Me? Naughty? Never!
I guess summer is officially here in Tucson. The last few weeks have been crazy windy, which is really weird, because the wind is HOT. I've never really experienced hot wind before coming here. Breezes, and wind, are cool. Or cold. When it's windy, it's cooler than it would be without the wind. Often, by quite a bit. But out here, the wind is just as warm as the air, and while there is a slight cooling effect by movement, it's not...refreshing. Trust me, it's a little hard to explain, but it's weird.
I haven't been doing much with Truby, just saying hi and some brushing. I find myself in an odd place, subconsciously separating myself from all my pets in preparation for letting Sara go. I spend quite a few sessions with my awesome therapist to recover from deaths. My mom, of course, but also that of my beloved cat Crack, and my mom's horse, Delta, that I inherited. Ever want some bad ass guilt? Make the decision to euthanize your deceased mother's horse! I learned that we subconsciously distance ourselves from those we're about to leave. People may be crabby in the days before they die, or even the bickering before a kid leaves for college. We try to protect ourselves by pulling away, so the loss isn't so great. I immediately think of grouchiness, but increased sleeping, which Sara is doing a lot of these days, or sudden interest in a hobby or new friend are also ways to distance. To protect. I find myself doing that with Truby and Haiku, as well as Sara. So I've been working on making sure I positively interact with everyone everyday. Death is weird.
Crack, one of the Best Worst cats ever. I LOVED her.
So today I headed out, midmorning. I knew better. Almost 11 o'clock is too late to do anything, at least for the next 6 months. It was "only" in the low 90s, but the SUN. Oh, man. The sun out here is brutal. There's just So Much of it. And it's intense. I can't handle much, and actually get hangovers from more than an hour of full sun (even if I'm shaded, like in the barn). I rarely ever drink, but I still get to enjoy a sunny hangover if I'm not careful. Yay.
My intention was to grab Truby, brush and tack up as quick as I could. I had on a sunshirt, and figured we could do a quick little trail ride. Truby's in a cute little herd of herself and two young Arabians. They're turned out in the very shady mesquite field, so they're quite content out there together all day. When I got to the gate, they were near the far end, but as soon as I opened it, they came galloping up. Well, I should say Cinco and Windy came galloping up. Truby relunctantly cantered over.
Why are we running???
They need a name. The Terrible Trio? The Truby Three?
The only thing I don't like is that the Arabs have a lot less Personal Space issues than I do, so sometimes they gallop quite a bit closer than I'd like. It's especially awkward in the mesquite turnout, since there are so many trees, it can be hard to see what path they're going to take.
So I rescued Truby from her athletic friends, much to her relief. Windy, the little buckskin mare, immediately starting neighing for her. Like, go hang with Cinco, don't start crying for Truby! Of course, as soon as we walked in the barn Cowgirl started her desperate nickering at Truby. She was really vocal today, almost stallion like in her urgent nickering. Sheesh.
Those two kept it up while I brushed Truby, and Tru even returned a whinny now and again. I was a bit concerned about the urgency the girls were talking. Truby had been in heat this week, so I guess that has something to do with it? Although Cinco wasn't clingy, and the other two geldings weren't screaming for her.
I decided that with all the hollering going on, it would be a bad idea to try to ride. Maybe if we were going to do some ringwork, but to go off on the trail? I could just envision the mares screaming and racing around. Perhaps a good training challenge, but not ideal for a quick trail ride. I gave Truby some carrot chunks, put some flyspray on and turned her back out. It seemed like the best idea.
Windy desperate for Truby's return
Truby: Listen you whippersnappers. We are NOT running again!
It really was for the best. I had already been out for too long. I came home, drank a ton of water, and took a nap. Had we gone for our trail ride, I probably would be having a sun hangover instead. The trail, Truby, and I will all be there later. We can go out another time. Perhaps Super Early in the morning. (4 am is the coolest time of the day.) Truby being the coolest pony in the barn, and everyone's need to have her attention saved me from myself today. Thanks, Truby! I should probably give her more carrots...
Truby: I SAID, NO MORE RUNNING!!!!
Death is hard :(
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