March 27th, 2011

Wow, sorry for the delay in posts! Not much has been happening at the rescue in the last few weeks (and a certain blogger was on spring break in North Dakota...which is almost an oxymoron).

This March is on record for one of the most rainy months of all time, even for a soggy state like Oregon. It hasn't even gotten up to 60 degrees yet, which, as many of you Oregonians know, is certainly possible (if only for a day or two) at this time of year.

The horses in the east pasture are still in their winter quarters, but they spend most of their time in the side pasture that Jim recently opened up. They are spending all of their time in the new, less muddy field, or inside the barn. Hope and Cameo are still in the big field alone, but they prefer this arrangement, seemingly.

The volunteers and boarders have been hard at work, like usual. The past weeks have brought Sam and Katie to see their horses, and both have been helping Jim out tremendously.  Sasha, Julie, Kari--these are volunteers who have been out regularly. There are two new volunteers, too: Katie (another Katie!) and Jeff.

Sasha has been working with Vanilla Bean and mucking stalls. New Katie and Jeff have been cleaning stalls and organized an office area. Julie has been out at the barn, and although she is sad that Jasmine was adopted, she's happy that Jasmine went to a really great home.

Speaking of volunteers, now is the time for spring grooming! Besides mud, this time of year is when horses shed their thick coats and need some attention to get the winter mud and grime off of them. And, they all will appreciate the attention! Some of their manes have gotten very tangled over the last few months. Usually, spring brings new activity to the rescue. Volunteers who may be hesitant of mud, rain, and cold start to arrive. We can use all the help we can get--and the horses will thank you!

Another call for volunteers: Chuck will be at the barn on April 2nd, and any help holding horses for their farrier appointments and pedicures is much appreciated!

Also, don't forget to check out the Sponsor-a-Horse page. Some of our older residents could use some new friends and sponsors. Check out http://www.hytymeequinerescue.org/ for more info on this really important fundraising effort! For only $29 a month, you'll get updates and reports on your sponsored older horse. For some of our aged residents, like Braveheart, Granny, or Cameo, there are no adoptions in their future. They'll spend the rest of their lives at Hytyme. The older horses at Hytyme are very special and very wise. They love attention, grooming, and treats, too!

We'd like to also wish our favorite Carrot Lady, Michelle, a speedy recovery from surgery!

In just a few weeks, the horses will be much sleeker, the pastures will be drier, and the weather will be warmer. The horses will start to transform--so visitors in the next few weeks, pay close attention. Everyone will be looking very different in a short time!

Here's a picture that Amanda, Jim and Sherry's granddaughter, took of a rainbow:

There's bound to be a pot of gold somewhere out there!