One of the many wonderful things on YouTube (from poster ccalhoun1):
Brings literal meaning to the question (oft heard on SportsCenter, or refering to automobiles) "Do they have the horses?"
11.12.07
France seeks to use more horses for transportation.
This can only be described as AWESOME.
Bring back the horse; go green; save the Earth.
As I tell small children who hold their noses and make faces walking past me and Chip in Philadelphia:
Horses smell better than diesel.
"It's great for workers and the community to have contact with a living thing," Linot said.
"The civil servants are on strike now, but I tell you if they had their hands on a horse they'd be happier – I've never seen a driver kiss his truck."
Bring back the horse; go green; save the Earth.
As I tell small children who hold their noses and make faces walking past me and Chip in Philadelphia:
Horses smell better than diesel.
10.12.07
Happy Birthday!
Happy Birthday to Mississippi (190th) and to my alma mater, Emory University (171st).
6.12.07
What's New over at thedrafthorse.com
Despite my being busy at work, I have added quite a bit to my website, thedrafthorse.com. I've added sections about my lighthouse photography and about my favorite draft horses, my coworkers.
Day 30: 18166 words
Even nanowrimo losers are winners, right?
I finished with only 18K. But that's 18K more than I had.
I forgot exactly how busy the end of November was for us at work... The week of Thanksgiving was busier monetarily than any other week I've been at the carriage company. So that's a small reward for my nanowrimo failure.
I do intend to continue with my novel, and will post updates here.
I finished with only 18K. But that's 18K more than I had.
I forgot exactly how busy the end of November was for us at work... The week of Thanksgiving was busier monetarily than any other week I've been at the carriage company. So that's a small reward for my nanowrimo failure.
I do intend to continue with my novel, and will post updates here.
19.11.07
Day 19: 16946 words
Plugging along, but if I write 3000 words a day, I'll still make it.
Here's something I wasted more time on:
Here's something I wasted more time on:
Continuing to fight against the march of "progress"
From today's Herald Leader, an article on the difficulties facing the draft horse industry.
16.11.07
Day 16: 13833 words
I'm still way behind, but its another 3300 words or so. If I keep writing 3000 words a day, I'll make the finish line.
I made a lot of progress today by outlining (making outrageously lengthy chapter titles) through the rest of my (general) plot.
Speaking of outrageously lengthy titles, this would be the title of my novel if it appeared in the eighteenth century:
A True Account of the Romance Recently Entered Into At The Circus Located at Twelfth and High Streets, John Bill Ricketts, Esq., Proprietor, Wherein Our Heroine, A Miss Elizabeth C____, Finds Matrimonial Bliss With Mister Jean M'Gowan, After Enduring Arduous and Terrible Trials and a Series of Most Unfortunate Misunderstandings During The Great Yellow Fever Plague Lately Affecting Our Fair City, An Historic Accounting Of Which May Be Currently Found In The Several Booksellers Of Philada.
I made a lot of progress today by outlining (making outrageously lengthy chapter titles) through the rest of my (general) plot.
Speaking of outrageously lengthy titles, this would be the title of my novel if it appeared in the eighteenth century:
A True Account of the Romance Recently Entered Into At The Circus Located at Twelfth and High Streets, John Bill Ricketts, Esq., Proprietor, Wherein Our Heroine, A Miss Elizabeth C____, Finds Matrimonial Bliss With Mister Jean M'Gowan, After Enduring Arduous and Terrible Trials and a Series of Most Unfortunate Misunderstandings During The Great Yellow Fever Plague Lately Affecting Our Fair City, An Historic Accounting Of Which May Be Currently Found In The Several Booksellers Of Philada.
15.11.07
Day 15: 10550 words
Oh, I'm seriously behind after not having written for the week straight I worked without a day off. I've got to figure out how to write on days I work. But I've passed 10K, and am rolling along now, I think.
I am reminded why NaNo is so much fun. Writing on the fly creates some wonderfully and sometimes weirdly beautiful things. For instance, I have one of my MCs nearly run over by a Conestoga wagon on the Penna Turnpike because he's on the "wrong" side of the road. And so I leave him there, standing on the wrong side of the road, which becomes a metaphor for his life. It needs refining, of course, but that's what December is for.
Favorite line of the day: “Dolly Todd is not a proper lady,” Anne snapped, crossing her arms. “She is from North Carolina.”
I am reminded why NaNo is so much fun. Writing on the fly creates some wonderfully and sometimes weirdly beautiful things. For instance, I have one of my MCs nearly run over by a Conestoga wagon on the Penna Turnpike because he's on the "wrong" side of the road. And so I leave him there, standing on the wrong side of the road, which becomes a metaphor for his life. It needs refining, of course, but that's what December is for.
Favorite line of the day: “Dolly Todd is not a proper lady,” Anne snapped, crossing her arms. “She is from North Carolina.”
7.11.07
Day 7 - 7168 words
Today was productive. I wrote 3294 words today, which is a fair clip. Now I'm only 4500 words behind! Ta ha! We'll see how it goes tomorrow when I actually have to work. But this is fun!
6.11.07
Day 6 - Still 3874 words
So instead of writing today (shame on me!) I took Chubba Bubba out for a spin around the yard under saddle.
But Wednesday is my day off, so back to work on my novel!
But Wednesday is my day off, so back to work on my novel!
