How on earth can I be worn out on a day when I couldn’t do much due to drizzle? That’s easy. I wore my mind out.
Yet another bluebonnet photo will help!
I lost my detachment from current events and got angry. It’s a good thing fewer than 30 people read my Substack, because I went off on the concept of “improper ideology” for many paragraphs. You can read it if you want to. I just blathered. It will bite me in the butt someday, but I’m old and have no employer to defer to, so who cares?
Bluebonnets and slightly more full pond.
I got my stuff ready for our in-person horse show tomorrow, though Apache is filthy and I’m not sure how great he feels. My shoulder still hurts a lot, but otherwise I’m okay. I have all sorts of wound care and cleaning stuff for him. I just hope I have time to get him ready.
That black-and-white blob is a Mournful Thyris moth.
Ah well. I’m glad for the rain. It’s much greener already. Maybe more will come, after tomorrow.
Weirdly, the temperature range today was just five degrees. That made for an interesting square in my temperature blanket with two shades of yellow for the low and high temperatures Fahrenheit.
We had a couple warm days this week (Orange is when I start to sweat (85-89°)).
The reason for this stasis is that we finally had a good rain front come through, which hadn’t happened since last month. People south of us got much more, but we are closing in on an inch here, which will at least moisten the parched wildflowers and raise the levels in the ponds/tanks a bit.
More is predicted for tomorrow, so I’m hoping Mother Nature will be kind to us, even though the rain made Dusty and Drew go into wild stallion mode all day. So much rearing, kicking, and neck snaking has to be hard on them both.
Drew does not get the message
To top the day off, we lost power right as I was getting ready to cook dinner. I set the last pot on the stove and was about to cut up onions when the power started to flicker. After about ten minutes of that, the lights went off for a couple of hours. I’d say that forced some downtime but that’s not true. I took a walk in the rain with the big umbrella and was rewarded with the haunting sounds of Upland Sandpipers, followed by much ado from a Greater Yellowlegs, another shore bird with an unforgettable sound. The rain had it pretty excited.
The horses were quite concerned at the sight of me with the unfamiliar umbrella. High alert!
After a candlelight hamburger dinner, the power came back so Lee could get back to bookbinding and I could finish my crochet squares. This domestic tranquility reminds me that there was a good event this morning.
It involves me.
Yes, this morning I was reading email in bed, when I heard dog footsteps. I looked, and Carlton and Penney were both in the bed. What?
I was being good. Just like this, only in bed.
It was Harvey. He’d made it upstairs, which he’d only tried twice before, since his stroke or whatever happened. But there he was, happy as he could be. The important thing is that after I got dressed and went downstairs, he came down in his own. Lee heard it, and he said it sounded more graceful than last time. I guess his liver medication is helping (it costs more than any of our human medicine).
It’s good to see Harvey helping Alfred guard the premises.
I’m hoping for more rain, then for a nice clear Saturday, assuming Apache and I are healed up enough to do the show. He seems fine. My shoulder is messed up, which may have something to do with the hoof-shaped bruise on my upper arm. I’ll live, I’m sure!
No wonder my arm hurt yesterday.
My shoulder isn’t too bad, anyway. I managed to lift 40-pound bags of alfalfa and salt that the previous horses needed. I’m a strong older person!
Enjoy this bonus ground cherry, which is undoubtedly happy with Ma Nature tonight!
Today was a test of my ability to be calm in a (perceived) crisis. I’m still here, though covered in white hair.
Looks great on a black shirt.
Most of today was fun and productive—a highlight was visiting a house a friend is renovating accompanied by two women who had lived in it in the 1950s and 1960s. The house is all modern now, and it was fun watching them figure out what happened to old features.
Homecoming!
Later, after a bunch of retired person work that made me fall asleep, I headed out for a grooming and riding session, since the weather was cool and cloudy.
And hooray, we finally have Texas paintbrush! I was worried.
First, I realized poor Dusty’s hair issue is rain rot. All that hair, sigh. I felt so bad for him, but he will get better. Poor boy.
Dang.
While I worked with Dusty, Apache ate tied to a post where he could get some grass when he was done. Normally that’s fine, even though it was sort of close to the welding station. However, I hadn’t banked on the arrival of Apache’s nemesis, the riding mower, which had made him jumpy last week when I was trying to ride.
I guess he won’t want me to learn lawn mowing sounds. I’ll stick with phoebes.
