A day to drink the sun

I finally decided to give in. I would do nothing of any value for the outside world yesterday. Instead, I would just go with my gut and remain outside drinking up the sunshine. My thirst was more than quenched.

At first, guilt kept telling me to do something productive, something that benefits someone besides yourself. That's often the driving goal in any day, but the weather weakend my resolve, keeping me from inside the house except to check in for calls or new mail. Neither of those tasks took much time.

So, I basked and irresponsibly so.

I snow shoed through the fields and made a visit to the God tree to give thanks for the blessing of sunshine and to ask for some blessings on friends in need.

I planted lettuce and radishes (a gamble, I know) in a big pot inside the greenhouse. If they grow, great. If not, I had hope, and I could plant again.

The horses got a workover. I finally found a place at the big barn doors where I could cross tie. Cross tying involves a lead rope snapped to either side of the halter and tied on both sides of the horse. It's handy for clipping, grooming, doctoring, etc.

Lefty tasted his first bit. I wanted to see what the driving headstall with its black patent blinders looked like, so after clipping his bridle path and ears, I introduced him to the headgear which will be a staple once he learns to pull things from behind.

He didn't care for the experience, and he spit the bit out a couple of times. But I gave him treats, hoping he would associate the bit with good eats.

I later led him out the driveway as Lily and Heather raced around and whinnied in fear that their "boy" might get more than 15 feet away. That's how it is with herd bound horses, especially in the winter time when nothing much happens. Anything so dramatic as a horse leaving the barnyard is big time stuff.

Next came Lily. We did some clipping and grooming. Then, I thought, "Why not saddle her up?" So, I did. I did not ride her, though, because as sunny and warm as the day happened to be, there's still too much ice on the driveway and the road.

So, we just walked up and down the driveway as Lefty and Heather raced around and whinnied in fear that their Queen Bee might get more than 15 feet away. That's how . . . .

Heather's grooming will have to wait. I won't clip her unless my sisters are around. She's sensible but still a little flighty, and it's nice to have other hands to help out as young, flighty horses get used to things like clipping and hoof trimming.

Laurie can vouch for that after her little guy's first experience with the farrier the other day. I heard that unsavory words were uttered by both my sister and Tom, the farrier, as Mr. Scout performed some unauthorized acrobatics.

With horses all back in their intimate barnyard setting, I locked the dogs in the garage, grabbed my camera and took off for a late afternoon walk. I get a bit redundant at announcing to the world how beautiful it is down our dirt road, but I won't apologize.

It's beautiful, and it's fun to capture the scenes at all hours of the day, all seasons of the year. Yesterday did not disappoint as the late afternoon sun cast its stroke over the fields, the buildings and the mountains.

I drank the sun yesterday, and I don't feel guilty. I don't feel guilty because this morning the fog is so thick I cannot see the mountains or even the trees in the back pasture.

So, the moral is: take it when it comes and appreciate. And, I hope you do enjoy the photos below.

Speaking of photos, my friend Diane Rice, editor of the Appaloosa Journal, has started a photography business in Moscow, Idaho. Check out her work and her nice photos at http://dianericephotos.blogspot.com/