Wordless Wednesday: Perfect Skies

 

I don't think there is anywhere in the world with skies as wonderful as we have here in the Highveld in summer.

We are waiting on some more rain to turn the world truly green, but every sunrise and sunset is a fanfare of grace, a promise of provision.

With views like this, what can we do but keep our eyes Heavenward, and look beyond the little fears and failings that so threaten to overwhelm our days?

My sister brought back this little reminder of grace after her own holiday in Parys, Free State. I love these walls - they're concrete made with sand from our beloved farm - but it's nice to have a little something to break that brownness and call our hearts back to truth every time we see it.

Ladybug turns five today. K was riding her for a little while, but I took her back last week, and she has been a treasure. Squeezing her into my schedule gives me hope that I really will have time for BabyDragon in the window between him/her coming into work and Thunder retiring from competition. Of course, who really knows what my schedule will be like in five years' time?

She had a little trouble with a strongyle infestation in the winter, but is coming into spring looking great and ready to start building some real muscles. After my chunky Friesians, I'm still not used to how gawky a baby warmblood looks.

Magic continues to thrive, especially now that we have some green grass for him to go out on during the day. His weight isn't perfect yet, but we're getting there.

It's warm enough now - most of the time - that the ponies can enjoy a nice cool shower after a long afternoon of lessons. I'm so proud to see how so many of the kiddos are turning into real little horsepeople, delving into their ponies' care with more depth as I push them to do more things on their own. I micromanaged a lot early on in the yard's existence, but the more I kind of make them do themselves, the more these kids are turning into well-rounded horse folk - and bonding with their ponies, too.

There's nothing like a long ride through a golden afternoon in good company.

School horse Flash (as in Zootopia, not DC) enjoying a bit of green grass between lessons.

Dragon pie is 280 days today. Just 65 sleeps to go!

Horse of the Year Show is in two weeks, the first one that we've missed since 2016. It's usually in February, so I would have ridden a newly pregnant Arwen there this year, but it was moved to November thanks to lockdowns. This is a much better time of year for HOY, honestly, but it just didn't work out for me. I have a little Nooitie/Welsh gelding I could have taken with a kiddo on him, but I decided to save for Gauteng Champs instead on the slim chance that I can afford to take Thunder. If things work out, I might go and volunteer instead.

Rene is 315 days today, creeping up on that "normal" window of 320-370 days. I have no records of her foalings at her previous home, but if I had to guess, I think she's not going to go far over 330 days. She might prove me wrong, though. The ladies come into the stables for foaling season this week, to the chagrin of Magic and Ladybug who will have to sleep outside for a few months.

Hacking with a livery and her sweet youngster. This fellow is just incredible and so respectful to ride with. A real pleasure to his owner and to me!

My little semi-retired livery turns 21 today, and in true Welsh pony fashion, he is not all that respectful to ride with, LOL. I had to hop off on this ride and lead him past a rock that was definitely going to cause some airs above the ground. The little man is loving life and still as sound as a bell after spending his entire life taking kids around jumping courses - and that's why ponies will always rule.

I caught the chicken farmer contemplating the mysteries of chicken life in a decidedly attractive manner. That large bush is the spinach in the background - it somehow survived the winter even though I did not water it even once, and is now plotting world domination. I keep having to trim it back because it tries to climb through the electric fence.

God is so good 💜