Friday Book Review: a true story?

Remember Ferdinand the Bull? Who liked to smell the flowers? Originally published in 1936, the story was one of my favorites growing up, perhaps because of the way my folks would read it aloud to me, drawing out the "sme-ellllll the flowers" bits (with great relish).

Well, today's book reminded me a lot of Ferdinand when I read it for the first time. Both critters certainly have a fine appreciation for the peaceful life! Perhaps Blackie isn't quite so timeless as the flower-loving bull, but he's still endearing. At least I thought so!

Blackie, the horse who stood still by Christopher Cerf & Paige Peterson (illus. by Paige Peterson)

Laid out in verse, this is the "mostly true" story of a horse who experienced as many and varied careers as many people, (and apparently, with more grace and good humor). Like the aforementioned Ferdinand, who only wanted to smell the flowers, Blackie just wants to stand still and enjoy life as it happens around him.

But in spite of his wish to bask in the sun and shade under his juniper tree, Blackie has a varied career as a rodeo horse (who stops still so that his cowboy can rope many a steer), a park service horse (a stock-still, stationary mount for visiting tourists to have their pictures taken on), and, ultimately in his retirement the 28-year pasture ornament teaches those who pass the value of the scenery he surveys.

The rhyme scheme is relaxing, and the oil painting illustrations are absolutely charming. An endnote lets readers know a bit about the horse behind the story. Blackie actually was a real horse from Kansas who appeared in rodeos, served as a mounted patrol horse for the US Cavalry in Yosemite National Park, and was retired to a Tiburon, California pasture where he lived out his days. When he died in 1966, the community erected a life-size bronze statue in his memory.

Whether as a read-alone for horse-crazy youngsters, a lulling tale for a child's bed or nap time, or a gift for the adult horse lover in your life, this is a standout.

The cover picture, showing just the top portion of Blackie against a blue sky background - eyes peering off the page, and ears alertly listening - is really captivating. I dare you to pick it up in person and not want to take it home :)

Horse withdrawal

I think I'm suffering from it. Oh, I see them daily and they're all very happy to see me - after all, I bring food! But the closest I've come to actual riding is having T boost me up to sit on Thunder the other night after we were done with feeding.

He was completely unflapped by the fact that we haven't done anything much in the past few months. While on the one hand it was great to know that he hasn't decided people - even people in rattle-y, semi-frozen winter layers and bulky snow boots - are terrifying things to have on his back, I really wanted to do more than be led around the lot a few laps.

Un-broke 4-year-old on frozen footing, wearing only a halter & lead, in single digit temps - sounds like a, "Hey, Watch this!" scenario in the making, doesn't it? Sanity prevailed, and I contented myself with the lead-line laps, although I did make "reins" and "steer" with legs & make-shift bridle. (I figure every little bit counts, right?) And if he'd been twitchy, we would have just done multiple mounts & dismounts until he was okay with that.

*wails*
But I really wanna RIDE!

Even if it's only fooling around bareback in a snowy pasture. I was so hoping for warmer temps while I had some time off over the holidays. But the only days where the thermometer evern nudged it's way out of the 20's we were on the road to the airport. Of course, today I'm back at work and it's hovering in the low 30's - sun, no wind.... GRRRR....

I guess I'll have to settle for vicarious adventures. Jennifer over at How did this happen? has a new arena to work & play in, and Dawn at the Eventing Percheron has been posting pics of her and Brego adventuring through the frozen woods - pretty snow scenes!

Someday it will be warm again.
Then I can complain about mud & bugs & heat :)

Tires & hay sniffing

Tires are so scary! Especially when they aren't attached to anything normal, like a tractor. This one has been turned inside out to serve as a feed bunk. It's been riding in the back of the truck for some extra weight, but since we needed the bed to haul shelf-making materials from Menards, out it came this afternoon.

What's that?!

Scary thing! Run away!

Huh... what's he up to now?

Is there food in there yet?

While the horses were eating out of their conquered nemesis, I fought with the latest bale, trying to get all of the frozen layers of bottom hay loose and thrown over to the cows. I was hoping it had warmed up just enough today that I could peel it off. Unfortunately, not.

