Boy, Am I Old

I was looking at apartments on Craigslist and saw a one bedroom, furnished for $125.00. I didn't think that was too out of line since my first one bedroom, furnished apartment was $110.00 per month (in 1971). Of course reality set in when I actually read the ad and found it was $125 per day.

Had a great one on one lesson with the trainer yesterday. No stirrups and I was trotting with the reins in my left hand and my right hand in the small of my back to improve my seat. I was feeling pretty comfortable by the end of the lesson. At one point she had gone to get something and I decided to dismount to reposition the saddle. I was halfway off the mare when the trainer saw me and yelled, "What are you doing? Get back on that horse." I actually managed to stop midway and change direction.

At the end of the lesson my trainer complimented me and said if I continued to ride this well that she would put me up on one of the other horses. Gulp. I've read several sources that claim riding a variety of horses is the best thing you can do to improve your riding ability as you learn different things from every horse. I think the next most likely candidate for me is a paint gelding who is known for being extremely smart and tries to get away with stuff. Oh joy.

The second filly was born last Wednesday. I've only had a brief glimpse because her mom is a bit on the overprotective side. I guess she's getting a little more relaxed every day so I should get some quality time soon. The older filly is a doll and I'm trying my best not to do anything to spoil her as I've read some stories about horses being ruined because of being treated like puppies when they're young. I guess it affects their mentality and they don't respect humans after a while so that they become unsafe to be around.

What's Wrong With This Ad?

Male Pitbull mix named Rex, he is very energetic and loves people affection. Rex needs a good home where he will get the attention he deserves, He makes a really good property guard dog. we have too many pets and recently got a puppy and i want to give my full attention to it so i dont have any time with rex.
Rehoming fee $50

Dear Human Too Stupid To Live: If you've got too many pets you don't get a new puppy and discard the older dog. I can see a never-ending cycle here. Don't own animals.

Who Designs These Houses?

We looked at six homes yesterday. None of them spoke to me in such a way that I had to have it. The strongest contender has a contingent offer on it already. It is a beautiful piece of property with a creek, however someone has put a lot of love into the landscaping. I don't know if I would want to maintain the garden and many flower beds. The lawn definitely would need a riding mower. My main objection to the house itself was it only had one and a half baths. The full bath was right off the kitchen(!) and the half bath downstairs.

One home had been set up for dairy goats. To access the front door you had to climb up about a dozen steep stairs, not something I would look forward to in the winter. The garage was separate from the house so you'd have to wade across the driveway to get to the stairs. The main level was kitchen and living room. The master bedroom was off of a loft overlooking the living room. The bathroom sink was in the bedroom. There was a second stairway leading down to the other bedrooms, laundry room, etc. The stairways were so narrow that it would be a nightmare to move furniture in or out.

Another piece of property didn't have a garage but we looked at it anyway. Again with climbing stairs to enter the front door. This house had a really odd design but it did have a screened in porch - a huge plus for me. There were also four hens that followed us everywhere when we were tramping around the outside. Have you ever seen a chicken run? Too funny.

I don't understand why one home had the shower and tub in the master bedroom with wall to wall carpeting. At least the toilet was in a private alcove. This was also the only bathroom on that floor so all your guests and whoever used the second bedroom would be sharing that bath.

The next home was a gorgeous ranch style that was in the middle of nowhere. I think it would have been "the one" if there hadn't been miles of dirt road to get to it. My husband doesn't like to take the Harley on long stretches of unpaved streets.

The last house we looked at was almost perfect except for the location. The neighboring homes were too close for the property to have privacy.

I looked online today and didn't see any new listings that grabbed my attention. It will be interesting to see what the realtor values our home at to have a more accurate idea of what priced homes we can actually afford.

Dead Penguins: Sorry, sometimes I can't help myself

Did you ever wonder why there are no dead penguins on the ice in Antarctica - where do they go?

Wonder no more ! ! !

It is a known fact that the penguin is a very ritualistic bird which lives an extremely ordered and complex life.

The penguin is very committed to its family and will mate for life, as well as maintaining a form of compassionate contact with its offspring throughout its life.

