tuesday ride

Only went 3 miles. I need to go out and back just a little ways and put Mia in the yard soon. This is not going to get us ready for the endurance season. But I had fun. Shade was acting like she was going to be crazy for meeting the grader though. Darned mare acts so wild that the drivers get nervous and go out of their way for her. I'm not sure how to work through this. At least she was reasonable when a dump truck passed us from behind.

Springtime in colorado ....

Often means snow showers sprinkled amongst the warm days. But I don't mind when the warm days fall on the weekends.

Saturday we still had quite a bit of snow on the ground at the start of the day but it was melting. I rode Grey Moun and let the pesky dogs come along. I cut the ride a bit short because it was pretty sloppy and we were not to the carcass pile where the dogs like to roll and eat nasty bits. Why do I ever go this way you ask? Well its the way Mia insists on going and I do want to give her some exercise so she doesn't get early arthritis. She had a broken leg or pelvis or something before she was re-homed to us.

After a break I was going to ride CJ or RazzMo, but Sadie was wanting attention so I grabbed her. We played a bit with trailer loading. I'm still indulging her, letting her put just front feet in and grab a bit of oats and then back out. Then I put a length of half inch rope in her mouth to see if it relaxed her for working on her feet. Jury is still out on that. Seemed to do some good for a couple of minutes but she was getting pizzed about it I think and was really dancing around when I tried to pick up the last hind leg. I tied her up shorter, and then short and she got the rope out and was like 'finally' about the same time and gave me the foot without more argument.

The longer days are NICE after winter. I caught CJ and brushed him up and then asked dad to take a couple of pictures of him. I'm putting an ad on craigslist for an almost free lease for some of mom and dads horses that never get messed with unless I do it; with 4 horses of my own that could benefit from more of my time then they get something had to change. Hopefully it will work out for at least one horse to get weekly or 3x/month riding.

Sunday I rode Shade, we only went about 6.5 miles, the ditch road was pretty slushy past the highway, so I turned around, went a out and back the other way. We did have some good footing for some decent canter and trot stretches. I still do not have the fire in my belly to really ride like I should to prep for the ride season. I've decided to skip end of April ride, but I need to get after it if I want to ride the pioneer event at the 4th of july ride in Wyoming that I like. I've only done 1 or 2 of the 50s and a LD every time I've gone there. I 'think' I want to reach for that pioneer, but it wont just happen. But I have so much fun just riding, the endurance is really just the excuse to go out when the weather is not great or I probably should be doing something else.

We were back pretty early, I felt sleepy though and piddled, finally took a sinus tablet and did a few bridge exercises. I'm having some low back pain which I think is mostly from neglecting the P/T exercises I used to to. I cleaned out my pickup cab somewhat, wiped the dirt of the dash and tried to scrub up my steering wheel. I'm going to have to wrap it, I scrubbed and rinsed a lot and it still felt a bit sticky. The fleece cover is too bulky and makes my hands ache so I need to try vet wrap or something. I played around with my cap for my tank. I probably should just get a tank with a threaded cover that can't splash but I think if I add a rubber washer under my cap it will be tight enough that it can't splash. I might not have to with the new cap when I leave it in the correct spot, but it can still tip around some. LOL, talk about a diary entry rather than something that could be understood by blog reader. Today it was snowing when I woke up but was getting sunny by 11 am..

friday catch up post

I rode wednesday ahead of our snow storm. thursday I vegged on the couch all day. Horses were fed and I did my basic state tax form and not much else beyond reading for entertainment. and even getting halfway into the tv shows mom had on.

Well the weather forecast is tolerable for the weekend. I wish I knew if my farrier was coming tomorrow or at all. I really liked her work but if she is not returning phone calls maybe she was not wild about my twitchy horses. Except I thought they were pretty good on that visit.

It seems so odd to me that a good number of people are 'politically happy'. I'm used to being kind of the oddball, but I must say, now I know how 'the left' felt when dubya had his malapropisms and tongue slip moments. And its odd to go to lunch with the co-workers and they are happy with the none. (I think-- they didn't talk politics and I didn't introduce the subject since talk of weather and movies was going well) I think maybe they cannot see beyond all the science money being passed out. Its rather odd, since *I* am the only one who doesn't have kids to inherit this debt --assuming we don't hyper inflation that makes a mockery of it while pretty much destroying the economy as well.

