Never Give Up

We have so many dreams, plans, intentions, and desires that don't get accomplished like we wish they would.  But just because we fell short yesterday, last week, or this summer; doesn't mean we should give up.  Everyday is a new day and we should strive for our goals once again.


I had not done well with gym attendance or riding for several days.  There had been so much rain recently that it was difficult to accomplish anything outside.  I had to either give up on plans that involved outdoor activities and find things to do inside, or I just went ahead with outdoor activity, chancing the rain and sometimes getting wet.

Sunday 8/19 - Five hours was not enough sleep, but I drug myself out of bed at 6:30 and made it to the barn by 7:30.  Zorro's welts didn't look much better, but they didn't seem to be bothering him.  I tried soaking his back left fetlock in warm water and Epson's salt but that did not go well, so I just kept sponging the water on his fetlock.  He got a Previcox that Karen had with her, which is much easier on their stomach and liver.  I put diaper rash ointment (which works well) on his scratches and then fly spray all over him, before turning him back out.



Then I rode Amiga, since I wasn't going to have time to make it to Church.  I took her into the Glade by way of the Holly trail.  The trail did not have standing water, but was a little slippery from all the rain we have had.  The right photo shows us looking down hill, just after going around a switch-back and you can see the creek we crossed (upper right in photo).





Chester led the way during our whole ride.  Later we took Beechwood to Chestnut Hill, back to the bean field, to return to the barn.

I treated Amiga's scratches and then came home for a second cup of tea and my next breakfast of cookies.  I ended up taking a nap also.

Rain was expected and it was gloomy so I had troubles getting motivated.  I did finish last week's blog, but reading on the porch and a second nap also occurred.  I also took Maggie on an hour long walk.  I sent this photo (of a downed tree on Library trail) to the work crew because I am the trail monitor.  I also picked up sticks as I went up the windy path.  I did not get to the gym as planned, nor did I work on my cat shelves.  I didn't even do any more cleaning.  I guess two late nights in a row wiped me out.  Joe arrived home from a successful poker night just as I was getting into bed.

Monday 8/20 - Courtney was coming to visit and that was motivation enough to finish arranging (organizing) my office/sunroom and re-arranging some small furnishings/decorative pieces in the living room.









I like now, how everything fits and I finally feel settled in.  I also look forward to napping out here on this couch.

I will have to move my desk, chest, and storage bench out of the way to work on and hang the cat shelves that will go on the triangular spaced wall above the windows.  But that can wait till a rainy day.  I ordered a set of cat shelves and want to wait till I have them, before I finalize my design plan.








It poured buckets of rain and I was worried about Courtney driving in it.  I ran out of time to go to the gym, but did get to Food City for lunch, snack, and dinner supplies.  Courtney arrived here before I got home and reported never getting rained on.

We had lunch, chatted awhile, and worked a puzzle.  It was weird working on the faces... a close-up of oneself.
Then we headed to the barn.  It had unexpectedly cleared off and got a bit steamy with the heat and the humidity.
 



We brushed and cared for Amiga and Zorro.  It wasn't long before Courtney got tired so back home we came.  We were thinking a swim would be nice, but the pool was closed for the day.  Mirror Lake had also been cancelled.

I started on dinner while Courtney rested once back to the house.  Patty arrived, with her home made chocolate chip cookies, and helped me finish up food preparation.  We enjoyed salad, spaghetti, and then fruit and cookies for desert.

We tried the new Yellowstone series Joe had taped and then watched a movie before bed.  Courtney slept on the couch out in the sunroom.




Tuesday 8/21 - I tried to be quiet working here at my desk, but Monita was making it difficult.  It also poured down rain (with some thunder) and the drops were really pelting the skylights.  Courtney was tired enough that she slept through all of it.





Stevie was glad to have her bed, stool, and chair back in place by the balcony window where she likes to look out and nap.





It was a lazy rainy morning and once Courtney got up after 10:00 we worked another puzzle and lazed around.  Tony had come and was working on our light problem.  It took him most of the day, and the issue was still not resolved.

