Air Horse One

 This morning, in order to use the clever headline (not mine, alas) I have been watching Tik Tok (of all things) to see the horses going from trailers to the airplane to fly to Tokyo for the Olympics. The Blogmaid and family sometimes have to struggle with Atlas if he just does not want to go into his trailer. He is not quite ready for the Olympics. 

Atlas and Ryan

RR's sister, Claire, took this fabulous photo the other day. Mutual love.

new family member

Here is RR working with her new horse Celestial Atlas, or just plain
Atlas for short. They are bonding and getting to know one another
as he settles into his most fortunate life as a dressage horse for Ryan.

horses at the cow palace

Getting ready for the competition

RR's papa Bill and horse Derby

Derby and RR

I had a nice morning at the Cow Palace where I hadn't been in about 35 or so
years. RR had a horse event and she did a beautiful job and looks noble on
Derby and he isn't the easiest horse in all of America. RR won some lovely
ribbons and I love how dedicated and fearless she is ~ and how patient her
parents are too. Congratulations to RR, Derby, Bill and the Blogmaid!

Happy Mother's Day to all ~ we had the nicest present from step dot Nancy
who will be here on June 9th with our g.dot Ceci for a few days.

horses and poetry

Now that RR is becoming a talented horseback rider, I'm much more
aware of all things equine. I love this poem...

Landscape with Horse Named Popcorn

The hummingbird hovers over bougainvillea, darting in and out
of blossoms as the bride throws
her corset among laughter and waving hands. Seeing you, glass in hand, sunlight
piercing the punch bowl's crystal, I remember
the horse, an Appaloosa, the white and grey markings
like clouds, cumulus, one
later on his grave, the 2 × 4 cross with name
above a swell of land that could bring
a man to his knees,
or make him look up at fumbling shapes, cotton-fumed
and slow. I can hear the screeching
still. The colt had grabbed a turkey nesting in scrub oak, and prancing,
shook it in his mouth as we ran
reaching toward black feathers—then the fine
spray of blood—until beyond adrenaline we began laughing,
as laughing now, brushing confetti away, you hand
the bride flowers, narcissi, their green throats pushing up
from wet stones in a jar.
Mark Irwin

Large White House Speaking
New Issues Poetry & Prose

a special horse tale

Here is RR (age 5) with a couple of her horses on Christmas Day.
Now we have 4 horses having dinner last weekend in Rancho Cordova ~ so civilized, no?
The above photo shows Mr. blogmaid and Grandpa blogmaid
bringing the horses to their overnight home.
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I have always liked getting up in the morning, but now that I
receive a daily email from the blogmaid, my wake-ups are extra
special. I'm thankful that she doesn't have a blog, although she
needs one with her stories and writing talent. So I borrow...

Hi Mary Om-
I don't think I mentioned that RR wanted to bring her three big horses and
one foal to RC with us. To do so, Bill had to construct a ramp for the car,
so she could lead them up into and then down out of the Honda. He did a
good job with some cardboard which we could fold up and transport with
us. Once at our destination, the horses required a lot of care, and it takes
her a good 15 minutes at bedtime to get them all ready for the night,
brushed, blanketed, and secured in their stalls.