pretend fox hunting and serious peppermint hunting with the Big Bay

Keil Bay and I had a really fun ride today, which started with me giving him another peppermint from the saddle. I can see that if I keep this up he's going to expect it, so I'll probably start saving it for after the ride. Today though, after a few "chews" he dropped it on the ground. I told him we'd look for it after the ride as I didn't want to get off and on again, and I didn't want him eating it from the arena footing. He didn't want to leave it, but with some quick urging on my part he walked on. However, every time we came around to that far end of the arena he lowered his head and scanned for the peppermint. It was hilarious. Big stretchy long and low between C and M!

Sometime into the ride the peppermint was forgotten when one of the resident gray foxes ran down the woodline which parallels the barnyard, arena, and back field. The fox was totally silent but Keil Bay went into full alert, I looked where he was looking, and we both watched the fox run the entire edge of the forest. The rest of the ride Keil Bay was convinced a pack of hounds was soon to follow, and I decided to just go with it and enjoy the alert, soft snorts and big strides.

For whatever reason my body felt really loose and relaxed today, and I felt like I was centered pretty perfectly in the saddle and over Keil Bay's center of gravity. It also occurs to me that it's just easier to ride a horse who is alert and forward. For the first year of riding Keil Bay this wasn't true for me - I needed him to notch things down a lot. Now I find that when he's really forward my body cooperates much more easily. The weird crookedness I can get into happens more when I'm trying too hard. Doing the Sally Swift whole body equivalent of "soft eyes" works well for me.

Aside from the ride itself, the ambiance was lovely.  The sky was cloudy - the sun came out briefly this afternoon, but we never really got out from under the cloud over. The light was unusual with the sun behind the clouds but shedding some brightness as it started to set. We rode until the arena lights came on and then wound down.

I've wondered if Keil Bay would enjoy fox hunting. I suspect he might, if he were with horses he liked and and the hounds were well-trained. Our pretend hunt was pretty fun and pretty easy since there was no galloping and no jumps. :)

After the ride, as promised, I took Keil back to the area where he dropped the peppermint and we found it. I dusted it off and he got a second chance. This time, as you might imagine, he didn't drop it.

goodbye 2012, hello new year!

I went out this afternoon and had a ride with Keil Bay, who was in extremely good spirits because he got peppermints after each stage of the grooming/tacking up process, peppermints when we walked into the arena, peppermints at the mounting block, and one last peppermint after I mounted. I've never given him a treat from the saddle before and he was very impressed. A fun ringing out of 2012 for the Big Bay!

He was relaxed and happy and responsive, and although there are a lot of things I could say about the ride, those are the most important to me these days and so I'll leave it at that.

There's no better way to spend a day than with one's horse, and I'm glad I got to ride on this last day of the year.

Inside, we're making a special New Year's Eve meal, and I'm thinking about the year and all the scares we've had, as well as the two beloved family members we lost: Keats and Moomin.

Right now Salina is out in the back field with Keil Bay and the donkeys. She's moving well and enjoying being out with her boys. I'm letting her out some again with the big boys but not all at the same time, as they can get rowdy and she can't help herself - she joins in.

I'm grateful she feels good enough to boss the big boys, and grateful too that in the year we said goodbye to two special feline friends we are also saying hello and welcome to two new ones, Pixie and Pippin.

Happy New Year, all - I hope 2013 is good to all of us!

newest November Hill Press project: Little Shoppe of Colors series!

My good friend and collaborator Dawn Wilson brilliantly illustrated the simple picture book idea I came up with a few years back and now, as of today, it's a book!

Go here if you'd like to see the product page - and hopefully you'll be intrigued enough to buy a copy!

It's a Two Kitten Christmas on November Hill

Happiest holidays to all from all of us on November Hill!

winter solstice 2012

The wind was literally howling this solstice morning and a dust devil was whirling in the back yard. Which seemed fitting given the year we've all had. More than the usual number of things to leave behind in the darkness, many bright and wonderful things to look toward in the growing light.

The day brought many gifts.

When I went out to the barn to feed breakfast, I found a black mare covered in dried mud, which means not only did she roll like every other horse on this property did last night, she got up again! 

On cold windy days I love bringing the horses into the barn, loading them up with hay, and heating up water with my electric kettle to warm their water buckets. There is almost nothing sweeter than standing in the barn aisle, wind blocked with whatever windows and doors need closing, hearing them munch on hay. I did this twice on the solstice day - at breakfast, and then again at dinnertime, when they were all tucked in until the last feed when got their blankets on for the cold windy night and turned out where they could see the stars. 

We had a very beautiful solstice meal together. My daughter made a green salad with walnuts and other tidbits and a home-made balsamic dressing.

My son made falafels which were delicious.

And I baked up some Scotch eggs, which have become a family favorite.

We listened to music, read some poems, and listened to Robert Frost read his poem Stopping By Woods On A Snowy Evening.

There are also two gifts that need some photos of introduction!

Meet Pixie and her brother Pippin!

 As you can imagine, these two kittens have brought a huge amount of joy to November Hill. We went to pick up Pixie last Sunday and when we brought the cat carrier in, Pippin ran into it and would not come out. So it was clear he had chosen US and what is the only thing better than a new kitten?

Two new kittens!

They were in my bedroom/bathroom area for two days with a gate. The third day they climbed the gate and have done a very nice job integrating with the Corgis and the adult cats. 

We are back to a full house here and I'm so glad. I know that Keats and Moomintroll approve.

Hope everyone had a winter solstice that brought its own gifts to you and yours... 

With thanks to dear husband for photographing these kitten-meows!