Meet My Best Friend: The Weekend!

 I don't mind my job, but it is the weekends that I truly live for. And why not? There are a million fun things to do. Like riding brumbies, for example.

 I got this weekend started hanging out with my friends Joia and Rachel after work on Friday. Joia was teaching us how to make little felt gnomes with the assistance of some whiskey. Joia is about to get married, and Rachel is about to start an artist-in-residence program in New York so we had all kinds of reason to celebrate. I took this picture in Rachel's apartment on a fabulous yellow couch. There you see Joia, Rachel and Robin Williams. What's that you say? You do not see Robin Williams? Oh he's there. At the end of the couch. He's buff colored and has lop ears. Did someone say adorable?

Saturday we went to a rock and mineral show. Rachel wanted to come but we got up too late to invite her because she had a hot date at 5pm. Within 20 minutes of arriving, Brandon won a door prize!! I almost choked on my hot chocolate when they called his name over the loudspeaker.

Brandon had three choices: a faceted gem stone, a very cool crystal-y looking geological growth, or this fossil.

While at the show, we got this for Bill. Can you tell what it is?

Here is the other side. I will tell you what it is at the end of this post!!!

Sunday we then headed over to Bill's. I had to go earlyish so I could fit a trip to Target in later. Christine was going to show up later, after house shopping with her husband. Christine has had a million things going on this summer. So has Jackie K. I have not seen her in a saddle in for ever! I hope she is able to squeeze a ride in before the school year starts up.

Brandon came along to collect mushrooms. Bill joined us with Freddie. We were a motley crew out there on the trail!

Although it may look like there is some supernatural halo around Brandon as he walks through the Winter Pasture, it is only a fleck of hay on the camera lens. Not that Brandon does not have angel-like qualities. In fact, he has several. He walked while Bill and I rode. He could walk a hundred miles and not tire out. His endurance is incredible. Alas, there was not a huge bounty of mushrooms today: a few lobsters and one king bolete (Boletus edulis).

Again I left the fly bonnets at home. Lame of me! But found an exceedingly pretty one in the barn of lapis lazuli blue. Bill looked at it on my brumby and said: Now what am I going to use? But I think he was joking. He put a fly mask on Freddie.

Passing through the Blueberry Pasture toward Trollwood, I asked Brandon to snap a few photos. Easier said than done! Although I happen to like this picture for various reasons, both humans and horses get failing grades. Is anyone paying attention? Ummm, no.

And then there are the pictures when the people look perfect, and the animals look like they have drifted off into comas.

Well, you win a few and you lose a few. Some you never win at all. In any event, onward!

The sky was so beautiful all day.

Into Trollwood if you dare!!!

There is a giant hole right along the trail here that Bill had put a giant stick in to warn us about. But somehow the stick was removed. Maybe it rotted and fell over. Maybe the snowmobile trail crew said, What the heck is this? and removed it. Today Bill dismounted to look for it because it is a hole that could break your horse's leg and so we needed to find it. Bill did find it with a giant rock in it...and then we could not remember if Bill was actually the one who put it there!!

This picture is hilarious! It would make an excellent puzzle. Bill is asking Freddie to cross the creek. Brandon is peering at a mushroom with his hood up because of the bugs. Getty is investigating some yummy smell. Everyone is absorbed in something else while being totally true to themselves!

Bill and I speedily cantered up part of the trail and waited for Brandon to catch up. Don't you love Lilly's bright blue ears?

OK, did you figure out what that fossil was that I got for Bill at the rock and mineral show? It is a fossilized horse tooth from the Pleistocene Period!!!!!

Three cheers for the fossils that tell us so much.

On that note, I wish you all good night!