SICK
Well, I've been sick, so there hasn't been much horseplay lately. I was out last Friday (the 19th) and shoveled two stalls (that was all that was dirty). Ample horse time.

Procured Cheerios from the pasture. He develops horrendous dreadlocks in his mane, so I treated him to a thorough grooming (which he appreciated). Thanks to ShowSheen, scissors and patience, I was able to undo his Bob Marley look with a minimum of mane loss. I did my best to avoid whacking big chunks from his mane; instead, I employed the technique I've seen my hairstylist use—sort of razor with the scissors a few hairs at a time randomly to loosen the dread and use my fingers to pry it apart. I can't tell. It looks like he got a bit of a "style" (the layered look) but it looks natural.

Then we played in the round pen for a bit. He's finally getting sideways. Or rather, I'm finally figuring out how to explain it to him. ;-)



But I wasn't feeling very well at the end of the day. The manure pile is being burned; though I wear a bandanna over my face when I go near the pile, I must've inhaled some of the smoke because I have developed a wicked cough. It started that Friday as a ragged cough with a scratchy throat. Two days of throat, then that receded and it progressed into different symptoms one right after the other: throat to runny nose to cough to sneezing to very bad cough.

I took Monday "off" from barn duty. Tuesday I shoveled but my energy was really low and I had trouble catching my breath. Thursday was the worst—I felt like I had bronchitis. The day before, I'd traveled to southern Ohio and back to attend the closing on the first lot sale and to bid farewell to my Grandma's house (also a dust monster). So Thursday, I pretty much lazed around, doped up on Sudafed and cough meds. Friday I was better. Today, better. But still not feeling up to barn duty.

The cough sounds like nothing I've ever produced before—and I'm a lifelong bronchitis sufferer. This sounds REALLY bad. So, I'll take it easy for a couple more days and see if it clears up on its own. I don't feel "sick", so...

I did get to play with Shaveya Tuesday. I just didn't have the energy for Cheerios but I wanted to play, and with Shaveya she needs calm and low key. Catching game, ran through the games. It went well. She's a very smart horse. Just very scared.

Hungry now... more later.