The Coronavirus

Its three weeks into my working from home new life. Like the rest of the world I too am getting used to the Covid-19 threat and what it means to this home and our life.
For us, the lucky ones, it means me working from home, hubby working 7 day on, 14 days home shifts, the girls starting e-learning and massive restrictions to our outdoor life.
We have to go one at a time to the grocery stores where sometimes items are limited, tape is on the floor and staff are behind plexiglass.
I have a two hour slot at the barn most days where I ride Ducky. I can walk the dogs and as a family we can walk in our neighbourhood.
We cannot go to state parks, beaches or walk in new places as we risk a fine. We cannot see friends.

Companies around us are pulling back or shutting down as the world continues to change. Gas is at 64c a litre and I have no idea when I can get my glasses changed now I have broken the frames. I am waiting to see if new ones might arrive as the manufacturer has shut down.

For others they battle their very lives as we see daily on the news as globally this coronavirus takes hold. Frightening numbers of infections and death by country.  For some people, the homeless, the less fortunate countries this is very bad indeed. For our seniors, those with less than perfect health and even healthy people - this is dire and life threatening, and life ending.

Its all come to this in mere weeks.

I wonder where we go from here.

Meanwhile I have learnt to make bread and cookies to take care of our bank accounts, and am growing salad in the window sill of the spare room as its still cool outside. The pets are overjoyed at our continued presence at home and I check in with friends and family around the world as often as I can.
I wear PJs to keep clothes good and have a whole new routine including a morning workout every single day before working to try to address the newly painful pelvis I seem to have acquired.

This virus seems to be bringing out the empathy in the empaths and the jerk behaviour of the jerks. Many still dont believe its "a thing" which blows my mind.

Our December Florida trip photo post #2

We saw our first alligator ever at Bahama Bay. Its tiny but its a bonefida alligator

Whilst in the Keys we visited our beloved rental home on Summerland Key that had been all but destroyed by Irma.

The Marriot in Marathon had a pretty marina next door, Lily and I had a rather windy and wild walk around it one evening.

Lily chilling in Bahama Bay. This was our first condo there this time and a firm favourite.

I finally got a photo of Paul on the ride at Universal that none of us would join him on.

My most favourite lunch at Margaritaville.

Dinner at Bahama Breeze with their gorgeous cocktails

Our December Florida trip photo post #1

We Florida-ed. In December, returning home two days before Christmas. We loved it, despite a couple of cool days but I did say that I would never again go in the Holidays.
Now, with Covid-19 around, I am so glad we went then.

A photo memory blog:

The sun setting as we made our way down the East coast (it was an afternoon flight which was another unusual one for us, but hey you take what you can get right):

Beloved Bahama Bay. We walked, I had one morning run, I reset my brain and spent the week grateful.

Holiday Universal Studios. I got Chloe to come on the Harry Potter ride, I was right, she loved it.

We drove down to the Keys and went to Louis Back Yard where we pointed out to the girls all the spots from our twenties memories

I got to see a Fishmonster Boat, I love following Fishmonster every day on FB.

We had lunch at the Conch House

We pointed out the Mermaid and the Alligator

We stayed in the Marriot in Marathon which was really rather lovely although we kind of have outgrown sharing one hotel room for sure.

The view from our balcony.

News Years Ducky

Its been a while since I posted but heres a quick update. The New Year came with brand new day, year and decade and I (as usual) am massively affected by a new year.

By 7am I had agreed a purchase price with Duckys owner and a couple of days later he officially became mine. So now I am the very proud owner of D’Lucky Cat (known as Ducky to his friends and new family) who (I discovered when I followed back his heritage on Google one morning while I drank coffee) happens to be the great, great, great grandson of Secretariat.

THE Secretariat who won the triple crown and has a Disney movie made after him. Now I do of course realize that Ducky has many, many relations out of that magnificent and famous horse but I am jazzed that he is one of them. I have of course yet to personally see if Ducky possesses racehorse speed (although he did in fact win a race, which I have seen on a replay) but he definitely has the red coat and same love of posing for the camera of his predecessor.

