Our summer project list is slowing getting checked off. So far , I would say it’s been a very productive and enjoyable summer. At the top of my list is that I successfully completed two LD’s! Both were so unique and both had such great learning opportunities.
I suppose it’s not that big of a deal for most distance riders but it was for me on many levels. It’s been a long road with Maggie. It’s nice when all the planning, training, conditioning finally comes together..It's nice to know that 3.5 years ago when I first laid eyes on her and thought " now that little pack of dynamite might have some potential" comes to be true.
Since the Camas Creek ride, I haven’t done a lick of riding. I haven’t even stressed about it either. For now, I think our endurance season is over. Remember I mentioned Plan C? I have several ideas rolling around in my head about what that is going to be but for now?
For now, I have decided that Plan C is to not have any agenda for my horse. I want to enjoy the rest of the summer with both horse and non horse related activities with NO AGENDA. Maybe take a few rides into one of the many mountain lakes that we are surrounded by , maybe even pack a fishing pole along, throw out a fly line, see what bites. No conditioning schedule to stick to, no watching the HRM , no worrying about speed , time or distance… just ride and relax. Maybe even take ol’ JB out for a trail cruise… he is long overdue.
Maggie certainly isn’t complaining about that plan. She has been living the life of luxury and getting turned out to pasture for most of her days. I make frequent visits to her paddock to adjust her fly mask , and scratch her numerous bug bites, give her a carrot and reapply bug spray. She’s enjoying her leisure time, maybe a little too much! Her slim and fit self is giving into a good start on a grass belly so, her pasture time will be getting cut back again before she looks too much like a wood tick. Uggh.. Morgans!!! Its only been a little over a week!
I also have plenty of work around the place to keep up on this time of year. Gardening has become a huge theme for us. It's rewarding but still a ton of work. We now have 5 Garden boxes. One of which is 16 feet long! Two weeks ago, the tomato plants reached a startling height of 4.5 feet tall .I think the organic stinky, make you want to vomit fish fertilizer , combined with the mini greehouse we built for them worked too well and they just kept getting taller and taller and not putting their energy into producing a lot of fruit.. I had to finally break down and strip them of most of their beautiful green healthy leaves that were not blossom producing. I just hate that task.. it seems so so……well…....wrong…!
The rest of garden is looking good. The squash, peppers,cabbage and onions are all doing well , aside from some bug infestations. We have even started on the second planting of cool season veggies like turnip, carrots, and rutabaga. I have already picked and dried several plants from the herb garden. LIke I said, alot of work , but so rewarding! I have 5 bags of spinach and 2 bags of Swiss chard all tucked away in the freezer. The strawberries didn't make it to the freezer. They were so good we were eating them daily!
More than half of our hay is in the hay barn, and almost all of our needed firewood is in the wood shed. That is always a huge relief. The puppy, Duncan McLeod of the Clan McLeod is giving us plenty of extra excitement in our lives along with a whole lot of extra time on poop patrol .
OMG...How can something so small produce so much poop??? I had forgotten how hard it is to keep a well maintained and clean back yard with two dogs…
This week so far has been dedicated to scraping out horse paddocks with a tractor. That’s never a pleasant job. Thank goodness for running water and a hot shower after that dirty chore. It sure smells alot less uuhhh.. horsey around the place and it should help with the fly season, which has already started..tonight, I hang fly and wasp traps as the wasps are also out and aggressive as ever. I have already been stung by a hobo spider this summer, which has taken for ever to heal. I certainly don't want a bee sting to match it.
Before I know it, it will be time to harvest the garden in earnest, pick the hops, grapes , plums, apples and cherries, right in time for the fall wine and beer making process! We are not bored people.
As far as endurance goes, there is always next season...
So, If I become a little absent on the blog....well...
Please enjoy the music while your party is being reached!
I suppose it’s not that big of a deal for most distance riders but it was for me on many levels. It’s been a long road with Maggie. It’s nice when all the planning, training, conditioning finally comes together..It's nice to know that 3.5 years ago when I first laid eyes on her and thought " now that little pack of dynamite might have some potential" comes to be true.
Since the Camas Creek ride, I haven’t done a lick of riding. I haven’t even stressed about it either. For now, I think our endurance season is over. Remember I mentioned Plan C? I have several ideas rolling around in my head about what that is going to be but for now?
For now, I have decided that Plan C is to not have any agenda for my horse. I want to enjoy the rest of the summer with both horse and non horse related activities with NO AGENDA. Maybe take a few rides into one of the many mountain lakes that we are surrounded by , maybe even pack a fishing pole along, throw out a fly line, see what bites. No conditioning schedule to stick to, no watching the HRM , no worrying about speed , time or distance… just ride and relax. Maybe even take ol’ JB out for a trail cruise… he is long overdue.
Maggie certainly isn’t complaining about that plan. She has been living the life of luxury and getting turned out to pasture for most of her days. I make frequent visits to her paddock to adjust her fly mask , and scratch her numerous bug bites, give her a carrot and reapply bug spray. She’s enjoying her leisure time, maybe a little too much! Her slim and fit self is giving into a good start on a grass belly so, her pasture time will be getting cut back again before she looks too much like a wood tick. Uggh.. Morgans!!! Its only been a little over a week!
I also have plenty of work around the place to keep up on this time of year. Gardening has become a huge theme for us. It's rewarding but still a ton of work. We now have 5 Garden boxes. One of which is 16 feet long! Two weeks ago, the tomato plants reached a startling height of 4.5 feet tall .I think the organic stinky, make you want to vomit fish fertilizer , combined with the mini greehouse we built for them worked too well and they just kept getting taller and taller and not putting their energy into producing a lot of fruit.. I had to finally break down and strip them of most of their beautiful green healthy leaves that were not blossom producing. I just hate that task.. it seems so so……well…....wrong…!
The rest of garden is looking good. The squash, peppers,cabbage and onions are all doing well , aside from some bug infestations. We have even started on the second planting of cool season veggies like turnip, carrots, and rutabaga. I have already picked and dried several plants from the herb garden. LIke I said, alot of work , but so rewarding! I have 5 bags of spinach and 2 bags of Swiss chard all tucked away in the freezer. The strawberries didn't make it to the freezer. They were so good we were eating them daily!
More than half of our hay is in the hay barn, and almost all of our needed firewood is in the wood shed. That is always a huge relief. The puppy, Duncan McLeod of the Clan McLeod is giving us plenty of extra excitement in our lives along with a whole lot of extra time on poop patrol .
OMG...How can something so small produce so much poop??? I had forgotten how hard it is to keep a well maintained and clean back yard with two dogs…
This week so far has been dedicated to scraping out horse paddocks with a tractor. That’s never a pleasant job. Thank goodness for running water and a hot shower after that dirty chore. It sure smells alot less uuhhh.. horsey around the place and it should help with the fly season, which has already started..tonight, I hang fly and wasp traps as the wasps are also out and aggressive as ever. I have already been stung by a hobo spider this summer, which has taken for ever to heal. I certainly don't want a bee sting to match it.
Before I know it, it will be time to harvest the garden in earnest, pick the hops, grapes , plums, apples and cherries, right in time for the fall wine and beer making process! We are not bored people.
As far as endurance goes, there is always next season...
So, If I become a little absent on the blog....well...
Please enjoy the music while your party is being reached!
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