Slight Detour

Scene at the show

2008-05-26T07:54:00.000-07:00

Back in the ring again. They'd better be saying nice things about me cuz I'm doing my best to behave.

2008-05-26T07:51:00.000-07:00

Reviewing my options.

2008-05-26T07:48:00.000-07:00

Reviewing the pattern

2008-05-26T07:45:00.000-07:00

Warming up for the dressage test

2008-05-26T07:42:00.000-07:00

2008-05-26T07:38:00.000-07:00

Young 'uns: Lefty and Caleb

2008-05-26T07:35:00.000-07:00

Can you believe this get-up? I want outa here.

2008-05-26T07:31:00.000-07:00

I'm a champion. Big Deal. Give me some grain.

2008-05-26T07:27:00.000-07:00

2008-05-26T07:24:00.000-07:00

Sunday stuff

2008-05-25T06:17:00.000-07:00

It was a sleep-in morning. We don't leave for the fairgrounds until around 7. I actually slept in---until 5:45. Days at the horse shows are good for insomniacs. I slept well last night and enjoyed every drop of it.

Yesterday was a good day at the show. Yesterday put it all together for my new chapter of horse ownership. It's an ongoing story and will continue to be, but for one year and one day after the loss of my great horse Rambo, we enjoyed a lovely moment at the show.

Lefty came out of the ring with a sash of yellow, white and purple flowers. He was named champion purebred Arabian gelding. First, I must be point-blank honest and point out that he had just one other horse for his competition---a two-year-old from the Tri-Cities.

It was not the luck of lack of numbers though. Lefty looks good, and I can say that after a lifetime of being critical about horse conformation. He looks really good, and the judge thought so too. He received a higher point total than the show's champion Arabian stallion.

Not a good thing for a stallion which is going to pass on his genes, but a great thing for a gelding who's just gonna be a much-loved nice horse for riding and showing. Lefty scored high in all categories---legs, Arabian type, head and neck, back line, etc. We're proud of the little guy, and we know he has a nice future. I know Rambo would be proud too.

I have no means of putting up my pictures, but I'll sure post a few tomorrow.

Today Laurie will ride again at the dressage show up on the hill southwest of Spokane. It's a big show; the grounds up there are crawling with horses and their owners. Many elegant sights with riders dressed up in top hats and tails or breeches and caps. Rusty did well yesterday, but the judge was sparing with her points. Laurie was thrilled because the judge noted that her hands looked "tactful . . .don't change that."

I walked Lily around the equestrian center yesterday. I knew she was tall, but she seems taller than ever after a few weeks of being away. She was happy to have me brush her in her box stall, didn't even try to nibble at me.

We attended the dog show yesterday in between classes. It's a sizable show with 2,700 pooches and their handlers, groomers, owners, etc. The two Yvonne's next door to our barn stalls (a mother-daughter team from Vancouver) have a couple of Boxers. Turns out one is a Canadian champion, so they were watching the Boxer competition as we strolled through.

I love dog shows, and I wish I had more time to take it all in. I've never seen so many golden retrievers or Boxers or shelties. I met a young Border Collie pup who had beaten all the boys in her class. She resides in Seattle with her adoring owner.

Lots going on here in Spokane, and a busy day ahead. Then, we'll take Lefty back to the equestrian center, pack up and head home. Barbara and Laurie know they've got a field of lawn hay to mow upon their arrival, and I'll get back to the business of gardening and lawn work. All the while I'll be revisiting those moments when Lefty pranced through the fairgrounds with his beautiful sash.

It's been a good horse show, for sure.

Saturday, oh, so slight

2008-05-24T05:19:00.000-07:00

We're on the move early this morning. Barbara has a trail class along with the halter classes this morning. So, I don't have much time to write.

Last night, we let the little guys loose in a large outdoor arena where rodeos are held. That's when I should have had the camera. They raced from one end to the other several times---letting each other win. It was beautiful.

I'll be taking photos, though, and will maybe post some new ones later, much later in the day.

My wish for all is that this Memorial Day weekend brings much fun and good memories. Stay safe.

Later . . . .

Horse Show Highlights

2008-05-23T06:51:00.000-07:00

Lefty gets tips from his boot camp teacher, Monty.

I'll be going back to the horse show this afternoon after coming home late yesterday. We had a good start to the show. These events are actually two identical shows back to back.

