I'm behind again, and so much has happened . . . kind of. I forgot to tell you about something that I did. The local wellness center/spa had a "sale" on experiencing a "floatation tank" or sensory deprivation tank . . . so, I did it. Apparently you can freak out or something, but when I told her that I'm a meditator, she said I'd be fine. I guess most people aren't used to being that alone with themselves . . . or in touch with themselves. Anyway, it's a big tank filled with body temperature water that is so full of salt that you can't help but float. It's also dark. I put earplugs in, too, but I could occasionally hear people talking in the other room. Mostly it was just me in the dark, though. The salty water, surprisingly, felt almost slimy. Weird feeling. I enjoyed it for the most part, although I was hoping for hallucinations! None of that. I just did my meditation and enjoyed the weightless feeling. Afterward, I took a shower which was in the room adjacent to the float tank. It was an interesting experience.
My friend and teacher, Jennifer, from the horse ranch has had a hard time lately. Last week her father died . . . it was kind of expected . . . but, still . . . it's never easy. And since I lost my Dad when I was eight . . . this is always a touchy thing for me, because I've never really gotten over it. Father's Day STILL bothers me . . . even after fifty-two years. Anyway, back to Jennifer. Then, last Friday she lost a young broodmare to a weird accident. The horse, Annie, was found with a large stick sticking straight out of her shoulder. It had already done a lot of damage systemically, so they had to put her down. This past Monday, one of her dogs, Huck, a very nice dog . . . smooth coated border collie . . . disappeared. They looked all over for him, but since one of his jobs was keeping mountain lions away . . . they think that's what might have happened to him. This one kills me . . . he was a good dog . . . and I haven't known him that long, but I'll really miss him.
Last week, I called Ron on an off day and asked if I could ride Dolly. I had planned to saddle her to give me a little more confidence to trot or maybe canter, but Ron never came out of the house, and I couldn't get the saddle off the saddle tree! So, bareback it was . . . which I never really mind, anyway. After walking around the arena several times, I got up the nerve to trot her. She did try to get away with me, but I pretty much just dealt with it. Working with Jennifer's green horses . . . not riding them . . . just doing ground work . . . has given me so much more confidence . . . even while riding. So, I was fine with Dolly. Since I was still feeling fine, I decided it was time to try cantering bareback which I haven't done in forty years! But, it was time to go for it! I tried encouraging her without giving her a little kick, but that didn't work. So, I gave her a little kick . . . she did canter for a short time, but not before giving me a little buck!! After that, I just tried to walk her around and calm her down so I could get off on a positive note. When I did finally get off, I led her around the arena for a short while just to cool her down. (an old pic of me and Dolly)
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