Bring out the Water Wings

Yes, it is raining.  It is a raining a lot.  I hope it rains fast enough that it all runs off so the arena isn't a mudhole for a week.  I need it to be ridable by Friday at the latest.  Wednesday would be really good, but that may be too much to hope for.

It was actually not a bad day.  The horseguests, with humans, arrived a bit after 8--just as I was getting ready to clean stalls.  We arranged stowage, which turned out to be simpler than I'd thought--the two of them will share meals and space--and then Michelle had to take her truck to the dealership to find out why it wouldn't start if it was shut off (they had traveled straight through from Austin because of this little feature).  Loose battery cables, said the dealership.  We'll see if they were right. 

So that was dealt with, and they went home to get some sleep while I made a Costco and grocery run.  The skies opened while I was in Costco, but at home there was just a quick squall, then the sun came out.  They were able to ride before dark.  I thought I might, but when I brought out keed, he stood on his hindlegs.  Keed never does that.  I opted for the better part of valor.  Put him back with his girls, and just made sure they got dinner. 

One thing was very clear.  Moose (i.e. Karlita), the Lipizzan, did not want to be out of sight of the other Fat White People in Horse Suits Just Like Mine, and they did not want her out of their sight. 

Lipps are weird.

The rain set in after dark.  It's a deluge now.  Everybody is stowed with shelter, though the Girlz are tending to stand out in it and get soaked.  It was great fun getting blankets on them.  I was able to talk Camilla into helping me with Gaudia, but Camilla herself was a pain as she kept wanting to defend the others against the Evil Strangers Next Door.  Evil Strangers (Moose and an adorable TB/Fell pony named Taran who looks and acts like a Morgany Lipp) mostly just ignored them.  The older horses are in stalls well out of reach--keed is pulling his Mr. Territoriality tricks, which means he's acting like a very nasty herd stallion.  (Or, why he didn't get to keep the optional equipment and Pook did.  Pook did some arching and snorting at first but has been the soul of discretion since.  Moose says, "Hubba.")

We watched a Spanish Riding School video and a Lipp evaluation tape this evening.  Michelle has tapes of the training sessions in Vienna.  Must See.

No lessons are scheduled for tomorrow, which is a good thing.  We may have to build an ark for the horses.  (Hey, I've got a stallion and a bunch of breedable mares--the equine segment is safe.)  Wednesday's lessons may be on the trail, if we get rain all day again tomorrow.  Oy.

In other news, Pandora is supposed to arrive on the 12th, weather between here and the east end of the Columbia Gorge permitting.  The horseguests leave the 9th.  I get two days to prep for the next one.

And I sent out the proposal and the story proofs, so Work was done.  It's time to switch gears to the new fantasy series for Tor.  First one's due at the end of May.  It's all plotted and outlined and ready to hit the ground running.