home

Home > Dispatches > Daily Dispatches 2021 >Daily Dispatch #96

April 7, 2021: Moving at a Slow Pace, but Moving

Tonight, I rode Hrimfara around the loop, down to the Murphy Road turnoff, and then back home. Maybe a foolhardy thing to do because the road in many places is icy. Hrimfara did amazingly well, picking her way carefully around the obvious icy spots. And with my guidance, she picked her way carefully around the not so obvious icy spots. I think she actually enjoyed having to put on her thinking cap in figuring this all out.

As she was moving along, I had some random thoughts, some horse-related, and some non-horse-related.

Horse related: A few years back I would not have ridden our horses on the icy road. This is because I would have thought it too dangerous. I am not now over-confident


Young Hrimmi heads out with Rainbow and Ryder

about their all being able to negotiate the icy stuff. Rather, I just know they can do this. This is because I am now a more experienced rider and they are more experienced horses. I also have come to realize that my getting them out nearly every day has made them more road and trail savvy than they would be otherwise.

Non-horse related: These days I am putting a lot of time and energy into the book project, so it’s no surprise that in my off-work hours, I’m continuing to organize and strategize. As far as organization goes, I’m constantly thinking about where books might go, and in what order. And as far as strategizing goes, I am constantly attempting to figure out what needs to be done next.

Now, what needs to be done next – had a brilliant idea today, one in which the lightbulb above my head was on and illuminating the immediate area around me. My neighbor Judy and her granddaughter Wren were the impetus for this idea. They handed me two handbags full of children’s books. Wren, with her grandmother’s assistance, had pared down the family library.

It immediately occurred to me that I should send these books on to a village. Furthermore, I could indicate to the teachers in this village that these books were a private donation. And, I’d add that it would be way cool if the students wrote letters back to the donors. Then I got to thinking that I might set up a program in which kids donate books to village schools and in the process get letters back from the recipients.

This will end up being a three-way communication network between donors, recipients, and myself. How cool is this?

I got wind that we are to get more snow tomorrow (groan), so tomorrow I will undoubtedly be inside, making phone calls. I would most like to send children’s books to the Pribolof Islands because this is as far away as it gets here in Alaska.

I also thought for some time about the enormity of an upcoming project. It appears as though the temporary homeless shelter in Anchorage wants between 30 and 50 boxes of books. This is a lot of books. However, I am up for packing up the books and getting them where they need to go.

This all was what I was thinking about when I was riding Hrimfara. Slow and steady sets the place, a motto for the human race.

Next: 97. 4/8/21: Shadow’s Dog Blog: More Snow

Horse Care Home About Us Dispatches Trips Alys's Articles