Monita napping near by where she can monitor what we girls were up to.

After leftovers for lunch I had to head into work, just as the skies opened up and more rain fell.  It was a light day in terms of customers.  Joe, Courtney, and Patty were three of the few I had.  And they had to seek shelter once because of another pop-up shower.  The girls never did get in the pool. 

I hugged Courtney goodbye and my three family guest left when it clouded up yet again.  I had no more customers so did some extra cleaning and then closed the pool an hour early.

I took Maggie on a long walk as it was getting dark.  We started winding our way up Library trail.  A group of four deer were spotted, and rather than all of them running off, they kept their distance, but the largest one kind of stood watch.

I soon realized the smallest of the three younger ones was clearly injured.  It would not put any weight on its front right leg, which it held up near its body.  The leg looked to be hanging oddly.  The deer stayed clear and moved away from us, but never fled.  I kept Maggie quite and under control the whole time.  Upon arriving back home, I took a much needed shower and then watched an hour episode of Yellowstone with Joe.

Wednesday 8/22 - Was a morning of trying to catch up on Facebook, e-mails, and blogging.  I am really enjoying my corner view into the woods from my desk here in the sunroom.  I can see down into the pond also.

My furry friends have been enjoying it out here in the sunroom as well.  And we can hang out here all year round.

Late morning I had a good workout at the gym.  When I got home, Joe rushed off to his poker game, leaving me to help a new electrician (Tony was no longer working for Steve - I won't go into details) who was trying to figure out the wiring and why our one circuit kept shorting out.  I was trying to answer his questions, point out some additional anomalies, eat lunch, and get ready to go to work.

I finally had to leave Pete (the electrician) to finish the job on his own, and I rushed off to the pool, arriving ten minutes late for my shift, although 30 minutes later than usual.  However, I don't normally work Wednesdays, but was subbing.  The air was cool and the water felt cold because there was not a lot of sun.  But at least it wasn't raining.

I closed an hour early because I had no customers from 5 to 6pm.  It rained on my way home and was threatening while I walked the dog, so I just kept it short.  Bedtime was earlier than usual... I could not keep my eyes open.

Thursday 8/23 - Stevie's right eye was finally looking much better.  It had been swollen, nearly shut (an injury sustained from Monita).  While Courtney was here, I had been putting an eye medication in it.

I worked at the pool from 8:45 - 2:00.  It was an absolutely gorgeous day.  Not a cloud in the sky.  However, at the start of my shift, the water temp was 77 and the air temp 70.  The air warmed considerably, the water not so much.  So it was a quiet day at the pool, with only about 25 customers for me.

I didn't accomplish much once home, just couldn't get motivated.  I am not going to give up on my exercise goals though.  Patty met Joe and I at Spikes and we enjoyed a meal together.  Once home I walked Maggie a fair distance.  We watched two episodes of Yellowstone and then I was off to bed.  These are the precious faces of Stevie, left and Monita, right.

Friday 8/24 - Quite a bit of time was spent here blogging, sending some e-mails, and trying to find a time when Jan, Christie, and I could ride together.  But a lot was achieved.  

Stevie waiting to ambush Monita, and then both enjoying the storage bench window seat.

I went to the gym and accomplished a good workout even though I had started out feeling unenergetic.  

Home for lunch and then I was off to the barn.  Patty was there, had finished up training for the Standing Tall program, and was grooming Zorro.  What a pretty boy, and as I was tacking up Amiga, Zorro stood there for a long time without moving hardly, while Patty was out front talking with the program instructor.



I rode Amiga down the Holly trail and across the creek, which was still running fairly full from all the recent rains.



Then nearing the end of Stradford Circle, I ran into this obstacle.  I have come across a lot of barriers while out riding, but none like this.  Amiga approached cautiously and upon close inspection, I determined we could not get past this.

The pile of pipes was many rows deep.  So we took the long way around and this is what we saw on the other side, which is at the corner of Beechwood, Marmaduke, and Stradford.  