My son had been mowing at his house and drove the mower back here, which I should have figured would happen when I saw his truck. Anyway, the mower’s appearance startled Apache as I was grooming him, and since I’d given him some extra rope for grass eating, he got his foot hung up in it.
I lost my cool.
The ensuing thrashing got both me and him some cuts and bruises, though once I got him still, I could easily get him untangled. Training him to lift his feet was a smart idea.
That’s too close to his eye!
I was annoyed that my knot that was supposed to give way easily did not. In fact, it took my son quite a while to untie the lead rope. But he did it!
Ow.
After moving Apache, I assessed the damage and did first aid. One scrape and one cut needed bandaging, and everything else got nice aloe spray.
Purple bandages. So stylish.
While I was working on him, Mabel and Drew stayed right with him, checking on him and helping calm him down. Their caring was very sweet to see. Apache seemed to appreciate it, too, as well as my soothing and grooming.
We will take care of you.
I finally finished and decided riding would not be a good idea, so I walked him towards the pens, but he headed straight out to the exercise area, like he was ready to do groundwork. So, we did it and he was just fine! There was nice cantering and trotting and jumping, so I guess he felt okay. It’s a good thing he already had some pain medication in him.
The worst scrape, the only one that bled.
I’m proud that I didn’t panic and just took care of things. I’m also glad neither of us was hurt more than we were. The other horses being so attentive warmed my heart. I even had a hard time getting Apache into the pens, because Drew and Mabel wanted to check on him.
It’s funny. The day we left for the weekend’s camping expedition, Lee and I were annoyed at everything the other did, even though nothing was really wrong. It made the day harder on us both.
We were like two vultures in a standoff
Today, though, all sorts of challenges and opportunities to get angry presented themselves, and neither of us took the bait. As each little (or big) issue arose, we just dealt with it and kept going. I prefer days like today! Duh.
We’re like two old trees communicating through our shared root systems.
Here are just a couple of examples. First, after getting Seneca the motorhome ready quickly and efficiently, we drove off, waving at the neighbors and promising to stay in touch. We did, because just as Lee spotted it in his mirror, we got a text saying one of our storage doors was open. I got out, ensured that nothing was missing, and off we went. No one blamed the other one for the mistake. Why should we?
That’s right, Suna. Take it from a sparrow that roams the Savanna.
Later a bigger boo-boo happened. We had pulled Seneca up to gas pumps so we could refuel the Gladiator, which went ok. But as we pulled out, the corner of the big vehicle hit one of those concrete posts that guard gas pumps. It turns out there is a blind spot we didn’t know about.
Gas stations are scary. Photo from Pexels.
What good would it have done to get upset? We just assessed the damage, made impromptu repairs, and kept going.
Sigh, as it turns out, the accident that only seemed to have dinged the water heater cover must have caused a short, because there are power issues. We may miss our next trip, but hey, we made it over two years before any major oopsie!
I wish my reward for this achievement could be this belt buckle I saw in Boot Barn. Someone has a sense of humor.
Here’s what today reminded me. You reflect the treatment you receive. Friday, Lee shouted at me because I wasn’t where he expected me to be, I shouted back, and then I was on edge, leading to further misunderstandings. I reflected what he directed at me.
I’m sure this deep thought is not original, just like this free photo.
Today, on the other hand, we each took unexpected issues in stride, with no blaming or justification. And we enjoyed a pleasant trip home. We reflected understanding and forgiveness. That worked.
Goodbye lake (and last photo of pristine Seneca).
I did encounter more great birds before we left Lake Brownwood. I listened to a Greater Roadrunner calling for at least an hour, punctuated by Wild Turkey calls. A Black-and-white Warbler plus a Pyrrhuloxia also dropped by.
I’m not a Pyrrhuloxia but I also dropped by.
Still, I’m glad to be back with my familiar bird buddies, my chickens, and the horses, each of whom collected a few burs to welcome me home. Dusty was particularly glad to see me and almost beat Mabel in the race to say hi. He even cantered! It turned out he needed me. His winter coat needs help getting off, so I rubbed significant quantities of fuzz off him while he ate.
Glad to be rid of that hair.
I’ll be back on him and fuzzy/sweaty Apache tomorrow!
When he was little, my son wanted to be instantly successful at any new thing he tried. He’d get very frustrated if he had to listen to instructions and practice. I had some of this tendency, too, and it didn’t help that I’m a quick study on most things.
