Home from a week in the sun

 My yard has six inches of snow in it, bleck!  Why did I come home?  Ok enough whining, I had a lovely week and I missed my ponies and Charlie and the kitties.

Zelda attacking our housesitter

It was a great vacation.

No sun at the beach

But the water was more blue than I have ever seen

Looking back towards Santa Monica from the end of the pier

I flew to Phoenix and then drove to the Los Angeles area with Eugene to spend the weekend with family.  We made a trip to the beach, the amazing tack store by Santa Anita, and ate food with family here and there and everywhere.  I also rode a horse that will soon be retiring so I can keep an eye out for a suitable OTTB replacement.

Mr Eq horse doing a flying change with me

After that we headed back to Arizona for fun times at the track.

Zoom Zoom

So much sun

And a incredible sunset every night

I also rode a young one for his first cruise around the backside, such a cutie!

Whose butt is bigger;)

I'm thinking about starting a second page here with posts for each of the ready to retire future OTTB's that I come across, who knows maybe we can find them some homes!?  Why?  Because I want them all, but I don't live in a fairy tale and can't have them all.  

Winter tundra

I need to work on some interesting topics to muse on while I can't ride my ponies.  I've survived the flu and am now just congested.  Thursday I finally get to go see the hubby, its been two months!  And speaking of two, our second anniversary snuck by last month, it is just insanity.

Our invites mentioned spending the one day we aren't covered in hay and horse hair with us

We have been reaching the balmy mid 30's this week, but the ground is so frozen and covered in snow it isn't helping with riding conditions at all.

Sunrise

Sunset

Some of you follow my instagram, sorry for all the repeats.  The moment the Christmas/New Year's crazies are over I want to ride, but the snow is not accommodating.  Maybe it is keeping me from over doing it in the cold and getting more sick.  I was wanting to ride so much yesterday that I was reduced to taking video stills.

At least it is a cool picture

Happy New Year to everyone!

Christmas tidings and the flu

We apparently I said I was back just a smidgen too soon.  Friday I loaded 100 bales of grass hay (with the help of two guy friends) and unloaded it in the snow.  Yes, it snowed again!  Saturday I awoke to 4 new inches.  Saturday night and Sunday night were filled with fun horse people Christmas parties.  Monday involved window shopping and Tuesday I succumb to the flu.  Thank goodness for sprinklerbandit who arrived at my house with soup and juice (and dog and cat food I'd been planning to pick up that day).  I don't even know when the last time was I got this sick.  Turns out she had even planned on helping with chores at the place I was house sitting, but my stubborn self didn't realize that until I was already well on my way.  Who knew that feeding and cleaning up after two horses could be such a challenge.  Most of that day involved shuffling between the couch and my bathroom.  Morbid laugh here, I love Christmas decorations, I typically call them 'Santa puke' (Grey's Anatomy reference), well instead I just had legitimate...sorry TMI.  Anyways Christmas eve and Christmas day were pretty miserable.

Maybe going to the Dr. would be more fun if they all looked like Alex?

Funny how exhausting feeding my horses can be while sick, I mean seriously a nap after caring for my guys and my house sitting place in the hills!?  Bleck!  Even typing this has been an exhausting experience and I believe some cheesy noodles and another nap are in order before I'm off to feed again.

Pretty right!?

Before all the snow arrived

Well I hope you all had a lovely Christmas and I can't wait to be riding again!

I'm baaaccckkkk!

Whew time flies when you have Thanksgiving, a visit from a friend, and finals.  Let me say it loud and clear finals are over! Happy dance!

I promised to talk about the awesome prethanksgiving lesson last time I was here so here is a tid bit about it.

DIVA. WAS. AMAZING.

Ok next...just kidding;)  She was calm, and sweet, and just perfect.  We worked on bending through her body and more quickly responding to my leg and poles and few jumps.

Best OTTB's ever!

Nothing too exciting, but a great outing.  Steph had some canter poles set that were pretty long for the other three horses and every time Dive went though it was awkward, she kept walking over and checking them.  Finally we go through and she is all, 'your horse has a freakishly long stride.'  *sheepish grin* I know.  You can see in the video we aren't even going fast and Diva still covers the ground.

After this my friend from Georgia rode her twice and then the weather did this:

Yes the 'realfeel' says -21!  And don't let the extended forecast fool (it lies) you we still haven't reached above freezing, fingers crossed for today.

Yesterday for a post finals celebration the sprinklerbandit and I loaded up the horses and hauled over for a quasi lesson.  Alyssa came to and took pictures, woohoo! It was in the low 20's and felt totally passable.  Courage ended up being great and Diva ended up being a pissy mare (apparently they take turns behaving).  Still though she hadn't been ridden in two weeks and I just hopped on.  The worst she did was squeal and kick out.  For a 4.5 year old mare I can't complain.

