These boots were made for walking.

After I write this blog, I hope I can post it on FB.  I do not like the new updates!  The folks at FB are making it difficult to use and are about to cause themselves problems.

The flooding was bad but now under control.  The area seems back to normal.  

Last week was my first trip to Montgomery, Alabama.  I wasn't kidding when I said I hoped to survive the week!  Work presented me with new challenges and people.  I won't lie, the worst challenge was finding out at the last minute that I was the presenter all week.  I hadn't pack the right shoes for hours and days of standing! My feet still hurt.  Being in Montgomery let me visit with a few people from the VA project I hadn't seen in months.  It was great to catch up with them.

Friday night on my way home, Cindy asked if I wanted to ride Graham at the Beaufort Hunter Trials the next day.  Sure, why not!? Graham is a five year old TB gelding and such a very nice horse.  I hadn't been on a horse in a week and Graham was worked once in the last week.  We went out, in bad mud, and had a great day!  We brought home two blues and a reserve champ ribbon! 

 Fred had some down time while I was away.  We did flat work the last three days and jumped last night.  He was a bit full of himself and it was the first time I was able to really feel capable of standing up to him.  We'll go round 2 on Thursday with Lauren and Napoleon.  My schedule is a little crazy right now with work and I plan on running at Plantation in October at BN.  After that, we'll prep for a strong start next year. 

 

Hello there, Mother Nature.

Fred and I survived our first serious travel event since the trailer incident in July.  It took help from Cindy to get him on the trailer, but once on Fred stayed put.  It was just me and him at Carousel Park while we got ready.  He was quite cooperative despite his increased height! We had a great schooling with Sally and the group.  Sally kept us at BN so we would have a confidence building ride. 

We had to jump up the bank a few times.  Fred doesn't jump in a way that will propel me out of the tack.  The more I think about it, that's probably a good thing.  When we do certain jumps, I have to be strong enough to get myself out of the tack, hold it, and stay out of his way.  We worked on having the correct canter to fences.  It's forward, not up and down.  As usual, I have to ignore Fred's celebrations and ride.  We had one run out because I didn't ride him straight to a fence.  Sally really got after me! It was appropriate butt kicking.  After that Fred and I had several good fences, which made the last few weeks of frustration worth it.

On Monday, Paige and I started practicing for our pairs debut on Sept 25 at Twin Brooks.  Watching us try to stay together must be hilarious.  

At the end of our ride Monday, the rain started.  It hasn't stopped since then! Wednesday was the worst.  There was horrible flooding in the Susquehanna Valley!  I went out and saw cars submerged, scared parents who couldn't get to their children, and rushing rivers in places that are no where near water.  My dad started pumping water out of their basement Wednesday around 2pm and is still pumping water out of the basement.  At best, they were able to keep the water level at around a foot.  

Wednesday afternoon and evening I went out and took photos and video of my area.  A mile radius around our house in Hershey saw major damage.  The area had not seen flooding like this since Hurricane Agnes in 1972.  

The weather has changed some upcoming plans.  Lauren and I had hoped to get our redheads back to eventing at Olney on Sept 18 but yesterday they cancelled the event.  We're bummed but also relieved that all of us are safe and in one piece. 

After hours of work on the ring yesterday, Cindy has made it possible for to ride in the outdoor again with Sally today. 

Saturday afternoon I will be home to cheer my #23 Penn State Nittany Lions on against #3 Alabama.  I hope everyone going to the game is careful and plans accordingly.  The main road from Harrisburg to PSU is out due to the flooding.

Sunday will be an early start.  The Fair Hill horse trial moved from Saturday to Sunday.  I will be there to help Sally with her rides.  Her first ride is 8:04 am.  I will be able to stay and see Cindy and Graham.  After that, I must rush home in time to shower and head to the airport.  I'm flying to Atlanta Sunday evening and then driving to Montgomery, Alabama for the week.  

Prepping for Olney and stalking Burghley.

The new project is going well.  It's a challenge, no doubt about it.  I'm working with software that IBM recently bought and as usual, I have no training on it.  The project sent me to Atlanta last week as a hall monitor.  The client was at the IBM facility for an intro to the software.  It gave me a chance to meet the people I'm working with and see the software.

