I'm Running out of Titles

I've been thinking about having a home all day today. I've been thinking about how nice it will be when i have a home of my own, when i walk in the door and feel so cozy and comfortable. Last week i was walking through target and passed through the home goods section and saw all of these cute things that i would buy if i had a place to put them. It is funny to think that a couple of years ago when my mom would drag me through the home section of stores i would say "really? and why would i want to look at that stuff?", but now it's fun to imagine what will one day be in a place i live. I can't wait. My mom told me a couple days ago that my bedroom back home was going to be in the City Pages (a local newspaper). It made me pine for my warm, soft, plush bed and the walls where all my pictures were. I cannot wait to sleep in my own bed when i visit home. Those of you who know me, know how much i love my bed and the one i have out here can, in no way whatsoever, compare.

Today i also thought about how lucky i am. I was remembering how with my previous jobs there would be days where the time to get ready for work would roll around, or i'd be on my way in and couldn't stop thinking about how it was the last thing i wanted to do. But with this, the worst part is getting up early and that's about it. I keep wondering if the brilliance and dazzle of it all will fade. My gut is telling me it won't. Another reassuring factor is that susie still loves it and she has been doing it for 30 years. I am pretty sure that once you fall in love with horses, there is no falling out.

I trapped Fuznutz tonight in an empty stall (this is the elusive black and white, plump barn kitty). He and his girlfriend were hanging around the feed cart and quickly darted down the barn aisle as i came out of my room and caught sight of them. But Fuznutz couldn't stay away; he was curled up on top of the hay bales the entire time i was mucking stalls. When i found him there i took a couple steps toward him to see if i could pet him but he swiftly jumped onto the top of the wall between the two stalls and hopped down into the other stall. I quickly ran over and shut the stall door, trapping him in. I was proud of myself for a second. I thought that for the next few days i would keep him in there, give him some food and water and wait for susie to get back to take him to the vet. Then he looked at me and immediately decided i was milk-able, so he started crying like a little baby for me to let him out. Once he started pacing the stall like a pro i felt bad and gave in. I opened the door saying "here you go fuznutz" in a sweet voice. The little shit zoomed past me and disappeared into the dark parking lot. After our incident tonight, i probably won't see him for another week.

I'm listening to a song called Dodo right now by dave matthews and it's a really pretty song. Just thought i would share! I hope life is being good to you. Until next time....

love,

greer

Five weeks

Wow. Five whole weeks, has it really been so long already? At home, waiting five weeks for something would seem like forever but here they just fly by.

Raven finally got here two days ago. I can't even begin to describe the relief/happiness/excitement/comfort i felt the second i saw him. He got here at 430 in the morning and i stayed up with him all day. I don't know how i did it. I was so impressed by his confidence as he started to settle in and show me that he is the bravest horse i know. Within three hours he was acting like he had been here all his life. I took him out in the afternoon and let him meander around in the covered arena. He was curious with everything, but especially skeptical about the cows across the way. I think their horns have him wondering. Today he kept a younger horse company in the turnout pen and didn't stress when rain started coming down...after all he is from Minnesota. Later in the day he got to split an apple with me as i sat on my trunk outside his stall waiting for the rain to get quiet. He is going to get so spoiled be so close to me all the time. He's already started nickering at me ever so softly when i walk past him. I love it.

The kittens are driving me insane at night. They have gotten bigger, noisier, even more curious, and clumsy. They sit in my hair and chew on it, run over my face, chase my feet when i move around under the covers, pounce onto one another and roll on the floor, and attack my shoes that are placed neatly against the wall each night (every morning they are in a different spot then when i left them, especially my sneakers which they somehow drag around by the laces). Usually when they wake me up i only have enough energy to moan in annoyance and try to fall back asleep. Sometimes it works, and sometimes it doesn't. I've started playing with them at night after letting them stuff their bellies with food, all in an effort to make them less rowdy throughout the night. It helps, thankfully. I just don't understand why every time i come into the room during the day they are curled up in balls sleeping and when i come in at night they decide to cause a ruckus. I never even considered how much different having three kittens in a little room compared to a house would be. It's very different. Good thing i adore them like crazy.

My riding is getting so, so, so much better. It's so fun to get on a horse and work with it in such a better, more efficient way. During each ride i am constantly repeating things Susie has told me to do in my head. I need to work on a lot still but the improvement i have made feels great. I am so excited to see how much more everything changes within the next month.

I've noticed the lack of how great fires smell here. I think a huge part of the feeling of it being fall is being outside and starting to smell people's fires in their houses. You don't smell that here because its the burning season. Everything is dry and ready to burst into flames if one lick of a fire gets loose. It's too bad because that smell against a cold, crisp night is so good. I am excited to go home at Christmas, walk around at night and smell fires. I'm excited to be bundled up in a coat and my snow boots and hear the crunching of the snow underneath my feet. I'm excited to see big, white snowflakes fall. The time between now and then is going to go by before i know it.

