Leah – This Old House 2

About that Window

It’s been 9 years since we put This Old House back together – and the most admired item by blog readers and visitors in this whole project has been the big window at the back of the house in the family room. There isn’t a day I walk into that room that I don’t admire that window myself – even though the cold does seep in on those chilling New England nights and we have had to board it up with plywood during hurricane and tropical storm events, hoping it wouldn’t come crashing in.

If you look real close you’ll see Sally’s nose smudges on the bottom panes… and the sun setting over the hill.

The big window often reflects glorious sunsets as the fireball itself melts over and behind the hill….

Our sunsets lately, when the rain clouds lifted on the rare occasion…

have been glorious.

This one below was taken last week by a professional photographer

in our cove where Stella resides…

with the Thimble islands off in the distance.

He captures some remarkable scenes and wildlife.

We finally have seasonal temps, sometimes in the teens at night. Oddly, no real snow falls, and while I love the beauty of it, I don’t like the work it makes for my guys and even myself as I make paths up to the barn and coop and make a bathroom path for the dogs out in their yard.

The whole family came for dinner the other night, the moms and the kids and their significant others. Mom was wearing a necklace that caught my eye immediately… take a look…

I asked her what it was, exactly…. it’s a pendant that represents the Glass Ceiling – sold at Uncommon Goods.. in support of women’s achievements everywhere – I just love it.

Meanwhile. up at the barn, I’m missing my Opie, he’s left a hole. The other horses still look for him… and just a few days ago at feed time a sound on the wind made Max think it was Opie calling… (may have been a neighbor horse, but I can’t hear so don’t ask me) …. he looked up and started pacing his paddock fence, and began calling all over again for his missing buddy. Broke my heart, tears were flowing aplenty. Ugh.

Some happy news at the BIG barn one town over – K and Miss Leah are getting along fabulously – gearing up for another show season this Spring. Leah is from Texas, and she’s let us know this cold is for the birds! She’s double blanketed when not being ridden.

We often have the ring to ourselves in the early evening. K works during the day, so this is the time we can set aside for practice. I go with her when no one will be around – smart horsemanship – never ride alone. It’s chilly and quiet but time spent in the company of a good horse is never a waste and good for the soul.

I hope all is well in your neck o’the woods – I peek at the news now and again, wondering how many shoes have to drop before 45 is held accountable. This piece below? I’ll share it again and again and again.

Friendly Firepits

I was going to write about The Orange Scream today, not because I think anyone out there needs one more opinion piece on the subject or that I’ll turn anyone’s thinking around should your opinion differ from mine… but because personally I find writing therapeutic. Let me just say this, cause I gotta be me – DJT is mentally ill, I’m convinced of it. There is no defense for this brand of leadership that encourages violence and the divide of our citizens, using false narratives time and time again. By ignoring what is right before our eyes, we are selling our souls for monetary gain, trashing the planet and our humanity along the way, awful thing. I’m sad for all of us.

On to the friendly firepits. ….

We’re in the middle of yet another heat and humidity wave here in Connecticut. I’ve got fans on the horses, a fan on the chickens and bunny too. I get the barn chores done early before the sun reaches out over the barnyard and the dogs are outdoors only for bathroom breaks.

We’ve been visiting the cottage as work and weather permits… The fire burning below was the evening before the humidity returned. What a gorgeous night it was.

There is a tradition on Island called Friendly Firepits – Once a year on a specific day, fire pits around the community are lit and the host of each firepit serves refreshments. All members of the community are encouraged to join any or all of the firepit gatherings and enjoy conversation and snacks/beverages with the hosts. I think we need Friendly Firepits installed all around the nation, don’t you?

This is Stella’s friendly Firepit. The Pink Flamingo float in the distance lives on…. we learned his name is “Filbert”.

The scow below is a neighbors – and I learned it’s story when I posted this pic on our community page. This beautiful old blue boat is used to ferry people back and forth to a bigger boat now, and was the very first boat of it’s now 60- something owner back when he was a young lad summering here on the island. The “boy” and boat have been together for a very long time.

Meanwhile… we’ve got a horse show coming up… or not. Miss Leah currently has a small abscess in a hind hoof wall. Such is the unpredictabity of horse show life. Depending on how fast it blows out and heals, we’ll either have a show next weekend.. or not. Either is OK by me – a healthy rider and horse is my first concern.

