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Wow, so much has been happening since our Open House. We had to make an emergency trip to Washington State (we are losing my mom, and I had to go right away to make sure I could visit her and she would be aware that I had come). We got that call and away we went. Of course we had to take the bottle feeding kittens along, so it was quite the interesting ride. Dalton and I had taken the truck to Roseburg, Oregon when we got the call. My mom seems to be in a happy state, smiling alot and is not suffering much if any pain. Still it is heartbreaking to be so far away at this time in her life.
I am sorry that it has taken so long to send out an update, but I just didn't have it in me. But now I have to catch up and start "gittin' er done" So here is the latest. We tried putting another foal, Carson, in with Honey Bandit. He is one of the youngsters at the sanctuary, so he is not very aggressive at all. He simply gave Honey Bandit "the look", and that was pretty much it. There was no biting or kicking or chasing whatsoever. However, Honey Bandit was completely traumatized, and spent the next half hour??? or so at the fence. He was alternating from deciding to jump it or crawl through it. We gave him some time, as we were hoping he would realize that he was okay and not in any danger. But Honey Bandit was totally traumatized and frightened to death. He would have hurt himself badly if we hadn't moved him out of the pen. Carson was probably 50 to a100 feet away and totally ignoring him at that time.. So I guess that shows that the roundups can leave a huge scar on these babies. I was hoping he would be "bomb proof" from all the people and different experiences he has had. But Honey Bandit, bless his little heart, seems to remember more of the scary stuff. He is not one of those "freak out" horses normally. If he is scared of something he will usually take his time and go investigate, which shows his superior intelligence. (hee hee). But he doesn't seem to remember all the blankets, leg warmers etc. :) or all my hard work. haha I have to say though, that I was really saddened at the fact that he was feeling so much terror simply by being in the same pen as a larger horse. Honey Bandit knows how to move away, and follow the signals of the leader. It is almost comical that his "leader" is a tiny little mini. But at least he has respect for "space" etc. from being pushed around by Patches. So he knows how to be a horse, he is just terrified of anything bigger than a dog. Guess all those kicks and bites left more than physical scars. So he seems like he will always be a "special needs" guy, but that is just fine and dandy. He can still carry the message to stop the roundups and keep educating the kids. We are on standby for the upcoming roundups in Oregon, and praying that there will be no orphans or injured babies, but if there are, we plan to be ready. We are still looking for that "rolling hospital" and working on getting it supplied with all the necessary items. Thank ya'll for coming and sharing the birthday party / Open House with us. It was a wonderful way to celebrate. Take care and God Bless. We are starting to use our new mailing address. Chilly Pepper - Miracle Mustang 34694 SideBottom Road Shingletown, CA 96088 Phone numbers are still the same 530 474 5197 530 339 1458 and don't forget to visit our website at www.chillypepper.weebly.com
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Well, another day in the saga of our rescue adventures. As some of you know, my beautiful white truck has not been "operating" for several years, due to the fact it needs injectors. This is the truck I would be using to haul Honey Bandit, Suri, etc. and pick up the foals that we bring to our rescue. Instead, we have been using an older suburban that is definitely not good for pulling. But PTL it has been working for now. So we are purchasing a 1989 ford f250 diesel that will be safer and better for towing, and of course costs way less than fixing my truck :(. Of course it needed a "few things" done to it. Thus our story begins. Susan and I were heading up to Roseburg as this pickup will belong to the Sanctuary. Matt and his friend Damon were trying to start it. Now to start it, you had to hit the starter cylanoid with a hammer. Matt had been out there for about an hour or so and came in, not in the greatest of moods, to tell me that "there was a change of plans", and we would probably not be going. I said "let me try", and went out to the truck. I talked "nice" to her, tapped her a couple of times and she started right up. Matt and Damon just shook their heads and walked away, muttering under their breath. Matt later admitted to saying "bad things about me". haha So off we went, Susan with her beautiful sanctuary trailer and I in our new "dog".
