The shape of things to come

Last week was an eventful week. Jupiter and Buster made a jailbreak and got out of the fence. Thankfully both of them are very food oriented and headed straight for the renter's lawns for a little grass. According to Shirley, the small children living there said, "Horses," and pointed at the lawn so the grownups would notice. They called and Shirley and she and Don easily rounded them up and put them back. Don fixed the fence nicely so no one will be able to get out there again. Disaster averted!

During the week the boys got their shoes and we headed out to ride on Saturday. Shirley was excited to take Star. It's been awhile since he's been off the place and he is looking good. Lynn and I were a little bit on the--nervous or cautious aren't the right words--but definitely on high alert for shenanigans since we both saw how high those two boys can buck when they're happy and excited.

Of course Ziggy was good and so was Star, much to Shirley's disappointment, but Jupiter? Well, we are having a battle of wills. The good news is I won. I know, I know--I have to. But I still get to boast a little. Jupes has decided that the crupper is too tight. He doesn't like the saddle too far forward; he doesn't like to go down steep hills that pull on the crupper or without it have the saddle slide forward. Okay fine! Get some withers!

Anyway, long story short: I made him go even when he humped and jumped and balked. He threw his head around and acted like Indy, for Pete's sake! But we did it. Then Lynn said, "Stay there!" She jumped off her horse and took off her spurs. She came over and put them on my boots. "Try this," she said, "Just touch him when he acts up."

The next steep downhill we came to, he refused again--only this time, he got spurred. Now I admit I was worrying that he would freak out and throw me to Kingdom Come, but he didn't. He definitely jumped in surprise and I calmly said, "Let's go," and steered him down the bank and away we went. When he hesitated the next time, I gently touched him again and we went down without a hitch. He did not act up again.

Sunday, he was good all day. I never used them even once.

Oh, I did fall off, but it was my fault. I think I got clotheslined. I'm not really sure. All I know is I was looking at a kind of questionable water crossing, kind of planning which way to go, and then Jupiter decided. He leaped across and unexpectedly, I saw my feet in the air and then I landed flat on my back, looking up into Jupiter's face. Except for the limb my head landed on (thanks, Lee for insisting on helmets), it was a mossy, soft landing.  

So, hum "I got a brand-new pair of spurs, you've got a brand-new attitude" to the old high-pitched tune of "I got a brand-new pair of rollerskates, you've got a brand-new key," and think of me. (:

Do you suppose. . . ?

I saw this in Sunday's paper and thought it was cute:



A different kind of wet blanket

Well, my rain gauge shows that we have had 6 1/2 inches of rain since last weekend. I do not know what our current percentage of "normal" is now, but I am voting for spring sunshine after the storm that is supposed to start on Tuesday blows through. Last week the boys were cold and trembling and slow to come up the hill to eat, but today they were muddy and fiesty. They like getting some grain with dinner. Shirley reminded us to give them the high octane alfalfa too, because although she didn't say it, "we want horses under us." (:

I'm ready for wet blankets--the kind that we get from riding. I'm ready for Cueno Creek. I'm ready for summer and the next adventure Lynn plans for us.

 

Well, no one believed we fit, but we do! Three women and a dog. This is how we roll. . .

I was wishing for my video camera on Friday because it was a wild time! The wind was blowing to beat the band and the horses were bucking and running. Even Brady got into the action and although he just stood in one place and bucked up and down, he was bucking! Then he ran everyone around and stretched out to bite their rear ends if they didn't move fast enough. I have never seen Jupiter so straight up and down--his nose was practically on the ground--I thought that was a Ziggy move! It was fun to watch them and I was sorry to miss capturing it on video.

We have not been giving them any grain--I shudder to think what their high jinks would like if they were "feeling their oats!"

Haylee is always up for run with the 4-wheeler, but bails on to it as soon the horses start running!



In like a lion--out like a lamb. Maybe.

