Wild Horses

...couldn't drag me away." (Remember that song? Love it!)

I can now breath a sigh of relief...this crazy week has come to an end. David will be back in the office next week, and if there are any fires, he will be around to help put them out. Yesterday was TERRIBLE!!! I mean, terrible. I was hating life when I left work yesterday. Ever had one of those days? Or is it just me?

To my surprise, today was much better. I was dreading today for some reason, I guess because I was expecting a re-run of yesterday. BUT to my amazement, today was a piece of cake. Work was just dandy and I was in a better mood. The day was beautiful. Life is sweet again.

By far the best part of my day was the horse ride I went on with my buddy Rhonda this evening. Rhonda & I used to work together and she has been helping me in the office part-time this week while David has been out. Rhonda has many interests and talents, one being that she loves horses and has the priviledge to train about 8 of them. She owns some and is the caretaker of sorts to the others, whose real owners are richy-rich but rarely come to ride them.

Rhonda invited me on a horse ride through the trails along the Etowah river. It was awesome and just the break I needed! The summer air was refreshing. We saw deer frolicking in the fields and heard the trickle of the river water as we rode through the wooded area. The only bad part was the cobwebs we constantly broke with our faces as we crept through the woods. Yuck!

It's been awhile since I've been on a horse and I got to ride the stunning prize winning horse Ginabelle (GiGi for short). Her temperment was calm and collected, and she was beautiful to look at. She was a moderate chocolate brown with a streak of white running down her forhead, and she was tall and muscular. A note on her stable reads, "Mrs. Fancy Pants." Rhonda rode Spot, her pony, who was definitely not as attractive as Ginabelle, but was ok I guess. Not my ideal cup of tea.

But all in all, everything was perfect. We even had a picnic dinner of Publix sandwiches, chips and grapes. And I learned a lot from Rhonda about how to care for a horse. I got to brush GiGi, take off her boots (velcro pads placed near her feet), unstrap the saddle, lead her by the reins, etc. I hope to ride again soon. It's really a great opportunity because it's free and Rhonda is about as good a teacher as they get. The scenery is lovely and it's flexible to ride them.

I believe animals have a therapeutic, calming effect on people. Tonight reminded me of this theory of mine, which I absolutely believe to be true! For me, they help get my mind off the "stuff" in life and put me in a simpler mindset. As a matter of fact, Daisy is falling asleep in my lap now as I write this and I'm loving it. It's way past her bedtime...and MINE! Oh goodness, I've made it past midnight for once. Alert the press!

Sweet dreams :)