Cold and Windy

This morning the horses were huddled in the pasture sunshine when we went down to feed.  It was cold with gusts of icy wind.  The low last night was 28F.  That's pretty darn cold for spring time in Southern California. 

After breakfast, I rode Winston.  Dr. Thacher was due at 10:30 to give the horses their vaccinations and I wanted to ride before she arrived.  I wore my jacket down to the barn and kept it on while I rode.  Winston was good despite the wind and tried to pay attention.  It wasn't easy for me to stay focused either.  I try to ride every step and not get sloppy in the corners or do a meandering walk.  Every minute I'm riding, I'm training.  Today we worked on prompt responses to my leg, transitions from walk to trot without losing connection and leg yield. 

Vaccinations went well.  Winston has had huge issues in the past with vets and dentists.  When they approached his side or neck, he would lose his mind.  Something about it scared him to death.  Last time Dr. Thacher was up we put Winston in the wash rack where he couldn't jump sideways on top of us and she gave him a handful of cookies after each shot.  When she finished, he wanted more.  We tried that again.  I led him into the wash rack and then she said "give him the mother lode treatment" -- all the cookies he could eat while she gave the injections.  Oh man.  He is loving vaccinations now!  She is his new best friend and I think he cried when she got in her truck and drove off to her next client.  The rest of the horses and the donkeys were easy.  They are all excellent about getting shots.

At lunch time, their were no horses in the pasture. 

That cold wind was still blowing.  The horses were all in the barn.

My garden tells me that it is spring.  I have rhubarb and artichokes and my first strawberries.

But it sure doesn't feel like spring.  I'll have the wood stove going again tonight.

Thar She Blows!

The Santa Ana winds starting blowing last night.  These winds blow in October and November, coming across the desert, and shoot the fire danger to "extreme" in the blink of an eye.  They gust at 25-60 mph so you can imagine what that would do with a fire, not to mention how dry they make everything from your lips to the piles of manure to the dry grass on the hillsides.

The sky is a beautiful, clear blue.

I thought the horses might race around a bit when we let them out for breakfast but they were more interested in food -- although Jackson did throw in a head toss and a grunt for good measure.

And look at how filthy Jackson is!  He's got the dry wind in the tail static thing going on too.

Kalvin was impatiently waiting for his hay.  You can see him chewing as he walks around in anticipation.  You can also see the wind blowing the Italian Poplars.

The goats were excited -- it was like Christmas with all the leaves and twigs blown into their area.  Forget the hay!  They went for all the debris.

Cowboy and Bella played tug-of-war with this cottonwood branch.

The wind blew leaves all along the fence line. 

Whiskey found his own personal stash.

The Wind Picks Up

The winds started gusting in the middle of the night - loud enough to wake us up.  This morning it was blowing hard.  Brett was scheduled to go on a trail ride and debated about going; finally deciding to load up and give it a shot.  I spent the morning down the mountain at my daughter's track meet and my poor little car was blown all over. 

After I got home, I put Jackson in the arena to roll.  He was walking well so I decided to throw my breeches on and try sitting in my new saddle.  I only rode Jackson for ten minutes, at a walk, in straight lines but it was just wonderful to be on his back again.  And wonderful to be sitting in my new saddle.  The cantle and pommel are both quite high - much higher than I usually like.  So, initially I mounted and looked down at my seat wedged in and thought "ugh, why did I choose this?"  Then he started walking and I remembered.  My leg hangs perfect with no effort on my part and I can feel him very clearly.  It's almost the feel of being bareback. 

Kalvin was going NUTS in the wind.  You can see the trees bending behind him.

The donkeys were out and about.  Initially, they were out in the pasture.  Then a gate blew open and they were really out!  I glanced out the window and saw them headed for my flower bed with Brett in pursuit.  I grabbed the camera and ran outside...

After being chased away from my flowers, they headed for the hill behind the compost piles.

From there, we cornered them along the back driveway.

"Which way to run... thinking...thinking...thinking"

"Maybe if I hide behind a tree, they won't find me and I can stay out."

After that excitement, I headed back to the house.  On the way guess what I found in the garden?

The season's first artichoke!  Yum!!