Judith Tarr's Blog, page 12
July 11, 2011
Week 2, with Cloudbursts
Week 2 of the Clarion Write-a-Thon is over, and we're all truckin' along. Thank you very much to those who have contributed in my name. You're helping to make sure there will be a Clarion in 2012.
The summer monsoon, which is a real monsoon and everything, arrived with a full-blown bang and a crash on the Fourth. We got over three inches of rain between Monday and Thursday. That's a lot of rain. And mud. And feelthy horses. And plants finally reviving after months of drought. Even with power outages, internet outages, floods, and plagues of flies, we're all dancing in the rain.
I've been writing every day, sometimes just a few words, but they're words. That's 2235 new words since Tuesday, plus some revision and tweakage of previous words.
Which gives us this for pretty:
29892 / 100000
(29.89%)
Also, a Horseblog, for bonus words. And entertainment.
And here are some words from the novel, because I know at least one of you is reading them. :)
Nate slapped the rolled-up manifest against his thigh. The goods were laid out in the warehouse, stacked on pallets six high and three dozen deep. "Not so rich a harvest this time," he said.
"A temporary lull, I'm sure," his clerk said. Zebedee was a good man with a pen and a counting board, but he suffered from incurable optimism.
The summer monsoon, which is a real monsoon and everything, arrived with a full-blown bang and a crash on the Fourth. We got over three inches of rain between Monday and Thursday. That's a lot of rain. And mud. And feelthy horses. And plants finally reviving after months of drought. Even with power outages, internet outages, floods, and plagues of flies, we're all dancing in the rain.
I've been writing every day, sometimes just a few words, but they're words. That's 2235 new words since Tuesday, plus some revision and tweakage of previous words.
Which gives us this for pretty:
29892 / 100000(29.89%)
Also, a Horseblog, for bonus words. And entertainment.
And here are some words from the novel, because I know at least one of you is reading them. :)
Nate slapped the rolled-up manifest against his thigh. The goods were laid out in the warehouse, stacked on pallets six high and three dozen deep. "Not so rich a harvest this time," he said.
"A temporary lull, I'm sure," his clerk said. Zebedee was a good man with a pen and a counting board, but he suffered from incurable optimism.
July 4, 2011
Writa-a-Thon-ing Gets Hot and Steamy
Happy Fourth of July! For some of you, that means Happy Monday. For the rest, Happy American Independence Day.
It's been a challenging week. Record high temperatures, humidity heading for the stratosphere, monsoon storms all around us. We got a little rain Saturday, which felt wonderful, but nothing serious. Yet. Other places have been getting it instead. The monsoon giveth, the monsoon taketh away. My brain cells can tell you all about it. I've been reduced to working Pook in the morning before breakfast--and if that isn't desperation, you don't know how much Not A Morning Person I am.
Challenges or no challenges (and brain cells or no brain cells), I have been Clarion Write-a-Thon-ing, if not lj-ing. 2544 more words since Tuesday. So now I've got:
27483 / 100000
(27.48%)
Hey, it's progress.
Here's a few of the week's words:
"We are all geniuses. That's the splendor of what we are. But I won't die. I have our brave Colonel to keep me safe, and a few skills of my own. I can shoot a gun."
"Yes, and hit the side of a barn," she said.
It's been a challenging week. Record high temperatures, humidity heading for the stratosphere, monsoon storms all around us. We got a little rain Saturday, which felt wonderful, but nothing serious. Yet. Other places have been getting it instead. The monsoon giveth, the monsoon taketh away. My brain cells can tell you all about it. I've been reduced to working Pook in the morning before breakfast--and if that isn't desperation, you don't know how much Not A Morning Person I am.
Challenges or no challenges (and brain cells or no brain cells), I have been Clarion Write-a-Thon-ing, if not lj-ing. 2544 more words since Tuesday. So now I've got:
27483 / 100000(27.48%)
Hey, it's progress.
Here's a few of the week's words:
"We are all geniuses. That's the splendor of what we are. But I won't die. I have our brave Colonel to keep me safe, and a few skills of my own. I can shoot a gun."
"Yes, and hit the side of a barn," she said.
June 28, 2011
Dealing With Dragons (Weather, That Is)
Thank you to all my lovely sponsors for the Clarion Write-a-Thon. You rock, and I am trying to make you proud.
Today we had challenges. The Wonder Shoer came to trim and shoe horses, which ate the morning. The very, very hot morning. Did I mention it was morning? And hot? 101F by 9 a.m. That kind of hot.
By afternoon it hit 110. In Tucson, it got to 112. Hottest day in 16 years, they say, which means even Pooka was...impressed. He wasn't even born then. He, and the rest of the crew, were extremely glad to get hosed off every couple of hours.
The coolers in the house were not working as well as they should, even allowing for combat conditions. Finally my brain cells stopped sizzling long enough to realize that one end of the house was a lot cooler than the other, and that I could hole up in the guest room under the vent with dog and assorted cats and, finally, squeeze out a few words. 534 of them, to be exact. On the meter, they look like this:
24939 / 100000
(24.94%)
On the page, some of them look like this:
"In most circumstances Louisa knew better than to entrust the Cause's secrets to paper, but today she needed a map. She drew it as she used to draw the woods and tracks of Fairy-Land, but these were paths of plots and deadly conspiracies."
In addition, there was Horseblog, which turns out to have been a smashing success. Who knew my keed stories would go viral? Now people want him to have his own blog. Sure he can, if he can buy himself a computer with four-inch keys.
