Tania Kettle

The storm wasn't as bad as expected so apart from some pretty fabulous but mini, thunderstorms it was a bit of a fail.

And the horses hated having their rugs on.  They over heated, sweated, got manky and couldn't do their Miri Miri's.  I will have to relook at this whole rug thing because it sure as little green apples didn't work this time.  But on a positive note Sequoia was nosing around in the open stall type thingy with Caps hovering behind her and Ralph squishing in as well.  They liked it.  

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And Sequoia's got her mojo going.  She waits at the fence with me and if I take too long then she wanders away and then comes to me when I call.  And we're doing ok with the outside the paddock work.  It's going really well, actually.  We don't rush, I don't push.  We do what we do.  I know she wants to be like Az, who once we have finished work he gets to hang round and play outside but Sequoia and I are not at that point.  It gives us something to aim for though.  

And Caps has sugared his hooves again.  And got grass brain.  So, he is banned from the very green grassy paddocks and is sulking.

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I was up at the Gypsy's again today.  I had been invited back to see her work and today was the day.  We didn't get what we planned done but had an amazing time with the new foal that had just been born and it's Mum, shifted horses to new paddocks and trust me, it is a way different kettle of fish separating one or two horses from a herd and changing paddocks with no lead to just moving one horse to another paddock.  Then had lots of conversations about acidity vs alkaline, hitting your reserves, raw food vs dairy, wheat and red meat, foods to harm or heal, alternative therapies, the Clair-senses (ego, love, honour, respect and vulnerability) and whether the more you work with them the more the body reacts to food, body heat and how one person can be wearing shorts and a t-short and another can be wearing jeans and 2 tops.  Vitamin C, hooves, men, relationships, sex and my work (that's two completely different topics by the way), what works for both of us and what doesn't or needs improvement and then I got taken out for lunch.   It was super cool fun.  

But the best part was when we went to check on one of the herds.

We parked the ute at the top of this hill.  Got out and walked 3/4 of the way down hill.  Surrounding us was just lots of grass, big hills and native bush.  And silence.  It was other wordly.  And then there was a little rustle and out of the bushes down the bottom of the hill came these wild horses.  In single file, one after the other, after the other, after the other.  And they just kept on coming.  Silently.  Until they were all just standing there surrounding us.  

It literally took my breath away.

There are many, many moments which give me pleasure with the horses but there are the odd days when out of the blue, Spirit reach over and touch my soul.

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Oh f*k!

It's p*ssing down with rain and the mini's and I have our talk tonight.  Cross fingers that it stops soon otherwise I'll have to get the hair dryer out and blow wave them dry.  However, I am absolutely stoked that I'm able to talk about the Clair-senses and the work I do.  It's hard work because it's still so new and I'm literally going against fear and ignorance of all the airy fairy and con artisty thing but slowly but surely I'm getting there. People know what I started with and what I have now and I'm either the luckiest girl in the world or there's a basis to what I do.  And people see how other horses relate to me.  They don't understand it but they see it.  

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And the talk went great! Huge amount of fun, all little ones so it was really pro-active and I could keep things really simple.  It was great.  Ralph and Chew were super amazing (read into that no lime green poo) and everyone had fun.  They're getting better at hoping on float to come home so it was only a 4 minute tussle not the 15 minutes it has been in the past.  So, that was a bonus.  We're looking at schools next but miniature horses in schools is very new and as much as the Psychologists are happy to work with us the schools are a bit iffy.  And that's before they know I'm a Reader.  

You know it's really weird, I can do the work I do but why or how I do it is hard for people to get their heads round.  It's like, Give us the magic, but can you leave the magic behind...   

Ummmmm...that's a No.

You either take all of it or none of it.

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Az and I are doing float training again.  I have to get him to understand that he's not going to a new home.  He would like to trust me but is still wary that float = new home so let's say that's a No.  He doesn't.  So, we hung out in the float this morning.  And I've left it out attached to ute and am driving the young one's car.  I'm going to get us so that there is NO issue and he will happily climb in and out and hang out in her.  