I was able to sneak out to Chattahoochee Hills farm Wednesday night.  It is about 20 miles south of Atlanta.  The American Eventing Championships are held there from 2010-2012.  The site is astonishing.  There is a long lane that finally ends up at the top of a hill crest where you can see the beautiful stabling and rings to your left and the cross country course to your right.  The weather was very nice for August in Georgia.  I found a groundskeeper who gave me permission to walk the course.  The XC was still undergoing work.  Jumps were being set, the water complex had been drained and re-leveled, and there were sprinklers and aerators at work.  Photos from my adventure are posted on Flickr.  After being at the site, I'm hoping to win the lottery and qualify for next year's AECs.  The guest stabling is nicer that my house!

Back at home, things are quiet.  Quiet is always good.  Tyler is happy.  The latest report is that he mostly keeps to himself and grazes.  He has been taking advantage of gates left open and apparently looks coordinated and healthy as he comes running back to the barn when he hears the rattle of grain.

Fred and I are trying to prepare for Olney on Sept 18.  We've had a few unexpected bumps which are out of our control, but I think we're ok now.  My plan is to take him to Carousel on Sunday for XC with Sally and to Fair Hill Tuesday if needed.  The biggest hurdle, besides keeping the little bugger in one piece, is a work trip to Montgomery, Alabama right before the event.  I'll be counting on Cindy and Lauren to help me keep him going that week.  It's impossible to event without a team to help you.  

Rumor has it that Fred and I may compete against our good friends, Lauren and Napoleon at Olney.  The red heads should have a lot of fun there. 

Lauren and a very happy Fred out in the field at HVS.

Lauren and Napoleon over the training corner at Plantation.

Currently the biggest, baddest, and most intimidating three day event in the world is taking place.  The Burghley Horse Trial is amazing.  Take a walk around Saturday's cross country course with the designer, Captain Mark Phillips.  (Yep, same guy I will ignore if Sally's giving me directions.)  Nico Morgan's photos make me want to go out and spend a lot of money on a nice camera.  Eventing Nation has many links from the event.  Check out the US's best chance, Sinead Halpin, as she walks the first five fences.  Sinead finished 3rd this year at Rolex, she was the highest placed American.  The leaf pit just leaves me speechless.  And if the site is holding up to the demand, watch the replays of all the beautiful and crazy pairs compete.  

 

Video update

I haven't made the time for an update.  I have had time to write, but haven't.  So for now, I'm posting this video of Fred and I.

Here's the link if the video doesn't work.

It's about to get busy.

After 6 months of being home, I return to the traveling consultant lifestyle.  I'll be driving to the DC area through October for project work.  While I'll probably not keep my platinum status with Delta for next year, I'm ok with being only 3 hours away from home.

Since the last blog, Fred has returned to full work.  He had a lesson with Sarah on Friday.  We worked on canter departs.  Right now that is the most glaring issue in our dressage tests.  I figure we have all winter to make us a real dressage team.  While the weather's warm, we're going for the basics in order to get out and earn mileage competing.  

Fred also rode in my trailer Friday!  He had a small bit of chemical relaxation, I won't hide that fact.  He was very well behaved getting on and off the trailer and while we drove around the block.  

Yesterday morning I took him outside and let him jump.  Oh boy, was he happy to jump.  It was a month since I last jumped him.  Thankfully, I knew what to expect after the fences.  I trotted a single fence and made him stop on a straight line several times.  There was a lot of happy dancing/flailing on the other side of the fences.  I managed to stay with him, pretty or not, and by the end we were cantering around over two jumps with normal flailing.  

Thankfully, Fred and I had 6 months to figure each other out and I think we can adapt to my work schedule going forward.  Of course this means I've asked Lauren to ride him once a week.  Yet again, she said she would. :P

My parents' and the Susquehanna Yacht club hosted a successful 4Diamonds Boating Day for the 4Diamond kids at Hershey.  We all got a little wet at lunch but managed to get out on the river before the next round of weather came in.  Well done, everyone!  

While I had a little break between projects this week, I did some fall planning:

August 21: help the HVS crew at Carousel HT
August 31 - Sept 3: Quentin Riding Club fall show (helping out as I can)
September 10: Fair Hill Starter Trial
September 17: Beaufort Hunter Trials
September 18: Olney Starter Trial (Fred is entered!)
September 24: Penn State vs. E Michigan.  We have seats 11 rows from the field!  You can hear the helmets crash at that level.
September 27 - October 2: Dressage at Devon.  I've never been but might go this year.
October 2: Burgundy Hollow mix 'n match.  Hoping for N dressage and stadium with a BN XC round.
October 12 - 16: Fair Hill **/***.  Maybe I'll spectate this year.
October 30: Plantation Starter Trial

MKE and Lauren saves the day.