We got as far as Shingletown, a whopping 7 miles, and as Reeds has much more space, we pulled in to get fuel. Now mind you, I cannot turn this truck off. So I put it in neutral, put on the e-break, and realized I am truly a redneck. I could not leave my vehicle as there WAS NO E-BRAKE, and the PORTABLE BRAKES that my wonderful husband had put in the back of the truck for emergencies, were out of reach. So I sat there and waited until Susan was able to pull out my brakes (pieces of fire wood), and chalk my tires. I think that qualifies as a redneck. "You might be a redneck when you have to carry your brakes in the back of your pickup." So I managed to fuel up while Susan "babysat" the truck and made sure it didn't run away. I then proceeded to move forward so she could gas up. I flipped the tank to the front one, and the truck died. We then tried to start her for about half an hour. Then I went and bought some starter fluid. (Should have done that in the first place - oops) By that time the battery started to die. So we ended up eventually getting it jumped, and started down the road, again..... Now, as only one tank actually has a fuel gauge that works, I would prefer to use the tank without a gas gauge first, and then be able to tell when I was going to run out of fuel, so once again, I switched tanks. And once again, the truck died. Wow, we had made it approximately 8 miles from out house and it had only taken a couple hours (or so it seemed). I was at a point where we were starting to go down hill, so I tried popping the clutch. No such luck. So I called Matt once again, and he came down to help me get her started once more. By then, many people would have given up or gotten frustrated, but I just knew that one way or another, this truck was getting to Roseburg, even if she had to be towed. Matt lined up the suburban and started pushing. Again, no such luck. But finally after about 3 or 4 attempts, she decided to start and then we actually got to leave Shingletown. Wooohooo, only several hundred more miles to go. At the rate we started out, we would get there by Christmas. We met a lady in Redding to pick up a Belgian Malinois to transport up to its connection in Roseburg. So we left the truck running, chalked her up with blocks, and once again we managed to drive away. PTL! Now the happy ending to this story a mechanic replaced the starter and cylanoid, fixed the E-break, (whoohoo, no more redneck brakes), is fixing the power steering and a few other quite necessary parts, and is doing it for a more than generously discounted price. And the best news of all, besides the fact that I now have a safe, (although very slow and steady) vehicle to pick up the foals in, I might even be able to get my white truck fixed down the line. So that is amazing..... As we are on standby for the upcoming BLM roundup in Oregon, and have been told by the local liason to "have our trailer's ready", it is a huge blessing to have a truck that should be not only reliable, but safe. Once again, God has blessed us with all of you and your ongoing support, and the means to continue to do His work with these babies. I wouldn't mind having a normal, boring adventure once though. :) So we are standing by for the call to come and get foals, and praying for continued support. Without your help we would never have even made it to Oregon to get this truck "foal ready". Now we just need to stock up on the medical supplies needed and fill the tanks so we are ready to go. Ya'll are angels too, and please know that we treasure each and every one of you who are part of this. God Bless, stay safe and keep up the good work! Palomino & the Gang Hi Ya'll, We just wanted to say thank you to everyone who came and shared our day. It was absolutely fabulous, and although Honey Bandit wasn't too sure about his birthday cake, he posed for pictures like a pro as usual. Chilly Pepper, on the other hand, loved her cake, and scarfed it up as fast as she could. She didn't even wait for the pictures. I want to apologize to the folks that I didn't really get to spend time with. Unfortunately, or should I say fortunately, there were so many people it was hard to get to visit with everyone. I have to say though, that we were truly touched by such a wonderful turnout, and Honey Bandit & Chilly Pepper truly appreciated their birthday presents. We appreciate your support, as we simply could not continue to do what we do without you. I know I stress that point often, but it is so true. When I saw the tears in the eyes of the people looking at the photos, of where he came from, and then looking at him today, it reminds me again why we do this. It was especially nice to meet some of our new neighbors, and we look forward to being snowed in with ya'll. ha ha We are on standby right now for the BLM roundups taking place in Oregon. the first one was completed with no need for our services. I guess that is a tiny bit of good news from a bunch of bad news. Take care and God Bless Palomino & the critters.        The air is crisp and clear, and we are getting ready to head to the Shingletown Volunteer Fire Department “Fun Day”. It is still early, and we have been rushing around, trying desperately not to forget anything “important”. But I know the most important things are ready to be loaded. Suri and Honey Bandit. Originally DaBubbles was going to attend, but poor Patches, (the “to be therapy” mini) was just crushed. (So we left DaBubbles home and decided that everyone could enjoy visiting all of them on our Open House on Saturday August 20, at the new place.)
