Parades and Ditches

***I've had this written for a while, I just haven't had the time to add the pictures.  However, I decided to make the time to add them and post them today, because my boy hasn't made an appearance on here in too long.  This is one adventure I wish we hadn't had, but at least everyone came out relatively unscathed.  Have fun reading!***


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It's been a couple weeks a while since I've really updated on my life on here (though you can bet the quotes that I have posted and will be posting definitely have bearing in my life!).  I guess I should start with the biggest happening that occurred during Forest Festival weekend and that I am unfortunately still a little banged up from (maybe I should go to a doctor?  That's what I've been told, but I'm still determined to wait it out, as I'm getting better - it's just an extremely slow process.)

I went home for the weekend for the Forest Festival.  My band was invited to be the college exhibition band in the Grand Feature Parade and the marching band competition.  I was understandably excited and just as understandably nervous.  It had been five years since I marched that parade.  I remember how long and hot it was back then.  The difference now?  I was in a hell of a lot better shape back then.  It's something I'm working on (another slow but successful process), but I'm still not where I was back then.  Thankfully, we didn't have to wear uniforms this year as they're not in yet.  Instead, we wore our gold band T-shirts, nice jeans, and marching shoes.  Something else I'm thankful of? The piccolo is a very light instrument. :)

 We pulled the parade off without much of a hitch.  I was ready to fall over and die because of how hot I was by the end, but I survived and was proud.  The show went well too.  It was our first official performance on a high school field.  This meant that we were guiding to high school hashes rather than college hashes - something that is more difficult than one would think.  We'd practiced with them painted onto our own field, but our hashes were also painted on that field, so we were all a bit apprehensive about marching with strictly only high school hashes.  But we pulled that off too, way better than any of us expected to.

After the show was over, I was dead.  Seriously, I wanted nothing more than a drink and a bed.  I had wanted to stay and watch the other bands, but I just couldn't do it.  One of my best friends from home, Chelsea, met up with me after we finished, and we walked over to my family's new house to visit with my mom and brothers for a bit before walking back to Chels's car and heading to the store for snacks and back to her house to chill out for the night.

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At 6:30 on Sunday morning, we dragged ourselves out of bed (err...off the couch) to get dressed and head out to the barn for an early morning ride.  It was still foggy when we got there, but our horses were happy to see us.  My boy came right over.  I grabbed his halter, went to the field, and as I was turning back around after closing the gate, he was already walking over to me.

Chels and I decided to switch saddles because I'm buying a new English one from a friend, and Chels is thinking about buying my treeless one from me and wanted to try it out.  So she used it, and I rode Western for the day, something that saved my ass from being seriously injured later on.  I'm sad to say it, but I know if I'd been riding English, I would have been in a lot more trouble than I ended up in.

Both horses behaved perfectly all morning, through tacking up and warming up and heading out.  They were both eager to get out and get going and seemed to enjoy being out on a leisurely morning ride.  For the first time, it seemed like Chels and I might have a normal ride.  Everyone was being good, we were all relaxed, the dogs were with us and having fun, and everything just seemed perfect.  And it stayed that way.


The trees are changing majorly here.  Most have lost a lot of their leaves by now, but that weekend, they were in full color and still had them.  We got a lot of gorgeous pictures.  Chelsea's are better than mine, because she has a really nice camera that she brought with her for the first time.  She's always afraid to take it for fear of it being broken, but everything had gone so well initially that she decided it would be okay to try it as long as we were careful.  And we were.

A few miles up the road from the farm, the dogs flushed a huge coyote out of the woods.  We didn't even realize it wasn't one of our dogs at first.  They had all dove headfirst down over the hill after something a few minutes earlier, and we just assumed they were on their way back up.  Then we realized that it was bigger than our dogs and not at all built the same.  It was no matter though.  It didn't even acknowledge our presence.  It just hopped up over the hill onto the road and took off gracefully up the road ahead of us.  Then our dogs came barreling up onto the road after it, and they were gone for a bit.

