Weekend wrap-up

This was one of those weekends that you never want to see it. My daughter came to visit on Friday and while it was too late for us to watch the television we've planned we did have a blast watching Home and Garden television on my newly installed DirecTV. I had forgotten how nice it was to be able to turn on the television and watch something somewhat educational but also mindless. I had also forgotten how nice it was to be able to pause if I needed to think, or back it up if I wanted to see something again.

I would like to be able to say I have accomplished a lot of things this weekend that were important and Earth shattering. However, the truth is I did not Saturday morning dawned bright and beautiful and we wasted time watching the finale of Agents of Shield. only now we have to wait till fall because of course they left us in a cliffhanger.

Maggie helped me to prepare my trailer for the trip to Indian Territory next week. I pulled out the mattresses and discovered that the trailer had leaked badly. This was disappointing because last year I really thought I had my leaking situation fixed. Back to the drawing board on that one. Fortunately comma the day was Sunday so I was able to set all of the mattresses out to Air and dry. I also washed a ton of laundry in my little washer. I have discovered the best way to do laundry in my tiny portable washer is to fill it with buckets from the bathtub and then drain it into the same bathtub. I still make a mess but it is more localized.

Maggie had brought her 22 Rifle and Pistol with her. We went out behind the voice buy houses to practice shooting. We had no target but did have an empty bottle of laundry detergent to Mark our progress. It is very embarrassing to say that my daughter knows way more about guns than I do. I will be rectifying the situation soon. She showed me how to use her father's Walther that she has now named Walter, but we discovered that without your protection it was incredibly loud so we opted to shoot the rifle instead. We sat on the back of the pickup truck. Neither one of us appearing to hit the target. We finally decided that whoever Hit the Target first was to be treated to a pedicure by the other. The very next shot Maggie hit the detergent bottle well enough to knock it off. Excited that I would be buying her pedicure, she went to look at the bottle, only to find that we had both hit it multiple times and there was no way to know who had Hit it first. So we agreed to make a date to buy our own pedicure. We were both gratified to find out that we were pretty decent shots.

Then I got baby cass out in round pen to do a refresher course on everything I learned with Harry, and to add some of the things I learned with Michael to the mix . I do not have a ring rope so I rig something up to practice the pressure around his middle before saddling. There was some initial bucking because he really hates the pressure around his flank but it was way less expressive than two weeks ago and he settled very quickly.  Saddling was a complete non issue. He stood like a rock while I tighten the girth. For the first time I stepped up into the stirrup. He did not stand completely still while I put my weight over his body. But with my lead rope I kept his head turned toward me and he just went in a circle while I lay across it I did this from both sides with him giving to the slightest pressure as I lay on him. I did this three times on both sides and then we called it a day. I figure I have plenty of time and there is no reason to rush. I really want and higher mounting block so the first time I see I don't have my feet in the stirrups. I could be wrong but it seems safer that if I'm going to be ejected I should not have to also worried that I might be drug.

Hallmark and his kids came as I was finishing up with the horse. Maggie and the kids and myself went to the river and swam for about 2 hours.  Note to self it is important to buy water shoes because the rocks in the river hurt. Maggie and I discovered that if we floated Downstream a little ways the water was deep enough and the current strong enough that it would provide good swimming exercise. I plan to do this again very soon. I only wish the river would stay deep during the hottest part of the summer instead of turning into a creek.

Maggie had to go home because her father's birthday was on Sunday.