EOW No. 28

Is everyone else out there frying or is it just the Texans?  We are squarely in the midst of the oven that is Texas summer, set on broil.  Heat advisory warnings?  No problem, we’ve got those by the busloads.  Temperatures are in the triple digits every day now and whenever it dips into the 90s, it’s a cold front.  And we still have all of August to go through.

Bryan and I were able to briefly get away to the lake for a weekend to experience some cooler temperatures.  The fact that it lined up perfectly with a summer thunderstorm was pure coincidence, and the fact that we were changing a flat tire on the boat trailer at the same time says something about the timing of the universe.  At least we weren’t out on the water when the storm rushed in.  Even as we were getting pelted by rain and the wind was blowing down tree branches around us, no one complained about the storm because at least it was cooler and there was RAIN!

Summer is a rough time for the animals.  Mae has had both her front shoes pulled because her front left shoe would not stay on with clips or glue.  She’s barefoot for probably the first time in over 7 years and, after a short adjustment period, is getting along just fine without shoes.  We’re letting her go through a cycle of barefoot time and then checking on her feet.  My wallet is hoping that we decide she can remain sans shoes please.

Since it’s hot and dry, that means it’s the perfect time for all the summer skin crap that the horses get.  Based on a recommendation from Alex, I bought a bottle of Equiderma lotion for Mae’s cannon crud and dry skin.  That stuff works!  One application later, her face and legs were looking the cleanest and most moisturized they’ve been in months.  I’ve since used it on dry skin on Dalton’s face and cuts he has from smashing his face into everything and it has been helping those heal well.  I highly recommend it for your horses that have summer skin issues.

If you ask how we even ride in the 100+ degree heat, the answer is reluctantly and either in the covered arena or early in the morning.  Dalton and I have been picking up jump lessons early on Saturday morning instead of Friday afternoons.  We are learning how to sweat and work together, although it is still a process.  It’s not nice to end every single ride lathered in sweat (both of us) but even Dalton is slowly coming around to the fact that a nice hosedown afterward does indeed feel good.  

My absolute deep summer activity in Texas is staying inside and reading (plus ice cream).  After a long hiatus (cough, hacked and ransomwared, cough), our library catalog is back up again and I’ve been binging summer mysteries.  The below are the delightful ones that I’ve read recently:

The Golden Spoon - If you like the Great British Bakeoff series and mysteries, you’ll enjoy this light mystery read with elements of baking AND murder.

Murder Your Employer - The tagline for this book should be Hogwarts but for murderers.  Because murder is a serious endeavour and why shouldn’t there be an academy devoted to teaching people how to do it properly and without getting caught.  

Everyone in my Family Has Killed Someone - The title is a great way to start this murder mystery, by explaining that everybody could be a suspect.  Who doesn’t like a murder mystery set in a snowed-in ski resort, where no one can come or leave, and the dead bodies keep appearing?

That’s all for now folks, now back to melting in the heat.