Since Tuesday is the first day of spring, I guess today was showcase of everything "Old Man Winter" wants us to remember as he slips away for another year. The morning began with sheets of rain, filling the the rain gauge to 1/4 inch before noon. Then like a curtain was drawn back, the sun was out in all its brilliance and the sky was that deep, crystalline blue that only fortunate mountain dwellers ever get to see. Lined up in front of it were snow dusted mountains gleaming and sparkling. But then as one's gaze travelled down the river gorge, the sky darkened and where mountains should have been was nothing but a wall of pewter-colored clouds, dark and ominous. Out of nowhere, it would begin to snow and then hail and then the wind would blow so hard that the snow and hail were horizontal like a TV picture from the old antenna days. Branches from old oak trees and loose Spanish moss sailed on that pelting, white wave, while tall fir trees, creaking and moaning, bent sideways giving in to its power. It was awesome!

Up on the hill the horses were running and bucking, rearing and throwing their heads in the air. Jupiter pawed the ground and threw himself down and rolled on the four-wheeler trail--all four legs straight up in the air, kicking and running like his feet could take him on the wind. Indy ran around trying stir everyone up because he was nervous. Even Star moved from one hay pile to another. No one was able to just eat dinner calmly.

To be safe, we headed down the hill with the dogs in hot pursuit. As we neared the gate we could see and hear it coming. We dropped Shirley off at her house and proceeded to make a run for the barn. Two 50 something-year-old women, whooping and hollering through the pelting blizzard! If Dorothy and Toto and the house from Kansas had flown by, I would not have been surprised at all. Haylee was almost completely white on one side when we got to the barn and with both of us laughing in amazement and nervous excitement at the crazy change in weather, she got the puppy crazies and went wild, too--racing around the hay and in and out of the wind and snow. It was the best fun!

I love winter because of its unpredictability. This year, March hasn't been much of  the lion it can be, so I'm okay with one more wild storm! Afterward, I guess spring can come in like a lamb.

Typical Day

Picturesque Day (without any pictures!)

Today was one of the prettiest days I've seen in a long while. The sun was shining; the sky was blue. I knew Lynn was going to call and say, "Let's ride!" I was so, so ready. Driving up the Hennessey road we encountered snow on the side pretty much the whole way, but the road itself was clean. Then we parked and got the boys out.

First things first, I let Jupes smell it, taste it, and get a little used to it so hopefully we would have no mishaps. Buster was the one who seemed the most perturbed--Shirley had to work to get on because he did not want to stand still for her. He never acts like that! When we left the paved road, we also left the plowed road. People playing in the snow left tracks for us, but there was snow everywhere else.

We didn't have any trouble. The boys seemed to like kicking through it like little kids and making it spray. We went through a couple of off road trails and no one slipped. Of course everything looked a little different so Jupiter was on high alert and shied at a couple of things, but nothing major. It was gorgeous! Neither Lynn nor I brought our cameras. It was picture perfect day--definitely would have been our Dec or Jan calendar picture! Oh well.

We rode to the top and stood around in the sunshine and snow for a bit, then headed back down. A couple of turns from the top, Ziggy decided to make snow angels on the road. Yep. Down he went. Pretty smoothly too. He didn't give any indication, he just bent down to a knee, stretched his neck out, and rolled on to his side. It caught Lynn by surprise, but she got her feet out of both stirrups, stood up, and made him get up before he could roll onto his back and ruin the saddle. Consequently, his snow angel only had one wing! I'm sure he was bummed. She ruined his artwork.

She probably could have stayed on him and made him get up, but she was nervous about his long legs,which he can't control, flinging up into the air and nailing her as he flailed around and tried to get onto his back! Jupes stood nearby and looked interestedly at Zigs, so he never got to put his head down even to scratch his nose for the rest of way home. He kept going into the snow on the side of the road and it did look kind of fluffy and nice. . . you know how much he likes to roll!

We slipped once coming home, but he caught himself before he went down on his butt. He behaved really good today and I was happy. Only Zigs got into trouble today. I think some of my DRITS and overall negativity was, if not cured completely, alleviated somewhat. I can't continue to be frustrated and angry when the world is so beautiful and I am surrounded by good partners and the best of friends.