I hate weeds!

I spent most of Thursday spraying weeds. It is my least favorite chore. Hate it. I sprayed the area I plan to plant some grass seed in, I also sprayed this area I am planning a relaxing oasis of zen and tranquility and I sprayed my riding arena.

Our neighbor, Dailey, came home while I was spraying the arena and there WAS a breeze. Furry Husband says our weather station reported 3mph out of the South with occasional - let me say again - occasional gusts of up to 10mph. Dailey is to the West of us so hopefully he wasn't having any conniptions. Tho' I sort of suspect he was because he is completely freaked out any time I spray weeds in my arena thinking I'm killing off his trees.

Come to think of it, (cuz your mind wanders when you spray weeds - there ain't nuthin' else for it to do but wander and wool gather and day dream...) Dailey uses Round-up himself. I asked him once what he used to kill weeds and he is the one that recommended Round-up to me!

Anyway, it's done. Only by Sunday the weeds were still green and they looked a bit refreshed so I hit the weeds again Sunday afternoon. DIE you stupid weeds DIE!!!

Hopefully next weekend I can plant my blue grama grass seed and it will germinate and grow and we can all live happily ever after. I'll take pictures of the area so you can see what I'm battling with.

I bought a whiskey barrel insert, a pump and 3 water hyacinths for some instant gratification this weekend after my battle with the weeds. I love it! We have a small sheep/goat water stock tank that we don't use anymore. I'm going to sink it into the ground in front of the whiskey barrel, line it with pond liner and put in some hardy water lilies. Hopefully I'll be able to find some pretty, tall grasses to plant in the ground around the water feature for some zen like serenity.

I saw an ad in a Thifty Nickle classifieds newspaper a few years ago for brick. Furry Husband and I loaded a pick-up bed full of brick that was scattered all around a field for $20. He thought I was insane at the time.... but now we'll have some material to line a pathway or make stepping stones for a sitting area near the water feature in my little oasis of tranquility and zen.

See Furry Husband? Not so insane NOW am I? Bwa-ha-ha-ha-ha! (k - so mebbe I am)

I went to a small schooling show in Cheyenne on Saturday. The weather forecast was to be partly sunny and 60's. I met my friend Ann in the wee early morning hour, rode up with her to help with her horse. We both had on light jackets.

When we got to Cheyenne, it was cloudy, windy, rainy and sooo soooo cold. We were completely under dressed. At one point it was even SNOWING, it was so cold. I thought I'd never be warm again.

I tried to take my mind off the cold by digging up some bluebells and other native prairie flowers with a horse sweat scraper around Ann's truck and trailer. I brought them home and put them in a small space in my yard to see if they'll take? Probably not. They are looking pretty sickly but you can't blame a girl for trying! If they do end up living, I know they will be xeric, and sun / bad soil loving little plants.

I'm sure all the other riders warming up their horses were wondering what in the hell I was excavating in the pasture. I obviously have no qualms about looking like a complete and total dork in public!

Ann's horse, Rennen, was awesome! It was Rennen's first time at a show and her first time away from home. We were super happy with her. She placed 5th in her first test, nothing in the second test but she was a complete star. We loaded up once scores were posted and headed home.

I met up with Furry Husband at home, we loaded Sera up in our trailer and headed down to the show for the afternoon rides. The weather ended up clearing into sunny and 60 and by the time we reached the show, it was a gorgeous day. I warmed Sera up out in the pasture area where she felt so happy and relaxed. We went into the indoor arena for our test and she tensed up - she always does - and I'm sure I do too! It's one of our things.... but the more we show and the more we go to shows and ride indoors, hopefully the better it will be and we'll stay relaxed.

The judge loved Sera and we got a blue ribbon! What a good girl! I do love my red-headed mare to pieces. The first year I took her to this same show, we got the comment in all caps - "NAUGHTY, NAUGHTY HORSE!" - on our test. Not this time. (me with a big, goofy grin)

I'll post the video of our test later - I don't have time right now!
Happy Monday everyone!!