Today my sister Laurie takes her Rusty for a dressage competition to the Spokane Sport Horse Arena, near the equestrian center where Lily and Lefty are staying. Dressage is an individual event, and her run-through occurs at a specific time. So, it's easy to plan. The only unknown she faces is getting Rusty in the trailer when he has to go somewhere by himself.

Tomorrow, the exact schedule we followed yesterday will occur----just a different judge.

We'll be doing this horse show stuff until Sunday afternoon, and the primping and polish will continue. If you're in Spokane, stop by the Spokane Fair and Expo Center formerly known as the Interstate Fairgrounds. We'll be there, except for the dressage stuff on Sunday.

2008-05-23T06:48:00.000-07:00

Shave and a haircut; no bits

2008-05-23T06:44:00.000-07:00

Lefty's pedicure

2008-05-23T06:41:00.000-07:00

I'm a buckskin. Dusty's my name.

2008-05-23T06:39:00.000-07:00

Sisters and buddies

2008-05-23T06:36:00.000-07:00

Laurie and Lefty prepare for upcoming halter class.

2008-05-23T06:33:00.000-07:00

Two firsts and a second so far at halter. Dusty, my sister Barbara, Lefty and my sister Laurie. The little guys got to see each other at the horse show in Spokane for the first time since September. They were born on at Ravenwood Arabians in Ronan, Montana. Their former owner, Jane Bohn, would be proud of both of them.

No wireless, quick blog

2008-05-22T05:45:00.000-07:00

Super 8 here in Spokane has wireless. I don't. So, I'm doing a quick Internet run here in the business room. Plus, I don't have a lot of time. We've got to get to the fairgrounds to get the young guys ready for their early morning classes.

All is well. I love watching Laurie's Rusty rear in his stall so he can see Dusty next door. It's a usual occurrence, I guess. Laurie says when his buddies aren't around, he's a perfect gentleman.

Will post later when I get home. For now, it's on to the show.

Things to do, places to go

2008-05-21T07:04:00.001-07:00

This will be quick. I've been given a list of "things to do" to go along with my "things to do" so that we three sisters, two dogs and three horses can head on out of here by 4 p.m. for the annual Arabian horse shows at Spokane Interstate Fairgrounds. Bill's been given his list of "things to do," as has my friend Mitzi. Barbara and Laurie have given Natalie her list of "things to do" at the Colburn farm.

Lots of planning goes into being gone. It's somewhat like getting ready for the substitute at school. By the time you compile all the lists of "things to do" for the sub, you're so tired, you figure you might as well go to school cuz ya know you haven't thought of every nuance that's gonna come up during the day when you're gone.

After Mitzi came the other day to compile her list, I remembered a bunch of stuff I needed to tell her. For example, if I don't tell Mitzi, she'll be mighty surprised when Kiwi attacks the water hose all the time she's trying to use it. I've had Kiwi attacking and herding the water hose so long that I don't even notice. But I'm sure Mitzi will.

I also forgot to tell her the cue for getting the dogs to go back into their garage. "Let's go beddy by," I yell. That's the automatic button for Annie to finally climb out of the UPS truck whenever the driver drops something by our house. Annie thinks she'd like to be a Big Brown mascot, but the UPS driver doesn't agree.

"Let's go beddy by, Annie," and out she jumps, arthritis and all, pointing her nose toward the garage door. Maybe I'll be lucky and Mitzy will read the blog today, but I'd better call her cuz the other day the dogs didn't mind at the museum. I asked Ann, the curator, to watch Kiwi and Kea while I went to the restroom.

When I came back, Ann told me they were just like kids. They waited until I was out of sight and then started running up the stairs and everywhere but the lobby where they were told to stay. Ann tried to persuade them to do as she wished. The did not listen. Gosh, that reminds me of the school substitute situation again.

Anyway, I'm hoping Kiwi and Annie will listen to Mitzi and will not scare her to death when that water hose gets going. As far as the ladies in the corral, I almost forget they're here. Easy keepers all the way around. So, Bill doesn't have 35 different instructions of what to do if this happens. Just see that they're alive, that they have all four legs, know that Rosie does lie down a lot, and throw 'em a flake of hay morning and night.

You'd think I was gonna be gone a week. Just overnight, but when I do all that stuff associated with animals and growing plants, the routine must go on in my absence. I'm sure that in this case my substitutes will do just fine. Besides, we'll all have cell phones.

