Thinking outside the box, or, Horse Trading
I started to think outside the box. I know there are people out there like me, who need services but can't afford them. So, what could I offer in exchange for horse training? What service could I provide in trade?
Wildfire
you may or may not be aware that a huge, devastating wildfire ripped through eastern Arizona earlier this year.For a while after the fire, we thought about going up, just to check things out, but were afraid of what we'd find.
If you've been reading my blog for over a year (thank you!), you may remember a trip I took you along to one of our favorite places to get away, Arizona's White Mountains.
It's simply amazing to us that we can leave our door in the hot, dry, dusty desert at temperatures in the 110s and up, drive for a few hours and be in one of the most pristine wilderness areas you'd ever want to see, surrounded by greenery and wildlife, a new rainstorm blowing over every afternoon, and temps in the fresh, cool 60s.And you may remember the lone Ponderosa Pine in the photo above, also here:
[youtube http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=gl4Y4FWWkn0]
Free E-Book!
My friend Anne Tibbets's new book, The Beast Call is getting great reviews all over the web. And today, it is being offered for FREE on Smashwords!!
Here is the link to Anne's Blog where you can get the code. If you are reading this after August 22, not to worry, the E-Book on Smashwords is only 99 cents. Bargain!Here is the short description:
Seventeen year old Dray is no ordinary human. But possessing a magical capability to talk to animals in a land where magic is feared, is dangerous.
For anyone loving a little magic, some animals and a kick-ass heroine, give The Beast Call a read. And if you don't have an E-Reader (Kindle, Nook, etc.) you can read it online.Thanks for reading, new post coming soon.
Wish Book of Gypsy Horses for Sale
If you grew up in the 1970's, you probably received a Sears Wish Book every year...So what do younger kids browse through nowadays? (Nowadays. What a dumb word. I might as well carry a cane and start saying "whippersnapper")...This whole idea of the Wish Book came to me while I was browsing the internet recently, looking at - what else - horses.
You know, I usually refuse to think of myself as getting old, but the changes that have taken place in the world over the years remind me that - well, according to my kids and technology - I'm old.
One such example is the Sears Wish Book. If you grew up in the 1970's, you probably received a Sears Wish Book every year. And by the time your parents took you to see Santa, that catalog had been flipped through, dog-eared and well worn. You'd gotten a chance to study each and every item in the TOYS section, crossed out the most unnecessary, put stars next to the ultimate must-haves, and had your list ready to go.
"Hey Barbie, get away from my horse. And give me that hat while you're at it."
This whole idea of the Wish Book came to me while I was browsing the internet recently, looking at - what else - horses.
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| Schleich Toys Tinker Mare |
Now, I am not a huge breeder by any means but as a part of the Gypsy Horse community, I do like to keep in touch with other breeders and owners and see who's doing what with their horses. Stallions get bought and sold and go to new barns, and it's interesting to see which mares get bred to which stallions, and the foals they produce. There are also plenty of mature horses for sale that are broke to ride or drive and ready to go.
(This collection is my idea alone, and these folks won't even know I've featured their horse until after this is written. I am receiving nothing from this except the pleasure of spreading the word. If you are interested in any of these horses, please contact the owner. Keep in mind this is a very small selection of the many horses available for sale.)
So, let's take a look at a few, shall we? (read all the way to the end for a surprise)
Horse Drawn Wagons via Traveller Dave
I'm currently working on a drool-worthy, eye-candy Fantasy pick of Gypsy Horses from all over. Until that's ready, I thought I'd share a site I found recently. These are photos of horse drawn wagons from a collection by Traveller Dave.
I'm currently working on a drool-worthy, eye-candy Fantasy pick of Gypsy Horses from all over. Until that's ready, I thought I'd share a site I found recently. These are photos of horse drawn wagons from a collection by Traveller Dave.
When asked for permission to use his photos, Dave ended his reply with this:
For those who live in houses, it's a romantic lifestyle...but day to day reality is very different & using modern roads amongst thousands of intolerant stupid car drivers is always a risk !!
cheers
dave
Thanks Dave. Keep on truckin' :)Please visit Dave's site for loads more pics. Links at bottom of post.
Arizona Haboob
If you've watched the movie Hidalgo, you've seen a Haboob...You may have been thinking, "Wow, great special effects - that can't be real."
Have you ever seen a Haboob?
Focus
There are days when I would love to have that kind of focus. The problem is, there are too many great things I'd like to try. And some I'd even like to accomplish.
