Still Kicking

Okay, so it has been a little while since I posted anything, but what's a couple months?  I don't have much to write about as far as riding horses goes as I haven't done any riding since coming down with pneumonia in September.  The doctors cured the pneumonia, but I keep coming up with other illnesses.  I briefly considered giving myself bute today--just to end it all. 

Most of my time each day is spent coordinating something, fixing something, or complying with some bureaucratic requirement.  I'm continually asked to comply with regulatory requirements that are meant to be handled by a fully manned company, not a one-man horse operation.  I have to focus on keeping the horse detachment functioning first, after that I can worry about filling out logistics paperwork and completing training in sexual harassment (is it okay to pat my horse on the butt?). 

 

Yesterday, I caught a couple of environmental people checking out our manure pile.  They were responding to a work order to have the manure pile moved that was issued over a year ago.  Obviously, it was not a priority for them.  They seemed to think the placement of our manure pile was okay, but I'm almost certain someone above them will insist that it be moved or modified in some way to make managing it more difficult.  The funny thing is that no matter where you put it, it all ends up being washed downstream eventually. 

 

Today, in addition to taking a riding lawn mower in for maintenance (the maintenance guys didn't want to take it, but I whined until they did) and taking a truck in to get the plastic cap on the tailgate replaced, I spent about ninety minutes raking the arena for the riding practice tonight.  The barrel racers had been practicing in the arena and had left big divots in the footing.  Not good when troopers are trying to practice charges at a full gallop.  I wanted to wet the arena down before I dragged it, but only two of the sprinklers were working.  Thus, the footing is like brown talcum powder now.  I hope everyone rode with their bandannas over their faces.