The Face of Homeless.............Another Breakout....

Part 1

Now that Solidare and her cohorts had a taste of freedom. They must have been looking for other chances to revisit the yard. It was only a couple of days later when they escaped again.

This time I was home and it was probably my fault. I'd let Solidare and her foal out when I got home from my daily ride. I'd also released Dare from her paddock next to Solidare's stall so she could join the duo in the front field.

That's my usual routine I do if I return home to find Solidare inside. I do it often enough you'd think I could remember all the steps in the process. I put Legs in his stall and give him some lunch. Then I turn Solidare and the colt loose before letting Dare go. Then I close the big gate and before I go back to the house, I close the small gate between the hay barn and the small barn by the house.

Well, at least that's the way it's supposed to go but I've been leaving out a step on more than one occasion. That's the part about closing that small gate between the hay barn and the small barn by the house. To be honest I can't remember when the last time was that I closed that small gate which is probably not a good thing.

The thing about that gate is it blocks off a narrow passage between those two barns. The walkway is probably four feet wide and twenty-four feet long. Lots of horses might be claustrophobic in such a narrow space but we take horses through it quite regularly.

The only ones that seem to worry about it are the young horses for the first time they see it. They can put a quite a fuss trying to avoid walking between those two buildings like that. Horses can really squirt out that other end on their first trip through. I guess that tells how snug it must feel but usually once they have gone through it they go more easily the second time.

Delilah is usually chained at the far end of that passageway. She is so used to horses coming through there she moves out of the way and sits waiting for them to pass. I doubt she would even stop a wayward horse coming down that aisle by itself.

That small gate being left open is how Solidare, her colt and Dare took their first adventure into the yard. The fact that Solidare and Dare made a break for it down that narrow path didn't surprise me. What did, was the fact the colt followed them. I've seen mares make their break for it down that aisle leaving bawling foals behind afraid to go through the narrow passage.

I imagine the colt must have thought twice about coming down that aisle but it sure hadn't stopped him. He didn't look any the worse for wear when I'd discovered him in the yard. Many a foal has broken out a sweat just thinking about going down that walkway wearing a halter and a lead. Never have I seen one begin the adventure without the conviction of some human behind the request.

Here we were a couple of days later and I'd forgotten that gate. It didn't take long for the horses to figure out they had access to the yard again. It was less than twenty minutes before the knock on my door telling me the horses had escaped again.

I knew immediately how they'd gotten out. More importantly I knew this time it had been my fault. It was a good thing that Dave and Lindsay were home but about now I was thinking I should be training my new guests in the fine art of catching loose horses.

To be continued...............


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Happy, Happy Birthday, Baby!

Today is Lindsay's birthday. I can't believe that my baby is thirty. Not only does that thought make me feel very very old, but it reminds me that she is indeed a miracle.

It was twenty years ago when Lindsay was diagnosed with brain cancer. She had complications from her surgery and the balance center in her brain was nearly destroyed by excess swelling.

Lindsay's prognosis was not good. The hospital where we went for treatment had two cases with Lindsay's diagnosis that had survived eight years at that time. When we first began treatment the docs were hopeful they had found a cure. Before the end of the year both of those boys' cancer had returned and each succumbed to his disease.

That makes Lindsay the first at that hospitla to actually survive her diagnosis. She has some brain damage that makes it difficult for her to learn conceptual things and she has some nerve damage that affects her speech. Her hand writing and her balance are also impaired. She also has issues having the extremely short fuse brain damaged patients are known for.

Considering when she came home from the hospital Lindsay required twenty-four hour a day care and the rehabilitation experts thought she was as good as she was going to get, Lindsay has come a very long way. She cleans stalls for me. Helps turn horses in and out and feeds most of the time. She is my right hand "man" and I couldn't chase my dream without her.

Somedays it doesn't feel like those painful days of Lindsay's radiation and chemotherapy are that long ago. When I see her struggle with the discontent that comes from being different than others, my heart breaks.

Usually the discontent is triggered by unkind deeds or cruel words from those who only see she looks different. They don't recognize what a miracle Lindsay is and how amazing she is.

The horses help Lindsay remember what life is really about and help to heal those wounds, just as they have helped to heal mine. Neither Lindsay nor I can believe it's been twenty years in this journey. I guess there's no denying it since my baby is now thirty.

Happy, Happy Birthday, Baby................

The Face of Homeless.............The Capture...........

Part 1


I didn't expect that Solidare in her crippled state would do much harm to my guests but who knew what that colt might do if he got spooked or felt trapped. As for Dare the odds were she wouldn't do anything harmful except maybe to a dog if it decided to chase her. Looking at this situation, I was really glad we already had done our release of liability.

I left my horse trailer outside the gate coming inside thinking I was going to capture Solidare. Crippled or not the mare did not want to leave the lush grass of the yard, even if it is the same grass she has in her field. When the mare saw me coming her direction she moved away trying to avoid being caught. It's not that she could outrun me because there's just no way Solidare can do anything but walk still I had to work to catch her.

Solidare hasn't put up this kind of resistance in months. I had to actually get her cornered to capture her. I figured once I did that the others would follow. That's how it usually goes but then there's that law that always seems to be reminding me of its existence. Murphy joined us so the darn colt decided not to follow his mom. He was going to stay with his new side kick Dare.

Normally, Dare would be following along after Solidare. I can't even remember when she hasn't. She loves being turned out with her mother and she tends to stick very close to her but Murphy seemed to be influencing Dare as well. She wasn't bringing up the rear either. She snaked her neck at me and gave me that defiant, I'm cool and in charge flip of her head and headed the other direction. It was clear Dare's plan was to stay in the yard.

The colt followed Dare in hot pursuit. Moving at a trot they were heading up towards the house and the camping people in my back yard. Knowing that Dare is pretty darn brave I doubted the tent and gazebo were going to turn the mare back my direction.

Then, of course, there was Solidare. I didn't even have her safely in the field yet. I was leading the mare by her mane. When she saw the others escape, Solidare decided to join them. She tried to cut me off and slip out the gate before I could get it closed behind her. I had a full fledged rebellion in the works.

So here I am with non horsey people camping in my yard and three defiant horses wanting to squat there too. While Solidare couldn't escape me for long, I had to use my cell phone to call for reinforcements to catch the other two. My guests had no idea how to catch up loose horses and having them try would have probably turned things into a real zoo.

Dave and Lindsay were just coming down the road so they were close enough to actually be some real help. By the time they arrived I had Solidare captured again and Dave and Lindsay were able to push from behind to move Dare and the colt in the right direction.

Of course, neither went willing. There was more neck snaking and defiant head tossing from Dare and that darn colt kicked out a Lindsay but at least the were moving away from the campgrounds in my back yard into the direction of the barn and appropriate turnout.

Solidare was keeping tabs on what was going on behind her. I think she was looking for another chance to escape. This time, however, I managed to get her in through the gate where I released her. The silly mare tried to rush by me and head back out into the yard.

I cut her off watching for Dave's progress with Dare. As much as I wanted to block Solidare from leaving, I didn't want to cut off Dare's attempts to enter the field. I timed my withdrawal from the front of the gate to coincide with Dare getting close enough to block Solidare's escape.

Luckily for me Solidare wasn't quicker or she'd have managed to make her escape. I was able to get enough to the side to allow Dare to come through but I still had to be careful I didn't block the colt who was bringing up the rear.

It was clear Lindsay and Dave weren't in enough control of his movement to guarantee he would follow Dare. He was clearly looking for any opening to spin around and take off. I knew that naughty colt look on his face if it looked at all like I was in his way, he was going to cut and run.

I backed away from the opening and turned my head looking into the field while I instructed Dave and Lindsay to apply more pressure from behind. They closed up their ranks and extended their arms to shoo the two renegades into the field.

