Birthday

I turned 28 this past September (gasp)! I just really don't know where the time goes these days?! Do you remember when you were a kid and even a months summer holidays felt like forever. Now I feel like whenever I get focussed on a task or a life issue, the next time I look up again a whole year has passed! Twenty eight!... or "pushing thirty" as my friend Kate likes to call it, which makes me feel a whole lot worse about it all. I panic a little from time to time over my age, I suppose because I am really aware of the social expectations of being in my (very) late twenties. My friends at home in England all went straight from college to university and had competed their degrees by the time we were 21. I took a long hiatus from uni and went back as an older student so I've always been a little insecure about how much older I am and how "behind" I am. Behind on what I am not quite sure, the timeline set by society and lots of my friends maybe? My friends are all getting married now and having babies... Something that terrifies me. I'd much rather collect dogs and horses instead. Honestly, I can't even look after myself properly. I feel like I'm perpetually 12... I still can't make adult decisions before calling my mother!!!

Last year I had flown out to see my dad in hospital at the time of my birthday. It was the first one I had ever spent with my dad that I remember and back in the small Albertan town that I was born in. Given the circumstances I wasn't really feeling up to having any kind of birthday celebrations for my 27th. I was away just before my birthday this year as well again, I drove out to sort through my dad's things and to clear up some of his estate matters with a lawyer. After growing up in England I always forget just how big Canada is! From where I live on Vancouver Island its a 16 hour drive to the next province where my dad lived. It was a fast trip, managed to sort most of it in three days and set off driving back to B.C the day before my birthday. For anyone who does long trips, 16 hours in the car is pretty shit. We made it back to the coast in the middle of the night and slept in the truck in the car park of a MacDonalds (I'm classy). Managed to get on the first ferry at 6am, it was my birthday at this point. I was feeling pretty tried and grumpy to be honest and stiff from the car ride, not a happy camper. I wasn't really planning anything for my birthday this year either, but the girls confirmed that morning that my boss had leant us the big stock trailer for the carriage horses so we could take my friends school horses to the beach. It was a lovely birthday surprise. I got in and got changed and went straight out, despite the lack of sleep.

Here we all are with friends, two legged and four 

Our big work stock trailer for the draft horses. It's a pretty big deal that my boss leant this to us. It's his absolute pride and joy!! 

It was Vixen's first time ever at the beach. Horse people will know how much of a big deal new things  and experiences are to our equine friends. She was an absolute champ though, trailered no issue and didn't bat an eyelid at the beach. She just wanted to go

 Friends having a lovely time

Our incredible view for the day. The sun was shining, the light was perfect, the view was incredible. It's one of those moments that just fills your heart up ready to burst. 

I am so very in love with this perfect little girl 

Paddling in the ocean together. If you have ever tried to run on sand you know how hard it is and how much of a work out it is. Same for the horses, they were so exhausted at the end o it all. This fat little mare is a little overweight so she found it easier to run along the shore line where the sand was wet and firmer. We cantered the whole stretch of the beach splashing up water in our wake 

Debra and her horse Brew. These two just have the most amazing bond! She rides him completely tackless all the time; no saddle and just a halter and they rip around the trails like that. I have absolutely no bloody idea how she stays on, i'd be off in a second. We call him Tokyo drift because rather than bending he likes to run sideways and side pass at a canter. 

Everyone was just exhausted after that ride!!!!

Lucky to have such well behaved horses. They can just graze while we do our own thing. 

It was such a lovely day, it's pretty hard to be anything other than happy while cantering a horse you love along the beach in the sunshine! Slamming around in the saddle worked out all my kinks too. I'm  really to have such wonderful friends here, we're all really different but our love of horses binds us. These girls have been so wonderful and such an amazing support network through a really rough year. I love spending days out on the horses together. It's just so perfect. I'm really grateful for the memories that I've made in Canada, especially in this last year. Although it was a really tough one for me with the passing of my father and dealing with all the accompanying shit, these girls have really rallied round me. I've spent most of my summer int he company of these wonderful people and southing my injured soul with some amazing horse therapy. These are days I will always remember....