Adverting Disaster

 A couple weeks ago we said a sad farewell to the barn owner's horse, Primo. Primo was just a great horse. One of those golden horses that are always amazing at whatever they do. His passing was sudden, but not unexpected - he had been riding the laminitis roller coaster for several years, and it's a relief his suffering is over. 

I spent most of his last day with him

so he wouldn't be alone 

The next day was understandably somber. His buddy Turbo was looking lost and rather sad. Truby was subdued, as befitting the situation. Cinco was a little confused, as the 'baby' of the group. Barn owner J was staying with her sister for a few days, and I had volunteered to feed and water that evening. 

Sleepy Truby

It was hot, as expected in Tucson in early September. I was absolutely drained from the emotional support given the day before, and physically tired from a long day of work. It was nice though. Quiet. The smell of mesquite smoke in the air. Which was kinda weird. It was WAY too hot to be using fireplaces at night (it was 105 in the day and low 90s at night) and far too dry to be burning outdoors. But whatever, people are weird. I turned the horses out, cleaned the stalls, set up dinner...I took Truby and Turbo, one at a time, to visit Primo's grave. Truby was uninterested, but Turbo gave the area a thorough inspection before spinning around and adamantly leaving. 

I was puttering around, too worn out to really do much, but not really ready to leave. I was debating whether or not to dump the Gator. It wasn't full...it wasn't my job...but there were quite a few flies buzzing around...and the Gator is super fun to drive...so why not?

I'm really glad I did, because when I drove out I discovered the source of the "wood smoke". The Backyard Trail I ride Truby on all the time was smoldering. There was a huge black patch in the center of the trail that was literally smoking. I figured that was bad. But Tucson is weird, so...???

Looked bigger in person

I knew J wasn't home, but I was pretty sure her husband was. I dragged myself toward the house, passing M, who was just driving up. I told her my finding, and she agreed that it was probably a bad thing, and we should do something about it. She had actually smelled the smoke that morning, but didn't investigate. I wasn't able to get a hold of BOHusband. I really didn't want to bother J, but property on fire is probably an acceptable reason to intrude on her grief. 

I wasn't able to get ahold of her either. So M and I decided the best plan of action was to load up the Gator with water and go soak the ground. Halfway through filling up the tubs, I got a message from J...they knew about the smoldering ground and would deal with it later, we didn't have to do anything unless we really wanted to. Uhhhh....

ilu, Gator

M and I decided that neither of us could just walk away from a potential wildfire, and you know, the fact that our horses LIVE there, so we kept on with our plan. (M wanted to call the firefighters in hopes of scoring some eye candy, but decided we weren't dressed nearly nice enough, lol.) By this point we were a little giddy, and pretty excited to be temporary firefighters.

But first, a selfie!

...was I driving the Gator at the time? Maybe.

Of course, we had no idea what we were doing. We were pretty sure that fire=bad, water=good, but we were worried about screwing it up and spreading the fire. Or not doing enough. The ground was scorched, but the fire was starting several inches below the surface. Spreading out manure/shavings/ hay/tree debris/etc into a path is pretty common out here. Our Loop Trail is regularly supplemented with old bedding and manure spread from the host stable. It appears our Backyard Trail got packed down too much, a little rain a few weeks ago probably jumpstarted some decomposition, and then the following super hot weeks allowed some combustion to spontaneously start. Or something like that. I'm a pet groomer, not a fire expert. 

So anyway, we were doing our best to soak the ground, prevent the burnt top layer to spread further, and generally not fuck things up. We both love dealing with random disasters like this, so we were bright eyed, bushy tailed, and mildly hysterical. After dumping our first load of water, we stood around trying to decide what to do next. And then I realized that some of the fire ants swarming around the area where climbing up my leg. 

So there was a lot of slapping myself and screaming and more slapping. Since I had come directly from work I was wearing wide legged yoga pants and paddock boots, giving the ants easy access to my bare skin. It was great!

