Today we had a 1/2 a day window without rain to harvest the potatoes. Frank had fun finding all the little hidden treasures, but here's one I found! Isn't he beautiful?! He didn't move the whole time we were digging all around him. He must have felt secure on his zucchnini leaf. He was about the size of a quarter.

The picture of Frank with all the potatoes didn't turn out, but here's one with his find of the zucchini that got away from us! We usually try to pick them when they're small, but this one hid under the potato plants until today. The rind is hard, so I'm not sure what I can do with it. If I cut it in 1/2, then the chickens can eat out all the good insides.

Sandy, our 12 1/2 year old golden retriever - border collie mix, was supervising as usual. You can see that she got pooped out and took a nap on the warm soil. Life is good here.

Meet Bailey, the clydesdale!

This is our big boy, a black clydesdale named Bailey. His registered name is Sister's View Governor, coming out of a ranch in Sisters, Oregon. When I was 38 years old, I decided to realize my lifetime dream of horse ownership. While I wasn't knowledgeable enough to pick a horse of my own I trusted the owner of my boarding facility to find one for me. I had only a short list of what I wanted: a gelding, BIG, and if possible black and white. So about 6 months went by and then the call came, "Jayne, come meet your horse." I think I broke all land speed records to the barn and this is the face that I saw. I fell in love with him right away and he's been with me ever since.

I know some people thought I was nuts to buy such a big horse for my first horse, but I have found him to be a safe, reliable horse who doesn't do anything fast! This picture is of us at a play-day where we competed (well, we participated!) running barrels and flags and poles. He loved it, although it was like doing everything in slow motion. Bailey has lots of experience pulling different sized wagons and carts, but I've only used him for riding.

Having been a show horse in the past, he has come to expect a certain amount of special treatment. Just a few raindrops send him to the gate, whinneying in his big horse whinney to be brought in unless he melts. He insists on having his rain sheet on if I make him go out in the rain. He loves his pony friend Little Bit and tolerates a lot of crap from the baby donkey. He loves carrots and apples, but when offered a marshmallow peep, he projectile spit it out. Bailey can also count, because if any horse is missing from his 'herd' he paces and calls out looking for them. Lastly, he is a neighborhood favorite and cars often slow down passing our pasture to see such a big horse. He's a good boy and I'm lucky to have him.

The namesakes of Red Pony Ranch

I thought I'd start this next blog with the reason for our farm's name of Red Pony Ranch. Well, this is the only picture I could find of all THREE red ponies, but the farm name came from them! (I know this is another snowy picture and it's making it look like it snows a lot here, but truly it doesn't! It was just so remarkable that I took a lot of pictures of it!)

So this picture shows, from left to right: Maddie, an 18 year old miniature horse mare; then Little Bit, a 12 year old pony who thinks he's Fabio; and then Yakki, a 14 year old pinto miniature horse and our littlest in size but not in attitude!

Maddie was actually the 2nd horse we got (after Bailey the clydesdale, more on him another time) and she is definitely the sweetest. She will stand motionless for a long time as long as you are brushing her. She loves little kids and gives kisses, especially if you have a treat for her.

Yakki came to belong to us after I started looking for a companion for Maddie, as she was lonely. A wonderful lady named Chris gave him to us and he's been a great addition to our farm. He stomps to express his displeasure, even at the neighbor's dog and when Bailey gets too close to his girlfriend! Not much is funnier than watching fat little Yak tear around his paddock, except of course when he's trying to avoid us putting on his evil fly mask.

Little Bit is a pony with a checkered history. I came to know him when a friend of mine found him abandoned in a field, sick and lonely, so she brought him home. As he needed to not be on grass for a while, he was put in with my two minis and that's when I fell in love with him. He's 43 inches tall and has more hair than two ponies! He also knows how to pull a cart and one of our best days ever was taking him to the beach and just zooming around. He is also a great little riding pony for a kid smart enough to put up with his pony attitude! This picture is of him and his friend Katie.

Little Bit is everyone's best friend here on our farm. Right now he's out with Bailey on our leased pasture, but when the rainy season starts, he and Bail will come home and go back out with the donkeys. That will make baby Daisy very happy as he is her wrestling buddy! Little Bit doesn't like hay (yes, his teeth have been done) so he starts the winter nice and chubby from grass and then I struggle all winter to get him to eat SOMETHING (mostly beet pulp) and by spring he's pretty thin. Who ever heard of a picky pony!

Welcome to the first ever blog about the happenings here at Red Pony Ranch, in beautiful Arlington, Washington. We have been here three years and are loving every minute! We still have so much to learn, but every day we're making it more into the little farm I've always dreamed of!

As I build this blog I'll introduce you more formally to the residents of Red Pony Ranch. Coming soon you will meet Bailey the clydesdale, Little Bit his pony, Lily the donkey and her 2 year old Daisy, and two sweet little miniature horses Maddie and Yakki. We also have 11 chickens (10 hens and a clueless little rooster) who think they run the place. Sandy the golden retriever/border collie mix is our resident dog and we also have two cats: Jake and Katie. That's it for now, but we will be getting a few more hens and a couple of call ducks in the spring. I'm also available as a foster home through Chance's Miniature horse rescue for any little horses or ponies in our area who might need an emergency home.

The humans of Red Pony Ranch are Frank and Jayne. Frank is a high school math teacher and the main financier of this operation! Jayne is a substitute teacher and visionary for our little ranch. Frank enjoys biking and hiking, while Jayne enjoys cooking and baking and playing with the animals. We are both avid readers and usually have a couple of good books going at the same time!


We were very fortunate to have found this property for many reasons, one of which is for the apple and plum trees that produce so well for us. This year we have also added blueberry bushes, raspberry canes and two hazelnut trees. This is also our third year for a vegetable garden and, thanks to Frank's faithful weeding, I think it's the best so far. We seem to be particularly good at growing potatoes and beets. The jury is still out on the tomatoes and corn as we had such a cold and wet spring, everything seems to be ripening late. Keep your fingers crossed!

So this is the conclusion of the first of what I hope will be many posts about our wonderful little haven here called Red Pony Ranch! ~jayne