Yesterday was fledgling day in the barn, and the yard,  baby birds everywhere were being lured from the safety of the nest, and full stomachs, by their parents, I had a family of barn swallows in the barn, and I watched the parents lure the babies with bits of bugs in their beaks,  they would fly to the nest, and then when the babies popped up mouths gaping, they hoped away along the conduit that the nest is built on.  This is the second year the swallows have lived in the barn, and they have improved their how to get the babies out of the nest skills, last year I picked two of them up of the ground, and placed them on the ledge of the stall,  to keep them off the ground, and out of the claws of my barn cats.. I think fledgling day is sort of a kitty thanksgiving harvest day.. The previous tenants of the nest, were the builders and long term family of Phoebes, they returned to that nest for 5 years.  Last year when they didn’t return, my heart broke a little, but the barn swallows discovered the nest, and raised two broods there last year. The phoebes and I had an arrangement, and they didn’t fear me at all, the swallows are still suspect, and won’t come in the barn if I am working in the doorway.  Unless you get a chance to watch a community of birds year after year, you would never guess the delicate balance of interactivity there is in a huge community of birds.  Last year I saw a crow invade a nest of young robins, the robin parents were frantic, diving and pecking at the crow, but what was really interesting was 3 other robins joined the fight, eventually driving the crow away from the nest. The yard is quieter today, fewer peeping babies begging for food, and its raining, good for the hay, and good for the house, since Ill have time to do some cleaning,  bad for lessons though…  I already hayed this morning, so now I am off to grain.

the beautiful wet spring, coupled with warm days, and cool days has produced some beautiful hay,  I received my first load the end of June, what a relief,  I had about 2 weeks worth of hay left, the hay is lovely, but sadly this year the bales are light. Like one horse per bale light.  its going to cost me this winter.  Business is slow, partially because I haven’t gotten my self in gear, its hard, this year, just being on my own. I can’t seem to work up the energy to clean up my barn, clean up my yard, smarten up my horses.  I haven’t even really competed because I don’t have the energy.  Whining, I guess, I just seem to be stuck.  I can’t seem to pull myself together, if I am not teaching riding, I am not sure what I would like to do, I feel as if I have lost my passion, two of my students, my most consistent students are in trouble with their parents, and can’t come ride this week, which will set me back, 80 dollars, another of my students is on vacation, another 40, so its only tuesday and I am down 120.00 this week. yay.  It was a slow spring, with all the rain, and now this, I lost one student, because she is a full time worker, with a family, who could only ride on Saturday’s, but felt obligated to help her father run his business on the weekends.. Last year I lost 4 students in a month,  it sucked the wind out of me. Sigh.  I always thought that if you loved what you did, the rest would come.  Its not really working for me right now, I guess I could always look for and find a job, but its hard to work for someone when you’ve been used to working for yourself.