She reminds me of an equine ballerina

That face

Yes that is ice on her whiskers, at the end of the ride

Working on not being pissy

That is our trainer with my scarf and Courage's cooler

She is starting to look so fancy

In a mood

In the background you can see the hoar frost all over everything and the snow still on the ground from nearly two weeks ago!  I have lots of kitten pics and snowy pony pics too, but I figure this in enough photopuke for one post and now that I'm on break  the posts should be regular again.

So many fun happenings!

Do I need to be studying for a Molecular Biology of Cancer class? Yes.  So it seems like a perfect time to finally update my blog.  I've been slacking I know, but my house is cleaner and my long time friend who lives in Georgia is in town!  Also I was baking up a storm of pies for thanksgiving. YUM!

Apple raisin

Caramel apple

Peach

My kitchen is still recovering from the mess!
I was able to ride all of last week, Yeah!  But now it is raining and that is supposed to continue through tomorrow and then by thursday our lows are supposed to be in single digits.

wtf

I rode Gunner and Gigi and both are doing so very well, makes me happy!

Who needs to see where they are going?

Working on some halfpass

I love my pink scarf

Such a good boy

Redheads unite!

I also did a lesson with Diva, but that will be in the next post:)

The cold comes rolling in

Not much for riding pictures this week as it started with gallons of rain and has ended with a low of 17 degrees!  I did get to break out my quarter sheet and wool socks:

as expected Diva was a star

Diva also got to start wearing her warm and cozy spoiled princess blanket I bought her on sale last spring when I was feeling like I had money to spend.  I love it!

Plus it matches my truck and trailer, win!

I need to pick up some sleepy drugs for her so we can clip her.  By we I mean sprinklerbandit and I will tag team so that we can use less of the expensive sleepy drugs.  I am really wanting a princess crown or tiara on her behind or shoulder or both....

I was laughed at when I suggested this entire emblem

Yeah, so I don't even own any over priced Juicy Couture...but Diva brings out the princess in me, I want her to have all the things!  Also there is this princess, she just oozes cute!  Too bad cats don't like accessories.

no words for the cute level here

The other thing the cold weather brings out in me is my inner queen of the kitchen.  I baked scones.

Serious carb coma after eating these

And since next week is Thanksgiving break and I don't get to go see the Hubby I will be baking away my sorrows.  Ok so sorrows is excessive, but it worked well in my sentence.

Pie anyone?

And for a peek at how my week leading up to break went at school check out this picture. 

The eraser was a present from Husband

That was the start of a Forensic Biology test, ended up being 8 full pages of hand written calculations. Nerd.

Finding the time

Contest plug: More amazing soap, I really really want this!
Life is crazy and I haven't been good about a regular blog for a few weeks.  Something about school, and homework, and horses, and kittens, and such.  The hubby ran a great 2nd with our horse 'Speedy' down in Phoenix, and he is looking to enter a first time starter for a client next week.  He is enjoying toasty toasty temps, while here at home I wimped out on going to the show this weekend.  I was just going to enter at the gate so it isn't like I lost entry fees or anything.  We woke up Saturday morning to this:

A solid 2 inches of snow!

So instead of showing we cooked, it was delicious!

 Instead of marinating for 4 hours we cut up the chicken in to bite size pieces and marinated for 20 minutes.  Then dumped everything in a grill pan for 10 minutes.  Then spooned of liquid into a sauce pan with just a pat of butter and simmered it while the chicken cooked.  Came out perfect.

Get in my tummy!

I forgot to tell you all, I rode Diva on Friday and jumped in quick course at dusk and she felt great!  We even did a new scary jump, and she was all, 'what scary jump?'

Sunday the sun came out so we tacked up and rode.  Diva was again amazing, she was coordinated and scopey (my computer doesn't think this is a word, where is a practical horseman dictionary) .  My phone camera said the sun was too bright and proceeded to get awkward timed pictures, oh well, she was still great!

the non-scary jump 

2'3" here, highest one yet!

We didn't knock over a single jump, that is a first for miss priss.  Then sprinklerbandit shared her amazing C-rage and while I will leave it to her to share all about it, here is one picture.

wowzers

He is so freakin scopey, seriously!  While I can imagine galloping across fields with Diva and jumping big tables and brush fences, I can imagine Mr. Courage winning all the jumper classes!  It just feels like he levitates into the air and then lands ready for anything!

Ok homework is calling, waiting til the last minute and all:)