I really did burn the candle at both ends today. There is no longer any middle. The two ends have met and introduced themselves to one another. This is what happens when the days grow shorter. But this time around, there is not even a nub left.

Fire, a source of light and heat, is a wonderful thing. So the candle imagery, it also has its upside.

The sun shone today although there wasn’t much heat in that sun. I got all three horses out – in mid-afternoon, when finally I got Raudi out, it was slightly overcast. Tomorrow is supposed to be another nice day.

Alys and Tyra in the Wyoming Range

With all three horses, I decided to not just go along for the ride but focus on my riding. And we all did better. I also changed the route, going up Jim’s Road instead of coming back on it. This was because a neighbor had said that other neighbors, who have a pit bull, are heading up to the upper trail, on the gravel road. He added that the dog is leashed. My fear is that our dogs might run up to the leashed dog because they are off leash until we reach the road.

I figured that walking up the road would be a good idea since then I would see the hikers rather than be surprised by them.

This worked well. We began by doing the Jim’s Road trail and Siggi’s Loop backwards, which for the horses was a deviation from the same old same old. My first exercise, which was on Hrimmi, was to envision the energy in my core condensing, and in this way energize her. This worked, and thus she cantered nicely on the Lakeshore route.

I next rode Tyra – and I had a major revelation. I’ve been scraping my legs against trees. This time, I had her stop at the top of Suicide Hill (where there is a knee knocker), back, and sidepass. Why I didn’t think of this before is a mystery to me.

Lastly, I rode Raudi. I did a series of exercises on her; this included softening my eyes and envisioning myself as a spruce tree. She cantered nicely on Lakeshore and on Raudi’s raceway, which is just a little ways past Jawbone Junction. She knew she was heading in the direction of home; this as opposed to heading out onto the trail, and so she cantered nicely, all the way to the trailhead. We crossed the trailhead creek and then she cantered up to the Oceanview Road turnoff.

Riding horses, this is how I used to spend my days. It was fun to pretend that it is still this way. I will not be riding tomorrow because I have a meeting and then work to do at the historic Eagle Hotel. And, coincidently, the Alaska Department of Natural Resources is taking public commentary on the Moose Range Plan. I read it today – I don’t hold out much hope for what we want, a non-motorized hunt area.

Hope, there it is, that illusory word again.

Next: 287. 10/19/23: One for the Money, Two for the Show. . .