So I played with that, too, in between turning off the internets and drawing word-maps of nefarious plots. And that was day 2 of the Write-a-Thon. It was, all in all, an interesting day.
Today we had challenges. The Wonder Shoer came to trim and shoe horses, which ate the morning. The very, very hot morning. Did I mention it was morning? And hot? 101F by 9 a.m. That kind of hot.
By afternoon it hit 110. In Tucson, it got to 112. Hottest day in 16 years, they say, which means even Pooka was...impressed. He wasn't even born then. He, and the rest of the crew, were extremely glad to get hosed off every couple of hours.
The coolers in the house were not working as well as they should, even allowing for combat conditions. Finally my brain cells stopped sizzling long enough to realize that one end of the house was a lot cooler than the other, and that I could hole up in the guest room under the vent with dog and assorted cats and, finally, squeeze out a few words. 534 of them, to be exact. On the meter, they look like this:
24939 / 100000(24.94%)
On the page, some of them look like this:
"In most circumstances Louisa knew better than to entrust the Cause's secrets to paper, but today she needed a map. She drew it as she used to draw the woods and tracks of Fairy-Land, but these were paths of plots and deadly conspiracies."
In addition, there was Horseblog, which turns out to have been a smashing success. Who knew my keed stories would go viral? Now people want him to have his own blog. Sure he can, if he can buy himself a computer with four-inch keys.
So I played with that, too, in between turning off the internets and drawing word-maps of nefarious plots. And that was day 2 of the Write-a-Thon. It was, all in all, an interesting day.
June 26, 2011
Houston, We Have Ignition
Aaannnd...the Clarion Write-a-Thon is ON. My page is here.
I will be doing my best to finish a novel (with my shield or on it) plus doing occasional blogs hither and yon. Got a running start this past week, with 3500 words of novel and blog since Thursday.
The novel is already started, so I'm going to run the full count, but add on as I go.
So, hey. Pretty.
24405 / 100000
(24.4%)
Also, yesterday, for tomorrow's scheduled Horseblog: 837.
Now that I'm under the gun and it's official, let's see how well I can keep this up.
I will be doing my best to finish a novel (with my shield or on it) plus doing occasional blogs hither and yon. Got a running start this past week, with 3500 words of novel and blog since Thursday.
The novel is already started, so I'm going to run the full count, but add on as I go.
So, hey. Pretty.
24405 / 100000(24.4%)
Also, yesterday, for tomorrow's scheduled Horseblog: 837.
Now that I'm under the gun and it's official, let's see how well I can keep this up.
June 21, 2011
We Are Busy, Busy People
I feel as if I'm living in dog years--which makes the past three weeks seem more like five months.
June Camp went very well. We wrote, relaxed, rode, wrote, yogaed, relaxed. There was food, of course, and more food. I came down with a cold toward the end, so was a bit of a lurgy mess by the last day, but Campers were understanding and we continued to enjoy ourselves. Yoga was most interesting: all about finding your feet (TROMP, say the horses) and moving on to your destiny (Camilla flings Gabriella straight at ex-housemate) and being alert and aware and looking out for good ways to advance and change. Lessons were on much the same theme; Ephiny got groundwork, was not ready for saddle work that day, but will be shortly.
And I did a Horseblog that sort of relates to the yoga, insofar as it's about herd dynamics and space-alien arranging.
Last week was all about lurg and blarg and getting over the cold, but work was done and plans were plotted and there was writing and networking and volunteering.
And making of the crazy. Must not forget that. I signed up for the Clarion Write-a-Thon. This time it's death before dishonor, and I want to finish a novel. Can I do that? Can you whip me through to the finish line? And in a good cause, too.
I also did a Mind Meld at SF Signal, on the Russ Pledge. People are being advised not to read the comments. In fact, someone has read them for you, so you don't have to.
And that sparked off a guest post, which has had some very interesting comments, including one that may result in a new project, once I've had a chance to process the idea that's messing around in my backbrain. And there may be more posts, there or at Book View Cafe, as I work through all of this.
And then! in the midst of this! was a new story at Daily Science Fiction. Free to read and all. Also, cats.
As I said, we have been busy. I've been working on keeping the horses on a schedule--wind, heat, and the common cold have done their best, but I will prevail. Everybody at least gets groundwork if saddle work presents a difficulty (i.e., 40mph winds, 110-degree heat, etc.).
For those who have worried, we are not in any of the many fire zones, and FSM willing will not be. So far the Tucson Valley has had a few brush fires but nothing like the wildfires that are raging in the forests and the grasslands north and east and south of here. It's been a horrendous season, so dry even the cacti are barely making it, and the winds have been relentless. We're praying for the monsoon to come and bring us rain. But, we're safe here so far. We're working on staying that way.
June Camp went very well. We wrote, relaxed, rode, wrote, yogaed, relaxed. There was food, of course, and more food. I came down with a cold toward the end, so was a bit of a lurgy mess by the last day, but Campers were understanding and we continued to enjoy ourselves. Yoga was most interesting: all about finding your feet (TROMP, say the horses) and moving on to your destiny (Camilla flings Gabriella straight at ex-housemate) and being alert and aware and looking out for good ways to advance and change. Lessons were on much the same theme; Ephiny got groundwork, was not ready for saddle work that day, but will be shortly.
And I did a Horseblog that sort of relates to the yoga, insofar as it's about herd dynamics and space-alien arranging.
Last week was all about lurg and blarg and getting over the cold, but work was done and plans were plotted and there was writing and networking and volunteering.
