I rode Sonic Boom....what a great feeling!

.....and what a great feeling to learn that he really was ready, and he did not feel the need to escape the crazy thing on his back.  :-)  Again, I saddled him without the lead rope.  I don't expect every session to be like that...but it sure is a rush when it does.  (I really do expect it but won't be too upset if I don't get it) 
Friday night was the first time I got on him.  Saturday's goal was to get him to move his feet a little bit and to get used to the feel of a top heavy load on him.

On our mark......get set......... 

GO!!!!!!!!!!

We bow to ye......okay, not really....got an itch.  :-)

Brian was out there keeping an eye on me to make sure all went well.  The original plan was to have him in the pen with me when I got on, but Boom is still jiggy about having more than one person too close, so I got on solo, and once I felt we were comfortable Brian came in.  It really is funny because sometimes Boom acts like he has not seen Brian before and he snorts like crazy! Once Boom relaxed Brian started walking around and Boom followed him.  I would flip the lead rope back and forth over his head to try and guide him one direction, then the other.  It was a great lesson and he earned a nice cooling off session and a first time to hang out in the yard with the rest of the horses without my supervision.  My boy is growing up!  :-)

Water hose at first was not so great...but now he is thinking this is pretty good stuff! 

Very hot and muggy....need water.....and I am happy to say that Boom finally took something out of my hand!  Sort of.....he drank water from the hose.  It took some doing but he finally got those cute little lips opened up so I could lightly squirt water in his mouth then he drank.

Boom was even okay with his face being sprayed!  This surprised me the most.

Boom is so happy he just has to GIGGLE!!!!!

After his cooling off time I let him loose in the yard with the other horses and donks.  He ate grass for a while then went to the barn lot - this is the dry side - and when I came out to check on him he walked right up to me.  When he gets nervous he breaths hard and fast.  I call it his 'having a baby breathing' and he was doing this.  I don't know if it was too hot or all the hoopla was a little much....so I took him back to his pen.  He went under his canopy, got a drink, and munched his hay. 

 ROUND 2!

When I went back out to play again before the rain hit (they were calling for chances and I thought it would hit later, but just in case....) and this weird cloud was behind the barn. 

I got him saddled back up and this time I got the purple lead ropes out to match his halter.  I really didn't order two purple leads to match the halter....it just happened.  :-)  Kinda funny....I hate shopping for my own clothing but I don't mind seeing what matches for the horses.

Anyways, I was trying to get a picture and he kept following me around.  Finally he gave me this look and a BIG sigh with those cute little nostrils flared.  We could hear the thunder in the background and I am sure he was wanting me to get on with it....

Finally!  The shot from up above.....woo hoo!

Madison was pulling the wagon by and he watched.....

Here is a purdy picture with the dark sky coming in and him showing off his purple.

Then the wind picked up and I bet the temperatures dropped a good quick 30 degrees!  It went from hot and muggy to downright cold!  I did not hear about any tornadoes so that is good...but conditions sure were right for it.  All I know is we went from a whole lot of nothing to a whole lot of something!  The dust picked up and birds all headed back to the chicken house and Boom ran around the pen a couple of times.  He was surprised to see a herd of birds run thru his pen right in front of him!  Hee hee!  I wonder what he was thinking when they all came running up the hill and into his pen... 

Brian came outside and once the heavy winds settled down I got back on and showed him what we had been working on.  He is learning what the 'GO' cue is....we can walk, we can walk over the board and we even started to 'WHOA'.  He and WHOA just were not getting it with me on the ground and I figured the one rein stop will help with the WHOA when I got on, and it did.  Some friends gave me ideas on how to work with the WHOA on the ground so I will be trying that.

See the blur in the background?  It is because we are going FAST!  Ha ha!

Boom has had a real problem with someone/something walking behind him.  It is that I can see you, then you are in the blind spot, then you pop up on the other side from out of nowhere.  Brian worked on him the other night when we took our walk at the wildlife area.  I held him and Brian walked around him several times.  It started close but it was too much for Boom, so Brian backed WAY off and went back and forth.  I did this Friday night and Saturday.  Saturday evening I got closer and he figured out how to watch and listen for me.  I think he did great with it!

We were done showing off for Brian and I gave Boom a little face massage....he is starting to show his pleasure at getting rubbed and scratched.

Here is Tripp saying hello to everyone!!!!

After the lesson was done last night it poured rain!  I got Boom fed and it started coming down!  I ran around giving everyone else their feed then hung out in the barn and watched it rain....and lightning....and listened to the thunder.  Brian joined me and we hung out together until it slowed down to a normal rain.  I can't believe how much came down in that amount of time.  What a weird year for so many different regions.

Here is a story that isn't so funny - Saturday morning when I was feeding I start with Tandee and Batman and work my way outside and down the row.  The llama is a pain in the butt and he spits on the others and body slams them all the time.  Wyoming and Jester the donk are very afraid of him and steer clear.  The llama was standing outside the barn door and I could not get Wy and Jester to go out - so I headed out there and ran the llama off.  I walked out and both boys were following me.  Then all of a sudden WHAM! and I was on the ground!  I knew I had been body slammed but was not sure by who until I looked up and saw front hooves land in front of my head (this is where I am internally freaking out and waiting for a stomp to the back or head), I say a couple of choice words that reflected my displeasure and surprise, then there go the rear hooves!  HOLY SMOKES!!!!  The only thing I can figure is the llama came at Wy and Jester, Wy slammed me then JUMPED over me, and Jester was beside me trying to be very careful.  When I looked back at the llama he looked 'innocent' with the look of "What????" on his face.  All the llama has to do is LOOK at Wy and he loses all sense of reason.  Wy has pushed me out of the way before with just a look from the llama.....so we are going over our options.  I like having the llama around but not if he is going to cause turmoil as he gets older.  The llama has not spit on us yet and I am not afraid of him at all....he backs off when I go 'crazy girl' on him.  But we have stood back and watched him body slam the donks for no reason.  He and Batman play fight a lot too....hope he doesn't teach Batman bad habits.

That is all the adventure around here right now....

Hope everyone had a great weekend...

Until later....Karen and Tripp who wants everyone to know he loved the water hose first!  :-)