10,000 thanks & giveaway

Holy crap, y'all!  Sometime during last night my blog surpassed 10K views!  That is absolutely crazy! Thank you, thank you, thank you!

I never thought I'd see such a # - especially in less than two years of blogging. I guess its about time for another giveaway; this time in thanks. What say you to a hand made halter like my horses wear in a color of your choosing for your own horse? Or, for the non-horse followers, a hand-knitted hat for you or a member of your family - winter is coming after all! The winner can choose which they would prefer.

Stripey hat (I can do designs, too, but nothing crazy, please!)

Fat yarn hat.

Q in her purple halter.

To enter: 

1. Leave a comment on this post.
2. Include your email in this comment - I will announce the winner on the blog and email that person.
3. State whether you would prefer a hat for yourself or a halter for your horse and what color you want your hat/the noseband on the halter to be  (and why if you want to entertain me with a story). 
4. Optional: Tell me your favorite story/anecdote you've read in the time you've been "following" me. (I put follow in quotations as I don't follow mos of you via blogger but instead have subscribed in Google reader. I loyally read though!)

I will close the giveaway and announce the winner next SATURday, September 8, 2012.

Thanks again to everyone who has been reading and following along. Many of you have become good friends and are a constant source of great advice and encouragement.

: : : : :

In line with the "great advice and encouragement", I have decided I will do the 50 mile race at the Kentucky Stampede in October. I never want to be a crazy front-runner racer; my career with my horses in endurance will likely be one of beating previous races vet scores, beating the clock, beating personal bests, and conquering things that proved to be challenging before. The 50 mile distance sounds ideal to me, and to complete it with a happy, healthy, sound horse is all I'm really looking to do. I'm not in it for the prizes or the placing so much.  I just love working in tandem with my animals, seeing some of the most beautiful country in the process, and meeting some really incredible people along the way. So thanks to those of you who commented and helped cement my decision. =)

Relaxing, why the hell not?

I had a mini-epiphany on my way to training this morning:

No matter how much time I usually have to get somewhere or to do something, I tend to be hasty - not in a dangerous way.  I just don't relax and enjoy the process of getting from point A to point B, be it walking somewhere or solving some sort of puzzle problem.  So, driving this morning I realized I should relax and enjoy more.  Be calm and enjoy each part of everything because time's gonna pass the same speed no matter what, so why the hell shouldn't I enjoy it?  (Similar to my revelation a few years ago about why the hell shouldn't I be happy all the time?  Shit happens, sure, but if you focus on the tiniest happy things then life doesn't seem so bad.)

I'm already walking slower, perfecting my posture in the process.  Looking around and just enjoying whats going on.  And this week I'll try to enjoy training and get the most out of it.

I'm at the National Conservation Training Center in Shepherdstown, WV for training for work on the Endangered Species Act (ESA).  Bound to be a lot to learn and bound to be a good time I hope.  The food here is flippin' amazing, too.  And I have my own room in the lodge.  My evenings will be full of relaxing, reading, and knitting.

Relaxing.  Oh yeah.