I went in for a port flush today. It has been six weeks and five days since my last port flush. Usually I go every six weeks on the nose but life has been busy and when I scheduled the appointment I did not think five days would make much difference. I was wrong.
Loredana was not there today, instead a nurse named Ellen came in. She called me a wimp for using the numbing cream, but I like the numbing cream. I do not even notice when they stab me in the chest. As soon as she started the first blood draw out of the port she asked, "When was your last port flush?"
I told her it had been six weeks and five days and asked if there was a problem. Usually I look away the entire time they do the port flush. I used to watch Kerri pump the chemo into my port but I do not want to watch anymore. When Ellen asked me how long it had been since my last flush I looked down.
The syringe that is usually filled with blood was filled with brown sludge. She drew back again and more brown sludge came out. Watching brown sludge come out of your body does not give you a warm, fuzzy feeling.
Usually when something in my life goes wrong, I shrug it off and say it is a long way from my heart. The problem is that my port is not a long way from my heart. It is right near my heart.
Ellen says that she has seen this before and it is not something to worry about. I will probably worry some anyway, I am good at worrying. In the meantime she needed to find more syringes and more saline since now she could not use the original syringe for the flush. "We're not pumping that sludge back into your system!" She went to open a drawer and it was locked. "Mother of Christ this is the most annoying when they lock these doors!" Then she quickly apologized for cursing in front of me. I laughed.
I told Ellen that I was getting the sharp, shooting pain in my port a lot more often lately. Loredana said that the pain was because I was losing weight and the port was readjusting to a new location but I have not had any significant weight loss.
Ellen said, "Have you considered having your port removed."
I replied, "Oh yes, every day since my last chemotherapy treatment I think about having it removed but Dr. Andemaeriam won't let me take it out until I reach one year past chemo, thats in April."
"Oh."
When I went to schedule my next port flush and blood labs for my next CT scan I asked for Loredana to do my port flush (since she is my oncologist's nurse) but they told me she no longer worked there and they had not replaced her yet. That explained why Ellen did my port flush today. I was crestfallen though. Loredana was with me from day one when I went to Farmington for a second opinion. She lectured me about farming and brushing horses and pushing myself until I was running a fever. She came and checked on me when I was in the treatment room and jumped through hoops to make the treatment cycle easier for me. I will miss her and hope that wherever she has gone, things are going well.
Wednesday, February 24, 2010
Friday, February 19, 2010
Saddle Headaches
I read an article in the a dressage magazine a few weeks ago about saddle fitting. When I finished reading the article I read it a second time. By the time I finished the article the second time I was convinced that:
1. My saddle did not fit my horse
2. The only way I could find a saddle that would fit my horse was with the help of a master saddler.
That being said, I really cannot afford a new saddle or a master saddler right now. Instead I called a friend who has several dressage saddles and asked to borrow one. The least I could do was put a better fitting saddle on my horse, right?
I took the "new" saddle to the barn and tried it on Secret. It looked like it fit, there was space in all the right places, but I really was not sure.
I took it home and Tim cleaned and oiled it for me. I took it back to the barn and put it back on Secret and looked again. I think it will work, but I really wish I had a master saddler.
At this point the barn owner asked me, "What's wrong with your old saddle?"
I told her that I did not think it fit. She reminded me that I had been working Secret in the "old" saddle since February 2009 and that she was making great progress and never showed any signs of pain or any of the classic symptoms of an ill-fitting saddle.
The barn owner has known me for years. She probably knows me better than I know me. I fessed up and told her about the article I read and how it made me completely question everything I knew about saddle fitting. She had read the same article and long story short believes that some horses need professional saddle fitters but a lot of horses can use regular saddles bought off the shelf without a master fitter, using the obvious signs that she and I use. Why is the article trying to convince us that we need master saddle fitters then? Her opinion (and I concur) is that people have discovered they can make money in the business of master saddle fitting and are therefore going to promote this business. Nothing wrong with that but not all horses need a master saddle fitter. My job as a horse owner and rider is to be aware enough to figure out which services my horse needs and which she does not.
