a number of paths

It's being a nice week. Sunday evening Keil Bay and I shed years off our respective ages and jumped a trot pole three times. Leave it to the Big Bay to show me we can both soar.

Monday I had a lovely ride on Cody. He is such a different ride than Keil; it teaches me an entirely different set of skills and when he really relaxes and settles into his stride, he's wonderful.



Later that afternoon, my daughter had her dressage lesson and as usual, I learn almost as much as she does just sitting there watching.

Pilates update: I am not planning to turn this into my own personal training journal, but I'm excited to report that not only have I kept up my daily Pilates, I am already losing inches in the waistline. It happens fast with the mat work. I'd forgotten.

And a labyrinth update: the first circuit is nearly done. We started an external circle path that shoots off from the actual labyrinth and goes around the outside. While this isn't a "true" feature of a labyrinth, I decided that with horses and the potential of having two at a time down there, it would be nice to have a way for one horse to be able to walk the labyrinth while another simply takes the bigger circle around. Eventually, the outer circle will also have another path feeding off it that goes up the hill and through the woods.



Chiggers notwithstanding, this labyrinth is going to be fun. I need to dust the path with DE, keep the foliage cut well back, and between that and fall, hopefully we will be chigger free. I think I forgot to say that late last week I made a huge error in judgment and worked on the labyrinth one morning, then wore those *shorts* and socks for several hours after coming inside. It was afternoon before I realized that I was being bitten by chiggers. Aiyiyi - this batch is about 4x worse than the first one. But the homeopathic ointment, remedy, and baking soda baths got me through it yet again.



Today we had the chiropractor here, and minimal issues. I found a crow feather in the arena, which really made my morning. And to top it off, it's 68 degrees out and we're getting a very soft and steady rain that feels wonderful.

one year ago this month

(I already had to add two new things!)


My daughter was having trouble with her pony, who was feeling pressured and starting to rebel. Tonight, she took him a snack in the front field while the older horses had their evening feed, and then vaulted up onto his back to sit with him while he ate. When he finished, she rode him in to the paddock, and I warned her that the horses' back doors were open and the pony was speeding up - he loves to sneak in on Cody so we normally close Cody's back door while he eats. Anyway, she sat back and said whoa and the pony did the nicest, squarest halt with nothing but the girl's request.

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This one is a bit longer ago. Five years ago I started back riding and jumped a mounting block totally by accident on the black mare Annie... about 25 years before THAT I was jumping my horse regularly.

Tonight, while riding Keil Bay, he was in such wonderful spirits and condition (thank you Patsy and your amazing herbs) he sailed over a trot pole three different times. Trotted in, cantered out. The last time he sailed pretty high, and we were flying. What a thrill! Husband said "He wants to be an eventer." Um - NO. :)


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I was getting down to the bones in my second novel. I suppose one could say that this year I am dealing with its muscle.

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We were just starting the Joss Whedon series Buffy the Vampire Slayer. Now we're just starting The Sopranos.

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We were living with 102 degree heat. Today it is 86.

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We celebrated multiple birthdays at my parents' house, with steak on the grill, Blue Moons and Cokes, an impromptu pomegranate martini for me, and sips of coconut rum all around. And cake and ice cream, of course.

This year my father is bedridden, with Hospice coming every day, but he can still talk and smile and enjoy cake and ice cream.

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There were hints of autumn and tons of butterflies.

Today I saw a tree completely changing color and the butterflies are swarming.

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I had a writing breakthrough and a trip to Weymouth.

This year I had a trip to Weymouth and THEN the writing breakthrough.

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And we met this little guy:

good friday

I had forgotten how invigorating the Pilates matwork is - I have decided to do it every morning, and it's been a great way to get my days rolling.

Today I finally deemed it cool enough to get Keil Bay back under saddle. He was alert but calm in the barn aisle, and this carried through to the ride itself. The first thing he did was drop manure at the mounting block, which is a sign that he's relaxed and ready to work.

His ears were forward and he was definitely checking things out - looking into the woods, beyond the back field, etc. But he wasn't distracted, and definitely not spooky. He was nicely forward and very responsive. So responsive to my seat and legs that initially we were zigzagging around a bit. I had to really get quiet and clear with my legs and seat and once I did that and focused on my self more, we got straighter.

I noticed that he was very accepting of the bit and seeking contact, and I practiced some new ways of holding the reins (thanks jme!!) which seemed to help both of us.

We did a lot of "correct" walking. Then did some extended walk and a long stretching walk. I followed his pattern from the free lunging and changed directions across the diagonals so we were basically doing a big figure-8 pattern. He was anticipating this, and that allowed me to focus on some fine-tuning instead of thinking about where we were going next.

We did some warm up trot and then did a nice pattern where we did working trot around the arena and extended trot across the diagonals. Amazing! He really went well and I felt like he was in front of my legs AND my legs were underneath ME.

We did just a bit of canter to stretch out at the end, and then walked a bit before ending.

I hosed him off and then cleaned my tack, half chaps, and boots while he grazed in the barnyard with Rafer Johnson and Dickens E. Wickens.

Really really nice day. I am hoping to ride Cody this evening and cap it off with another good ride.

inspiring

Right this moment we're having a sudden onset thunderstorm with rain and lightning that just cracked so hard and so close it sounded like a tree splitting in half.

So what is inspiring about this?

There's a quite handsome wasp sitting on the screen of my garret window. He has brilliant orange and gold legs and is waiting out the storm by grooming himself from antenna to wingtips. I just love it that he's taking a break with me while the rain washes down the world outside.

novel movement

I think the work with Keil Bay and going to the office last night loosened things up in relation to the novel and my recent logjam with edits. On my way home last night, once I got past the last "town" on the highway and entered the dead zone, ideas began to pop.

I had identified the "issues" out loud with my husband the night before, and I think that helped too - the editing issues that needed resolving were "out there" and yesterday's activity got me out of my head enough that the solutions could bubble up.

The first thing I did when I got in the house was write down the revelations in my little blue notebook. Then I went on to the rest of my evening, and when I got in bed, yet another revelation burst forth.

I struggled briefly - should I get up and write that one down as well? But it was a major one, and unlikely to be forgotten in the night, so I went to sleep.

Today I've done my Pilates and am hoping that the day's chores and time with horses keeps the lines open so I can work on some of these things this evening, on the page.