To be safe, we drove the rest of the trail, looking for any more burn spots. I knew there were some huge piles of leaves and mesquite beans, etc. I was feeling kinda wild and started just plowing through them inside of trying to squeeze around. Now, I'm a super wuss, but I was pumped up and since I was driving (therefor in control) was having a blast. Had I been the passenger, I would was been freaking out, holding on my with fingers and toes, hands, legs, my hair...or jumping out of the Gator. M just sat, perfectly relaxed, unconcerned that I might flip the thing at any moment. She's badass, you guys. 

I was so sure we were going to explode this somehow...

and this video would end up titled "Tucson Housewives Set State on Fire by Being Dumb"

We decided to dump one more load of water and call it a day. It was less exciting this time, but we were finally getting the ground soaked down below the burn layer, and got the perimeter of the area soaked pretty well. We figured we had done about as much as we could do (M thought about getting the tractor and dragging the ground, but we weren't sure if that would set off an inferno or something. I mean, it's 2020, let's be careful!) and...I was picking up even more fire ants.

Which was great! Because I didn't really notice them until they started biting (ouch). And they didn't start biting me until they got all the way up to my upper thighs. Which is great. Knowing that ants were perfectly ok with my legs, but reaching my crouch and going OMG WTF NO DIE DIE DIE!!!! And let me tell you, there is nothing dignified about getting ants in your pants. I was slapping myself, grinding my palms against my body, stamping around, desperately trying to kill the ants. M was laughing her ass off at me, which is better than her being horrified by me sticking my hands down my pants trying to find ants!

Thank god I can laugh at myself in these situations, because otherwise it would have been insanely embarrassing! 

I sent pics to J, just to show her what we had done, and decided to go home, make my husband pick up the best pizza AZ has to offer (it's pretty good, but Tucson has terrible pizza. Like, pizza here is just bad.) and take some Benedryl. 

I spent the next few days taking antihistamines for the ant bites, but since the barn didn't catch on fire, I think it was worth it. It turns out, J and her husband had gone out earlier that day, looking for the source of the smoke. They had found some tiny little burn spots and snuffed them out. J had no idea it had continued and gotten as big as it had. That made me feel a little less concerned about the "yeah, we know" comment! That evening her husband went out and dug up the trail, so everything has a chance to breathe and is no longer compressed.

It's been two weeks smoldering earth free. But I think any time we smell smoke, we're going to go out and check, just in case.

Celebratory roll

CSI: Truby

 

The desert is a harsh place. Hot, dry, relentless. Survival of the fittest is key here, and the less-fit don't fare well. Truby and I have come across the remains of quite a few that haven't made it. 

Me: Truby, look!  A bone.

Truby: Cool, I'ma eat it.

I often pause and wonder at the life and death of whatever creature I've come across. Was it old, young, weak, unlucky? Did it leave behind defenseless babies? A gap in the pack? Provide more resources for those left behind? Was it afraid? Did it suffer? I always hope not. And I always dread the day I might come across human remains.

Survival of the fab-u-lous

Recently I took Truby for a little trail ride. It was midmorning and already far too hot, but a short little ride among the shady mesquite trees wouldn't be too bad. 

Truby perked up when we left the ring and headed into the 'field' leading to the back of the property. But when we approached the back she stopped, staring hard into the brush. I let her stand and look, urging her forward only after she released her breath with a huff. 

She tiptoed along the beginning of the trail. Quite a few piles of leaf litter and other debris was dumped along the path, waiting to be spread. Once we got past all that, she pricked her ears again and strode forward. We enjoyed the ride and circled back at the edge of the property. 

But nearing home, we couldn't ignore the scene ahead of us. It showed the violent stuggle. Entrails strew around. The gutted remains face down. 

I was so proud of Truby, as she quitetly observed the scene. She lowered her head to inspect the corpse. She stood bravely, perhaps knowing it was now safe. The killer was gone.

