Winds of Ka

 This album came out when I was living in Asbury Park... i had the great pleasure to live there during a time when it was having a new awakening. Bruce Springsteen frequented, and I even got to meet him at the Stone Pony, when Southside Johnny was playing.  (Link to Asbury Park pictures below....

I love to blast this song...

The Rising

Can't see nothin' in front of me
Can't see nothin' coming up behind
I make my way through this darkness
I can't feel nothing but this chain that binds me
Lost track of how far I've gone
How far I've gone, how high I've climbed
On my back's a sixty pound stone
On my shoulder a half mile line

Come on up for the rising
Com on up, lay your hands in mine
Come on up for the rising
Come on up for the rising tonight

Left the house this morning
Bells ringing filled the air
Wearin' the cross of my calling
On wheels of fire I come rollin' down here

Come on up for the rising
Come on up, lay your hands in mine
Come on up for the rising
Come on up for the rising tonight

Spirits above and behind me
Faces gone, black eyes burnin' bright
May their precious blood forever bind me
Lord as I stand before your fiery light

I see you Mary in the garden
In the garden of a thousand sighs
There's holy pictures of our children
Dancin' in a sky filled with light
May I feel your arms around me
May I feel your blood mix with mine
A dream of life comes to me
Like a catfish dancin' on the end of the line

Sky of blackness and sorrow ( a dream of life)
Sky of love, sky of tears (a dream of life)
Sky of glory and sadness ( a dream of life)
Sky of mercy, sky of fear ( a dream of life)
Sky of memory and shadow ( a dream of life)
Your burnin' wind fills my arms tonight
Sky of longing and emptiness (a dream of life)
Sky of fullness, sky of blessed life ( a dream of life)

Come on up for the rising
Come on up, lay your hands in mine
Come on up for the rising
Come on up for the rising tonight

Haha... and while I love it... City of Ruins... just brings me fond memories of my time is Asbury Park... If you would like to see some pictures, here's a website I put together back in 2000... I have yet to go back and get the new ones... I need to get some of the great things they have done.... http://www.geocities.com/mustangtaco/asburypark/ Just seem to be nostalgic tonight....

My City of Ruins

There is a blood red circle
On the cold dark ground
And the rain is falling down
The church door's thrown open
I can hear the organ's song
But the congregation's gone
My city of ruins
My city of ruins

Now the sweet bells of mercy
Drift through the evening trees
Young men on the corner
Like scattered leaves,
The boarded up windows,
The empty streets
While my brother's down on his knees
My city of ruins
My city of ruins

Come on, rise up! Come on, rise up!
Come on, rise up! Come on, rise up!
Come on, rise up! Come on, rise up!

Now's there's tears on the pillow
Darlin' where we slept
And you took my heart when you left
Without your sweet kiss
My soul is lost, my friend
Tell me how do I begin again?
My city's in ruins
My city's in ruins

Now with these hands,
With these hands,
With these hands,
I pray Lord
With these hands,
With these hands,
I pray for the strength, Lord
With these hands,
With these hands,
I pray for the faith, Lord
We pray for your love, Lord
We pray for the lost, Lord
We pray for this world, Lord
We pray for the strength, Lord
We pray for the strength, Lord

Come on
Come on
Come on, rise up
Come on, rise up
Come on, rise up
Come on, rise up
Come on, rise up
Come on, rise up
Come on, rise up
Come on, rise up
Come on, rise up

Last night senator Clinton won the what in the where now? The polls have now closed on the state of John Edwards and Obama won 100%...

LOL 

I really hope Sealy (?) isn't dead, damn it!!!  

Wow... House was pretty intense too!

I must have missed last week....