A few minutes after this happened, everything was still going well.  Until a couple of ATVs flew around the turn behind us.  We got off to the side of the road to let them pass slowly and keep our horses under control.  Only they didn't really slow down.  As soon as he heard them, Orion tensed up and began shaking.  He was scared but keeping it under control...until he turned his head slightly and saw them, at which point his eyes got huge and before I could react, he bucked and whirled in an attempt to bolt.  The ATVs still didn't slow down, even though they had to have been able to see it all happen.  When he whirled, he slipped, and his front half ended up in the ditch, half-standing, with his hindquarters still up on the road, and his head, neck, and right shoulder, along with me, plastered against the rocky hillside.  My right leg was between his side and the hill, and my right shoulder, side and elbow got slammed into the rocks.  Thank God I was wearing a
helmet, but somehow I didn't hit my head.  I think it was because I was leaning forward so much in my attempt to stay in the saddle, because I was partway out of it.  I was hanging onto mane, reins, and pommel trying to yank myself back on.

The ATVs didn't slow until they were right beside of us, at which point they stopped, left their engines running, and stared at me in apparent horror at what had happened up until that point.  Chelsea was barely keeping Kit under control and screamed some expletives at them and told them to leave.  So they gunned their engines and flew away.  That was the last straw for Orion, and as soon as they gunned the engines, he jumped out of the ditch, jumping out from under me in the process, and went bucking up the road.  I hit the ground and immediately climbed out of the ditch.

There was so much adrenaline flowing by that time that I was shaking and felt like I was going to throw up.  My elbow was killing me.  It hurt so badly at first that I really thought I had broken my arm.  My whole right side felt beaten up, and I had thorns stuck all over my palms and fingers because there was apparently a thorny bush in the damn ditch, and I had the great luck to fall straight into it.  If I hadn't caught myself with my hands I probably would ended up with a face full of thorns.  (Bright side, I guess?  At least that didn't happen.)

Regardless, I immediately began cussing the assholes that caused everything, because while Chelsea told them to get their vehicles away, they really went away and didn't even make sure I was okay.  If Orion had slipped and not made it out of that ditch on his first try like he did, he would have come back down on top of me, because as soon as he lunged, I was down.

After I assured Chels that I was okay, she went to catch Orion, which she had to use treats to do because he was so out of his mind with fear, he was terrified of everything.  Except, apparently, food.  While she did that, I sat down to get myself under control and keep from getting sick.  I pulled the thorns out of my hands and then got up and went to find them, picking up Chelsea's trail bag on the way.  It had come off when Orion bucked and ran away from everything.

When I found them up the road around a turn, Orion saw me and immediately came to me and shoved his face into my chest and just stood there.  He was still shaky and scared, but he seemed okay other than that.  With that knowledge, I was just happy that we were both okay and that he didn't appear to be mad or upset with me for falling and "leaving" him when he was scared.  He stuck to me like glue after that.  We had to walk back because when he had bucked after I fell, he apparently stepped on his reins and snapped them.  One side was completely torn away from the bit, and there was no way to really rig it.  Thankfully, I had kept his lead rope attached to the saddle, so I still had something substantial to lead him with.

It was a scary experience, but the good thing is that no one was too seriously injured.  I was more worried about Orion than myself the whole time, but he is fine.  That happened two weeks ago.  All of my aches and pains have pretty much gone away with the exception of my shoulder, elbow, and occasionally my wrist.  The massive bruise I had on my elbow is almost gone now, but I still can't rest weight on it.  Moving my shoulder a certain way still hurts pretty bad.  And my wrist only twinges occasionally.  But they all do seem to be getting better - it's just very slow.

I'm a Big Girl Now!

I'm done!  It's official!  I'm an A-B College grad! One of the last A-B College grads actually, as next year it will be A-B University.  -_-  Personally I like the old A-B better.  I prefer what it was (mostly) when I went there as a freshmen, but oh well.  Everything changes, I suppose.