We silently took in the scene together. Reflecting on how hard life in the desert can be. How little spares us each from the same fate. This was clearly no accidental death. 

I knew the killer. But I will never tell. My silence will protect Truby and myself. I hope. 

Because although they she looks so sweet, the Golden is a vicious killer.

Juno: Cold Blooded Killer

And We're Back!

I ended up taking a bit of a life break. I've been working hard, which is often physically hard, but with Covid Life, it's also mentally and emotionally draining. Some weeks are much worse than others, depending on how frustrated the local populace is. Sometimes it's been all I can do to make it through the day, hug Truby, and then blankly stare at whatever on Netflix until it's time for bed. Often that also leads to 4 or 5 hour naps on my days off, because dear god, I'm exhausted! 

ohmergherdMELONS!!!!

Knock on wood, things are slowly getting easier. Last week, after a draining day, I realized that other than my coworkers (who I'm friendly with, but not friends), everyone I talk to on a regular basis works from home. Somehow, just realizing that the people I talk with the most have no idea what life is like for me actually made me feel better? The mind is weird, and if that realization relieves some of my burden, I'm just gonna go with it.

We've gotten in a few Loop rides

It's also been hot with a capital HOT. I suppose that shouldn't be a surprise, as Arizona is known for its dry heat. But yeah. It can also sap your will to live. Between work, Covid Life, and the heat, Truby's mostly been enjoying the summer off. She and Cinco are still BFFs. 

Frens

We have had a couple of adventures that I want to share! Truby seems to have finally overcome her coughing, which I haven't blogged about yet because I kept wanting "a resolution" and kept not getting one and as time went on it was weirder and weirder to just jump into it. 

We also had our first saddle fitting experience, which was awesome!

She's getting so relaxed and comfortable on the Loop

makes me swoon a little

Truby doesn't seem to mind the heat, which is fantastic and a relief! She's still wrapped up in her fly PPE, which also provides some UV protection. She enjoys sunbathing, even when the boys are standing in the shade, under their fans. 

Monsoon is finally, finally upon us. We've gotten a couple of good storms, but it does mean  it's far more humid than usual. Which...is extremely unpleasant. Is it not enough to be over 100 degrees? Does it need to be humid too?! Actually...it does, to enable to monsoons to monsoon, but still! 

Will mug for cookies

Anyway, Truby and I are doing just fine. Tomorrow morning she gets her little hooveses trimmed and then maybe a little stroll around the property before it gets too hot. Then she gets some watermelon snacks and to relax and do Truby things for the rest of the day. 

I'll probably share some watermelon with her <3 

Things That Need to be Said

Like many people, I've been shocked and horrified as I watch the news unfold over the last week. I'm not surprised. This country has been heading for this for a long time. Several of my favorite bloggers have written posts recently that convey their shock, despair, and stance much better than I will, but I still want to add another tiny voice to the crowd.

I grew up in Maryland. My family moved their from Northern Virginia when I was 5. While I can't say much about what it was like growing up in VA, I learned quite a bit growing up in Maryland.

MD is obsessed with being "neither North, nor South", and how they saw both sides of the Civil War as "brother literally turned against brother".

But education was definitely geared towards the Lost Cause, and heavily favored excusing and sympathizing with the South. Since our county had several areas important during the war, and our close proximity to Gettysburg, we studied the Civil War every. single. year. 

Mostly we learned that the south were really just good guys that didn't want to be bullied by the evil jerkface North. Those northern assholes were really terrible. The South was a great place. Slavery was a teeny tiny reason for the War, and that was stressed heavily. Very few men owned slaves, and of course, the ones that did treated them like long lost sons. Etc.

Even as a child I knew that was wrong. I don't know how. I wasn't terribly studious. My dad is a Civil War buff that favors the South. The area I lived in was steeped in low key racism. But I knew what I was being taught wasn't right.

