Saturday, June 1. I was off by a few days. Wishful thinking. I now have a view of a bright green world. The robins are everywhere. I don’t know if I am hearing them or other birds. It’s still cold, but I am not, as I do in the winter, putting on numerous layers of clothes.

Getting up and getting going, and cleaning the horse pen, it’s all easy.

Not a memorable day at all. I got in an early ride on Hrimmi: the weather could have gone either way. There were spots of blue in the gray sky. Pete forgot, when he rode her last and used her saddle, to change the stirrup length. I could not change them on the trail, the point at which I noticed they were too long for me, because Hrimmi would not hold still. Of course, her focus would remain on grazing.

Hrimmi being fitted for her saddle

So I rode her. Fortunately, she remained calm when we passed by the Asian pop-ups, squat figures with moving bags, out collecting fiddle head ferns. The appearance of these individuals, along with the ATVers, are rites of spring. The numbers in both camps does seem to be on the increase. . .

I got back from my ride, and it started to rain. I rightly surmised that it was a good day to clean horse gear, a task that I’d put off for a long period of time. I first cleaned halters and bridles, then cleaned the saddle pads with the new shop vacuum. I took one of the saddle pads and washed it. I will wash one at a time so that we have two for riding purposes.

I cleaned Hrimmi’s saddle after dinner. I now have three saddles left to clean, and two girths. I can now see the light at the end of the tunnel. I wonder what’s beyond the light.

It is so very strange to me, to now be on vacation from a job that does not pay. I will get money from the federal grant, the one we are using to send books to villages. I was thinking today, I’d like to go to Iceland in September and participate in the sheep herding round up. I would like to go with someone – finding someone is going to be the hard part. I guess I could go alone and make it a real adventure.

If I had more money, I’d of course bring back a horse. The problem is, he or she would have to be flown to New York, spend time in quarantine, then be shipped to Alaska. I don’t know if Fed Ex flies from Iceland to Alaska. It all would be a whole lot simpler if horses could be transported over the poles.

I was also thinking that, come July, I am going to make a concerted effort to find people to ride with. This is going to be easier than arranging to go to Iceland, for sure. Maybe I can go to Iceland and check out horses for someone and charge them a consignment fee.

Next: 151. 6/3/24: Alys Cleans the Refrigerator