all I can do is just pour some tea for two

Here is Pie, the Sly Pioneer, spying something new in his pasture. Whatever could it be with such a startled look and high tail? It is the skeleton for one of the two run-in shelters we are having built at Honeysuckle Faire. With our constant rain they can't be completed too soon. Below, Sovereign is inspecting the new muddy tracks made by the skid loader and Pie is wondering what things have come to when a horse has to walk out and find this in his pasture! I have to admit, it does look rather tall and intimidating. I believe that they still have to cut the posts down to the correct size. Right now it looks too big, like the frame for a stage...like we might be hosting Woodstock in our pasture next week! (We have enough mud.)

A small army of sweet Amish men descended on us yesterday morning for the shed raising. Pie and Sovey were in one of the pastures where the men needed to work and I had a doctor's appointment at 10am for a nagging cough and sinus infection that has had us all down for a few weeks. The men assured me that they would be careful not to let the boys out of the pasture! Well, I could just imagine that whole debacle unfolding...Pie "helping" with the lumber...Pie escaping out the gate...Sovey and Pie attending church across the street. No way! I had to put them inside the barn on the loveliest day in recent history. When I returned at noon, Pie was wound tight. He didn't like being stuck in his stall, of course, but more than that, he wanted to see what all the noise was about. I started to walk him out to a shed-free pasture, but the equipment and new faces had him worked up. He started rearing and bucking and racing around me. The workers were on their lunch break near the barn and they got very quiet and were staring at the wild sight before them. I had on shorts and my crazy tall Wellies I wear everywhere nowadays with our wet weather (I even wore this get-up to the doctor because I didn't have time to change). Pie was walking on two feet and I am 5'3" tall so he was towering over me. My head was pounding so hard from the sinus infection and I was positive that I was going to throw up any second from the pain. I do believe in remaining calm when a horse is scared like that, but this was more than calm. I barely noticed what Pie was doing because I was just trying not to get sick in front of all these people eating their lunch! Anyway, we made it out safely and the boys had a fun afternoon of watching the building activity.
I have noticed a pattern with Pie and Sovereign's (mostly) good behavior and their (very occasional) naughty behavior. I try to be very consistent with doing some "human" bonding daily. I ride, or groom, or, at the very least, hand graze most days. If I miss one day I notice a slight regression. For example, when I groom in the evenings I notice a closer "bond" with the boys the next morning when I lead them out. They are affectionate and loving. Riding is the same. I know it isn't from getting "worked down" because we are only walking at this point. But we are a "team" if I ride, and their subsequent behavior is excellent. On Thursday, Maizie, Brian and I (and our sinus infections) went to Jubilee Day, our town's street fair. I turned the boys out and loved them up, and fed them, of course, but no riding and no grooming. Friday morning, even before the shed builders arrived, the boys were not as interested in me as they usually are. We need our normal rapport in order to have calm behavior. Hmmm. Not surprising, really.

And now...for something completely different! I have been asked to be a guest poster on the blog of a very new friend. Her name is Andi and her blog is about living the simple life with her family and her Thoroughbred in farmland near Gettysburg. Her blog is called Civil Girl: My Not So Historic Life In A Small Town Near Gettysburg, Pennsylvania. Here is the link: www.civilgirl.blogspot.com and below is the amazing photograph from her blog header.

This photo could easily come from the archives of street photographer, Garry Winogrand. Actually, it is Andi's Nana! How wonderful!!! I knew as soon as I saw this picture that I would love her blog! I will be guest posting Sunday, Monday and Tuesday. On her blog tomorrow, I will tell the funny tale of how we met (blame it on those Wellies again!) and other horse related fare. Pop on over and say hello if you get a chance!