Has Spring Sprung?

 

Tomorrow night at this time, I’ll most likely be driving home and unloading following the season opener of the Platte River Riders.  Since it just snowed again this past Sunday evening, it just doesn’t feel like its that time of year yet.  We haven’t had enough nice days to unthaw.  Though winter left the calendar, it hasn’t loosened its grasp.

 

 

Good Friday was one of the few pleasant days we had.  It’s hard to know how to dress when one day temps dip below freezing and the next we find ourselves in the 60’s.  Adding hot flashes to the mix, my body tends to ignite every hour or so.  I started with a sweatshirt and vest over a long sleeved tee shirt and ended the ride with the vest over a sports bra.  There may or may not have been a few moments that the vest was too warm as well.  But no one was looking or if they were, I didn’t know it. 

 

 

Pip made her trail debut that same day.  We rode just over 13 miles and she still had energy to burn.  She was good about sticking with us and coming when called.  If she did anything wrong, it was following too close behind Sarah on Fancy.  While she didn’t kick out, Fancy made it clear she was disturbed by having Pip so close to her heels, so we will have to work on teaching Pip to keep her distance. 

 

This coming weekend is the Tack Sale at Chance Ridge.  It is the second year I am hosting the event.  We have over 20 booths of new and used tack.  In addition to the tack sale, there are free horse demos happening in the arena right outside the door of the sale.  It should be a fun day to shop and socialize. 

 

I will mention once again that this blog has been stale.  Lots of reasons – mainly a tad bit of writers block combined with lack of time.  I am not one who can sit down and force the words and really, how many more posts can I have complaining of the weather. 

 

Tomorrow’s Wednesday and the Platte River Riders are riding.  And with that will come inspiration or so I hope. 

 

Healer Human Video by Mead Covenant Church Youth Group

 

Today is my son, McCain’s 19th birthday.  Time goes so fast.  While he grew up in the Catholic Church, he found his true faith when he started attending a youth program with the Mead Covenant Church and has over the years become an active member of that church.  On Easter morning, he performed with the youth group what was called the “Healer Human Video”, depicting some of the well-known Bible stories.  It was quite remarkable and touching. 

 

 

While we strive to lay a good foundation for our kids, you never know which direction they will go.  I am very proud of where his life has taken him.  Happy Birthday, McCain.  I love you. 

 

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Spring Break?

 

 

Last year at this time, John and I rode fourteen miles.  If I remember right, I wore a tank top.  We stopped at the local one-stop and got a cold one and at the end of the day, I was sporting a sunburn.  That won’t happen this weekend.  Although the calendar says spring, it has yet to resemble such here in Nebraska.  We are expecting more snow this weekend, so I put blankets back on the horses, who have started to really shed their winter coats.  The picture above was taken March 29, 2012.  Today that pond is dry.

 

 

Last year at this time, my flowering crab trees were blooming.  This is the picture outside my front door this morning.  While it is not out of the ordinary to have snow in March, I do worry about how much damage the drought has done to our spring grass.  I hate the cold and prefer rain over snow, but at this point, we’ll take the moisture any way it comes. 

 

I went to a horse auction a few weeks ago.  While I certainly do not need another horse, I knew of a young, well-started mare that was going to be there and was going to be sold no matter what the bid.  While I hate to see any horse “get on the truck” to Mexico, for some reason, this one called to me and I decided I would save her from that fate (even though I have barely enough hay to get me through the season.)  As it was, she thankfully sold before the auction.  Actually, most sold for more than killer price during the time I was there.  (Or so I believe.) 

 

 

Not wanting to go home empty handed, I bid and won a draft horse harness for $35.  It has been about ten years since John has harnessed Baby.  I think its about time The Duchess stops laying around and gets a job.  John was very tickled when I told him what I bought and probably even more so that I didn’t have a horse with me!   

 

 

While I have no interest in driving, John has always been mildly enthused.  Over the years he has tinkered with putting together a wagon and had bought a collar for Baby.  She has long grown out of the original harness, so he was pretty happy with my good buy. 

 

 

The harness that I bought was actually for a team.  For a few days, he worked on making sure the harness was all there and could accommodate just one horse.  On the first semi-nice day, he fitted her to the new harness.

 

 

Years ago, he had her pulling a skid so the idea of the harness and driving was not foreign to her, but perhaps long forgotten.  It didn’t take long for her to get the idea of having someone behind her rather than on her back. 

 

Driving Baby

 

Who knows.  Maybe this is the year that Baby starts to earn that round bale she is bellied up to so often.  I’m thinking perhaps I should find some interest.  By the looks of it, ground driving might be good for the my diet plan. 

 

 

In other news, Miss Fancy Pants is off visiting a trainer for a few weeks.  While she does lovely on the trail, she doesn’t have some of the buttons that Windy has, most notably, she has always been rather sticky with lateral movements.  So she is off to further her education.  The schooling continues…. 

 

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