In which we go outside and get really wet...but not very tired

Despite some VERY soggy weather

Patty and Shade, Sirie and Arianna, wet but still riding

it's been a good week.  We usually ride on Thursdays, unless the rain comes down sideways.  Sometimes even if the rain comes down sideways we ride, but it's been coming straight down recently, so we've been riding.

Fiddle loves to run up "her" hill, even in the rain.

Riding lessons would be no fun in the rain, so it's fortunate that there's a covered arena available. 

"Here, hold the cat while I tighten Hana's girth for you."

Duana and I went for a lesson on Friday.

Practicing the canter.  Hana is good at this.

I got some good pictures of her and Hana, but , although she remembered to bring her camera, it stayed in a pocket someplace.  Sigh.  I love her anyhow.

"Here, hold this pitbull while I fix your bridle."

It's nice to see that Fiddle's dog-hating ways haven't influenced Hana negatively.

Rhetta is the nicest dog!

On Sunday, Duana and her husband Jason came up to visit the farm with their lovely dog Selah, and we all went for a "hike."

Selah and Pickles on the Boulder River trail

I consider an outing of less than 6 miles a "walk".  But I did carry my hydration pack and a few snacks, so I guess it was a "hike" of sorts.  Also, we were on a trail, not a sidewalk.

Lisa and Mimsy

It was sooooo pretty.

Jim and Will

Really wet, though.  Every time I took off my coat, the rain would dump down.

At least it wasn't cold. 

Duana, Jason, and Selah

I made better clothing choices this time than I made at the Bare Bones ride.   The purple shirt is synthetic...in fact, it's the shirt I used to ride in when I was riding distances longer than 50 miles.

Aarene and Pickles Marie

 Nice to see that the purple shirt still works (and still fits)!

Waterfall into the Boulder River

Here's the thing about Swampland trails:  they may be wet...

River below the trail

...but they are  pretty, too.

After about 2 miles of uphill walking and 2 miles back to the truck, Lisa asked me a question:

"Don't you ever get tired?"

I actually had to think about that for a while.  Get tired?  From walking?  Or riding?  Or working? 

Actually, no. 

The thing about riding endurance is that doing it will teach you just how far you can go.  And that, although you may get hungry, thirsty, sunburned, frozen, and grouchy, there's still a little farther that you can go if you need to go there. 

It's like pain.  When I studied karate, I learned how much a broken finger hurts...and I learned how long it takes to heal.  After I'd broken a few fingers, I stopped worrying that the pain would go on forever, because I knew it wouldn't. 

With fatigue, as with pain, I know how far I can go: VERY far. 

Farther than I usually need to go.  I know I can't go on forever, but I know that I can go really, really far...and since I know that, I don't spend time or energy worrying about how far I can go. 

If you don't worry, you can go farther, and you aren't bothered by fatigue or pain.  I know it sounds crazy, but it really works.  The fear that the fatigue or pain will go on forever is much more difficult to bear than the actual fatigue or pain.  So, if you aren't afraid, it's not that difficult.

Sunbreak!  Quick, take a picture!

This was Pickles' second trail walk.  The first was a 1.5 mile stroll on a "handicap accessible" trail when we were camping at Elbe.  She learned the basics, and tired herself out--she'd only been with us for a week at that point, and had very little strength.

Pickles Marie and her polarfleece superhero cape--it  keeps her bum warm!

On this walk, she refined her trail manners:  keeping with the group, sitting politely when we met other people/dogs/children, and generally trying to boss the group into staying together like a proper flock.  She did great!  She's learned to pace herself, and doesn't worry about anything except keeping my left foot where she can see it.

It's hard work being a Trail Boss dog, though.

<<snore>>

Life in the Swamp.  It's good.