Hello all...so sorry - I am a bad, bad, blogger! I have no excuse except to say that my days are filled with taking care of Mr. Braeden Parker Perrault and he needs a lot of attention!!! I have to say I am enjoying it, though... I wish it was possible for me to do this long term, but unemployment does not last forever and someday soon I feel that something new will come along. I am toying with the idea of attempting to go to grad school to be a school counselor, although I am not sure if I'll get enough financial aide to make that happen - but like everything else in life, it's worth a try!
Things have been hectic, to say the least. I am struggling to find a middle ground with Karl where we can agree on how to move forward and remain friends... it's an emotionally draining process but I am doing the best I know how.
Sky is doing really well! I am happy to report that she got her front shoes replaced recently and actually had to be truly trimmed! Bethany says that whatever I've been doing, I should keep up and that her feet are looking really good.
I am getting so excited to go to East Corinth! I cannot believe it is that time of year again...it's so scary... this year has been so full of changes and even though it will not be the same this year as some people aren't going and Beth and Marcia aren't going until Wednesday....East Corinth is an amazing thing b/c it's so familiar... I cannot wait to see the church steeple over the rolling hills and ride through the same fields we did last year and the year before - watching the views and enjoying the company...
I am lucky this year as Lisa is lending her trailer to me! She's going to bring me up on Tuesday night and drop the trailer so I can camp out of there and have a "home base" of my very own!! I am super excited...
Betsy is coming but not until Friday, but that's ok. The saddest thing I can think of is that Harvey will not be there. Betsy thought he had pnemonia and got the vet out and put him on antibiodics but he passed away a few days later... I cannot even express how sad it makes me to think of how Harvey will not be Sky's companion in the trailer any longer, or get us through any more hard parts of the trail.... Harvey was Sky's friend, I know in my heart, and I think she is missing him too. I cannot imagine losing my good friend - the one who is always there to greet me and get me through all my hard times.... I know Betsy misses Harvey immensely and it will take a long time for that sting to go away.
Lisa, of course, stepped right in and lent Betsy Shilo right away... I think it was a good thing b/c Betsy was able to keep riding, which eases any pain. Shilo and her are a good fit, because Shilo needs attention and riding and Betsy needs a horse to care for! I cannot wait to seee him in VT - I'm sure he'll be wonderful.
So, I am plugging away... once again going to VT will be an end and a beginning. When I get back I vow to work harder at job hunting and get my school act in gear. I am happy for the meantime staying wtih Josh and Lisa, who are wonderful, but it will not be forever and I need to lay some foundation for the future I had no idea was before me.... it's always a day at a time and like always, I am taking baby steps to get through them!
I promise photos from EC (I've lost the cord!!!). Lots of love to you all!
C
Wednesday, September 23, 2009
Friday, September 4, 2009
what's happening lately
Hello all.
So, I have a lot to say and a little time to say it, so I am going to be consise, if I can.
First, the camping trip... oh my well-planned, deeply thought out, camping trip. Ashleigh, Amanda, Betsy and I were so excited to go and despite some bad weather reports, we went forward, gung-ho to have a good time. The drive up was super long but the weather was decent for that, so it wasn't so bad. I was so anxious to get up there and get a good ride in before the inevitable rain was to arrive.
We finally pulled into the state park, after honestly thinking that we were on the wrong track, in the middle of nowhwere, VT. The horse camping sites were situated on a small "field" which reminded us more of a lawn...with small sites dotting the edge. The areas for the horses were rather tiny but we figured it would be ok. There was not a soul around, so we felt like we had the whole place to ourselves, which was nice. We managed to get everything set and get saddled in time for a ride. We headed one way, down a dirt road which reminded me of a class six road. When we saw a trail sign, I asked if anyone wanted to check it out. Once on that trail, I did realize that it was truly, a hiking trail - narrow and rocky... but it was passable. I figured we would come out on another dirt road or loop around to where we came from...
I am not going to go into extreme detail on this trail - only to say that here's a bit of advice: when you go through the second or third really bad rocky spot on a trail then it's time to turn around! I have never been so scared on a trail that my horse would break a leg and that I might go flying as well! Needless to say, we are safe and alive, and I thank god for that.
Friday night we had a great dinner, courtsey of Amanda, and settled into our tents. I didn't sleep that well, not because I wasn't warm or comfortable, but because the rain was coming down so hard and I was so concerned about the tent leaking! So, I slept a bit, but woke up early to the middle of the tent dripping a little bit. It turned out that was nothing compared to the night Ashleigh and Amanda had! The poor girls had a leaky tent all night and their horses paced and they got their sleeping bags wet. After a little discussion, we decided to pack it in, although Betsy and I were willing to stay longer.
