I’m a happy girl. I have some pretty brown boots.

Spent time with my Mom shopping on Sunday. We strolled through the many shops of Montgomery Village in Santa Rosa trying on cozy bulky sweaters and velvet jackets.

I’ve never been into an Aerosoles store but Mom is a fan so in we went. I’ve been checking out boots for weeks now so I definitely know what I like.

And I liked these boots. Nice line. A bit of heel but not too much.

Once I put them on I didn’t want to take them off. Comfy.

And affordable. Mostly because they’re not made of real leather. But I can forgive that because they’re just so darn wearable!

The Aerosole Lasticity Boot. Mom offered to purchase them as an early Christmas present. Thanks Mom!

Wore them to work today. Paired them with my new chunky cozy orange sweater. Felt like a million bucks.

A shopping success story!

Our living room has looked like this for the last 8 years:

After much perusal of paint chips and hemming and hawing and back and forthing it looks like this:

Ta da!

Well, what do you think?

Bert hosted a poker party last night and the guests gave it a resounding thumbs up. Reviews call it “homey” which is music to my ears. I predict many nights of reading good books curled up in my comfy chair in my homey red living room this winter.

In other news, I’m the proud owner of new pair of snazzy brown boots. Spent the day shopping with my mom and she insisted on purchasing them for me as an early Christmas gift.

My mom rocks!

I’m hooked on Nobody.

Nobody Owens, to be exact.

The protagonist of Neil Gaiman’s novel The Graveyard Book.

Ignore the fact that this is categorized as a children’s fantasy. It’s a richly woven and imaginative story filled with characters I loved – and a few that I hated with all the zeal of hissing at Darth Vader in a movie theater. And I was sad, so very sad, to reach the end.

Can we not figure out a way for a good book to just go on and on and on until we’re ready to say goodbye?

One of the main characters, Silas, could be in our running club Meg!

But that’s all I’m going to say. Because I think this book is most exquisitely enjoyable if you have no idea what you’re in for.

Wait, I’m going to say one more thing. It’s my blog and my prerogative.

One of my all time favorite films is Coraline, a wonderful animated film released this year. We got it through Netflix and knew nothing about it. The story knocked our socks off. A little dark and not really for little kids but awesome.

Turns out it was written by Neil Gaiman too. So really I’m not so much hooked on Nobody as I am hooked on Neil.

I’m off to the library to check out Coraline.

Finally the stars aligned. I had my camera. I had my horse. And most importantly I remembered to take photos!

First, I couldn’t pass up this lovely shot of Jinx the orange tabby manx barn cat posing with Now Voyager under the full moon in the early morning light. I know it’s a little dark but the one I took with the flash was too much.

Then there’s this one where Now Voyager is pawing the ground in an effort to convey just how desperate he is for another one of those carrots sitting in the bag on the ground next to him.

To really show off the trace clip I took this photo:

Isn’t he beautiful? Just look at that nicely muscled neck, topline (his back) and hindquarters. The work Anke has been doing with us in getting him to use his back and take bigger steps with more swing through his body is really paying off.

So I dug around through my photo files and found this shot taken exactly one year ago to also document his trace clip:

Here you can really see the changes. Poor guy, he was even a little ribby back then. His neck is kind of scrawny and his hindquarters are just sort of meh. Nice clip job though. Thanks Charlotte!

I leave you with this parting shot. Let me just say it is so not easy to hold a lead rope and a camera and get a horse who is pretty sure you have a carrot in your hand to stand still for a photo.

Nope, not easy at all.

Meg Runs has a great post today about running at night.

She calls our band of nighttime runners Vampires and I love it.

I’m a vampire!

I mean, I’ve always been a fan of Vampires. Starting way back in my fanatical Ann Rice days and on through to True Blood and Twilight.

Who knew all I needed to do is take up running and then do it at night to be part of this elite community.

