It's The Most Wonderful Time Of The Year

I always loved that Staples ad for their Back-To-School sales. Of course, this year it takes on a little bit of a different meaning as I am on my way back to school. Yes, I was in school last year, but all of my classes were infact online so it wasn't quite the same.

Classes started for everyone on Tuesday but I didn't have my first classes until Wednesday. On Wednesday, I had Digital Media Literacy and Interactive Communications. On Thursday, I had my Senior Media Studies Project class. These are third and fourth year classes that I and a few other students have been put into as our program was postponed for a year due to low enrollment. We have a steep learning curve to climb to catch up to the other students. I know we can do it, even if it seems a bit daunting on the first day (ok, ok, I admit, I thought my brain was going to explode). At least the 6 of us are in the same boat so we can help pull, push, and otherwise prod each other along!

In the end, I know that the final result will be well worth the bumps and bruises we may (read: will) experience along the way!

Stuff & Nonsense

So, I've decided that I'm not a very good blogger. I'm inconsistent in my updating probably because I'm so busy working on websites (paying clients, yippee!), walking the dogs, and training my horses.

Speaking of dogs... My youngest dog participated in his first agility trial held in Nanaimo in July. He did really well, sort of. While we didn't have a clean round (he ran 3), we didn't go off course, he didn't pull any jump rails, he DID take the tire jump 2 out of 3 times, he did stay in the ring, and didn't visiting the judge, ring crew or any of the spectators. All in all, I'd call that a successful first trial.

Training of the horses is coming along well. My youngest is finally figuring out that the farrier is a good person and one that you really should cooperate with. Getting his feet done is getting easier (my farrier is thrilled, I'm sure). My 5 year old mare and I have started a training program with a great dressage coach and we're making huge progress! Not only is she learning really quickly, but I am also getting over some of my fear issues with being back in the saddle. This is a huge plus.

Recently, I took my two mares to the ISR/Oldenburg NA inspection. My older mare was placed in the Main Mare Book with a score of 103. I was thrilled. Then it was time for my 5 year old... She scored 105, which if she had her registration papers would have qualified her for PREMIUM! Woohoo! I knew I had a gem in her. Now if only the DNA results would hurry up and arrive (only been waiting 10 weeks for the results)...

School starts in 2.5 weeks and I will be one of those students heading off to class. It feels kind of surreal to be heading back to classes; I haven't been in this situation since 1995... Kind of weird, but very cool. I'm looking forward to being back in school. I love learning and the web program I am taking is fabulous! Maybe I'll have to find a way to turn this into a 4 year program instead of just 2...

Standing on the Edge of Tomorrow

Do you ever feel like there is something waiting to happen if you could just get to the right place and time? Tomorrow... Tomorrow we will get word of this or that, tomorrow the cheque will be in the mail, tomorrow will be better... I'm so tired of waiting for the pieces to finally fall into place.

With the other half employed overseas for nearly two years now, and actively searching for a job back in Canada, it is so frustrating to be in this holding pattern for so long. Can't make any decisions to do this, or go there, or settle down here because we have no idea what is happening on a day to day basis. Which is one of the reasons why I decided to go back to school. I had to do something!

School starts in a few weeks and I have had some recent surprises regarding school. I recently received a scholarship from VIU based on "Academic Excellence". A nice little bonus to apply to next year's tuition. Also, I received a letter stating that I made the Dean's Honour List. Well, that's a nice little feather!

My client list is now slowly starting to build and I'm loving the work. I really love the web designing and creating something that the client loves. I have definitely found my calling! I guess if things didn't happen as they do, I would not have decided to go back to school and find this out.

I guess some good can come from standing on the edge of tomorrow... Who knows what tomorrow might bring?

Catching Up

So much has happened lately that it makes my head spin.

I finished my first year of the web design program at VIU with 92.5% average. Amazing the difference that a little maturity makes from the last time I went to University! LOL! Or maybe it's because I REALLY enjoy this line of study!

Peter came home from Iraq and we headed back to our acreage to pack up our household and put the acreage up for sale. The night before the realtor was scheduled to come by, we had some people drive into the yard that were interested in the house. Two hours after viewing the house, we had a signed offer to purchase in our hands. Cancel realtor, sign papers with lawyer, pack up everything, and head back to BC. And then the buyers decide that "nah, they don't want the house after all". GRRR! So it'll be another trip back for me to once again meet with a realtor. I'll also be talking to the lawyer...

My colt, Fore, also had his big day with the friendly local vet on the 8th... It was gelding day. The vet commented that even though he's been doing this for 30 years, the "crunch" still makes him cringe and shrink a bit! Poor boys! I think the worst part is that I have to make him run around everyday to keep the swelling down. Now that has to hurt!

Time's a Flyin'

Wow, I just had a look at my blog and realized that I haven't posted since mid-Feb and now it's the end of March. The time sure is flying! I have just under 3 weeks left now for this first year of my web design program at Vancouver Island University. I'm loving the program and have learned SO MUCH. Right now for my final project this year, I'm designing a website to showcase my cousin's art work. So it's a busy time! I'll try to post more once I'm finished this project!

