AUGUST
August 9, 2006
Sunday was a nice, mellow day. Lori and I did a very leisurely ride around the neighborhood and finished with a tour of 'The Forbidden Land'. We rode the whole circumference of that property. It's been some time since it was mowed so the grass was up to the horse's chests in some places. Justin and Topper took advantage of snatching little 'roadie' snacks as we went along.
I think this is the time when the butterflies migrate. They are just out in abundance. It was neat to see so many of them flitting about from flower to flower, going about their uncomplicated little lives. The butterflies shared spots on the different wildflowers with several bumblebees. As always, we stirred a few fawns from their naps -- I always feel bad about that. I feel most terrible about one that sprung away so quickly, he didn't have time to watch where he was going and ended up clothes-lining himself on an old barbed wire fence. It only slowed him down for a moment and then he scurried on out of sight. I hope he's OK. :( We saw several young bucks and a few does -- all were enjoying a late morning graze, which because of how secluded that field is, they can.
Lori and I soaked up the lazy morning, had our usual laughs and did our usual exploring and did our usual drooling over our favorite properties in the neighborhood and finally made our way back to our horses' personal paradise. They both got their baths -- I gave Justin a particularly thorough one, because I hadn't done that in such a long time. He just looks marvelous -- nice and fat and well-muscled. I hand grazed him while he dried and loved seeing the shimmer in his coat. I always feel like if you can see a shine on a gray, you're doing something right. I like to think Justin is pretty spoiled. Between Lori, Paul and I, that horse gets plenty of TLC. There's nothing better than walking away from your horse knowing that you don't have to worry about a thing and that he will want for nothing. Can't say I've ever been able to say that about any place I've kept a horse, except now.
Lori and I are already scheming about the weekend. We plan on doing a little horse shopping if all goes well. I've gotten in touch with an old friend who I'd like to visit, who might have horses for sale -- we'll see. Otherwise, we're going to look at a few in Leesburg and maybe a few more in Middleburg. Because, you see, you can't just have two! If one goes away, the other needs company. And according to that adorable book by Bonnie Timmons, 'and if you have three and two are out, then that one needs a friend and if you....." you get the picture.
August 5, 2006
First off, I'm pleased to see that I actually got the date right yesterday. I had such a busy day today, that by the end of it, I thought it was Sunday. Since I ended up at a horse show, and usually do them on Sundays, it felt like one. I was so relieved when I realized I had one whole day left to blow by riding aimlessly for hours and doing whatever else it is I do.
Got up trés early and left the house by six to be at Jim and Linda's by 6:45 a.m.. We got the horses ready and loaded them up and met up with Middleburg Hunt for one of their trail rides they use to condition the horses for the hunting season. I started out on Rum. I was pleased that this time, he had a gag on and to feel that it worked! But it turned out, a guest of Jim and Linda's was having problems with Major so she and I switched horses. Just when I thought I was going to get to keep my arms in tact, Major has most likely managed to stretch them a few inches with that ride. Oh, those horses.
Anyway, the ride was great. I always love the camaraderie of the ride. Complete strangers always make a point of introducing themselves and it is fun to chat during the ride. You always get reshuffled during the ride, which ends up placing you near another new person to meet and chat with. I love that about the hunt. Ran into an old acquaintance from when I used to teach at Hunt Ridge. Have not seen here in 10 years! She boards at a place that is run by an old friend of mine from high school named Patty. They all call her Patricia but I know her as Patty, so, Patty it is. Patty was best friends with my best friend's sister Kathleen. She was also good friends with a close friend of mine, Becky. At some point, Becky also decided to lengthen her name to Rebecca. That's like me suddenly calling Bob, Robert. Not gonna happen.
After the ride, we sponge bathed the horses and offered them water and loaded them back up so that we could enjoy a little tail gating without them getting loose like last time. Got to meet a few more people, including one who posts on the Chronicle's bulletin board that I frequent. It was nice of her to introduce herself. Always fun to put a face with a screen name.
After that, I went to Middleburg Tack Exchange to look for a shadbelly one of my TemporaryTails.com clients was looking for. They have one that might work... And from there, off I went to Berryville to watch Alyssa in her last horse show with Bailey. :( She did great. She was second in all of her classes except the medal, where the heat finally caught up to Bailey. I took a bunch of pix and hope some come out well. I'm certain I cut her head off a few times and probably Bailey's feet.
Bob and I went to Lowes, when I got back, to order all of the doors we are having replaced in the house. Yay! I can't wait!!! ALL of the doors are getting replaces, along with the jambs! And I'm getting a new, spiffy, mirrored door for my closet. It will be nice to see what I look like before I go to work for a change!
Well, tomorrow, I'm up early to ride Justin with Lori so I must hop in bed and get started on one of my new books!
