Jan 27 2019
Intriguing things go on at Casalae Farms. For instance, the stable’s farrier (blacksmith) was working on a horse’s hooves there one afternoon.
(Wikipedia offers a succinct definition of ‘farrier:
... a specialist in equine care, including the trimming…
Jan 20 2019
After my doggie had thoroughly ‘read’ my riding pants, boots, gloves and coat for months with deep puzzlement, she finally realized, just before Christmas, where those sniffs were coming from.
On December 23, 2018, I led Bryn into Casalae…
Jan 13 2019
Bryn loved to sniff my riding pants, captured by horse smell. She had no clue what sort of creature had created it, though, so, one day I took her into the horse barn, aiming straight for the first bench just…
Jan 6 2019
After that triumphant first day in the saddle I immediately booked more lessons.
The plan:
Cram in as many as financially possible- three times weekly seemed doable for a while- and then ride alone when possible to solidify what I…
Dec 29 2018
I had just discovered that my life’s passion, horses, and anything to do with them, might be a supreme dream fulfilled, after a lifetime of deprivation mostly due to debilitating allergies. (See last week’s column.) As a child, I’d checked…
Dec 23 2018
Our big tree glows with lights and cherished ornaments, and I’m sitting near it, warmed by my very cool Hogwarts School Scarf and a mug of delicious coffee. Ready to set down for you a marvelous life change- a huge…
Dec 16 2018
Joe and I needed an outdoor adventure to more fully appreciate Northern Michigan’s winter face.
“Let's try something different,” said I. “How about snowshoeing?”
Years ago my downhill skiing had been frequently plagued by acute ski-tangle. Any topographical anomaly…
Dec 8 2018
Exercise, discipline, affection.
In that order.
Cesar Millan
One Saturday night a few years ago Joe and I went to the beautiful Midland Center for the Arts to see and hear Cesar Millan talk about his life with dogs.…
Dec 2 2018
Funny, the memories a drenching rain recalls.
One wet day a few years ago I grabbed my biggest umbrella and strolled to Hannah Park, just across the street. Every so often I get the urge to walk in the…
Nov 25 2018
Gardens possess an elixir that tinkers with my sense of time. I’ll ponder the rapidity of growth, the colors and perfumes, the variety of life out here and the science behind it all, and forty minutes will vanish in an…
Nov 17 2018
Dear readers; Bryn and I saw two field mice zipping through the parking lot near the library: the sight of them triggered a memory I thought I’d share again. This column shall serve as my 2018 annual rant. I always…
Nov 10 2018
There is magic in the night when pumpkins glow so orange and bright...
Halloween season stood out this year for Bryn, Joe and me. She’d sniff her way up and down our street until her startled ‘pause-n-freeze’ pose would…