This Way & That

The fall leaves have been blowing this way and that, just like I feel I have been doing this week, and for awhile actually.  Humans (especially Americans) have so many choices to make on a daily basis.  Some are big decisions and others not so important.  I feel like I have been pulled in so many different directions, that I have been going every which way.  My indecision, in which direction to go, has not just been literally in actions, but also in thoughts.  My emotions, feelings, and mental positions have been swinging in many different directions as well.  I have had to take a deeper look into my reality, or understanding of it, and make some adjustments in my thoughts.


I have been sick and tired, and embarrassed by all the political bashing leading up to Tuesday's election.  Also, the civil unrest and hateful speech and actions here in America greatly concerns me.  At times, I feel all humans are mad (like the Hatter - "depicted as a scientist who invents and uses technological mind-controlling devices [social media] to influence and manipulate the minds of his victims") and I just want to go sit on my porch, facing the woods, having a private tea party, sipping on my delicious hot brew.

My mischievous kitty, trying to go unnoticed, while peering through the kitchen window at me, from the deck.

After cookies and tea Saturday morning, I was gone from 11:00 to 4:00, out at the barn and in the Glade woods.  A smokey haze could be seen all around accompanied by the smell of burning wood.  I had gotten this e-mail a few days earlier - "NO BURN OF ANY KIND, OR ANYWHERE IN CUMBERLAND COUNTY, THIS INCLUDES ANY OUTSIDE BURNING SUCH AS FIRE-PITS, GARBAGE IN GALVANIZED BARRELS, NO LEAVES IN YARDS, DITCHES, ETC. JUST BASICALLY NOTHING CAN BE BURNT OUTSIDE, AND THE WATER DEPARTMENTS ARE ADVISING TO CONSERVE WATER AS WELL." 

We have had wildfires burning all around on various mountains and woodlands for several weeks now.  An estimate of 18 of them have been set by arson.  At the fire safety meeting, the presenter said drought is measured on a scale of 1-800, with one being no drought.  We are currently at 750.  Yikes.

When Joe and I got to the barn, we loaded up manure, then leaving my car parked there, we drove to Stratford Drive.  The cul-de-sac off Stratford Drive did not exist as a cleared road, but was a level area with trees growing in it.  Pat soon arrived, and then, Karen and Jan just happened to ride up on Behiem and Zip.  After chatting a bit, the equestrians rode off and Joe, Pat, and I got to work.




We used GPS, photos, and maps on our phones, spening well over an hour hiking through the woods to map a trail down to the best place to cross the creek.  We were going one way or another, trying to choose the best route.  The trail ended up going this way and that, to get to the hill.  There were also several switch backs, as it serpentined down the steep hill.  After marking the trail with orange ribbon on the trees, Joe and Pat went through, clearing the way of large obstacles using the chain saw (above).  Maggie and I followed, raking the trail and trimming smaller roots and stems with the clippers (left).  We were just roughing it out.


We had Maggie off leash and she did a great job staying near by.  Pat left after a few hours of working, then Joe and Maggie an hour later, and I stayed an additional hour to get this creek crossing cleared of all the large and loose rocks.  Finally, I made my way, hiking up the hill towards the stable trail, marking a few trees as reference points for later trail making. 

I hit the hot tub at the CC and got home just in time to get Britney's scheduled phone call.  Joe and I talked with her (on speaker phone) for 90 minutes.  It was good to hear her voice, but at times a difficult conversation because we were discussing a Facebook video about Dearborn MI that I had seen and re-posted.  We also talked about the reactions of people who commented on the post.  Britney set me straight on this one. Without even realizing or intending, I was being hurtful.

I was definitely being xenophobic, uninformed (the video was very slanted), irrational, and un-compassionate.   The implications of my post lead me to delete the whole thing and re-think my feelings.  I can't easily explain my thoughts here, but theses two posters capture part of it.   Christ tells us to love, welcome, and feed the alien.  Most Muslins are coming here to escape the radical Islamics and to find a better way of life.  Most of us Americans (born here or naturalized) are from immigrants seeking the same thing.

