Winter sucks

Seriously, look at this BS.

That's my Brandy new car.  Under 18 inches of snow.  Guess what I didn't do much of last week?  ANYTHING involving leaving the house.  It wasn't just the snow.  I live in NH, I'm from Minnesota, I know how to cope with snow.  It was the snow removal when the hubby had oh so conveniently hurt his back before the snow flew.  Apparently you should be careful how you twist when holding a big ass chainsaw.  He pulled something bad in his lower back and was pretty much couch ridden for a couple days.

Let me tell you, I made damn sure he knew that this was how I felt on those occasions when my back went out and I didn't want to move.  He has a whole new level of empathy for me now.  He now understands why things like taking the dogs out and running the dishes are not options when your back is an endless wall of pain that flares up if you shift a millimeter in the wrong direction.  He didn't even have nerve pain to contend with.

So I had full snow removal duties as well as all the chores I usually avoid as being hard on my back.  Like hauling in pellets to feed our pellet stoves and running the dang dishwasher.  I was careful and did things in phases so we didn't end up with both of us on the couch.  I dug out in sections, snow blowed with a timer so I'd know when to stop, and once the tractor was free and started up, the hubby was put to work.  It's like sitting in an armchair but more productive.

Little cameo by my trailer that is now completely snowed in for the winter.

By the time I got us completely free, it was day three and I was physically exhausted.  When Trainer D asked if she could ride on Thursday instead of her usual Wednesday ride, I warned her that she'd want to lunge first.  Theo after three days off would be a bit of a kite.  I was apparently right and he did a land porpoise all the way across the ring with her.  Not scary, but not his usual behavior for a training ride.  On Friday when she rode him again (I was too sore), he was perfect.  Trainer D even took him for a little walk in the snow.

I finally made my triumphant return over the weekend and rode in my western gear to support thicker socks and more layers.  It got down to 7* Saturday night, it was gross.  And now it's raining and in the 40's for two days so the melt will be crazy, followed by another freeze.  Most wonderful time of the year my butt.

Theo continues to be amazing and perfect.  I'm having deep and profound thoughts about what to do with 2020 but that will wait for another post.  For now, I'll steal the rides while I can.  I know deep winter is coming and that these are still the good riding days.