5.11.07
Day 5 - 3874 words
So I wrote 3500 words today, and the novel is off to a good start, though I'm still only on the first scene/chapter. Onwards!
Back on track...
Things have slightly held me up at the beginning of this NaNo: The Italian Stallion and I held a party on Saturday night which required preparation on Friday, plus weekends are my busiest days work wise, so I didn't do any writing on Nov. 2-4. But now I'm back to work on my day off, and things are starting to chug along.
So, without further ado, here's my official excerpt (as seen on nanowrimo.org):
Hey, hey, hey, ho, Guin, ho! Ho, girl!”
Elizabeth felt a sudden sting across her cheek only a moment before she was knocked off her feet by a huge dark form, landing hard on the round cobbles. Spokes of a carriage wheel fluttered past, inches away from her legs, running whisper quiet over her skirts. Only then did she register the sharp ring of iron on stone, the unmistakable clip-clops of fine trotting horses.
In the dim glow from the street lamps, a mahogany bay horse wheeled around in the street she’d been crossing. The horse, harnessed to a light gig, was prancing and snorting, eye whites like crescent moons standing out against its dark head, breath in twin jets of steam from its nostrils. The sound of a second horse trotting disappeared down the street into the shadows, the even strikes of diagonal hooves fading away in the distance. The horse in the middle of Sassafras Street where Elizabeth lay clearly wanted to give chase to the other, but the driver in the seat talked incessantly in a low murmur. The horse’s ears flicked back and forth from the driver’s voice to the retreating hoofbeats.
“Easy, Guin, it’s alright.” The horse didn’t seemed convinced and let out a loud whinny, straining with pricked ears in the dark to hear a reply from the departed second horse. “Just relax. Ho. Ho.” The driver’s voice was male, deep, sonorous, soothing. Finally Guin the horse seemed to relax.
Elizabeth started to push herself off the cobblestones. Both horse and driver turned to look at her with concerned interest.
“Are you harmed, my lady? May I be of assistance?”
Elizabeth winced at the dull pain in her hip as she experimentally gathered her legs under her. “I think I’m uninjured, except for my pride.”
“Well, as they say...” the man in the gig trailed off as he set the long driving whip in the socket on the dashboard and in a fluid motion stepped off the cart, not bothering to climb down the wheel, landing gracefully on the balls of his feet. He strode towards her.
“As they say what?” Elizabeth asked apprehensively as he offered her a gloved hand.
“’Pride goeth before a fall.’” He smiled. “You said you were unharmed, but did not give a reply as to the assistance part.” Eyes twinkling in the moonlight, he nodded at his outstretched hand.
His smile reassured her, and she took his grasp.
So, without further ado, here's my official excerpt (as seen on nanowrimo.org):
Hey, hey, hey, ho, Guin, ho! Ho, girl!”
Elizabeth felt a sudden sting across her cheek only a moment before she was knocked off her feet by a huge dark form, landing hard on the round cobbles. Spokes of a carriage wheel fluttered past, inches away from her legs, running whisper quiet over her skirts. Only then did she register the sharp ring of iron on stone, the unmistakable clip-clops of fine trotting horses.
In the dim glow from the street lamps, a mahogany bay horse wheeled around in the street she’d been crossing. The horse, harnessed to a light gig, was prancing and snorting, eye whites like crescent moons standing out against its dark head, breath in twin jets of steam from its nostrils. The sound of a second horse trotting disappeared down the street into the shadows, the even strikes of diagonal hooves fading away in the distance. The horse in the middle of Sassafras Street where Elizabeth lay clearly wanted to give chase to the other, but the driver in the seat talked incessantly in a low murmur. The horse’s ears flicked back and forth from the driver’s voice to the retreating hoofbeats.
“Easy, Guin, it’s alright.” The horse didn’t seemed convinced and let out a loud whinny, straining with pricked ears in the dark to hear a reply from the departed second horse. “Just relax. Ho. Ho.” The driver’s voice was male, deep, sonorous, soothing. Finally Guin the horse seemed to relax.
Elizabeth started to push herself off the cobblestones. Both horse and driver turned to look at her with concerned interest.
“Are you harmed, my lady? May I be of assistance?”
Elizabeth winced at the dull pain in her hip as she experimentally gathered her legs under her. “I think I’m uninjured, except for my pride.”
“Well, as they say...” the man in the gig trailed off as he set the long driving whip in the socket on the dashboard and in a fluid motion stepped off the cart, not bothering to climb down the wheel, landing gracefully on the balls of his feet. He strode towards her.
“As they say what?” Elizabeth asked apprehensively as he offered her a gloved hand.
“’Pride goeth before a fall.’” He smiled. “You said you were unharmed, but did not give a reply as to the assistance part.” Eyes twinkling in the moonlight, he nodded at his outstretched hand.
His smile reassured her, and she took his grasp.
2.11.07
Nano Day 1 - 369 words
Well, I didn't exactly get off to a blazing start last night, but I've got the day off today, so we'll see if I can't get back on pace.
Does anyone want to adopt my Inner Editor for a month?
Does anyone want to adopt my Inner Editor for a month?
11.10.07
10.10.07
9.10.07
Racehorse names
C'mon, now, Jockey Club!
How come you can't name a horse Nutzapper or Sally Hemmings, but you can name her Panty Raid?
Inquiring draft horses want to know.
