Rain, Rain, Go Away

By: Joanne Scott

 

Kelly may be above whining in her blog, but I’m just not that dang mature.  She can be the grownup in our friendship – I’m totally fine with that!

 

Here in North Texas, we have been experiencing the craziest week of monsoon rains.  Like, literally roads are flooding – which means pastures are too.

 

Kelly has access to an indoor arena but those of us who don’t are more like this…

 

Oh, I didn’t mention the best part of my pain!  I was down and out with the flu for two weeks.  I legitimately didn’t leave the house for TEN days.  I managed to squeak in two pitiful rides, complete with wheezing, fever, and hacking – I don’t mean the flat work ride kind.  Then the monsoons hit.  We’ve had more rain in the past week than I remember in all of last year combined!  Texas is a desert state – we are not made for these Pacific-Northwest conditions.

 

Sadly, this means I’ve had two rides in three weeks.  All our reader-riders know, lack of Vitamin H does not make a girl happy!

 

Mother Nature took pity on us on Sunday and gave us a stunningly beautiful day, complete with mild temperatures and an abundance of sunshine.

Our tank is now a full on lake!

 

Fancy a picnic, anyone?

 

Luckily, our farm boasts an arena with all-weather footing that is quite simply the greatest blessing bestowed upon riders near and far.  Although the far side was still suitable for water-skiing thanks to all the rain, our large dressage arena was perfection – and even better after the barn owner took a few minutes to drag – and I do mean few, as that woman is the fastest tractor driver I’ve ever known!

 

Husbands, children, and families around North Texas rejoiced as riders across the area mixed a sufficient amount of Vitamin D and Vitamin H to return home in less murderous moods!

 

PS, tragic update.  One of my VIBs (Very Important Bell Boots) was a casualty of this spring storm session.  My barn owner predicts they will show up in the Gulf of Mexico, so if you see a black Professional Choice bell boot repaired with extra strong Velcro and dental floss, please return to me!

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13 comments

  1. I completely feel your pain. I think we’ve basically had the same weather here in central Arkansas that you’ve had down there. I don’t think I’ve really been able to maintain a consistent riding schedule since November between the cold weather and rain (no indoor arena here either *pout*). Luckily our arena actually seems to handle downpours better than light rain, so after the monsoon on Saturday, our footing was actually fantastic on Sunday. Too bad I think we’re about to get more rain soon.

    1. Good thing you have good footing! We have also been getting more rain. This is insanity- it never rains this much in Texas!!

  2. The weather has been crazy EVERYWHERE! We’re getting a rain reprieve for a few days (woohoo!) but some kind of armageddon is coming Friday they say. I’m hoping it’s rain and not snow!
    Hope you’re feeling better! The flu is no joke this year.

    1. Oh geez- I would totally take rain over snow. How miserable! But ya, weather has been insane lately. It’s raining again here. And the FOG. I could BARELY see when driving home last night, I felt like I was in the M. Night Shyamalan movie “Mist”

    2. Thanks Stacie! I am on the upside of the flu and back to life as normal – except for the rain……… which is happening AGAINNNNNNNNNNNNN today!

  3. Spring is upon us (which is better than the bitter cold even though there will be lots of rain to put up with)! In Kansas we had an ice storm last Tuesday and the farm was a sheet of ice. I still went out for a Wednesday lesson, but it was slow moving and being ultra careful to get from barn to barn. It was reminiscent of a slip & slide at times. The weekend was mid 60s and beautiful… but it was slid & slide of another variety, the icemelt holy canoli mud variety. Sadly, there hasn’t been any time to dry the farm or arenas out and now it is supposed to rain all week. Thank goodness for an indoor so I can get out and ride most days, but we have some muddy as all get out horses!

    1. Oh my gosh that sounds awful. Seriously awful! Although we have had plenty of below freezing temps, somehow we have been spared the ice this winter. Ice is way more inconvenient then just plain rain!

      1. Thankfully, we haven’t really had an ice storm for a few years and at least the weather is out of the negatives! Small victories lol.

  4. I just can’t ever bring myself to complain about rain. Up until this week we hadn’t had a drop of rain since 2017 and in my mind my hay bill was growing exponentially every day that went by without rain. Plus my hometown (Eastern Montana) has like 5′ of snow and it was -30 last Thursday morning so it seemed silly for me to complain about rain!
    And YAY for good footing!

    1. Hi Tara! Texas experienced the same issue about three years ago. My husband works in trucking and was getting tons of calls from people trying to purchase hay from the North. There was no hay to be had here, and what was available was extremely poor quality and very very expensive! I hope your situation improves!

  5. Oh my goodness. I so feel you here! Being a photographer the rain can be my worst enemy. I was in Texas this past week and we did a shoot for the Pin Oak Charity Horse show and I was just hoping and praying Monday was clear for the shoot…then I get back to Missouri where my horses currently are, and they are all giant mud balls :O So over all of this rain and mud!

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