Still Life with Camera

I was following links from some of my favorite blogs to their favorite blogs and came away with such a feeling of community and friendship. Virtually all of these blogs are written by women and they convey such  generosity of spirit. Two of my favorites, 7MSN  and Pioneer Woman  are fairly geographically isolated and have created a broad community for themselves through their blogs and interaction between them and their many readers and followers.  Others, like Peggy Payne's Boldness Blog  are cheerleaders for people like me (who've always been a bit too concerned about doing what other people expected) to break out and find your true selves.  Oh, and  yes, she's also the author of Sister India and many other great books.  And if you're tired of winter, mud, snow and cold weather, take an afternoon and read Pioneer Woman's Black Heels to Tractor Wheels .  It'll make you forget all about what's going on outside, like all good writing does.

Phil's cousins in Illinois certainly didn't see their shadows today. We have aluminum foil colored sky today and a little dusting of snow. So that's good, right? Only 6 more weeks of winter? I could really go for that. Time to buy some tulips. SIGH

I bought a new horse today. I wired the money, the owners brought the papers to Sunflower Farms where I ride, my trainer did all the negotiation. I never met the owners, I had to call the barn to ask what name I should wire the money to.  I had him vetted yesterday and I couldn't answer most of the vet's questions.  All in all a very arms-length and unsatisfying transaction.  However, I think he's going to be the right horse for me.  I say that with a little trepidation since I certainly thought that about Navaroan, too.  But I'm not quite the naive horse buyer I was a year ago.  And even if we're not right for each other, life will go on.  Like the Vet Tech told me when I picked up Navaroan's transport certificate, there are a lot of nice horses out there.  The choice itself it surprisingly complicated. Not like picking out any other piece of "exercise equipment."  More like deciding on a mate.  What's more important? Good looks, reliability, i