Coffee in bed seemed like the perfect way to start the day, especially when it was already 21 degrees outside before most people were thinking about breakfast. Smoke lingered in the air, clouds drifted overhead, and another hot day was already making itself known. S packed a bag and prepared for a busy day of car show and rodeo work bee duties ahead.
I was just heading out to check the littles' water and turn on the far trough when S rolled out of the yard around 8:45. Roo got her morning hay delivery, then I wandered over to the round pen where I spent the next 45 minutes scooping poop and attempting to catch Hank.
What I learned today is that a round pen is a wonderful place for horses to avoid being caught.
Thankfully Harley arrived to lend a paw. I had left the gate cracked open, and while her enthusiasm sometimes exceeds her usefulness, today she actually helped by blocking and gently moving Hank in the right direction. Eventually I got the halter on him, gave him a few scratches, finished cleaning the pen, and called it a win.
Back inside, the pony arrival blog was still waiting to be finished. There were videos to convert, photos to upload, and the usual technological gymnastics, but eventually it was completed and published.
I squeezed in my procrastinated weight workout, followed by a much-needed shower. By then it was already 28 degrees and climbing steadily toward the forecast high of 32.
A little plant care filled the next hour while I waited for Kaylin and Renn to arrive. I enjoyed a piece of pizza and saved the other half for Kaylin when they pulled in shortly after noon. B arrived soon after mixing horse feed and popped in to say hello before heading out to hose Bird's swollen leg.
Despite the heat, everyone wanted to meet the new ponies. B and Craig hauled over fresh water, Kaylin helped me catch Hank, and before long our little rescue pony was the centre of attention. He led beautifully and was patient with every bit of affection offered his way.
Renn, however, was much less impressed with the weather than she was with the ponies. After a brief outdoor appearance, she and Kaylin retreated to the comfort of the air conditioning.
Aislyn was keen to sit on him so I helped her climb aboard Hank. The first attempt ended with a quick slide off to the right, but after a dust-off and a reassuring hug from Mom, she climbed right back on. A few moments later she was proudly sitting atop her tiny mount.
Eventually the heat won and we all migrated indoors. Ice lollies (Renn's fancy word for freezies) for the girls, cold beer for the adults and plenty of visiting while the girls played downstairs.
Kaylin headed back to the city not long after to meet up with Shaina and Matt for a rooftop concert, while Nathan spent the day at a golf tournament in Carstairs.
Later in the afternoon, B, after trimming Jimmy's feet and hosing him off, and I attempted to improve life for the littles by putting up a tarp in the round pen. Unfortunately, the wind had other ideas. With no solid anchoring points and a constant flapping sound that rivaled a parade flag, we admitted defeat. At 32 degrees, with the wind blowing it felt like a giant hair dryer.
B gathered fresh grass for the littles and sat with them for a bit in the heat before heading home herself.
When I came back inside, I found S napping in the spare room while Renn happily played nearby. Before long I was recruited into a world of pigs, Winnie-the-Pooh characters, and imaginative adventures that apparently required my full participation.
All this horse help has Harley's appetite back. She cleaned up both her raw food and kibble in record time before choosing to spend the evening stretched out in the hot garage alongside Jenkins. Some animals make very questionable life choices.
For supper, Renn happily enjoyed sausage and plain curly noodles while S battled the wind to barbecue chicken skewers. Renn ate her blueberries one at a time using a toothpick, just like Grandpa, which made us smile.
The rest of the evening was filled with more pretend play, more pigs, and more Winnie-the-Pooh adventures.
At 8 o'clock we headed to her room for books and my usual sing-song stories. B stopped by after feeding horses to deliver goodnight hugs before continuing on with chores.
Sleep, however, was not high on Renn's priority list.
After an hour she showed no signs of slowing down. We tried having her lie beside me in my darkened room while I read, but that lasted only briefly before we returned to her room. A few more quiet stories, some gentle singing, and eventually she drifted off around 9:30.
There was one brief interruption when I attempted to follow Kaylin's suggestion and put Aquaphor on her dry lip. Renn immediately woke up, declared she wanted it washed off, and made her feelings known. Fortunately, ten minutes later she was asleep again.
Back upstairs, S and I made another valiant attempt to finish the documentary Heal. The documentary remains undefeated.
About ten minutes in, S was asleep in his chair, and honestly, I wasn't far behind. After a day of extreme heat, family visits, pony introductions, and bedtime negotiations, the whole house seemed ready to surrender.
By 10 o'clock, every one of us was sound asleep.
There wasn't anything particularly remarkable about today, yet it felt like one of those summer days I'll remember. New ponies meeting old friends, little girls discovering courage in the saddle, cold drinks in a cool house while the prairie baked outside, and a sleepy granddaughter finally giving in to bedtime. The chores will always be there, but days like this remind me that the best ranch memories are usually made in between them. ❤️
Success all the way around
ReplyDeleteAlways good to have successes in our days for sure
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