It feels pretty surreal that I'm done.  I'm home now, and my job (not related to my major, but I'll be working on that) doesn't start for a week or two, so I'm unpacking, rearranging, and cleaning my room as I go.  It hasn't completely hit me yet that I'm in the real world now.  I'm done.  It will probably hit home more once I get a job pertaining to my major.

The really weird feelings were when I was walking around the day before graduation, turning in my post office key, turning in my student ID, doing exit counseling for my student loans, etc...  I've had my key and ID for four years...  Giving them back felt...weird.  I've always been used to having them, and then suddenly not...it almost felt like I'd done something bad.

Also when walking around, I could picture different things that have happened over the four years I have spent there, happening in the places I was walking through.  It was like there was this sudden flood of memories going through my mind.  I didn't expect it, and it kind of blew me away.

I gave a tour here as a Battler Guide.

I passed out on the way to class and almost gave Vee and Dr. Unger heart attacks over there.

I worked countless hours at Jazzman's, the Cave, and the cafeteria.  I worked at Jazzman's back when it was where the Cave is now.  Back when so-and-so and so-and-so worked there...none of them are there anymore.

I pulled an all-nighter writing a paper in there and unexpectedly caught up with an old friend...then more recently pulled other all-nighters studying for tests and writing other papers with Zack.  

Vee and Ash and I sat around this fountain and talked about life....three years ago.  We probably at some point talked about this day.

I lived in Priestley for the first 2 1/2 years.  I lived with some of the best people I know.  I made some of the best friends I will ever have there.  

I spent my freshmen year holed up like a hermit, studying my life away and too intimidated to come out and really get to know some of the girls in my suite.  Those same girls would go on to become my best friends over the next three years.  

Sophomore year I learned the hard way that you can't trust everyone, and not everyone is really there to be your friend.  Sometimes the people you want to be there for the most don't care about you the same way.  I had to suck it up and manage my time between classes, homework, friends, and a long distance relationship.  That quickly was whittled down to classes and homework.  It didn't hurt the friendships as much as it did the relationship, which quickly went downhill.....and ended.  For a time.  I failed my first class ever.  I made new friends and said goodbye to them in the same year.

Junior year I had my dream.  I had my first horse.  I spent countless weekends with him and got away from the stress of school.  I passed that class that I had to retake. I managed my time better.  I made new friends.  I gave it another go with that relationship.  It didn't work out as I'd hoped.  I learned another hard lesson - sometimes no matter how much you want something to work out, it just isn't meant to.  But it opened up doors to get to know other people.  I opened my heart to someone else...and got hurt.  I spent all summer trying, failing, and trying again to get over it.

Senior year I experienced living with a roommate again for the first time since freshmen year.  I had an even crazier schedule than before.  I learned that being around someone you formerly (ok- still) had feelings for kind of sucks.  I eventually also learned that that can lead to the breakdown of what little friendship is left after that situation.  I ended up losing another friend and decided I was done with the dating game for a while.  I threw myself into my classes and tried not to think about it.  I eventually got very skilled at that game and succeeded very well.  

I came back for second semester with a new outlook.  That schedule was even crazier than before, though it didn't seem like it until all the exams for all my classes started happening at once.  In the midst of everything, I met a guy.  Well, didn't "meet" a guy.  I'd met him before and just never got to know him.  We talked, we hung out, we studied together, and eventually we started dating.  I'd never met anyone quite like him.  He amazed me at every turn.  

The last month of the semester left me feeling like I just wanted to crawl in a hole somewhere and not come out.  Zack was the only one keeping me sane.  Then, just like that, after powering through it all....I was done.  My grades were less than what I'd hoped, but I passed.  I was done.  

