the circle, the heavy shadows, the great light

I choose to be a figure in that light,
half-blotted by darkness, something moving
across that space, the color of stone
greeting the moon, yet more than stone:
a woman. I choose to walk here. And to draw this circle.

-- Adrienne Rich, Twenty-One Love Poems, XXI, from The Dream of a Common Language

in search of spring

It seems to be arriving. Yesterday Keil Bay and I were both sweating after our lesson. It's been awhile since I had to sponge him after a ride!

Salina is getting a bit bossier the past few days. Monday she absolutely rebelled against the pony being in her stall while awaiting his massage therapy. Squealing and switching her tail and spinning with her ears pinned.

Cody tossing the feed bucket in the air.

Apache and Cody running and rearing like wild things in the field.

And then, this morning, look what I found:



The first daffodil! Spring is definitely here.

P/S: new sign just in - Keil Bay at the water trough using a hoof to thoroughly wet himself down before rolling! That would have been a fantastic photo but alas, I did not have the camera.

and might I say ...

... I am officially back to the novel-in-progress while the query process for the first two rolls onward.

I am SO happy to be working on this book again.

abundance

Sometime yesterday afternoon the cold left and in its place came a taste of spring, and a sense of abundance. More than enough books to read, food to eat, horses to ride, cats and corgis to snuggle, pages to revise, family to enjoy, warm days to bask in the sun.

the beloved uncle

Last, but certainly not least, Apollo Moon, who showed up at our barn in early January and made it clear he had come to stay. We attempted to find his previous home - he is older and was very thin, but well-cared for and obviously an indoor cat. We were unsuccessful but in the meantime he settled himself into our big, chaotic family and is now quite a presence here.