Sunday Betsy and I forced ourselves back into the truck and dragged our poor horses another hour to Marsh Billings... it was SOOO WORTH IT. It was a beautiful day and I love Marsh Billings more than any other place we ride. We traveled around for a full three and a half hours and although my butt was done, my heart could've gone more! It made up for the bad day before and it was great.
Since then I rode last night - with Dave which was super fun. I was so glad he was willing to go and do what I like. He seemed to have fun, so that was good.
On another note, life is settling down and getting crazy. I am now watching Braeden for Lisa while she and Josh are both back to work. The good part is that I am contributing to the household and providing some use of myself while I am staying with them. The bad part is it is keeping me from looking for another job as hard as I should. I am thinking seriously about going to grad school starting in January, but I also need time to figure that out. I am trying very hard to keep my eye on the future, but the present is taking so much of my energy it is rough. I am taking life day by day as of now.. happy moments and angry moments, frustrating times and times when it "seems" like all will be ok. I do not really know what the future holds, and I am concerned about it, but right now it takes all my energy to get through each day with the same conviction that I woke up with...I am surprised that I am remaining strong but I can finally see the forest through the trees... I can finally see now that I am going to be alright. I don't know how and I don't know when but I am pretty sure it's going to happen.
C
So, I have a lot to say and a little time to say it, so I am going to be consise, if I can.
First, the camping trip... oh my well-planned, deeply thought out, camping trip. Ashleigh, Amanda, Betsy and I were so excited to go and despite some bad weather reports, we went forward, gung-ho to have a good time. The drive up was super long but the weather was decent for that, so it wasn't so bad. I was so anxious to get up there and get a good ride in before the inevitable rain was to arrive.
We finally pulled into the state park, after honestly thinking that we were on the wrong track, in the middle of nowhwere, VT. The horse camping sites were situated on a small "field" which reminded us more of a lawn...with small sites dotting the edge. The areas for the horses were rather tiny but we figured it would be ok. There was not a soul around, so we felt like we had the whole place to ourselves, which was nice. We managed to get everything set and get saddled in time for a ride. We headed one way, down a dirt road which reminded me of a class six road. When we saw a trail sign, I asked if anyone wanted to check it out. Once on that trail, I did realize that it was truly, a hiking trail - narrow and rocky... but it was passable. I figured we would come out on another dirt road or loop around to where we came from...
I am not going to go into extreme detail on this trail - only to say that here's a bit of advice: when you go through the second or third really bad rocky spot on a trail then it's time to turn around! I have never been so scared on a trail that my horse would break a leg and that I might go flying as well! Needless to say, we are safe and alive, and I thank god for that.
Friday night we had a great dinner, courtsey of Amanda, and settled into our tents. I didn't sleep that well, not because I wasn't warm or comfortable, but because the rain was coming down so hard and I was so concerned about the tent leaking! So, I slept a bit, but woke up early to the middle of the tent dripping a little bit. It turned out that was nothing compared to the night Ashleigh and Amanda had! The poor girls had a leaky tent all night and their horses paced and they got their sleeping bags wet. After a little discussion, we decided to pack it in, although Betsy and I were willing to stay longer.
Sunday Betsy and I forced ourselves back into the truck and dragged our poor horses another hour to Marsh Billings... it was SOOO WORTH IT. It was a beautiful day and I love Marsh Billings more than any other place we ride. We traveled around for a full three and a half hours and although my butt was done, my heart could've gone more! It made up for the bad day before and it was great.
Since then I rode last night - with Dave which was super fun. I was so glad he was willing to go and do what I like. He seemed to have fun, so that was good.
On another note, life is settling down and getting crazy. I am now watching Braeden for Lisa while she and Josh are both back to work. The good part is that I am contributing to the household and providing some use of myself while I am staying with them. The bad part is it is keeping me from looking for another job as hard as I should. I am thinking seriously about going to grad school starting in January, but I also need time to figure that out. I am trying very hard to keep my eye on the future, but the present is taking so much of my energy it is rough. I am taking life day by day as of now.. happy moments and angry moments, frustrating times and times when it "seems" like all will be ok. I do not really know what the future holds, and I am concerned about it, but right now it takes all my energy to get through each day with the same conviction that I woke up with...I am surprised that I am remaining strong but I can finally see the forest through the trees... I can finally see now that I am going to be alright. I don't know how and I don't know when but I am pretty sure it's going to happen.
C
Monday, August 24, 2009
A Comprehensive Guide on How to Ride in an ATV Park
So, my dear loyal readers... we had an interesting ride this weekend!
I find it so funny how we talk and talk about places to ride at our Blackwater metings about where to ride and how we want to ride at new places all the time, and when someone finds one, we never really go for one reason or another.... So we'd been talking about checking out Clough State Park and the adjoining Hillsboro Everett Dam (that's a Army Core of Engineers place).... Low and Behold the ride on Sunday was cancelled as we all knew it would be so Betsy and Amanda and Ashleigh and I decided it would be a good idea to go to this new place.
