Wow, I’ve been really super bad at blogging lately. It’s not my fault, I promise. Between injuring my back (new horse does this supercool move called the electric slide where you’re riding, then you’re not…just like in a cartoon. Oh and it hurts. A LOT), gaining some awesome new clients, and then this RUS stuff kicking off (Racing Under Saddle, specifically the RUS New York 2014 Fair Series), I’ve barely had a moment to breathe.

Then we’ve had massive storms. And I’m not talking this wimpy category 2 offshore maybe sorta landfall storm Hurricane Arthur. Nope. I’m talking 2 days of ongoing poundings from massive thunderstorms with 60 mph winds, hail, and wicked lightening that left us with power outages for 5+ hours yesterday, and flash flooding today. Yes, here, on the mountain. Because when we get that many inches of rain in that short amount of time on a mountain, all the rain that falls on the top of the mountain has to go somewhere, and that’s downhill. My farm is just a few hundred feet off the peak, which is usually where the water goes. 

Granted, we’ve flooded before, with the worst being the one-two punch of Hurricane Irene followed by Tropical Storm Lee that dumped some 14+” in just a few days on my farm. It left my barn and indoor flooded (fortunately the house was okay) and my driveway completely washed out. We were without power for 3.5 days (not bad compared to some nearby towns but hey my small local co-op electric company is awesome!). 

We were more prepared for Hurricane Sandy which ravaged the coastline, but never made it quite as far inland as Irene and Sandy, and we didn’t flood much at all.

Then today. After yesterday’s storms, followed by even more back to back to back severe ones today, I was called after the races to come back to the barn because it was flooding. Badly. Nearly all the stalls flooded, and with several horses on stall rest, including two of my own, and one with an open wound that even wrapped CAN NOT GET WET, it was an emergency. Back injury aside (only 10% chance it’s a fracture in a vertebrae, but most definitely at least a severe contusion/bone bruise), with the help of some friends/boarders/barn employees/volunteers, we got 5 stalls built in the indoor from round pen panels and successfully moved the horses to dry ground out of harm’s way.

Then I showered when I *thought* storms had passed. And as I was shaving my legs, the power went out. So I finished shaving (yes in the dark, why not…I know where my leg is lol), and rinsed out the conditioner in my hair and turned off the water and grabbed for my towel. As the power came back on. FML.

Yup, that’s me right now. Except they’re actually
prescribed by my doctor, so it’s all okay.

Hey, so at least the power came back on. And thank goodness for drugs because right now I’m high as a kite, and my back feels great! Let’s not think about how it will feel later. Wine aside for today, letting the meds to their magic 🙂 and at least I can sleep easy knowing that my horses (and my friends’ horses) are all safe and dry.

Oh, and if anyone needs good makeup, waterproof tinted moisturizer with SPF by Clinique is amazing, along with MAC eyeliner, and E.L.F. eyeshadow and blush. Despite the blaring heat and humidity pre-storms out on the track all day, with the need to look good to present prizes in the winner’s circle, my makeup stayed looking great all day – even well into the evening when I went for a late lunch/early dinner at my friend’s restaurant hours later. Hey, at least something went well! And the race was a huge success too. Focus on the positive right? And I’m drugged. So I feel great. Peachy! I don’t even mind that I may need to catch up on some work tomorrow because it may rain in the AM anyway, and I can’t ride anyway, and oh right, muscle relaxers and pain killers. That probably has something to do with it…okay, well happy Independence Day! Do something fun, enjoy yourself, and who knows. Maybe I’ll be inspired and blog again tomorrow wheeeee!!!!