Episode 1: Lillith Sings

hey mister better tell me what you're gonna do

about that pitbull you’re kickin’ and then letting run loose.
it’s not right. it’s our right – and that's plain abuse.
hey neighbour, i wonder if you beat your wife
but it’s not me waitin’ on sirens after a call
or my son who is listening, bouncing b-ball

chorus:
good man can you hear me? i’m ready to lean
yet stand steady beside you, come see what i mean
i carry porch songs in my pocket. 'n you in my heart
seeds are ripe now, to sow a fresh start...
i’d rather make music than money it’s true
but the family i dream of needs both. and you too.

hey officer, trust me 
your mount thinks that the mat
is a ditch on the midway by the carny laid flat
hey pony, leap forward, 
instead of step down,
to make it over where you’re needed across town
chorus
*

It's all about the rhythm with the ponies, Jill overhead Roomie say to her musician friends, while working in her room.  Her mentor had posted on someone else's facebook wall about a web-inar, but Jill wanted to attend the education session about appropriate use of social networking anyway!  She'd been wondering if her activity was helping or hurting her life and professional progression... 

The phrase, social networking, was supposed to indicate on-line activity but in this case it brought to Jill's mind the behaviour of one of Jill's "rivals".  The senior coach had been drunk in the afternoon, at a sunny suburban festival in the small town.  She was wearing pink biker chaps and her red, red lipstick was smeared, as she fawned over the less than interested bass player from the very mediocre hard rock band that was set to play.  She was actually friendly to Jill for a change, and seemed sincerely glad to see her.  In fact she even seemed a bit put off when Jill wanted to move on and look around at the rest of the event.  As Jill walked, she doubted that  the other equine professional would even remember running into her.

Probably, what bugged Jill the most was the biker chaps. Did she want some? If she thought about it, Jill had dated lots of guys with motorcycles.  But, one time when a bunch of Harley's were coming up the hill in the former mining town for the matinee music, Jill said to her friend "Maybe my next boyfriend will have a motorcycle" to which her friend instantly replied "do you want a boyfriend, or do you need a motorcycle?"  Maybe if she was horse-riding more she wouldn't think of riding bikes. 

On her on-line wall,  "I'm not very good at taking a hint." her friend had advised, "Next time be more direct."  Jill agreed, she had a knack for not being direct.  But only when it really mattered, as in, to her true heart.  She was glad for his reminder about speaking out about her real wishes.  She was learning to speak up in real life more often recently, to great success, about her personal needs, and even secret wants.

Despite her best media-biz ticket cost write off intentions, after the Sarah Mclachlin concert Jill wrote a song instead of a review.  Would the ticket write off still work? She'd not been a huge fan beforehand, but she knew and liked the well-known music well enough.  She'd even been compared vocally to the Canadian icon.  Plus, Jill was making friends across quite an age gap and when new Roomie suggested it, Jill was keen to hang out. She was to meet Roomie and her new lady pal/coworker from India at the show.   It was bad weatherish and Jill was to leave from home with garbage bags to sit on and rain jackets to spare, while they would be holding good spots on the soggy lawn, heading to the venue directly together from work. 

Afterwards she was all churning up with a love hate thing about the concert in general.  So much of the show was sickeningly contrived and yet so many of the songs were so breath takingly beautiful, with spectacular presentation.  And, what about that guitar player, ha.  Also, harmonium! Yum!  Jill also enjoyed the ideal of the musician's family life - married to the drummer, baby on the road with them... A bohemian, harmonious, happy, successful lifestyle was enviably beautiful and the music was grand to say the least.  And there was an inspirational thing that happened en route!

Rushing through the nearly deserted midway, Jill noticed a couple of officers on horseback.   Just a couple of days before that she had patted one of them on her way to a Harbourfront Shift, and not washed her hand all day for the horse smell.  She was paying attention to the mounted teams for a chance to say hello horsie again.

But they looked like they were busy and intent on something serious and for sure the horses were agitated and as one of them cantered by her, she stepped aside off the sidewalk for the next one following behind. You never see them cantering around, Jill was curious.  The second horse suddenly stopped and shied from the middle of the path, refusing to follow his fellow horse. 

As the spinning frightened equine was coming a little too close towards her,  Jill said standing calmly "I thought they looked uptight."

The stern cop just gave Jill a tough look and bustled past on the snorting horse and Jill realized this man was in an episode requiring a tiny bit more horsemanship than he had, even though they are actually, usually quite good riders. She understood now what was going on.

She could see how he needed to keep authority in public and so wouldn't acknowledge that fact that his horse was giving him trouble, to hippie chick standing by.

