Zippity-do-dah

Goodness grief has it been HOT around here the past two days!  I think we beat a temperature record from 1919 yesterday - old record @ 92 degrees and we were slated to reach 95.  Ack!  When you consider how close 95 is to 100 it makes it seem even more miserable!

Monday zip-lining was fun despite the heat though.

Mom really enjoyed herself minus the 30+ foot rappel at the end.  She really didn't like the lack of control (guides lowered us via a belay spool).  I had fun, too.  Granted, I think a zip-lining experience outside of my first one will be hard to top since my first was a canopy tour in Costa Rica with lines nearly a quarter mile long & 300+ feet in the air...  But this one was cool all the same.  Nice to chill out in the shade, bounce on bridges, and meet new people.

One of our guides talked me into going back for the Via Ferrata sometime with the promise of "Oops, what's this 70 meter rope doing here?  Oh well, we better go climb..." since its a private area and typically I wouldn't be able to climb there.  So I'm kind of excited for that prospect later in the summer.

So my poor horse has super screwy feet currently.  His right hind has an open abscess or maybe just a hole in it - uncertain which.  And his right front has a cut in the heel bulb area from clipping himself.  AND his thrush is just not getting better with the methods I was pursuing it with so we've moved on to the next method.  Needless to say the poor guy is all poulticed up with different remedies (a separate one for his right hind) and booted up in the field.  His red boots DO look rather nice though!  (White bell boots due to his long hind toes clipping his feet in the front currently...)

While I won't be riding him until Sunday at the earliest, I did suit him up in his breast plate to see the effect.  (Ignore his silly fly mask in this photo.)

Shedding out, muscling up, gaining weight - getting to be quite the handsome man!

After playing doctor for Orion I headed out to see Stan for the first time in about a year.  I feel bad not getting out there more, but he's not my horse and I always feel as if I'm intruding - even though I know no one else is riding him much.  It was SO awesome to ride him.  He's SO much bigger than Orion.  Nearly four inches taller and two or three hundred pounds heavier.  I never realized how big he was.  He's gained weight,  too.  Not in his belly, but his ass is massive now.  Looks more like his quarter horse relatives than his thoroughbred ones.  Big ole quarter horse.

Orion on the left, Stan on the right.  Big size difference.  Orion needs to gain some weight!

Monday I surrender myself to the real world.  I'm really not looking forward to it, but it's happening whether I'm ready or not.  A few more days of freedom and fun - then I'm livin' for the weekends.  I'm sure I'll settle into my schedule, but I'm not ready yet.  I'm headed to Morgantown for some fun in the sun & water.  A few more days to enjoy it all - and work on this tan thing I seem to have going on, SUPER STRANGE! 

I hope your weekend is full of fun in the sun, as well!