I opened the trailer door, holding Honey Bandit, with Travis holding Suri right behind us. I knew HB would just hop right in, but Suri hasn’t trailered quite as much. So Dalton pulled back the door and I slid the rope over HB’s back and told him to “load up”. Well, he did load up, at about a hundred miles an hour. Then he wheeled around and headed back out. I let him “unload”, and wondered what was up. I guess the rope had tickled him or something because when I had him “load up” again, he jumped in quiet as a cat and stood waiting for Suri. We loaded her up and away we went. Wow, what a beautiful day. Honey Bandit and Suri were stars at the fabulous Shingletown Fun Day. We shared more smiles and happy moments today than we have in a long time. It is such a joy to watch the little ones, and yes, even the not so little ones, as they spent time with the horses. It makes life worthwhile to have a day like this. Although life has been a little bit hectic lately, taking the time out to enjoy a beautiful summer day surrounded by friends was an absolute blessing. The weather was perfect, the skies a brilliant blue, and the air was mountain fresh. Can’t beat that combo. Dalton and Travis (our boys) volunteered once again and worked at the “kids’ games”. A great time was had by all. As the day went on, more and more kids, (young and old), came to “hang out” with Honey Bandit and Suri. They fed them, pet them and just plain loved on them. It was so special to watch their faces light up as the horses, ever so gently, took the hay they were offered by all the tiny hands. We were right next to some wonderful folks with an alpaca and a lama. I was concerned when we first arrived, as I have been told numerous times that horses are often extremely frightened of them. Honey Bandit and Suri checked them out for a moment, but after that they settled down to entertain their visitors, appearing to be completely at ease with their neighbors. Honey Bandit found some pine branches and had a ball rocking back and forth against the panels, enjoying a lovely “scratch” from the tree. Of course I was just tickled pink to find the huge glob of sap that is now so perfectly attached to his side. But he did make it less sticky when he lay down in the dirt and took his nap after “sapping himself”. Now it is dirty sap J; but it is a little bit less sticky. We made some wonderful new friends, and Jennifer and I answered countless questions about Honey Bandit, Suri, and why people are still breeding when so many are going to slaughter. (I know of a couple breeds that are nearly extinct and in that case, breeding is still necessary. (The Santa Cruz Island horses all but got wiped out by the mountain lions at the sanctuary, so obviously it is extremely important that their bloodlines are kept alive.) They were moved to the Sunshine Sanctuary, where they are desperately trying to preserve their bloodlines, working in conjunction with scientists who recognize the rare and incredible value of these horses. Visit their website and be wowed! The Sunshine Sanctuary is a wonderful place where children learn about horses, and get to have hands on time with them. Christina and Troy have devoted their lives and everything they have to try and save this breed. They are one of the smartest and gentlest breed there is. So check it out and when you are looking to donate, please remember them. Their donations are used strictly for the sanctuary, and as they are not one of the larger sanctuaries, they are not funded by big donors. They do a wonderful job and no horse is considered “expendable”. There is also another exception to the “no good reason to breed”. It is a rare Spanish bloodline that is being fought for, and those bloodlines need to be protected. So there are critical and important exceptions to the “not breeding”. But in general, breeding more mustangs when so many are hitting the slaughter plants is just not acceptable. So we had wonderful conversations, lots of hugs, continued the “educational “ part of the rescue and will enjoy seeing many of our visitors at Chilly Pepper – Miracle Mustang, Equine Rescue & More at 34694 Sidebottom Road, Shingletown, this coming weekend. Thanks for a great time. aLL IN ALL, IT WAS AN AWESOME DAY! Directions to Sidebottom. From Redding, follow Hwy 44 East up to Shingletown and drive approximately 7 more miles. On the right hand side you will see a big white sign in the trees that says Sidebottom. Turn right and we are the second house in on the left. Look forward to seeing ya’ll. P & the Gang. 474 5197 with questions. (If you pass Lake McCumber, you are a couple car lengths past Sidebottom) Wow, sitting at the old place and wondering why some of the stuff in life happens the way it does. Honey Bandit and the gang really seem to be enjoying the new place. I think they like the cooler weather. Hmmm, wonder if that will be true when the snow is up to their tummies or higher. I have a feeling they will have lots of fun in it actually. I know they sure liked the small amounts we used to get at the lower house.
