Routine Shift

Clydesdale babies were enjoying their naps in their lovely setting Saturday afternoon. 

I went to Hickey's Pumpkin Patch Saturday, thinking they were still open.  Must have sold all the pumpkins, or I was awfully early.  Being there gave me the opportunity to catch this shot of Schweitzer. .  . .

. . . . and this farm . . . . 

. . . . and this old section of fence. 

The north yard was ablaze with the last remnants of pretty colors yesterday. 

And, the pumpkins are all dressed up for Halloween.  And, "this just in photo below":  Schweitzer doesn't just have a frosting of snow this morning.  Looks like a couple of inches at least.   Rain in the valleys overnight and snow up above.

Yesterday turned out much nicer than expected.  Is this sounding like a broken record?

If so, a brief weather pattern seems to contradict what’s been predicted, and all the rain we were supposed to receive falls overnight, leaving us with a few extra lovely days.

I fully expected to spend most of the day indoors, but happily, I completed several outdoor projects yesterday.

Those included brush hogging a field of tall grass next to the lane, harrowing the barnyard which had been dotted with piles of horse apples, weed eating along a fenceline, mowing grass around some more of Bill’s young trees out south of the house and sawing low-hanging limbs off from some trees in the woods where we ride the horses and have to duck.

I also enjoyed a nice bike ride around the Forest Siding Loop.  Bill and I topped off the day, watching the World Series with goodies from the Pack River General store.

So, with a brief weather routine came a departure from the usual for my horses.

Horses expect everything to be the same every day, especially their feeding time.  

Well, that didn’t change, but when I led each of them to the barn from the far pasture, a lot of inspection took place.

Short grass in the field north of the lane, weeds and tall grass no longer an eyesore near the fence AND the real shocker---no horse apples in the barnyard.

The latter set both Lily and Lefty off so much that they each spent the next ten minutes, staring at their overnight domain and moseying around the enclosure with noses to the ground, sniffing out the new blend of horse apples.

 

Mom Love had stirred up some Lily and Lefty applesauce with that harrow and it just didn’t seem right.

I think they’re okay this morning with their cleaner, neater barnyard, but that new appearance last night just disordered their minds.

And, so this morning, I can empathize with Lily and Lefty with the big changes in their evening routine.

 

My morning routine was very different today, but the change won’t unsettle me as much as it did the horses yesterday.

Bill set the tone for a good time to make a change.  He had to leave earlier than Oh Dark Thirty this morning to drive to a gathering in Potlatch.  So, by the time I awakened, he was gone for the day.

Perfect, I thought.  No better time than the present to do things a bit differently for the rest of the dark months.

 

By the time I came upstairs for my first cup of coffee and Internet perusal, I’d already put in a wash and had tidied up the bathroom.

I went out a few minutes early to take the horses to pasture.  They never do mind a change in routine when they get to eat earlier than usual.  Plus, it was very dark so I couldn’t see any shocked expressions.

And, because it’s dark when I do that, I’ve selected today as the turning point for when I take my morning walk.  I’m sure every motorist who comes down the road will be happy as that ghost-like figure won’t be suddenly appearing out of the darkness when they head to work or drive by on their mission to pick up area students for school.

I’ve been carrying a flashlight, but it’s time to make the change and wait until daylight to enjoy the walk.  Seemed like everyone was later than usual this morning because I read the paper before heading out the door, and the buses and usual cars still passed me on the road.

Monday morning papers don’t take that long to read-----just one paper and it’s really skinny, so that probably explains it.

Anyway, on this Monday, the new routine for fall and winter has begun.  Plus, Bill and I decided yesterday while enjoying our dinner, prepared by Pack River General Store, that we’ll follow that new routine during the winter and let them cook for us every Sunday evening.

Not a bad plan!

Gorgeous day ahead.  Hope everyone has a wonderful Monday and that you find some new adventures in your life as we fall into the dark months.