I had an enjoyable ride, not going far because I wanted to get back down Chestnut Hill before school let out and traffic picked up.  When I got to the four wheeler path that cuts through the woods around the barricade, I got off and trimmed all the low branches out of the way.  Amiga was fairly patient, but not much help as she was grabbing little branches to eat them.  LOL.  

We made it safely down Chestnut Hill and back to the barn.  I had planned to do yardwork when I got home, but my energy was running low.  I picked up sticks and used the weed whacker down back, but the battery didn't last long, so I called it quits.

A quick trip to Food City, fed the pets, and had dinner at the table on the screened porch.  Joe had made it to St. Louis, his stopping point for a poker tournament on the way to Iowa.

Saturday 8/25 - Frank, the screen door installer man arrived at 7 am.  He had the door in and working nicely by 7:40.  He showed me how it works, how to maintain it, and what happens if a person or pet runs into or through it.  Notice when it is open, you can hardly tell it.

Well, as I was signing off on his work, Stevie must have thought we left the door open and she ran, full speed, right into the screen, thinking she was making a fast break escape.  The screen acts like a trampoline, so the cat rebounded back into the room.  And if the screen is hit hard enough, the door slides back into its frame.  When it did this, it made a loud bang, scaring Stevie even more and she raced up the stairs to the safety of her balcony.  I am thinking, that was a good lesson learned!  Although, Stevie is one to never give up when it comes to escaping to the great outdoors.

I got to the barn at 8:30 to prepare for the day's ride.  I let the staff know Christie was coming with her trailer and then got Amiga ready to go.











Once Christie arrived, Karen visited with her and then she did some ground work with Wings while Jan rode Cash through some exercises.  I let Amiga graze and took photos.

We started out riding towards the winter pastures that are across the road from the barn, with Christie on her big Friesian/draft mix named Wings and Jan on Cash.









Look at the contrast in size with Amiga and I next to Christie on Wings.  Our horses' noses were practically touching.  Wings is longer, taller, and much wider.  I look like a kid on a pony.





We went straight through the winter pasture, currently planted with beans, and into the woods.  We were showing Christie the long trail ride without going down the rocky switch back.

Amiga liked Wings

It was pretty along Daddy's creek, however towards the end of our ride, Wings' feet were getting sore (He was barefoot in back like Amiga and Cash but not used to the rocks).  Unfortunately, coming up the last big hill, that is now extremely rocky, he was walking off the trail when possible, to avoid the rocks, and slipped and fell on a large slanted rock that had a thin layer of dirt covering it. 







He went down on all four knees and then just rested there quietly, truly a gentle giant.  Christie got off and encouraged him to get up.  His leg was scraped some, and probably bruised, but he was able to finish the ride back to the barn.

I weed wacked once home until my battery died again and was eating a late lunch when the UPS truck delivered my cat shelves.  Monita helped me take inventory of the parts.













It wasn't long and Stevie hopped in the box.  And as usual, the cats preferred the box to the cat paraphernalia that had been inside of it.





I requested a photo of Courtney's new hair cut and color.  Because it has been falling out, she got it shortened quite a bit and darkened.  As she washes it, this will lighten up to her natural color.  Her hair needs to rest and recuperate like she has been doing.

 Next on my agenda, was working the pool party.  I got to Dorchester pool at 2:15 and helped set up for the 44 Coke Cola executives that would be attending (only 4 ladies).  We had a bunch of pool toys floating in the water.








The bar was set up and decorated.
The appetizer table by the bar was very festive in the luau theme.














And the food table was completed at 5:45, just as the guests arrived.

The two busses delivered the guests and the party began.  They were a little sedate to start with, because they had had a big day and had been vacationing and partying all week.

By nightfall, and after dinner and drinks, several of the guys got in the pool and were having a great time. 





The grass skirts in the water made a mess, but gave me something to do until the party ended at 9:00.  The fun guests were bussed back to the Wyndham hospitality room and then Food and Beverage, Kim, and I cleaned until 10:00.  There was more to do, but we had gotten the worst of it and were ready to call it a day.