In which I steal a trailer and show off some Mad Librarian Skillz

The SS Illegible will be in the shop for a while after our mishap last weekend, 

so I did what any self-respecting Pirate would do:  

I stole a horse trailer.

Fiddle will NOT be moored to the Illegible for a few weeks

The mechanic left a long, whiny voice message for me about how getting a replacement axle for my trailer might take a month--or longer.

Yeah, no. 

Can you see what Fee is looking at?

Our farm is only five acres--not nearly enough room to bury all the bodies that would accumulate if I can't ride out for six weeks.

He's drowsing in the sunshine, and not a bit worried about a Dragon nearby

 Fortunately, the axle problem was not actually a mechanic issue.

It turned out to be a librarian issue, and I totally have the chops for that.

It's been Very Cold this week--temps in the high teens/low twenties.
Direct sunshine feels good (and is about ten degrees warmer!)

I fired up my Librarian Spidey Super Senses, got on the Interwebs, looked up a phone number for Trails West over in Preston Idaho, and called 'em.

5-star customer service, BTW.

Ice puddle

 Within 5 minutes I was on the line with Ryan in the parts department.

Within 7 minutes, we had made arrangements for Ryan to pitch the appropriate axle for my horse trailer into the next set of trailers heading for Western Washington, eliminating the need for me to pay shipping costs.

You can pretend it's still Fall where you live.
Here in the Swamp, it's definitely Winter.

My next phone call was to Bickford Trailers, the place two towns over, where I bought my trailer 10 years ago.

Talked to Maggi at Bickford, and she remembered me ("a nice little Standardbred mare, right?"  Well, yes, but not that nice Standardbred mare, it's another one, but you definitely have the right person), and Maggi says, "Okay, I'll just give you a phone call when it shows up."

Another 5 stars for customer service.

Let us remember that I bought my trailer there 10 years ago, and they haven't seen me since.

Frozen mud and blue skies:  I'll take it!

Total time spent on phone: about 15 minutes.




Total time remaining to abscond with Duana's new trailer and go for a ride:  Plenty.

That's not sn*w.  It's accumulated frost.

 When we finally hit the hardpack road, Fee was still moving forward enthusiastically, but felt stiff and heavy on my left rein.

WTH?

No really.  It's cold on those trails!

Ahhhhhh.  Missing hoof boot.

I hate boots.  I'm sorry, all you boot-loving friends.  I know you love your boots.

Hmmm.  Where did it go?

But I just truly, sincerely, hate hoof boots.

 I hate putting them on.  I hate backtracking to find wherever they've zinged off onto the trail.  I hate climbing down and putting them on again.  This is not how I prefer to spend my ride time.

Found it!  (finally)
The farrier will be out on Wednesday and Fee will have four shoes again.

It's important to note that a few years ago when Fee would lose a boot, she would stomp on the brakes, shout cuss words, and refuse to move forward on her poor tender toes.

I think losing a boot in those days was just one more speck of pain for her to cope with, and she Just. Refused. To. Cope.

Sunshine feels good

So, for her to continue forward (for several miles) and not get heavy on the port side until we hit gravel indicates to me that her "normal" pain level is...not.

And she's willing to continue forward with a bare foot and a good attitude, but stiff and heavy because, hey, bare foot and gravel road?

Recharging our solar batteries.

That's not just progress.

That's more like "miraculous."

We tried to stay out of the shade as much as possible,
because the sun feels so good!

Boot re-applied, we headed back to the stolen trailer.

We met up with Duana and the Usual Suspects for lunch, and Du let me
steal the keys to the SS Illegal, so I can conveniently use the trailer I stole
until my trailer is fixed.

Still cold. 

Still frozen.

But.

You know.

Good.