A Calm Morning, Winter Planters & a Spectacular Sunset

It was a beautiful morning, waking to full on sunshine, although the temperature was only 3°C. I worked on my brain puzzle until S woke up, made coffee and joined the puzzle challenge. Once I’d mastered it with my second cup, it was time to get Tuesday blog post published.

S took Harley for a walk to the winter gate to let the horses out, but as I watched him struggle to get them moving out of the winter pasture, I got dressed and headed over to help. Using Switch’s usual mane as a makeshift halter, I led the horses to the gate and out they went! S stayed behind to open the chubby ponies’ gate so they could graze in the winter pasture, and we met back at the house.

It was spectacular outside, with not a breath of wind and the temperature already up to 6°C. Those are the kind of mornings you wish would last all day!

I got busy pulling plants out of the planters and tossing them into the wagon while S worked on boosting the quad battery and ran the wagon out to the pit. He then got the battery charging while I hauled all the empty planters back under the deck for winter storage and did some tool weeding. Another little bit more of seasonal cleanup checked off the list.

We met back inside for lunch and then started planning a vacation to Costa Rica, old-school style! We searched for hotels and places to visit, using ChatGPT’s recommendations as a starting point. It was fun to explore the possibilities and see what might make a good trip.

Funs Snapchat filters - I sent Renn my princess costume

Unfortunately, the wind picked up in the middle of the afternoon—boo! The temperature only reached 11°C, and it had actually felt warmer in the morning with the sunshine and no wind.

B also let me know that Hank’s blood test results from yesterday, when they drew blood to test for Cushing’s disease, came back with his numbers off the chart. He’ll now be starting a daily pill, like Hawk and Pepper did. Poor little guy has certainly had his share of health issues lately, but at least we’re getting answers and can start treating this one too.

S needed a filter for the quad, so he loaded Harley up and we headed into town. I picked up a library book while we were there, and we swung through Tim’s for an iced capp and a treat for Harley. When the gal at the window saw her, she handed over three Timbits, saying she bet that wouldn’t be enough once the window was rolled down. 

Back at the ranch, I got back to blogging while S installed the new filter. Unfortunately, he discovered the air inlet boot was cracked in three places. So much for a quick fix! Now we need to track down those parts too.

I put the prime rib in for supper and headed out to lock up the chubbies. While I was outside, I picked some fresh carrots to go with the fresh tomatoes for our meal. Nothing like having a few homegrown goodies still available this late in the season.

As we sat down to eat, the sunset put on an absolutely spectacular show. The sky was ablaze with bold oranges and pinks—one of those sunsets that makes you stop and stare. Stunning!

B arrived around 7, and the sky was still glowing beautifully. After feeding the horses, she popped in for some leftover dumplings and a bun before heading home. I published the crazy vet day blog post finally catching up.

S and I finished the day with a hot tub soak, although that cold, stinky wind certainly took away some of the enjoyment. After a quick rinse, we settled in for three episodes of Widow’s Bay.

From winterizing the planters and sorting out horse health issues to dreaming about Costa Rica and watching that incredible sunset, it was a full day. And despite the wind trying to spoil things, we still managed to enjoy some lovely moments along the way.