That's the way with change. You don't choose the time or get what you thought you wanted. Instead, you eventually get something better.

The hottest summer in Colorado history. Climate change takes all the fun out of complaining about the weather.

Any horsewoman who has seen the movie Best in Show knows that the dog world and the horse world are pretty much identical. It takes all kinds.

I've been thinking about the things Jolene and I have outgrown and the things we never will. What are the truest parts worth sharing?

Have I wandered out of my lane? I’m not a dog trainer, just a horsewoman. But none of us are just one thing, are we?

Don't we all develop more elaborate survival instincts as we grow up? Survival frenzy begins early for prey animals like ducks and sheep.

I trust this erratic process because in the end, horses always get us to where we need to be. We don't deserve horses.

As intelligent as sheeps are, a dog must be quicker, smarter, but not threaten the sheep too much. It's a tightrope.

Perhaps you have forgotten how this story started, all those months ago, when I was Nipping at the Heels of Despair.

A trip to an amusement park was fun, but it isn't about ribbons. I know the real win. Jolene is easy company. We get to have each other in this life.

A beady-eyed burnt-orange sun crept over a smoky horizon, and it’s hot-air balloon season in Colorado. Juxtaposition: A new day dawns, but the same destructive fires continue to destroy homes, kill an...

Pickleball is good exercise. A game of strategy and finesse. Considering how I feel about poeple lately, probably not a good time to take up a racket sport.

Would I rather be cantering a half-pass before my tempi changes on a horse young enough to still have a spring in his back?

Coming home, the washboard road is as close to a drumroll as we'll get. We are bleary-eyed and dog-tired.

My parents couldn’t be any farther from the family plot and still be in the same cemetery. How did I feel? It was the first time I'd seen their grave.

I have no plans to retire from travel, but I also have no plans to end up whiny with regret. I've headed to the Hannah Cemetery in the land of my people.

My instructor gave hand signals to her advanced dog who was so quiet that it looked like he was taking the sheep for a walk.

Mister would like you to know he would never be the cheap show-off that Jolene is. With curmudgeons, it's always hard to tell if it's age or attitude.

The language of the farm is peace because we need to feel safe here. Calming signals are a language of nuance and clarity. Lowering the volume ensures that everyone can be heard.

We're on the road at 6:30 AM on a Sunday, and the first vehicle we passed was a horse trailer. And I'm on the road to change.

Or Why the Wrong Answer Might Be Better. Enjoy this free episode of The Gray Mare Podcast for subscribers. I post two podcasts per week. If you like what you hear, consider subscribing.

People say dogs teach us about love, but I think it's something more than that. They teach us what constancy means.

You aren't dead yet, and there are still things to learn. There is probably a dog at your feet who has been waiting his turn for a long time.

In the heat of a beautiful curve, Jolene regulates her position, few feet behind the sheep. When it was time to call her off, she ran to my side.

Yes, little miss titled dog who was undone by a flight of stairs. We go on an adventure now.