The Hellgate High School Marching Knights

[dancinghorse]

Some titles are a gift.  This is an actual marching band that appeared in the Rose Parade.  They hell, er, hail from Missoula, Montana.

I'm sure Joss knows about this.

I hope everyone is having a happy and quiet New Year's Day.  I spent yesterday working on writing stuff (proposal for the third Luna book, to be exact), which seemed like a good way to end the year.  The thing's about ready to send out on Monday.  In the evening I rode Capria and ponied ze keed--so saw the sun go down for the last time of  2004, from Capria's back.  It seemed like a good thing to do.  The evening was pleasant and quiet--eggnog muffins, Fledermaus on tv, and no major explosions or fireworks in the area, though there were incessant firecrackers for a while.  The dogs and horses didn't mind, though other people's dogs were having hysterics.

I'm glad the year is over.  Many good things happened--my alter ego started her publishing career with a nice amount of success and a major award nomination, I finished three and a half books for two publishers and sold three more to Tor, Queen of the Amazons and Rite of Conquest and The Mountain's Call were all published, a couple of short stories appeared (including the one in the highly praised anthology The First Heroes), the horses made progress in their training, and I traveled much more than usual--but there was Katherine's death, the Refi From Hell, and overall deadline hell to max out the stress levels.  I became much clearer as to who is and is not my tribe, renewed contact with many old friends (that one, I owe Kath, big time), and started this lj.  A net positive, really, and a great deal of rearranging and setting up for basically a new career (or two)--which I hope will start to pay off in the new year.

2005 should be an interesting year.  It's shaping up to be the Year of the Lipizzan.  SW Lipizzan Association, started by two ladies in Texas last summer, is humming along, and I have a column in the newsletter and I help with organizing and events.  We're starting off with the Joni clinic next weekend (please god may the weather cooperate) and there are a number of events planned in Texas--and we're hoping to organize breeding-stock evaluations in Arizona in the fall.  In the fall also, the Spanish Riding School will be in the US;  I'll most probably go to the performances in Columbus, Ohio since the US Lipizzan Registry meeting is there (registry meeting means a very likely chance of VIP status and access to the horses and riders).  Not sure how this will affect my attending World Fantasy, since it's about the same time.  I hope to be able to do both.

Meanwhile Pook is attracting quite a bit of notice and some nice mares.  If all the queries turn into booking fees paid and breedings accomplished, there will be a number of new Pooklets in 2006.  I want to continue his saddle training and, I hope, finally get him out to some shows this year.  This will be the year that Camilla becomes a genuine riding horse, and I learn to ride Capria much better, and keed will keep on with his Teacher Torture as well as his trail rides.  Ephiny will be 3 in April, so it's time to start ground-driving and eventually longeing her.  And Carrma might make a new baby, we'll see.

There will be additions, temporary and otherwise, to the farm.  Pandora, Ephiny's 18yo sister, is arriving in a couple of weeks, to board while her owner moves to Arizona.  Gabriella is pregnant up at Charlie Horse, and if it's a filly, she will very likely end up here.  And people asked about the canine addition--<a href="http://inkmkr.com/Hrrw/Winstonwil/Spotpix.html">here she is.</a>  She's another Cardigan, a retired show dog, and is Huge for a Cardi girl--35lbs.  Kaz, also on the (very) large side for the breed, is only 2-5lbs heavier.  She weans her puppies on the 7th, and we'll be shipping her after that.  When and how will be settled in the next week, I'm sure.  She's in Missouri, so has a ways to travel.  This is another Jennifer Roberson/Cheysuli referral--Jennifer owns her litter-sister Rosie. 

Book projects for the year include volume one of War of the Rose (a brand-new romantic fantasy series) for Tor, due in May, and volume three of the Fat White Pony series for Luna, due in December.  There should be some short projects and collaborative efforts scattered around in there, and a couple of stories sold years ago are finally coming out, in Alternate Generals III and The Enchanter Completed.

Meanwhile I'm watching the second running of the Rose Parade on KTLA, and taking a breather after cleaning the guest pens.  Had to clear out a year's worth of weeds, cut back a lot of brush, and hot-wire the fence on the arena side.  That was a good morning's work.  Still must take down the tree and run the vac, but I might wuss on that until tomorrow.  What I really want to do is make like a rutabaga for a while, then longe Capria and ride da Pook, then veg some more.

Maybe I'll just go ahead and do that.

Comments

[badgermirlacca.livejournal.com]

Good lord Kathy yes; she'll be riding. (Actually, she originally wanted to do 3-4 days of intensive work, but didn't realize how far away Joni is.) We're making a lot of progress but now need some fresh eyes, I think.

Let me know when the next one is; the one right upcoming is clearly too soon!