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!