One must read that with a certain determination for cheeryness. Yes that is a word. Because I say so.
Today is a bit of a post vacation fog. Today. Who am I kidding. All week I have been this way. Foggy, foggy brain. I was finally able to wake up at my normal time, but I am downing two mugs of coffee like they are going to be my last with little effect. I mean. It is not like I traveled to a different country or anything. Just to Colorado. One time zone over.
I am powering through though. That is all one can do, right?! Power through and make it happy. It is a choice! AHAmoment. Make it a happy day. Ride on and add more leg, as it were. Keep casting. Keep knocking. Whatever analogy you want!
Praying for rain over here and waiting for Friday. Riding and chores at the farm in the rain sounds pretty good to break the heat. Bring it on.
I have been doing a lot of watering since my return.
If the rain holds off (please don’t), I might haul to ride with a friend. We shall see!
I do get to see my ponies today after work! A nice mid week respite, however quick. Farrier is coming tomorrow and I need to get all the horses up for him.
That is about as exciting as a Wednesday can get.
Settle down now! I know you are jealous.
Walk in love, dear readers! Do something fun for yourself today.
Today is my last full day here in Colorado. I am slightly bummed about that as you can imagine, but I am ready to see my dog and horses.
Monday evening I made last minute plans to have breakfast with a friend who also happened to be here. Small world! I walked to meet her while it tried to sprinkle on me. I love to walk on vacation first thing in the morning while most are still asleep, the only other people out being crazy early risers like me and breakfast shift restaurant workers. To see the city wake up. We met at this little French spot with a nice covered patio and had a lovely catch-up.
We did some shopping and walking throughout the day. There is this pet shop that has been here for years. Many years ago on a family vacation here, we brought our English Setter and bought him a nice collar, leash, and some other things. All of which we still have even though he passed away several years ago. Sister K, Bro-in-law T, and I went to that very pet shop and bought our dogs some new collars. One of these days, Darcy is going to have to come here with me.
Later we met up with the Parents and had to wait out some rain storms in some shops before heading up to the top of the mountain for a farm to table dinner with music. My friend met us up there and we had a grand time! They shut the gondola down while a storm blew through, but it didn’t matter because we were having fun.
Yesterday we went to the top of another mountain for a yoga class. I opted out of the yoga because of my neck and chose to find a nice sitting spot to read and enjoy the view. Enjoy I did! You should enjoy it too. Which, let’s be honest, this is what we all care about for this post. The mountain top views.
Last night was my turn to make dinner. Naturally, I forgot to take photos, so turn your imagination caps on. I made a flatbread pizza with figs, bacon, butternut squash, red onion, goat cheese and mozzarella cheese for the first course. For the second course I stuffed little peppers with spaghetti squash and a meaty red sauce topped with mozzarella and a roasted cherry tomato. Neither dish disappointed!
Today looks like a red letter day with blue skies and clean air! I am going to get my walking shoes on and go enjoy it!
Go walk in love, dear readers and have a great day!
Here I am on Texas time, bright eyed and bushy tailed before it’s time to get out and do anything. I have been up for about an hour trying to will myself to sleep. No luck! Mornings like these are perfect for riding. Makes me miss my dun duo, even though I am having a great time here. Oh well, I am enjoying this cool mountain air and trickling fountain…and the time to write to you!
I found out yesterday that I happen to have a friend vacationing here as well and we are going to meet up for breakfast in a little over an hour. I told everyone they were not allowed to start having serious fun until my return. Can you tell I have a serious case of FOMO at all times??!
There is a pretty good chance of rain today, beginning in the late morning and continuing into the afternoon. Most likely today will be a quiet relaxing one, possibly enjoying a storm or two inbetween walks and shops. We have plans this evening to go to the top of the mountain for a farm to table dinner with live music. Fingers crossed the rain holds off by that point.
Yesterday was a lovely one with a trip up to Maroon Bells. Surprising that somehow I have never been up there given how many times I have been in this area. Maybe we went when I was little and I just don’t remember. Anyway, stunning is about all I can say! The double peaks, capped with snow, surrounded by blue sky, summer greenery, and the confetti waving of the Aspen tree leaves, all reflected into the lake below.
