Friday, August 14, 2020

Went for a horseback ride over in the Horse Butte National Forest. It was lovely, with my friend Anna riding Rosie and I on Sunni. Pimmy followed us and wearing a new donkey fly mask covering her long ears and face.

This outing was spontaneous and without a particular goal except to relax and enjoy. For several miles we simply ambled along.

It’s a joy that Anna loves Rosie, a pleasure to see how thoughtfully she communicates, how well the two interact. Anna guides the mare to stroll casually, invokes Rosie’s natural long strides–it’s lovely.

Sunni and I get along better as she wears a bit-less bridle. I’ve practiced bracing my elbows in a manner to prevent her sudden neck-dippings to grab for grass. Now after working to resolve our differences, Sunni and I move along appropriately. We’re team players though, and periodically I give Sunni permission to pause for grass.

The next time that I’m out and riding alone, I intend to explore very faint side trails. Some appear to sprout from our main trail and others seem to track alongside at a distance. In that beautiful forest it’s quiet and surprisingly cool, and likely, most trails are remnants from hunting seasons. Nonetheless, Horse Butte long has been a horseback riding area, and I’ll probably discover some wonderful old and still pretty-well beaten horse paths.

Dear Friends: If today you happen to be in Costco, look for me and say hello. Diana

Thursday, August 13, 2020

Like nearly everybody else, I’m hooked on the worldwide impact of the ongoing CoronaVirus pandemic. Blogs by writers living in other countries suggest that they, like us, mostly are at home and looking through their windows or hanging out in their backyards. Nearly everybody worries about present and future health care and the overall environment.

Much about how such as these evolve will result from how societies are governed. I live in Central Oregon, in an essentially remote and almost landlocked area between mountains and desert. I’ve considered myself a remote watcher of national politics and of shenanigans among the rich and powerful. I’m not feeling so remote now, for my area visibly is being impacted by decisions of those who govern this nation.

Yesterday, ICE personnel showed up, right here in nearly-landlocked Bend, and arrested two long-time citizens. They claimed they had a warrant, but didn’t or couldn’t produce one. Local citizens seeing what was happening immediately surrounded and blocked that ICE truck. Bend citizens used social media to publicize and protest those arrests. Bend’s mayor supported ICE’s appearance and the arrests.

Recently, too, we in Oregon learned that the Trump Administration has allowed lumber producers to start cutting into Oregon forests, to log the remaining, relatively-small stands of giant old-growth trees. Meanwhile, the State has initiated a lawsuit to oppose this and hopes to make impossible any cuttings of old growths.

I repeat that, until now, I’ve felt a relatively distant observer of national politics. But no longer, for I’ve become as disgusted as one living in a major city who feels highly impacted by this Nation’s poor leadership. I’m stunned by its blatant neglect of the sheer necessity to cope realistically with deteriorating factors related to human health and our struggling environment.

The pandemic and the politics are awakening many citizens to the fact that ahead is a new world. Regardless of whether we allow government to continue as is, or whether we vote and change our leadership, much won’t and can’t be the same. Our planet is overburdened, has been managed poorly. Saving it and ourselves requires a widespread acceptance of new constraints, and accordingly, changes in how we behave.

Neither paper money, gold, nor such as bitcoin or virtual money, could help if ahead there comes a time of genuine, real shortages–say, of food, toilet paper, fuels, hospital equipment. We all must get smarter and also hope that ahead our leadership also becomes smarter and is more caring.

Dear Friends: I try to avoid writing about politics, but sometimes…. Diana

Wednesday, August 12, 2020

This will be short and fast, as it’s to be an at-work day and I’m running later than usual.

One of the members of our local driving club has asked to go riding with me, and I’m pleased for an opportunity to expand our friendship. Driving with others is fun, but not similar to the sort of hanging out and just talking that happens with others while horseback riding. This summer of horsebacking has been great fun, because of the riding itself and for becoming more in touch with friends.

It’s also been a period of new adventure, as I’ve tried to learn and understand better my somewhat complicated mare, Rosie. Working to know her more has forced me to recognize more within myself, and some personal insights have been surprising. I’m not yet articulate about these surprises but will be by the time Rosie and I completely are in sync.

