A Visit from Santa Horse

If Jessica thinks it's early for lights, I wonder what she thinks of our early visit from Santa Cowboy and his ReinDexter?

It's a good thing they work for carrots, or they would never put up with this humiliation. But as long as the carrots and hay keep coming, they are remarkably good sports. Cowboy is an incredible ham and really turns it on for the camera. Dexter is usually agreeable, but I did figure out how to use the fill flash, and that had him a bit edgy. Cowboy is willing to put up with the flash as long as he looks good in the end.

Before I get too far into this, that was an "owl" in my driveway last night, not an "own"...

It was nice to see the sunshine today, and I got to not only clean paddocks, but actually ride my horse. Still bareback, but he was moving very nicely. Got the extended trot back, and the right lead is improving. He'll pick it up now with minimum fussing, and stays in it for a reasonable length of time. Maybe after the holidays I can put the saddle back on again.

Got word from Parelli today that we have officially achieved Level 3 On-Line! We filmed the audition in May, then it took a while to get around to transferring the clip to a VHS tape, which I promptly taped over because my VCR, which I haven't used in ages, is apparently broken. Then Laura and I had to figure out how to transfer the video from the camcorder to the computer, and then edit it so that it was compressed enough to upload to YouTube. That learning experience was worth a YouTube video all by itself. But we achieved it in September. After all that, I wasn't really all that happy with the audition as I felt Cowboy looked totally bored and disinterested, and I didn't want to get after him because, after all, we are supposed to look like we are in total harmony. Plus I hated the music I had selected (well, I actually love the music but it was a very poor choice for this purpose). So I put off submitting the audition until a couple weeks ago because I wasn't sure it was going to pass muster. I was quite surprised to find that we not only passed, but we were rated at Level 4 in five areas, including Relationship, Rapport, Exuberance (!), Squeeze Game and Draw. We also had a lot of checks in the Level 3++ and Level 3+ columns. The only area we were rated a straight Level 3 was in Assertiveness. So apparently I should have gotten after him a bit anyway. Anyway, I guess they didn't think he looked as bored as I thought he did, and I'm especially happy with those Level 4s in Relationship and Rapport. So we still have to submit auditions for Freestyle (riding) and Liberty, but now I'm really encouraged that at least we're on the right track.

Here's the link to the audition:

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=dmPjssZgQ1A

I need to remind myself to dress better next time, and lose about 50 pounds...

I think that's it for now. Back to work tomorrow.

It's Holiday Time!

Thanksgiving is over and we are officially in holiday mode. I hope you had a wonderful Thanksgiving with lots of family and food. Mine was good even with the Incredible Shrinking Family--we lost Dad just a year ago right before last Thanksgiving and my niece was sick, so we were down to 5 people. A generous former client, whose food business grew to the point of hiring a staff finance person, still gives me a turkey each Thanksgiving and this year it was a 20-pounder. For five people. Lots of leftovers and today I made soup for the first time in years.

What am I thankful for? Family of course, good health, charming horses in my backyard, a bossy cat in the house, etc. Also, I am ever so thankful that I got the Christmas lights up today. I must make a note on next year's calendar to check out the lights on November 15 and go buy replacements BEFORE I have ladders set up and extension cords all over the place. This year I had to get especially creative with piecing strings of lights together and we'll see how they hold together. I also light up the blue spruce in my yard. Twelve years ago, it was a cute 3-foot live Christmas tree that I planted outside in the mistaken belief that these were slow-growing trees. I'm not sure exactly how tall it is now, but it uses way, way more lights than it used to, and reaching the vicinity of the top is more challenging every year. This year I used my 8-foot ladder and the extension poles for my tree pruner with a hook fastened to the top. And STILL didn't quite get to the top. Plus it was raining on and off, and the gopher holes add a little challenge to placing the ladder. But, the lights are up and working. Thank goodness. I am also glad I had brandy in the house for afterward.


Here's the evidence that the lights are working. I used my Nikon SLR that has pretty much been abandoned since I got the ever-so-convenient iPhone, but I was pretty sure the Nikon would do a better job of this. Which fortunately it did because I couldn't find the manual and just blindly messed with the settings to turn off the flash. As I was packing up the tripod, an own started hooting very very close--on top of the utility pole at the end of my driveway about 30 feet away. I could see him outlined against the sky. What a photo op! But do you think I could figure out how to turn the flash back on? Nope.

I did find the manual eventually, for which I am also thankful. I now have flash cards made up to keep with the camera so that I can perform a few basic operations. Stuff that I used to be able to do blindfolded with my 35mm but I am reduced to tears trying to figure it out on the digital. Must practice until it becomes second nature. Must be time to start on New Year's resolutions.

Tomorrow is supposed to be clear so the plan is to at least ride in the arena. The year of health and fitness is ending up about as usual, but I'm back to working on Cowboy's saddle fit. This year, we did make progress in that his entire back did not roan out, but he did roan out pretty spectacularly right behind the withers and he is getting very cranky about cantering and going down hills. His right lead has completely disappeared, which is concerning to me because he never had trouble picking up either lead. I've been in discussions with the saddle maker and am trying different shim patterns to try to lift the front of the saddle and get the pressure off those spots. The hair is actually rubbed off in those spots. I finally decided to just leave the saddle off completely until the hair grows back and the thickened skin areas heal. Then at least we'll be getting a fresh start. Meanwhile, he gets massages and ridden with the bareback pad.

Terri's visit

Terri visited Dexter this morning, and I used my iPhone to capture it on video. My first video experience--at least, the first intentional one!
Ignore the audio, I was pretty excited that I was using the video camera on purpose! I seem to be able to create and upload video but I can't see that I have an aplication where I can edit it.

What season is this, anyway???

It's really been hard to tell that this is autumn, as we never really had summer. Seemed like winter all summer long, and now that the leaves are starting to fall, we are getting sunshine and temps in the 100s. The horses are really confused as they started growing winter coats early, and now they are wishing they hadn't.

After the last post, with the chilly foggy weather, we took another try at Pt Reyes, this time on a Friday, which meant we could ride on the Bear Valley trail (closed to horses on weekends and holidays). After several years of cautious riding, we are finally getting a teensy bit bolder and are pushing the horses more. Not that they are breaking much of a sweat. But we got a fabulously beautiful day, and decided to try Glen Trail, a trail we hadn't ridden before as it starts out a bit steep. But in our new brave frame of mind, we headed up it anyway, and it turned out to be a gorgeous trail that wasn't all that steep after the first stretch. Cowboy always loves exploring new territory so he was ecstatic even though it was certainly more strenuous than our usual routes. We passed Glen Camp and got to the beach side of Stewart's Trail, just as it drops down to Wildcat Beach. It really does drop, too--almost a mile of steep downhill. But it ends up on a gorgeous beach, especially when you get a fabulous day like we had. I think this was 3 weeks ago.



