Last night, when in Anchorage, Pete and I went and saw the movie “The Secret Life of Walter Mitty.” The movie story is based on a wonderful short story (one of my favorites) by cartoonist/writer James Thurber. He is one of the unsung literary heroes.

It was a good movie, not at all like the short story. This didn’t matter. In fact, this was most fitting, for this complemented what Thurber was getting at – that associative thinking is as valuable and relevant and important as critical thinking. And of course, there is a direct link between associative thinking and the power of the human imagination.

Ta pocketa – in Thurber’s short story, this is what the narrator said any time James Thurber started to daydream.

I say, if you can’t imagine what will come to be, you will never come to see what you might imagine. Here’s my latest and greatest.

What immediately comes to mind is the fact that Thurber wrote about dogs and they provided subject matter for many of his cartoons. And essayist and dog behaviorist/philosopher Vicki Hearne wrote about Thurber’s work. I have read and admire the work of both writers.

Ta pocketa -- The other day, my friend Alex Pretziger emailed me. She lives in Michigan and trains Icelandic horses. She asked for information on the subject of winter Icelandic horse care.

I wrote her a response which I forwarded it to her.

This also gave me an idea. Ta pocketa. I have had this sense that in dealing with Melinda’s horses that I climbed up high on a soapbox, and have been there ever since, pontificating. However, few have heard me. This is because no one ever likes to be talked at. So I decided to ask others to join me in providing horse care/riding/training information to others. Those who have some knowledge about certain topics will be contributors. And those who have no knowledge about certain topics will be contributees.

Ta pocketa. I am going to supplement these contributions with links to other sites, so people can learn more about the topics that I and the other writers are writing about. Ta pocketa, ta pocketa.

Ta pocketa. Upcoming – my posts on winter care and riding. Then Vickie Talbot’s post on winter clipping. We have a farrier day coming up, so I will talk with Josh about winter hoof care. Then I’ll post Victoria Faeo’s write ups on barefoot trimming. Pete and Dave of Synergist Saddles are also going to contribute information about saddle fit.

I’d like to include information about search and rescue training. But this won’t be right away. One thing at a time.

Any ideas about the site and what sorts of things you’d like to see included would be greatly appreciated.

And I will include photos with these dispatches.

For those who want to know more about James Thurber and also Vickie Hearne, check out the following websites:

Thurber:
Wikipedia has a nice entry on Thurber
Thurber House: Where Laughter, Learning, and Literature Meet

Vicki Hearne: (with subscription) Beware of the dog: Thurber, Rex, and the making of a hero

Next: 7. 1/7/14: The Year of the Horse III