Sunday Sundries

Today is starting out as one of God's true days of rest. All things are relative though.  In a couple of hours, I'll begin a long day in the announcer's stand at the horse show.  If yesterday was any indication, however, this second day of the show will be much more fun than I had originally anticipated.

I saw a total of three bees yesterday, and they didn't hang around for long. The warmth came in the morning because the stand faces the east, and it never did feel to beastly up there above the action.  

The judge is a nice lady, not that other judges aren't.  Last year's judge was as hypercritical as they come, complaining about trivial concerns caused by the indiscretions that happen when messages come mixed and often garbled through walkie talkies with three people sometimes talking at once.  She also didn't like music accompanying the classes. 

Like last year's judge, I wince and grind my teeth when things go wrong, even to the tiniest degree BUT people are generally at a horse show to have fun, and levity at times can make all the difference.

This year's judge wants to hear music,  and she loves a good tease.  This attitude all fits in to her strict sense of  discipline which involved coming an hour early, going over her expectations with horse show staff and even walking through the arena to see that no obstacle from a recent car competition would cause problems for horses.

That is a whole 'nother story.  The arena, built for horse events by horse people, has turned into a venue for demolition derbies and other car shows. That would not be such a problem except that its surface is seldom in the same condition after the car events.  In short, lots of pieces of junk left by the last car event were carried out there yesterday morning. 

And, some contestants, after riding in one class yesterday, threatened to go home if the surface didn't get worked up and watered more for better footing. They found the footing extremely hard, which is not safe for horses' legs.  In response to their complaints,  some changes had to be made in the class schedule to allow ample time for the tractor and the water truck.

The show went on and went well after that problem was addressed.  And, I thoroughly enjoyed myself except for the moment when I thought a class had ended and dropped the judging card clip, attached to a rope,  from above.  It almost landed on a horse's face, and that's precisely when I realized the previous class had not yet ended.  

The horse didn't seem to mind, and its rider told me I owed her a beer.

Today will be fun because Miss Lily will be shown in five classes this afternoon.  We've learned to set our sights high for Lily but to accept the fact that she may not be on the same page when it comes to behaving well enough to win a class.  She could win several IF she wants to, but we'll just have to wait and see what her mood is today. 

My sister Barbara will be showing her three-year-old Dusty in several classes today.  He won a first and second in two halter classes yesterday, so he's off to a good start.

After all that drivel, why is this a day of rest?

Well, I have no horses here at the Lovestead this morning.  So, there's no need to hurry outside to lead them to their pasture.  Lily and Lefty are at the Colburn ranch on an overnight stay, while Heather will remain at Roxane's training facility for the next month.

Added to that, the skies let loose with buckets of water last night, so the usual morning watering is not necessary.  

It always seems strange to me when I don't have work to do, but then I realize work will come back fast enough.  So, I'm just kinda enjoying a laid-back early part of the day.  And, it's nice.

If the paper comes on time, I'll take my time reading it, and then head off to the horse show.  Today at the end of the show they'll award a special belt buckle in memory of our dad Harold Tibbs, so it will be a neat day all the way around. 

Happy Sunday.  Stay cool.