You can fool the fans - but not the players.... John Cage

Enjoying an early spring

Winter never arrived this year, so spring is a little anti-climatic, but still the warm days are seductive and there is nothing like a late afternoon hike in shorts and no sleeves near a babbling brook. We love taking the dogs near water since they both like to play in creeks and shallows, and Cooper loves a good swim. It takes the edge off his doggy aroma and we encourage him to swim whenever possible.

Just down the street from us is a campground that won't open for a few more weeks. Right now it belongs to the walkers and the runners and the bikes and the dogs. It runs alongside a lovely creek with lots of aspens (still bare of leaves), grassy little meadows, and cliffs of Bishop tuff. Come fishing season and summer the campground will be packed with people, busy with fishing rods and family BBQs, and not quite so friendly for a dog romp. We aren't the only ones enjoying it now by any means, but there are no cars and no campers and no camp hosts - so at the moment it just feels like our neighborhood.

The fish are getting active now that the insects are coming out, and we disturbed several pairs of ducks probably wishing for a little peace and quiet now that it is time to think about nesting. The grasses are just beginning to turn green. There's not a lot of water, but there is some, and it is clear and cold and provides us with welcome relief from the near constant road noise we get right at the house.

I'm finding that I don't relish crossing over on logs as much as I used to. The balance still seems to be there, but the confidence isn't, and when I think back to river and creek crossings I've done in the past I seem pretty wimpy these days. The joys of mid-life never end (not). We did cross over a couple of times, though, on a rickety bridge and on logs. Cooper did an incredible athletic recovery on one crossing when he slipped off the higher log and we could see him gripping like crazy on the log underneath to keep from ending up in the creek. He made it, though, and without hesitation went across again. Vida is like a mountain goat - nothing fazes her.

This was our temperature in the shade yesterday afternoon at 7000'. Just crazy. I actually sat out on the deck for a while sunning myself - something I rarely do but it just felt so good to have the sun on me. We've got to gear up for packing this house up soon and this might be the last relaxing weekend for awhile. Moving has a way of sneaking up on you and I know this cause I've done it a few times.

It is important to relish these days before the resort opens and I again lose my husband to the never-ending demands of a small business. The dogs absolutely love these family outings and you can see the joy in their steps. They are always best when we are all together. We are best when we are together!

 

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Early morning starts

We've been getting up early this winter (and now spring) thanks to JC's new job. We get up in the dark, and after he leaves I drink my coffee, catch up on magazines that have arrived, and browse through Flipboard on my iPad.

The dogs come upstairs because of course they don't want to be left out of the action, and when they realize there is no action they retire to their cozy living room beds - which never fails to make me smile. Each of these beds was given to us by our lovely neighbors and meant for our cat. Our cat never had a chance at these - the dogs immediately wound themselves into tight little balls and continue to do so every morning and evening. And I laugh because they naturally gravitated towards the bed that matches their coloring.

I watch them dream and run in their sleep, and occasionally one or the other will rise, stretch, look around and then wind back into bed. They seem to like the raised walls of these beds. Downstairs they sleep in luxurious crates, but they never use those crates during the day - they prefer to be upstairs and ready to spring into action should I lace on my running or hiking shoes.

Me, I like a slow start to the morning, and getting up early allows me the luxury of that without feeling like I've lost too much of the day. I like watching the light change, and at a certain point I also rise, stretch, and head downstairs for some yoga and to start the day's work.

 

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Toxin purging

Have you ever realized that something you didn't even realize was toxic was poisoning you and when it disappeared from your life you suddenly felt better? Sadly enough, this is the topic that sent me racing over to my blog today after a long hiatus. Showering this morning, and shaking off some negative emotions surfacing after a good yoga detox session made think of recent life events and how sneaky this kind of relationship can be, whether it is with stuff, or people, or even events; and how quietly the toxic part can creep in and contaminate your life.

Horses, dogs, yoga, and some very good people in my life help me recognize when I need to discard something, and maybe sometimes it is a gut feeling - not easily articulated, but definitely felt. If I follow the gut feeling, or the advice offered by the good influences, life usually takes a turn for the better. I don't always know right away what the source of the toxin is (or was) and have to give it time to unfold (or occasionally just reviewing the chain of events will start to unravel the mystery) but I always notice that there is a definite upswing in moods and an increase in calmness and peace of mind.

