Top O' The Hill Farm: Days Like This

Wandering around the farm getting my chores done and making a list of to-do's for spring... all those fixer-ups from winter. It was a fairly easy winter -- but even still, lots to tidy up. On days like this - I know April will be a busy month patching and giving the farm its spring face-lift... my mind drifts to thoughts of May -- my special month :) I think about my lilacs and my Dad. I have mentioned before in past blog posts.. we have a running 'competition' of sorts. Will the lilacs bloom on his birthday (the 6th) or mine (the 18th) or perhaps in between on Mother's Day ... right now - the first flower poking its head out is the coltsfoot... which we mainly see along the roadsides on our forays out in the saddle.

We did see our first daffodil... even though they are cheery ... they don't truly count as messenger of spring for me as they are 'imports'.

The peepers are out .. not quite a full course chorus yet - but almost. Here are some froggy eyes peeking above water in the pond. I don't mind a few frogs.. but I have a couple of large mouth bass in the pond and they are supposed to be dining on these froggies. Because I use the pond on hot days for swimming - I frown upon too many tadpoles and frogs.

Saturday, after lessons, Zoe and I went out for our spring time Mount Ephraim climb. Zoe rode Elektra again -- in the Cashel saddle. And once again, she carried the camera for more photographic practice. Once we crossed the highway and got onto the trail headed toward the mountain.. I stopped to stroll in the brook - since Keri and I are avid brook walkers. When I asked Keri to step down into the water - she decided she was VERY thirsty.

here's something different --- a photo shoot from between Elektra's ears instead of Keri's !

We have plenty of debris to step over... a great natural obstacle course.

Keri is in an excellent mood today - so am I, now that I am in the saddle :)

Warm enough for a summer top - but still some ice in the deep woods along the brook.

Further down the trail, we cross the brook again - and canter up the hill.

As we get closer to the top, the trail is rougher, stony and wet - with the occasional ice the horses break through. We trot in the two point stance ... it's bumpy and fun :) The horses are working hard.

About half way up- the terrain opens up. A small field off to the left and a view. We trot right, and the trail steepens.

We meet up with a group of 4-wheelin' young men waiting for their friends -- I tell them if we see them, we'll let them know where the rendezvous point is.

Okemo sticks out - we can view this mountain from quite a few vantage points.

We trot through deep woods again - then as we almost reach the tree line - the trail steepens once again and is mostly ledge

Once we reach the top, Zoe and I spend some time posing for photo's :)

Here's Elektra -- dressage horse who loves trail !! She can travel rough country, cross stone walls, canter through brush and still look elegant in the show ring :)