The countdown has begun...

[Silke]

7 days to go.
5 days until the horses move.

I'm *kinda* packed. (EEK!)
The girls are driving me bonkers, because it's nice weather and they want to sit outside.
However... I can't stuff things into boxes AND watch them at the same time, so they have to stay inside.
This is met with much caterwauling, escape attempts, and what have you.

The horses want out into the field sooooo bad, and now that bitchface is on vacation (HOORAY!), I'm allowing them out a few hours a day, at least. I'd love to leave them out, but their digestion needs to switch over first, which I couldn't do, because they dumped a harrow into that field. :/
I've put electric fence around it now, sod them. I am grazing those horses come hell or high water, because I don't want to deal with colic the moment they arrive in France and are put on grass!

Bitchface (sorry, that's what I call her now) owes me much money (€740), and didn't say goodbye at all.
So my bank account is cancelled because I am not paying rent for a month when I'm not here, and on top of it don't get my deposit, OR the money she owes me for horse feed and whatnot, back.
No fixing anything, no painting, nada.

If there were anything worth taking, I probably would, just to cover what she owes me. I swear, if there is room for the washing machine once everything is loaded... I'm taking it. I wish she'd leave the tackroom open, because I'd walk off with a saddle. She could have it back when she pays me the deposit. (Which will be never.)

Oz has the right idea.

The only rainbow I ever saw here -- and there is indeed Gold at the end of it lol.
(Sunset...turned him kinda golden, but who am I to quibble.)

No one ever said you'd find Chocolate at the end of a rainbow, but there it is.
Yep, that's really Stormy. 2 years and (almost) 3 months old now.

Jez is doing a doorframe inspection. Because I put boxes there so she can climb up easier.

Also sitting in plastic bags (which I roll glasses and stuff in) so I won't forget to pack her.

And checking to make sure I don't accidentally throw something out she might need. Like... Sausage wrappers, bread wrapper, and leftover catio mesh.

 

[NinaGato]

Wishing you all the beat with your move. I hope you all have happier times in France

 

[Bailey21]

So happy to hear you'll finally be out of this place!!! All the babies seem excited about it to

 

[Silke]

I've just let the horses out into the field the first time this year... they are sooooooo happy.
I had to fence off the harrow though, because it's overgrown with grass now. I honestly don't know what they were thinking, dumping that into a pasture.

A happy Oz, in his 70% UV reduction mask, which helps him a lot. (He is very light sensitive and gets infected eyes from sunlight.)

A happy Stormy, who went for the fattest grass he could find.

And two happy ponies.

 

[Duglynukem]

I sympathize with your issues. I have the opposite problem, we rented a condo to a couple of (use to be) friends. They trashed the place and moved in the middle of the month without paying rent. I’m upset with them but will leave retribution to Karma.

 

[Silke]

6 Days to go. (4 for the horses)
Still throwing stuff into boxes.

 

[Silke]

6 Days... and things are getting ridiculous again.
I am now not allowed to turn the horses out on the grass, unless I section off a "small portion".
Theirs have an entire acre, mine are only out about 2 hrs a day.
Pardon the language, but... what the FUCK are they on? Landlady is on holiday, and now the son starts. WTF.
They OWE ME MONEY, and try to limit what I can do with the horses? I rent with TURNOUT. That means, they want money until the end of June (which they aren't getting, because they have my deposit and no intention of paying it back, that's plain to see.), for a flat, stables and fields I am NOT USING... and am not allowed to use for the 4 days (!!!!!) my horses are still here.
4 freaking days!! Do they think they will eat the entire field in some 8-12 hrs total grazing????
Fuck them. Seriously, fuck them.
I am going to "section" the field so BADLY that Stormy will just "knock it down".

 

[Toa and Ross]

Time fly! Let it the days pass by soon so you can leave this place and leave all the stress behind you. Good luck woth the move. A little less then a week to go before you never ever have to deal with her again.

 

[Toa and Ross]

Beautiful pictures of Oz and Stormy outside by the way!

 

[Silke]

Time fly! Let it the days pass by soon so you can leave this place and leave all the stress behind you. Good luck woth the move. A little less then a week to go before you never ever have to deal with her again.

