The Saddle, The Stifle and The Summer.

At this point in our relationship with the Earth we, as a people, can only hope for tomorrow to be better than today if we first accept the simple principle that plain is better than ornate, small is better than large, and old is better than new. That is why I am so excited about my new saddle.

It has no checkering or decoration. It has no suede. It is one color and the leather is slick and with a touch of oil will shine like the sun. It needs only the most minor of repairs.

It is between ninety and one hundred years old. That means nothing to a kid, but when one has been married as long as I have and pauses to consider how much better it is to have a fifty year old wife than a twenty year old wife, having a saddle twice as old as one's wife is cause for celebration.

Today the wild stallion with the stifle problem is to be captured and delivered to us for rehabilitation and training. His cure will be to be moved gently in a sloping round pen when the stifle is unlocked until the joint becomes strong enough to be stable. His name is not yet determined. I learned of him the same day that a trainer that I know received a nasty blow to the head. (Not by one of my horses). I am thinking of naming him in commemoration of her prompt recovery. I am torn between naming him "Wooden Sword," a name given by the English colonists for a particular war club that local Indians used for hand to head fighting. However, I am also drawn to the name of the Cheyenne mythic figure, "Sweet Medicine", to commemorate the very strong pain medication that caused her to be better company to those around her.

The Summer is starting out with a drizzle rather than a down pour. Tomorrow a Chamber of Commerce tour will be bringing two mini buses back to the horse lot to see how we do things. I had considered a major clean up and renovation effort for the event but instead settled on shaving, even though it will be a Friday and I do not shave on Fridays.

Before the month will be out Abby will be moving from Arizona to Carolina to join Karen's staff at the Corolla Wild Horse Fund. Abby will be program manager and will be a great addition to the staff.

And I will train wild horses. I do not spend enough time training wild horses anymore. I spend too much time fixing fence, chopping weeds, etc. I do not function as well as a human being without spending the time with the wild horses. I hope to recover that this summer.