Welcome to the ranch! 🐎 In this animal video, we have more wild animals visiting. It seems the cloudy day and rainy weather has drawn the elk into our Colorado front yard, creating a peaceful scene with our farm animals. What happens next? The horses get their breakfast! We hope you enjoy these animal videos from our serene rural life. 🥰

Speaking of breakfast, I should probably add a daily segment: what did Turk the rooster eat? Why? Because, I suspect, he does not eat a typical rooster diet. On the menu today we have pearl couscous served with carefully spiced garbanzo beans with broccoli. He seemed to really love it!

Our most recent training session with the horses was last Friday, and we got such cute videos of Donkey, Sugar, and Rhoen, going for a successful walk out on the property, and getting the chance to graze on some green grass. We are still practicing for our walk in the parade in June. Still not sure which animals we will be taking with us. Stay tuned as we try to figure this out. Not too sure if we will be doing more of that today or not, because I have another idea in mind.

Today, I am reluctant to share, that I think we are going to practice having a fire drill with the horses. I am reluctant to share this, because I am not too sure how it is going to go, and not too sure I want to film it just in case it turns into an embarrassment. But, filmed or not, practicing this is absolutely essential as we head into the spring, after a winter of barely any snow, high winds, and the unfortunate promise of tremendously high fire danger all summer long.

How about you? Do you have your 'to go" bag ready for yourself? With copies of your id, your passport, prescriptions, clothing, a phone charger etc.? And how about your animals? Could you evacuate them quickly and easily? Sunday is a great day to take a little time to practice. So I encourage you today, get your cat in the carrier, make sure you know your dog's microchip number, practice putting your small animals into a travel carrier, and like us, have a plan for your horse in case the worst should happen. We don't want to think about these things, or take the time to prepare for them, yet it is essential that we do. You will feel better for it. It is not meant to scare you, but, to prepare you, to handle anything that comes your way with more grace and ease.

Today I am grateful for the elk that came to visit us (again) this morning. I am grateful for the little bit of rain we got last night on my way home. I am grateful for a good nights sleep. I am grateful for my sweet house rooster Turk, that we enjoy immensely as we get to know him, observe his fascinating behaviors, and start to better understand what he is communicating to us. I am grateful today a neighbor is planning to come with his skid steer and do some much needed paddock clean up for the horses. I am grateful for the fun time I had last night, making new friends, and seeing people from the community that I know, at the fundraiser at the famous Little Bear saloon, for one of my favorite non profits, Wild Aware. They help protect the wildlife in our area by removing old barded wire hidden in open spaces that often injure the wild animals, as well as assist with signage, and educational classes to help people and wild animals live together peacefully. Their mission is one I can really get behind, and I am grateful for all they do. I actually think I have seen less dead elk hit on the road the past few months, I would like to think their efforts with blinking signs in the night, might just be paying off. I sure hope so.

And you, my Animal Loving Angel friend, what will you do today? What will you be grateful for? Will you take a moment to walk barefoot in the grass, then smile brightly at yourself in the mirror, and let yourself hear, you are doing great?! I sure hope so, because you deserve it! Everyone needs to hear that they are doing great. Those words have a strong emotional impact on our well being. I hope you hear it today, and that, you help someone else hear it, too.

And if you want to come out for a fun, Saturday afternoon, with other animal lovers, then please be sure to get your ticket for our racehorse event happening this Saturday at the Wild Game! This is not a celebration of horse racing, but a celebration of horses, and people, and especially, the horses who survived the racing industry and now we have the honor to care for them for the rest of their lives. If you want to be a part of that, then is an event for you! Get your tickets at ResqRanch.org

​And in the mean time, remember to be kind to yourself, be grateful, and if there is anything I can do to help you, in your journey of life with animals, I am here for you. Make it a most wonderful day!

Check out my YouTube channel for a daily "Good Morning!" from the rescues and lots of free tips and training resources. https://www.youtube.com/@the1drq