Wrapping It Up

 

Today it was time to do the dirty.  The dirty job, that is, of cleaning out the trailer, winterizing it and putting it away for the next few months.  With the price of diesel at $4 a gallon, it certainly doesn’t take much arm twisting.  For any day rides, I can take my bumper pull hooked to my Durango and enjoy the 60 cents a gallon price difference.  And before you say diesels get better mileage…. ah, no.  Mine doesn’t.  My 1/2 ton Durango with a hemi pulls my bumper pull with better mileage than my diesel.  And most of my friends who have 3/4 ton gas burners get better mileage than my diesel.  But if you have hung with me over the years, you know how I feel about my truck.  I hate it.  But anyway, back to today…..

 

 

The trailer wasn’t in bad shape; I am usually pretty good about cleaning it between trips, but hadn’t since we returned from Kanopolis.  I swept the shavings out and then pulled the mats and cleaned the floors.  I also scrubbed manure and fly poop off the walls; stopped short of the ceiling other than spraying it.  The cold water coming down my shirt sleeve was a bit much for November.  I took a “before” picture, but forgot to take one after the work was over. 

 

 

In the living quarters, I cleaned out clothes and food items that I didn’t think would winter well.  Drained the water tank and scrubbed the counter, refrigerator and and floor.  All that’s left is draining the water heater and pulling the battery.  John made room in what I lovingly call his “80% Shed” (My friend Mary and I are blessed with handy husbands but commiserate that many of the projects are only 80% done.)  Next weekend I’ll finish the job and hook up the bumper pull to my Durango and make sure everything is working on it.  And then Miss Fancy Pants will need to have a loading lesson in that trailer.  She has been real good about loading so for and I don’t expect a problem, but I also don’t want to find a problem if I were in a hurry. 

 

 

I had a minor meltdown today.  I was putting things into the tack room and was mindful of Ginger’s bridle, Ginger’s halter, Ginger’s original saddle.  A particular mellow selection of songs on Pandora radio and 101 other reminders made my heart ache and the tears poured again easily.  Fancy has been a good diversion but the pain of losing Ginger is still so close to the surface. 

 

 

Speaking of which, today was also herd integration day; all five horses are now together.  And it went fairly well, thank goodness.   That is Fancy standing to the right of Baby; eating from the same bale.  Who’d of thunk?  I guess Baby must have figured out that the key to getting back with Blue is being nice to the new girl.  The corral is open to the pasture so they all have plenty of room to get away from each other.  Help her make it through the night….

 

.