First....for the first time in months I have added a review. This time it is on Nathan Bedford Forrest's Redemption. It's a bit more clunky than usual...I had difficulty in writing it.

Second...if you haven't noticed, along the top bar there is a new heading, James and Burke. I finally came up with the name for my Western serial idea and figured I might actually get a better grasp on it by changing it out of script format and writing in up as a story. So...take a stab at it and let me know what you think. (Read the side bar!!) The plan is to post a new episode every Monday (since that's my usual slow day it will probably be more likely to get done--besides the fact that I usually feel rather creative [writing-wise] when somewhat tired.) The main exception to the rule will of course be Mondays after reenactments...then I'll be writing reenactment recaps. :D

Third....wait! There is no third announcement...unless it's to say I got the Christmas tree up on Monday evening. ;)

Yep. Honest. It really took longer to comb the mass of goatheads out of Snip's mane than it did to put the bit in his mouth. It took someplace on ten minutes, accompanied by some spinning, to get the metal in his mouth. I tell you, holding onto his ear like that really helps me stay with him. :D I just hope it isn't humanly possible to rip a horse's ear off...(because I would...)

All told, Snippy behaved pretty well today. I not only rode him, but I got a head count on the cows. Total 46 head (44 cows, 2 bulls).  I think there are 14 calves....there will be more on the ground soon.

I rode back on the leased land some. It's kind of weird, but I almost get the creeps back there. I don't quite understand it. Maybe it's partly because I know if Snip spooked and took off before I could get him under control--or bail out, I could get seriously ripped up by the trees. Anyway, it's just interesting.

This morning I ran into Byran's and got a roll of hay for my poor, poor little herd. They need some fattening up. Serious fattening up. I probably ought to get that little crooked mouthed calf off Snowflake. She's tiny still, but Snowflake doesn't need the extra drain on her. I have to make it a priority to feed them every day. Perhaps I ought to stick a note on my forehead...

I'm kind of hungry....so I think I'll go set the table...and then bug Savannah as to whether or not supper is done!

See ya!

Of course, everything that happens is ordained by God, so it's all providential timing. Sometimes though, it's just more obvious. Take this evening for instance. I had just fed Snip and on my way back to the house, I looked up and saw something black in the grass in the pasture. At first I thought it might be a cat, but that wasn't really a serious notion. Other than a crow (which I had just heard) I concluded it was either trash or a calf. About the same time I settled on that, this 'little bit' as Mr. Ricky would call it, got to its feet and started to wobble toward its mammy.

I continued to go toward the fence as I was going to see if I could get a gender ID on it (I didn't--it can be so hard to tell when they are newborn). As I went I heard the floater valve in the water trough hissing. For some reason I glanced that way. Then I looked again. Clearly, some of the jostling the cows do around the water trough had knocked it crooked. Water was pouring over the side as fast as the valve could pump it in. (Or faster.)

Being my own self, without hesitation, I plowed out there. I hopped over the puddle around the trough to a little space where I could actually land. I tried pulling the still nearly full trough. "Stupid. Of course you can't move it!" Hmmmm.....

Standing on my little 'dry' spot, I janked my boots and socks off, tossing them across the puddle (good shot that...the boots landed one on top of the other!) and hauled my jeans up to my knees so I could wade around in the mid-calf deep water. Over the next several minutes I tried various means of shifting the trough. At one point, I was standing on the edge with it tipped as far down as I could pawing the water out between my feet. I'm surprised I didn't get much wetter than I did with that operation. I found an old soda can in there, wedged in the 4 to 6 inch deep mud, as well as some other interesting trash I could have cut myself on. I ended up scooping many, many handfuls of mud out and throwing it, "Splash!" into the surrounding area.

After a while, I hollered at Savannah, who was on her way to the house after watering the garden, to please come and help me. I had managed to shift the thing ever so little, but I needed some help. So she came out and waded in after making some comment about, "This is how you get parasites." Gee, thanks a lot, sis! :D

She had the smart idea (okay so I had the idea, but I wasn't smart enough to carry it out) to bail out the trough. She went and picked up the coffee can I carry Snip's feed in and brought it out to me. I bailed the trough most of the way out and scooped out more mud. Then, the two of us moved the trough...I stuffed some more wood under the lower end and took the stick out of the floater valve (I'd jamed one in to keep the floater up so the water would quit running).

