Horse Expo and Studies

Last weekend I went to the "Horse Experience" which was a horse expo, on a small scale. Was nice to get out and be in horse world for a while. There was an evening performance called "The Power of the Horse," with different exhibitors performing. My favorite was a dressage horse named Rolex who performed upper level movements with a pretty good rider.

The Dressage Rider and Rolex

My second favorite, just because it was so hilarious, was a guy dressed in a cave man outfit, riding a horse dressed in an elephant outfit! He did reining moves- loping, spinning, rollbacks. All the while, this long nose attached to the horse's nose was flailing around. The horse was a saint. couldn't tell if they guy was riding with flapping arms as part of the act, or not.

The Cave Man on his Elephant...

There was a guy who had a near perfect seat, riding a reining horse, who did various movements, then reached down and took his horse's bridle off, repeating the movements with just the reins low on the horse's neck, for cues. Now that I think about it, everyone I saw riding had a great seat. Don't ask about legs and hands...

The Reining Horse

The NAGS were a group of women who ride sidesaddle and give exhibitions. I thought the matched pair of appaloosa mules were cute, especially the spots on their legs.

The NAGS. Can you see the spots on the Appy Mule's legs?

The exhibition on vaulting made me want to go offer my services. Gah. I love vaulting. This was pretty poorly done, in my opinion. I just felt bad for the main horse, and the way several of the riders crashed down on his back. Maybe it was just the event, and they actually do much better at home.

Vaulting

Weather has been interesting here. In the 50's, temperature wise, with beautiful clear days. Like early summer, back home! And these strong winds, but they are a tad warm, so it isn't unpleasant to be out in them. Today, however, the sky is black, and is is actually raining!

Blue Skies and Sunny Days. Still no green, though.

With the nicer weather, I have been able to mess with the horses more. After a few sessions of "review" ground work, we got back to lunging, and I actually rode Ber for the first time since we moved. He was solid and confident under me. We just walked and trotted, with transitions and changing directions. Nothing big, just seeing how he was in the new arena. Can't wait to get on again!

The girls love going for walks. We have a walk routine, before I leave the house to go to school. They trot along, as if they own the world, smelling everything. There are several spots where grouse and pheasants like to hide, and the girls are starting to anticipate these places, looking for the birds.

School is going like gangbusters. I am really, really enjoying my studies and work. Things I learn in one class overlap with things from other classes and the research I'm working on for Scott. He keeps saying the purpose of this program is to get me to THINK. Well, I'm a thinking, real hard! My mind just doesn't seem to stop. One of the benefits of doing this program, full time, is the brain space I can dedicate. Without a head filled with kids, there's a lot more room in there!

I finished reading Three Cups of Tea, by Greg Mortenson, which I highly recommend. It tells the story of a man, and a cluster of people supporting him, building schools in Pakistan and Afghanistan to educate girls. Just phenomenal. Also read I Won't Learn from You, by Herbert Kohl, and 36 Children, also by Herbert. I want to go work with Herbert, or at least go talk to him, someday. Lives in Point Arena. I am trying to find an email or mail address for him. Now I am reading The Challenge to Care in Schools by Nel Noddings, and A Framework for Understanding Poverty by Ruby Payne. This is on top of all my reading for my classes, and my research.

My reading buddies...

What I am trying to do is build up my knowledge base for my dissertation. I need to be well read in the area, before I start focusing my review of the literature and selecting the focus of my research for my dissertation. I figure I need to put in a year of background reading. Looks like I'll be able to create independent study courses in which I will read lots of books, selected with the help of my advising committee. I also want to do some internships in programs around here (like the Literacy Lab I found out about, last week) that work with children coming from poverty. Again, I can get credit for doing the internships. As part of the doctoral program, we need to do 17-20 units of a specialization (cognate), so the reading and internships would be part of those units.

Am also working on getting some of my credits from my MA degree to count for my doctorate work. You can carry over a maximum of 15 credits. That will help, as 66 total credits are required for the EdD. Granted, 9-12 of those credits are dissertation work, so it's not all coursework- just 54. To give an idea of how long it will take to do 54 credits, I am taking 11 this semester, which is a full load. I can only fit 6, or maybe 8 units in during the summer, so I'm looking at 28-30 per year between the fall, spring, and summer semesters.

I want to say, my work at Humboldt in the master's program really did prepare me for my work here. Need to get the word to my professors back home. I don't think my professors here expected me to come with so much research experience, writing ability, or confidence. Pretty cool.

Alright, don't want to bore everyone with details about school. If you want to know more, email me, or call me. I would love to talk about what I'm doing!

