Thoughts
August needs to pull its socks up.
Contacted fancy hunter/jumper barn about next jumping lesson. [Hank Got Hops]
Out of town. Please get back in touch after Labor Day.
I hate August.
Get all excited about new possibilities, and … wait three weeks.
This would be annoying at any time, more so now when little else is happening.
Fancy hunter/jumper barn is off doing fancy hunter/jumper things. Stepping Stone is off to do fancy Saddlebred things, i.e. Louisville. Dance class is over; next set starts in September. Tropical Storm Fred is likely to wash out walks for a while.
There go all my usual reasons for leaving the house.
Then, there the reasons for NOT leaving the house.
Covid numbers in the state are horrid. Vaccinations are up. Yay! We still have to cycle through infections that have already taken place. The news is not going to to be good for a while. AL.com: Alabama COVID hospitalizations soon to hit alarming new peak with no end in sight, state health officer warns. Cason. August 12, 2021.
Yes, I am vaccinated. Yes, wear a mask. I could still catch it. I could still spread it. Unlikely, but not worth the risk to myself and others just because I’m bored and cranky. Seems wise to stay home and stay out of the way.
Speaking of the news, this fourth wave may be a disaster in the making (I hope not) but it is a slow-moving d-in-the-m. A twenty-minute, daily update would cover all we need to know. But the 24/7 news machine must be fed. So folks will get all revved up about this or that. Unless something worse comes along.
And then there are all the regularly-occurring reasons I hate August. The anniversary of my father passing away suddenly. The AEC happening without me, yet again. Gotcha Days for Milton and Rodney leading to all the frustrating self-reflection that entails. The reminder that Rodney’s arrival derailed my writing career as well as my riding career. [Hello September & Gotcha Day, 10 Years and a Serious Lack of Shiny Rainbow Glitter Sparkles]
You may see a few more posts from the reserve pile, starting tomorrow. That’s what rainy-day savings are for, right?
It may be a month where I have space & time to accomplish great things. I would love to get started on that Hugo-winning short story.
Or
It may be a month where simply getting to the other side is a victory.
Stay safe. Stay sane.
Katherine
Virtual Brush Box 
Why not both?
Getting to the other side will definitely be a victory. Thank you for reminding me why I am so down. August does that to me. But September, with cool breezes, fall colors and a new season, that’s what’s next. Yay!
As for starting your novel, you already have. Moon rats are waiting to be heard. There are so many questions, just taking their POV of our daily struggles. Do they have an August? What do they do on the dark side? What do they miss the most?
Inquiring minds want to know!
As you may remember, the first part of September can be as bad as August around here. Globally, July was the hottest month on record. Climate change rears its ugly head.
You speak for us all about August, and the current time.
We all need a vacation. (And I am sorry about your dad. My father-in-law died on Mothers Day; my dad just before Christmas; my mother a few days after July 4th—sometimes it’s just hard.)
Judging by comments here & elsewhere, August is not willing any popularity contests.