Indeed by now a crowd was noticing, and folks were murmuring, wondering why the horse was so wound up and refusing to go home to their stable just at the other end of the path.  Jill could offer more help, but it seemed he wasn't interested so she calmly shrugged and started walking away with a gesture at the black matt on the ground over some power cables.   "He thinks that's a ditch."

And the cop urged his horse two steps towards Jill asking, "He what?"

Jill turned around to face them. "When I had to teach a horse to jump a ditch where there wasn't one, I used a matt like that. He's refusing at a ditch.  That's why you are stuck." The cop was listening, so Jill came closer and patting the horses shoulder, added "Do you want me to to pick it up to see if the horse will step over the power cables instead?" The matt went as far as you could see, to the left and to the right.  Jill wondered how she could even do that, as the cop shook his head no.   So, Jill took charge of the situation and said  "Well you are gonna have to send him over this then."   And, she stood back from the horse at the edge of the imaginary cliff, and just started giving instructions. 

"Put your leg on.  Ride forwards to it, and yeeeeesss, let him stretch his neck like that.  He's looking at it, but you look ahead.  Urge him on. No, don't the pull the reins at all. Sit up! Leg.  Look up! And more leg, come on, leg, leg, leg..." The mounted officer was listening to her and taking the appropriate action, with rather good timing, and yet the horse wouldn't go.  He was like just quivering and stepping in place.  To Jill that was unfair, ha.  The rider was doing well and the horse wouldn't do it!  The big gelding was almost ready to jump and but just wouldn't quite go.  

"The longer he's allowed to refuse the harder it becomes to get him to go."  His lead horse was still on the other side but now more and more people were gathering around, and started offering their two cents and Jill thought the situation was going from bad to worse.

Surprising even herself she said "We do not have time for this,"  and she took a step forward to grab the horse's bridle, saying as she did "C'mon on dumb*ss!  Let's go!"  (Later she couldn't believe she'd said dumb*ss in front of an officer! And, a crowd!)

And then the horse, instead of jumping across it like they'd been asking, realized with her step on it, that it was solid ground and accepted the rider's urging finally.  The giant gelding stepped on the mat with one big plodding hoof too, and moved forward into canter.  As they clattered off down the laneway picking up some speed, all the people clapped.  Such good will and joy all round!

When Jill found the ladies on the lawn, handing out the rain gear she said "The greatest thing happened on my way here. I just rescued the police!"   And the lights dimmed and the concert started...

A Holiday Smile

"So what, there's no one in Texas for Tronas?"  Jill realized with her date's comeback, she should concentrate on listing her projected start up costs for her potential sponsors, as some kind of Dear Santa letter, instead of dwelling in and even sharing out loud fantasies about further chatting with barely met celebrity cowboys, that prevented her progress in real life relationships...

car, insurance, mileage expense plus CAA,
properly fitted helmet,
some kind of cutting edge protective vest?
boots, and more boots if possible,
gloves,
half chaps,
breeches and long johns to fit under them...

Jill was making a mental checklist when she should have been falling in love.  Meanwhile, the conference and gala organizers she'd spoken to earlier wanted her to bring a media partner/date to the event, and she couldn't rustle up either.  They also wanted to provide her a stable pass, which she felt unable to accept!! E-gads.

Later, after refusing the offer, Roomie fretted aloud about the pimps in the penthouse of the condo where some of her aging family members in the big city lived, because wasn't that "a sure sign of guns and drugs in the area?"  Jill said she worried too much.  And, complimented her amazing way with difficult people as a way of reassuring a pal.  Meanwhile, their new house mate seemed unbearably controlling, volatile, selfish and miserable to Jill, while Roomie insisted on forging more constructive relations.  While they chatted, the CBC radio broadcast talk about an interactive seal robot that dementia patients in Denmark loved.

*

The old man's feet were already improving with his turn out on the dry ground. And, Jill was already acting like they were in a backyard property, picking out his hooves while he was loose in the paddock. With the little guy complicating her life by coming over too...

That bay was a little tender on his tootsies too, probably the blessed dry ground was a little harder, though she did also find a pebble lodged in his front right foot after their ride. Then she wished she'd dismounted and checked instead of keeping their ride on the short and slow side.  She should get a saddle bag and ride out with a hoofpick included in the contents some day.

The bitless was closest so they had used it. And wearing that, he walked the logs the slowest ever. He was actually kind of dead in the heat, not his spooky or scooty self at all, and she felt perfectly safe riding around that back field in it. They went right up close to the traffic side this time, and just stood there for a while.

Back in the sand ring, she could expand and his collect his canter in it too. And, she liked not having any metal in his mouth! But, also, she would miss dressage, if she had to give it up for her new found knowledge of the cruely of the roll kur... She had learned in her media work that the frame they have to carry themsevles in for proper dressage is considered abuse by some people!

