Hot and Dry

The hot, dry weather is back.  We had a break for two days with overcast skies and temperatures in the low 80s.  It was heaven but it didn't last.  We didn't get any measurable rain, just a few scattered rain drops to tease us.  Me especially.  I am not a hot weather person.  Doing barn chores (mucking the pastures especially) when it is in the 90s is a sure fire recipe for nausea and a pounding headache.

Yep, 98F at 7pm.  Nasty.

As we move into August, the days are getting noticeably shorter.  I love that the mornings are cool but I don't love that it doesn't get light until after 6am.  I tried riding Lucy before work yesterday and ended up getting into work much later than I wanted.  Even if I only work Lucy for 20 minutes, it is a solid hour and a half endeavor; grooming and tacking up before and doing the same plus wiping all the dust off of my tack afterwards. No more morning rides for me until next summer. Bummer.

Brett and I sat on the front porch with a glass of wine this evening, as we do most evenings.  Kersey lounged at our feet.  We came inside when dusk fell -- at 8:00.  A few weeks ago, we were sitting outside until almost 9:00.  Of course, that meant we were eating dinner at 9:30 some evenings -- just in time to take a shower and hit the sack.

The comments on Kersey's weight ran very heavy on the "get a puppy" track.  We aren't ready to get another dog and Kersey is very happy -- VERY happy -- being the center of attention.  We got Kersey, initially, to be a companion to Sedona.  Four years ago, Brett was still working part-time and Sedona spent too much time alone.  She was bored and depressed.  She needed a puppy.  The situation is very different now.  Brett is fully retired, Kersey is rarely alone, and Kersey enjoys being a house dog in the evenings and on hot afternoons.  She and Brett happily wait out the hot hours in the house.  I've started walking Kersey in the mornings -- I can still fit that in my schedule before work.  We both are enjoying the walks; Kersey sniffs in squirrel holes and examines coyote scat.  I smell the pines and take in the panoramic view of the Sierras bathed in morning light, at the top of the hill where we turn back for home.

Video of Lucy

A lot of you have asked me for a video of Lucy.  And I've been slow to provide that.  We had a problem -- we couldn't find our video camera.  It's been "missing" since we moved.  We were almost at the point of buying a new one when I found it the other day when I was digging around in the boxes in the barn.  I charged the batteries and voila! we have a video.  Brett is still too sore to ride so he agreed to take the video for me.

The video shows a typical schooling session with Lucy.  I spend most of my time getting her to relax across her topline and then getting her to stay in a relaxed and focused state of mind.  She can do the stuff; its her anxiety that gets in the way.

When I take lessons with Sandy, she tells me to be more firm with Lucy and to insist on a correct frame -- Lucy knows how to do it right; she'd just rather not.  I've thought "picky-schmicky"  because we are gold at home.  Um, no.  Video doesn't lie.  Lucy pops her head up like a llama a lot more than I thought she did.  So, I need to be firmer without losing the sense of fun Lucy and I share when we work.  Work?  Nah, we're playing.

Oh, and those are our roosters you hear crowing in the background; and that is Pistol you hear calling for Lucy.

And here's the link if the video doesn't work for you: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=1BFQBKZTKwI&feature=youtu.be