Category Archives: The Why?! Files

Please don’t get me this for Christmas

16 Monday Nov 2015

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Unknown

Just in case you don’t recognize this, it’s a combo hoof pick and wine opener.  I saw it advertised in the latest issue of Dressage Today.

This may be what everyone has always wanted, but I sure hope not, as that would make me feel even less enthusiastic about the taste of the general populace.

It’s not that I’m against practicality.  Or for that matter, indulgence.  Arguably, just having horses is an indulgence.  It’s certainly not practical, as any horseman will be forced to admit.  Yes, even you trainers.

I know I’m not the only one who doesn’t want to think about the crud in my horse’s hooves while I’m about to open a bottle of wine.  In fact, I had friends over the other night who agree with me, so I’m sure there are at least three of us.  I had to show this thing to him because he’s a wine distributer and a horse lover.  His reaction tells me that this is not going to be his gift of choice for clients this year.

His wife, who is as charming and smart as he is, said it reminded her of those sandals that have a beer opener embedded in the sole.  Did you know those existed as well?  No?  Well, sorry to pass along that knowledge, but you know what they say, misery loves company.

I’m sure either one of these misguided attempts at product development would make a decent gag gift but please, don’t get me one for Christmas.  Or your friend.  Or your trainer.  I’m sure they’d prefer another pair of socks.

Gremlins

18 Thursday Oct 2012

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Office of Emergency Management, War Production Board, c. 1942-1943

Are they responsible for my last two blog posts suddenly disappearing, along with their comments?

Rebooted…no go.  I believe I can recreate the posts, but I’m contacting WordPress to see if I can return all the comments to the site.

Hope to be up and running and current again soon.

Update:  Thanks to the wiz at WordPress, everything’s back in order, including the comments!

The why?! files – bugs, bear & BOOM!

07 Saturday Jul 2012

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This is my least favorite week of the year, because where I live, the Fourth of July is cause to celebrate for at least a week.

That means lots of BOOM!  Not only fireworks — official (on at least two days of the week) and unofficial (whenever the neighbors feel like it).  Along with target practice at unusual hours.  Gunfire can be heard as late as 11:30 pm. Target practice round these parts is usually limited to the weekends, but not on the week of the Fourth of July…when it’s party, party, party.

A young bear chose this week to make an appearance on the property, knocking over the trash cans and lumbering hither, thither and yon.  My retired Thoroughbred thinks that a bear means the end of life as we know it. The other horses just raise their heads and look alarmed, try to comfort him and fail.

Several days ago, two Herefords and one Black Angus cross appeared at the fence of the sacrifice paddock, took a tour of the pastures and settled in to eat the Grand Prix field.  It took us a day to find the owner and the owner took another day to find the cows, who had then moved on.

This week, we also got a present of a new, mutant bug.  Of course, it bites. It’s one I’ve never seen before.  Has anyone else in the Northeast seen what looks like a huge (over 1″ long) fly?  What ARE they?  

And why do the bugs and the bears and the BOOM! and the stray cows have to converge this week, along with the rogue thunderstorms and temperatures in the 90s?

Maybe, if at least some of it goes away, I will be happy, next week, that it all came at once.  At least I won’t have to wait till the cows come home.