I can’t remember having leaves so early on our high desert prairie. Shade is scarce since losing our trees. There’s just enough room under the lilac bush for the dogs. The lack of lawn doesn’t change. Call it fire mitigation because I’m not watering sod meant to be living in Kentucky. It’s windy, of course, … Read more
Just a reminder, dear reader. I’m a horse trainer using all I know to raise a puppy. If your horse’s trainer uses methods that would be bad for a dog, please reconsider. It gets worse. I’m a horse trainer who believes we should train donkeys as a prerequisite to horses. Donkeys demand special skills that … Read more
Jolene says, hurry up, would ya? I am not dawdling. I’m getting my hearing aids, looking for my outside glasses and the remote mic. It’s Thursday. She has her harness on, and that means something. I’ll tell you what that harness means to me. It’s her eighth harness and the most expensive one. Also, the … Read more
Last week I raved about my beautiful but desolate riding arena at the front of my little farm. My other favorite place is the pond at the very back of my farm. Waterfront property on the high desert prairie of Colorado was a major selling point when I chose this dilapidated farm. It’s fed by … Read more
Ten days after solstice and it’s already staying light longer. Want to wish me a happy one-year-older? On January first, horses become one year older, regardless of their actual birthdate. Breed organizations do it for ease of record keeping, and I doubt the horses notice. As proud gray mare, that means I am a year … Read more
It’s the limbo week between Christmas and the New Year. The sunset of the year, if there is such a thing. Have you ever thought about how sunrise and sunset look alike? This photo is easy to place because Pikes Peak is on the western horizon here. But I know it’s an old photo because … Read more
It felt like a militant act of self care. Like cutting your hair really short or tossing out jeans for their inability to adapt to change. But those things are common to me. This was bigger. I found the life-altering drug that Mister and I needed. There is a puppy. She has a name. But … Read more
My horse sister called to ask how I was. It wasn’t small talk. We tell each other the truth and it took a beat to answer. There were so many parts. “I’m exhausted,” I said. “It’s been such a hard year.” “Anna, it’s only April,” she said. And we both chuckled and quickly slid into … Read more
And yes, in Colorado it is perfectly legal. Warning: I’m writing about death because I hope to make peace. If you have had an exhausting week, please stop reading. I would hate to make people cry. But sometimes I need to talk it out to let it go. Some backstory: We live on a dirt … Read more
Over the next thirteen years of retirement, Nube napped with friends, ate well, and stood quietly for the farrier. I always knew some undiagnosable thing wasn’t right inside him, but there were more good days than bad. He didn’t worry, and neither did I. We both tried that, and it didn’t work. Equine pros need … Read more