Doranna Durgin's Blog, page 111
March 2, 2011
Action-Figure Author
Is it a bird? Is it a plane? Is it a mighty, cyber being of multi-tasking fervor?
Well, no. Except maybe that multi-tasking fervor part. But I'm definitely working on that clone thing. And meanwhile, I'm working proposals, synopses, chapters of this and that, edits of the other thing, and have a book to start.
Connery's coming home day
In the midst of it all, production on the ConneryBeagle's THE HEART OF DOG anthology proceeds apace! All the delicious donated stories are prepped and proofed for conversion to ebook formats, while I finish doing the same with my own work. The cover is almost done, to much glee. And Word has, once again, been beaten into submission and, for the moment, has stopped making decisions for me.
*pause for a kick and sneer at Word*
So I'm still taking pre-orders, and if you've pre-ordered by check (and it's had time to get here), then you should have email notice of its arrival, along with a special tidbit from Connery.
This is the spot for the anthology info, so here it is!
……………
……………
And the easiest, quickest way to help is to spread the word! The little TELL A FRIEND button down there will share this post (because c'mon, people should have a chance to laugh at me in that pic, don't you think?), and so will retweeting Connery posts on Twitter, or liking the anthology posts on FaceBook. It's an officially BAWHSOME thing to do!
…And because…oh! Right! I had a big book release this month! Here's a whole buncha blogs, including Night Owl, where there's a freebie book up for grabs through 3/11…
Terry Odell's Place — The Vicarious Wallow
Tor Newsletter — Beyond the Woo
NovelThoughts – The Happily Ever After
The Knight Agency Interview — Twenty Questions
Daily Cheap Reads
Rom Con — Storm of Reckoning: On the Road
The Knight Agency Free Friday!
Fresh Fiction — On Being the Evil Overlord
Authorial, Agently and Personal Ramblings — For I am the Corn Plant
Dazed & Confused: Pet Peeve!
Night Owl Romance Blog — On Having Adventures
February 28, 2011
My Kingdom for a Kibble
Or, as Connery would like to say, My Kingdom for a Kibble that I DON'T SEE TWICE.
I am in total agreement with that sentiment.
And now you know how I spent Saturday–if you insert lots of laundry, carpet cleaning, a rush trip to the vet, and new meds.
There's a reason I'm raising funds for his care right now.
That's also the reason I don't REALLY have a blog done today! (I know, I know…you were intending to be too polite to notice it.)
The other thing I did this weekend was much more delightful, and that was to proof the formatting on donated THE HEART OF DOG stories by John Zakour, Jeffrey Carver, and Julie Czerneda. And a couple of my own while I was at it. And meanwhile, all the first stage of formatting is done, on all the stories. Plus the cover is in progress!
Next on the list? A Connery Update Page linked from the anthology, so folks don't have to wonder what's happening there.
But maybe not tonight, as I write this. The object of all the attention needs his bed time meds and cuddles…and I seem to be short on some sleep. For some reason.
PS Easy Button way to help Connery: Clickie on the little Tell a Friend thing to spread the word!
February 25, 2011
Spring Horse Cleaning
By Patty Wilber
I have some competitions coming up–all earlier events were cancelled due to weather, so keep your fingers crossed for Feb. 26th (Ranch Sorting) and Mar. 6 (Buckskin Shaggy Show).
Penny and Tabooli are slated for the ranch sorting. They have been doing well working the corriente cows at my friend Mark's. They are also very comfortable in a herd and working in the pens.
Mark's corrientes are spotted like this one.
This picture is from the fall, but same idea, sans people on foot. Penny in the pens.
The Buckskin show is a Shaggy Show, which means it is a practice show and that the horses can wear their fuzzy winter coats, without penalty. Mine will be. I didn't blanket this winter! (Blanketing=less hair.)
This will be T's first (and maybe last!) horse show, and then he heads home. I am going to miss him. A lot.
