Retirement, New Shelter, Running Season Ends for 2015

Retirement...the place that so many seek as a destination on their journey in this life.   Some can't wait to get there.   Some don't ever want to get there.   Some think it's just so far fetched.  Other can't believe their reality when it happens.   

I had the pleasure this past week of seeing two very wonderful guys off on their next step in life.   I got to witness the ups and downs leading up to their last day.  The thoughts about this being the last day with the guys that they have spent most of their adult lives with for more time in a waking day than their wives and families.    The thoughts of not having to get up at 5AM and the thoughts of still waking up at 5AM because you have for so long.   I could see the mixed emotions as the days drew to an end.   I could see the sheer joy of taking the next step the night I got to send them off with the rest of my co-workers on this exciting next phase.   

I personally have many years left before eligibility for retirement.   I'm looking forward to those days like I believe most of us working stiffs do.  However I am not rushing the process of getting there because I know at the point when I reach that next phase...my life will be closer to the end than the start.   And in reality...I don't want to wish away my life.   I know that life is today.  Today is to be lived before tomorrow comes.  

Congrats to both Mark and Paul...As a new coach having both of you in the crew with your 70+ years experience I was taken care of.  I know what you both did for me and I appreciate that in the most sincere way.   I know my next months adjusting to not having your support as Team Leader and Welder Specialist will be a challenge.  You will leave a big gap in my daily level of ease; I realized all the little things you both did to keep 'our' line running.   Thank you and congrats on your much deserved retirement.

Here we are at the office coffee and Carrot Cake...Mark embarrassed me with a big hug that I was totally not expecting.  Pretty rare for these guys to get me too!  We sure do have a lot of fun at a place called "work"!

And then at the night of farewell drinks.  Wish I could have stayed longer…I hear it was a pretty fun party after I left!  :-)

Funny...I left a retirement party early to join a group of women I ride with who are all mostly retired!!   Most of them on early retirement but damn you girls make me envious of the riding in mid afternoon and drinking wine all night with a text to a DD (AKA, significant other) for a ride home!   I really should have planned better that night!   Here is Andrea, Sharon and I out for a sunny afternoon hack a few weeks ago when I played hookie for the afternoon and lived the pretend "horse wife" retired life!  PS - Special thanks to Andrea for loaning me her wonderful and reliable Arty.  :-)  I was the only one that afternoon who didn't have to sit through a single spook!

The cowgirl cadillac was put to good use restocking shelters with feed.   I can get a full feed and hay supply for one shelter in one trip.

The second round of stacking wood has got underway.

Start

Finish

A month ago I had an incident with Stewy and Wanda both thinking they could fit through one open door on the barn at the same time.   Wanda is no skinny chicken...so when Stewy charged his way in beside her mid barrel...something had to give.   It turned out to be the window in the barn door!   Lesson learned!  Stewy is no longer allowed to be free from pasture to barn.  He is haltered and lead just like mama.

Smashed! **Special thanks to Anbi for helping with clean up!   What a bloody mess.

Temporarily Repaired

Now Fixed Again

The new 3 horse shelter in Pasture #1 is taking shape.   The initial plan is to make this the turnout field for Stewy (when he's weaned) and our 2 boarders.    

Rafters are up.

Walls are going up.

Running season has come to an end for this year.  Theresa and I finished off our season with the Hamilton 5K Santa Run at Pier 4.   It was a warm, sunny day and WAY too hot to be running 5K in a Santa suit!  Despite the heat it turned out to be a great end to the 2015 season for both Theresa and I.   I won the Female Masters Division and was 5th place over female.   Feeling pretty happy with this season and this finish; as all the female finishers ahead of me were 24 and under!   Theresa had a great strong finish as well ending up first in her age group.   We both scored really fun medals for being race division winners!   Training now starts for the 30K Around the Bay and a prep 1/2 marathon before the Bay race.  :-)

Winning the Female masters division

Theresa and I close out 2015 with 2 division wins!

Getting a Leg Up, Running PB, Girls Weekend and Sundry News from the Farm

It's been awhile since I posted about life on the farm that doesn't involve the loss of Izzy.   I won't promise those moments of loss won't still find their way here.   I know that over the last 6 weeks I have had seemingly innocent, nothing moments bring me right back to that evening in the sand ring.   The latest being a trip to the grocery store.  I know, how crazy can a trip to the grocery store get?   I wandered past the reduced to clear fruit rack and thought, "Oh, I'll get those bananas for Izzy."   That was a frequent occurrence, as she loved bananas.   How the mind can play such harsh and malicious tricks on us when we think we are journeying into a new realm.

