lazy sunday start of summer

+ Slept pretty extremely late, made apple pancakes.

- No time for garden work. I'm kind of cranky that I haven't had time to finish digging the roots of the boxwood, which for some reason has a higher priority than planting the rest of the garden.

+ Got a good and useful riding lesson from lyonesse and her tall silent minion Ebba, about the open rein, wagging your ass, and breathing.

+ Followed by a trail ride, with a minimum of the usual Drama from My Little Pony.

+ Then mini-golf and ice cream. The kids were on good-enough behavior, it had cooled enough that the bugs weren't a problem, and it was mini-golf and ice cream.

Tomorrow, we're the footmen for the barn in the Parade. No, we don't have to poop-scoop, we just have to carry the banner, and be ready to keep the horses from trampling the Girl Scouts.

attention skating fans

The North Shore Open figure skating competition is next Friday and Saturday, at the Burbank Arena in Reading MA. My (and Kylie's) current instructor, being all of 20?, will be skating in the Senior Ladies Free Skate (but not the Short Program - guess they're not required to do both).

Schedule of events at the North Shore Skating Club site.

day

Mem Day parade, representin' tha Ponderaia. I was supposed to be a leader for Stjarni, who was actively interested in the native rituals of USians, but not inclined to wig out. No, the wigging out was reserved for Shadow, whose 14 year old rider dismounted and led her through the whole parade. As for me, I took up the pooper scooper position (bringing up the rear!). Kylie and Francie took the pole position, i.e. carrying the banner.

Bathed the horses, gave gatorade to thems as wanted it (had to pull Royal's face out of it, and pretty nearly Stjarni as well), hung out for a long time with the kittens and the horse people.

Mowed, dug some more around the boxwood root (but failed to dislodge it), and made veggie curry for dinner (another quick recipe that somehow ended up taking two hours).

While I was digging, at my tired-and-grubbiest, Kylie flagged down the ice cream truck. The driver flagged me down for some water for a leaking radiator, and gave me a lemon ice in exchange. Bonus, eh? Kylie and I sat in the shade, surrounded by chickens (who are not crazy about Italian Ice, btw), looking up at the sky-blue sky, and watched a hawk wheeling overhead. Who was no doubt watching us and said chickens, but it didn't get nobody.

A good day for everyone. Except maybe the hawk.