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.