Wildcat Beach

Cowboy looking none too pleased about his beach experience, with Dexter in the background.

Of course, what goes down must go back up, and that steep downhill turned into an even steeper uphill on the way back. We took mercy on the horses and led them up the really steep part. It was steep enough that we climbed for 5 minute stretches, then took a 1 or 2 minute break to catch our breath.

The next Wednesday, Dexter got a trip to Davis to check on his "clicky" hip. He has had a definite click in his hip or stifle, hard to tell which, and frequently has a sort of skipping gait that he often warms up out of. It seems to be getting more pronounced, so Laura decided to try to get to the bottom of it and see if there was some treatment he should be getting, or if he should be on restricted activity.


Dex was a real champ and took his exam and all the waiting in stride. He got poked, prodded and trotted around. Of course he seemed perfectly sound for quite a while, and then finally he did a little skipping for the head of orthopedics, who had apparently never seen a horse move quite like that. Very reassuring. So Dexter earned a hip x-ray, which meant that he got his right hip shaved. Also that he got sedated, so he is probably still wondering why the right side of his butt is cooler than the left. The x-ray didn't show much according to the reading, and after a full day of hanging out at Davis during a heat wave, they concluded that it was more of a gait abnormality than a lameness issue, and that the best treatment was to get him really fit, so more strenuous work was the answer. Dexter wants a second opinion.




We got back out on the trail the following weekend after the fog rolled back in, and instead of being hot, we were back in our winter garb. The higher we climbed on Horse Trail, the colder and damper it got, until we were finally in the cloud bank. As we headed for Sky Trail, a stiff breeze came up and that was the final straw. We headed back down the mountain to Bear Valley where it was at least dry, and took a short ride down Rift Zone trail.

So this weekend we headed to Five Brooks and we are now back to summer again, with temps in the 90s inland. Fortunately, it was only in the 80s at Pt Reyes. We've been wanting to ride Alamea Trail as it looks like a good alternative to Stewart's Trail if you want to go to the beach, so we took that trail just past Firtop. Turns out to be a beautiful trail, not too steep, but it is single track and hugs the side of a steep mountain. It's fine if you can focus on what's ahead of you and not on the steep drop-off to your left! Just keep that horse moving forward, no spooking allowed on this one. We made it to Old Out Road, which is another nice trail, and rode that a bit until it, too, dropped steeply toward the coast. Apparently it meets with Coast Trail and from there you can go to Wildcat Lake and Wildcat Beach but we didn't have time to go that far. Coming back, we went back to Stewart's Trail instead of Alamea, but that was such a steep climb that we'll just brave the cliffs of Alamea next time.

View from Stewart's Trail.

We were running later than usual by the time we headed back and came down Greenpicker trail instead of Stewart's, saving ourselves about a mile and a half. Greenpicker has some really steep and rocky stretches and we usually avoid it, but it was dry and like I said, we were feeling brave, and it was really a kick. The horses were anxious to get back to the trailer and just charged down that trail, never putting a foot wrong, and we made great time.

Even though we had a long day and a pretty strenuous ride, Cowboy had a burst of energy at the end and decided that everything was scary. He has some abnormal fear of logs and ferns, and every log and fern along the way was cause for snorting and sidestepping. Forget the fauna, my horse is terrified of flora. It's a little disconcerting to be bopping down the trail at a good clip and suddenly find yourself 10 feet to one side because there is a fern alongside the trail.

Dexter and his previous owner, Terri, are the subject of my latest story just published in the Sonoma County Horse Journal, so check it out. It's free at local tack and feed stores, and it will eventually get posted on the Horse Council's website at www.sonomacountyhorsecouncil.org.

Heading into Autumn

Sure seems like it was a short summer and now it's supposed to rain tomorrow. So we planned our ride for today rather than our usual Sunday ride. Dexter got to stay home and Laura rode Lady instead. It was humid and overcast at home, but less humid and not too cold in spite of the heavy fog at Pt Reyes. The fog got thicker and the forest got darker as we approached Sky Trail.

Sky Trail. Spooky.

Laura and Lady on the way up the hill.

We rode to our usual turnaround spot on Sky Trail at a meadow where Sky Trail meets Woodward Valley Trail. The horses usually get to graze a bit there (and everywhere else for that matter), and Cowboy is partial to the thistles that grow there--the kind with the purple flowers that looks so vicious. He has the knack of wrapping his lips delicately around the flower head and nipping it off without getting stabbed by the spines.Cowboy getting his thistle fix.

We're getting photos on our rides now because I finally bought an iPhone a few weeks ago. If I had known that a phone could be this much fun, I'd have bought one a long time ago. I've hardly used the phone feature at all, but the camera is handy and the e-mail feature is great. I've also downloaded the Audubon Bird Guid App so we can identify the birds we hear on the trail. This earned me the title of Geekiest Rider on the Trail by our fellow riders last week.

Laura, Debbi, Rhoda and Diane at our Pt Reyes Rift Zone trail ride last week.

Nevertheless, I will probably be downloading the Wildflower Guide next. I also have the Handy Level and the Time Tracker. Hey, I also have Facebook and Youtube, I'm not a completely lost cause. No games yet.

I need to change the ring tone, though, because it is currently set to bark at me. I actually got a call today while we were out on the trail and got a little freaked out, fearing a wolf invasion at Pt Reyes, before I figured out it was the phone. Then the call was coming through Google Voice, which I have set for screening calls which means that I have to press "1" to accept the call, and I couldn't get the number pad to come up on the phone, so I missed that call. Note to self: change that setting on Google Voice to just let the call come through.

Side note: I just read "The Fifth Agreement" and highly recommend it to those on the path to self-enlightenment and authenticity.

Ciao for now.....

Just a few notes

Just a few thoughts...

Got to ride Cowboy today at home. Usually I just let the boys out to graze in the afternoon while I tend to other responsibilities, but I had time to ride, so I tied Cowboy up to saddle him. Dexter had a conniption fit (sp? I used to use this phrase all the time but that doesn't look right), pawing at the gate, neighing and then resorting to the flehmen response repeatedly. We have decided that he is not giving us lip so much as giving us the finger...the flehmen response is basically a sexual response, and in a way, so is the finger..so there you have it. Message received.