Basically it’s true, that to get “the feel of a horse” means searching equally to understand more of one’s own feelings. Believe me, it’s is easier said than done.

Anyway, this is a prelude to my running out and feeding the large animals. I’m on the way!

Dear Friends: Hope you have a wonderful day. Diana

Tuesday, August 11, 2020

Yesterday, I understood that “All roads lead to Rome”. In that moment Anna and I on horseback were paused at a forest intersection of five roads. I wanted to grasp our location from a map on my cell phone, and to my shock found my phone had a map detailing this area, except for the road on which our horses were standing.

This “new road” was one Janet and I found a day earlier. Today, Anna and I were exploring it. I had been attracted to a faint old trail going toward the woods. It soon became better defined and continued a half mile. It petered out at an area surrounded by terrain destruction from vehicles in hunting seasons. We continued along the vehicle road and arrived at this intersection.

During my earlier ride with Janet, I recognized this road’s termination near the hunter’s camp on my “Blue Elderberry Trail”. Still, this intersection confounded until it appeared on my phone’s map. The road bringing us here was one I’d noticed previously, had been curious, but not explored. I skipped opportunities to ride on it, and now, saw it as integral to a more complete “Blue Elderberry”.

What months ago began as “my giant corner” of the Horse Butte National Forest has shrunk into a small corner with all roads meeting. These might be mappable for horseback riders as one large loop that contains several smaller loops. Just maybe, for trying to visualize that overtasks my brain.

More about yesterday’s ride. Anna on Rosie mostly was in the lead because of Rosie’s bigger stride. While following on Sunni, I benefited from Anna’s descriptions of Rosie’s frequent muscle flexings. Rosie seemed to flex too often and Anna began searching under the saddle, found a bit of tree debris. She wondered if it were poking at the horse, removed it and continued to ride. Anna said that Rosie’s back muscles now completely were relaxed.

Anna is sensitive, thoughtful, and a natural teacher. I rode Sunni who in a bitless bridle suddenly would halt to grab for grass. Anna showed me an alternate way to hold Sunni’s reins, and demonstrated how a rider can brace elbows against hips and resist sudden neck-dippings. Ha! With a little practice, I became the decider of whether and when Sunni grazed.

Later this week, Anna and I will ride again. We’ll be out east by the Badlands. She’ll be on her giant horse (17+ hands), with me on little Sunni (14- hands). Until then, I’ll go and hawk some wares at Costco.

Dear Friends: This summer’s rides might generate a “New Blue Elderberry” paper map. Diana

Monday, August 10, 2020

As may happen with my friend, Janet, on the spur of a moment we teamed up. This time we went horseback riding, she on the calm and dependable Sunni.

I rode the fun Rosie, who occasionally does surprise a little.

After having started Sunni wearing a bitless bridle, I began thinking of the same for Rosie. She’s maybe tad hotter than Sunni, but mostly it’s barely noticeable. The wonderful thing was to have a riding partner on my first time riding Rosie and with a bitless bridle. Throughout the bitless ride Rosie cooperated perfectly.

Janet, a thoughtful friend, brought me a belated birthday gift from her garden. This morning it blooms more and is beautiful.

On this ride there appeared a very faint horse trail that I’d not noticed before. We set our horses on it and eventually the trail became more defined. It was easy to navigate and seemed to rise although didn’t appear to be going over a ridge. It took us into an area that definitely has action during hunting seasons.

Our trail finally petered out and we were on a road I didn’t recognize. My electronics noted a direction of the trailhead and we turned that way. The area remained strange to my eyes and at some point we turned off, onto a smaller, not well-defined trail. This little trail quickly brought us to a slight ridge. The moment our horses stepped over I knew where we were.

We had arrived at the “Blue Elderberry Trail”! We were near the hunter’s camp and beginning to descend on a stone-lined trail going downhill and turning toward the elderberry bush.

I now understood that we’d come from a road I had noticed before but never tried. It turns out to provide a back way to the hunter’s camp. If coming from the elderberry bush, it’s an opposite way toward the trailhead. This is exciting!

My neighbor, Frank, is experienced in making maps and has offered to help create one showing a forest trail. I will ride this larger loop, perhaps today, and record key coordinates for him.

