Adventures of Middlest

Still broken- but mending! I went to the Orthopedist yesterday, and my x-rays show some bony callus forming around the break in the scapula. I have the clear to start using my arm from the elbow down, and to use my left hand to start moving my shoulder up and down (not out), by lifting the right forearm. So, I have lifted my right hand onto the keyboard, and my ability to type is much improved.
Summer is officially here, I suppose, as yesterday was the last day of school. My house is as quiet right now as if they were in school. Could they all have returned to their beds? Certainly possible, and with the teens, probable.
As I wrote that, I then heard out the window the melodious sounds of hogs, and Youngest who is taking them for a walk. Must post some hog pictures, they are funny, and quite large now. Heavy enough for the NFL.
But today's picture posts are of Middlest!

My Beautiful Middlest Daughter, has now finished the 8th grade. At the end of the school year the school holds "The 8th Grade Formal". As I'm sure you can imagine this causes a great stir in the world of the typical 8th grader. Middlest is more stoic. She hunted around the closets for a dress, and that was about the most of the fuss. I was still unfocused enough to lose track of time. So when it was nearly time for her to leave I was pleasantly surprised to see her head downstairs completely dressed, with hair done by big sis. Wow!  And, I tried not to make a fuss about it, but she had a date! He and his mother kindly came to collect her for the dance, and brought her back home afterwards. They had a nice time, and even danced together!

Middlest is a farm girl. And in true farmgirl fashion, she went out the evening before to play with her baby geese, forgoing shoes for the occasion. ( I have a lot to say about this unwise decision- there is a blog post with a picture of one day's collection of ancient rusted metal bits and nails collected from the ground, and likely another on the pile of glass accumulated over an afternoon's weeding. In two hundred years of humans living on this farm, there is much you'd want to leave out of your feet). But in this case, her foot found neither nail nor glass shard, but honeybee? She said bumble...

But, if you look at her legs, you'll have no trouble telling which one met the bee.

I can imagine dancing was not especially comfortable.

Middlest and Date.

 The weekend brought the next Pony Club lesson. I was still not driving, but Huz stepped up to the plate and gave driving the trailer a try. He did very well and made it to the practice in record time. When we arrived, it became clear that the kids were riding on the Cross Country Jump course. This was Middlest's first go at official cross country fences- but I've been sneaking them in on her for years. She did a great job! Patches was full of energy, but all of it positive, and Middlest and Patch took it all on easily and with alacrity. My girl kept her eyes up!

Huz operated the camera (it's an SLR, and hard to operate one-handed). His pictures captured the beauty of the day!

The pair were the first to lead off on the final test which ended in the water fence. Water is an uncertainty for horses. Many of them just won't do it. But eventing horses must. They can't tell how deep it is, and it is scary to them. Once they enter the water, they relax when they find it only fetlock deep! As they progress in their training, they must trust the rider that aimed them at the obstacle that it is safe, and in they go- full bore.

Next year.