This and That and Ridin' Lefty

Nothing really special about these photos except that they were taken from the back of my little Arabian gelding Lefty.

Nice to have him to a stage where I can carry my big camera and stop every so often to snap a photo. 

Fans are going at 5:20 a.m. and not doing much good at cooling the air.  We're supposed to reach the high 80s today with a "real feel" at 93.  

Right now, it's 56 with a "real feel" of about 70. 

I see our intense heat wave---earlier forecast to run through early next week---has been modified to two or three days.  Good news. 

Yesterday we had a breeze and clouds for most of the day, which was good because I spent a couple of hours shoveling P-gravel from the back of our pickup to the dog run.

"Digger" Liam has turned a good portion of the run into a series of deep trenches, causing humans to carefully pick their steps when luring the doggies to "biscuit time."  

"Biscuit time" gets our pups to the run, while "report" gets them to the garage.  

Anyway, I've walked through that trench-field gauntlet enough times that I decided it was time to bring in some gravel----not only for safety sake but also in hopes that doggie paws and legs from digging would not be quite so mucked up on rainy days.

The dog run looks better and safer, even though one hole had been dug up again by the time I let the dogs out of the run last evening. At least, it's sand, not dirt!

Yesterday's pleasant breeze also gave me an opportunity to saddle up Lefty.  We enjoyed a nice ride 'cept for the instant when a deer bounded out of the tall grass right in front of us and when Lefty decided he didn't like the chain saw Bill was using in the woods to cut firewood. 

The good part of both incidents is that, even as an old coot, I have discovered through these distractions that I can still stay on when my horse suddenly bolts or wheels around. And, knowing that gives me more confidence. 

Amazing how at almost 70 and with a lifetime of experience aboard a horse, one can conjure up more than enough anxiety. 

After reading an article recently by a lady who has developed a strong sense of fear toward taking off on a trail ride, I have found that I'm not alone.  

Folks with a long history of riding to can develop a healthy sense of fear for two reasons: we are keenly aware of the infinite possibilities of bad things that can happen beneath our saddle when something suddenly spooks our horses and even more importantly, we know how long it's gonna take to recuperate should we hit the ground. 

For many of us oldsters, the young and carefree days of giddy-upping and racing full bore across fields have been replaced by a strong desire for our horse to stick strictly to a flat-footed walk, thank you. 

Still, the occasional distractions can cause even the most seasoned of horses to react, and when that happens, it's comforting to know we can stay in the saddle.  

I'm hoping I can stay in the saddle today when we're going on a longer ride, an actual trail ride up north of Sandpoint with other family members.  It's in a shaded area, so the heat shouldn't be too bad.

Guess that's all for now.  It should be a fun day ahead.  Happy Wednesday.