Betsy invited Hannah and asked to to tell people we were going, but Hannah thought that it would be too busy with four wheelers and and dirt bikes for the horses to handle... after all it was a nice weekend day and this place is known as one of the busiest places for motorized vehicles in the southern part of the state! So, again, the four of us were the only ones who were up for the challenge.
We met up on Sunday AM and got there without much incident... of course, Betsy did have a little run-in with the bush at the entrance to the parking area where we settled, and I have to say that I am grateful that it was on Harvey's side! Poor Harvey, we opened the doors and he had his back legs planted like he was prepped for another big bump!
I find it so funny how we talk and talk about places to ride at our Blackwater metings about where to ride and how we want to ride at new places all the time, and when someone finds one, we never really go for one reason or another.... So we'd been talking about checking out Clough State Park and the adjoining Hillsboro Everett Dam (that's a Army Core of Engineers place).... Low and Behold the ride on Sunday was cancelled as we all knew it would be so Betsy and Amanda and Ashleigh and I decided it would be a good idea to go to this new place.
Betsy invited Hannah and asked to to tell people we were going, but Hannah thought that it would be too busy with four wheelers and and dirt bikes for the horses to handle... after all it was a nice weekend day and this place is known as one of the busiest places for motorized vehicles in the southern part of the state! So, again, the four of us were the only ones who were up for the challenge.
We met up on Sunday AM and got there without much incident... of course, Betsy did have a little run-in with the bush at the entrance to the parking area where we settled, and I have to say that I am grateful that it was on Harvey's side! Poor Harvey, we opened the doors and he had his back legs planted like he was prepped for another big bump!
So, we listened intently as we saddled up for the sounds of the dirt bikes that were across the road... wondering if we were brave or just plain stupid... we tried our best as we headed out to go the "other" way from the machines... heading up into the woods behind where we had parked. So, RULE #1 for riding in a ATV park... try to ride away from the machines.....
Although these trails were great footing, it turned out there wasn't far to go.. we managed to go through a neat sand pit and follow out to some power-line looking areas... but the trail dead-ended somewhere between the swamp it ran along and an occupied tent site that we stumbled upon... but on our way back, I have to say that I managed to one, get Sky to stop eating, and two, groom the upper part of the trail of branches that were smacking us all in the face! RULE #2 of riding in an ATV park... you have to groom your own trails considering that no one else is riding as high as you are.
By this time we realized that the only place for us to go was through the main parking lot and by ALL of the trailers loaded with rough and tumble guys mounting up on their iron horses... I have to say that we got some pretty dirty looks, mixed in with the expressions of sheer bewilderment.... After the walk of shame, all was not so bad as we stuck to the roads that the machines were not allowed on! We peered into each trail we passed and wondered if we would be bombarded by a flying four-wheeled crazy person at any moment!
We wound up taking a trail which claimed to be a "River Loop" although I never saw a loop or a river. This trail was accessable to the machines, so we were on alert. Although, our biggest challenge turned out to be the the myraid of bridges which crossed the trail! Despite being sturdy, each bridge presented a challenge whether it was slats which the horses could see through or a broken board. RULE #3 to riding in an ATV park... be prepared for a bridge or five!
The first time we encountered machines, there were about four ATV's that came up behind us... luckily it was when we had just crossed one of the forementioned bridges and could get off the trail adequately..... plus it was a tight spot so they couldn't exactly go fast. To our shock and amazement, they were actually very nice and seemed to try to be overly cautious not to spook the horses. After that we relaxed a bit that these people were not assholes who were out to get us killed but mostly families with kids and responsible young people. It made it a lot easier to enjoy the trails... RULE #4 to riding in an ATV park.... don't assume everyone is out to get you and when you are nice to them, they are nice to you!
We even managed to get a lot of trotting in... although Sky was so wound up at the idea of stretching her legs, that she managed to lope in between our trotting companions. She was too funny, doing her little loping snort and rounding her body up and tucking her head in as she darted in between the trees and around the curves... on one particular staight-away which lilted to the left, she was on the right lead and I wanted her to switch so on a whim I decided to try to get her to change leads at the lope... I picked up on her reins, pushed my heel into her side near her shoulder and shifted my weight over... just a guess and low and behold, my horse did a flying change!!!!!!!!! I was so estatic, I think it was the highlight of my day! RULE #5 to riding in an ATV park... you might has well have fun and enjoy the speed while you are there!
We rode about two hours but, trust me, it seemed like more! We had to do the walk of shame again through the parking lot, and were surprised this time to be greeted by the Hooters Dirt Bike Team!
Anyway, it was a good adventure and good practice.
