MORE LIKE SPRING EVERY DAY

Not that we have much of a winter anyway, but the last few days, just feels different.  Guess it's all that fresh spring air.....!!!  Still no budding of the mesquite trees, but just about everything else is leafing out or blooming. Just noticed today the orioles are back at the hummingbird feeder in the back yard.  

So far there are a few flies out, but not enough to put on fly masks.  I already ordered my "stash" of masks awhile back.  Renee at Colorful Equine stays pretty busy during fly season, so I usually order in the winter.  It's not like I'm not going to need them........LOL  A few days ago, John took Doug out for a walk on Burroland, he hadn't been over there yet.  They came back with 4 fly masks, which I thought was a pretty good haul.  A few years ago we use to hunt diligently for a missing mask.  With the passage of time, we have opted looking in the "normal" places they lose them, and for a larger storage area for "masks in waiting".  Just makes life a little less demanding.  

 

This is a picture of Doug rounding up donkeys.  He has gone to the same school of donkey round-up, John did and has started carrying animal crackers with him at all times.  He did take my advice on letting them out at bedtime.  This week-end we went to the asphalt track for practice in the afternoon and then went right over to the dirt track, so John could pit for a couple of the late models that were racing.  

Doug let them out at the regular time and before we left I asked him if he wanted to do it John's way or my way.  John goes in the feed room, lovingly cuts up carrots for one and all, and goes from pen to pen, sharing, and petting as he goes along, not to mention animal crackers to a lot of them, that have turned getting extras into a life style.    Takes 30-45 minutes.  I go out start at one end, opening gates as I keep moving at almost a run.  Needless to say I leave a herd of disappointed, confused animals in my path.  By the time I get to the last one, I've got quite a crowd following me.  You can almost read their minds, "what's happening, did you get a carrot?  I didn't get a carrot, she almost ran over me, I was standing by the gate as usual.  She didn't even slow down, where's John?"  Takes me less than 10 minutes and that includes feeding the dogs.  Doug opted for my way.  Last night was the 1st night John had let them out in 2 nights, needless to say they were thrilled to have the real crew chief back in charge.  LOL

My practice went pretty good, I'm getting a little more comfortable although I'm still not up to speed, getting close though.  We race next week-end, that will be the 1st point race, so we should have just about everyone that plans on racing a hornet out there.  Some estimates think we will have over 20 cars.........that should be interesting, because last year they usually had around 10-12.  That means there might be a lot of drivers like me, maybe driven before, just not in this venue.  Or rookie drivers, should be an "interesting" evening.....!!!