It's never been one of my strong points. I'm amazed at people who can choose just one thing, make that their prime concern, and follow one straight path all the way up to the top to succeed in that one thing. Examples are everywhere, but one that stood out to me recently is a guy named Jeremy Wade, who Animal Planet describes as an "extreme angler," which means this guy is really good at catching really big fish. Particularly those dwelling in rivers.
In fact, he's gotten so good at catching huge fish that he's been able to make a living at it. He goes all over the world, meeting incredibly interesting people, and helping them discover and catch the thing under the water that ate their cousin last week.Now, that's a pretty specialized field of expertise. He started out with a zoology degree, taught school, traveled and wrote, and all the while had a curiosity to find these really big fish.There are days when I would love to have that kind of focus. The problem is, there are too many great things I'd like to try. And some I'd even like to accomplish.I've mentioned my creative side before. That creativity, coupled with a genuine interest in everything around me, or in it's simplest form, curiosity, produce what my dad refers to as a "Jane" of all trades and master of none. Well, he's got the Master of None part right, anyway.
(side note: this is part of the reason I love Wikipedia. They actually have a page about the saying Jack of all trades. From it, I just learned that I can also be referred to as a generalist -- another useless tidbit of information that might come in handy if you ever qualify as a contestant on Jeopardy!)Anyway, back to focus (see what I mean??) Is it a type A/type B personality thing? Or is it just ADD? I wonder. You hear about focus in regard to athletes. They train vigorously night and day. Championships lead to scholarships, which lead to careers, then sponsorships and if they're lucky they can spend their retirement as network commentators. All because of focus in one specific area.What causes someone like Michael Phelps (a specialist) to be supremely focused on swimming; training constantly, over many years, to reach a pinnacle matched by no other swimmer?
And someone like me to be so macro-focused as to want to try it all:
- ballet
- cheerleading
- theater
- yoga
- bellydance
- sky dive
- deejay
- paint
- sew
- write
- blog
- web master
- horse owner
- cook
- wife
- mom
I mean, does it make me well-rounded or just plain crazy? And what about all the things I have yet to do:
- earn a college degree
- world traveling
- graphic design
- wood crafting
- screen writing
- advertising (Don Draper, you're my hero)*
- stand-up comedy (Kathy GRIF-fin!)**
- star in my own show on the Travel Channel (it could happen)
- write for Family Guy (or at least sit in on a recording session)
- be a guest panelist on NPR's Wait Wait... Don't Tell Me!
- live in a little cottage in the woods, on the beach, with a pasture for the horses and a big red barn. And a studio. And a chicken coop. And a gourmet kitchen. (it could happen)
- finish my book
The problem with being a generalist is that all of these interests and pursuits take time. I've never been fast at anything, and each new thing I want to do, i.e., build a website or blog, takes time to learn.Time, research, and a few ...For Dummies books:
So, even though I don't have a full-time job, and people wonder why I am always so busy, it's because I'm teaching myself new things, learning more and more every day about the way the world is working nowadays, or trying to work, and what trends to follow, what to avoid, products and services that might be better or worse than others, while at the same time keeping up with the latest in publishing news - or trying to keep up, as the case may be, since the industry is changing more and more every time I see it.I'm also trying to keep up with the everyday stuff, too - like everyone else out there. Taking care of my husband and two boys, housework (blah), laundry (double blah), and now that the kids are fully fledged teen males, more and more of my time is spent grocery shopping (eh), cooking (which I actually like), and cleaning up (which I actually don't like).And in my free time :) I sew.
And because I always have a movie playing in my head:
*you have to say this in the voice of Cameron in Ferris Bueller's Day Off .
**you have to say this in the voice Kathy Griffin uses when she's imitating the way Oprah Winfrey welcomes her guests.
So what kind of crazy stuff do you do?
Little Stinker
Isn't there some sort of rule that they're supposed to stay little forever?And cuddle in your lap and ask for a story?Where's pixie dust when you need it?
What's in a Name? Part II; Equine edition
Many people will change a horse's name upon taking ownership. Your "Wildfire" could be someone else's "Rusty." You put all that time and thought into finding the perfect name...Go figure.
Read Part I Here.Chroicoragh and Siofra came to me already named, and I loved both - feminine, fitting, and Irish Gaelic. Chroicoragh was named after her mother, Clononeen Chroicoragh:
Chroi was born in Ireland and came to the US on an airplane when she was six months old. Quite an education for a weanling, and maybe that's why she's so smart.
[youtube http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=DlVFfEEKPbI]
I Like: Music
Now go dance your ass off...if the last time you were at a house party was 25 years and three kids ago, turn it up & get the living room floor dirty. Dance around the kitchen and sing into your spatula.
