Better Part of Sunday

A week ago was not a spa weekend. Glad he felt better this weekend.

I've written a lot about last Sunday. It was not a good night. But I need to remember that it was a very good afternoon.

I went out to see Julian, who had so many burrs I thought I'd be there de-burring all night. In fact, a little (or a lot) of Show Sheen, a sturdy horse comb, and a sturdy tree make it all go much faster--even with his long tail and forelock 10 feet out of my reach.

The lighter-colored horses were all afflicted too, of course, and having just seen all these pics of Eddie Fisher and Debby Reynolds on-line, these horses' forelocks all reminded me of Debbie Reynolds signature bangs. Joke was lost on the horses, of course.

After freeing my guy from his entanglements, I moved him to the adjacent field, which is more of a wide-open expanse with room to run. I've long grown tired of the fight to tack him, so I swung up bareback (with mounting block--I'm not Catwoman) with his Parelli halter and lead tied as reins. I brought along my "carrot stick," the light training rod everyone who doesn't believe in Parelli makes fun of, for direction, and that worked great until I reached the bottom of the field and, you guessed it, dropped it. Insert expletives here. Julian actually played with it for a moment and had I NOT needed to get it back, he would have lifted it up so I could reach it. That didn't happen, of course, so I slid off, got my stick, and proceeded to hike back up the hill to my mounting block.

Next time around I just laced the carrot stick string around my wrist as a make-shift crop and we started over.

We had a really good ride, though he wasn't as up for running as much as usual. So we trotted as much as I thought my discs could take, and cantered as much as he would take. Then we cooled off a bit and we entered Zen territory. You see, this time I brought my iPod. What a difference a little music makes. He found a good spot to graze in the sun, I scooted my seat back as far as possible and laid down on his back, resting my chin between his large shoulder blades (withers), interlacing my fingers in what's left of his mane. Then kept nodding off to Jimi Hendrix "Sky Cries Mary", some mesmerizing Minus the Bear, and this great one from the Indigo Girls, which I now see happened to be quite prophetic.

Secure Yourself by Indigo Girls

Words and Music: Amy Ray

Secure yourself to heaven hold on tight the night has come
Fasten up your earthly burdens, you have just begun

In the ink of the night I saw you bleed, through the thunder I could hear you
scream
Solid to the air I breathe, open-eyed and fast asleep
Falling softly as the rain, no footsteps ringing in your ear
Ragged down worn to the skin, warrior raging have no fear

Secure yourself to heaven hold on tight the night has come
Fasten up your earthly burdens, you have just begun

I'm kneeling down with broken prayers hearts and bones from days of youth
Restless with an angel's wing I dig a grave to bury you
No feet to fall you need no ground, allowed to glide right through the sun
Released from circles guarded tight, now we all are chosen ones

Secure yourself to heaven hold on tight the night has come
Fasten up your earthly burdens, you have just begun

Secure yourself to heaven hold on tight the night has come
Fasten up your earthly burdens, you have just begun

In the ink of the night I saw you bleed through the thunder I could hear you
scream
Solid to the air I breathe, open-eyed and fast asleep
Falling softly as the rain, no footsteps ringing in your ears
Ragged down worn to the skin, warrior raging have no fear

Secure yourself to heaven hold on tight the night has come
Fasten up your earthly burdens, you have just begun

So I just want to thank Julian for a wonderful spa treatment that was probably exactly what I needed before the dog shit hit the fan at home.

Didn't wear my helmet at the ranch--should have worn it to walk the dogs...