We just returned from our scouting trip in Bend, Oregon where there were stores, paved roads and various restaurants - what a find! The person at the desk at the motel we stayed at was very apologetic about the weather. She was sorry it was snowing. I didn't know what she was talking about. I looked out the window and saw some sort of wet heavy stuff coming down, but it wasn't snow. It was more like thick rain. She warned me to be careful about driving as she thought the roads were slippery. Once again I turned around and looked out the window and saw bare pavement; not a problem I told her. Well, she said, I hope your rental has four-wheel drive. Finally I said, "Look, I'm from Colorado and haven't seen bare pavement, dirt, flowers or rain in six months. All I've seen is snow as far as the eye can see, so this looks pretty good to me."
I did not want to come home, especially after I called my friend Betsey from the airport in Portland and she told me it snowed four inches this morning and that it was still snowing and that Michael Paul was arrested for shooting a firearm in the city limits. I didn't know that was illegal in Granby. It's not, she said, he was arrested for concealing a weapon. Michael Paul is Betsey's sweet, hardworking but rather aimless nephew. He lived in our rental for two years and it was sort of like having your own son at home but you couldn't say anything to him about drinking, cars, girls, dogs, work, friends and drinking.
But today, which is Mother's Day, it is beautiful. We had our Annual Mother's Day Ride with six daughters, one grandmother, three mothers and about 17 dogs. These are the times that I know I will miss; riding with friends, yelling at dogs, laughing at our horses, trespassing (we do a lot of that and we draw straws before we ride as to who is going to make up the lie to tell the property owner -"Really, we're trespassing? I had no idea. I thought we were on (insert made up name here) property."
Ian is almost finished with many of his subjects. He only has to finish 80% of each subject and he's been diligently checking his progress everyday - heaven forbid he complete 81% or 80.5%. Literature, Writing and Vocabulary are done. He still has Science, History, Math and Art to complete so he's pretty excited. When we were in Redmond checking out schools he started thinking that maybe he should do online for the "hard subjects" (his words) and go to school for the other ones - like PE, Art, Computers, stuff like that. I think it might be a good decision and I'm hoping he made it because he has realized that he does better at school when he's setting his own pace and not distracted by others and that maybe, just maybe I'm not a bad teacher (except for math). Or maybe he thinks it's easier this way. But I think his easier is not that it's easier, it's just that he's successful and I think maybe kids connect that with easy.
At any rate, Spring is here, really, really here, I'm back riding, the sun is shining, Redmond is a great town so life is good....for now. Wait until menopause hits - then I think it'll be all over again!!
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