When I hear an Obama speech (I can NOT stand to watch one) the pauses that don't fit sentence breaks and other bits that really remind me he is reading off a prompter drive me nuts. The thing that bugs me the worst is when he or Hilary bash dubya policies. For pity's sake, you fooled the majority of the people and you are in charge now, but don't go around hinting to the rest of the world that treaties or slightly less formal agreements may be tossed under the bus. Start making your own policies without the bad mouthing and hey heres a thought -- try projecting that this country will honor its commitments past election dates, even if the new administration is going to do things their way.

Acting like snotty kids that have to tear the other snowman down, instead of just building your own better one is not becoming for leaders of the most powerful nation on the planet. Of course I think your snowman idea is wrong headed because you want the balls to get bigger towards the top; but if you conducted yourselves with some dignity I'd be much more inclined to see if you are strong enough to pull it off instead of having to force myself to leave the scene so I wont yell at other people's kids when they are not in my charge.

Lovely rides this weekend

and thank goodness because the weather was nasty monday and tuesday morning. I could have lived with a nice blizzard, but we only got the wind, blowing dirt around because we are so dry. We are supposed to get 4 to 8 inches of snow thursday. Please let it be 8 and be WET snow. I have to check the weather to see if looks like possible to ride tomorrow.

Good news side is no meetings this week, so if its calm enough I CAN ride wed, even I'm running slow.

I also have to call the saddle repair guy in town, I want to get my saddle modified and I think I should leave this to a pro instead of hacking on it myself like I did with the pommel. That worked out, I still have to cover my ugly gap but Shade is happy and I am too. Now I just need to get the cantle fixed, and the velcro removed or covered on the seat. I'm not going back to the bulky saddle flap but I need some adjustments for its absence.

I rode Grey on saturday, we had fun and I need to start riding him more, and pony him when I ride Shade shorter rides. Had a LSD ride on Shade, which was not very long. But she is loving the saddle and I made Ole and Mia stay home because it was warm. I'm going to have to do this regardless of temps. It was so nice not to have to keep looking around, worrying about a dog.

Why do I care so much?

I feel like BHO is taking the country exactly the wrong direction; acting like an African tin pot president in foreign affairs, totally failing what I would think would be common diplomatic courtesy. NO I do NOT give him a -oh the new staff just didn't know - pass; that would fly for just the DVDs gift but the snippy attitude I hear about wouldn't be there unless the top boss condones it, in this case most likely incites it. And we are going to have serious inflation, the value of the dollar will halve in 5 years or less. People will be laid off and generally demoralized, there will be an underground economy, probably one to make up through the Carter years look plum tame ........ and Russia, Iran and North Korea are totally going 'heh, we can so play this arrogant but ignorant dope'

But I cant figure out why *I* care. Unless we start disproving global warming in a heck of a hurry (not very likely) my job in atmospheric science is relatively safe and my wage will probably rise with inflation. We have a generous stock based retirement fund so unless BHO totally wipes out capitalism my retirement should grow with inflation and be ok. I don't have kids who will inherit the massive government debts. I don't think the U.S. will actually be bombed. Russia will expand its reach and influence and well Iran and North Korea are crazy but cant reach here........

I've never been particularly patriotic before. I was always pretty proud of my country but I didn't have to join the military to protect it and I didn't volunteer to do so. So why am I worried that conservatives will not be able to defeat these ideas and win elections in time to preserve this country and the next generation or their kids will end up with a tyranny? I keep trying to console myself with "You don't have any kids to reap this mess" but I just cant. I can only get to -well Germany survived Hitler and is not so bad now, etc so even if the worse happens it wont doom future generations forever. That is a comfort, but not enough to turn off all concern.

Pretty fun weekend

I rode Shade twice. Next weekend I have to ditch the dogs and get in a really nice long ride, but the new saddle and pad combo worked better. I think I need to tack the pad keepers a bit more yet so the pad can't go forward, but it was not able to move as much as before. Shade seems to move out pretty well in the saddle and the saddle seems to help my balance. If Shade brakes or something and I pitch forward I seem to come back without having to fight to do it.