Job done, I collected by boots and socks, went to the hose and sprayed the exess mud off me. Walking back to the house, in a put on, bow-legged kind of walk, ending each step with something of kick (an attempt to lose some of the extra water), Savannah told me I looked fashionable--two tone pants! Ya...so what... :D

Anyway, because a calf was born today, I saw that the trough was spilling over...so I could fix it. God's providence is awesome...and sometimes humorous.

Whoa. Hold the time! It's already DECEMBER???
 
Where did the summer go? What happened to half the list of stuff I was going to do and just didn't get around to? (Maybe a broken collar-bone in August helped that?)
 
On the other hand, I have done quite a bit this past summer. So, I guess I shouldn't feel too guilty about not getting that barn cleaned out yet (though I'm going to at least see if I can get started on that before New Years.) That is going to be a massive job as the men in my family have no organization skills and not only is there Granddaddy's mess but Uncle Rod's trash on top of that. (By the way, I'm not REALLY picking on the guys--I have the some of the same problems myself.) [And to be honest...some of the mess is mine. :D]

Life wanders on...it is kind of funny; I go through spurts where I work like a horse for days on end, then I have slumps where I don't get anything but the dishes done. (That's a bit of an exaggeration.)

Ever get that panicked feeling because you are feeling overwhelmed with everything that needs to be done? I think I may get that next week...but I'm not even going to think about it until then (and after I finish the SCV video.)

Today we are (hopefully) going to have fun...in an hour or so we will be head out of town, out of county to a Christmas Party at the Hendry House. This is the house that Captain Francis A. Hendry lived in after the War Between the States. It's a SCV thing and we will be going in period dress. I know the A's will be there (he is going to wear his uniform), and I think most of the other people from the local camp were planning on attending. I hope Tom and Dolly are there. I really like Dolly...she's a bit of a character, but very nice.

SOOO.....we'd better start getting dressed here pretty soon. I have to eat breakfast and feed the horse.

Remember me mentioning about a cow closed up in the pens yesterday? Well...once we talked to Daddy and Mama about it, the idea formulated itself that maybe someone was in the process of rustling said cow. Hmmm....not a very pleasant idea. (And yes, cows still do get rustled...just not like you see in the old Westerns.) Anyway, by the time I went to bed last night, I kind of had the heebee-jeebee's--that is, until I zonked out.

I spent most of my day at the computer (again!) and managed to get the AfterEffects compositions rendered and placed. Only the audio work remains. I'm tickled pink!

About 4-ish I headed out (Savannah and Granddaddy had gone to a doctor's appointment and weren't home yet) to take a peek at the pens and open the west gate. From there I meandered down the run towards the back 40. Half-way down, for some reason I decided to check and see if my .22 revolver was loaded. (It normally is.) I felt like kicking myself when I flipped open the cyclinder to find six empty holes staring back at me. Thing is, I didn't reload it last time I shot it because I was going to clean it the next day--but I never did get to that. (I think part of the reason is because the piece you put the patch through is broken--cheap plastic!) Anyway, so there I was tromping around with an empty gun. Not much good for self-defense of any sort unless you're close enough to use it as a bludgeon.

I kept going regardless and wandered back onto the leased land. As I moved along I got to sniffing...there was that repulsive, yet sweet smell I've learned to recognize right off the bat as something dead. Looking off to my right, I caught sight of a mound I didn't remember being there. I went over to investigate and sure enough, it was a dead cow. She was one of the few with horns. I was kind of surprised that it was that particular cow. I didn't think she was in that bad of shape. It's my opinion that she probably just laid down and didn't get back up. I also got to wondering if that panther I saw last Saturday had anything to do with it--at least the eating part. Savannah suggested later that maybe the cow was down and the panther finished her off. I don't know; what I do know is that we lost another cow. That makes two this year.

I fixed a small piece of the electric fence on my way back from looking at the gate leading from the orange grove to the 'back 4o'. There is absolutely no lock on that. So...anyone wanting to sneak on to Granddaddy's land would have no problem whatsoever doing so.