Dexter got his photo in the Press Democrat yesterday! On the weather page, having a nice gallop.

Favorite song--just about 5 years ago, right after I got Cowboy, I went to a clinic led by a Parelli clinician who played great music at his clinics, including a song by Rob Wasserman/Jennifer Warnes titled "Ballad of a Runaway Horse" that was so haunting that it stuck with me all this time. Finally got I-Tunes on my computer and the first thing I did was download this song (along with the greatest hits of Roy Orbison). And I'm in love with it all over again. Theoretically about a cowgirl and a runaway horse but there are a whole bunch of metaphors going on. and how can you not love lyrics like "he touches the moon when he paws at the sky", and "he longs to be lost, she longs for the same..." "My darling, my darling, just let it go by, that old silhouette on the wide western sky"... All about love and letting go...an area where I've had some experience. Anyway, highly recommended.

Ride on Horse Trail, Pt Reyes

Sunday we headed to Pt Reyes to try Horse Trail, which we haven't ridden this year. It was a perfect day--we were worried about it being too cold (not something you usually worry about in August but this is a weird year!), but it turned out to be just right, although I kept my fleece jacket on most of the ride. Started off lively with Cowboy having the vapors for the first hour or so--everything was scary. We're trying to convince him that we're riding through the happy forest with the friendly fairies but he's pretty sure there are flying monkeys out there somewhere! After a few climbs he finally decided to conserve his energy and settled down.

One exciting note--we are always the slowest riders on the trail, but we PASSED a family on horseback! Very exciting! And we are not making any allowances for the fact that one of the horses was actually a Shetland pony being ridden by a girl probably under ten years old. We are still faster than SOMEBODY!

At lunch, Dexter is begging for Laura's apple. Don't worry, he got it at the end. Cowboy got mine, too.

After lunch, we headed for Sky Trail. Usually there are great views from this trail but the fog was so thick that the big vistas were obscured. Luckily, the fog makes for some nice scenery in it's own way.

Sky Trail.

We rode out to a meadow that always makes a good turnaround spot.

Cowboy at the meadow, wondering why we can't just stay there while he grazes.

Had an uneventful ride back, but we like uneventful rides. The "eventful" rides are often bad news! Dull is good, that's our motto.

Foggy scene from Sky Trail. Usually you can see the ocean from here.

Back home, we finally got a picture of Dexter giving us his opinion of backing out of the trailer. Dexter exhibits the flehmen response when he doesn't like something. If you don't know what the flehmen response is, see below! Guess it's time for a horse-y toothbrush from the look of things...

Dexter gives us a little lip while backing out of the trailer.

This coming weekend we will be heading to Fresno for a Parelli event, so no riding. The week after that we are planning to check out Tolay Lake outside of Petaluma. We went to the required orientation back in January but this will be the first time we'll actually visit the park.

A Hike at Pomo Canyon

Every month or so I like to get in a blog post. Far cry from my goal of every night!

I can't even remember what's been happening in the last few weeks so I'll just recap the last week or so. I'm trying to get in some hiking, so my friend Chris and I set out on Friday for Pomo Canyon, south of Jenner. This used to be one of my favorite hikes back when I actually did some hiking, so it was good to get out there again. The day started out with dense fog, so at least we weren't dealing with heat. Good thing, since this hike starts out with a killer climb, from the parking lot at Shell Beach straight up the hill across the highway. The fog was blowing around in whisps with hints of sunshine, making for a mystical setting.

I'm just going to share photos and they will tell the story of what a great hike this is. I'm not sure about the distance. We weren't in a hurry, and we ate a leisurely lunch at the campground that's at the far end of the trail, then went back more or less the way we came. It's an out and back with some variations available. We were probably out for about 3 hours on the trail

Oh Deer!

Scene from my yard

I know it's been a while since I last posted, but I was surprised to see that it's been over 2 months. Nothing dramatic has been happening, but I've been busy--work, home and family have been keeping me on my toes. More work is the good part--I do love billable hours! Keeps the horses in carrots and cookies.

The "home" part has me close to frantic due to the prolonged spring we've been experiencing, which has been keeping the grass and weeds multiplying like this is the Little Shop of Horrors. Not only is this messy and a fire hazard, but the neighborhood deer have been emboldened by the plentiful chow. Although with all this grass, I don't know why they think they must eat my roses and tomatoes. It's now July and I should be surrounded by roses, but all I see are little stubs where the flowers should be. I never promised those deer a rose garden, but they are helping themselves anyway. My tomato plants have bird netting over them but they are eating any part of the plants that have the audacity to venture beyond the netting. All those years I spent defending the deer from my dad's hunting hobby, and this is the thanks I get.

So today I took action and marched to the local garden center, where I spent a heart-stopping amount on a concoction designed to repel the deer. After digging my little garden sprayer out of the garage and cleaning it up, I opened the container to measure out the recommended portion. Opening the bottle was a big mistake. The stench was unbelievable. It would make a suitable substitute for syrup of ipecac. After making a dash around the back of the house where there was still some untainted air to breathe, I girded my loins and approached the bottle again, measured the stuff into the sprayer and added water with the hose--knocking the seal for the sprayer into the sprayer tank, where it sank to the bottom of the foul mixture. The agony was prolonged as I fished it out, splashing the brew on my clothes and hands in the process.

Finally, I was ready to drench my roses in the protective solution. I swear the bushes leaned away from me as I approached. Who could blame them? They took their medicine like little soldiers and when I was done, I still had a vast amount of the solution left.

About the time I finished up, Laura walked by on her way to visit Dexter. She seemed in a pretty good mood until the wind shifted. Then, eyes watering and hand over her mouth, she mumbled an excuse and fled the scene. At least I know that it effectively repels neighbors.

When I fed the horses, I discovered that the wind was causing the odor to permeate the stable area and was wafting it over to the neighboring property, which has just sold and the new people are moving in. Welcome to the neighborhood!

I'll see how it works on the deer. If it keeps them away, I have a feeling I may have won the battle but lost the war. If my roses are now able to put on their usual splendid display, it will have to be appreciated from the distance of my living room, possibly with a bit of rose-scented Glade to set the mood. And I may have destroyed the excellent relationship I have had with my neighbors for the last 13 years. Although they have the same deer problem I do, and if this stuff works, maybe I can pawn off the leftovers on them.

The scent is clinging to my hands even after repeated scrubbings, making eating difficult. This could be a plus for the diet plan. It could even lead to bulimia.

