Last Monday In June

After this wet week we needed a drier day to ride. The rivers and creeks were still high and standing water in yards and fields. Since the Saturday before, when we lost power, to this Saturday we've gotten 8 inches of rain - in one week. Barely got the grass cut before the rains came again.

It didn't take long before KC lost a shoe, not even to the first creek crossing. The mud is deep and his feet are atrocious, and the shoe is lost to the ages. The day is beautiful, humidity way down, cool in the shade. There are not too many people out in the park, but it is not deserted.

We run into club friends on the trail on the other side of the South Branch at the confluence. They dare us to cross, and of course we do, because that's the kind of people we are. It is not too deep there anyway, but the water is fast. When we reach them on the other side I tell them this is why people don't like to ride with us. I know KC can swim and I can see the bottom. My toe got wet, and he never did have to swim. We visit with them for a while, catching up on the doings in the park, and then we go our separate ways.

We are headed to the Woodstock Inn, and see friends there, too. Some how it is getting late, and he's in a hurry to leave. He's putting on KC headstall for me, and rush hour traffic is making it difficult for me to cross the road. When I reach him he's putting KC rope halter away, and I climb up on Skip. I'm going to ride Skip back to the trailer! and he gets on KC and off we go.

I'm riding BigRed!

I will admit that I laughed all the way back to the trailer. Skip is so much fun, with his flying lead changes and big canter, like a rocking horse. I hadn't been on him since probably 2010, so this is momentous for me. KC was a good boy for him, although he is gimping a little with losing his shoe.

Rain, And Then Some

He got an email from our tenants that the pond pump was not working. They didn't know what the problem was, but either way we must take care of it or the neighbor's yard will flood. And it is raining today.

All the events scheduled at the horsey club are canceled, no breakfast ride, no moonlight ride. Ironically this would have been the first 'moonlight' ride that actually had a moon in years, but we won't see it because it is raining. A lot.

The spring house has water up to the brim and the pump is not working. It is dead. We go to the BigOrangeBox to find another and now it is coming down in sheets, water is ponding on the roadways. We decide to have lunch instead of continuing working on the pump, AccuWeather says it will ease up after 2:00 p.m.

He has his long waterproof riding coat on, but is on his chest, on a board, with his arms in the pit, which is full of water. He uses another pump to purge the spring, then installs the new pump. It has resumed raining cats and dogs. We're both soaked. Mission accomplished.

Power Man

The power crew came out on Monday to address the downed line, which had exposed wire. They repaired this and put it back on the house, but the clevis is still not right and the wire is still hanging off of the house.

Change of Plans

We had plans for Sunday: I was going to paint the ceiling in the bathroom, he was going to finish installing the wainscot and hang the door. None of those things got addressed.

Today I hauled sticks and limbs to the burn pile, and he installed a new microwave because the other one got fried. It was blazing hot, too.

We've lost other 'appliances' that include the DVR set box, a power pack for the living quarters trailer, a stereo receiver, and like that.

Hurricane Bill

We got some rain, a little bit of thunder and lightning. I left the horses in until later in the evening after feeding. They seemed happy to be in during this storm, so all was good. Then the power went out, and some lights flickered, and the clocks were flashing, and electric car honked. He ran downstairs to say the basement was taking in water at the door. The power was out so the sump pump in the stair well wouldn't be working. Neither would the wet vac, right?

He kept trying to flip the breakers, but it kept blowing. I could see that the neighbors had electricity, it was just us. I opened the front door and one of the maples had topped itself onto the electric line, and pulled the clevis out of the house. Darn!

He called the power company and they promised to send someone out, around 11:00 p.m. He was here before that, and restored our power, but the line was still on the ground, under the tree limb. The apple tree got hit, too.

Rainy Day

Finally cleared out after 7 p.m., but barely cooled down.

Street Cleaners, Inc.

Flag Day!

Rained overnight, but started heating up before it was 8 o'clock!

I wanted to get a couple things done before we got out to ride, got up early enough, but time evaporates. I did manage to paint the bathroom door and spread manure. The manure spreader was an issue, because of the bees that had nested in a muck-bucket, in long-forgotten hay that had been picked up and placed there. The hay had even started to sprout and grow. I dumped it and they came out! Yikes!

I spread manure while he showered, he made breakfast while I showered. I finished putting the second coat of paint on the new bathroom door, and got the boys out of the field and into their halters. Away we go!

I'm now using a saddle that he bought many years ago and barely ever used. I had given him the saddle pad and a bridle to go with it. The bridle was never used and is drying up to dust. The nose band is shot and I threw it away. I had thought I'd use the bridle, but decided against it. The saddle is more comfortable than when used last weekend. I think I'll keep using it.

Hot and humid, we chose to go to Sykesville, Beck's, because it is a shorter ride and mostly sunny. There is some road riding, but all in the shade with opportunities to drink in the spring heads and creeks coming down into the South Branch of the Patapsco River. The river smelled like 'Downey' from the water treatment plant. Lots of people swimming up stream from there. We need to do that some time!

We rode through Sykesville, crossing the bridge onto Main Street, cutting through the parking lot and on to the sidewalk. Captain decided to relieve himself in the parking lot, and we rode through town, turning at Sandusky and crossing the road, through the next parking lot to the Police Station, where we like to tie up.

I had a delightful salad, a nice break of catching up and entertaining each other.

On the way back the proprietor of the store in the parking lot where Captain had relieved himself earlier came out to admonish us for shitting up the parking lot. She had seen us earlier, so she knew which horse did it.