Even with Covid restrictions underway, and being mostly retired, I have too many things to do, and life tends to be a juggling act. Young parents are especially guilty of over scheduling activities for their kids, but I think many of us tend to do this to ourselves as well.
Saturday 9/12 - As busy as I can sometimes be, I can't really say I did much this day. Too much time was spent here at my computer, that's for sure.
Mama Styx and Babe have a standoff. And then Mama Styx yields to her child.
I got out and watered everything well because it had been so dry. The new grass seed needs to be kept wet to germinate, and all my flowers looked thirsty. It was overcast, and there was a chance of rain, but I wasn't taking chances waiting for it.
The stump continues to deteriorate, the mum to bloom, and the surprise lilies have come up.
This second grouping of surprise lilies is in the front yard.
I finished raking the remaining soil and planting grass seed along the drive and in the side yard, but had nothing to cover it with.
Since the rain had held off all day, and there was even less of a chance in the afternoon, I decided to go to the barn to ride Amiga. I also wanted to get old stall shavings for the yard.
While I was raking up and shoveling the shavings from behind the barn into my two 30gl. containers, it started to rain. I quickly finished up but still got kind of wet.
Karen and I were going to ride, and Jan had arrived, so we all waited out the rain (along with the two dogs and cat in this photo). It came down very hard for quite awhile.
Eventually I decided not to ride because I didn’t want to get my tack wet since Amiga was out in the rain. Karen talked me into going bareback. But by the time I went out to get Amiga, she had rolled with her wet self in the sand and mud. So I gave up on bareback too.
We hadn't gotten much rain at home, and it had stopped, so I decided to spread the wood shavings over the bare seeded areas before more rain came. 
By 6pm, after all feeding and cleaning chores with the cats and dog were finished, I decided to water all the grass seed because the forecast showed no more rain.
Stevie’s eye had gotten so much better, that when I went to put ointment in it, I put it in the wrong eye because it was more squinty than the bad eye. I then had to put ointment in the correct eye. Poor cat.
This is a before photo, showing the weed patch in the front yard that was just dirt a month ago, and also the old border. And the after photo of the new border and all the freshly watered seeded areas.
Sunday 9/13 - Babe's Birthday. Here are some photos from a year ago. Mama Styx twelve hours before delivery.
Her five babies only one day old. Babe is far left and I think Ellie is the darkest gray one in the middle.
And here is just Babe, only a few days old.
In this photo, Babe is around six weeks old.
And lastly, here is the birthday girl, on her one year birthday.
During morning computer time the cats are always hanging around here in my office / sun room / cattery.
Mama Styx hiding in the chest where I had removed a drawer to repair the handle on it. And Stevie watching for Styx.
The forecast was for rain, a very good chance, so I decided it would be a shopping day. But, because the rain was to hold off until noonish, Joe and I decided to hike together in town on two of the marathon trails. 
Maggie and I on the Woodlawn Trail, noticing all the downed trees from a spring storm (a tornado).
Crossing one of the wonderfully built bridges that the trail builders made, entering the woods on the Maryetta Trail.
The team of trail builders have also constructed many rock steps to help hikers navigate through the woods. 
This trail had even more downed trees in one section, than the other. It just amazes me the damage the force of wind can cause.
We had driven separately, so Joe and Maggie headed home and I went to Lowe's. After loading up many things to plant, I then went to Walmart. I didn't want to get caught in the rain with a cartload of groceries, but as it turned out, rain never did happen.
It was almost feeding time by the time I got everything unloaded and put away. I had needed to take supplements to the barn for Amiga, but ran out of steam, and watering the grass seed was a higher priority.
Babe hanging out with me in the evening while I was computerizing.
Monday 9/14 - Babe was running around on the cat shelves as usual while I worked here at my computer.
Eventually I got outside to water grass seed and plant flowers. In this photo, the farther back pot has Fairy Lilies in it that Patty gave me from a bunch she had split up. I'll bring it into the garage over winter and it won't do anything until next spring. I bought several different sizes and colors of mums which were also planted into three different pots. Also notice in this photo, the ornamental grass on the far right has been eaten by something. I am guessing rabbit or deer.
I loaded up these three flower pots into the wheelbarrow and took them down back. All of the flowers in them have died back and the spike plants have gotten real big. Two of the pots were cracked and deteriorating, so were going to be pitched. 
I transplanted the spike plants into these two locations. In the second photo, I added the two to ones that I had transplanted here a year ago. They are still surviving.
I trimmed back the really tall flowers from this pot and stuck this beautiful purple aster mum in the center.
Working in the yard far too long, I then had to hustle to Mirror Lake to put our chairs out, run to the barn with Amiga's supplement, and take a quick shower. 
I was 15 minutes late picking up Joann, and we joined Patty on the lawn. Joe came a little bit later. Jeff Allen was playing, but not as good as usual. We still enjoyed ourselves listening, singing along, and dancing.
Tuesday 9/15 - As I have been doing every morning and evening, I watered the grass seed. Babe and Mama Styx lovin' on each other (video). 
I started a load of laundry along with some other chores and then went to the barn at 10:30.
Amiga again refused to go through the pasture on the other side of the street, so I got off and led her across the field and down the hill to a flat spot where I got on and then proceeded to coax her across the creek.
