I have hair!

Well, you just know there's a story there.  :)

It was either tell you a funny little story or tell you about our weather.  And you know I'm a weather nut, so I can't help myself.  We're still in that heatwave.  Not the 100's, but the 90's.  You'd think that would be better, but now it's overcast and humid.  *sigh*  Oh but wait, let's paint a clearer picture for you.  We're hot, dry, dusty, smokey and humid now.  Sheesh!  No sense complainin' though, it's gonna be what it's gonna be.  They're saying after this week we should start cooling back down - I sure hope so!

Our little visit with Kaylee has come and gone.  I had so much fun with her!  We got along very well, have lots in common and enjoyed our time a lot.  We're looking forward to next summer already.  We had plenty of time in the pool.  That's our saving grace in this weather, for sure.  Kaylee's a little water bug - that's what grandpa calls her - and I tend to agree.  She's one of those kids that doesn't need anyone to amuse her, or provide her with constant entertainment.  She's quite good at keeping herself busy and I love that about her.  Did I mention that she talks a lot?  Guess most kids do, we're just not used to it.  But at least she has interesting things to say, she's quite the thinker and tells grandma all sorts of stories.



Kaylee fell in love with Missy.  And frankly, her love was reciprocated.  Missy was an absolute angel!  She couldn't possibly have been more perfect with her.  I gave her a few ground handling instructions and we bathed 3 of the 5 horses the afternoon she got to our house.  Was too hot to ride.  The horses loved the attention and the cooling water.  And Kaylee is a natural.  She listens and follows instruction very well.  Within a very short period of time, she was handling the horses like a little pro.  A kid after grandma's own heart!

bath time

heading back

all smiles

The next morning grandpa and Kaylee set out on a little ride around the orchard.  They started out with Kaylee being ponied on Missy by grandpa and Ladde.  But once they headed for home, Ladde got it in his head to be all jazzed up and he went into "Andalusian mode".  He arches his neck, tucks his nose and does this high-stepping sort of dancing step that you commonly see in dressage horses or Andalusians.  It's beautiful, but isn't exactly what you want to be dealing with while ponying a little girl who's never ridden before.  So, grandpa makes the wise decision to give Kaylee the 2-minute riding lesson basics, and off they go.  Kaylee handled Missy like a dream, walk and trot, beautifully!  I was very proud of BOTH of them.  :)

Afterwards Kaylee got her first real lesson in the corral.  I gave her about a 30 minute lesson and the improvement she showed after such a short time was impressive.  She's a natural.  I had her walking, trotting, turning directions smoothly, down transitions, up transitions, halt and figure 8's.  Even a nice, smooth back.  Her biggest success came when she trusted me (and herself) enough to let go of the horn.  Once she did that, her seat, her balance and her confidence soared.  I can't tell you how pleased I was both with Kaylee, but also with Missy.  Good girls!!



So like I've mentioned, it's hot.  Lots of time was spent in the pool.  One time we were floating around having a conversation about hair.  Our chat eventually got around to body hair, you know, how some people are really hairy and others, not so much?  Kaylee points out the hair on her legs.  And how long that hair is.  I was only sort of paying attention by this time.  Did I mention that she talks a lot?  Oh, ok...anyways, I open my eyes and lean up from my floating position to peak at Kaylee's legs.  Good grief girl, you DO have long hair on your legs, I exclaim!  We both crack up at this and then I mention that, that's even more hair than grandpa has on his legs.  Now grandpa is clear over on the deck, and only seems to hear half of what you say to him at any given time, but must have been hearing clearly at this point in time, because he exclaims that "I have hair!!"  Maybe you had to be there, but we both cracked up and started to laugh hysterically at this.  You see, it wasn't actually meant to be overheard by grandpa in the first place.  This was strictly a private girl's conversation.  You know.  Anyway much to grandpa's chagrin, Kaylee's already repeated this story several times and every time she and the listeners break into gales of laughter at grandpa's expense!  Now that's a memory she'll be holding onto for a while.  :)

We picked some blackberries and baked a pie.  Yummy warm pie and ice cream, so good!  We watched a movie each evening she was there and slept in both mornings.  We made French toast with bacon for breakfast.  Barbecued hot dogs, watermelon and cheese puffs were consumed.  Yesterday we decided to head into town for lunch.  Kaylee's choice - Taco Bell - and afterwards pedicures.  It was Kaylee's first pedi and she loved it, and the massage chair.  She got twilight purple with little white flowers on her big toes.  :)  When we got home, I painted her fingernails while she ate a popsicle.  We had a good time.  I feel like I really got to know my grandaughter a lot better.  Next summer she wants to stay for a week.  Sounds like a good plan to me.

Yesterday late afternoon Jenny (her mom) and her friend picked Kaylee up on their way to the beach.  They're staying there for 3 gloriously cool days before heading home.  School starts in about 3 weeks.  Can you believe how fast the summer's flying by?  Surely it isn't just me.  The best part about summer, for me, has always been the memories to treasure during the dark days of winter.  Those days when we can revisit the times spent in the sun, riding, camping, swimming, or whatever brings you joy, and builds that treasure trove of times to remember.

My hubby went through some of our old family photographs and gave them to Kaylee.  In many cases, these were people that she'd only heard about but never seen.  The family resemblances throughout the generations always astounds me.  Genetics is a very powerful thing.

Anyway, that's our visit in a nutshell.  We're back to work today and trying to avoid the all-consuming heat and humidity.  I'm actually looking forward to next week when they say we just might get a rain shower.  Aaahh, that would feel so nice.  Feast or famine...

We're considering the possibility of a weekend-only camp out this week end.  We'll see how things pan out, but it would be nice.  We might just go to Flying M, which is close to home so we can buzz home daily to feed and water the horses.  It's early, plans could easily change.