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June 19, 2012: A Day in the Life

Many years ago, Life magazine gave a group of photographers an assignment, which was to go out and get photos on a given day. Some days, like today, are a series of photos.

This morning Leah came over to get some manure for her compost. This was her second visit. She came and got some manure in April, a week before Hrimmi was born. There was then snow on the ground. Now the place is snow free and green.

Leah is (as our neighbor Jim would say) the real deal. She knows a great deal about gardening – I very much enjoy listening to her talk.


Rauid no longer hesitates to go through water

I offered to show her around and she accepted my offer. She’s young, 30-ish, trim. In addition to gardening she teaches yoga and also works at Turkey Reds. Anyhow, it was an embarrassing tour. Our garden beds are somewhat weedy – and I was not able to tell her what some things are. I kinda sorta faked it for a bit, then finally blurted “Pete’s the gardener!” Once again, I found myself envying those who have gardening savvy – that is the patience and attentiveness to grow stuff.

I concluded my lackluster tour by showing Leah the rhubarb, which is bolting. Rhubarb doesn’t bolt like horses do. Oh no, not fast and in a straight line, but rather fast and all over the place. Leah’s eyes grew wide when she saw the plant – me trying to make light of it by saying that it looks like greenery on steroids. She very tactfully said that I “should have” cut it back at the beginning of the gardening season, that is cut off the blooms and harvest as much of it as I can. Oh well, this is now on the list.

Leah likes the horses and said she’d like to come over and ride, to which I said “sure.” She then said she’d be over tomorrow, at 9 a.m. After she left, I realized that I said “sure” thinking that Tinni was here. After all, he’s perfect for this kind of thing. But I then realized that she can ride Raudi. And I’ll either ride Siggi or Signy.

Being a Number One riding horse is about doing well with any rider, at any level of ability. In this respect, it’s fortuitous that Tinni isn’t here, because Raudi will now get a chance to prove herself further.

This afternoon I rode Siggi up to the bench, ponying Signy. Hrimmi and Jenna came with. Siggi did just fine going uphill, but less than fine going downhill. He didn’t bolt with me, but he was charging his way down the trail with me clinging to his back like a monkey. Not good. I just couldn’t seem to find my seat on him, that way I can on Raudi. So I walked him downhill.

On the near home stretch, Siggi slipped on a mud spot, wrapping his leg around a stout tree limb. I wish that I’d been able to take a photo for what had transpired did not seem humanly possible. The branch was thick around as his leg, maybe even a bit thicker. He held still and ate the leaves off a branch as I struggled to extricate him. The other two horses and the dog just hung out while this was going on, eating their fair share of grass. Somehow, I freed Siggi, and we continued on our way.

Siggi is Pete’s horse. I will do ground work with him, but I’m not going to do much more than that. As with gardening I lack patience and attentiveness. The timing of this ride was good – after I got back it began to thunder and lightning. As soon as the sky clears, I’ll take Raudi out.

Next: 194. 06/20/12: Garden and Horse Talk