Spring as we know it isn’t here yet. Most of us equate spring with breakup, the time of year when everything is impossibly muddy and there is no getting away from it. And it seems less like spring because we still have a lot of snow. A good thing, all the snow, for when it’s gone the pre-green landscape will be brown.

No daffodils here, like in Portland. But word has it that the willows are out on Bogard Road.

I worked on my presentation for the WEMT class, on the subject of body/mind awareness and memory. A lot of fun to

do – I am not going to put a PowerPoint presentation together but rather wing it. PowerPoint presentations just encourage passivity.

I also got all four horses out today. Raudi is now officially my number one riding horse in part because Tinni is now semi-retired. She’s also now very reliable, especially when I’m ponying other horses. I first took her out with Tinni – we went around the loop. She maintained a steady pace the entire way.

I next took her out with Hrimmi. Hrimmi is learning to be a pack horse, and Raudi is partially teaching her how. Raudi backs up when Hrimmi stops – Hrimmi then feels the slack in the line and moves on. And Raudi moves at a trot when, after I drop the lead, Hrimmi takes off ahead of us. There is no taking the bit in her mouth and running at top speed to catch up. She just trots along in a slow, steady fashion.

All I can think is that it took many years of working with her to get her to be this reliable.

Lastly, I rode Tyra around the loop, Pete, walking Ryder, came with. Tyra is still rough around the edges, but she is coming along. We put boots on her beforehand, and I think this made it easier for her to concentrate. We actually had some breakthroughs. She most definitely had a more extended trot and held it longer than previously. And she slowed to a walk when I stopped posting. And she slowed to a stop when I sat down in my seat. All this was much smoother than previously.

I have a theory that, like us, horses come alive in the spring. This is because the synovial fluid in the joint is a bit warmer. Moving freely is therefore much easier.

The big challenge now is finding the time to ride. Both Pete and I are busy with pre-trip incidentals – and they are incidentals. I mean, how many people going on horse treks work at getting themselves in shape? And how many of them take first aid and self-defense classes? No-o-o-o-o-o-t many.

The only other news of worth is that our friend Bill is now coming and taking the full manure buckets. This is a good thing because the compost stations are full and the mound behind the hoop house is nearly inaccessible. Too soft to walk up the trail.

Bill is spreading the manure across the road from where he lives. He thinks that the gravel patch can use it. I am glad to see the manure get put to such good use. More often than not, this is the case. So yes, spring has sprung here.

Next: 85. 3/27/19: Hurry Up, Come Quick, Make Haste, Skidaddle