Today, my excellent horsewoman friend, Anna, will ride Rosie, and use any type of bridle she wishes. Rosie benefits from a session with Anna riding. And just as important, Anna’s feedback to me explaining Rosie’s needs has helped me gather the understanding and bravery to ride Rosie without a bridling constraint.

Dear Friends: “Get going and keep growing” has been key to a wonderful summer. Diana

Sunday, August 09, 2020

Yesterday, a joyous return to my halcion days on horseback! I hauled Rosie who was an easy, pleasant ride. This time, I brought Pimmy along to counter Rosie’s separation anxieties. The combo worked beautifully. Rosie was calm in the trailer and while being saddled. Throughout my ride, she maintained a pleasant gait and casual alertness.

Without trouble, we found the well-beaten trail that crosses a large lava ridge. It provides a picturesque travel.

I’ve named this trail, “Ridge Trail #2”. It’s located fairly near a ridge trail I found earlier and now refer to as Ridge Trail #1. It puzzles me after coming off RT#2, that I can’t find RT#1. I’ve wandered from RT#2, searching for RT#1, but haven’t located them vis a vis one another.

Gee, I want to record my routes and finds by creating a detailed-area map. So far, I’ve not discovered an affordable and capable way to hard-map the real-time details that are stored in my electronics.

Yesterday, Rosie left RT#2 where it ends, near the powerlines at the north end of Road 200, and headed south, a routine in my searches for RT#1. Occasionally, we pass a vehicle, parked in a field but near the road. Someone inside keeps covered its windows and leaves open its side door. Yesterday, my dogs headed toward that vehicle and I called them back just as whoever was inside slid-shut the door.

I yelled, “So you know, there’s a loose donkey following me!”

From inside, in a man’s deep holler, “I love that donkey!”

Dear Friends: Even in the middle of seemingly nowhere, people may meet in odd ways and even eak slight familiarities with one-another’s doings. Diana

Saturday, August 08, 2020

I’ve completed a string of days at work. Having had no chances to ride horseback, I itch to hoist myself into a saddle. Now with several days off and starting this morning, I’ll correct the gap and resume riding. Prior to re-starting work at my old job, almost daily riding had become ritual.

A new week of the work schedule is posted. It appears that on average I’ll work three days weekly. That provides plenty of days free to play with horses, and it’s especially nice during this relatively-cool weather.

There’s a fun element of working in a busy place where many people gather. At Costco, I bump into friends doing their shopping for pleasant moments together, catching up. Besides renewing friendships those encounters by breaking up the routine help my hours pass more quickly.

I’m uncertain today whether to take out all the horses or only one. My best bet is to play things by ear, and in other words, get a sense of what’s most compelling while out feeding them. Much happens while interacting with horses. Today I’ll assess their alertness and energy relative to my own. This morning, I’m a little tired. While I’d like to get them all out, maybe instead, it’s better to opt for an easy ride and just one horse.

My physically strongest dog, Ranger–and unfortunately the only one not dealing with arthritis or injury–was exhausted after running frequently with my horses. During my recent working days, Ranger’s had a good rest. Now again, this great trail dog is ready to run.

Dear Friends: The stress of working is offset by anticipating fun with the horses. Diana

Friday, August 07, 2020

It’s shocking at work to find some customers angry at us sample servers. They demand for edibles handed out, right now. Yesterday, a woman repeatedly insisted that I had no business being in the store. We all hear such things from customers and try to appear neutral.

In this unhealthy environment, it’s shocking that people may want to see food cooking and to eat it. I wonder, with others, why our sample-serving company decided to restart. It’s created bunches of rules we servers must observe. We attend to endless hand-washings, no touchings of our masks, and repeated must change our gloves. Meanwhile, the illness rate continues to rise.

If sample serving at Costco again shuts-down, I’ll claim unemployment and happily hop on a horse.

Meanwhile, our nights have turned chilly, and last night I shut windows. After hours on my feet at work, it feels good to slide under a stack of blankets to sleep like a baby. Here’s what’s odd, cool August evenings like these are in the month usually that’s our hottest. But hey, no mistake, I’ll take more of what is.

