Sjef Janssen illustrates everything I hate about competitive dressage

Anky drops lawsuit against Astrid Appels?

In case you haven't heard, Anky has apparently dropped the lawsuit against journalist Astrid Appels.  No links yet, but have seen this on Twitter and Facebook with a badly mangled "auto" translation from the Dutch which implies that she is dropping the suit for "privacy reasons."

While I'm glad that Astrid doesn't have to deal with this ridiculous suit, I'm disappointed not to see the legal system address some of the associated issues.

quite the day here on November Hill

Bear bonked his eye late last night which required remedies and monitoring and then Kyra's ear got red and itchy and gunky and required cleaning and more remedies.

Rafer Johnson let himself into the back field and then Redford pitched a fit, followed by Keil Bay giving me his "you let THEM do anything they want" and so I opened up the entire farm to all of them this evening.

Salina lost track of where the donkeys were and started trotting up and down the paddock, whinnying wildly and whirling around at each end so fast I couldn't get her stopped to show her that they had not disappeared but were in back with the geldings.

About the time I got the donkeys to actually show their faces and relieve her anxiety, Rafer decided to let himself into the barnyard to the one place she couldn't follow and he HID in the hay tent!

Finally they're all fed and out and hopefully will enjoy the temperature dropping into the low 50s tonight. I just came in and discovered that someone is getting to the blog by searching for "Apache Moon Festival" and I'm thinking - did that pony go and set up some big party without letting me know???

I would not be surprised at anything this crew pulls today.

today's magical moment: the spider version of a double rainbow!

I'm not sure how I got so lucky, but this morning I noticed there were two spiders and two webs that were about 4 inches apart, like a double rainbow, spider style.

There is a lovely cool breeze today and as I stood there photographing, the webs blew in sync, then touched, stuck for a few moments, unstuck, blew in sync again, and the process continued.

I have never seen such a configuration of two webs this complex. It made me want to sing.

Postscript:

This evening I had another chiro appointment and a massage, and when I left the office near sunset, which was quite intense and gorgeous, I noted a few drops of rain falling on the windshield and turned to my left. There was an amazingly clear and pristine double rainbow which seemed to begin just behind the chiro office and extended across the county to end right where November Hill is.

I drove toward home, curving to change roads, and suddenly was facing the double rainbow. Just as it seemed I would drive right beneath its double arch, I switched the radio and the Eagles sang, "it might be raining, but there's a rainbow above you."

By then nothing would have surprised me in this domino of synchronicity, but along the final stretch to home, three deer leaped from the forest to the road's edge, stopped, then bounded across, looking almost exactly like the November Hill Press logo.

It has been a magical day.

middle of the week catch-up

Busy week here on November Hill. I finally went to the chiropractor yesterday and discovered that what I suspected was true - my left pelvis joint was rotated out. She put it back and I felt like I was going to float away when I stood up and felt the absence of tightness and the twinging of what I call the "rusty hinge" sensation. I completely understand why the Big Bay stands licking and chewing when he gets his chiro work done. It's incredible.

I'm going back tomorrow for an additional adjustment and a massage.

Otherwise, we have had a blip of heat this week and today was equine bath day. I think they all enjoyed getting soaped up and rinsed off again, and I feel better knowing they're not feeling sweaty and sticky. Although we have had an increase in temperatures, it feels like fall. On the weekend we're having lows in the 50s! Keil Bay was doing his big beautiful trot around the barnyard today, which made me want to go grab saddle and bridle and tack him up for a ride. If we can get back to the 80s next week and if these insanely aggressive horse flies will leave, we'll be ready to get back to work.

At least two family members are heading to the beach this weekend, so I'll be here keeping the herd happy and hopefully will sneak some writing time in. I can't believe it's already September - but on the other hand, what took it so long?

(and... let's all send Earl out to sea - thinking good thoughts for all the folks we know living on/near the east coast and hoping they get good waves and nothing more than a nice breeze)