Well, it's 10 p.m. And playtime is over.  Patches is back in his stall and Honey Bandit is ????  You guessed it, munching away.
 
Today we got to take HB's favorite puppy to the vet.  The right side of his face is all swelled up and there was an abscess, although that was actually a small part of it.  So he is on antibiotics, hot compresses, anti-inflammatories (sp - oops). And lots of TLC.  The vet wasn't sure if he got kicked.......... Hmmmmmmmmm that's another story.  When Honey Bandit was first learning to actually roll over, well Chino got kicked in the side of the face pretty strongly.  I remember because the expression on his face was quite comical.  It was like he looked at HB like he thought he was crazy and had lost his mind.  Apparently it didn't really hurt though, because he sure doesn't worry about getting out of the way.
 
Not sure if that is what happened, but I guess we will see.....could also be a fox tail, bite etc.  Only time will tell.
 
It is cold out, but a very pretty night.   You can hear the crickets chirping and the sound of HB's teeth grinding away on his hay.  We are going to have some Honey Bandit t-shirts out pretty soon.  Thinking of the perfect slogan to help get his message out.  Also, we are looking for the perfect bumper sticker for HB.  Would love to hear all your fabulous ideas.
 
Gonna call it a night,  take care and keep praying for Honey Bandit.
 
Hugs
P

Hi
 
Well, last night was another cold one.  It was drizzling/raining again this morning.  Looks like summer is over.  It is supposed to be nice this weekend.  That would be great as RAIN (Rescued Animals in Need) is having a flea market and we have some wonderful ladies coming to stay here and they are going to have a booth for Honey Bandit there.
 
RAIN and the wonderful people involved there have been great.  When we were so desperate for blankets etc those first few days, they would arrive with them any chance they could.  They also gave us a donation.  We can't say thank you enough.  It is so awesome when everyone is helping each other.
 
Today Jennifer and I took Honey Bandit and Patches out to play in the big corral.  Once again, Honey Bandit had to give me a major attack.  He went running high tail around the field and swoosh, he went sliding and face planted once again.  It never bothers him, but I can't wait until he gets his strength and coordination back.  It will make me happy when he has one day of running and bucking and doesn't fall down.
 
He is getting pretty rowdy.  We got some good video (short ones) of him playing and bucking.  He is getting rather feisty.  Hopefully Jennifer will get hers up on you tube, as I don't really have that skill mastered very well.
 
His personality is coming out more and more each day.  Tonight he decided to have a little rodeo in our "bedroom".  He came over to where Chino was laying down and "pawed him" once, good and hard.  Chino actually used his head and moved away, and HB decided he was going to let fly with his back end.  Well,,,,,,,  we do not have room in here for him to have an indoor rodeo.  Chino jumped onto the bed and the computer, and Mr big shot turned his butt towards me and backed up.  He has had a very cute, but very much "going to be stopped" habit of backing his butt into you to get a good rubbin'.  He and Patches can do that all day long, but he already moves me when he does it.  So I am not letting him do that anymore, funny as it was.  He is also learning that he is not supposed to be in "my space".  We still spend alot of time "cuddling", but he only gets to do it when I say so.
 
He is getting so big.  I cannot believe how much taller he is.  He is just growing and growing and getting heavier and longer.  The blanket that used to fit so perfectly is now about 6 inches too short on the back end.
 
Assuming that he continues on his road to "fabulousness", we will be attending the Wild Horse Protest in Sacramento on October 23.  He of course will not be getting out of the trailer, but we will have huge pix of him so people will hopefully pay attention.  He loves the trailer.  It is like "home" to him.  Gee, maybe because that is where his "love and compassion in his life started", and where his pain ended.  Anyway, he likes to be in it.
 
It is time to stop BLM and the roundups.
 
God bless you for all your support.
 
Palomino, Honey Bandit and the gang.