Don't worry, I will get back to the name game, but I wanted to introduce a new category on my blog:I Like.Things I saw, read, heard, tasted or clicked, and liked enough to pass it on.Check it out:
http://assets.mixpod.com/swf/mp3/mixpod.swfNow meet this same song, remixed three ways:http://assets.mixpod.com/swf/mp3/mixpod.swfRolling In The Deep (Ben Samples Remix) from ThisSongIsSick.comGreat version if you are having a party with lots of people, a real house-crusher that you see in teen movies where the sole goal is losing your virginity - that type of party - but the cast is a little older, and a little more cosmopolitan-cool, and most of them have already gotten laid. Put this song on and turn it up LOUD. Awesome pop-dub-techno track. No one will get bored listening to this thumper. The girls closest to the stero will be grooving their hips in that way when you just cant help moving your body, so you just pop a few beats out while engaging in casual conversation, and flip your hair a little. So, put the cuties by the speakers. (free download)http://assets.mixpod.com/swf/mp3/mixpod.swfRolling In The Deep - Mike Posner from freshnewtracks.comSame party, about four hours later, half the people have gone home. Only the cool kids are left. Everyone's relaxed, mellow, and getting acquainted. This track features a male voice singing the song. You're picturing him, some mellow dude hanging out on the old corduroy couch in the basement, flipping through your mom's old collection of vinyl LP's, he's got the headphones on, listening to Adele and singing along. Everyone else in the world sounds like crap when they sing along to the radio - I'm slightly worse than Julia Roberts singing Kiss. But this guy is the exception, giving a smooth, flavored feel to the song, with a really great backbeat. Again, play it loud. The kind of loud where you have to lean in a little to hear the person across from you. (free download)http://assets.mixpod.com/swf/mp3/mixpod.swfRolling In The Deep (Avicii Remix) from freshnewtracks.comThe house music version. High heels & short skirts, strobe lights & fog. This is the one you'd expect to hear in one of those clubs in Vegas where you have to wait in line for 2 hours to get in, the music is so loud you can't think straight, and a trip to the ladies' room involves serpentining your way through the sweaty, bouncing crowd. And you love every minute of it.Now go dance your ass off. Even if you've never been to Vegas; if the closest you'll get to high heels & short skirts is chore boots and your old Levi's, if the last time you were at a house party was 25 years and three kids ago, turn it up & get the living room floor dirty. Dance around the kitchen and sing into your spatula.I have to give credit to my son for finding each of these versions. He's music crazy and finds all the remixes before I've even heard the original. He's pretty awesome.http://www.adele.tv/www.freshnewtracks.comhttp://thissongissick.comDisclosure: This is not a paid endorsement, just stuff I think is cool.
What's in a Name? Part I
Like Maddox Jolie-Pitt. Is it the haircut? Or the constant swarm of paparazzi?... Or could it be his name? Maddox. Either way, this kid always looks pissed to me.
"What's in a name? That which we call a roseBy any other name would smell as sweet."So says Juliet. But do you think that sometimes people reflect the nature of their name? I guess that's why the task of bestowing a name upon another living thing is so difficult. It has to fit. A good example of this: Could you imagine naming your sweet newborn baby boy "Brock?" It seems a bit much for a tiny baby.But look at Brock Lesnar:
I mean, he just looks like a Brock, doesn't he? He completely grew into his name. I can't imagine him being called Joey or Bernard, can you? Would he have grown into a UFC Heavyweight champion if his name were Francis Dingle? Maybe. Maybe not.
I've talked before about the associations with my name,
. As a little girl, in my little-girl way of thinking, I always considered Heidi to be a kid's name. I wondered what my name would be when I became older and finally got a grown up name. It must have been that Shirley Temple movie. Forever preserved in her cherubic, albeit black-and-white state, I couldn't imagine her "Heidi" as a grown-up wearing a business suit and carrying a briefcase like the lady in the Enjoli commercials, who so exuberantly professed her ability to
Bring Home the Bacon
and
Fry it Up in a Pan
.
[youtube http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=jA4DR4vEgrs]Her name was probably Marcia or Shelley or something blonde and sexy like that.But however age limited I saw my name to be, probably my biggest impression of it came from one of my favorite books - the Little Golden Book version of Heidi:
This version of Heidi, though predictably blonde, was always skipping around barefoot in fields of wildflowers, frolicking with goats, wind blowing her hair.
And Happy.
I think that's the main reason I came to really like my name. Heidi is a happy name. Just as Brock is a strong name, Heidi is a happy name.
