Lilacs are my favorite

Weighed in tonight. Lost another 1.8 lbs. The weight loss is starting to slow down now. Probably because I'm getting close to my goal weight. The meeting tonight was about strategies for eating out. Something we all do and at our house more often than not. I do most of my eating out on the weekends. I've learned to look up restaurants on the internet. I look at there menu and look for their nutrition information. Often I know what I am going to order before I ever get to the restaurant. When that can't happen I've learned not to rely on the old standby "I'll just have a salad." Salads are loaded with fat and calories in most restaurants. I'm trying to exercise every day, but it isn't always easy. This week in particular has been difficult. Still I usually manage to do something 5 days a week.

I made it out to the barn this afternoon. I planned to ride for 30 minutes and then come home. I thought it would be a quick trip, but it didn't turn out that way. Boo is in such need of hair removal!!! I used a shedding blade, and a curry comb, and a mitt, and brushes etc. Took me quite awhile and I got lots of hair off him. He was acting kind of weird. Not like himself. He kept twisting his head around to try and look out the barn door which was behind him. I went over and closed it, but it didn't really help all that much. He seemed to be really sensitive to me touching him too. He got high-headed and twitchy. I wondered if he might be colicking, but I could hear gut sounds even without putting my ear to his belly and he left me a pile on the barn floor to clean up.

I took him into the covered arena on a longe line and walked and trotted him both directions a couple of times. Maybe for 10 minutes. Then we cantered each way just to see if he was moving alright. This seemed to calm him down a bit. His eyes got soft and he did the backing up, forehand and haunch turns, and side passes I asked of him. He still seemed a bit twitchy when I ran my hands down around his withers. I was trying to decide if he was sore somewhere. Finally I decided the only way I would know for sure was to get on and see how he was under saddle. Once we were tacked up and back in the arena I climbed aboard. He started swishing his tail back and forth but walked obediently forward. After a few minutes he stopped swishing and the rest of the ride (at the walk) went without a hitch. He didn't feel off to me. He behaved himself. Now I'm wondering if he was just nervous. The wind was blowing and the direction it was blowing from and the direction he was looking in the beginning was where the pigs live. Could it just have been a reaction to the pigs???? If it was it was weird.

I rode him at the walk for 30 minutes and after the ride I cleaned him up again and this time he stood just fine. AAaarggghhh! It's as bad as having a sick baby. I wish they could talk to you and tell you what they're thinking. He would probably just say" Ah $%%^& she's back. I'm gonna test her and see if I can get her to go away again!" One things for sure. I will be going back again on Thursday and on Friday to check him out.

Finally, after I was finished with riding and weigh-in I got to go get myself the most beautiful bouquet of lilacs. They are blooming in my daughters backyard. Smells heavenly in here :)