Hi,  well today started out very very cold.  It was in the 30's last night, and so windy it sounded like the carport was coming down on top of us.  I love the sound of the rain and the wind on the tin roof, but it was kind of crazy out there last night.   The winds blowing through our little carport were very chilling.  I personally love the cold at night, and truth be told, I love sleeping outside.  However, our little man is not ready for those extreme temperatures.  He is starting to regulate his temperature better, but it will be a long time before he can be exposed to the elements.
 
We took Patches and Honey Bandit out to play in the big corral.  About 2 minutes into the fun, Honey Bandit decided to go "dirt diving".  He started running at his full speed, and then crashed head first into the dirt, thus causing me to have another near heart attack.  It is just so scary to watch him go down, as all you can think about his him breaking a leg.  But once again, he pops up after a couple of minutes and goes on his way.
 
He and Patches spent quite a bit of time near the horses that are on the other side of the fence.  But although Patches likes to interact with them, Honey Bandit will not go closer than about 3 feet normally.  He likes to whinny from afar, but he definitely is not comfy with them being close.
 
He is quite funny to watch, as he decided that he is quite tough, and was trying to kick Patches.  You can almost see Patches laughing, as he simply scoots up right behind HB  and leans against his back end, thus stopping all kicking.   You can tell HB  is trying to figure out why he can't move.  Today Matt watched Patches walk right under Honey Bandit's belly.  It is a pretty tight fit, but of course I missed the whole thing.
 
I have told Matt that I just have a feeling that we need to continue being with him 24/7, partially because of the "stalker", but also just because he is so vulnerable.  For example, today we went into the house to get a cup of coffee and by the time we walked back out with our cups,  he was stuck under the fence.  He was halfway under the panel, with his head and neck sticking out the other side.  So it was physically impossible for him to get up or move by himself.  Patches was very concerned, and stood close to Honey Bandit as he continued eating as fast as he possibly could.  The dogs were milling around, probably wondering what this new trick was.
 
So he obviously is going to be one of those horses we all love so well, that will get into any kind of trouble that is available, and if none is available, then he  will make up his own.
 
Tonight HB was having a sleep over.  Patches was invited and came over to play and spend the night.  However, after a couple of hours, it was obvious that they were not going to go to bed quietly, so Patches had to go home (to his own comfy private little stall.)  but they had a wonderful time first, and Patches explained to me that nothing I had on the counter was where it should be.  So he fixed if for me and re organized everything.
 
I have been getting emails asking if that was all the wood we needed.  We are thinking that we have enough wood for the siding on the building, but still need everything else.  I have attached some pictures of the existing barn for your viewing enjoyment.
 
Hugs and God bless all of you for helping Honey Bandit make a difference.

Today was a day filled with mixed emotions.  The day started off well, except for my son's stomach ache.  But he stayed home from school to rest up and "feel better".
 
Auntie Jennifer and Auntie Susie stayed with Honey Bandit while Matt and I went to check out an offer for some wood.  We were pretty excited on the way to the mill.  We were on the way to the historical PHILLIPS BROTHERS MILL, located in beautiful Oak Run California.   The mill has been in operation since 1897, and to my knowledge is the only true "steam operated saw mill" left in the country.   There are a few small mills that claim to be "steam operated", but use additional sources of power.  This mill is truly steam operated.  You can check it out at: 
http://www.phillipsbrosmill.com/phillipsbrosmill/default.asp?Gallery=About Us/Our History/ourhistory.htm
 
When you drive in the driveway, you are transported back to a time we can only dream of.  It makes you think of horses and buggies, and a time when life was simple, although people worked harder to survive and I think appreciated the little things possibly a little bit more.
 
We were met by Gregg Hendrix, who was gracious enough to give us a tour.  We thoroughly enjoyed the short history we were given and it was a real treat to check out the machines up close and personal.  While visiting with Gregg, and finding out that our kids go to the same high school and are involved in a lot of the same activities, our trailer was filled to the brim with pine and cedar siding.  A multitude of 1 x 6, up to 1 x 12 pieces of beautiful wood, on it's way to Honey Bandit's nursery.  We cannot thank Gregg and his family enough for their wonderful donation.
 
