A long week away...

I have been out of town for almost a week, so Rose got to have that time off and do what she does best, eat grass. I spent most of Tuesday anxiously looking at the clock waiting for five-o'clock to arrive so that I could head out to the barn. Regardless that I was exhausted, sleep deprived, and suffering from jet-lag I managed to steer the car straight and arrive in one piece. Rose gave me the cutest reception when I pulled into the barn gate. Delighted to see my familiar little red car she proudly trotted around with a large stick hanging from her mouth, did a little joyous rear, and proceeded to canter alongside the car as I drove down the long drive. It felt good to be home, and to see her alive and well.

Suddenly I was not so tired, and was relieved that the rain took a break from the day's constant downpour long enough so that I could hose her off with some warm water and clean her up. Rose was covered in mud from head to toe. It ran all the way up her legs and somehow managed to even get under her turnout. I tied her to the hitching post and set to work to transform her from mud-ball and back into my shiny black horse. I say black, because over the past week her neck and rump have finally fully shed out all of her brown winter coat. There is only slight evidence of her trace clip running along her barrel now. Soon I'll be able to have her pose for some new photos, fully tacked up, looking like a grown-up horse! Unfortunately, like most of my trips to the barn these days, she had a couple new scratches. On her face this time. It looks to me like she must have scratched herself on the muzzle trying to eat grass from under the fence. I swear I have never met a more accident prone horse, and I'm hoping this is just a temporary spring time baby thing. With any luck she'll still be in one piece when I get to the barn this evening!