I returned to the house via the runway and attempted to count the cows. I counted them I don't know how many times and most often came up with 43. That's bulls and cows, not counting calves or that heifer I was going to wean. However, I'm not going to put that down as a solid number until I get a better on-horse-back count. That's my job for Monday.

Speaking of horses, I went out this morning at around 8:45 (pretty normal) to feed Snip. I was fixing to do my usual whistling, when I heard a noise. Looking up, I saw that rascal horse of mine in the yard. He was standing by the pumps. He had apparently JUMPED the fence! Brat child...Anyhow, I hope the expirence was uncomfortable enough that he will not repeat it. (He got cut up some.) If I catch him in the act, I'm going to whomp him good. I had my breakfast sitting there getting cold when I peeked out at him and saw him nibbling that the fence. I charged out there and gave him a nose to nose scolding. After I went in, he walked away from the fence. I think he knew I was mad at him--but I couldn't tell you how much of my tirade he understood. He isn't stupid, but neither is he logical.

See, I have a total uninteresting life, don't I? ;)

I'll start at the beginning of the day (minus all the dishes and such like). I buried my nose in the computer screen this morning building AfterEffects compositions like a pro. (Heh!)

I had half a dozen done before lunch. More importantly, I learned how to use Photoshop a little better! I cropped two flags out of the pictures from Ocklawaha and shrunk them up and a made a lower third out of them. (If you don't know, a lower third is the title bar thingy you see in documentaries, for instance. You know, the bar that says "So-in-so, author of such-in-such". :D) I had to go back and add that into the compositions I had already made. I plowed through and I think I have all the ones I want. I figured out that I'm going to have to mess with the color of the text...but I'll take care of that tomorrow. I also have to do quite a bit of work with the audio. I have to raise the volume level on the main audio track--I'll have to go back into Soundbooth to do that. I'm going to see about removing some wind noise from another audio track (Commander G's speech) in Premiere Pro. One of my contacts on Google+ gave me some tips on how to do that...Google+ is kind of cool like that. Need help? Just post that you do and someone might just show up and help you! :)

At some point after lunch, while I was busy working on AE compositions with WCPE playing in my ears, the two ladies from Granddaddy's church who stop by fairly regularly, dropped in. The one asked if we'd play a bit for them so Savannah played a couple things on the piano, I hauled out the cello, and then gave a piece on my guitar (one of my new favorites--Riding a Raid). That was all the more musical I was today. (Not counting the singing I did while doing dishes and riding Snip.)

Moving on, around 3:30ish, I went out to ride Snip. As usual, it took a few minutes to land the bit between Snip's roving lips and between his teeth. Once that was done, the rascal was calm as a cucumber. I brushed him and combed the mass of goat-heads and other stickery things out of his mane. While working on his forelock, he started nibbling on the front of my shirt. I think he was eating the goat-heads stuck on it, but all the same I shoved him off several times--I didn't really want to get nipped.

I saddled him up and hopped on. Then off we went! At a walk. ;) I did trot him and even slow loped him later on after we'd been going for a bit. I didn't get any hint of a buck out of him today, for which I was glad. He did get rather impatient to get moving while I sat on his back and peeled myself an orange I picked off one of the old trees in the pasture. It wasn't 100% 'ready' but it sure tasted good anyway! I ate it on the move. I was tired of having to get on to Snip about his pawing.

Other intersting things of the afternoon...he spooked a little bit as we sat next to the hanger. This very tall weed was rubbing against the hanger making noise and that startled him. I made him walk back that way a bit--training thing, you know. (The same reason I whirl

