Everyone in my household has left me to go to our local community game night, and I've cracked open a bottle of Pinot, watched an episode of McLeod's Daughters, and now I'm heading out to check on the equines, who are presumably out there enjoying the time of day when flies disappear and the temps get low as the sun goes down.
Not to mention the approach of the dinner hour.
To my right is the latest chapter in my "Nutrition as a Therapy" class, titled Muscle, and to my left are the remaining pages in the novel-in-progress. I think tomorrow is the day I shall finish typing in the edits and prepare to send this baby off to my good reader, pull out the magical pony pages, and set to work finishing the first draft.
I'm feeling good after about two weeks of daily yoga. Today's chuckle came when my daughter joined me, and our online yoga instructor told us to "bring our gaze to our third eye." We got the impossible silly giggles, but apparently that's what this particular yoga practice was likely to incite. And it succeeded! If you're hungry for yoga but don't like to leave the house, try Yoga Today. It's a great resource.
For now, I'm off to the barn. There is no telling what is going on out there - this morning my husband found Rafer Johnson in the arena, taking himself what I call "a private moment" while Salina stood steadfast in the back field, refusing to come in until her best buddy was spotted and rescued. (as if he needed it!)
billie hinton’s camera-obscura:
life and lessons on November Hill Farm
Tuesday, June 23, 2009
new post over on mystic-lit
I wanted to alert any writers who read here that I just wrote and posted over at my other blog, mystic-lit.
Come on over and add your final edit tips and practices.
Come on over and add your final edit tips and practices.
Monday, June 22, 2009
much cooler monday
This morning it was much cooler than it has been the last few days, and because there's a slight breeze and alternating cloud cover and sunshine, it feels very much like an early autumn day.
All the horses and the donkeys were noticeably more chipper. Keil Bay chased the geldings out of the stalls while I was making the breakfast tubs, and that kept him busy enough that he didn't stand and bang with impatience at my slowness.
The donkeys rolled the round bale right off the pallets and then Redford proceeded to climb on top. We nipped that little activity in the bud, as I am paranoid about little donkey legs getting hung up in the pallets.
The pony had an actual Jungian scarab beetle in his water bucket, which I admired, carefully dumped, and then it just disappeared. That is probably part of the synchronicity of the sighting, but I had hoped to get a photo.
I'm not sure what is going on with our weather and the season, but I find it interesting that the day after summer solstice feels like fall!
All the horses and the donkeys were noticeably more chipper. Keil Bay chased the geldings out of the stalls while I was making the breakfast tubs, and that kept him busy enough that he didn't stand and bang with impatience at my slowness.
The donkeys rolled the round bale right off the pallets and then Redford proceeded to climb on top. We nipped that little activity in the bud, as I am paranoid about little donkey legs getting hung up in the pallets.
The pony had an actual Jungian scarab beetle in his water bucket, which I admired, carefully dumped, and then it just disappeared. That is probably part of the synchronicity of the sighting, but I had hoped to get a photo.
I'm not sure what is going on with our weather and the season, but I find it interesting that the day after summer solstice feels like fall!
Sunday, June 21, 2009
summer solstice 2009
Deep summer is when laziness finds respectability.
-Sam Keen
Moomintroll showed us how to celebrate the summer solstice in his own special feline way: stay inside, find a comfortable spot, and just let it all hang out.
The cats have been doing all kinds of kooky cat things this week.
Osage (aka Muffine Eloise) was found in the washing machine, nestled on top of the clothes waiting to be laundered. Yesterday she was in the laundry basket.
Keats slithers in and out as needed to maintain the balance between hunting and relaxing.
Dickens was seen flat out in the hay a few days ago, with a big black mare and two miniature donkeys quite literally eating around him.
Mystic appeared at an upstairs window, asking to be let in. Yes, he was on the roof of our house.
Every now and then I walk into the living room and find them all laid flat out like lions on the veldt, and that especially makes me smile.
And in the meantime:
Do what we can, summer will have its flies.
-Ralph Waldo Emerson
-Sam Keen
Moomintroll showed us how to celebrate the summer solstice in his own special feline way: stay inside, find a comfortable spot, and just let it all hang out.
The cats have been doing all kinds of kooky cat things this week.
Osage (aka Muffine Eloise) was found in the washing machine, nestled on top of the clothes waiting to be laundered. Yesterday she was in the laundry basket.
Keats slithers in and out as needed to maintain the balance between hunting and relaxing.
Dickens was seen flat out in the hay a few days ago, with a big black mare and two miniature donkeys quite literally eating around him.
Mystic appeared at an upstairs window, asking to be let in. Yes, he was on the roof of our house.
Every now and then I walk into the living room and find them all laid flat out like lions on the veldt, and that especially makes me smile.
And in the meantime:
Do what we can, summer will have its flies.
-Ralph Waldo Emerson
Thursday, June 18, 2009
beating the heat on November Hill
Forecast is for 97 today and tomorrow, and knowing the way it seems to work here, the temps will actually be higher by about 4 p.m.
Here's what we're doing to beat the heat:
Ride at night - daughter was out in the arena last night at 10:45 p.m., riding dressage tests on her pony.
Spritz with cold water in a spray bottle. Or take a bucket of cold water and sponge the horses off.
Offer cold hosings during the hottest part of the day. Sometimes I just wait for these hot, hot days to give full baths, since we give them in the shade of the big oak tree in the small barnyard. I end up getting as wet as the horses, and they get clean AND cool at the same time.
Up the loose salt in the feed.
Mix up buckets of Apple A Day electrolyte water for each paddock.
Dampen the fly masks with cool water - some horses like it, some don't.
Hose down the hay in the nets with cold water and let them eat it wet. It's closer to fresh grass in moisture content, and it's cooling.
Turn on the fans, keep the sun out of the barn, and let them go in and out as they feel like it.
Fill up the Corgi pool and play diving for hot dogs. (we learned this game from the annual Corgi picnic we've managed to get to one time!)
Hose down cap with cold water to keep head cool.
Be anal about pulling shades on the sunny side of the house. It's amazing how well this works to keep the house cool.
Anticipate the big sweaty chores and do them before the heat hits. We did shavings two days ago to avoid doing that particular chore on these hottest days.
Would love to hear more suggestions if you have them! Thankfully we'll be back to high 80s/low 90s by Sunday.
Here's what we're doing to beat the heat:
Ride at night - daughter was out in the arena last night at 10:45 p.m., riding dressage tests on her pony.
Spritz with cold water in a spray bottle. Or take a bucket of cold water and sponge the horses off.
Offer cold hosings during the hottest part of the day. Sometimes I just wait for these hot, hot days to give full baths, since we give them in the shade of the big oak tree in the small barnyard. I end up getting as wet as the horses, and they get clean AND cool at the same time.
Up the loose salt in the feed.
Mix up buckets of Apple A Day electrolyte water for each paddock.
Dampen the fly masks with cool water - some horses like it, some don't.
Hose down the hay in the nets with cold water and let them eat it wet. It's closer to fresh grass in moisture content, and it's cooling.
Turn on the fans, keep the sun out of the barn, and let them go in and out as they feel like it.
Fill up the Corgi pool and play diving for hot dogs. (we learned this game from the annual Corgi picnic we've managed to get to one time!)
Hose down cap with cold water to keep head cool.
Be anal about pulling shades on the sunny side of the house. It's amazing how well this works to keep the house cool.
Anticipate the big sweaty chores and do them before the heat hits. We did shavings two days ago to avoid doing that particular chore on these hottest days.
Would love to hear more suggestions if you have them! Thankfully we'll be back to high 80s/low 90s by Sunday.
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