You might be smarter than me, and quicker to react, but it takes me awhile to really accept the information that unfolds over time. Some decisions I make consciously and some decisions are made for me, and initially I might even be hurt - but then I begin to see that it is all for the best. I begin to see that no, I don't miss that item, or person, or habit - and in fact, the absence lifts my spirits and lightens my burdens. And this is not to cast a negative light on anything that might actually enhance another person's life. We are all unique in what makes us able to live life to the fullest. One person's bitter pill might be just the ticket for another's taste, but I think we've all experienced this feeling of letting go of something that just wasn't serving us well.

This is a great time of life - when it really is okay to let go of possessions, of the intense "desiring" that comes with youth, and of people and habits that don't contribute to joyfulness. A good time to cultivate good habits and friendships and to allow the poisoned ones to fade away (or even die a fiery death!). In the words of Taylor Swift, shake it off!

Watermelon mint lemonade on a summer afternoon

Today seemed like a good day to make something in the kitchen - I'm going to head down to the studio in just a bit and start working on some ideas that have been floating around in my head, I've done my yoga, walked the dogs, and the house is somewhat straight. To start off my 'making' session with a big glass of watermelon lemonade seemed perfect.

A couple of weeks ago, during a sweltering trip to Fresno, I tried Bolthouse's seasonal special offering, watermelon mint lemonade, and it was so delicious (but also $5 a quart) I went looking for a recipe to make my own. Watermelon is in season, mint is everywhere, and lemons, well, even lemons aren't bad if you get them at Trader Joe's or Costco. I used this recipe here, but there are others online and I'm sure they are all pretty much the same. You'll need at least 10 lemons to juice, a med-large watermelon, a bunch of mint and maybe some sugar to make a simple syrup.

Begin by juicing the lemons (you'll need about a cup of lemon juice), and blending up the watermelon (in batches - it took me 4 batches in my blender to liquify 1/2 a largish watermelon). Strain the blended watermelon using a sieve - my sieve was too small so I ended up using a colander lined with two layers of cheesecloth.

I sort of had to work to get the juice through the cheesecloth - you'll find there's quite a bit of watermelon flesh that you have to squish. I used a wooden spoon and let it drain while I worked on chunking up the next batch of watermelon into the blender. And towards the end I got a little more physical with it; picking up the cheesecloth and twisting it to press the juice out. I may have ended up with a little thicker lemonade than you will if you are more patient, or use a finer sieve.

After you get all the melon liquified and strained, add it in batches back into the blender (I was able to do this part in just two batches) with the appropriate amount of lemon juice and mint. I used 4 1/2 cups of melon juice, 1/2 cup of lemon juice, and about 1/4 cup of mint leaves.

Blend it up and pour it into a big pitcher - this is going to make a good 10 cups of lemonade.

I had made up a simple syrup (1/2 cup sugar to 1/2 cup water and heated until the sugar dissolved) with some fresh chopped mint, but ended up not needing it at all - the lemonade is plenty sweet if your watermelon is a good one. I ended up straining the mint simple syrup and will use it for lemon drops or some other tasty cocktail later.

The end product is so refreshing and so delicious you won't be able to stop drinking it. You may find you have to stir it once in awhile if you end up with thick lemonade like mine, but that is a small inconvenience and it still goes down really easy.

Happy summer! Now, off to the studio!

 

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Days 28 - 31; the end is only the beginning

Well, what to say to wrap things up? 30 days was only the beginning, so there's no real wrap up. It was great, it was transformative, it was addictive.

I love this mare. I feel like I have been waiting for her my whole life. I love the challenges, the work, the rewards. I love spending more time at the barn.

I can't wait for Nick's clinic. I can't wait to take the horses to the mountains and ride the trails and the lake bottom. I can't wait for whatever is next.

We made progress the last few days of riding; we got the right lead a couple more times and I'll continue to work on that until we don't have to think about it. I did other things with her in the arena, like backing. With me riding, and then the way Buck Branaman had his students back their horses from the ground. We worked on moving the front end, then the back. We went out on a different trail ride. We had fun.

She's got a week off since I'm heading over to the resort to help open, and then we've got new adventures in store at Mule Days.

What a grand adventure we're on.

 

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Days 27 & 28: Swap Meets, Clinics & Horse Feet

It was a beautiful weekend, warm and a little breezy. The kickoffs to summer (the Choo Choo Swap Meet, the Home Show, and Taste of Sierra) were all happening at the fairgrounds, and most of the dressage riders at the barn were getting lessons from a visiting trainer. I love going to the Choo Choo and ended up going alone this year as my usual partners in junk trolling had other things on their plates. I made it through the rows faster without anyone to talk to, and only took the cash I had on hand to spend.

