Hmm. Summer's.... gone?

Apparently it's September which comes with the added bonus of being able to wear sweaters and boots (boooooots!) - also comes with the distinct end of warm, sunshiney rides outside, and shows.  (boo to both).

After escaping over to Idaho for a few meetings and a few days of laying low by a river and playing at a rodeo I'm home again. And with just enough time to exchange the new breeches (Tredsteap, I'm obsessed) for a larger (boo) size before the show. 

sun streaming through the wildfire smoke....

Yesterday I trotted out to see the ponies and couldn't resist tacking up and going for a ride.  Prair was "supposed" to be having a day off so we just walked around the property, tootled through the trees and had fun going back and forth over the previously very scary ditch. 

I made myself not complain once about the "heat" or what passes for absolutely painful mugginess around here and just enjoyed a stroll on the big mare while the weather was still nice.  I feel like we have all the time in the world before the last (wah) show of the summer but I guess we really only have two more days.  S took the ride today, and I'll lesson Wed/Thurs, then we haul Fri. 

Damn.

Where did the season go? It seems shorter than usual - which I suppose is due in part to a serious fall wedding circuit that I'm not used to, but man time is just flying, and before we know it we'll be back in schooling mode and hunkering down for the winter. 

That train of thought got me thinking about what I want to do with the mare this winter and I realized that one of my goals for her is to see lots of crazy new things.  I'm thinking about getting back to the Mountain Trail clinic, or maybe trying to reschedule Sequim again for some Cowboy Man time along with more trails and the beach, etc.

We've had such a fun and rewarding show season I think it would be enjoyable to expand our relationship a bit more and grow confidence in some creative ways. Like.... maybe..... schooling some super teeny, tiny, baby cross country?

Maybe?

Who knows.  But it's on my list.... :)