I’ll have a photo to share in a few days to back up my claims. Honest.

One of the events I worked on this week was a VIP lunch with General Colin Powell as the guest of honor.

I’m pleased to report that the decor was lovely. The food yummy. General Powell witty and engaging as always.

Win win win.

We orchestrated for all 400+ guests to have their photo taken with the General in groups of four. We needed to group folks together to have any chance at all of making it happen in our allotted time.

Just as the line of guests was dwindling down and Sherry was pulling the velvet rope back across I ducked under.

Say cheese!

Can’t wait to share with you all…as long as I kept my eyes open. I’m notorious for blinking at the key moment.

Missed everyone this week and looking forward to rejoining our normal programming…

The vet came to the barn yesterday morning and watched Now Voyager limp around. It looked like the left front but with no heat or swelling we couldn’t be sure.

So he suggested blocking the foot. Basically anesthitizing the foot from the ankle down. We did that. And he moved beautifully.

Proof. The problem is in the left front.

With no heat and no swelling there could be a few major things going on. Navicular bone changes. Laminitis. So we x-rayed.

The good news? Nothing obviously wrong going on with the bones in his hoof.

Which, of course, means it’s still a mystery.

Dr. Reynolds did notice a bit of a dish indentation in NV’s hoof. Note: these are not his hooves…for illustrative purposes only…

When a hoof isn’t perfectly straight it’s not perfectly strong and where there’s weakness there could be trouble.

Our best guess for now is still an abscess or a quarter crack that’s still internal and hence not visible to the naked eye.

So we watch and wait.

I’m officially waving the white flag.

I have a huge event next week and work has already risen to a fever pitch.

No more time for writing blogs, or reading blogs or twittering or even having a thought to myself until Saturday the 21st.

A quick update before I sink away.

Now Voyager looked like he was feeling better on Tuesday. And then this morning, not so much. Dr. Reynolds is meeting me at the barn at 7am tomorrow and we’ll see what’s what.

My prediction – whatever he has going on will not be obvious or simple to identify and he’s going to suggest more rest. But my heart will feel a little lighter to know he’s been checked out.

I did purchase a reflective vest and ran with it the other morning before sunrise. I felt very safe. It’s made by Nathan was only $20 at my local See Jane Run store.

I like how super soft the mesh is so I don’t feel it at all.

I also purchased some new SmartWool socks (love them!) and a Calli Sports Bra By Moving Comfort which totally rocks. If you’re a girl you know what I mean.

So here’s hoping that you all have a fabulous week. Keep your fingers crossed the Now Voyager finds a miracle cure and that I survive my event.

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.