"You say that about ALL of them!" says Diamond's mom. "Didn't you cry when…" she lists at least 4 of her horses…"came home?"
Well…Yes.
I suppose it is a bit silly of me, Kick Ass Horse Trainer, to weep when horses go home. But on the other hand, maybe that is one reason many horses do well here.
Penny will show.
Risa will go and she might even show. Am thinking: triple dose of Vitamin B (calming effect) and some new horse ear plugs I am making (less sensory input = calmer horse?) out of old nylons and cotton.
Nevermind. I made them. I put them in (not an issue). She shook her head wildly and out they flew! Boink! Boink!
Buckshot will go (probably) to just hang out. Diamond will go and be shown by his Mom.
Which brings us to horse cleaning. The weather was warm and the light colored horses (T, Penny, Buckshot) were just starting to drop hair.
Then we went way below zero. The hair folicles clamped tight and didn't loosen their grip again for a good two weeks. Just starting to see some shedding progress.
Oh joy. Coming up: weeks of hair hair everywhere. Should just get it over with and shave them down (which is called a "body clip"). BUT, then I'd definitely have to blanket to keep the baldy-lockses warm!
In the meantime, the winter hair looks sort of bed-headish. Oh well. I'll do just a little trimming.
Faces: Take away their winter beards.
I don't clip Cometa, but I did at one point teach him to be clipped by bribing him with cookies. Whenever I turn on the clippers he says, "Cookies! Clip me! Right here!" Result: 1/2 trimmed and got a cookie.
Ears–only trimming the sticky-outty bits, so there is still hair in there to keep out cold and later, flies.
Bridle paths.
The bridle path.
Legs.
One trimmed and one to go. Diamond is very quiet (T, too), so trimming is kind of Zen-like. "Hmmmmmm" go the clippers, off goes the hair and the time slips on by. Trimming Buckshot's and Risa's legs falls more into the "Will I Survive?" category. Or "Will I Attempt to Kill the Horse First?" Oddly, both tolerate having their ears trimmed just fine.
And for Penny, shorten her mane, mainly to enhance the look of her neck; also a shorter mane is more in style for a horse that does western pleasure and hunter under saddle.
Buckshot and Risa will rein, and T is a ranch horse versatility type so longer is fine. The only one that actually has a flowing mane at this point is T, but Buckshot's has potential. Risa's? Not so much.
Appy's traditionally had sparse manes and tails. Breeding has counter-acted this somewhat, and fake tails can conceal the tail problem!
Tails can be purchased in any color. There are different weights, cuts, attachment styles, lengths, etc..
New shoes for all. T. has a tendency to hit his left hind pastern with his right hind hoof; Risa's front feet are too upright; Penny has a funny right front foot. All these can be moderated with good farrier work. Nice to have them correct and pretty for competition, too.
There will be no bathing of anything except legs, manes and tails unless we have an extreme heat wave. (No indoor bathing facilities here and a shivering horse is sad to see!)
And now that we have the horses under control, there is the barn!
Getting a new ROAD. One hundred and fifty feet of grading and "road base" gravel from the hay barn to the horse barn. No more explaining the obvious to the unsuspecting (because apparently it is not that obvious…)
"Please do not drive down to the horse barn because that big stretch of mud and water WILL.." (big sucking sound)… "bury your vehicle"… Ugh.
More dirt for the stalls and the tie rack.
Crusherfines (small rock) for the arena parking area, the new loafing area, the tie rack and a couple of low spots.
New mats for the trailer? Well, maybe not, but here's dreaming!
February 23, 2011
And Me Without My Towel
It's a BOOK!
Can't you just feel taxes creeping up on you? Can't you, huh, huh?
Well, wuh. I find that, organizationally, I'm still digging out from the two years of domicile in transition. This year, I find myself in the middle of two things–scraping together facts and figures from a system that no longer works, and creating a new system that does work.
My brain hurts.
