Beautiful Sunday weather!
After the arctic blast earlier this week - to have a weekend that's 50s and sunny is a godsend! Just can't resist the temptation of being outside... so I know I'll be muscle sore tomorrow :)
Morning chore is hoeing another landscape bed and planting the rest of my daffodil bulbs. That's about 40 deep holes. I'll call it my fitness cross training for the week. But I'm near the goal I set two years ago, which is to have every landscape/garden bed brimming with naturalized spring bulbs each March/ April. I've planted about 600 bulbs over that time. Granted it means no using a tiller to work the beds. But I feel more in tune with nature doing the 'lasania' gardening. And I get in shape for swimsuit season as well!
I mix food crops with decorative plants in every bed. Some just have grapevines growing in the back. Others have asparagus used as a feathery touch. I grow cold season greens like spinach in my rose bed. My theory is that everyone with a little yard can include some type of edible plants in it. Cherry bushes even make attractive shrubs!
This afternoon I'm loading up the horses and my daughter - and we're meeting a good friend at our favorite park to train in. So it'll be another fast 8 mile ride! The great thing about endurance horses is once you get basic conditioning for a distance (which I did over my Xmas vacation) you only have to do that distance once or twice a week to maintain the conditioning. The horses are also kept out in pasture with 24/7 hay available in the winter - just as nature intended.
My main mount is a large spotted saddle pony. She actually has severe allergies too. But before she developed them at age 6-7, she did endurance with my daughter and had the natural cardio to keep up with the front running Arabians. Her allergies cause basically asthmatic weasing. We've tried all the standard treatments, most of which she refuses to eat. So last summer I went to the extreme and paid for allergy tests. She is now getting allergy shots and it seems to really be working for her. She's back to her old self who will challenge any horse to keep up with her. It's a difficult task keeping up with what shots are given when. But it's worth it!
However, because of her condition, I'm always ponying (leading) my son's Paso fino horse when I train. I'm using her as a backup mount. Endurance does not allow horses to be on any medications when competing. So if the pony wakes up even a little easy on race day - she can't do it. So backup horse will be stalled next to her at every competition, ready to go. And the Dino will definitely be in shape to do whatever the 5'11" 15 year old wants to do - even though he only rides every now and then :)
RA is still lying low. I've noticed that my tummy (IBS) has been getting upset when I eat pumpkin pie filling to fulfill my desert craving. I do recall the Allergist mentioning squash as a minor allergy. So I quit eating it and stomach settled down. So did the minor tendon soreness in the bottom of both feet. So even minor allergies impact my quality of life! I'm dropping by records tomorrow and getting a copy of those test results! Still waiting on the Nutritionalist to call back for appointment....
On with the day!
Morning chore is hoeing another landscape bed and planting the rest of my daffodil bulbs. That's about 40 deep holes. I'll call it my fitness cross training for the week. But I'm near the goal I set two years ago, which is to have every landscape/garden bed brimming with naturalized spring bulbs each March/ April. I've planted about 600 bulbs over that time. Granted it means no using a tiller to work the beds. But I feel more in tune with nature doing the 'lasania' gardening. And I get in shape for swimsuit season as well!
I mix food crops with decorative plants in every bed. Some just have grapevines growing in the back. Others have asparagus used as a feathery touch. I grow cold season greens like spinach in my rose bed. My theory is that everyone with a little yard can include some type of edible plants in it. Cherry bushes even make attractive shrubs!
This afternoon I'm loading up the horses and my daughter - and we're meeting a good friend at our favorite park to train in. So it'll be another fast 8 mile ride! The great thing about endurance horses is once you get basic conditioning for a distance (which I did over my Xmas vacation) you only have to do that distance once or twice a week to maintain the conditioning. The horses are also kept out in pasture with 24/7 hay available in the winter - just as nature intended.
My main mount is a large spotted saddle pony. She actually has severe allergies too. But before she developed them at age 6-7, she did endurance with my daughter and had the natural cardio to keep up with the front running Arabians. Her allergies cause basically asthmatic weasing. We've tried all the standard treatments, most of which she refuses to eat. So last summer I went to the extreme and paid for allergy tests. She is now getting allergy shots and it seems to really be working for her. She's back to her old self who will challenge any horse to keep up with her. It's a difficult task keeping up with what shots are given when. But it's worth it!
However, because of her condition, I'm always ponying (leading) my son's Paso fino horse when I train. I'm using her as a backup mount. Endurance does not allow horses to be on any medications when competing. So if the pony wakes up even a little easy on race day - she can't do it. So backup horse will be stalled next to her at every competition, ready to go. And the Dino will definitely be in shape to do whatever the 5'11" 15 year old wants to do - even though he only rides every now and then :)
RA is still lying low. I've noticed that my tummy (IBS) has been getting upset when I eat pumpkin pie filling to fulfill my desert craving. I do recall the Allergist mentioning squash as a minor allergy. So I quit eating it and stomach settled down. So did the minor tendon soreness in the bottom of both feet. So even minor allergies impact my quality of life! I'm dropping by records tomorrow and getting a copy of those test results! Still waiting on the Nutritionalist to call back for appointment....
On with the day!
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