I had no idea that we have the luxury of having our own "local" mill.  If you need wood, you just call them up, order what you want, and when they have a full load, they fire up the mill.    I have a feeling that we will be contacting them again.   You can also book a tour of 20 people or more (i believe - but call for the exact #) and for only $10 each they can fire up the mill and you can see it in action.  it is a truly amazing place and i cannot wait to see it in action.
 
We also met Gregg's dad, a wonderful and interesting man.  He gave me some important information for Honey Bandit's trip to Washington, having done a similar one himself.
 
He said we need to get one congressman who is going to meet us there, and make sure we are prepared.  The more people who are there with us the better, and that having a solution or recommended agenda to solve the problem is much better than just complaining about it.  So everyone start planning their trip to Washington next year.  A Honey Bandit convoy will be awesome.  I imagine people would drive with us for however long they can, but this is going to be a whole nation's message to congress.  That we are not going to let our tax dollars be used to do this to our own wild horses.
 
We drove home as the rain started to get serious.  The less than up part of the "mixed emotions" was sitting in the carport listening to the rain pound on the metal roof.  Normally a sound I adore, well it just brought up stress and worry.  However, now that it is evening and well on the way to the 35 degrees it is supposed to get to tonight, I am feeling pretty good.  God has provided the answers and the means to save Honey Bandit so far, and He will continue to do so.  Today was another step towards providing him with his "foal nursery".  Right now it is pretty cold, but Matt managed to stop us from flooding out.  Yeah..   He took some railroad ties, with the help of Dalton & Travis and buried them above the carport, which caused the water to run "around" instead of into the carport.  It is  fine for now (as long as there are no "torrential" downpours), and we have a fabulously fashionable tarp on the top of the carport to keep it dry.   So we are just fine until we get the nursery started and done.
 
Honey Bandit is getting more like a "wild horse" every day.  His reactions can be almost normal, and then he will seem to have none at all.  But he is very aware of "pressure".    He can get very nervous, and other times not much bothers him.  But every day he is a tiny bit closer to being a "normal" foal.  You can tell that he was born free and in the wild.  He has those reactions as opposed to being born a "domestic" in captivity.  Is almost weird  to go from a horse that was pretty much catatonic to having him be so reactive.  But that is all just a sign of his brain coming back from the trauma.  His hearing is still completely random, but every day that he has more reactions makes us feel like he will get it all back. He is truly amazing and we are blessed to be able to share him in this lifetime.
 
Thank you for all your continued love and support.  God Bless.  Hugs from Honey Bandit.

Hi ya'll,
 
Today was a pretty quiet day for Honey Bandit.  Yesterday and today he seemed a little bit mellow, so we let him rest for most of the day.  We did, however, expand his play pen.  It is about 2 or 3 times bigger than it was.  It is not an area to "run in", but just a nice little area for him to wander around in.
 
Two of his aunties came over today.  (Jennifer and Susie)  they hung out and babysat and then he got a nice little "brushing" with the gel brush that Susie and Diane brought over.  He really liked that.
 
He is changing color, and no one would even know that he is the same horse.  He looks so different.  His wounds are healing nicely and I can no longer describe him as having a "bony little butt".  He is a long way from where he should be, but is growing like a weed.  He is getting much taller and growing like a weed.  He loves to "back up" against you and get his butt scratched.  The first few times he kept backing up at me I  was wondering "what is he doing?  But he just loves to be scratched.  I have to watch out though, because he almost knocks me over now, so I guess we will have to nix that little habit.
 
We do have a little problem though.  We need help.  Any ideas for catching whom ever is opening our gates, tampering with fencing and in general, committing acts that could result in the death or injury to our horses?
 
While doing a little bit of rearranging of corrals today, we found that once again, someone had tampered with the panels, removing the pins and leaving the panels partly open just enough so a horse would go through.  We live right on a fast highway (55 mph +).  
 
We are with Honey Bandit 24/7, but it really makes me angry that someone would be trying to cause problems for the horses.  We need to find a way to catch this predator before any harm comes to our critters.  Does anyone have a camera we could borrow for a month?????  We need one that works in the dark and is motion activated, so they can be arrested and prosecuted.  These mustangs have all been through enough, and we need to keep them safe.
 