August 4, 2006
At least I think it's the 4th. Such a sad thing how I don't know what day it is, and quite frankly, for the most part, don't care. All I care about is Saturday/Sunday. Those days, I'm really clear on. Those are big days. It's been a while since I've written -- just been busy..or lazy...or both.
I will run down some of my latest news in no particular order, because remembering it for the past several weeks or so in order is going to be difficult for a person who doesn't even know what the date is, after being on that date pretty much all day.
Have been to a few shows. Might have actually mentioned such in July. Lori has been letting me hack Topper at the shows and I have decided to call my particular hack class, the Grand Prix on the Flat class. Because I take it so seriously. First off, if I can help it, Topper is braided. Sometimes, Lori wants to leave the barn at some un-godly hour, like 4:45 a.m. (I'm probably exaggerating) and since I quit teaching, I'm trying really hard not to get out of bed any earlier than I have to. My Grand Prix on the Flat steed is there when I get to the show grounds. Sometimes, I drive along behind the rig while Lori trailers him (because I'm a backseat driver and have trouble when other people haul -- I can't be in the same car with them) and sometimes, I race ahead so that I can swing by McDonald's beforehand (like Dani and I did this past weekend). The fable about the Turtle and Hare is true -- no matter how fast you race ahead, you aren't going to get there any faster -- we tested the theory.
Anyway, my job at the shows, while my Grand Prix on the Flat mount is doing his part in the 2'6" Grand Prix Hunters Over Fences class is to a) dust off Lori's boots several times before, during and in between her going into the ring b) paint Topper's hooves before, during and in between his jumping performance (a sight that really should not be missed because Topper actually takes his jumping really high and really fast much more seriously than I take my Grand Prix on the Flat class) c) wipe Topper's nose, mouth, butt, body, legs d) pray that Topper brings Lori safely back out of the in gate e) give Lori water while she prays to make it over course B a little slower than course A.
Now, mind you, Lori doesn't ask me to do anything. In fact, as the not-a-professional-anymore Grand Prix on the Flat rider, I could really just stand around, catch up with old friends, sip my 10th water for the day, check on the hot dogs at the food stand to see if they are ready yet and so on. But as the Grand Prix on the Flat rider, I really take my job seriously and doing items a-e helps me stay focus and connected to my Grand Prix on the Flat mount. Plus I get bored.
So, this past weekend, we went to a show. I'd just bought a new pink shirt, to make Lori happy, because she was appalled when I told her I only had one shirt/jacket combo. Those who know me know I haven't shown in years so for me to even have any show clothes is actually crazy. I just bought them to buy them so I had them, which ended up coming in handy. Dani and I had swung by the Dominion Tent Sale on the way to the barn, the day of the show and I was fortunate enough to find a nice pink shirt. Essex Coolmax to be exact. Those things are like $2000 (I'm kidding!) and I got it for like $50. Now, they are SUPPOSED to come with two collars. When I tried it on, it had two. When I got to the car, it only had one. I've gone thru this over and over, called Dominion -- correction, STALKED Dominion and the collar never materialized. I can only guess that the collar is now orbiting around in the strange galaxy where all socks, boats from the Bermuda Triangle, my old cell phone and now, recently, my Bulova watch go. Those who know me know how losing things really, really sets me off. I harbor the pain of losing my things for YEARS.
Anyway, I get all duded up in the new shirt which looks fabulous with my 40-something freckled skin, I've waited all day for my Grand Prix on the Flat class and all of a sudden, it becomes a bit dark. The trees are cringing a bit in a light breeze, telling us an evil storm is on its way. Just when we are certain it can't happen to us, an ominous roll of thunder mutters, "Oh yeah?" Flashes of lightning tell the thunder, "I'm with ya, baby! Let's hit 'em!" A few shy sprinkles of rain are tip toeing through while we're all circling outside of the ring. As the thunder got louder, the show management all look at each other like, "Hmmm...do we risk people's lives or delay this?" At this point, I am the oldest rider waiting for my Grand Prix on the Flat moment. I've waited all day. I don't care if Topper thought he was a steeplechaser and flew little Lori around like a kite. That's all history. This is my big moment!! Through squinted, seasoned, slightly crow's footed eyes, I say to all of my younger competitors, "I'M GOIN' IN!!!" Like chicks following a momma hen, they fell in line and in we went.
Now, braver little rain drops join the more timid ones and the thunder and lightning are doing their best to keep them honest. We start tracking left -- walk, trot, canter, then reverse and do the same. Praise the judge because she said WALK! just as Topper decided it was time to kick into a hand gallop. I act all casual as I rein him back in and throw him the reins as I meander into the line up. Since the sound system had to be shut down, we all huddled around the secretary's stand while the wind drowned out most of what the judge said. I don't care who was first, second, or third! I was FOURTH! I snatched my pristine white ribbon and clutched it to my chest like it was a freaking Champion and strode out of the ring on the finest Grand Prix on the Flat horse the Lord ever made!
