Beautiful Weather

Finally a weekend with no rain.....and what a weekend! The forest and fields were bursting with wildflowers and fresh scents of summer. The rain has provided an unusually lush atmosphere in the Rockies this year , something I haven't seen before. With the wonderful weather came lots of people, there were crowds at West, motorcycles all over the highway, hikers, campers, orienteers.....everyone wanting to get summer started!

So we found some areas a little off the track.

The flowers were in such abundance it was breathtaking. We saw an entire field of Columbines, another of wild iris, large fields of yellow, the next blue, everywhere we turned there was color.

Green being predominant, when usually at this time its rather brown and dry.

We rode our mountain bikes most of Saturday and we did get to some amazing quiet places.

We had taken the dogs out earlier for a long hike

and they enjoyed the lushness as well, especially rolling in the stream on the way back.

There is something totally rejuvenating about this sort of weekend. I felt like a kid, tired but not wanting to waste any moment, lets go here, lets go there. And having a couple of other" kids" along made it all the more fun .

Gettin' Back

Its been a tough week for the ol' Ninja Pony Dad.
It started out with an infected root canal.....the work was done last week, felt fine, but then got increasingly more painful by Sunday. Monday morning my face was swollen, and I was experiencing the transition to un-happy camper. Saw the dentist...got it headed in the right direction....but didn't need the detour.
A day later, my horse Jupiter developed an abscess in his rear hoof. I know almost nothing about an abscessed horse hoof but I do know that when a 2000+lb animal is limping its not good. Due to the diligence of Lori (my honey) and our farrier (Scott Booten) Jupiter is on the mend too. It seems that all the moisture we have had lately has had an unpleasant effect on Jupiter's hoof.

Now back to the blog....with all the distractions and illnesses I haven't really felt like writing, or commenting on other posts.
First of all I want to acknowledge KB and her dog K .... yep, the look in her eyes.... a stunning look if I've ever seen one and it reminded me of a couple of things. The day I adopted Maizie....it was her eyes peering out from the cage she was in that did it. This poor girl was skinny, had bad body language and was not the type of dog I was looking for. She looked at me as I talked to her....and completely rattled me. Beautiful brown eyes.We went to the parking lot ....she went right to MY truck, when I got her home she ran around in circles on the grass for a long time......she was home.
Our next adoption was Johnny...aka Johnny Ballistic....he is a Red Heeler and was acquired by us when Lori went to Every Creature Counts and asked for a "medium sized male dog that likes to play" The two women behind the counter turned toward eack other and both exclaimed "Johnny!!" Johnny was to be Maizie's playmate as our other two dogs were older and not up for the antics of young Maizie. I was working out of town at the time and didn't know we had a new acquisition until I returned and this small red guy latched on to me like we'd known each other all our lives. Another "not what I was looking for dog" and, quite possibly, the best friend I have ever had. he accepted me immediately..no question. He loves Maizie. When you adopt animals its difficult to figure how they got to be where they did. Johnny has a chip, someone must have cared about him, he is partial to men...(altho Mommy ranks really high) and he runs along my mountain bike on the right side by the derailleur. He looks right thru me and has a look (I'm trying to post, but our service is really slow today) that says "cmon Dad,let's kick some butt"
I think KB hit the nail on the head again as I have begun to see that Johnny's agressiveness is actually masking some sort of fear...he used to run toward autos and still toward strangers. I 'll have to try your techniques to see if thats what's happening here.
Rode my cross bike today.....was supposed to join either friends or teammates down below at 8AM for either cyclocross practice or a 95 mile road ride. I woke up early, fed the horses all the while feeling like I was in some sort of painful trance (stiff, achey) went back to bed.
So, I rode this afternoon instead. I rode as the clouds were gathering and thunder provided the backround music. No lightning, maybe the storm is going that way...it is a cross bike after all. Hmmmmm, it didn't tke long to make this little adventure look like it was taking place on a rainy fall day in Belgium. The cars on the dirt roads were giving me plenty of room "look out dear there's a crazed cyclist ahead" as mud spray splattered all over.....smiling was completely out-of-the-question as one pretty much eats what he grins at on a day like this! I had a blast! And I didn't realize how muddy, wet and cold I was until I got in the shower...hands tingling from the hot water.

I read this the other day and I'd like to share it...

Thinking is more interesting than knowing,
but less interesting than looking.

Goethe

The Crew

I think its time to share with you the animals in my life, the ones we share our home with.

This is Johnny....or Johnny Ballistic....he's a Red Heeler, totally devoted to me and has the highest energy level of any animal I've ever known. He is in charge of security and chipmunk control at our place.

Next is Maizie, she is Johnny's Big Sister, Whompzilla comes to mind when I see them play.

Maizie is the most affectionate animal I've ever known, she snuggles like nobody's business, likes to cuddle up at the least provocation, and is Johnny's best friend. Maizie is in charge of perimeter security, and has a really deep bark.

