Funny red-haired girl...

This is my Smarty Jones filly who started life as a chestnut- now she is a striking grey with red hair!!! Mane anyway. She and the dark brown Freisan Fire look like a set of piano keys as they play in the field. I love having the foals back, it is the best part of the breeding game, watching them grow up. We are off tomorrow on the last trip to Kentucky to bring the last set of mares home. Fingers crossed all goes well and they stay in foal. Already lost one that reabsorbed after 45 days. It is a little crushing after all the time and effort and then Mother Nature steps in and says, "Sorry- not this time". The summer is almost half over and I can feel the urge to ride starting to return. Told Joanie next week we can start singing....Back in the saddle again!! I do enjoy my four months off, time to do other things and be lazy. The foxhunters enjoy the lazy time too, but Red and Polly look ready to get back to work. Lily is still hurt, she broke her coffin bone last January and is still a little gimpy. She gets more time off and can babysit the weanlings in September

A little bit of history is born...

This is a wonderful photo moment and how similar the two new mothers seem. Princess Diana thrust the monarchy into the modern limelight and Catherine, the Duchess of Cambridge, has continued "humanizing" the royal family. Happy, casual and normal are the words that come forth when we applaud the arrival of the new royal prince. I love seeing Diana's beautiful sapphire wedding ring on Catherine's finger has she holds the next heir. This is living, fluid history. That ring already in a way belongs to the new prince. William inherited his mother's jewelry and fittingly gave that ring to Katherine, a romantic gesture to honor his mom. I wonder if I will be alive to see the next photo of the Prince of Cambridge's wife holding their infant and wearing the same beautiful symbol of love. I can only imagine how the world will change in that next thirty ? years.  What is remarkable is that I can see, in my mind, the tradition continuing and the next beautiful smiling mother representing our future. This iconic moment, captured in a photo, is why the monarchy is cherished by many. These private individuals share their lives with the whole country and everyone gets to partake of that special happiness like a birth. Congratulations !

Summer heat

The two weeks after our wonderful OBX vacation have been brutally hot. When it is this hot, the temperature seems to control everything. I get chores done early so I can get out of the "sauna" outside by ten o'clock and then I still seem to have no energy for the rest of the stack on the desk! Languishing...languishing by the pool... sounds wonderful- tho I have no pool! I called my friend with a pool, only to hear she was on her way to the cool of Wyoming as we spoke, back in two weeks. Sounded like the best idea yet. Damn.
Did make a trip to Kentucky last weekend to bring back some of the mares and babies. Had to drive all night to keep the horses cool. It is nice to have Buddha and her Smarty Jones filly back. I think she will be grey like mama, though she started as a chestnut. Now she looks a little like an orange orangutan because her long baby hairs are red and falling out as her white/grey permanent color is underneath. She has a white face with a bright red mane- very striking. We are going back next weekend to get another set. One will ship back and then all the girls will be home. I love watching the broodmares and foals in the fields. Though right now they are in the barn under fans, living a very spoiled life!!

Outer Banks vacation

I took a vacation from everything when we went to the Outer Banks of NC recently, including my blog! This was a special celebration for me as we had invited all the kids and spouses and girlfriend to spend the week with us on the beach. It was to be sort of my 60th birthday gift from them. It was a wonderful week of sun and beach and family. Laughter and sibling bonding and cooking rivalry and jigsaw puzzles and Scabble- you name it, we probably did it! We watched the fireworks on top the Nags Head Dune, which had a 360 degree view of many seaside town celebrations. We ate North Carolina BBQ in a local dive and decided it was the best meal we had out! The weather was great, enough sun, not too hot with daily rain showers which made the hot tub really inviting once a day. Watching all my kids boogie boarding in the waves again was priceless.

Rolling Stones concert at Verizon Center

I took a chance, thinking the Stones may never tour ago and just went to the Verizon Center last night. I have scalped some great tickets at football games in the past, so thought "what the heck!". Well, the scalpers were all wanting $600 for the nosebleed seats so I was thinking my chances were pretty slim as I had a mere $200 cash in pocket. They laughed at me. But.. I had a stroke of luck, a fellow quietly walked up to me and said he had an extra ticket for the "pit"- standing room only, right in front, was I interested?  Just had to pay the $85 he had been charged as a member of the fan club!!! Yes!!! I ended up right in front, hanging on to the barrier in front of the stage. Keith Richards and Mick Jagger definitely look all of 70, but nobody can prance like Jagger! He reminded me of a panther. He is whip thin and moves like a cat, all sinewy and lithe. Richards is the most charming old pirate. I was so lucky to catch them for one last time - the songs are timeless and awesome, and I danced and felt like a kid. Rock and roll forever.

Graduation from Naval War College/Visit to Rhode Island

We had a wonderful visit with Ryan, Julia and Emmett Roehling in Rhode Island this past weekend. Michael graduated with his Master of Arts in National Security and Strategic Studies from the Naval War College and we combined that with the visit to Julia. Emmett is the best toddler! Charming and a little gentleman. He has a great pony named Tinker and a pony-sized dog named Titan, who is not so friendly. The pony enjoyed beer in the garden with the adults, the dog did not! Mike received his diploma from Admiral Greenert, Chief of Naval Operations which was an honor and he was presented with a "coin" for graduating with Distinction. A reception followed at the CO's home which had the most beautiful view of the water in front of the Naval War College. We sampled the local lobsters with Doug, Ryan and Julia  and walked the cliff walk in front of the famous Newport mansions, notably The Breakers. Unimaginable wealth around here! Fun for me was watching Julia play polo with her team on Friday. She is very good and Ryan winces each time she knocks over the retired admirals or whatever on the Naval War College team, for whom she plays! She grins! It was a great weekend.

Father's Day weekend

It is a beautiful day, the Saturday morning of Father's Day weekend in June. Clear, dry and blue, blue skies, no clouds. Thinking of my Dad, I wanted to find an old photograph of he and I walking at the Calgary Stampede, hand in hand. I think I was about 8, proud to be there in my "squaw" dress - so politically incorrect to call it that now. I think it was a type of dress with a ruffle at the bottom and smocking at the neck that the women on the reservations near Calgary wore. So, for the Stampede week in July it was the costume for all the girls in various colors! Dad had his Stetson on, the required costume for all the guys! A friend from Maryland recently told me his son was going to be working in Calgary, in the oil industry. I should tell him where to get a Stetson for his son- he will need one! I still remember the parade and walking with Dad; he seemed so tall and handsome. All I wanted was to see the horses and the cowboys. The beginning of my lifelong love affair with all things to do with horses. Happy Father's Day Dad. I miss you and hope you are somewhere still watching me ride!