The first thing I found was one of my favorite things to find, a vintage suitcase. These suitcases are great for storing fabric & yarn, and this one joined one slightly smaller on Vida's crate. Buying it early meant I had to tote it around and what a conversation starter it turned out to be! Lots of comments about running away from home and was that where I stored my money?

The swap meet haul is fodder for another post sometime, but this one is supposed to be about riding, and ride I did after shopping. We rode through the desert alone, trotting whenever possible. I'm working towards freeing her up when we are out on trails and towards loping. I'm sure I could be there already but I'm learning that this is my way - I like to feel comfortable at one level before progressing to the next. And I can feel that she is still a little hollow-backed when we trot along the trails, she's got her head up (not as much as in the past) and is keeping an eye on everything. I'd like to feel her relax a little more. But today might be a good day to find that sandy road... It's a weekday so we don't really have to be on the lookout for motorcycles.

Yesterday was her trim day, and Mel spent a lot of time showing me what we want when we trim down her hooves. I have to be ready to maintain her feet (and Smokin's) before we leave this summer and I still don't have my tools. I haven't been spending any money since we need it all to get the resort open - but soon I'm going to have to break down and order the knives and a rasp. The hooves are fascinating and I'm glad she's barefoot. She is as sound as can be and her hooves are beautifully shaped and solid. She stands so nicely I could spend most of my time with my head upside down watching Mel work.

After trimming I took her back to her interrupted breakfast, and then took Vida on a nice long hike along lower Rock Creek on the way home. It was absolutely gorgeous with many of the shrubs in bloom. The only thing we really had to watch for were the mountain bikers racing down the trail, but Vida is so quick and responsive she leaps out of the way with me and sits quietly at my side. She's such a smart dog, and I'm having fun spending some alone time with her.

The weather might get a little unsettled over the next few days, but I have all this week to ride before heading over to the west side to work on the store and preparing to open. The rest of May will be a blur of travel and busy-ness that I'm not really looking forward to but is what it is. I'll ride as much as I can in order to be ready for Nick's clinic at the end of the month.

 

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Days 24-26: Still at it

We're still going, and now the dailines of it is becoming habit, which was probably the point all along. Some days its easy to get there, some days its hard to get there. Janet suggested I just forget the days I was away and pick up where we left off. That puts us at Day 27 today.

Hilke came out again on Day 23 while I was riding in the western arena and warming up to work on the right lead. I didn't see her at first and started working at the far end, then I heard her shouting tips & encouragement and moved closer to hear her. I felt like I had the tools at that point - I had my outside rein as support, the inside rein just tipped her nose on a bit. I was pushing from the inside leg to the outside rein to help get her shoulder out of the way, and she had her haunches in just a little. Still, every time I cued we picked up the left lead. Hilke wouldn't let us stop and she started calling out whenever the outside hind went forward, "Now! Now! Now!"

I don't know how long we worked in that circle but eventually Hilke had me move slightly to circle a jump and pole that had been placed on the east end of the arena and told me my goal was going to be to ask for the lope right as she was moving over the pole. So around and around we went, taking up the wrong lead each time. Frankly, I was wearing out! It was exhausting!

Then, we came around and I gave her a much more punctuated and assertive squeeze as we came up to the pole and we got it - we were off on the right lead. We circled and then we went down the rail, nice and easy. As we came back around, Hilke had me slow her back to a trot and we did it again. Then I was able to come back, slow her to a walk, and she was trembling (like me) with fatigue. What a feeling of success, though, which trumpeted the fatigue.

I walked her out nice and mellow, then she got a rinse-down since she was dripping with sweat. And finally, a nice grassy dinner. It was a fabulous ride.

Day 24 was a short trail ride since I was pressed for time, and Day 25 we went back into the arena. I asked for a lot of other warm-up activities just to break up any routine that was forming, and then we returned to the same jump-pole set up. I had been learning to feel when her outside hind was moving forward and knew that was the time to ask for the transition. About the third or fourth try we got the right lead, nice and easy, no stress, and were off on a lope. I think we did it once more and then we just did some other stuff, including a lope on the left, so that this could start to become just one of the things we do, no the one thing that we do.

