In which the dog has a good day...

 We are now home from Richmond. Without going into much detail, it was a successful work trip. I got a lot of kudos from my boss and praise from our CEO. It was an intense three day workshop. I actually got added to the fourth day, but I think my boss could see the life draining from my eyes so he graciously allowed me to come home last night and dial in to today's all-day meeting.

Bonnie was a superstar for our trip. She was completely at ease in the hotel, walked politely on leash with Mike while I was away, and greeted our co-workers politely when they asked to meet her. 

On Tuesday night, I woke up to find Bonnie sprawled out on the hotel pillows between us, snoring, on her back, with her legs splayed in every direction. She was just the perfect picture of a spoiled house pet, and I couldn't help reflecting on the fact that this perfect little dog was in a kennel at the shelter just four short months ago. It made me quite weepy.

The glorious spring weather lasted exactly the duration of the trip. The skies opened up just as we pulled into the barn driveway late last night, and it is a dreary, wet day today. I am trying not to be salty about it.

Instead, I'll reminisce back to Sunday, when Hannah and I met up for our second ride of the weekend. We had originally planned to do either the Assunpink or Colliers Mills, then agreed to do both. That's when I suggested that we could do the Safari Ride. Hannah did not join Sandy and me on our first escapade in that direction earlier this year and was very gung ho to do it this time. 

Over all, it was a very successful ride!

After years of day dreaming, I finally got my between the ears photo of giraffes.

 We've made it, fellow equestrians! The days are longer. Spring is on the way! It is currently 75+ degrees in New Jersey.

Of course... work chose this, the first week after Daylight Savings Time, to send me on a work trip. Womp womp. As I type, I am sitting in my hotel in Richmond. Bonnie is... curled up at my feet! 

She is on her first real road trip with us. So far, she is being a champ. She thought the elevator was a little strange the first time, but she's got the drill now. 

This is our trial run for a meeting Mike and I both need to attend at the end of the month. This trip, Mike can work from the hotel room and watch Bonnie while she acclimates. We did leave her alone in the room while we went to dinner with a co-worker. We came back to find her fast asleep on the bed. Good dog.

Of course, this also sets the stage for future travel plans.

This rambling introduction has a point. I swear. 

The point is I wanted to get Bonnie good and tired before she had to spend six hours in the car, followed by three days living in a hotel, followed by another six hours in the car (plus traffic). 

My only goal for the weekend was to get Bonnie out for a long-ish trail ride. 

Mission accomplished! Bonnie had her first double digit ride, and she rocked it.

 This has been the wintriest winter that has wintered in quite some winters, eh? But, hey, at least the time change is next weekend? I am definitely looking forward to longer days.

And while I am ready for spring, the snow has been quite beautiful along the way.

 Oh look. Another 18 inches (and counting) of snow. Just as I was starting to think the worst of winter might be over. Silly me.

Let's take a break from snow and ice and post something else, shall we?

 As I write, we are under an extreme cold advisory in NJ. Temperatures are in the single digits, but with the wind gusting at 20+ mph, it feels like -10℉. In someone else's words, that's painfully cold. 

Needless to say, I am not riding today. In fact, I haven't been riding much at all in the last two weeks. This week, I took Booger for a drive around the "block" for 2-3 miles. It looks like that will probably be the only riding we'll be seeing for the foreseeable future. 

Last weekend, just as my cabin fever was reaching its peak, Sandy texted, "Want to ride to Pattenburg with me?"

To be honest, I was not feeling inspired to leave my house, where I was actively putting the finishing touches on my January cross stitch project. I gave myself a three minute pep talk and agreed to meet Sandy for a road ride. We would figure out a game plan as we went.

It wound up being Tot's first bar ride.

 This is the month that never ends,
It just goes on and on my friends...

The theme for this month was snow, snow, and more snow. And then a ton of ice. Good times. 

I didn't blog because I didn't feel like we did much of anything, but then I looked back at all these photos. Guess I should have blogged....

Here is my 50 pound dog sitting on top of over a foot of snow because the ice is so thick she doesn't break through it. (Also, this is my arena. All hiking and riding has pretty much come grinding to a halt.)

 The morning dawned clear and bright, the sky an improbable blue above a world freshly remade.. Eight inches of snow had come down over night, feather-light and pristine. It rounded fence posts, softened sharp edges, and muted the noise of the land. Even familiar places felt new and exciting. 

Booger moved into this quiet with calm authority. Her coat, black as spilled ink, contrasted sharply against the snow. She stood statue-still as I hitched her to the little wooden gig. Then she stepped out with a flash of bright intent, ears pricked, neck arched, ready for adventure. 

We set off down the lane to the wide fields beyond, Booger lifting into a trot with unmistakable joy. Feisty, yes, but in the way of a horse who trusts both herself and the world around her. Her tail was flagged, a clear sign of her approval. Her breath came in clouds of steam that vanished quickly in the January air. 

The cart followed with a soft rattle. It was a two-wheeled one-seater polished by years of use. The sound traveled briefly in the cold air, then the quiet closed in again.

The trail bent away from the fields and slipped into the woods. The light filtered through the trees, becoming dappled as it fell towards the forest floor. Pine trees stood solemn and green, their branches heavily burdened. Oak and maple trunks bowed slightly towards the trail, while bare limbs laced delicately across the sky.

The world narrowed into a ribbon of snow and light. The trees felt close, welcoming us into their still sanctuary, their branches writing a careful calligraphy cross the sky. Sunlight filtered through the trees in bright, slanting beams. 

Booger became a silhouette of motion and purpose. A mare on a mission! Her black coat was rich and glossy, the chocolate trim of her harness highlighting her graceful form. 

The forest felt alive with the unseen, each curve promising something just out of sight, another stretch of quite joy just around the bend. 

We entered the cedar grove. Here, the light took command while the trail stretched forward in an inviting straight line. The sun broke through the trees in a brilliant spill, flaring into long, radiant beams, and striping the snow with dramatic shadows. Dark blue and violet crisscrossed in elegant patterns before us.

Sunlight poured over Booger's back, catching the curve of her hindquarters, the edge of her muscles, the gleam of her velvety coat. Snow fell in sudden, soft avalanches from some of the lower branches, dusting Booger's topline and cascading into my aproned lap. Booger tossed her head and snorted, delighted rather than afraid. The sound was intimate, a laughter shared between friends. 

The cedar trunks rose straight and earnest around us, dark needles piercing through the snow. They bore quiet witnesses to the passing of a perfect moment, one which felt simultaneously fleeting and eternal. 

As we turned for home, Booger became even bolder, stepping forward with that particular Arabian confidence, both an explorer and a queen of her domain. She surged playfully forward, eager to make short work of the wide and shining distance between us and the barn. The world unfurled with every stride, barren farm fields billowing on either side, snow spraying from the cart's wheels in shimmering curtains. 

I grinned broadly as cart followed horse, light and faithful, carried along by uncontainable joy. A bold, black horse moving gladly through the fresh snow. A path asking only to be followed.  The deep sense of calm and belonging. And the absolute certainty that there was nowhere else I'd rather be. 

I've waited a long time for this... 

Photo by Mike, of course.