May thunderstorm and showers

The ear splitting overhead crack and thunder rattled my windows and made me jump. On the second roar from the heavens, I scurried in from the weight bench where I had been working out mesmerized by the dark ominous clouds roiling overhead. I watched a jagged fork of lightning strike the pineapple fields behind a barn just across the way. This "God bowling in the heavens" lasted for nearly 3 hours. It rained moderately. I had called one student but could not get hold of another scheduled for 5pm. Sure enough just before 5 here she comes. A big smile, eager to ride "We always ride in the rain in Switzerland".
Miraculously as soon as she mounted the rain stopped and so did the thunder and lightning. The footing was perfect with the amount of rain it had just received! Dunja rode "Divine Intervention" well! Divine also demonstrated her love for jumping. After the lesson we took off her tack in the arena and set up her 2 foot jump. She gallops over, spins and comes back over the jump... for a treat of course!

April showers bring May Flowers

It has been raining quite a bit on Maui. The good thing is the Alfalfa is really doing well! After the first cutting Dad fertalized it and in no time it was almost 2 feet high. Taste test. Feed orchard hay, alfalfa cubes and fresh cut alfalfa toghther to see which they prefer. FRESH of course.

Rainy, Windy Days

Gale winds with up to 50 mph gusts. Rain flying sideways, over an inch. A day of rainbows.

Wind and Rain the last 2 days

Wondermann feeling good. For the last 2 days it has been blowing a gale at 30-40 mph,raining and then drizzling. The horses were shivering due to the wind chill and are nice and toasty with their turnout sheets. The arena flooded with approximately an inch of rain. The chickens were protecting their chicks with their wings fluffed out like a poncho. Little feet poking out under the hen. The roosters were wet and bedraggled. Everyone is takeing the opportunity to wear jackets they never get to wear. We were at dinner at Jessica's: Chris was wearing her Dad's Police jacket with its fur trim collar and I was wearing my Dad's brown sueded coat from the 40's.

Riding between rainy days

May be this post should titled be "Mud, Mud, Mud". It seems like we have been getting a day of sunshine and a day of rain and another day of sunshine. I am not one to ride in the rain but after 11 days of not riding a light drizzle was OK to ride in. Brandi and I'Claire rode in the drizzle. Brandi was not feeling to good prior to starting but after a little while in the saddle, all smiles she reported her headache was gone and she felt good! See our horses really are excellent therapy of us! Margrit who is visiting from Germany rode the Big Boy "Freederic the Great" She had him going forward nicely! We had Margrit's husband Axel on the John Deere tractor grooming the arena prior to our rides.

Rain inpeeding the training

Rain, rain go away. We have not been able to ride at all this week. Yes, It is still winter in Hawaii. We have not been riding for the last week due to gale force winds and cold spitting rain. The horses are all slipping in the mud and full of energy. Evenings are spent in front of the roaring wood burning stove wrapped in sweaters trying to get warm. 50 degrees at 90% humidity is quite cool.