As usual – the weather report… You’ll recall our low last week of minus 14 and frozen pipes. Well today, it was near 60! It just KILLED me to have to stay at work all day knowing tomorrow the cold will return. The last meeting of the day ran long. I was really burning daylight. I needed saddle time desperately after a workweek of hell! As I rushed home, I kept the cruise set a few marks over the speed limit (I can’t get another ticket!) but passed every imbecile who slowed me down! I had my priorities straight!
Today was jean day at work so luckily I didn’t have to waste time changing clothes. Kicked off my shoes, put on my boots and sweatshirt, gloves & an ear band. As I was zipping up my half chaps, John looked at my quizzically and asked, “So are you going riding?” (Hmm? He’s frickin’ psychic!) I told him to keep Ritz in the house, as I didn’t need him trying to “help” me catch a horse & headed out the door with no time to waste. Windy slipped her nose into the halter. She knew we were on a mission!
I rode down to the pasture as the sun was setting. There was neither wind nor any crispness to the air. Truly stolen time for January in Nebraska. I stopped at the bottom where we bale the hay and let her graze on the brown, but still thick grass, wishing more than once I had grabbed my camera. The sky -- blue, gray & green with a hint of pink -- made an awesome backdrop to the huge bare old tree. Windy looked up quickly just as I noticed Ritz had found us! The pesky dog! It was almost dark as I rode back up to the barn.
Today was jean day at work so luckily I didn’t have to waste time changing clothes. Kicked off my shoes, put on my boots and sweatshirt, gloves & an ear band. As I was zipping up my half chaps, John looked at my quizzically and asked, “So are you going riding?” (Hmm? He’s frickin’ psychic!) I told him to keep Ritz in the house, as I didn’t need him trying to “help” me catch a horse & headed out the door with no time to waste. Windy slipped her nose into the halter. She knew we were on a mission!
I rode down to the pasture as the sun was setting. There was neither wind nor any crispness to the air. Truly stolen time for January in Nebraska. I stopped at the bottom where we bale the hay and let her graze on the brown, but still thick grass, wishing more than once I had grabbed my camera. The sky -- blue, gray & green with a hint of pink -- made an awesome backdrop to the huge bare old tree. Windy looked up quickly just as I noticed Ritz had found us! The pesky dog! It was almost dark as I rode back up to the barn.
Send me one more summer
in the hills.
Pack it neatly,
arrange it so that opened up
The whole of it will spread across
a half a dozen months or more.
-Rod McKuen
Sounds like it was just what you needed! ;) Bummer you didn't get pictures, but I had a nice mental image in my mind!
ReplyDeleteBoy! the warmest it's gotten here is 41° and after what it has been, that felt balmy. I can't even imagine the 60s......but oh would I welcome them.
ReplyDeleteYay! I'm glad you found a little bit of time to grab a nice ride and just to sit on a horse's back for a while.
ReplyDeleteThat poem is lovely :)
~Lisa
I've done the same...rushing home from work to grab just a few minutes of time on a horse before the sun is truly gone. It's amazing how much "extra" sunlight we can squeeze out of a day when we really set our minds to it!
ReplyDeleteHurry up, spring! I'm ready for you to be here.