Gone Riding

As Amiga seems to be less lame, I have been trying to ride her more, to strengthen her and get her into good shape.  Unfortunately the daylight hours and dropping temperatures are not working in my favor.  I need to take it slowly with Amiga and be careful I don't push her too hard or over do it, because it may set her back yet again.  And I continue to struggle with the question of whether I should get another horse that is more suited for longer and faster trail rides.  With winter setting into the area, I am tempted to put my quest for a good endurance / competitive trail horse on hold until spring.  But I'm not getting any younger.  Time waits for no one.

Saturday 11/10 - After the late night in Nashville, I was in no hurry to get going in the morning, and besides, it was in the mid 30's outside.  I opted out of going to either the equine nutrition meeting at the barn, or the Veteran's parade in town.  It was too cold and I was too tired.








Stevie (above) hiding from Monita, gets attacked when she comes down from her perch.



Once it warmed up more, I went to the barn to work with Amiga.  90 minutes in the saddle and my fingers, face, and toes had had enough.  The 10 mph wind is what did me in.  Because the trails were way too wet and muddy, I stuck to circling three large areas (lawn in front, the little pasture right across the road, and the gardens).  I worked in different directions and at a walk and slow gait.  I did bump Amiga up into a canter once, but wanted to keep her calm and listening to me.  She has troubles with this out in the open lawn area.  But we made progress.

I did not have time to lie in the sun with the dog and cat so I could thaw out because the Iowa kick off was at 2:30.  In fact, I almost missed the start of the game at Spikes.  It was another disappointing loss (third week in a row).  Northwestern unexpectedly defeated the Hawks this time.

Joe arrived at Spikes during half time, stayed long enough to enjoy a beer and pork tenderloin, and then headed home to watch the end of the game in the comfort of his mancave.

Then we watched a pay to view movie - "It's Complicated," which was entertaining.  

Sunday 11/11 - Veteran's Day, the temperature for our 5:50 am walk evoked the reality of what is in store for this coming winter.  Leaves were frozen to the deck when I went out to fill bird feeders.

Church, chores, and more than three hours at the barn constituted most of my daylight time.

Patty on Zorro, waiting for the rest of us to finish saddling up our horses.  

We five ladies rode across the street and I 'ground tied' Amiga while I tied open the two gates, set up the barrels, tarp, jump, pull log, and cones.





I use the term 'ground tie' loosely because I had Amiga's reins tied up on her neck so she couldn't step through them, and she was allowed to eat while waiting on me.  She did take a few steps one way or the other to get to more grass, but you can see, she stayed right next to the bale I had left her at.  This was for at least ten minutes while I walked all over the place and the other four ladies rode around.  Have I mentioned that I have such a good horse?  




Have I also mentioned how sweet and much fun all my saddle sisters are?  This is Jan on Cash and you can see one of the winter pastures beyond the tree line.


This is Polly on Rio, and you can see the road we cross to get to this little field.




This is Deana on Sandy.








And of course, Patty on Zorro.

I am so proud of Patty and all the work she has accomplished with Zorro.  Today she got him to stand on the tarp and also to walk across it!  I am proud of Zorro too.

 

All of our horses were a little revved up.  It comes with being out in an open field, the cool air, and them focusing on the other horses instead of their rider.













But we all had a fun time trying the different obstacles, giving each other helpful hints, and cheering each other on.  It was a great afternoon horsing around.

Joe got home early, before I went to bed, from an unsuccessful poker night.

Monday 11/12 - First thing when I got on my computer I saw that Patty had posted on Facebook this photo of a juvenile red-tailed hawk.  She also commented, "I was driving home from the barn and saw this hawk right next to the road. He did not move as I drove by. So I stopped my car and got out to see if he was injured. As I got close to him he kind of walked a few very awkward steps away from me. I was debating what I could do to help him. I didn't want to see him as road kill tomorrow. All of a sudden he tried to take flight and I could see what was keeping him on the ground. Under the leaf litter was a very large squirrel that I didn't initially see. He was still clutching the squirrel but was having a hard time taking off with it. He let go of the squirrel and flew to a near by branch. He patiently waited while I took a photo. I got back in my car and in my rear view mirror I saw him come back down to the ground to finish his dinner."  How cool was that?


