Yesterday, electrical/thunder storms as a huge front passed over Seattle. It was over in an hour or so, we had some sunshine for a while, then the storm started up again in the evening. All in all, very little rain.
Today started out lovely and fine, if a little cool. Lana dropped me at the barn on her way to the gym and grocery store. I gave rems and sorted out Sully's feet (took off his shoes and gave him a light trim - he has only just arrived from the East coast and wasn't going to last until their farrier is due at the start of August).
I turned the horses out and called Lana to say the thunder had started up again and I'd do some mucking out until she arrived. By the time she got there, it had started spitting and the thunder/lightning was really crashing overhead, with less than a second between lighting and thunder clap.
We decided to bring the horses in as they're not used to being out in that sort of weather, mainly because that sort of weather is so unusual here.
As we walked out, the skies opened and it started to rain. Big, fat raindrops. The horses were, of course, in the farthest corner of the paddock, under a tree. Sully was the only one who stood quietly to be caught. As the other three were haltered, the rain increased in intensity and hail started. I'd guess the hailstones were about the size of a fingernail, but I was not really looking at the size... The horses weren't at all happy about the claps of thunder overhead. We were soaked through by the time we got them into their stalls: it's about 200 m, at most, from the end of the paddock.
After feeding hay and ensuring they were settled, we went home for a shower, did a load of washing and changed into dry clothes. I had lunch and Lana just took me back to the barn so we could turn the horses back out. The weather now is absolutely glorious. Aside from the puddles, you wouldn't know it had rained this morning.
Some photos from my second drive to the barn.
Heading down the really steep part of Lana and Ron's drive. The drive goes to the (very busy) main road, and the road to the barn is directly opposite (you can see it going straight through the middle of this picture.
There are glimpses of the mountains beyond. A little too much cloud today to see anything.
This is the corner right before the barn. You can see the edge of the barn's paddocks, a little to the left of the middle of the road. The entrance to the trails is on the right, a little beyond the sign.
And, for something a little different, the huge elk (left) and caribou (right) mounted on the wall above the living room at the house. Ron has a collection of taxidermied animals, that he shot. There are African animals on display in the rental house they own (next door), and these two in the house (the lines in front of the caribou are wires for lights above the dining table).
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