Last Saturday's News...........

The weather today sucked like most days of this year and I couldn't help but think we'd really lucked out having a dry day last Saturday when Fern Valley came to visit. It's risky enough scheduling local people to come see horses this time of year without making plans from company from another country. I was really hoping that Mother Nature wouldn't be obstinate and spoil our plans.

Of course, we did not have plans set in stone. We both knew how fickle Mother Nature can be and there was the small matter of what kind of plans their family had for them so we didn't really make specific plans to see the horses until Sherry and Martin arrived in Seattle on Friday night.

To be honest, I didn't think they would be making the trip to my farm. Knowing they were visiting on the north side of Seattle and that we are located about an hour from the southern boundary of Seattle, it seemed to me coming to visit here would really take up more time than they had to give. I figured I'd be travelling their direction so we could meet and I was fine with that.

The car was gassed up and I was ready to travel so when I found out Friday night that they really wanted to come here, I was not prepared. After getting off the phone I headed straight out to the barn and began detangling manes. I do try to keep up with that job but just because I needed it to be easy I ended up out at the barn til near midnight and I never did get time to get the clippers out.

It was hard for me to let go of that perfectionist mentality that says everything must be perfect if visitors call but lytha's visit in the midst of winter and full blown mud season helped me see things in perspective. Friends are more important than uppity protocol any day. I was looking forward to FV and Martin's visit despite my horses and my farm not being spit shined.

I knew what time they planned to leave Seattle in the morning but not knowing what the traffic gods would have in store for them, I didn't really know how long the trip would take. I knew how long it "should" take but those shoulds will get you every time so I didn't have any kind of firm plans for what I wanted to accomplish before they arrived and it's a good thing I didn't.

Just as I was getting ready to go outside to get started my youngest son called from San Diego. Normally our conversations are quite short interrupted by something in his life and he is always "going to call back" but never does. However, because I had plans, he was quite windy and we had a lovely, long talk while the clocked ticked away and I wondered when my company would arrive.

It was possible if traffic was light that they would arrive not long after I got off the phone. If I had been thinking of my blog, I'd have taken that time to be sure my camera was ready but I totally forgot about that. The only one camera ready for this visit came from Canada. Instead I headed to the barn and got Storm ready for a ride.

I figured if they arrived in the middle of my ride at least FV would get a chance to see what kind of temper tantrums I knew I'd been posting about soon. Another set of eyes on the ground to read his antics surely would have been appreciated. As it was Storm's behavior was not bad.........considering all the other things I had on my plate. He was tucked away in his stall and still not visitors so I called to see if they were lost.

To be continued...................