Where is my chocolate?
How many different pieces of software can one person learn at one time?
Is "without" supposed to be capitalized in that title up there, or not?
Wait! I know, I know!
FORTY-TWO!
That is all.
(Oh, I lie–because I'm still rushing around the Internets, celebrating the release of Storm of Reckoning. You can find me:
(previously)
Terry Odell's Place — The Vicarious Wallow
Tor Newsletter — Beyond the Woo
NovelThoughts – The Happily Ever After
The Knight Agency Interview — Twenty Questions
Daily Cheap Reads
Rom Con — Storm of Reckoning: On the Road
The Knight Agency Free Friday!
Fresh Fiction — On Being the Evil Overlord
Now:
Authorial, Agently and Personal Ramblings — For I am the Corn Plant
Soon!
Thursday, February 24: Dazed & Confused: Pet Peeve!
Monday, February 28: Night Owl Romance Blog — On Having Adventures
Whew!)
February 21, 2011
For the Love of Dog
It's a doggie bloggie!
Sort of.
ConneryBeagle: It's about ME! BAWHSOME!
Or maybe not so much.
ConneryBeagle, to put it bluntly, is a hothouse flower. Beneath that robust, opinionated, boisterous veneer, he treads a very fine and brittle line of problematic health and bad luck.
Connery has a story–
ConneryBeagle: It's MY story! BAWH!
–And I've got it posted in detail on my web page. At the moment, here's what counts: After years of scraping to keep him healthy, I've hit a confluence of "must" and "can't."
And after seven years of a little dog who gives all, I'm not ready to give back nothing.
What I've done is gather a collection of doggie short stories (fantasy and SF), now in production, to raise funds. Half are mine, and half are from the amazing Friends of Connery–Julie Czerneda, Tanya Huff, John Mierau, Fiona Patton, Jennifer Roberson, Kristine Katherine Rusch, John Zakour (x2!) Not to mention the cover from Pat Ryan Graphics, or the very cool banner donated by Torbjôrn Pettersen of FantaFiction.
The VERY COOL BANNER
In a couple of weeks, the anthology will go live, and until then, I'm taking pre-orders, RIGHT HERE ON THIS PAGE. (And oh! Did you notice the poll over there on there right? Help me choose a final title!)
The book will be available in all the major formats plus PDF/RTF, and there's software to read Kindle or Nook formats on your computer (or other device). Not everyone adores e-reading like I do, though. If not (or even if so!), I hope you'll consider spreading the word. There's a little "Tell a Friend!" button down there to the right that should make it easy to join in the Friends of Connery effort. And thank you!
ConneryBeagle: BAWH!
February 18, 2011
Moo. Not a cow.
By Patty Wilber
My friend, Elisa, gives riding lessons to kids and she found a horse on Craig's List, for free.
She thought we should go look at it.
I have a load of school work piling up around me, 5 horses to ride every day after teaching, and when was the last time a free horse turned out to be any good? Like never.
So, naturally, I said YES!
We met in town and drove down to Algodones, which is on I25, north of Albuquerque, near the Rio Grande.
Gorgeous day! Over 60F (which, believe me, beats the pants off -27F, barely two weeks ago!). Sunny, dry, clear blue sky, and not windy.
We turned right on the dirt road just past Algodones Elementary School and drove through an old stone tunnel under the railroad tracks. The truck barely fit!
The cottonwoods down here are the big, gnarled, old ones. They probably sprouted in the 50′s following the last big floods which was also the last time a large cohort of cottonwoods established in the Rio Grande Bosque (Cochiti dam was built as a flood control device and it is effective). Cottonwoods are not long lived trees (50 years is old), so change is a comin' as these trees age out and are not replaced.
Flooding puts the river up over its banks. This disturbs the soil and provides enough moisture for the seeds to sprout and establish in a protected location. Cottonwoods regularly sprout and grow on the river bars, but then get washed away.
