19 January 2012

Happy 2012!

I guess nobody needs reminding that it's a New Year, but I thought I'd share my semi- failure at Newyears resolutions thus far ;)

I thought that it would be wise to get up in the mornings before work to go riding, to escape the Summer heat, and give myself more time in the afternoons to maybe get to other tasks such as walking Jenni (the puppy-dog). Since I'm already dripping with sweat by 7:30 am (in the shade) it is a very useful resolution and it has worked somewhat. I've managed to be up by 5:50am and at the yard just after 6am a few mornings this month, however, the traffic on the way back makes it necessary to get up even earlier :P Jenn has even gone along on one such occasion. Much to the horse's dismay, as Jenn thought it a fun game to growl at Shala while I was busy cleaning hooves - uhhh, not a clever plan! At least Jenn had a whale of a time and soon passed out in the shade while I finished pushing along my bouncing hippo to get past the sheep in the arena. It was loads of fun - for Jenn, but took a lot of extra time to get everything done, so I resolved to be up even earlier.

Sheesh! What a lot of extra effort I like to create for myself! :P I should really stop making more work for myself and just do what is most necessary. Then again - everything feels most necessary :P

I was perhaps a tad over-ambitious when I set my alarm for 5:05 am this morning (and that after only getting to bed at 11pm last night), since I'm not so good at rising before the sun. Needless to say I just couldn't force myself to get out of bed and slept in till 7. It would probably work better if I increased the difficulty level of my task by smaller incriments - say 5 minutes earlier each day until I can manage 5am? :) I do hope that once I get into a routine it will be easier and go a bit faster and then Jenn can go with every day that I school in the arena. 




I never bother much with resolutions (for obvious reasons), however, I have this one that's more of a necessity than a choice really. I have been forced to step up my horse's training program because she's completely overweight ;) Looking on the bright side I'm very happy that I'm not the one in despererate need of shaking a few pounds, but this task = harder than it sounds. For one, our paddock ornament does not get much extra feed, so cutting back on food (the easy way out) is not a workable option. #2 The horses all go out together in a big 10 ha paddock during the day, which can't be changed/rationed/strip grazed etc. and as this is the main source of her startch & sugar overload it's a considerable problem for my fat paddock potato. So, my only option is to exercise her more and I sure have tried, but it's difficult with all the delays. I recently had her saddle refitted (and the gullet had to be widened quite a lot due to the extra fat pads), she recently had her African Horse sickness vaccinations and they're theoretically not supposed to work hard for about 3 weeks after the injection. #3 If it's not excruciatingly hot outside then it is pouring with rain and our ground becomes a slippery slide of muddy clay, which makes it too dangerous to ride or even to do loose work on a circele (I've tried). This wastes a lot of riding time, since the ground takes up to 3 days to return to working condition. Also, living in Cape Town, there is often the very untimely near Gale-force wind to upset the apple cart... this might be OK on a lazy WB schoolmaster-type, but I've got an Arab mare that wants to jump out of her skin if she hears a bird fart in the shade of a tree 20 meters from her = not that easy in top notch wind!

BUT, I hope to make some progress, she's gonna have to get into some sort of routine and I'd better get enough riding in while it's still dry and dusty, so I'll have to be more dedicated to my resolution!

T least I've been partly-successful if I exclude the rainy/drizzly days that I didn't go to the yard and the cohort failure of this morning at 5. The month is only half way through, so I must persevere.

Another necessity is our house's snag list (unfinished tasks from June 2011) that still has to be completed - oh, how I am NOT looking forward to that! We still have boxes to unpack, workers to supervise, furniture to organise etc. and we've lived here just over a year. It's shocking, I know!! It's taking me lots of therapy to get over it ;) The garden is in desperate need of TLC. Our gardener has not come back from Zim yet, so I just hope he turns up by next week! PLEASE!! At least the grass is looking a little better, but there are so many flower beds that will have to be dug up and composted, mulched etc. There's at least a full 30 days of intense work to be done in the yard! Why does everything I undertake to do require such a damn lot of intense work!! :( I actually need a working holiday to get it all sorted. This morning I was horrified to notice how disgusting our koi pond is looking - it's in a ghastly state! Looks like pea soup, honestly. At least on the odd occasion that I forget to feed the fish they do have lots of algae & pond scum to feed on. I must say, I'm actually quite impressed at how tough they are - but apparently carp don't mind cloudy water as long as the ammonia and toxins = under control. But NO excuses - the pond HAS TO BE sorted this week! We shall start tonight, even if it's just to get the new filter connected to a T-junction where the pump must join up. The thing can't look like that - it's filthy.

I just feel so helpless for not being able to keep up with all the maintenance around the garden & house :( it's really a difficult task to try and balance a full-time job, massive house, organic garden, bouncy pup and a fat horse :( I don't have time for all these things - they keep me in constant motion. I also have many other things I'd like to get to - like organising my room and the 20 boxes of memoirs that used to be stored in my parents' garage (currently occupying the guest bedroom). The world's tasks seem a little overwhelming at this stage.Where will I find time to sort out this huge list of things that have lagged behind and then hopefully find a few hours a week to read a nice book. And the ever elusive "proper" holiday time!

I just feel so guilty when I see what other people manage to get done with their gardens/dogs/horses, but then again most of them don't try to do all 3 at once! It's just impossible for me to leave one of my projects/hobbies at this stage. I still want to start painting again in the afternoons when all the exercise has been done earlier the day - it has to be possible!?? Hmmm, there's a new creative writing course at UCT.... ;)

Anywhoo, I feel bad now for not geting up real early to go riding - won't have time to do it this eve, we have a busy social calendar... I'm really starting to feel like I need a holiday again! There's just too many things we're getting up to. It's all fun and worthwhile persuits, but I'll have to draw the line at some point! Hmmm, wheres's that drawing pencil... ?

Ah!!


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