C
Thursday, August 20, 2009
Big Changes for the Better & One Wild Ride.
So, after A LOT of heartache, and thinking and pain... I have decided that the best thing for me is to seperate from my husband, Karl. This wasn't something that I came to overnight or even over a month... I haven't been happy with the way that our relationship has been for a long time and I always thought I could change it if I tried hard enough - if I was nice enough and cooked enough meals and did dishes without complaining than he would be the guy who cared what I was doing when I was gone and he would be the guy who would want to hold my hand when we sat around with friends... but he will never be that guy and I cannot change him. Karl and I have been through A LOT together - we've known each other the better side of thirteen years and we've been together on and off for the majority of that.... we've been married for five and half years now and we've had some very happy times.... but somehow that didn't add up to a happy life together.... We tend to fight more than we talk to each other... I have felt for a very long time that he has no interest in anything that I do, whether it's which job I take or which show I go to... He has been very depressed about the way his life has turned out but yet has not changed anything about it... and he has hurt me a lot by having secret accounts and emailing girls to get together... random girls in our town! I tried very hard to get over this... I tried very hard to look beyond it that he DOES love me, which I know he does... but I have decided in the ned that I simply cannot live a happy life with Karl... as much as I want it to be better, even our relationship being better isn't going to make me happy. I feel awful because I know I have hurt him by telling him these things and he still thinks that it can be fixed but, for me, it can't. I hate that I am hurting someone who I love more than anyone but I know in my heart that after this is all over and the dust has settled, that he will be happier too.
So, I have spent the last couple of weeks deciding how life will go... I am going to stay with Josh and Lisa and take care of their baby when Lisa goes back to work. I am taking a coaching job and hope to substitute teach on the one day a week that I am not needed to babysit. In the meantime, I'll continue to draw my unemployment and work for Lisa's dad, and look for something more permanent and well-paying. I am hoping that by the time Spring rolls around, I will be able to move into my own place or roomate with someone. My friend, Kate, in Manchester offered to have me room with her and I think that might be a great idea.
I have been spending time with friends this past week or two and I cannot belive how happy I can be. We've been going to Lisa's dad's house, which is on a beautiful small lake, and we've been driving jetskis and going out on a boat and tubing behind it! I have tried things this week that I never would have tried before... I just feel like I've been walking around with my jaw clenched, not realizing I was doing it, and now that I have relaxed, I am free.
Sky is doing so well. She is hilarious, per usual. Lisa had her two cousins come up for the week and the younger one wanted to ride... so early one morning before it got too hot we went out... I hopped on Sky and per Lisa's reccomendation but Cody on Shiloh. We hadn't even gotten off the road when Shiloh took Cody into the trees to eat and then when he tried to turn him around, wound up in the middle of the road. Imagine my horror when I saw the giant dump truck coming at us and this 16 year old kid in the middle of the road, unable to control the horse! So I screamed for him to get off and lead him out of the road and I got off too.... thank God the guy went as slow as he could! So, we walk them down to where we can safely get on and I trade horses... Sky looked as though she understood what was going on... Although she probably didn't understand what Cody was asking of her the majority of the time, with his reins messed up and his not exactly sitting on his BUTT, but she tried... she tucked her face and backed up, wondering what this kid wanted! As I got Shiloh ready to pay attention, Sky followed behind and knew to take care of this kid. I spent the majority of the rest of the ride turned around to make sure my baby was doing ok! She did great - Cody let her eat way way more than I would have, but that's ok - as long as she was good.
On the way back, we passed more BIG trucks and Sky took it all in stride. She was so great and I was so proud of her, I didn't even know what to say.... I guess it's one thing when she does well for me because I have been with her so long and we know each other so well, but for her to behave so great with a complete stranger and one who didn't know what he was doing, I was so grateful.... and proud!
So, now we are gearing up to go to New Discovery at the end of the month, fast approaching! I am very excited for that and for East Corinth, which will be here before you know it!
Thanks for all the kind words and support, friends... you are all good people!
C
So, I have spent the last couple of weeks deciding how life will go... I am going to stay with Josh and Lisa and take care of their baby when Lisa goes back to work. I am taking a coaching job and hope to substitute teach on the one day a week that I am not needed to babysit. In the meantime, I'll continue to draw my unemployment and work for Lisa's dad, and look for something more permanent and well-paying. I am hoping that by the time Spring rolls around, I will be able to move into my own place or roomate with someone. My friend, Kate, in Manchester offered to have me room with her and I think that might be a great idea.
I have been spending time with friends this past week or two and I cannot belive how happy I can be. We've been going to Lisa's dad's house, which is on a beautiful small lake, and we've been driving jetskis and going out on a boat and tubing behind it! I have tried things this week that I never would have tried before... I just feel like I've been walking around with my jaw clenched, not realizing I was doing it, and now that I have relaxed, I am free.