These are the horses, on the left is Henry the Ninja Pony, a Shetland,next to him is Jupiter a 2000+lb big brother in the form of a Percheron, the black beauty in front is Ava a quarter horse mare, and one of the prettiest horses ever, and with her back facing the camera is Molly a Morgan mare,that is like the son I never had. She is curious about any kind of tool and frequently inspects the work I do around here. I'll post individual pics here soon.

And last, but certainly not least, is Ari, Ari is Mommy's Little Girl and has been the long-time companion of my mate. Ari is a mix of some sort we're not really sure what. She is like a brindle bullet as she is fast, energetic, totally devoted to Mommy and is the big sister of all the animals here. Absolutely nothing gets her down.....especially if there is a ball in the vicinity. She's a wonderful little girl and a great travel companion.

So, that's who we share our lives with ....all of these animals are rescues, some locally and some from pretty far away. The common thread in all these personalities is that they love us at least as much as we love them. Each has his or her distinct personality and all are a joy to spend time with.

The Monkey

Today is a sad day. Yes, its even raining outside.

Our friends smrp amd Meriwether have just lost a precious member of their herd, The Monkey. She was Meriwethers' little girl, a joy to be around, hike and play with, and part of a great bunch of dogs, horses and people. She will be sorely missed.

Having lost one of our key herd members recently, I find it humbling to realize how much these animals give us on a daily basis. The subtle humor, little noises, and playful antics when gone create a huge blank in the household landscape.

My heart goes out to our friends.

Godspeed, Monkey.

The Triathlon

Yesterday, I volunteered as a marshal at the Longmont Triathlon. I was the gate keeper of sorts, directing competitors from the transition area on their bikes out to the bike course and safely back in. I don't compete in triathlons, but I've found that volunteering for this one makes me marvel once again, at human spirit.

When I think of triathete I think of a muscular, taut sort of being with a sort of competitive hunger in the eye, and although there were some of these types there, they certainly weren't the majority. No, the majority was more like the guy down the block, the woman that works at that office, in short, regular people. Like a neighborhood triathlon.....with all the neighbors. I guess what keeps me coming back is the sense of accomplishment these folks derive from their efforts. It doesn't really matter if they win, most have no hopes of winning....finishing is a big deal, and when I think of it, training to finish is a big deal.

So, just being around these atheletes makes me feel really good. The optimism alone is enough to keep me going for a long time, the efforts put out by these "normal" people will give them something to be proud of for a long time, and events like this are a terrific way to build on an already strong community. Big sections of people showed up to cheer....and what a racket!. One man had a tee shirt that said "My Wife is Cool" he was followed by three boys who's shirts read "My Mom is Cool". In my mind, to volunteer at an event like this is a privledge. I have a good time interacting with all the competitors as they all have to pass my post, a little encouragement or humor goes a long way.

If you get a chance to check out something like this near where you are, do. Cheer your head off, even if the person you're cheering for doesn't know you, you can bet they appreciate it!

Pavement Ends

Awhile back, KB of "Romping and Rolling in the Rockies" posted this picture of the sign at the top of the hill near where we live. As I mentioned in my last post I have been working lots of hours on a jobsite (construction) that is 1 hour and 45 minutes away. So, the time that I usually have to myself is spent travelling to and from work. This is the time I would normally use to ride my bike,train for racing, or just to enjoy what is around me. Not so this year. To add to that most of my weekends are spent at work, so things around the house aren't getting done.....you can see where this is going. Altho I'm very grateful to have work in this economy...especially in construction, I just wish there was time for work and life. So when KB posted the picture, I started to realize how much that sign means to me. Yes, its a road sign, a warning if you will, but it could also say .......Pavement Ends, Real Life Begins.....

Weekend Off

The title seems a little mundane, unless you've been working weekends for a long time. As imagined its a rather rainy weekend, always hopeful for sunny, pleasant weather, I'll take this as it comes. Spring in the Rocky Mountains is the time when we see if we have enough moisture to not have to worry about fire for the summer months.

I live in these mountains with my wife ( a wonderful woman I've known for some years that decided to marry me recently), three horses and a Shetland pony that we rescued and three dogs that we rescued as well. We live on five acres and feel blessed to have a life in such a beautiful place. Yes, the Shetland pony is the reason for the name of this post, his real name is Henry, but he is truly a Ninja Pony. He's all black except a half moon on his forehead and one white sock, he is well behaved, very athletic, and has taken years to trust us. he was terribly abused by someone and he does not stand for any sort of threat or harassment. His hooves always find their mark if he feels the need to use them.

The work I do is in the construction industry and although the economy is off, my job is flying along weekends and all. For fun, I ride bicycles and when I'm able to train I like to race. My past has mountain biking in it (which I still enjoy)but my racing these days consists of road races, Time Trials, and cyclocross. Many of my friends do the same.

The rain over the last few days has brought out all kinds of little plants that we only see for a short time ...and in dry years maybe not at all. It seems really lush right now for a normally dry place.

This is essentially my first time out blogging, I hope to share experiences and perhaps, musings.