Okay, okay, enough about the deer (guess I could have figured that out about 5 paragraphs ago). How are the horses doing? They seem to be doing fine, although the flies have been on the attack. Cowboy, who is allergic to fly bites, is now shrouded from head to toe in netting to give him some relief. And Dexter has a pink nose, so he gets the long fly mask to protect him from the sun.

Dexter, the Unknown Horse

We did do our video for our Parelli level 3 on-line audition, over a month ago in fact, but I haven't had a chance to even look at it, much less decide if it's good enough to submit. I started working on our Freestyle (riding) audition but Cowboy developed back problems and we stopped while he recovered. Fortunately, he is much better after acupuncture and massage. The fly sheeting also helps as he twists himself into the most bizarre postures while trying to scratch the itchy spots and that can't be good for his back.

Yesterday we went on a Fourth of July ride at Pt. Reyes. We've been riding the same 2 trails for ages but yesterday we actually tried a new trail--Greenpicker (you have to be careful when you say that). Not exactly new, we had come down that trail last winter, which was not a good experience as it was muddy and slippery and we had to lead them most of the way. But it's dry now and we went up the hill instead of down, and had a great ride! It was quite a bit steeper than our usual route but there were some level to gently sloping parts so they got some relief. They really enjoyed the change of scene--Cowboy led the way with ears forward and charging up the hill with relish. We really got to appreciate their trail abilities as they negotiated the switchbacks, boulders and downed branches in fine style. Now we know they can survive something a bit more strenuous, we can actually get a change of scene and try some of the more challenging trails.

I am still, surprisingly, cooking from the Cooking Light cookbook, although I have restricted the recipe list to those that can be prepared in less than an hour and a half and don't require more than 5 specialty ingredients or any ingredient that will trigger hot flashes (alcohol, hot peppers, etc). These restrictions have shortened the list of eligible recipes dramatically.

Well, I guess that's it for now. I need to go find something that will kill the smell of deer repellent that seems to have permeated the skin on my left hand, and the fragrance is getting stronger as the evening progresses. The Chanel people could take some lessons in longevity from these folks. Maybe I'll wash the dishes by hand and see if that helps. Hopefully it won't contaminate the dishes.

Airborne at Trail Trials

Judging at Trail Trials yesterday turned out to be an interesting experience. We arrived promptly at 8:10 (the road in was a bit longer than anticipated) and after milling around a bit trying to figure out what we were supposed to do, finally were gathered together, given some instruction and our assignments, and our cones and clipboards, and then hung around for a long, long time. Laura was assigned to Obstacle 3, Rhoda to Obstacle 5, and I got Obstacle 9 (the last obstacle, of course). Since I had the last obstacle, I was in the last truckload of judges to be transported to the obstacle area, so it was a long wait. Finally, we loaded up and headed down the road to the next campground, where the last 4 obstacles were set up in a big parking lot. Then we hung around a bit more until the two head judges showed up and put the final tweaks on the obstacles and gave us our final judging instructions.

trying to figure out what's going on

That's a person dangling at the end of that rope!

As I was working with Sue, one of the head judges, a helicopter started buzzing around, very low. Of course we were concerned that some poor soul had gotten themselves into trouble, and about that time the ranger showed up in a big hurry, as well another trail trial person, and informed us that there was a rider down and that's what the copter was for. Since there was nothing we could do and it seemed that they already had pandemonium at the accident site, we just hovered about and worried. Eventually a second helicopter showed up, adding to the concern and confusion. Then hikers and bikers started appearing with bits of information and rumors that there was a second rider down as well, although we were also getting conflicting reports about a motorcycle accident that had brought on the second helicopter.

Obstacle 7Obstacle 8 (yes, it's an outhouse)

Obstacle 9 (my judging spot)

While all this was going on, the contestants started showing up, and we were then judging obstacles, while every so often a helicopter would buzz the area. The horses were surprisingly nonplussed about the copters buzzing overhead and they really didn't interfere with the judging very much, although sometimes we had to shout the instructions to the riders! We held all the contestants at our area, since they would have had to go past the accidents scene(s) to get back to the trailers. Finally we got the skinny. A rider's horse, fairly out of control, had reared twice while under a low-hanging branch, hitting the (helmet-less) rider's head twice. This was at Obstacle 3, which Laura was working. After the wobbly rider was removed from the horse, she informed them that she had a hereditary condition that caused occasional and transitory paralysis, and it was possible that a head injury could bring it on. It is beyond me why somebody with this kind of condition would ride without a helmet. Anyway, about that time, sure enough, paralysis kicked in and she went down, causing general panic. Although she was conscious, coherent and relatively comfortable, somebody who was understandably very concerned called for the helicopter rescue.

As this was going on, and people and horses were running amok, a young woman who was riding with her grandmother started having trouble with her horse, possibly due to the noise and commotion. She was apparently a very inexperienced rider and panicked, and was thrown, injuring her hip. The injury caused her to panic further and apparently she was on the verge of hysteria. So a second helicopter was called in.

It's possible that neither chopper was necessary and the injured parties could have been safely transported to the hospital by other means. We did get the word that both of them were in excellent condition and mostly none the worse for wear. But better safe than sorry, I guess. Those were darned expensive rides for those folks though. Check your insurance policies. Incidentally, you can join the REACH organization for a nominal amount each year ($40 for an individual, $45 for a family) and it will cover your emergency helicopter rides, so if you like to ride, especially without a helmet, that might be worth investigating.

http://www.reachair.com/membership/

So that added to an already long day. The accident happened about halfway through the riders, so we judged the first half, then had a long break while the rescue was in progress, then eventually the second half of the riders came in and were judged.

All I have to say is, thank goodness for our Parelli horses! We saw some unbelievable horsemanship and techniques during the day. Cowboy and Dexter got big hugs and kisses when we got home. We wanted to rescue about half the horses and bring them home with us. And people just need to learn to bail before they get hurt!

All that being said, we did meet some nice people who know how to have fun. We do plan on competing now that we've gotten our judging requirement out of they way. That should be interesting--we're pretty smug about our horses right now, but I suspect we will be eating humble pie once we get them out on the trail in a competitive situation! Horses do have a way of bringing your ego down a notch or two.

That's it for now. It's a beautiful day and I have lots of outdoor stuff to do.

So much for blogging every day. I'd like to say I've been working steadily but it just isn't so. There has been some work, some business development, a bit of cooking, and lots and lots of grass....

Spring has sprung and with the wet winter and warm weather, we are awash in a bumper crop of grass. Keeping it managed has turned into a full-time job, what with mowing, weed-whacking, and managing the horses' grazing time, including putting up permanent and temporary fencing to grant them access to the grass. And since I'm mildly allergic to the stuff, the more mowing and weed-whacking I do, the more my eyes swell up and I just want to sleep.