I felt much better after our conversation, but I still had this saddle on loan from my friend. I decided to try riding in it anyway.
Sitting in this saddle was like coming home. I was instantly comfortable in the saddle. Don't get me wrong, I have a really nice saddle, but it is fairly new. My saddle has the high cantle, padded panels and thigh blocks that are standard on most dressage saddles now. That is a lot of saddle between you and the horse. My friend's saddle is twenty five years old. It was made before long billets on dressage saddles. When I sat in my friend's saddle it was like "oh there you are Secret." I needed fewer aids (i.e. not as strong a leg) to get my point across because there was a lot less saddle blocking my seat and leg.
Maybe I was not completely wrong in my original assessment about my saddle. The saddle fit the horse but did not fit me. For now Secret and I will be working in the "new" saddle.
1. My saddle did not fit my horse
2. The only way I could find a saddle that would fit my horse was with the help of a master saddler.
That being said, I really cannot afford a new saddle or a master saddler right now. Instead I called a friend who has several dressage saddles and asked to borrow one. The least I could do was put a better fitting saddle on my horse, right?
I took the "new" saddle to the barn and tried it on Secret. It looked like it fit, there was space in all the right places, but I really was not sure.
I took it home and Tim cleaned and oiled it for me. I took it back to the barn and put it back on Secret and looked again. I think it will work, but I really wish I had a master saddler.
At this point the barn owner asked me, "What's wrong with your old saddle?"
I told her that I did not think it fit. She reminded me that I had been working Secret in the "old" saddle since February 2009 and that she was making great progress and never showed any signs of pain or any of the classic symptoms of an ill-fitting saddle.
The barn owner has known me for years. She probably knows me better than I know me. I fessed up and told her about the article I read and how it made me completely question everything I knew about saddle fitting. She had read the same article and long story short believes that some horses need professional saddle fitters but a lot of horses can use regular saddles bought off the shelf without a master fitter, using the obvious signs that she and I use. Why is the article trying to convince us that we need master saddle fitters then? Her opinion (and I concur) is that people have discovered they can make money in the business of master saddle fitting and are therefore going to promote this business. Nothing wrong with that but not all horses need a master saddle fitter. My job as a horse owner and rider is to be aware enough to figure out which services my horse needs and which she does not.
I felt much better after our conversation, but I still had this saddle on loan from my friend. I decided to try riding in it anyway.
Sitting in this saddle was like coming home. I was instantly comfortable in the saddle. Don't get me wrong, I have a really nice saddle, but it is fairly new. My saddle has the high cantle, padded panels and thigh blocks that are standard on most dressage saddles now. That is a lot of saddle between you and the horse. My friend's saddle is twenty five years old. It was made before long billets on dressage saddles. When I sat in my friend's saddle it was like "oh there you are Secret." I needed fewer aids (i.e. not as strong a leg) to get my point across because there was a lot less saddle blocking my seat and leg.
Maybe I was not completely wrong in my original assessment about my saddle. The saddle fit the horse but did not fit me. For now Secret and I will be working in the "new" saddle.
Wednesday, February 17, 2010
Role Reversal
My little cousin wanted to take a horse on a trail ride over the top of the hill. She is eleven and has really wanted to do this her entire life. The only problem is that she is not quite brave enough (and none of my horses are quite well behaved enough) for her to go on her own with another rider.
I volunteered to lead the pony she rides and my other cousin also went, for the ponies there is always safety in numbers and it is more fun for the girls to go in pairs.
I heard the weather forcast before the girls and I decided which day to go. But the weatherman have been wrong a lot lately so I did not think we would get enough snow to bother our trail ride. The weathermen were wrong again. We got more snow than they said.
Off we went, through about six inches of snow. The girls rode my usual pine tree loop, it takes about forty five minutes. You ride up to the top of the hill through the corn fields, get a great view of all the fields at the pine tree and then loop back home through the hay fields.
