Showers.

It has been a day of long, hot sunny spells interspersed with short showers.

Guess who I rode this morning? Yep, it was Margaret again. I don't mind as we seem to have an understanding about a steady controlled trot with her coming nicely onto the bit. Now that a second class is being held at midday we were down to six in the lesson which made it easier to space ourselves out. There is a dressage competition being held at the stables in a few weeks time. I'm not entering but two of my fellow riders are so the lesson focussed on some of the elements of the tests they will be doing. Those were; riding into the corners, circles, straight lines and going from trot to walk and back to trot while keeping the horse on the bit. I found it quite a relaxing lesson.

Afterwards I did the usual round of the shops not rushing at all since I had a dental check-up later in the afternoon. There wouldn't have been time to fit everything in, get home to change and be back in time so the dentist had to put up with any 'Eau de Cheval' from my riding clothes. I had changed out of my boots since I thought that it would be a bit much to plonk my muddy boots on the clean dental chair. My teeth and gums are fine though the dentist keeps recommending that I change the amalgam filling in one molar for a composite filling. When I asked how much that would cost he said 'only a few hundred pounds'. It might be 'only' to him seeing as he charges £74 for a five minute check up but it's quite a lot of money to me. I said no thanks for the moment but having done some research maybe it is something I should consider.

I didn't have much joy at the library apart from being introduced to a different part of town. Only a couple of minutes walk away from my usual route around the shops but a nicer part with smarter houses. (Parts of Aber are mainly student accommodation in rather grubby streets.) I had hoped that being in a different county to Mach the library might have access to the Which reports but they don't any more. I guess financial cutbacks might be the reason.

I just had time for a few garden photos before we lost the sun for the day.