Blue Moon

Tomorrow, when we get our full moon, we get to sing along:

"Blue Moon, you saw me standing alone..."

I sing it with a really smoky voice that sounds like I've had too many drinks.

When a season contains four full Moons, the third is called a Blue Moon.

Why is the third full Moon identified as the extra one in a season with four? Because only then will the names of the other full Moons, such as the Moon Before Yule and the Moon After Yule, fall at the proper times relative to the solstices and equinoxes.

Ok. Whatever. I just know it's the second full moon this month and I expect all mares to foal tonight or tomorrow night. Heads up MiKael!

Sunday Ride



We went out in the desert for a short ride yesterday. I got to ride my filly's mother, Pony. She's normally a sweet little paint mare and yesterday, while she was sweet, she was also in heat. She was constantly trying to get as close to Billy as she could take me so she could flirt and enjoy his masculine presence. I was constantly legging her away. Anyway the little ride was fun because we took the yearlings and my filly.



They just come along with us and get to kick up their heels and frolic about.



And eat all these neat desert plants that look like dried grass or weeds, and all kinds of shrubs.
These girls aren't even sweaty but the temp is around 95 and they've just been running along with each other. That's my little grulla, Bella, back there that looks like a donkey. Sonora is the paint and Cita is the sorrel. They both will be a year old next month.



The desert surprises us with so much color, even when we haven't seen a drop of rain since last September.

Somewhere in May
What day is today? Friday? Already? And the mini-splits are almost, allll most, done. Brother. And then there was the tanaka that is our own little water tank on our roof. It got messed up and one thing has led to another and now we're getting the shut-off valve replaced. At one point I had 3 men up on my roof, hanging their butts over the edge and making my knees weak.
I know we all hate waiting, but I'm pretty good at it. Because of all this waiting-for-workers business I was able to start a new book that I'm enjoying very much. The Soloist by Mark Salzman. I think it's about a 10 year old book. My husband, who eats books like potato chips, couldn't get into it but I'm taking it slow so it doesn't end too soon.
Today dawns bright and cool and I feel more energetic due to the low humidity. The women in town are holding a fishing tournament on this Memorial Day Weekend. They will be looking for Marlin and Dorado which I hear have migrated up the Sea of Cortez along with the warmer water. I don't participate in these sports since I get so darn sea sick. It's just not worth it for everyone and for me. I have taken pills and gone out on very smooth seas and thoroughly enjoyed myself but I prefer kayaking in the bay...when it's smooth. Or just flopping down and snorkeling along the shoreline. Although, I can get seasick doing that too.
I put my all purpose English saddle on Bella the other day. Since the girth was too long I didn't leave the saddle on for a walk, for fear it could slip and ruin the whole good experience. Oh, and the day before that we had a good lesson with being tied to a poll in a good rope halter and getting her tail washed. She is not in the least afraid of the hose but decided this tail washing business wasn't a good idea and so did some good pulling. She didn't go so far as to slip or scramble but the pulling was one of those sacking-out kind that can only be done with a good halter and pole. I just stayed quiet and let her settle down. It didn't last long and she got over it after two tries. She's pretty smart and figures stuff out pretty quickly. I'm going to put her western saddle on again for a little longer this weekend.
One more thing, a guy opened a little at-home car wash business down the street and around the corner. I was his first customer yesterday so I'll feel responsible for his success forever. He did a lovely job on my filthy, dusty car for only $8. I'll be visiting him often since Bella lives out a long dirt road that I travel daily.
Happy Friday.

Sunday
Nothing went as planned yesterday. The material was backordered for my sofa. The mini-split guy couldn't come afterall and will be here tomorrow, or Manana, whichever comes first. And that lovely Street Sense was beat by a slight nostral.
Life goes on.

Lots of little and big appointments today. We are finally getting our couch recovered. Yes it's a sectional sofa and I realize it is very '80's in look and style but it fits our living room so well that it is the final decision on what to do, what to do. So I get to inspect the material this morning and decide if it is exactly what I chose. I'll try to take before and after pictures.
Also, we are going to have mini-splits installed in the remaining 2 bedrooms. When we bought this house it had a 10 ton unit that cooled and heated beautifully but was so inefficient that it was embarrassing. So, we had it dismantled and taken away and started replacing it with mini-splits in each room. I've seen these little units in Europe and Mexico but never in the US. They are wonderfully efficient and not so loud and ugly as the window air conditioners. We decided not to add heat to these last two units, just the AC. Our winters are so mild here that we almost never use heat except in the early morning in January occasionally. But AC is another story, and last summer when Barbie and Sybil came to visit they had to share a room since it was the only extra one with AC.
I am looking forward to the Preakness today even though I saw the fatal step last year. Street Sense is so gorgeous and so thoroughbred. I hope he has a good race.

And, LA LA LA, I'm trying to get used to this new computer I lusted after. We're coming along as a team.

Happy Mother's Day

It is nice to get to thank all of those nurturers who we admire as care-givers and hand-holders. I always get cards from both my daughter and daughter-in-law, but feel like I'm cheating since they have the "mother" jobs now and mine is long over. I always say that they deserve the special treatment.
My daughter has never had children but she teaches school and tends to her husband and pets. That's pretty busy mother things. My daughter-in-law has our two grandsons, who are 15 and 12. You know she gets the hugs and kisses and gold stars for her time-in-service. She's doing a great job in the motherhood department. I applaud both of these hard working women.
Mother's Day down here in Mexico was last Thursday. I think they have it on May 10th every year whatever day that happens to be. It seemed to be a holiday for the school kids so they could stay home and spend time with their mothers. Isn't that sweet? And everywhere we went we saw kids with their Moms.
Have a lovely Sunday.

Bella Under Saddle

Before I bought Bella last summer she had tried on a baby saddle a few times, but that was the last time, maybe a year ago. Here we are just past 2 years old making it look like a walk in the park. No hesitation other than a little side step to get a better smell. After the saddle was cinched up I walked her out the gate to my car and simply unsaddled her. She was a perfect lady the whole time.