Sweet Sixteen, eh?

Sixteen years ago, my mom experienced episodes of staggering abdominal pain. In the middle of the night my father rushed her to the hospital, where a team of doctors and nurses closely monitored her as the pain reached a zenith.

A little while later, I was born.

Birthdays typically celebrate the child's being born, but I think we should take a minute to congratulate the mothers for the giving of birth.

So congratulations, Mother Dearest, for surviving the ordeal of childbirth. Twice.

I really don't understand what's supposed to be so special about turning sixteen. But then, maybe it's because I don't drive.

I certainly don't feel sixteen, at any rate. But then, maybe it's because I don't drive.

It all seems to come back to that point. If I start driving, will I see life in a different light?

I'd probably hold it more dearly.

For me, the most special thing about turning sixteen is that it's the fifth anniversary of pony ownership.

Meet Gracie, my wittle pony wony.

For contrast, see summer coat.

 Also, today marks the fourth anniversary of miniature horse ownership.

Gabriel, who would more aptly be called Lucifer.


The actually anniversary, I believe, is October 21 or 22. Possibly 23. But today marks the promise of mini horseness to come.

This was the little Gabe I first fell in love with. He certainly put on a convincing angelic act.

January 27 shall mark the third anniversary of big horse ownership.

Miss Lucy.

I'm Versatile, Apparently

All the way back in May the estimable Mercy was kind enough to award me for my versatility in blogging (specifically, for unwittingly co-founding National Cow Week) but I didn't get around to it till just now.

Shnazzy.

These are the rules:
1. Thank and link to the person who nominated you.
2. Share seven random facts about yourself.
3. Pass the award along to 5 deserving blogging buddies.
4. Contact those buddies to congratulate them!

1. Thanks, Mercy!

2. Seven Random Facts:
a) My closet is almost as large as my room.
b) I've been to New York City twice. The first time was five weeks after 9/11.
c) When I was twelve, I taught my pony the hokey pokey.
d) My favorite ice cream is Breyer's mint chocolate chip.
e) I sing the alphabet whenever I look up a word in the dictionary or put a new book on the shelf.
f) I cannot bring myself to spend money. Besides gift cards, I think I've only spent a sum larger than five or ten dollars twice in my life. The first time I bought a cockatiel, and the second time a horse.

3. I award...
Skyeler, because she swaps from regency gowns to photography to poetry.
Kayla, because she has a variety of interests (many of which I share *highfive*).
Sarah, because she has all sorts of inspiring posts.
Bubbles, because I predict his blog will be versatile and profound, if he posts.
Olga, because between her and Curly Fry, they have many different areas covered. ;)
Birdi, because she never fails to make me smile. :D
I have so many deserving blogging buddies I had to choose six! And there were more I could have picked if they weren't already tagged.

4. And now I scuttle off to notify people!

The Rain Fell, and the Winds Blew

This is really yesterday's post posted today. The very post that Olivia wrote forgetting yesterday was Monday. So when she says "tonight" she really means "last night". She's just too lazy to edit. Shameful, really. And don't ask why she's writing this paragraph in third person, because she didn't even realize she was doing it until this sentence.


I’m really not quite sure why I said I would post every day. I’m really not quite sure why I started a blog. I’m really not quite sure why you readers put up with all this rambling nonsense, but I’m glad that you do, even though it’s a slightly horrifying thought that there are actually people out there reading this.

But not as horrifying as the fact I just saw a flea on my arm and now I can’t find it. The flea, that is. I’m fairly certain of my arm’s location.

Now everything that touches my skin feels like a flea. It’s really annoying to be paranoid.

Tonight there was a large storm. One audible roll of thunder rumbled before it was right on top of us. Father Dearest went out to feed the horses, or at least move my pony--who is terrified of thunderstorms--to her own safe little paddock, but by the time he got out there it was pouring. I was going to follow, but Mother Dearest urged me to stay indoors because the lightning was close.

The pony wouldn’t go, though. She wears a flymask during the warm months to keep the flies from her face because she’s sensitive to the bacteria they leave behind, and her eyes swell when she doesn’t have it on. The downside to this, though, is that when it rains the water drops cling to the mesh and obscure her vision. I don’t think this is so much a problem for most horses, but she’s a rescue and very spooky, and she doesn’t appear to see well anyway.

So when Father opened the gate to the paddock and tried to coax her in, she ran away, frightened and unable to see. It was pouring like a celestial hose was set to powerwash*—from the window all you could see was an opaque sheet of water—and the lightning was very near. Eventually he had to come in and leave the pony trembling in the woods. By the time he came in, the wind blew the rain nearly horizontally, the thunder was deafening, and we huddled near the front of the house, afraid a large branch would come crashing onto the roof.

In ten minutes, it was over.

Once the thunder faded in the distance, we went outside to finish feeding. Usually after a big storm, especially if her flymask was on, the pony’s kind of traumatized. Sometimes she won’t let me near enough to remove her mask until the next day. But tonight she was perfectly calm. She walked right into the paddock, and as I approached her with a handful of grain she did a few of her tricks**, giving me a kiss and spontaneously nodding yes to some unasked question. And she let me remove her flymask without a problem. Go figure.

*That is a really laughable simile, but I’m too tired to care or think of a better one, so oh well!

**She knows all sorts of tricks, from swishing her tail on command to dancing the hokey pokey.