Random Five Friday

1. In the past few months, we've had birds in the house a couple of times. We find them in the breakfast area, looking out the window at the garden. Then they fly around the house before I'm able to catch them (in a towel) and take them outside. Brett thought they were coming in the laundry room door so we have been careful to always close it tightly behind us. A few days ago, another bird got in. Brett could hear it inside the wood stove. The doors to the stove were pushed out a bit but the bird was still inside. He didn't want to mess with trying to catch the bird so he waited for me to get home from work. By then, the bird was gone. Maybe back up the chimney? Regardless, we had a new spark arrestor installed today so we won't have anymore birds careening around the house leaving splats of white poop on the furniture.

2. Our neighbor across the road has sheep. I always think of the Crazy Sheep Lady when I see them out in her big pasture. A week or so ago, I noticed four or five lambs in the adjoining pasture, munching on grass and loving life. We found out that Tuesday night something killed one of the lambs. It was either a mountain lion or coyotes. The carcass was left behind so our neighbors are leaning towards blaming coyotes. I worry about our goats and am thankful for Sedona, who barks at any animal who sets foot on the property.

3. Winston is still hanging out in his paddock, training with Sandy, and waiting for a new home. There have been quite a few inquiries and some of them very interested. However, none have been appropriate. Most recently an older, timid woman who loves appaloosas wanted to rescue him -- riding him a few times a week. When Sandy talked to her about his need for clear boundaries, regular work and his sensitivity, the woman didn't understand at all. Another person sounded very promising initially -- she was looking for an eventing prospect for her 17 year old daughter (yes!) but the horse also had to be safe for her husband, who has never ridden before, to ride (no!).

4. I had a lesson on Lucy today. Mixed results. Our warm-up stretching trot was much improved. Our haunches-in were a total disaster. Lucy can do them in her sleep but my brain got all tangled up in my fingers and my legs were crossed and confused. After that fiasco, we tried to canter. Lucy was good considering how frustrated she must have been with me. She didn't rush but she wasn't interested in transitioning down to trot either. Sandy told me to breathe out in the downward transition. Nope. Breathe out more. Louder. More. Finally, she came down. I was exhaling like Darth Vador. Sandy said "May the Force be with you" and we called it a day. Next time we'll work on canter before my brain gets twisted in a knot and while Lucy is relaxed.

5. Brett and I are going down to San Diego this weekend. My mom wanted to have her ashes scattered at sea. My brother lives in San Diego and has a sail boat there. My mom loved going out on his boat. On Mothers Day we will sail out on my brother's boat and scatter the ashes. Kyle and Camille are driving down tomorrow morning. My father has been in San Diego all week, staying in a small cottage on the pier, where he and my mother vacationed every May. My sister and my niece flew down yesterday. We will all be there to carry her ashes out of the harbor, and scatter them into the open sea.

The blog will be quiet for the next few days. Happy Mothers Day to all you moms out there. Its going to be a bittersweet one for me.