Meg’s post makes a really good point…reflection. For safety’s sake we need to wear lots of things that bounce light back into the sightline of approaching drivers. Especially since I run in the street.

This is pretty but a little pricey at $135 – it’s made by Stridelight

I have a very nice reflective anklet that I wear purchased from REI for the low low price of $3.00

I do need to invest in a reflective vest though. Such a simple piece of equipment that should increase my chances of getting home safe and sound.

So go check out Meg’s blog…she’s a peach and a runner. A peachy runner.

Driving to and from the barn in the early morning hours I’m kept company by NPR News. The timbre of their voices is just right for a head that is ever so slightly fuzzy.

Plus it’s good to educate my brain on something other than triathlon and horses.

Sometimes I find myself laughing out loud at random story. This morning was a double-header.

The first story was really about gas fields and the destructive impact on nearby towns. An important story to delve into. However I couldn’t get past the fact that the town they were using as an example is called Dish, Texas.

Dish used to be called Clark. Well, at least for the first 5 years of its life. In 2005 it struck a deal with the Dish Network

In exchange, the 55 homes in the bedroom community of 181 people a half hour’s drive north of Dallas-Fort Worth get free Dish satellite equipment and basic service for the next decade.

This struck me funny.

Then came the replay of the 911 call a woman made in Wisconsin. Here’s the transcript of the call…

Dispatcher: Clark County 911
Mary Strey: Somebody’s really drunk driving down Granton Road...
Dispatcher: …Which way are they going?
Mary Strey: They are going, um…
Dispatcher: Towards Granton or towards Neillsville?
Mary Strey: Towards Granton
Dispatcher: Okay are you behind them, or…
Mary Strey: No, I am them
Dispatcher: You am them?
Mary Strey: Yes, I am them
Dispatcher: Okay, so you want to call and report that you’re driving drunk?
Mary Strey: Yes

They told her to pull over and wait for police. She did.

It’s November? Seriously? Grrrr.

Sorry, I’m just not ready for October to be over. It’s my favorite month of the year and it got sucked into the whirlpool that is my life just now and flushed down the drain.

Maybe I’m a wee bit cranky because my horse is still ouchy.

On the plus side of things we did get the living room painted a lovely rich shade of red. Photos to follow just as soon as we pack away the drop clothes.

Yes, I spent the weekend painting the house and soaking Now Voyager’s hoof. Are you jealous?

NV also got trace clipped by Charlotte on Sunday. I need to take a photo of that for you as well. My words cannot do justice. Here’s what last year’s clip job looked like…it’s pretty similar…

Note, the light hair is clipped and the dark hair is his winter coat. We do this so that when they sweat in the cold winter months their hair doesn’t hold all the wetness and make them cold(er). We leave the winter coat on the legs and back for warmth.

We’re in the midst of a burst of Indian Summer weather. 75 degree days and peacefully still warm nights. Great for running. Now I see why you triathletes and runners live in areas with temperate weather.

Because of the paint fumes and warm weather we left the back door open last night. This morning we were awakened by crashing about. The culprit? A family of raccoons having their way with a big bag of Zinger’s cat food.

We intervened and when we thought they were all gone we closed the sliding glass door. Then a youngster came out of nowhere and bounced off the glass door. He/she took refuge under the couch and it took quite a bit of coaxing to get her to try again – this time with the door open.

They were back again tonight for dinner.

It takes a village to care to for a horse.

My village lately has been a village of one. Paula.

Here she is with her beautiful boys…Impressario and Legend…

Aren’t they stunning? The photo is courtesy of Bert, my dangerously talented photographer husband.

I was at the barn this morning, in the dark. I can’t use my flashlight too much around Now Voyager because he’s convinced it’s alive and scary. Funny old horse.

So NV and I were playing in the arena in the dark.

I was trying to make out just how much he was limping.

He was wondering why I’d taken off his warm blanket in the 40 degree pre-dawn and was asking him to trot around at such a strange time of day.

