The sun was up before I was up. It was up before I was ready to get up, I think at 7:30 a.m. And it set at 7:00 p.m. March 21 is the equinox, meaning that there will be 12 hours of daylight and 12 hours of darkness. This’ll be the day in which we’ll be on the flip side of the daylight/darkness coin.

I’m okay now with the amount of daylight we are getting. I got home at 6:15 p.m., and Pete had saddled Tyra and was waiting for me. When I arrived, he then saddled Raudi. We went for a ride on our trails and got home at 7:00 p.m. It was then getting dark. Now I can get home and there’s enough light for an early evening ride. If I get home, say, at 4:00 p.m., then I can get two rides in.

I did not get a ride in this morning because I had to work on my executive director’s report. I also wrote up a calendar of events. This wasn’t something I wanted to do – I have been pressured into it by BLBP board members who are at the distance. I’d much rather been out riding Hrimmi.

Tomorrow, though, I will get all three horses out. I envision the weather as being conducive to this; the sun will be shining brightly and the temperatures will be in the high thirties, low forties.

Of course, winter may not be over. The weather now is unpredictable. We could get a blizzard, and six feet of snow.

The enclosure is now partially icy and brown with urine spots. Thank dog the horses have ice shoes.

Tonight Raudi was her usual well-mannered self. She started out slow, a bit sluggish, then as we rounded a bend on Tin Can, she became much more lively. In fact, she tore up Hrimmi’s Raceway at a full gallop.

Tyra’s canter needs work. She sprints and then goes at a full gallop. She’s easy to slow down, but I’d prefer that she instead have Raudi’s rocking horse gait.

At work (on a beautiful Saturday no less). I recounted to several people what yesterday was like, working with the third graders in what was a scene of general mayhem. As I talked to the umpteenth person, I realized that it was a good story because it embodied hardship. Here I was, surrounded by third graders and their parents, with no guidance from their teacher, who said she had health issues. This made for a long day.

Though people enjoyed hearing the story, there was no empathy or acknowledgement that I was doing the job of two substitutes -- and not getting paid for it. It’s just assumed that I will, alone, coordinate events and field trips. And today I spent the day getting ready for Monday. We have books going to the Palmer Pool and the Iditarod School. I’ll also distribute books in town.

But tomorrow, tomorrow is going to be an honest to dog day off.

Next: 61.3/2/25:Double Vision