God, I hope so. Because I'm so done with this crap.
If I'd been an asswipe, and a total bitch to them, I'd understand it.
But I've done nothing but bend over backwards, helped out everywhere, including cutting back vegetation and fixing fences, driving her son to the bus and picking him up at midnight, looked after her animals every week, caught her horses when they went through the fence -- I don't deserve this crap.
Of course, they will be nearly €600 short now every month, plus have to look after their animals themselves, do all the stuff themselves, have a flat that gets moldy when there is no heating... but they also owe me €750 -- the deposit AND the stuff she asked me to pick up for her. (Horse feed, Meds...) Never got that money although she always went "Oh I still owe you..."
Yeah, bitch, you do. That's why I'm not paying any more rent.
I think they are feeling the pinch now, and on top of it all they have no one to rent the place. And I'm not fixing *anything*.
Since the day she told me at 5pm (!!!) that someone will come to look at the place at 11am (!!!!) the next morning... there hasn't been anyone else. Allegedly someone wants to bring 5 horses, but they'll take one look and walk away, because the only one who ever fixed a fence...was me. MY field is secure, with wires that actually work... hers? They are all about to fall down.
It was nothing like this when I looked at the place. Yes, it was a bit messy, but it wasn't as bad as it is now. She just does...nada.
Oh and the son went and got the wheelbarrow I was using, and put it on the muckheap. Because...that's where the wheelbarrows have lived the past two years like... never. However...their horses are STILL not mucked out. That's almost a week now. He just leaves the poop in the paddock, piling up. Their paddocks are about oh.... the huge distance of 10 yards from the muckheap.
When everything is loaded, I'm going to put the cats in the car and just go. No saying goodbye or anything.
Roll on 17th...

 

[Silke]

4 Days to go for me, 2 for the horses.

I woke up to crinkly noises and shot out of bed, but it was too late.
Jez had got hold of two of the vaccuum-able storage bags I'd had out to put the horse rugs into.
Let's just say they can no longer have the air sucked out of....because they are a sieve now.
Thanks Jez. Those Rugs now take up about 6x the room.

 

[Toa and Ross]

Moving day comes closer and closer. Hope Jez stops "helping" with the move

 

[Silke]

Gonna see if I can get some of those bags tomorrow. Because the ones she wrecked are definitely toast.
When I came in from the horses, she'd bitten a hole into another one and all the stuff expanded... GRRR.

 

[Condo commando]

Those pastures look beautiful though. Best of luck with the move Silke, and write whenever you can!

 

[Silke]

The horses are being picked up at about 10am in the morning, tomorrow.
I'm panicking (as usual) but at least the horses will be one less worry.
Once they are gone, I'm stripping down the fences that are mine.
Everything is out of the barn, except 4 feed barrels.
Still have to find a box for the hay nets, and take the plastic trunk apart.
Still have to bundle the fence posts up.
Catio Wire is wrapped, but eek...big. If push comes to shove it stays.
No idea if I can get the catio panels in, gonna take them apart too.
Everything except the night stand is taken apart.
Once the horses are gone, I will strip out the kitchen (cooker is already lifted out, but needs to go in the car.
Washing the last bits before I disconnect the sink and drain. (That's coming too!)
Then we have the kitchen cabinet under it to take to bits, and stack with the other stuff.
I'm sure I find a ton more to do.
Computer will be dismantled on Wednesday evening and put in the car.

Yikes.
Less than 3 days to go...

 

[Condo commando]

That better be a big care because it sounds almost like you're taking the house.

What an adventure!

 

[Silke]

