Aches And Pains

For over a week now I have been waking (sometimes in the middle of the night) but always when I get up in the morning, feeling very achy and often quite painful.  I don't feel I can contribute it to overuse or strain (except the stabbing pain under my left shoulder blade from wrangling a queen mattress) because I have only been to the gym once in the past nine days.  It's my joints and muscles that hurt with even muscles cramps sometimes.  I am wondering if the stretching I do at the end of each workout is what my body is lacking.  

Saturday 8/1 - The ending of July marks the transition from mid-summer into late summer.  Schools will be starting up soon and fall is not far off.  This also means that hopefully the days will be getting cooler.
I was at the ranch by 8:00 to do chores because I had switched with Bonnie.  Then I met Barb and Steve who were looking through tack options that they’re gonna use for a photo booth at their party in three weeks.
Patty and I did more cleaning up in the ranch house, trying to get the smell and stains out of the rug and vacuuming up dog hair and dead bugs from under and behind furniture. 

At 10:45 some of the ladies (missing from photo are Jan and Karen) started arriving and by 11:00 everybody was at the ranch for our Boarding Co-op meeting.  Patty, Joe and I all did some talking.  Questions were asked and we also got off track several times, going into details related to the topics we were covering.
We had pizza and salad at noon and by 1pm most everybody hit the road except Joanne, Patty and I.  Patty and I did some more cleaning and Joanne worked the jigsaw puzzle for a bit.  She was staying until time to do late afternoon chores.
By the time I got home, there was only an hour left of gym time before it closed and I basically felt spent from all the cleaning, so called it a day.

Sunday 8/2 - After a second night on our new mattress, I was thinking the cool gel foam top was way to soft.  It is more difficult to sit in bed and read and it wasn't doing anything beneficial for my back.  I was missing our much firmer mattress.  

The skies were not sunny all day. In fact, there were quite a few episodes of clouds. 
I was in a short sleeve shirt at church and got too cold. Shirley offered me a sweatshirt, but I declined.  I hit Food City on my way home.  

I put away groceries and did some of my Sunday weekly chores before heading to work at the pool.  I did run back to the ranch to take care of a few items first (to re-stock supplies for our Air B&B) and was at work by 1:30.  The shift was unremarkable, much slower, and rather boring.  I was able to close 45 minutes early and get home with plenty of time to finish up all my house chores.  

It had rained a bunch (I believe over two inches) during the day Saturday and overnight, so after dinner, while putting cracked corn down back, I took a look at the drainage ditch.  I was glad to see that it was no longer clogged up with sticks and leaves.

Monday 8/3 - I had an uneventful shift at the pool with a small crowd due to two pop-up showers and overcast skies.  I felt worn out after my nearly five hour shift and it wasn't even that hot and humid.   

After a long dog walk (Cookie took her sweet time about peeing) I did household chores and fed pets early so I could get to Mirror Lake Blast in plenty of time.  Joe went to the ranch to check in an over-nighter.  The Blast had a small crowd because of rain not ending until 4:30 and unfortunately, the band wasn't that great.  Penny and her grandnephew hit the dance floor with a few others. 

Tuesday 8/4 - Arriving at the ranch at 7:15, I opened the pasture gate for Amiga and Zorro and lead Rico down the drive, past the two over-nighter horses who were in the corral.
Due to unforeseen circumstances, I ended up going out on my own because Bonnie and Jan weren't able to go. Rico did well on our 3½ mile ride, although had a 180° spoke and two other moments of fear response.  But I liked his forward movement and energy.  



I mucked and raked hay out of the isle way, waiting on the over-nighter to leave so I could let the three boys back into the front pasture.  








I finally got to the gym and had a good workout.  I primarily worked on abs and upper body/arms, but also hit my leg abductors, adductors, and glutes saving hamstrings, quadriceps and calf muscles for dancing later.  I finished with a good stretch routine.  



Now that our Air B&B is pretty much ready to go (just don't look at my own house for cleanliness), I hope I can focus on my gym workouts and make it a priority to get there on a regular basis.  Motion is lotion and should help me with all my aches and pains.  And exercise is also a good stress reliever.  




