Wine and Cheese Anybody?

(from Graduate Riding School Blog) So as some of you may know, Miss Sienna has some concerns about stadium. She's usually (not always, but usually) great in the w/u, but as soon as she's alone with scary fences her brain falls out her ear. And dangerously so because when she's in that mindset she has no self-preservation. No bucking or anything really silly, but will crash through the fence around the ring to get out of the ring. Or try and bolt while on wet footing and fall over. I'd almost rather Zel's bucking dramatics because at least I always knew her self-preservation instinct was high. *I* might get hurt in the game, but only if I were foolish enough to fall off. She wouldn't cause it or injure herself. Si could destroy us both in her frantic RUNFORYOURLIFE mode. My solution to this is lots of practice. Which means jumper schooling shows. Ugh. (Can't go trillium w/o a passport n I don't want to do that this year) Anyways -- in this vein I was aware of the Wine and Cheese adult show on Thursday nights (and yes, there really is Wine and Cheese :). Starts at 5. Which means technically I don't even have to leave work early. So I had thoughts of taking my pony. But I was tired and it was threatening rain all day. Got to the barn and I was still debating with myself till finally I told myself "Self, smarten up. You're not going to get anything out of schooling at home. It's even sunny out now and not too hot. It's never going to get any better. Go train your horse." So I dutifully packed the trailer and loaded the horse and off I went. It was about 4:30 when we pulled out. So I get there, leave her on the trailer to go register etc. Take a quick walk around the jumper ring -- fair course, footing is decent (which given all the rain I was concerned about). Nothing to it really. 2'9" course -- but didn't ride like one because none of the oxers were square. So rode more like a 2'3 - 2'6 course (even though the fences prob were technically @ height). But since she clears everything by at least an extra foot anyways, this is not a bad thing *g*. Anyways - course has the kinds of turns you'd expect in the jumper ring and lots of filler and bright coloured items -- and the last part is really what I wanted Si to experience. There was a girl trotting her horse around the ring before the show started, so that let me know they were pretty relaxed about the whole thing. I had half a thought that that'd be really good to do w/ Sienna, but doubted I'd have time to tack her up and get back there in time. Go back and tack Si up (a bit of an adventure as a back-firing tractor sent all the horses turned out in the neighbouring field galloping. Sheesh :) Hop on and ride out to the show area. Was quite impressed by how she handled the hack over -- much better than on recent outings. As I get to the w/u ring I hear the jumper ring is starting and that it'll be back-to-back rounds. Umm ok -- no worries, will warm her up and go at the end of the class. Till I realize there's only like 5 or 6 people in the class! hahaha oops :) The dozens of people causing a traffic jam in the w/u were all there for hunter. W/u ring was very sloppy. Trotted her around a couple times but she was really sticky and not in front of the leg. Hopped her over a couple fences. Super quiet, but still not quite there... But they're also *tiny* fences so that could have something to do with it too. Head over to the jumper ring where there's one or two other horses. Turns out it's not back-to-back rounds so much as jump-whatever-course-you-want *g* So I tell the start guy my # and that I'm doing the first course and in we go. I let her walk in and see everything -- even let her stop and investigate the one really scary fence (which'd be second on course. sheesh!) No hurry, no rush. Judge waited till I did that before ringing her bell :) Jump the first fence... Back to trot, calm, reorg, canter jump the scary second fence, back to trot. Jump the next two out of a trot as she's thoroughly unhappy about leaving the in-gate and I'm trying to get her pointed in something that resembles a straight line and focused on her job. Rest of the course kinda like that "Idon'tknow, Idon'tknow, ok let's GOOOOO!!!" Nothing pretty or confident about that round at all. A few deer leaps :( But on the plus side, she didn't lose her brain. There was none of the franticness that we've been getting. HUGE improvement there. I can deal with "unsure" because unsure is still ridable. Runforyourlife is not.. So anyways, leave ring, ask gate-boy to keep my ribbon for me (both rounds are just "Clear Round" - no timing involved). Memorize next course and go back in (one horse inbetween me and me :). 2nd round much better. Still not confident, but more steady. Could let her canter some of the fences. Still not great, but much better. And again, no runforyourlife pony. Theoretically we're done. But really one more round would help so much :) And it's not as though there are hundreds of people waiting. So I asked if I could do an HC round (which was way beyond gate-boy's comprehension). Ummm doesn't need a judge or ribbons, I just want to do a practice round. The people on the other end of the radio were trying to convince him I had to go pay for it first (ummmm yeah by the time I do that there's no point to going back in the ring). So I basically overrode kid and said I'd pay for it after and just went in. Was very polite about it, but not about to argue with the other side of the radio through this poor kid... Hopped her around and this course was close to good. Whole thing in canter, controlled, balanced, reasonable spots. No deer leaps. Thank God (those are horrendous). So lots of pats for pony. Ask gate boy to keep my ribbons a while longer and go back to untack. Sort of bemused that we're already done. It took me longer to tackup and untack then to w/u and ride three rounds *g*. For that matter, it took you longer to read this! Go back and pay for the extra round, thanking them profusely for "allowing" it *g*. Pick up ribbons. Allow Si to graze for a bit. And we were home by 6:30 :) Fastest. Show. Ever. Whole show, including transport time, was less than 2h. Sweet!

Wine and Cheese Anybody?

So as some of you may know, Miss Sienna has some concerns about stadium. She's usually (not always, but usually) great in the w/u, but as soon as she's alone with scary fences her brain falls out her ear. And dangerously so because when she's in that mindset she has no self-preservation. No bucking or anything really silly, but will crash through the fence around the ring to get out of the ring. Or try and bolt while on wet footing and fall over. I'd almost rather Zel's bucking dramatics because at least I always knew her self-preservation instinct was high. *I* might get hurt in the game, but only if I were foolish enough to fall off. She wouldn't cause it or injure herself. Si could destroy us both in her frantic RUNFORYOURLIFE mode.

My solution to this is lots of practice. Which means jumper schooling shows. Ugh. (Can't go trillium w/o a passport n I don't want to do that this year) Anyways -- in this vein I was aware of the Wine and Cheese adult show on Thursday nights (and yes, there really is Wine and Cheese :). Starts at 5. Which means technically I don't even have to leave work early. So I had thoughts of taking my pony. But I was tired and it was threatening rain all day. Got to the barn and I was still debating with myself till finally I told myself "Self, smarten up. You're not going to get anything out of schooling at home. It's even sunny out now and not too hot. It's never going to get any better. Go train your horse." So I dutifully packed the trailer and loaded the horse and off I went. It was about 4:30 when we pulled out.

So I get there, leave her on the trailer to go register etc. Take a quick walk around the jumper ring -- fair course, footing is decent (which given all the rain I was concerned about). Nothing to it really. 2'9" course -- but didn't ride like one because none of the oxers were square. So rode more like a 2'3 - 2'6 course (even though the fences prob were technically @ height). But since she clears everything by at least an extra foot anyways, this is not a bad thing *g*. Anyways - course has the kinds of turns you'd expect in the jumper ring and lots of filler and bright coloured items -- and the last part is really what I wanted Si to experience. There was a girl trotting her horse around the ring before the show started, so that let me know they were pretty relaxed about the whole thing. I had half a thought that that'd be really good to do w/ Sienna, but doubted I'd have time to tack her up and get back there in time.