How come you can't name a horse Nutzapper or Sally Hemmings, but you can name her Panty Raid?
Inquiring draft horses want to know.
30.9.07
29.9.07
28.9.07
May the horse be with you
I've been on a posting-binge today, but that tends to happen when I'm doing lots of internautical house-keeping.
For the sake of old times, you can check out my ancient, dead blog here.
For the sake of old times, you can check out my ancient, dead blog here.
Updates on goals (Big Fun Scary Things)
Wayyyyyyyyyyyyy back in April, I posted my list of goals I'd put together in January as part of Chris Baty's Year of Doing Big Fun Scary Things Together. It's now almost October, so I figure it's time for an assessment of where I stand, what progress I've made, and what still needs to be done.
1. Finish Ambigu (Nano2005)? Nope, not so much. But I've been trying to get back into the swing of it before Nano2007 rolls around. So, while not nearly finished at all, I've made some progress.
2. I decided that taking ceramics classes on Thursday evenings didn't really fit into my work schedule. Instead, we invested in an art table so I could do art at home.
3. www.thedrafthorse.com has been up and running (if largely under construction) for quite a while now. The Italian Stallion has been going to town on his webspace.
4. Finances are always a work in progress, but by and large, I'm making improvements.
5. I bought a scale. And I lost 10 lbs without trying too hard. (I'm down to around 147 lbs and have been for a while.) But I still drink too much Coca-Cola-Sweet-Nectar-Of-Life.
6. I haven't written the article yet, but I did write one heck of an impassioned pro-carriage/urban horse argument on phillyblog.com.
7. Facebook is my friend.
8. We love our new apartment. It's perfect.
9. While cleaning out stuff led to more than a few arguments between thedrafthorse and the Italian Stallion, it's been done, and we're all happy.
10. I'm planning on it, and counting down the days to Nov. 1! I even have an inkling of an idea...
11. I haven't been to the library, but I did find my OLD research while performing #9.
12. I've got some pretty pictures of my coworkers. I still want to take some more, though.
13. I haven't done much here, but my solution to #2 is a start, and I even did some networking on a carriage ride the other day!
14. Yes, I cook some, but I do live in Foodadelphia.
So, to refocus my goals:
1. Write. This includes Ambigu, Nano2007, the daily Haiku, etc.
2. Do art.
3. Watch less TV and drink fewer Cokes.
4. Pay off debt.
5. Keep organized. (I just had to clean out 2000 emails in my inbox.)
1. Finish Ambigu (Nano2005)? Nope, not so much. But I've been trying to get back into the swing of it before Nano2007 rolls around. So, while not nearly finished at all, I've made some progress.
2. I decided that taking ceramics classes on Thursday evenings didn't really fit into my work schedule. Instead, we invested in an art table so I could do art at home.
3. www.thedrafthorse.com has been up and running (if largely under construction) for quite a while now. The Italian Stallion has been going to town on his webspace.
4. Finances are always a work in progress, but by and large, I'm making improvements.
5. I bought a scale. And I lost 10 lbs without trying too hard. (I'm down to around 147 lbs and have been for a while.) But I still drink too much Coca-Cola-Sweet-Nectar-Of-Life.
6. I haven't written the article yet, but I did write one heck of an impassioned pro-carriage/urban horse argument on phillyblog.com.
7. Facebook is my friend.
8. We love our new apartment. It's perfect.
9. While cleaning out stuff led to more than a few arguments between thedrafthorse and the Italian Stallion, it's been done, and we're all happy.
10. I'm planning on it, and counting down the days to Nov. 1! I even have an inkling of an idea...
11. I haven't been to the library, but I did find my OLD research while performing #9.
12. I've got some pretty pictures of my coworkers. I still want to take some more, though.
13. I haven't done much here, but my solution to #2 is a start, and I even did some networking on a carriage ride the other day!
14. Yes, I cook some, but I do live in Foodadelphia.
So, to refocus my goals:
1. Write. This includes Ambigu, Nano2007, the daily Haiku, etc.
2. Do art.
3. Watch less TV and drink fewer Cokes.
4. Pay off debt.
5. Keep organized. (I just had to clean out 2000 emails in my inbox.)
Henceforth there shall be a Haiku of the Day
I was reading a writing book yesterday in the bookstore, and it suggested trying to write one haiku a day for six months (at least). I thought that it sounded like a perfectly reasonable writing assignment, so I decided I'd give it a shot. Starting now.
26.9.07
Update: Silly sports names...
Prince Fielder had to get in on the news action: He just became the youngest player in MLB history to hit 50 HRs in a season...
25.9.07
Funny sports names in the news
OK, so Da Bears are talking about replacing QB Rex Grossman with Brian Griese (pronounced "greasy"). I think that the guys on ESPN talking about "Griese and Grossman" sound funny.
Also, Milton Bradley of the Padres has been in the news for having knocked himself out for the season by tearing his ACL whilst arguing with an umpire. Yeah, Mr. Bradley, "you can be a winner at the game of Life!"
Sadly, one of my FAVORITE football names is out for the season as well. New Orleans Saints RB Deuce MacAllister is done for the year.
My current favorite baseball name is Prince Fielder.
Also, Milton Bradley of the Padres has been in the news for having knocked himself out for the season by tearing his ACL whilst arguing with an umpire. Yeah, Mr. Bradley, "you can be a winner at the game of Life!"
