Hail, Hail, The Gangs All Here

Tuesday Brett hauled the horses up from Aspen Meadows.  I had an appointment with the surgeon to discuss my gallbladder (surgery in August) and then headed out to Oak Creek to help Brett unload the horses.  He didn't really need my help, but I didn't want to miss the happy herd reunion.  The horses loaded up easily for him and he was on the road before 5am.

While I was waiting, I heard from our realtor that Sedona and Kersey had barked all night long and the neighbors complained.  We weren't really surprised.  The dogs are used to sleeping in our room at night and when they are outside, in a strange place, they bark.  I called the local vet clinic and got the name of a kennel.  The dogs can't stay with us in the apartment and they can't keep disturbing the neighbors.  The kennel required proof of up-to-date vaccinations, rabies and kennel cough.  The records for the dogs are packed and gone with the moving truck.  They were due for shots so I went ahead and made an appointment for later that afternoon.

After making reservations at the boarding school for dogs, I opened my Kindle.  Before I finished the chapter, I heard a truck pull up the driveway.

Brett pulled in front of the barn.  The horses all had their noses to the grill, taking in the ranch.  They were loaded in herd order: Flash, Winston, Mufasa and Jackson.

We thought they might misbehave when they were unloaded.  Eleven hours is a long time to be in a trailer.  Jackson came off first.  He walked off calmly and then dropped his head to sample the dry grass.  As I lead him to the pasture, Tuffy charged the fence with his big ears happy and excited.  Jackson startled and then smiled.  I put him in the pasture and he got to work on that grass.

Mufasa was a bit high headed when he came off the trailer next.  But, he's the newest member of the herd and he's been moved around a lot in the last few years.  He probably wondered if he'd been sold yet again.  Winston and Flash walked calmly to the pasture.  They headed out to the shade of the big oak tree.

Flash decided that they all needed to do a victory lap.  Or two.  Look at Jackson (the grey) getting into the action despite his laminitis.  He traveled really well.  I am so relieved.

We left the horses to settle while we took the dogs to the vet and then to the kennel.  They have a big area to share and, since they have good social skills, will spend the day playing with the rest of the dogs in a big play area.  Back at the ranch, Brett got the horses hay and I topped off everyone's water.  The goats have created a nice area in one corner of their area.  Slowly they are eating all the weeds.  It already looks much better in their area - this corner especially.

Please keep your fingers crossed for us on completing the purchase of the house.  We have hit a snafu -- the lender is convinced that the property is commercial, not residential, because there was a riding school there at one time and because the barn is so nice.  We are having a heck of a time convincing them that we are not going to run a business and that the property is in a rural residential area.  This bank only underwrites residential loans, in cookie cutter suburbs, and doesn't understand rural at all.  Had we known that, we wouldn't have gone with them but its too late now.  So we are hoping that they don't say "no" - forcing us to start the process all over again. We were supposed to close Tuesday.  Didn't happen.