Yesterday's Warhorse "practice"

Friend Raph and Crystal have moved to their new place over in Preston (near Snoqualmie Falls). They invited a bunch of historic horse nuts over to work on gear and technique and view the new digs, so that's what we (Gordo, Bev, moi) did yesterday. Oh, and Bev got to try her new armor!

Here they are, suiting up. Note the cool lance arrette (sp) that she didn't even ask for, but the cool armorer in Brno (or somewhere else in Czech Republic) thought she should have.

Yes, Gordo needs gauntles and legs.... but he still looks cool.

No, Bev doesn't normally wear wellies with her armor.

Here comes cavalry season!

Spring is lurking in the shadows, and we know what that portends: tourney season! Little Honor had his first trail ride today (that's him on the left, the giant grey baby). Nobody died: yay! At 17.2(?) hands, he's the biggest baby I know. Now if his mommy can just find him a happy home...

It was so nice and balmy this morning I didn't even have to wear gloves in the woods! Meanwhile, I talked to some folks in Second Life (who live much farther East) who had to shovel snow this morning. I love the Pac. Northwest, thank you very much.

As you can see from the photo left, Woody's mane is growing in nicely from his "high & tight" cut last year. The sweet itch was bugging him so bad during the Summer that he'd rubbed his mane all raw in a couple of spots. Right before Faire Bev shaved it all off because it looked so ratty. This year we'll get him on an antihistamine so he doesn't suffer all season, poor baby. No itchy!!!

Gordon on Jaran, Woody's head in lower right corner.

trail ride 03-07
Bev describes Honor's canter...

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Awfully BRIGHT outside...

This is why we don't take off our snow tires until March or so...

The chickens hate the snow, and are all in the barn thank you very much.

The cats are mostly in the house. Beany hasn't gone out but maybe three times since October (she thinks she's delicate). There are Gimli tracks making a beeline for the barn as per usual. Eric made a foray, but even though he's a pretty large cat, the snow is just about up to his tummy. Very disquieting! He went directly to the dry spot under the awning where I feed the chickens in bad weather. He was waiting, I think, for the little brown birds to come clean up the spilled corn. They saw him sitting there and stayed in the lilacs. I went and picked him up and brought him back inside. Catz.

The horses were baffled: no place to roll! Woody rolled anyway and came up looking like a snow sculpture until he shook it off. It's really beautiful outside, and I wish I had a better camera with which to share it! Here's a snapshot of my little wattle fence project, anyway.

Frightful Weather

Yes, it's snowing again. Granted it's wet, fitful snow and will likely melt by afternoon, but still...

My rhubarb is coming up, so I put some more manure around it for good measure. I have three plants, but is that really enough? I saw some bare-roots for sale at Valley Nursery for cheap the other day. As soon as I have a few dollars to rub together I'm going to get one or two of them. I can't help but remember when we lived in wretched central valley, California, and I tried to grow rhubarb. It was so hot in the Summer they just fried in the concrete-like ground, and then in Winter they rotted in the concrete turned to slime. A potted rubarb cost me over $14 at a nursery in Nevada (the nurseries in California just glazed over when I asked, as though I had requested a Venusian Liquid Metal slime mold or something).

Rubarb: it's not just for breakfast.

Victory!

After two weeks (as of tomorrow), this nasty cold will finally be pretty much history! Yesterday was the first day in awhile where I felt like I had any energy at all, and with all the yard work/sewing/etc. I need to be doing the timing was pretty bad. Still, I feel fortunate since this is the first illness I've had in over a year.

Ah, I hear clucking outside my door... time to feed the chookies!

Another Personality Test

This one is actually pretty accurate! I took the long test, of course...

My Personality

Neuroticism	44
Extraversion	7
Openness To Experience	49
Agreeableness	54
Conscientiousness	43

You are introverted, reserved, and quiet with a preference for solitude and solitary activities. Your socializing tends to be restricted to a few close friends. Stressful and frustrating situations can be upsetting to you, but you are generally able to get over these feelings and cope with these situations. A desire for tradition does not prevent you from trying new things. Your thinking is neither simple nor complex. To others you appear to be a well-educated person but not an intellectual. You have some concern with others' needs, and are generally pleasant, sympathetic, and cooperative. You are reasonably reliable, organized, and self-controlled.

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