The sky is crying

The full brunt of winter has arrived and I am not motivated to ride. The past six weeks have been fraught with trouble and tragedy. Hopefully, both the presidential and the English Department elections promise a fresh beginning for the next year.
Although Obama will take office next month, I have until the begining of August before I return to 'civilian life.' Although I will be teaching a heavy load next fall semester, I am looking forward to working again with students and having more control over my work life. Currently I am deciding if I will jam all my courses into a Tuesday/Thursday schedule and change my riding lesson day or take a more spread out schedule and teach Monday/Wednesday/Friday. Each option has its advantages, and although many colleagues fight for the two day a week teaching schedule, it has its challenges. But enough dreaming of the future....

Now for the sad events of the recent past. To begin, Patrick fell off a ladder building an aviary for my cockatiel and peach-faced lovebird so that I could move into the bird room for my study, and redo the study as a guest room. After ten days in the hospital with broken ribs and a punctured lung, he is home recuperating, but the project is on indefinite hold. The birds don't care, but I hope they have a new room by the time the summer sun (if we are lucky) dries up the December rain and mud.

Not long after Patrick returned home, my friend Lisa's daughter was riding their beautiful, new horse, Carousel when they had a freak accident. Emma will recover but Carousel didn't survive the accident. The entire barn is still in still in mourning.

Now the chill and gloom of winter keeps my spirits low and I prefer the company of my dogs and cats to my seat in the saddle. Actually, Cleo doesn't mind. But she is miserable locked in her stall or out in the muddy pasture. When she's in she wants out, and when she's out, she stands by the gate to come in.

But there is one ray of happiness......Cleo is being borrowed by Emily to give lessons to three ten-year-olds and a five year old. All six parties involved--not to mention parents--are thrilled. Cleo gets groomed several hours a week by adoring young girls, Emily is living her dream of being a horse instructor, Molly, Cobie, Adrianna, and Reesa are fulfilling their horse obsessions, and the parents love watching Cleo move carefully around the arena with her precious cargo. She seems to understand that she has an important job to do and behaves accordingly. In fact, she saves her more rambunctuous behavior for me, which is fine. I just need to get through January so I can look forward to hanging out at the stables with Cleo more often; now I spend all my energy mucking her stall.

Here's hoping my human and animal friends have a better year in 2009 than in 2008. Happy New Year from Susan and Cleo.