After that, she moved forward without hesitation. The beans were being harvested, with two large machines running, so I rode around the outskirts of the field to expose Amiga to this commotion. 
I was in the saddle for 2½ hours, quite a long ride for Amiga, but we mostly walked. Here are several photos of the sights along the way, and this (video).
The old rock quarry. 
Rhododendron along Daddy's Creek, and the creek.
Moss and fern.
Amiga was getting quite tired by the end of the ride, so I let her stop to graze and rest a few times. Once back at the barn I did some extra care of her while untacking.
After a big, 2:30 lunch, I got to work in the yard. I planted Japanese Spurge, a nice evergreen ground cover, under the back side of the hemlock tree. Here is a before and after shot.
I had also added four bags of mulch in the bed. While working out front, I had enjoyed a conversation on the phone with Courtney and chatting with several neighbors as they walked by. But this delayed me somewhat. It was dark out by the time I finished watering everything, including the grass seed.
Wednesday 9/16 - These two buck were down back for almost an hour. At first they were being nice to each other, cleaning each others faces and eating corn together. But later, they started to spar with each other using their antlers. 
It did not look aggressive, but they kept at it a long time. They ran off a couple of times and then would come back to the pond and creek to eat, drink, and splash, before engaging in sparring again.
I left for the barn at 9am because it was fall shots day and Amiga was second in line. The vet was 40 minutes late, so I sat on Amiga, with just her halter on, and let her graze out front. This is her buddy Chaco, who was first in line. Amiga did better than usual with the shots and checked out well, other than being a little overweight. Patty arrived to 'handle' Zorro because I didn't have time.
I got home with time to water the grass seed, eat lunch, and change into my swimsuit before going to work.
When I had trimmed the flowers from the large pot out front a few days ago, I put them in a vase. Well, a cat (or 
two) had eaten some of the flowers (luckily not knocking over the vase) but I decided it would be safer to take them outside, here with St. Francis, on our front porch.
Although it was a pretty afternoon, I did not have a very large crowd at the pool. I was even able to get home a half hour early. I made Hobos after feeding all the critters. While Joe grilled our dinner, I watered grass seed and took a quick shower. Then we enjoyed our meal on the screened porch.
Joe helped me put flea medicine on the cats. I had cleaned their ears the day before so they got a drop or two in each ear and the rest on the back of their neck. This should help with all the ear scratching (possibly mites) three of them have been doing. Mama Styx held still the best and Babe was the absolute worst. No humans or cats were hurt during the wrestling matches.
Babe was contemplating an aerial attack on Stevie. They all still really enjoy this tent (or what is left of it).It was another slow shift at work, with overcast skies and a cool breeze. When I got home, I was too tired and unmotivated to be productive, so took a nap.
Then I went to the barn. I was glad to see that neither Amiga or Zorro had reactions to their shots, although while riding Amiga, she did seem a little lethargic. Jan said Cash did too.
Amiga again refused to move forward so Jan lead the way over to the bean field. Many acres have been picked, with many still to go, so we rode down the empty rows for something different. On the way back, we did some arena riding.
Karen, Patty, and Shirley all showed up at the barn while Jan and I were untacking. It was a fun little social gathering (at a safe distance). We did spend some time trying to remove pine sap from Gov and Amiga. Shirley tried three different oils, finally getting Baby Oil to work.
The oil didn't help with Amiga, but Shirley said to use my nails to pull it off her hair. Well, I discovered she had rubbed all her hair off leaving like a big rug burn on the side of her head. And I had pulled part of the piney scab off. She let me know it hurt. I put Destine on it.
There was barely enough light to finish watering all the grass seed after I got home. I don't like these shorter days! There's less time for juggling it all.
Friday 9/18 - Joe, Maggie, and I were on our way into town to do some hiking by 9:00. It was over a 30 minute drive to our first trail, at Lake Alice.
There was a little confusion as to where the trail head was, but then we were on our way. It was a cool 65°, perfect hiking weather, although I got cold a few times when we were out in the wind.
We drove a bit to our next hike, the Soldier's Beach Trail, and as always, Maggie was Joe's copilot.
I forgot to get a photo on the beach, but took one of Maggie on the dock there. She enjoyed wading up to her belly at the beach.
Maggie and I waited (and rested) in the SUV while Joe picked up our order from China King. We took it home to chow down, right at noon lunch time.
I was at the barn by 1:00 to check on Amiga's scratches and 'rug burn' she got from rubbing on a pine tree. I got her saddled up for riding and put Vaseline on her face so the bridle wouldn't rub her sore. It was mostly above it.
Amiga had more spunk than the day before, but still got 'stuck' at this gate, not wanting to go through it and down the hill and across the creek. In under ten minutes, I got her to go, without getting off to lead her or getting too nasty with her. 
They were still picking beans in the winter pasture. Amiga was unbothered by the equipment. I let her graze right away as a 'reward,' hoping that would help her not balk about riding over here. We did some of the long trail and I let her graze a few more times, and I kept the ride fairly short. I had her back to the barn, cared for, and in her stall right before feeding time.
I was home before Maggie's 5pm feeding time, so first I got all the new grass and seed watered, since I had skipped it in the morning. Having had a big lunch, I had popcorn and beer for dinner (again) here at my computer. When this big buck started eating my azalea, after finishing off all of the corn, I knocked on the window to discourage him, and he slowly moved on.
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