We get one, maybe two really nice days a year here, weatherwise. Today was one of them. Sunny, temperatures in the 70s, a slight breeze. It is appearing that tomorrow will be much the same. Good hay weather is a crap shoot up here – farmers can have a perfect crop of hay, then it can get rained on, repeatedly. This happened to us last year. It was my doing – I said that we should load up on hay, and we did, then three-quarters of it molded. This is what sent Tinni on a decline, from which he never recovered.

So, maybe tomorrow will be another day like today. Then I will of course breathe easier. Our hay dealer did somehow manage to keep us supplied in hay – the last two loads cost $20.00 apiece. We were able to purchase it because we have paid off our mortgage and no longer have to pay property tax.

Pete putting together wire shelves

I often think how lucky I am that our horses live on our property. I can’t imagine boarding them and having access to an arena at a given time. And I can’t imagine not having trails.

Pete and I went out for a ride tonight and did all our trails. Raudi’s canter is now more sustained, and lo and behold, Tyra now has a canter. I think the problem was that her saddle didn’t fit her. Pete worked with pads, and I think has made a difference.

We were able to outrace the lazy bugs. When we slowed down, the zippier ones caught up with us.

I did not get Hrimmi out because I got home so late. I spent the morning salvaging books with Bill, Pete, Robert, and Pam. The latter three and me are long-time recycling center volunteers. Bill is a long time book sorting person. The upside of so many of us working there is that we are in and out of there, just once a week, for just a few hours. We are fast and efficient. I have been asked by people (today, including Robert) if they can bring books to the distribution site. I have to say no because then I am the only one going through them. Having three or four people do this makes a considerable difference, and any discards we have for Carla at VCRS we don’t have to load into the truck for the trip to VCRS.

Today my focus was on salvaging kids’ books. There was a good haul, I’d say four boxes or so.

We all ate lunch together upstairs. Having that many of us there was a lot of fun.

I went to the Historic Eagle Hotel after lunch – there I further sorted and categorized the books while Pam cleaned them. The guys went and purchased more bakery shelving, returned, then set it up. I spent the remainder of my afternoon stocking these new shelves and also continuing to sort the grown up nonfiction.

I am still having to put in long hours because right now, if I don’t, I will be inundated with books.

Tomorrow I stay put.

Next: 181. 7/2/23: Balance Issues