For some strange reason (providence), I decided to go up the trap to the pens. I am SO glad I did. There was a cow shut in there! How she got shut up I don't know. I had left that east gate open after working cows last time...with the chain hanging on the north fence (where it gets closed). Anyway, that gate was chained shut. There is no possible way, even had the wind been honking, for that chain to wrap itself around the gate and hook itself. Someone had to have shut that cow in there. I know it wasn't me or Savannah, and it certainly wasn't Granddaddy! I dismounted from Snip, rather worried about this cow. She poked her nose out to me and I briefly scratched her nose. It was damp and she didn't seem to be in distress (fortunately). Her eyes were normal (this is one of the more docile/friendly of Granddaddy's herd) and the only thing I noticed negative about her was that she seemed rather sunken about the hips. (Could partially have been the angle she was standing at.) Anyway, I got the gate open and chained it that way. The cow went out and immediately started eating not to far away from Snip (who by the way I had tied to the fence--as soon as I started to turn away he went to start nibbling at the reins...stinker.) She stayed in the run until after we'd left then went to join her 'people' on the south side of the pasture. I don't know if she got anything to drink or not, but I do know that she hadn't had any water in the pens. So....if I find another cow closed into the pens, I'm going to be one furious girl. I was pretty irritated as it was--I wonder, was this some brat kid's idea of a practical joke? Just think, if I hadn't decided to go riding today and on a wild hair go all the way up the run to the pens, that poor cow might have died from thirst!

I finished my ride...nobody got hurt and Snip behaved himself like a gentleman almost the whole time. When we came in it was time for supper--for both of us. As I was coming in, I looked back and that crazy animal had his foot in the sink that serves as his feed bowl....

Minus the myserious cow episode, I had a really good, fairly productive day. How was yours?

I had the brilliant idea to trim my horse's hooves this afternoon. I asked Savannah to help by holding Snip's head, so she did. We got started around 4:00. It was at least 5:30 by the time we got finished.

I started with the 'trouble' foot (the right front). Ho-hum....how do I make this hour and a half of horse hoof wrastling interesting? Anyway, the funny and not so funny parts were interspersed throughout that time and they included the following: Savannah got her feet eaten by fire ants (ouch!), Snip removed the hoof-pick from my back pocket at one point (he's going to chip his teeth if he doesn't stop nipping on metal!), and I took a head-long, semi-backwards tumble at one point. Savannah was afraid I had gotten kicked as I rolled out from under the horse with my spurred heels waving in the wind. No, I hadn't gotten kicked--he'd just moved and I lost my balance and he moved some more and so I couldn't catch myself on his barrel-shaped hide. I told her, "Oh, you'd a known if I got kicked! I'd a hollered." She responded, "That's right, you're not Katherine." (I guess she and Katie tend to not yelp as soon as I do because the hurt takes their breath away differently.)

The fall didn't hurt. It did hurt though when I went to give Snip a good solid whack on the cheek for being a jerk. I hauled off and swung with all my might...I hit him alright. But he might as well as hit me. The side of my hand smashed right into his cheek bone. I don't remember if I yelled about that, but I danced around in a circle because it hurt so bad. Then I went right back to work. The swelling is going out of it now, and it doesn't hurt quite as bad as it did when I finally got done with Snip's feet and took my gloves off and let myself think about it. Savannah asked me if I broke it, but I don't think so...it didn't throb like the other bones I've broken. (In other words, I think if I had broken it that I wouldn't have been able to finish the job.)

That stinker was busy the whole time trying to nibble on us...and I don't know how many times we had to turn him around. I somehow managed not to get my feet stomped on. Snip was so ornery; I never actually got mad at him, but I gave him the no-nonesense voice several times. He also behaved himself somewhat better a couple times after I grabbed him by the nose and dug my fingers into his nasal cavaity...he thought about that.

This whole process would be easier if I had a set of nippers that I could conviently handle one-handed. The ones I have I can use one-handed, but it isn't easy. Probably wouldn't hurt to sharpen them either...

The result of the afternoon's struggle...four not-so-well trimmed horses hooves, two feet covered with ant bites, one stiff back, and one sore hand. Ah...life is so fun! (And that is only partially facetious. :})

Yes, I was at it again today. I am really, really trying to get this SCV video finished.

This morning I finished getting all the clips in the timeline, in the order I wanted them. I started in on the transitions and got a couple in before I ran into a strange, interesting problem that I have no idea how it occured. I had a section of audio that was repeated! Anyway, I chopped that out and so far I have been unable to determine how screwy it made the rest of the timeline. It did mess up one clip (which I have ended up simply removing). This particular clip was a HUGE pain the first time around I remember. (I haven't gotten much further...)