Sunday, Joe went to Church with me and we sat with Shirley.  Stevie had disappeared and couldn't be found before we left, but I was sure she didn't get outside.  We found (heard) Stevie when we got home.  She was trapped in the heat duct that comes out under my bedside chest.  We had to move the end table and vent cover to let the cat out.  She must have gone down through this one (seen left) because the cover was off.  She always removes them and looks into the hole, but this time she must have gone into the rabbit hole so to speak.  She was a bit dirty, but I kiddingly said, at least now our heat ducts are clean.

It was a warm, sunny day.  Joe and Maggie soaked up the rays out on the deck.  I wavered back and forth, this way and that, on what to do, and finally decided to go down our hill and move more dirt out of the pond.

I moved the mixture of wet dirt, sand, and rotting leaves for four hours... before (left) and after photo (right).

I piled more of the dirt I moved onto the bank in front of the bench (seen left) and I wheeled a lot of it to the area at the bottom of the hill in front of the green where there was a low spot (seen below).









It was dark by 5:15, so I was done outside for the day.  Dinner is always a this or that decision.  Sunday night, Joe and I ran to Food City for some necessities and picked up salad bar for our evening meal.

Monday morning I finally finished and posted last week's blog.  I had to keep an eye on Stevie who continued to plan her great escape.  I had covered the largest heat duct opening with wire mesh and it worked to keep Stevie from going down under.  But she tried and tried to pull the wire mesh out.  Yelling at cats is like raking leaves, they are gone for a minute, but come right back.



After lunch, I left with Maggie, to hike more back roads of the Glade.  I parked at the barn, and walked up Chestnut Hill to where Beachwood connects from Fairfield.  The entrance is blocked with a locked gate and boulders of rock and concrete.  If we tried to do this on horse back, first off, Chestnut Hill is way to dangerous to ride along, and we would also have to cut a path around the blockade to Beachwood.



I had to cut my walk short because Joe misunderstood my game plan/instructions and was at Stratford to work on the trail, way before I had planned to get there.  Once Maggie and I reached the SUV, got water and tools, we went into the woods to help Joe with clearing the new riding trail.


We left Maggie's leash off and she did very well sticking near to us.  She would walk this way and that between where Joe and I were working, or sit and keep an eye on both of us.


We raked, dug to level the path, and did more trimming.

Once we'd had enough physical labor for the day, we all piled into the SUV and went to the barn.  We loaded up the bins with horse manure and Joe and the dog went home.

Then I took Amiga for a ride.  She did great, but after spooking at a deer that ran up behind us, being chased by the dogs, she seemed to be favoring her right front leg again.  She had been twisting and turning all balled up with angst as the deer approached in back of us, and then it went through the woods around us with the dogs in hot pursuit.  Seen right, I let Amiga graze in the winter wheat field.  If you look carefully at the first video, you can see her kind of bobbing her head more when she pushes off on her right front leg.  Shoot.
Video #1 - walk  Video #2 - trot (gait)  Video #3 - canter

Jan was driving past the barn on her way home from Terry's as I was walking out to my car.  She took time to stop for a hug and to say hello.  We caught each other up on Cash, Amiga, and the new trail building, and then headed for our homes since it was already getting dark (at 4:30).

Joe and I worked together to fix dinner, he grilling and I in the kitchen.  By 8:30 I was nodding off here at my computer, and the way to bed was obvious. 

Tuesday, election day, I worked on this blog much of the morning.  Maggie and Stevie jocking for position as they move this way and that on the dog bed.  The cat usually dominates the space.  I think as many head to the polls, they are wavering this way and that, on who to vote for.  This was how I felt when I was early voting a few weeks ago.  I love this video that depicts it well. 

I moved dirt out of the dried up pond all afternoon.  The lower left photo was taken mid-October when I declared this project done.  But because the drought continued and it got drier down in the pond, and I had the time, I decided to dredge (excavate) more of the muck out.  It was probably six days of work to get to the now finished pond, seen in the lower right photo.

I had no desire to watch the election results or listen to any more garbage out of any more mouths.  I stayed away from TV and social media.  I was happily preparing for our end of the week Ladies Club trip to Churchill Downs, reading itinerary, planning what to pack, and getting excited about spending time with good friends.  I truly felt, no matter who won the election, America was going 'Down the rabbit hole' - entering into the unknown, disorienting, mentally deranging, period of chaos and confusion.  Actually, I think we are already there.