Arcy the RCA Puppy

Stealing Georgia's bed for a quick nap. Arcy looks good in Yellow.

Arcy was the cutest 10-week-old McNab cross puppy. She came from the Humane Society, like Georgia, after wooing Pat with her charm. But she preceded Georgia by a year and a half, and she is the older of the two. As a little puppy, she looked like a photo-negative of the little RCA dog in the old ads. So, the name Arcy, for RCA, stuck.

At 11 weeks, she was in the vet hospital, attached to tubes, fighting for her life. Sick, sick puppy, with kennel cough and huge parasite load and infections. Obviously, she made it. But when I held that sweet puppy in my lap, waiting to get her into the vet's, I wasn't sure.

Now the sheer force of will that got her through that ordeal is common knowledge. She likes to control things, be in charge, and direct traffic. Growing up Arcy was not a task for the faint of heart. First there was the challenge of socializing her. At 6 months, she went to a doggie day care. Imagine my horror when I showed up to pick her up, and she had a shock collar on! Turns out she had been ordering all the other dogs around, including the massive Rottweiler and German shepherd. lol. She went many more times, but never got over her bristling control issues. That's when Georgia came on the scene. Terrier tenacity meets herd dog mentality. Guess who won, really?

Ah, the pleasure of being "owned" by a herd dog.

At home, the issues were digging holes. Arcy did not dig holes just for the pleasure. No, she had a purpose. She dug grand-canyons in pursuit of gophers. She dug whole swaths of the garden up for carrots.

Arcy had a cat, Rico, who she liked to herd. The other cat, Carbon, abandoned the back yard once Arcy moved in. But Rico liked her back yard, so she developed a tolerance, of some sort.

Paws on quilt. An artistic shot. Told you she looked good in yellow...

Balls were what Arcy lived for. Or any toy that could be hurled through the air so she could chase it. Favorite was ball and bat, but she also liked frisbees and this sling-shot ball that had an elastic band attached. Unfortunately, Arcy can't smell real well, so she was always losing her toys in the garden jungle. She'd stand outside of where she thought it was, wagging and barking, until someone found it for her. Or you'd just see this little black tail with a white tip, attached to a wiggling butt, sticking out of a bush as she searched futilely for her ball.

Bookend puppies.
A brief moment in the middle of moving chaos.

It is stressful being in charge of everything- just ask Arcy. Now she's an elderly girl, and she really hates having her senses compromised. Can't hear, so things keep sneaking up on her. But she still carries herself with great pride, and finds things that she enjoys. The majority of her time, however, is spent sleeping. Something she rarely did as a youngster.

One of Arcy's favorite things to do is push back my blankets and sleep ON the sheets. OH, there's that yellow thing, again...

As I was putting this together, I realized Arcy does not have as many pictures as Georgia. Something about the cuteness factor, I think. No, Arcy is not cute. But she's beautiful, to me. I'll rustle up some more pics. Most of the ones I have also have a particular kid in them, so I need to get permission before posting them....

Georgia Jean, the Jelly Bean

Georgia Jean

Notice how purposefully Arcy is ignoring Georgia's presence on the couch? Can you hear her saying, "What is she doing up here? This is MY couch." Georgia really doesn't care. She wanted to sit on the couch. So there.

Georgia trying out her new bed from Costco. Ended up being way too fluffy. It expelled her onto the floor, hence we turned in around backwards as it is here. Finally gave it to the "small" husky that moved into our house.

Georgia Jean, the terrier cross from the Humane Society. At 14, she is what people might call "senior" but she prefers to use the term "experienced." She's a wise one, doesn't get to worried about things, and watches Arcy with scorn as she goes about her manic ways.

Georgia modelling her new coat for Boise, before leaving. She thought it was high time she had clothes.

Suffering, in the midst of moving chaos.

Georgia has perfected the concerned look and raised eyebrow. If you have seen any of the Wallace and Grommet movies, she is Grommet. My brother, Stuart, says that she suffers quietly and uses guilt to her advantage. Deep sighs, insistence on staying in an uncomfortable position or refusing comfort, ignoring your words. Gets her a lot of attention, especially by extended family and guests. In all honesty, she does have health issues that keep her feeling down, now, but even when she was young, she'd play the suffering victim.

Supervising while I put the flooring back in place.

Luckily she is also a happy, happy puppy at times, running around gleefully, yodelling for her dinner, and begging for a walk. When we go for a walk, she trots along, all business and seriousness, like she's on a mission. It is that purposeful trot that caught my eye when I met her at the Humane Society. That, and she yodeled at me when I asked her who's dog she was...

OMG cute. You should see those ears flap when she runs.