The area I lived in was a more rural area than nearby Baltimore. I think there were only 3 Black students when I was in high school, out of maybe 1,500 students. I don't think I knew a single Black person when I was young.

But oh, boy, we were racist. I remember my dad chuckling awkwardly the first time we drove past Coon Club Road. He wouldn't explain why, but I've learned that's his "this is funny but I know it's racist af" laugh. I heard often of "those people" that live off handouts because they're lazy and wont get a job, and how they live better than us white people who work hard for what we have. I heard this in seventh grade in class.

I heard whispers and rumors and jokes that I didn't understand. Well. I understand them now. At the time they made me uncomfortable but I didn't really understand them and I didn't know what to do. I heard people tell their neighbors the better not sell their house to "those people" and ruin their "good neighborhood".

As I grow older and more aware and learn about how the world really is, the easier it is to see how deeply inbedded racism is in this county. It's insidious. We might all smile at church and say we're not racist because we have "a Black friend", but damn...that racism comes right out after a beer or two. Or when telling jokes with friends. Family Thanksgiving dinner. When POC appear in our white spaces. It's so easy to scratch off that thin veneer of acceptance.

I remember a few years ago during the Baltimore riots. I read what my friends posted on Facebook. It was disgusted. They never once even tried to find out what might have been behind them. It was just BLACK PEOPLE BAD, DESTROY THEIR OWN HOMES. Why people might have decided to do what they did. They were so angry that Black people would dare act out in any way. Hadn't we given them everything?! How dare they complain - those lazy bastards that live off our tax dollars. And on and on.

After a while, I gave up trying to explain and just unfriended people that I never knew that so much hatred and racism in their hearts.

I recognize I am incredibly privileged. I will never have any idea what it's like to be a Black person in this country. I will never come close to understanding what it's like to have the deck stacked against me. To find out that even white people I thought were my friends have hidden hatred just because of my skin. I know my skin tone protects me. I benefit everyday from being white in ways I'm not even aware of.

As I grow older, I do my best to learn. I know I've done racist things. I hope that it's because I didn't know better. I'm embarrassed to know that. I'm embarrassed by beliefs I have. I didn't even know I had them. I guess it seeped in during childhood. I didn't know know they were there until I looked inside. I'm learning how to be better. How to think better. How to act better.

Here in Tucson, our racism is more focused on Hispanics and immigrants, for obvious reasons. Being here, I've learned about the horrors of ICE and Border Patrol how they treat those coming into this country, illegal or otherwise. But when a barbershop opened a couple stores down from where I work, I learned that good ol' Black racism is alive and well here. They have a substantial Black clientele, and I love them. Teens and young guys will come out and take selfies to show off their new hair. The staff sometimes come by our shop to talk about business, and sometimes we groom their dogs.They're a cheerful, friendly group and we all like them. But some of our clients are afraid. They come in clutching their pearls because 'some...guy' (yup, with a pause where Black or something else would be) said Hi. or told them their dog was cute. One woman was afraid to go to her car. JESUS FUCKING CHRIST. Why?! Because there were two Black guys talking  half the strip down and they called good morning, that's a cute dog! to her.

So yeah. We're a clusterfuck of hidden and not so hidden racism. I don't even know where to go with this. It's just a ramble of wtf thoughts.

To me, it's incredibly obvious why there's so many protests. The rage and pain is overwhelming and has finally spilled over. Not only the rage and pain from those men and women wrongfully murdered by the police, but of the decades of injustice and cruelty dating all the way back to when slaves first were dragged to this county. That's generations of bottled up emotion and ???

I'm humbled and grateful to see the peaceful protests. To see communities come together to grieve and heal. Seeing the police working together with those people is amazing. Seeing the police kneel in front of protesters, powerful.

But dominating that is the insanely aggressive actions in other areas. Watching videos and reading accounts of police deliberately attacking, shooting,, tear gassing protesters, press, old and young is TERRIFYING. 