Honey Bandit just went in and laid down on his bed.  Apparently it is bedtime.  It rained a little bit today and is quite chilly right now.  We are praying that the cold, wet weather holds off a little bit more.
 
Thank you for all of you who called or wrote about the situation in Nevada on Highway 50.  We have to work together to save all of our beautiful mustangs.  God bless you for taking the time to make a difference.
 
Stay Safe
 
Palomino

Hi ya'll.
 
Well, Honey Bandit had a wonderful day yesterday.   He had lots of visitors and got to run and play with Patches.  It is really fun to watch them interact together and figure out their "rank".   Hopefully Patches will establish that he is the "older and wiser and protector" before Honey Bandit figures out that he will be about 5 times as big as Patches.  Hee hee.
 
 
Honey Bandit is almost tall enough for Patches to walk under.  I am hoping that he doesn't "duck under" and end up lifting HB off his feet..
 
Yesterday we were down in the lower field playing, and Honey Bandit ran up to the top of the fence.  He was behind some trees and bushes and couldn't see us.  He was calling me, but he couldn't hear me answer him back.  So I will be happy when his hearing improves more.  He can get really upset when he calls and no one answers.  However, there are times when he and the other horses whinny back and forth and I know he can hear.  There is no rhyme or reason to when he can and cannot hear, but hopefully every day it will get better.
 
Matt (my hubby) kind of laughed and said that "Honey Bandit and I are the same.  Neither one of us is smart enough to stop before we drop."
 
That is probably Honey Bandit's best asset.  That is what pushed him through death and kept him alive and fighting when most others would not have made it.  It is also what we have to watch out for.  He and Patches were out in the field today, and he was dragging so badly.  He could hardly stand he was so tired, but he was going to follow Patches around and no way was he going to lay down.
 
So I had to do the "mom" thing and bring him back for his nap.  Once he reached our little "room", he crashed onto his bed for a nice long nap.  Honey Bandit and I are just starting to really do the "bonding" thing.  It is very difficult to bond with anyone who is pretty much in a walking coma.  Since he has started coming back to life this past week, he is actually aware of who is around him and is starting to react to some sounds at random times.  It is frustrating, because he will be looking for me and whinnying and he doesn't know that I am not ignoring him.  That could bring back bad memories.   But there ARE times when he does seem to be responding.  There is still no rhyme or reason to when or what he reacts to, but with every response there is more hope that he will get his full hearing back.  There could still be swelling in his brain or head and it could take awhile for it to go away.  I am just so thankful that he does get to hear some things.
 
We have been asked to provide a list of materials needed for his "winter Casa".  A contractor who said he would help build the room has provided us a list of what we need.  We are praying that the bad weather holds off because he is on another job in Southern California and won't be available until around November 1.
 
Tomorrow we are "rearranging" corrals so Honey Bandit has a bigger area to "lounge around in".  He still gets to go play in the "big boy corral", but until he learns to either stop and rest, or just simply gets back the normal stamina a little guy like he should have, he will have to stay where we can monitor him.
 
Hugs to all,  Honey Bandit


P.S.  If you'd like to view our lumber checklist please click here

HI YA'LL.  Many of our wild horses are being "set up" to cross Highway 50 in Nevada.  There apparently is water on one side and LYNN HETTRICK has a Horsey Smorgasbord right across the highway.    There had been a portable fence setup to keep them safe and emergency highway signs, but guess what,  all that has been taken away.
 
Gee, just someone trying to get them hit by cars on a highway to "further" the fraudulent need to "round them up".  This is a deliberate set up and not only are the horses being lured out onto the highway to get back and forth, but what happens to the children or people in the cars that hit them?
 
Not a good situation.  Please call the bottom number and email the 2 addresses at the bottom.  There is enough "horse slaughter" that we are dealing with without having  them lured to their death in front of us.
 
God bless ya'll for helping.
 
p