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September 17, 2018: Happy Birthday to Me

I don’t remember any birthday that I’ve had that was as memorable as this one. This is because this one was so uneventful. Wait – last year I had people over and showed them the agility course and some body work. Don’t remember the year before. Long term memory gets sharper as the short term memory gets duller.

Today, totally uneventful. Again, beautiful weather, by mid-morning the sun was shining brightly. El (sister) called when I was outside with the horses. Have yet to call her back. I was that busy. I had just started to work on Forks when Pete said that he was heading out to tend to Tinni’s hooves. So, no writing got done today.

Gang of four
Gang of Four


By the time he finished it was time for body awareness class. It looks like this is going to work just fine. Ben, the quintessential jock, is an excellent teacher. He’s very observant and quick to recommend my postural changes. I am drawing upon my Feldenkrais and yoga training in working with him, which I am sure is going to serve me in good stead. What’s so very cool is that when I get it right, he, without even realizing it, smiles. And I do get it right, fairly often. It is not like Tia Chi where I could never, ever get it right, or yoga where I may have gotten it right but the instructor never acknowledged it. I need to know (at this stage of the game) what right feels like.

I got home, Pete was headed out to get a load of hay. He entrusted me with the gravel truck duty, which is telling the gravel guy where to put the two separate loads. And when he did show up, I told him where the sand went and he dumped it exactly where he was supposed to. Pete was home in time to tell him where the second, more rocky load went.

Pete came home with 101 bales of hay. As he came up the driveway, Raudi nickered as loudly as I’d ever heard her. She knew it was the hay wagon. As with yesterday’s wood, we made short work of getting the load into storage.

Next, we went for a ride, Pete on Hrimmi, me on Tyra, did the Ridge Runner Loop. I do think having the boots on the horses’ feet made for a better ride – they had no problem, as they’ve had in the past, walking and trotting on the gravel surface. And Tyra, dang, this horse makes me feel like I’m a good rider. I feel balanced and supple on her. We also rode the lower trails, my rationale was that this is what they’ll remember doing tomorrow. I finished my riding day by taking Raudi out on the Peaches and Tin Can trail – it was dusk, and so when she we galloped on Raudi’s runway, I had to trust that she’d know where to put her feet, which she did.

The day’s end, a most incredible meal – home made pasta with my home made pesto. Our own beets and greens. A smoothie with garden produce. Our own tomatoes. And for desert, scones and tea.

Couldn’t have had a better birthday. Only 364 days until the next one.

Next: 260. 9/18/18: Berry Picking 101

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