We arrived at the barn. Spacious stalls, a generous aisle, airy. Gorgeous.
Moo was cross-tied and snoozing in a grooming area and the other horses were hanging their heads over the gates, checking us out.
They were all HUGE. Seventeen or 18 hands. I have a bunch of shrimps at my place, apparently. 15, 15.2, 14.2, maybe Diamond is 16 hands. (A hand is the unit of horse measure. It is four inches. A horse that is 15. 2, is 62 inches tall, at the withers.)
Moo is 15 years old and a thoroughbred. He was a race horse and won once. Then he became a jumper and won a lot more than once! He is currently unemployed and his owner is offering a long-term (and permanent) lease, but only to the right home.
One of Elisa's students said, "I hope you get him! I will say a prayer!"
We rode him. Wow! Quiet, steady, and his canter was slow legged with a lot of lift in the front end. He jumped (well he barely even had to change his stride) a small cross rail without even blinking!
Completely different feel than my little-uns. I asked him to stop and he just eased on down whereas mine fold up under me. He might be fully twice as big as Risa!
We chatted for a while about him and he really seemed to be listening! J. warned: "Do not, under any circumstances clean his sheath*." Other than that and a distaste for static electricity, he is steady as a rock!
Elisa got a call later that she got him! He will move to her place this weekend and begin his new lesson horse life on the eastern plains (well, the start of the eastern plains) of New Mexico!
* Sheath. The penis of the male horse retracts into his body. Male horses build up dead skin in this sheath, which periodically needs to be cleaned off. Also, at the head of the penis, there are two blind pockets that collect gunk. The gunk is called a bean. If a horse "drops" (his weeny is hanging out), you can just reach down there, take hold, and pop those beans out. Or in Moo's case, you can reach down there, touch him and he will immediately use his hind leg to send you to kingdom come! Do not, under any circumstances, clean his sheath! (OK maybe if he is drugged…)
February 16, 2011
Ode to a Cocker Spaniel
The excitement of the day! My Backlist eBooks are being featured on Daily Cheap Reads today!
If you have a Kindle, Daily Cheap Reads is a great place to find inexpensive books of all kinds–indie, sales, and repubs. This month features many of our Backlist eBooks writers, so…way cool!
And I'm still blogging around, all excited about the release of Storm of Reckoning. You can find me:
(previously)
Terry Odell's Place — The Vicarious Wallow
Tor Newsletter — Beyond the Woo
NovelThoughts – The Happily Ever After
The Knight Agency Interview — Twenty Questions
(now!)
Daily Cheap Reads
(next!)
Thursday 17th: Rom Con — Storm of Reckoning: On the Road
Friday 18th: The Knight Agency Free Friday!
Saturday 19th: Fresh Fiction — On Being the Evil Overlord
And in the meantime, I offer this recently unearthed little ode, penned while I was grooming. You'll figure out the tune, which fully reveals my sophisticated music muse:
Me:
I'm a Cocker Spaniel
Short and stout
Here is my piddle
Here is my snout
If you try to brush me,
Watch out–OUCH!
Big eyelashes
I'm cute, no doubt
ConneryBeagle: BAWHSOME, mymom! Do it again!
February 14, 2011
Dart Beagle Meets an Agility Trial
That's what you've been waiting for so patiently isn't it? Not last Monday's little collection of chaos or all that book blog tour stuff (which won't stop me come Wednesday, but I promise you an Ode, too!), but HOW DID DART BEAGLE DO IN HIS VERY FIRST AGILITY TRIAL.
I suppose it's of some interest that Belle turned on the afterburners in her jumpers courses and collected some awesome speed points toward the anticipation of the PACH title (to become official in a year or so), or that ConneryBeagle finished his Excellent FAST title in serious style, going straight through the three legs with a 2nd, 1st, and 1st place.
But really, it's all about Dart, right?
