The stars were out of alignment this morning, the day did not start well. Which was odd, because there was a beautiful moon setting in the western sky when I got up.
Poor Jane! She set off for an oil change and tire rotation at the Subaru dealer and her “low tire” warning light came on. She got into the right lane on Interstate 70, thinking she could just limp on down the road, when the tire went completely flat, and she was disabled on the shoulder. AAA came to the rescue, but they could not change the tire because the shoulder was not safe, the ground was too uneven and unstable. So the car (and Jane) got loaded onto the truck and taken to the dealer. Channeling our dear friend, Pat Istwan, Jane learned the entire life story of the tow truck driver, a retired US Marine Corps veteran.
Jane’s misadventure
Soon enough, Jane was home again in a loaner car, I was home from a trip to Charlie’s for bedding, dog and cat food (“Charlie’s is the Pro Plan King!”) and we went for a ride, Bart having arisen from his slumbers.
It was pretty warm and quite muggy, so we didn’t do a lot, but I practiced a bit of what Kris suggested, doing transitions in two point position, and Jane said Bart looked great. Jane and Derry always look great, of course. As we were wandering around the ring for a short while before getting to work, I saw the tiniest garter snake! It was quite lively and not easy to get a good picture. I picked it up and moved it into the grass, so it wouldn’t get smashed in a hoofprint.
Very tiny garter snake
So that was a reptile, but I also had an amphibian view today. This guy was on the hood of the truck. I don’t think he went to Charlie’s with me! I moved him from the very warm metal of the truck to the cooler wall of the barn and then left him to his own devices. Funny how different the color is with the two backgrounds. It really is the same frog!
On the truck 
On the side of the barn
Not many bird pictures today, but the tanager stopped by for suet. Interestingly, he seems to prefer the new suet. I switched from Smorgasbug to Mealworm and Berry just three days ago.
“Delicious suet this week!”
After riding, Bart did a yoga stretch. He is the most flexible horse ever!
Marianne wanted to work on self loading with her young horse, Liam, so I went over to her house. Her flowers are glorious, and her barn impeccable. Best of all, her animals are very happy and well loved. Liam was a delight to work with, and was very quick to learn to self load. It was not an exciting session, thankfully, but I felt my exposure to Dennis last week made me calmer and more patient.
Liam demonstrates perfect trailer behavior
Liam’s older half brother, Remy, is the alpha horse at Marianne’s. He is allowed some liberties, since he is already retired. He is a character, full of interest in meeting new people and, though very tall (17’2″) he is a gentle pet. It doesn’t hurt that he is drop dead gorgeous.
Remy enjoys his hay 
Remy and Marianne
Jane’s cardinal climber plant is in full bloom on the side of her porch. I’m hoping ours will soon do the same, the seeds being planted a little later than Jane’s.
Twizzler keeps his claws sharp just in case of trouble, but more for climbing quickly out of danger than for fighting. Twizzler is a lover, not a fighter, and a true scaredy cat. Obviously, that little tree is frequently scratched. Aggressively massaged, I like to think. So far, it is thriving despite cat claws.
Finally, this day that started a little rough, closed with a magnificent sky, and promise of a good day tomorrow, though another warm one. A dog day.
Red sky at night…
Stay safe, stay well, have a good day tomorrow.
Twizzler sounds just like his cousin Skittle II.