Horse Show Weekend Update

Let's start with some pictures.







Sara and Smash at the halt.





















Sallie and Moonie in their Intro A test.





















Bella and I at the halt.














Bella giving Smash some advice on the Intro A test.

Bella and I performing the Intro A test.

Sara, Sallie and I signed up for the third in the series of the Loch Moy Short Course event. To recap: I did the first one by myself and placed fifth; Sara and Sallie came with me too the second series: I came in fourth; Sallie got second; and poor Sara was eliminated during the cross country course. We found out later that Satchmo had a hurt back and was not feeling well at all. We all did the third in the series, but I was the only one who did all three. I was very lucky and placed first in my division. Sara rode another horse, Smash, and came in second in her division. Sallie had a good dressage test, but did not make it through the cross country course.

As excited as I was about placing first yesterday, I got an email from Loch Moy Farm saying I placed third overall for the series. What? Get out of town! Never did I think this would be me winning something like that.

MARC Train Update

SooOOoo, here we go, again.

Monday night: Get on the train; at some point before departure we are told the train set is one car short because the usual train set is broken down in Baltimore with no time in sight when it will be fixed. OK, we can deal with that; the train was very crowded.

Next announcement (which I knew was coming): The train is here; however, the crew for this train is going to be late because of the broken down train in Baltimore; they are at New Carrollton and will be here within 5-7 minutes. We have a golf cart at the track where they will arrvive, and it will bring them to track 7. We wait and wait and wait. Finally, at 6:16 (remember, this is a 5:51 p.m. departure) we leave Union Station. By the time I get to Dorsey it is 6:55, 25 minutes late.

Tuesday night: Get on the train; we have a full train set with 5 cars. We depart Union Station, go at a reasonable speed(we did slow down a few times, but what else is new?) to all the stops EXCEPT Dorsey. After Savage the train does a 5 MPH trek to Dorsey. No announcement why we are so slow, but we all have ideas:

1. Switch Problem
2. Signal Problem
3. Track Work
4. Freight Train in Front of Us.

We trudged along from Savage to Dorsey for 25 minutes! It should take only about 10 minutes to get to Dorsey. Again, 6:55 p.m. by the time we get to Dorsey, then there is the drive home. By the time I get home, change, eat dinner, it is almost 8:00 p.m. What a way to spend another short evening before I have to get up and go again.

The reason for the slowness? TWO FREIGHT TRAINS, NOT JUST ONE!

Oh, wait! Yesterday the train was 7 minutes early in the a.m. to Union Station, then the train home was 25 minutes late - Subtract the 7 from 25, which gives me a net time of 18 mintues on the train! It works mathematically, right? However, I think being delayed far more outweighs the times of being early. I think I'm still in the hole here regarding time on the train.

Oh, yes, I will continue to ride MARC. I am a captive audience because I know I will never drive into D.C. every day and battle the traffic on the highway and the traffic in D.C., which can become a parking lot at a moment's notice.

Good thing I can read, knit, listen to music or nap. However, sitting on the train for over an hour can be cumbersome and tiring. Many times I think I should just stay on the train because it's not that long before I have to get back on it. :)

Halloween Horse Show

Sara, Sallie and I participated in a horse show on Sunday. We were able to dress up; here's my skull and roses jacket that I wore. Unfortunately, my "Pinney" covered up the vest I had made.

Sara dressed up as Amelia Earhart.

Bella's Saddle Pad with skeleton, who lost a leg somewhere along the way. The skeleton, not Bella.

Part of the cross country course. Very pretty.

The water event.

The weather was perfect - not too hot, not too cold. We all had a great time. And we're going to do it again in two weeks. We must be gluttons for punishment.