The other night when I was writing, I had this major revelation. It’s that circles are boring and corners are quite exciting. Circles: you go around and around and never pause. Corners: you come to the inside edge of the square and you slow down and look around. You do end up in the same place, either way, but with corners, you end up wiser, more worldly, and infinitely more confident.

Horses, when round penned, go around and around. They finally join up with their master because they see they have no other choice. A few individuals have had horses work in a square pen. By all accounts, they join up not because they have to, but by choice.

If we ever move to a bigger place, one with pasturage, I would like track pasturage – you build two parallel fences, one’s that have twists and turns. And you plant forage in sections, so the horses can make choices as to what they’ll consume. Yes, this would be expensive and time consuming to build, but the horses are able to keep moving and keep eating all day.

I need for money to fall from the sky so I can do this. The horses here do get out every day, twice a day, and they do rove. And the yard has differing and quite interesting areas. But it’s not the best, and I would like the best for them.

I’ve been lucky in life in that I’ve gotten most of what I’ve wanted. However, the pasturage wish alludes me. Maybe someday we’ll find a place in which someone has already at least partially built what I am looking for.

Well, I am closer now to attaining a horse/work balance. There we are, at the fairgrounds, in a building adjacent to stables and an arena. There were some horses there today, and there will be more tomorrow. Maybe someone will appear with an Icelandic and I’ll get to ride it.

Just as good to cut out early and come home and go for a ride here.

Today was yet another day in which everything went smoothly. I distributed books and spent time in the equestrian cabin, helping Hally set up. Then I went to the former banquet room of the historic Eagle Hotel and categorized many, many boxes of books that La Fronteras, a Spanish immersion school, was getting rid of.

And I spent the remaining portion of the afternoon hanging out with Cathy, the BLBP artist in residence.

Now tomorrow the fair begins. I best enjoy the fair space when few people are around. It’s then like a big, quiet park. The place loses its charm when the fair goers roll in. Some are intelligent and inquisitive. Others munch on turkey legs and watch monster trucks.

I am going to need to pace myself these next few weeks.

Next: 224. 8/21/26: Yee Haw