How Is Your Year Going?

I’ve been out of touch for a while, cause, this year has been so perfect and dull I have had nothing to say…I’ve never had so much fun as over these past three months. How about you?

Just kidding. I’ve been cowering in the barn grain room wondering if Covid-19 can find me there. It’s pretty dark and dusty.

Still kidding. For me the truth lands mostly in the middle.

Some days my mind spins out of control: Trump! Covid-19! The Stock Market!

Others I just stick my fingers in my ears yelling LA! LA! LA DEE DAA!

Whatever works. That’s my current motto.

That and “STAY THE FUCK AWAY FROM ME! Please?”

I was lucky enough to fly to the East to visit my Mom in the Berkshires a week or so before the virus exploded in the US. It was already being mismanaged terribly – no tests, White House denial etc., but for some reason I thought everything was going to be okay. After all, we are the USA and have the CDC on it they managed to keep us safe from Ebola. And a whole Pandemic team and plan.

Oops. That was in 2016.

Anyway, by the time I came back to Los Angeles five days later, it became obvious that nothing was going to be the same for a while. I wasn’t going anywhere anytime soon.

I wasn’t consciously planning to stock up on things, but looking back that’s sort of what I did.

I needed hay, so I ordered a lot – about 50 bales – which should last the two fatsos in the backyard quite a while.

Yet even then, because it had been raining a lot, I was more concerned that the delivery truck would get stuck in my yard, than acquiring the trump virus.  I actually considered this: it would be handy to have a giant truck of my very own. Then I could pick up my own damn hay and shavings.

Luckily, the driver/delivery man is a much better truck driver than I am. He was in and out of yard in less than two hours.  There were only a few nasty ruts. Winning!

I also did some shopping that week, since as usual I had nothing in the house. That forced me to visit Costco just as the madness and hording was ramping up. I bought a few extra bags of dog food at Costco mostly because I wanted to postpone a return trip as long as possible. People were insane. Even though Los Angeles’ water is just fine. Every cart had cases of water.

And toilet paper. There was a whole separate line, with line monitors for toilet paper.  For toilet paper? This is a respiratory virus, so Kleenex maybe. (And what was up with the guy that literally had a huge basket filled with lettuce? I have so many questions…)

Anyway, while I was out I picked up dog food, cat food, canary food and extra grain for the horses. So I’m pretty good.

In fact, since I work at home and don’t go out much anymore (times have changed from the days when I would see three bands a night!) my life is pretty unchanged from the pre- “safety at home” order.

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I am lucky and oh, so incredibly grateful to live in California. Here, it is up to each barn to decide if they want to remain open. (For all of you who are allowed to ride, all together say a big  “Thank you” to  the horse racing industry who made the legitimate argument that horses need to be worked every day. Otherwise NO ONE would be riding.)

Mickey and Faith are at a single trainer, private stable that has remained open. (Thank you Heatherly Davis and Tracy Saunders!)  Heatherly staggers riders so there are rarely more than three around at any time. Everyone is extremely respectful about staying at least six feet away. And it’s California, so we ride outside. In a ring that is about an acre in size.  Have I mentioned how lucky I am?

Layla lives about ten minutes away. She’s out with one old mare and four other yearlings. There is rarely anyone there when I visit so that’s not a problem either. Actually that’s not quite true, if I’m not careful I can get run over when they mob me, because, foals. Not a bad problem to have. Foals give the best hugs.

I am more than a little thankful to be able to ride and do it in a place that is stunningly gorgeous and so visually distant from the city that I while I’m there, I can pretend that nothing has changed.

Except it has.

I still walk the dogs every day. Usually I’m the only one. Now there are other people walking too. Lots of them.

People are mostly nice. They say hello and keep a safe distance. That might also be because many days I walk with my friend Twinkle and her Great Dane, Blue. Nothing will make dog-fearful people get out of the way faster than two fat Great Danes heading their way.

 When people cower in the street, it hurts Jasper and Blue’s feelings, but they survive.

Lately I’ve also spent a ton of time pumping the water out of Lake Liveten, which was formerly known as my horse paddock.  It was literally an ocean back there.

I was lucky enough to borrow a pump and it works beautifully. It just takes a while and I’m not going to leave it unattended cause, you know, horses, dogs, water and electricity. What could go wrong?

The water is almost gone now. Except we are expecting another huge downpour.

So I repeat, how’s your 2020 going?

Stay safe and happy folks! We will get through this. I’m throwing a huge party to celebrate! See you soon!!!!!!