The problem with snow on a trail ride is that it hides the footing. You have no idea where the rocks, ditches or tire ruts are anymore. Oops, hole there. Ow, rock! At this point I should probably admit that I was the one doing all of the tripping, not the ponies.
By the time we returned to the barn, my jeans were caked with an inch of snow (I took the barn broom and swept them off) and my legs were a bit tired. I definitely give the horses a lot more credit for carrying us so well on the many different trails we ask them to take, including the snow. But we all had fun and we are headed back out next Saturday!
I volunteered to lead the pony she rides and my other cousin also went, for the ponies there is always safety in numbers and it is more fun for the girls to go in pairs.
I heard the weather forcast before the girls and I decided which day to go. But the weatherman have been wrong a lot lately so I did not think we would get enough snow to bother our trail ride. The weathermen were wrong again. We got more snow than they said.
Off we went, through about six inches of snow. The girls rode my usual pine tree loop, it takes about forty five minutes. You ride up to the top of the hill through the corn fields, get a great view of all the fields at the pine tree and then loop back home through the hay fields.
The problem with snow on a trail ride is that it hides the footing. You have no idea where the rocks, ditches or tire ruts are anymore. Oops, hole there. Ow, rock! At this point I should probably admit that I was the one doing all of the tripping, not the ponies.
By the time we returned to the barn, my jeans were caked with an inch of snow (I took the barn broom and swept them off) and my legs were a bit tired. I definitely give the horses a lot more credit for carrying us so well on the many different trails we ask them to take, including the snow. But we all had fun and we are headed back out next Saturday!
Monday, February 15, 2010
A Quiet Moment
I think we are all in search of balance in some form or another. Society dictates that we are all much busier than we should be. But everyone always talks about finding balance in our lives as well.
I am starting to believe that balance is elusive, at least in my life. I am sure a lot of you feel the same way. I have found moments though, when balance is not so elusive.
When the world gets crazy and hectic, I retreat to the barn. One of my horses is at a friend's barn and I have found the quiet moments over this winter when I go to the barn to take care of Secret have been the moments when I find balance. Secret is the only horse at that barn that I have to worry about. Sure, I say hello to the other horses, but that is where my commitment ends. From there on out, my time at the barn is spent focusing on Secret.
One of the best things about horses is that they accept you for who you are. The other day I walked into the barn nearly in tears. Secret did not mind, she did not ask any questions or try to fix it for me, she let me live in that emotion. By the time I finished grooming her and letting her play in the indoor, I was much better and she was happy.
I cannot explain why, but I know that going to the barn makes me a better person and helps me find those elusive moments of balance in my life.
I am starting to believe that balance is elusive, at least in my life. I am sure a lot of you feel the same way. I have found moments though, when balance is not so elusive.
When the world gets crazy and hectic, I retreat to the barn. One of my horses is at a friend's barn and I have found the quiet moments over this winter when I go to the barn to take care of Secret have been the moments when I find balance. Secret is the only horse at that barn that I have to worry about. Sure, I say hello to the other horses, but that is where my commitment ends. From there on out, my time at the barn is spent focusing on Secret.
One of the best things about horses is that they accept you for who you are. The other day I walked into the barn nearly in tears. Secret did not mind, she did not ask any questions or try to fix it for me, she let me live in that emotion. By the time I finished grooming her and letting her play in the indoor, I was much better and she was happy.
I cannot explain why, but I know that going to the barn makes me a better person and helps me find those elusive moments of balance in my life.
Saturday, February 13, 2010
Squirrel Parade
A couple of weeks ago I was leading a horse out to pasture when he stopped and stood completely still, staring off into the distance.
It took me a few seconds to figure out what he was watching, but finally I noticed.
Over in the trees there were six squirrels, running in a line. Down one tree, across the stone wall, up the next tree and down another tree.
