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!!!!!!