The view from my porch…

     I’m sitting on my balcony enjoying the spring time feel in the air in my rural mountain town. In the distance I can hear my neighbors chicken’s making farm like noises. Traffic is whizzing past on the highway below. I’d like to say I got up at five a.m. to watch the sunrise with my mug of steaming french pressed coffee in hand, but I didn’t quite make it up until six. This morning I need to clean the entire house, rake up the leaves covering my seedlings (keeps them warm in the cold snowy winter months) paint my outdoor flower pots, make a few lunches for work this week, and leave for work by  one o clock. Instead what did I do for the last few hours? Watch TVG Classic Mule Duel between Black Ruby and Taz, a race I totally regret not seeing in person, as it took place 10 years ago only two hours from where I live. Then I spent a few hours researching mules. They are really quite interesting.
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Leaha and I, horse back riding in Huntington

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      Ten years ago, or so, this Secretariat of Mule Racing, Black Ruby, won about 60 of her 70 starts, racing until she was about 14 years old. Mules are not not  retired early like Thoroughbred race horses because they are infertile.  A mule is a cross between (Usually)  a Quarter horse mare and a Donkey stallion. Because of the genetics involved, chromosomes and such, the resulting mule is infertile for breeding purposes. So instead they have begun cloning Mules, such as Taz.  I just think Mules are really interesting. Its fun to watch them race, those huge ears flapping in the wind. They have such fiery personality’s. Unless its a match race, mules only run on the county fair circuit, up north at pleasanton, or at the L.A. County Fair at Fairplex in the fall. I think it would be awesome to own a mule or donkey, some kind of pack animal that could carry my beer and floatys to the creek for me. That would be the life! In the long run our next house defiantly needs more land, so maybe I could have a few chickens of my own, and maybe my own goat so I can make homemade goats milk cheese. 
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The beginning of my spring garden, no idea what this plant is. I bought it years ago on clearance at Walmart, 25 cents. Now it grows everywhere in my garden, and has purple flowers in the late spring.

???      I finally gave in today and bought a grip of plants for my garden as well as some seeds I’ll sow in the next few days. Hopefully I don’t murder to many plants this year. But I do know that I can always go online to https://www.lawncare.net/ and get help from them. I know its early (A week before Mother’s Day, the official beginning of plant’in season in the hills) but I just couldn’t help myself! The weather is so nice; I have the gardening itch. Every day right now I have to DRAG myself out of the mountains and into the smog below to go to work. I just want to stay up here, hike fish, garden all day. Not go to work, thats for sure. But Allyson and Snap Dragon’s don’t buy themselves, so off to work I go five days a week.
     Today I bought Early Girl Tomatoes, Parsley, Thyme, Cabbage, Tarragon and a ton of flowers that I hopefully will not kill. It was a great day off spent at the beach with Leaha riding horses slllooowwwllyy. I am not an experienced rider. I think last time I got on a horse it was 10 years ago on the beach in Rosarito Mexico, and it was after 3 or 4 margaritas. At least I think I was on a horse. I can’t imagine having the balance to go any faster then a walk on horse back. I’m not exactly graceful or coordinated, yet I love to be around horses. They are so beauiful strong animals.  An hour ride is perfect, just enough to give you the full effect of being saddle sore!