June 30, 2013

Where I Remember Why I Live Where I Do

It's been a long day.

Running late as usual, I scurried up to the farm to pick up Encore so we could head north for our clinic (see previous post).  The air was the classic Carolina "air you can wear" and I was wet as a fish after filling a few ziplocs with feed and opening the trailer doors.  Ah, summer.

Gathering Encore and hugging Solo goodbye, something caught my eye as we began walking down the hill.

"Waaaait a minute," I told my horse.  "Show me both of your front shoes!"

Alas, there was only one.  I did a quick walk of their paddock while calling my friend in Maryland to see if she could line up a farrier before we rode on Monday.  As per usual, the shoe was nowhere to be seen (I swear he picks them up and hurls them out of the field) but the farrier was successfully wrangled into meeting me Monday  morning.  Ah, horses.

Loaded up, we headed north, aimed at Richmond, Fredericksburg, DC, and then Maryland.  Naturally, we made it allllmost to Fredericksburg before traffic slowed to a crawl.  It's been several years since I've had to deal with any real traffic, I forgot that 47 gazillion people live up here.  Ah, cities.

I found an alternate route and picked my way around the morass that is DC and its environs.  It turned a 4.5-hour haul into a 6-hour one, but we arrived safely and Encore, the traveling pro that he is, hopped off the trailer, glanced over the premises for two seconds, and dropped his head to graze with a sigh.  Ah, those crazy Thoroughbreds.

He is tucked in for the night and I have thoroughly enjoyed a shower and REAL FOOD!!!  I'm again lodging with friend Beth, who lives not far from Waredaca, where I volunteer at the fall T3DE/N3DE.  We'll be riding there during the clinic on XC day -- I will finally get to live part of my goal to ride that course!  Beth is off picking Eric Smiley up from the airport, as he will be bunked with us as well.  Meanwhile, I will sit enthralled in front of her enormogigantus saltwater aquarium watching the butterfly fish chase each other.  Ah, pretend life.

2 comments:

  1. Enjoy it - sounds like bliss...well once you got around the traffic and Cinderella toes losing a shoe.
    Hope you've a great clinic, was reading about Mr Smilie after your last post, he sounds like a legend. I'm sure you'll learn bucket-loads!

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  2. Thanks! It's been a lot of fun so far -- I can't wait to start jumping! Eric is fantastic, approachable, clear, funny, and shares his deep understanding of the sport so well.

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