Horse Update, March

The weather has continued to be really up and down.  Dry, for the most part, which is good because most of the time (except after heavy rain) I can use my designated longeing area as well as ride inside the fenceing without punching up the ground (much).  So there's been lots of longeing for both horses, followed by lots of riding for the LBM.

Poetess is finally settling in to the idea of longeing being calm and stretching rather than run-like-hell-in-a-circle time if I even suggest a canter.  I've put the bridle back on her and we've been longeing in that with much better results than we were last summer/fall.  Honestly, I think her being able to watch me work the LBM (and the Poetess does, for the most part, stand at the gate and watch while I longe the LBM) has helped her get the idea that longeing is not a big deal and we just go walk and trot and sometimes canter on cruise control, not like our tail is on fire.

A few times, after longeing her, I've led her over to the mounting block and had her stand next to it while I climb up the steps.  She's been awesome about standing still, so I've actually laid over her back a few times once I'm at the top of the mounting block.  No signs of nervousness there.  I'm getting really eager to climb on her back and start riding her, but I don't want to be hasty and end up dumped on the ground with broken bones.  I think I'm going to wait until after she has her teeth floated next month, and probably do a little ground driving first to make sure she's calm with contact on her mouth.  Plus, make sure the footing is good and solid (it's been greasy/slick this week) and have DH there as my spotter.

Meanwhile, the LBM and I have been working on short segments of trot under saddle, as well as lots and lots of circles and serpentines reinforcing the neck reining.  Honestly, she turns really well just with a shift of the weight, and little leg contact and a very slight touch of the rein (ie. my finger curls on the rein and she feels it in her mouth), but her owner wants neck reining, so we're working on neck reining.  We've also been working 'outside the fences' more, riding around the outer perimeter of the pasture as well as the (former) alfalfa field that is the designated site for my outdoor arena.  

The outdoor arena is going to be another project in itself, as it needs some grading/drainage work in addition to taking off the topsoil and adding a sand layer.  I'm hoping this summer, but DH is sounding like it's not high on his list for this year. . .  Meanwhile, until we're done with the wet season, the footing there is too wet/deep about half the time. That will change once we get closer to summer.  

With the increasing daylight and just general progression into Spring, there's been an uptick in play during turnout.  It's not unusual to see the Poetess and the LBM out running and racing at least a few days each week.  It's kind of funny, because the Poetess will let the LBM be in the lead all the way to the back (road side) of the pasture and about halfway along the short side.  But once they near the corner for the long side back to the barn you see the Poetess reach and flatten out and in two strides she's way in front of the LBM and just keeps increasing the distance between them.  You can definitely tell who's the Thoroughbred and who's the stocky, most-likely-got-something-gaited-in-her-lineage, horse.  And the extra two hands of height (and leg!) on the Poetess certainly aren't a disadvantage either!

Usually after a race, no matter what the temperature is (65 degrees or barely over 30 degrees), both horses throw themselves down for a good roll.  I managed to catch a picture of the Poetess mid-roll a couple weeks ago.

Barn progress has been sporadic.  

We got the third pasture secured (gate hung and electric tape electrified) but I haven't turned horses out in it yet because I don't want them punching up yet another soggy pasture, so I've been waiting until a dry spell where the ground is solidified.

DH bought lumber for the extra height (drop?)  needed on the two bottom boards of the stall doors I mentioned last month and got those put on.  We were in a warm spell at the time, so I got them stained and sealed right away.  Now we just need to put mats down in those two stalls and they will be ready for use.  He'd wanted to do that the day after putting on the new door bottom boards, put I'd apparently strained myself helping lift and carry one of the doors and I was having muscle spasms in my chest and back so I was unable to help with anything heavy for a week (like 100 pound stall mats) and we just haven't gotten back to that task yet.  Maybe this coming weekend.