She wanted to get the blue mat out and school it as a riding obstacle. And, next time she would build a little jump to build into some flat work, before mounting as well.

Learning New Ground

The new black chalkboard paint they'd used on a kitchen wall was awesome!  As was the new recipe for curried red lentil soup that Jill had concocted for their lunch and dinner that day.  She also enjoyed Roomie's promise to prepare curried chickpea and spinach soup in trade for the next day...

Jill had never understood why people would pay to go to a gym, and pay other people to do their physical labour on the farm, so they could have the time to do so. But, she had to admit, Roomie's cowboy had nice arms. If only there were some like that wrapped around her, instead of stuck in her head!

The old guy had a decently messy stall, so phew! Jill could take comfort that he wasn't colic-y at all.  He was also feeling well enough to run the fence line as she rode his little buddy in the ring next door.

Also, if it hadn't been for him acting interested in the hay cubes on the other side of the gate, she could have never caught the bratty little guy. That little pain only came to see what Jill had because of the old man's interest.  Jill thought it was nice to see him moving pretty nicely, loosely, and easily on soft ground. in a much bigger space than he was used to. She also was sure he'd been fine with the fenceline, imperfectly rebuilt in places as it was...  the little buddy/brat was good that way too. At one time he'd been turned out in a paddock with a gate that didn't quite stay up straight and he never cared, or escaped or got caught in it.


Riding in the rain-sodden grass ring, the footing was pretty lumpy from previous use.  Jill worried about making it worse for the future, by walking on it at the moment. Plus he seemed long in the toes, and so quite trippy, and she didn't want to hurt him!

He was very well behaved on the lunge in the small indoor - all she could think of to was ask for a lot of transitions and he was obedient. She hated the way he leaned in though, and the shape of the circle was not good. Jill knew how the radio really blared from the other side of the barn, every time he passed that open door. She thought even that was good training for him too.

After she'd mounted he was a good boy about the puddles on the driveway! He was not so keen on the asphalt driveway through the pond and freshly cut logs (with some kinds of industrial racket in the background that you had to get closer to), however. it was great how the driveway had a hill. she asked for one canter transition each lead up the grade, trotting just as they'd reach the flapping flag.

She couldn't wait to have his feet done!  With shoes to protect him, who knew where they'd travel!

Brat-a-Tap-Tap

Jill would have to make a note to herself to go looking for the little guy's halter.  In the moment she was too busy taking comfort in the old guy's muddy coat, and delighting that it was actually warm enough for their blankets to be off during the day. She trusted that the water bucket was about to be filled and left well enough alone this time... they didn't seem at all dehydrated.

The little pocket pony was such a brat about the puddles. Jill thought she should start riding out with a whip, and she'd rustled one up to keep in her trunk for just this purpose... he sure would have gotten smacked with it if she'd had one that day.  He'd actually reared! 


She'd finally figured out that she wasn't keeping enough contact on the left rein, as he turned his head so far right and just kept traveling down the driveway toward the barn, instead of the road as she was asking him. 


But when Jill fixed that, then he invented an escalating diversion to that. Scrambling back down the driveway toward the barn against Jill's direction, argh.


BRAT!

By the end of the 50 minute walk and trot ride up and down the driveway, he would trot through, both ways. And, one time when she'd been dismounted with him, he'd actually pawed in both sets of muddy puddle. 


Jill was keen to this as progress.


*
"The cowboys boots are not comfortable. for riding or walking! They need to be oiled, maybe. And, i need to see if my chaps fit over them," Jill reported, showing off the pinch marks on her calves.

Hike on Horseback

"She just bucked" Jill told the rider in front of her. "But luckily it was small and rather comfortable" and the horse's owner thus, did not slow down.

Up hills, down hills, between trees, over trees and standing chatting in the creek while the horses splashed and pawed and drank. What a delight!

And, it was nice to share experiences and laughs and honest stories as they rode. Jill knew this was just the start of a meaningful new friendship!!


When she heard about the heart attack Jill protested.  "But she's a woman. UNDER fifty."  Fit, strong, and health-conscious women that young do not have heart attacks....

Jill couldn't help herself from giving away unwanted, useless hugs. but, she was on the verge of tears herself....

Instead of taking her handsome out to play that day, Jill took the chesnut pony out for a practice ride. She practiced saying ter-rot in her best teacher voice, putting her leg on him and, if he didn't spring into trot, then whacking him with the crop, ha.
*
Finally, a cutie asked for Jill's number! yes it was in Tim Horton's and yes SHE (the asker) was about 5, but you know what, after the sweetie popped the question Jill invited her to come out and pat some ponies, and actually wrote her number down on a napkin for the kid (and the embarassed parent), ha.