Last night, Pete and I drove to the airport and met up with Nancy W.D. 40 and her husband Terry. The (Senator) Ted Stevens International Airport is named after a convicted felon – it’s the only one that I know of that has this distinction. Anyhow, Terry is here for an architect’s conference, and Nancy is vacationing.

I have known Nancy for seven years – she’s also on the USIHC Quarterly Icelandic Horse Magazine editorial committee. Five years ago we met for the first and only time. We both attended a six-day clinic at the Icelandic Horse Farm in Vernon, BC. We shared a room – it was the largest one in the house. Had a great time. Nancy, who is a very good rider got to ride with the interns, who I called the string beans. (All thin, willowy, make riding look effortless). We’ve since kept in touch on a near daily basis – mainly comparing notes about our horses and how their training is progressing.

Nancy is one of those people who awe me because she does a multitude of very amazing things. She owns three and has a fourth Icelandic horse at her place, a turn of the century farmhouse. She directed contractors, who rebuilt a tumble down barn. She drives a tractor and spreads manure. She takes on rescue collies, and she not only plays the pipe organ – but get this – she rebuilt

Nancy on the Butte

Terri at Hatcher Pass

one, twice – it’s in her house. Nancy also keeps up with the goings on of her four children and one grandchild. All the while, she’s very unassuming, low key, calm, exacting. Terry (her husband) appears to be her polar opposite. He’s tall, slightly stoop shoulders, has wavy gray hair. He’s obsessed with photography, and he bubbles over with enthusiasm about just about everything.

It was nice having them here. Nancy left to spend the evening at Alyeska Resort in Girdwood and will be back tomorrow. Terry will be there a few days and then come back here.

It’s fun seeing our place and Alaska through the eyes of other people. We took both Nancy and Terry on a tour of our hood. I did not tell them everying, but I told them some. And some was just enough to see their eyes widen. I think what we have within a mile vicinity – pedophile properties, garbage hounds, gun collectors, car hoarders, and half-baked patriots—has Maine beat. Not by a long shot, but rather by a short shot.

Horses and horse care – an ongoing subject with Nancy and me. Nancy hasn’t seen yet the way many horses in this state are kept; small, muddy paddocks being the norm. And she was incredulous to learn that we paid $12.00 per bale for local hay, and $23.00 per bale for out-of-state hay. This is because in Maine they pay $2.00 per bale. I further explained to Nancy that no, we don’t get potential hay tested in order to determine its protein and sugar content. This is because we have to take what we can get. Live and learn, I say, live and learn.

Tomorrow Nancy returns from Girdwood – she’ll assist me in giving a lesson to a woman who is coming here from Anchorage. Then in the evening we’ll be going to take a riding lesson. I’m planning on having Nancy ride Raudi. I’m going to watch because I want to see Raudi in action. The only time I get to see her move in when she’s zoning in on her food.

Already, I know that I will be sad to see Nancy and Terry go.

Next: 128. 5/9/14: Horse Sense: Live to Learn/Learn to Live