Perfectly Persistent

Ever since I purchased Willow in August of 2007, I have been trying to hunt down her sire in order to get her registered. When I purchased her, she was sold to me as a "grade" mare of Hanoverian / TB breeding. All I got was "her sire was an imported black Hanoverian that was standing in such and such area in Alberta" out of a Thoroughbred mare. The hunt was on. Trying to find an anonymous TB mare was going to be next to impossible, but how many black Hanoverian stallions could there be? From eWarmbloods discussion boards I got a name of a stallion; the only black Hanoverian stallion, standing in that area of Alberta in that time frame. With that name, I hunted through the Canadian Livestock Records Corporation and located the stallions registry numbers, breeder's name, and the last recorded owner. Getting closer! I also found out that the stallion was licensed for breeding with Canadian Warmblood Horse Breeders Association. After checking with them and finding out that they didn't have a DNA profile for the stallion, I continued hunting.

Nearly a year later, I had hit a dead end. Since eWarmbloods had been useful before, I went back to post all information I had in the hopes that someone could elaborate on what I had found. Well, cha-ching! The stallion's breeder contacted me and started to help me hunt. Through her sources, and coincidentally another breeder reading the forum, we located the current owner of the supposed sire of my mare! Yippee. We have been in touch and the owner is willing to help me out by making a DNA sample available. In a few weeks time, I should know if this horse is in fact Willow's daddy. Fingers crossed, because if it is, my girl is very well bred...

Absence makes the heart grow fungus? And scary horse moments!

Fore is weaned and so it's time to put Spike back in with him and Willow. The three horses have been acting bored and pulling down the fence playing over it, so it's time to put them back together. Once done (Jan. 15th), it's obvious that there is no way Spike will let Fore nurse from her again even if the milk bar was stocked; which it isn't... Everything looks fine; but I'll check on everyone the next day just to make sure.

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Nothing is quite scarier than going to the barn to see your ponies and finding one dragging their hind leg, or any leg, for that matter. But that's what I found yesterday. Talk about making your heart stop. Willow, instead of being her usual, happy sociable self, was at the far end of the field; by herself. She didn't even come up for hay when her afternoon snack arrived. OMG - something is seriously wrong. This horse does not miss a meal: ever.

So I grab a halter and go down to see her. She doesn't even try to evade me. Definitely something wrong. Leading her up the hill to flat, dry ground; she walks really slowly, dragging the toe of her right hind leg. I check her over; starting at the bottom looking for swelling, scuffs, cuts, bumps; feeling for heat; anything that might give me a clue as to what is going on. Nothing. Hmm. I get to the stifle (please not a stifle injury), still nothing. So pull off the blankets to look for something higher... And that's when I see it... A HUGE muscle knot in the big muscles between the hip and buttock. Ouch, that has to hurt. I run my hand over it and she just about falls down. Poor thing. Judging from the height and force required to make the lump, it's obvious that Spike belted her one. After some ice, and walking Willow is starting to move better.

Of course, today is an entirely different story... They're all bucking, racing around like idiots; Willow is doing sliding stops through the mud and spinning to make a reining horse jealous (hmm, warmbloods can be reiners, can't they?) it's obvious that she's just fine!

New Beginnings

Well the weather is finally starting to break here on the Island and things are no longer in a snowbound holding pattern! It's amazing how a little snow; ok, it was a lot of snow, can grind a place to a halt! But I digress...

Today, OneX and I managed to get to our second agility class for December. Oh wait, it's now January... Ok, so fast forward 3 weeks of agility classes into January. We had a great class today. Normally we have 4 dogs in the class but today there was only 2 of us. Maybe some people are still a bit frazzled by the snow but we took it in stride. OneX was a star and was running like a pro. But I see I am really going to have to concentrate on reinforcing the startline wait or face the same issue (non-existent start line wait) as with Soot. We so don't want to go there. I guess I'll have to reinforce, reinforce and then introduce the "Edmonton twitch"... We were only doing 10" jumps in class but I told the instructor that I would like the jumps to be gradually raised over the next few weeks as OneX's fitness increases as he is going to have to jump 26" in AAC. She paused, "Oh, you're not going to wait to start him in competition when he can go into Veterans for the lower jump height?" Huh? OneX will be fine in Regulars at 26" and if he shows any issues, we'll move to Specials, but I'm not waiting 4 more years to find out...

Of course the lovely aspect of all of the snow melting is that all the horse manure that has, up until now, been frozen and buried in 2' of snow is now thawing out. Oh what a lovely sloppy mess that is! To top it off, the ponies need their toes done and boy that is going to be so much fun for the farrier. Manure caked, soaked legs - I'd hose them off but with the horses having no indoor stalls or warm water, I really don't want to soak their legs. Yuck... Gotta love mud season...

Classes have now begun again for the spring semester. Isn't that a lovely thought: Spring. Not that the winter has been much of a burden out here but I always think Spring is such a cheery thought. Anyway, classes have begun again and I am looking forward to getting back in the swing of it. One thing is for sure, I'm enjoying university so much more this time around. Could it be the courses, or simply the maturity of the student?