I'm Reading and Loving Wild by Cheryl Strayed

My mother told me about the book Wild by Cheryl Strayed a while back - back before there was talk of a movie. My family often goes hiking, and we love to read, so reading about hiking naturally came up. Wild is memoir, in which Strayed hikes the Pacific Crest Trail. My mom said I had to read it, and I am just now getting around to it. I usually make a promise to myself that I will read the book before seeing the movie for any of the book-then-movie scenarios, and I am trying to hold true to that promise with Wild. Honestly, I had forgotten about the book for a while until I saw a commercial for the movie. Then, not long ago, my mom mentioned that we should see it. I bought the book at Barnes and Noble right after that, wanting to read it before seeing the flick. My mom had mentioned that the book had some sad parts. She specifically referred to the main character's mother and a horse dying. Of course it affects me when human characters go through pain or pass away in a book, on TV, or in a movie. I shed tears at the drop of a hat, even during those touching commercials on TV. But why, must I ask, does it affect me so so much when an animal - a HORSE nonetheless, my beloved favorite animal - passes away in a storyline? I'm talking heart-breaking huge crocodile tears and the occasional sobbing episode. It kills me. I guess I can chalk it up to my love of animals.

Anyway,  I am a little over halfway through the book, and I have been dreading the part where the horse dies. The author discusses her mother's death early on in the book, so the tearful page-turning for that event is in my past (well, kinda - the author includes past memories of her mother throughout the book - cue more tears). This evening I took the time to read a bit, and came upon the horse part. Oh my. Pain-in-my-chest, can't-get-my-breath sobbing overtook me, complete with tiny dark gray puddles of mascara-soaked tears forming on my chest. How embarrassing. I'm just glad my husband wasn't home to hear it. My sweeter-than-sugar dog was all worried, and climbed up in my face to make sure I was okay. The more I read of the 'horse part',
the harder I cried. Tears blurred my vision, but they didn't obstruct the words on the page that told me that the horse was very similar to ones I have had, and had to say goodbye to, in my past. Oh connections - how powerful they are. Connections to the story, to animals, to memories, to the ones we love. This section of the book created some strong connections within me.

Ah, books. I love reading books. Especially those I can connect with, and those that I share interests with (especially horses). Don't get me wrong, the 'horse part' was moving for me, but other aspects of the book have been moving for me, too. I highly recommend this book, and can't wait to read more. That's the best kind of read, right?

Here's the book. I purposely purchased the one without the movie cover picture as I always do, even though there is a non-removable 'Now a Major Motion Picture' emblem on it. Is that weird?  :)

Sensitive Fly Spray

My Arabian gelding, B, is has very sensitive skin. I have to be careful what I put on him, or he gets these awful raw patches all over his skin... not pretty or comfy for him at all. He is also pretty sensitive to lots of sun, bugs, etc. His skin just has a fit. He enjoys staying in a nice cool stall on most hot days :) Anyway, after learning the hard way that regular old store bought fly-spray of various kinds doesn't work on him (well... maybe it kept the bugs away, but what good is that when it leads to big, oozing skin problems?), I scouted out recipes for 'sensitive' fly spray. After reading various recipes, I came up with what I now use. It works, doesn't hurt his skin, and is relatively cheap to make.

In a regular size spray bottle, I fill it a little less than half way with distilled white vinegar. Then I fill nearly the rest of the bottle with water. Next I squirt a little Ivory dish soap in, along with a dash or two of Avon Skin-So-Soft or citronella oil. Put on the nozzle, shake, and your ready to go!

Like I said before, it seems to work well, and it is so nice not to have to worry if it will cause my horses skin to break out. It may not last as long as the other types of fly-spray, but it seems to last me just fine through an all day ride!

B 

The Best Yard Sale Horsey Find . Ever.

Mom and I finally packed up our unwanted crud and headed off to have a yard sale. We chose to sell at a local fire department that hosts sales on certain weekends. Lots of people selling and lots buying. Perfect. A while after we unloaded our stuff and set it out, Mom went and perused the other stuff for sale. We are like that... take our stuff to sell, but won't pass up taking a look at what else we could bring home. You never know what treasure you might find and can't live without! Right? Right....

She was only gone for a few minutes, and then I see her headed back to our area with a large purple thing in her arms. As she gets closer, I begin to recognize what it appears she has found. Naw, I tell myself. There's no way. You see, I dabble in the awesome world of endurance riding, and I have slowly but surely acquired the tack & equipment that I need, mostly thanks to my family. Christmas, birthdays, and often for no reason at all, they have gotten me the stuff I need to ride competitively. They are the best family ever, but not only for that reason ;)

Anyway, back to the purple thing I am seeing in Mom's arms. A big grin on her face as she gets closer, and I know it is indeed what I think it is. It's a Toklat Cool Back saddle pad! From a yard sale... In an area where next to no one rides English, let alone endurance. Where the heck did this thing come from?? You may not be as excited about this find as me, but I thought it was amazing! How much did Mom pay for this not-at-all-cheap saddle pad? $1. Yup. That's it. Yes, it had been used, but it wasn't worn out by any means, and it was very clean. It was purple too.... and purple is my color. My biothane bridle is purple. My pack is purple. The brand new Toklat Cool Back pad I already have is purple. But now I have an extra pad to use, which is great, and it cost a whole $1. Yay! Mom also picked up some reigns and a lunge line I believe. I was too distracted by the saddle pad to pay attention to the other horsey finds. The people Mom bought the stuff from didn't know much about it; it was donated to them because they were selling items to raise money for the local animal shelter.

It's looking a little blue here, but it's really a deep purple.

Best yard sale find ever. Thanks, Mom! I hope to put it to good use this weekend!

Happy 4th!