Here she is, the flying nun, practicing her winter survival skills back home, before leaving for Boise! Thanks Stuart, for finding the photo. :)

As a youngster, she had the job of playing straight-man to Arcy's insanity. Arcy had a gazillion toys, and was quite possessive of them. Being a herd dog, it was Arcy's herd, I guess. We would watch as Georgia would quietly, surreptitiously, trot over, take one of Arcy's toys, and trot off with it, head held high like a mighty hunter. Arcy wouldn't know what to do. She ran in circles around Georgia, barking. Georgia ignored her. She ran to get another toy, and blitzed past Georgia, trying to tempt her away. Georgia ignored her. Arcy lay down next to Georgia, staring at the toy. Georgia got up and trotted off to another area.

Despite Arcy's controlling nature, it was actually the stubborn terrier who had the real power. lol.

Thank goodness her rug came when we moved.

Georgia was also the sneaky instigator in many escapades. We thought the foraging on the asparagus bed was Arcy's doing, but who did we catch in the box, under the netting? Yep. Georgia. Who stole potatoes out of the garden? Who convinced Arcy that there were gophers in the carrot bed, so she'd dig up carrots for them to eat? We figure the mastermind behind most of the daring doggie deeds was the little dog with the busy eyebrows.

Georgia has a penchant for blankies. Loves to be wrapped up, cozied up. Her uncle, Stuart, loves to wrap her up. they make a good pair.

I am very glad Georgia has been able to join me on this Boise venture. She is exploring a whole new world, and it has brought a bit of a spring back into her step, which had been missing back home.

Georgia likes to have "capes" too, which are just blankies that she walks around with. Arcy thought she'd try one. Kept tripping over it. Georgia says it takes practice to have such style and charm.

Reading, Reading, Reading...

Just a quick post to let everyone know I'm alive and kicking. Sorry, no pictures. Hoo Boy. I had no idea how much reading there would be. A suspicion, a glimpse, a glimmer. But, truly, no idea. My eye doctor did, because she prescribed a pair of reading glasses for me. It is time to get them, I think.

Last week, my professor that I have the graduate assistantship with said, "Are you cursing me for pushing that fourth class, now?" He was laughing. He said he had no doubt I could do it, but admitted it was a lot. Between the research I'm doing for McNair, and the four classes, and my beginnings of literature review for my dissertation focus...the reading never ends. Can't remember if I said anything, but my current focus for my dissertation is poverty and equity in education. That is a vast morass of a field, and I will need to narrow it down, but it is a place to start building my base of knowledge.

The good news about the pile of reading is that it is interesting, fascinating, inspiring, and overwhelming. Interesting, in that I am learning every day, and broadening my understanding of teaching and the system of public education. Fascinating, because I had no idea of much of the history behind the public school system. I knew that schools were an institution that had an agenda. No clue how deep that agenda went, nor how hidden it is. Inspiring, because I believe that when I'm done with this experience, I will be able to go on and do things that will resonate with me and give purpose to my work. I look forward to finding out what that will be, though I am confident it will be a great ride. Overwhelming because we have so many students who are not getting an adequate education. Just devastatingly sad, the waste of human potential.

I started working with my mentee this week. In one of my classes, our big assignment is to spend 80 hours making a difference in the life of one child who is in danger of falling through the cracks (and onto the street...). Though many of my classmates are grumbling about this assignment (I can't blame them. They teach full time. Where are those 80 hours going to come from, in nine weeks? It is a big load. BUT we only meet for class every three or four weeks, and the reading load is very light. So... ) I love the assignment. The kid I am working with...I already like her and look forward to working with her. Can't really say anything about her, for confidentiality, but it is a good investment of my time.

The animals are good. Ber has gotten over his bumps, thanks to the steroids. Going to start riding him as soon as the weather cooperates. They are both getting a bit bored with not doing anything. The girls are pretty happy in their routine. Absolutely love their walks. This morning, Arcy came in from their yard and grabbed one of their leashes and started running around the house with it. Lordy, I haven't seen her play like that for a while. Too funny.

Had too much work to do this weekend to go anywhere except a coffee house for wifi and a mocha. lol. But next weekend there is a horse exposition, here, and I plan to go to as much as I can. Will be a real treat to be around horse people, and start networking. Maybe I can find someone to take some riding lessons with, and someone who can help me with Ber. Still hoping I can convince my trainer to come up here and help me get Giovanna started this summer. Not sure I want to trust anyone else with my sweet mare.

Hope you all are doing well, enjoying your days. I love hearing from you, when you have time.