Here are the boys enjoying some of the green stuff.

We did get to ride last weekend and the weather was spectacular. We even headed up to the top of Ridge Trail, which we've been avoiding figuring it would be too wet. It was a bit debris-strewn due to the winter storms but very ride-able. Cowboy was delighted to be doing something new and plowed forward enthusiastically. Dexter was a little less delighted but was (sort of) a trooper. He was happy to turn back though. As we were riding down the main trail (I can never remember the name of this trail, really more of a fire road), suddenly both horses squirted forward. Turns out a guy riding a bike and carrying (get this) a SURFBOARD on his back was heading down the hill toward us. Not just a surfboard, but a surfboard covered in a shimmery silver cover. Looked like a big flat shark on his back. Laura and I were both actually a little spooked ourselves. Fortunately, the bike rider was cooperative and pulled over to the side and remained motionless while we managed to coax the horse past him back up the hill, and then we were able to follow him as he resumed his ride. Following a guy with a surfboard on his back is much less threatening than having him come up on your backside!

Tomorrow we will be judging obstacles at a Trail Trial at Lake Sonoma. Getting the judging requirement out of the way so we can be in the running for competition points in future trials. We need to be at Lake Sonoma at 7:45 a.m.--not exactly something I'm looking forward to, but Laura and Rhoda plan to park me in the back seat of the car with a blankie and let me sleep on the road. With that and enough coffee on board, I might make it through.

Cowboy and I are working our way toward submitting our Parelli Level 3 auditions. I've checked off all the Level 3 tasks on the self-assessment, as well as most of the Level 4 tasks, and now we need to work on the video to turn in. Cowboy is doing great--he is such a super student and nearly always in a good mood and willing to learn. Yesterday we worked on-line in the arena. I got him jumping halfway over barrels--front feet only, then stopping while straddling the barrel, and then side-stepping toward me. He was so excited about learning this that I couldn't keep him from jumping barrels, even when what I really wanted was for him to do figure-8s around the barrels. He would go around one, head the other direction to the second barrel--and jump it. We got to do a bit of work on our communication skills to work that out. (He really doesn't look very excited about it in this photo, does he?)

I'm continuing to cook my way through Cooking Light. Still having issues with trying to cut down the recipes so I don't have weeks worth of leftovers, and not all of the recipes freeze well or even lend themselves to leftovers. Chicken Marsala was very good on night one, but was dried out by night 2. Miso Soup was okay and a good use of the leftover Miso from making Tofu Steaks with Red Wine-Mushroom Sauce and Mashed Grilled Potatoes. That was good, even as leftovers. I had made that because I had leftover Tofu from making the Chocolate Custard (also a winner), so bought the Miso for the Tofu Steak recipe, then had leftover miso, so made the Miso Soup, which called for more tofu....I may have to make the chocolate custard again to use up the leftover tofu, although I guess I could make more Miso Soup. It's not very filling, though. The Beef Stew was quite good, also good as leftovers, and last night I made Barbecue Meatloaf which was excellent. I think I can even freeze the leftovers. Next up is Black Bean Casserole, partly to use up the fat-free sour cream that the tofu steaks called for. Ingredient management is challenging, and there is a real market niche for somebody who wants to design a cookbook with recipes for singles or couples. Recipes need to make 1-4 servings, and use up any open containers of perishable ingredients quickly, maybe referencing other recipes that use the same ingredients rather than having the reader waste time scouring the cookbook for those recipes. And the recipes should make good leftovers. There's my 2 cents worth. I suppose I could have my Julia Child moment and come up with this myself, but I don't think that's where my talents lie. Hey, I'm just the idea person.

So I'm getting to play with the horse a bit and am cooking light but my personal fitness program has been sidelined. And now I have the sore hip and back to prove it. My plan is to pick just a handful of the exercises I was doing that I can get done in 10-15 minutes a day instead of the 30-40 minutes the full program takes. Something is better than nothing!

Did an interview for the Horse Journal on Saturday with the nice folks at Black Sterling Friesians. What beautiful horses! And they had a 1-day-old foal when I got there. They don't breed their horses, it belonged to a boarder, but it was so cute! Check out their website at www.blacksterlingfriesians.com to see some gorgeous equines.

Okay, I need to go do some errands and mow some grass now. Bye.

Finally, today we got out for a ride! Went to Five Brooks at Pt Reyes and headed up the mountain. Today our theme was Thresholds, and we vowed to honor our horses' thresholds by allowing them to work them out. When they were uncertain or fearful about absolutely anything, whether we could figure out what they were worried about or not, we stopped and worked with them until they were confident again. Which made for a very slow start to the ride, but it paid off with happier and bolder horses at the end. Cowboy, in general, is a much bolder horse than Dexter, so he has fewer thresholds but they tend to come with more drama. Dexter tends to just slow down and act uncertain, but you better pay attention, because if you ignore the signs, you get an explosion when he just can't take it anymore! Anyway, it was a good ride, the weather was warm and the horses were happy.

Cowboy was a bit "up" for a lot of the ride (too much grass!) and threw a hissy fit in the trailer when we backed down the driveway. He hates to go backwards, and expresses his displeasure by kicking the trailer with his left hind leg. Today he was really going to town, and we rewarded him by letting him stand in the trailer while we took Dexter's fly mask and leg wraps off, and then brushed him. He finally stood quietly in the trailer but was clearly miffed. We unloaded him and led him and Dex back to my place, carrying all my gear back to the stable. I dropped my duffel bag in the pasture right outside Cowboy's paddock while I put Dexter in his paddock, then put Dex's halter in the barn. Laura was leading Cowboy and had him in his paddock when he spotted the duffel in the pasture. High drama! Clearly it did not belong there and was a major threat! He hit the end of the rope and ran around snorting and staring at it. I went out to retrieve it while Laura handled him--about the time I reached it, he just couldn't take it and launched into one of his most spectacular bucking episodes yet--and I have seen that horse BUCK! It was quite a display, with Laura and I laughing hysterically at his hysterics! We finally shut him down, since it seemed he was just going to launch higher and higher until he reached the moon, and I brought the object of terror into the paddock with him. At which point, he stopped, walked over to it, sniffed it, and then completely lost interest in it. Clearly, it was just an excuse to blow off some steam.

Can't wait to talk to Jess and find out what's going on with her horses! And see how her broken arm is doing. Sounds like Miss Lena is going to be getting some rehab.