So that's whats going on with me for now. There are tons of other things but i am way too tired to think of them right now. Maybe next time...

love,

greer

New Things

Its weird to think that I’ve been here for three weeks on tuesday already. It seems like it hasn't been that long but at the same time it feels like i've been here longer. I still have not discovered if this is something good, or if it is something bad. I can’t even describe how many things I have learned to you all. Just thinking about listing them makes me feel overwhelmed. If you can imagine me imagining all the things I’ve learned and feeling stressed, I think that might be pretty decent insight into how much knowledge I’m gaining. Susie has come up with a really great system of keep track of it all; for each new subject that I learn about, whether it be food/nutrition/tack/health care/barn management/theory, I start a new notebook to fill. She was showing me all of hers and it was cool to see them in the bookcase and think that I was one day going to know all of the things in those in addition to what I had filled with my notebooks. So, needless to say, today I went to target and I now have four notebooks that are ready to be filled. Ha, and it’s only been two weeks and 5 days.

Mom and dad left almost a week ago to go back home. It was nice to have them here. Mom got to ride while dad ran errands to figure out how to get the internet (I finally have it in my room, thank you dad). We went to laguna beach and oh my god was it beautiful. We, regretfully, didn’t bring our swimsuits. It was so frustrating because the water was nice once you got used to it, and the ocean is always tempting you to go into it. We walked along the beach and let the sun soak into our skin. It was fun to think that I was wearing shorts and a tee-shirt on the beach, wading in the water at the end of September. It was fun to know that the beach is only thirty minutes away from me now. I am definitely going there on one of my days off. Anyways, we went to the Cliff for dinner and all I can say is yum. We sat outside, on the cliff obviously, and ate dinner. The sunset was pink and as the glowing sun dropped into the water, Catalina was a black anchor out in the ocean. Then once the sun was a hot pink sliver on the horizon, the entire sky lit up bright orange, a light pink, magenta, pale pale yellow, and streaks of light gray. It was so perfect. I love the ocean almost as much as i love horses.

Last wednesday was one of the most mischievous days i've had in a while. Susie and I got up at 6 and left the house to start our trip to the Santa Anita racetrack to watch the morning workouts. We were in the car, in traffic, for an hour and a half. Keep in mind this place is less than 30 minutes away with clear freeways. We finally got there and discovered that there were no horses on the grounds. Bummer. However, the security guard said we could go and look around. Not a bummer. Needless to say, we pulled some pretty sneaky stuff. It started out innocent...just walking around in the stands (did i mention the backdrop for the bright green, manicured track is mountains and gorgeous palm trees?), exploring hallways, stairways, etc. Then we somehow found our way to the jockeys door and quickly snapped a photo of me in front of it. Then we magically got to walk on the racetrack itself and i got to take a picture at the starting gate, and from the winners circle. It was beyond cool to be that sneaky and get to do that. It was so amazing to walk on the track and think about all of the famous racehorses that had won there, especially Seabiscuit. Walking around and seeing all the old, beautiful architecture made me imagine what it would be like back in the day. There must have been so much excitement radiating from that track. Being there made me realize i actually do like historical outings, as long as i know enough about the place i'm exploring. After we left the track we went to a tack store and spent four and a half hours there. I learned more things i didn't know. Then after that, it got even better. Before i continue, however, i have to let you in on something that was put into play a week or two back. So, susie had come to the conclusion that she needed a barn kitty. Or two for that matter. They were needed because there are mice that like to hide behind the tack trunks, and there are people at the barn who like kitties, and what's a barn without a cat? So, with the need for kitties, we thought it would be a good idea to stop at the humane society on our way back home. Not such a great idea. We got to the kitty room, and were immediately sucker punched by the adorable, mewing kittens. We walked around trying to ignore the little ones because they would take too long to learn how to hunt. We found these two boy cats that we thought would be good candidates and asked if we could take them out. The lady who was working said they were on hold. Shoot. So we walked around the corner, and there they were. There were two pairs of blue eyes, and a pair of brown staring at us. As we walked closer, one started reaching his paw out at us. Like i said, we were sucker punched. Before we knew it, we were walking out the door with merlin, rolls royce, and alison. Oh boy. I mean, we couldn't leave just the one right? All three were necessary, or at least that's what we had to keep telling ourselves. They are so squeezable and lovable. Except for when they claw at my eyelashes when i sleep, and attack my feet when i walk across my room. I'm laughing to myself because i know that all of my friends tell me i'm going to be a cat lady one day. Well i guess that day came, and the worst part is i couldn't help it. Now i have three little kittens that lounge on my bed, and play in my hair. Oh and did i tell you there are horses ten feet away from me at all times and the ocean is only thirty minutes away? Life is good. Now just transport my family, friends, and horse and life is perfect.

I know that this entry is extremely long but there is just one, small, simple thing i remembered; i have had deja vu so many times at the barn it is scary. I don't know about you but i believe that everything happens for a reason, and i think i'm getting deja vu because i'm really supposed to be here. Every time it starts happening, i giggle to myself and smile because at that moment everything feels right. It's a great feeling.

Well thanks for reading. I hope i always keep you smiling and entertained. Until next time....

love,

-greer