The Calendar Says it is Spring

The calendar may say it is Spring but we have plenty of cold left here. There were lots of snow showers on Sunday but it melted off quickly. Today I left for the horse ranch at 9AM at 27 degrees. By 1PM it had warmed up to shirtsleeve temps but clouds moved in and a cold wind came up an hour and a half later and we were back to jackets and hats and gloves by 4PM. We say that if you don't like the weather in Central Oregon in Spring just wait for 5 minutes and it will change.

Tom will be playing golf in the Pronghorn Polar Bear Tournament on Wednesday. I wonder if the weather will be appropriate. On Thursday he travels to Baker City on the Idaho border with a friend to help the guy pick up a boat. I think I see fishing in his future.

Tom sold his 1948 International Pickup project. A fellow in Florida bought it and is having it shipped there next week. Tom started working at building cars when he was 17 and decided he was tired of doing it. Of course he decided this when he was on his back on cold concrete under the truck and had been turning wrenches for three days. He is now looking for a "finished" collectable, preferably a mid 80s Corvette.

My "Corvette", Billy, is our of commission for a while. He was doing well in his training for cutting and I was starting to learn to do reining with him. He was prancing around in his pen. slipped in the wet area where he pees, and hyperextended his leg blow his left hock, rupturing a tendon. The vet put him on stall rest for three months. After that I will be slowly rehabbing him with ground exercise for another three months. Basically no riding him for 6 months. It is a bummer but is a cheap fix considering what it usually costs have a vet treat an injury. I have to make sure I take the time for it to heal right or he could be lame for life. With the right rest and rehab the vet says that he can get all the way back to his former athletic ability.

Fran is letting me continue to work on cutting and my riding skills using her horses. I look at it this way, I will be just that much better a rider when Billy is ready to go again. I am riding Acey a very experienced paint cutter. I am working to enter my first competition in three weeks. It is like being in line for an E ticket ride. I really want to do it but it is a little scary to think about.

Yes, I know, I know, I need to take some pictures. Don't remind me.