Well I saw, across the pond, our resident ground hog foraging on the golf course.  Whoop-de-doo!  But he was fairly good size, especially when he stood up on his hind legs to look around.

It rained all day.  I only ventured out to walk the dog three times, and also to go to the gym and Food City.  I was back in my loungers for the rest of the day after a late lunch.  My two new floor rugs were delivered, but they were in tight rolls and needed to be 'pressed' to lie flat.  So later in the day, I stacked one on the other and had Joe help me put the couch on top of them.



We had a quiet evening at home, watching some TV by the fire.  It was good to know that because it was expected to keep raining till 9am, Zorro was at a slumber party.  He and all the other pasture board horses were in the barn for the night with all the stall board horses.  They each got their own clean, dry stall with water and hay.  I could sleep without worrying about Zorro.  I had also checked for water leaks on the porch where we had had them, and there weren't any, so this too was a relief.

Tuesday 11/13 - Part of me wanted to sit home in front of a warm fire, sipping hot tea, working a jigsaw puzzle, and listening to Christmas music.  While another part of me wanted to go riding.  I know I shouldn't let foul weather deter me from riding, because Amiga needs to keep being exercised.  And actually, once I do bundle up, the cold is not so bad, and worth putting up with to be on my horse.  Nevertheless, I sat here at my desk all morning, most of the time on my computer. 


Next door, Allen was having three trees cut down along his side yard, just beyond my NW facing window.  Monita kept a close eye on the guys as they cut and hauled off branches.  A game of fetch with the cats happened.  Stevie runs off with the mouse toy (video) but Monito brings it back to me to throw again (video).

After Bible study, Jan and I went straight to the barn to ride for a little while.  It was 3:00, with a dense fog, and already seeming to get dark.  With the wind, it also felt quite cold, so we stuck to riding in the barn.  Jan took the photos and these two videos (video 1) (video 2).  Riding bareback gives you an automatic seat warmer.












Chester was really hoping we would hit the trail, poor boy.
Amiga felt great and stayed in a comfy slow gait very nicely.  I avoided tight turns, especially to the left, even at a walk.
Back home, I cooked a frozen stir fry meal for dinner and then Joe and I watched an old Clint Eastwood movie, 'The Dead Pool.'

Wednesday 11/14 - It rained all day, quite hard at times.  The storm front had also brought in colder temperatures.  After Ballroom, weights, and shower - I went to town to shop.  I didn't take any photos, but this shows what the roads looked like. 

And here is another neat photo recently taken along Peavine where construction has left its mar/mess.





Nine stores and a hair cut later, I exited Peavine early on the way home, to avoid traffic back up due to an accident.  One quarter mile earlier I had pulled over to allow a fire truck to pass me.

Stowing away new purchases, walking dog in heavy rain, sitting by fire to dry off and warm up, and computerizing just about completed my night.

Joe was home early from poker, this time quitting while he was a little ahead.  He had sold our big TV in preparation for getting a new one, so we watched Survivor on the smaller one in the mancave. 

Thursday 11/15 - It had rained all night, and this time I had woken a few times wondering about Zorro.  I found out later, that he had been in all night. 😍 








These two photos were taken after a cold, drenching walk in the rain at dawn.  In the second one, notice that the TV is gone.



I had found two good web sites on how to get a new rug to lie flat, with numerous suggestions.  The furniture as weight, was one, but I decided the rugs needed more flattening so I rolled them backwards from how they had been rolled and put them behind the couch for the day.


The rain had mostly stopped and was now just a foggy mist.  With temperatures predicted to fall all day long I decided to ride right away.
As I often do, I rode Amiga back to the barn bareback with just her halter and lead rope.  She had been all the way out at the power lines.  