Bestowing a name upon someone or something is fun, interesting, and tough.
The hardest part about having my children (besides labor!) was deciding what to name them. Would I have a Brock or a Francis? What kind of person did I want them to be? Does a person's name help develop their character?
The challenge is to come up with something that is different without sounding odd; unique but not obscure.
Today I met a lady named Ione. I complemented her, and she thanked me with enthusiasm. She loved her name. I'd only ever heard it pronounced as eye-OH-nee, but she pronounced it eye-OWN. She said, "I don't loan, I don't borrow, I own." It sounded clever, and it was her way of owning (no pun intended) her name.But where do the names come from? If you're named after a rock star are you then expected to be musical? Or a literary figure - if your name is Sawyer, are you adventurous? What about Darcy? In Jane Austen's novel, he is brooding, dark and handsome. But other than Miss Austen's hero, have you heard of any guys named Darcy?Part II; What's in a name? Equine edition, next!
Only the Good Die Young
Last week, while we were still in the happy afterglow of new life, my husband's family suffered a tragic loss. A cousin he and his siblings had been close to in childhood passed away suddenly and unexpectedly.There have been a few subjects mulling around in my brain for my next blog post, but after an event like this, they all seemed inconsequential. I felt the need to honor this woman's life, if but for a moment. I can't say I knew her well; her family is located in another state, and visits with them were infrequent. We didn't have any sort of relationship beyond annual family gatherings and the exchange of Christmas cards. But she was the type of person instantly liked by anyone who met her. She had a great sense of humor and loved to laugh. We shared the same name, and the lighthearted joke when we were introduced was that I was the "other" Heidi.Heidi greeted everyone with a warm smile, a warm hug, and when she asked "How are you doing?" she meant it. One of the most genuine and unpretentious people you'd have the pleasure of knowing. My husband has great memories of growing up and spending time with her and her sister, and his siblings, all hanging out as cousins.For many years, she taught school and enjoyed every minute of it. One of those rarities - someone who actually loved her work, and it showed in the more than 2,000 visitors who came to show their respects at her wake and service.
Please keep her family in your prayers, and hug your own.
Oh, Baby!
While we were gone, my neighbor went to check on Chroi and left a message on my cell phone: "You've got a drop-dead gorgeous filly over here! She's black and white and has two blue eyes."
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| The night Keira was born |
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Overdue!
The Home Stretch
Oh I remember those days! ... Little did I know it was the last time I would ever have peace and quiet.Just kidding. Peace and quiet is highly overrated, I'm sure.
It's a little after 1:00 AM, and I just went and checked on Chroi. She's not due for another eight days, but I figure we're in the home stretch. She could deliver early, and there's a storm front coming in from California tonight. Arthur and Keira were both born during a rainstorm, so I'm paying close attention to her as the barometer drops.But she looks OK, I think she's still got some time left. Although, she is showing that she's more uncomfortable - shifting her weight, and laying down to nap. And she's quite bitchy with Keira, too, chasing her off and not wanting anyone to mess with her.Oh I remember those days! When I was pregnant with my first, by the end of the term, I was so miserable; puffy with water weight, my feet were so swollen that none of my shoes would fit; the skin on my belly pulled so tight I thought it would pop, and no matter how hard I tried I could not get comfortable. Like sleeping on top of a watermelon. I finally took to walking around the mall, for miles it seemed, just to kick-start my labor and get it all over with. Little did I know it was the last time I would ever have peace and quiet.Just kidding. Peace and quiet is highly overrated, I'm sure.But I can relate to the crabbiness. When you're fat, puffy, and uncomfortably carrying a watermelon in your belly, you can get a little crabby. Keira better look out, 'cause Mama's not having any of it. Chroi's watermelon is more like one of those giant squash-pumpkins you see at the fair in the bed of a pickup truck.Ugh. Poor thing.
Midweek Mish Mash
Books, an update on Chroi's "scratches" condition, and baby watch...
Well, folks, I have a few different things I want to let you know about, so I'm giving you a Wednesday quickie! ;)
“Deborah J Ledford's thriller tears through mountains and music with a steady rhythm in perfect time with the maestro Alexander's music room metronome ... as readers turn STACCATO's pages, quickly, crisply, sharply throughout Ledford's Toccata-like virtuoso performance.”
~ Malcolm R. Campbell, 5 star review: “Knight of Words” Book Reviews
"Performed against the backdrop of the picturesque Great Smoky Mountains of North Carolina, and New Mexico's mysterious Taos Pueblo Indian reservation, SNARE is a thriller fans of Tony Hillerman will appreciate."