Even at that both Dare and this colt gave us attitude as the trotted into the field and Solidare was not far behind. We closed the gate behind the horses and watched the bucks and kicks that clearly said they were put out by the change in real estate. It's a good thing I love horses with attitude..........because I was getting plenty of it this day.

To be continued..................



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The Face of Homeless..........an Escape............

Part 1

After we had our new guests settled, there was one very important thing I wanted to be done. It's probably already obvious that I tend to trust people but this recent incident with the lawsuit tells me I need to be careful and protect myself. Just because I think that someone will not try to take advantage does not mean that will necessarily be the case.

Living on a farm with lots of critters has some inherent safety issues. Anyone who has horses understands what those might be. We, who love horses, tend to ignore those issues. We take them as a part of the territory. It's just understood that life with horses can have risks.

Washington state law recognizes that too. There are laws, RCW 4.24.530 and RCW 4.24.540, on the books limiting the liability of equine activities. As the owner of a breeding farm I should have a sign posted informing visitors of the law. I bought one but can't figure out where I put the thing.

Even if it was posted as required, I'm not sure it would cover people camping at my house. I have always been very much aware of the possibilities even before the events surrounding Faye and then Lindsay's accident Now with a lawsuit hijacking my life, the last thing I want is to be in a situation I could have prevented.

Knowing that horses can and have escaped around here, there's always the possibility that some can go wrong even if my guests tried to stay away from the horses.There was also the possibility that my guests might just explore life with horses on their own. With the number of young horses I have, someone might chose a youngster with only a smatter of manners to befriend putting themselves into a vulnerable situation.

While the odds were nothing bad would happen during their stay here, I needed to be smart and protect myself just in case it did. I also needed to get myself into the habit of putting things down on paper so I never get caught again. To get me started on the right track, J and I sat down and did a release of liability for all of them to sign.

A couple of days later as I was coming home from the park, I realized that Solidare and her foal were outside but nowhere to be seen in their normal turnout. As I pulled into my driveway, I saw exactly why that was. Solidare, her colt, and their sidekick, Dare, had escaped into the yard.

Normally, this would not have been anything stressful but with people camping in my yard it took on new meaning. Normally all I'd worry about would be the horses eating my flowers. They are particularly fond of my pansies I might add. Now I was worried about horses crashing into tents and mowing over people or their pets.

T appeared from out behind the house. He was aware the horses were in the yard but not really sure if that was good or bad. If I hadn't arrived home at that time, I'm not really sure what he'd have done. Even with me there, it was clear T wanted to be nowhere near these loose horses.

To be continued.....................



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The Face of Homeless............a Little Whine.......

Part 1

I was right that it would probably take most of my ride for Dave and T finally did have the gazebo set up. I remember that thing providing shade at my open house each year but now that I looked at it in the yard I wasn't quite so sure it was going to provide as much shade at this family was going to require.

We had a stretch of nice but hot weather coming our way. Being stuck outside without big trees for shade was going to be a problem. However, it looked like I was really the only one worried about that. They kept telling me not to worry they were fine so I put thoughts about ways to produce more shade on the back burner for a while.

The deck on the back of our house is partially covered. That's where the extra refrigerator is and the barbecue. I added a table there and then put some tables inside the gazebo. Throwing in a few chairs and they had much more covered living space than they'd seen in weeks.

After a couple of trips to their storage unit they had themselves all set up with a microwave, a toaster oven, some kind of hot plate, a tv and a couple of fans. They also brought dishes and pots and pans. They were as decked out as some of the most efficient campers I've ever seen.

Looking around at the space created for them, I felt a little more comfortable that this was an improvement in their lives. Even if it wasn't a long term fix, it would help get them through for the time being.

Their plan was to return to southern California. J has contacts there so she was thinking she might be more successful finding employment here. The family doesn't have the funds to begin the move now.

After the first of the month when T's VA benefits arrive, J and her daughter will make that move. T will stay here until the son, K, school term ends. Then they will join their family in California. That won't happen until the following month because they'll need T's next VA check to have funds for the second vehicle to make the trip.

I was relieved to hear this plan because I was really worried about what winter might be like for anyone homeless in this part of the country. My mind had already begun racing looking for solutions if they planned to stay here. I'm still going to worry about how their faring in southern CA but at least I know they'll be in a more moderate climate.

It was sometime the second day that I observed a strange cat. I knew they had the two dogs but if they told me about a cat it had not registered. I guess I couldn't imagine a cat hanging around when it's being moved all that much.

BUT then this is not just an ordinary cat. She seems to be very comfortable with the family's current lifestyle. She sticks right around close to the family and is not the least bit skittish about strangers. She decided immediately to adopt Lindsay, Dave and me into her family.

The farthest I've seen her is in my front yard..........hunting snakes. I think the only reason she made it that far is because she'd already killed all the snakes in the back yard. Can't wait to see what she does when she figures out this place is well stocked with rodents too.

The only problem I have with this cat is she is not afraid of engines at all. If she's underneath my truck when I start it up, she will not vacate. If she does, she heads straight for underneath the horse trailer. I have visions of flattening her like a pancake because I have not seen her first.

T said not to worry because then he wouldn't have to worry about feeding her. That is NOT what I wanted to hear! I have already flattened one kitty with my rig and I still have nightmares about it. That was nearly twenty years ago. I cannot cope with the guilt of killing this girl's cat. She has enough on her plate as it is..............as do I. So for now, it takes a crew of at least to "cat watchers" to be sure it is safe for me to leave for the park.

To be continued...............






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The Face of Homeless..........Problem Solving..........

Part 1

One of the things that struck me as this family moved into my backyard was how very much we take for granted the little things. This volunteering of my backyard as a place of refuge for them didn't seem like much to me yet it was something huge to them.

As we sat there on the grass figuring out the best way to set things up, J began to cry. She thanked me profusely for saving her from the scrutiny of others and the fear someone might turn her in and she'd end up losing her child.

At first I was bewildered by this outpouring. I even said "Being homeless is not a crime. They can't take your kids away for that."

J responded "That might be what you think, but I can assure you, it is not the way others see it. I've already been threatened with being arrested for vagrancy if I return to ------ Park." The implications in her inflections made it clear J really was worried someone would take her child away from her thinking she might be unfit as a parent.

Just the thought tugs at my heart strings. It would be bad enough being homeless without having to look over your shoulder all the time worrying about those who might judge you and what they might do that could make your situation worse.

I have seen enough interactions between this family to know that love is very much at the core of this family's values. Caring for this child takes priority over all else. Their being homeless has nothing to do with their love or devotion to their children. Life's circumstances have not been kind and yet they are still working together as a family trying to get to the other side. How can anyone fault them for that?

I looked at the woman before me and the emotion that washed over her as she told me how important my gesture was to her. I could only wonder if I were in such a situation if I would have such grace.
Oh, how I wished I could fix this for them. I went to bed with this whole predicament churning around in my head. I knew I couldn't fix it but I wanted to do what I could to make sure their stay here was as comfortable as it could be under the circumstances. One of my top priorities was figuring out a way to provide them with more shade.

It was somewhere around 3 a.m. when it dawned on me. I have a gazebo I bought for use for my open house each year. It's six sided and has openings on three sides that can be zipped closed or tied open. It's made of fabric and folds all up small enough to fit in a case. When it's all folded up it's not too much bigger than a double sleeping bag.

When it's opened up it makes a room about 12 feet by 14 feet. We could set it up near the tent so hopefully it would provide some shade on the tent for part of the day and it could serve as another room for their living space.

Not quite so worried about shade now that I'd remembered the gazebo, I actually managed to get a few hours sleep before the sun woke me. The first thing I did was head for the barn looking for that gazebo.

