Sage

So tonight we are laying around trying to stay cool. We had just gotten home from Agoura Hills where Jeremy gave lessons all weekend. We stayed with our good friend Mary while we were there. She is so gracious to open her home to not only us but our two rascals and this time, my new pup, Priss. And she lets Jeremy use her best horses while he is giving lessons so we don't have to haul a trailer. She also spoils the kids when we come, buying their favorite goodies and giving them her undivided attention.

It is so great for Sage to get these visits as she lives in such an adult world. She gets to dream and plan and have it all her way like a little girl does. I am leading up to something I swear. Also living on the ranch we occasionally when we need money we take animals to the sale, cattle, goats, ect. Living in this adult world (as we also homeschool and work for ourselves for those of you that may not know) as she does she decided she wanted to be sold. I am not sure what exactly brought this on.

Could be all the talk about needing money for Jeremy's surgery.

Could be all the fun and attention away from her brother (I sure wish she got that opportunity more often) this weekend.

Could be that I plan to haul goats to the sale tomorrow to pay the hay bill.

Could be the grass in always greener.............

At any rate, I tried not to let it break my heart she was willing to sell herself AND she made a sign. In an effort to keep it light hearted I told her next time I get to name the price.

While all this was going on I had to tell her that while we were gone her ewe Harriet had died. She was old and with the heat, that is the only reason I could figure she died. Yes, she had shade, water, blah blah. That is just it, while I had a wonderful time away this weekend I couldn't wait to get back to our simple life on the ranch. I could micromanage it but it just is. She died, it is too late to fret over it. She was old and it was her time. Maybe that was the reason Sage wanted to sell herself and live in the city, who knows. I doubt it, she knows life and death all to well. I am afraid she is feeling the stress of "dad needs surgery"...............she is such a giver. God love her.

Then there is the boy who is completely oblivious and when he heard the sound of daddy starting the tractor all he could do is run in circles looking for his boots. "mommy could you put me on it?!" I knew what he was getting the tractor for and was reluctant to let him ride but it is what it is. So there Steele is sitting on the tractor while Jeremy loaded Harriet the ewe on the bucket of the tractor. I was helping with the gates and being as I was in my underwear with the heat I just tried to stay out of the way. Jeremy is a wretcher. If something stinks he will toss his cookies and for some unknown reason I think it is HILARIOUS! Well, Harriet had been dead for a little while apparently and nobody had noticed cause of where she was. She was pretty stinky. I hope none of you are eating your dinner! Anyhow, Jeremy is holding his breathe in an effort to not smell her, usually my mission is to try and make him talk and then he will catch a whiff of it. He knows this and all I did was look at him and he was doing his darnest to keep his eyes off me cause he knew.........when we hear Steele yelling at the top of his lungs

"IS SHE DEAD, DAD?"

I taught him well.