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August 14, 2019: What Trip?

As we were driving up Buffalo Mine Road, horses in tow and dog in the front seat, it seemed to me that we’d never left home. Same curves in the winding road, same houses by the side of the road, same dogs in the road.

We pulled into the driveway. I got out and opened the gate. I could hear the horses in the trailer, stomping their hooves. They either knew where they were or just wanted out. It had been a twelve-hour day of travel. I then got back in the truck, looked around and said “oh oh.” Pete then looked around. No words needed to be exchanged. The place looked like it had not been inhabited in some time. Weeds, inside and outside pen were knee deep

Tyra helping to clear the weeds out of the garden
Tyra helps clear the weeds out of the lower garden.

in some places and waist deep in others. And the cow parsnip, no kidding, some stalks were eight feet tall.

Pete parked in the driveway. I opened the trailer door. I didn’t even put the lead ropes on the horses. Instead, I, with great ceremony, opened the doors, and one by one, let them out. It was like watching the animals descend from Noah’s ark. Raudi first, raced across the yard and into the open horse pen. Hrimmi followed Raudi. And Tyra followed Hrimmi. Raudi grabbed at some of the weeds, then with the others following, tore out into and around the yard. I felt and heard the thundering of their hooves as they dashed around the property.

I walked into the pen, closed the gate behind me, and began gathering weeds. Pete and Ryder walked up to the house and said hello to Abbey, our house sitter. She wasn’t expecting us for another day. Pete invited her to spend the night but she said that she wanted to spend the night at her mother’s place.

Pete returned and being tool using man, assessed the tool using situation. In minutes, we had a tool using routine. He went at the weeds with a scythe, and I raked up and put his piles in muck buckets. I then hauled the buckets over to, and emptied them in the compost station. This was an onerous task for sure. As I repeatedly glanced at the growing pile I reminded myself that the horses would have gotten sick if we had put them in the weed filled paddock. No matter that they were grazing happily in the yard on the same. Their time out there would be limited. As if reading my mind, Pete said he would put boards on the outer shed enclosure to keep the horses out of the main part of the paddock – this way they could be contained without our having to worry about weed overconsumption. Out came the drill bit, hammer, and nails. I do not know where he got the sheets of fresh plywood. We put Tyra in Tinni’s enclosure, this way insuring that she and Raudi would not mix it up. By dark, the horses had been safely secured.

We commended ourselves for a job well done and walked up to and into the main cabin. It was absolutely spotless. Our house sitters had done an amazing job. The trip was over – as I told Pete, it was good to be home.

We worked until dark, stopping only to say thank you to Abbey who was then on her way out.

225. 8/15/19: For Friends Far and Near, Distant and Dear

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