Present!

I'm not the biggest fan of cold weather, but I cannot wait for a consistent Brr Factor. It was 70* yesterday and it's 55* today. Bobby was feeling the difference in a not particularly fun way. We went to the indoor to try to stay a little warmer (Why I felt the need to leave my sweatshirt at home when it was windy, wet, and chilly outside, I'm not sure....) and did another dressage school.

Warm up actually wasn't so bad. Pretty light and easy in the bridle, though we had to work for straightness and forward. Less than usual, but still a problem. We moved on to some transitions as Bobby tends to come back to the walk and let the motor die. So walk to trot whithout his head bouncing up, and then back down to the walk keeping the forward motion. We did this a few times before Bobby decided it was hard work--much too hard apparently.

He got fussier and fussier until he found something to spook at (someone getting in their car--gasp!). He jumped forward and tripped over his own feet which was, of course, reason enough to spook again. I pulled his head in towards my leg and he scooted over with his butt so fast he almost fell over sideways. I had enough split-second reaction skills to immediately let go and kick him forward, but I thought for sure I was going to go tumbling right off the side of him.

After that, it was no more Nice Mom. I got after him to shape up and do what I wanted and he slowly started to decompress and figure out that I wasn't out to torture him any more than usual. We finished with a pretty nice run through of our dressage test. Still a little wiggly down the centerline and diagnols, but way way waaay less than at Bucks last out.

from saturday.

But now it's time for the real fun. I came home from the barn and my whole house smelled like delicious roast beef in the crock pot simmering in a brown gravy mix. Yummmm. No, wait. That's not it. The UPS man stopped by and, after doling out cookies to my obnoxious dogs (I tell the him that if he didn't feed them their cookies in his truck then they probably wouldn't run up the steps every time he stops, but he just laughs it off.) he handed me a big express box. I was like, "Hmm. What's this?" Rattle rattle. And then I was like, "RED IS HERE!!!!!!!!!!!!"

ooh. ahh.

After oohing and aahing over the fancy wrapping and the gorgeous card enclosed, I carefully unwrapped it. And then I started bawling. Not in a, "I suck at riding and ponies" crying this time, but in a "This is the most amazing, gorgeous, there-are-not-enough-superlatives-in-the-world picture on the entire planet. I miss my Red Pony so much!"

photo of the photo by the artiste herself.

If you haven't gotten your own paper cut yet, get in contact with Niamh and order one. All I had to do was send her some pictures and tell her to work her magic. The picture doesn't do this thing justice. In real life, it's seriously like looking right at my pony face. The detail work is insane and the quality is unbeatable.

So thank you, Niamh! Red is going next to the original picture in the place of honor on my dresser.