When I arose at 5:30 Wednesday morning, I was shocked and surprised to see that Trump won the election.  I could hardly believe it.
I hate to admit that I voted for him, because there is a lot I do not like about him, but I truly feel he is the lesser of two evils.  I read that: "Trump's victory is one of the most stunning upsets in American political history.  American voters swept Republicans into power, handing the GOP the White House, the Senate and the House, in a wave that no one saw coming.  Overwhelming support from white, working-class voters swept Trump to victory.  Hillary's loss also reflected the reality for a Democratic Party that has drifted leftward and relied more heavily on an urban base in the Obama years.  "Blue dogs" -- conservative Democrats -- are gone. And the working-class voters who used to support politicians like Bill Clinton were nowhere to be found for Hillary Clinton".

I felt bad reading the reactions of family and friends who voted for Hillary because they now see no hope in the future for America.  It is going to be an interesting next four years.  Hopefully Trump will mellow, become more civilized, and be compassionate towards all people.  In his first address as president-elect, a call for unity after a divisive campaign, gives me optimism.  “To all Republicans and Democrats and independents across this nation, I say it is time for us to come together as one united people...


...It’s time.  I pledge to every citizen of our land that I will be president for all Americans.”  According to Los Angeles Times, "In his 15-minute speech, Trump said he planned to focus on growing the nation’s economy, embarking on infrastructure projects that would put millions of Americans to work and caring for the nation’s veterans.  There was no mention of mainstays of his campaign rhetoric, such as building a wall along the southern border or ripping up trade deals.  Instead, he pledged to work with other nations."  Hopefully, those he appoints will keep him on track.

Okay, enough on the election, Trump, and politics.  My Wednesday morning was spent here processing, thinking, blogging, and praying for the future of America and the world.  Then I set to work getting organized for packing.

Joe and I both drove to the barn, loaded up more manure, and then in the SUV, went to Stratford drive.  We hiked our new, roughed out trail to the creek crossing and then proceeded to meander this way and that, up the hill towards the stable trail (seen left where it crosses under the power lines on Wildwood property).  We marked what we thought would be the best route, which took well over an hour.





Joe and Maggie headed home, but I spent an additional two hours clearing the trail from the stable trail towards the 14th tee box where our new trail will then head down the hill to the creek, staying fairly close to the cart path.  (Seen right is the new path from the stable trail to where it enters the woods.)  Joe got the coordinates of several spots and was going to check them on the computer to see how close we were to Elizabeth's property. 

I hiked back to the barn, saddled up Amiga (who was already in and finished with her grain) and rode to the new trail to check it out on horse back.  It was only about 50 yards long and I hit a few branches over head and Amiga rubbed my leg against a tree (coming and going) where the trail was bending through a narrow spot.  Many improvements are yet to be made on this trail.  Seen left, Amiga had no troubles stepping over this, one of two large logs in the trail.

Seen right, Chester (black), Boz (white), and Georgia (brown) escort Amiga and I from the barn.  These dogs love to go out on trail rides.


Home to pack (in addition to regular shower/dinner routine), I started a fire to take the chill out of the air. I moved Maggie's bed in front of it, and she and the cat soon settled in for a nap.


Then Fran from Custom Fireplaces called (and talked for 80 minutes).  I didn't get off the phone until after 10:00.  Ugh.  She talked on and on and on, all the while apologizing about not calling and complaining about not having enough time for all her customers.  There were some questions I needed to answer for her, and issues to decide about, but we could have accomplished all this in probably 30 minutes.  By the time I got off the phone, I was way behind on packing.  Joe got home from his card game and I still wasn't done.  And then, when I finally did get to bed, I did not sleep very well.

Thursday morning I was up and out of bed 20 minutes before my wake up call, but feeling very sleep deprived.  Because I would be on a bus traveling, I thought it best not to have a second cup of tea.  I sure needed more caffeine to clear the cobwebs from my brain, but I didn't really have time either.  I picked Shirley and Judy up at Shirley's house and we, and our luggage, were on the bus by 6:18.  The motorcoach had everybody on board 8 minutes ahead of the scheduled departure time, and we hit the road at 6:22.  We were part of the 49 total Ladie's Club group, headed to Louisville, KY.

