Six Days Into October

Yes, we are only six days into the wonderful month of Halloween.

Yet, I have already finished In the Stone Circle (which I haven't read for years, but it still scared me at parts and I still cried at the end). I have already made a sizable dent in The Graveyard Book. I perused my bookshelf for more potential October reads. Here is what I found:

The Ghost and Mrs. Muir, by Josephine Leslie aka R.A. Dick, which is not spooky, but it is still a ghost story.
Practical Magic, by Alice Hoffman, which I started about three years ago and never finished because it scared me. If the book is good enough, I will return to it, even after a few years. I'm odd that way.
Plum Spooky, by Janet Evanovich. It is a Stephanie Plum In Between the Numbers book. It should be silly. I haven't read it before.

If you are interested in following my reading journeys, you can find me on GoodReads. I love that website.

I put all of my Halloween music on my iPod and iPhone and have listened to everything at least once.

Today I babysat my niece and we watched The Addams Family and The Haunted Mansion. These are the first Halloween movies I have watched this season. And my sister lent me The Munsters movies which I haven't actually seen before (or if I have, I don't remember).

And here is an awesome picture of my niece that her mama took:

 Aww! I love this picture. She totally belongs in our family.

I also had to take this:

Aww! Halloween rattie picture! You know I can't resist.

In non-Halloween related news, my sister and I got to go see Cavalia Odesseyo on Saturday (thanks for the tickets, Mom!). Here is their website: Cavalia. It was awesome! I saw it last time it was here, which was four or so years ago, I think. And I remember some of it, but I wasn't in a good place (emotionally and mentally), I think, and I don't remember as much as I should...

Some of my favorite routines didn't involve horses at all. There was one with a carousel that gymnasts danced and performed on. They are so strong! And the carousel went around and some of the poles went around in circles or moved up and down. It was very neat. Another favorite was the gymnasts who swing on and do tricks with the big rings up in the air. They looked like fairies!

One of the gymnasts on the ring. Picture from www.calgaryherald.com

More ring gymnasts. Picture from www.edmontonsun.com

The carousel dancers! Picture from www.rockinmama.net

Kema and I really enjoyed it when the people led the horses (without any tack or halters on). Then they joined up to form larger groups until one person was leading 3 to 4 horses. Despite having many groups out there, the horses stayed with their person. That takes serious training and dedication, I think. And Kema and I decided that we want to have horse shadows, so we each need a couple of horses... but that's beside the point.

One guy leading his four horses. Picture from www.tomonair.com

The point is, that the show was awesome, and we really enjoyed it! Also, their music was all live and absolutely amazing! I kind of want the soundtrack. If you have the chance to see it, I hope you take it!

So far, October has been pretty awesome. And Blood of Olympus comes out tomorrow! Not that I'm excited...

More Halloween and October posts to come!

Horse-hearted

This week at Hearts and Horses, I mucked more than enough stalls to earn a ride! One ride per 50 stalls/runs cleaned and I usually clean 15 each week. I am not sure how the rides work, but I will find out next week (I didn't ask today because I am still more comfortable with the horses than with the people). I hope I can choose which horse I would like to ride. If so, I think I will have to pick Sole here:

Sole is an eleven-year-old Haflinger. He is very social and very, very mouthy! (That is, he likes to put things into his mouth. He doesn't bite, just lips and licks, whether it's clothes, hands, tools, rails, etc.). He is very cute. Exceedingly stocky, he looks like a miniature Belgian draft, which I love. While cleaning his stall, he mostly stood right in my way or tried to tip over my wheelbarrow. When I went out to clean his run, he followed me in and out as a ferried manure from the run to the stall. The bottom picture is of Sole about to follow me back into his stall for the up-teenth time.

In other news, the weather was beautiful! The horses enjoyed it, too.

  Above: Mista and Tem laying out in their runs. Bottom: Gavin in his run looking at me in the stall.

And because I thought it was entertaining, here is Tem playing with an empty bag that blew into his stall:

That's all for now! I hope those who read my blog can deal with my love of horses!

"She's--what's the K'miri term?--horse-hearted." -Numair Salmalin, Wild Magic by Tamora Pierce.

"'D'you ever want to run with the herd? To just--be a horse? Do what the herd does?' She sweated, waiting for an answer. It had cost a lot to ask.
"''Course I do,' was the mild reply. 'Don't everybody?'" -Daine and Stefan, Wild Magic by Tamora Pierce.

Heart of a Horsewoman

I spend one day every week volunteering out at Hearts and Horses. It's an organization in Loveland that does therapeutic riding. They work a lot with disabled children, but also with veterans, troubled youth, and children who have lost parents. On the side they board some horses and teach regular riding classes. It's a really neat place and I am glad to be a part of it. Right now I just muck stalls and the attached runs. I imagine at some point or another I will be cleaning out paddock areas as well. I have to say, it's hard work! It's been a long time since I have done anything like it. I come home sore, with dirt in my lungs, nose, mouth, eyes, and clothes, I reek of horses and barn dust, but I am SO happy! I love being around the horses. I haven't gotten comfortable with the people yet, but most of them seem nice enough. When I am more comfortable, I suppose I will take some more of their required classes and work with people. Maybe. As it is, I will do just about anything if it means I get to be near horses.

 

This is the sign. They can never have enough volunteers! You are always welcome to come help me muck stalls! No? Alright...

This guy's name is Tem (or Temple) and he is young and still being trained. I took a picture because I think he is the very first Gypsy Vanner I have seen in person. He is very pretty. I love the feathers on his feet. However, I imagined these guys to be bigger...

This is Gavin (silly name, I know), but he was my buddy this week when I was cleaning the stalls and runs. He's sweet :)

 This little guy is Simba. He is some sort of pony and he is adorable! Yes, he is a therapy horse, er, pony. For a pony, he is very mild-mannered, but he seemed to be wary of my manure rake so he didn't want to get too close to me. He has the cutest ears!

Overall, a very satisfying experience! I look forward to being out there more. And to being buff, 'cause mucking stalls and sweeping barns is a great workout!

"You can say anything you want about me. I'm gonna have to ask you not to talk about my horse that way." ~Hidalgo  ;)