thursday

This morning the horses were shiny and clean as they grazed their hay. This afternoon: mud-caked again. So ready for the ground to dry out!

Great meeting today with old friend and former writing group member who is now going to host the new writing group - we will meet twice a month. So happy. A good writing group is a real treasure. Starts in one week!

We're back in highs in the 40s, lows in the 20s, which feels right for January and if it will just dry out, I will not complain. Tomorrow, write/ride/muck/gym. I can't wait!

mid-week and back to the good routine

This morning I had a very good writing session - one of those where synchronicity played a part and I got lost in the process. I was later than usual getting out to the barn, but we have gradually adopted a new routine since Salina died where the herd gets hay when husband gets up to go to work, and I go out later (close to noon) and they get feed tubs then. I try to ride in that next hour or so - following the "feed the work" philosophy and also making sure they have good stuff in their bellies for the ride.

So, today I got out to the barn and realized wow - it is not 40 like I expected but close to 60! - so Keil Bay got a much-needed sheath cleaning and everyone got huge grooming and hoof cleaning. There was a lot of dust flying out there!

The donkeys had a little work-out with me on halter/lead line and then Keil and I had a very nice ride. He was so very sweet and cooperative in all ways. A little stiff and then he dragged his hind feet a bit but when I asked him to move out more, he did and was very alert and happy to do so.

The pony and Cody both had some work with their girl. It was one of those long, lovely barn days that felt like early spring. Alas, it is not. But we worked it anyway.

Local pork shank in the oven, sweet potatoes, and a glass of red wine. Perfect.

home again, home again

Daughter and I had a fun little getaway taking my son back to college this weekend past - we left on Saturday and got home last night around 8:30. We did some moving in, some hiking, ate lots of great food, enjoyed a room where we didn't have to clean anything, did absolutely zero mucking, and were reminded that even when you have endless TV channels there is never really anything good on.

It was such a nice time.

However, it was also really wonderful to get home last night and see the menagerie and dear husband. Today it was rainy, the sun finally came out around 3, and although it looks like we are in for some lovely sunny days, it's getting colder again and for now it is a huge muddy mess out there.

The horses look like ragamuffins!

I briefly thought RIDE! when the sun popped out this afternoon but today has been filled with laundry, getting things back in gear with the housekeeping, grocery store, etc. 

Tomorrow I am going to have to bundle up and just get out there no matter how chilly it feels. Because no matter how chilly it actually IS, it is not going to be ELEVEN DEGREES. Glad we got that under our belt so that 40 seems downright tropical. :)

I'm writing like mad every day and loving it.

And, on a not as great note, I am not going to be riding with Mark Rashid next Tuesday, at least not this trip. He is in NC this weekend and I learned that he would be more than happy to come right here to November Hill to do private lessons - I had hoped to rein in some of my horsey neighbors and get a block of privates for him but no one wanted to do it. Not even my daughter. So... next year I'll get more lead time and will start earlier with my recruitment. 

Hope all are having a good week! 

ugh weather and a little getaway

It started raining early today and we're now completely over-saturated again. Goodbye, cold temps, hello wet ground. 

The rainy day gift I received this morning was from the Little Man. I stepped out on the deck to get the beet pulp bucket this morning and he was standing in the grass paddock, so handsome in his cobalt blue blanket, staring a hole in the back door. When he saw me he whinnied two times. Keil Bay does this every day, Salina did it, but Cody is nearly silent, and the pony too. But not today! The donkeys, of course, bray like mad on a near-daily basis.

Tomorrow it's going up near 70 degrees and the forecast is warning of possible high winds, huge amounts of rain, and tornadoes.

I am leaving everything here in the capable hands of dear husband so I can take son back to college for his spring semester. Daughter is going along to visit the biology department. 

I'm looking at being back to regular routine here on Tuesday morning and I seriously hope there is dry weather so I can get back on the Big Bay.

The writing routine is intact - that is one of those things that can be done anytime and anywhere, thankfully!

thawing out

We had another very cold night and morning but by 11 a.m. we were up to 20 degrees and then on up to 38 or so by mid-afternoon. It was so nice to feel the ground starting to thaw and to finally get every single bit of ice out of the water troughs.

I had another dental cleaning to chauffer to so this was not a riding day, but I think the horses were just happy to go out with hay and warm up in the sunshine. 

The great thing today was how much work I got done with writing - very happy with how that is going. I'm doing pre-writing, which is mostly answering lots and lots of questions in the voice of my main characters, and today starting looking at the story arc more specifically with the characters motivations and stakes in mind. In some ways it's like warming up in the arena. More precisely, like laying the groundwork for more complex riding by building the basics.

Which makes me want to get back to riding!

I hope to do that tomorrow.