Speaking of that rider – her show jacket has been taken in where needed, she’s ready to rock’n’roll. How’s that for bling??..

Two friends introduced me to some fun apps recently – flightaware24.com – a flight tracker that also tells you where the plane currently flying over your house is headed – and yeah, we don’t really need to know that, but still, it’s kinda cool.

The other is skyview… point your cell phone up to the stars, and it tells you what you’re looking at and gives you some descriptive information, even maps out the constellations for you. So much fun. That bright red star I had been looking at out over the fields is actually Mars! That bright but much smaller white “star” out in the big distance is Saturn!

That’s all for now – thank you for stopping by

this little “friendly firepit”.

Welcome Leah!

So I’ve got some happy news to share – And I’ll take you back a little so you understand my surprise when hearing this good news myself.

Taking you way back – I’ve had a horse since I adopted one at the age of 19 (the horse was around 28-ish) . I had no business adopting a horse, as I was still going to college, didn’t have a pot to piss in other than the loving homes of family to live in – and should have been saving money instead of spending what little I made with part time jobs on an old horse. But wild horses couldn’t drag me away when the opportunity presented itself, and in fact that horse came to Connecticut with me as I began my new life here.

We’ve had a small horse farm ever since. Some horses we’ve brought home have come and gone on to another owner once their job with us was complete, some have stayed. Currently, Max and Opie and Coady and Lacey are living out their senior years here with us. Max was my daughter K’s show horse on the beginners level of the American Quarter Horse circuit until his colic surgery and retirement from the show pen at the age of 22. He had done his job well and we figured he deserved to retire in style after that surgery ordeal. When that happened, we pretty much decided we were done with showing. K is saving for her own home with her Mr. some day, and so she was contented to ride Max here on the farm and continue occasional lessons at the show barn she used to ride with.

I’ve never been big on showing – I’m more of the love ’em at home kinda girl. My daughter, however, LOVES to show. And she missed it. Her father, who bankrolls the whole endeavor, told her if she gave big Max to another person, he’d buy her a new show horse. Well, you know how we love our old boys – Max wasn’t going anywhere. So It’s been two years, she remained content in the care and keeping of her old boy, Max, and we assumed we were hanging up our show hats.

Recently, the husband and I were watching she and Max go round the ring, and I explained how proud I was of the rider she had become. Always kind, firm with cues, a gentle rider with a natural seat that I envy. Somehow in that moment of conversation, something clicked in M’s head, and he called our old trainer not long after, of which I was not aware.

I got a text a few weeks ago.

” W has a horse I want you to go look at. Don’t say anything to anyone, just go see what you think, and don’t tell K. “.

what?…….

So, a bit stunned, I went to the barn, where W and I briefly discussed our shock at the fact that M contacted her and told her to find K a safe, sound horse so she could get back in the show pen. We were all under the impression we were done with it. Afterwards he told me what spurred him on –

For those who haven’t been reading here long – my daughter was in a car accident at the age of 16.5 and after weeks of coma and years of recovery, she has lived (and thrived!) with a traumatic brain injury ever since. Horses were a big part of her recovery. So M said – “Our daughter has come a long way – she loves working with the horses, she’s dedicated, she spends the time and really cares, plus she’s become a good rider. I don’t want to hold her back from following her dream of showing in some of the bigger arenas”. I think I loved him up another notch just then.

So up at the show barn – W pointed to a stall where a very pretty dark bay mare stood blinking back at us. She was tacked up and ridden for me, and I could see she had the training, talent and the quiet/kind disposition we’d want if we were really getting back in to the show arena.

Then the big test. We told K the next day that W had a show horse that needed exercise until she was sold, and wondered if K would like to be the person to ride her while she was for sale. Heck yes, of course! We set up a time for K to ride the mare with W, and that first ride went really well. It was clear they were a great fit immediately, and so we broke the good news to her right there and then.

So, do you like her? You think you’ll enjoy riding her until a buyer comes along?

K: Are you kidding? I love her! She’s so well trained, and friendly too! So nice of W to let me ride her, this will be fun!

How MUCH do you love her, though?

K: What?…….

And then she knew…. Leah was hers.

Tears and smiles… and here we go again.

Welcome Leah! 💗