I was not going to lose my temper (what good does it do?), but I got so frustrated that I had to go have it out with myself out-of-doors. I know I startled at least one cow when I shouted something about that chunk of footage to no one in particular. So much for facing the dreaded syncing session with a good attitude.

All told though, the video doesn't look so dismally horrid to me today as it did yesterday. Yesterday I was ready to pitch the whole project in the trash; today I see that it will work even though the audio isn't anything worth beans.

Lessons learned from this SCV project (in no particular order): 1) I never, ever, ever, want to have to sync again. I hate it with a passion. (Not such a good attitude to face it with--rather like my life-long distaste for mathematics.) 2) I'm not very patient. (I already knew that!) 3) My temper needs work. (I knew that, too.) 4) I still think as a director I will be fine--so long as I am actually directing. I don't want to do any more projects where I'm not in charge. (That may sound bossy or huffy, but I'm looking at this from a practial standpoint--I was not in charge of this and how much grief has it caused me? It hasn't been worth it even if I get paid for it--which I don't want to be.) 5) I can pan with my chin fairly smoothly. :D

I imagine there might be others that I can't think of right now. Anyway, I didn't mind the filming part and if I hadn't had to deal with this horrid sync problem I probably wouldn't have minded the editing (even with the wind noise). It was actually editing that got me hooked in the first place! (I edited a play for some good friends of ours.) I'm looking forward to being done with this project and returning my attention to my Cow Cavalry project. I have HOURS of footage to sort through--stuff I haven't even put on the computer yet because I don't have room thanks to the SCV footage. (MAMA! I NEED ANOTHER EXTERNAL HARD-DRIVE FOR CHRISTMAS!! I still have room on the Seagate, but I don't know how long that will last. Oh, and Daddy, I HAVE been able to work off an external hard-drive...I just can't play a project off the external drive...)

There you have it...my confession of the 'filmmaking furies'.  Transcribing interviews is tame tedium compared to audio/video syncing...

That's a Gene Autry song...and I actually didn't sing it today. However, it aptly describes things.

After playing my cello and guitar for an hour/hour and a half, I got the notion to go ride my horse. Actually, I didn't just "get" the notion...the desire, urge, whatever you want to call it, to get back on my horse has been growing on me for weeks now. Seeing the cavalry at the reenactments probably hasn't helped. :)

I didn't plan on doing anything foolish, just mainly walking Snip. It took several minutes to get the bit in his mouth (I want to switch back to the snaffle, but I haven't found it across the creek--I may even need a larger [longer] one). It didn't help any that somebody was shooting and Savannah was riding her bike. Anytime that crazy horse hears gun-fire any more he is all ears and eagerness. It really is strange since the first time he heard gun-fire (a .22 rifle no less!), he freaked out and pulled the gate down (okay, so it was a rotten post!). Now, first shot and bam! he's there (normally right behind the backstop).

I saddled him up after combing the mass of goat-heads out of his mane. By the time I was done he had something that reminded me of one of those 'fro-looking 80's hair-do's with the head band. I actually didn't need a bucket to mount (I was afraid I was going to :D).

We walked, identified hog-sign (there is some out there--just in an entirely different spot than last time I saw it), and towards the very end I trotted him and loped him just a little bit. I think he attempted a buck on me, so I sat him down and backed him. I can tell how out of shape I'm in--loping wasn't the breeze it normally is--my legs are weak (and by then my seat was beginning to feel the saddle.)

Still, I'm happy, I put my spurs back on my boots and rode my horse for the first time in weeks (er, months). Now, it's time for supper. See ya'll later!

...you hadn't noticed; I did some rearranging here the other day. As I had finished  A Gray Kepi a while back, I created a 'Stories' page in the 'Link' section. It's there. Just in case you wondered what had happened to it. :)

I'm just wasting a little time right now because my stomach is upset from that doggone turkey broth this morning. Too much grease I suppose. Anyway, once my tummy quits bothering me, I'm going to go attempt (and hopefully prevail) to remove the flat tire on the truck. I'm sure hoping I can break that torque....

Going to get my ginger tea....