Once it was located, I loaded my horse up and went off to the park to ride. I left Dave working with with the man (T because I already used S, dumb me) working on assembling the gazebo. I figured by they time they got through that with the extra set of hands I'd probably be done with my ride and we could move on with the rest of my plans to get this family set up as comfortably as possible under the circumstances.

To be continued...........................


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The Face of Homeless..........Moving In............

Part 1

It was only as I was actually leaving the park that I called Dave to let him know what I done. Per my usual when I've done something without consulting him first, I told Dave to prepare himself for my latest stunt.

After thirty plus years of marriage Dave is used to the surprises I can come up with sometimes. When I told him I'd invited a homeless family to camp in our back yard and that I needed him to mow the lawn so it would be ready for a tent all the man said was "OK." There were no weird inflections, no unspoken disapproval, just an agreement to mow the lawn.

When I did get into the house after unloading my horse, Dave had questions but they were the obvious ones. Who are these people, without any incriminating tone. Where did they come from? How come they're homeless? And of course, what time are they coming.

It was actually about 7:30 when J and her family arrived but she'd called me somewhere around 3:30 to let me know that would be the case. The time her son needed to be at work turned out later than she'd remembered so she was checking in to be sure the later time was still OK with me.

When they knocked on our front door, Dave answered it as I fled out the back door. I wanted to get them settled in without the added distraction of Delilah and Sugar and my hasty retreat made that possible. Dave ended up putting them in their crates so he could join me to welcome our guests.

I went around the back of the house around to the front door to find them still standing on the front porch. The man I'd only seen from a distance at the park turned out to be the same tall thin man I'd met those weeks ago.

I must admit that took me back just a bit. I had the impression that they were no longer married. I guess I just assumed that meant they were not a couple either. Still it bothered me just a bit that I hadn't realized it was him at the park.

I brushed that concern aside and set to showing them around. There was some debate about the best place to put the tent and talk about planting some trees for me.

There are not many trees on my farm because we had one fall down on our house in a wind storm soon after we'd first moved in so we'd taken out everything that was within distance of hitting a building and everything that was diseased. The end result was not much shade to place a tent.

I hadn't really thought about shade when I'd invited them. Now as the realization hit, I wondered what we could do to make sure they got relief from the sun. The tent was set up between two small oaks in the back yard but I spent most of the night worrying about creating more shade for them.

We have an extra refrigerator on our back deck that we use for overflow. I told our guests they were free to use that fridge and its freezer. Also our barbecue is on the deck and it has a burner off to one side. I made sure they knew they were welcome to use that as well. Up until now they'd only been buying what food they could consume at the time since they had no cold storage and no real ay to cook.

Dave showed the man (I'll call him T) where there was access to electricity. There was a source near where their van was parked and we ran a line to their tent. Then we left them to figure out the particulars since our trying to help only seemed to slow things down. ( Somehow that so reminded me of Dave and I trying to work together.)

I showed them where the bathroom was and, of course, we introduced them to Delilah and Sugar. Both dogs thought having people guests was great fun but they weren't too sure what to think of more dogs. My only concern was they'd mob them as they tried to enter or, for that matter, escape so I made sure Dave understood that both dogs needed to be crated overnight.

I should know better than just talking to Dave about that kind of request. What I should have done was get him to sign some kind of contract in blood. His precious Delilah was exempt from the crate for most of the night. Thankfully she didn't bite anyone or knock anyone down although I'm pretty sure she tried to lick all three of them to death.

To be continued...................


Problem Solving

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The Face of Homeless - Accepting the Invitation

Part 1

I'm pretty sure an invitation to camp in my back yard is not what J was expecting. She looked at me with a disbelieving look. Still, I could tell what I'd said wasn't registering. I gave her a minute for it to sink in. Then I told her I thought I could get my hands on a pretty big tent and there was a place we could put it in our backyard. It wouldn't be much but it would be more private than what they had now.

"Sure!...............Are you sure?..................Is this going to be ok with your family?.............Are you sure you don't want to talk to them first?" and probably a dozen other questions poured out of J's mouth.

I reassured J it would be fine, not to worry. Even though I hadn't spoken to Dave I didn't expect he would tell me "No." I knew he probably wouldn't believe what I had done this time but he would honor it. That's just the way Dave is.

J reminded me that they had dogs which I hadn't really considered but I figured if they were surviving ok at the park with them, they'd probably be ok at my house. We keep Delila and Sugar tied up when they're outside so they don't chase the horses or run off. J and her family keep their dogs tied too so all I asked was they clean up after them like they would at the park.

As I recall J also asked if we had an outhouse. I laughed imagining what that might be like living on wetlands. I told her they would have to settle for sharing our bathroom with us. Then J was worried about her multiple trips in the middle of the night so I told her we'd just leave the door unlocked and the light on. We would make it work.

J gave me her daughter's cell number so I could call her if anything came up which meant something more like if I changed my mind or my husband had a stroke. I gave her my numbers for the same reason. I also gave her the directions to get to my farm so we had the major details worked out.

The plan was they would be there sometime around 5. She needed to pick her son up from school and take him to his job. After that they'd head out our way. In the meantime Dave would have time to mow the lawn so there was a presentable place to put up that tent.

With that decision made, I went back to schooling Legs and J went up to talk to her partner. I hadn't gotten much done and heat was beginning to rise off the sand. Before I got finished, J hollered at me and told me that they had a tent in storage and they'd go pick that up so I didn't have to worry about finding one.

That was a good thing because there was no guarantee I'd be able to get a hold of my daughter to even borrow hers in a timely manner. Sometimes she works pretty late and she doesn't always return my calls right away. That was one less thing to worry about.

I took Legs back onto the trails and we rode there for about a half hour. My mind was still racing about the homeless family I'd just met and the little we had to offer. I could even imagine myself in their shoes but I wanted to do what we could to make things not feel quite so overwhelming to them.

Legs didn't seem to notice I was distracted. He was his usual self on the trails. The horse really likes watching the squirrels, rabbits and miscellaneous birds. As far as the horse was concerned, nothing much had changed.

For me, things had changed a lot. It's probably an odd thing to say when I post about my life on this blog nearly everyday but I'm a very private person. I've kept to myself most of my life and I really enjoy the distance between me and my neighbors. I haven't had to live close to other people in many many years. All I could think of was embarrassing myself fighting with Dave.

To be continued.....................

Moving In


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The Face of Homeless

Part 1

The woman standing in front of me was still talking but my mind raced with the discovery. I could hear her words even though my mind was going ninety miles an hour trying to comprehend what I'd she'd previously said.

My denial really wanted to kick in so I didn't have to deal with this situation. The thought of someone I'd just made a connection with turning out to be homeless just did NOT want to compute. Yet here this woman was with her daughter standing right in front of me explaining the circumstances that led to their family being homeless.

Even as the details unfolded my brain still wanted to deny such a thing was possible. Questions bounced around in my head even with answers right there. The distance between me and the word itself was trying to maintain against the barrage of truth before my eyes.

All the stereotypes of what homeless people should be just were not this situation. While I know that single mothers with children make up a considerable number in the homeless population, the idea of complete families being homeless just seemed to be too much.

Not that life cares about stereotypes or people's past or familial connections when it decides to jump up and bite someone. I know that from first hand experience. Bad things really can and do happen to good people.


There were no distinguishable clues like a shopping cart filled with personal belongings to give the secret away. No matted hair or mismatched articles of torn and tattered clothing. The woman and girl standing in front of me looked just like anyone else in the county park on a summer's day.

Listening to her talk , the woman (who I will refer to as J) told me it's been since the beginning of the month the family has been out on the street. They have been spending the daylight hours at Frontier Park until the park closes. Then the family has been sleeping in the parking lot of the nearest Wal-Mart since that chain has an unspoken rule about looking the other way for whoever might be sleeping overnight there.