I took a week of vacation in October.  Fall is my favourite time of year.  I have always loved to ride in the cool, sunny days and venture through the woods with the smell of leaves underfoot.    On vacation I surrounded myself with the love of horsewomen.  I ventured to the Josh Nichol clinic that I was supposed to be attending with Izzy.  As difficult as it was to go to the clinic and sit in a place of longing for what was supposed to be and what was an opportunity missed; I needed the support of these wonderful friends to help me along this pilgrimage.   Everyone has been asking if I am getting a new horse, if I have ridden and in general, what my plans now are for the future.   I am still lost in my thoughts over the future.   I know the universe will give me the answers I need when I am open enough and ready to receive them.   However, on Oct 22nd, it was a beautiful sunny fall day.   It was time for me to remember why I ride horses in the first place.    I saddled Emma and thru my leg over a horse for the first time since I came off a horse in the worst of ways.   When something you loves with such connection dies beneath you and you can feel that through to your core...it changes you.  Throwing a leg over a horse was not something in my mind I could take lightly.    I felt so many things that sunny afternoon...but the thing that stuck with me as a walked with the sun on my face towards the woods from the back of the barn was the words from a dear friend.   Words that I knew in my hurting heart but needed to hear with the love they were expressed with.   Her words were, "The hurt came from the back of a horse but the healing will come from there too."    Thank you my friend...

Running

There has been a great deal of running in the last 6 weeks.   I had a PB on a 5K race.  Chip time of 22:49 and Second overall finisher.

Run to the Fair in Dorchester for another great finish.   Second in the female masters division.

Ran the stairs and the escarpment trail several times during my lunch.

Road2Hope 10k at the Hamilton waterfront.   Not a stellar fast race for me with a back of the pack start position but still managed a second place finish in my age group.   Love this trail as it's a staple running spot on my lunches.

This fall has been an exceptional race season with running partner Theresa.   So lucky to have her as part of my running journey.  To have shared so many races together gives me such wonderful memories.  Thank you Theresa for being on this fitness and racing journey together...xo.

Girls Weekend

I am so fortunate to still be close friends with 6 women I went to high school with.   Four of us have been together since grade 1!   These women are my sisters.   They have enriched my life, they have shared their lives with me.   We know some of the most intimate details about each other.   Together we have seen all the milestones that a group of 40+ year old women encounter.   We have shared sleepless nights; endless nights in deep conversations.   College nights in places our parents should never find out about!   We have weathered the test of time.   As true friends we have rose to the occasion.   I couldn't image my life without these women.  Love you all for your unique and individual strengths.   You have all blessed my life...I am so fortunate.

Girls weekend was at the farm.  :-)  What a fun adventure we had!  Even got up close and personal with Clark's chicken!   LOL

Here we are at my fav local hot spot, Twisted Lemon at the best table ever!   Love the chef's table.

AND because these women are truly the best ever…they prearranged a surprise baby shower for me!   As friends as close as they are to me…they know the reasons I have only fur kids and surprising me with this party was one of the most amazingly joyful and tearful moments of the weekend for me.

Stewy has a new blanket thanks to this crew of doting 'Aunts'.   xo love you Girls…to the moon and back.

Round Pen

The base footing is now complete!   We let the drainage stone settle for a season.   It's now ready for sand and the wood fencing.  Hurray...Stewy's new playpen will be ready to go when he is!

Operation Winter Warmth

30 boxes of wood stacked and ready to burn this winter.   30 more will likely still be needed to get us through the winter but this is half way there.

Trail Cam

Lots of action in the woods at the trail entrance and through the trail.

New Tree

After much love and desperate trying, I could not save the tri-colour birch that Reta gave me when we moved here.   It was dug out of the ground at least 3 times by Molly in the puppy years as she wolfed mouth fulls of soil that I had enriched with bone meal!!   Each time I would replant and pack the soil and water it and pray that it would make it through the trauma.   But even prayer couldn't save the beauty.   So the dead twig that it turned into after a freezing winter and relentlessly hot summer stayed planted all year as a solid reminder that this tree needed to be replaced.   On many occasions DH and I stopped at different garden centres but could never find one that held a candle to that lovely tree.   As a surprise, last month Reta and Bill replaced that tree with one even more beautiful.   It has been planted and guarded from dogs.   No more puppy phase so lets now pray it makes it through the winter and shares its glory next spring.

Food

Well...with no horse to ride on a regular basis at the moment....food has become a much more popular pass time.   The miles need to be clocked on my shoes now to counter balance the delicious meals and treats that have been pouring out of the kitchen.  UGH!!!

Jalapeno poppers made with peppers from my garden.

Stewy

He's growing like an obnoxious little weed!   He should have been named Shark, not Stuart!   He's super smooth and cute.   He glides in close and looks so curious and brave.   Then he grabs you when you least expect it!  And boy he's fast!

He's croup high right now but look how much he has grown!

Last but not least…

What would a blog post be without the mutts….love my fur babies!