Day 26 I almost missed and I got to the barn really late after a very full day in Mammoth. The horses had already been fed and I didn't have the heart to pull her away from dinner. So Vida and I crashed the wind-down of Rebecca, Elizabeth, and Carrie; who we're enjoying shots of fireball & getting ready to clip some mules. It was fun to just hang out with them - it's something I don't do enough of. There's a whole lot of friendship to be had around there, but I've mostly just arrived, rode, and left. It'd be nice to know these women better.

This morning I'm off to the Choo Choo Swap Meet, then to ride early. I have a ton of things to do at the house and for my class, so the plan is to return and get after it by early afternoon. There's a dressage clinic happening, and if I get a chance to watch Rebecca and/or Janet ride I will. But I've got to get back up here and get some stuff done around the house. You'd think this place would already be sparkling with JC and Cooper gone, but the days have been slipping away so quickly.

 

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Day 30: Catching up

Yesterday's ride gave me just a hint if how exhilarating it will be to start working on reining or cutting with Rhea - we worked so hard with Hilke we were both trembling & sweaty when we finally got that right lead again working in the big arena. The focus, the effort, and the partnership left me with such a euphoric high and I loved that work with her.

But first - I need to catch up. Days 20 & 21 were riding / day off grooming days keeping with the schedule we've been on, and then Rhea got almost a week off while we went camping. I knew when I started the 30 day challenge that the pre-planned camping trip would disrupt the continuity but I did it anyway and I'm glad. The 21 days without a break were transformational for us.... We are developing a rhythm and strengthening our bond.

So what day is this? We were home the evening of the 27th and I was back on my horse on day 28.... Or is it day 22?

 

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Days 18 & 19: Long!

Even though we are up early on Easter Sunday we are all sleepy; canines and humans. We had a very long, busy couple of days and could use a day at home catching up.

Day 18 was not a riding day, so Rhea got to hang in the sun with her pasture mates and rest after all the work we did on Day 17. We, on the other hand, were in and out of the truck all day driving to the big city three hours away for medical appointments and all the errand running that goes with a day in the city. We were on the road by 7 am and got back home at 9 pm with still all the unloading and putting away to do. There was no yoga and no riding on Friday.

Yesterday was also long but it was all about horses, dogs, and friends. We got up and out of the house early to meet the farrier for the mustang's trim, then we loaded up five bales of hay to deliver to our friends who have become caretakers on a remote fishing resort. Sometimes it's hard to find the time it takes to drive out to one of the hay ranches in the valley when your life is already full of work and responsibilities. We have such a great circle of horse friends and we all help each other out.

Our plan was to ride with some of these friends today, and to ride somewhere in the middle of our far flung abodes... That place ended up being around Mammoth. April isn't a month you normally think of riding at 8000', but with the winter we've had it feels a month later than it is.

Nothing's ever easy & straightforward, so getting the trailer & all the horses meant driving to Round Valley to pick up the trailer and my mare, circling back into the edge of town to pick up the mustang and drop the puppy off at a friend's for the day, and then driving out to another ranch to pick up our friend T.A. and her horse. Then we were on our way up the grade.

It was a gorgeous day with puffy white clouds, just a hint of cool in the air and brilliant sunshine. We met our pals B. and T. with their horses and dogs near a big meadow and creek, and saddled up. It was a perfect ride through heavenly scented Jeffrey Pine forest, along willow-choked rushing water, and with a jaw-dropping view in every direction. The dogs were in heaven, the horses were relaxed and happy to be out, and we were having a great time being together.

 

I can't say enough good things about my mare - she is "the horse" for me. T. mentioned that we might want to breed her as she gets older and raise up a colt or filly out of her since she does have such a great mind and she is so darn pretty. I think that is something to consider in a couple of years.

We rode up and around in a big, leisurely circle, celebrated with some picture-taking, the transfer of the the hay, and finally dinner and margaritas at a local favorite restaurant, Roberto's. Then it was the long reverse of dropping off and picking up, getting the trailer resituated (and someone had slid their trailer into our spot in our absence), and getting all animals fed before dark. We made it, just barely.

Fun times.... Days like this are made to remember.

 

 

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Day 17: Back to work

Let me just say that this was an awesome riding day. I got a lot of help from Janet and Hilke on picking up the right lead, Rhea and I worked very hard together and were ultimately successful, and then we accompanied Janet on a long trot out in the desert. Such a lovely workout.

And perfect timing. She gets today off - day 18 is a non riding day. Between yesterday and tomorrow's trail ride we'll make up the time but she gets to lounge around with her pals today while I am occupied with other responsibilities.

Its good though. I'm tired and sore from working so hard yesterday and it'll be good for both of us to have a rest day.

 

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