Baccalaureate was interesting.  We all wore our tassels on the wrong side because no one corrected us, and none of us seemed to be able to remember which side it was supposed to go on.  -_- The speaker was funny but rambled to the point that no one could really remember what his point was supposed to be in the first place.  But through it all, we all just looked at each other - all 22 of us that showed up for baccalaureate - with the same expression of awe and wonder that we'd made it to this point.  We were done.

Graduation was an even more amazing feeling.  We'd only ever dreamed of this event, but here we were, living it.  Among the chaos of organizing everyone, following instructions (there was no practice for us), and getting out there in front of all of our families and professors, all anyone could feel was happiness.  We were done.

Zack and my family met me outside the gym and a slew of pictures ensued.  My grandpa was crying.  The night before, I was crying as it hit me that my grandma wouldn't be here.  Every time I'd ever pictured that day, I had pictured her there.  It made me think of all the things she will miss, and yes, I cried.  I wish she could have been there for my college graduation.  I wish she could be at my wedding, and all the other milestones yet to come.  I wish I could still share my thoughts with her and hear her replies, and I wish she could meet Zack, because I know she would love him.  But I know she was watching from somewhere on Saturday.  She's always watching, and that provides some comfort.

But after all this, all of this hard work and dedication, happiness and heartbreak, achievements and disappointments, and life lessons, I've come out of it a better person.  I've learned more about myself as a person and what I can do when I really put my mind to it.  I've learned my strengths and weaknesses.  I'm not afraid of a little hard work.  In fact, I expect to have to do hard work.  I have a degree I can do anything with.  And I don't have a job to do with my major yet, but I know I can get one.

All in all - I'm a big girl now.  Things aren't certain in my life, but I've got this.  And I'm happy with who I am and confident in what I can do, so really, things aren't all that bad. :)

Pre-Finals Week

To those of you who have been periodically checking on me lately and not hearing much of anything - if anything - back....I sincerely apologize.  I've seriously gone into get-everything-done-as-efficiently-as-possible mode because there is so much to do before I graduate.  While I nearly always have my phone on me, I've been shying away from getting into lengthy conversations with people most of the time for fear of getting off track.   I do a good enough job of that on my own. -_-

Interrupting this post: My boyfriend just put spicy nacho cheese on a salt and vinegar chip...and ate it.  I'm extremely grossed out right now.  Ew.

Anyway...

Before Friday morning, I have to have my senior paper (final draft) finished and turned in, a botany formal lab report (basically another damn scientific paper that we didn't have the data for until Friday...and since then I have not had the time to sit down and start on it because of other tests and other assignments to do) written and turned in, and I have to study for my botany and physics finals, which are both Friday.

Another interruption: CRACK!  Zack: Oh s*%&.  Me: What did you just do??  Zack: I DIDN'T DO ANYTHING!

Le sigh...

Nugget also just crashed her ball into my chair rather loudly.  Wondering if she's concussed herself this time.....nope, she's rolling away.  Apparently fine.  Sprinkles has rolled himself into a corner and gone to sleep.

Oh and also, I have herpetology and biochem finals on Monday.  Joy.  Not worried about herp too much....overall, my greatest concerns at the moment are biochem and physics.  And that damn botany paper that's going to cut in on my study time.  

asfkljadsf;lj;kjas;fkljll

I just want it all to go away.........but...it's not gonna. :(  So I'm off to start doing what I should have started half an hour ago.  Positive energy coming my way would be greatly appreciated!!!


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Oh! One last thing!  Shout out to Liz and Q who had one hell of a weekend.  I'm glad everyone is going to be ok, and I hope Q heals quickly and well!  Good job to Liz for knowing what to do and giving her little mare the best care she could with the circumstances presented to her.  Love you both!

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Pictured below are Nugget and Sprinkles....I referenced them above, but I don't think I've talked about them much before, so I'll write a little more about them later. :)

Little Nugs

Sprinkles!!

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Zack's bearded dragon, Draco.

There will also be more to come (with pictures!) on all the awesome adventures I've been able to go on with herpetology the past month or so.  I'll have them up as soon as I have time!!

