Friday, when I went to pick up Ruthie from Becky’s house, I had a nice time.  I had told Becky the day before about my ‘relaxed dinner’ that I was going to. I relayed my evening to her over an awesome breakfast – a baked banana walnut pancake with homemade whipped cream, fresh bananas and strawberries, and homemade blueberry syrup.    I enjoyed sharing with her my interesting evening. And at course, I especially loved getting to see the babies, and holding Sweet Baby Grace.

When I came home, my angel daughter, Rachel, and son Joshua, had done our Friday cleaning. The house was cleaned, and I had the afternoon ahead of me.  Choices….but this time, I didn’t think of multiple choices.  Just horses, horses, and more horses.  The weather was 70 degrees, sunny, and a slight breeze.  All winter long I had pined for a day like this one. Many cold, wintery nights I had closed my eyes to go so sleep, thinking about a beautiful trail ride in the spring time. 

So here I was today, in the afternoon of one of those spring type days I’d dreamed of while going off to sleep.  It was warm enough for short sleeves and no jacket. There was sunshine and no clouds, and just a soft breeze.  I climbed on to Minnie, and off I went.  Had I waited, I could have had the company of several that were going riding with tack, but I longed today for just solitaire.  I had a strong desire to just be with my horse and nature. 

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It was beautiful walking through the woods exploring the trails after a long winter.  My horse, Minnie, is my dream horse.  She never argues with me. Whatever it is I want, wherever I want to go, she is accommodating.  If you ride horses, you know that this is a rare quality.  All of our other horses have their own opinions and wills to what they would like to do and not.  Some are afraid to cross the smallest of streams and refuse to do so.  Others may decide that they have had enough riding and show their will in trying to head to home.  But not my Minnie.  As we rode through the trails, I felt gratefulness for this beautiful horse.  From time to time, I would talk to her and tell her how wonderful she is. Other times, I laughed out loud with delight, after requesting something of her that my other horses might have balked at. 

It was delightful to hear the babbling of the brook and the sounds of the sparrows.  Feeling the sunshine and the slight breeze that whisked my hair in the wind was a sensation that I’d dreamed of for months.  The winter seemed to be over – at least it seemed so this day.

I came back to the barn and there I seen that one of my other favorite of horses was tied up, saddled, and all ready to go.  After the first time in months going bareback, my back hind was screaming, “enough.”  So I jumped from bareback on Minnie to saddled on Gretta.  Now that I was warmed up I was ready for some exercise.  Off we went, going at a nice speed, through the wooded forest, along the babbling brook, around the alfalfa field, and into the neighbor’s field (who has granted permission to do so.)  I raced back to our property, following the rapid flowing creek (a different entity than the brook); around the lake, and by the small pond.  This is exercise to the supreme of  enjoyment. Enjoying nature at the same time reveling in the beauty of the beast.  

How could this day have been better?  Time with my oldest daughter and my three grandbabies; beautiful weather and the enjoyment of my horses; and the evening filled with time spent with my oldest son and his wife and Beautiful Baby Kayla.  There is such peace to be filled with the love of God, my family, and the enjoyment of His creation.  Selah.