Tonight I’m leaving home for Portland, Oregon. I’ll be there for ten days. I’ll be visiting my mother and sister. I’m not taking much with me, just a backpack with some clothes. Less is better

My baggage is a fear of flying. Don’t know why this is. Yes, I do know why this is. Planes are dangerous. Unlike cars, they can fall out of sky – splat. There you go. If you keep your seatbelt fastened and stay in your seat you’ll be charred to a crisp.

I’ve done research on fear of flying and have learned that I have a phobia. And phobias are unrealistic because they’re future centered. So I’ve been envisioning a different immediate future, that is one in which I picture myself having a good time in Portland. And before leaving there, I’ll picture myself having a good time on the home front.

In the meantime, I’m busy getting last-minute things done. I have a short list sitting on the left-hand side of my desk.

Tinni and Raudi eating companionably

(I’m left eyed.) Wresting myself away from all that’s going on here is going to be difficult. Pete and I went and got Tinni yesterday – his caretakers are going camping this weekend. He’s so very easy to deal with. He went right into the trailer, and then he unloaded nicely. After, Pete and I went for a ride. He rode Siggi. I rode Tinni, and ponied Signy. Hrimmi and Jenna followed.

Because it had been raining, the trails were slippery. Tinni carefully made his way across the puddles, unlike Siggi, who in a fit of angst, barreled around a few. Tinni also went down the hills in a calm and deliberate fashion. This got me to thinking – no wonder he won two blue ribbons at the competitive trail ride.

Tinni will be going back to his second home on Monday. His summer rider, Emily, age 15, will be returning to school on August 22. My friend Rae will be visiting from August 26 to September 3 – so she will then be able to ride him if she wishes.

Tinni might spend the month of September at Vickie’s place. I’ll go over and ride him – maybe accompanying Vickie, who will ride her horse Hunar.

Hunting season is fast approaching--I think that this year it begins here in mid-August. The horses can’t sit idle for a month, so I’ll continue to get them out. I’ll put orange steamers on the big horses. And I’ll get a wax crayon and decorate Hrimmi, writing “Don’t Shoot! I’m not a Moose!” on her left and right sides. I might then begin ponying her. She’s not going to like this, for she now knows what it’s like to run free.

Fun stuff, all of it.

Today (among other things) I need to finish putting in changes on the chapters of Raudi’s Story that I’m sending to the publicist. We’ll be doing a conference call with Chris Romano, the illustrator, on Monday, August 17, at 7 a.m.

Next: 240. 08/5/12: The Emerald City