And if the homework brings you down

then we'll throw it on the fire and take the car downtown.

Well, I didn't throw my homework on the fire yet, but I certainly want to. Finals are coming up. I have three tests on Monday, one on Tuesday and two on Wednesday. Then I'm done! Hooray!

. . . . . . . for three weeks, anyway, until the summer session starts.

This past week I took four tests. Jeez! But last weekend I needed a break after studying from 9AM to 530PM straight on Saturday. I met a classmate at the Hastings coffee shop and boy did we cram! Hastings employees were actually getting ready to throw us out for staying there too long.

So, on Sunday, Lisa and I drove across town to visit some fellow bloggers, Dan and Betty. They have two gaited horses, an Icelandic horse named Morgunn and a Rocky Mountain horse named Sugar. See here for information on Icelandic horses and here for information on Rocky Mountain horses.

I have always wanted to ride an Icelandic horse. I've even entertained thoughts of taking one of those riding vacations in Iceland to do it.

Well, now I don't have to. lol. I got to ride Morgunn. What fun!! And I got to tolt!!!

Betty rode Sugar while I rode Morgunn. We rode around the corral for a while and then we rode out on the mesa for a little trail ride. Then Betty gave me the go-ahead to work him a bit. I asked him into a tolt and it was VERY nice although we didn't go very fast. Maybe I'll get to ride him again in an arena and then we can really open up with the flying pace. A long time ago I rode a Tennessee Walker stallion and we did the running walk. I think the tolt is similar because they are both four beat lateral gaits.

Morgunn was a such gentleman for me. He's a sweetie too.
So is Sugar. Here's Lisa with Sugar.

Dan and Betty have a lovely southwestern style house in the exclusive little village of Corrales on the other side of Albuquerque. I loved the horse accents all around their house (see the light)and the way their horses can come right up to the house. They keep an immaculate horse yard too; I didn't see any horse apples anywhere! Those horses are very lucky to have Dan and Betty as owners.

We had a lovely meal of salads (loved that chicken salad) with creamy orange jello "stuff" for dessert (also a favorite of mine). :) Too soon, it was time to go because I had some more studying to do. But first, we stopped by the river so Lisa could plant a letter box and reminisce a bit. She told me about the great times she and her children had had by the river. I couldn't resist a few quick snapshots before we headed home to the other side of the mountains.

And if the homework brings you down, we'll throw it on the fire and take the car downtown - song: Kooks, artist: David Bowie, album: Hunky Dory