Go back and tack Si up (a bit of an adventure as a back-firing tractor sent all the horses turned out in the neighbouring field galloping. Sheesh :) Hop on and ride out to the show area. Was quite impressed by how she handled the hack over -- much better than on recent outings. As I get to the w/u ring I hear the jumper ring is starting and that it'll be back-to-back rounds. Umm ok -- no worries, will warm her up and go at the end of the class. Till I realize there's only like 5 or 6 people in the class! hahaha oops :) The dozens of people causing a traffic jam in the w/u were all there for hunter. W/u ring was very sloppy. Trotted her around a couple times but she was really sticky and not in front of the leg. Hopped her over a couple fences. Super quiet, but still not quite there... But they're also *tiny* fences so that could have something to do with it too.

Head over to the jumper ring where there's one or two other horses. Turns out it's not back-to-back rounds so much as jump-whatever-course-you-want *g* So I tell the start guy my # and that I'm doing the first course and in we go. I let her walk in and see everything -- even let her stop and investigate the one really scary fence (which'd be second on course. sheesh!) No hurry, no rush. Judge waited till I did that before ringing her bell :) Jump the first fence... Back to trot, calm, reorg, canter jump the scary second fence, back to trot. Jump the next two out of a trot as she's thoroughly unhappy about leaving the in-gate and I'm trying to get her pointed in something that resembles a straight line and focused on her job. Rest of the course kinda like that "Idon'tknow, Idon'tknow, ok let's GOOOOO!!!" Nothing pretty or confident about that round at all. A few deer leaps :( But on the plus side, she didn't lose her brain. There was none of the franticness that we've been getting. HUGE improvement there. I can deal with "unsure" because unsure is still ridable. Runforyourlife is not..

So anyways, leave ring, ask gate-boy to keep my ribbon for me (both rounds are just "Clear Round" - no timing involved). Memorize next course and go back in (one horse inbetween me and me :). 2nd round much better. Still not confident, but more steady. Could let her canter some of the fences. Still not great, but much better. And again, no runforyourlife pony. Theoretically we're done. But really one more round would help so much :) And it's not as though there are hundreds of people waiting. So I asked if I could do an HC round (which was way beyond gate-boy's comprehension). Ummm doesn't need a judge or ribbons, I just want to do a practice round. The people on the other end of the radio were trying to convince him I had to go pay for it first (ummmm yeah by the time I do that there's no point to going back in the ring). So I basically overrode kid and said I'd pay for it after and just went in. Was very polite about it, but not about to argue with the other side of the radio through this poor kid... Hopped her around and this course was close to good. Whole thing in canter, controlled, balanced, reasonable spots. No deer leaps. Thank God (those are horrendous).

So lots of pats for pony. Ask gate boy to keep my ribbons a while longer and go back to untack. Sort of bemused that we're already done. It took me longer to tackup and untack then to w/u and ride three rounds *g*. For that matter, it took you longer to read this! Go back and pay for the extra round, thanking them profusely for "allowing" it *g*. Pick up ribbons. Allow Si to graze for a bit. And we were home by 6:30 :) Fastest. Show. Ever. Whole show, including transport time, was less than 2h. Sweet!

#FridayFlash 39 - Just Another Day - Conclusion

So I know technically this isn't a flash on it's own, but it IS the requested conclusion to a flash I wrote a while back. So I hope you'll read and enjoy :) Just Another Day started with "As her lunch companion's head exploded, Mary took a last sip of her espresso before sliding out of the booth..." and ended with Mary considering a career change as she was unwillingly saddled with a partner. Here we have the conclusion :) Comments very welcome! Thanks for reading :) ------ Just Another Day - Conclusion Mary’s day had started out poorly. Her main lead had been shot before she’d gotten any information from him and the math professor she’d questioned turned out to be the father of her missing person… “Trevor Peters is my son.” “Which is precisely why I came to speak to you,” Mary said with just enough derision in her voice to almost cover her surprise. The professor managed to convey his complete disbelief with just a look. He stalked past Mary out of the house leaving her to follow. She got in the passenger side of his car just before he pulled out of the driveway. “You know where he went?” she asked. “There’s only one place left.” He didn’t elaborate. “So what has Trevor done that would attract the attention of your employers?” the professor asked after a few minutes. Mary didn’t even bother to give the standard confidentiality speech. “He wrote some code that can hack our systems,” she told him outright, “which makes him a threat to national security.” She considered leaving it at that, but her internal code – sometimes at odds with the agency’s – wouldn’t let her. “What makes Trevor different,” she continued, “is that he gave it to us. He’s a brilliant hacker, but he’s using his skills to help his country. We have a vested interest in finding him before the killers do; not only for the sake of international relations, but because we can offer him protection.” “Protection he doesn’t want,” the professor stated. “No way of knowing until we find him,” Mary argued. “He’s my son. I know.” They drove the rest of the way in silence. Mary noted the twisted circling route the professor took; very much the way she would’ve driven. She wondered briefly what he’d done before he decided to teach undergrad mathematics. Eventually they found themselves on a dirt road heading up into the mountains. After some time, the professor pulled off the road fairly deep into the bush and parked, a quick look around confirmed his car would be entirely out of site of the road. They hiked a short distance to a clearing; Mary was surprised to see a Kinkade style cottage with an elaborately landscaped garden in front of it. Somehow she’d been expecting a rundown shack, not something quite so elegant and effeminate. “It belonged to his mother,” the professor muttered out the corner of his mouth, accurately reading Mary’s surprise. “It was her dream cottage.” “That’s not his car,” the professor told her of the beat-up green Jetta in the driveway. “Trevor would never bring somebody here.” The warning was unnecessary; Mary knew from his body language that the car was a bad sign. “I’ll go look,” Mary told him. The professor started to argue, but here Mary was in her element. “I’m faster and more flexible,” she told him. “I can get in and see what’s going on and get back unseen.” Acknowledging the validity of her point, he showed her the blindspots that would enable her to approach the house safely and suggested the best window to eavesdrop under. Following his advice she darted forward. Her heart pounded in the loud but slow rhythm it always entered when she was in a tense situation. The shades were open – a novice mistake. She risked a glance and ascertained there was nobody in sight. Carefully, she crept to the back door, opened it a crack and ducked to the side. With no response from inside, she widened it enough to slip through and found herself in a hallway. She could hear voices upstairs, but took the time to peer quickly into each room on the ground floor before focusing on them. She was alone for the moment, and judging by what she could hear it would seem that Trevor was still alive. Her back to the wall, she crept slowly up the cottage steps, testing each stair to avoid a fatal creak. She cautiously approached the room. Risking a glance, she was relieved to see there were only three people in the room. Her quarry was sitting at the computer typing, his body radiating all kinds of stress. A man stood behind him watching the screen, left hand on his shoulder, the right holding a gun loosely at his side. Beside the door, but fortunately not paying quite enough attention was the last man, armed but also appearing entirely relaxed. Mary took a second to consider her options. One against two, with a hostage. But she had the advantage of surprise. And they were relaxed. No problem. Of course she should call for backup, or at very least go get the professor. But by the time she left and came back who knew what state Trevor might be in? She hoped he was working slowly to prolong his value to the captors, but she couldn’t count on it. She entered low, fast and loud, using her second of surprise to land a powerful side-kick to the groin of the man by the door while shooting the right shoulder of the man by the hostage. Maybe she wasn’t slipping, she thought with a grin. In the next second she snagged the gun the man writhing on the floor was reaching for and pointed it at the one she’d shot . “Don’t even consider it,” she told him as he went to reach his gun with his left hand; he was stronger than she’d given him credit for. A novice mistake. Definitely time for a new career. “You ok?” she asked the hostage, not sparing him a glance as she focused on the other two men. He grunted something she took for assent. She was debating whether she could trust him to do anything useful to help without causing more trouble when a creak on the stair alerted her to more company. Decision made, she kicked the last gun towards her hostage, suggesting he keep it pointed at the man she’d dropped, freeing her to point one at the shot kidnapper and one at the door. It placed her in a precarious position and she knew it, but it was her only choice. Mary’s reflexes were fast enough that she managed not to shoot the professor when he entered the room, his own gun leading. “Not bad,” he told her on a split second assessment of the situation. “Trevor put that gun down, you could hurt somebody.” He admonished his son who appeared astounded at the appearance of his father. “Cuffs?” he asked Mary. “Back pocket,” she told him. He tossed his son a cell phone with instructions to call 911 while he proceeded to cuff the two criminals. The young man eyed his father warily while he called the cops; Mary figured this was a side of the professor he’d never seen before. “Thanks,” he told them, somewhat belatedly. “Who are you?” “Mary Lipsitt, INR,” she told him, showing her badge for the first time. “We were hoping to talk to you about the code you provided us with,” she told him. “And offer protection against those who aren’t as civil as we are.” “Protection offer’s just a little late,” he pointed out, “and besides, I already sent you everything I have.” “That’s good to know son,” the professor said before calmly turning the gun on him. “When I suggested you were incapable of hacking the INR, I’d expected you to bring me proof I was wrong. But no, you had to go giving it to them instead. There’s entirely too much of your mother in you.” He stated, his disappointment evident. Trevor sputtered to his father, disbelieving, but Mary instantly understood how thoroughly she’d been played. “Mary, if you still want the chance to speak to him, you’ll put your weapons down.” The professor commanded. One against three, one hostage, and all alert. Less favourable odds. “You’re not going to let him go,” Mary stated the obvious, desperate to buy herself time to think. “Why not? He has nothing left, so he’s nothing to me now,” the young man cringed visibly at that, evidently more upset by his father’s rejection than by the gun pointed at him. And the moment he cringed, Mary saw her chance. She shot him in the leg, causing him to drop screaming. When all else fails, shoot the hostage. She darted sideways towards the door at the same instant, barely avoiding the professor’s shot. He never had time to get off a second shot. She caught movement out of the corner of her eye; turning she fired wildly at the man who the professor had only pretended to cuff. Her aim was off and as she straightened she heard a second shot. A rookie mistake, not accounting for all the weapons. Definitely time for a new career. But it was one mistake too many.

