It was sunny today – we are now used to the cold so 20˚F temperatures are no longer a big deal. Funny how readily we adapt to colder temperatures. I don’t think it is possible to adapt to warmer temperatures.

And the days are again longer. No more sitting around in the dark from 4:00 p.m. on. And the sun is now up by 8:30 a.m. It is now possible to clean the animal pens and not have to wear a headlamp.

I did get all four horses out for a walk. I should have ridden them. The plow had gone over our road, so the walking was fairly easy, so easy in fact that I had much needed time to think.

Broken tree limbs from the ice storm

The thought more than crossed my mind to part company with the horses. As I told Pete, walking outside and inside the pen has been like walking on pock marked concrete. And picking up poop, actually digging for it, takes more time and patience than I have. Plus, my shoulder, elbow, and wrist all hurt simultaneously when chip away at the, ahem, energy nodules.

Perhaps, I have been thinking, someone else could do better by them. I think of me, acquiring Raudi – there must be people like me, who think in the horses’ best interest, out there.

I did email two friends, one close and one at the distance letting them know the horses are for sale. Neither has gotten back to me.

Pete saved the day, at least for now, by doing a super human job plowing and shoveling the areas closest to the pen. And he picked up the afternoon poop. Maybe he’s right – the snow will melt, and my arm will in time feel better. I’m dubious. But his putting so much time and effort into taking care of the horse end of things gave me reason to pause as I did four walkabouts.

After, I came inside and answered the ringing phone. It was my old friend Mary Trafford in Quebec. She is an old Centered Riding connection.

We talked for at least an hour about various things – the Ottawa Protests, the Covid lockdowns, and issues related to Centered Riding. She said that police horses from Toronto, Clydesdales, were used to break up the melee. Very impressive, how these horses dealt with shithead human beings.

Most importantly we talked about Centered Riding Instructor Susan Harris and the effect this had on us all. I realized as I talked with her that I had not talked with anyone about Susan and the effect that her death had on me. We also talked about others who were close to Susan and how they are doing now.

I have no Centered Riding/horse buddies here now, and this had figured into my decision to part with the horses. However, I’ll wait a bit and see if I outlast the bad weather, or if the bad weather outlasts me. It right now seems like it will be a tossup.

Next: 53. 2/23/22: So Many Stories