Sadly, one of my FAVORITE football names is out for the season as well. New Orleans Saints RB Deuce MacAllister is done for the year.
My current favorite baseball name is Prince Fielder.
7.9.07
Well, duh...
I took one of those quizzes about "which city should you live in" based on multiple-choice questions, such as, "What do you put on your rear end before leaving for a party?" and "How did you spend New Years eve?"
My result:
Well, duh. I've lived in Paris. For nearly a year, all told (nearly 6 months in 2000, plus two summers in 2001 and 2004).
But really, I should live in Philly right now. Which is quite fortuitous, given that I do!
Yesterday, I spent half an hour sitting in traffic at 6 AM trying to cross the George Washington Bridge into New York City, with 6000 pounds of horses behind us (I cannot tell you how *thrilled* those Percherons were...). Bleh.
This is all just a rambling, roundabout way of saying "Thank you, New York, for reminding me why I'm glad I live in Philadelphia!"
My result:
What City Should You Live In? | |
 | You should live in Paris. The city of lights will appeal to your appreciation of beauty and romance. You are a lover and a poet by nature, and Paris' sensitive charms will be a perfect match for yours. |
| Find Your Character @ BrainFall.com | |
Well, duh. I've lived in Paris. For nearly a year, all told (nearly 6 months in 2000, plus two summers in 2001 and 2004).
But really, I should live in Philly right now. Which is quite fortuitous, given that I do!
Yesterday, I spent half an hour sitting in traffic at 6 AM trying to cross the George Washington Bridge into New York City, with 6000 pounds of horses behind us (I cannot tell you how *thrilled* those Percherons were...). Bleh.
This is all just a rambling, roundabout way of saying "Thank you, New York, for reminding me why I'm glad I live in Philadelphia!"
31.8.07
Horse Theme Songs...
Chip, my lastest regular horse, has a theme song now. This is a good thing, adding to a long history of theme songs for horses I drive. That's when I know I've gotten really attached.
Chip-a-dee-doo-dah, Chip-a-dee-ay!
One cute horsie is a-walkin' your way.
When he sees other horses
He lets out a neigh.
Chip-a-dee-doo-dah, Chip-a-dee-ay!
Mister Nick-Nick on the corner,
It's the truth--Chip loves you!
And he wants to come nuzzle you...
Chip-a-dee-doo-dah, Chip-a-dee-ay!
Wonderful horsie, wonderful day!
Chip-a-dee-doo-dah, Chip-a-dee-ay!
One cute horsie is a-walkin' your way.
When he sees other horses
He lets out a neigh.
Chip-a-dee-doo-dah, Chip-a-dee-ay!
Mister Nick-Nick on the corner,
It's the truth--Chip loves you!
And he wants to come nuzzle you...
Chip-a-dee-doo-dah, Chip-a-dee-ay!
Wonderful horsie, wonderful day!
27.8.07
Rescue by Carriage in Philadelphia
Today, one of my coworkers found a stray chow on the way home from work. She had our supervisor hold her horse, ran down the street, scooped up the dog and carried the dog back to the barn in the back of her carriage. The chow had an imbedded rope in his/her neck and a serious infection. She called the SPCA, who came and took the dog back to their clinic.
Tonight, that dog (minus the being whisked away in an impromptu horse-drawn triage ambulance) made the local news. The SPCA isn't sure they can save the chow, but they're going to try. It'd be one heckuva happy ending story if they did (the dog seemed rather friendly... it'd be nice if s/he found a good home).
With our fingers and hooves crossed...
Tonight, that dog (minus the being whisked away in an impromptu horse-drawn triage ambulance) made the local news. The SPCA isn't sure they can save the chow, but they're going to try. It'd be one heckuva happy ending story if they did (the dog seemed rather friendly... it'd be nice if s/he found a good home).
With our fingers and hooves crossed...
24.8.07
Ride 'em, Cowboy!
I have always heard about the black cowboys in Philadelphia, but had never actually seen them...
I've heard stories about taking our horses out on the breaking cart into north Philly and surprising an unsuspecting normal sized horse tied to someone's front stoop, once in a blue moon--so I always figured if I saw some of Philly's urban horses, it would be in north Philly or in west Philly.
But today, I was coming down 19th towards Spring Garden when a dainty black pinto in Western wear clip-clopped from Spring Garden onto 19th and down towards Callowhill.
Cool.
Yay, urban horses!
This reminds me... One of my favorite things about interacting with the general public on the street (you know, the people who don't want to take a ride, but just want to pet my horse) is getting to talk to and educate people who have literally never ever seen a real live horse, let alone get close to one. Chip (or Pete or Trump or whoever) may be the ONLY horse they will ever encounter, and I get to facilitate that.
Also cool.
I've heard stories about taking our horses out on the breaking cart into north Philly and surprising an unsuspecting normal sized horse tied to someone's front stoop, once in a blue moon--so I always figured if I saw some of Philly's urban horses, it would be in north Philly or in west Philly.
But today, I was coming down 19th towards Spring Garden when a dainty black pinto in Western wear clip-clopped from Spring Garden onto 19th and down towards Callowhill.
Cool.
Yay, urban horses!
This reminds me... One of my favorite things about interacting with the general public on the street (you know, the people who don't want to take a ride, but just want to pet my horse) is getting to talk to and educate people who have literally never ever seen a real live horse, let alone get close to one. Chip (or Pete or Trump or whoever) may be the ONLY horse they will ever encounter, and I get to facilitate that.