 When I was at the barn last week, I asked about some of the trail outside the two I knew, which were pretty short trails, so Barney and Lindo set up a group trail ride for this weekend to go to the VFW out on 191. So I got to the barn at 10:30, like planned, and it looked like no one was going to show up! There were a few people that were just going to go to the VFW, though. Linda and I got our horses, cleaned and tacked up, then Barney decided to not wai around for anyone else and got Sambuca (Ed's horse, who he is going to ride while Ed is laid up from his fall). Well, tacking him up took a while, because none of Ed and Deb's tack looked like it fit or was right. The one saddle we could find that they had slipped all over the place, so it took some time getting that all straightened out. But it was good for Taco to learn to stand tied again because I haven't done that for a while, and he wa going to get tied up at the VFW while we went in and had lunch. The good thing was, more people showed up. Sue and who I assume is her husband (I totally forget his name) but they ride Storm (a paint Ten. Walker) and Harry (black Ten. Walker)  and they had time to tack up. 

The ride was excellent. They showed me which driveways I could go up and who's property I could cross. We spent a little time on the road, but most of it was through fields that offered plenty of safe footing for trotting and loping (or galloping) so we got to run some. Taco was really good and was totally not overly competative, which he totaly can be from time to time... But none of the horses were nervous and all stayed relaxed incuding Sambuca, who was fabulous, even when tied up at the VFW, likely because as an Aish cart horse, the road and tieing are part of the routine. His main issues is stearing, because you still have to steer him like he is being cart driven, which took Barney some time to get used to, but he is a very confident rider and adjusted... he is used to neck reigning horses... 

There was a wedding going on at the VFW (in a back room) and the bride was so excited when she heard horses were going to be there LOL.... so she came out and got her picture taken with the horses. It was cute. We had a few drinks at the bar and some bar pizza. It was a beautiful day so we hung out in the back with the horses at the picnic tables. After about and hour plus, we tacked back up and headed back to the barn. Taco was a little more pumped up about going home, so we did let the horses have a little run while we were still pretty far from the farm to get the jigs out of them, and they settled down for the rest of the ride (his jigging was giving me a cramp with beer and pizza in the gut LOL) 

Back at the barn, we sat and had a few beers. I got to see the process of him bringing the horses in for dinner and it is so cute... they open the gates and call the horses, and they pretty much all come in by themselves... and they are let out the same way... it is surprisingly not chaotic! They know their order and they basically come in single file... no fighting at the gate or anything, because they all just come in on their own. (The gate opens into a small dirt run, then another gate opens into the ring, which is enclosed all around except for the barn, so they come in and go to their stalls.) 

After feeding time, we were all pretty beat, so called it a night. I came home and saw the neighbors out, so I hung out with them for a few hours, but couldn't stay verticle for too long... I think it was about 10 when I passed out for the night... so lots of fun.... I am definitely at the right barn for the kind of riding I like to do.... Taco loves it too. 

OH, and they got a fresh load of stone dust for the ring, the footing is fabulous now! When we got back from the trail ride, I loped Taco around a bit to get a feel and it was really nice... not that I ride in the ring all that much, but I plan on trying to ride Cash a bit this summer for Deb, so will probably get some use out of it then...

I'm a Chevrolet Corvette!


You're a classic - powerful, athletic, and competitive.  You're all about winning the race and getting the job done.  While you have a practical everyday side, you get wild when anyone pushes your pedal.  You hate to lose, but you hardly ever do.

 Because I can't seem to stick to one topic in my head...

for starters... got home from work and exercised the dogs physically and mentally :) Took them for a quick walk then put them in the car and worked the clicker with Blue...I am not sure if it is the vervain flower essence that did the ultimate trick or what... but I armed myself with treats and my clicker (not an easy task when you drive a stick... when ever she was quiet, I would click and pass a treat over my left shoulder (she had to be in that spot to receive the treat, where I want her...) We were going to only go around the block, but she was so good with that, I pushed it... we actually made it all the way to the canal park without a melt down... I mean, she was basically quiet the entire way... there and back... she did bark once, but as soon as she was quiet, I waited a few seconds to make sure she was going to stay that way for a moment, and I clicked (I don't have to worry about her losing it after I click because she is poised for a treat then... so I wat about 5 seconds before I give her the treat too...) 

She was a bit spastic on our walk at the park, but quiet... just pully... one thing at a time LOL... yeah... need to do it again tomorrow and see how it goes!

Now for my world view vents....

