#front range

[missedmilemarkers]

[rabbitcruiser]

Forest (No. 77)

Wilkerson Pass, CO

[phoenixisnthere]

My state is burning up but isn’t it pretty? 😮‍💨

[princesslunaruelle]

[kvetch19]

[artichokefartichoke]

[captaincrabpot]

Actually you know what? I am going to expand on my last post. I’m still pissed. Let ye who read this take it as a warning not to work with horses in a new age-y hipster area:

My job, at 7:30 am, is to ready the horses and take them all out to their daytime play areas. I take them two at a time because should any silliness befall us, I can handle two horses at a time MOST of the time. Like, 99%. We have a good bond and they like listening to the person who feeds them, so this is almost never an issue. As are horses, though, there’s always an exception.

This morning I went to grab a horse I’ll call Phil. Phil is, in human years, roughly 55 and a little after his prime but still a pure blooded, fucking gigantic, German sport horse. Phil and I are good friends most days, and I enjoy his company as he tends to be a goofball, but he can also be a fucking dick. (He once stole my glove whist it was -5 and I was fixing his water, ran away, and then shit on it.) Today, I could tell he was feeling like a dick, but usually he acts out and then gives me the sad eyes after I’ve angry mom voiced him. Today… was not like that. I take Phil out, with his boyfriend (the cutest pony) when Phil fucking freaks. He takes off, I drop the pony’s lead rope to grab Phil’s with both hands, and Phil takes me on a multi-minute gravel road ski trip. My heels were planted and my weight was back, and Phil took the fuck off. I’m sure there were sparks flying from my feet. I surely lost inches off my sole. The pony put himself in timeout, recognizing that he did not want any part of whatever the hell Phil was up to, because he is a perfect citizen.

Phil, meanwhile, is starting to rear and kick and hop. This has never happened before. I’ve dealt with my fair share of unhinged, angry and even dangerous horses, but I’ve always known this before hand and been prepared. Phil has never been any of those things, just a little hot headed and anxious. (I know any horse has the potential to be dangerous, of course, but that isn’t something that I think of when in the same routine day after day after 6 years of working with the same horses.) So. Phil strikes out at me, and I’ve had enough. I manage to get him to the entrance of his turn out area through a mixture of years of knowing him and manipulation techniques, but I know if I take his halter off standing by the gate he’s 100% going to kick me.

So. I close the gate, and given his gigantic stature, I go to pull his halter off over the top of the gate. Seeing how I’m slightly off balance, he rears again, and turns to yank the lead rope.

This results in me smashing into the gate with such force that my feet leave the ground and my solar plexus smashes into his halter holder so hard I nearly puke. When he comes back down, I grab his halter and he takes off so hard that I’ve got a chunk of his forelock in my hand, a giant bruise on my chest, arms that must have been yanked out of their sockets 40 times, and so much anger at his audacity that I call his mother.

Now. The trick to dealing with older white women who love their horses is to always make it seem like you’re coming from a place of concern.

I say, so calm, “I’m worried about Phil. He never acts like this.” Because… it’s true! He doesn’t, and I am.

This is where my morning takes a turn. After asking if I am okay, she says that I must send her a text listing my grievances with Phil (the horse) so she can send them to Phil’s therapist. Phil’s therapist is an animal communicator that he sees once a month. So, i am to send her my grievances for the horse therapist to ask the horse what his deal is. Get his side of the story.

Okay. Strange, but okay.

I send her my heavily edited grievances. I cannot tell this woman that I now hate her horse. It’s fine. We will get over it later.

I then get a call back from her, saying that Phil’s therapist has some questions “from Phil.” Great! Let’s rock.

“Phil wants to know why he should listen to you,” Phil’s mom says, and I nearly exit the mortal coil. After a deep breathing exercise, I answer, “because I have Phil’s health and safety in mind. And thumbs.”

“Hmm. Yes. I hear you, but Phil is unconvinced,” she says down the phone, and I am not ashamed to tell you I flipped Phil off in that moment and mouthed “fuck you,” for good measure. He didn’t tattle on me to his therapist.

The phone call wrapped up and I was left with the realization that I had just had an argument with a horse through a medium. We were mediated by a medium.

Fuck you, Phil.

[nice-bright-colors]

🎶 do-do-do…lookin’ out my back door🎶

It’s been crappy weather pretty much most of May. Plenty of snow in the mountains, and rain in the Front Range. I’ll take it, because everything is green. Soon the snow will melt and flood the streams going down the mountains. Maybe, just maybe, our state will not be on fire this year.

Now, if by chance I can turn my life around this week, then I think I can easily breathe for a little while. Then again, what is breathing without the chest pains.

[incognito-princess]

The sky just caught fire!!!!

[bouldiaries]

Front Range sunsets

[missedmilemarkers]

[rabbitcruiser]

Forest (No. 78)

Wilkerson Pass, CO

[twofingersmedia]

The view from the dog park.

[kvetch19]

[wanderguidehub]

Buffalo Creek, CO: Where Cycling Dreams Come True

Nestled in the heart of Colorado’s Front Range, Buffalo Creek beckons cyclists with its network of exhilarating trails, captivating landscapes, and a sense of adventure that is truly unparalleled. Whether you’re a seasoned rider seeking a challenge or a novice looking for a picturesque introduction to mountain biking, Buffalo Creek has it all. Trails That Define Thrills: Unveiling Buffalo…

[nice-bright-colors]

85% chance of snow you say? No shit weather app, no shit. Funny how this is going to be more than just a dusting.

Snow forecast was vacillating all week long. It was in the 60’s yesterday.