Also cool.
Today was a bad day in history...
August 24th marks the anniversary of the destruction of Herculaneum and Pompeii by Mt. Vesuvius. It also is St. Bartholomew's Day, which means it's the anniversary of the St. Bartholomew's Day Massacre.
Yay, August 24th!
On a happier note, it's my day off!
Yay, August 24th!
On a happier note, it's my day off!
30.7.07
16.7.07
Well, I finally did it...
There's one of these stupid threads about the "poor carriage horses" on phillyblog.com, and instead of ignoring it, I responded. With a manifesto. Which I doubt anyone will actually read, except to make fun of me, but I had to get it out. I'm sorry, but the notion that we would EVER send our horses to slaughter is so ridiculous, I couldn't let it go.
You can read the posts leading up to my tirade, here:
http://www.phillyblog.com/philly/showthread.php?t=40172
Here's my post, in its entirety:
bloosum et al:
Do ANY of you have ANY proof to back up your dangerously slanderous statements about "cruel heartless carriage company owners" and "carriage horses going to slaughterhouses"? Does anyone here actually KNOW anyone in the carriage business? (Well you know someone now… now that I’m on this thread… haha)
I am sick and tired of people who have never actually talked to anyone who works with horses for a living going around telling everyone that "carriage horses are all abused," that it's "torture" for a horse to be in harness, and that people who make their living working with horses and operating a carriage business are "cruel" and "heartless," and are only interested in $$$.
I work for 76 Carriage Company, and I will tell you that we carriage drivers love and care for our horses, just as much as you care for your pets. That being said, our horses are NOT "pets": They are much, much, MUCH more than that... they are our co-workers, our partners, our students, our teachers, our livelihoods, and, most importantly, our friends. I spend nearly as much time with my Percheron/Morgan cross, Pete, as I do with my husband. The idea that we would EVER EVER repay the gifts and rewards our horses have given us through years of service and partnership with a one-way trip to a slaughterhouse is so incredibly repugnant that I can hardly type.
76 Carriage horses are not sent to slaughter. Period. They are not used to feed Europeans, dogs or zoo lions.
While I cannot speak to the specifics of the goings-on at other companies and can only speak for myself as an individual carriage driver, I can say that the idea that the carriage drivers working in this city DO NOT CARE about their horses and harm them for fun or profit is an OFFENSIVE, ERRONEOUS GENERALIZATION and a disservice to the commitment we make to our equine partners.
When 76 Carriage horses are ready to retire due to age, physical infirmity, or just because they just don't want to work in the city anymore, we find them good homes where we know that they will be well cared for. Three of our horses, Theo (aged 25), Scooby (23), and Commanche (20), were all retired in January 2006, after more than 15 years each of service to our company. They had to be retired together, because they’d been friends for most of their lives. They now live happily in New York, on a 155-acre farm, Three Amigos still. (There was an article to this effect in the Inquirer a year and a half ago, if you don’t believe me.) Another of our horses, Prince, was retired 4 or 5 years ago. He now putters around our barn and in the yard on Bodine Street, hanging out under the trees, mugging me for treats, hating to get bathed, grooming his horse friends, and receiving carrots from his many admirers in Northern Liberties. Another horse, Lancelot, recently told us that although he was perfectly fit, sound and healthy for riding and driving, he was through with SEPTA buses, Jersey drivers, and Duck boats, so he’s made a midlife career change to a farm (also in New York), where he does some light country driving and work under saddle.
Our horses are NOT sent to auction, where they could potentially be bought by "kill buyers" and they are NOT sent to the slaughterhouse. As a matter of fact, many of our horses, at some stage in their life history have passed through mixed sales, such as the infamous New Holland auction, where they could have been purchased by killer buyers, but fortunately ended up purchased by our company, private individuals, or one of the horse dealers we do business with.
When a horse has worked for us, they have earned the right to be certain that they will always have a good home, either with us, doing nothing but eating and having company money spent on them, or with a new family that can take care of them with the same sort of love and care they had here in Philadelphia.
Oh, I can hear the End-the-slavery!-Free-the-horses!-crowd now…”But there is no love and care for carriage horses. Carriage horses are machines used until they get broken and are thrown away. Carriage rides are abuse!” I will not deny that SOME carriage companies in SOME places at SOME times have, unfortunately and tragically, not held up their end of the deal in the human-equine partnership. But to make blanket unfounded statements about the nature of the industry without a shred of hard evidence-- in fact, with much evidence to the contrary-- is the same as saying “Some people abuse their children. Therefore, NO ONE should be a parent. In the 19th century, there were no child labor laws and infant mortality was high. Therefore, today, we should view child-rearing as a outdated relic of a bygone era and it should be eradicated by forward-thinking people.”
So, what love and care do our horses receive?
*Stalls cleaned twice a day.
*Fresh, quality wood shavings added daily.
*Pretty much all the hay anyone can eat (unless some of our more, um, portly friends are needing to trim down—if anything, our horses are pleasantly plump).
*An individualized grain feeding two or three times a day.
*Continuous access to fresh water in their stalls and yards and main barn.
*Custom shoes made and fitted by a qualified farrier.
*Pedicures no less often than every 5-6 weeks.
