Back in the...wait

Through dangers untold and hardships unnumbered, I have fought my way here, to the castle beyond the...damn, that's not right either. Back in DC, though, which in certain lights could be considered a goblin city, although so far nobody has reported sightings of David Bowie in a mulleted fright wig. The Hill Country Equestrian Lodge offered good horsey times (Diane, the hostess: "So what would you like to do tomorrow?" me: "Er, ride a lot some more?" Diane: "I think we can arrange that"), along with some moments of humility in the form of not being able to get a trained reining horse to do my will in the ring until Diane came over and shouted instructions at us both. Downsides included a drive to the airport on a guaranteed traffic-free route that is almost certainly so on the weekends but not on Friday at noon, forcing me to make up time by taking the back roads at highly illegal speed ("WHEEE! Fucking hell, town limits, reduce speed to...55?!? Are you fucking KIDDING ME?"—fo' reals, Texas highways are kind of the autobahn with added pickups); having my flights into and from Dallas delayed; and taking a divot out of the runway at National. But them's just minor kvetching.

The HCEL seemed to focus more on clinics in the ring than on pure trail. The only other guests were doing a clinic program, so they spent mornings in the ring and then went out on trail to practice what they were learning. The clinics would be wonderful training for beginners interested in long rides (as indeed this couple were), and even a more advanced rider could learn a lot, but on balance I was happier taking ponies out on the trails morning and afternoon. I'm lazy that way, and after surviving two Equitours adventures have some sense of what to expect in terms of pain and fatigue (vacation, am I doin it rong?). If I were to consider competition in reining and somehow miraculously acquired a good horse and the money-time continuum to ship it down, Diane would be high on my list of trainers, but that's not the case at the moment. Still, it was a good way to see the park and try a different pile of gear and get all virtuously sore from the exercise. Pikshahs to come soon, whenever I can get Flickr to cooperate with my computer, which it was not doing this weekend. Perhaps the site was observing the holiday sensation that's sweeping the nation: Darwin Day!

[ETA: Photohraffies.]