Summer Swimming

I'm not much of a water person. Well, I like to sit next to the water and look at it. I enjoy the ocean, but prefer lakes and rivers.

I don't like to get in.
I'll dabble my toes, or wade up to my knees, or go out in a boat, but I don't like to get in the water.

Now, my parent's swimming pool is a different story. I'll get submerged there. I guess in my adulthood I've developed an aversion to bodies of water with "things" in it. But even at the pool, I'm not a "spend the day" kind of gal. I've never been one to lay out for a tan, or float in the pool. I get bored...fast. I don't even like to soak in the tub. Boring!

And I'm way off where I was going with this, and it's getting a little too personal, so lets get back on track.

On occasion, I'll suddenly have a strong yearning to go swimming. It doesn't happen often. And going alone isn't much fun. Saturday was one of the warmest days so far this summer, and the wind was relatively calm, and I suddenly thought it would be nice to go for a swim.

I haven't done that yet here at the ranch, but Malcolm's shown me where he and his sisters would go swimming when they were younger, just above the beaver dam down by the barns. Yeah....water with "things" in it....and black stinky Montana mud. (and you  haven't smelled stinky mud till you've smelled it here. There's coal in the ground here and I'm told that is the culprit, I imagine along with all those "things" that are in the water.)

So, a desire to swim, but Malcolm was busy and I don't like to go alone. If you can't go swimming with your spouse, then who better but your best friend?

We've never done this before, but Malcolm and his sisters have in the past with their colts. I thought it sounded fun. I asked Malcolm how he used to get the horses to go in the water. He couldn't remember.

I took a handful of cookies with which to coax him in. I thought I'd have to do some persuading. Boy was I wrong!

What I had to do was hang on for dear life, because I thought we'd make a careful and gradual entrance in order to ascertain what "things" might be in there with us, but Sky stuck his toes in the water proceeded to plow on past me and drag me in with him.....

.....out into the deepest parts which I really was not prepared for! So much for my coaxing him into a gradual entrance, and I couldn't keep a good hold on the lead rope and the handful of cookies at the same time, so today some beaver or duck is enjoying some apple flavored horse cookies that are a little bit mushy.

He was absolutely hilarious! I had no idea he'd like it so much! Maybe I would have thought so if it was scorching hot, but it was only in the mid-80's, so it's not like we were suffering from heat exhaustion.

He played and splashed and even laid down in the shallows at one point. I had so much fun laughing at him. And I think he had fun too, probably laughing at me. I was not as graceful as he was.

He seemed to really enjoy it, and seemed to enjoy being in there with me, though maybe I'm just imagining that. But he had lots of slack on the lead rope, and still kept close to me, a couple times nearly running me over because I couldn't get my footing.

A few times when we were in deep water, I tried to get on his back. He was so slippery I couldn't get all the way over him before he slid out from under me. But finally I managed to get up on him almost all the way....

an attempt to get on

...and that's where the fun ended. He was not impressed with the new "game" and made fast tracks (as fast as he could through the water) for shore. I couldn't get scooted up into the right spot because he was slippery and I couldn't get seated and turn him at the same time. He got to knee deep water before I could get him turned and I decided the best choice for me at that point was to abandon ship.

I think it was a good choice, because he hit the shore at a dead run and high tailed it back to his crew waiting at the fence over by the corrals. Apparently he'd had enough swimming for one day.

Regardless, I seriously have not had that much fun in quite a while. Most of the time I couldn't get on his back because I was laughing! I had such a good time, it didn't even bother me that we were swimming with "things."

I thought we might go for another swim today, maybe let Reba and Gemma have a turn too, but the wind is wailing outside. It's nasty to be out, even if it would feel good to cool off.

Maybe tomorrow. It's supposed to hit the high 90's. Might even get into the 100's on Tuesday I read. Guess summer is really here. But we're probably returning to work on Wednesday and the wind is supposed to blow for the next several day. Maybe I'll make it home enough to get some more swim time in before fall weather arrives.

Yep, swimming with my pal, Sky. I have so much fun with him from the ground, I probably wouldn't care if I never got to ride him. He really is one of my best friends. I love that horse!