Slogging Along in Selle

Every once in a while a picture comes along which I think would make a perfect scene for a jigsaw puzzle. 

The one above is one of those. 

I was visiting with my sisters yesterday afternoon, mainly to pass some more quality time while waiting impatiently for the long-awaited and still promised week of dry, warmer weather.

We can do this, I thought over the past weekend for the umpteenth time during this so-called spring:  just make it through Tuesday and then the slop and outdoor misery will gradually become a memory. 

So, I've been finding productive ways or even having ways fall into my lap which provide distractions while waiting.  After all, when you clean horse stalls twice daily, that takes up time.  

Yesterday's prime time-taker-upper involved removing and coiling up a long stetch of electric wire which has been dangling along a fence line which we never use.  

That was a fun project, especially because the fence line runs through in our south woods along Love Canal, also the part of the woods where the dogs can play. 

Occasionally, I'd stop working with wire to watch Liam and Foster race at high speeds in huge circles around the wooded area in a catch-me-if-you-can mission.  

After about five or six rounds, only when Liam finally needed a breath, he'd collapse to rest, so I'd go back to my wire. 

Anyway, back to the photo above. 

It rained most of the day yesterday.  I'm sure that's not news to all you patient readers, but in the midst of that 70-90-percent all-day rainfall, the sun would suddenly appear, often hanging around for maybe 30 seconds.

Whenever that happened during my visit with Barbara and Laurie, our conversation would cease briefly while we looked out the window to behold the beautiful bright interlude. 

After two or three sun visits and plenty of conversation,the next time it showed up, I quickly stood up, announced I was leaving and raced to the car, hoping fervently that the sunshine would please just stay around until I could drive down Center Valley Road.

By golly, it did, and when I pulled up to the striking scene above, I rolled down the window and commenced to shooting photos. 

How lovely a sight could that be on such a miserable day, and, in my mind, a perfect jigsaw scene. 

It's the "little things . . . ," and that brief moment of rural Heaven truly helped make my day of waiting. 

Later, I enjoyed another entertaining scene after pulling into the driveway. 

When the rain had stopped about 11 a.m., I put the horses outside and decided that this time Lily could go to the water-logged but still not muddy round pen, while Lefty and CB could deal with the barnyard muck. 

It would be a good day for little CB to get acquainted with those surroundings because, when and if it ever dries out, he'll be spending a lot of time in the big pen. 

CB likes to chew on wood, so I plugged in the electric fence after turning him out.  It took him a couple of times to realize that the wood on the fence bites back. 

So, then he just slogged along his way, sniffing virtually every square inch of slop within the enclosure.   

Apparently, it took a while for the little guy to discover the big muddy lake in front of the barnyard shelter (which, by the way, he has already dined on).

Like all young guys, CB found that, at times, it can be great fun playing in the mud, especially when the stuff splashes. 

He spent about ten minutes moving around and checking out the muddy lake, stopping to paw and then watching the water splash in his face.

Meanwhile, Liam, the digger dog, has been playing in the mud for some time---mainly that which he has created from digging along the roots of the big trees in the yard while squirrels torment him from above. 

So, I've posted a photo of him after yesterday's squirrel sessions just to show why we have the doggie bathing session every afternoon before Liam and Foster are allowed back in the house.  

Liam loves his baths enough that I'm wondering if he digs in the mud just to ensure that they keep happening on a daily basis. NOT!

As soon as it dries out, that afternoon ritual will end!

In the evening, the rain stopped long enough for me to walk down the road and catch a few more photos.  I regretted not being closer when a coyote crossed the road in front of me, passing from Gary Finney's farm to the Meserve Preserve.

This morning----no pictures cuz I refuse to take them, it's snowing and I've had to clean off the satellite dish once and may have to again before posting. 

They say we're just hours away from a reward for these many weeks of frustration.  So, go ahead and snow! 

After all, I'm holding the weather folks to their promise----so much so, in fact, that if nothing changes weatherwise tomorrow, this blog will be blank, and it will stay that way until spring really happens for more than an hour here in Selle. 

So there!

Happy Tuesday.