A Long Time Gone... But, I am Back!

Life... is.... Good.

<Insert a hundred happy faces here>

They say no news is good news, which is probably why I've been so absent. But, lately, my mind keeps thinking it's time for me to come back to my ramblin' roots... so here's an update, and hopefully the first hello back of many more hellos (that come a little quicker than every 3 months...)

So, here is an update.

Arizona

Is getting hotter than hell. Oooo girl... this Canadian is BURNING up and, to quote the locals, "this ain't even all that bad." Well friends, it feels bad. However, other than the fact I can't rest my skin against any surface without breaking out into a dripping sweat, Arizona is treating me really, really well.

I got a dog, his name is Cash.

Who knew that a little fluffy girly-mutt dog could make my heart so fulfilled and happy? Cash is wonderful, he is goofy, sometimes disobedient, cuddly, funny, smiley... just great. He fancies himself quite the ranch dog... even though the sight of a poofy dog following behind me as I move cows around is a little amusing. He is my constant little shadow and I am happy to call him "my dog".

My job is fricken' wonderful

& there's this little two year old that I'm obsessed with.

Even when i'm complaining about my job I'm happy, it's sickening. I love my boss, I love our horses, I love our program. I LOVE how much I'm learning. I wake up, and fall asleep, feeling blessed to be riding cutting horses in Arizona whilst being surrounded by uplifting and amazing people.

I have officially shown - TWICE!

The first time I showed was a bit of a train wreck, resulting in a 63, the second time I learnt a couple valuable lessons and walked away with a FREAKIN' 75. 75s are truly what dreams are made of. It was in December of 2013 that I told my ex-Boss that I wanted to show by January 2015, only three months later I found myself showing for the first time. Dream chasing is a real thing, and I feel like the more I believe in myself, and the more I set my mind to something, the more the universe gives to me... it's amazing, and humbling.

I have a life here.

People from home come & visit! 

Everybody wants to escape to warm Arizona!!

When I was in Texas I was suffering from homesickness... terrible, dark homesickness. I went home for the holidays and wondered to myself if I could ever make a life for myself somewhere other than home. The homesickness I was feeling was a lot deeper than just being away from home for the first time, it was a homesickness that made me question leaving behind my roots, the physical place I loved so much, a friend group where I had finally cultivated happy healthy relationships, my family. It took awhile for me to fall into a rhythm here too, but once I did I settled right into what feels like a life. It's refreshing, a teeny bit scary, and I'm excited to see where it goes from here.

but then, there is always, my most beloved...

Home

Jingle. Plain & Simple.

I miss Jingle with my whole heart, I feel like my life is falling into place here but i'm just missing... and lacking.. this major piece. A few weeks ago my farrier gave me a call that my horse was a little unkempt and acting a little wild. Brigitte, my Best-friend, went out to groom him and remind him of manners and snapped this photo for me. He is so handsome <3. She also said he was squirrely through most of it, until she groomed his mane and tail. She said he seemed to remember all the time I've spent braiding him and grooming his mane and tail over the years. So cute. sigh. miss him so much.

But - this too is falling into place - i'm hoping come October I can get Jingle on a trailer and have him down here! Cannot wait for Jingle amongst the Cactus!!

Summer.

I am heading home for the summer - for July and August. I'm going to be part of the Stampede Ranch Girls again, and I plan to serve at my old restaurant so I can make some money to put into my savings. Finally, that means i'll get to spend more time with my boy - Jingle! It's bittersweet... I don't want to leave Arizona, but I need to get my affairs in order, and as the temperature creeps above 110 F I'm thinking the summer months are the prime time to leave. Besides, what's 60 days?

Happy to be back, and hoping to catch up with all of you. :)

A Big 'Ol Update from your Long Lost Blogger Friend.

Where have I been? WHAT have I been doing? Remember that one time I used to blog...

Well, I finally have a moment in my schedule and I just wanted to update a bit about life.

Being a loper has been a wonderful, lovely experience. Here I am, "at the office" riding and ponying two of our show horses. Sometimes, my office is galloping a two year old in a field with the mountains just off in the distance. Other times, it's sipping a coffee, watching my boss work cows. Life, is good.

However, in my other horse-life, aka Jingle, I was having a bit more of an issue this summer. After our Spring saddle-related soreness, come summer Jingle continued to have a mystery lameness, that a vet called an "unusual movement, but not lame". He was still stagnating between bad and good, and had almost 6 weeks off, and so I started to slowly work him again. For two weeks we slowly worked on getting him back in the swing of things, we trotted up and down a fence line and starting to build him back up. Straight lines seemed to help, and so for awhile, this big field was my arena.

Finally, I circled him for the first time in what seemed like months, and lo and behold... my horse seemed sound.