Colorado is being destroyed by the energy companies... they are basically bribing ranchers to let them drill on their porperties which the rancher need because they are struggling... they make quite a bit of money off the deal... the down side... serious water pollution (Benzine) and air pollution causing major cancer clusters :( The Eagles were right.. call a place paradise and kiss it goodbye...

World food shortage... it is getting serious :( Serious riots going on in poor countries while others are on the verge (like Afghanistan, where food costs more now than it did during the war)

I kept it brief.... I could go on, but it would get depressing... It really saddens me what we have done to this planet and continue to do... makes me feel so fucking helpless....

Politics: Obama denounces his pastor... hope it gets the media off his case on this stupid topic so he can get back to the issues like he would prefer to be....

 supports my new favorite person in the world...

 What I would have given to see the concert ( first video... still looking for a better one...)

The pig, which was led above the crowd from lines held on the ground, displayed the words "Don't be led to the slaughter" and a cartoon of Uncle Sam wielding two bloody cleavers. The other side read "Fear builds walls."

The underside of the pig simply read "Obama" with a checked ballot box alongside.

As Waters drew the song to a close, flame bursts exploded on the sides of the stage and the swine floated into the night sky. Waters said sadly and comically, "That's my pig."

 So day one of a new method of dealing with the car.... I just have to remind myself that it is all about baby steps... I hope I can do something significant in the next two weeks I have to work with her before we go on any major car journies. I can keep her home until then, I suppose. 

Anyway... I started by opening the door and letting her jump in. Once inside, she jumped around and I waited. When she got into the back seat and looked at me I C/T. I did this until she seemed to get I wanted her in the back seat and thne I pushed it to wait for her to sit before the C/T. I continued with this, and attempted to slowly close the door. Everytime she would get up, I would open the door a bit and wai for her to sit, and C/T until I could close the door... the hard part was she would move as soon as I walked around the car, so I had to sort of let that go, but then I worked on not getting in the driver side until she would sit in tha back and I would C/T. Once in the car, I worked on having her sit in the back without making noise and I would C/T. we got as far as starting the car. After a few tries of starting the car and turning it off until she settled again, she finally had a melt down, so I turned off the car, and ended the session. Taking her out of the car was punsihment enough I am sure... she loves the car... so I will try this every day this week and see how far we get. If I can get around the block, at this point it would be a huge accomplishment (let alone starting the car LOL....) She looked so dejected when I took erher out of the car and we didn't go anywhere... I really hope she gets a clue... I am sure she will. She is a smart pup, I just need to get consistant with this one... kaya and Greta were so much easier in so many ways, Blue is the dog that is really going to teach me something about training, more so than the others, that is for sure...

She's getting a break now... I may try again later. I am sure another training session won't hurt...I have to figure out how I can work out C/Ting while driving LOL I have a stick shift... I'll have to keep it on the local streets where we have to most issues anyway...

Barnegat Lighthouse, Barnegat Light, NJ - Long Beach Island  

 

So this is how I spent my day... I spent the day as a tourist and took the covered bridge tour (bottom "remix"). It is basically a tour you drive on your own, but it is pretty well marked, and the drive takes you through some beautiful farm land and little old towns of PA... and  beautiful day it was. It started off a bit chilly and overcast... but by the end of the day, it had warmed up... so I picked up the dogs and broght them back to Bogert's Bridge (bridge #1) where their was a lovely park with a great little walking path. Blue went for a swim ;) (Top Video)

She hog ties herself a little at the end there LOL, but she was fine. There was a little but if a current there, so for a while she was swimming in place, up stream, then woudl turn and soar down stream and fight her way back upstream. I gave her a baby aspirin just to be sure she doesn't get muscle cramping. Maybe I can avoid a coldwater tail syndrome...

I have to say... I didn't actually do a lot of physical activity outside the walk with the dogs, but just being outside all day in the beautiful air... I am BEAT!

 According to the weather  channel, it should be raining... nope... fine with  me though....

