Water Problems... and Breeches!

http://www.netequestrian.com

OK, I'll admit, it's been one of those weeks...

 I woke up yesterday - per usual. Tripped over two poodles as I tried to untangle myself from the sheets to make my way to the bathroom. Again, usual. Fast forward through my morning routine; Everything was all fine and peachy until I went to make some coffee.

No water.

Tried the sink up stairs, the shower, the sink in the basement.... All with the same results. No water.
Checked the breaker, it was fine.
Flipped it one and off, no use.

After calling every plumbing/well services company in the Keewenaw, I finally got someone out to take a look at the well.

As it would turn out, my pump was old. Installed December '87, according to the box in my basement. When I gave the Well Service guy the make and model, he agreed. Actually he said "Damn, that's an old pump!"

Comforting. Really.

But, he had someone available to come on out and take a look and possibly get me up and running by the end of the day. Yay!

When the well tech made it out and pulled off the well cap, the problem became evident. The pipe had rusted through. The only thing keeping the old pump from dropping to the bottom of the well was the binder twine that some thoughtful relative of mine probably tied to the pump just in case anything like this should happen. Good forethought, Metsa's. 

So, five hours and $1500 I have running water again!
And most importantly, I can make coffee.

Tempi says that my cavalettis are no match for her

Hover Poodle!

Now, the upside is that I received the Tailored Sportsman breeches I ordered last week from NetEquestrian.com. I saw the promo on COTH, and thought, 'hey, what the heck. I need breeches and I love my old TS breeches', so I sat down and ordered two pairs  (and a goode rider show shirt... but I digress). I ordered one front zip, mid-rise in '50 Shades of Grey' which I like. I love the color and the rise. In hindsight, I wish I would have ordered them in the side zip... but live and learn.
The other pair was a side-zip, mid rise in "Blue Tie Dye". I love the side zip and the higher waist line, but am not crazy about the color. I'm sure it'll grow on my, but at this moment... it's not my favorite.
Since there was a coupon in the box with my breeches, and they offered a coupon for the link (above, check it)... I'd order from there again. As a matter of fact, I think I hear a Goode Rider shirt calling my name...  

Show Photos!

So today is all about the pictures from Delight's show last weekend. Enjoy!

Delight's Summer Show

Ahhh.... Well, I survived my final recognized show of the season... well, until the Championships (Chicago, here we come!)

It wasn't my finest show. Now, it wasn't my worst- that dubious honor is still reserved for last year's championships.

Delight and I entered in first level. I was hoping that I could get her qualified in a single show like I did with Tillner... But that was not to be. We missed qualifying by 0.5% with a 65.5% at First level test three and a measly 66% at first level test one.

To be fair, that was a rough judge. I have never seen as many forties (and low forties at that) at a recognized show before. Yikes. I can almost feel bad whining about mid-to-high sixties... But once you've tasted those low-to-mid seventies, you get hooked. At least, I am.

Fortunately, Delight pulled out a 70% in 1-3 on Sunday. Unfortunately, that means that we are halfway to qualifying. It was a nice test, but I think the 70% may have been a tad liberal. I mean, shouldnt I, as the rider, be wowed by a 70% test? I guess not. On the plus side, that means that there's room to grow, score wise. Which is good news, right?

Anyhow, with 7.5 and 8's on our leg yields and 7's on our lengthenings, this show was a definite improvement on last year's championships. Woohoo!

Also, this facility has a few 'turn out' options... So Delight got to graze. What more could a pony want at a show?

Also, pictures to come. I have to steal the SIM card from a student.

Dropping It Like It's Hot

It's hot. We're staying inside today.

Summer's here!
How do I know that? Because I sweated through three shirts yesterday.
Ewwww. Gross.
Judgmental inner voice aside,  It wasn't a bad start to my week. I mean, I have had a few great rides on the Dellner (in front of mirrors), sweated through a few shirts. Oh, and I started that Couch-2-5K program. Turns out there's an app for that... and I am a slave to apps that let me check things off like I've accomplished something. It sounds like it should be easy... just half an hour three days a week. I can do that! As a matter of fact, there's little that I wont do to rid myself of this disgusting jiggly section that's taken up residence in my midriff. Ew, again.
Now, I am the first to say that I am not a runner. And if my first foray into jogging taught me anything, it's that I remain not a runner. However, I mean to stick this thing out for the whole nine weeks. And now that I've told all of you (for all you care), I have a rep to maintain and can't wimp out now.