And making of the crazy. Must not forget that. I signed up for the Clarion Write-a-Thon. This time it's death before dishonor, and I want to finish a novel. Can I do that? Can you whip me through to the finish line? And in a good cause, too.
I also did a Mind Meld at SF Signal, on the Russ Pledge. People are being advised not to read the comments. In fact, someone has read them for you, so you don't have to.
And that sparked off a guest post, which has had some very interesting comments, including one that may result in a new project, once I've had a chance to process the idea that's messing around in my backbrain. And there may be more posts, there or at Book View Cafe, as I work through all of this.
And then! in the midst of this! was a new story at Daily Science Fiction. Free to read and all. Also, cats.
As I said, we have been busy. I've been working on keeping the horses on a schedule--wind, heat, and the common cold have done their best, but I will prevail. Everybody at least gets groundwork if saddle work presents a difficulty (i.e., 40mph winds, 110-degree heat, etc.).
For those who have worried, we are not in any of the many fire zones, and FSM willing will not be. So far the Tucson Valley has had a few brush fires but nothing like the wildfires that are raging in the forests and the grasslands north and east and south of here. It's been a horrendous season, so dry even the cacti are barely making it, and the winds have been relentless. We're praying for the monsoon to come and bring us rain. But, we're safe here so far. We're working on staying that way.
May 26, 2011
Home Again, Home Again, Dancity-Dance
We've been busy today. Here's a report on our panel at the Nebulas--quite concise, includes lots of links. In short--Mission Accomplished.
The panel was very well attended (including some quite illustrious people in the field), very lively, required some thumping of microphone to herd the various cats, and was agreed to have been a Success. As noted in the post, we'll probably need to do it again next year, because boy howdy are things changing fast.
The rest of the trip was very business-y and research-y and visiting-dear-friends-y. birdhousefrog and whisked off to her house, where I met all the cats. And had a late supper. And fell over.
Next day was fairly mellow in the morning. Breakfast, more cats, tour of farm. Met chickens. Admired their eggs in buckets in the kitchen. Those are very hard-working chickens. Opined that back before humidity became a soundness issue, Walkabout Farm was my dream farm. It has a horse-usable barn and lovely paddocks, and the countryside is beautiful. Now, of course, I couldn't live there and hope to stay supple enough to ride, but it's a wonderful place to visit.
Toward midday we loaded up and headed for the big city and the swanky convention hotel and meetings and foregatherings with many writerfolk and fanfolk and confolk. I participated in the Mass Signing, which was large and well attended, and signed many books. Once that was done, I caught up with old GEnie friend and man-about-town![[info]](https://i.gr-assets.com/images/S/compressed.photo.goodreads.com/hostedimages/1380451598i/2033940.gif)
rwglaub
and went off to dinner with, among others,
suricattus
and Cynthia Felice. We drank wine and Ate Meat and had lively conversation.
Saturday was my ohgodcrazy day.
loldoc
, another old friend, had driven all the way down from Brooklyn, and
ceffyl
had come up from Raleigh with her mom, who has a horse farm in Maryland. There was much meeting and foregathering and plotting and talking writing and books and horses and life in general.
We had to part at dinnertime as I had got roped into one of the Tor tables at the Nebula banquet. It was a banquet, in the good and bad senses of the phrase, but the company was excellent, and included
arcaedia
and
mcurry
.
Once the banquet was over, I was more or less on my own time. I crashed. Sunday we were set to head back to Walkabout via some sightseeing around DC.
birdhousefrog
grew up in the area, and used our limited time to great advantage. I got to sit in Einstein's lap, and to feel the power of the Vietnam Veterans' Memorial, and to head on up Capitol Hill to the Library of Congress, which was declared open but actually closed. Phooey. Next time. Mine hostess left me there with
ceffyl
, and we stopped for lunch at a lovely little cafe, then headed out via Metro into Maryland to pick up her car and swing by her mom's horse farm.
Her mom raises and breeds Egyptian Arabians--good ones; the ones with size and substance and good minds--and has a lesson barn. It was a big day: her baby, her young stallion, was coming from the trainer. We got to be there for the arrival. I'll post more about that on Monday's horseblog over at Book View Cafe.
Dinner found us at Walkabout Farm;
ceffyl
left me there, but we had another farm visit set up for Monday, with more horse time and horse conversation and a lovely lunch. We flirted with a red spot on the weather radar on our way back to Virginia, just missed the deluge.
Tuesday was another Busy Day. I found out late Monday evening that I was doing a school visit in the morning--daughter of the house's fifth-grade class had seen the book trailer for House of the Star, and wanted to meet the person with all the white horses. So off we went, and my 45 minutes turned into a lot more like an hour and a half. We talked horses and writing and dogs and writing. Most excellent class, great questions. They wrote me letters afterwards, which I must answer--they asked more great questions. I really enjoyed them all.
From the school we went back into the city for a bit of novel research--down along the old roads to Arlington, then up to the Custis-Lee house, now known as the Lee Memorial. Books and internet can give a good sense of what's there, but there's nothing like actually getting out and hiking up that steep hill in the humid heat, and feeling the breezes at the top, and seeing the straight line of sight across the river to the Capitol. Really brings the reality of the situation home.
After that I was ready to go splat, and had a little work to do, so surrounded myself with cats and computer and got to it.
And of course Wednesday was the big travel day. Long waits in ostensibly short lines at Dulles, then a middling short delay (90 minutes) in Dallas. It was my first trip with serious tech--phone with unlimited data, ebook, plus the usual laptop, and
loldoc
had lent me a mifi unit that came in Very handy when I came home to find my internet out of order. Is fixed now, but hello, reality.