Special Olympics and More

The Torch

Been a busy week! The time not taken up by reading and preparing for my classes has been spent on the research for my first project, affectionately called "The McNair Project." My first step was to read everything I could find on the McNair program, everything I could find about college students who were first-generation, low-income, or underrepresented in graduate school, and everything I could find about undergraduate research programs, mentoring, and internships. The next step, which I finished last night, was to write a 5 page literature review, summarizing the current body of research. It came in at 5.75 pages, so there's room to cut it down with editing. I have a list of questions to think about, for my research, including, "McNair scholars are incredibly successful in undergraduate work, graduating with bachelor's degrees at higher rates than any other sub group of university students and enrolling in graduate programs (Master's and Doctorate) at higher rates, as well. However, this success is not translating into similar success in graduate school, especially doctoral programs. Why?"

After meeting with my professor Monday or Tuesday, I'll begin working on my research design and any instruments (such as surveys or interview questions) I'll need. At this point, I am approaching it like it is a thesis, but it is supposed to end up being a 10-20 page paper, published in a scholarly journal. Yes, I'll be sending everyone copies, even if you aren't interested in reading the article. My name, in print! Wow.

Have not been able to do much with the horses, due to the frozen ground, and then due to Berhwood's allergic reaction. He broke out in bumps, everywhere. Hard to find a spot on his body that didn't have bumps. They are beginning to go down, now, so I think he's over the worst of it. They both started running up and down and playing yesterday, so that's a good sign. Giovanna is doing well, and working her in the sand arena is a pleasure. Her canter is becoming something to write home about.

Inside Qwest Arena. Looks like the Olympics, to me!

Boise is hosting the 2009 Winter World Special Olympics. I went to the Qwest Arena to watch the compulsory level of figure skating and ice dancing. I have marked my schedule for the final level competition in these events, as it should be pretty interesting. The joy these athletes take in competing is contagious. I can't imagine that the real Olympics are this much pure fun.

The lady on the left, from USA, was such a careful skater, like she was holding eggs in her hands. The skater on the right was from Canada, and she was like a buterfly, dancing on ice. Beautiful.

Outside of the Qwest Arena was an entertainment venue. I first watched this Dragon Extreme Martial Arts exhibition. Flashy, active, lots of jumping and leaping kids, accompanied by heavy base-loaded, pump-it-up music clips. No pictures, couldn't get close enough!

The 1,000 Good Deeds gang.

Next was the special olympics delegate from up in northern Idaho, presenting their 1,000 good deeds to the Japanese delegate to take to the Peace Garden in Japan. I choked up when the teacher/coach was talking about it. She said that rather than making a thousand cranes (because she would have ended up making the thousand cranes, which would have missed the point), she challenged her students to do 1,000 good deeds. And they did, in three years. The deeds are all written on little slips of paper and put in a tube. Pretty cool.

The High Tops dance group. How they put the flag together was really neat.

On stage after the good deeds group were the High Tops, a dance troupe from the Los Angeles area. The dancers come from a private school for intellectual disabilities. They were all young adults to middle-aged adults, and they, for the most part, really enjoyed their dancing.

After the dance troupe, a cowboy came on stage to do some roping tricks. He had a pony named Little Dan who did tricks, like counting his age, shaking his hand, nodding yes, and pushing his cowboy over whenever he bent over. But then the cowboy made Little Dan lie down. And he stood on Little Dan, did a little dance on top of him, and made him roll onto his back and sat on him like that for a while. He said that if Little Dan didn't like him doing it, he figured Little Dan wouldn't lay down for him anymore. Yeesh. I left before his routine was over, and went to see the ice dancing. Felt pretty bad for Little Dan. Jumping up and down on his barrel like that. Ugh.

Thought this was really just too much.

Standing in a field on the south side of Lake Hazel, looking north.

I'll close with a picture of my house from the field where I like to walk the girls. Yes, it is definitely still winter, despite the "heat wave" of low 40's we've been having.

I was able to find enough interesting dried grasses and things to make a nice bouquet, so I could use the vase and flower frog that a friend gave me. Had never seen a glass flower frog before. Sure makes arranging the plants easier.

Last but not least, this morning I had frozen fog horses again, though not nearly as dramatic as the last time. Giovanna's ears were quite cute.

Fog + Freeze = Fureeze

Went out to feed this morning, and found frosted horses. Looked like they had been dipped in liquid nitrogen. I'll let the pictures speak for themselves... There was a moment when I wished I hadn't put blankets on them last night, because the image of a fuzzy, frosted horse, from head to toe, would have been delightful. However, I wouldn't want them to sacrifice warmth just for the sake of art. :)

Just the tips of her eyelashes, frosted. Max-Faxtor, eat your heart out!

He kind of looks like a porcupine on his jaw, there, doesn't he?

Premature gray?