Saturday, August 23, 2014

Random Saturday

1.  Its been a crazy week at work; the kind that leaves you exhausted at the end of the day and barely able to function.  I do the evening chores, make something for dinner (grilled cheese anyone?), and collapse in bed.  Brett was convinced that I was angry with him all week.  I promised that once the work project was completed, I would be a nicer person.  We finished it up Friday afternoon.  That elephant is no longer riding on my shoulders.

2.  We didn't have grilled cheese every night.  I did cook a couple of evenings.  One of my "go to" quick weeknight dinner: California clam bake -- clams, corn and linguine.

3.  I finally had a chance to ride Lucy this morning.  In June and July, I was averaging four rides on her per week.  August has been one, maybe two.  Weekends only.  Between the shortened days and Brett's surgery, I just can't ride during the week anymore.  This morning I rode Lucy mid-morning after hitting the farmers market.  It was hot and the flies were out.  Lucy is in heat and pooped four times at the tie rail -- in the 15 minutes it took me to groom and saddle her.  She pooped again in the arena. I grabbed my fecal collection vial and took a sample (light load so I'll worm her).  The flies were biting when we started so she was very distracted, twitchy, and hoppy.  We moved into trot to escape the flies and she settled.  It was a short ride, we're not in the best of shape and the sun was beating down.  Afterwards, I doused her thoroughly in fly repellent (we use a repellent, not an insecticide) and turned her back out in the pasture with Pistol.  The two of them stood together under the trees most of the day.

4.  Even though the days are hot, autumn is coming.  I feel it in the cool -- almost cold -- nights; in the afternoon breeze; in the acorns starting to fall; and the woodpeckers pounding on the house siding.  At the farmers market, apples and pears are mingling with the last of the peaches and plums.

5.  Brett continues to gather strength and heal.  The staples were removed from his suture yesterday.  He still spends most of the day with his knee elevated and the ice machine plugging away.  We go through a ten pound bag of ice every day.  Brett comes outside with me in the mornings to help with chores.  He feeds the dog, the goats and gives hay to the horses.  Then he walks down the driveway, out the front gate, to the mailbox where he picks up the paper.  By the time I get home in the evening, he's tired and sore.  But he is making progress.  The biggest hindrances are swelling and stamina.  I remind him that it took months to come back last time but, well, he's impatient.  There's a song that plays over and over in my head, watching him: the Village People "macho, macho man; I want to be a macho man" -- sing with me!  You know the words.

4 comments:

  1. There is no doubt about it...there's a lot more work for you until Brett is back to normal. You are not kidding about that macho, macho stuff. As long as he is overdoing it he is going to have more swelling, soreness and feel tired. Does he remember that those muscles have to tighten up around his new knee so it will stay where it belongs? I hope he is using his cane. Don't want him to prolong his recovery.... As for you and Lucy, the cooler weather will help and I'm sure the groove will come back. You are way ahead of us in the fruit department and the dinner you posted was picture perfect.
    Our friends really baled me out at the beginning of my recovery with many meals. I'm sure Gary appreciated it. Hang in there.

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  2. Brett's impatience sounds familiar. Heaven help me if Ed ever needs to replace his knee. I may have to get some horse tranquillizer for him!

    have you thought about putting lights in the ring so you can ride in the cooler evenings?

    It's getting to be 'fall-ish' here too so the flies seem to be in a biting frenzy.

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  3. yes, men are stubborn - some more than others. :)

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  4. Hang in there you two. I can certainly relate to work cutting in to the more important stuff this month. Enjoy what you can of late summer for this too shall pass.

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Thanks so much for commenting!