raining today – so lovely and soft and cool and  constant.  the sugar birds and sunbirds are in the big orange flower bush – i tried to take a photo through the (now VERY clean!) window, but my poor camera struggled to figure out what i was focusing on!

mishka is on my bed, molly is wrapped up in her jersey, on her bed, and i think the Moo is either under my bed, or on the couch

we have a lovely walk this morning – only really started to rain hard when we all got back into the car, which was good, because molly wouldn’t let me catch her to take her jersey off. she loves her coat.

was meant to go and watch S and Shakira having a lunge lesson – but it has been postponed to tomorrow (friday).

S has told Mrs R that “it’s fine” if i ride Catch during the week – she hasn’t been down to ride (at ALL, even in NICE weather) for nearly 2 months now… we’ve been worried (and she had another terribly bad luck incident while grooming Flat Out for her sister… he bumped her with his head and she went forward and bashed a big cut over her eye which needed stitches poor woman has terrible luck on the ground with horses.. at least this time it wasn’t poor Catchy who did it!) so i’ve got another horse to ride…

luckily S’s cast came off on friday, and she’s been working at strengthening the wrist and muscles of her arm – going well, so she probably won’t need me to ride Shakira for her after next week.. so i’ll have some more time for Catch (and Alchemy… don’t even get me started on that). might even start riding in the mornings.

Having a blast riding Witchy and Watchy ( i do miss riding Cappi, but C and K seem to like riding him, so i won’t fight them for it, i’m very happy on Witchy, she’s taught me so much already) with M and the gang.

Eventing at SDRC this weekend – had a good time last year, and now that i know my camera little better i won’t make the same mistakes with trying to get jumps that are too far away from me. V is also coming – not sure if we will be sharing a lift again.. i hope so, we have fun together

Was thinking of doing a kind of “photo documentary” on M and her horses at the show… if i don’t go with V, then perhaps i can ask M if i can go with her and K? All the little details and effort and preparation that goes into getting horses eventing ready… try and document it. I think it would be interesting.

been asked by a LOT of people to be there… so i guess the dressage loses out again wish i could clone myself sometimes, i really do. i do love my dressage. *sigh*

the shop has run out of A6 printing paper… had a few orders that will either have to wait, or i can print them 4 a page on A4… but then they are slightly smaller (only a few mm, but some people might not be happy with that) and you’d have to cut them out or leave them all in one then.  i offer the choice to my clients.. let them decide. i know J likes those 4 a page shots of her and Silhouette.

Running pretty scimp on money at the moment. had to buyon my credit card, which i hate doing. i know something is going to work out for me soon. i know it. i just have to be patient and not lose my way.

being my own boss is both wonderful, and sucktacular (thank you speej). nobody to blame but myself, when things go wrong.

so many things i need. my poor printer needs a service. my car… oh my poor Broomhilda.. she desperately needs a service, and new tyres, and new brakes, and and and… poor girl.

*sigh*

but i’m not going to sink into that little shadowy place. i’ve clawed my way out and i plan to stay out here in the sunshine. no matter what.

man.

what a couple of weeks.

finally got my camera back 2 weeks ago, on the friday (after eventually losing the plot with the camera place – it seemed to speed up things) in time for the NRA practice show jumping – the first show after the quarentine was partially lifted – show had to start at 10:30am and end at 4:30pm. I don’t think anyone came from afar, everyone was locally stabled as far as i could see.

It was pretty well turned out! People were desperate for a chance to get back into things i guess.

I definitely was! My camera is clicking away nicely – crystal clear and no nasty shadow (or funny little blur, which i only noticed in old photos because it’s now GONE). Took some good shots, from in the arena (i love being a local!) and was very pleased.

then, my computer died. a power surge blew out everything and windows was scrambled when i eventually got the thing booted. so.. i thought now’s my chance to try something clever like ubuntu! so i installed that (thanks A for the cd) and got everything up to date etc… but my printing wouldn’t work with the picasa for linux, and in general things were NOT HAPPY.

so i had to reinstall windows – but it’s good. a nice shiny new install, with a happy machine. i did manage to back my Important Stuff up before i wiped the hdd.

This last weekend was the first graded show after the ban was lifted, at Cape Hunt. It was quite lightly attended – people in Stellenbosch are very wary because there have been 11 new cases of EEV (it’s not AHS, it’s EEV! WHich is why the inoculations and such were not working – terrible stuff… those poor people who lost horses… ) and it’s not curable when the horse has it.. there’s a SMALL chance your horse will survive, but it’s very small.

But today the ban was lifted completely, so shows can start at 8:30am again (arg! winter! it’s still dark!) so Noordhoek this weekend will start promptly i’m sure, and there will be LOTS of people attending. V will join me too, which will be good!

Thinking of talking to J (who’s birthday it is tomorrow, so perhaps i should wait) about not riding Al in the week anymore… she just keeps letting us down. She didn’t ride at ALL this weekend. even after PROMISING me. and it was such a perfect weekend for riding! if i hadn’t been at the show, i would have asked S about riding Shakira on the weekend! I just don’t get J’s attitude right now.

If i knew she wasn’t coming, then i would be able to work out a nice schedule for riding Alchemy as well as Ex. But this never knowing is driving me batty. she can have weekends (if she can “get around to it” – which was her excuse this weekend) i really don’t mind. i don’t ride on the weekends there, so it’s fine. but it’s SO not fair on Al to keep him in limbo like this.

he needs to get out – even more so than Ex! he might be older, but he’s got more go than a lot of youngsters – he likes to work.

anyway.

just a short update on things.

in case anyone reads this.

*Wave*