Milton & Me, Redux

We are quietly examining the schedule for suitable places for Milton to start showing with a cart. Yes, yes, many a slip ‘twixt the cup and the lip. It’s all tentative and progress-dependent.

One factor has become obvious. Greg doesn’t have the time. He’s busy working. (Go him!) If he’s to have a competition horse, I will have to work said horse during the week.

I don’t know how I feel about that.

I don’t know how I feel about that while my own riding continues to tank.

Or it could just be August. I hate August. [Hello September]

Thank you for reading,
Katherine Walcott

Trailer Training

More stand lessons [Here We Stand 2013, Rodney Lately 2017]. This time, we are standing near/in the trailer.

Since the incident [Dubious Future], Rodney gets goofy when he leaves the pasture. When I went to get him for the farrier, he refused to leave the field. He broke his ground tie while I unchained the gate – he never does this – and ran to the far end of the pasture. When I hauled him back up, he would stop every 50 feet, ‘Don’t wanna.’ Walk. Pause. ‘Ain’t gonna.’ Walk. Pause. He thought he was headed for the trailer. Once out, he kept staring over his shoulder. Trying to keep his eye on the hideous white box?

First remedial session: No. Not hysteria, just no. Got on with inducement in the form of showing him the buggy whip. Second remedial session: no inducement, front feet on. Third (or maybe the fourth? I’ve lost count.) remedial session: stood on trailer eating hay. Backed off. Got on. Stood on trailer eating hay. Backed off. And so on.

In the Department of Silver Linings, it’s nice to be doing something I’m good at. Riding? Show nerves? No idea what happens inside my own head. Teaching a horse to be a happy-loading pony? I got this.

Update, another post about this session [In Chains].

Thank you for reading,
Katherine Walcott

Letter Art, AlphaBooks: R is for Rubin

The Big Book of Hidden Horses (Trafalgar Square 2006)
Hidden Horses 2 (Half Halt 1994)
Horse Trivia (Half Halt 1995)
If Wishes Were Horses (Mountain 1995)
By Deborah Rubin

Rubin on Rodney’s Saga
The Return of King Arthur photo
Guest Post: Deborah Rubin – Life is a Puzzle
Best Laid Plans photo
Text Art: Q is for Quilt
Gift Celebration
Framed!

Deborah’s Blog
Life, the Universe, and Everything: Adventures of a Curious Mind
~~~
This Year

[Q is for Queen]
[P is for Pace]
[O is for O’Connor]
[N is for Newsum]
[M is for McKinley]
[L is for Lewis]
[K is for Krementz]
[J is for Journal]
[I is for Ipcar]
[H is for Hatch]
[G is for Gray]
[F is for Francis]
[E is for Endicott]
[D is for Doty]
[C is for Cooper]
[B is for Brown]
[A is for Anderson]

Past Years
[2016 Alphabet] [2015 Alphabet]

Project explanation [AlphaBooks 2017]. Open to recommendations for the remaining letters. Which books would you choose?

Thank you for reading,
Katherine Walcott

State of the Blog: Belated Acknowledgement

I owe an assist to The Je ne sais quoi.

In March of 2106, I instituted the habit of ending posts with “Thank you for reading” [State of the Blog: TYFR]. I clearly remember having the idea while listening to the Winchester CD.

Equally clearly, I must have gotten the idea, at least in part, from Jeniese Hosey, author of The Je ne sais quoi. I was obviously reading her blog. In 2015, she was one of my Saturday Referrals [Cover Girl]. On the post just prior to the one I cite I’m On The Cover of Redbook!!!, she ends with “Thanks for reading.”, See Jane Write Bloganista Mini-Con Recap. I must have read it dozens of times.

This proves the theory that one needs to be exposed to an idea multiple times before it sinks in.

[List of previous SotB posts]

So, thank you Ms. Hosey … and thank you for reading,
Katherine Walcott

Eclipse Party

Despite my brave words about being in the moment [Eclipse Safety], I gave in to the temptation to pick up a camera during totality. But then, ‘How do I turn this into a blog post?’ is hardly an unusual thought for me.

~~~

Thematically appropriate food & drink, plus champagne. I don’t drink much these days, but I’d have this again, The French 75 Cocktail is a Favorite Champagne Recipe. Our “eclipse version” had cognac instead of gin and St. Germain instead of simple syrup.

Label is horologically accurate for the east coast.

~~~

Coach Kate makes sure that Kavan is ready for the eclipse.
Photo by Christy Daniels

Eclipse party video by Kate Bushman.
Party graciously hosted by Keith and Brenda Gray.

Eclipse links
Here are the paths of the next 15 total solar eclipses
Silhouette of the International Space Station During a Partial Solar Eclipse
The Most Amazing 2017 Total Solar Eclipse Photos Taken From Space
The Most Extreme Way to Watch the Eclipse? Chase It in a Jet

Thank you for reading,
Katherine Walcott

Rodney’s Saga YouTube Channel

I was wrong.

I promise, I won’t make a habit of miscellaneous schooling videos. Milton Drives On

Miscellaneous videos ain’t going anywhere. So, we will try to get better at them.


First step: YouTube Channel

Rodney’s Saga

This organizes what we already have. I was surprised at how much of it is driving.

Next Step: Up Our Game
Better videography. More interesting editing. Perhaps better equipment.

Stay tuned.

Thank you for reading … & watching,
Katherine Walcott