The wind wasn't bad, but the mist and cold were chilling.  Notice most of the leaves have come down.  Our fall came so late, that it was very short.








Riding up to the bean field, I took this (video).  There were a ton of buzzards up there.  What, waiting for me to freeze to death?  LOL

Parts of the trail were quite muddy and other parts quite wet.  The pond was overflowing with water running down the tail.  I turned back early and took this (video).  Amiga did great, walking slowly, calmly and carefully.  








I was cold and tempted to quit, but wanted to get in at least an hour ride, so I rode around outside the barn and over at the gardens.  The retired livery horses were in the field where the obstacles were set up, so I didn't go there. 

My fingers and toes were frozen, but it had been a nice ride.  It started spitting snow on the way home, but was not sticking.

I really was cold to the bone, so after a quick lunch, sat by the fire with a book.  Joe, dog, and cats joined me.  

It wasn't long, and a nap occurred.
When I woke up, I kind of felt like I was getting sick.  I was still cold and very low energy.  Thinking I needed to get my blood flowing, I bundled up and took the dog for a walk.

Then I put corn out for the deer, whom I was sure were cold and wet.  While out in back, I noticed that my grass seed had germinated.  I was delighted to see the green.  Joe had mulched over it several days earlier, chopping up the straw and leaves that were covering it.  

The photo to the right shows the frozen misty rain drops on my asparagus, and below, my Lenten rose has a dusting of snow.

I was in the kitchen from 3 to 6, preparing food to take to Nashville and our night's dinner.

After getting the kitchen all cleaned up, I got a second wind and put the carpet down in the sunroom.  This required some cleaning and then Joe's help moving furniture.  It was a later than usual bedtime. 

Friday 11/16 - I was up before sunrise, but not by much.  Here are some photos of my completely finished sunroom.  Except I want to hang some photos and am still thinking through additional cat shelving for another way up and down.

As you can tell from this post, I absolutely love and adore my cats and am crazy about them.  The cat shelves may seem excessive (crazy cat lady rating) but I recently read this about shelves and totally agree with how mine function.  Author unknown, "Cat Shelves can be arranged to blend into the environment seamlessly or to make an artistic statement.  The shelves function as an accompaniment to how cats move and interact. The art is in honoring the space in practical terms as well as aesthetically, tuning-in to the personalities and abilities of the cats, and in fulfilling the needs and wishes of the person or people who live in the home."  

As I consider designs for additional shelves, I have found some advice I wish I had before installing what is already up.  I did not allow enough clearance for the cats to jump from one to another.  When they do so, they need to be able to arch up higher than the landing area.  So they tend to climb rather than jump from shelf to shelf. 

After so many cold, wet, miserable walks with the dog this week, although I have wondered the value of having said beast, I know I love her because I put up with the job of caring for her. 

This is a view of the sunroom from our bedroom.  After a good workout and shower, I went to Legends for the employee Thanksgiving dinner.  I did not eat all that much, but still felt stuffed.  

I peeled the 16 hardboiled eggs and then Patty dropped by to help me make deviled eggs.

Joe had bought and cut drain pipe so I could cover and protect the trunks of all the little trees down back.  It took two of us to get them around the trees.

The buck had annihilated the trunk of this tulip tree and even kind of pushed it over some, so it is not straight.  I hope it survives.





This particular blog post is also an indication of how much I love and enjoy my horse, even though horse ownership isn't always easy.  It was a beautiful day to ride, and although my time was limited, I squeezed a ride in.  It was the opening day of hunting, so I wore my reflective vest, and Amiga her orange band.





While riding over in the winter pasture, I noticed that Maverick was injured.  He had come trotting up to Amiga and I and then hung real close most of the time. 

I called Brooke who had already gone home for the night.  She and her two friends arrived once I was back at the barn, and they set off on a rescue mission.

More food prep and packing when I got home, and then I went to Moonlighters monthly dance.  I sat with a fun group of people and enjoyed dancing.

If I haven't 'gone riding,' I might be away dancing.