Still Alive! Promise!

I was going to make this post a wordless Wednesday...but on second thought decided to jot down a few quick updates since my blogging has been nonexistent for most of this semester.  Too much going on and too little time and trying to have some downtime thrown in there occasionally, usually away from electronics, excluding my Nook, have led to no writing.  Gonna be trying to get back on track in the next couple of weeks, as a lot of exciting stuff and daunting decisions will be made.

1. The boyfriend and I have been going out to see Orion every week or two (mostly two weeks) since we started dating.  (It was two months on Sunday! :D)  He absolutely loves Orion, and Orion seems to adore him.  O follows him like a puppy, and when he gets in trouble with me, he runs to Zack. -_-  This prompted a "Don't you DARE touch that horse!" exclamation from me a couple of weeks ago when Orion bolted while being lunged in the field (for the 3rd time), and instead of running crazily across the field, went straight to the gate where Zack was standing.

Zack: Why? He just wants attention.
Me: He's being a dick.  He doesn't get love and attention when he's being an asshole. (I was a bit frustrated at this point.)

After realizing Zack wasn't going to save him from doing work, O settled down and (mostly) did as he was asked.  By the time the lesson was over, he was respecting my space and walking at my shoulder, being very attentive to my every move.

2.  I graduate in May.  It's freaking me the hell out.  Hiring freezes and the like are messing with my plans for after college.  I'm debating taking more classes in the fall and trying to get my teaching degree and take some of the elective sciences that I didn't have time to take while I was here.  Everything is still up in the air at this point, and I hate it.

3.  This semester has been chaos, and outside of Zack and one of my suitemates, I never see anyone anymore.  Last week alone I had 4 tests and a paper due, and this week I had 2 papers due on Monday and a biochem quiz on Friday.  I nearly had a breakdown last night because I've been so stressed.  If it hadn't been for a friend coming through as my voice of reason and Zack calming me down, I probably would have.

And now, I'm off to finish editing my senior paper, finally, and go to physics lab, before working from 6:30-11.  I swear, it never ends!!!

It's been sooooooo lonnnnnnggggg.....

Hey all!  Sorry it's been so long since I've posted.  Unfortunately it looks like it may continue this way for a little while longer.  Last semester of college is kinda killing me.  I should have taken some of these classes earlier and made this semester a breeze, but unfortunately, this is how it panned out. :/

Physics, botany, herpetology, biochem, and trying to get stuff with my senior project done are keeping me super busy.

Also....in other news....I'm dating someone. I usually don't bring that kind of stuff here, but.... I feel like I kinda have to now.  At least a little.  You'll probably hear about him some on here as it is because he's been out to see Orion twice now and loves him...and what do you know, brat face really seems to have taken to him too.  He followed him around like a dog yesterday.  He was nuzzling him the first time we were out there a couple weeks ago - even while he was in a bratty mood.  I was in a state of shock.  My usually one-person horse has taken to someone else.  O.o

I like to think he's a good judge of character. :)

Done!

Semester = OVER. One more chapter of my college career is closed.  One more left to go...but a little intermission in the form of Christmas break first.  Bring it on! :)

Oh College...

Gah! This week has gone by so fast!  It was so busy and at times stressful, that it seems like time just flew by.

A-B's financial aid office screwed me over big time.  I've been on the work study program all three previous years that I've gone here.  Nothing in my financial situation has changed from those previous years...yet they didn't see fit to put me back on the program this year.  I was told that just because I had been on it before doesn't mean I'm guaranteed to get it now.  I was also told that they're "phasing out" the college work study program and putting more students on the federal work study program.  

Funny thing about that is - I've heard from students that are still on the college work study program that they are now making more than they were in previous years.  So fewer students are on the program, but they're getting more money......am I the only one who finds that a little ridiculous?  It seems to me that if they have enough money to give those students a raise, they could have kept their pay the same and kept as many more positions as that amount used for the raises would have allowed.

