Smoked Out

 Met J at Lake Oroville for a ride today, with the notion of riding the 6 mile loop, hanging at the trailers, and doing the loop again in the reverse order. I wanted to make the horses leave the trailer and work again, in prep for their first LD at the end of September (so soon now!). Unfortunately by the time we finished the first loop around noon the smoke from a big fire a ways north of us had blown in. It was oppressively hot and smoky to the lungs and we couldn't get un-tacked and out of there fast enough.

I'm in the middle of boot rearranging as usual so I didn't end up with boots for Chief today, but the footing on the horse camp loop is such that he traveled comfortably. We did a couple of trots and for the first time Chief didn't break to the canter! He is definitely getting more fitness in maintaining the trot. I only see him once a week so I see him with relatively fresh eyes each time and when I saw him today he definitely looked like a horse that gets ridden as opposed to a plump pasture pet like when we started. Huzzah!

Our giant pumpkin continues to expand daily. Here is our doxie, Wilbur, staring down from it's great heights! The Renegade team from last weekend would be proud of all this color! ;-)