Just Another Day (reposting)

This was written for Flash way-back-when. I finally wrote the conclusion so figured I should repost the start :) Comments always welcome :) ----- Just Another Day As her lunch companion's head exploded, Mary took a last sip of her espresso before sliding out of the booth and using the chaos that had erupted in the coffee shop to become disassociated with her unfortunate companion. There would be no point in sticking around for the cops -- she had nothing that could help them, and they would only hinder her. It hadn't been one of her better days, she reflected as she slipped out the back door and blended in with the other pedestrians hunched to avoid the drizzly grey weather. But, she supposed, still better than some. At least she'd had time to pick his brain before it splattered so rudely across the table. Personally she didn't think his knowledge was worth killing for, but maybe she was becoming lax. Perhaps it was time to find a new career. She followed the herd down to the subway and traveled three stops before emerging to flag an anonymous yellow taxi. She picked a random address she could've walked to, but habit had her instinctively make the job of those following her as difficult as possible. Several cab changes later, she headed to her target location. Slipping into the back of the lecture hall, she endured the last few minutes of the aged professor’s undergraduate level talk. She waited as the students gathered their items and exited the hall with the extreme speed that only students escaping mandatory classes are capable of. "Ah, Mary Mary quite contrary," he started, seeing her sitting alone in the auditorium. To which Mary outwardly smiled and inwardly felt any respect she may have had for her former professor disintegrate, "how may I assist you today?" “Trevor Peters" she stated, watching him closely. The professor's face transformed from friendly-grandfather to one who has seen and known too much. "I'm sorry, my dear, that name means nothing to me." After the morning she'd had, she had no patience for the conventional games. "Spencer Matthews was killed a little over an hour ago. There's a very good chance Trevor will be next. Where is he?" The older man blanched slightly but otherwise gave no sign the news of his former student affected him. "We haven't spoken in a while," he said inanely, "perhaps you'd like to come over for a coffee?" Several sharp retorts about the outcome of her last cup of coffee jumped instantly to mind, but resolutely she stifled them, knowing he was her only link to the information she required. "I'd like that," she lied blatantly, and followed the professor out to his car. She was suspicious but not overly concerned when he drove to a stately old home instead of the nearest Starbucks. The door was slightly ajar and the professor was cautious in opening it -- his movements betrayed an ingrained knowledge of tactical maneuvers not learned in the classroom. Mary was forced to reevaluate her opinion of him as she followed him in, sweeping left while he went right, her Springfield XD 9, previously concealed, now held confidently in front of her. As Mary shadowed the professor into what appeared to be his home library she was not particularly surprised to see him retrieve a Glock and magazine from a hollow book and load it; as her mind registered the significance of the practiced movement, she wondered idly what else might be in those books. A quick sweep of the rest of the house proved what both instinctively knew -- they were alone. And nothing, so far as Mary could tell, had been touched. She wondered if the old professor had simply forgotten to lock up that morning, but as he was appearing less like an old professor by the second, she kept that thought to herself. "What is it you want with Trevor Peters?" he asked bluntly. "Information," she replied. "Information of the type people would kill for.” While she didn't particularly care one way or another about the life of the hacker who knew one secret too many, she had long since learned that playing the 'help save a life' card motivated most civilians. "What makes you think I know where he is?" "If you didn't, I wouldn't be here." she stated, neatly avoiding the question. She knew better than to reveal sources -- even dead ones. The look he gave her was that of a disappointed parent. "You don't know nearly as much as you think you do, young lady." Surprisingly she was more intrigued than insulted by his patronizing tone. "Educate me," she challenged. "This morning," he started, "I knew exactly where Trevor Peters was." Mary nodded -- she'd already ascertained that much. "He was here." That worried her briefly, maybe she really was slipping. She'd been certain the old professor knew where to find him, but had had no sign her quarry had been in the immediate area. "I’ll help you find him," the professor stated. "No thank you," Mary said, knowing even as she said it that the offer hadn't been an offer so much as a command. "You'd be putting yourself in danger. These people kill indiscriminately; just for talking to me, you could be at risk." "Then I may as well be involved," the professor argued with a disturbing twist on logic. "And they're not that indiscriminant, otherwise how do you come to be standing here when Spencer is dead?" "What makes you think I was there when Spencer was killed?" Mary asked, focusing on the detail he shouldn't have known. The professor gave her another withering look before pointing out that she had unmistakable flecks of brain matter staining her shirt. Ok so she should've picked up on that. Definitely time for a career change. But then, a math professor, on the verge of retirement, should not have. "I will find Trevor." he started, taking advantage of her momentary discombobulation. "I can find him on my own -- in which case you'll never get to ask your questions, or we can find him together and see what he says." Mary’s tension rose as she envisioned her effort searching, not to mention a significant amount of money, being wasted due to a rogue professor "There is one more thing that you don't know,” the professor stated, piquing her reluctant interest. Her raised eyebrow encouraged him to continue: "Trevor Peters is my son."