So yeah.  I and everyone else in this situation got screwed.  I'm now looking for a job.  I was going to be looking for one anyway, but I had been relying on having my work study paycheck until I found one, so that I would have at least some form of income.  I have one or two options I can fall back on if I can't find anything else, but I was really hoping for something new and something that would give me experience and look good for my job search once I'm out of college.  

I've heard of several T.A. positions that are available.  Some of them are kind of scary sounding - classes that I've taken and did decently in but were so long ago that I'd really have to brush up on the material...  And the problem with those is that they are through the work study program.  Sometimes the profs can manage to get students who aren't already in the program into it, simply because not everyone can do the job that they need them to do, whether it's because they don't have the knowledge or the time.  But sometimes they can't.  My former work study boss tried to talk the financial aid people into putting me back on the program because they really wanted me to work at the library again this year (not everyone shows up when they're supposed to consistently, but I and a few other people always do, and they wanted us back this year).  FA wouldn't do it.  They told him the same thing they told me.

So, I'm trying to figure this stuff out and come up with some other work ideas on or close to campus.  All while balancing the incredible amount of homework (mostly reading..for almost every class) that I already have after only 3 days of classes.   Oh, and I have to start collecting data for my senior project soon.  Gahhhh!! Oh college....

Back to School, Join Up, and a Solo Ride!

I'm officially back on campus!

My new roommate and I are getting along well and having fun. :)  Our room is coming together nicely.  I won't post pictures yet because it's not quite done.  I just got the last of my stuff from my uncle's house last night.  It's not quite unpacked yet.  I'll hopefully be finishing that tomorrow after I pick up some Command strips to hang my posters and hooks. Yay! lol

Seriously though, I'm loving being back on campus.  I've already had a couple of unsatisfactory experiences with the financial aid office, but it's being taken care of.  I swear, every year, it's always something!  But...*deep breaths*...it will be ok.  

Anyway...let's go back in time for a minute.  I promised you I would be writing about my adventures of the past week or so. :)

Last Thursday:

*If you click on the pictures, you can see the larger versions.* 

:)

I got done with work early because my brother had an orthodontist appointment, and both boys went with their dad to that.  They wouldn't be back until my mom was home from work, so I got a hold of a friend for a ride (you know who you are...thank you!!!) and headed out to the barn on my own around two.  She dropped me off and went on to her weekend destination - horseback riding at Spruce Knob.  Jealous!!!

But I got to spend the rest of the day with my horse by myself.  It. Was. Amazing. 

I spent the first 45 minutes or so just grooming him to perfection and spoiling the heck out of him.  Seriously.  He was shiny and bright and clean by the time I was done.  He got his mane and forelock braided.  The burrs are starting to get bad, and he seems determined to shove his entire head into every patch of them that he can find.  When I was out there the week before, I spent what seemed like forever separating them all out of his mane, and he'd looked like a unicorn with his forelock all burred up and sticking straight out from his forehead.  

Unicorn!

He wasn't quite that bad this time, but I braided him anyway as a precaution because I know it's only going to get worse.  The B.O. usually doesn't have time to get them out herself, and I'm not there enough in the fall to get them out every day.  It usually results in him getting the really bad tangles just cut off, and I'd rather that not happen this year.

After the grooming session, I lunged him for a bit without tack.  He was very good, and other than a little bit of head tossing in the very beginning, he listened really well.  Usually it's really difficult to get him to trot on command, but he started doing it today.  In the past, he's sped up for a few strides and dropped back to a walk soon after.  I always have to stay after him, and he gets ticked off about it.  Today though, he trotted when asked, and kept doing it until I asked him to stop.  *squeal!*

  And......drum roll please...

HE JOINED UP WITH ME!!!!