Dart contemplates the Standard Course from my arms, forming his plans
Well, Dart remained true to his amazing little self in every way–which is to say, at some moments he was brilliant, and at other moments he was…
Astonishingly…
Creatively…
Baaaaaad.
We started with Standard on Friday:
Dart: I don't really know what's going on here so I'd better pay really good attention!
Dart blasts through a perfect course, stuttering only at the problematic teeter that also dumped so many experienced dogs that weekend to lose his Q
Dart: Wow! My head feels…explosive!
And off to the Jumpers course…
Dart: I don't really know what's going on here, but I kinda get the idea…
Dart blasts through a perfect course to qualify with first place
Dart: Wow! MY HEAD FEELS EXPLOSIVE I MUST THINK ABOUT THIS!
Dart thinks about this overnight.
The next day, at the standard course:
Dart: That was VERY BIG STUFF yesterday. I think it was too big for me. I think I'll run off. No, I'll come back. No, I'll make up this part of the course because it looks like I can do it right. No, I'll run off. No, I'll come back…oh look, we're done!
Jumpers is a simpler thing, with fewer choices, so I had hopes he'd regain his confidence, but…
Dart: Here we go! I jump! Jump and jump! Is that a familiar people scent? Jump! I…
My handler self peels right. Dart neatly peels left to exit the ring, takes the exterior practice jump as neatly as you please, and flings himself at the source of the familiar person scent.
Of COURSE he took that practice jump along the way. Just to toss a little brilliance my way as he quit the ring.
Sunday, after a bit of Rescue Remedy and an evening of calm and coddling, I wasn't expecting much better, although he was brighter and more relaxed as he went to the start line in Standard.
Dart: I can do this! In fact, I CAN MAKE UP MY OWN COURSE! And I can do it VERY, VERY, FAST! Waaaaaaaaaarp speeeeeeeeeeeed!
Ahem. And he did. With much visiting of pole setters along the way.
And so we faced jumpers, he and I–me with no dignity left whatsoever, him with an eager expression.
Dart: I can do this! Look, mymom is doing a LEAD-OUT! And look, I DID IT! I am so GOOD! I jump! I jump! I jump and jump! I–oooh, a POLE SETTER PERSON!
Whereupon I called him back, gushed praise at his recall response, picked him up with kisses, and excused us from the ring.
Dart: Wuh–? No! Wait! Wait! I wasn't done zooming! I had a course to make up! I had people to visit! This isn't right! *dumbstruck look*
Uh-huh.
And now I know where to focus his training between now and mid-March, when we do this again! Lots of attention exercises, lots of recalls…more and more socialization. And maybe cheerfully ending the game when he stray to visit will inspire him to ponder another way to do things . Or maybe..NOT!
PS Happy Valentine's Day and DOG KISSES to you all!
February 11, 2011
Do You See What I See?
By Patty Wilber
Do you see what I see?
Well, in the case of horses, I think not!
We are creatures with eyes set in the front of our heads, giving us good binocular vision and therefore excellent depth perception in the area where both our eyes perceive the same image. The single image is seen slightly differently by each eye (close one eye and then the other and watch computer screen move back and forth!) The brain then puts the two images together so we see one thing. The brain also triangulates and determines distance.
Jet pilots need good vision in both eyes due to the need for depth perception.
Horses have their eyes on the sides of their heads, giving them wonderful peripheral vision, but a lot of areas where only one eye sees an image.
Since horses are prey animals. This wide field of vision has the great advantage of allowing them to spot danger (and then RUN! AWAY!)
They don't have great depth peception with their moncular vision, and their brain interprets information from each eye separately, so a horse may spook when it sees something strange with its right eye, and then do it again when it sees the same thing with its left eye!
In addition, horses seem tuned into movement and changes in their surroundings. Both items should enhance thier survival in the wild, (but might decrease our survival when riding!)
Horse: That garbage can was NOT there yesterday
Horse: Yeah I saw that dog jump into the water tank but I have NO IDEA what just jumped out!