Vacation Daydreams

So I think I've mentioned before that I'm going on vacation this summer... And I don't know where :) Anyways, this has raised some questions so.... My mum and I have gone on a few trips together -- be it roadtripping to Vermont or lying on a beach in Jamaica :) And we were discussing the possibility of a road trip. Since I'm intending to be very busy with a farm over the next few years, my thought is if I'm going anywhere, it should be this summer. So her suggestion was that we should go to the rockies, since I've never been out west before. Brilliant! Let's go :) Oh wait, that's @ least a 3wk road trip and both of us are contractors. Therefore no vacation pay. Therefore we leave, we don't get paid. Therefore there's absolutely no way I (@ least, I won't presume to speak for her :) can afford to go. Booo. So we tossed around the possibility of a one-way road-trip and flying back which is also fine with me :) But the conversation moved on to other things and I mostly filed it under the "would be nice but not likely to actually happen" category of things. Also known as daydreaming :) Fast-forward a few days and my mum says "so I was thinking, in terms of billable hours, if we book a trip around a long weekend we can take three days off and go for six." Sweet. Good call Mum :) And then as I'm all agreeing to this, the fun part, "ok and I know where we're going, but you don't. How's the Aug long weeknd work for you?" hahaha seriously? Very kewl. So I check the sched, means I can't go to GV but that's ok (B'll forgive me I'm sure -- I'll go in the fall :) My boss was out of town that week so I had to wait for him to get back so I could clear the vaca time from work. In the end though -- good to go :) Woohoo! Now we're playing Where in the World is our Vacation? *g* I'm still betting on the rockies, but here are the clues as I have them for any so inclined to join in *g*: - "Is your passport up to date?" - could potentially mean leaving the country, but does not *necessarily* mean leaving the country :) Which narrows things down to, oh yeah, the whole world. - "you don't go to the Caribbean in July" (this covers about all beach destinations and everywhere really hot; I think the Arabian desert is out :) - "you'll need a camera" - ummm again pretty much leaves the whole world open given that more often than not I even bring my camera to work with me. - "you'll need hiking boots." "Real hiking boots?" "No, running shoes are fine." - "you shouldn't need to buy anything to go." - this cuts out extreme camping and extreme cold (awwww >;-P And I was so looking forward to Antarctica!) - Was chatting about it with my brother saying well it's not likely to be X, Y, Z cause I've already been there, or A, B, C cause Mum's already been there, when she joins in with "well actually I *have* been there before". So A, B, and C are back in :) (in this case it was Spain and Portugal). - Then I clued in that if she has been there before it cuts out all the places she hasn't been. Leading to eventual confirmation that . . . - "it's in North America" And that's where we're at now. And it's not helping curtail that whole daydreaming habit *g* I guess I'll find out in about 7 wks :) Guesses anybody?