Or, for added motivation, I can stand in front of one of the myriad mirrors in my house or the stellar mirrors in my arena and jiggle my tummy while saying "wubba, wubba" for motivation to make that go away!

Because I am impulsive (who, me? never!), I think I chose the hottest week of the year to start this 'new me' fitness obsession. Planning has never been my strong suit. And I'm sure that any work out counts double when you sweat as much as I did yesterday... And repaid myself with a chocolate milkshake.
Damn it Alison, that's how you got the wubba-wubba's in the first place.
Touche, itallics voice. Touche.

My running partner wants a larger pool

And just because I need to brag... Check out the amazing job my ancient... ahm... vintage tractor (who has been nicknamed already) was able to do with a borrowed rake.
Sexy, no?

Self Reflection

 Sorry for the delay. My parents are in town.
What does that mean?
Projects! Lots of projects!

First we brought some of the old family farm equipment home. And now it is spread across my yard. Great

 But of course, I have now acquired a tractor of my very own. It's very low mileage... and older than my parents. Perfect.

 But, let's face it... Adding equipment to my front yard was the easy part of my week. There were bigger fish to fry, so to speak.

Just to refresh everyone's memories: Last year (or was it two years now?) ago I drove down to Ohio for some mirrors. for a paltry $100, I picked up 13 mirrors and got to spend the weekend with a friend. Win-win, right?
Well, since that trip, those mirrors have been sitting. First stacked against the wall of my barn, then moved down to my basement. To no one's surprise, that does me little good so when my dad asked if I had any projects for this visit I first tried to shrug him off with a "Well, no, not really".
When he persisted, I mentioned the mirrors. Ask, and you shall receive, right?
And so a project was born.

On the north end of my arena, a plan was made. Post holes were dug (and I may or may not have given myself a concussion with a post hole digger).

Beams and plywood were hung and installed.

The mirrors were transported from their basement dwelling one last time (and the poodles helped).

Mirrors were framed in and hung.

And the final product! Pretty epic, amiright?

I have to say, this is a pretty amazing mirror wall. I mean, I can critique my riding all the way across the arena with minimal wave or distortion. Of course, since I only had 42' of mirror for a 66' short side, there are a few blind spots but really, who cares? There are now MIRRORS in MY arena! Like a pro!

Ahhh... the Weekend

 Ahhh... you know that blissful feeling of having absolutly nothing to do all weekend?
Yeah. Me neither.

I will say that I did take a trip to Marquette to swing by TSC and was introduced to the wonder that is Menards. Ohhh... how I could spend hours in that store.
Hours, I tell you.

Oh, and the icing on the Menards cake? The t-posts were 35 cents cheaper! How I do love finding a good deal. I even took myself out to dinner at a semi-swanky italian place... then headed for home around 9:30 after a full day of shopping in hardware stores.

One of the downsides of the UP summers.... I had the sun in my eyes the entire drive home. My life is hard.

Now, the biggest problem, as I see it, related to hardware stores is not the shopping or the dropping of obscene amounts of cash, it's the next day. Unless you are some loser who goes to hardware stores because it's fun to slum with the 'common folk', a trip to the hardware store means that you are about to embark on some sort of project, usually involving manual labor.

Which brings us to Sunday:
 Sexy new pasture for the ponies! I know, there is no hot wire (yet), but look at all those straight little posts! I'll admit that by the end of the day, my lawn tractor was out of gas and so was I. The thought of walking that fenceline one more time to string the hot wire was just too much for me to contemplate.

Oooh....

Ahhhh....

Of course, my horses have been pretty good. Delight seems to have forgotten what leg aids mean, but a quick consult with the PA branch of MacDonald Dressage seems to have helped quite a bit. 
Why is it that as soon as you fill out those entry forms, a training hole appears?

"Inside leg to Outside rein!"

 Of course, the horses seem pretty happy, over all. I mean, they still refuse to sleep outside at night, but other than that... they are happy campers.

Don't you DARE leave us out here in the dark!