An exceptionally rare video of me riding...

how do I look, but better yet, how does my big man look?! 

Sarah's kids, Ben and Abby, even got to spend a time with their favourite painted pony...

Jingle is such a champ. I love him.

We visited the old ranch... as you can probably tell from my last post, not being out there this summer was something that I have been struggling with.

Here's my poor Cash... looking all mangey and disheveled.

It's funny, I was having a discussion with someone about the treatment of horses. They were talking about PETA and all the issues that these organizations have with rodeo, chuckwagon racing etc. To me, having seen many sides of horse ownership, the worst horse owners are the ones that stick their horses in fields and never check on them, never do anything with them... However, horses roaming in big barbed-wired fields is what seems to be a "good" image for non-horse people. Sigh.

The horse-crew was happy to see us, a kid-free summer must seem quite foreign and strange for many of them.

Of course.. just as soon as Jingle seemed "good" again, my crazy-busy lifestyle caught up with me, and I could barely steal away to even see him, let alone ride him. Once I did, I discovered a bit of a gash that poor princess-face was really not happy about. His fly sheet had been rubbing it and I think it was really irritating him. So, he got a couple days off for that to heal over, and for him to get over himself.

Jingle has been spending A LOT of time in his back on track products lately...

(Which, I am now a firm believer in, he loves his BOT time, I swear, totally mellows him out)

Jingle, in working with his "let's never ride again" theme, has decided that he's now going to be a liberty horse - no bridle, no halter, nothing. He thinks this means he's "at liberty to not be ridden ever again". He is very happy with this new adventure in his life.

Jingle's mane is seriously growing, we're almost at that mythic gunner-style reining mane (WITHOUT the extensions - what whaaaat). Atleast something is going right this summer.

A snapshot of that aforementioned "loper life"

Mac and Jingle, enjoying their lazy summer.

Finally, a word about my horse.

It's been a year since I purchased him, and three since he sunk so deep down into my heart that all of a sudden he encompassed me totally, and fully. It's hard for me to put in words quite what this horse means to me, but he means everything. There is something about the way the two of us can just "be" together, and there's also something in the way I am when I'm around him. He has taught me strength and compassion, learning and patience. He may not be, or may never be, a performance horse, or some champion with earnings... but he's mine, and he has blessed me, and continues to bless me whenever I am around him. I can't wait for another 20 years with this big brute - hopefully more!

So, that's a bit of a recap - can you believe there's more?!

Big announcement coming next ;)

Lil' Life Update

I've been pretty scattered lately. I feel like I'm rushing around, so busy all the time, and then all of a sudden I stop and look around, and realize I haven't accomplished much. Gotta step my game up. However, this last week was reading week, and I did get to spend some time with good friends :)

I visited some great friends that are living in Canada, and originally from England. I met them at a ranch I worked at in Nanton, and they are now working at Warner's in Banff, a trail and outfitting place. Banff is pretty spectacular, and riding in those mountains?! Well... that's something I want to check off the list this year!

None of their string was in, but all their drafts were because they still do sleigh rides throughout the winter... I am such a sucker for a draft horse.

This big guy was named Crocket, I really liked him.

Then I met Boone! It was love at first sight. Look at his forelock! I know Jingle wants a long-haired, bigger brother to hang out with. Oh man, did I love this big, slow drafty. He was just so adorable.

My friends think both Boone and Crocket are partially Ardennes, a breed I had never heard of before, so ya learn something new everyday. Catching up with old friends was just what I needed to put a big smile on my face. I have to remember to spend more time with those that I love, but that aren't always as close as I wish.

Then, my friend, Jess, (Hi Jess - I know you'll be reading this!), and her 5 month old babyyy boy stopped by the barn. Of course, my baby (ponyboy) had to meet her baby! Both weren't too sure of eachother...

Jingle: "Mahm, what iz this thing?!"

Baby B: "Mom?! What IS that thing?"

Sidenote - my mother saw this photo and exclaimed, "Hey, he actually doesn't have crazy eyes for once, maybe he likes babies!", thank you for your insight Wanda.

From there I showed my friends a new way I've been stretching out my sore back lately...

Jingle-yoga!

My horse thinks i'm a nut job. He's probably right.

Is anyone else experiencing shedding yet? Jingle is in major-shed mode, I can't wait until that winter coat just starts dumping off. Okay... I can wait... frick I hate horse hair in my nose. But, better to get it over with - QUICK.

That's a clump of neck-hair my friends!

Finally, to sum it up.. a couple of pictures :)

One of my absolute favourite APHA ads,

aside from having a draft brother, Jingle would also like a "little" paint brother - I have baby horse fever, it's just that time of the year! :)

(Jingle would like me to inform you all that I am lying, and, to repeat - a nut job)

Words to live by.

Have a great start to the week!