After lunging him for about ten minutes, he suddenly dropped his head low.  He'd been paying attention and had that inner ear fixed on me the whole time and had been licking and chewing for a while as well.  So when he dropped his head, it took me a second to register what that meant.  I wasn't trying to join up, just to get a good lunge session in.  But that was what he was telling me he wanted to do, so when he kept his head down for another circle, I turned sideways to him.  He stopped and immediately walked to me.  

For those who don't remember or know what join up is...refer back to this post from last year.

I was so excited and happy, that I just ended the lunging session there. Haha.  For the rest of the day, when he wasn't on his lead, he followed me around like a puppy.  When I led him back over to where he'd been tied, he followed me back with his chin on my shoulder.  It's so different for him, that I was on Cloud 9.  :D

I had planned on trying a solo ride since I had so much time that day.  But before I tried that, I wanted to lunge him with his tack to get out any issues he had with it.  I used Chelsea's western saddle instead of my bareback pad because it's a lot safer, and I was taking all precautions.  I packed a lead rope and water and a granola bar (in case of blood sugar emergency...it sometimes drops for seemingly no reason) in my saddle bag.  With all of this finally on him, I took him out and lunged him again.

Surprise!  When I asked him to go into a trot that was a little more brisk than he was currently at, he cantered!  He NEVER canters on the lunge for me.  I wasn't even going to ask him to until he had done the trot a few different days for me and made sure it wasn't just a fluke.  But he did it anyway.  And he didn't seem to mind it until I stopped him and sent him out again and asked for it.  Then he got kind of irritated and bucked a few times.  I reprimanded him, and he trotted away and to the other side of the paddock. -_-

I made myself stay calm and went to get him, collected the line as I went.  I brought him back over and asked him to trot again.  He was fine and eager to please again, but I didn't ask him to canter this time.  I wanted to end the session on a good note and didn't want him worked up before we rode, so I only asked for the trot.  He was fine, and after a few circles, I allowed him to stop.  

I mounted and asked him to go through the gate that he had problems with at the beginning of the summer.  He walked through without a problem.  I took him out to the road and headed to a trail in the woods that was shown to me at the beginning of the summer.  It's the third time I've been on it, but I love it.  It's my favorite trail so far.  There are a lot of low-hanging branches, so there's never a dull moment.  You have to constantly be prepared to shove them out of the way.  

And Orion likes to try to clothesline me on all of said branches.  He only really tried it once that day.  I ended up spitting out leaves because he suddenly broke into a trot right before we reached it.  I ducked, but still ended up with the branch in my mouth and a mouthful of leaves when we emerged on the other side - where he promptly dropped back to a walk. 

Brat.

Once he got over being jumpy about the dogs the came with us ranging through the woods on either side, he relaxed and really seemed to enjoy himself.  I was kind of surprised that he seemed more confident and willing to move out than he ever has when there are other horses around.  He willingly trotted on our ride, just like he had while lunging.  He actually wanted to speed up on his own a couple of times, just for the heck of it.

Once we got back, I untacked him and went to get a bucket of water.  It was really hot, and he's out of shape.  He was pretty sweaty. Haha.  As soon as he couldn't see me anymore when I went for the water, he began whinnying.  After I had the bucket filling, I stepped out around the tree that was blocking him from me and looked across the yard at him.  He was on high alert watching me, but as soon as he could see me again, he calmed down and was quiet.  I stepped back over to turn the water off and collect the bucket, and he immediately began whinnying again.  Once more, as soon as I began crossing the yard with the bucket and he could see me, he was fine.  I felt special.

The farrier came out to trim him again.  Orion was perfect for him.  I'm definitely keeping this guy as his normal farrier.  He's the only one Orion has liked and behaved for consistently so far.  So three farriers later, I've finally found one!  And O's feet are slowly returning to a normal look.  At least on the bottom.  They still don't "pancake" out like most others I've seen, but I'm confident that in a few more months with regular trims, they will.  

So that sums up my day alone with Orion.  A lot happened, and it was so much fun and so rewarding!  I can't wait to do it again.

More stories next time!

:)