When we get to Spokane, we'll drop off the three horses from the Tibbs farm and then drive over to the equestrian center to pick up Lefty. He'll show tomorrow morning, Saturday and Sunday. Monty's gonna have him all spit-shined and clipped for us. I asked if I could do it, but he said, "No, I have my system; besides, all the owners always use up all the warm water." So, I told him I'd do what I was told and stay out of his way.

Once Lefty gets to the fairgrounds, he'll have the bunch of us doting all over him, his pal Dusty, Laurie's horse Rusty and Barbara's mare April. And, the dogs will watch.

Big day ahead. Many things to do, so I'd better get at 'em. If you're in the Spokane area, stop by the show and say hello to the horses and their people-----------and dogs.

Tuesday Twitter and Tumble

2008-05-20T07:24:00.000-07:00

This is one of those days when I sit down to the computer and haven't the foggiest idea of what to write. I considered taking a break, but my long-honed self discipline would not allow that. It would be like eating that extra hamburger or sleeping another hour. I would succumb to my basest desires and be ruined for life.

Once you give in, quit, gorge, etc., it will become a habit, and we CAN'T allow that. I have such fears. After quitting smoking 38 years ago, I had real-life dreams for years that I started again. Thank God, I would wake up. After losing more than 40 pounds after retirement, I'm totally phobic about the thought of putting on any of those lost pounds, cuz one small glob of fat will surely lead to one giant lady.

With that kind of attitude, I must add that after writing on this blog for nearly four years, I cannot relent to the temptation of just taking the day off. That relaxation of the rules could surely signal the end of the blog and the end of an integral part of each morning.

What would I do during this time when that big mug of mocha latte sits next to me begging to be sipped down, with every swallow fully appreciated and every dead cell in my brain waiting to come alive, thanks to the daily caffeine overload?

That could be a real problem, so here I sit with the Tuesday Twitter and Tumble, sipping away, re-igniting the engine for another day, listening to crows caw and birds sing, looking out the window at that the dark green pasture along the lane and, further on, the contrasting bright orange Kubota sitting in the big shed.

What would I write about on this Tuesday Twitter and Tumble? What would anyone care about the fact that I have two cucumbers----count 'em---two cucumbers two and three inches long, respectively sitting out there in the greenhouse. For a long time, they were hiding under the leaves of other plants. Discovered the first one last week and the second this morning. I care about those cucumbers, so I must chronicle their existence, whether anyone else cares or not.

Also, who would care that my asparagus spears suddenly jutted from beneath the soil overnight. I checked the spot Sunday. No asparagus. I walked by yesterday on an errand. Asparagus all over the place, just like all those skeletons in Jason and the Golden Fleece. We could be sampling fresh asparagus for dinner tonight.

I could write about elections. After all, it's Tuesday. There's a school levy election today, and I'll drive down to Northside School today to vote. I don't tell people how to vote in school elections. I figure it's their business, and they can make up their minds the way they see fit. I can tell people that I'm extremely disappointed that we're losing the core of any school---a whole bunch of teachers.

Don't let me get started on the fact that we can teach in a field, we can teach in a bare room full of desks---I've done both. In my mind, the teacher makes the difference, always has.

I could write about the primary elections today, but I won't give my opinion for fear a slough of anonymous donors will chastise my thoughts with "vacuous eloquence," and I can't handle that. Just kidding. By now, everyone knows how I stand on the Presidential election, so I'm not sayin' nuttin'

Speaking of Northside School, I could twitter about one of its students who tripped over my foot at the Keokee party Friday night and banged her forehead really hard on a wooden planter. I felt so awful and still do. She's doing okay, though, and she's been pretty magnanimous toward me---that old goat with the big feet who got in her way. Her mother was pretty nice about it too, even if it did put a damper on the publications party for her.

I sent my little victim some horse greeting cards yesterday and told her I hoped to erase any fear she'd ever have of running into me or my feet again. It's so awful when someone else suffers because of you.

Anyway, now that she's pretty much on the mend, except for those telltale bruises, I'm looking forward to following her life and seeing what she can do to find a satisfying future. She's a cute little gal, and knowing her parents, I figure she's pretty smart too. Thanks, Mason for your understanding. I'll try to keep my klutzy feet far away from you in the future.

I must twitter about Annie's blog (www.nnlove.blogspot.com). She's got some photos of her recent snow camping experience, which is part of her training for climbing Mount Rainier, and her most recent are some fun photos at Seattle's baseball stadium.

Speaking of Annie, I must twitter to Kelsi, her Bloomsday buddy, and say thank you for the photos. They were fun. Looks like you all had a great time at the run. And, it was great to see you the other day at the book signing.