Seeing the hatred and hostility spilling out of all the closet and not so closet racists is terrifying. Seeing police chiefs and military leaders foaming at the mouth, desperate to rampage and destroy the very citizens they're supposed to protect and care for is so scary I can barely think about it after I've read/watched it. These men in high position are so eager to go out kill anyone, anyone at all...and here's an excuse. Here's the chance. They can finally act out their fantasies of slaughtering anyone they don't like. Black, Hispanic, gay, the press, 'libtards', anyone and everyone. Now's their chance. And all the time being egged on by the psychopath in the White House.

I don't even know how to begin to express the fear and terror and anxiety *I* have, and I'm not a target of their rage. I can pass as a 'nice white girl'. I'm safe. And I'm still so scared. To be a POC or minority of any kind...I cannot even imagine.

I beg my fellow white people to first shut the hell up and listen. Listen to what Black people have to say. Listen to their pain. Their fears. Their silences. Next, learn. There's tons of information easily accessible on systemic racism. On why #black lives matter, on why this is happening. Listen. Learn. And begin to change. Change how we think. How we act. What we say and do matters. Every little joke or sly winkwink whatever matters. Ask how you can help. How you can do better. And it might be to do nothing. We might have to shut up and stand aside and let people grieve and heal and rage without us tromping all over. Be Honest. We need to stop lying. Our history is so whitewashed and sanitized that it's almost a work of pure fiction. We have to be honest about how our country was founded. How it was built. We need to teach and learn from history as it actually happened, not some mostly made up fairy tale to make ourselves feel good.

Don't badger that one Black person you know to help you. It's not their job to educate you and direct your journey to antiracism and allyship. Be there if they want to talk. Shut up if they don't. But do your own research. Read the books, watch the documentaries, read the websites.

Buzzfeed has a compilation that's a good place to start. And one of my fav bloggers L. Williams at Viva Carlos recently put up a post on allyship that's helpful.

I apologize for this post being rambly and ineloquent. There's more that can be said. I'm tired and scared and ashamed. I'm also learning, and it's uncomfortable. But it's worth a little discomfort to make the world better. To make everyone I encounter feel safe. I hope that we finally listen and make the changes that must be made. And I'm going to do everything I can to help that hope along.

Ending On a High

I think Arizona has given up any attempt at quarantining or staying at home. Our return to 'normal' is a mess, with nonsensical reopenings of stores and dining rooms, all well before our 'safer at home' policy ends. My eyes hurt from rolling them so much.

Whatever. 

I start back to work on Sunday. To make our space a little safer and comply with social distancing, we're all working one fewer days a week, so it seems a little less intimidating than going back full time. My schedule for the first few weeks is rough, but I'm ready. My stuff has been cleaned, sharpened, and replaced as necessary. 

I've really enjoyed my month off. I know lots of people struggled and were put in a bad place because of all this, but I am very lucky, and very fortunate to not have experienced hardship. I got to spend a lot of time with Truby, do some reading, and increased my home cardio and yoga practices. 

I did happen to see a video on facebook that led to some fun. It was posted by The German Riding Instructor, and it was hilarious! (The Darth Vadar one.) So I decided to follow him, and a few days later saw that he was doing online horse shows. 

Truby and I don't do jumping, or fancy dressage, so I ignored it. Then later I saw he also had a class called Living Room Classics - for those who couldn't see their horses. I definitely pretended to be a horse or riding a horse and jumping over sofa cushions and old tomato planters as a kid, so I thought that was a great idea. 

But I didn't really want to enter, because I didn't think I could do anything better than what the video he posted did. 

And then he mentioned he wanted to be creative. He wanted costumes. And I realized...

*I* have a costume

So I hatched a plan. At first I was going to do it in my apartment, as a Hunter Derby. I had a whole thing set up. I had a trot fence, I was going to go out on the balcony for a hand gallop, it was going to be great.