XC Adventures @ GV

(from GRS Blog) So do you remember the story of the disastrous day at Grandview? I could post a link here, but really... I'd rather not :) And then the far less entertaining, far more disastrous clinic a few weeks ago where my little horse learned that ditches are to be feared? Alright so combine those two days and you know where I started when I called Bob and asked if I could bring Sienna up to GV for a lesson. Their show was last weekend, so I knew everything would be in great shape and with no other shows on this weekend, I had hopes he might be available. Yup, good to go. I can come up on Sat. Of course it's supposed to be pouring rain on Sat (after weeks of stunningly gorgeous weather) but such is my life. In my request I believe I asked for scary stadium fences, ditches and banks. And in mind there are two other fences on his course I wanted to jump too but they were pretty low priority. And I knew fully well I was asking a lot because as we all well know that is not ONE lesson I was requesting. But I figured we'd go up and get through whatever we get through. So while I'm setting this up, my friend Anna (for those who've been following this blog from the beginning, this is the same wonderful Anna who petsat Bilbo - my rabbit - for several months for me so I could go to Denny's), calls to ask something about GV (don't remember what exactly) because she really wants to go have a lesson there. So of course I invite her to come play with Sienna and I :) Always more fun with a 2nd person! And clearly meant to be after that timing. So after a little bit of time shuffling we had it all set up. Sat am rolls around, stupidly early, and I'm sick :( Very icky sick. Fortunately to me it seems as though it were something I ate (and the timing was such that that'd make sense -- several hours after last meal etc). So as miserable as I was, I had hopes I'd still be ok to ride. Esp as I had cancelled TWICE with B before (she who *never* cancels lessons) and so was not about to cancel again shy of a lame horse (and even then I'd still have taken Anna). Fortunately for me, we had an afternoon lesson booked, so I had most of the morning to recover. Head out to the barn, feeling almost human. Feed beast, hook up trailer. Have the timing down to the second -- just long enough to get everything packed and groom and load Sienna. No problem. Except that when I went in the barn one of my students was seriously stressing over the rider exam she was prepping for (to do on Sun) and things were deteriorating rapidly. So I had to take a little while to help her get sorted out, solve the issue she was having, and then kick her out to go hack or jump or something and have fun *g* (it's not too often I tell my students they're not allowed to work, but sometimes, it's necessary. For the record, she passed the exam with flying colours :). So this is all well and good, but now I'm supposed to be pulling out the driveway and the truck's still not packed and the pony's still in the field. hmmmm less good. Pack up truck in record time (it's not as though I can't do that in my sleep by now :) and go get Sienna from the field (who thankfully almost always comes when she's called). She's only filthy on ONE side so that's a start. hahaha Fastest grooming job ever (hey at least my tack was clean!). Load Si and off we go. Get to Anna's about half-hour late... Fortunately for me I'd added in an extra half hour when planning the timing. And since her horse loads as well as Si, we were off in no time. So bright blue skies until we were about to leave the highway and suddenly dark ominous clouds the direction we want to go. Classic. But A usually has *good* luck with weather, so we were really hoping her luck would outweigh mine. Pull into GV with 2 minutes to spare -- which sounds great till you realize we haven't tacked up yet. Fortunately B was busy with a dressage lesson that was running late, so we had time to unload, tack up, and head over there without seeming to be all that late. hahaha We were quick about it, but not as frantic as it might've been (I even snagged a few seconds to run another brush over Sienna so she wouldn't be quite so appallingly turned-out). Head down to dressage world where B is finishing up his previous lesson. Has this awesome new footing -- except that Sienna wanted nothing to do with it. Stepped on it very tentatively, snorting and looking at it. But her usual options for scary footing are jump over it or run across it. And neither of those work in a giant ring she's expected to work in. Poor girl. Trying to keep all four feet from touching it -- but very carefully. No bucking or silliness, just anxiety and some quick steps. I could feel her heart pounding top speed. And she never did chill out about it. B's lesson ends and he joins us, "so how's your mare?" "As you see." I answer with a roll of the eyes as she snorts, yet again, at the footing. "Looking for a confidence building school." Ok so with that beginning we trek up to stadium. Usually when I go there to school XC we warm up in what is the stad w/u area in their competitions (so on sand but not in the actual show ring). And the flags flapping around the T+ course (on grass) definitely catches her attention, but she's not bad. In fact she's pretty much the opposite of the horse I had the last time I was there. Doesn't want to go forward! Had to really work just to get her to trot. Sheesh. Gradually build up a gymnastic. Nice, easy, inviting. Great start with the whole confidence boost thing given that Sienna can do gymnastics in her sleep. And A's horse is far more experienced than Si so they're good to go :) So at this point I had figured stad was a no-go and we'd just go out on XC. Fair enough. Except B clearly remembered my less-than-good results at the last show. "I think I should send you in the stadium ring." hahaha yes please! Now the only thing we cheated on was that she had a minute or two to walk around the ring (and shy at the flags and the judges booth) before we had to jump. Which always helps and you generally don't get in competition (unless the person in front of you demolishes the course :). But we jumped the course that was there without introducing her to the fences first. And while it wasn't always pretty, and at least one fence was in trot, she did jump clear and did keep her brain between her ears. So that was good. THEN we got to go out on XC. Meander over to the start box and the first two fences on the E course are super inviting and in a reasonably straight line (down a dip - not really a hill - up a dip inbetween). So the idea is we trot down passed the 2nd one, turn around n jump them both backwards towards home, then turn and jump the PT 1st fence. And as I trot away Sienna is being super-nappy, so I'm having visions of the mad gallop back to her friend, but actually she jumped both very quietly and the PT one just about perfectly. Ok, good start. So then it was jump the E ones away from home, pick up the third one on the E course then go into the next field and jump something there. All good, except after the second one Si was all about turning home to her new friend. So when I not only make her keep going away but also turn decidedly the opposite direction, this did not go over so well. So now I'm fighting not only to keep her going the direction she'd rather not, but also to get her to jump the coup she wanted nothing to do with. Less than good *sigh* Did eventually get her over it and into the second field. Where I opted not to battle over the next fence but instead made her hang out till her buddy got there. Once he was hanging out on the other side of the last fence, then we went and did it :) hahaha so B hiked way out to where we were and we did a few more combos involving the fences she was sticky with and a couple others -- no more issues, except that the unwillingness to go away was becoming more evident. Going to have to work on that one. No bolting back towards though, so that's a start. Then the DITCH. Ohhhh/ahhhh. Now to put this in perspective -- this ditch is the first one Sienna *ever* jumped (last spring) and she had no problems with it. It is also on the T course and regularly eats people (you could see the scuff marks from all the abrupt stops the wknd before). So we go the easy way first -- and it's shallow enough she can walk through it, so I'm pretty determined about this one. And she stops and starts shooting backwards. Blah. But B just takes her and leads her across. Yeah! Then we do it on our own (at this point still in walk and still stepping IN the ditch). Try it the other way (with slightly more of a downhill slope on the approach) -- stops but then goes again w/ no lead and no backwards. Better. Then in trot both ways. Then in canter both ways. Woohoo! Yeah event horse :) The one way was perfect; the other a little sticky, but still clearing it each time. I was pretty thrilled. Then the BANK. Ohhhh/ahhhh. hahaha "just trot up that and run down the other side". Sure. Did I mention Sienna's gone up exactly 2 banks, ever? Well I'll tell ya, she did it like an old pro. "You lie!" from my coach *g* Yeah she really did make it look like she was an old school pony. hahaha So then a course. Little house, roll-back through the trees away from the friends, ditch, other little house (in the tree-line), up the bank, down the slope, over the little brush fence. Did I mention the little houses were on my "fences I'd like to school" list? Mostly cause last time we were there she wouldn't even walk near them (and at the time was too green to push it). Sure - I'll go first *g* Well I'll tell ya, I had to *really* ride each fence, and we definitely trotted the ditch, but she jumped every fence on the first try AND she let me rate her pace to set her up for the bank. I was super-thrilled. (I think B was a little puzzled why I was so excited by that :) We didn't get to school down banks today, but given how much we did that the other day @ Cedar Run and that my focus for the day was more on ditches, I was kewl with that. A was disappointed cause her horse is much better at down than up *g* So next stop? Another ditch. This one has a bit of an awkward approach since it's part of the Int coffin, but the ditch itself is shallow and baby-friendly. First jump was perfect -- but we followed A's horse so kinda cheating. Going back the other way didn't happen -- again though this battle was entirely nappiness (didn't want to leave the other horse) and the ditch was just an excuse. So turned it into a figure 8 of jump it the easy way, keep going, loop back to jump it the hard way - and she did it (not brilliantly, but she did it). And then she focused on the int skinny with a "are you sure?" feel in her body. I could just feel the relief when I told her no she was absolutely not jumping that and she should really hold the line I put her on that went away from it :) hahaha we did that one the easy way once more and then moved on. To another ditch. hahaha starting to see why I wanted to come here? (Well that and B's coaching of course >;-P All the better to get both in the same place :) This is the little baby ditch that's actually *on* the PT course. hahaha and she hesitated, and got growled at (literally "use your voice" -- which esp as I almost never do, startles her over the fence :) and hopped over it. Back and forth over that one a few times and on too.... The water! Woohoo. We're good at water so this is just fun :) Splash through, jump out, jump in. All good :) So then a course of ditch, random xc fence (reasonable size and scary *new* wood, but she did it well on the first try. Had to really ride it, but it worked), curve around back through the water over the little vert. Well she def stopped at the ditch. Booo. 2nd try we made it over and the rest of the course was good. Ok one more. Ditch (other direction this time), jump into the water, and then go jump the little bench (which'd be the *other* random fence I had on my mental list of "it'd be good if she got to jump that"). This course she did really well although ridiculously nappy leaving to the first fence (umm ditch :) but once she focused on it, the rest was good. So as the sun came out we ended on that. B hung out with us for a bit while we were getting untacked etc. Had a fairly interesting conversation about teaching philosophy (which I'm always up for - esp with those who know more than me :); S joined in for a bit of that too (which is kewl cause I've only met her once or twice). Sort of amused me since I'd had a very similar conversation w/ my weekly coach the day before. Something in the air :) Let the horses graze for a bit and have some water before loading up and heading home. Nice end to the day. Lessons learned -- remember voice is a highly effective aid when used appropriately *g* Pony needs lots more practice leaving other horses (and I will *really* have to ride the first few fences on XC). Up banks and water are evidently no problem whatsoever. Down banks and ditches still need some work. Also needs work with going into a ring and jumping without getting to explore first (more jumper shows *sigh*). Oh and Anna's weather luck outweights mine. Woohoo! A long day, but a good one.