Let's start with my trip to Milwaukee.  I flew from Detroit to MKE after a week in Ann Arbor.  I was already half way to MKE, might as well just go.  I hadn't seen anyone there since the middle of February when I left for Aiken.  I spent Friday night with Donna, Tianna, and Danielle.  Tianna was extra nice and let me crash at her place Friday night.  It was good to hear everyone is doing well.

 Tianna, Me, Danielle, and Donna

Saturday I spent a few hours at Pigeon Creek Farm.  I saw almost all the regulars.  I spent most of my time with Anne.  I wish I could bring her to PA on a regular basis.  She's an amazing teacher of riding skills and life skills.  Parker and I said hello.  He is even cuter than I remember! 

After my PCF visit, I went next door to a farm where I met my friend Diane.  We watched an afternoon of dressage lessons in a clinic with Tom Noone.  It's a beautiful facility and talented pairs of horses and riders, but I reached my DQ limit quickly.

Diane was so nice to host me for the evening.  She and her husband made a tasty dinner and we sat around talking for a long time over glasses of wine.  It was very soothing to talk to her.  


Sadly, my weekend in Milwaukee ended very quickly Sunday morning as I had a noon flight home.


I landed in Cincinnati around 2pm and Lauren left me a text to call her.  She reported in that instead of cantering under saddle for the first time in almost a month, Fred had a fever of 104 and respiratory problems.  Lauren, who is my hero, stayed with that horse all afternoon until I finally arrived around 7pm.  She helped the vet tube him with liquid and electrolytes and monitored him all day.   All of this after riding him for a week while I was gone.


Monday I spent the day working from the barn while Fred had his sick day.  He held a normal temp and was mostly his silly self.  Unlike Tyler, Fred likes the constant attention.  Fred is back to his regular rations and turn out.  I'm hoping for a half hour lesson of walk/trot work with Sarah on Friday.  It's been 10 days since I've ridden.  :(


Tyler is very happy and healthy.  I stopped by to give him some carrots between Fred related errands.  Tyler is filthy and I need to schedule some bath time for him.  It's apparent that I'm the only who is bothered by his yellow coloring.  TRose will not be thrilled by the cleaning process.  Too bad for him!


On the work front, this is my last week on the website project I've had since late April.  No love lost there.  I'm not sure what's next but I'm hoping I get back to Maximo work.


I think that's all I've got.  I took some Michigan photos last week of the stadium and a bus, but my Penn State blood prevents me from posting anything.  Ewwww.... 

Start again.

It's been a while since I've blogged.  Imagine, I have been busy with work.  I was in NY July 11-15 and then home for two weeks.  This week I am in Ann Arbor, MI.  It's all work for the same project.  Keep your fingers crossed for me.  I applied for an IBM project in Paris, France for three weeks in September. 

Tyler has been in the field for a month.  He seems content, possibly a little bored.  I see him once a week.  It should be more often, but I haven't had enough hours in the day.  Yesterday when I stopped by, he started towards the diesel as soon as I pulled in the driveway.  It kind of felt like I was driving the ice cream truck.  Don't worry, he has plenty of mints and consumed at least a pound of carrots yesterday.


Stacey re-examined Fred on July 20, ten days after the great escape.  She was pleased with his progress and we received the go ahead for work. I can't explain how relieved I was to hear the good news.  We're on the start again plan and trying to make Fred stronger and fitter than I had him before.  After a week of walking, which gave me a good chance to focus on his free walk, we trotted Friday night.  Fred did not feel like a horse who kicked his way out of a trailer.  Yesterday, we did a few steps of lateral work with the help of Stephanie.  I need a lot more practice than Fred does.  Lauren takes over the ride on Fred this week. Something tells me she won't mind working him.

Lauren has the ride until next Monday.  I'm in Ann Arbor until Friday afternoon and then spending the weekend in Milwaukee.  It's been 5 months since the VA project ended.  I'm excited to see so many people that I had to unexpectedly leave.  I may end up at the Wisconsin State Fair!  (See 2010 summer blogs that feature fried PB&J, chocolate covered bacon, and the swimsuit competition.)  

Anyway, I have lots of website defects to sort, record, and calculate.  Back to the grind.

Oh, my birthday was Monday and I had a great weekend with everyone and the client I'm working for this week had peanut butter and chocolate pie for me.  I can't complain. :)  Oh, 27 is soooooooooooo old.