Sky is doing so well. She is hilarious, per usual. Lisa had her two cousins come up for the week and the younger one wanted to ride... so early one morning before it got too hot we went out... I hopped on Sky and per Lisa's reccomendation but Cody on Shiloh. We hadn't even gotten off the road when Shiloh took Cody into the trees to eat and then when he tried to turn him around, wound up in the middle of the road. Imagine my horror when I saw the giant dump truck coming at us and this 16 year old kid in the middle of the road, unable to control the horse! So I screamed for him to get off and lead him out of the road and I got off too.... thank God the guy went as slow as he could! So, we walk them down to where we can safely get on and I trade horses... Sky looked as though she understood what was going on... Although she probably didn't understand what Cody was asking of her the majority of the time, with his reins messed up and his not exactly sitting on his BUTT, but she tried... she tucked her face and backed up, wondering what this kid wanted! As I got Shiloh ready to pay attention, Sky followed behind and knew to take care of this kid. I spent the majority of the rest of the ride turned around to make sure my baby was doing ok! She did great - Cody let her eat way way more than I would have, but that's ok - as long as she was good.
On the way back, we passed more BIG trucks and Sky took it all in stride. She was so great and I was so proud of her, I didn't even know what to say.... I guess it's one thing when she does well for me because I have been with her so long and we know each other so well, but for her to behave so great with a complete stranger and one who didn't know what he was doing, I was so grateful.... and proud!
So, now we are gearing up to go to New Discovery at the end of the month, fast approaching! I am very excited for that and for East Corinth, which will be here before you know it!
Thanks for all the kind words and support, friends... you are all good people!
C
Saturday, August 8, 2009
follow your gut
Hey,
Have you ever had that feeling in the pit of your stomache that something is or isn't right for you? ...
I've had a tumultous week... it's been such a roller coaster of ups and downs that I'm not surprised that my stomache is reacting! First, Monday rolled around... another Monday of feeling like I would never work again. It was so hard to stare at the classifieds on the computer and not see anything that I could apply for... so depressing... then Tuesday rolls around and I'm riding with Betsy and my phone rings. It's a gruff old man from a restaurant that I'd applied for ions ago wanting me to come in that day for an interview. YEAH! At that point, I"m thinking, yes, it's waitressing, but it's something and I'd be so excited just to do something.
So, I go in and have a very weird interview (if you can call it that) and they want me to come in the next day to start training. Ok. Wednesday rolls around and I go in and follow some 45 year old career server around as she swears and grabs butts of other servers and forgets to put in orders and blames it on the kitchen... but that wasn't the worst part. The worst part was that there wasn't a handwashing sink to be found in the place.. cooks weren't wearing gloves...soup sat on a bar for five hours without ever being tempted... (I couldn't bear to see how it was stored at the end of the night!).... in a normal circumstance I wouldn't have thought badly of it, but I have a ServSafe Food Management Safety Certification and I managed a banquet facility that had monthly military health inspections so I am pretty up to speed on how things SHOULD be.
Wednesday night I got a call to go into an interview for a teacher's aide job at interlakes high school... big yeah there! I already had an interview for a coaching job there on Monday so I set that up for right after... I am really hoping that works out so keep your fingers crossed for me... especially since Friday morning I went to go back in for day two of torture at this restaurant and after an hour of searching for my black shoes I found myself sitting on the closet floor unable to bring myself to go back there. Karl let me off the hook more easily than I deserved but I just couldn't do it.
Maybe I'm a bad person for complaining one day about not having a job and then turning one down the next day. Maybe I'm following the right path for me and next week I'll have a much better opportunity and I'll be glad I didn't go back there. Whatever the case, I followed my gut on that one.
On the Sky front, things are good. I am really enjoying her shoes and I think she might be too. We are doing much better on the roads etc. and I think I'll be grateful for them more and more as we go along... I am (gasp) foregoing a show this weekend to ride at the Mix's house for a blackwater ride. We have a hunter pace planned for next weekend and at the end of the month we are going camping in VT as a group - my first ride hosting for Blackwater.
I am looking forward to East Corinth a lot - got my invitation a few weeks ago.
Anyway, that's what is going on with me. Hope and Pray for me that the interveiws go well and I might have a job by the end of next week.
C
Have you ever had that feeling in the pit of your stomache that something is or isn't right for you? ...
I've had a tumultous week... it's been such a roller coaster of ups and downs that I'm not surprised that my stomache is reacting! First, Monday rolled around... another Monday of feeling like I would never work again. It was so hard to stare at the classifieds on the computer and not see anything that I could apply for... so depressing... then Tuesday rolls around and I'm riding with Betsy and my phone rings. It's a gruff old man from a restaurant that I'd applied for ions ago wanting me to come in that day for an interview. YEAH! At that point, I"m thinking, yes, it's waitressing, but it's something and I'd be so excited just to do something.
