Digital Coffee Hour, Fiction Fragment

It all started when two of Abby’s friends used to meet every weekday for coffee. She wanted to join them, but they lived in town and she lived way out in the country. Their coffee shop of choice was too far away. It would mean driving for two hours – an hour there and an hour back – to spend one hour seeing her friends.

Then Bettina got covid. Isolation meant not going out for coffee. A mild case meant boredom and sniffles. When she complained about cabin fever, Abby offered to host a digital coffee hour on her Zoom account.

It was supposed to be temporary. A few days until Betts felt it was safe to go back among other humans. Turned out they all liked the arrangement. Abby got to see her friends. Betts liked drinking coffee in her pajamas. Chris like saving money.

They kept meeting.

Instead of shrinking over time, the group grew. This friend. That sister who lived out of town. They finally settled on about two dozen women all told. A core group of 5 or 6, with others rotating through as time or interest allowed.

The hour was convenient. Coffee hour Abby’s part of the US was afternoon break in Europe.

They talked about this or that. Movies, books, sometimes politics. They talked about coffee. What they were drinking today. Who got a new machine. Brew vs. drip. Coffee history. Free trade. How someone ever figured out how to make coffee from beans in the first place. They talked a lot about coffee. It was coffee hour after all.

There was no role call. Still, people tended to notice when one of the regulars hadn’t shown for a while. Does anyone know what happened to Dorothy? Oh yeah, she’s really swamped at work right now. She’s going in early to cover the opening shift. Where is Erica been? I dunno. I’ll text her later.

Abby didn’t get off the property much, so she was around to play host as soon as all the animals had been fed and settled for the day. She liked to sit out on the porch with the trees in the background. If you’re going to live this far from civilization, you might as well enjoy the perks. Although the prize for backgrounds went to Felicia, who traveled for work and went to some amazing places.

In time, the group would fade away. It was the way of such things. They’d move on to different places in their lives. Fewer people would show up. The meetings would shift to weekly and then to monthly and then to promises of getting together again soon.

Or maybe not. Maybe they’d still be meeting in 30 years. The one steady element in the vicissitudes of life.

It could go either way.

For now, Abby would pour a cup of coffee, aim her laptop at the trees, and hold space for whoever showed up.

~~~ ☕ 💻 ~~~

Leaf, Photography

Photography of the outside world. In the spirit of this week’s debate, CBS News: White House Photographers, 2010. From Kennedy to Obama. Current is Adam Schultz.

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Leaf
Pelham Alabama
August 2024

Technical Details

Leaf, f/5.6, 1/100 sec., 40.0 mm, ISO 640. Manual mode & auto-focus. Post production: resized, border, & watermark. No cropping. High ISO because shade.

Random shot from previous photo outing. [Reflection]

My borders on big camera photos are usually gray for project cohesion. Didn’t look right for this one.

Onwards!
Katherine

First Western Lesson

Awareness of the outside world. Savor: Iceland Adventures, scroll down for pics & a short paragraph on “my day on an Icelandic horse”. [Riding in Reykjavik, a Guest Post]

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Scout
AAA Performance Horses
Instructor, Aubrey Schreiber

If memory serves, my first time in a western saddle since Wyoming summer camp in 1976.

Things I noticed.

I kept trying to turn the stirrups so that they sat perpendicular to my feet. Wasn’t happening with the big western fenders. Much less movement than with english stirrup leathers.

Seat was more comfy than I expected, mostly I just didn’t notice it.

Dismounting. Lean forward. Swing leg off. But wait, there is a horn in my way. Now what?

Lot of walking. Some trotting jogging. A bit of cantering loping trantoring. Finally got a real lope once the boss ran alongside.

Scout is the variety of lesson horse who can do it but won’t if he doesn’t believe the rider. Usually I can jolly a school horse. Scout was not convinced that I wanted to do much other than stroll around enjoying the sunshine. He was not wrong.

Riding a quiet and reliable horse made me realize how much mine are not.

Say what I want about TBs, they have lovely canters.

Proof that the seat is comfy. This was the saddle I used. Want the most comfortable seat in the house? Move the cat.

Onwards!
Katherine

First Western Purchase

Awareness of the outside world. “The Artists Registry of the 9/11 Memorial & Museum is an online database and digital gallery of artistic work created in response to the events of September 11.” 9/11 Memorial & Museum: Artist Registry.

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Caption. Girth & girth accessories on railing. Horse head & metal chicken for atmosphere. Oak Grove Feed & Tack. [Felines of the Feed Store]

Borrowed a saddle to test. Yay! Bought new girth system to replace aged leather straps.

Rodney has worn the saddle on a few morning walks and has lunged with it. Get acquainted and test of concept. Not a miracle cure. Didn’t go hoppity hop.

Milton does not want to be anywhere near the saddle. Not in the barn with it. Not near Rodney wearing it. Flashbacks to pony horses on the track?

Onwards!
Katherine

The Routine, Morning Walk Stories

Awareness of the outside world. Links for latest horrid news report. How to Help. Resources & Support. Good that we have resources; terrible that we need them.

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(space to take a breath or two)

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(shift gears)

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Morning walk.

Leave barn. This is where Rodney stops to have our daily discussion about the wisdom of this venture. [The Conversation]

Got out to ring area. Walk the long side of pasture. Turn around at corner. Walk back to starting point. Repeat x4. One mile. Approx 25 minutes.

This is the routine. Woe betide if we alter it.

1st lap. Milton leads. Rodney on lead rope. Otherwise he stops to contemplate being & nothingness or possibly the cows next door. At turnaround, the leadrope can come off. He will continue to follow Milton. I’ll walk next to or in front.

2nd lap. Cookie break at turnaround.

3rd lap. Turnaround. Cookie break. Swap to Rodney back on leadrope, in front. Milton off lead & following.

Repeat for lap 4.

At the turnaround for lap 5, halters off. They have the option of staying out to graze or wandering back to the barn.

You don’t need to track the exact specifics as much as realize that there ARE specifics and the horses expect us to follow them.

Examples of wrong. One person leading both horses. Swapping personnel. Rodney in the lead for the first lap – actually this doesn’t happen. He will stop and wait for Milton to take the lead.

Things to watch out for. Milton is okay with Rodney in front. He is okay with Rodney behind. He does! not! like! Rodney passing him. He will become expressive in this situation. All three of us – two people & Rodney – are on watch when we make the turn to be sure we respect Milton’s personal space.

Most of the time, the people get it right and the horses chug along.

Onwards!
Katherine