Golf

This past weekend, I journeyed into uncharted waters... a golf tournament.  I am NOT a golfer... despite having an abundance of patience I don't think I could ever play golf and would fully expect a round of golf to bring out my inner...

I have gotten to the point where I can watch golf on TV without complaining, I know some of terminology and can basically follow along.  I do have a few players I like to follow..so what if my favorite one is hot...It helps me pay attention :-)  Outside of eye candy, I do actually thoroughly enjoy most sports, you can catch me watching football, basketball, auto racing and golf any given weekend (mostly football as I am an insane Green Bay Packers fan... no really, I'm serious... INSANE) in addition to the rare moments I can find equestrian events on TV.

Since the PGA Championship was being held right here in our city, is a "major" tournament, and my hubs is a golfer, I decided to check out what live golf is all about...after all he's attended tons of horse shows and equine related events with me (with relative little complaining), so what the hell?

Interesting notes about golf... 

Attending a tournament is kind of like going to an horse show as a spectator.  You should expect LOTS of walking (actually I think it might be worse than XC at Rolex).  Don't expect spectacular food... not much choice and costs a fortune.  There are Porta-Pottys (cleanliness optional). It's a really slow sport...seriously at times it seemed to take forever.  Golf officials and golfers are super anal...they require total silence when preparing for and making a shot, there are officials everywhere to make sure the spectators stay quiet and don't distract the player (like watching Dressage on steroids).  Not only must the spectators be absolutely silent, no one is allowed to take pictures... zip, zero, zilch.  You're not even allowed to bring a camera on the property and the PGA is so serious about no photos taken with cell phones that they even have guys like this 

following the players around the course watching to make sure no pictures are taken.  If they catch someone taking a photo, they can literally kick them out.  This doesn't mean I didn't risk detection by and successfully evade Mobile Device Enforcement to take photos of my fav. Huge rebel, I know! :-)  

Our tickets were for Saturday and Sunday and the weather was crazy both days.  I was literally soaking wet and burning up for good portions of both days.  On both days we had rain delays although Sunday was nearly two hours, a good hour of which we sat out in the rain waiting.  Being the good sport (and horse person) that I am I didn't whine too much.  Turns out it was all worth it... the end was actually exciting because there were 4-5 players battling it out to win or tie and force a play-off and because they were racing darkness trying to finish up.  In the end, Rory McIlroy raised the trophy after storming back from being 3 shots back (see I know enough golf terms to be dangerous) and made his final put in near darkness (I think it was like 9PM or later).  Pretty cool stuff.  

I'd definitely go to another one... but maybe not two days in a row.  Don't look for me to become a golf groupie, you see WAY more of the action on the television than in person.  Back to horses and our regularly scheduled posts tomorrow :-)

Pepé Le Pew

Alex's love for his girls has calmed, but not left him. Only hopeful glances, no love songs last night. Perhaps he's feeling ashamed because it seems he's been recently sprayed by a skunk bwahaha!! Poor guy, it's not terrible but he definitely stinks! 

On the plus side we had a fairly productive ride yesterday even if the skunk smell increased as he sweated :-)

Alex Discovers Girls

As I mentioned, upon moving to our new farm, two mares were left behind to be moved when a pasture was ready.  Said pasture(s) became ready last weekend, so we moved the girls this past Sunday.  The girls will be living outside in one of the three pastures with full (more like giant) run-in sheds.  Initially they were living in the largest pasture that borders what is now the outdoor (soon to become indoor) arena, so if they chose they could come up to observe/hang their heads over the fence bordering the arena.  

After a beautiful ride on Saturday, despite a post-hole digger being used in the background, our Monday ride left something to be desired.  Alex was so worried about his new "audience" that he pretty much kept one ear on them at all times... "what are they doing? how come they are walking around doing whatever they want? are they watching me? are they still there? OMG they moved!" But basically he finally settled enough that we got some work done and called it a day.

Tuesday, I climbed into the saddle expecting more of the same since the girls were once again hanging out to observe our ride.  Initially, it was more of the same, but a little better... until... the girls decided to run off down to their run-in shed which sits way into the back of the pasture.  You would have thought Alex had lived with these girls all his life and had sired their babies (he's never even touched noses with either of them!).  He started whinnying and snorting and losing his proverbial shit.  "But I MUST go with them! They are my women!" Despite the fact that I finally worked him out of it and quit for the day, he was still looking for them from the wash rack and calling out.  As we had originally planned, we moved the mares to the other back corner pasture (construction for the new indoor means some of the fencing in their current pasture will have to come down) which we also hoped would calm Loverboy down.  It did not... when we turned everyone out for the night, he totally ignored his BFF and walked the fence calling for his women despite the fact that his pasture is at the front of the farm and theirs is at the back.

This morning the report was that he and his BFF, whom he apparently convinced to join his cause, were lathered up when they came in for morning feed.  Alex then spent the morning staring longingly out his window while intermittently singing sad I love you songs... OMG.  Fortunately, he seemed to calm down throughout the day and the report was that he was calm when he went out tonight.  Hopefully we won't have such an issue now that his women aren't right next to the arena.  I swear one of them must be coming into season, because I have never seen him act like that and he lived next to a mare for the first year plus of his life with me!

We'll see what the morning brings... silly goofball :-)

Moved!

Alex & Bernie BFFs

Wow I can't believe it's August and we've been at the new farm for almost a month!  Time is literally flying... it seems like yesterday that summer had just started... now all my friends kids are going back to school and people are talking about summer being over.

Alex officially moved to the new farm July 13, 2014, but most of the week before and after was spent cleaning, prepping, moving and settling in to our new wonderful home.

New Abode for Alex and Friends

Inside the Abode

Feed Room

Grass! Alex & Bernie's New Pasture

Alex & Bernie's Giant Run-In Shed

Moving weekend was crazy busy... Saturday we moved all my jumps, which seemed more numerous the more the temperature climbed, 40 bags of shavings and 50 bales of hay. 

Trailer Hay Explosion!

Sunday morning we moved 4 of the 6 horses (two mares came later in the month).  Lucky for us all the ponies were well behaved for their trailer rides and everything went smoothly.

Alex in his new stall. Just love how
there's so much light, makes
everything bright and cheerful!

New Pasture First Night

Since we had moved away from Alex's home for the past two years (and the only place he'd ever lived while I owned him), I figured it would take quite a while for him to settle.  I gave him a few days to hang out before I rode.  Of course since I was expecting mass chaos, he was pretty much perfect despite having nearly a week off AND being in a new environment... such is life with Alex :-)

First Ride!

And in the same vein, as quickly as we'd had our first ride, Alex decided to rip off his left front shoe...

Now that was partially my fault because he was overdue for a shoeing because of our change in location and my farrier was trying to get us on the schedule, but Alex certainly got his money's worth.

He gives 110%

Familiar from our abscess days...

AND... back in the boot

Luckily for us, the farrier came in two days, so we didn't waste much time and I think that saved us from any lameness.

After the shoe debacle, things have pretty much been smooth sailing... Alex seems REALLY happy in his new home and I am really happy there too.  The peace and quiet are amazing.

"Mom, I love this place!"