Yesterday must have been a bad dream. On Sunday, I was out in the yard wearing a t-shirt, loving the budding of Spring. By 10 am, the very next day, the ground was covered with yet another depressingly white blanket, and all signs of green were gone. Miraculously, this morning, as I opened the back door to go out and feed the horses, there wasn’t a hint of winter. All the snow disappeared overnight, as if I had imagined it. Only I didn’t, and here are the pictures to prove it.
The horses didn’t enjoy the interruption of the rites of Spring either. Silk stayed in her stall all day, giving me that sad-eyed look, resigned to her fate. Her daughter was just plain grumpy. Siete would take a quick turn around the pasture every few hours with her tail flagged up high, snorting like a dragon. She’s as done with mud and snow as I am. Each time I watched her prancing and tossing her head, I thought that’s exactly how I feel.
On top of the bad weather, I threw out my back last week. It was definitely my body’s way of telling me to stop stressing and cleaning up after all the flooding. So, I’ve been forced to slow down and take a few days to contemplate my life. It appears to me that the state of my small piece of land is a mirror for how I am feeling. We’ve both survived a rough patch. The barn is splattered with mud and needs a thorough cleaning. So do I, and a diet and a new haircut are mandatory. The corral must be dug out and new footing needs to be brought in and properly graded. I’m personally digging into my business persona and refreshing my presentation and goals. After hibernating for all these months, I’m ready to emerge like Persephone and start to open up in new and exciting ways.
Today, it’s horsey spa day. The girls are going to get cleaned up with the shedding blade. I’ll put all the fur from their winter coats out behind the barn for the mama birds to use to build their nests. With warm water from the hose, those white socks on both horses’ feet will be revived for at least a few minutes before they run through the mud and blacken them again. The chorus of bad weather predictors are chanting that we’re getting more snow tomorrow night. Still, seeing the sun shining right now and listening to the birds chirp, I’m reassured that these last little hiccups of winter will soon be over.
Just like the little green sprouts didn’t freeze and wilt under that unexpected onslaught of snow yesterday, I’m not going to let the obstacles that fall in my path keep me from coming into flower. Years ago, a friend gave me a lovely old French ceramic tile that says “joie de vivre”. It sits on our mantelpiece and as I noticed it this morning, hobbling down the stairs with my sore back, I decided that it will be my new mantra.
7 comments:
I couldn't believe the snow either after the warmer weekend we had. The good thing is that it won't last.
I'm sure the girls will enjoy their spa day but don't overdue it with your sore back.
Spring is a time of renewal and I like your attitude. Look for the positives in life and make the best of all situations.
It will be spring for real soon - it has to be, right? (said with hope). Pretty soon we'll be enjoying the sunshine and warm breezes and the bad weather over the winter will be forgotten.
Hope your back feels better - I know how that can be.
Hi Victoria,
Always enjoy reading your blog. I'm a friend of Lori's and a faithful follower of the SFJ. All your water problems over this past winter remind me of what I went through here @ Christina's World. Though I still worry every spring that my two stalls could flood we seem to have solved the problem. We now have underground drainage pipes that divert water from the uphill side of the barn. I hand dug many a drainage ditch, and could well imagine what you were going through. I hope so much you'll be able to come up with a solution that will save you from such exhausting work in the future. Take care of your back.
Tina
Wasn't that crazy yesterday? Like you, I was out at the stables in a long-sleeved shirt and yesterday I had to dig out my winter coat again. Ugh. But, it is already starting to melt here and the sun is struggling to make an appearance. Spring is here...yes, it is!! :-) Take care of your back...I hope you feel better soon!
Enough is enough! I hope your back is improving! Snow will return here too...just know it. When the sun comes out, ambition returns. Right now, our property looks so ugly! Lots of sticks on the ground and drab, drab, drab.
No more snow here (thank goodness) but sudden huge temperature changes - everyone seems to be getting sick.
I like the positive spirit of this post. Everything will get done in due time. It's important to take care of yourself! :)
Hope you and the girls feel better soon. This is the seasonal battle of spring over winter but we know who will win the war of warmth. It will reverse in fall when we will be longing for cooler days and the soothing shadows of early evenings. Life cycles around....
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