In which there is surprising good news, and we're prepping for the future

I had given up hoping for this. 

As I reported in August, the Dragon has been very lame for most of 2026.  I had mostly resigned myself to being the owner of an ornament-only horse, but her care team did not.

We started a new pain medication (Equioxx), which is gentler on her gut than Bute.  She and her goats also share a ration of alfalfa every day, which buffers the meds.

Dr. Patty does acupuncture on her almost every week, which my horse LOVES.

Old photo, but Fee still looks at Patty with those soft eyes whenever she sees
the acupuncture toolbox come out.

Adjacent the acupuncture, a new shoeing regimen as recommended by the large animal vet:  2 degree "heel lift" pads on the rear feet, to ease discomfort in her back.

Patty pulled out the needles after treatment on Sunday and said casually, "do you have your saddle with you?  and your helmet?"

She was pronounced "sound enough to carry you around Fish Creek for ten minutes."

That was an excellent ten minutes. 

Today (the day after riding) she seemed even more inclined to move briskly around the pasture.  We will recheck her in a couple of days (assuming there is daylight before or after work to do so, as light is fading fast now) and if she is moving well, then we'll try 15 minutes next time.

My horse is not the only lame one, sadly.  My extreme bowlegged-ness is catching up with me after all these years, and I'm now on track for a partial knee replacement!  Stay tuned for more details on that.

Meanwhile, back on the farm, we are doing the usual stuff to prepare for winter.

We harvested a moderate amount of corn this year, the plants just never seemed to settle down and thrive.  

Mom's weekly "goodie basket"--this week it was all about corn and tomatoes,
but also sunflowers and soup!

The tomatoes on the other hand, started producing in July and we are still picking a bucketful every few days.  I've canned at least three batches of spaghetti sauce and two batches of salsa, using all kinds of produce from the gardens.  

I am also saving a lot of seed from the garden this year.  Not just for my own use (although supply chain issues are definitely on my mind) but also to use in a seed-saving class I'll be teaching in January.

I want students to have hands-on practice harvesting and storing a variety of
seeds, so I'm setting aside extra stuff like these radish pods and dill heads.

Buttercup is becoming a real farm dog these days.

3 tons of hay--2 local and 1 timothy from Eastern Washington--are stacked and tarped

She "halps" with chores like moving hay and has even developed a fondness for produce.

Her current favorite garden snack is purple cherry tomatoes,
which apparently taste best after I've picked them and put them in a basket.

Buttercup goes with me each week to visit my mom.  

I've never taught a dog to "give a hug" before, but I think it might become
this dog's signature trick.  It's very sweet.

Lemme know if you need a sheltie hug--or a bucket of tomatoes!