Before that the family was living in HUD housing. They were there on an eight month lease which is typical of the set-up for HUD. According to the HUD requirements the lease is supposed to be offered on a continuing month to month basis from that point forward. However, Washington state law allows any month to month continuance to be cancelled with twenty days notice. Since the family could not afford the new lease being offered to them due to a rent increase, they had no choice but to vacate.

Sounds to me like the landlord has learned how to manipulate the HUD rules to make more money. In the meantime it is the vulnerable low income families who pay the price of the bureaucracy that allows such manipulations of the law to continue.

According to J, the landlord is also charging damages over and above what was real to the apartment. Those charges include new carpet when it is J's belief the carpet only needs to be cleaned. Considering the letter she sent them, threatening to bring a class action suit against them for their deceptive and exploitive practices it will be interesting to see if the family manages to get some of their deposit back and those additional charges dropped. In the meantime they have to worry about being homeless AND being sued. Talk about stress.

In the past J worked as a paralegal for many years raising her family until she decided to go back to school about eight years ago. She spent four years in school getting two degrees before she headed back to the work force looking for a job in her new profession.

Whether it was the declining economy or maybe some age discrimination with a fifty plus woman trying to begin working in a new field is unknown. However, finding a job in the new line of work has been unsuccessful.

Desperation can force us to do things we really are not inclined to do. Unable to utilize the new skills learned at UC Davis and Dartmouth, J tried going back to being a paralegal which she hates.

Her particular field is entertainment law and the greater Seattle area doesn't seem to hold much opportunity in that field either. Even though there's considerable growth in the entertainment industry in this state, it seems the legal eagles are still centered in southern California or New York so there's been no success there either.

The eighteen year old son (K) is attending Pierce College this summer. He's been accepted to Cambridge University to study diplomatic relations but unless he finds some kind of scholarship program or sponsor that's not going to happen. If there's not money for rent, there sure isn't money for universities abroad.

The now fourteen year old daughter (S) is severely dyslexic. School is difficult enough without adding being homeless on top of it. Kids can be cruel and S is a prime target for the cruelest of the cruel. She's susceptible to getting lost in the chaos that is currently her life.

The gentleman at the park with J is a disabled vet. The family is living off of his meager VA benefits and whatever the eighteen year old makes that he doesn't need for his schooling.

That's pretty much it in a nutshell. Here's a family of four, complete with pets, living on the street. Now the real question was what was I going to do about it.

I was struggling with the urge to do something and the fear they might not be what they seem. After this last episode that's resulted in this ugly lawsuit, I'm having real trouble trusting my intuition. The tug o' war going on in my head was a real beaut. The urge to do something won out...................I invited them to my home.............without even talking to Dave................

To be continued..............

Accepting the Invitation


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More on Characters at the Park.........Homeless......

Part 1

Since I don't really leave my farm much except to do something horse related, I'm not forced very often to think about such things as the homeless. I get exposed sometimes on trips into town where I might see someone at a freeway ramp holding a sign. There are those news stories that come up when the latest "Tent City" in Seattle is being forced to move yet again. Other news stories sometimes are about victims of other circumstances who happen to be homeless. All of these things stir my conscience.

It is one of those problems I want to fix but don't know how. I worry about donating to those people with their signs because I know from first hand experience they are not always sincere. I would hate to be feeding some one's drug habit or whatever else ulterior motive might be behind a scam so instead I donate to local food banks but not nearly often enough.

The thought of being homeless haunts me. It's been many long years since we had any kind of savings. Now with Dave out of work for going on two years and thirty horses to feed, sometimes I am nearing panic. I try not to think about the choices we will have to make once Dave's unemployment runs out. Feeding the horses or paying the mortgage can only mean one thing to me. I fear homelessness could be somewhere down the road.

Even before Dave's plant closed down, I had this fear of being homeless. Knowing we just were not making any progress on getting this horse business off the ground meant our savings would not be growing anytime soon. The best thing I could think of for those kinds of thoughts was to push them aside and keep on keeping on in the hope that my breeding business would eventually come through like it should with this quality of horse. Still those thoughts of being homeless have lingered in the back of my mind.

Maybe it's that fear that makes me so sensitive to the plight of the homeless. All I know is each time the reality about the homeless hits me in the face I want to do something but it's easy to forget about the ongoing reality of what a life being homeless must be when it's not right smack dab up there in my face. I can make my donation of conscience and get on with my life.

I guess that's because most of the time for me "homeless" is a faceless condition of someone unknown out there in the world. When I say out there, that's exactly what I mean. Homeless is something that happens somewhere else. It's doesn't happen in my little town. "Those" people are on TV in Seattle, Tacoma, New York and LA not in the little berg of Graham.

Without names or faces and maybe even that local connection, unfortunately, there's a distance that safely buffers my conscience. This reaction is probably pretty typical for the human condition but still, it is a fact that I am NOT proud of. If I had it within my power to fix the problems of the world, I most certainly would. Since I don't have that kind of power and no one really has enough resources to save all of the world's homeless, I can tell myself I am doing what I can.

Now, standing right in front of me with faces and names, right there in my own home town, I was confronted with homelessness on a much more personal level. The question was, what was I going to do about it?

To be continued...........................

The Face of Homeless

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More on Characters at the Park.....The Revelation

Part 1

The recongition of the girl's name was instantaneous. While an easily recognizable noun, it was not one I had ever heard used as a name. It has stuck in my head the very first time I heard it and I am not a person who remembers names well. Hearing it, now, in the park, there was not doubt in my mind that this was the tween I had been asked to consider working as an apprentice for me.

I looked from the girl back to her mother repeating her name. "This is the kid...........," I didn't even finish my sentence and the girl's mother was nodding her head in affirmation. That meant the woman knew who I was all along. I had been the only one in the dark about our previous connection.

That fact did not bother me at the time. It only made me more curious. I explained the stressors of the lawsuit had stopped me from acting on the gentleman's request. The mother nodded in understanding and our conversation turned to the red-headed child now standing at her mother's side, well, to the girl's interest in horses.

It turns out she has a limited experience with horses even though she loves them. From the sounds of it, the family has lived many places and in some of those places the girl has managed to take a few lessons but not enough to know much of anything.

Her mother told me how the first place they'd gone just turned her loose and expected her to figure things out on her own. Not only that but her hour lesson began when she arrived. She was expected to go outside, catch her horse and tack it up before she rode. Not that there's anything wrong with expecting the child to get her own horse ready but having that time as part of the lesson time when there was no one helping her understand what to do seems out of line to me.

The few times mother and daughter went to that place the girl did not ride more than about ten minutes. Most of her lesson time was spent trying to catch a lesson horse that did not want to be caught. Mom soon decided this was not the right place for them so they backed off for a while.

I can understand the mom's frustrations about no one teaching her child what to do. I also explained that even when someone does show you once or twice that doesn't meant what you've learned will work with all horses or even that horse on another day. Learning about horses is an ongoing process. There are some basics and then it's a hands on test from there on out.

Both mother and child nodded their heads in recognition of a concept they seemed to understand. While they haven't had much experience with horses, they've had enough to know what I said made sense.

It was also clear from our conversation that the child is not the only one with an interest in horses. As the mother described what she'd seen on cable with Clinton Anderson, I could tell that she hadn't just been watching to keep her daughter company. The woman had definitely taken in some valuable information about the instincts of horses even if she didn't know how to put those things to use.

The shade was fast disappearing as our conversation progressed. We moved a couple of times to keep ourselves out of the sunlight but it was clear if I was ever going to get finished working Legs, I needed to get on with it.

