solstice gifts

This year, it was ravens in the barn and a baby raccoon in the paddock. For whatever reason, I found myself writing about both those things in my nonfiction book rather than here. Which in the big picture is a Good Thing, but I couldn't leave camera-obscura sitting abandoned, so here's a photo of the solstice baby. The perfect balance of light and dark in its coloring.



And what's up with sitemeter? I'm taking this as a humorous holiday gift - at the top of the page was an ad for an iWife, while on the side an ad for Ambien was scrolling. Hilarious.

map and light

This afternoon I was on my way out the door when I noticed the light and shadow making its own path along the map on the wall.

There was something about the thought of light, shadow, and a map showing the way that gave me pause. It seemed to be a message.

Among other things, I love the idea that the light lies across the mountains.

december

Today I had the windows open, went barefoot, did some spot cleaning of horses with shampoo and water, sweated for no good reason, and watched my daughter sponge her sweat-soaked pony after his work-out.

I also had a few biting flies go after my ankles, and swatted one mosquito off my arm.

December!

It was funny to have a warm breeze blowing through the house, making the Christmas tree ornaments swing.

The horses didn't seem to mind.

friesians in motion

Yesterday we went to see a horse and carriage Christmas parade, which was wonderful. Unfortunately, my camera battery was near death and so I have no photographs.

There was one very long carriage that held more people than you would think possible, pulled by two huge and gorgeous Friesians. Oh my gosh - they were slick and shiny with sweat, all dressed up in huge harness bells and fancy holiday harness.

Their hooves were big and feathered, their tails short and curly. The sound of their floating, powerful, synchronized trot was both calming and mysterious. The clop-clop and the rhythmic low jangle of the bells was mesmerizing.

I came home full of inspiration and wanting to drive those black beauties down a long, isolated carriage path on a cold winter morning.

seeking light(ness)

This week has been full of changes regarding horse management and riding methods. On Monday a new barefoot trim practitioner came to do a consult on all four horses' feet. At the end of a nearly 3-hour no-charge consultation, I had four horses in the front field encircling him, completely absorbed in his presence.

As a result of his visit, I'm feeling good about a number of things I already have in place that lead to good hoof health. I'll be cutting back on processed feed - slow but steady until we cut it out entirely. Keil Bay is getting hoof boots to wear on his front feet while under saddle so that he can get the comfort he needs to land heel first. I have a new remedy for thrush/yeast. And finally, I'll be learning to trim their hooves myself!

It was cool and misty and foggy on Monday morning but it felt like we'd found the light in an area of horse management that's been very murky for me.

I've also been working on the issue of lightness with the driving aids. We've struggled with the instruction to "smack him harder" - him being the pony. It's gotten to the point I feel like screaming when I hear that phrase. We're ditching the whips to work with Marlis Amato on what she calls effortless cooperation. A touch of the leg to the horse's side is all it takes. The first session is scheduled for, appropriately, the afternoon of winter solstice.

All this is coming to pass this week as I ready to begin work on the YA "magical pony" novel I've been simmering for several years. I'm seeking light in that area as well. A title for this story whose action begins on the eve of winter solstice.

In a way, I'll be writing toward the light that winter solstice brings.

Here's to a light-filled December.