Took Sadie and Grey out on sunday I think that will have to be the last time for that pairing. I need to use RazzMo who will pin his ears when Sadie tries to surge forward of him, She was being a brat, getting too forward and then cutting in front of Grey so we had to turn. I always made it a full circle but it was annoying and I called it quits after going less than 1/2 a mile out. No grazing on the way home.

Shade was acting wild and wooly this morning

It was fairly cold this morning and initially I thought I'd just head to work quicker, but Ole was whining wanting to go out and join the neighbor walking or something and it made me SO cranky. So I decided I must be due for a sanity ride and since it was calm and sunny I just put on the polar fleece tights that were too warm last time I wore them and a light shirt under my coat so I would not get sweaty and then chilled and grained and tacked up after pushing Ole into the fenced house yard.

When I was ready to go and called him I had to call 3 times before he heard me. He needs to learn to pay attention, the goof. So I led Shade past the neighbors yard even though I had let Mia take off dragging the leash instead of leading her. Hopped on, we went just a little way and S was coming with his crane. And Shade acted crazy, spinning and snorting. He turned it off but I couldn't get her go behind it so he could get going, so I went the direction we were headed and took her in the next driveway.

Then we get another few hundred yards after Shade snorted at the mail jeep and met the dump truck, more spinning, scaring this driver, I hopped off and Shade was swirling around and coming too close to knocking into me -this drive came to a complete stop too and I was then able to lead the wild child past the truck. This horse is SO used to traffic, she was just full of herself after only having 1 short ride in the last 9 days. And I don't pour the feed to her, she's pretty easy keeper, gets 1 lb of a low-starch grain mix with the salt, minerals and joint supplements I give her.

Well then we had a nice ride, only went 3 miles because I'm running behind with the time change and my general procrastination that I have not managed to shake off. Got home, fed the horses the rest of their hay, remembered that I'd decided I should dump and fill the mini's tank so went back out and did that and just about had a conniption because I couldn't see Ole and he was not coming when I yelled for him, made myself hoarse with 3 yells --darned cold remnants. I had taken the lead of Mia and put it on him and I was really getting worked up thinking he ran off in under 5 minutes with the leash on. Grab the car keys and pull down the drive honking the horn and he showed up. WHEW. I suppose he was playing with a neighbor dog but at least he hadn't snuck down the road to the place he is unwelcome at and was in ear shot of the car horn. Its 30% chance of a little snow tonight (please let it beat the odds and put a couple tenths or so of moisture on the ground) but supposed be to lovely weather on saturday so I should try to get a nice long ride on Shade.

SNL skit or top ten list idea

How debating with a liberal is like debating with a 2nd? grader.

I don't have an actual list, I'm kind of out of the loop on the kids end for one thing; but surely there is good comedy in there.

theres: Well Bush started it, or well Bush invaded Iraq,

Well Obama is COOL

and of course You hurt my feelings, have no sympathies for 'the disadvantaged'

Prior to this election cycle I had never heard of Saul Alinsky and I thought liberals making emotional statements about wall street greed or what have you instead of responding to the actual issue was just an immature nature thing. Who knew its a formal strategy to get their way; act like a tantruming toddler - since other adults are almost guaranteed not to be able to just put you in a timeout corner; if they cant just walk away they will get worn down and offer you a cookie (ie sub prime mortages) to shut you up. I need to get Sauls book to see if there are any good ways to counter attack this crap.

What I won't do for that mare-

Top pics show my 'spring tree' addition to the soft pommel. I end the plastic about an inch above the bottom of the soft insert. Just as well I had already broke the zipper as no way I would have gotten this in there. Mid pics show Shade with saddle on saturday with the fiberglass insert. Sunday I tried to move the saddle back a bit so it would be behind her shoulder blade like an english sadde should but I just don't know that there is room on a short backed arab to do this so I think the soft pommle with the plastic I cut from the supplement pail to give it some form so it wont want to spread and settle on the withers is the best option. And I took off the flap, you can just make out the velcro strip in the top pics. Bottom pics show the medium fiberglass pommel and the soft pommel. Only I would buy a new saddle and start beating it with the ugly stick. Actually I think that I will braid a nice bit of trim in turquoise and black parachute cord to cover up my white thread stitching job. And possibly I'll get a cover but I'm a bit concerned that a cover would bunch and irritate me like the seat/stirrup bar cover flap was doing. It felt fine without the flap, I've got plenty of padding on my thighs and didn't feel the stirrup squares.