Most interesting to be able to get flight updates as they happened. And while the NookColor's battery life is notoriously awful, the external battery did work with it. I didn't actually use the ereader as a wireless machine since I had the phone and the laptop; kept it for reading on the plane. That worked well. No need to lug heavy books, and I could bring a wide selection. Nice. I didn't try writing on it, either, but definitely could, with the SD card installed. Next time.
So, an excellent trip, very useful, many good friends old and new, and altogether a most worthwhile thing to have done. Now we are back in the dry desert air (thank god), in the usual chaotic reality (oh god), but hey, ponies. And a Camp starting a week from Monday.
The panel was very well attended (including some quite illustrious people in the field), very lively, required some thumping of microphone to herd the various cats, and was agreed to have been a Success. As noted in the post, we'll probably need to do it again next year, because boy howdy are things changing fast.
The rest of the trip was very business-y and research-y and visiting-dear-friends-y. birdhousefrog and whisked off to her house, where I met all the cats. And had a late supper. And fell over.
Next day was fairly mellow in the morning. Breakfast, more cats, tour of farm. Met chickens. Admired their eggs in buckets in the kitchen. Those are very hard-working chickens. Opined that back before humidity became a soundness issue, Walkabout Farm was my dream farm. It has a horse-usable barn and lovely paddocks, and the countryside is beautiful. Now, of course, I couldn't live there and hope to stay supple enough to ride, but it's a wonderful place to visit.
Toward midday we loaded up and headed for the big city and the swanky convention hotel and meetings and foregatherings with many writerfolk and fanfolk and confolk. I participated in the Mass Signing, which was large and well attended, and signed many books. Once that was done, I caught up with old GEnie friend and man-about-town
rwglaub
and went off to dinner with, among others,
suricattus
and Cynthia Felice. We drank wine and Ate Meat and had lively conversation. Saturday was my ohgodcrazy day.
loldoc
, another old friend, had driven all the way down from Brooklyn, and
ceffyl
had come up from Raleigh with her mom, who has a horse farm in Maryland. There was much meeting and foregathering and plotting and talking writing and books and horses and life in general. We had to part at dinnertime as I had got roped into one of the Tor tables at the Nebula banquet. It was a banquet, in the good and bad senses of the phrase, but the company was excellent, and included
arcaedia
and
mcurry
. Once the banquet was over, I was more or less on my own time. I crashed. Sunday we were set to head back to Walkabout via some sightseeing around DC.
birdhousefrog
grew up in the area, and used our limited time to great advantage. I got to sit in Einstein's lap, and to feel the power of the Vietnam Veterans' Memorial, and to head on up Capitol Hill to the Library of Congress, which was declared open but actually closed. Phooey. Next time. Mine hostess left me there with
ceffyl
, and we stopped for lunch at a lovely little cafe, then headed out via Metro into Maryland to pick up her car and swing by her mom's horse farm. Her mom raises and breeds Egyptian Arabians--good ones; the ones with size and substance and good minds--and has a lesson barn. It was a big day: her baby, her young stallion, was coming from the trainer. We got to be there for the arrival. I'll post more about that on Monday's horseblog over at Book View Cafe.
Dinner found us at Walkabout Farm;
ceffyl
left me there, but we had another farm visit set up for Monday, with more horse time and horse conversation and a lovely lunch. We flirted with a red spot on the weather radar on our way back to Virginia, just missed the deluge.Tuesday was another Busy Day. I found out late Monday evening that I was doing a school visit in the morning--daughter of the house's fifth-grade class had seen the book trailer for House of the Star, and wanted to meet the person with all the white horses. So off we went, and my 45 minutes turned into a lot more like an hour and a half. We talked horses and writing and dogs and writing. Most excellent class, great questions. They wrote me letters afterwards, which I must answer--they asked more great questions. I really enjoyed them all.
From the school we went back into the city for a bit of novel research--down along the old roads to Arlington, then up to the Custis-Lee house, now known as the Lee Memorial. Books and internet can give a good sense of what's there, but there's nothing like actually getting out and hiking up that steep hill in the humid heat, and feeling the breezes at the top, and seeing the straight line of sight across the river to the Capitol. Really brings the reality of the situation home.
After that I was ready to go splat, and had a little work to do, so surrounded myself with cats and computer and got to it.
And of course Wednesday was the big travel day. Long waits in ostensibly short lines at Dulles, then a middling short delay (90 minutes) in Dallas. It was my first trip with serious tech--phone with unlimited data, ebook, plus the usual laptop, and
loldoc
had lent me a mifi unit that came in Very handy when I came home to find my internet out of order. Is fixed now, but hello, reality. Most interesting to be able to get flight updates as they happened. And while the NookColor's battery life is notoriously awful, the external battery did work with it. I didn't actually use the ereader as a wireless machine since I had the phone and the laptop; kept it for reading on the plane. That worked well. No need to lug heavy books, and I could bring a wide selection. Nice. I didn't try writing on it, either, but definitely could, with the SD card installed. Next time.
So, an excellent trip, very useful, many good friends old and new, and altogether a most worthwhile thing to have done. Now we are back in the dry desert air (thank god), in the usual chaotic reality (oh god), but hey, ponies. And a Camp starting a week from Monday.
May 6, 2011
How Did It Get to Be May?