My non-employed brain has turned into a blank platform. It doesn’t bother with new delights. It’s busy trying to reorganize my fewer free hours–like to feed the large animals on some regular schedule. What’s happening is that now I find time seeming strange. For example, if I’m to be at work at 11:00 a.m., I can’t remember to finish all else by 10:00 a.m. I forget how much time one needs to clean-up and dress-up before heading to work. These first days, I’ve been in a rush-mode to get ready for work, have been leaving late, and barely clocking in on time.

I miss those past-few months that were more free, and supported an alert, accepting, and busy brain. In retrospect, that represented a period of halcyon days. That stretch of tranquility allowed both intakes and ideas to flow and grow. Well, I hope to regain such goodness!

Dear Friends: Realities and dreams may integrate best with step-by-step adjustments. Diana

Thursday, August 06, 2020

First, good news! My Border Collie, Miles, doesn’t have an autoimmune disease, it’s arthritis that causes his limping. That he needn’t take steroid medications is a huge relief to me. Maybe in time, he’ll again be able to accompany my horses, at least, on shorter outings.

Next, we’re back! Yesterday, Costco had five of us demo types working to attract and inform customers. We weren’t handing out samples, but showing and describing products, without generating much interest. My product, hand sanitizer refill, wasn’t exciting, didn’t stop customers, nor encourage me to speak ad infinitum to a script. An hour or so into the demo, I began to fall asleep, worked hard to remember lines and avoid mumbling. Fortunately, a break revived my energy enough. Assignments to products like sanitizer, toilet paper, and most pharmaceuticals makes for b-o-r-i-n-g demo work.

Customers look for tactile and certain visual experiences. They want to touch, eat, or pause on spotting a surprising and appealing product. Yesterday offered none, customers were disinterested. We demo types worked ad infinitum to suppress our yawns.

Things might start looking up for me. I’m assigned today and tomorrow as a breaker, which means filling-in while others take their breaks and lunches. This allows me to move around, change products, and share brief co-complaining sessions with fellow-workers. Breaking means shorter working hours, too, which I prefer. I’m experienced in showing most store products and don’t require full-time hours and pay. I simply want to keep my “hand in” and am hoping for a breaker role permanently or most often.

Restarting a massive, worldwide demo biz is requiring the organization to move forward with very-baby-steps. We first-hires are the workers most experienced. We understand the significant, gradable processes of maintaining stations, squeaky-clean, and selling products with scripted-speeches. We also have off-the-record experiences. One is knowing how to stay alert enough to perform adequately with any product.

By tomorrow’s ending, I’ll be off and running in the job. My next focus will be seeking to continue horseback riding while accommodating that work schedule. If mostly I’m a breaker, that will leave hours open to play with horses. My fingers are crossed.

Dear Friends: How a person wears a mask illuminates clearly his or her personality-type. Diana

Wednesday, August 05, 2020

Another fine ride yesterday with me on Sunni and Anna riding Rosie. The horses took us over a big lava ridge, on a lovely horse-trail I discovered earlier. Next, we crossed again that large ridge, but through another section, with our willing and confident horses creating a new trail.

My activities will change starting today. I’m resuming part-time work as a sample server at Costco. The paperwork is done, I’ll go this morning for reorientation and to start working. The process has changed, and now Servers won’t cook or hand out bits of edibles. Instead, we’ll recite product worthiness and distribute pre-packaged samples.

I understand that we’ll stand behind plexiglass barriers and wear plastic face guards. We must wear gloves, change them frequently, and of course, do lots of hands-washing.

I’ve thought much about whether to resume my old job.

Costco has impressed me during these worrisome months. The store continually sanitizes its shopping carts, and monitors that every person entering wears a mask. I’ve seen how carefully the store is managing for cleanliness and supporting distancing guidelines.

There are negatives in that I’ll have less time to play with horses, less energy for tending to property, and as a senior, I’m vulnerable to illness.

The big positive is feeling lucky to have paying work in these economically depressed times. My part time job qualified me for unemployment benefits, and would again in case of a need to halt sample-distributing.

Nothing’s locked in stone, and today will be informative. If the newly revamped serving process doesn’t feel right, I can reconsider a decision to work.

Dear Friends: “My summer on horseback” has been wonderful, rewarding and fun! Diana