XC Adventures @ GV

So do you remember the story of the disastrous day at Grandview? I could post a link here, but really... I'd rather not :) And then the far less entertaining, far more disastrous clinic a few weeks ago where my little horse learned that ditches are to be feared?

Alright so combine those two days and you know where I started when I called Bob and asked if I could bring Sienna up to GV for a lesson. Their show was last weekend, so I knew everything would be in great shape and with no other shows on this weekend, I had hopes he might be available.

Yup, good to go. I can come up on Sat. Of course it's supposed to be pouring rain on Sat (after weeks of stunningly gorgeous weather) but such is my life. In my request I believe I asked for scary stadium fences, ditches and banks. And in mind there are two other fences on his course I wanted to jump too but they were pretty low priority. And I knew fully well I was asking a lot because as we all well know that is not ONE lesson I was requesting. But I figured we'd go up and get through whatever we get through.

So while I'm setting this up, my friend Anna (for those who've been following this blog from the beginning, this is the same wonderful Anna who petsat Bilbo - my rabbit - for several months for me so I could go to Denny's), calls to ask something about GV (don't remember what exactly) because she really wants to go have a lesson there. So of course I invite her to come play with Sienna and I :) Always more fun with a 2nd person! And clearly meant to be after that timing. So after a little bit of time shuffling we had it all set up.

Sat am rolls around, stupidly early, and I'm sick :( Very icky sick. Fortunately to me it seems as though it were something I ate (and the timing was such that that'd make sense -- several hours after last meal etc). So as miserable as I was, I had hopes I'd still be ok to ride. Esp as I had cancelled TWICE with B before (she who *never* cancels lessons) and so was not about to cancel again shy of a lame horse (and even then I'd still have taken Anna). Fortunately for me, we had an afternoon lesson booked, so I had most of the morning to recover.

Head out to the barn, feeling almost human. Feed beast, hook up trailer. Have the timing down to the second -- just long enough to get everything packed and groom and load Sienna. No problem. Except that when I went in the barn one of my students was seriously stressing over the rider exam she was prepping for (to do on Sun) and things were deteriorating rapidly. So I had to take a little while to help her get sorted out, solve the issue she was having, and then kick her out to go hack or jump or something and have fun *g* (it's not too often I tell my students they're not allowed to work, but sometimes, it's necessary. For the record, she passed the exam with flying colours :). So this is all well and good, but now I'm supposed to be pulling out the driveway and the truck's still not packed and the pony's still in the field. hmmmm less good.

Pack up truck in record time (it's not as though I can't do that in my sleep by now :) and go get Sienna from the field (who thankfully almost always comes when she's called). She's only filthy on ONE side so that's a start. hahaha Fastest grooming job ever (hey at least my tack was clean!). Load Si and off we go. Get to Anna's about half-hour late... Fortunately for me I'd added in an extra half hour when planning the timing. And since her horse loads as well as Si, we were off in no time.

So bright blue skies until we were about to leave the highway and suddenly dark ominous clouds the direction we want to go. Classic. But A usually has *good* luck with weather, so we were really hoping her luck would outweigh mine. Pull into GV with 2 minutes to spare -- which sounds great till you realize we haven't tacked up yet. Fortunately B was busy with a dressage lesson that was running late, so we had time to unload, tack up, and head over there without seeming to be all that late. hahaha We were quick about it, but not as frantic as it might've been (I even snagged a few seconds to run another brush over Sienna so she wouldn't be quite so appallingly turned-out).

Head down to dressage world where B is finishing up his previous lesson. Has this awesome new footing -- except that Sienna wanted nothing to do with it. Stepped on it very tentatively, snorting and looking at it. But her usual options for scary footing are jump over it or run across it. And neither of those work in a giant ring she's expected to work in. Poor girl. Trying to keep all four feet from touching it -- but very carefully. No bucking or silliness, just anxiety and some quick steps. I could feel her heart pounding top speed. And she never did chill out about it. B's lesson ends and he joins us, "so how's your mare?" "As you see." I answer with a roll of the eyes as she snorts, yet again, at the footing. "Looking for a confidence building school."

Ok so with that beginning we trek up to stadium. Usually when I go there to school XC we warm up in what is the stad w/u area in their competitions (so on sand but not in the actual show ring). And the flags flapping around the T+ course (on grass) definitely catches her attention, but she's not bad. In fact she's pretty much the opposite of the horse I had the last time I was there. Doesn't want to go forward! Had to really work just to get her to trot. Sheesh.

Gradually build up a gymnastic. Nice, easy, inviting. Great start with the whole confidence boost thing given that Sienna can do gymnastics in her sleep. And A's horse is far more experienced than Si so they're good to go :) So at this point I had figured stad was a no-go and we'd just go out on XC. Fair enough. Except B clearly remembered my less-than-good results at the last show. "I think I should send you in the stadium ring." hahaha yes please! Now the only thing we cheated on was that she had a minute or two to walk around the ring (and shy at the flags and the judges booth) before we had to jump. Which always helps and you generally don't get in competition (unless the person in front of you demolishes the course :). But we jumped the course that was there without introducing her to the fences first. And while it wasn't always pretty, and at least one fence was in trot, she did jump clear and did keep her brain between her ears. So that was good.

THEN we got to go out on XC. Meander over to the start box and the first two fences on the E course are super inviting and in a reasonably straight line (down a dip - not really a hill - up a dip inbetween). So the idea is we trot down passed the 2nd one, turn around n jump them both backwards towards home, then turn and jump the PT 1st fence. And as I trot away Sienna is being super-nappy, so I'm having visions of the mad gallop back to her friend, but actually she jumped both very quietly and the PT one just about perfectly. Ok, good start.

So then it was jump the E ones away from home, pick up the third one on the E course then go into the next field and jump something there. All good, except after the second one Si was all about turning home to her new friend. So when I not only make her keep going away but also turn decidedly the opposite direction, this did not go over so well. So now I'm fighting not only to keep her going the direction she'd rather not, but also to get her to jump the coup she wanted nothing to do with. Less than good *sigh* Did eventually get her over it and into the second field. Where I opted not to battle over the next fence but instead made her hang out till her buddy got there. Once he was hanging out on the other side of the last fence, then we went and did it :) hahaha so B hiked way out to where we were and we did a few more combos involving the fences she was sticky with and a couple others -- no more issues, except that the unwillingness to go away was becoming more evident. Going to have to work on that one. No bolting back towards though, so that's a start.

Then the DITCH. Ohhhh/ahhhh. Now to put this in perspective -- this ditch is the first one Sienna *ever* jumped (last spring) and she had no problems with it. It is also on the T course and regularly eats people (you could see the scuff marks from all the abrupt stops the wknd before). So we go the easy way first -- and it's shallow enough she can walk through it, so I'm pretty determined about this one. And she stops and starts shooting backwards. Blah. But B just takes her and leads her across. Yeah! Then we do it on our own (at this point still in walk and still stepping IN the ditch). Try it the other way (with slightly more of a downhill slope on the approach) -- stops but then goes again w/ no lead and no backwards. Better. Then in trot both ways. Then in canter both ways. Woohoo! Yeah event horse :) The one way was perfect; the other a little sticky, but still clearing it each time. I was pretty thrilled.

