Surprise Summer day and I hit my 3 hour mark

OK just shy of my 3 hour mark by 15 minutes, and today, all on foot.

We heard about this promised late Summer day all week on the radio and sure enough, it happened. I put on shorts and a tshirt and went out there. It's 18C!!! (64F - my very favorite temperature).

Mag was "rejoicing at his nakedness" in his field, acting absurdly happy at the feel of the sun on his back.

I went out there at 7 AM because the sunrise was bright pink, and everything else had a pink sheen. One of those times I wish we didn't live in a hole, I bet the people up on the ridge had an amazing show.












(These two are from another, colder morning.)



Today Mag's coat was so soft I couldn't stop touching him. He's got his bunny rabbit coat now. He's completely dependent on a 250gram blanket when it's even slightly colder out.

At 7:30AM Ani texted me that I'm welcome to join her on a hand-walk with her mare Rudi.

I went out and did some yard work, digging up 15 dead boxwood bushes that I lovingly had shaped over the years into perfect spheres. We had an infestation of box wood moth for the first time, and I think I have to give up on box wood. We have a couple left, including the Mother of all boxwoods (it stands over a meter tall)....but even the Mother has been attacked and may not survive. I love boxwood because it is one of the few things around here that stays green all year. But I'm slowly learning my limits in gardening. After digging them up, I was all sweaty and sat in my chair out there, reveling in the mild weather and vibrant colors everywhere.

I came in, drank a Via, and then went to meet Ani.





Blocking the trail completely was a construction crew and they carefully moved stuff out of the way and shut their vehicle door so Mag and I could squeeze by.

I had hay in my shoes so I tied up Mag to a new-to-him tree and sat on my bench to shake out  my shoes and pick through my socks. That was when a neighbor and her dog arrived, shocked to see a horse tied up "alone" and me, barefoot on the bench *lol* Mag was delighted because this new tree has stringy little branches of beech leaves, one of the tastier trees out there. He spent the entire time feasting on the tree. It makes me so happy that he never tests the rope.

Ani showed up and said in Engish, "A horse on a tree! At a tree." And stared at my bare feet.

I said to Ani, "Last time you mentioned lack of training - is there anything you'd like to work on?"

To my surprise she said yes. "Standing still." Wow, OK. I said, "Let's do it!" I followed her as we led our horses on the 1.5 hour loop, and wished I had my saddle at a few of those climbs, but it was so fun to wear shorts one last time this year I didn't mind.

Sure enough, she stopped from time to time and asked the mare to stand still for a little bit (perhaps 15 seconds).

When we passed the Icelandic field the little horses came running up to greet us, fighting each other to arrive first, and Mag got way too excited. He jumped up in the air, tossing his head and striking out, asking them to play with him. I was pissed and send him backwards, yelling at him, "YOU'RE WITH ME!"

It took a while for me to get him back and then Rudi was also dancing around, tail in the air, joining in the excitement.  Good thing we have this herd near us, it's going to take some practice before Mag will be calm in that area.

Then I asked Ani if I could separate a little, that I'd slow down a bit but stop before our horses got upset about it.  She agreed and I slowed and let her horse slip out of sight a few times. Mag really didn't like that, but never pushed to pass me, he just threw his head up and looked for her intently.

Ani, on foot, was able to stop her mare today, and wait for us to catch up each time I did it. It was great practice for both of them.

I tried leading but Ani's mare is faster and she couldn't keep her behind Mag (or didn't care to, not sure).

At the parting-ways point, we stood there and talked for a while about how it went today neither horse got too excited, so it was a very good experience. I'm so glad she wants to work on little things with me. She's not up for exploring or taking new trails with me yet, maybe someday.

Her mare was sweaty and steaming even after being simply led at a walk! I said to her, "Though she's physically calm, mentally she's not."

After saying goodbye I decided to explore some more and I found a completely hidden, unofficial trail that was beautiful because it followed a creek down a ravine, and the place had a wild feel even though I knew exactly where we were. I love that excitement of finding unknown places. But sure enough, it dead-ended at the intersection of two creeks. I immediately thought of J because it was so lovely there, we have to place a geocache there. He's kind of famous for making people go a long ways on unknown, unmarked trails to find a cache. This one is gonna be good!

On the street again, the neighbor lady came out calling me "neighbor" like I always call her (cute). She said to Mag, "No tail in the air today?" I said, "He's lazy today." (Wrong.) She complimented his mane braid and said to me, "Both of you on foot, you'll be fit and slender together!" *lol* No idea what her name is, but she's Mag's biggest fan. She talks to him more than she talks to me. So sweet.

I let Mag graze along our street and he spooked a half circle around me when a delivery truck passed, even though it slowed way down for him. It was just *so* close I don't blame him - no more than 2 meters' distance.

I noted the lack of mud and gave in to the temptation to put my animals on the street-side half of our pasture, which they prefer.

I let the donkey out and called to Mag and started jogging to the pasture. He knows when I do that it means a new grazing area and followed me at a canter. When the donkey didn't follow at speed he nickered to her, "Hurry hurry!"







(Old photos that illustrate how he feels today, and how he follows me when I run to new pasture.)

They're out there in the dazzling sunshine having a great time getting the shortest grass even shorter.