Wanting to understand when a good time to bring my papers over might be, I asked the woman what she was doing at the park. The answer I got was nothing like I expected and she didn't just blurt it out. The information was masked in a description of events that lead to only one conclusion...................homeless.................


To be continued.........................

Homeless

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More on Characters at the Park.....The Discovery

Part 1

I see lots of people come and go in the park when I ride. Some of those people turn out to be regulars. I get to know their faces, their patterns as they pass through my field of vision. Sometimes I say "hello" to those folks and sometimes they say "hello" to me. Others, it might be a nod of a head but with the regulars always it grows into some kind of acknowledgement "I see you each day."

After a while it feels like those people are friends when I don't even know their names. Funny how that happens. Just seeing the same faces over time leads to a comfort, a familiarity that takes down barriers. Maybe for me it's a reassurance I'm not alone in this world. All I know is that it gets to be there with those faces I see on a regular basis.

The weather was finally clearing up around here last week so I was actually getting some time to ride in the arena. I'd been riding in the arena Monday through Friday for a couple of weeks now. With that riding in the same place I was beginning to see some regulars to the park I hadn't really noticed before. They were those people who seem to congregate near the arena instead of those that roam the park I normally see on my trek back to the trails.

Among them was a middle age red-headed woman sitting up on the hill. I had seen her there several times over the last week or so. She seemed to be near the little snack trailer that's between the viewing stands. With the day camp going on, I thought maybe she was connected to that little shed even though I hadn't seen it open. I thought maybe it just opened up for lunch for the kids which was after I'd gone home.

Later, I learned the kids were gone before lunch time. Still it was my thought process on that day. I guess that goes to show how we can perceive something very far off base from what it really is. On this day, I thought maybe the red haired woman must be there with the little snack stand. Why else would she be in the park in that location for several days in a row?

The main arena at the park is absolutely huge. It's so big that for the 4-H horse shows it gets divided into half and they run it like it's really two rings. On sunny days in the mornings I like to ride at the far end from where I park my horse trailer. There's some shade there so I utilize it as much as I can. That way I don't get too hot, neither does my horse. Riding on that end put me down where I usually saw this woman.

With the problem I have with vision, I don't really see features all that well. For me to recognize someone from a distance is more to recognize size, shape, gender, sometimes coloring and over all mannerisms that set one person apart from another for me. Mostly it's a perception of what I think I'm looking at, if that makes any sense. So while I'd seen this person, I didn't really know what she looked like up close. I had seen enough of her to know that I was seeing the same person over and over but there is where my recognition ended.

It was on Wednesday that I noticed this woman moving her chair closer so she could watch me school my horse. As usual when I see people are particularly interested in what I am doing with a horse, I moved closer too and spoke to the woman. The woman moved from her chair to down by the rail so we could have a conversation. From there we ended up in a pretty lengthy discussion.

We started off talking about the weather and how we both have issues with the sun. From there it was on to me working Legs at the park. I guess it's only a natural progression when talking about horses for me to mention how many I have at home, all the usual stuff.

Since Legs is the only horse I've been working for a while now because of the legal work I have to deal with at home, I guess it only makes sense our conversation managed to make it's way to that subject too .Being without a lawyer is so much on my mind as I try to navigate my way through the legal system, pretty much flying by the seat of my pants. The words come falling out of my mouth before I even realize they're coming. Once out, they're a bit hard to ignore.

It turned out this woman was a paralegal so she began asking me all kinds of questions. Some I could answer and others I didn't have a clue. She invited me to bring my court documents down for her to take a look . She offered to help me sort through my mess so I could be sure I wasn't missing anything I needed to know.

I explained it's the deadlines that worry me. I know I'm not supposed to miss them but finding out what they actually are sometimes can be difficult. Then the procedures are next on my list of worries. Some are obvious, others, not so much. I think I get all the parts but understanding how they actually go together sometimes just isn't all that clear. The result, of course, is more added stress.

During the course of this conversation, the woman's red headed teenage daughter joined us on the rail. As the girl made her way towards us, the woman called her by name. As I heard the name flowing from the woman's lips, I recognized it instantly. This was the young girl whose name I had on a business card in my file. This was the daughter of the sad tall thin gentleman I'd met earlier in the year. But how could that be? Is the world really that small?

To be continued........................

The Revelation

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More on Characters at the Park...Food for Thought

Part 1

It was a few weeks before I saw this gentleman again. Actually, I had nearly forgotten about him when he appeared from out of nowhere. Unlike our previous conversation, which had been quite lengthy, this one was only for a brief moment. He handed me a card with the information about his daughter and a phone number.

As I took the card I told the man I wasn't really sure if I was in a position I could take on an apprentice at the moment. His response was, "That's OK, If it worked out, fine, if it didn't, that was fine too." His whole demeanor was that apologetic persona I'd recognized as myself so many years ago.

I got the impression he thought he was somehow putting me out by even asking me to consider the possibility of his daughter apprenticing with me. I felt sad for him in this instant and I wondered about his story. What made him this way? But the man was gone as quickly as he'd emerged. I was left looking down at a business card with most of the information on the printed side scratched off and handwritten information about the mother and daughter on the other side.

I didn't really even look at the information. I just glanced at the card enough to see it was a business card before shoving the thing in my pocket. I did make sure I put it someplace safe so it wouldn't end up on the ground somewhere instead of making its way to my house.

By this time I was intrigued at the prospect of maybe having some help with the horses. God knows I could use some still I had those reservations. Was this something that would work for me and for her? Or was it too much at a difficult time?

I must admit I also wondered what could be behind this man........and his child. There was just something about him that drew me. It was more than that reflection of myself so many years ago. A curiosity, I guess, about what made him that way. I took the card home and put it in my file still not sure if I could deal with this situation or not at the moment.

I have thought about that card many, many times since that day. I thought about having help and what that could mean. I thought about the liabilities and how I needed to protect myself before I made such a move. The other stressors in my life seemed to be building so taking time to figure out some kind of release seemed daunting. That definitely affected my lack of response. As a matter of fact, that right there was enough reason for me to keep putting off making any kind of a decision at all. I would think about it later.

I got caught up in the day to day and didn't think much about that card. Sometimes when it was was late at night or those other brief, fleeting moments when I got a chance to think of something else than my normal stressors, it would creep into my mind. I thought about it when I felt overwhelmed about not having any help but I still didn't act on it. I guess that's understandable considering all that I was dealing with.

About the time I got the card was just about the time that Solidare foaled. I'd gotten some flack on Facebook about the fact I'd even bred the mare. The cruelty of those comments had added considerable stress to everything having to do with Solidare.

Compounding that were the ignorant assertions that Solidare has DSLD and the implication I was an irresponsible breeder. My integrity as a person and as a breeder of Arabian horses is very important to me. The fact that such comments were made on Facebook was frustrating because they were not based on fact yet tossed out there with little regard to what kind of damage they might cause. I felt compelled to deal with the ignorance knowing full well that people will believe what they want to believe. It doesn't matter to some what the truth is only that they can throw stones. It was not a good time.

Then show season started and I was off to Daffodil Horse shows are their own kind of stress but this year there were more issues than showing added into the mix. Between the parties of the lawsuit and those Facebook commentors, I struggled with feeling like I was in enemy territory. Thankfully I managed to bump into a number of old friends and renewing those relationships helped ease my discomfort. Still there was not time to think about that card or the man behind it.

Next I was on to the Morgan show. I came home from there only to discover that financially we had slipped another notch. The pressure was on to cut down on the number of horses I own so Faye went off to Wyoming That was supposed to relieve some of my stress. Yet it turned out to be a source of stress I never would have guessed. Things just seemed to be getting tougher and tougher so that card stayed right where it was in my file. Still............I wondered about it from time to time.

To be continued.........................