Well, that's enough twitter. I've got a column to write and a whole lot of yard work to do. My cup of caffeine is still half full, but my brain tank seems to be revved up and ready to go.

Have a great Tuesday and enjoy your own twitters but no tumbles on this lovely May day.

Visitors

2008-05-19T07:26:00.000-07:00

Happiness at the horse corral

Kiwi and Kea couldn't be happier. Their vacation has ended, and they're back on a full work schedule this morning. We have equine visitors to take up the void of Lily and Lefty's absence.

The dogs are fully rested and ready for some full-time vigilance as Reyvan, Rosie and Coquie occupy the horse corral.

The lady horses kept the lady dogs busy yesterday because, after gobbling down their fill of fresh green grass, they realized they were in a different place. They saw the cows across the road, and that was a new experience. So, they spent a lot of time walking the fence and staring at all the new sights.

That meant a lot of patrolling the fenceline for Kiwi and Kea. They were in dog heaven.

Later in the day, I even had a chance to ride Coquie through the fields and the woods. It wasn't the most relaxing of rides because Coquie was totally out of her element. She'd already suffered enough emotional trauma with the move and all. And, then for me to take her away from her friends to even more strange territory.

We pranced a lot. She even tried a little crow hop with me, so we rode in a lot of circles. Then, the mosquitoes took over down in the far woods. I was batting them out of my eyes, holding on to double reins and Coquie was trying to shake them off her head and neck. We were both pretty miserable as we rode on through their endless attacks on our bodies.

After putting Coquie up and coming out of the barn, I heard dogs bark and saw horses staring. Turns out there was a small neighborhood gathering down the road from the front yard. That included adults, kids and dogs. It also included the newest transplants to the neighborhood who make Bill and me seem like old timers in Selle.

Leslie and Kevin live across from Taylors. They moved in last fall, came from Phoenix. Meanwhile, our neighbor Jim Vanicek sold his place and his yaks over the winter to Wes and Alyssa from MINNNNesOta. Wes works for Quest Aircraft, and Alyssa takes care of their "all-boy" little boys, Caleb and Nathan.

I walked over and invited them to walk the Lovestead. Bill met up with us, and the whole contingent, including dogs, Roxie and Duke, marched down the lane, gabbing and playing, respectively. I had put our dogs in the kennel, but Kiwi (Border Collies are smart, ya know) figured her way out of the kennel. Later, we saw her method. She found a weak spot at the bottom of the chain link, turned sideways and shimmied out. That will be fixed today.

Well, the group gathered around the Lodgepole Log, and everybody signed. So, we have a lot of new names in the society.

On the way back, little boys sat on tractors, and Roxie competed with Kiwi for the Folgers can. The mosquitoes also dined happily.

So, we have had some wonderful experiences with visitors of the human, equine and canine kind.

Visitors come into our lives and leave impressions. Some stay for a long time, while others are momentary blips on our personal time charts. Many leave us with a memory or two and go on their way.

This morning I feel compelled to talk about a visitor who came into our family's lives, ever so briefly. His name was Shane Beebe, and he shoveled my mother's and sisters' roofs.

Shane spent two days at the Colburn place. We all enjoyed him. In my brief visits with him, I learned that he loved photography, that he specialized in decorative concrete, and that he helped contractors out with pole barns.

He told me he had researched the Internet before moving to Sandpoint from Colorado and before that Michigan. The Sandpoint area had everything that meant a lot to Shane, including natural beauty and recreational opportunity.

When we met him, Shane was shoveling roofs during the winter months to make money for his family. I knew that he had at least one daughter. Last October, he also posted a couple of his photos on the "Sandpoint in Pictures" feature of (www.sandpointonline.com). They featured some bull moose who hung around his place.

This morning, I was very saddened to read that Shane died early yesterday morning when his Dodge truck rolled over several times south of town on HWY 95. He was thrown from the vehicle; he was not wearing a seatbelt, and he died at the scene.

His brief visit into our lives left a positve impact. We send our love and prayers to his family and would want them to know that we truly enjoyed knowing Shane, even if ever so briefly. He was a good man.

Seen around . . .

2008-05-18T08:50:00.000-07:00

Barn scene

It was the "day at the horse farm" for my sister's fifth graders. After touring the Tibbs Arabian barn, once a dairy barn, students learned about horses, including colors, behavior, grooming and even long line work.

A good time was had by all, including the horses.

2008-05-18T08:44:00.000-07:00

Horse talk