Thank you so, so much to everyone who boosted the signal and sent back pings and book orders and mentee bookings and one lovely Camp signup. I did get flights to the Nebulas, and will be there with bells on. There is a public signing btw that Friday (the 20th) from I think 5:30-7, with masses of authors in attendance, so if you're in the area and are moved to stop in, come and say hi. And if you're attending the event, our panel is Saturday at 2:30, and is about backlists and ebooks and making it in the brave new world.
We are still more than a little wheezy at the price of hay, which has gone up 30% since the winter, so if anyone missed the book sale or the mentee sale and wishes they hadn't, send me a ping at capriole at that gmail thing.
I lost all my mail and all archives last week, destroyed when my mail program crashed and reinstalled in -just- the wrong way, so if you sent me mail and I didn't reply, that's what happened to it. I have no history prior to last Friday. Slowly rebuilding the address book, and hoping I didn't lose anybody irretrievably.
That was one bad Mercury retrograde.
Horses are happy however, and we've been doing quite a lot of that collection thing with Pooka, which feeds into my work with the mares as well. Finally really getting the feel for -being- his hindlegs with my seatbones, and being able to connect with his sacrum through my sacrum even from 20 feet away on the longeline. He can still turn into the warp-powered exercise ball, perch me on top and try to take off, but it's getting progressively easier to go from on to in, connect and collect and really, finally, ride the rocket.
The one who has the most trouble with this concept of plugging in is Camilla, on which more below. The ones who find it easiest are Gabriella and her daughters. The Girlz I would expect; they've been here since they were babies. But the Divine Miss G has been making up for lost chosen-human time in a very big way. She has that laser-beam stare on me All The Time, as Carrma does on T. And she demands her share. Yesterday she let me know she wanted Walkies. Walkies are a thing she is very good at. She has no problem leaving the herd, and she loves to explore. I think I may have found another Awesome Trail Horse(tm).
The Girlz are somewhat jealous of this, especially Ephiny who is not bonded (though we love each other dearly), but it's helping me figure them out, too. The challenging one, as always, is Camilla. I adore her, smile whenever I see her, but lately I've come to realize that it is about her.
If she were human, she'd be in the autism spectrum. She's high-function on a daily basis, does very well in the herd, understands and settles well into routine and daily discipline. She wants to be ridden and worked. But I've always known that the world comes at her on too powerful a frequency. Take her outside of her routine and everything is too strong, too fast, too loud, too much. She tracks every step like a mobile GPS, but get her off her map and she starts to fry. Then she explodes.
All horses have some variation of this. Some can get very herdbound. One trains them by taking them out at gradually greater distances for gradually greater lengths of time, and/or by taking them out with trusted horse friends, and most of them eventually adapt. But Camilla has had an edge of danger to her that has kept me from doing much of this at all. When I have pushed her, she's physically harmed me, or else shut down and refused to move.
Pooka is a challenge to take away from the herd, too, but that's stallion instincts talking, and he clearly likes to go out. He's like Capria: gets excited at times and can be a handful, but his brain isn't frying. He's just being a horse, with testosterone added to the mix. I can toss him on a trailer and take him anywhere. He loves to travel.
Camilla, no. For years I never quite found the approach that would work for training her under saddle. The normal approaches--both the gentle way and the "show her who's boss" way--left me with an angry, and in the latter case thoroughly fried horse.
There is absolutely nothing wrong with her physically. She's an outstanding athlete, a true Airs horse, and a splendidly scopey mover. She's a beautiful and very old type of classical horse. But mentally, she's...different.
When we came round to the horse-yoga thing, Camilla let us know we were on the right track. Camilla is a Storyteller in the yoga universe. She loves the quiet, the calm, the way you breathe, the way you move. These things help her focus, and help filter the world that's always been so overwhelming for her.
Still not doing a lot with the saddle work, though she is asking. The groundwork, asking her to line up her spine and rock back onto her hindquarters and move from there, pushes her right to the edge of what she can tolerate. She's not ready for me to be in her back or body rather than on it, though we've managed this in a lesson or two with S--but lessons on that level are, again, just a bit more than she can take. I hope to be able to get her to the point that she is up for them on a regular basis rather than once or twice a year, but it will take time.
Interesting to figure this out. When I was talking to the Wonder Shoer about it, she came over and stood next to us with her head down, almost as if asleep, but in a way that said, "Yes. That's how it is." When we changed the subject, she lifted her head, shook herself, and left.
She comes over when we're talking Story in yoga class, too. Leaves when the topic changes. Camilla has Stories. It's taken her a long time to teach us how to listen to them.
We are still more than a little wheezy at the price of hay, which has gone up 30% since the winter, so if anyone missed the book sale or the mentee sale and wishes they hadn't, send me a ping at capriole at that gmail thing.
I lost all my mail and all archives last week, destroyed when my mail program crashed and reinstalled in -just- the wrong way, so if you sent me mail and I didn't reply, that's what happened to it. I have no history prior to last Friday. Slowly rebuilding the address book, and hoping I didn't lose anybody irretrievably.
That was one bad Mercury retrograde.
Horses are happy however, and we've been doing quite a lot of that collection thing with Pooka, which feeds into my work with the mares as well. Finally really getting the feel for -being- his hindlegs with my seatbones, and being able to connect with his sacrum through my sacrum even from 20 feet away on the longeline. He can still turn into the warp-powered exercise ball, perch me on top and try to take off, but it's getting progressively easier to go from on to in, connect and collect and really, finally, ride the rocket.