The Discovery

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More on Characters at the Park

All of last week there may have been Gremlins in the Woods but there was no sign of Sister A but that doesn't mean there were not other "characters" present in the park.

Keep in mind that when I use the term "characters" I use it in the loving way that authors relish their "characters." It is no way a disparaging remark about any of the personalities or people I meet. I truly enjoy the bumps into humanity that happen riding at this public park.

I just never know where life will take me next but it's bound to be some kind of adventure. That's what life needs to be, I think. It is when life gets mundane that boredom sets in. The joy life is supposed to be can get lost. I am always open for life's next adventure wherever that might take me. Whether it turns out to be a great adventure or something less positive I guess is up to me.

Several months ago after I went back to working horses at the park, I met a gentlemen while I was schooling Legs. He was a tall, thin man of middle age with the eyes of someone who has seen it all. I thought there was a weathered look to his skin and to his soul.

His demeanor was somehow apologetic. The way he carried himself spoke volumes. His words were humble and maybe even a little unsure. I felt an instant rapport with this man. I had lived that demeanor before my years of therapy. Feeling like I needed to apologize for breathing was an integral part of my life. I recognized it instantly.

I already knew at this time that the lawsuit was probably inevitable. I had noticed that Solidare was rapdily taking a down hill slide in her pregnancy. My stress level was going through the roof and the pressures of having all these young horses with no help was weighing heavily on my mind.

The man had been sitting up on the hill watching me ride for a while. I'm not really sure how we ended up in conversation but we did. In the course of our conversation the number of horses I own and the fact I am the one solely responsible for the training of all these horses became part of our discussion. It was then this man told me he had a 13 year old daughter who was enamored of all animals. He thought she would probably love to learn about horses from me.

As much as I need help, I am not in the position I can afford it so I relayed that information. The man didn't seem dissuaded and thought that the experience would be enough payment for his daughter to learn such a skill. The child is extremely dyslexic so struggles in school. Being able to learn something that she loved would be good for her and maybe even become a valuable life skill for her. He planned to speak with the child's mother and get back to me.

I must admit the prospect of an apprentice is appealing but it is also worrisome to me. I know myself well enough to know that I would feel obligated to "teach" as much as possible. When in this situation before, I have spent too much time teaching so my own work has been neglected. That's not something I can afford either so I was really on the fence about whether this was or wasn't a good idea.

Still a part of me couldn't help but think what a great thing this might be. Lots of scenarios ran through my head of how it could work out. Most of them were probably not realistic but thinking about it was at least some relief from the stress building in my life.

To be continued......................

Food for Thought

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The Gremlins Are Gone..........

My sources at the park tell me that the little gremlins I encountered at the beginning of the week are now gone. While I'm not sure if it really was a Girl Scout sponsored day camp as I was told or a church camp, I guess it doesn't matter if the session is over and all the little kidlets are on to bigger and better things for their summer activities.

It took me a couple of days to figure out that the session began at 9 am and only today did I realize that it ended at 11. If I had known those things sooner I probably could have figured out how to work around them. Instead I just kept my sessions with Legs in the arena.

It's not that I didn't want to run into the little gremlins again. It had more to do with how much work I have at home for this litigation. I didn't really feel like I had the extra hour it takes whenever I get wrapped up in visiting with new folks at the park.

Knowing that today was the last day for the boys, I actually tried to get over there one last time to see them. Dave, however, got called for an interview so I ended up running late here getting the mares all turned out for the day before I left to ride.

By the time I got back into the woods, even though it was before 11, there were no little gremlins. I could hear small voices off in the distance.They must have already crossed the road to do whatever closing ceremonies might have been scheduled for their last day at camp.

As I was writing the words, "gone without a trace" wanted to roll off my fingers but that really wasn't the case. It did, however, look that way when I first entered the woods.

The first evidence they'd been there was in the form of two picnic tables now moved into the location where I'd first seen their purple flag staking out their territory. I was glad to see the lane was no longer blocked and the picnic tables were now at least in a more appropriate spot.

The rest of the way down that lane there was no indication the boys had ever been there. I knew the little varmints had crawled all through those woods but it did appear they'd cleaned up after themselves. It was only when I got deep into the center trail that I found traces of their boyish pranks.

Pulled across the trail were several small logs. I had to laugh because these logs were nowhere near where they had been the last time I'd seen them. There were some distinctive characteristics about each chunk of wood that made them identifiable and those suckers were not small. Just the thought of those little boys dragging those logs such a distance made me tired. It just goes to show how much energy little kids have. Still I have to wonder what was going through those little heads wanting to string those things out across the pathway.

I went back down the trail where I'd first encountered the little darlings. I wondered if there was still red yarn strung between the trees. To my surprise all the yard was gone and so was all of the trash that had accumulated before those boys had ever arrived. They'd not only cleaned up after themselves but they'd cleaned up after others too.

I have to admit as I rode Legs through the section of trail where we'd encountered the boys, I felt a little tug at my heart. I was really wishing I'd made it a point to make at least one return visit. Now they're gone, and I've missed out.

I can't help but wonder if Legs feels the same. He did seem to be looking around for something as we moved through this section of forest. Who knows, maybe he was looking for the usual squirrels or rabbits..............or just maybe.............the horse was looking for adoring little boys...................

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Departing.........a Little Gremlin Farewell

The conversation with most of these kids wasn't even affected by the swing of Legs' head. Part of the kids may have scattered but the others still felt safe and secure petting away and asking more questions. Legs.........well, he seemed to be amused by watching the ones that had fled as they came back trying to act all non challant.

I was amused as well. It was much like watching one of the horses when he/she has spooked at something silly. You know the one when they realize they've been foolish. That's how these boys looked as they made their way back to pet my horse.

The boys that were talking chatted on as if they hadn't noticed the flight of their companions. There was no teasing about being a scaredy cat like I expected. Instead one of the boys told he had a horse at home and that horse had had a baby once. I heard all about it's name and where it went. It was very cute and the other boys suddenly had new respect for their comrade because he actually got to live with a real live horse.

I don't know how long we stood there. It was not Legs' attention that waned but mine. Not being one to stand still for too long it was time to get back to work. I made eye contact with the one counselor who seemed to be calling the shots and he immediately knew it was time.

He called all his little charges over to where he stood instructing them to move slowly and respectfully around the horse. Most of them immediately did as they were told but a couple of them moaned. The moaners were the ones still petting away at Legs' neck until the very last second. Then they begrudgingly moved away as they were told. Their cute little shoulders slumped down just a little as they left.

The chatter continued right on through their move. Questions or observations, it didn't matter. These boys were still focused on my horse and what was coming next. "Are you gonna RUN with Legs?" followed by all kinds of affirmations amongst themselves that running sounded like a really COOL thing.

I told them we would probably do some running but it would only be after we were clear of them. When horses run their hooves can throw rocks and clods of dirt. Again there was an excitement to their chatter as the boys pictured how cool that must be.........dirt projected through the air by flying hooves!

When I asked Legs to move off onto the right trail, the horse carefully looked around himself checking for little boys. Once he was sure everyone was out of reach Legs moved off and we were finally headed down the trail again.

Behind us I could still hear the boys talking about my Arabian horse as we made our way up to the steep hill. Running up that hill is the horse's favorite way to take it. With the boys far enough behind us, I gave Legs his head and he barreled up the grade. Behind us little boys were squealing in the pitch that resembled that of Sister A as they witnessed the running they'd been hoping to see. Who knows maybe at least one of those boys got bit by the horse bug that day.

Normally I would circle around to then go back down that grade. A usual workout for Legs means taking that thing at least six times in both directions. With these little gremlins taking over the woods, I was thinking it probably wouldn't be a very effective day if I tried to get that done so instead I headed off to one of the bigger lanes to see if we could lope there.