And that, my little friends who find my boring little blog so interesting, was my big day at the show!
On to other news -- Dani, my pal from Brydelle Farm came ALLLLLLLLLLLLL the way up to my little house on Saturday morning. This meant she had to get up really early to be to my place at 8:30 a.m.. Being the on-the-ball gal that she is, she pulled up right at 8:15 a.m.. We'd planned on going to breakfast and then to the Greg Best clinic in Maryland. Off we went to breakfast to my new favorite restaurant, which I will leave nameless because if I tell everyone, there'll be a wait really soon and I hate to wait to eat.
We both had yummy dishes and soon were on our way to the clinic. Once there, we admired the nice facility at Garrison Forest School. Thankfully, the group auditing the clinic was very small. Unfortunately, they were all girls and everyone knows how chatty just a handful of girls can be! Because I am old, I can get cranky and go elsewhere if I want, regardless of concern if it offends anyone that I don't want to sit and here them natter on and on. So, I lean over to Dani and say, "I can't take it anymore." Because I couldn't hear Greg. So, off I went to the other side. I did it so fast, I think Dani wasn't quite sure if I was ever coming back. Eventually, she joined me and we did our careful listening and notetaking. I took my notes in a snappy leather bound book my best friend gave me on a recent trip to her home in CT. It is now my official clinic note taking book.
On a break, I dragged Dani over to chat with Greg. I'd met Greg years ago when I was married to...what should I call him here in this forum? Because I can't exactly call him what I normally call him because it really isn't appropriate in mixed company. OK -- I have it -- I'll call him My Really Stupid Mistake, MSM for short. So, I reintroduce myself to Greg and tell him I met him before at the 1987 Pan Am Games when I was married to MSM. His eyes got all wide, he gazed to the sky, a mental picture came to his mind's eye and he saw me and the few brief chats we had while we all meandered around the grounds at the Pan Ams for a week. Which, despite the private hell I was living in, being wed to MSM, was a really wonderful experience because of all the greats I got to hang out with: Peter Leone, Bill Steinkraus (augh, is he elegant!), Nelson Pessoa, Ian Millar, Packy McGowan (who actually was riding an old friend's horse -- a quarter horse that was a barrel racer and now here the thing was kicking butt at the Pan Ams in the Eventing stuff) to name a few. It was a really super experience. Anyway, he said, "OOOOOOOOOOH yeeeeeeeah!" A little small talk flew around about MSM, to which I sheepishly said, "I'll have to withold comment," and away we went from that sore subject and segued nicely on to my goals.
Dani and I both told him how we want to visit in NZ. Only because it is the farthest possible trip we could take. Why do a short little haul up to Middleburg to visit Joe Fargis when you can travel for days upon days on a plane that is nice enough to stop in Tahiti to let you stretch your legs, only to make you get back on it to fly for more and more? I'm already thinking of how the heck I am going to keep myself entertained for that period of time and plan on getting a refill on my Ambien, just so I am sure to sleep through any unscheduled water landings. Dani and I are already doing our due diligence on the trip and at some point, in 2008, we're pretty sure we will be flying to NZ, only to get off and abuse our bodies for a week on horseback. I can't WAIT!!
Somewhere, in all of this excitement, I've bumped into Sabrina and crew at the shows. Which is really good. I love nothing better than seeing pals at shows. I also love when they win. Nicole swept the Amateur hunter division, including my Grand Prix on the Flat class. But it didn't matter. If you are going to be beat, at least be beat by a friend. And let's not forget the pristine quality of my white ribbon. It's a few steps up from what I call, The Gumby, which is 6th. And that is what our FINE hacking earned us at our previous Grand Prix on the Flat outing.
Also, somewhere in there, Justin had gas colic and cost mommy lots of money. I got the bill today. Let's see...what else -- Oh, I called Linda today, because she really, really wants me to come out with the hunt on the trail rides they do to get conditioned for the fall. Soooooooooo, tomorrow, I will be getting myself up at an hour that will put me to their farm in Middleburg at 6:45 a.m. for a 7:15 a.m. departure. Jim, being the retired Army dude that he is, has barked out all of his orders and expectations and one of them is that I not be late. Which I never am. But it makes him feel good to say it. So I let him.
I am going to ride Rum and I expect my arms to be about 6 inches longer by the end of the ride. After that, I'm going to drag my knuckles into Journeymen and get boyfriend there to put my brass plate on my new saddle. I then plan on going to Middleburg Tack Exchange to look for shadbellies to add to my inventory (see www.temporarytails.com) and I think after that, I'll swing by to ride my crazy boy who I hope one day, although given his years of going around with arthritic hocks untreated, he too can be a Grand Prix on the Flat mount.
And now, I must go to bed because poor Bob is already all tucked in for his very early day protecting our country.