On many occasions I have wondered about the size of a squirrel's brain. I particularly wonder about their brain capacity when they are about to dash under the wheels of my car. However, I give them a bit more credit now, the squirrel parade was pretty neat to watch.
It took me a few seconds to figure out what he was watching, but finally I noticed.
Over in the trees there were six squirrels, running in a line. Down one tree, across the stone wall, up the next tree and down another tree.
On many occasions I have wondered about the size of a squirrel's brain. I particularly wonder about their brain capacity when they are about to dash under the wheels of my car. However, I give them a bit more credit now, the squirrel parade was pretty neat to watch.
Wednesday, February 10, 2010
Instant Results
We live in a world of instant results. You can even get Campbell's soup in instant travel containers now. Soup on the go and in the car. Sometimes it is hard to remember that everything in life is not instant. After paying your bills, catching up with a high school friend or any other multitude of things with the click of a button it can be hard to swallow this fact.
Horses do not always yield instant results.
A week ago, three of us were tacking up our horses to ride at the same time. Jen headed to the indoor first but came back after about ten minutes.
"Done already?"
No, she was not done. Her horse was in the mood to rear so Jen got off and decided she had better do a little ground work. While Becca and I rode Jen lunged her horse in side reins, trotting him over ground poles and all sorts of other stuff. He was stunningly beautiful. When Jen finished working her gelding she was hand walking him and we were talking about ground work and how beneficial it is. Jen made an excellent point that really hit home for me (and I am not quoting exactly but you get the general idea).
"I know ground work is great for horses and improves your work under saddle but I really just want to ride. Today I was forced to do ground work but I am glad I did. I was able to see that my horse really can do all of these things and do them well. I am going to start forcing myself to do ground work more often it will be good for both of us."
After a couple of mediocre rides last week I spent some time contemplating this conversation. I gave Secret three days off (two intentional and one extra because life got in the way). And then yesterday, I longed her in side reins. We did the ground poles once but it wound her up. I will add those in another time. It was nice to see that she tunes me out just as well on a longe line as she does when I am riding her. We worked on transitions and voice commands. When she finally slowed down and pulled herself together she was lovely.
I rode today. The first half of the ride was much better. Her trot work was slower with more rhythm. She did not get heavy on the forehand and bending came easier. Then I asked for the canter and the quality deteriorated a bit. Canter always exposes the weaknesses in Secret's training. After some good canter both directions we went back to trot work. It was not as good as the beginning, but it was okay. I will definitely be putting her back into bitting tack to let her work on the canter without me.
I get frustrated when we have "mediocre" rides. Or rides that deteriorate after the canter because that does not always happen. When I get frustrated I have to remind myself of where Secret and I started six months ago with her training.
Whoa. We really have come a long way. Back off, the horse cannot change overnight or with the click of a button. Maybe the ride was not so mediocre after all.
Horses do not always yield instant results.
A week ago, three of us were tacking up our horses to ride at the same time. Jen headed to the indoor first but came back after about ten minutes.
"Done already?"
No, she was not done. Her horse was in the mood to rear so Jen got off and decided she had better do a little ground work. While Becca and I rode Jen lunged her horse in side reins, trotting him over ground poles and all sorts of other stuff. He was stunningly beautiful. When Jen finished working her gelding she was hand walking him and we were talking about ground work and how beneficial it is. Jen made an excellent point that really hit home for me (and I am not quoting exactly but you get the general idea).
"I know ground work is great for horses and improves your work under saddle but I really just want to ride. Today I was forced to do ground work but I am glad I did. I was able to see that my horse really can do all of these things and do them well. I am going to start forcing myself to do ground work more often it will be good for both of us."
After a couple of mediocre rides last week I spent some time contemplating this conversation. I gave Secret three days off (two intentional and one extra because life got in the way). And then yesterday, I longed her in side reins. We did the ground poles once but it wound her up. I will add those in another time. It was nice to see that she tunes me out just as well on a longe line as she does when I am riding her. We worked on transitions and voice commands. When she finally slowed down and pulled herself together she was lovely.