Just like a Mockingbird learning new calls.
However, I’m not as talented with large motor skills as I am with fine motor skills (knitting, etc.) or mental things. I know that about myself. Because of that, once I realized I wasn’t a natural at horsemanship (way back before Tarrin), I didn’t pressure myself to improve quickly. I wish I could have, but I am who I am and Apache and Drew are who they are, so things have had to take some time.
Ya know, just like it takes a while to grow a tree.
With Drew, it’s become apparent that his issues are beyond my ability and time. I don’t love him any less, I just know that me trying to work with him isn’t a good fit. Neither of us is to blame, but it’s a hard realization.
He’s just wild at heart
Knowing I struggled with Drew makes the slow but steady progress I d made with Apache (and Mabel) just that much sweeter. It’s been good for us to build a strong relationship and skill set slowly over time.
I almost forget how hard it was to keep him from twirling around, how long it took to get his laminitis episodes under control, and how afraid I was to trot. Bit by bit, Tarrin has guided us towards our goals.
I was a challenge.
Her goal for us has been cantering, which has taken longer than expected, thanks to Apache starting out with a dysfunctional canter that had to be fixed with strengthening and practice. I was happy to see Tarrin able to ride him at a canter earlier this year.
Whee
Today it was my turn to do it. We had been building up from fast trotting and taking off after backing up, to get him working off his hind legs. I have gotten pretty comfortable, and like I said today, it almost feels like I know how to ride a horse.
I laugh at that idea and he has no comment.
After three days on pain medication, Apache was feeling much better than he did Tuesday (yes, two lessons this week due to scheduling issues), so he was up for a lot of running. we ended our lesson in the round pen where he was to practice going over jumps properly, I was told. Ha. Tarrin knew he’d canter if I approached the jump really fast.
I lived, though I did hold onto the saddle horn. Slow and steady success is sweet! This was our big goal ever since we started our lessons. We did it! Now to get good at it.
Don’t we look proud?
My goal for the rest of the week is not to talk about horses constantly. I’ll switch to wildflowers tomorrow. No surprise there.
And that’s good, really! I just hope not all future days are quite this busy, because I’m tired! I can really come up with things to do given the opportunity. Let’s see what this hermit got up to today.
A big dog with a yummy stick is a highlight of any day.
In the morning I went to our beautiful local bakery to meet with the folks who helped Lee get his Medicare supplement so I could get mine. They are pretty funny folks, and the poor wife can get confused, but I got something reasonable from a reputable company, plus a sticky bun.
Mmmmmm
When we finished, I had an hour before my usual friends’ lunch. So, since I hadn’t talked to Anita in over a month, I dropped by her house. We had a nice chat, just our normal conversation between two people who know each other very well. I need to have relaxed conversations more. I don’t have to explain what I mean when I talk to her. She knows my biases and idiosyncrasies so dang well.
Old but good photo. Anita and I have also stuck through a lot. Still are.
After our talk, I went to lunch. It was a small group, but we had so much fun. One member shared some of her late mother’s jewelry and it was like we were little kids trying the various quirky and beautiful items on. It was so kind of her to share her mother’s taste and personality with us.
Two items I got were these incredible handmade scarf slides. Both have snakes on them. I can’t wait to wear them with my Western clothing.
After lunch, I drove out to the place my phone always thinks I live, Burlington, a very small community north of here. I went to visit with some folks who are clients of a relative of ours. We supposedly had things in common.
For example, we both like rough-leafed dogwood.
That turned out to be very true, and I had a fine time with the woman I met looking at the plants on the property where camp and are adding a storage building. We talked about birds, photography, native plants, and other similar interests. Then she asked me what I did for my job, and when I said technical writing she burst out laughing because she’s also one. Ha!
Look, you can’t see any people. Nice.
I left all the fun plants and many migrating monarchs and was able to rest a half hour or so before heading out to Tarrin’s training facility again, this time with Sara and the lovely Jhayati, who is almost two years old now.
Glamour shot. I got to groom her, and you know how I love a thick tail. Hers has gray in it, like her face. She’ll eventually be all gray.
It was a special day, so I went along to take photos of Jhayati’s first experience with saddling. So exciting for us all! Sara and Tarrin have prepared the filly very well, and as a result, she handled the saddle well.
What a champ.
They practiced the saddle falling off, too, to teach her to stop and look if someone or something falls off. That’s good safety! I learned a lot about how to get a horse off to a good start.