So, I go in and have a very weird interview (if you can call it that) and they want me to come in the next day to start training. Ok. Wednesday rolls around and I go in and follow some 45 year old career server around as she swears and grabs butts of other servers and forgets to put in orders and blames it on the kitchen... but that wasn't the worst part. The worst part was that there wasn't a handwashing sink to be found in the place.. cooks weren't wearing gloves...soup sat on a bar for five hours without ever being tempted... (I couldn't bear to see how it was stored at the end of the night!).... in a normal circumstance I wouldn't have thought badly of it, but I have a ServSafe Food Management Safety Certification and I managed a banquet facility that had monthly military health inspections so I am pretty up to speed on how things SHOULD be.
Wednesday night I got a call to go into an interview for a teacher's aide job at interlakes high school... big yeah there! I already had an interview for a coaching job there on Monday so I set that up for right after... I am really hoping that works out so keep your fingers crossed for me... especially since Friday morning I went to go back in for day two of torture at this restaurant and after an hour of searching for my black shoes I found myself sitting on the closet floor unable to bring myself to go back there. Karl let me off the hook more easily than I deserved but I just couldn't do it.
Maybe I'm a bad person for complaining one day about not having a job and then turning one down the next day. Maybe I'm following the right path for me and next week I'll have a much better opportunity and I'll be glad I didn't go back there. Whatever the case, I followed my gut on that one.
On the Sky front, things are good. I am really enjoying her shoes and I think she might be too. We are doing much better on the roads etc. and I think I'll be grateful for them more and more as we go along... I am (gasp) foregoing a show this weekend to ride at the Mix's house for a blackwater ride. We have a hunter pace planned for next weekend and at the end of the month we are going camping in VT as a group - my first ride hosting for Blackwater.
I am looking forward to East Corinth a lot - got my invitation a few weeks ago.
Anyway, that's what is going on with me. Hope and Pray for me that the interveiws go well and I might have a job by the end of next week.
C
Thursday, July 30, 2009
A little ditty...
Hello All -
I don't have a lot of time so I have to make this short (somehow I've said that before...) Anyway, this week has been a frustrating one for those of us who want to ride.. It's about 90 degrees and the humidity makes you wet with sweat the second you walk out the door... if it's not hot, it's raining, and then the bugs are so awful you must trot to get through the woods these days.
So, it hasn't been a good riding week. It is unfortunate b/c Sky has new shoes this week and I am anxious to try them out.. we broke down on the shoes (fronts only b/c it's so freaking expensive!!!) for two reasons... 1 - so she can stop getting all those bruises and walk comfortably on the dirt roads and 2 - to give her some time to actually grow some foot.
She was shockingly good for Bethany about the nailing.. barely blinked. I was surprised b/c she's never had shoes and I insisted that she would throw a fit... but just like Sky, she took it in stride and trusted those around her... I love her so.
I'm off to a Blackwater meeting in a bit - have to feed early in order to go... oh, I'm sitting out here at Lisa's.. dogsitting, catsitting, fishsitting, horsesitting, house and barn sitting... ha! Seriously it's been fun and quiet - for the most part. There is a nameless boarder who is driving me absolutely batty, though. She is an older lady and has some medical problems that keep her from being entirely mobile, but I do not take that as an excuse to be mean to people... all week she's stopped into the barn and isn't happy if her horse is out or if she's in... wants to continually feed her hay that she doesn't eat and insists that something is 'amiss' at the barn b/c there are "leg problems"... GRRR - as if it's LISA's fault that Onyx has a broken foot or whatever or that Willow's leg blows up and that she will never be entirely normal again.. that Sky got a random abcess...that her horse rammed herself into the roundpen.... yeah - that sounds like a conspericy to me! I am not one who hides my feelings well and if you want to know what I think just have a look at my face.. I stayed quiet, though. This person went as far as to yell at me in the barn for trying to help her the other day and that was it for me! I've been leaving when I know she'll come or hide in the house when she's here... the woman just chaps my ass!
And this is my thought about that. Horses are livestock - they are an animal whose history has been to serve man. They hold a true and honest place in American history and are a noble animal who carries pride with value and purpose... If a person wants a lawn ornament so badly, I personally think they should leave horses alone, and certainly NEVER BREED MORE HORSES, and then go buy a freaking plastic flamingo!
Anyway, I am going to get ready to go to my Blackwater meeting where we'll all talk over each other, complain about bugs and weather, plan rides that will get cancelled, and then I'll get home late. Fun Fun.. At least I made whoopie pies this time!
Good Night.
