Random Thursday

I know, I know, the random posts are usually on Friday but I'm hoping to blog about Mark Rashid tomorrow and, meanwhile, the random thoughts are piling up.

1.  Today is my mother's birthday and marks just over one year since she died.  I still miss her and I still have moments where I think, "I have to share this book (or thought or bit of news) with her."  I talk to her often, usually in the car on my way home from work, silently telling her about this and that.  It's not the same as having a voice respond but it is comfortable in its own way.

2.  It has been a warm, dry winter here in California.  While much of the country was buried under mountains of snow, we got very little.  The snow pack is at 12% of normal for this time of year -- and the snow pack gives the State one-third of its water.  The Tahoe area ski resorts are all closing early due to lack of snow.  We have some small rain systems that may come through but nothing big and cold.  A couple of our neighbors, a few properties up the road, have no more water in their wells.  Scary.

3.  Water brings out snakes.  Our property sits at the lowest point of our neighborhood so we stay green the longest and trickles of water remain in our streams after others have gone dry.  A few days ago while doing my walk through of the garden, I noticed a garter snake trying to eat a toad.  The entire hind leg of the toad was in the snake's mouth and there they sat.  After chores, I checked and the snake was gone -- but the toad was sitting there with it's mangled leg.  Ewww.  Brett found three more snakes when he was mowing yesterday.

4.  I had a frustrating ride on Lucy tonight after work.  90% of my rides on Lucy are sheer joy so I really can't complain... but I will anyway.  She was sluggish and resistant to start.  I have never had to carry a whip with Lucy but tonight I could have used one.  I don't believe in being a nag but I was working way too hard.  That all changed when she glimpsed a small herd of deer across the road.  They were grazing and making their way across the hill from one property to the next.  Holy screaming crap.  A snort, a spook, a half rear, head in the air like a llama and flat out refusing to budge.  I had to remind myself that she isn't Winston; that it wouldn't escalate; to relax and work through it.  We did work through it so I suppose that was a success.  Silly Lucy -- she's been living with deer, sharing her pasture with deer even, for nine months.  It was hard to be sympathetic to her panic.

5.  Brett rides with Mark Rashid this weekend.  We are hopeful that Mark can help Brett figure out what makes Mufasa tick.  Brett feels like he is spinning his wheels, going nowhere, in his riding.  Mufasa's trust in Brett has increased tremendously over the past two years but under saddle they just can't get in sync.  Brett doesn't expect miracles or Mufasa to immediately be as balanced under saddle as he is at liberty, but he is hoping for progress and tools to put in his toolkit.  I'll let you know how it goes.