Spring, where are't though?

I think spring finally showed up this past week. Just in time for Easter. It seems like the 08-9 winter was long. Really long. Really, really long. Really snowy. Really cloudy. Really windy. Really long. The horses must have thought so too because the outdoor boys are girls sported some really intense winter coats this year. Every time I thought, "here comes spring!" Wham, more snow. Get your hopes up and the door came slamming shut. Spring? "Ha ha ha! You shall be doomed to another blizzard!" That is why I am not getting too confident that this week of nice weather is the potential start of spring. What a pessimist I am being. That glass is sure half empty. April showers bring May flowers, but all that March and April snow has brought April mud. Muddy ruts, muddy dogs, muddy boots, muddy garages, muddy entry ways, muddy clothes, muddy horses, muddy stirrups, muddy trailer, muddy truck (inside and out) surround me. Some of the normally simplest tasks have become dreaded chores. Filling the mineral feeder. Normally, throw two bags of mineral on the 4-wheeler and ride on out to the feeder and fill it. Pretty simple. Not so the other day. Load the bags on the 4-wheeler. Get the 4-wheeler half way to the feeder driving on what looked like muddy but would work ground only to sink the 4-wheeler in over half way. Now, not only do you have to fill a mineral feeder yet, you also have to try to get the 4-wheeler out. Get off 4-wheeler, pick up bag of mineral and try to walk to feeder without losing your high rubber boots to the quagmire. Don't forget there are two mineral bags. The more you carry the deeper you sink. You have to make two 4-wheeler to mineral feeder trips. Feeder full. You still have both your boots, even though you are breathing like a winded defensive lineman. You can take a breather on the stuck 4-wheeler. It does not seem to be sinking yet as you throw yourself across the seat. It is at this point, rather than set out on my own journey for the tractor, I phone for help. After all it is going to take two people to unstuck the 4-wheeler. Son brings tractor to edge of lot. Son throws chain. Chain lands half way between tractor and 4-wheeler. Son points out you are already covered in mud. You walk and get chain. Carry chain back to 4-wheeler. You dig in mud, and you dig in more mud, and you dig in even more mud to finally uncover a place to hook the chain. You sit on 4-wheeler as it digs its way out of the lot like a spatula in chocolate cake batter. Okay, that is just bad imagery and I don't think I can bring myself to bake a chocolate cake until it dries up a bit outside. You wash mud off of 4-wheeler. Only one hour has passed and you have completed a normally 5 minute task. Don't forget that after it dries up some you will still have that awful rut you just created to level off. So much for a quick chore and then going to ride. Where did I think I was going to ride anyway? Happy Spring!

Congratulations Dr. RM Christensen!

If you weren't at the Sioux Empire Fairgrounds on Friday, April 10th, you missed a wonderful surprise celebration of Dr. RM Christensen's 40 years (give or take a year- since 1968- a personal favorite year of my own) of hosting of the Sioux Falls Quarter Horse Shows. Following the completion of Friday's halter classes, Doc and his wife Linda were lured to the arena, under false pretenses I am told, to receive his award. Doc was presented with a beautiful plaque commemorating his years of dedication. SDQHA would like to thank Doc for all his work and dedication in making the Sioux Falls April shows a success. Following the award presentation everyone enjoyed cake in Doc and Linda's honor. Thank you Dr. RM Christensen!