*Housecalls by a veterinarian who regularly sees our horses and gives them annual physicals.
*In emergencies, horsevan rides to New Bolton Center, where our horses have (thankfully infrequently) been treated by the same doctors that worked on the late, great Barbaro.
*Free time to run around, act silly, eat and roll in one of our three yards.
*Turn out time in Lancaster County several months a year.
*Well-cared for and properly fitted harness.
*Work schedules individually tailored to each horse’s physiology and divergent exercise needs.
*Regular grooming, bathing and haircuts.
*Cold showers on hot days.
*Warm blankets and a cozy barn on frigid nights.
That’s just the physical needs our horses have tended to (and is far from comprehensive—it cannot possibly account for all the little things done for them).
Our horses are tended to mentally and emotionally, too:
*They are given patient and proper training to learn how to do the things they are asked to do.
*They are paired with regular drivers who know, understand and truly appreciate all their individual idiosyncracies (Jim is fascinated by dogs and kids, Noodle hates hoses, Bud loves bananas, Turk loves his hind feet scratched, Nick is paranoid about having his hind feet touched, Tom has learned from Teddy how to open stall doors, Merlin and Teddy and Prince are BestFriendsForever, etc. etc. etc.).
*They are given meaningful, varied, and not-terribly-physically-difficult work to do. (And before anyone starts yelling about stabled draft horses not needing work to do, might I point you to what happens to a border collie who’s not given sheep to herd and is cooped up in someone’s suburban kitchen all day.)
*They are given contact with other horses and find their place within a whole social hierarchy full of friendships, rivalries, mutual grooming sessions, and whinnied, snorting conversations that we humans will never understand. Their daily routine actually more closely mimics the spatial routine of wild horses than many other equine management scenarios.
Plus, our 20 horses get the love and affection (and treats—carrots galore!) of the following: a couple dozen full- and part-time carriage drivers; our barn manager and a half-dozen stable hands who are on the job from 6:30 in the morning until 11:00 at night, seven days a week, 365 days a year; former carriage drivers who work with the Big Buses and Trolleys and who keep an eye out for us on the streets; office staff and managers; and the big boss man himself, The Carriage Company Owner, who—like the French and Belgian farmers who developed the majestic draft breeds we use today—lives under the same roof as his horses.
Our carriage horses are a family—they’re a herd, surrounded by a network of human herd-members.
Beyond the constant, daily attention of their people, our horses are public horses. They are equine ambassadors. They appear in movies, on TV, and in books. Many of the tourists they meet on the street have never been so close to a horse in their lives. Since they are public horses, they are in the view of the (sometimes ill-informed) general public, the City of Philadelphia, and Animal Control, all also looking after their well-being. On a broader note, 76 Carriage Company (see www.phillytour.com, FAQs) is a proud member of the Carriage Operators of North America (see www.cona.org), and is part of the larger family of the Animal Welfare Council and American Horse Council.
Because they are so well-cared for, our horses frequently live into their 30s (average full lifespan of a horse is 25-30 years old—but many horses are not so fortunate as ours are), after having spent most of their lives as “carriage horses.”
At work, these horses have virtually every bladder and bowel movement noticed, their water and food intake monitored, their respiration and perspiration observed, all in the interest in maintaining a high-quality of life (both at work and at play) for them for many, many years to come. Rest assured that it is not in ANYONE’s best interest for our horses to be over-stressed from heat or from work—or from lack of it.
I urge you to truly educate yourselves about what you claim to know so much about… when in fact, you know so little. One of the unspoken, unappreciated losses resulting from the rise of the automobile in the first part of the 20th century has been the loss of humanity’s connection to the horse. What was once an everyday experience has become a tourist attraction. (It’s too bad, because I’d rather hug my horse than my Toyota, and horses smell better than diesel fumes.) To quote an art instructor at the Pennsylvania Academy of Fine Arts where one of our horses models, “Civilization as we know it rests in the gap in a horse’s teeth.”
(Remark heard downtown: “Horses need to live in the country, on a farm. I can’t believe those horses can live in the city. How can these horses possibly live here in Philadelphia?”
Response: “The same way they’ve been living here since 1682.”)
I’m one of the lucky people who gets to experience, every single day I go to work, one of the great mysteries and beauties of our humanity: how it is that we can connect with another species, so absolutely alien to us, and learn from each other how to work together. Our history is commingled with the horse’s. It’s a minor miracle of the partnership between man and the domestic horse every morning when my horse chooses to do what I ask him to do. (He weighs 1600 lbs. I can’t make him, even if I wanted to.) And I’ve learned how to listen to my horse. It’s a special thing to groom a horse (as I did this morning) and he decides to groom you back.
Unfortunately, most people never get to experience that partnership. The closest they get is a brief glimpse walking down the sidewalk in front of the Liberty Bell. All that special knowledge, all that understanding that’s been established from centuries of cohabitation between horse and human, has been lost for most people, people who think that they “know” horses, because they read Black Beauty and played with My Little Ponies.
Yet I can’t tell you how many people have pointed at my horse, taking a nice nap in the carriage stand between rides, his hind leg cocked because he’s relaxed, and exclaimed, “Oh, look, his leg is hurt!” only to have Pete shift his weight from one hind foot to the the other. Oh, look. Now his other leg is “hurt.” Other people ask all the time about the chestnuts (dew claws) on the inside of EVERY horse’s legs, making accusations about the “scabs” or “sores” there. News for you: all horses have them; they’re vestigial thumbnails.
