Dear Mother Nature...

NO ONE LIKES YOU. (JERK.)
Joke's over. We get it. You're the best, we all suck.  Everyone else has to change their plans based on your mood. But please, please, please do not take it out on us just because Father Time dumped you.
As I was heading off to bed last night, it was alllll over the news. South-Western Ontario was going to get wallaped (is that even a word?!) with a storm. PARDON?! Someone tell the b!tch in Green that it is now Spring. I love winter - JUST SO LONG AS IT IS WINTER.
Today sucked! Cold, windy, damp, windy, cold...the only good thing about today, was that we were fortunate enough not to get to 10+cms (yes, we use centimeters in Canada all you Yankies), that anywhere from Oshawa, Toronto and West of there got.  My SO was 550' on top of an Industrial Smoke Stack this morning in Mississauga and said it was brutal.  Needless to say, their day ended promptly.
Because I am not one of the lucky ones who can a) afford to migrate South for the Winter (I don't like any of my friends who do) b) are lucky enough to live in the eventing-year-round-States, I start to get really annoyed this time of year.  Because the only thing I want to do, is hit the trails and ride outside, not to step foot inside the indoor until November...and YES, I do school outside in the rain. We're eventers remember.  So, where is this rant taking me?!  When I showed up to ride this afternoon, I was instantly chilled the second I stepped out of my car. I can take that feeling in the middle of winter, not when it is the almost last week of spring and we are going xc schooling in 3 1/2 weeks.  Needless to say, as I walked around the back of the barn to go get Pickle, they were all standing around looking pathetic - I think the horses are all sick of Winter also.  So, we compromised. I told Pickle we weren't going to ride, but we were going to free lunge...which did not come as a dissapointment to him.  It was the best he has looked since I started riding him again 10 days ago and he was definitely trotting that 10 (in which I felt the need to remind him - again - that I have seen him do it).  I actually think he enjoys being free lunged...he will stay in a circle around me and walk, trot and canter/buck-fart-gallop, for as long as I keep him going.  The way I see it, this 'freebee' of a day still counts for something as he was moving around for 40 minutes.  That is a good day off in my opinion.  Tomorrow, we will ride again.  Friday and Saturday, I will do some trot poles and he will have Sunday off.  Depending on how he is feeling Monday, I **might** ask him for some more collection and a little bit of canter. Totally up to him.  But - knock on wood - it isn't taking him long to get back into the swing of things, I am remaining patient and pushing him a little more each day. He is relaxed, although still a little stiff, working through his back and his mouth is all frothy. I. Love. It!!
Huh - I spoke too soon...it is now snowing out my window. Perhaps Mother Nature didn't hear me at the beginning of my post...