The one who has the most trouble with this concept of plugging in is Camilla, on which more below. The ones who find it easiest are Gabriella and her daughters. The Girlz I would expect; they've been here since they were babies. But the Divine Miss G has been making up for lost chosen-human time in a very big way. She has that laser-beam stare on me All The Time, as Carrma does on T. And she demands her share. Yesterday she let me know she wanted Walkies. Walkies are a thing she is very good at. She has no problem leaving the herd, and she loves to explore. I think I may have found another Awesome Trail Horse(tm).
The Girlz are somewhat jealous of this, especially Ephiny who is not bonded (though we love each other dearly), but it's helping me figure them out, too. The challenging one, as always, is Camilla. I adore her, smile whenever I see her, but lately I've come to realize that it is about her.
If she were human, she'd be in the autism spectrum. She's high-function on a daily basis, does very well in the herd, understands and settles well into routine and daily discipline. She wants to be ridden and worked. But I've always known that the world comes at her on too powerful a frequency. Take her outside of her routine and everything is too strong, too fast, too loud, too much. She tracks every step like a mobile GPS, but get her off her map and she starts to fry. Then she explodes.
All horses have some variation of this. Some can get very herdbound. One trains them by taking them out at gradually greater distances for gradually greater lengths of time, and/or by taking them out with trusted horse friends, and most of them eventually adapt. But Camilla has had an edge of danger to her that has kept me from doing much of this at all. When I have pushed her, she's physically harmed me, or else shut down and refused to move.
Pooka is a challenge to take away from the herd, too, but that's stallion instincts talking, and he clearly likes to go out. He's like Capria: gets excited at times and can be a handful, but his brain isn't frying. He's just being a horse, with testosterone added to the mix. I can toss him on a trailer and take him anywhere. He loves to travel.
Camilla, no. For years I never quite found the approach that would work for training her under saddle. The normal approaches--both the gentle way and the "show her who's boss" way--left me with an angry, and in the latter case thoroughly fried horse.
There is absolutely nothing wrong with her physically. She's an outstanding athlete, a true Airs horse, and a splendidly scopey mover. She's a beautiful and very old type of classical horse. But mentally, she's...different.
When we came round to the horse-yoga thing, Camilla let us know we were on the right track. Camilla is a Storyteller in the yoga universe. She loves the quiet, the calm, the way you breathe, the way you move. These things help her focus, and help filter the world that's always been so overwhelming for her.
Still not doing a lot with the saddle work, though she is asking. The groundwork, asking her to line up her spine and rock back onto her hindquarters and move from there, pushes her right to the edge of what she can tolerate. She's not ready for me to be in her back or body rather than on it, though we've managed this in a lesson or two with S--but lessons on that level are, again, just a bit more than she can take. I hope to be able to get her to the point that she is up for them on a regular basis rather than once or twice a year, but it will take time.
Interesting to figure this out. When I was talking to the Wonder Shoer about it, she came over and stood next to us with her head down, almost as if asleep, but in a way that said, "Yes. That's how it is." When we changed the subject, she lifted her head, shook herself, and left.
She comes over when we're talking Story in yoga class, too. Leaves when the topic changes. Camilla has Stories. It's taken her a long time to teach us how to listen to them.
April 29, 2011
My Email, She Are Dead
For the first time in years, the Dire Thing has happened. Email crash, all addresses lost. .
If you are a mentee, especially, or a Camper, PLEASE send me email at capriole at gmail dot com so that I can restore you to my address book. Evil evil email program "synched" to gmail and wiped all my archives back as far as that account goes. Nothing left but what came in after 4 pm today.
I tried to turn the evil thing off. Failed.
I go jump off mesa now.
If you are a mentee, especially, or a Camper, PLEASE send me email at capriole at gmail dot com so that I can restore you to my address book. Evil evil email program "synched" to gmail and wiped all my archives back as far as that account goes. Nothing left but what came in after 4 pm today.
I tried to turn the evil thing off. Failed.
I go jump off mesa now.
April 6, 2011
Nebulas or Bust
(tap tap) Is this thing on?
LJ has been unusually difficult of late. I've been waiting to see if things will settle down. Today maybe they have?
We shall see.
In any case, The Great Send Judy to the Nebulas Sale is still going on. Bookses, Mentoring hours, and for the first time ever, a free night at Camp Lipizzan (if you book a three-night stay, number four is on us). Fuller details at the link.
There are still a couple of mentoring slots open. That's $160 for five hours of editing, writing instruction, plot development--whatever you and your project need (and yes, you can add more at $40 per hour).
Camp Lipizzan is booked for June but there are still openings September/October and in early 2012.
And to add to the book sale, I've found a boxful of paperback copies of King's Blood, my historical fantasy about William Rufus of England. $7.50 and just for this week, first-class mail is $2.50. Or go with Priority for $5.
To order this or any other book, Camp, or mentoring hours, email me at capriole at gmail dot com. I take PayPal but they're eating 5% in fees, so you'll want to figure that in. I also take checks if you're in the US. Email for address.
__________
In other news, we are alive, we are allegedly getting rain today--a miracle here in the Dry Lands--and the spring hormones are making the ponies loopy.![[info]](https://i.gr-assets.com/images/S/compressed.photo.goodreads.com/hostedimages/1380449247i/1833871.gif)
tcastleb
opened a portal to a hell dimension yesterday, says Pooka. She thought she was dumping the big black stock tank and leaving it tipped up on its side while she filled the rest of the turnout's water barrels.