The same ignorance about basic equine physiology and behavior is demonstrated every time someone tells me that my horse is about to drop dead of heat exhaustion “because he’s sweating.” Of course he’s sweating! It’s summertime! I’m sweating, too. Thankfully, horses, like humans, have sweat to operate as an efficient cooling system (modern horses, like humans, originally evolved on the grassy, hot savannahs and plains). It’s really when a horse is blowing (panting/breathing hard), and can’t cool himself down through sweating, or when a horse is dehydrated, that is cause for concern. Horses are like people: some people handle the heat better than others (fit people better than fat people, young adults better than the very old or very young). The key is taking precautions (proper hydration, staying in the shade when possible, not overexerting oneself, building up physical cardiovascular fitness, respecting one’s individual limitations) and knowing the horse in question (which is a lot easier to do when one spends 40-50 hours a week with that horse, rather than 10 seconds driving past on 5th Street shouting PETA pablum out an SUV window).
Don’t hesitate to actually TALK to us carriage people. (We are individual people working for individual companies, just as our horses are individual horses, after all—blanket generalizations are not at all useful). I, for one, am happy to continue this discussion with anybody, so long as it is a DISCUSSION, not the previous slander based on the continued blind spouting of misinformation and politically charged rhetoric.
Ask questions. A nice one to start with is, “May I pet your horse?” or “What’s his name?”
Just please don’t ask me, “DOES your horse have a name?” (I actually get this a lot. In a holier-than-thou, accusatory tone, at that. My response: Does your cat have a name? Does your child?)
Of course he does.
My horse’s name is Pete. And yes, he knows it.
And the other horses have names, too. The horses of 76 Carriage Company (Bud, Teddy, Bill, Trump, Noodle, Turk, Jim, Bubba, Tom, Rex, Carter, Merlin, Spot, Buzz, Chip, BB, Nick, Ben, Pete, Mike, and Prince), Philadelphia Carriage Company (Obie, Omar, Dominic, Da Vinci, Napoleon, Murphy, Caesar, Vernon, Cartman, Louie, Little John, Madison, Hershey, Smoky, Mickey, and Blue), and Olde City Carriage (Willy, Woody, Suzie, Moe and Truman) appreciate that y’all love them (for how could you not love the horses?), and hope you’ll be better informed about them in the future.
You can read the posts leading up to my tirade, here:
http://www.phillyblog.com/philly/showthread.php?t=40172
Here's my post, in its entirety:
bloosum et al:
Do ANY of you have ANY proof to back up your dangerously slanderous statements about "cruel heartless carriage company owners" and "carriage horses going to slaughterhouses"? Does anyone here actually KNOW anyone in the carriage business? (Well you know someone now… now that I’m on this thread… haha)
I am sick and tired of people who have never actually talked to anyone who works with horses for a living going around telling everyone that "carriage horses are all abused," that it's "torture" for a horse to be in harness, and that people who make their living working with horses and operating a carriage business are "cruel" and "heartless," and are only interested in $$$.
I work for 76 Carriage Company, and I will tell you that we carriage drivers love and care for our horses, just as much as you care for your pets. That being said, our horses are NOT "pets": They are much, much, MUCH more than that... they are our co-workers, our partners, our students, our teachers, our livelihoods, and, most importantly, our friends. I spend nearly as much time with my Percheron/Morgan cross, Pete, as I do with my husband. The idea that we would EVER EVER repay the gifts and rewards our horses have given us through years of service and partnership with a one-way trip to a slaughterhouse is so incredibly repugnant that I can hardly type.
76 Carriage horses are not sent to slaughter. Period. They are not used to feed Europeans, dogs or zoo lions.
While I cannot speak to the specifics of the goings-on at other companies and can only speak for myself as an individual carriage driver, I can say that the idea that the carriage drivers working in this city DO NOT CARE about their horses and harm them for fun or profit is an OFFENSIVE, ERRONEOUS GENERALIZATION and a disservice to the commitment we make to our equine partners.
When 76 Carriage horses are ready to retire due to age, physical infirmity, or just because they just don't want to work in the city anymore, we find them good homes where we know that they will be well cared for. Three of our horses, Theo (aged 25), Scooby (23), and Commanche (20), were all retired in January 2006, after more than 15 years each of service to our company. They had to be retired together, because they’d been friends for most of their lives. They now live happily in New York, on a 155-acre farm, Three Amigos still. (There was an article to this effect in the Inquirer a year and a half ago, if you don’t believe me.) Another of our horses, Prince, was retired 4 or 5 years ago. He now putters around our barn and in the yard on Bodine Street, hanging out under the trees, mugging me for treats, hating to get bathed, grooming his horse friends, and receiving carrots from his many admirers in Northern Liberties. Another horse, Lancelot, recently told us that although he was perfectly fit, sound and healthy for riding and driving, he was through with SEPTA buses, Jersey drivers, and Duck boats, so he’s made a midlife career change to a farm (also in New York), where he does some light country driving and work under saddle.
Our horses are NOT sent to auction, where they could potentially be bought by "kill buyers" and they are NOT sent to the slaughterhouse. As a matter of fact, many of our horses, at some stage in their life history have passed through mixed sales, such as the infamous New Holland auction, where they could have been purchased by killer buyers, but fortunately ended up purchased by our company, private individuals, or one of the horse dealers we do business with.
