Thursday, December 31, 2009

New Year's Eve Blue Moon

Thanks to my sweet YaYa Sisters who sent me these lovely flowers to help me recover from surgery this week. You all must know I am partial to purple. I look forward to many rides in 2010 and beyond. Love you guys. xxxooo c





PS - Got a shot of the Blue Moon as it came up tonight - this New Year's Eve 2009.

Friday, December 25, 2009

White Christmas Continued

I have the warm riding boots but it's still too cold to ride. So, I wandered around outside and took a few pictures. I had plotted to have the annual New Year's ride on the Sunday before New Year's but the snow has grounded my horse trailer and the roads are still to iffy to risk a drive anywhere - never mind with a trailer.
The Blizzard of aught nine kept equines in the barn for more than 36 hours. When they got a chance to get out, they seemed to enjoy the white stuff so long as they got back in the barn by sundown. Jet turns out to be a snow dog - but the chickens.... PS - Sister is on sabbatical (vacation from the vacation she has enjoyed the last couple of years) in Stillwater with Krystal.

Christmas is here


To all my yaya sisters.
Happy Trails and Merry Christmas!

Sunday, December 20, 2009

Warm Riding Boots

Finally! Back in the Saddle this weekend. Splash and I picked up Sherry and Joker and headed to Inola for the party lesson on Sat. morning. It was 35 degrees when we left the house. I was wearing my fabulous Ariat Winter Riding Boots (my best present from Steve last Xmas), polar fleece pants, ear warmer band, and winter riding gloves. Nice and toasty.

So warm that I had to trade my gloves with Patty to avoid overheating. And that was just while we were warming up. We started off with some basic trot work and Splash was offended at the very thought of actual work. I was wearing SPURS because I anticipated this sort of attitude. Call wasn't thrilled with the end of her 2 month vacation either even if she wasn't the cause of Kathy's broken leg - but she adjusted her attitude on the lounge line. Lakota was a good boy, just a bit stiff. Joker was just a good boy.

After warm up, we worked on flex right/left and shoulder fore at the walk; after several Turns On the Forehand (both ways) and a couple of "one-step into TOF" and some work at haunches in - we struggled with attempts at half-pass. Splash did a decent job at all these exercises if you don't count the ususal problem of NO FORWARD. He even managed a couple of sluggish half-pass steps to the right but needed Patty along side with a whip to get any half-pass left. We ended the lesson with canter work and Splash took both leads correctly and, although he tried, no break of gait through canter circles and canter along the rail. A good note to end a lesson on.

Sunday turned out SUNNY! Sherry brought Westin over and the kids played on the ponies in the sunshine and it was almost to warm for jackets. After a bit of riding, the kids climbed in the hay, chased chickens, played with the dog, hit golf balls, and played a little base ball.
Plus! I have a new grand Nephew named Ethan Joseph Samulski born December 19, 2009 7:37am, 7lbs 15oz 20.5" - woo hoo!

Sunday, December 13, 2009

Birthdays first - then Christmas

My little brother turned 40 this year. A scary thought since he is my baby brother. My sister Trisha spent weeks (really, months) sorting through and scanning my mother's slides, so I went searching for some pictures of Jason.

Jason looked so cute riding Chocolate with me, but he turned to the dark side, and now is Mopar obsessed.

Chocolate was my dream pony. A beautiful bayhorse - I believed the most beautiful horse in south FLA. We rode in a rural pasture (west of Miami along the Tamiami Trail) complete with black FLA mud-holes and FLA-Holly hammocks. http://sofia.usgs.gov/virtual_tour/enp/index.htmlenp/index.html

Knowing a little more about horses now, we were really lucky that Chocolate was a safe-enough horse. My grandfather bought him at an auction of horses confiscated from abusers for $50. My Dad bought a $75 (new) saddle and the horse lived out on property owned by my grandfather. Chololate was for all the grandkids to use, but he was MY horse since I was the oldest and really the only equine obsessed of the batch - Trisha wasn't interested in horses even then, Lil was to young to give me much competition in the horse crazed department, and my 3 cousins were boating boys.
After I went off to Furman, Lil took over and then took Chocolate to Texas when she went to Trinity for college where she rode him into his old age. And I moved to OK and eventually accumulated a small horse herd - no Bayhorse included.

And about those birthdays - Jason's was on the 8th and the girls will turn 11 on Dec. 17. So, today we will go to the movies for a girly birthday party (the Princess and the Frog) and then we can start to think about Christmas.

After that... perhaps a trail ride before the new year - although I am planning on a Party Lesson at Patty's next weekend. Splash is reveling in his early Xmas present - no riding this week because the 4-H Horse club had their banquet on Saturday including Pot Luck and the famous wooden nickle auction. Both girls won belt buckles for placing reserve in one or more classes in the 4-H show series.
And it's been VERY COLD. I will wear my winter riding boots next week. But we did get to do some horsey stuff - the GCC/ODS club had the annual Xmas Party/Dirty Santa/Awards banquet on Friday night. Splash and I did well in Intro Level but we still need PLENTY of work in Training Level - And I am vintage. Alaina didn't qualify because Diez foundered mid-year but Ivy was Champion Jr. Training Level 14 and Under with Pico. YAYA.

Tuesday, December 8, 2009

Julie's Poem on a Cold and Blustery Winter Day


On Comet,
On Jeurgen,
On Winston,

On Wiz,

Off to Rita's trail rides with the Ya-Ya's that is,
The laughter it floats through the cool Fall air,
As they once again ride to lose the day's care,
Over hills, through creeks, and around trees they weave,
A trail untraveled they never do leave,
After unsaddling they gather together,
To pause and refresh, and enjoy the weather,
They talk of the ride, of old friends and new,
'Til daylight is gone and the stars peek through,
Good nights and drive safes are heard as they part,
Each Ya-ya will treasure the moments in her heart.


Good poem Julie - untill we ride again it reminds us of fun times.


Sunday, December 6, 2009

Winter Blast and YaYa Dirty Santa

After some lovely indian summer weather - winter came in this week. Thursday evening, YaYa Sista's gathered at Sherry B's for the annual dirty Santa gift exchange, pot luck and wine tasting. Food fit for a king, lots of laughter, and very fun dirty santa stealing. Two dirty Santa's made their "presents" known to unsuspecting gift selectors. Very fun evening.




Friday night, the girls and I joined 4-H kids to decorate the float for the Christmas Parade and froze our feet off. Sat. morning we met the 4-H group at the Jim Carey Christmas Carol movie and then finished work on the float and paraded down mainstreet in Claremore. Hand warmers are a wonderful thing.

The good news is that my fab Ariat winter riding boots do keep feet warm (I wore them to the parade). The bad news is that I didn't get a chance to ride in them. Splash is ok with this but Next Week - I will wear them in the Sat. Party Lesson. The holiday frenzy has started.


Plan for a Yaya ride between Xmas and New Years on Sunday afternoon.