Looks like work is over for the season. I have mixed feelings about that. November is my last dollar making month until whenever spring decides to show up and I would have liked to get another week in. On the other hand I am free to attack inside projects and shovel snow
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Doesn't sound exciting to me either. I'll go in every few weeks to check the deer fences and spray repellent.
It's currently snowing lightly, about 4" so far. The apple trees still have their shriveled, dried up leaves stubbornly holding tight. The moose make use of them, so that's alright. They do sometimes break a few small branches, wish I could train them to just break the waterspouts. Good help is so hard to find!
I got a 90 minute ride in on Saturday. I cut it short since I got a late start. She hadn't been out for almost a week so had a bit of sass. Asked for a canter from the walk (working on canter departures) and she just trotted.
Back to the walk...ask again...trotting faster. Rinse, repeat, so finally I tapped her hiney with the dressage whip and she gave me an opinionated buck.
Sorry sister, wrong answer. Start again with an ask then a tap, got another little buck. She is so opinionated!
Haha, but finally she agreed and we cantered down a broad grassy road, she going sideways at imagined boogey monsters in the trees, from one side to the other.
As long as she stayed in the canter I just rode and didn't fuss with her. She was fresh, the day was cold, and I try to keep it simple and forward. I love that darn horse.
We have a lot of refining to do (both of us) but there's no rush, and I sneak training moments in along the trail as we go.
I hoped to get a ride in on Sunday so left the trailer hitched, but it was cold and a stiff breeze made the woodstove extra inviting, so I just groomed her and hung out with her for a bit.
Yesterday was my last workday apparently. I spent 4 hours at my small account and got chilled to the bone. I haven't switched to my winter brain yet and didn't wear enough layers. But I made my good client happy by cleaning up and leaving the yard very tidy. Her leaves haven't all dropped yet either, so I'm sure it only lasted for 10 minutes. I told her to take a picture so she could remember it got cleaned.
They are in their 80's and have been my clients for 14 years. If I could only manage to have one job, it would be them. I just found out that the husband has Alzheimers. I'm so very sad for them.
Now that it looks like we will have snow until spring I'm able to use the sleds for feeding and watering. I put the hoses away for the winter so am hauling water in 5 gallon buckets out to the heated tubs. A few years ago I bought a very expensive heated hose and treated it gently, but it only lasted two seasons. Not spending that kind of money again.
Hauling hoses out to fill the troughs, then blowing the water out and keeping them in the laundry room was more work last year than I want to deal with this year, so I haul water on a sled. No big deal, just another way to get exercise so when work starts up in spring I won't be in traction, haha. Plus, I have the time now.
Our Kid#1 is finishing up the fire season this week so will be home soon. Can't wait to see him. He's been gone six months, except for a one week break where he came back up and we got to see him briefly. We had to share him with his GF. Sadly she broke up with him shortly after. She couldn't take the long separations the job requires. It's hard to see your kids hurting. Even when they are grown men.
Well, I made a list for the week. I am getting after one room at a time, organizing, cleaning and dejunking. I usually make a season long list, but now that I know myself so well, I realize that I am kidding no one.
. A busy day used to be 3 or 4 cars. All the woods are now being carved into subdivisions, the "prairie" used to be farmers fields, hay, bluegrass and mint, and now it's a sea of roofs.