"White-knuckle suspense at an electrifying pulse." ~ Suspense Magazine
"Deborah Ledford's expertly crafted SNARE is a gripping story of the price of fame and the haunting and deadly power of long buried secrets. It’s also a valentine to the landscape and people of New Mexico’s Taos Pueblo. A terrific read."
~ Dianne Emley, L.A. Times bestselling author of Love Kills
I know. Ugh.So here's what a Gypsy Horse looks like with shaved legs:
- dissolve the tablets in a couple tablespoons of water,
- mix with a couple handfuls of sweet feed (oats and grains mixed with molasses)
- add a generous spoonful of brown sugar.
- Udder filling up with milk (already happening)
- "waxing" of the teats, which just means some of the milk is starting to flow.
- softening of the pelvis, right above the tail
- slight decrease in appetite, which is a big one, especially for a pig like Chroi. When she's not hungry, I know something's going on!
I will keep you posted. Last time we had babies, they were both born during a rain storm, so we will also be keeping an eye on the weather.Now, I just have to think of a name... any suggestions?
Chroicoragh is a perfect example of how "a spoonful of sugar helps the medicine go down." I loved Mary Poppins as a kid. We had the soundtrack on vinyl, and used to sing along to it all the time. I miss the days when Disney just wanted to put out great films. And I mean how can you top Julie Andrews? She's the best. Enjoy![youtube http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=djQdI1t9_Ag]
Stats
The night Mark Zuckerberg created Facebook in his dorm room at Harvard University, the site generatedtwenty-two thousand hits in two hours.
Have any of you seen The Social Network? I highly recommend it. Not only because I am just a teeny tiny bit of a computer nerd, but as I'm sure you've heard by now, it's just a really really good movie.I'll let you form your own opinions, but the one thing that stood out to me as I watched the film was a scene where one of the characters said to Mark Zuckerberg, "you got 22,000 hits in two hours? Wow."And all the computer-nerd-blogger in me could think was: Wow.
where my traffic is coming from (how people are finding me, i.e., did you find me through Google, my website, facebook, or another blog?)
How cool is that? What's up, Pakistan! Hello, China! Cheers, UK! Bon Jour, France! Slovenia? Who would've thought?? Malaysia? Come on! And of course my buddies up north, eh?The thing I love about stats is that it tells me that all is not lost. I am not alone. My parents are not the only ones reading my blog (hi guys!) And it propels me to do more. It's kind of like crack. I see some hits, and I want to see more. So I keep writing.So thanks to everyone out there in the world who wanders onto my blog. I hope you like it. I hope you find it worthwhile to come back. And I hope you tell your friends about it.I may not be a computer engineer on a college campus getting 22,000 hits in two hours, but I am totally psyched to see this when I open my stats page:
Training Day
We had a very nice visit - I mean, have you ever met a Canadian you didn't like? :)
I was contacted recently by some folks from Canada who were in Arizona for a winter break. They'd never seen Gypsy Horses before, and were eager to come by and see our girls. We had a very nice visit - I mean, have you ever met a Canadian you didn't like? :)I let Keira out of her stall, to let our visitors watch her trotting and running around the yard like she usually does, but she was so interested in our visitors that all she did was go from one to the other, sniffing, getting scratched, and munching carrots.So I thought we'd go over to the round pen to maybe show off a little, and I let one of the guys, David, try her out. This was the first time she'd ever lunged off a line (I usually work with her at liberty in the round pen), and she did great! She was so curious, and motivated to please. It's so fun to work with your own horses, but such a pleasure to be able to observe from the outside and see how they interact with others. I was so proud of her![youtube http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=L7zZ7SDxtJY]Thanks to George, Mary, David and Gabby for coming by, for the lesson, and sharing the video with me.
It's 2:00 in the morning...
...check out my Glossary of Blog Terms page, and let me know what you think. Hopefully it will bring clarity to those of you new to this medium.
Why am I up?Well, in the process of writing my next post (about blogging), I realized I was using an awful lot of blog terminology that some of my readers (Yay! I have more than one!) may not be familiar with. I know that when I started writing my blog, and figuring it all out, I would come across terms like blogroll and follow. I didn't know a post from a comment, and I sure didn't know what RSS meant. Well, to tell you the truth, that one's still a little foggy to me, but onward. So I Googled and read my ...For Dummies books, and slowly got familiar with all of this blogology. But I thought I'd make it easier on you, so I made a Glossary page! Wait, you have to say it in the Oprah voice like she's giving away free Lancome or something...ready?