Random Friday

1.  The chick, christened "Dixie" by Camille (get it?  Dixie Chick), is still very much alive and running at top speed around the hen pen.  Every so often, a grumpy hen will peck it on the head when it tries to get a bite of the extra yellow squash I toss over the fence.  Other than that, it is well tolerated by the flock.  The rat zapper traps have been very effective -- seven or eight big rats so far.  The first few days we caught one or two rats each day.  Now, the traps are most often empty and, more importantly, there have been no more instances of rats dropping from the garage roof onto the ground next to me and scurrying away.  Talk about giving you a start!  It reminded me of Willard.  Eek.

2.  My foot is doing so much better.  It has been almost four months since it was crushed under Finessa's foot.  Last week I tried (again) to get around without my walking cast.  I bought some stiff leather work boots and my foot was pretty comfortable in it so I'm wearing them all the time now. I'm even wearing them to work; not exactly corporate attire -- but better than clomping around with a boot that looked like Darth Vader. We are going on vacation next week and I'm planning to leave the big walking cast at home.

3.  Yes, we are going on vacation.  This is the first vacation I've taken -- other than long weekends here and there -- since I started this job three years ago.  We are going to Alaska and we are going to be gone almost two weeks.  We went on an Alaskan cruise a number of years ago and loved the quiet grandeur and raw beauty of the bits and pieces we experienced then.  This time, we are taking a train inland, spending a few days at Denali, and going up to the Arctic National Park.

4.  Brett has been busy with his new project -- creating an obstacle course in the second arena.  We rarely use the arena and Brett would like to incorporate sensory work into his rides with Flash; since the two of them love (and excel at) them so much.  Earlier this week, Brett bought a big blue barrel to use.  He told me that Flash watched him unload it, and then started vigorously nodding his head as Brett took it into the barn.  (Tex watched from a safe distance, non-too-sure about the whole thing).  Brett said to me, "Flash sure seems happier, perkier and more engaged since I rode him the other day."  And I replied -- "of course, he does.  He's catching all that happy energy from you and he knows something is up."  Brett can't see it, but the way he is interacting with Flash has changed.  He points at him, in the manner of "you're next; I pick you" and Flash knows that signal well.  And Brett's energy is about "doing" something, instead of just "howdy and hello."  Flash knows.  He hasn't been Brett's partner for 16 years for nothing.