My friend JJ was leaving for FL today, and was flying out of the airport by me and staying in ahotel for the night. I was supposed to meet her last night, but was too tired, but they werent leaving until 3 today. So I got up and headed out and got there by 10 (it was only 15 minutes away) and we hung out by the pool in the hotel she was at (she got a free room because they company she works for owns it) It was cloudy and chilly for most of the morning, but by noon it started to warm up. I spent most of the time in the hot tub though ;) After lunch, they had to start getting organized again, so I headed home. I was going to relax, but the sun came out, so I got in the yard. Mowed the lawn, yet again... and cleaned up a few more garden beds... then drank 3 glasses of wine... so I am done LOL.... nice pasta dinner and I am done being outside for the day (starting to get a bit chilly again)

So in the end, I got more done than I anticipated... alwasy a good thing..

tomorrow, I am planning on a little road trip. Thinking of going on a covered bridge tour ;) Will post pictures if I do it! 

Dog training Note:

Worked both dogs with raising their foot in relation to the foot I raised (not useful or anything, but fun)

Blue still needs a verbal marker, but Kaya was putting the right foot forward pretty quick... buth got it pretty quick in general though... so far today, I just did it standing in front of them... tomorrow I will do more of the same, then see if I can do it standing next to them instead... that will be a little tougher... but we shall see ;)

Now I need to vaccum and do a load of laundry and it will truely have been a productive day... not sure where I got all this energy from... stupid dogs woke me up at the crack of dawn LOL

 I blew out of work at the earliets possible moment, and started vacay right :) Drive right up to the barn, grabbed Taco, cleaned him up and went for a little trail ride. He was SOOOoooo mellow, in a good way... he is happy where he is... we just hacked out bareback in the field around the back of the pasture, where they carved out some trails through their field where there is a grove of trees, then some woods where you cross a creek and get to the "island" where they have camp sites set up.... we wandered around through there for a bit, then headed back. He is a littl eout of shape, so we just walked and did a brief jog... it was pretty hot today and he still has a bit of fuzz on him, so I didn't want to get him all sweated up....

he was so good. He could care less about all the random items they have out on the island (picnic tables, random red markers on poles, mail boxes, a hammock, and other carious things that would scare a lot of horses... he went out alone without any protest (other than walking a little slow) and didn't get all jiggy when we headed home.... the weather has been perfect, so they are staying out at night, and I think it makes a big difference. They come in to eat, then go right back out...

Came home, had a few beers with the neighbors... and am now ready to pass out and start my official vacation tomorrow... 

going to do some canvassing for Obama tomorrow but going to try to sneak in a ride in the AM first... 

so happy to have a week off :) Looking forward to getting some rides in, walks with the dogs (including the beach) and visiting Mom and Dad.... going to be over before I know it... but hell... can't complain... only have two months left anyway....

 until vacation... I ... can.... do.. it... just two more days.... **crawling towards friday**

 I think why I don't understand the media hoopla on Obama's comments is I feel people just aren't getting what they meant... People have a tendency to vote on one issue... they pick that one thing that they can cling too as their own personal platform, and they do this because they have been failed by the government so often they don't feel that any candidate can deliver on the important issues, like Social Security, healthcare, inflation, etc. So they "cling" to the issue that is the most important to them, whether it be based on religious issues, women's right issues, abortion, environmental issues, or gay rights. For example, a dear friend of mine would vote for the grim reaper if they promised to protect gay rights and prevent constitutional bans of civil unions or gay marriage... at the risk of many other issues, because he knows he can't find a candidate to fill all of his wishes, he focuses on the candidate he feels will protect his most important issue...

for me, it is the environment that I consider my most important platform... so I will "sacrafice" other issues for that one issue... IMO, when I heard the comments made by Obama, that was how I took it... guns and religion are important issues in PA (from my experience) so yes... many voters here are bitter about the economy, and don't feel there are any cadidates that will fix it, so they vote on the issues important to them that they feel they can still have some control over... did he say it as well as he could have, probably not considering how media, Clinton and McCain are spinning this, but elitelist? Not at all, I can't even see how that argument can be made, especially from the likes of Clinton... I really hope the media is the one out of touch and people really took it for what it was... an acknowleagement that people are bitter, if not at least seriously pessimistic that the government has their interests in mind... 

as for comments that people are a bit xenophobic as a result of the economy, well, people may not like to admit they are, but seriously, if people stepped back and took a look at the history of new immigrant groups, this is historical fact... every new group that came in came in at the "bottom" of the social ranks, and those that have been here for years finding themselves still at the bottom of the financial barrel DO feel threatened by new comers... the truth hurts...  if people insist on feeling injured by comments like this, well... maybe they need to step back and take a look at themselves in the reality mirror... it doesn't make them bad people... it's a natural survival instinct... doesn't make it right, but saying it ain't so doesn't make the reality go away....