My husband was not as excited, and refused participate, which meant no one to film. So I went to plan B, which was to do it at the barn, with M, Cinco's owner, helping.

We. Had. A. BLAST! 

After taking the horses for a 2 mile hike in the desert and doing barn chores at the end of a hot Tucson day, we gathered what things we could use for jumps and started putting ideas together. I thought it would be fun to have it by Truby's stall so she could be in the background but she noped out of that pretty quick. 

Anyway, we laughed hysterically the entire time. At one point I asked M if, when she was risking her life working in a hospital, having a criminmal lack of PPE, and facing a pandemic...if she thought "thank god I'm doing this so people can stay home and make videos like this!" 

She thought for a second, and just started laughing again. Making the video was a much needed stress relief for both of us, and it was totally worth the entry fee to have had so much fun during a scary time. 

I sent it in, and didn't hear anything for awhile. Didn't see anything on the facebook page. Decided maybe it wasn't as funny as we thought, and let it go. We had such a good time, it was well worth it. Didn't really need anything else.

And then I got an email asking for my facebook and instagram names. I don't instagram, but I sent in my fb name. Got excited. Maybe I had won something- how cool would that be?!

And then I woke up and saw that I had won! Me! My silly video I did with my friend! Whooooo! 

AND THEN I WATCHED IT

He mentioned he did some editing. He couldn't show it the way it was sent in. Hmmmm? I was so curious - what did he do???? I thought...maybe he added in like comic "wham" and "pows". Commentary?  

What he did transformed it from a funny video me and my friend did into a masterpiece. I'm pretty sure this will be the coolest thing I will ever be a part of. My ultimate contribution to society. The height of my creative talent. 

And I'm totally okay with that. This is a good way to peak. I hope you enjoy it as much as I do!

Not Ready

It's been another lazy week. Truby and I had a few nice trail rides, and a couple so-so arena rides. As I start expecting more work from Truby, I'm discovering she has Mare Opinions. Most of those opinions are about how she doesn't want to do things like work harder, and not jiggy trot near gates. 

I'm having a hard time explaining to her that it would be nicer if she did things like move straighter, yield away from pressure, and try to be supple. And that jiggy-giraffing near the arena gate has got to stop. 

Unplanned, bareback stroll down the backyard trail

So unplanned I forgot to put on her riding fly mask,

and had to grab her mask on the way to the mounting block

We're doing baby work. Little leg yields, little softenings. Trying to correct excessive crookedness (in both of us!) but not demanding perfection. Most of it is at the walk, and slowly adding in trot as she feels comfortable. Both of us are really increasing our fitness, and I'm remembering how to ride. I feel like I belong on a horse again. It's exciting!

She's thrilled

I've learned she likes little thumpthumps with my ankle, rather than a long press or even a thumpthump with my calf. She's learning to be chill as we walk up to a gate. I'm also learning to trust her to be enthusiastic approaching a gate and not assume she's going to get jiggy. Truby is learning she has to do a little more than plod along like a nose-to-tail trail horse.

We can still nose-to-tail plod on occasion

A few days ago we joined M and Cinco on the Loop. It was one of the first 90 degree days and we were all feeling a little blah. Cinco and Tru both delighted us with a lazy, head down, ears up, gentle stroll. They were happy, and happy to be totally chill. 

Leading on Lap 2

We ended up walking two laps. The last couple of times were went out, we walked an extra quarter around the Loop to drop L and Dixie off at their driveway, so Truby's learning that we don't always walk around once and then are done. She was a little confused that we were continuing around again, but was pretty game. Cinco stopped for some itchy time, and we got to venture by ourselves a bit. 

There was a ton of bunnies and quails and other flying birds, all out and about, but neither horses spooked at them, or even startled. So brave!

