Deep breath.
I gave my notice for my stall cleaning job on Wednesday.
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| All of the photos in this post were taken during stall cleaning. |
I've done stalls nearly every Sunday since the weekend before I got Connor. Up at 6:30, at the barn by 7:30, usually done with chores by about noon, then ride, then get home about 2:30. It's the only way I could have afforded to keep him these past three years.
To be honest, I really like it, except when the high temperature is below 30...
...or when I'm up all night Saturday night for work. Then it gets a little rough. But I'm always grateful for the opportunity to do the work, and it's nice to feel slightly more involved in my horse's care than the average full boarder.
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| Scenes you miss when you're full boarding. |
But with Nick being thousands of miles away Monday-Thursday, we agreed that stalls needed to end so that we can maximize our weekend time together. The marriage comes first, always. He's taking a couple of bills from me so that I can pay the increase.
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| I almost never see anyone at the barn on Sundays. Just me and the horses and the silence of the country. |
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| My favorite thing: I save filling the tanks for last so that at the end of a long day of stall cleaning, I can sit against a tree and watch the horses in their fields while the tanks fill. |
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| Sometimes I come home to a...less than clean house. |
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| The Thermos Nick got me that has singlehandedly saved me on cold winter mornings. |
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| Scenes I'd probably miss otherwise. |
I'm going to continue doing it indefinitely until she finds someone else, so I'm not leaving her high and dry, but it will be over soon. I'll miss it!
I do my barn on Saturday mornings, and totally understand how lovely it is to just spend time alone with the horses, listening to them munch, watching them play, and just taking in the peace and quiet of a solitary barn morning. But, marriage does come first! Michael and I go through similar discussions frequently since I work at the barn and he is often away on photo shoots, so time together can be tough to come by. It will be good for you and Nick, AND you'll get to sleep in on Sundays now!
ReplyDeleteThanks! It's nice to not feel alone in it. Yes, it will feel like I've gained an entire day to my week! I'm not sure I'll know what to do with it. Probably clean the house...
DeleteBut ... what'll we do on long weekends? ;)
ReplyDeleteDoes this mean more visits to TH?
Possibly! Though Nick's job may mean less visits to TH. I can't imagine he'll be too interested in doing weekends away when he's flying out every single Monday and back every single Thursday.
DeleteCan't say I blame you, although I'm sure you'll still miss those quiet moments when it's just you and the horses :)
ReplyDeleteAbsolutely. Plus stall cleaning time is my thinking time. No music, just my thoughts. It's led to some pretty grand ideas over the years!
DeleteCongrats on being able to drop the chores. I was so happy when you said your hubby landed his dream job.
ReplyDeleteThanks! Yes, it's a great thing on so many levels. Bye bye student loans (in, you know, a couple of years, which is better than 10).
DeleteI felt the same way when I ended my regular shift at the barn I first worked at! You do miss a lot. I miss the camraderie with barn staff, too.
ReplyDeleteAgreed. There's just something about knowing what's going on, even if it's as simple as having what all the horses eat memorized.
DeleteI used to do two days a week when I had two horses in training at a show barn. I have to admit, I don't miss it. :P
ReplyDeleteHa! Hopefully I'll feel the same. I think I will, mostly in winter.
DeleteMixed feelings for sure but I'm glad things are working out for your husband's job!
ReplyDeleteYes! Me too.
DeleteGlad you will have a bit more time... but yeah, I know what you mean about how nice it is being involved with your horse's care.
ReplyDeleteI know you do. Give and take, always.
DeletePart of me really misses cleaning stalls. I used to do this during college, and liked many parts of it.
ReplyDeleteIt's oddly cathartic for sure, and it's my thinking time. You don't get many opportunities to just do something physical and think, you know?
DeleteBravo for taking care of your marriage first. :-) I do love those quiet mornings by myself at the barn though.
ReplyDeleteThanks! Me too. I hope they let me fill in every once in a while.
DeleteI used to do stalls for the longest time also, it is nice to be hands on at your barn. Now I have my own farm so its a bit different but I would certainly miss it too.
ReplyDeleteI never really minded the winter until I started working at the barn. Then I quickly began to hate it.
ReplyDelete