Keeping Busy and Engaged

Nox is back on stricter stall rest and things are going much smoother than they did in the spring.  This stall is larger and very open, and he can hang his head out the back door and enjoy the sunshine and watch the pastures, or hang his head into the barn aisle and play with his neighbors or his cat.  Nox is much more mellow than I expected.  We are building the smaller paddock this weekend so he can at least stand outside, but it looks like it will just be a bonus instead of a necessity.

Nox looking for carrots.

Nox kissing Hutch the cat.

I'm riding and working other horses in the meantime.  A nice mare named Jasmine has been ridden incorrectly for too long and now that Penny has her, we are trying to get her back into shape.  I'm asking her to move forward, stride out with energy, and use her back and hind end to propel herself forward.  I'm also still working with Baya.  She's wonderful to ride but she doesn't lunge well consistently, so we are working on keeping her calm and listening to commands on the ground.

Lunging Baya...

So far so good...

Eventually she gets a little too excited... Yee Haw!

Yesterday, Best Husband Ever managed to get an extra day off on a Saturday (very rare!) and so we took the opportunity to hike to the "Big Pine" in a little Adirondack hamlet called Wanakena.  The Big Pine is an old growth white pine tree that has survived ice storms and loggers and is estimated to be about 300 years old - one of the oldest trees in the Adirondack Park!  I heard about it during field work I completed in the area and we've wanted to find it ever since.  The fall colors in the Adirondacks are gorgeous right now and even though it was drizzling lightly, it was perfect day for a walk in the woods.

Best Husband Ever, Moose, and I at the Big Pine.

After the hike, we went back home and embarked on a Husband and Wife Project in his wood shop. Best Husband Ever is a talented wood worker (Ragapple Wood Products) and since he comes to the barn and helps me groom and do barn chores (and lets me teach him the ways of the horse world), he taught me the ways of the power tools.  I wanted to build a birdhouse similar to one that was already on one of our trees when we bought our house.  He let me use the circular saw, drill press, and various hand tools and he was so patient and encouraging!  A few hours later, a plank of cedar became something I'm quite proud of:

I'm operating the drill press.  I'm actually very intimidated by power tools.  I'm perfectly comfortable with 1,350 lb horses, but whirling blades scare me!

The old birdhouse and our new birdhouse!  Home tweet home!

Quality time with those I love - I wish I could have more time with Best Husband Ever and other people I love, but I will appreciate every chance I get when I get it.