There are so many wonders in this world, big and small. From the smallest bug or flower to the highest mountain. It is amazing to think on the creation of it all and to remember that you were created in just the same way. AHAmoment.
We caught a fly fisherman wetting a line. Hopefully I will get a chance to do that before I leave.
We spent the morning there and then got back to town for a patio lunch. The men left to go play golf while us girls came back to the condo to relax. We napped, did dinner prep, and had a nice long soak in the hot tub and pool.
It is a long story, but I unfortunately have a crick in my neck. Terrible, I know. It started on the bus ride back from Maroon Bells. Previous events and not sitting straight, trying to see out the window I suppose. By late afternoon, even after taking an excessive amount of Advil, I could barely move my head to the right. The wonders of hydrotherapy never cease to amaze me. A good amount of time in the hot tub, then into the pool, and back to the hot tub? I felt like a new woman! I am still a little sore and tight this morning, but nothing like yesterday. Hopefully some more Advil and taking it easy today will do the trick. Maybe another soak in the hot tub.
Variety. It is the spice of life they say. I would say that I tend to agree.
Maybe it is really a combo of going, going, going and some variety. Just always busy. I always sleep best and wake up refreshed when I have been going non stop on different things all day.
When I was in college, I would be busy all day running from morning classes (I always tried to stack my schedule in the morning), studying, barn time, friends, and everyday life stuff. I would eat while I walked to and from class or my car. Or while I drove. I woke up early and I got home late. When I got home, I would shower and hop into bed after a chat with my roommate. It never failed that I would fall fast asleep within minutes of hitting the pillow. I would often wake up in the middle of the night with the TV still on, playing Joel Osteen reruns. I would smile as I clicked it off, hoping I was oborbing the message while I slept.
This afternoon felt like one of those times. I got to the farm after work. Still blazing hot, I got the house opened up and turned on before I checked on a few things. I opted for an early dinner in town to give the temp some time to drop before I did anything.
I got back from town and went to hook up the trailer. I’m headed to a friend’s ranch down the road with Cheetah and Ike first thing in the morning to ride. What I wanted to do was bathe the horses so they would be fresh for tomorrow. Naturally though, they were all the way at the bottom of the property. I opted to delay my exposure to the hot sun and load my stuff and get sprinklers going. Luckily for me, the horses made their way up right when I was finishing up loading. I got everyone fed and then moved hoses around.
By this time it is getting pretty dark. As in, uh, dark. A normal person would have just forgotten about the bathing and not worried about it. A crazy person like me though, chooses to stick to the plan and bathe them anyway in the dark. I mean we have lights off the house, but there was no moon to speak of. Good ponies that they are, being very used to my antics, stood stock still ground tied while I hosed and scrubbed. It was still hot and they were itchy and crusted in salt, so they were enjoying it. Cheetah spent half the time trying to groom me back. Always an oddly appreciated gesture, to treat me like a herd member.
When they were mostly dry, I put them back in the paddock, told them not to roll and get gross, and made my way back to the house to get my self cleaned up for bed. But not before moving more hoses. And rummaging around in the dark looking for the end of said hose. It took longer than I care to admit, but I got it finished.
No more. Go to bed, I said. I opened the shower curtain and what do I find in the tub? A lizard/gecko/salamander thing and a scorpion. What? Basically having a party in there and I wasn’t invited. I had to laugh. Stranger things have happened.
Finally in bed, I am sitting here talking to you, dear readers. Not sure what it says about me that I am spending my Friday night blogging, but I wouldn’t have it any other way.
So tomorrow, I will be riding here in Texas and by Sunday morning I will be on a plane headed to the mountains. How is that for variety? I kind of like it!
Walk in love, dear readers! Add some spice to your life!
I have always been fascinated with storms. Whenever it rains, I practically run to a window to watch, like I have never seen rain before. Or open a door to experience it. Odd for a person born and raised in a place that typically gets plenty, don’t you think? I never realized I did this until we were in the worst of the drought and, now, trying to come out of it. Fingers crossed.