I rode today. The first half of the ride was much better. Her trot work was slower with more rhythm. She did not get heavy on the forehand and bending came easier. Then I asked for the canter and the quality deteriorated a bit. Canter always exposes the weaknesses in Secret's training. After some good canter both directions we went back to trot work. It was not as good as the beginning, but it was okay. I will definitely be putting her back into bitting tack to let her work on the canter without me.
I get frustrated when we have "mediocre" rides. Or rides that deteriorate after the canter because that does not always happen. When I get frustrated I have to remind myself of where Secret and I started six months ago with her training.
Whoa. We really have come a long way. Back off, the horse cannot change overnight or with the click of a button. Maybe the ride was not so mediocre after all.
Monday, February 8, 2010
Barn Gossip
This "dialog" was inspired by a conversation Beth and I had untacking our horses the other day after some interesting rides.
Any Given Horsebarn
9 p.m.
"Did you see what my person tried to make me do today?" Blaze, a chestnut jumper asked his barnmates. "She set those jumps at 3 feet 6 inches like we could just pick up where we left off last week. I set her straight pretty quickly!"
"What did you do Blaze?" asked Tina, the dressage horse.
"I knocked the rails off a couple fences and she lowered the course to 2 feet 6 inches. That way I didn't have to work as hard," Blaze replied.
"Oh I see. Well, if it makes you feel any better my person schooled me on bending again. I mean, I get it already, go around in a bent frame, it is not that hard. If I have to do one more twenty meter circle I am going to colic. Boring!" Tina retorted.
"Ha! I have you both beat!" piped up Isabella. "For the last five years my person has been trying to learn the same pattern. Every day she sets up three barrels and we run around them, always in the same order. You would think after five years she would know the pattern by now. Honestly I think she should just let me be in charge."
"You young ones have a lot to learn," chided Topper.
"What do you mean?" replied Blaze.
"I took two lame steps coming out of my stall today and my person turned me out in a grass paddock for the rest of the day," Topper told him.
Any Given Horsebarn
9 p.m.
"Did you see what my person tried to make me do today?" Blaze, a chestnut jumper asked his barnmates. "She set those jumps at 3 feet 6 inches like we could just pick up where we left off last week. I set her straight pretty quickly!"
"What did you do Blaze?" asked Tina, the dressage horse.
"I knocked the rails off a couple fences and she lowered the course to 2 feet 6 inches. That way I didn't have to work as hard," Blaze replied.
"Oh I see. Well, if it makes you feel any better my person schooled me on bending again. I mean, I get it already, go around in a bent frame, it is not that hard. If I have to do one more twenty meter circle I am going to colic. Boring!" Tina retorted.
"Ha! I have you both beat!" piped up Isabella. "For the last five years my person has been trying to learn the same pattern. Every day she sets up three barrels and we run around them, always in the same order. You would think after five years she would know the pattern by now. Honestly I think she should just let me be in charge."
"You young ones have a lot to learn," chided Topper.
"What do you mean?" replied Blaze.
"I took two lame steps coming out of my stall today and my person turned me out in a grass paddock for the rest of the day," Topper told him.
Friday, February 5, 2010
Limbo Land
During chemotherapy, I kept focusing on the future. If I could just get past those six months I could go back to being normal. Or at least my version of normal! I thought I would just put cancer in my past and pick up where I left off.
Unfortunately it really does not work like that. Cancer has become part of my identity and no matter what I do or how I try to ignore it, cancer is still there.
Lately cancer has been invading my space on several fronts. Although I am fine, two accquaintances that I have met through my cancer journey recently relapsed with Hodgkin lymphoma.
Right now, my oncologist has CT scans done every three months, checking for a relapse. When I get to the one year mark (in April 2010) I graduate to scans every six months and they will take my port out. The thought of those scans freaks me out and I am not very pleasant for a few days leading up to scan day and for a few days after scan day while I wait for results.