 Wish I brought my camera this time (forgot my phone as well... oops)

Anyway... woke up at 7:30 again... suppose that is a good thing. Sat around with some coffee and did some laundry (I never got around to yet again last night) and set up a time to meet Patty for a ride. We shot for 11 since the Weather Channel suggested it would start to rain around 1. Figured that was enough time since the horses are out of shape and we don't want to kill them...

So anyway, Patty got there before me and brought in Chicky, which encouraged Taco to come up rather close to the gate. I went just inside  the gate and flashed my apple... he thought about it a moment, and decided the apple was worth getting caught, and came up to me. so we did quick grooms so we could get out in case the rain decided to sneak in early (kept looking like a possibility, and it did sprinkly on my way up. and the Lori (one of the barn owners - I think that was her name... maybe it was Laura... I am terrible with names LOL) joined us for the first half of the ride. She took us down to the trails behind the pastures, but still part of the property. Beautiful... nice big field with a bunch of trees in the middle, with a little maze cut out so you can sort of play hide and seek with other people.. kind of like the dirt bike trails we would ride at the old barn... then she took us acorss the creek to a little island (patch of land where the creek splits around it) where they have all these camping areas set up... awesome... a grill, hammock, nice little tent areas, picnic tables, anything you could want for camping, and their is a gate at the bottom of the pasture that you could retriecve your horses from that side if you so desired... and we discussed setting up a camping weekend, where we ride for the day, set the horses loose, and have an evening of it... they really seem like fun people... (side note... Patty is a crack up... Chicky idn't want to cross the water, so she actually jumped off, and walked right through the creek leading Chicky to make him go... and never compained once about wet feet... what a trooper... because I know that water had to be cold, and wet socks is never fun!)

Anyway, we headed back up, L had to get back to working around the yard, but Patty and I headed off across the street to the barn to check out some of the trails up there... very nice... nice hills to get them in shape. Basically a bunch of dirtbike trails that we have permission to ride on, as long as we don't gallop all over the guys property. Apparently there is more trails to reach form there, but we didn't push it today. So we road around that whole property (BEAUTIFUL view up there, wish I had my camera) and headed back... Taco and Chicky were great. Taco had a momentary lapse when I first got on him and he just wanted to burn it around the ring, but after him bouncing me around for about 3 times around wanting to trot and run, he settled down... and he was a little rusty in his canter when we did one little run behind the pastures in that field, (just all bunched up and felt like he was crowhopping every step instead of lengthening out at all... but typical for him when he hasn't been ridden in a while... but he worked it all out and was excellent the rest of the time...  

He did work up a little sweat under the girth and saddle, but not too bad for the work we did... I mean, we kept it slow, but those hills are some work... and he is still dragging his back feet coming down the hills... still not sure what is up with that, but he very well could have been tired... he wasn't too bad with the tripping though... so we did nice massading grooms to clean them up and make up for the quick preride grooms, and let them loose. This time, Taco just meandered right out, all settled, and just resumed eating like he never left... I think he is really happy there... I suppose if I was a horse, I would be too ;)

So yeah, grassy pastures with mucho space and small herd with plenty of trails and really cool and fun barn owners... and savings on money.... all is right with the world... for now at least ;)

 It turned out to be a specTACular day today... I woke up to blazing sunshine and an indredible breeze blowing through the window... I laid in bed for a few moments, when I realized it was only 7:30, but remembered the missions for the day. So I hopped out of bed (easy to do when dogs decide to jump on your head) started the coffee, threw the dogs outside, prepared their breakfast, and had some coffee to jump start my day...

Yeah, right....