Then the BANK. Ohhhh/ahhhh. hahaha "just trot up that and run down the other side". Sure. Did I mention Sienna's gone up exactly 2 banks, ever? Well I'll tell ya, she did it like an old pro. "You lie!" from my coach *g* Yeah she really did make it look like she was an old school pony. hahaha So then a course. Little house, roll-back through the trees away from the friends, ditch, other little house (in the tree-line), up the bank, down the slope, over the little brush fence. Did I mention the little houses were on my "fences I'd like to school" list? Mostly cause last time we were there she wouldn't even walk near them (and at the time was too green to push it). Sure - I'll go first *g* Well I'll tell ya, I had to *really* ride each fence, and we definitely trotted the ditch, but she jumped every fence on the first try AND she let me rate her pace to set her up for the bank. I was super-thrilled. (I think B was a little puzzled why I was so excited by that :) We didn't get to school down banks today, but given how much we did that the other day @ Cedar Run and that my focus for the day was more on ditches, I was kewl with that. A was disappointed cause her horse is much better at down than up *g*

So next stop? Another ditch. This one has a bit of an awkward approach since it's part of the Int coffin, but the ditch itself is shallow and baby-friendly. First jump was perfect -- but we followed A's horse so kinda cheating. Going back the other way didn't happen -- again though this battle was entirely nappiness (didn't want to leave the other horse) and the ditch was just an excuse. So turned it into a figure 8 of jump it the easy way, keep going, loop back to jump it the hard way - and she did it (not brilliantly, but she did it). And then she focused on the int skinny with a "are you sure?" feel in her body. I could just feel the relief when I told her no she was absolutely not jumping that and she should really hold the line I put her on that went away from it :) hahaha we did that one the easy way once more and then moved on.

To another ditch. hahaha starting to see why I wanted to come here? (Well that and B's coaching of course >;-P All the better to get both in the same place :) This is the little baby ditch that's actually *on* the PT course. hahaha and she hesitated, and got growled at (literally "use your voice" -- which esp as I almost never do, startles her over the fence :) and hopped over it. Back and forth over that one a few times and on too....

The water! Woohoo. We're good at water so this is just fun :) Splash through, jump out, jump in. All good :) So then a course of ditch, random xc fence (reasonable size and scary *new* wood, but she did it well on the first try. Had to really ride it, but it worked), curve around back through the water over the little vert. Well she def stopped at the ditch. Booo. 2nd try we made it over and the rest of the course was good.

Ok one more. Ditch (other direction this time), jump into the water, and then go jump the little bench (which'd be the *other* random fence I had on my mental list of "it'd be good if she got to jump that"). This course she did really well although ridiculously nappy leaving to the first fence (umm ditch :) but once she focused on it, the rest was good.

So as the sun came out we ended on that. B hung out with us for a bit while we were getting untacked etc. Had a fairly interesting conversation about teaching philosophy (which I'm always up for - esp with those who know more than me :); S joined in for a bit of that too (which is kewl cause I've only met her once or twice). Sort of amused me since I'd had a very similar conversation w/ my weekly coach the day before. Something in the air :) Let the horses graze for a bit and have some water before loading up and heading home. Nice end to the day.

Lessons learned -- remember voice is a highly effective aid when used appropriately *g* Pony needs lots more practice leaving other horses (and I will *really* have to ride the first few fences on XC). Up banks and water are evidently no problem whatsoever. Down banks and ditches still need some work. Also needs work with going into a ring and jumping without getting to explore first (more jumper shows *sigh*). Oh and Anna's weather luck outweights mine. Woohoo!

A long day, but a good one.

#FridayFlash 38 and WAG - First day of the rest of your life

Possibly my shortest flash yet *g* Sometimes it's the little things in life that make all the difference . . . This is possibly my shortest flash yet *g* Let me know what you think -- short though it is, does it stand on its own? ------ The first day of the rest of your life "I think you may be the woman of my dreams; can I take you to lunch?" he asked the woman standing next to him at the lights with what he hoped was a boyish smile. Christina considered the attractive man, "So what traits do I share with the woman of your dreams?" she asked with one eyebrow raised, buying time to decide how to answer the unexpected invite. "You're energetic, as evidenced by the fact that you're out walking, you're confident and kind enough to humour a complete stranger hitting on you, and to top it off, you're stunningly gorgeous; like I said, the woman of my dreams." Amused both by the comments and by the fact that she found herself reluctantly flattered by them, Christina gave a slow nod. "So where are you taking me for lunch?" -------------