We are prepping for the Open House, and struggling with the sadness and frustration that seem to surround the wild horse issue. I know there are so many people who just don't even want to think about it because it is just heartbreaking. Believe me, I am one of those people sometimes. However, we have to keep plugging along, surviving and helping each critter, even if it is one critter at a time. If we didn't live in such an awesome little community and so close to the wonderful and supportive communities down the hill, I would move to Nevada. It is so frustrating to not be able to be close enough to do more. Sometimes once the crisis is over, and you are just doing the "day to day" care, your world slows down and you feel like you are not doing enough. It is hard, as the continued expenses are there, as well as the daily care, yet it seems like there is more that you need to do. It seems like you can never begin to do enough for the situation. On a brighter note, we have two tiny kittens that we are "baby sitting". They both still have their eyes closed and one still has his (?) umbilical cord attached. We are just "helping out" with the infant care until they are old enough to get adopted. A young girl and her father found them in a culvert and saved them. So we are doing the feedings (and helping them potty) every two hours or so. They are very noisy and I feel bad for them as they search desparately for their mommy. Can you imagaine, not being able to see and not finding mommy? But they are settling in quite nicely considering. It is so awesome how many of the rescues work together. It is such a wonderful feeling to know that there are people out there to help with whatever is needed, and that somewhere, somehow, we can "git er done". Once again, we are in a race against the clock. Anyone have any 4 x 4's, 4 x 6's etc. in their back yards? (Don't forget all donations are tax deductible!!) We have to seriously beef up the roofs for any shelters we build and for the barn. (If anyone is wondering why we chose to go so high in elevation here with the horses, well, we didn't really choose.) We were led to this place, just as we were led to Honey Bandit. I know that if we have Faith, anything is possible. So we are eternally grateful to God for providing us such a wonderful place to move to and to the person who made it all possible, well we cannnot thank that person enough. There are truly angels on this earth, and we are blessed to know one personally. (We are also grateful to God that my hubby and I can do "fixer uppers"). :) The community has always been there for the horses and made it possible for us to do what we do. I can only say thank you, and that we appreciate the support, as there is no way to do it without you. All of the donations go for the critters and their care. Unlike the larger sanctuaries that have big money donations, we have survived solely because of you, and we thank God for your support, financially and otherwise. Unfortunately, the critters need your help again. We need to get Suri's hernia fixed and find her a great home. She is truly a beautiful little soul, and we will miss her with all our hearts when she finds a home. But our specialty is the critical care for orphans or the injured, so once they get better, we have to find them homes so we can provide care for another. We plan to continue providing education for our future leaders, and keep working for a solution to our Wild Horse and Burro situation. Although it is heartbreaking work, there are thousands out there who are not giving up. Please continue to fight the good fight with us, and make a change for these beautiful animals. Also, please say a prayer for all those fighting for this country, and their families and loved ones. I think this is a time in our life when we need everyone's prayers, and to make sure we stop and take a minute to say hi, and maybe even smile (haha) at our friends and neighbors. We need to stick together so we can "git er done". God bless - hugs Palomino & the gang., Hope to see you all on August 20 at 34694 Sidebottom Rd, Shingletown, CA 96088 530-474-5197 www.chillypepper.weebly.com PLEASE SAY A PRAYER FOR TERRI FARLEY AND HER FAMILY. They are going through a tough time and need our love and prayers. Honey Bandit is doing what he does best, quietly munching his morning hay. He seems to really enjoy living here. Does it remind him of the place he came from?
Its’ about 6:00 a.m., and I am sitting in my lawn chair, snuggled in a blanket, drinking coffee and thinking about all the changes in our lives. Who would have thought it would be that much cooler, just 10 miles from our old house. We are now at just under 4000 elevation, and it is truly amazing how much cooler it is up here. The sky is beautiful, almost translucent. The soft blue frames the different shades of green, as the trees watch over us, proud and high in the sky. It is crisp and clear and the air is so fresh you can almost taste it, and yes, it is summer. Summer in the mountains, where thankfully the temperature can be as much as 25-25 degrees cooler than Redding. Once again we are in a race against the seasons, trying to get adequate shelter for the animals. Our old barn will have to be completely restyled, as the snow load up here would crush the roof at the old pitch. The snow can easily be as high, or higher than the minis, as the clouds back up against Mt. Lassen, then sit and dump snow, according to the long time residents of this area. If you wonder why we moved, well, sometimes a door closes in your life and you need to go through the window. In this case, once again we are blessed, and were led straight to our new place on SideBottom Rd. It was not a choice, but a reality in life, and it will no doubt end up being a great blessing. There are many new challenges as we prepare for winter with the critters. We are still doing the critical foal care/rescue, and are hoping to get Suri’s surgery over with soon. Then some lucky family can adopt her. She is not only exquisitely beautiful, but sweet as pie to go with it, unless of course, ya’ll try and steal her milk. Honey Bandit continues to grow into a beautiful horse, and is always a reminder of what people can do when they come together and follow God’s guidance. We appreciate everyone’s assistance and once again need help with getting the rescue set up for winter. You can see the winter wish list at www.chillypepper.weebly.com . Thank you in advance for your continued support. God Bless, Palomino, Honey Bandit and the Gang! We could also use help in putting up shelters etc. Call us at 530 474 5197 if you can help. hI YA'LL
THE BIG DAY IS AUGUST 20, 2011 Here are the locations call for info :) Chilly Pepper - Miracle Mustang Equine Rescue & More 34694 Side Bottom Road Shingletown, CA 96088 530 474-5197 530 339-1458 RAIN 7355 Black Butte Road Space 3C. Shingletown, CA 96088 Weston House Bed & Breakfast 6741 Red Rock Rd, Shingletown (530) 474-3738 The Wild Horse Sanctuary 5796 Wilson Hill Road Shingletown, CA 96088 (530) 474-5770 |