 

Sewing and Stitching Update, March

There's been a whole lot of sewing going on lately.  Mainly the quilt for grandbaby #6, whose arrival is imminent.  I finished hand sewing the binding last night.  Because it hasn't been gifted yet, I'm going to wait until the April update to show pictures of the entire quilt. Here's a sneak peek:

The backing is a large piece of flannel that I bought at my favorite vintage/antique mall just over a year ago.  Kind of an ironic story now, as both DD1 and DD2 were with me at the time, and when I saw this fabric in one of the booths for less than $10 and it was very obviously more than 3 yards of fabric (therefore a great price), I grabbed it. Showing them my awesome find, I said "the next grandson I get is going to have this for the backing on his quilt." 

I was thinking that, fingers crossed, it might be DS2 and his wife as they had indicated they'd really like to get a family going.  Or, fingers uncrossed, might be DD2 and Brad if they weren't careful enough (DD2 has long said she is happy being an Aunt with no ambition to ever be a Mom).

Turned out about 8 months later, DD1 said "Surprise! You're getting a new grandchild in 2024! (And BTW, we're surprised too!)"  And then, in December, when she shared the news that she's carrying another boy, well, obviously he was going to be the lucky recipient of this cute tow truck fabric.

The yarn thief snubbing me because I told her she was in the way

 while I was pinning up the quilt for it's photo shoot.

In the last week or so, that baby quilt has taken up all my free time.  There's been no knitting done, and no work on my counted cross stitch.  Prior to that, though, I had been stitching an hour or more each week and have gotten the adorable squirrel just about all stitched.

I have to finish stitching the random snowflakes in the 'air' around him, and then do all the back-stitching. The designer of this pattern uses a lot of back-stitching to add definition and realism.  With the baby quilt finished, I foresee a return to evening cross stitching and maybe a completely back-stitched squirrel to show you next month.

Knitting Update, March

 Well, last month I set myself a goal to finish sock #2 of my Textured Lace Socks.  Did I do it?

Yes, yes I did!

Natural light showing the colors a little truer.

And then I promptly cast on for another pair of socks, also for me, but this pair will be ankle height.  I am attempting to adapt a crew sized, toe-up sock pattern to a cuff-down anklet knit.  So far, so good.

Actual yarn color;

Knit Picks Stroll in Buoy

The pattern I'm adapting (ie, using the chart, backwards since I'm doing cuff-down not toe-up) is Love Needs A Heart from the book Operation Sock Drawer.  I did my own cuff, a simple K2 P2 for twelve rows, then started the Toe and Instep Chart (from the book) at row 51 and am working backwards.  In the above picture I have completed just three rows of the chart. My plan is to do about 20 rows then begin the heel.  I'm sure I'll be able to be that far and take photos for next month's knitting update.

In the past month, I read three books:

The Bookshop on the Shore by Jenny Colgan, which was a light read with some deeper tones.  It is sort of a sequel to The Bookshop on the Corner, but the characters in the first one have much smaller parts in this second book. (note: link is to audiobook, but I read the hardcover from the library.  Amazon's pic of hardcover did not match the edition the library had but the audiobook pic did, so that's the link I used so you could 'see' the book.)

Ape House by Sara Gruen.  Interesting on many levels, I liked this book.  I found this author years ago, when she had just one (horse-related) novel, and have read and thoroughly enjoyed all but her third book (she has written five).  I tried reading the third many years ago, but set it aside after just a few chapters.  Perhaps it was just the wrong time for me for that particular book; I may have to borrow it from the library and try again.

It Could Always Be Worse by Margot Zemach is a children's book, and I got it from the library to read to the grandkids.  It's a really cute read, and they loved it when I read it to them with inflection and different voices for the different characters.

Currently I am reading Beer and Loathing by Ellie Alexander.  It is the latest (print) novel of the Sloan Krause series.  I'm not a e-reader type, so I'm a little frustrated that there seem to be some in-between novellas that are only available on Kindle.  Anyway, I just finally got my hands on a print copy of this one (via inter-library loan after waiting about six months for one to be available--my local library system only 'owns' e-versions) and I'm only through chapter two, so will have to wait until next month to give an opinion on it.