C
I don't have a lot of time so I have to make this short (somehow I've said that before...) Anyway, this week has been a frustrating one for those of us who want to ride.. It's about 90 degrees and the humidity makes you wet with sweat the second you walk out the door... if it's not hot, it's raining, and then the bugs are so awful you must trot to get through the woods these days.
So, it hasn't been a good riding week. It is unfortunate b/c Sky has new shoes this week and I am anxious to try them out.. we broke down on the shoes (fronts only b/c it's so freaking expensive!!!) for two reasons... 1 - so she can stop getting all those bruises and walk comfortably on the dirt roads and 2 - to give her some time to actually grow some foot.
She was shockingly good for Bethany about the nailing.. barely blinked. I was surprised b/c she's never had shoes and I insisted that she would throw a fit... but just like Sky, she took it in stride and trusted those around her... I love her so.
I'm off to a Blackwater meeting in a bit - have to feed early in order to go... oh, I'm sitting out here at Lisa's.. dogsitting, catsitting, fishsitting, horsesitting, house and barn sitting... ha! Seriously it's been fun and quiet - for the most part. There is a nameless boarder who is driving me absolutely batty, though. She is an older lady and has some medical problems that keep her from being entirely mobile, but I do not take that as an excuse to be mean to people... all week she's stopped into the barn and isn't happy if her horse is out or if she's in... wants to continually feed her hay that she doesn't eat and insists that something is 'amiss' at the barn b/c there are "leg problems"... GRRR - as if it's LISA's fault that Onyx has a broken foot or whatever or that Willow's leg blows up and that she will never be entirely normal again.. that Sky got a random abcess...that her horse rammed herself into the roundpen.... yeah - that sounds like a conspericy to me! I am not one who hides my feelings well and if you want to know what I think just have a look at my face.. I stayed quiet, though. This person went as far as to yell at me in the barn for trying to help her the other day and that was it for me! I've been leaving when I know she'll come or hide in the house when she's here... the woman just chaps my ass!
And this is my thought about that. Horses are livestock - they are an animal whose history has been to serve man. They hold a true and honest place in American history and are a noble animal who carries pride with value and purpose... If a person wants a lawn ornament so badly, I personally think they should leave horses alone, and certainly NEVER BREED MORE HORSES, and then go buy a freaking plastic flamingo!
Anyway, I am going to get ready to go to my Blackwater meeting where we'll all talk over each other, complain about bugs and weather, plan rides that will get cancelled, and then I'll get home late. Fun Fun.. At least I made whoopie pies this time!
Good Night.
C
Monday, July 20, 2009
One good ride after another...
Hi All -
As I could only hope, I have not written lately b/c I've been busy riding!
After the show last weekend, I decided immediately that I was going to hang up the show shirt for a while and concentrate on doing some casual, easy, stress-free trail rides!
Luckily right after that choice, an opportunity came up for my go with Hannah on a ride... we voted on going to Maudslay state park in MA... I tried to look up information about it but could only come up with a small website without a lot of information - so I was going blind...but very excited to go in a state park as I can log double hours for my Ride America, and I am closing in on my 500 hour mark.
So I make sure I am all packed and ready and Hannah was right on time. Sky self-loaded perfectly into her two horse step up and got along charmingly with Jim, her Appy/TB cross...
We made it down there to meet up with Denise (with Dublin, the huge, red horse) and Cathy (who I hadn't met before)... Sky was super alert when we first got them off the trailer which was odd for her - not acting badly, just head up and ears and eyes straining to find anything she could possibly be scared of... so a little Clinton Anderson-esk lunging before hand with many changes of direction got her focused on the fact that I was still a part of her world... then we were ready to ride.
She did great on the trails - slightly ouchy on the dirt road at the beginning - but otherwise perfect. We crossed beautiful stone bridges, and rode beside blooming flower bushes, and rode along a river with lovely white boats floating here and there... it was a perfect day - no bugs and a slight breeze and lots of blue sky...
We made a two and half hour trek, miadering through the park - a place no one could get lost... after the ride, we hung out and chatted and found ourselves lazy and happy under a big tree while we watched the horses take afternoon naps while tied to the trailers..
Hannah and I chatted non-stop on the way home and I was so happy to get to know her better... it was kind of her to bring me along.
Then we had a blackwater ride on Sunday, which Betsy picked us up for... Inever stop laughing at Sky when she does her speed-walking trek from the barn onto Betsy's trailer! I swear, I could let her out of her stall and she'd head straight on next to Harvey... I'm not sure if it's Harvey or his hay that she likes more - despite the large haybag full infront of her, she insists on pushing poor Harvey over to steal his! It's funny considering she doesn't push ANYONE around.
We rode at Profile Falls - another perfect day and perfect ride... down the long, straight carraige road and wandered off onto wooded trails and open fields (which haven't been mowed and are like an all you can eat buffet to the horses, at mouth height!!!) We saw lots of wild brown eyed susans and took lots of photos --- including photos of others taking photos! It was funny!
