This dispatch is about the etc. part of my title; etc., short for etcetera, a great word hardly used any more by very many. It has been supplanted by emoticons. Any time anyone sends me an email message with an emoticon, I let them know that I’d much prefer they’d instead put their energies into writing a complete sentence or two. Yes, the world is changing, and in some ways not for the good. Like, like, like, this word ricochets around in my head when people start using it.

Like, etcetera.

I decided yesterday that I need to be more flexible in terms of my workday. Today, I attempted to act on my decision. My decision was based exclusively on the lack of available light. I’ve been writing in

Tyra running

the mornings, getting out by 1 p.m. It’s then dark by 5 p.m. This gives me four hours to clean up after, and work with, the horses. I have four horses, so each horse then gets one hour of my time. This, according to them, is not enough time. I says to myself, the only option available, if I both want to maintain the inside/outside balance, is to get the animals out early in the day, and work inside in the evenings.

I gave this a whirl today. Pete and I got out and rode before noon, taking Raudi and Hrimmi and the two dogs out for a trail ride. It was like a fairy land out on our trails. The snowfall that started around 6 a.m. was just tapering off. The ground, consisting of our broken in trails and fresh snow, was to our horses’ liking. Raudi cantered nicely several times, and Hrimmi also seemed energized.

Next, Pete went cross country skiing, first time this year, and took Ryder with him. Me, I gave Shadow a horseback ride on Tinni. We went around the loop. No one had driven on the lower road, so it was a white highway. Shadow stood up and barked at a dog on the upper road. I then realized that she, when on the saddle pad, is going to continue to hold her ground and not jump off scared. I do wonder what it is in her DNA that likes horseback riding so much. Maybe she’s a horse woman reincarnated. Stranger things have happened.

Lastly, I took Tyra on an outing. We first went around the loop then up on Siggi’s trail. She bounded around off lead, getting herself some exercise. What a lovely sight. I hope she’s this lively when her rebuilt saddle gets here.

I did a little bit of agility with Raudi and Tyra, but by then it was too late to expect them to do much.

I came in right at 5 p.m. By then it was dark. This evening I will copy edit my bicycling essay. I can copy edit at night; it’s just coming up with new material that is difficult.

I may end up going with a schedule in which I work in the mornings on one day and then work in the evenings the next. Two months from now we’ll again have this much daylight. Then it will be etc.

Next: 322. 11/23/20: A Conversation about the Birds and the Bees