Little did she know. Mr. Guard Stallion (with me aboard, mind) had to stalk all around the looming thing and determine that no demons were about to emerge, though a couple of dragons fluttered around deep inside. They were all right, and she got a clue and shut the portal by tipping it back where it belonged and filling it with water. We could continue our ride after that.
Being a Guard Stallion is hard work. Especially when there are humans to guard and protect from, basically, themselves.
LJ has been unusually difficult of late. I've been waiting to see if things will settle down. Today maybe they have?
We shall see.
In any case, The Great Send Judy to the Nebulas Sale is still going on. Bookses, Mentoring hours, and for the first time ever, a free night at Camp Lipizzan (if you book a three-night stay, number four is on us). Fuller details at the link.
There are still a couple of mentoring slots open. That's $160 for five hours of editing, writing instruction, plot development--whatever you and your project need (and yes, you can add more at $40 per hour).
Camp Lipizzan is booked for June but there are still openings September/October and in early 2012.
And to add to the book sale, I've found a boxful of paperback copies of King's Blood, my historical fantasy about William Rufus of England. $7.50 and just for this week, first-class mail is $2.50. Or go with Priority for $5.
To order this or any other book, Camp, or mentoring hours, email me at capriole at gmail dot com. I take PayPal but they're eating 5% in fees, so you'll want to figure that in. I also take checks if you're in the US. Email for address.
__________
In other news, we are alive, we are allegedly getting rain today--a miracle here in the Dry Lands--and the spring hormones are making the ponies loopy.
tcastleb
opened a portal to a hell dimension yesterday, says Pooka. She thought she was dumping the big black stock tank and leaving it tipped up on its side while she filled the rest of the turnout's water barrels. Little did she know. Mr. Guard Stallion (with me aboard, mind) had to stalk all around the looming thing and determine that no demons were about to emerge, though a couple of dragons fluttered around deep inside. They were all right, and she got a clue and shut the portal by tipping it back where it belonged and filling it with water. We could continue our ride after that.
Being a Guard Stallion is hard work. Especially when there are humans to guard and protect from, basically, themselves.
March 29, 2011
The Great Send Judy to the Nebulas Sale
So, I've been invited to present a panel at SFWA's Nebula Awards weekend in May. This is a big deal in genre, and a great honor. I'm chuffed to be asked. The panel is on Putting Your Backlist to Work, and features my lovely and illustrious colleagues Amy Sterling Casil, Brenda Clough, and Sue Lange. We're looking forward to a lively discussion--and I'm looking forward to a rare opportunity to see and be seen by those who might be interested to know I'm still alive and still writing. Peer time and business time on this scale haven't happened for me since, hmmm, when was the last World Fantasy in Arizona?
The sticking point is that the event is in Washington, DC, and I am in Arizona. And we all know where gas prices, airfare, and hay prices have gone. Plus April is the truck's registration month, and there's this annual Awful Thing that also happens on the 15th, and...
You know what this means. Yard Sale Time! And what a yard! Come on in and see what's on those tables. Sale runs through April 12th. Questions? Post in comments or email me at capriole at that gmail thing.
Mentoring and Editing Services I happen to have several openings right at the moment, and would be delighted to take on some new or repeat clients. (The sale, as always, applies to current clients as well.) Buy four hours at $160, get a fifth hour free. This is time enough to get started on a novel or short-fiction project, get the first three to five chapters of your novel reviewed, review and revise your submission package, etc., etc., etc. The options are as varied as the individual clients and their projects.
Camp Lipizzan--our first-ever sale on this popular event Camp Lipizzan, aka Horse Camp for Writers, is famous in song and story. It's horse camp for grownups, it's a writers' retreat, it's a chance to spend several days in in the Arizona desert in the company of the DHF Lipizzans--riding, schmoozing, soaking up the atmosphere. Lessons with our trainer are extra, as is the legendary White Horse Herd Yoga, but the basic Camp rate includes room, food (tailored to your needs and tastes), writer-type time, and of course horse time.
Here's the deal: Book a three night/four day package at $425 per person, paid in full by April 12th, and I'll throw in a fourth night free. Limited to two Campers per session, room with two double beds plus shared bath and large library/writing room with wi-fi and comfy chairs. Weekend or weekday, up to you. We'll pick you up at the Tucson Airport or the Arizona Shuttle from Phoenix Sky Harbor, or send you driving directions. (Note: House has cats. Guest room is cat-free but the rest is not.)
Dates are flexible. One Camp per month, though I might be talked into doubling up if the need is strong enough. We're closed in December. We have openings for the summer (but be warned, this is Arizona. Triple-digit temps are default mode, and in July and August there are monsoons), and for September, October (EXCEPT the last weekend--that's World Fantasy in San Diego), and for January through March of 2012.
Book Sale I haven't had one of these in a while, and the storage shed is getting full again. The titles below are the ones I can lay a hand on easily, but if there are other titles you'd like to see, let me know. I'll see if I have any left. Priced like so: Mass-market paperback $7.50 each, trade paperback $15 each, hardcover $20 each. All books signed and inscribed to order. Priority shipping in US: $5 for the first book and $2.50 for each additional book to a single address. Shipping out of the US, email me. US Priority rates are going up on April 17th, so that's a good reason to have the sale before then.
This month's titles:
Avaryan Rising Trade paperback. Omnibus volume includes The Hall of the Mountain King, The Lady of Han-Gilen, and A Fall of Princes. Epic fantasy, secondary world, sweep and swoosh and DRAMAAAAA!!! These are my secret favorites of my books, so much fun to write. Haven't read them yet? Strap in for a wild ride.