I really love the feel and smell of the rain. You know how you can smell it? Especially in West Texas where you can watch the storm approaching for miles before it even gets to you. I used to love to sit in a chair at the barn, listen to the horses eat hay, and watch the storms roll in. You can smell it coming when you see the clouds and you can smell it when it starts to rain. Hard to explain, but in explaining this to someone once, I learned a new word. Petrichor. Defined in the Oxford English Dictionary as “a pleasant, distinctive smell frequently accompanying the first rain after a long period of warm, dry weather in certain regions” or as “the earthy scent produced when rain falls on dry soil,” apparently coined by two Australian researchers. Have you ever smelled that before?
I also love the power in storms. It makes me feel small in this world. Feel the presence of things that are greater than I. Be a witness the change throughout and after. I always marvel at the electricity within storms, but electricity can be a crazy thing. Why, you ask? It just is, but let me tell you why, exactly. I experienced something I have never seen before in my life.
So. R came out to the farm Saturday afternoon with Ronan for a girls and horses sleepover. A new friend, J, and her horse Pepper came out as well. There were some big, fast moving storms developing throughout the afternoon and evening that we were going to have to avoid, but so long as we could ride Sunday, which looked pretty good, no one cared.
R and Ronan were able to get unloaded and settled before the storm got too bad. We ran inside to dry off and to wait for it to pass. When the rain stopped, we decided to go check on the horses. I was thinking about how I hoped J was not caught hauling in another big storm cell when the craziest thing happened.
We heard and felt it before we even saw it. The electricity. The snaps and pops. Our hair stood up on our arms. I swear our heart beats were altered. Then the sky quite literally lit up, covered in inter-fingering lighting bolts, all interconnected, right in front of our eyes. Immediately came the crack of thunder before we could even react. I practically dropped to the ground! It still boggles my mind! R and I stood there in awe for what felt like several minutes, not knowing quite what to make of it. We looked at each other and both asked the other, “DID YOU FEEL THAT?!”
Luckily, J and Pepper arrived safe and sound with zero similar experiences. When Pepper was settled, we had Mexican for dinner in town and Sunday morning greeted us in wonderful, beautiful glory. The calm change after the storm. The air was slightly cooler and drier. The sky was blue and and grass was green. The horses were great and we were all so relaxed. After we rode around the farm for a while, we stopped for a quick popsicle break (because, hello, why not) and decided to head down the road for a bit. Since the horses were all behaving well, and figured with it being Sunday traffic would be light, it would be the perfect time to have Lito’s first ride down the road. I am happy to report that he did very well! We had a couple respectful drivers pass us and he did much better than I expected. Cars are not his favorite thing. I am very proud of him and am excited about all of our adventures yet to come, so long as they do not include crazy, electric lighting.
Some shots from Friday night and Saturday because why not? God’s beauty should be shared!
I have some other exciting news to report.
T minus 5 five days before I am well on my way to the mountains for a five day vacation. Big news, I know, and I know you are jealous. At least everyone down here in the hot humid sauna. I can’t really complain though because we really have had a mild summer so far.
I will always be a Texas gal, but the mountains definitely hold a special place in my heart. They are so grand and remind me, similar to storms, how small I am. God’s presence is always big in the mountains. Especially in the summers. I have only been skiing once in my live. That was pretty cool, but it was many years ago. I think I prefer the summers. I reportedly always did if you ask my father. The cool air and warm sun. Green grass and wildflowers backed by Aspen trees. Hiking. Biking. FLY FISHING! Live music. Porch sitting/drinking/talking/reading. All the things. I will be there with my Parents, Sister K, and Bro-in-law T. If I was not so busy up until the day I leave, I would be going stir crazy!
Walk in love, dear readers!
Stay tuned next week for news from the mountain! Regularly programmed AHAmoments until then!
The sun is fierce this morning, y’all. It feels like it is going to be a hot one. But. I am not here to talk about the weather. Even if it might be easier to do.
My creative juices have not been flowing forth as of late if you have not been able to tell. In a funk, if you will. Again. Or still. It is what it is, but I do not have to like it.
It is also scary. Being vulnerable. This whole blog thing. Making it public…what was I thinking!? Woof.
Someone once said I was brave for starting this blog and sharing my story. I do not feel very brave lately.
