Today starts with thoughts about the legal dealings between Doug's ex and daughter. Today ex should know about the 36 pages of complaints against her. When she does know it will be a very profound and life changing situation for both of them, and for us as well as we are very involved. It may mean that we will be selling our house to help Doug's daughter. It may mean that the family house that Doug's daughter and ex lived in will be gone, so then where will our horses live. I know that everything will work out in the end, and my staying positive and patient is my life lesson at the moment.
Today and yesterday we have had cloudy weather here in Southern California. When I am used to clear blue sunny skies every day, and warm temperatures it effects my brain chemistry. But never the less I have plans to go outside this morning, before we go to the horses, and weed the front flower beds. There are quite a few things blooming at the moment, such as roses. The temperature should be in the high sixties today.

From left red Geraniums (pelargoniums) in front red  Petunia, blue scabiosa, white Allysum, grey Dusty Miller, in the back pink flowers Penstemon and against the wall Halls Honeysuckle. This is mostly a two year old garden.

Kole with the horses, Coco in the foreground.

I finally got to go out to see the horses today. Both of us were feeling much better and the horses got turned out in the arena. There was a lot of play and galloping about and both dogs ran around the perimeter of the arena and got some good exercise. It rained and so we have some rare clouds in the sky for Southern California.

I am slowly getting better, but now Doug says he is not feeling well. Also his grandson is supposed to coming here after school today as he lives with us part time, as does Doug's son. I would not want anyone to get this, so other arrangements need to be made. I went around with bleach water as soon as I got up and wiped door handles, light switches and next I need to do taps, toilets, sinks.  I feel weak and light headed but very grateful that I am coming out of it, the worst stomach flu that I have ever had. I don't know if either of us can go out to the horses today, but they will be alright and Doug's daughter can give them extra hay for chewing. Rain is forecast also.

I had a relapse and spent some of last night lying on the bathroom floor so that I could be next to the toilet.
This afternoon I am again much better, but very cautious about what I am eating and drinking. The guacamole and tortilla chips that I ate yesterday were not a good idea. In research online I see that BRAT is the way, bananas, rice, applesauce and toast.and plenty of water. Doug has gone to the store to get bananas.

My parents on their wedding day just after World War 11

I spent most of yesterday throwing up, and this morning  I am weak but much better. Doug is home today and I may go out with him to see the horses although I will not be able to do much. Then later he is supposed to be watching the grand girls. I decided to just stay home. I did make a copy of the above photo. I have it framed. I realized that I have only one copy of it and if that is lost then no one else in my family would be able to see it in the future. I am fortunate to have a flat bed scanner and saved the photo in my computer then I printed out two copies. Ivy and Karl Albers. My dad was a German prisoner of war when he met my mom who was in the land army. They were divorced when I was about 12 .He died in 1986 in Germany, but my mom is still with us at age 86 living in England.

I am not feeling very well this morning, and I am trying to decide if I am going to be able to drive out to the horses. Doug went to work today. I can get someone else to give them there midday feed, but they will not be turned out. I think it was what I ate for dinner last night, very oily charred veggies with rice. I have had this happen before, my stomach is totally upset and I feel weak. I will wait an hour or so and see how I feel then. In the mean time papers are being drawn to begin a court case for previously mentioned family members. May be I m feeling a lot of anxiety with out realizing over that issue. Also the thought of working with horse Pesky is also causing me much anxiety. Today I will not be able to do much  with the horses. But it a wonderful sunny day with a Santa Ana wind blowing. I just need to rehydrate and stay calm.

Doug with Pesky and Roy.

I had a great walk with the two dogs yesterday, I found a way to go from our house to the hills in the picture.
 Later today I may go further and go onto the green grass at the foot of the hills. Doug said that he would go with me but we shall see. I had an interesting training session with Pesky, I should not have asked him to canter, it was too soon and I got tired running after him to try to get him to canter. Then Doug took over and got him to canter. Old horse Patriot who is 39 got to go in the turn out today. I should have taken a picture.

The Freeway

Doug was not working yesterday so we both went out to do the horses. The picture is of the freeway that we travel along everyday except Sunday, when we have a day off from horsey things. One of the women who also boards horses where we do, has decided to help us with Pesky. He has not had anything much done with him much since he went to a Monty Roberts clinic in August 2013. Doug has lunged him a few times but that was it. He is only 12 so the help is most welcomed, even though I have to work through a lot of fear and fit it into my schedule when we are out there. There is also the underlying tone of the angst between Doug's ex and daughter who own the place where the horses are. We are hoping today that a major thing will happen to start a change between them.

My three Chickens eating their breakfast.

A view of my garden

I have a bit of work to do this morning in packing and shipping some pedigrees. I had a go at finishing the Sceptre pedigree yesterday. There is one photo that I want to put in it that has no further information other than it is Sceptre at a race course. So I tracked down the source,sent them a message and maybe I find will out later today. If not I do not want to wait too long. I will have to decide what to do. Then it is out to see to the horses, then walk the dogs, take a nap. It is a beautiful sunny day  only 51 degrees F so far at 8.30 am here in California.

Today is a day off from going out to the horses, which is about a 20 min drive on the freeway from home. I am going to try and finish the second of two custom picture pedigrees that I have been working on for a customer who lives in Mississippi. She has asked me to make several pedigrees for her in the past, and make big 11 by 14 copies of all the other pedigrees that I have made.  www.picturepedigree.com   So these latest ones are English racehorse from the 1800's Flyng Fox and Sceptre.
The garden is quite dormant at the moment with a lot of leaves on the ground, that I have been raking up and putting to compost and leaving some on the ground. In this climate they will shrivel up later on and add to the humus of the soil. We have a relatively dry climate.

This fat little squirrel was lying in the sun this morning on the wall outside my office window. I saw him earlier break some pieces from the Italian Cypress ( the green area in the background ) and eat it.

I just got back in from a walk around our neighborhood with dogs Roy and Kole. The weather is just the right temperature for walking, sunny and 63 degrees F. Doug went to work today and will not be home until dinner time. I spent a couple of hours earlier with the horses, I go almost every day, Doug comes with me when he is not doing something else. It is somewhat unpeaceful to go out there at the moment, because of a certain rift between the family members that live there. I have never been in this situation before and it challenges my calmness and centeredness. However as time goes on the situation will change in one way or another. It is possible that the horses will be somewhere else, we shall see. I am grateful for the teachings of Eckhart Tolle !!

An outing to the Peter Strauss Ranch