See, it’s good for a horse to keep moving, even if they’re sore. Well, as long as you’re not dealing with a torn ligament or tendon. The circulation in their legs is not ideal in the best of circumstances. And they need circulation to heal.

I try to find the balance between enough movement to facilitate healing and enough rest to facilitate healing.

He moved about the same as Tuesday – ouchy enough.

I’d brought my thermos of boiled water with which to dissolve the epsom salts. Once I lowered the temperature to not-scalding, Now Voyager put his hoof in the bucket.

I swear he sighed. It was a weary sound full of resignation. Such a trooper.

After soaking comes wrapping. But to do this you really need vet wrap.

Vet Wrap is a support wrap without the need for pins, clips or additional bandages. It stays in place by sticking to itself and it is sheer brilliance for wrapping horse parts.

I was saddened to find that my supply had run clean out. And can you imagine the local feed store doesn’t open until – oh I don’t know – 7am or so? Not early enough for me!

It’s critical to keep Now Voyager’s hoof soft and soaking in a poultice to help draw out the abscess. Hence the need for the wrap.

I was seriously bummed. Distraught, actually.

And then I left a note for Paula on the white board.

“Hi Paula, this is Now Voyager. My mom is a goofball and ran out vet wrap so my foot is not going to heal. Help please.”

Paula called me at work and left me the most wonderful message.

“Don’t worry, I packed and wrapped NV’s foot and he’s all good.”

THANK YOU PAULA! From the very bottom of my heart. You truly are a guardian angel.

It’s boot season in San Francisco. So many styles, colors and heel heights to choose from. Paired with skinny legged jeans or a nice chunky wool skirt and tights.

I envy them all.

Here’s my problem. Being a horsey girl if I’m going drop a chunk of change on some pretty boots they should be for riding.

But a pair of boots that is actually used for riding is going to show wear and tear.

So I have to get over myself and purchase a pair, or three, for work.

Shopping in the new Whole Foods in Noe Valley (yes, only 3 short blocks from my house – who’s the lucky girl?) I did a double take the other day.

This woman was wearing spotless Irideon britches and two-tone riding boots.

No one I know has spotless riding gear, so I had to ask. And sure enough she said “Oh no, I don’t ride. But I just love how comfortable these pants are and I wear them everywhere.”

I had to know where she found said gear, not being of the horsey set. We have ONE tack store in San Francisco and she’d discovered it. Tal-Y-Tara Tea & Polo Shoppe is probably better known for its high tea service but what smart cross-marketing!

My search continues. Wish me luck.

Now Voyager is hurt.

Imagine your cat or dog with an ouchy paw. They kind of hop around and look sad.

Now multiply that times 100 and you’ll have an idea what I’m dealing with.

It’s hard for a horse to hop on three legs so mostly he pushes through the pain and just reflexively yanks his head up when bearing weight on his left front hoof.

Diagnosing horse injuries is really hard. They typically mask pain really well, especially when you’re actively looking for the hot spot. And because of the complexity of their movement you can think “ah, left front leg” and really what you’re dealing with is a sore right hind hip.

I’m kind of hoping this is an abscess. He had one last summer and while the treatment includes unusual use of baby diapers and a lot of time consuming soaking of the sore hoof in a pail of epsom salt-laced water at least it’s not a major injury.

It just breaks my heart to see Now Voyager limping around. It bums him out too. He becomes kind of depressed and cranky. How does a depressed, cranky horse act? Well, he gets uncharacteristically quiet when I’m grooming him. And he’s more likely to take a little nip in my general direction. Not really with ill-will, more just grouchy. Of course if you know how big horse teeth are, any sized nip is too big.

Thank goodness for my barn friends/support group of Anke, Paula and Denise! They keep an eye on him, fix his bandages when they get too tattered and call me with updates.

And yet I fret. My pony is unhappy and that makes me unhappy. Sigh.

Fingers crossed that he heals soon.