Friends and neighbors

For reasons beyond my ken, I was able to email photos from my iPhone to my gmail account – for a day. Now all methods of transferring photos have locked up again. Ah, the vagaries of technology. Maybe Mu$k sneezed – or fathered yet another child (ick).

Moving on to the title. Friends. A long-time horse buddy and I met up for our once-every-year-or-two catch-up lunch date recently, and boy, was there a lot to catch up on. She had just purchased a second horse after her partner for the last 12 years was diagnosed with cancer. Said partner is still doing well, but the handwriting is on the wall. I told her she inspires both jealousy and hope – not only is she a member of the Century Club (the one thing on my bucket list), she welcomed an exciting new dressage horse the month before she turns 80!!!

trying out her new Lusitano partner in AZ

new guy on the left, "Century Ride" partner on the right

My own two horses are still happily grazing the neighbors' property. For awhile Stella was ducking under the single-strand electric fence gate to go where she wished on the upper half of their property (until they put up a more substantial gate). Then the neighbors set up an unused utility sink as a watering trough during a hot spell (I bring them back to the barn midday to get a good drink). Stella showed her appreciation for their thoughtfulness by pawing in it, splashing most of the water out and then grabbing the stopper and pulling the plug (they removed the sink).

Stella on the lam – and in the landscaping

before the shenanigans

only 14 years until we can do our Century Ride!

If you count sheep in the photo below (don't fall asleep 😉), you might realize there is one ewe missing. Bette wasn't up to snuff for two or three weeks. We tried antibiotics but they didn't help, so Rick drew blood. The results indicated liver failure, and she died during the night shortly thereafter. We have no idea what caused the problem; no one else shows any symptoms. One of those sad sheepy mysteries....

and then there were seven

In dogs news, Poppy and I tried a new agility venue. There is a training and trial facility just ten minutes from home that recently hosted a trial put on by an Aussie club but open to all breeds. There were so many lovely Aussies and they really made me miss dear Jackson; maybe someday I'll have another. But for now Poppy is my pet and partner, appreciated for her size and slick coat and loved for her personality and intelligence.

one of the few other non-Aussie competitors

We ended on a good note!

spotty dog!

In homefront news, Chuckie's still relaxing, the young swallows (I think only two survived fledging) are still hanging out, the garden is still growing, and the sun is still setting every night, sometimes spectacularly.

That's it for now from . . .

Retreat and advance

Blogging time has been getting away from me this spring. I don't think I have anything to post about and then look behind me to see things piling up, like the annual women's retreat last weekend and today's agility match.

We couldn't have had nicer weather at the coast. It was windy Friday evening when I headed out for my first beach walk, but I keep a headband in my jacket so was fine. We had the same house that our women's ministries likes to rent every year, and my room, with three roommates, was quiet and comfortable. We had good food and a good speaker. I walked on the beach several times and took as many walks through the neighborhood, where I could wear my sandals and give my infected toe a break. I collected a bag full of 'holey shells' for wire-wrapping, and took lots of pictures. I even played ping pong Saturday night!

my bed was on the right in the back

Friday evening

Saturday morning

a flock of brown pelicans were fun to watch

looking over the neighborhood from the coast-most dune

zoomed in on our house

SO many singing white-crowned sparrows!

At home there have been pretty skies and rainbows, flowers and a feline – and an impressive gopher snake Brian found while strimming (trigger warning for those who need it):

it was hiding in this fallen birdhouse

doing its best pit viper impression

Today's agility trial didn't have a photo booth and it certainly wasn't much to write home about; I think it was our worst ever. Poppy had uncontrollable zoomies in the first two classes; we managed to Q in the last two. And in the first class, while I was trying to get her back on track, I slipped and fell, landing in a vaulter's position with one leg straight out in front of me and the other bent back – more than one of my knees has bent in quite some time. I had to have a lot of help to stand up and hobble out of the ring, but was able to walk it off and run three more courses. I did ice it when I got home, but I think it's fine. I hope things go better in two weeks at our next trial!

That's it for now from . . .