The Writing Adventure Group

Ok so I found a new writing group I thought I might visit. The "Writing Adventure Group". Their topic this week is to write a story about breaking the rules. So I'm going to break the rules and use a story I wrote for Flash a while back :) Sorry about that. But if you haven't read it before, please do and let me know what you think! If you have read it, scroll way down to the bottom where there are links to "Blog Hop" other writing in the WAG. A very kewl feature that makes me think I'll keep playing this game. ------- Knowing She awoke to the sound of a scream cut short by silence. Her heart told her to go help; her mind told her there was nothing she could do. Terrified, she lay silent, listening to the too-loud sound of her rapidly beating heart. Eventually the pounding slowed and lulled her back to sleep. As it always did. When she woke in the morning, the terror of the night had faded to a wisp of a dream. She went out to the pump to get water for her morning chores and surreptitiously surveyed the the townspeople to see who was not visible this morning. Nobody would say anything. He who was gone, would never again be mentioned. It was suicide to cross the wall -- everybody knew that. "Why would you even want to leave?" the elders asked, and Jezina always nodded sagely as though she too agreed with the prevalent attitude of the town. But really, if she were honest with herself, she wanted to know. She wanted to know what lay beyond the boundary of their little world. The elders said there was nothing. Nobody who had ever left had ever returned, and the occasional outsider that came in would either leave almost immediately, or would settle and seemingly forget the world outside the wall as if their memories had vanished as quickly as the scream in the night. But, Jezina had realized, the elders had never left. So how did they know there was nothing out there? Nothing worth searching for? Such thoughts were blasphemous and she confessed them at the shrine to Aliah, but during the monotony of her daily chores, she could not stop her mind from wandering out beyond the wall. What was out there? A life that went beyond daily chores, prayer to a god who seemed awfully apathetic about their lives, and people who were not only content but seemed genuinely happy living out their lives within the boundary; a life where every day did not have to be the same as the last. Did such a thing exist? The only way to know, would be to cross the wall. But none who crossed, ever returned. Jezina went out to gather herbs for the healers; this was one of her favourite chores as it often took her so near the wall. Some days she would take a break and climb it -- looking curiously at the other side. Nothing looked different out there; Jezina couldn't see any reason not to go. With her heart in her throat, she swung her legs over so both feet were technically outside the boundary and . . . absolutely nothing happened. Jezina laughed nervously at her own reaction. She would go for a walk, just a short walk, outside the wall. Nobody would know, and surely it wouldn't be disrespectful to the elders' mandates so long as she didn't speak of it or encourage others to do so. She paused another second before taking the leap -- and heard her name called in the distance. Denaf. Her cousin and playmate, she and Denaf had grown up together, but while he would've said they were the closest of friends, she knew he would never understand or accept her secret thoughts. "Coming!" she shouted as she vaulted back off the wall before he came into view. Jezina quickly gathered a few of the herbs growing at her feet. Any inspection would make it clear instantly that she hadn't been entirely dedicated to her task, but she knew that on such a warm summer's day that would be forgiven -- so long as nobody realized what she'd almost done. "Jezi!" Denaf called earnestly as soon as he saw her, "a kelah approaches!" And Jezina started to run; somebody from outside the wall was about to cross the boundary. It was forbidden to speak to a kelah before the elders had, but certainly not forbidden to watch. Ever so briefly Jezina wondered if perhaps Aliah was actually taking an interest in her life -- the timing seemed too perfect to be otherwise. She paused at the shrine before finding a spot on the elders' path. The whole town was there, the elders looking stern and forbidding, the children bouncing with excitement, and all the ranges of emotion inbetween. Kelahs were a rare treat -- although some definitely viewed them more as a threat. And if Denaf hadn't come to get her, she would never have seen, would never have known till it was too late. The kelah passed through the unguarded gate, hesitated briefly when she saw the crowd, but then turned to speak some unknown words and gesture to the nearest people. The townspeople pointed her towards the elders' hut; Elder Ruset greeted her with the travelers' silent language. The language of signs was forbidden to the townspeople, but elders were taught so as to be able to ascertain the hearts of kelahs. Elder Kesa, a healer for whom Jezina often gathered herbs, had seemed to understand Jezina's need to know and had slowly, secretly, been teaching her the basics. And so she was able to understand both the formal greeting and the response exchanged before her. Denaf was speaking excitedly to her, but Jezina had tuned him out entirely to her rushing thoughts. The kelah would know what was outside the wall. If Jezina could only have a few minutes to sign to her, then she would know too, without ever having to cross the wall. But despite the answer being so close, she knew she would never get to ask her questions. Either the kelah would stay, and her memories would fade before ever speaking to anybody, or she would leave before daybreak and Jezina would still not know what lay beyond the wall. The crowd dispersed, returning to their chores. They would find out soon enough if the kelah was staying, and until then there was nothing left to be seen. As Jezina passed Aliah's shrine she made a decision. If the kelah settled and decided to stay, Jezina would put aside her disrespectful questions and refocus her life, following Denaf's lead. But if, late that night, she heard the kelah leave, Jezina would follow, going over the wall just out of sight of the elders' hut. And then she would know. She had to put those thoughts aside to get through the day without anybody knowing; she was not entirely successful -- Denaf knew something wasn't right but she relaxed when he teased her about her excitement over the kelah. He had no idea what was really behind her tension. That night, having fallen asleep despite her plans, she awoke to pitch black darkness and the nearly silent tread of footsteps outside her window. Very quietly she pulled her herb pack out from under her bed -- it contained her few meager belongings and some food leftover from dinner. Moving quickly but silently she crept to the wall and as the kelah passed through the gates, Jezina dropped down off the wall. Her heart was pounding so loudly she was sure to be heard. She could hardly fathom that the elders hadn't heard her land. But nobody called out. Perhaps, having crossed the boundary, she was already invisible to them. Forgotten. She was the farthest she had ever been from the only home she had ever known. She was the farthest anybody she knew had been. She felt a pang of regret that she hadn't been abel to say goodbye to Denaf, but consoled herself that maybe one day she'd be the first to return. Her eyes were adjusting to the dark. While she could see little, she could make out shapes. She would listen for the kelah's footsteps and then travel that direction as best she could, hoping to catch up when it became light. Perhaps the kelah would let Jezina travel w/ her, she knew some signs, they could communicate. Or if not, she was content to follow to the next village. She was so attuned to the nearly silent night, pausing every few strides to listen for the faintest of footsteps and otherwise lost in excited thoughts, that the kelah's scream was shocking enough to drop her to the ground. There was a flash of light and a second scream cut off by silence. And then she knew. -------

Tell me; what do you see in the clouds?

For absolutely no apparent reason I tried the Rorschach (inkblot) test today -- and failed horribly. hahaha I almost want to go take it for real now just to see what an interpreter would tell me. Of all of them, I had exactly one that was even close to what the expected response was. The one that made me laugh the hardest -- I came up with "fireworks in Paris" and the expected answer was "crab, lobster or spider" ummmm oops :) Mine's a whole lot more fun though :) Fireworks in Paris

So on a completely different note -- I have a fairly entertaining adult lesson at one school where I teach. I quite enjoy it both because I really like the riders (have to admit that always helps :) and because I enjoy the challenge of teaching multiple lessons in one. Most nights *g*. In this class I have one rider who loves to jump (and is quite good at it). The days when I put the fences up a little higher she's usually thrilled. She has absolutely no flat work and no interest in learning it (although it is slowly getting better despite her efforts ;). Then I have two who jump reasonably well (in the 2'9 range) but are not nearly as confident or fluid over fences but who both have significantly better flat work and are interested in improving both flat and jumping (ie there's no sulking when I deem it a dressage lesson -- sometimes I think they even enjoy it :) I have one who has a reasonably good basic hunter position but has never done anything else. So big fences, technical courses, and anything on the flat is all new to her. She's all for it though :) And rounding out the group is a rerider returning after 15 years. She's still in the w/t/individual canter range - not yet jumping at all. So from the rider who doesn't like flatwork to the one who's not ready to jump, creating lessons that will keep all busy and interested is proving to be an entertaining challenge *g* Fortunately all are very patient and get that there will be moments they have to work on their own while I help somebody else.

What I have found very interesting though is watching who "makes it" in this class. Because clearly joining in is not based on skill or experience level. Yet I can usually tell within about 10 minutes (or less :) whether a new rider will last. Seems to be based entirely on attitude; if they really want to learn and are willing to work at it, they'll fit in and enjoy the class. If they expect it to be easy or if riding is more of a social activity than anything else they usually last two-three lessons. The first they're all impressed at what they're being told and the depth of the class, the second they realize the flip side to that is that they're expected to apply it *g* And usually by the end of the third (if they make it that far) they've decided that I'm way too mean/scary/intense/insert whatever you like here and I never see them again. hahaha so apparently my reputation at this particular farm has spread and I think now it's being used by both the BO and by the students themselves as a test. "Feel like you're not being challenged? Go ride with Lauren. See if you actually *want* a challenge." What really amuses me is that everywhere else I teach or have taught with only one exception, I was the friendly coach *g* hahaha (albeit those students who've been with me through several barns may have something to say about that! :) And I don't *think* I've changed all that much, so it's clearly a comparison thing with who the other options are and where the expectation bar is set. I'm having fun with it though cause it means I end up with all the fun students who *really* want to improve :) Works for me :) On a less fun, but fairly interesting note -- stumbled upon this video about "The Lost Generation" -- very simplistic but worth a read/listen. And from the serious to the frivolous -- for when you have a few minutes you never care to see again: Click on the ball to change the colour (I proved it can be done... But then I also failed the inkblot test... :)