Moving On and On and On
It’s been quite a day, well, weekend actually. No fun stuff with friends but lots of other doings.
Yesterday, I drove to a townhouse I thought might work for me in the future. It was the third one I’ve driven past to check out the location, traffic, and vibes. Yesterday I took Java with me to get her opinion.
We weren’t impressed with the townhouse complex — itsy-bitsy patios with no shade (I guess that’s to be expected), nothing you could call a yard, ugly exterior, and a garage just barely big enough for my Mini Cooper. They’ve all been like that. But this one was on a biking and walking trail system. Java and I followed a dirt packed trail through a pond area (lots of tadpoles that Java enjoyed stirring up) and a woodsy area.
We finally turned around when there was no end in sight. Had a nice conversation with a woman jogging who admired Java’s cuteness and soft fur. We’d gone for a walk in the Rum River Park earlier in the day, where a couple women also stopped to admire Java. I’ve heard of men using dogs as chick magnets. So far I’m getting the chicks, but no roosters.
Anyway, the townhouse is not my dream home but seemed like a nice area that we could live with temporarily. Ultimate goal is to have a place with our own fenced in yard for Java to play in.
Funny, I worry more about the effect of the change of living conditions on my animals than I do on myself. I guess because I understand what’s going on. I feel bad for them, because I can’t explain to them why they are going somewhere else.
After our walk, Java and I drove another 30 minutes farther west to check out a horse boarding facility on the Luce Line trail, which is a nice, long trail system for horses, bikes, dogs, and pedestrians (not all on the same trail). Unfortunately, the boarding facility looked overcrowded and run down. The paddocks were small and some didn’t have shelters for the horses to escape the bugs. Sigh… Keep looking.
I’m thinking when the house actually sells, I’ll put up posters at every feed and tack store, gas station and restaurant I can think of. “Homeless woman looking for a place to board two horses within riding distance of horse trails.” Okay, maybe I should leave out the homeless part lest I frighten someone.
So that’s where I am now. Less bummed out about losing H. More worried about the house going up for sale on July 1 and not knowing where the animals and I are going. Still looking for that door to open — keepin’ the faith that something will turn up when I need it.
For relaxation purposes, I baked some bread. I am so proud of this loaf! I have no idea what I did differently but there are some air holes this time! My previous loafs have tasted good but they’ve been awfully dense. Maybe it was just the warmer weather made the dough rise more.
This morning I went to church where the sermon series switched from “Don’t Give Up” to “Self-Help or God’s Help?”. Good message for someone like me that tries to do everything herself. I’ve caused myself a number of injuries that way.
But I’m learning to reach out and ask for help. Sometimes people respond and help, sometimes they are too busy. I understand. Just makes me think about the times I’ve been too busy and resolve to notice when people need a hand and do more, even when they say “No, I’m fine,” like people often do.
After church, I took Luke to the park and rode for a couple hours. Sorry, no photos. It’s a good thing I didn’t try to carry a camera because it was extremely windy today and goblins were hiding everywhere!
It’s funny how when a horse sees a branch sticking up from the ground, they seem to automatically assume it’s an alligator or snake, regardless of whether they have ever seen an alligator or snake in their entire life but have seen branches in the grass a bajillion times!
A couple spots had large branches blocking the path. The first one we ran into sent Luke into a spin slightly off the trail where he slammed my knee into a tree. I think it was a move something like this…
At least he didn’t run into the oncoming car. I’m not one to try and argue with a frightened horse. I got off and, without a backward glance at Luke, led him past the scary branch. The next blocking branch we ran into, Luke just walked past it, as I knew he would.
Besides a few flinches along the way, the rest of the ride was great! We did a lot of trotting and cantering, partially because we were being pursued by deer flies. There were some muddy spots from the rain we’ve had the last couple days. One downhill stretch that I pushed Luke to take turned out to be deeper and more slippery that I had planned. It was one of those “Oh, Oh” moments, but I was proud of how Luke managed to not fall.
Yes, all and all, a very relaxing weekend. Really, I do feel great. Love the cooler, less humid weather. Finally, a day without a humidity headache. Woo hoo!
And to top it off, I made an awesome burger for myself for dinner. Mixed the hamburger with Cajun seasoning, garlic, onion, pepper, and seasoned salt. Put it on my homemade bread and had some seasoned sweet potato chips on the side. Yummy!
And just to finish off with a touch of cuteness, here’s a photo of Shy and Java hangin together. Looks like they are trying awfully hard to ignore each other. Kind of looks like some old married couples…
I hope ya’ll had a wonderful weekend.
I hear you on the effect of the change of conditions on the animals, I do the same thing. I always worry more about them than myself. I should probably put myself first, but I can’t. My animals are my kids, and if I had actual kids, I would worry about them first too!
I hope you can find a good place to live, and boarding place for your horses. I always wonder why people board a horse at a facility that is not very nice. But everyone’s circumstances are different.
Your burger looked absolutely amazing!! We like to mix up hamburger with different seasonings too, they taste so much better than those prepared burgers! But I like how you put it on the homemade bread, oh I am starving now!
Love the picture of Shy and Java!
I think the poster idea for horse boarding is a very good one. People who have a small place or just room in their own stables aren’t going to advertise so you won’t know about them unless you spark their interest with a poster.
That bread looks excellent.
Wow– Shy looks just like Mike!
Deer flies make me homo (and everything else-o) -cidal.
If it’s roosters you’re after take up mountain biking. Seriously, you’ll be beating them off with a stick!
I worry about my bird’s well being before mine even when he bites me: )
Sue’s right about that mountain bike thing…she keeps running into men on the trails.
Hey your braed turned out beautifully….you could be a arteson baker! Not kidding! Dinner looks yummy too! Take care.
I sure hope that door opens for you so you can have a nice place to live. Is there half a house on some farm?
You make some nasty looking bread! That burger had to taste great and I LOVE sweet potato chips (you didn’t make them too, did you)?
Yes, the burger with the homemade bread tasted amazing, if I do say so myself.
PG – The thing with boarding is that you really never know what you are getting into until you’ve boarded there for awhile unless you know some one that already boards there and they recommend the place. I haven’t been very happy anywhere I’ve boarded. I’m hoping to find a private party or small barn versus a big boarding facility.
Ari – Yes, posters and word of mouth are probably my best bets.
Sue and Lynn – If I’m going to meet men, I want to be in one piece. I’ve seen the scrapes and bruises on Pam and Dan.
Lori – Nope, bought the sweet potato chips. But I also like to just bake sweet potatoes and eat them for a meal. I’m still keeping my eyes open for a house to rent rather than a townhouse. It’s hard to do a serious search until the house actually sells.
I bet your animals will have an easier time than you think. We’ve moved with our animals a couple of times, and the dogs didn’t seem to mind at all. I made sure to have their beds and crates out in the new house first, so that they had something familiar, and they were like, “hey! There’s our stuff! Cool!” They never missed a beat. the cats were a little nervous for a day or two, but adjusted very quickly. And the fish and turtles didn’t even soom to notice. :o)
to paraphrase john steinbeck.. here “it was the best of weekends it was the worst of weekends”.. sounds like you had your share of adventures too my friend
phil 4:13 🙂 🙂
gp