Still working my way through Cooking Light. The other night, I tried Chicken with Lemon and Olives and must say, this is a winner. Very tasty. Since I saw "Julie and Julia" again, I feel I must make the Cooking Light version of Boeuf Bourgignon (sp?) so tonight I picked up stew meat and red wine and will be cooking that up tomorrow. I'm going to expand from Main Courses into Side Dishes and Desserts and will keep you posted. Picked up ingredients for Chocolate Custard (made with tofu, can't wait to taste this one) and Baked Tomatoes. At least I'm eating a lot better.

Again with the rain today! Seems like it will never stop. We've gotten out riding once in the last several months. Yesterday the boys got their toenails trimmed so no trail riding this weekend. I've been trying to get out in the arena at least, and work toward my Parelli Level 3 (which I am committed to achieving this summer). Cowboy is enjoying the spring grass and is full of energy, which can work for or against me! I certainly don't have any trouble getting him to move. Getting him to shut down is another matter. He's looking good, though. His topline is improving and he's nice and muscled up. His hooves are doing fabulously well barefoot.

Dexter's former owner Terri came to visit him on Friday. Terri was permanently injured as a result of a fall from Dex. One of those accidents that could have happened to anybody but it went horribly wrong. She still loves Dex, though, and it's a privilege to be one of his guardians for her.

"Julie & Julia" is now on one of the movie channels so I got to watch it again. That's the movie that inspired this blog and I enjoyed it as much the second time I watched it as the first. Julie Child was such an inspiration--enthusiastic, energetic and persistent, with high standards. I am still cooking my way (slowly) through the Cooking Light cookbook, which calls for far less butter than "Mastering The Art of French Cooking". So far I've tried Gruyere, Arugula and Prisciutto-Stuffed Chicken Breasts with Caramelized Shallot Sauce (I was exhausted by the time I got done reading the name), which was delicious, especially the first night. Not the best dish for re-heating. Serve it with company and eat it all the night you cook it. Then I tried London Broil with Texas Toast and Red Onion Jam which was pretty good. Tex-Mex Lasagna was a definite winner, easy to make and quite tasty. For portability, I tried Roasted Red Pepper Spread Sandwiches, which are roasted red bell peppers and cucumber in a light cream cheese spread. It was okay but there is a lot of cream cheese, not my favorite texture on a sandwich. Then last night I made the Brined Lemon Chicken which was just darned good. I've never brined a bird before, although I hear it's the way to go with the Thanksgiving turkey, and it really did tenderize the chicken and gave it a yummy flavor. Salty? yes, but I happen to like salt, so it worked for me! It was stuffed with shallots, lemon and garlic and, as a bonus the kitchen smelled wonderful. I may brine the turkey next November.

I'm a published author! My article came out in the Spring edition of Sonoma County Horse Journal. And I have an assignment for the next issue. I've been wanting to write for decades and never pursued it so this is really exciting for me. Maybe someday I'll actually get paid.....

Patches' Excellent (Non)-Adventure & Tech Troubles

Although Spring has sprung and we have had bouts of beautiful warm weather, it has turned freezing cold and rainy again. The boys are huddled in their blankets. No riding, just work and trying to stay warm.

I am in technology heck, with my desktop computer on the verge of death and my windows laptop close on its heels. Lack of memory seems to be at the root of the problem, and I can certainly identify with that. My desktop, 7 years old, has had issues since its conception and I have decided to pull its plug. The laptop, I am hoping to revive with added memory and tonight I plugged in an additional 1Gb chip, more than doubling it's previous capacity. I wish it was as easy to fix my brain. I have to say, I can see the difference--in the laptop, not in me. My memory is still feeble.

After 7 years, upgrading the desktop has been an adventure and it's not over yet. The friendly folks at Dell were (not too) sorry to inform me that, yes, I do need to get a machine with Windows 7 and because the (not too) friendly folks at Intuit have put out the word that they will not support any version of QuickBooks except 2010 on Windows 7, I needed to get the Professional version of Windows 7 because it has the capability of running a Windows XP window (or something like that). And the old Microsoft Office suite I have will not run on Windows 7, so I had to upgrade that as well. So I ended the conversation $1300 lighter although I did qualify for the 1-year interest free financing. The computer arrived on Tuesday as I was getting ready to go to a client's. The FedEx driver was kind enough to bring it inside the house, and I left the door open for him as he moved the boxes. After he left, I realized that I had not medicated Patches the cat, and then realized that Patches was nowhere to be found. Panic set in. I searched high and low, under the furniture and outside. No kitty. Panicking even further, I reluctantly called FedEx and eventually got a real live person, who seemed a bit bemused and put me on hold for an eternity. When he came back on the phone, he told me he had tracked down the driver, who had pulled the truck over and ransacked it looking for the cat, who of course was not on board. I thanked him profusely and let him know where to deliver the prodigal feline should she show up. Still frantic, but unable to do anything about it, I left for my client ( by now, about a half hour late) and then realized, about 2 miles down the road, that I had not actually seen the cat at all that morning, which meant that she was still asleep under the covers (yes, yes, I let the cat sleep under the covers with me). I had looked UNDER the bed but not IN the bed. So I was able to work with peace of mind albeit much embarrassment, and sure enough, when I got home, Patches was waiting for me. I really need to send a very nice note to FedEx but I'm just too embarrassed.

I will probably never get home delivery again. When UPS delivered my saddle a few months ago, they left the note on my door stating that they were sorry they missed me. I arrived shortly after, and determined that those tire tracks were fresh, and stalked the driver until I found him around the corner. I blocked him in the driveway of his delivery and forced him to dig out the saddle and put it in my car. I guess I need to look into DHL for delivery service as they are the only company that I don't seem to have some sort of humiliating experience with.

Anyway, I am still working on getting the new computer set up. Being stuck with dialup has been a thorn in my side (really big thorn) for years and it is festering more all the time. Turns out that dialup is so obsolete that new computers, including the one I just bought, don't even have modems built in. A real problem since they won't do ANYTHING without internet access. So I had to research and order an external modem, which arrived today and I haven't had time or fortitude to deal with. Also, although you can run that parallel XP program with Windows 7 Pro, it doesn't actually come with it. You have to download it, along with some other utilities, from the internet. All 500 MB of it. Even with a modem, that is pretty much impossible. BUT, it turns out that the wireless card that I use with my laptops actually works with the new computer, so I was able to download XP last night.

