Riding jinx?

I'm beginning to wonder if this year is going to be as jinxed as last year, riding-wise. We have actually had some beautiful days here in South Dakota this spring -- unfortunately, I haven't yet been able to take advantage of them. Between the emergencies (colic), the routine horse stuff (farrier, vaccinations, worming, etc.) and the family have-to's (weddings, graduations, etc.), my horse-time has been significantly eaten into.

Case in point: last night I headed out fully intending to saddle up. Yes, stormy weather was predicted, but for most of the day the sun was out and shining brightly in direct defiance of the weather forecast. It certainly seemed likely that I could get an hour or so in before things turned for the worse. Silly me. As you can see from the brooding clouds hanging over our heads in these pictures, my ride was not to be.

By the time the horses were in and groomed the sky was black and the birds had ceased singing. The ponies ended up with a token amount of grain for coming up, and when I let them out, proceeded to kite around the pasture kicking up their heels and reveling in the cool storm-front breezes. We then hung out on the hill for a while watching the storm clouds and taking a few pictures.

I've decided attempting to make the show this coming Saturday is a lost cause. Not enough preparation, and too much stress for me and the ponies.