Thursday, September 11, 2014

Catching up with the Herd

It's struggling to be fall here in the foothills of the Sacramento Valley. Trees are changing, leaves are falling, there is a cooler touch in the evening air against your skin. In the last few weeks summer coats shed, and in the last few days the horse's bodies have one by one begun to assume that slightly fuzzy outline that suggests a winter coat growing in to hide the slick of summer. Paradoxically, the thermometer still reaches the mid to high 90s during the day, and I sweat, sip, slaver, seek shade, spray sunscreen, and repeat. I'm grateful for every day with my family and creatures in our beautiful home, but I am also so very very ready for the blessing of a cool fall and an appropriately wet winter.

while tractor work is done, Desire visits the filly pasture. Rather harmonious for a mare squad! 
Scrappy keeps an eye on the ladies, who as witnessed above, don't return the interest..

 tractor work was *quite* exciting if you asked Scrap and mini Napoleon
Rushcreek Aurora, 13 months. Ever curious!
Sheza left her dinner right after this photo to come present her shoulder for scratches <3

In wiener news, boys are easily pleased and little Kodiak knows that I haven't handed over everything that's in the Petco bag...

I've been toodling around the neighborhood on Scrappy in the Sensation treeless with Skito pad off and on lately and this morning I seized the opportunity to get a few more hilly miles in at the lake. Of course it was also the hottest day of the week (at least I hope it was..) and even though we got our workout in quite quickly for our turtle selves, it was just plain HOT when we got back to the trailer. Fortunately there are a few key water troughs out on the Lake Oroville trails and even when they have the *nerve* to re-cement them in a startling new fashion, Scrappy can be convinced to drink from them. 

It looks different, I KNOW IT

 Fine, I'll drink, but my life force will be sucking backwards and my ears akimbo
 We flushed a fox, scattered some squirrels, and tiptoed past many a deer
 Scrappy wearily tanks up back at the trailer as I recline against my hubcap, slugging water and eating his carrots
I just chanced looking at the weekend forecast and am consoling myself that yes, today *was* the hottest day of the next 3..by one degree..signing off from dry, dusty, dreaming of autumn land.

2 comments:

  1. I don't even like fall and I'm ready for it this year! I think the heat and everything being extra dry makes me long for some cooler weather. I can't believe you've got the beginnings of winter coats already, maybe they know it'll be extra cold and wet, or we can hope. Love Scrappy suspicious at the trough, too silly. And little Rory's freckles. Your whole herd is too damn cute.

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  2. Nice! Hope it cools off soon and we get some much needed moisture. Take care.

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