First training session

It's been raining every evening for the past few days. The red clay ground here is slippery and sticks to everything! Don't get me wrong, I'm grateful for the rain, I always am - even when last year at every show we attended at least one of our horseboxes got stuck ... but that’s another story. Today I decided to ride, and somehow managed to get up early.

Missy, my Saddler, Arab, Warmblood cross mare, is currently in her last week of her African Horse Sickness vaccinations (I'm so glad I did it early this year as AHS reports are already coming in), and so it's time to ease her into her work again, and to prepare for our first Eventing show in the middle of December.

Well today's training did not go as I would have liked, and I already am a day late because of the weather. Missy was not impressed that she could not spend her morning snoozing in her stable and she showed me just how annoyed she was by sticking her head extra high up whenever I requested anything other than a loose reined walk - oh I can just imagine how our first dressage training session is going to go. Mind you, the ground as stated before, is not ideal for riding at the moment and even our sand arena is waterlogged, so I mainly just walked. I made Missy walk over poles, low jumps, up and down hills and occasionally just trotted a few strides on ground that looked fairly stable. I also decided to go on a walk outride, but after Missy got two frights up our driveway at who-knows-what, I thought better it and turned around. Our back field is huge, but the clay ground is just as slippery, if not more so as it’s on a slop; so it meant more walking. I could tell Missy was getting pretty fed up at this point and when her paddock mates started to be taken out to their field I decided to call it quits.

Ok so our first training session was not very successful, and only lasted twenty-five minutes, but at least I actually had the resolve so get up early and ride, despite the weather that looks like its threatening rain again. I will probably see if perhaps the ground can dry out a bit, and try again on the weekend, as after 5 weeks of not riding, both me and Missy need to get seriously fit before our next show.

Reviewing my own novel:

Under one of the forums of NaNoWriMo, it was suggested that one writes a short, positive review of one's novel. So here it is, read it and weep ... probably as its rather poorly written ;)

I found C M Meridians first novel; Blue River Chronicles: Full Moon Rising, a refreshing take on a well-worn out, and badly portrayed genre of claw and fang, that we all have gotten a little tired of lately – or is it just me.

While the book focuses on the turmoil of high school life, and the troubles of being a creature of the underworld would present to a hormonal teenager, it remains true to the traditions and folklore that has come to be lost in modern fang fiction. No sparkles, puppy love or even elaborate powers to fill in loop holes in the story line, as there are none!

Full Moon Rises, draws one into he mystery of the story and the life of the character quickly. Causing the reader to sympathies with him and his every day struggles on who and what he is. At one point I wish I could have climbed into the book, slapped his girlfriend aside, and given him a hug, whispering the words ‘I understand’ sweetly in his ear.

This novel was captivating, engaging and left me wanting more after the cliff hanger of an ending. I cannot wait to see what the next novel in Blue River Chronicles will bring.

Searching for opportunities

Wow I had a great weekend, it was the end of yea function at our stables and we had a great time! I got the trophy for Eventer of the Year, and it was no surprise, not to sound vane, but I am good at Eventing and it helps to be only one of four people at our yard that event. It was great fun that we all played games, catches (I was not caught), balancing on barrels, trampoline games, stalk the lantern (one of my faves) and hiding-go-seek in the dark and in a very bushy/woody area - I hid up a tree and was not found (yay me!)

My odd trophy

Now it Monday again and that means I have to try and be productive - though me and my sister decided that spending two hours watching Burghly and FEI Showjumping was not a bad way to start the day. Well now it early afternoon and I have sent out about 10 job applications *sigh* its never fun. And I seriously need to catch up to my word count for NaNoWriMo, as I really want to submit my book to potential agents by the end of November so I need to get a move on!

Oh, I'm going to look for sponsorship for my Eventing again. I say again as I did contact sponsors and they said yes! But the suppliers of their product in South Africa said no *sob* so I was told to look for new ones.

I am seriously getting in the mood to ride again, which is great! Riding almost every day of the year can make one get tired of it, and this break really help me get a longing for it again. But now that mean both me and Missy need to get fit - yep an out ride is definitely on the cards this afternoon.

Cheers
C

No time no time

Its the thrid day of NaNoWriMo and I'm only just over three thousand words! Oh my I've just been so busy looking for work ( I quite last week) and trying to get everything organised on the dosen paintings I need to do for christmas that I find it so hard to keep up with the word count.

Ok so last year I got over 50 000 words in like 15 days, but tonight I am joinung a write in and I don't want to be like "um my word count, ... do I have to answere that?'

A write in is gonna be a new experience for me, meeting like minded people that are essentially strangers, and they've had a meeting already so I'll be the new one .... nervouse!

Well my first layer of paint has dried so off to continue my current painting.