The best was as we were riding back to the trailers on the long road, Sky decided more than once to turn her butt around and go the other way! I'm not sure if her homing device was broken or if she was just up for a longer ride, but she had no qualms about hoofing it away from the whole crew of horses and foraging her own path... i nearly cried I laughed so hard at her!
We had a good lunch back at the trailers... at the picnic tables by the river... the Mix's, Betsy and I are way ahead of the group in planning an overnight excursion at the end of the month.... I'm fired up for some more good rides and am glad to be taking a break from the constant worries about slow canters and correct headsets... although we did get a great lope behind a trotting Kosh and Hannah in a long stretch by the river... funny how that happens!
It looks like I will be putting shoes - fronts to start - on Sky by the end of the week. The farrier looked at her today and shaped her up and she has too many bruises for me to ignore any longer... if I'm going to be doing the riding I don't want to have to worry about her.
So, I will keep you posted on the goings-on. I'm watching Lisa's house next week while they are away and taking care of all the animals - then LRSS 3 isn't too far off. Hopefully Amanda and I will be doing Riverfare's know and go clinic on the 1st... Karl did tell me to include it in my b'day present....
Take care, all,
C
As I could only hope, I have not written lately b/c I've been busy riding!
After the show last weekend, I decided immediately that I was going to hang up the show shirt for a while and concentrate on doing some casual, easy, stress-free trail rides!
Luckily right after that choice, an opportunity came up for my go with Hannah on a ride... we voted on going to Maudslay state park in MA... I tried to look up information about it but could only come up with a small website without a lot of information - so I was going blind...but very excited to go in a state park as I can log double hours for my Ride America, and I am closing in on my 500 hour mark.
So I make sure I am all packed and ready and Hannah was right on time. Sky self-loaded perfectly into her two horse step up and got along charmingly with Jim, her Appy/TB cross...
We made it down there to meet up with Denise (with Dublin, the huge, red horse) and Cathy (who I hadn't met before)... Sky was super alert when we first got them off the trailer which was odd for her - not acting badly, just head up and ears and eyes straining to find anything she could possibly be scared of... so a little Clinton Anderson-esk lunging before hand with many changes of direction got her focused on the fact that I was still a part of her world... then we were ready to ride.
She did great on the trails - slightly ouchy on the dirt road at the beginning - but otherwise perfect. We crossed beautiful stone bridges, and rode beside blooming flower bushes, and rode along a river with lovely white boats floating here and there... it was a perfect day - no bugs and a slight breeze and lots of blue sky...
We made a two and half hour trek, miadering through the park - a place no one could get lost... after the ride, we hung out and chatted and found ourselves lazy and happy under a big tree while we watched the horses take afternoon naps while tied to the trailers..
Hannah and I chatted non-stop on the way home and I was so happy to get to know her better... it was kind of her to bring me along.
Then we had a blackwater ride on Sunday, which Betsy picked us up for... Inever stop laughing at Sky when she does her speed-walking trek from the barn onto Betsy's trailer! I swear, I could let her out of her stall and she'd head straight on next to Harvey... I'm not sure if it's Harvey or his hay that she likes more - despite the large haybag full infront of her, she insists on pushing poor Harvey over to steal his! It's funny considering she doesn't push ANYONE around.
We rode at Profile Falls - another perfect day and perfect ride... down the long, straight carraige road and wandered off onto wooded trails and open fields (which haven't been mowed and are like an all you can eat buffet to the horses, at mouth height!!!) We saw lots of wild brown eyed susans and took lots of photos --- including photos of others taking photos! It was funny!
The best was as we were riding back to the trailers on the long road, Sky decided more than once to turn her butt around and go the other way! I'm not sure if her homing device was broken or if she was just up for a longer ride, but she had no qualms about hoofing it away from the whole crew of horses and foraging her own path... i nearly cried I laughed so hard at her!
We had a good lunch back at the trailers... at the picnic tables by the river... the Mix's, Betsy and I are way ahead of the group in planning an overnight excursion at the end of the month.... I'm fired up for some more good rides and am glad to be taking a break from the constant worries about slow canters and correct headsets... although we did get a great lope behind a trotting Kosh and Hannah in a long stretch by the river... funny how that happens!
It looks like I will be putting shoes - fronts to start - on Sky by the end of the week. The farrier looked at her today and shaped her up and she has too many bruises for me to ignore any longer... if I'm going to be doing the riding I don't want to have to worry about her.
So, I will keep you posted on the goings-on. I'm watching Lisa's house next week while they are away and taking care of all the animals - then LRSS 3 isn't too far off. Hopefully Amanda and I will be doing Riverfare's know and go clinic on the 1st... Karl did tell me to include it in my b'day present....
Take care, all,
C
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