Right in the middle of that lane there was more evidence of the gremlins in the woods. The boys had placed a picnic table blcoking the whole path. To get around the thing I had to take Legs into the underbrush which is not his favorite thing because it seems to stir up lots of creepy crawly thing, not my favorite either.

A little off from there in one of the usual picnic spots I saw their little setup. There was a purple flag planted in the ground and an assortment of backpacks, bags and stuff. All the trappings of what you'd expect for a day camp for boys.

Off on the other side of the road I could hear the squeals of little girls which probably meant that wasn't going to be much of a place to ride either. I could picture what their little camp must look like. It was time to head off in another direction.

I took Legs around the outer perimeter of the area we normally ride. It was pretty obvious this wasn't going to be the kind of workout we normally do. I decided to give Legs a break so we headed on back towards the horse trailer.

In route we went close to where the boys were still squealing and playing in the woods. They were off in the distance but if they were paying attention, I knew they could see my horse. As we rode out of sight I heard one of the boys calling "Bye, Legs.................." Then the dejected cries of the boys who'd missed their last sighting of my horse.

To be continued.............

The Gremlins are Gone

Gremlins.......Up Close........and Personal

At this point Legs and I are stopped on a downward slope. The horse's croup is about six inches higher than his whither but Legs was comfortably locked into a secure stance.

One of the older boys asked me which direction we were trying to go. With most of the area covered in underbrush, there really weren't many choices. I pointed to the path leading to the right so the kid gave more specific directions to his little clan.As the area in front of me cleared I started to move my horse off to the right.

It was about that time one of the younger boys asked, "Can we pet your horse?" Since it looked like these boys really were trying to listen I decided a short visit would probably be ok. Again I stopped Legs and got him secure before I gave the boys instructions on how to approach my horse.

"You can pet him but move up to him slowly and stay at the front end. Don't make any quick movements."

I swear that little band of boys suddenly turned into a beehive of excitement and sound. They moved as I instructed but their little voices were going ninety miles an hour in a pitch I hadn't heard from them up until now. There was so much talking I could not keep up with the questions being answered.

It was a good thing that one of the older boys was there. The youngsters seemed to be tuned in to his voice. He instructed them to be more quiet and to pay attention to me.

By this time all twelve of these little boys were swarmed around Legs. How they were all managing to find a way to reach in to touch the horse, I'm not sure but every single one of them was petting my horse at the same time. Some were up high and some kind of crouched low to allow room for all of them to fit. Every boy in the group had a least one, if not two, hands running over my horse.

Legs could have cared less about the intensity of this situation. The horse just stood there soaking up all the attention. I could see him intently watching the movement of the boys. Every now and then he'd look off at the movement of a squirrel or a rabbit but Legs didn't make any kind of effort to move.

The only part of him that seemed to be moving at all was his head and his tail. The flies were fierce so that tail was doing it's job. It was a good thing none of those boys was back at that end. That whipping tail can be pretty harsh on a bad fly day.

I was batting at flies on the horse's neck no wanting him to swing around to try to get them himself. The boys quickly picked up on my mission and joined right in in the pursuit of the fine art of fly squishing.


By this time most of the boys were pretty quiet. There were just a couple of them chattering away. I was asked about the usual questions about the horse's name, how old and such.

When asked if Legs was a boy or a girl, I responded that he was a daddy. That thought seemed to intrigue a couple of the boys. One said he thought that daddy horses were supposed to be white horses. Another disagreed saying, "Oh NO! Daddy horses are supposed to be BLACK!"

The next question from there was "How many kids does he have?" Someone in the group answered, "One, does he have one?" When I replied he had closer to thirty, the boys were very impressed. "THIRTY!..................He's had T H I R T Y ! ! ! B A B I E S! ! !..... WOW! He must be good!" Ya gotta love the logic of a nine year old.

I can't help but wonder if Legs wasn't somehow relishing this conversation. These boys were definitely stricken by his manly prowess at this point and Legs seemed to be a bit more aloof at the moment.

About that time the job of fly swatting got overlooked and Legs swung his head to take care of it himself. About four little boys went flying helter skelter diving into the bushes. It was good to know they were paying such close attention even though they really didn't need to move. Legs was watching where he was swinging that head even if he was being bitten by a fly.

To be continued................

A Little Gremlin Farewell

Gremlins in the Woods

After we got done with our arena work yesterday, I took Legs out onto the trails in the back part of the park. Sometimes after the horse has worked particularly hard, he's not all that happy about heading out to work hills in the back.

Yesterday was one of those days. The horse was awesome at the collected work so it took its toll. As we walked across the parking lot to reach the first part of our "trail" ride, my poor horse moved at more of a crawl than a walk.

Getting Legs to pick up the pace was not that easy. Having a horse that is known for having a great walk is pretty cool when the horse actually walks but this snail's pace that Legs was on was frustrating at best. All the horse wanted to do was drop his head to the ground and mope his way to the trails. I think he thought if he moved slow enough I'd have pity on him and forget the workout that was coming next.

Luckily even when Legs is tired he doesn't refuse to do other gaits. His walk may have been at a snail's pace but there was nothing wrong with his jog, trot, lope, canter or even gallop. Maybe when I ask for another gait the horse figures out that I'm serious about work. Whatever it is, he's always responsive except for that darn walk.

The parking lot is hard even if it is just a gravel surface so I really don't like to ask the horse to do anything but walk across it. Still when Legs is dragging like he was yesterday I can't help but think I could drag him quicker across that parking lot than he gets there on his own.By the time we reach the trail, I'm bored to death and thinking up evil ways to torture my horse to get even.

Yesterday I had all kinds of ideas in mind for how to work those trails to get the most out of my horse. We started off down the long lane at the back of the park circling around to make a pass at the short but steep hill that really makes Legs work.

Going down the center lane there were all kinds of "new" logs placed across the path. By the time we'd gone over about four of these things and I'd seen one little white abandoned sock, I was beginning to think there were little gremlins out there sabotaging the trails.

Soon after I heard giggles, followed by lots of rustling leaves. Legs and I headed down our normal route to that hill and ran right smack dab into the band of little hellions.

I'm pretty sure there were a dozen of them, little boys maybe nine or ten years old. There were two older boys maybe tweeners chaperoning the group I'd guess. From the looks of it I'd guess it was some kind of day camp situation with the older boys being counselors.Here they were in the midst of my trail ride stringing red yarn between the trees and foraging for anything that moved.

The boys were spread out all around up on the trails and in between. The minute one of them spied my horse, he sounded the alarm. Next thing you know these twelve little gremlins have their twenty-four eyes all turned our direction.

I could see from their expressions, the boys weren't really sure what to do. The older boys began barking directions and some of the younger boys listened while others didn't. Legs and I stood there sizing up the situation trying to figure out what we should do. The last thing I wanted was some kind of wreck.

To be continued...................

Gremlins.......Up Close and Personal

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Sign of Progress

Our weather this summer has been all over the place. We went from a late spring/early summer that looked more like late winter right into record July heat. I swear my AC worked overtime all last week and I was up at the crack of dawn so I could get Legs schooled before it got too hot.

Now, today the temperatures have plummeted. Poor Legs was standing in his stall without a blanket telling me off because he was cold. His hair was all puffed up trying to trap more heat to keep the poor guy warm.

I thought I would grab his blanket to just take it along to the park. Then I planned on putting it on after my ride but Legs had other ideas. The minute I entered his stall with his halter, lead and blanket Legs dove for the blanket. Rooting around with his nose trying to find the opening, Legs made it clear he wanted his blanket and he wanted it NOW! Thank you very much!!

Abandoning my short shirt sleeves of yesterday, I could understand how the poor horse felt. Instead of just a Tee I was now back to layers.........three of them to be exact. The morning was just that cool.