Waiting for the next four years and two months to be over makes me feel like I live in Limbo Land. I often wonder if the other shoe will drop or if I will be one of the lucky ones who walks away at the end of five years. Thinking about all of the possibilities can either make a person sick or insane. I try to live my life in the moment instead and not worry about the next four years and two months. I am not always successful, but maybe this is another lesson I am learning from cancer, to live in the present.
I think we all have some defining moments in our life that teach us to live in the moment. What is yours?
Unfortunately it really does not work like that. Cancer has become part of my identity and no matter what I do or how I try to ignore it, cancer is still there.
Lately cancer has been invading my space on several fronts. Although I am fine, two accquaintances that I have met through my cancer journey recently relapsed with Hodgkin lymphoma.
Right now, my oncologist has CT scans done every three months, checking for a relapse. When I get to the one year mark (in April 2010) I graduate to scans every six months and they will take my port out. The thought of those scans freaks me out and I am not very pleasant for a few days leading up to scan day and for a few days after scan day while I wait for results.
Waiting for the next four years and two months to be over makes me feel like I live in Limbo Land. I often wonder if the other shoe will drop or if I will be one of the lucky ones who walks away at the end of five years. Thinking about all of the possibilities can either make a person sick or insane. I try to live my life in the moment instead and not worry about the next four years and two months. I am not always successful, but maybe this is another lesson I am learning from cancer, to live in the present.
I think we all have some defining moments in our life that teach us to live in the moment. What is yours?
Why a Tumbleweed?
According to the Merriam-Webster dictionary, tumbleweed is a plant (either a Russian thistle or any of several types of amaranths) that will break away from its roots in the autumn and is then driven about by the wind as a light rolling mass.
I am oddly connected to the notion of tumbleweeds and have been since childhood. I consider myself to be a bit of a tumbleweed. When I drove out to Reno several years ago, I found my first tumbleweeds in Nebraska. I was so excited that I immediately called my mother and told her I had found tumbleweeds and even (gasp) ran one over. She was regretful to inform me that the rest of the world is not quite as fascinated with tumbleweeds as I am. In his song, “It Just Comes Natural,” George Strait sings about the tumbleweeds blowing. I always knew I liked him, even if I am not a country music fan.
Thursday, February 4, 2010
Don't Swim Alone
Do you remember when we were kids and everyone always told you not to swim alone?
What about riding alone? I ride alone all the time. Secret is stabled at my friend's barn because they have an indoor arena. It is a small boarding facility and I often arrive, ride and leave without ever seeing another person. Is this really safe? I will hop on Killarney and trail ride him all over the dairy farm without telling anyone where I am going (I generally make the route up as I go along).
Sure, I wear a helmet. And yes, my cell phone is in my pocket (usually) but what if something happened? It might be awhile before someone discovered me or my horse.
But I hopped on Secret and started riding anyway. I think she read my mind.
Cowgirl up!
It was windy today and Secret used that as an excuse to let everything freak her out. She saw an eight ounce bird (probably the same bird who pooped on her blanket in her stall) and jumped three feet into the air and six feet off to the side. It might have been funny if we had not worked on these same fear issues a couple of weeks ago. And so I rode until she was comfortable in the indoor again.
By the time she was comfortable it was almost time for me to head back to the dairy farm. I decided to walk her around the fields to cool her out and for the first time ever opened the door to the indoor while mounted. Secret stood stock still while I slid the door open. The door squeaked and groaned and she still stood stock still. And then I was certain that all of the antics we had just been through were an act, she just did not want to work.
It did make me think about riding alone a bit more though. I will continue to ride alone but maybe I will take a few more precautions. What are your thoughts on riding alone? Do any of you still go out on your own?
What about riding alone? I ride alone all the time. Secret is stabled at my friend's barn because they have an indoor arena. It is a small boarding facility and I often arrive, ride and leave without ever seeing another person. Is this really safe? I will hop on Killarney and trail ride him all over the dairy farm without telling anyone where I am going (I generally make the route up as I go along).