One last hurdle is that my printer doesn't work with Windows 7 without downloading the new driver, so I was going to tackle that next. But it may not be necessary since, as of this morning, the printer seems to be on strike. Everything seems to work except that all the copies and printouts come out blank. No error message about low toner levels, although that cartridge is getting elderly. Now I have to see if it is a toner cartridge problem, or if that printer is so attached to the old computer that it has no will to go on without it.

I hear that working out problems keeps your mind active and puts off the onset of senility. At this rate, I will never be senile although the problems might drive me insane.

It's been a while since the last post. I've been working on getting some professional certification, which is now done (yay!) and also, Spring has sprung and so have the weeds.

Yesterday was my birthday and I celebrated by taking Cowboy to a Trail Trials clinic at Skyline Park in Napa. Laura and Dexter were also there. Laura and I had a great time. The weather was gorgeous, the people were nice and the horses performed reasonably well. Not sure the horses enjoyed it as much. Dexter is always unhappy when he's out of his comfort zone, and Cowboy was feeling rather full of himself and the clinic did not move nearly fast enough to suit him. I've been trying to keep weight on him by feeding him corn oil and beet pulp and it is giving him a bit of an attitude. The clinic was also held in a very grassy area and I was not letting him graze with wild abandon, which made him quite angry at me. So I was dealing with a hot horse all day. But we still made it through all the obstacles reasonably well, although we did back through one at hyperspeed. He was even trying to rear several times, which is new behavior for him. Bucking is his favored form of expressing anger, so the rearing was a bit different. I believe we got that one straightened out in short order.

I'm still working on fitness and diet. Although I stated at the beginning of this post that, unlike my "Julie and Julia" inspiration, I would not be cooking my way through anybody's cookbook, I did buy the Cooking Light cookbook and I'm going to try as many recipes as possible to save myself from fast food and popcorn dinners. The other night I made Gruyere, arugula and prosciutto-stuffed chicken breasts with caramelized shallot sauce and it was delicious. Interestingly enough, I bought that cookbook based on reviews stating that the recipes usually used ingredients that most people have on hand. Don't know about you, but I rarely have gruyere, arugula, prosciutto or shallots on hand, although now I do. It was kind of fun working with a lot of new ingredients, but I think I'll look for some recipes that involve less shopping. The problem with cooking for one person is that most recipes, including the ones in this book, make from 4 to 8 servings, so you have to either cut them down, freeze the excess, or eat the same thing several days in a row. If you cut them down, it's often hard to find the ingredients in the small amounts needed so you wind up with excess (like now, I have a lot of leftover Gruyere, prosciutto and shallots). Not that extra Gruyere and prosciutto are a hardship! I'm sure I'll find a use for them. The next recipe on the list, once I've eaten my way through the chicken, is London Broil with Texas Toast and Red Onion Jam. Yum, yum!

I've been trying to get caught up on tasks that have been neglected and piling up. So with work slow now, I virtually locked myself in the house Friday, put my nose to the grindstone, and cleared paperwork, fixed software and hardware problems, made those phone calls I've been putting off, and forced myself to make decisions I've been avoiding. It was very productive, and since it was typhoon season outside, I didn't miss much by being locked in my tower. The sun came out in the afternoon so late in the day I got outside with the camera and captured by camera a flowering plum tree that is trying to prove that Spring is coming.

Yesterday, my friend Kathy called and talked me into taking a ride to the beach (it wasn't hard to do). The surf was pounding and the sky was cloudy, and it was just spectacular. Nice to get away. We're planning a retreat weekend soon to figure out our lives. And we got back in time for me to ride Cowboy for a bit over at Laura's, and then Ken cooked us chateaubriand so how does it get any better than that?

My tax software arrived so I spent the end of the evening installing it (really poor instructions) and working on a tax return. Then did more cleaning and catching up this morning until I just couldn't stand it any more and saddled up for a bit, then did a little garden cleanup. And now I'm watching the Olympic closing ceremonies (sniff). I've been staying up so late watching the Olympics the last 2 weeks that I'm too tired to exercise. How's that for twisted logic? I did re-arrange the living room a bit so that I can now work on the computer while sitting in a chair instead of perched on the edge of the sofa. My only high-speed internet access is by wireless card service connected with my cell phone service, and since I'm in a fringe cell area the only reliable spot is the south side of the house in the living room. So I set up a little internet station in one corner, but no room for a chair, so I used the sofa arm. Not comfortable, and then I noticed a distinct deformity developing on that sofa arm where I perch, so I moved an old typewriter cabinet into a different corner for all the computer and camera equipment, and that is working much better. Hopefully the sofa arm will heal itself over time.

I thought that my kitty Patches should get to share the blog with the big boys, so here is the Princess taking her morning sunbath.
Fill flash used.

As a response to concerns about the propriety of the picture of Cowboy rolling in the "Spring is Coming" post, I have modified the picture to make it more family-friendly. Check out that post for the revised version.
Tried to get pictures of Dexter running the other night but I had to chase him to get this shot. In spite of galloping like a maniac earlier in the day when I was trying to catch him, when I got the camera he turned into a cuddler and I had to terrify him to get him into action again.

But he got curious about the camera....briefly...

Whatcha got there? Is it really safe? Okay, now I'm so very bored.

The boys finally got their feet trimmed on Sunday. Cowboy's feet are growing out very nicely and he loves the barefoot life. Since the weather has been so bad, we haven't gotten out riding so I haven't had to deal with the boots. But we have signed up for a Trail Trials clinic on March 6 in Napa and will probably have to boot him up for that. Or not. I may just take my chances. We'll see how rocky it is.

I'm still riveted to the Olympics and it has been quite a show. What really impresses me is the way the athletes can take the most spectacular falls with no ill effects. I stare at the wreck in horror, waiting for the medics to clear the inevitable carnage, and then the athlete gets up and walks away, shaking his/her head in disgust at the failure to medal. One of the more useful horse clinics I attended had a session on falling off your horse, doing a tuck-and-roll maneuver instead of the brace-and-break-your-arm maneuver favored by so many of us weekend cowboys. It would probably be a good idea to start practicing that tuck-and-roll thing.

I'd like to say the Olympics have continued to inspire me to work out but alas, no, it has not. And I'm back to being sore and achey. Why is it so hard to squeeze in exercise time when I can find time to, say, update this blog?

On that note---good night!

A busy week but not much worth posting on this site. Just work and everyday stuff. We had a few nice days and I did get to ride.

Wednesday was Horsey Dental day. Everybody got their teeth floated. They get pretty well sedated for this--after all, would YOU want to use power equipment inside their mouths while they were fully conscious? So for a while we had four stoned horses with nice smiles.

