Rain, I don't mind...

Had that going through my head today as Max and I walked together through the drizzle. It's one of my favourite Beatles songs ("Rain").

It's been raining all day today, with varying intensity, and I was hopeful that the reports that fine, dry weather would win the day by this afternoon were true.

They weren't.

So what to do with Max? Didn't want the school again because it's a bit too samey and way too dusty. Didn't want to hack because I really don't like getting my saddle wet. Opted for a walk in hand in the end, a bit of hill work, a bit of just getting soaked together. It wasn't raining that hard anyway, just endless drizzle.

I had plans for quite a long walk, but the longer we were out, the more persistent the rain became, trying to drive us back to the yard. It was still pleasant enough though, me and my boy, splashing through puddles and singing our songs.

We got to a crossroads and stopped. "What you think Max? Ahead or home?"

He really seemed to stop and consider - looked all ways around him weighing up, then sighed.

"Home, I think."

"Agree."

Didn't tell him that the path he chose was going to take us past some new piglets that had been added to the pig pen near the road. Max was unprepared, as the piglets swarmed towards him, like one many footed, multi-snouted creature.

"Good Lord! What manner of demon is this?" he asked, head held high.

He held his ground, but couldn't keep his feet still and finally I suggested we trot past them, which we did beautifully, Max's bare feet slapping through the puddles like flippers.

We continued trotting down the road together, and then rather than taking him back to the yard, he went straight to the pony paddock, and I hung out with him there for a little while, just exploring and having a sniff. We didn't need sunshine for that.

"...when it rains or shines, it's just a state of mind..."