Back to the heat

Such a peaceful evening.  I am sitting on the deck with a glass of wine as I write this.  It is still rather warm, but there is a SLIGHT breeze, so it is not uncomfortable.  I am watching the birds in the feeders as they jockey for position to taste the gourmet mix.  Because of the variety of birds I like to mix feeds geared towards the various species, which includes nuts and fruits.  The result is a very busy cafe outside my window!

Today's photo of the day by Jennifer show's Suki's sassy side.  She is flirting with the camera as usual, without looking at it directly.  She simply knows it is all about her!  I admire her confidence!

The heat seems to be returning, so Suki is naked (with a bandage) during the day while in her stall, and is now wearing the customized Wunderwear sheet at night while she is turned out.  I have to do something with the shell.  It keeps twisting and shifting, at times ending up around her neck.  Not good.  The Wunderwear sheet is a little small, because it was given to me by someone who no longer needed it.  Wunderwear is no longer in business, whhich is really a shame.  I like that the lower half is mesh.  The part across the back is lycra, so it stays in place.  It doesnt keep Suki as cool as the shell, but I try to dress her just before she goes out so we have been okay so far.  Tomorrow temperatures are supposed to reach 100, so I am planning on doing something to that shell so she can wear it outside tomorrow night.

Thursday was hot but I was determined to ride.  The time that I was available was in the afternoon, and although it was hot, the humidity did not seem too oppressive.  Nikki was very happy to see me, talking to me the way she usually does when she hears my voice.  I admit, that she seemed less than thrilled when I brought the saddle out and placed it on the rack!  The sun was hot, and at that time of day the outdoor ring was baking in the sun.  While this is wonderful on colder days, summer days, not so much!  I decided to ride in the indoor without the sun on us, but sacrificing some ventilation.  The end doors were open, so that helped, but there wasn't much of a breeze outside anyway.  Nikki hadn't been ridden since Monday so I decided to lunge her for a few minutes.  This was incredibly laughable.  Nikki looked at me like I was crazy, which craked me up. I hopped on, and in spite of the heat she was willing and responsive.  It was a light ride, but we both benefited from it.

Friday, July 6, 2012
Today seemed to be not quite as hot, and certainly not as humid.  But all of a sudden at around 3 PM, the temperature just seemed to spike!  Because of that I waited until almost 6 to take care of Suki.  She enjoyed sour apple gummy rings from Ruby, a Facebook fan and was in a generally good mood.  The mystery lameness appeared again today so I am going to have the vet look at her this week.  She walks it off pretty quickly, and does not happen every day, but I need to know what's going on.  Once again, Suki was without a sheet in her stall during the day, and midday and early evening she was comfortable in front of her fan.  The graft really looks great, so the setback was temporary, but I still need to be careful.  The dark pigment is obviously more superficial than what I had thought.

But I am pleased with the progress and not quite as freaked out as I had been!
Tomorrow will be brutal with the heat, so it will require a a few Suki checks.  I am looking forward to my early morning ride on Nikki......