Cowboy has decided he's a jumper. I thought that after tearing down the hot wire during his last fence-jumping attempt, he might have reconsidered the wisdom of jumping electric fencing. But once again, I thought I had him trapped in Dexter's paddock, and he headed for the fence full tilt. Seems he did indeed reconsider this action and decided that the solution is to simply jump higher. Which he did. He is such an athlete. He even thumbed his nose at me as he leaped cleanly over the wire. Amazing, considering he doesn't have a thumb.

I got an order to bake a birthday cake for one of my mother's friends, so I've been spending lots of time in the kitchen the last couple days. I tried the cover cake from The Cake Bible and it came out nicely, but with a lot of leftover filling and fondant and decorations. So I baked another 6" cake tonight to use that up. Now I just need to find someone to eat it. The shoer is coming tomorrow with his girlfriend, wonder if they like chocolate? Wonder if he'll give me a discount? Anyway, both cakes turned out well and I played with the camera to capture them. Much better without flash--the flash flattens out the image. Both of these were without flash, the first in natural light and the second under the kitchen lights. The cakes are wrapped in homemade chocolate fondant that rises above the top of the cake and then the edge is loosely crimped. It's chocolate overload for sure.

It's late and the shoer is coming first thing in the morning so I'm signing out.

There is light at the end of the tunnel and I think it is.....SUNSHINE! We had a nice day today, and for the first time in months I was outside without a jacket. And I got to really ride my horse. We got a good hour's workout in the arena, with some conditioning walking and trotting, and some actual work on refinement. Cowboy did spectacularly well, transitioning gaits smoothly and straight, feeling relaxed and loose. What a treat! Next week we are hoping to hit the trail for the first time in over a month.

And my seeds have sprouted. Spring is in the air. After the worst winter I can think of. Not so much the weather, although that has been gray and gloomy. But I can't ever remember losing so many people before. My dad, Willie, Jessica's dad, and I have read so many other obituaries with familiar names. The randomness is staggering--there have been loved ones we considered terminally ill who are soldiering on, but we have lost so many others unexpectedly. With that, and the financial woes everyone is experiencing, and bad weather, and then coming down with a bad cold that just magnified all the other negativity, I was at my wit's end. But there is nothing like warmth and sunshine and the feel of Spring to bump up the optimism level. My gene pool may be Scandinavian but I'm a California girl at heart and I like heat and light.

Now that the worst of the cold is over, I've resumed the fitness program and have actually worked out 3 times in a row at the Intermediate level. The start of the Olympics have given that a boost. I'm a sucker for the Olympics. I love the pageantry, the competition, the pursuit of excellence, and I fall for each and every sappy story that is televised. And watching all those tight booties really gives the exercise motivation a boost. My back feels good and the shin and hip pain that have been keeping me awake at night have all but disappeared.

I'm holding out on horse photos until I get some sort of case for the camera. After taking photos the other night, I found tons of sand on the camera when I came inside. It took a LOT of brushwork to get it clean, and I'd like to protect that investment. I am, however, going through the manual a little each night and getting familiar with the controls. I feel like a country bumpkin, being amazed at features that others probably take for granted. You can actually adjust the ISO! Madness! or, GENIUS! Since things are starting to bloom, I played a bit with Flower Photography. One nice feature of the D5000 was a monitor that could be positioned several ways, so you could see what you were photographing without looking through the viewfinder. Mine does not have that feature so the picture of the Christmas Rose (hellebore) was taken with my chin buried in the mud. Good for my agility and probably for the skin on my chin as well, but nevertheless awkward. and if anybody can give me a hint on to how to arrange photos on this site, please let me know!!!!!!

Home Sick

I've been home with a cold for 2 days. It's played havoc with my work schedule, although I've had work to do at home. The fitness program is so far in the hole I don't know if it's retrievable. And I'm waiting for word from a new farrier about when, if ever, he is going to show up. Supposedly tomorrow or over the weekend, but it would be a lot easier to re-schedule those missed client appointments if I had some idea!

Colds make me grumpy (okay, what doesn't, you don't have to say it!)

I haven't played much with the new camera because of bad weather, hairy muddy horses, etc. Finally figured out that I'm still in 35mm mode, where messing around means wasting film, and you don't know the results until the film is developed. But I can play with this camera, see the results immediately, and then hit the wastebasket button and get rid of the evidence if it's a failure. Yes, I knew this, but it hadn't really sunk in. So I took the camera with me this evening when it was time for the horses to come in from pasture, being pretty certain that I could get some action shots while they were avoiding capture. I put it on "Automatic" mode and, just like the point'n'shoot, it wanted to use flash. That's the first pic of Dexter, where Dex is lit up but the background isn't. Interestingly, the picture also seems to have some weird lines drawn in. I'll have to research that one. Might be shadow from the flash. Then I set it on Aperture priority mode and opened up the aperture all the way, and that's the next shot, which is also a fun panning shot.

So I'm having fun with it although I have a lot to learn. It does most of what my film SLR does but the controls are quite a bit different so I have to get much more familiar with them.
This is just a pic of Dex from the other night that I cropped to highlight his blue eye.

Speaking of horse pics, while I was slumped in front of daytime TV yesterday watching RFDTV, I saw an interview on The Horse Show with an animal photographer named Tim Flach (I think) who has a book out called Equus with some of the most spectacular horse photos I've ever seen. Try googling it to see some of his work. Something to aspire to. He was describing the story behind some of his shots, which involved going to Iceland to shoot (photographically) the Icelandic horses in their native habitat, and photographing an Arab, in Arabia that belonged to the Shah (or Sheik, or whatever the correct term is), who took time out of his schedule to attend the shoot in the morning before heading off to rule the country. Sounded a lot more exciting than what I do, but you gotta start somewhere! I'll go hobnob with leaders of state and their equines later. I did bump into Joe Montana, literally, at a fundraiser once so it' not like I've never hobnobbed before.

As I've been feeling overwhelmed by a million fragmented items on my "to-do" list (which I can't even find most of the time), it occurred to me that kayaking or canoeing are like a metaphor for life--you have to paddle faster than the current if you want to stay in control of where you're going. Lately it feels like the current is winning (metaphorically speaking, although a couple weeks ago during the torrential rains it felt more literal). So I'm trying to keep up with the "must-do" tasks each day and also get a couple of the stragglers on the list as well. Today I managed to cut up some branches that I had trimmed from an apple tree a while back and get them in the yard waste bin, and also took down the Christmas lights. If you don't think that's a big deal, you don't spend much time around here! Baby steps.