A Yoga teacher once remarked that no one ever regrets spending time outdoors; her audience was hikers, but I figured the audience would also include horseback riders, bicyclists, and runners.

This is what I remembered today, as the sun broke through the previously overcast sky. I thought, come to think of it, I have never regretted time spent outside. Rather, I regret all those days that I spent inside, cleaning the house because . . . it had to be done. Never again will I forego a nice day in order to do what supposedly needs to be done.

So today, I was good – I did quite a bit of book project administrativa and was outside by noon. I had promised Pete that I would give him two hours of garden time, so I spent the next few hours harvesting berries, cutting down cow parsnip, and weeding. It was sunny and it was, like yesterday, not too hot nor too cold.

Pete and Siggi trimming branches on Siggi's trail

I began getting restless after doing 1 ½ hours of yard/garden activities. So I went and got Tinni and took him for a long walk around the loop and on Siggi’s Trail. It’s easier to go longer distances when the weather is conducive to it.

I next got Raudi out, then Hrimmi. Raudi and Hrimmi were a little sluggish, but I think glad to be out. I took Tyra out after dinner. It had by then cooled down a little bit, and she was more energized than the other two. The sun was low in the sky – there is a clump of dead birch on Siggi’s trail – the light hit this ordinary pile of trees in such a way that I had to stop and take it in. Nowhere else did the light illuminate the trees in such a fashion.

The fireweed is now three quarters in bloom – the only word to describe it is dazzling. The light illuminates the purple flowers. The watermelon berries are also ripe. I stopped to pick a few off the back of Raudi. Always, when I see the watermelon berries, I think of Mr. Siggi and how he liked to munch down on them.

The area we call the Back 40 – it is a straight shot through fireweed, cow parsnip, and other weeds – is now taller than the horses’ heads. There is a path, made where we’ve trampled it doing multiple rides – I don’t know how the horses know this is a path, but they never deviate from it. I could close my eyes and they would go to the top of Suicide Hill.

Last month it was so buggy that riding Tin Can was unbearable. Today there were far fewer bugs to contend with.

We are lucky to have this trail system. There are four wheelers on the now wider, rutted out trails. However, they seem to prefer those trails to our trails. Or they are just oblivious to the fact that we have ridgeline single track trails.

Tomorrow I have book project work to do. If it rains, and it very well might, I will be glad that I took the time to get all the horses out today.

Next: 201. 7/25/22: Scrambled Eggs for Brains