Well.
Oz refused to load. We could not get him in the trailer. At all.
Stormy was no problem.
So... I ended up RIDING him to Florian's place, which is 14km by main road -- but we did a good 20km cross country, mainly because I took a "shortcut" through a grassy field -- and we ended up in a swampy mess. Had to go ALL the way around, because there was a river where we needed to go, and I'm not riding through it when I don't know what's on the bottom, or how deep it is.
Considering Oz had had a serious workout trying to load -- 3 hrs!! -- and then we loaded Stormy and took him away, with Oz left in his box on his own -- so he worked himself into a lather there... and THEN we RODE all the way to almost Austria (!!)... he did very well. He's going to ache bad tomorrow. (So am I)
We were both flagging at the end, Oz wanted to just stand and stay where he was a few times, but he soldiered on, and we got there. After nearly 4 hrs.
Through the woods, up and down steep hills, along main roads with major traffic, past tractors and cranes, barking dogs that charged us, and nasty evil things in driveways... Add a big Coach, a sports ground... You name it, he aced nearly all of it. He had a major "AMMAGAWD!" spook when a big tanker truck came around the bend toward him, but that was the only incident.
My phone died about 7km out from where we had to go, so navigation was non existent, nor could I call anyone.
I don't know that area at all, it was rainy (better, since it made the trek more bearable) and despite the loading thing, I am incredibly proud of my little Trail Paso.
He did everything I asked. He soldiered on when he was really, really tired.
Frankly... he was a dream to ride.
And now my butt hurts lol.
The second he saw Stormy in the distance -- and Stormy spotted him -- the calling started. They were calling to each other the last half mile on the trail, Stormy waiting at the gate for Oz, and soooo happy to see him. Oz was too.
Florian's wife, who hadn't met Stormy and was very apprehensive about having a 2 year old stallion on their property, is completely in love with him. She actually told me she had never met a young stallion who is so incredibly well behaved, settled and just no problem at all. Her kids could go up to him and cuddle him, and he was a perfect gentleman with them.
She also dropped me off again, and came in to meet the girls, and really liked them, too.

 

[Silke]

FWIW --- When we arrived, Florian stood there and was like "He's not even wet! I expected a lathered horse, crawling in, ready to drop. But he's not, he's tired, yes, but...wow. What a horse!! Mine would be dragging themselves in after such a day!"
Yep.
He's an awesome horse. One day we'll get the loading under control, too.

 

[Toa and Ross]

Wow what a day and what a stress! Hugs for you. Always remember....you did this once before and you can do it again. You go girl! You can do it!

 

[Silke]

Yep, I just hope the transporters can get Oz loaded on the 29th.
I did forget to worm them. :/ But they've been okay with the worm counts last year and didn't need it, so I'm hoping they don't need it now either. I can still do it when they arrive, no biggie.
The girls are restless (don't blame them, everything is "different") and I have SO MUCH STUFF TO DO TOMORROW!!!
Everything I was going to do today...didn't get done because of that unplanned ride.
Thing is... when Florian said "Neureichenau" I thought hey, no biggie. It's not that far from here. Maybe a 1.5hr ride.
Well... turns out, while the place he lives is in the same postcode area, it's nowhere NEAR Neureichenau -- but 2km from Austria.
Seriously, you fall over twice and you're in another country. For all I know I rode through it, since I got rather lost. (Phone dead = no navigation, no clue where we were.)
I'm still amazed we did it. I thought we'd never get there, and the more I asked for directions, the further it seemed to be.
I felt sooo sooo sorry for Oz. I really did. I think if I'd had my phone, I'd have called Florian to bring the trailer once more to try again, because Oz really didn't want to go much further. He was so tired. (I got off and walked btw, even though I was tired too. At least that way he didn't have to drag my heavy ass around on his back.)
People were really nice and helpful along the way though. One lady was like "Oh my, would he like some water?" (next to a busy road lol) and I said he probably does, but he wouldn't drink it here. But thanks for offering.
Hopefully they'll be okay, it's raining cats and dogs atm, but I know they have a stable they can go into if they want.

 

[Toa and Ross]

Oz is a tough cookie, just like you. He'll be fine! Think minute by minute and you'll get there. Try to get some sleep now!

 

[Condo commando]

Wow what an adventure - I hope Oz decides to go in the trailer next time! Good luck with everything Silke!

 

[Silke]

They will get him in somehow. Even if the vet has to come to sedate him.
Maybe that trip was a lesson to him, who knows?
Right now I feel like death warmed over. I slept badly, woke up in pain several times, because that was hell on me, as well as him.
Add the stress and worry, the packing that needs doing still, cats going mental... I have no idea how I get everything done by tomorrow, and still be able to drive 4.5hrs to my parents afterward. Then another 12 hrs the next day, to France.
Plus... I really HOPE we get everything into that lorry! There is so much stuff!!!

 

[Toa and Ross]

Breath breath breath and keep breathing.
You CAN do it! Yes you can.
Big hugs

 

[Silke]

I'll be so glad when its over. right now I'm in total panic mode.