Staycation

It's been a couple of weeks! I needed a time out, and while a staycation is never going to be an all out break (horses and property maintenance don't get days off) it was really nice to put some responsibilities on hold. 

This was a nice day. Looking towards Vancouver Island way in the distance

The horses are spending a lot of time in their second field, which makes keeping them in summer just that little bit easier. I'll retract that statement once it comes time to mow and harrow, but for now the decreased poo picking and hay bag making is a nice reprieve. 

Happy vacation summer camp ponies

Although, after the experience of owning Bridget, I should have known better. Someone ruined the summer camp field fun for everyone for a few days and forced me to fence this area off with electric. Google had made me aware of the risks of wild cherries but I have never had a horse interested in consuming all parts of fruit and tree (or any of it to be honest). That changed. Luckily the worst of it was a pushed over gatepost and a cleanout of the neighbour's tree (because yes of course you have an unlimited grass buffet but that cherry tree in the neighbour's yard is all you want in life) and some explosive diarrhea for a couple of days. Horses. Such stress free creatures. 

Name and shame. That's Buck stripping my apple tree of leaves. Also a no-no and now he's banned from this area too. If he had his way he'd just browse trees like a deer. It's the weirdest thing, grass is his least favorite food - give him a good tree or some random hedging and he's happy.

Exhibit C. Willow also features as one of his must have trees but is horse friendly. Actually scratch that, this is the tree Sophie managed to run head first into.

looping her into the tree associated shame spiral. She's got a VERY large lump on her forehead now that I'm told should shrink over time, but I'm not ready to show it on the internet. She looks like a really extreme Arabian or something.

Anyway. Despite their antics, my equine mowing crew is in high demand this year, so they have two more fields to graze. The next one is just two driveways down from the current, and actually one I leased many years ago. It is set up for horses and comes with a shelter and auto waterers (and the sole tree is fenced off - yay!), so I might be tempted to just leave them there overnights. We explored purchasing further land in the neighborhood last fall but the deal kind of fell apart and now I'm feeling like maybe it was meant to be. The ponies have more grazing than they can handle this year. We do a fall mow and tidy of the spaces as an extra thank you so everyone is happy. Now word has got around to all the people who bought little acreages in the area but didn't realize the amount of yard maintenance required if you don't actually own livestock or make hay - so I've got a waitlist :).

Mowing is such hard work though, is tired, wants hay now.

For the actual staycation G and I took some day trips to local spots, ate out a lot, and played tourist. There's a lovely island a short ferry ride away that's like stepping back in time 50 years. Every time we visit I am SO tempted to find a nice piece of land to purchase - the riding opportunities would be incredible there. Never mind I'd basically be at the end of the world as far as practical things like groceries...or internet.  You can get me away from my horses, but eyeing up all the quiet fields and unpaved roads for creating beach rides, hacking routes and cross country courses in my mind is a lifestyle. 

so pretty and peaceful

more local beach that I do need to add to bucket list rides one winter

As a very tourist-y bonus, our ferry rides turned into free whale watching tours. Seeing actual results of environmental protections in this lifetime made me kind of emotional, honestly. We saw too many whales to count and it was so incredible.

Next time I will bring the good camera. For now you'll just have to trust my cell phone pic of a far away whale and trust there was a whole pod of humpback whales and it was so amazing I didn't even think to take a picture.

Self improvement plans continue to progress this summer, which makes me incredibly happy. I had set myself some out of saddle riding goals (primarily just to regain lost cardio/balance/overall fitness but honestly I had hope that the scale might be a little friendlier as a bonus). It's been a super rough couple of years outside of horses and that took a mental and physical toll, unfortunately. But, I'm getting there. The scale is friendlier these days, I enjoy being more active again (fingers crossed my body continues to be onside - I feel superstitious about assuming and am still in the wildly appreciative stage) and keeping a healthy balance feels more attainable. The cob boys are going to be much bigger than Sophie and well able to carry an average sized rider, so I'm hopeful with that and my revived activity levels I can put the obsession with the scale to bed and just focus on being fit and healthy and enjoying riding.

They are already quite a bit bigger than Sophie. She still is the boss of everyone, it just looks more ridiculous now (and witchy mare faces make it impossible to line up anyone close to her for nice photos or direct comparisons lol) 

The hair! G says all horse 'haircuts' look dumb, and Buck *technically* belongs to him, so we're rocking the flow while I make vague threats with scissors and making G responsible for learning to braid one day.

Reggie also blessed by the hair gods, but I can't handle it and he gets tidied a little more.

Anyway, kind of a case of not too much excitement happening in this part of the woods, but almost all of it the past while being good things. 

Do you see the deer? This deer basically lives with us every summer and frequently puts my horse training goals to shame. Yes, that's her hanging out with the sprinkler running. The same sprinkler the boys are absolutely horrified by and cannot go within 200' of every.single.evening. (Reggie is also still wildly overwhelmed by the magic of how the ground IS WET HERE BUT IT WAS DRY OVER THERE every time I lead him over the newly watered ring lol)

Either the world's chillest deer, or my horses are not as domesticated as one would hope. Sadly, if they've learned anything from her it is the eating of trees and shrubs horses/deer should not like.

Upcoming, I do have a rescheduled groundwork clinic and camping trip for the boys in the calendar. It's at a different location than the usual, so yay for new adventures! Plus I have some more annual leave booked for other staycation adventures. I'm in a fun place mentally where I really miss riding goals and am refreshed and excited to get back at it soon, but I'm having so much fun with non horsey things this summer that my time still feels very well spent. Waiting a little longer for my body (and the cob boys! They're three next spring!) to be ready doesn't feel like too much of a hardship.

Why are we not surprised he thought the Dairy Queen burger would be 1. for him 2. an absolutely appropriate meal for him to eat. All of my horses are absolutely ridiculous pets (and I love them all)