Tropical Storm Fay

Fay has finally left the area. We are still getting rain and now it looks like Gustaf is forming to the south of us. We needed rain, just not all at once. Fay was a slow moving storm that seemed to take forever to get here, then seemed to take forever to leave. I didn't get great pictures of the storm, my camera seemed to resent being out in the wind and mist. The ocean was pretty churned up on Tues night, before it was due to hit Thursday morning.

Driving home from work on Thursday was a real treat. We closed the store a little after 2pm and the wind was really kicking up. They will close the bridges with sustained winds of 60mph and that was a fear, I would be stuck on the wrong side of the river, or between the river and the Intracoastal Waterway. I crossed the Buckman around 2:20-2:30 (it takes a while to cross when you're only going 30mph due to the wind and the rain) and they closed it around 3:30pm. I'm sure there were gusts at the top of the span that were 60mph or more when I crossed. The inlet before the Vilano Bridge was rough and full. Not a bad picture considering I just stuck my camera up to the window and snapped as I was driving.
The is was the ocean looked like as I was slowly driving down A1A to get home. (Rain on the windows doesn't help a picture)
AFter much wind and rain on Friday and Saturday, the sun appeared on Sunday. The is from the walkover from the Villages of Vilano to the beach.
These are the same houses that were in the news reports with the waves slamming into their pilings. They survived the storm.
The pond at the farm looked like this just a month ago. It had been completely dry last year at this time.
And this was the pond on Sunday, before the next batch of rain hit.
You could see the thunder clouds moving in late Sunday afternoon.
But do you think the little boys cared?
Nope, not one bit.

The boys try on the surcingle

Yesterday, Linda wondered if her small surcingle would fit Vantage. So, of course we had to try. He could care less he's wearing a belt around his middle. And then he learned a bit and bridle would come too. He could have cared less so off they went to the round pen to see how he adjusted to moving with some equipment on. Walk, trot, change directions....all we wanted. He had a little buck somewhere in there but mostly he was calm and showed off his stuff.This was the end of his big buck.
And then it was Sammy's turn. He could have cared less either. He was much more interested in all the smells in the round pen since his mom has been turned out there for the last few nights. He hasn't worn a bridle since April and he had no problems with it yesterday. I'm not even sure he noticed the surcingle. Here's his walk.
And his trot.
And his bloodhound trotting imitation.
I think I have the exact same picture of his mother. For him, the canter is his preferred gait.
So another milestone reached without any trauma at all.

Sammy loves scratches

There was a recent thread on the COTH BB about allowing butt scratches for a weanling. Sammy enjoys being scratched almost anywhere. It's a toss up between scratches or treats. I think they have equal billing in his pleasure department. I am amazed that the lessons started when he was a baby have stuck with him. He knows to stand and wait. He plainly knows how to "ask" for them but he is polite about it. And it is so satisfying to know that you are doing something that he so fully enjoys. The lips quivers and the nose goes up and out.
Vantage doesn't really see the need for them but he certainly doesn't want to miss out on anything that Sammy is getting. They really are good buddies and Linda and I are both very grateful they have each other to grow up with.
But friendship evidently has it's limits. There are just certain things Sammy doesn't really like to share. Treats - he's not big on sharing them. And evidently he's not so crazy about sharing my scratching fingernails. But he still is making sure I haven't gone anywhere and will continue. They really are good friends........really.