As I groomed Will, the moisture settled on his lashes, ears and forelock. When I wiped it off, it was back in a few minutes.

Still, it did keep things nice and cool. We had a wonderful drive. After a break from driving for 2 weeks, our drive yesterday was sort of bumpy, but today we had worked out the kinks.

After our long drive, I took Will into the dressage arena and Blessing watched with great interest. She’d already been fascinated by Lisa and Popeye riding by, now she wanted to chat:

But he told her he was working!

Later on (after the sun came out), I brought her out for some grooming and she got to meet the carriage again.

She’s cautious but curious. She never runs away when we’re driving, sometimes follows along to see where we’re going. All good for her future as a driving mare.

As usual, I have gotten less done than I always plan to do, but I have decided to get off my case be okay with that. Last weekend, I enjoyed a trip to the Houston Dog Show where I was lucky enough to have my one personal Meet the Breed meeting with one of the Irish Terriers showing on Saturday. She was a very good spokes-dog for her breed and when I’m ready, I’ll be looking for an Irish Terrier.

Will and Blessing continue to develop their relationship. They are often close in the pasture, but not always.

I wouldn’t have thought he’d allow her to be this close to his grass when their relationship began, but clearly she is persuasive and having only her as a companion has made him rethink his position.

He remains in charge, particularly if it looks like I’m giving someone a cookie. She always comes over to visit when I arrive. She does respect him, but not so much that she doesn’t bug him by not granting him too much deference.

They’ve come a long way in 8 weeks and it’s been good for him. He’s calmer, less anxious, since he’s had to be the leader, but also happy to have a companion. She seems happy to have him around as well. Whew.

Will turned 9 years old today!

He got a nice massage yesterday for his birthday, and, of course, his biggest present came 6 weeks ago. He might not have been too sure about her then but after some time together, he seems to have decided she’s a pretty good companion after all.

They are looking more and more alike and spending lots of time close together. Today, Blessing busted out of the trees when she thought Will had gone to the barn with me, calling and calling for him. She found him, though, because we hadn’t left at all and I watched them greeting each other happily, then wander off together.

Here he is checking out where she is, way off in the trees, looking very majestic and grown up.

Happy Birthday, dear boy.

She’s settling in quite nicely and seems very comfortable!

And she and her brother are getting along very well. Here they are running up in Sunday morning–the photo is foggy because the camera fogged up in the humid air—-but I think the image is still clear enough!

And then, I focused on the spiders. These are all different individuals.

On Sunday, I manage to catch one preparing a little breakfast snack.

I was renewing my membership to Heart of Texas Morgan club this week and naturally, they asked for my “farm name”. I don’t really have a farm, but I have 2 horses. And I do have a “farm” address. Since Lisa has 2 bays, it’s easy to distinguish which two are mine: the red ones.

I spent Monday evening watching the pair in the sunset. They are developing a good, calm relationship. Blessing backs off when Will looks grumpy, but she doesn’t move very far off and he doesn’t chase her very far so she can move right back in close. Mostly, they graze close together and Will seems happy with his pasture mate, though he gets a little worried when it looks like she might be getting a treat.

This morning, I pulled out my new toy, a Mouse detail sander, and got to work on the cart wheels that have been sitting in the garage for, oh, two years. I got one completely sanded and am totally sold on the little sander! I’ll get to the second wheel later this week then start the staining and varnishing.

I finished painting all the bolts (lots and lots and lots of bolts). Now I have to decide whether to paint the nuts before I put the cart together or after. Given the chance of banging the paint up in the assembly process, I’m leaning toward painting after assembly. It might be tedious but I have to paint the bolt ends anyway.

I still need to order new springs and spring blocks later this summer but those will be the last parts I need. I’m hoping to finish getting this cart together by Spring 2011, so we can use it at the Heart of Texas Morgan Horse Fun Show in April. We’ll see if I can get there–and we’ll have to see if Will likes it!! If not, Blessing will be getting a very nice cart for driving single!

If I should call you up, invest a dime
And you say you belong to me and ease my mind
Imagine how the world could be, so very fine
So happy together

I can’t see me lovin’ nobody but you
For all my life
When you’re with me, baby the skies’ll be blue
For all my life

So happy together
How is the weather
So happy together
We’re happy together
So happy together
Happy together
So happy together
So happy together*

*The Turtles “So Happy Together”

While Blessing snooped, I put Will into Blessing’s pasture and he sniffed around and just decided to stay and graze. He didn’t make any effort to go to the other end and through the gate. I watched for about an hour and neither horse made a move toward the other.

So I left them to their own devices to work out their relationship. Lisa reported they were drinking together, and had a few scuffles but nothing major. Expect at feeding time. Will had a little episode so I came out Monday to see what we could do. Only on Monday, Blessing and Will were back into the individual pastures so no issues to solve.

Also by Monday, storms were popping up all over and we didn’t drive, though the skies were lovely:

By Tuesday, the skies opened and we had rain every day for a week. Will and Blessing would just have to work it out without many witnesses. I had to stay home.

. . . . until Saturday.

Afterwards, we went on a sloooooooow drive–perhaps the slowest drive ever.