Patty had afternoon chores and reported that we had a dead chicken.  The hen had no signs of struggle or injuries.  We think it was our older hen Black Betty.  Research said that old hens can appear fine (which she did this morning) and then just die from heart or organ failure.  Now Gloria is the last of the chickens left from the first batch of 12 we got five years ago.  Joe buried the hen when he went out to meet different over-nighters for tonight.  





Micki picked me up and we went to Lake Tansi for the Frank and Beans Band.  The weather was a little iffy, and it had rained 45 minutes before the start up time.  But there was still a good crowd.  





It was a beautiful night with cooler temps and lower humidity.  








The band was great so I did a lot of dancing and my hamstrings, quadriceps and calf muscles did get a good workout. 

Wednesday 8/5 - I met Bonnie at the ranch at 7:30 and we went on a nice, easy, relaxed 2½ mile ride.  Her new horse Rosco did wonderful, and Rico did well also.  

This fly-mask (unused extra) hanging in the upper feed room had a big mud wasp nest attached to it.  It looked like all the hatchlings had emerged, which was confirmed when I removed it and broke it open.  

Joe was out, finishing up removal of the last of this tree that has been laying in the barn yard.  






He had mucked some in the upper paddock, but I finished up what he missed or what the Pasos had added since he had cleaned up there.  I also did several little odds & end chores/jobs.  




When I raked up the remainder of sticks and bark in the barnyard, I noticed that the tree stump had a white fungal ring, indicating an internal fungus infection.  No doubt, that's what had made the tree sick and basically killed most of it. 

I did a little cleaning in the ranch house, after the over-nighters, but they would be back Thursday evening.  Patty did one more steam cleaning of the rug, after we moved the couch out of the way.  




As Patty was finishing up, this light bulb (screwed into the lamp that was turned on) blew up.  Now another mess to clean up. 

I finally got home at 3:15 and was pretty much done for the day.  I proceeded to waste a bunch of time, playing games on my computer instead of working on my blog or doing some other office business I needed to get done.  When a storm came through at 4pm, that helped me at least not feel guilty about not working out in our yard.

Thursday 8/6 - Geese at the ranch late this afternoon were flying around, landing, and then taking flight again; maybe looking for a good place to forage for food.  But flocks of birds flying overhead reminds me of fall migration.  

I started out the day being pretty productive and was even at the gym by 9:30.  I did a full, total body workout, but kind of 'hit the wall' before I finished.  I just pushed through to the end.  

I came home for a big, primarily protein lunch and then was off to the ranch to take supplies (clean towels, coffee, and kleenex) out for the over-nighters.  I took our heavy duty vacuum and worked on the rug in the living room.  I was going to run to town and come back, but decided to just stay and do chores a bit early.  





By 4:15 I was off to town for a big shopping trip.  I was totally exhausted by the time I got home at 6:30.  Knocking a basket of stuff and our electronic photo frame off the kitchen counter with the shopping bags, sent me into a fit of anger.  My fatigue and frustration were soon exacerbated when I discovered two dog pee accidents on the rug.  It was more work I was just too tired to do, but it had to be cleaned asap.  

Friday 8/7 - I had taken a pain sleep aid, needing to calm my irritable mood and manage the sore joints and muscles I was experiencing.  I woke after six good hours of sleep, condensed my morning computer routine and by 7am was tending to household chores I'd skipped last night.  I needed to prepare for house guests coming shortly after I would get off work.  





Splash came into the pool office for food and even allowed me to pet her.  







Once full, she decided to lounge on the cool floor, in the shade of the office.  And even without food motivating her, she permitted me to pet her some more.  






A thunderstorm hit just after I pulled into the garage and minutes after Joe had headed out with Cookie for a walk.  They got back soaking wet and both needed towel drying.  

Styx and Monita rarely coexist this close to each other.  After showering, I continued cleaning house, and was able to get mostly finished before Dan, Vale, and the girls arrived.

Layla and Ava were quick to start exploring and play with the dogs (video).  I yelled at Cookie for getting a little rough and ended up making Layla cry.  Shoot!


Shirley picked me up just before 5:30 and we proceeded to Patty's and rode with her to town where we met Judy and Bonnie and enjoyed dinner and a very lively conversation.  We finished our evening at the Playhouse for the musical 'Heartbreak Hotel.'