Sure, I wear a helmet. And yes, my cell phone is in my pocket (usually) but what if something happened? It might be awhile before someone discovered me or my horse.
But I hopped on Secret and started riding anyway. I think she read my mind.
Cowgirl up!
It was windy today and Secret used that as an excuse to let everything freak her out. She saw an eight ounce bird (probably the same bird who pooped on her blanket in her stall) and jumped three feet into the air and six feet off to the side. It might have been funny if we had not worked on these same fear issues a couple of weeks ago. And so I rode until she was comfortable in the indoor again.
By the time she was comfortable it was almost time for me to head back to the dairy farm. I decided to walk her around the fields to cool her out and for the first time ever opened the door to the indoor while mounted. Secret stood stock still while I slid the door open. The door squeaked and groaned and she still stood stock still. And then I was certain that all of the antics we had just been through were an act, she just did not want to work.
It did make me think about riding alone a bit more though. I will continue to ride alone but maybe I will take a few more precautions. What are your thoughts on riding alone? Do any of you still go out on your own?
Wednesday, February 3, 2010
Groundhog Day
Do you pay any attention to Groundhog day? Yesterday was groundhog day. I only know that because of the guy on the radio. I do not know if it is better for the groundhog to see his shadow or not to see his shadow. All I know is that the groundhog is supposed to predict how much more winter we will get and he is usually wrong.
In North Carolina they bring out a pot bellied pig and she predicts how much more winter they will have. She said winter will be over sooner rather than later. North Carolina is getting another snow storm this weekend.
I have my own version of groundhog day. I call it "Loose Cow Day." It is a different day every year - whatever day of the new year the first cow gets loose. This year it happened on February 1st. My theory is that if the cow makes us work hard to catch her - spring will be here soon. If she runs right back into the barn we are in for more winter.
The cow that got loose on February 1st was a runner. Five of us took off in separate directions trying to block gaps and keep her near the barn and after quite a bit of running on our part, we finally caught her. My theory is that spring is on its way. Like any self respecting groundhog, I am probably wrong.
In North Carolina they bring out a pot bellied pig and she predicts how much more winter they will have. She said winter will be over sooner rather than later. North Carolina is getting another snow storm this weekend.
I have my own version of groundhog day. I call it "Loose Cow Day." It is a different day every year - whatever day of the new year the first cow gets loose. This year it happened on February 1st. My theory is that if the cow makes us work hard to catch her - spring will be here soon. If she runs right back into the barn we are in for more winter.
The cow that got loose on February 1st was a runner. Five of us took off in separate directions trying to block gaps and keep her near the barn and after quite a bit of running on our part, we finally caught her. My theory is that spring is on its way. Like any self respecting groundhog, I am probably wrong.
Tuesday, February 2, 2010
What's In It For Me?
I was thinking about my goals for each of my horses the today. Killarney is being conditioned for a thirty mile competitive trail ride. Secret is headed to the dressage ring. Remi needs to be trained for saddle work and may show in hand.
With all of this on my mind and many plans for the spring, I headed to the barn to ride Secret. On the drive over I started thinking about what my horses want. I cannot wait to take Secret to her first horse show, but I have a sneaking suspicion that the only horse show she wants attend is one where there is a grass eating contest.
I took a step back and decided that instead of riding (it is after all only February and we have been working hard) I would take Secret for a walk down into the field and let her eat grass. She had a great day and it helps me keep my goals in perspective.
With all of this on my mind and many plans for the spring, I headed to the barn to ride Secret. On the drive over I started thinking about what my horses want. I cannot wait to take Secret to her first horse show, but I have a sneaking suspicion that the only horse show she wants attend is one where there is a grass eating contest.
I took a step back and decided that instead of riding (it is after all only February and we have been working hard) I would take Secret for a walk down into the field and let her eat grass. She had a great day and it helps me keep my goals in perspective.
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