It fell off!
Jhayati did very well walking and trotting with the saddle on, though I think she got a bit tired.
Just doing fine.
Finally, she got to jump a little (not too much, since she is still growing). I enjoyed watching how well Sara handled her and how you could see the concentration in Jhayati’s eyes.
Jumping
In the end, she even walked back to the trailer like a good princess. I was so impressed. Even the continued dust and wind didn’t phase her.
Peaceful walking.
I’ll sure miss those two when they move to the new farm in Wisconsin. If you want to follow their new venture, here’s a link to the blog.
By the time I got home and did all my horse stuff, it was time for dinner. Whew. I didn’t even have the energy to crochet much! I’m pretty sure tomorrow will have fewer trips and visits.
I’ve been writing a lot about Mabel, the Thoroughbred mare that Kathleen rescued in 2021 and who I’ve been caring for and rehabilitating since. In the past few months she’s blossomed. I guess the time to regain her health both physically and mentally was just what she needed to come back and do more than eat and sleep (though she’d be happy to do that).
Look at that engaged and interested face!
So today, not only did I take Apache for a lesson, Mabel went, too!
What? Both of us?
Now, Mabel obviously had training before we got her, since she was willing to let people ride her and trailered well.
But she looked sad and was so thin (this was not too long after we got her, and she’d filled out some already.
I was interested to see what she retained and where I could help her develop stronger muscles and a stronger relationship with me. So she walked into the trailer like a champ and went to Tarrin’s. Apache was gracious.
This is his romance novel cover look.
She did not enjoy the trip and pooped everywhere and made a slippery mess. So Apache did his lesson first while Mabel neighed a lot and was agitated. Tarrin said that shouldn’t be surprising in a new space where she didn’t ask to go. Poor dear. It was also extremely windy (again), which wasn’t fun for horses or people. So much dust.
This came off my face. Argh.
By the time it was her turn, she had settled down and we did work with her. We made lots of progress together and I have lots of things to practice with her now. She never stopped looking engaged and happy, even with some corrections needed. Tarrin said she was smart. She probably says that to all the horse owners.
Look at those pretty legs.
Backing up was fun to work on. We will get it all figured out, I’m sure!
Thinking about backing.
Apache had an excellent nap during Mabel’s lesson. He’s a bit stiff so he’s getting pain meds for a short while until the grass settles down. At least he isn’t lame!
Wake me up when it’s time to go home, says Apache.
Before we left, Tarrin fitted the black saddle Drew had been using on Mabel’s shape. She has asymmetrical shoulders. Huh. Apache’s old cinch worked fine, so I can exercise her with the saddle to build more strength up. She isn’t ready to be ridden again yet, but it shouldn’t be too long.
Saddle fitting. It’s great to have an adjustable saddle that works on all shapes and sizes! Bonus dog butt.
One more thing! When we got home, Dusty and Drew were crowding the gate wanting to greet Mabel. I guess she’s their girlfriend. It was hard to bring her in until I shooed the boys away. It was sweet.
She already stopped pulling when walking the circle. Good girl.
I hope tomorrow is less windy. I have a bunch of things to do! But for now I’m enjoying a lavender face mask to get rid of the last of the dust!
I got a call from Social Security today and found out that I get a back payment in addition to starting my benefits in April. I can pay off my last remaining bill and probably get by on my payments (barely—I am working on things to supplement like Substack subscriptions, etc.).
Happy bluebonnet season!
I am not all worried, at least, about the financial future, even with my 401K tanking. I’ve cut back on many things, so I should get by. Today I cut off the satellite Internet I’d been using for work, too. That’s such a weight off my mind.
It gave me time to enjoy curious calves. Nice.
One thing that’s good about not working is that you can do things you put off due to lack of time. There’s no excuse not to work with horses every day, and I still had time to clean the back porch and plant onions and flowers in another raised bed.
Yes that’s disc golf. If I can get another couple of jokes, fun can be had. Work area. Now writing spot. This is so much better than Just have to do a bit more dirt removal.
Plants are something I haven’t had enough time for, but now I can weed and water to my heart’s content. Yes!
New tree. I have been watering it!
Whew. It was good to have a positive day.
Penney would like you to know she heroically stalked a field rat.
After all the horse hugging yesterday, I did not expect the weather to be nice to me today, but it was! Now, it’s still windy as heck, but I guess that’s typical March coming in like a lion stuff.
