotland). A really nice man, who was drunk on green beer, gave me beads to give to Sara, so these are her first beads. She's now officially Irish, although not drunk!

No parade would be complete without a leprechaun driving around!

Or hobbling, as this fellow was doing. He could barely walk, but marched gamely on as the parade passed him. The kids in the crowd LOVED him! So did I! Are we doubly lucky, that we saw not ONE, but TWO leprechauns?

After the parade, Odie & I had lunch, then went to a spice store and a gourmet chocolate shop--Wen Chocolates. We couldn't resist the deviled eggs, which are actually white chocolate with chocolate crispies filling! Delicious! Odette shared hers with Brian. I'm not as generous with my chocolate...
I hope that you have a Happy St. Patrick's Day, and that the luck of the Irish is with you!

Mid-March

It's the middle of March. I'm in Tucson right now, getting ready to lounge by the pool--something we can't quite do yet in Colorado! This is the view from the pool! Yes, I got tan lines! :-)

Have you completed your income taxes yet? I finished mine last week, but still need to review and file them. Yes, I'm getting a small refund.

The question is, what do I do with it? There are so many options and so little money! I'd like to buy a fuel-efficient car; the truck is killing me with fuel costs. Are fuel costs affecting the way you plan your day or your week? Do you cut back in other areas of your life because of the rise in fuel costs?

I'd also like to buy a digital SLR. I'm leaning towards the Canon 40d. I used to do a lot of photography but my interest waned as I got busier with other hobbies. I miss shooting, though, and have decided that it might be a worthwhile hobbie to renew and pursue. Since none of my lenses are compatible, the new equipment can be an open slate, so I'm considering the Nikon line as well. I think Nikon has a more intuitive menu, while Canon has better quality, but by a very slim margin.

Then there's Ranger's new saddle. I want a custom saddle, since he's so hard to fit. A custom saddle starts at approximately $3000. That's not bad, considering a new, quality production saddle averages $2500-4000.

I guess trying to decide how to spend money that you actually have isn't a bad dilemma!

Below is another reason that I love my job--this is sunset, about 30 miles south of SFO, at FL250. What sort of view do you have out of your office window?

I hope that you are having a terrific day. Please feel free to sign my blog!
Karen