I missed my helpers this morning.
Instead of six on three, it was one on three. Now I must admit that three horses don't really need six people to get them to pasture, but the ratio worked out okay yesterday morning.
The visitors loved their farm chores.
It was especially neat when we casually drove the horses down the lane, prompting them every so often when they stopped to take a big bite of grass.
When the horses had just about reached the gateway to the hay field, I told my gang of five new friends to hurry.
They did.
Then, for about a minute or so, they watched as the three horses put on a spectacular show in the morning sunlight.
They raced across the field kicking out every so often. They reared wildly in the air, snorted and demonstrated exactly why I still really enjoy my horses even though I don't ride them often.
Happy to inject, though, that I did climb aboard Lily on Sunday afternoon, and my sore knee did just fine.
"They sure do look pretty in the field," I often tell people, noting my lifetime progression of sneaking off with a friend to race down country roads to trying my lame luck in horse shows and then moving on to trail riding prior to reaching this point.
This morning, the horses apparently knew they had no audience except for me, so they casually ambled down the pathway across the field.
On my way back down the lane, feeling a tinge of nostalgia from our busy, fun-filled weekend, I texted the ladies and asked if they were on the road.
Sure enough they were, having left Baker, Mont., where they stayed on a ranch last night, and calculating that they had 14 hours to HOME in the Chicago area.
Yesterday after their departure, Bill and I talked about how the rest of the summer could be relatively quiet compared to the first couple of months.
Yet, we both know that life around here is unpredictable, so we'll be ready to kick in to gear for any upcoming surprises.
For now, we both enjoyed a rather mundane day yesterday which was topped off by a calming rain. In late afternoon, I did go to my second physical therapy session.
I must say this is a first in life: now I can refer in conversation to "my therapist."
Happily, she's focusing on my knee and not yet on my head. Still, if she helps me get my knee back in working and painless order, that will be very good for my head.
Things are wet out there this morning, and the Lovestead is quiet.
I took my time with morning chores, knowing that I would not have to drag hoses for watering.
Then, Bridie and I spent some time walking through one of the pastures.
It's a good feeling to slow down and rid oneself of the constant urgency for the "next thing."
And, so that's what I'll do: watch some Olympics, pick a weed or two and just enjoy smelling the flowers.
I'll also enjoy having time to reflect all the wonderful segments of this summer when have continually reminded us of how blessed we are.
Most of my flower photos today were taken yesterday after my appointment, which was in a building next to the hospital's healing garden.
It's a beautiful place, thanks to Mary Ann Jeffres and other volunteers.
Enjoy the photos.
Also, I've included a rather famous and beautiful song by Bette Midler. Its lyrics offer a pretty simple but meaningful mantra about life.
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