lingers forever as a part of me

Here I am on Sovereign as we headed out on our ride this morning.  It was 18 degrees, but it was sunny and less windy than yesterday.  I don't like cold weather at all, but I will do anything to ride, including wearing several layers and a helmet cover that makes me look like my head is ridiculously huge.  Sweet baystatebrumby has a similar helmet cozy but hers is in a soft pink color.  I bought this one a few years ago.  I thought the red color would be good for hunter safety, but I neglected to think about just how much bigger the red makes your head look!  

Of course, the attractive Carhartt coveralls and rectangular Sorel boots complete my high-end, upper-crust equestrian attire.  

And, here we have another equestrian dressed for success!

(I can barely type because I am laughing so hard - tears are rolling down my face.)  This is my mother and she wasn't riding today, but she did walk along with us on our ride around the farm.  She is absolutely hysterical looking in this get-up and I kept getting the giggles during the entire ride.  

Sovereign was such a great horse today.  He is always a great horse, but today he was exceptional.  I rode him on the buckle around the farm and through the woods.  February 9th, 18 degrees, OTTB, no bit, on the buckle!  I sure am lucky to have him.  He only had one little, tiny pause.  There is a pipeline that crosses under our property and they recently replaced the official marker.  I thought it looked different, but Sovey's reaction told me that it definitely was new.  He stopped and snorted and circled back.  I told mom to walk ahead by it and touch it.  She was talking and couldn't hear anything I was saying because of the crunching snow (and all the headgear she had on) so she just walked right on by the marker.  I thought she might stop and help me get Sovey by it.  No worries, he just followed her and never said another snort about it.

Next we stopped at the apple-barstool snack station.  Two apples greeted the Sovey-boy.  He gobbled them up slowly with his eyes closed.  We think they were frozen, but he didn't mind.  Mom said she was sweating from all the trudging through the snow, but I was freezing.  Riding just doesn't keep you warm at the walk, but it sure is fun.

This photo is out of order.  I took this right at the beginning of the ride.  You can see the mud I couldn't get off Sovey, and the mudball, Pie, in the paddock.  These two found mud yesterday afternoon and were covered in it.  It was super windy and they found the stinkiest mud to roll in.  It doesn't smell like manure, but it is mud where old hay is breaking down.  It has a pond/algae smell and I could barely stand grooming Sovey today.  I am a bloodhound, so it probably isn't that strong, but I thought both horses reeked.

On our way back around we saw the fox at the exact spot where Pie threw a wing-ding the other day!  Sovey was perfect but I bet that little fox was what caused Pie to jump around.  

I am so glad we were able to ride around the farm today of all days.   Today, February 9th, was my grandfather's birthday.  Here is the story of how he found our farm for my mother and her horses in 1957.   

  

Sometimes I flirt with the idea of starting another blog just to outline the wisdom this man passed on to me.  My husband, Brian, never got to meet my grandfather, but his philosophy about life and business and time and money inspire our daily choices.   Another Renaissance Man, my grandfather was an architect, a pilot, a hugely successful businessman (restaurant and motel) a tennis player and a golfer.  He rode horses a little, mainly because he was born and raised on a farm, but he wholeheartedly encouraged his wife and daughter to pursue their passion for horses. Mostly, though, I am in awe of how he figured out how to earn the most valuable commodity ever - TIME. 

My grandfather - 2 years old!