I meant to post this last night, but then I got self conscious about it and conveniently ran out of time. What about the other days since I last posted? Shh. I do not know.
I am just going to say it. Part of this funk leaves me feeling alone. There, I said it. It is true. There is more to it than that, like vocation, desires, future, faithfully waiting that all plays its roll in the bigger picture of the feeling. Blah, blah, blah.
But here is the thing.
There are times when I think it might be easier to not be me. Did a bomb just go off? Very brief, short times, but still very present. Easier to change what might be different about me and be like ‘everyone else.’ Be more accepted. Whatever all that means.
I might fit in more. Who cares? Did I ever care about that? I am not sure I really do.
Have more friends. Do I need more friends? I have never been one to have a huge group. Just my close, small group.
Maybe not be single? Eh. I would rather not be in a relationship than be in one where I could not be myself.
That I wouldn’t feel lost in this way. Is lost a strong word for this? I am not sure. No stronger than alone, I guess. No one else seems to be going through this. They are all out living their lives. Aren’t they? Is that not what the book of face and insta prove? Ha! I do not believe any of that for a second.
Not stuck in my head of circular thoughts, unable to still?
I have no way of knowing any of that, but I do not believe it would be easier. Indeed it would be harder. I tried to be someone I wasn’t once. It was terrible. It was in middle school. It sounds silly and trivial, I know, but it is true.
I had a very clear feeling that I was not like everyone else. I was too different. I was outside of the box. I felt like a round peg in a square hole. I liked different things, like going to the farm to ride. I did not care to break rules or do things we were not supposed to do. I was quiet. I related more to older people than kids my own age. I did not care to wear makeup or do my hair or wear nice clothes, much to my mother’s chagrin. I felt lost and I did not know why.
I told myself I was going to change. Be more square. Not talk about horses as much. Talk more. Make more friends. Look like someone I wasn’t. I do not know how long this lasted, but I do not think very long. I felt more lost than ever before. Like a stranger in my own skin. I suppose I made more ‘friends,’ but there were not real. I went back to being me because that was the only thing that felt right. It was easy and not hard.
I have been rather. Um. Restless as of late. Desiring a change and not knowing much more than that. Feeling an outside need for change, greater than my own desire. A greater and grander plan. I can’t see the path yet. I guess that is what seasons of waiting are to feel like. I do not know what it looks like or feels like. I am doing my best to seek Him and be faithful in my waiting. To grow and learn what He needs me to. To see and feel Him seeking me. To pray. Keeping knocking.
“Believe me, the choice that does not involve Him always ends up in a bad and downright disappointing place. It ends up in failure because it’s not the path we are meant to be on. It’s not the truth. Seek Him and you will find the truth.”
~Cory Morrow
Desiring a change in life, or rather, feeling the imminent change (and not knowing what it is) is different than changing who you are. Not being you. AHAmoment.
You were made a certain way for a reason. Divinely and uniquely made. Tailor-made. For a purpose. He has a plan and a path for that plan. The road and the gate are narrow, yet easy to follow when you keep your focus on Him. We like to make things complicated and difficult. Instead, keep it simple. His path is the path of least resistance.
Anyone still there??? Does any of this make sense? No?
If Darcy had thumbs, she would be typing this post. She clearly has more to say than me today.
She is staring me down for her dinner as she does every evening with increasing intensity until I finally feed her.
How I am able to stick to my schedule and not cave to feeding her early is beyond me. Just look at that face!
I always feed her before I feed myself and generally at the same time. She has never missed a meal, but she might have you believe she has missed many.
I love her for it. She’s my beautiful girl. My favorite part about it is that she mixes it up. She starts at one level and when it doesn’t work, she tries something else. She starts small, just little stares. A little whine. Then she will change positions and locations getting more demanding. Often from behind a piece a furniture. She will then come right up to me staring and whining. Tapping my leg with her cold black nose. Almost demanding. Pretty close to dinner time she gets pretty literal about it and goes to stand right by where her food is, locks her eyes in, and whines rather loudly. It is quite comical.
For such a sweet and feminine thing, it might seem out of character if you didn’t know better. However, she is pretty vocal and makes sure everyone knows how she feels.
She is quite comfortable in our new home and to be honest, so am I.
