Not every plan goes off without a hitch. The idea today was simple. Pick up older child from her college dorm, drive out to the barn where she takes horseback riding lessons, and watch her and her instructor perform a pas de doux during the dressage competition. When we arrived at noon, the dressage classes were already going through the arena, one by one. We stood and watched for a while, then we went over to a couple chairs that had remained empty the whole time we were standing. Rider after rider put their mounts through their paces, around the arena, from mark to mark, working trot, free walk, etc. The instructor barely looked up from where she was judging the riders. We enjoyed the spectacle, but were getting a bit confused why we were told to show at noon if they weren't going to even change the horse our kiddo was riding from western to English saddle for so long. (It might have been the other way around. It has been a long day.) After an hour, when they pulled up yet another dressage class to run through, my friend went up to consult with the instructor. She said it would be a while yet, so my friend called knock it off. We weren't going to stick around a second or third hour, waiting while every single other rider went through. So I never got to see my friend's daughter ride, never got photos of her. I did, however, get a picture of a different exhibition that was allowed to go on, a young girl leading a miniature horse through the same dressage paces as the class before. I have had a thing for mini horses for a while, wishing I could have had a couple as pets once we moved back to Colorado. This was the closest I've gotten in all that time, watching one trot around an arena while wearing a unicorn horn.
At least I got to visit with my friend's daughter while I was here. I've always adored her. Her mom and I met when she was pregnant with this kid, and I have watched her grow into the coolest teenager. She's a college freshman now, and I'm as proud of her as if I were a real auntie by blood.
The rest of the day didn't turn out quite as planned, either. We had talked about maybe repotting some plants, and possibly burning some tree debris in the fire pit. Instead, while my friend took her daughter back to her dorm, I went down for a nap, and didn't get up again until after 6. Oops. Maybe I've been pushing a little hard lately. So we had dinner, a soak in the hot tub, and then watched a season of a goofy TV series (Miracle Workers). I wasn't sure whether I was staying all the way through Monday, but I still have visiting to do. I guess one more night here is happening.
Here are some of the fall color pictures from yesterday that I didn't get to post due to technical difficulties.
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