Spring, the elusive season.
I’ve been unhappy with the weather, because all the flowers are coming up late, but it turns out it’s not just here. Friends elsewhere report similar late spring plant activity. I did go wander through the property today to check for flowers coming up, and they are there, just not up as far as usual. Whew.
Bluebonnet with a bid. Prickly sow thistle Field madderWood sorrelAnemone Dewberry Dwarf dandelionTiny bluet
The weather even blew a Barn Swallow into the house when a door blew open, which I’m sure was no fun for it. Luckily it found its way back out and the house isn’t all poopy.
What did you do with my wife?
The day was so lovely and sunny, though, which was a gift after so many days of angry clouds and dust. Imagine my surprise when we got a severe thunderstorm warning just as I was finishing a call with my financial advisor (depressing).
Can you see green leaves forming on the trees?
I went out to feed the animals and get everything all cozy, and even had time to ride Apache before it got ominous out. The rain that came was pleasant and didn’t last too long. Afterwards I noticed the sun came out while it was still drizzling. I knew was warm fuzzy gift that would bring!
It was one of the fullest rainbows I’d seen here in a long time. It was very intense, which is hard to tell from pictures.
Double
Little things like light refracting on water droplets can make one’s day!
Pot of gold location
But more awaited me. The nearly full moon rose and peeked over some leftover rain clouds and was so pretty I had to stop my errands to watch it.
There were no clouds in the west, so all the color you see is from the setting sun hitting the clouds.
Right now, when our horizons are quite cloudy, pausing to enjoy gifts like rainbows and sunsets can make all the difference.
…the love you take is equal to the love you make (Lennon/McCartney)
I re-learned this from a horse today, dear Mabel. Coincidentally, the blogging prompt today was about animals:
Which animal would you compare yourself to and why?
I have had an affinity with horses since I was a toddler, as I’ve frequently mentioned here. Even before I met my first horse, they made an impression in books and on television (I was a child when Westerns were popular, so you got to see lots of beautiful horses, and I read every horse book in the school library).
My good buddy for over a decade.
Horses always seemed to have good lives, mostly eating, hanging around with friends, and sleeping, with some running around to liven things up. That would work for me. Plus, as prey animals they look out for each other, but low rank horses get picked on by insecure bullies (a drama I often witness). That reminds me of how I ended up being very protective of friends and team members after dealing with a lot of bullying.
I love this picture of horse friends.
No wonder I like horses. They even have delicate digestive systems like me.
Mabel certainly has her issues. She’s choked twice.
As I’ve learned more about horses and how they interact with humans, it’s become so clear that your intention, your mood, and your demeanor affect them. It’s made a huge difference with me and Apache, and I’ve seen it break down with Drew due to his issues — no amount of good intentions has broken through his pain.
I’m just not able to help him like he needs to be helped. Makes me sad.
Healing can take time, and a horse in pain has trouble trusting people. That’s how Mabel was at first. Gradually, with good nutrition and care, she’s become healthy. And her attitude has shifted as well. I didn’t realize quite how much until the last couple of weeks, when she’s become downright friendly. All the love I’ve tried to pour into her may have helped, too.
This friendly expression makes me so happy.
This afternoon, after feeding everyone, I spent time removing winter hair and any new burs from each horse who’d let me. The last horse I groomed was Mabel, who isn’t as fuzzy as Dusty or Apache, but needs de-winterizing. I noticed how nicely she stood still and let me spend time on her, even lowering her giant head and asking to have it rubbed (I didn’t touch her head for at least two years).
I finished up, opened the gate to her pen, and set the grooming bucket down to keep the gate from hitting her when she left. But she didn’t leave. With her ears forward and eyes bright, she lowered her head so I could massage her neck. I ended up just holding this animal who’s as tall as me at her shoulders in my arms with her leaning her neck on my shoulder and her head cradling me. Other horses walked by us, but she didn’t move.
My favorite photo from last week.
I remained with her. We watched a rabbit flee from a Harrier, then watched the bird hunt all over our field, still calmly sharing love (or safety or whatever a horse would call it) with each other. It was the most peaceful time I’ve ever had with Mabel. Since I’d already exchanged hugs, love, and peace with Dusty and Apache, I was all full of endorphins.
It’s not always this way, but lately these animals have repaid me for my efforts with so much. It’s the way relationships should be, giving and taking love as needed. It helps to identify with the animals, perhaps.
The Hermits' Rest 