Truby was TIRED afterwards

This morning I hadn't expected to ride, but I beat the barn guy, so I hopped on Truby for some on the farm wandering. She strode out strongly, but not obnoxious. She didn't rush towards any of the gates like she had been, and we had a nice time going through the turnouts and down the backyard trail. There were lizards all over, and they would scatter from our path into the dried grass. Truby didn't even BLINK. Even when the chonky lizards went by. 

She's just so pretty

Of course, it's almost May in Tucson, which means it's basically summer. The flies are out. The sun is out. Humidity is gone. And it's getting hot. Last week was the first of the 90s, and while we barely avoided hitting 100, it should start happening later this week. 

I guess I might as well go back to work

if it's gonna be this hot

My plan this week is to get ready to return to work. I've been setting my alarm, getting up early and getting dressed and going out. Yeah, it's out to the barn, but I'm using it as practice. Still waiting for an official yay or nay on the end of the stay at home order. Definitely going to miss all my free time, and midday naps. And I'm also worried about Wave Two: The  Covid Returns. 

Truby and I are snacking on disinfecting wipes. 

At first it was to try to clean our insides, but they're kinda addictive

and we're snacky. 

Trail Riding

Over the last few weeks the flies have been coming out, and now they're regularly out and about. Not peak season yet, but plentiful and annoying. Both Truby and I have stronger reactions to fly bites out here. Nothing super bad for me, just itchy, but Truby will break out in hives, and is, actually, allergic to flies. Over the last few years, her fly protection has evolved from just a fly mask, to a fly sheet, to a sheet with a neck cover...and this year, fly boots! 

She seemed annoyed the first day I put the boots on, I could feel her rolling her eyes. A couple years ago I tried the fly boots with horizontal velcro straps and a cloth mesh. She stomped them much more than she was stomping flies, so I gave up. After finding out she's legit allergic to flies, I decided to give these mosquito mesh boots a try. They're super lightweight, and only have a single vertical strip of velcro. She might give me some side eye, but they don't bother her at all and have stayed in place. 

She wasn't amused by the increase in fly protection

This week we went on a couple trail rides, and Truby's been fantastic. She's got the Loop down, and feels safe and solid to ride there. And she loves it! 

One of M's friends recently moved her horse to a barn nearby, and it has a trail that leads to the Loop as well. She met us where the trails meet. When Truby saw there was a new horse, she got super prancy, head straight up, back hollow...ugh, I HATE that! M stopped to chat, and I didn't think Truby would be calm enough to stand, but she surprised me - after a few moments she relaxed. She lowered her head and raised her back back into her normal carriage. And while M and L caught up, Truby and I just hung out and felt very proud of ourselves. After a few more minutes, we headed along the Loop, and L went back to her barn. Truby stayed relaxed and we had a lovely ride. 

The cactus in front of M and Cinco is

my FAVORITE cactus

Just being the best Truby <3 

A couple of days later, we met up with L and Dixie again. This time they joined us on the Loop. When we reached them on the trail we kept walking and they merged in the group smoothly. No fuss, no drama. After a bit Truby and Dixie switched places (Cinco is afraid of Dixie, so we were buffer.) It was nice. A relaxing ride with friends!

New friends, L and Dixie

The next time we went out, I decided not to ride. I had picked a huge fight with my husband and was really upset. Plus the wind was brisk and on occasion, gusting. The combo seemed like a bad set up for a ride. So I went on foot with Truby. I don't regret it, there was some spooky moments, and I definitely was distracted. But you know, we still had fun, and it was good to stretch my legs and get some sun. 

Plus, I got to see this guy! He was huge. 

Horney tailed lizards are also a symbol of good luck.

Just being the best Truby Trail Horse

She's so proud of herself. 

We're both loving our trail rides

So all in all, it's been a good week. Husband and I resolved our fight. M and I did something SUPER FUN that I'll share soon. Adding a new friend to our trail ride went easier than I could have ever imagined. Truby's really turning into a nice little riding horse! I'm so proud of her.