Rain, Mist and a Cleaning Frenzy

No Excuses


It was a bit misty all day, not raining, really, so I have no excuse for not riding except that I was too tired to go back out after I fed. I guess it's just a lack of true motivation combined with a full day of very engaged teaching.


I also hiked the length of the school building several times because I took my car down to the auto mechanics shop so they could run a diagnostic of the computer to find out why I was getting a check engine light on. First, I do believe the full circuit of the building has been clocked at a quarter mile, so my journey from one end to the other and back was a rather long walk on not so good knees. But I can't complain, essentially, because it's one of the perks of teaching in a vocational/technical high school. The diagnostic check at a garage would have cost as much as $100 or more.


My car was showing a gas vapor leak which might have been caused by a loose gas cap. At any rate, the students reset the computer and hopefully it will be fine. However, I did learn it might take a week or more for the light to come on again if there is a vapor leak somewhere that needs tending. Apparently the computer program runs random checks of the car's emission systems and there is no predictable pattern. This kind of stuff fascinates me, actually as I love to know how things work. If the light comes on again, the teacher said the first thing we'd do is get a new gas tank cap, as that is likely where the leak would be.


Anyhow, when I got home, I told myself I'd go back out after the Boys were done eating and do something, but I crashed in the house instead. Then inspired by guilt at now having worked a horse, I decided to do some housecleaning. This is going to take a long time to do properly. At any rate, I did sort out a lot of mail/papers that have been accumulating and I started sorting some clothes as well.

The Boys seemed quite happy when I got home. They were all in the front paddock and when I stopped the car to get the mail, Tucker marched over to the fence. There is a patch of lawn there where the grass is thick and showing some signs of green. I picked some grass for the Boys the other day and seem to have started a new tradition. I had to pick grass for each of them today as well. If they are in that paddock tomorrow when I come home, I will know I have been marked as a source of a nice treat before dinner--kind of an appetizer. Salad?

Tucker was first in line for the grass, but when Toby hurried over I had to feed him first--alpha horse syndrome. Chance hung back but I tossed him some and as long as there were some piles around, he was able to eat. Once it was down to the last blades, Tucker "snarled" at him and the kid trotted off. No big deal as the next step was for me to serve dinner, so no one went hungry for long.

I'd left a lot of hay out this morning and from the looks of it, most of it was eaten. When I left for school, Chance was chowing down on a pile outside. I keep remembering the comments about his eating habits that came with him when I adopted him, "Not much of a hay eater." Maybe they didn't have the kind of hay he likes because here, he never misses an opportunity to have some. And in the morning, he really loves his alfalfa cubes.

I had a good rehearsal last night...eventually. Despite my having practiced the music on my own, once I started singing with the organ, I started losing ground. My director is a patient saint with me, thank goodness, and we both kind of agreed that the piece is far easier to learn with all three parts at once since they so closely relate to each other. However, by the end of the session I had a pretty good grasp of my part. Tonight I practiced it with some of the YouTube versions, nearly all sung at different tempos. I just have one little place left where I'm not entirely confident of the notes, but I'll master it soon.

And maybe, just maybe, I'll find the energy to ride too.