countdown to weddings

I know the economy played the biggest part in not breeding last spring but I am still thankful for the break this year. As the two weddings get closer, I feel like I am juggling and that one ball is sure to drop!  I, so, do not want to forget anything. So I am taking the one mare who is foaling up to Murmur  because her due date is too close to Sarah's wedding. Trying to fit the last foxhunting  days into schedule also. There is a chance to go out with HCIB today but rain is forecast? Yesterday we had a good day at Morelands, the weather is warm and the foxes are pairing up which can make for interesting splits. You wonder which one will run, which one goes to ground? As we roaded home yesterday, just before the trailers, a large red jumped out of cover and took off in front of everyone. Most of the field went in but we turned to follow. Tough scenting on the muddy fields with warm breeze; the hounds couldn't follow, tho' several landowners out walking thanked us for a lovely view of the fox!  This week Sarah is coming home for her "shower" and it will be wonderful to see her and celebrate the big event! And I am still listening for the spring peepers. The daffodills are pushing up and the forsythia is budding. I do love the smell of impending spring  - it smells new!

sunshine

Even after a last minute attempt by Mother Nature to remind us she is capricious and will let loose the snow and ice when she feels like it, the sunshine is back and it feels good. Late February and we are still able to hunt! I went out with Howard County-Iron Bridge and had a ball on Monday. I thought we had some rough country , well they have us beat. Fieldmaster of the day, Gary, led us through some of the trappiest, forested, boggiest stuff I have ever seen! At one point I said, "You guys must be trying to initiate me". It was my second hunt this season with them. They smiled and said "Not yet". OMG.  Polly, my fairly untested young hunter was awesome. They always ask if I want to ride with the whips, but I actually like riding in the field for a change, so they graciously motioned for me to follow behind the fieldmaster. At one point we came to a ditch with a steep drop-off, actually a bank -like mess. Polly was close behind and before she realized the steepness, something she had never done before, she was past the point of stopping and legs quivering, launched herself across. I was sure I was going ass over teakettle into the stream but amazingly stayed on. One guy in the field later said, "You must have legs of steel, that was impressive". Even I was impressed I stayed on. We put two fox to ground and had a great day actually. They were all beaming and saying, "Come back, come back". I have 5 hunts left so I hope I can squeeze them in. Yesterday I drove to Lynchburg to see my son's basketball game , the first round of their final tournament. It is a 4 1/2 hour drive and I barely made it for the start. They won and now go on to second round on Fri in Roanoke. William was so excited about win and I knew he wanted to celebrate with his team- eating at local famous wings place they love and then riding with the team back. I understand that kind of euphoria after several hard losses. I was so excited after cheering that I said - heck, I'll just drive back - less traffic. This is what moms do- drive 9 hours to see their son barely get in for a minute in the championship game that lasted 90 minutes! I love him. And it was worth it.  And  now I get to go hunting again so it was good to drive back late. I am waiting for the first sound of spring peepers, I know they are just around the proverbial corner.

"Freedom fever"

I like this phrase. Heard it this morning while watching morning news about the Middle East uprisings. It seems the youth of these Muslim nations do not have the fear of political leadership that their parents had and it is a generation of youth connected by the Internet that is challenging the status quo. I wonder if the creator of the internet , the star of "Social Network" had this in mind when he started down that path. I doubt it but it is an awesome by-product. I hope they succeed and I wish them strength and courage to follow this through. It is inspiring to watch history in the making and I hope freedom of political choice for the people of these countries is the ultimate outcome, peacefully. I think I'll name a foal of this year or next "Freedom Fever". A new age dawning.

That groundhog did good!

It is a balmy 50 degrees and possibly going up to near 70 degrees on Friday. It is so nice. For people who don't live in a cold climate you can't really imagine how nice it is in February to be able to trail ride  a horse in just a light jacket and not be slipping on ice. It is heavenly. I rode all four hunters on Monday and Tuesday! Today we are hunting from Hawthorne Ridge and I am really happy. I missed Sunday because I was in Lexington at son's basketball game. The Blue Ridge mountains were gorgeous and I love driving across the gap towards Warrenton because without the leaves the mountain top views are lovely, you can  see further in the winter. The weanling, really yearlings now, are alone in their field now and gaining confidence by themselves.  They gallop across the hills and it is a sight . Each is a smaller version of adult selves, you can see the horse they will become and as I watch them run around,  I always wonder if they will be the ONE! In the horse breeding world it truly just takes a lucky break to have one horse become a graded stakes winner and then you can get really good prices for the rest of the siblings. I have not yet been that lucky but soon!!!  Baltimore Bob had a Beyer (a national ranking system) of 106 in his last start. This was terrific and he is the first stakes winner Carol and I  bred together 7 years ago. I hope a horse named Soldat wins the Derby, he is out of a Coronado's Quest mare and we have one of those, so watch and I hope he does well.

home

Back from Kentucky and I did not buy another broodmare! We saw the big boys, Bernadini , Medalia d'Oro, Street Cry- these are fabulous looking horses and they live like kings! The folks at Darley, Sheik Maktoum's place, have created a beautiful place and it is fun to just go look. We booked to some  nice Kentucky stallions and hope springs eternal I guess ( or we are just nuts to keep trying!).  I did recieve a couple nice breeder bonus checks last week- helps pay a feed bill here and there.  Hunting has resumed and I hope the break in the weather just continues into spring- did I say hope springs eternal! My trip to California was fun and these weddings are galloping closer. Going down to see youngest son's basketball game this weekend and have a overnight with the hubby (Valentine's!). He is my best friend and very supportive of all the craziness in my life. Oh and am also trying to figure out my new IPhone. Trying to stay abreat of new technology but I swear it could be a full time job to learn this stuff. I really just want a phone to call people but feel that if I do not try to understand new, faster ways to communicate I will become obsolete myself! Anyone else have this fear? The photo is from trip to California, we actually shopped on Rodeo Drive and I found a great pair of jeans from Ralph Lauren- tho' last night I put them in hamper after all this travelling. Decided to check laundering tag and laughed- it said Do Not Wash Dry Clean Only!! Who lives on a farm and dry cleans their jeans- not me, I will try a cold water wash!

California dreamin'

Los Angeles was wonderful and the wedding plans are galloping along. We feasted on wedding cake tastings and picked flowers and centerpieces and finally, the most fun, shopped on Rodeo Drive! Sarah and I enjoyed the sunshine and each other's company. Nothing is quite like the mother- daughter bond, with all its imperfections and loving closeness. I miss Sarah when we don't see each other for awhile and wish we were closer, but Virgin America was a very nice airline!  Maryland was the same as I left it - COLD! The horses are fine, muddy paddocks  but fine horses. Thank you Laura and Butch.  Now it is on to Kentucky on Sunday for the Fasig-Tipton sale to see what is selling these days. Then the babies and breeding start too. Busy busy, I must remember to stop and smell the horses and wish for spring flowers!