Aldous Huxley title, duly noted. Hrimmi is spending a good portion of her time in the foaling pen, a large straw filled pen with a gravel surface and a shelter. It’s south facing, but has ample shade. I often see her crashed out, with Signy standing over her. Yesterday we reinforced the hay gate with wire mesh, just in case she decides to put a foot through it.

Hrimmi is also getting a lot of out-of-the pen time. We go for frequent walks, and yesterday, as Pete and I worked on the garden, we provided mare and foal with yard time. Signy has been okay with just about everything. She’s also become increasingly more relaxed. Hrimmi can now go a bit further afield, although I suspect that if she went too far, mom would be right on her tail.

Hrimmi explores, using all her senses. She’s slowly getting desensitized to the sights, smells, sounds, and tastes of the area. What she’s now seeing, smelling, hearing, and touching will, in time, make her a fearless, brave, and sensible trail horse. This will be her life’s work. After all, her name, Hrimfara, means frosty traveler.

We took Hrimmi and Signy her out for morning walks both yesterday and this morning, yesterday with Pete riding Siggi and ponying Signy. Siggi was a bit jumpy at first, but quickly quieted down, settling into what for her is routine. This is what she did all last summer, minus foal. Actually, the foal (unbeknownst to us) was in the taxi. Beautiful walks on two beautiful days.

Our lower garden area – six raised beds and a small flower bed – are now prepped. We planted carrots, beets, kale, and rutabaga. And I cleaned out the greenhouse a few weeks ago, emptying last year’s soil into one pile – we have another pile from previous years that we’ll put in pots, for the tomatoes, peppers, and basil.

Pete’s nearly done putting the walls on the hoop house. Today we’ll put the plastic on it. I want to sleep in it.

Tonight I’m going to Alyeska Brunke’s high school graduation. I’m friends with her mother Dawn. Alyeska is one of three class valedictorians. All three are going to speak. So like Hrimmi, Alyeska is going off into the world.

I can’t imagine being a class valedictorian. My grade point average put me in the middle of my graduating class. I had no idea that there was a ranking, or valedictorian status until the night of graduation. It was quite the surprise, to see Sue DeRosa up on stage of the Eastman School of music, talking about what wonderful futures were ahead for us. As if she had any better an idea than the rest of us.

Springs come, springs go, and across the country, hope continues to spring eternal.

Next: 162. 05/19/12: Going into Depth on Depth of Field