And part of the electric fence fell over and Hello! I look over and Az is on one side of the electric fence and Ralph is happily munching grass on the other.  Pretending that he was on the right side of fence.  He's got game that's for sure.  But on that note, I have soooooooooooo much grass you can hardly see the mini's.  I mean, seriously, they stand in the grass and unless they move their ears you can't see them.  So, in some respects we are lucky that the grass grows so well - it's lush and bright green and gorgeous but on the other I've got my hands full trying to keep it under control.

So, I'm going to the stock sales tomorrow.  To see if there are any calves that want to come live with us.  Apparently, you need to register to have a cow so I went on their site tonight and it works out that previous person who lived here was already registered so half the work was already done for me.  Just as well, I didn't understand most of the questions they asked.  Although I got the part which said, Don't contaminate anyone with TB and Keep cows tagged so we know it's you if you do.

Ok then. That's pretty simple.

I'm kind of excited.

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So, that was a No.

However, I did learn heaps.  Everyone was super nice to me and one lovely gentleman gave me Calf buying for beginners 101.  Tags on left are girls, right are boys.  Don't buy any that have runny poos like chocolate milk - they're going to die on me.  Don't buy one that looks down, again, headed for the eternal sleep.  Only keep cows for 2 and a half years.  After that they must be sold.  Got lost on the why's but got it that I only have them temporarily.

Black and white cows don't fetch as much money and stay right away from Jersey's.  Apparently, they have yellow fat.  Which is, in this day and age, not so good.  However, when the lovely man was explaining this he also talked about how they are particularly juicy and flavoursome and they melt in your mouth.  He also mentioned that you don't have to pay $60 for rennet but go to Countdown and you can buy it for $4.  And buy the 10 litre milk bottles.  Throw out the milk then mix your calf milk in it.  And buy calf feeders so you can put milk into the feeders.  I've also learnt that calves go from anything from $25 to about $280 each.  But it varies week to week.  And they all go for about $1800-$2000 when you sell them.  As you do at 2 and a half years.

I left with no calves but an unbelievable craving for steak with garlic butter that melted in your mouth

and an over riding desire for a gorgeous black and white cow skin rug to sit on my floor.

I am a truly despicable person. 

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Mr C came over today and yesterday and we worked on the Clair senses.  It was uber cool.  I won't give you any photo's because he is only 12 (today) Happy Birthday, Mr C!! but I will give you photo's of Az and his ribbons at their next show.

You're welcome.

So, that's been our week.  There's been some stunning moments but if I'm being honest there's also been some conflict. It came out of left field and was all about fitting in, not fitting in and being ok.  So, I had my moment this week where I went, You're not going to treat me like this in front of other people or even speak to or about me, like that.  I'm worth more than this.  And walked.  So, I guess there's been closures as well.  

But apart from that small WTF? I'm not asking your permission for how you treat me moment it's been a pretty awesome week.

Thank Spirit for the magic.

* Worked out the storm did win.  I lost my home phone for almost 5 days but did have continuous water and electricity...but that's not fair, the phone line went down because of corrosion.  It just happened around the time of the storm. 

** Ok, spoke too soon.  We've just had another storm - the tail end of Cyclone Debbie from Australia so the weather's been pretty bad here.  We flooded again but the horses are happy.  This time I didn't put jackets on and they are, to all intents and purposes, happy and fine.  Interestingly though, about 2 minutes away from where we used to live there has just been a major slip on the cliff making part of it fall onto apartments. 

*** Just been out to the big shed where I store my firewood (6 cubes of it) and there's a leak, 90% of it is wet.  Guess what I'm doing today...

**** Venus is retrograde at the moment and this will last until the 15th April.  This retrograde is all about you - your self worth, body image, sensuality, self respect, relationships and creativity and it is as mean as a rattlesnake.  Be kind to yourself, keep your boundaries strong.  Don't be afraid to open your heart but don't be afraid to walk away.  

Dig deep and find your Truth.

Wishing you much love my friends, and of course, my humans.

Caps, me, Spirit, Sequoia, Ralph, Chew and Az

xxxxxx