If a penguin is found dead on the ice surface, other members of the family and social circle have been known to dig holes in the ice, using their vestigial wings and beaks, until the hole is deep enough for the dead bird to be rolled into and buried. The male penguins then gather in a circle around the fresh grave and sing:

"Freeze a jolly good fellow"

"Freeze a jolly good fellow."

Then they kick him in the ice hole.

Angry Beavers

Saw this article in the local newspaper about beavers becoming aggressive and attacking dogs swimming in their territory. They apparently can do some real damage to the poor puppies.

I haven't posted much about my riding lately as I seem to be in a holding pattern. All of my recent lessons have been with two or three other women so I haven't had any one on one critiques by my trainer. I did go to the barn yesterday to scrub water buckets and just hang with the horses. The new filly is cute beyond words. Very friendly and inquisitive. She would run up to me every time I was close to her paddock and stand to be petted and loved on. One of the school horses has been retired and a boarder has her mare up for sale. I expect there will be new horses to replace them eventually.

I've been looking online at homes for sale in the MatSu Valley. The Valley is about 30 miles from Anchorage and the ridiculous gasoline prices are making it impractical for people to make the commute so they're selling at really low prices. My husband knows a realtor and I think we're actually going to look at a couple of homes this week. One home is on five acres so hopefully has some privacy. It is also about the same distance from a really nice stable as what I currently drive.

By the way, I go on these flights of fancy all the time so don't be surprised if I never move but stay firmly ensconced in my present surroundings.

My Newest Blog Venture

Once upon a time I created a blog called "Bow Chica Bow Bow" where I intended to post examples of unintentional sexual humor that people expressed either verbally or in pictures. That went nowhere fast and I deleted it. I still have "From Rabbits to Redpolls" although I haven't filched any animal pictures to post there in a long time.

I worked in government for 30 years and have an abiding contempt for politicians. I do believe America is headed for destruction and our current President scares the crap out of me. Because I am a coward I tend to avoid the unpleasant, however, I've been barraged by e-mails lately that even I can't ignore. Instead of forwarding them on I have decided to copy them into a new blog I've created - Head In The Sand. I guess this is my miniscule attempt at making a difference.

I occasionally posted these e-mails in Ms Martyr but since it has evolved mostly into stories about my horsey adventures I decided to put them in a location where those so inclined will have to deliberately seek them out. I may occasionally voice my own opinion. Comments are welcome, even if you disagree, or maybe especially if you do so. I am not verifying what is posted there so if it is total hogwash, let me know, but be prepared to prove it. I once posted a comment on a very liberal blog about Obama's presidential campaign and had inserted a link to where I had gained the information. The blogger's response was something to the effect of, "This is too stupid for words." Um, nope, that does not constitute a good argument in my book.

I wouldn't be posting these if I didn't feel there was some basis of truth. I may return to complete inertia and never publish another entry. I feel helpless as an individual and have not seen any real solutions put forth. I learned at a seminar I that it's not good enough to point out the problem, you have to offer a solution. Voting the bastards out of office doesn't do it - they're all bastards.

Now, back to our regular manure-strewn programming.

One Year Ago

I had my first riding lesson. I was so thrilled afterwards that I couldn't even remember the horse's name. I think I had three or four lessons using a Western saddle when the trainer asked if I'd be willing to try a dressage saddle and I've been riding English ever since.

I had a great time at the Hunter Jumper show last Saturday. I'm pretty happy that I don't want to compete as I can see me totally screwing up the jumping pattern. I saw several horses and riders from my barn jump as well as the daughter of a lady who gets her manicures where I do. The mare she leases is absolutely beautiful and a real sweetheart.

The people participating at the show had taken the mounting block from the barn with them. Consequently, I had to lengthen my left stirrup and claw my way up the horse's side to mount at the last two lessons. It was not pretty. Hopefully everything will be back to normal this Friday but I'm looking at mounting blocks on line as there are at least three more shows this summer that horses from the barn will be attending. There's a dressage show this weekend that I plan to watch. I don't know of any horses from my stable competing in it .

I decided to economize by not planting hanging baskets and pots of flowers this year. I don't think I'm the only one as I haven't seen a lot of flowers around town. I figure I'll be able to resume gardening long after I won't be able to ride any more.