This might prompt the less horse-a-philic to say "not worth hanging out around a 1000 lb being that might decide its life is in danger at any minute, stop thinking and bolt."
Some horses are much more reactive than others. They run off at the drop of …well at the drop of anything. Others simply don't.
"Hot blooded" breeds like thoroughbreds and arabians are more reactive, but this fire is also very attactive.
"Cold blooded" breeds like most big draft horses (percherons, belgians, shires, clydesdales) are quiet and non-reactive. Who wants their wagon to leave with the horse if a dog runs out to help?
There is, of course, variation within each breed, and horses being horses, even the quietest can have a crazy moment!
Breeding/ genetics (breed the hot ones; breed the quiet ones) can influence temperment (in humans too I think! I know a family with 8 kids; 5 are red haired and thin bodied –hot! Three are dark haired and tend to put on weight more easily –quiet.)
Training comes in, too. You can amp up a laid back horse and you can slow down a reactive horse. Usually it is easier to up-regulate Joe Cool!
Reactive types require lots of patience and lots and lots of repetition (desensitization) so that they don't drop into panic mode as readily. Gee, that sounds like the plan for Risa! The idea is to get her to ASK if she should run off before she actually does.
Today I rode T and ponied Risa. T is on the quiet side. The lead horse is the fall guy. Any lurkers eat the lead horse, so the ponied horse is safe (they think) and therefore calmer. T first, Risa following; worked well.
At dusk, I switched. Ms. Poor Night Vision, riding point in the gathering gloom. This was a completely different Risa. Alert, light footed, lion bait!
"I am NOT Lion Bait", she says. "I can leap away VERY fast!" Whereupon she gave a little demo.
"Ho hum," said T. "When's dinner?"
We wove our way home.
DOGS! Oh they are in a pen.
Walk walk walk.
DOGS! Oh they are in a pen, too!
Ho hum, says T.
Person walking on road. Risa's eyes get wider. "What are they doing, THERE? They were not there YESTERDAY!" (And neither were you, Risa…oh nevermind.)
Guy SCRAPES gate shut with a truly hideous screeching sound.
OUTTA HERE says Risa.
I use the reins to say whoa and we get a little butt dropping halt right off. She was still thinking, some. Good job!
T says: Ho hum.
Almost home and make it there, all of a piece.
Saturday, if I take T and Risa on the Back Country Horsemen ride, I will hit the Easy Button: ride T and pony Risa. Just got to keep the rope from under his tail, and we will be all good!
February 9, 2011
Where in the Hell is Doranna?
One of my favorite videos ever comes from Where in the Hell is Matt: Dancing Badly across the World.
(I am happy, because I just realized that since I now listen to my music via computer, I can now download the amazing song for this video! Go, me!)
It's a BOOK!
Well, this month I'm doing my own little tour…across the internet, as it happens. Writer blogs, Book site blogs, agent blogs, publisher blogs…
So from the recent past:
Terry Odell's Place — The Vicarious Wallow
Tor Newsletter — Beyond the Woo
NovelThoughts – The Happily Ever After
The Knight Agency Interview — Twenty Questions
Dancing badly across the Internet!
One of my favorite videos ever comes from Where in the Hell is Matt: Dancing Badly across the World.
http://www.youtube.com/embed/zlfKdbWwruY?rel=0" frameborder="0″ allowfullscreen>
(I am happy, because I just realized that since I'm now listening to my music via computer, I can now download the amazing song for this video! Go, me!)
Well, this month I'm doing my own little tour…across the internet, as it happens. Writer blogs, Book site blogs, agent blogs, publisher blogs…
So from the recent past near future:
Terry Odell's Place — The Vicarious Wallow
Tor Newsletter — Beyond the Woo
NovelThoughts – The Happily Ever After
The Knight Agency Interview — Twenty Questions
Dancing badly across the Internet!