Usually at this time of year I have reviewed last years New Years resolutions and made a whole list of ones for the current year but this time I just don’t feel like it. I am not sure if its due to the fact that Ace can no longer be a part of this or what it is, but I feel like I want to make another style of list and in fact already am.

~I have learnt, once again, to live in the moment with my family and when I am by myself.

~I have learnt to really enjoy my relationship with my horse and I am learning all about this new horse   who is so very different to my one before. In this learning I have reached out to all my contacts old and new to understand how to continue to grow.

~I now know more than I ever did and I am just at the start of this journey. Ducky and I are at the beginning of our relationship and I am excited for all that it will bring for him and I together and also just for me, as what I am learning is also growing me, as a person and the leader this horse needs me to be.

This change of view and this ability to live right now and be ever so present at any moment of my choosing has so far helped my sleep, my general well being and my way of viewing pretty much everything.

Part of my new found discovery is through a podcast I now listen to as soon as the next episode is out called Take The Reins which is by Nikki Porter.  This is tremendous and really speaks to me and I encourage anyone whether they have horses, or ride or do not even step foot near them. This podcast has episodes about tools in life and will speak to every person out there.

D'Lucky Cat

Its been a while since I wanted to post in here.
Almost three months since I lost Ace and I have come a long way.
I have been through some immense low points.  At first I couldnt even look at his stall or be in the barn unless I had a cat to hide behind. Luckily for me the barn cats there want to be picked up and snuggled with so hiding behind a cat was not hard to do.
Friday nights were awful as I sobbed at home after work.
I cleaned his tack outside one day and sobbed the entire way through it. Birds flew by in a massive flock in the big blue sky and I just watched them. Fall came fast once Ace left.
His ashes came home and I took half to a favourite spot on a favourite trail ride at CBS and laid them there. The other half went to his first home with Jen to be laid under his apple tree and I have some in a necklace that I never take off.

And then one day I decided that I couldnt continue being horse less and after a message and a call we were on our way to Quizpamsis NB in the first pickup truck I have ever driven towing the first trailer in something like 15 years. 4 hours of highway driving with a decent playlist and two good friends and my oldest, Chloe.
We met D'Lucky Cat or Ducky that night at Dans place and I fell a tiny bit in love.
The next day I rode him and fell a tiny bit more and home he came on trial.

Hes with me now on a 6 month lease and every day we get to know each other a little more. Hes a 10 year old Thoroughbred chestnut gelding who once won a race and can canter more slowly than a horse I have ever ridden.
Hes got a floating trot and a great response to aids and I am trying ever so hard to just enjoy him with out feeling a pang of pain and a touch of guilt.
Who knows where this may go for us....

Forever in August

So this is hard to write.
As per the last few years, August has been mine and Aces riding time. We hack in fields that shimmer where the sound of the grass and the crickets is all I focus on as its so wonderful.
Last week on Thursday Sept 5th we unknowingly went for our very last ride together. It was an August ride but it was also work for us both in anticipation of the upcoming final show.
On the Friday I didn't ride but we went for grazing and hugs, I put his stuff safely away as a hurricane was forecast, kissed him goodbye and told him to stay safe.

Saturday morning he was sick enough to call the vet. Sunday morning after the hurricane the vet came again and again on Monday. Monday night we took him to the AVC in PEI where we talked about scary stuff that "could" happen. We left him there in their care.
Through the week he gave mixed signals, even incredibly positive ones. I really thought he would come home at the weekend.
Friday he went downhill and we threw everything at him care-wise. Friday night he continued downhill.
Saturday morning we euthanized him and I was there at the end with him, sharing all my words.

I now know he had, and would have died that day of colitis and he was in great pain at the end. He had been receiving pain relief but in the words of the vet that did the necropsy "his damage was so great inside that I am amazed he was standing".

We still don't know what caused the colitis. We may never know due to circumstance and the antibiotics that were administered so swiftly, that he needed. 50% of colitis cases never have a cause determined.
I now know more about a subject matter that I had never heard of and had no desire to learn about until a week ago.

I am heartbroken.
I am angry.
I am horrified that he suffered at all.
I am sad he wasn't home in the last week of his life.
I cannot believe he has gone.

I have to find away to understand the reason for this.
We, together, will be forever in August.

 Us taken three weeks ago

Our last ride