This morning we again awoke to rain, and I wondered if other parts of New York have yet dried out from the flooding brought by the remnants of Hurricane Ida. Fortunately we really suffered no effects here in Clinton Corners, but watching the news these past few days, we’ve learned that so many weren’t so lucky.

This morning #1BigSis had her first ever horseback riding lesson. Rivendell Riding Academy is close by, offering lessons for all ages. We scheduled a 1 hour lesson with Madison on a friendly pony named Flash.

Madison started by teaching #1BigSis about the basics of grooming and dressing her pony with a saddle. She spent a good 10 minutes brushing his mane.

Since it was drizzling, Madison decided to start the lesson inside the barn to allow everyone to get aquatinted without the added variable of rain. After a few laps where they mastered starting and stopping, everyone headed outside to explore the fields.

Out in the field, we encountered other riders enjoying their quiet Sunday mornings.

Madison was a great teacher – patient, spirited and reassuring. Just what our novice rider needed. after about twenty minutes in the fields, the crew made their way back to the barn.

#1BigSis had no trouble with the dismount. In fact she was too fast for me to catch a photo.

Back at the barn, she helped tie up Flash and said some goodbyes. A few last strokes on his mane and a big hug for both Flash and her teacher Madison, and we called it a day. Total expense: $65 + tip.

After riding at Rivendell, we came home for lunch and a bit of R&R. Amir and #1LilBrother hit up an air show in Rhinebeck while us ladies took it easy binging on YouTube and afternoon tea.

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We made our nightly trip down to the garden to grab veggies for dinner, and Amir collected what dry wood we could find for the solo stove. I’ve been seeing these things all year in Facebook posts from friends and in social media ads, but had never experienced one in real life. There’s a calming feeling it invokes – gentle flames with little to no smoke… this will likely be on the list for Santa this year.

I finally found the book today that tells the history of The Willows. It was compiled in 1994 by a previous owner when seeking historical registry status for the house. It’s too much to tackle tonight, but fortunately we are here for three more days and nights.