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In the midst of all of last week's craziness, I had a birthday.

I took the day off of work so I could go riding, which is, of course, my favorite way to celebrate.

Mystyc, 2013

January is, on average, Denver's coldest month, but it's not usually very snowy. 

Except for the year I had jury duty...

2018

and the year I was in Paris...

2020

I've ridden every year on my birthday for more than a decade.

Santana, 2016

Last year, I rode Olive in the arena and mourned Krista Wasco's passing.

This year, I was really looking forward to seeing these trees between her oversized ears.

Stealth, 2021

Instead I got Denver's biggest January snowstorm in more than twenty years.

Happy birthday to me.

The barn staff let us know that despite white out conditions, all the horses were fine. The roads were terrible, and we should stay home. I worked on the basement and took photos of the dogs and resigned myself to a day without Olive.

It snowed and snowed and snowed, but by late afternoon, it finally started to slow down a little. Seth came downstairs and told me that he wanted to go see "his pony."

Well, okay then.

She was out in her run and had icicles on her sides and butt cheeks.

We put in her in the long turnout, and she seemed delighted with the conditions.

Such a Wyoming mustang!

Then Seth took a few pictures of us, and we went home.

It wasn't the best birthday I've ever had, but it wasn't the worst either. 

Nobody died, and I didn't have jury duty. That's a win in my book.