It's ..........

Snowing!!!!!

Yesterdays snow melted but it's snowing again now! WOOT!

It's snowing!!

It's snowing! My favorite weather! I'm all geared up to try skijoring, if it sticks we'll be trying it tomorrow! We saw it in Red Lodge many years ago and I've been wanting to try it ever since. I never got up the nerve last time we had a decent amount of snow but this time there is NO stopping me. We've got inner tubes ready instead of skis. Helmets at the ready and even a little jump ready should we get feeling brave!

On another note I've got some gorgeous violet patina hearts in my Etsy and Artfire shops. Perfect for Valentine's Day!

Resin Images

I have lots of exciting new goodies in my Artfire shop! I've been playing with resin a lot the last few weeks. I've taken Canadian pennies (2010 mint) and up cycled them into charms (can be worn as pendants). Drilled holes so they are really durable and voila! Wearable art! I've got copper ball chains and fantastic bangles you can add them to like charms bracelets, they look amazing stacked up. There are simple hammered ones and ones with a small sterling silver wrap. Patina'd ones will be coming within the week!

Redman Ride #2

To give Redman credit right off the top, he's been ridden way more times than twice. But it's my second ride in this epiphany stage of things so I'm calling it ride #2.

It's been pouring here for at least 24 hours, and I hate the rain. No, I'm not exaggerating. I am a snow girl, how I was born and raised in a rain forest is beyond me. I love snow, my years in Calgary are some of my fondest. It's wet here very very wet, and as I said above I do not do rain.

That may be why Redman looked and me and blinked hard a couple times when I went out to catch him to ride. It was only drizzling then, that didn't last long. As I tacked up it started to rain again, but I was looking forward to my ride and continued on with my plan.

I pretty much had to drag Redman out of the barn into the ring "It's wet out there you know?!" He flailed around on the lunge line for a bit avoiding puddles and muck. Then let out a fairly big spook and a odd noise. Went back to work, another spook, same odd noise. Redman had the hiccups! His hiccuping was startling him, a pretty funny sight! I think it may have had something to do with the wet sand splattering his belly. But he worked out of it and it really didn't set the ride back at all.

When it came time to get on I headed for the fence. He's 16+ hands (tall) and I am 5 ft 2, I need help. So I always mount from a fence, bucket, stump, vehicle, what ever I can find. Redman stepped into the soggy mess in front of the fence and looked at me as if to say "NO, nuh uh, no way, muck, ick! wet, mud, really, must I? ok fine!" and over to the fence he went.

During this lovely ride water splattered on the vents of my helmet, my jeans got soaked, my butt was wet from sitting in a wet saddle, my shoulders started to get wet through my jacket, all things that would normally make me miserable. But I had fun! Yup, you heard me I had fun! I cannot remember the last time I intentionally rode in the rain, let alone enjoyed it.

As I cleaned stalls and paddocks and fed the horses the fog settled in with the rain, and I realized how content I was. Who knew?!

Mission Statement

Keeping on track with my 52 weeks of blogging I've been working on my mission statement this week. Here in it is!

To create unique wearable pieces of art, that beg to be worn.

To inspire and challenge myself and other artists.

To strive for excellence in materials and technique.

Question for you, does my work have a distinguishing feature? Can you tell it's mine? If so how can you tell?

Epiphany

Today I had an epiphany about my years of riding, a fairly major one. I realized it's been a long long time since I rode a horse that was just a horse. Let me back track my riding career for you. These are the horses I've ridden fairly full time over the years back tracking from my current horse.

Indy - a sweetheart and has become family. A horse we'll never part with. When he was so sick about a year ago I was sure there was a reason he lived, I'm now sure that reason was to make me smile every time I lay eyes on him. But, he's as athletic as a tank with no power steering in a stall. While he's broke and sensible he's large and hard to maneuver, and that's something about him that won't ever change.

Annie - my dream horse. We bred her ourselves, I hand picked her lineage. I wanted a fancy hunter/jumper and while I wanted a bay gelding and got a chestnut mare she was my fancy horse. But, she was HUGELY high maintenance. She needed to be ridden a minimum of 4 days a week and you really never got to relax while riding her. She went to a much better home, she's in a program being ridden regularly and is very happy.

Kinsley - Annie's mom. How I wound up riding her full time I'll never know. The most athletic horse I've ever had the pleasure of riding. Versatile, could win a jumper round then smoke a decent barrel run. But, VERY volatile. VERY. She was a difficult horse to manage in any situation. She lived out her days with us and passed away several years ago.

Prior to Kinsley I was teaching professionally and had often 3-5 full time horses of my own. All projects, often re training involved. Jamie, athletic but high strung. Chanti, sensible but often disjointed and strung out. George, willing and sweet temperament but very large and heavy on the forehand, difficult for a small rider to handle. Hoka, my childhood pony who I rode for 25 years. Very versatile, steady, willing but as he aged became more and more herd bound.

I'll finish here as far as listing horses goes. I'd estimate this to be about 20 years ago, possibly 25.

See a pattern? I do and it hit me like a ton of bricks today. It's been a very very long time that I had a horse that was just a horse. A decent mind and body that had no real quicks to manage. Just ride. Now let me be really clear I've been blessed by the horses that have come into my life over the years, there have been dozens I've not listed here and they've all taught me a lot. They've made me into the rider I am today. But, I realized today as I sat on top of Redman the sorrel gelding in the top photo. I've not gotten to just ride for a very long time.

Fast forward to yesterday. I gave my husband a mini lesson on Redman. I watched him trotting around the ring with a lovely long and low trot. Trot over some cavaletti's not really batting an eye. Something wiggled it's way into my brain, and it was want. Big, juicy WANT. I wanted to ride that horse, just a horse.

So today I did. Redman and I spent a summer together in Alberta about four years ago. I put his basic start on him. I'd forgotten how simple he was. Give him a job and he's happy to do it, he'll try his best. You may have to show him a couple times but once he gets it he's got it. It's rare he argues much, he just wants to be ridden.

Today took me back about four years. While Redman hasn't done much over the last several years. He worked on the lunge line fairly well, getting confused a few times but settling in once he remembered how it all worked and what I was asking. I mounted up and while he's still fairly green for his age I just rode. RODE!

No bucking, no super athletic maneuvers, no leaping, no trying to steer while in a stall, to pins and needles waiting for the next spook.

IT. WAS. HEAVEN.

2011

“You've got to have a dream, if you want to have a dream come true.” - Dennis Waitley

2011

Wow is it really here already? Seems like 2010 flew by.

This coming year I’m going to strive to

Laugh more

Slow down and spend more quality time with family and friends

Stay focused

Create new and unique pieces that make me smile (and hopefully my customers will smile too!)