Duke's birthday, first outside jump lesson, and Aspen derby

Duke's 7th birthday was today.  He got two apples and an outside jump lesson at John's.
We jumped the lines that we ended last season with, and much to my surprise (and delight) they were easier to ride!
First we jumped a cross rail and changed direction a couple times.  Sweet Duke obediently switched his leads in the air when I gave the proper aids at the proper time.
From there, we went over a red oxer and came back around to what was now a vertical.
Then we jumped a vertical over a plank, and then our first course.
It was the black and white oxer, around to the right, the two stride black and white vertical to oxer, left hand turn, 4 stride line.
Duke was great, so John changed the course.
It was black and white oxer, right hand turn, four stride line going the opposite direction, then a crazy hard right turn to the red oxer (backwards from how we started).
The first time, I just completely blew past the red oxer, even though I had walked over and looked at the line from the second fence to the red oxer and thought about how I needed to ride it.  The second time, we did it, but only because Duke is a sweetheart.
John said he wanted me to know we could make it, but we should never have a turn that tight on a course (for a while, I assume).
The four stride line was hard (both directions) because I had to push Duke really forward to make it in four, to avoid it being a "5 and a chip", but it was much harder to be thinking about pushing him, leaping in the air, and then making the hard right (because he drifts left) to that oxer.
Duke jumped like a little dreamboat, although we drifted left a few times.  The cure for that seems to be my rein (and left leg) on, several strides out.  If I kind of steer him, like wheelbarrow hands, just before he starts to drift, it is way easier than if I try to correct it once he has already drifted - then we kind of jerk and overcorrect and screw up the line to the fence.
After I'd push him on that long 4, he'd land kind of long and low, like he rode when he first arrived last year, but I could put him back together.  Another thing I noticed - and I noticed this at the derby too - is that time has finally slowed down a little bit again, so I have time to think about what's about to happen, fix it, recollect, and go again.  This seems to happen in spurts, and I expect it means I am finally learning what John has been teaching me at this level, and am getting ready to move back into the stage where I'm an idiot again.
At the derby, we had bad distances a couple of times, and sweet Duke launched himself over the fences, and somewhere in my training, someone drilled into me not to EVER EVER jerk him in the face when he's in the air, so I'd slip my reins.  And even though I'm so.slow. gathering them up again, I was surprised that each time I had plenty of time to pick them up, correct him, look for the next fence, and get him all lined up again.  So my reflexes must be a little quicker or there is one thing that has turned into instinct that I no longer have to consciously think about.
I watched a few rounds (so I could watch Meg), then ran and got Duke and had to do a hurried warm up.  Despite watching, and walking the course, I still made exactly the same mistakes as the people I watched, which was pretty frustrating.  There was one big table (fence 4), which rode just fine, but a couple big overs that I got scared of, and so jumped rushing at them, which screwed up the already 1/2 step off distances.  Duke was great for the bank and the corner and the brush and, well, everything.
He only got a 38.1 in dressage, but I was really happy with it.  I thought it was some of his best work so far, especially for the next level up test.  Plus, he's just so pleasant to be around for a day.  He's a good boy.
After talking to John last week, it took me a few days, but I realized what I am most proud of with Charlie is that I didn't ruin him.  Every year we got a little better together.  And it taught me enough that so far, I appear to not be ruining Duke either, even though he is a very different ride than Charlie.  I am so, so grateful for John.