I swept yesterday and there is already dog hair and toys all over the place. I love it.
I have hung my art on the walls and everything has and is in its place, slowly and surely. My kitchen is clean and laundry is done. It won’t be long before I am overwhelmed with dirty horse jeans and boot socks with no clean civilian clothes to wear to work, but that is not the case now.
Darcy and I loaded up and headed to the farm Saturday for the morning. I rode my dun duo and they could not have been better. We are continuing to build Lito’s fitness and strength to keep his tendon strong and my Cheetah girl and I had some bareback QT.
Mondays after a short week are always weird to me. Like the short week shouldn’t have even happened. It felt like I spent the whole day trying to figure out what I did last week and why because clearly I was still in vacation mode. Maybe that is just a subconscious wish for even more time off.
It is clearly slow and quiet here with not much to report. I am in a little bit of a funcky, introspective mood. Maybe more on that later.
It is not yet summer here. Hot. Yes, durning the day it is quite hot. I even left the horses out in the pasture when I got here so they could stay in the cover of the Pecan trees, enjoying what breeze we had.
But.
When the sun starts to go down, the air actually cools. I would deem that a mild June for these parts. No, not quite Summer and I am greatful for this extended spring! I know what’s coming.
Enjoy it with me as I watch the sun set and feel the southeasterly breeze.
I made my Mamma’s cheese cake for tomorrow. Decorated it with berries to look like the American Flag.
I will show you the final work tomorrow! Early morning wake up call for me to get my rides in before the humid heat.
I am being lazy. I have spent most of the evening watching the horses graze in the windy pasture. Currently, Cheetah is pestering me for dinner and Petunia is smelling me as I sit…and trying to eat my phone. Well, Cheetah is doing that too now. There is just something about their breath on your skin. I can not describe it. If you have never been up close and personal with a horse and felt their breath on your skin. You should. That is all there is to it. There is something peaceful about it. It’s like puppy breath kisses. It’s better than a hug.
I am OK with the lazy. Well, somewhat OK. It was a long, congested, windy drive out to the farm with the trailer. BUT, I have something exciting planned for tomorrow and want to get to bed early!
I am leaving first thing in the morning to have a lesson! Let me clarify for my non horse followers, a horseback riding lesson with a dressage trainer. I have not had a lesson in YEARS. If you recall, taking lessons is on my 2017 goal list.
I am very excited for multiple reasons. One, to make something on that list happen. Most of which though, to continue learning and getting better. Having someone educated on the ground to see what you are doing or not doing is extremely important for benchmark success. I have been feeling the need to ride and train with someone for quite some time now. It is just something that is lacking in my riding at the moment.
I am going to ride one of her horses, at least for this first time, to see how it goes and how we get along. I plan to eventually haul Cheetah and Lito in for lessons with someone once I find that person.
I stopped at the feed store on my way here and got everything I needed, including shavings for the trailer ride of my trip next weekend. I called ahead of time to make sure they had everything I needed. If I had a 3rd strike out, I would have been very upset.
I am going to complain here a little bit. It is not like I can go to the feedstore whenever. It is not like a grocery store in town. I am limited to Fridays after work/before they close at 5:30 and Saturdays before 1 when they close. Sometimes, that is just plain hard. Between everything that needs to get done and trying to relax and let the country time soak in, there just does not seem to be enough time, especially when the feedstore doesn’t keep stocked on what you need. The next closest store that carries what I need is an over 20 minute drive!
Sorry about that. I am over it now.
I am also going to go visit a friend who just recently brought her horses home to live. I excited to meet her horses and see her set up. She wants to talk over her care and feed plan. I will have to keep an eye on the weather so I can avoid visiting in the rain!
It is supposed to rain tomorrow evening and get a little cooler by Sunday morning. Although, the way it is blowing outside, I wouldn’t be surprised if it gets here sooner. Tomorrow will be windy! I hope it doesn’t get in the way of my lesson.
That is about all I have. I am so boring. I resorted to talking about the weather. Oh well. I am relaxing and being present. Enjoying nature and my horses being horses.
Stay tuned for news from my lesson and details of my upcoming Hill Country horse girl trip. There is also bound to be some music next week too.
