New Sand!!

It's Thursday August 30th. 100 degrees outside. We went through a cool spot for a while then all of a sudden the heat hit again this whole week. I was trying to be proactive and already had carried all the box fans up to the garage to store for the winter. Now I'm wishing I hadn't done that yet. :o)

Today started early. The guys from Heitlands came in early at 8am with a dump truck full of sand and a flatbed hauling a skid loader. They were able to back up to the arena and dump the sand and get it leveled in 45 minutes. Since I still had some time on the clock for the rental of the skid loader, I asked the kid if he might help me out and knock down and level out a big pile of crap out my back double doors. He said, Sure! So 10 minutes later that was done. That would have taken me DAYS to do manually. I'm glad both those big jobs are done now. :o) They were loaded up and out of here by 9am.

Once they left I went in and let all the dogs out and we started in on a downed tree by the arena. The mulberry tree that's been growing there for 20+ years is getting so big that it's starting to fall apart. The branches can't support themselves and are starting to break off. The first big branch fell late last fall. I got that cut off .... but then another part fell during the next storm. Dave and Deb have been helping me take out dead branches this summer hoping to keep more from falling but yesterday I lost another big chunk. It dropped right in the middle of the back driveway so I thought I'd better get busy and get that out of there in case someone needed to get down that back drive. That took about three hours. ....but I'm done! PHEW!! That was a big job.

I have a riding lesson today from 5-6 and then another family is coming out around 6ish for a tour and to talk about setting up even more lessons. I really can't believe so many people around here were wanting riding lessons. This has been such a great fit for me and the community. I already am making more giving 2 lessons a day than I was working outside the house as a receptionist. If I could get 4 - 5 a day Monday through Saturday, this could be a full time thing. I'm still looking for a few boarders. I've got a great barn and pastures just waiting to be filled back up with horses like used to be here in the old days. Between the lessons and boarding, that would bring this whole place back to life again.

I can't remember how long it's been since I've worked so hard (physically) every day. Now that I'm responsible for everything around here, it seems like I'm on the go all the time. That's good. I feel much better and stay much happier when I'm busy. I'm getting more and more confident that maybe I can do this whole 'farm' thing all alone. It's not easy. ... but nothing fulfilling is ever easy. :o)

OH .... and to all the dancing horse fans out there....... this weekend marks the much awaited "Indian" wedding (the dot not the feather). Bride is from Bali, India and tradition states that the groom must be carried down the isle to the alter by a white horse with his entire family surrounding him celebrating in elaborate gowns accompanied by a drum band. El Gato will be the official "Baraat Horse" for this very special wedding. We're really excited. I've got a full paparrazi team going with me so there will be MANY pictures. :o)