I figured once I got to the park and began working I'd shed at least one of those layers but that turned out not to be the case. Between the cools temps and the winds whipping around I was wishing I had another layer to add instead of one to subtract. I nearly lost my baseball cap a couple of times because of wind gusts. Really it felt more like March than July.

I can't believe this is supposed to be summer but at least the reported showers didn't arrive. I managed to get some real ride time in the arena. That makes actually 6 schooling days in a row where I've been able to work on level ground. For this season, that sets the record.

I've been lucky most of the time if I could get a day or two in the arena because the footing has been so soggy and slick. Most of the time I've been riding Legs on the trails in the back because the ground was good even when the arena sucked. If it wasn't for those trails my horse would be in no kind of shape at all. Still doing that kind of work didn't tell me what I could expect on the flat. They are just two very different kinds of things.

I can't even tell you the difference in my horse when I actually get to spend some riding time schooling in the arena. I was beginning to get discouraged thinking we really were making no progress at all. Now with those six days of consecutive arena work, I see we really have made progress.

The difference between that ride last Monday and today is huge. Even last Monday I could see where our hill work had paid off. I just had no idea how much strength the horse really had achieved until I got the chance to test it with our collected work.

About the time I think we're at the that goal I was working to achieve, I am finding my horse has more to offer. It is just so cool. Better and better from amazing in the first place is beyond believable at this point. Things are really beginning to fall into place for Mr Legs!

The horse still must have a lot of support to get "there." However, it's taking less and less time to get the desired response. Sometimes I'm actually getting it immediately with the request instead of having to maneuver the horse into the right place to give him no other option but what I'm asking.

I think about Jody Strand commenting at this clinic , "Wow, he really makes you work for it!" He was totally right.

"Yupe, that's my boy! He's got it in there but he just hasn't quite figured out what IT is." or at least that's how it was at the clinic. Those days are becoming less and less and I'll bet Jody Strand would be pleasantly surprised at the horse I have today. I know that I am.

To be continued........

Gremlins in the Woods

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Looking for a Little Relaxation............

Yesterday, I thought I'd try to do something relaxing to see if I could get my stomach to settle. The Region 5 Championships have been going on all week so going to watch some classes seemed like the best way to get my head into something I enjoy and out of legal ease. I called my friend, Wendy, and the two of us headed off that direction.

It's a two hour drive from my house to the Evergreen State Fairgrounds in Monroe. That is, of course, if traffic is normal. There were complications since Interstate 405 had a section closed down right where we merge onto it. That meant a detour right through the middle of Renton.

I was glad that Wendy was driving. The detour was stressful enough just sitting in the passenger seat but we got through it and then stopped at Mickey D's to grab lunch.

That was probably my first mistake. Fast and cheap isn't always good for a funny stomach. It seemed ok for a while but I did finally track down the Hat Lady looking for antacids.

We arrived late so missed the first classes of the session. One of them turned out to be the Half-Arabian Open Western Pleasure Championship. My granddaughter, Rachel, rode in that class but I didn't get to see it.

Rachel had promised to let me know which classes she was going to enter so I had a chance to come watch. She did not follow through, however, so I only found out after I arrived. I can't help but think she really prefers to not have me involved so that didn't help my stress level. Nor did running into one of the parties from my lawsuit. She spoke to me which happens to be against the court rules. I was a bit flustered knowing we aren't supposed to have contact so I just moved on as quickly as I could. That didn't help my stress level either.

I had some of things I really wanted to do at the show. The mother of one of the trainer's I know is being treated for cancer. I have not seen them since I discovered this information so I wanted to check in on her condition. I wanted to see the yearling halter classes in the evening session and I wanted to stop in and say "hi" to Paint Girl.

I managed to get two of these tasks accomplished. While I didn't get to see my friend, I did find out how she's doing and I'll call her this week to touch base. AND I did get to meet Paint Girl. I stopped in at the farm's stalls and asked for her by name and there she was digging around in a tack room getting stuff ready to pack up. In other words, working her little tail off in a very hot barn.

I didn't want to keep her from her work or get her in trouble so I kept it brief, which is not my style. But I got a chance to put a face with a name as did she, so that was very cool. Hopefully someday we'll get time for a real chat.

There was a two hour break between the afternoon session and the start of the evening one so Wendy and I decided to go out to dinner. I thought I was ordering something my stomach would tolerate but that turned out to not be the case.

Before we even left the restaurant my stomach was tied in knots. We decided to go home but I couldn't tolerate the motion of the car so instead Wendy drove to a parking lot at the fairgrounds. I laid in the shade on the cool grass for what seemed like an hour before I felt my condition had improved enough to make the trip home.

Of course, that trip home only had Wendy at the wheel for the first hour. The second hour I was on my own and I don't really know how I made it home. I guess it was like my drive to Tulsa. Sheer determination got me through.

I got home and collapsed in bed. I have suffered most of the day and I agonize about eating at this point. Still I'm back to working on legal documents. Hopefully tomorrow my stomach will be better. I'll be calling the doctor first thing in the morning.

I'm really disappointed I didn't get to see the purebred yearlings show. A friend had a colt showing in the last class of the night, I don't know if I'd have made it that long or not but I really had hoped to see the fillies since I'd missed them last year. I guess I'll just have to try and catch them on the live feed at the US Nationals this year.

A Little about My Current Stress

There's been a lot going on here lately. Even more than usual I am afraid now that we are involved in a lawsuit. The result has been the stress is killing me. Not literally, that I can tell, but it is making me sick.

I have not been posting about most of the sources of that stress and it will probably continue that way for a while. Since the lawsuit is now a matter of public record, I figured it was time to at least mention it's existence because it really is affecting everything I say and do.

Being involved in a lawsuit and not having an attorney because I can't afford one with my husband out of work has been taxing. I am spending a good portion of my time at the law library making sure I am well versed in what I need to know and do. While in the long run that time is worthwhile and will probably relieve stress, at the time it actually induces stress........and a lot of it.

I have a gastro intestinal system that does not like stress, some kinds more than others. When the real scary stuff gets to me I have problems eating and as you can imagine this lawsuit is one of the really scary things. Sometimes I don't know I'm going to have problems until it happens. Other times I know up front I need to be careful about what and when I eat.

Yesterday was a very stressful day around here. I spent a good portion of my day at the law library readying myself for the next phase in this legal battle. While the session was productive, the burden weighed heavily on my psyche and my body.

Once I've begun on a venture, I don't stop until I have a true handle on it. The information whirls around in my head and I keep adding pieces until things finally fall into place. Then and only then can I get any respite from the stress.

As you can imagine it's not always that easy to put the pieces together for this lawsuit. I understand the horse parts just fine, it is the legal aspect and melding the two that is difficult. It's not enough that I know what's right and wrong, I need to know what codes support my beliefs and I need to know how to present it to the court in a way the court will understand.

Sometimes it takes days before things have calmed down after I've opened up a new door in this journey. I think the farther I get into this process the better I get at managing things. I thought I was doing pretty well yesterday with all the new information and those flying pieces. Well, at least that's what I thought until last evening.

Within an hour of my meal, I got deathly ill. I was curled up in a ball on my bed wishing I could die to escape the pain. Medication would not relieve the symptoms I was experiencing and my entire intestinal track was my worst enemy. It was hours before I got any relief so there was no post for my blog.

I suspect this will not be my last episode like this. I see no easy resolution to this problem. I will no longer be a door mat for those thinking they can take advantage of me. I believe that truth will win out over lies and deceit. That means I am in this fight until the end.

I may have to see a doctor to find out how this is affecting my system and if I am doing any long term damage to myself as I go through this process. Hopefully there will be some answers to lessen the impact of my sessions at the law library and in court. I guess time will tell.

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