The big round bales are stored outside in long rows. The horses don't - or at least shouldn't - eat the bottom layer that's been sitting on the ground, and the cows will pick through for the pieces that they consider edible. Problem is, once I manage to get it separated, it's difficult to tell what's moldy & what's just snowy & frozen without sniffing it - moldy hay has a very distinctive smell. So... I think I managed to get all of the bad bits off the bale, but I'm still trying to get all the hay dust out of my nose.

I also managed to bend the pitchfork tines prying frozen bits loose. They just don't make'em like they used to!

And finally, the shot of the day....

Ever see an icicle drip up?

The temperature made it all the way up to 22' - the tire must have been just sun-warmed enough for the ice to flex out of the tread.

Not-quite-Friday Book Review

I've been a bit lazy, and I've missed posting the last two Friday book reviews. Not so wonderful a start to the New Year! But here are two to make up for the lack.

One is older, one more recent - one for a younger audience, one is definitely adult, but both books are about fresh starts, self-discovery, and making changes, so in that respect they're perfect for the first reviews of 2009.

First, the old:

Saddles for Breakfast by Janet Randall

Robin Marshall is fed up with sharing everything with her brothers and sisters. She wants nothing more than the opportunity to spend the summer at her aunt Cora's riding stable. She envisions white fences and a sharply-appointed stable with gleaming-flanked horses, and herself, immaculately turned out in crisp breeches and boots, instructing scrubbed-faced smiling youngsters. When the telegram comes saying she's welcome for the summer, she's thrilled.

But the reality of Sycamore Stables is far more grubby and workaday than Robin pictured. Cora and her son Butch are operating the riding stable on a shoestring, and it shows. The jumping course is overgrown, the barns need paint, and the horses, while gleaming with good care and full bellies, certainly aren't elegant Thoroughbreds.

An unearned bad reputation haunts Sycamore Stables, and when an nasty accident followed by a barn fire strike, the outlook seems incredibly grim. Hard work and heart, challenges and opportunities, and a young girl's coming of age - this story, set in the 1960's, lacks cell phones and the fast pace of today's electronic world. But despite that, the story itself endures. A good read for young horse lovers.

Saddles for Breakfast is fairly well packed with interesting horse tid-bits, as well. For instance, horses that cast themselves - our horses were never stalled, so the first time I encountered that particular situation was in Randall's book. When it happened to one of the mares at a show (her first time ever in a box stall) I couldn't help but flash back to Robin's panic at Tampico's thrashing. It's certainly scary enough!

I learned less of practical use from the next book, but had a good giggle in more than one spot - the new:

Horseplay: a novel by Judy Reene Singer

A masters degree and a job teaching high school English isn't doing much for Judy Van Brunt. But what puts her over the top is her husband's wandering eyes... and hands... and pretty much the rest of him. Fed up, she throws in the towel on teaching and her husband, and heads for greener pastures.

The pastures in question belong to a North Carolina horse farm run by German dressage trainer Kat and her two Jack Russell terrors - sorry, terriers - and inhabited by an odd and interesting assortment of horses, grooms and stable help, Swedish and otherwise.

Judy's introduction to the eccentric realm of world class riding and the ubiquitous "What level do you ride?" question, as well as her misadventures on the farm - both romantic and otherwise - are a riot. This is Janet Evanovich (of the Stephanie Plum books), but with less hairspray and exploding cars, and more horses. Lots of fluffy fun for any rainy day afternoon. I don't know that there's a sequel planned, but I wouldn't mind reading one.

So there you have it - something old and something new. Both of them perfect for curling up with on the couch with a cat and a cup of hot chocolate while the winter winds howl.

Your choice: California dreaming... or North Carolina heat :)

Scenes from Saturday

And Saturday's word was.... SNOW!

Yesterday was.... a tad wintery.
And more than a tad chilly.

New bale or not, the horses were not eager to leave the shelter of the tree grove. It took them about 5 minutes to decide that coming up the hill into the wind was worth it.

They circled the pasture like a wave, rushing a way up the hill and then eddying back down with much snorting and head tossing.

Finally, they decided to take the plunge....

Note the snowy noses

Once they were through into the shelter of the lot, they swirled around pretending to be spooked by whatever caught their attention.

The sheep weren't much excited by the storm.