Saturday Slightly Lovely

Bill and I spent the afternoon driving to and from Spokane yesterday to bring Lefty and Lily home.  Monty rode Lily while we were there.  She performs beautifully and willingly.

He has also worked with her almost daily, trying to get her over her fear of electric clippers.  He has managed to clip her ears for the first time since she left Oklahoma seven years ago, and her face looks quite elegant up close and personal.

It's a slow process convincing an animal that the clipping job is not going to hurt them.  We suspect that something happened when she was younger and being shown all the time.  For some reason, just the sight of clippers sets Lily off.

Yesterday, however, she was reluctant but somewhat cooperative.  So, I'll keep the gradual process going.  Maybe some day Lily will follow me around the barnyard, begging for a clip job, much like my Rambo and Casey used to do.

It's kinda sad because they loved their clip jobs; couldn't get enough of them, in fact.

Lefty's pal Madison was there when we picked up the horses.  She seemed a bit sad to see Lefty go as she rode him almost every day and, "I like his lope," she told us.

I thanked Madison for doing exactly what I wanted with from Lefty:  kid proof.

Both horses loaded quietly and willingly into the trailer and walked out quietly and willingly to their barnyard where that young grass appeared growing around the barnyard appeared to be "Yum, Yum."

Nice to have them home. 

A little frost on the petals, but that's not deterring these perennial blossoms from brightening up the front yard. 

The Lovestead animal kingdom is copacetic on this fine Saturday morning.  Horses are home.  Dogs have jobs.  Festus, the kitty, can escape dogs looking for a job.  And, robins’ red breasts are expanding.

 

It’s the ultimate of spring days with crystalline and delicately beautiful reminders of winter’s last frosty grip.

This day before Easter will see outdoor busyness here in Selle, as dogs will run the barnyard fence, making sure those horses behave themselves, and humans work away at spring tasks.

My list today includes a trip to a greenhouse to pick up some potted and blossoming pansies. Except for the perennial shrubs and daffodils bloomin’ those bright yellow petals and a few purple crocuses, the pansies will serve as the first blast of full color for the deck area.

Grass is growing.  The horses like that, and I see work.  

I’ll probably mow some sections of lawn this weekend with our big riding Craftsman, which is due for replacement the first of the week with one of those Husqvarna Zero Turn machines WITH A BAG.

I’ve decided that my well-used raking arms need a break, so if the bag will pick up the mulch and the leaves in the fall, many hours of repetition can be saved.

Anyway, it’s a gorgeous Saturday with birds singing, grass growing greener and flowers blooming AND a copacetic animal kingdom.

Doesn’t get any better than that!  Happy Saturday.