First Ride in November

A stellar day for a ride in the woods! We started out fairly early, for us, from the horsey club in Marriottsville. The leaves are mostly off the trees. Sight-lines have improved and Skip in particular is well aware of things, like traffic, that were blocked all summer from his view.

We could also see lots of wildlife that would have been obscured by the trees.

We rode through the park and were met by many pedestrians,families out for a walk in the park. One family with five children stopped to greet the boys, the mother gave KC goldfish crackers! He does love them. Another couple in the woods, with two Jack Russell terriers who were full sisters from different litters, stopped for a long visit. They had just gotten back from the Sudan where they rode dromedaries! I've never done this, but maybe one day?

Through further conversation it was revealed that they knew a couple from my childhood, both had recently passed away and their farm has been sold. The boys were good as gold while their dogs took turns barking or lunging at them.

After we left them we passed several riders, none of them known to us, but their horses were a diverse sampling of fine equine varieties. At the bottom of the Switchback Trail we turned left instead of right, crossing the river almost immediately.

While on the other side we scared up a Whitetail buck, with an impressive rack, who then plunged into the river with a loud splash. Others in the area heard the cannonball in the deep end and saw him run up the far bank and straight up the hill. Very impressive!

We passed several bicyclists, some riding, some stopped. Chatted with one resting group, while others came upon us and went on their way. Stopping at the usual watering hole, we had a delightful lunch while the boys dozed, even when the train whistled through.

We arrived at the trailer is deep twilight, the woods were teeming with deer, driving home in the dark.

Lights!!

The new light fixtures arrived and couldn't wait to get them installed! The weather was delightful for working outside, too.

Leaves Leaving

Hay There!

We really did want to go riding today, but actually the weather was atrocious. It was chilly, but the wind gusts, up to 45 mph, were just too much for me and the boys. The leaves were just getting thrown out of the trees in bright showers.

We needed hay, so we might as well get that done. Picked up about 50 bales and stowed that away. We filled up the manure spreader with moldy, spent hay and also discovered a mummified bird with the old hay. Phew!

He wanted to ride, but when I was moving the horses around KC spooked, tore through the interior dry paddock, then Skip wigged out and I said we shouldn't go because it is toooooo windy.

With three out of four horses on diets we don't go through much hay and have seriously diminished the grain consumption because even Skip is putting on weight. Loving that grass!! In the long run it will prove to be a great investment of $3,000+ two years ago.

Max also had a few sessions in his play yard; he's coming along pretty well.

Last Light

Daylight Saving Time ends today, and we are seriously chasing light. We installed the final flood light for field #3.

After searching the world over and never finding that elusive telephone pole, we got a 6x6 inch x 16 foot pressure-treated pole.

He installed the light, capped the end and ran the electrical conduit down the front into an 'L' to make the turn below ground level into the run-in shed.

Getting the light and pole assembly into the hole was difficult. I believe I aged a couple years after this stunt. I laid in the grass, with my feet elevated, and surely will have bruises on my shoulder, arms and leg.

Because the ground is not level we had to rethink our strategy. The pole was not long enough to lash to the tractor's roll-bar and back up into the hole, like we did with the real telephone pole in West Virginia over 20 years ago. Those were the days!

Everything seemed to go in slow motion, I was concerned about getting my hair caught up between my jacket and the pole and getting yanked out. We walked the pole into the hole, walking under it, with our arms straight up, bracing against the pole.

The pole finally plopped in, with the "L" in the ready-made trench, and we worked the wires into the conduit, gluing each section after the other. I know we were doing this backwards, but the lamp is so heavy, it would have been impossible to place it on top of the pole if the pole was in place to begin with.

He ran the conduit through the run-in shed and also installed coaxial wire for the two carriage lamps that have not yet arrived. There is now an outlet for a fan and whatever else we need to plug in, breaker panel in the barn has been upgraded.

After it got dark, we adjusted the lamp to focus on field #3.

Happy Halloween!

Oops

Most hated thing in my life? Falling off my horse. I HATE THAT! Haven't done in it some years, until this afternoon. In front of witnesses. Grrrr! By the time my butt hit the ground, he was stopped. He never left my side because I had a death grip on the reins. Consequently, my left hand has rope burns on three fingers, my palm and thumb.