Despite what my parents thought growing up when I protested doing barn chores — I’ve always found incredible solace in everything from cleaning tack to stripping stalls {for city folk: cleaning every inch of a stall down to the rubber mats}.

After one of the most hectic months in my life, Sunday was a true gift.

Yes – I see the dreadlock in my horse’s mane. I will address that. 🙂

• Sixty degrees with the classic Washington state bursts of rain.
• Raking the barn of moldy hay.
• Digging out eight inches of built-up poop with a metal pitchfork.
• Pouring fresh cedar shavings — best smell in the world.
• Screaming in surprise at the occasional mouse.
• Putting up a new hay bag {installed with only the best twine}
• Hauling out four bales of moldy hay in a wheelbarrow — and realizing on bale 4 that the tire was flat.
• Dumping out water troughs and scrubbing them clean.

All of this while my dad installed a new exterior light. It was a major flashback to life before college. It was pretty awesome.

I also challenged myself to push past the “flinch” — the point of resistance when I usually turn back or stop what I’m doing. I pushed through and cleared that final inch of the stall. I pushed through and hauled that flat-tired wheelbarrow up a hill to discard the moldy hay. Mental and physical win.

However, I’m not quite sure if I’ll be moving so well the next day…

Question for you all: How was your weekend?