Arrows of the Sun Hardcover. Sequel to the above. More adventure, more drama, exotic settings and characters-with-Issues.
Tides of Darkness Hardcover. The last of the set. This one goes dark and goes deep, and twists around and turns into a historical fantasy. Probably my alltime favorite me-book.
And for those looking for the odds-on fan favorite, who may have found it in digital form on the Kindle or at Book View Cafe, I have a few hardcover original editions of Alamut left--with gorgeous Tom Canty cover, and all the original text including the sheet music at the end.
House of War Trade paperback. Alternate history. Richard the Lionheart, King of Jerusalem, and his ally and enemy Saladin square off against the Old Man of the Mountain.
The Mountain's Call The first of the Caitlin Brennan books, the secondary-world romance-adventure with (not)Lipizzans. Mass-market paperback.
As for ebooks, Book View Cafe offers four titles here and here: Alamut, Ars Magica, A Wind in Cairo, and the nonfiction essential for writers writing about horses, Writing Horses: The Fine Art of Getting It Right.
All of these except, as of today, A Wind in Cairo, are also up at amazon for the Kindle. I will be getting that one up ASAP as well.
So there we are. Please feel free to post far and wide, and email or comment if you have questions. Thank you all! We're be here for the next two weeks! Enjoy the scampi!
The sticking point is that the event is in Washington, DC, and I am in Arizona. And we all know where gas prices, airfare, and hay prices have gone. Plus April is the truck's registration month, and there's this annual Awful Thing that also happens on the 15th, and...
You know what this means. Yard Sale Time! And what a yard! Come on in and see what's on those tables. Sale runs through April 12th. Questions? Post in comments or email me at capriole at that gmail thing.
Mentoring and Editing Services I happen to have several openings right at the moment, and would be delighted to take on some new or repeat clients. (The sale, as always, applies to current clients as well.) Buy four hours at $160, get a fifth hour free. This is time enough to get started on a novel or short-fiction project, get the first three to five chapters of your novel reviewed, review and revise your submission package, etc., etc., etc. The options are as varied as the individual clients and their projects.
Camp Lipizzan--our first-ever sale on this popular event Camp Lipizzan, aka Horse Camp for Writers, is famous in song and story. It's horse camp for grownups, it's a writers' retreat, it's a chance to spend several days in in the Arizona desert in the company of the DHF Lipizzans--riding, schmoozing, soaking up the atmosphere. Lessons with our trainer are extra, as is the legendary White Horse Herd Yoga, but the basic Camp rate includes room, food (tailored to your needs and tastes), writer-type time, and of course horse time.
Here's the deal: Book a three night/four day package at $425 per person, paid in full by April 12th, and I'll throw in a fourth night free. Limited to two Campers per session, room with two double beds plus shared bath and large library/writing room with wi-fi and comfy chairs. Weekend or weekday, up to you. We'll pick you up at the Tucson Airport or the Arizona Shuttle from Phoenix Sky Harbor, or send you driving directions. (Note: House has cats. Guest room is cat-free but the rest is not.)
Dates are flexible. One Camp per month, though I might be talked into doubling up if the need is strong enough. We're closed in December. We have openings for the summer (but be warned, this is Arizona. Triple-digit temps are default mode, and in July and August there are monsoons), and for September, October (EXCEPT the last weekend--that's World Fantasy in San Diego), and for January through March of 2012.
Book Sale I haven't had one of these in a while, and the storage shed is getting full again. The titles below are the ones I can lay a hand on easily, but if there are other titles you'd like to see, let me know. I'll see if I have any left. Priced like so: Mass-market paperback $7.50 each, trade paperback $15 each, hardcover $20 each. All books signed and inscribed to order. Priority shipping in US: $5 for the first book and $2.50 for each additional book to a single address. Shipping out of the US, email me. US Priority rates are going up on April 17th, so that's a good reason to have the sale before then.
This month's titles:
Avaryan Rising Trade paperback. Omnibus volume includes The Hall of the Mountain King, The Lady of Han-Gilen, and A Fall of Princes. Epic fantasy, secondary world, sweep and swoosh and DRAMAAAAA!!! These are my secret favorites of my books, so much fun to write. Haven't read them yet? Strap in for a wild ride.
Arrows of the Sun Hardcover. Sequel to the above. More adventure, more drama, exotic settings and characters-with-Issues.
Tides of Darkness Hardcover. The last of the set. This one goes dark and goes deep, and twists around and turns into a historical fantasy. Probably my alltime favorite me-book.
And for those looking for the odds-on fan favorite, who may have found it in digital form on the Kindle or at Book View Cafe, I have a few hardcover original editions of Alamut left--with gorgeous Tom Canty cover, and all the original text including the sheet music at the end.
House of War Trade paperback. Alternate history. Richard the Lionheart, King of Jerusalem, and his ally and enemy Saladin square off against the Old Man of the Mountain.
The Mountain's Call The first of the Caitlin Brennan books, the secondary-world romance-adventure with (not)Lipizzans. Mass-market paperback.
As for ebooks, Book View Cafe offers four titles here and here: Alamut, Ars Magica, A Wind in Cairo, and the nonfiction essential for writers writing about horses, Writing Horses: The Fine Art of Getting It Right.
All of these except, as of today, A Wind in Cairo, are also up at amazon for the Kindle. I will be getting that one up ASAP as well.
So there we are. Please feel free to post far and wide, and email or comment if you have questions. Thank you all! We're be here for the next two weeks! Enjoy the scampi!
