Content. That is the word for tonight. I’m feeling lazy, but very good and quite happy. The weather has been gorgeous here, warm and sunny without being hot, the trees are coming into leaf and the daffs are still out. So beautiful.
The weather has a huge effect on my mental state. The grey, cold weather really gets me down; I need sunshine now and then to stay happy.
Tonight I went to the stable, saddled Kip up and went for a leisurely ride around the farm. There aren’t many places that I can actually ride, since this is a working farm and all of the pastures have either cows or horses or hay in them, but we still had a good amble down the lane to his pasture and back, and around the various arenas and barns. He was so good. Failing having someone ready to ride on the roads at the same time that I want to go out, I’ve hesitated taking him out alone. I think the first time would be safer with an older horse to give him a lead. I tried it yesterday morning, but all of the cars and dogs, car-washing and lawn mowing were a bit much for him.
I miss the trails that I was used to back in the States. It’s strange that I only have the roads to ride on here, where back home in Los Angeles there were miles and miles of great trails. In the middle of the city there was Griffith Park, a gorgeous place to ride. I do miss that. I can’t trot or canter him, for one thing, unless I do it in the arena. I’m going to have to have him shod with roads studs in his shoes, because he slips so badly on the asphalt.
But still, it was gorgeous today. Riding my boy, who is interested in everything, and seems to enjoy it as much as I do. He’s a wonderful horse.
The great weather has made me think about finally doing up our back garden. There was so much else to be done to the house last year, we couldn’t even think about that. But now I want it to be nice, a place to sit in the evening surrounded by flowers while we have a glass of wine and wait for the steaks to cook on the BBQ. Mmmmmnnn. I also want to ferret-proof the yard, so the weasels can have free run of it safely.
Good day. I love it here so much.
It’s so, so good to hear the contentment in your voice. It makes my heart happy.
I thought of you yesterday as the boy and I wandered Lithia Park – our first spring outing and a very much needed time out from work frustration and such. The boy took pics of the water rushing over the rocks and all of the beautiful flowers all along the path. It was a good afternoon. I’m so glad you had one, too.
ferret proofing the great outdoors? You ARE daring :)
Then again, that whole ferrets-illegal-in-California thing means I haven’t had such exposure. Ferret proofing the bedroom is as far as I’ve gotten.
I used to have ferrets in Los Angeles, and I lived in mortal fear that one of my daughter’s friends would tattle on us, or one of them would get out and be confiscated. Vet trips are interesting when you have ferrets there…I was lucky that, at the time, I worked for a vet. Anyway, living here has been nice, as we can take them for walks. We get some odd looks, because most people consider them to be working animals, not pets.
I miss Lithia Park. I will definitely have to take a long walk through Ashland when I get back. :)
Any clue when that might be yet?