The bus ride was a little rough/tipsy as the motorcoach rocked this way and that taking the scenic route over twisty, windy roads, to our destination.  Even though we had been ahead of schedule, we were late getting to our restaurant (Buckhead Mountain Grill) that was actually in Indiana, because the GPS had taken us to an exit ramp that had been closed. We ended up crossing the Ohio river three times.  We dined right along the river and had a great view from our table.



Shirley, Judy, and I squished together to fit in Dave, the bus driver, who ended up without a seat. Good food was enjoyed by most.







Our next stop was the Louisville Slugger Museum, video, and Factory tour.  We watched the various steps in the making of a bat during our interesting Factory tour.

There were works of art in one area of the museum, which seemed odd.





We arrived at our hotel (The Galt House) at 4:30 and had the rest of the night to ourselves.  They were already getting it set up for Christmas, so we enjoyed those decorations.

We three shared a room and reminisced about our Wisconsin trip and Caribbean Cruse.  This is our view of the Ohio River, from our room window on the 17th floor.  Night came quickly as we rested (in a prone position) and maybe napped.







We walked three blocks to the Spaghetti Factory, located in a beautiful building and enjoyed a crazy but tasty dinner.  Right photo of a trolley car inside the restaurant.



Back at the hotel, we sat in the Conservatory, where we enjoyed people watching. There was an aviary and the 30 foot bar was a fish tank.  Both were very interesting.

We didn't last long once back to the room.

Friday we were up at 6 am, had a breakfast buffet, and then went to Churchill Downs.  Our tour started at the Backstretch, seeing behind the scenes where the stable workers lived, the horses (1,400 of them) were kept, other barns, trailers parking, etc.

When we parked the bus, this resident rooster (I forget his name) was quick to greet us.  I guess he roams this lot, greeting friends and warning off the unknown.

We had breakfast at the Kitchen with Jockey Charlie Woods, (seen with microphone) and learned a lot about a jockey's life and saw all his equipment.  This saddle weighed less than a pound.







We got to watch the trainers working the race horses and pony horses (ones that escort the race horses) taking laps at various speeds, around the track, from both inside the dining area and out by the backstretch of the racetrack.  If a race horse throws a rider, the pony horse needs to 'race' around to catch the loose horse.

I took this video of one of the many race horses out for a training run.  Any of them that were working hard were also breathing hard, as you can hear in this video.  As we loaded the bus to move on to the Kentucky Derby Museum, the rooster kept an eye on us.  He was so funny.


This statue was at the front of the museum, seen in an earlier photo, and was neat because all four feet of the horse are off the ground.  In the background, you can see our brown bus, with people still getting off (a sometimes slow process).





We saw a great movie on a seamless, 360 degree screen. Very cool.   We toured the museum, enjoying some of the interactive displays.  Seen left, Judy tries out a race horse.

Just before the gates opened to the general public, we were escorted into the track area and up to Millionaire's Row.  Seen right, the view from the balcony just outside the doors from our table.



Photo of Jean, myself, Judy, and Shirley, enjoying a beautiful day at the tracks.









The first race started at 1:00, and they were run every half hour, all afternoon.




We had a large buffet lunch, starting at noon, and the line was open until 3:00.  So, eating between and during races also occurred.

I wandered the grounds, taking in all the sights, smells, and sounds.  The room seen below had video monitors where people sat to watch several screens at once, and then make their bets.

I liked going down to track level to watch some races and also see the pre-race prep in the paddock area.  It was neat to see the horses up close, fun to mingle with the crowd, and exciting to watch the races.


I bet on five races, hemming and hawing, this way and that, on which horse to put my money on.  My bets were two dollars each, for 'my horse' to show (3 chances to win $) but I never won anything.  This is why I hate to gamble! 






On Our trip home, we traveled more interstate, but, our bus driver had to make two emergency stops (was sick, apparently from something he ate), so our trip was just as long, a little over five hours.  I took Shirley and Judy back to Shirley's house and was home by 10 pm.  It had been a fun, yet tiring trip.  One I would do again.