When a horse has worked for us, they have earned the right to be certain that they will always have a good home, either with us, doing nothing but eating and having company money spent on them, or with a new family that can take care of them with the same sort of love and care they had here in Philadelphia.
Oh, I can hear the End-the-slavery!-Free-the-horses!-crowd now…”But there is no love and care for carriage horses. Carriage horses are machines used until they get broken and are thrown away. Carriage rides are abuse!” I will not deny that SOME carriage companies in SOME places at SOME times have, unfortunately and tragically, not held up their end of the deal in the human-equine partnership. But to make blanket unfounded statements about the nature of the industry without a shred of hard evidence-- in fact, with much evidence to the contrary-- is the same as saying “Some people abuse their children. Therefore, NO ONE should be a parent. In the 19th century, there were no child labor laws and infant mortality was high. Therefore, today, we should view child-rearing as a outdated relic of a bygone era and it should be eradicated by forward-thinking people.”
So, what love and care do our horses receive?
*Stalls cleaned twice a day.
*Fresh, quality wood shavings added daily.
*Pretty much all the hay anyone can eat (unless some of our more, um, portly friends are needing to trim down—if anything, our horses are pleasantly plump).
*An individualized grain feeding two or three times a day.
*Continuous access to fresh water in their stalls and yards and main barn.
*Custom shoes made and fitted by a qualified farrier.
*Pedicures no less often than every 5-6 weeks.
*Housecalls by a veterinarian who regularly sees our horses and gives them annual physicals.
*In emergencies, horsevan rides to New Bolton Center, where our horses have (thankfully infrequently) been treated by the same doctors that worked on the late, great Barbaro.
*Free time to run around, act silly, eat and roll in one of our three yards.
*Turn out time in Lancaster County several months a year.
*Well-cared for and properly fitted harness.
*Work schedules individually tailored to each horse’s physiology and divergent exercise needs.
*Regular grooming, bathing and haircuts.
*Cold showers on hot days.
*Warm blankets and a cozy barn on frigid nights.
That’s just the physical needs our horses have tended to (and is far from comprehensive—it cannot possibly account for all the little things done for them).
Our horses are tended to mentally and emotionally, too:
*They are given patient and proper training to learn how to do the things they are asked to do.
*They are paired with regular drivers who know, understand and truly appreciate all their individual idiosyncracies (Jim is fascinated by dogs and kids, Noodle hates hoses, Bud loves bananas, Turk loves his hind feet scratched, Nick is paranoid about having his hind feet touched, Tom has learned from Teddy how to open stall doors, Merlin and Teddy and Prince are BestFriendsForever, etc. etc. etc.).
*They are given meaningful, varied, and not-terribly-physically-difficult work to do. (And before anyone starts yelling about stabled draft horses not needing work to do, might I point you to what happens to a border collie who’s not given sheep to herd and is cooped up in someone’s suburban kitchen all day.)
*They are given contact with other horses and find their place within a whole social hierarchy full of friendships, rivalries, mutual grooming sessions, and whinnied, snorting conversations that we humans will never understand. Their daily routine actually more closely mimics the spatial routine of wild horses than many other equine management scenarios.
Plus, our 20 horses get the love and affection (and treats—carrots galore!) of the following: a couple dozen full- and part-time carriage drivers; our barn manager and a half-dozen stable hands who are on the job from 6:30 in the morning until 11:00 at night, seven days a week, 365 days a year; former carriage drivers who work with the Big Buses and Trolleys and who keep an eye out for us on the streets; office staff and managers; and the big boss man himself, The Carriage Company Owner, who—like the French and Belgian farmers who developed the majestic draft breeds we use today—lives under the same roof as his horses.
Our carriage horses are a family—they’re a herd, surrounded by a network of human herd-members.
Beyond the constant, daily attention of their people, our horses are public horses. They are equine ambassadors. They appear in movies, on TV, and in books. Many of the tourists they meet on the street have never been so close to a horse in their lives. Since they are public horses, they are in the view of the (sometimes ill-informed) general public, the City of Philadelphia, and Animal Control, all also looking after their well-being. On a broader note, 76 Carriage Company (see www.phillytour.com, FAQs) is a proud member of the Carriage Operators of North America (see www.cona.org), and is part of the larger family of the Animal Welfare Council and American Horse Council.
Because they are so well-cared for, our horses frequently live into their 30s (average full lifespan of a horse is 25-30 years old—but many horses are not so fortunate as ours are), after having spent most of their lives as “carriage horses.”
At work, these horses have virtually every bladder and bowel movement noticed, their water and food intake monitored, their respiration and perspiration observed, all in the interest in maintaining a high-quality of life (both at work and at play) for them for many, many years to come. Rest assured that it is not in ANYONE’s best interest for our horses to be over-stressed from heat or from work—or from lack of it.
I urge you to truly educate yourselves about what you claim to know so much about… when in fact, you know so little. One of the unspoken, unappreciated losses resulting from the rise of the automobile in the first part of the 20th century has been the loss of humanity’s connection to the horse. What was once an everyday experience has become a tourist attraction. (It’s too bad, because I’d rather hug my horse than my Toyota, and horses smell better than diesel fumes.) To quote an art instructor at the Pennsylvania Academy of Fine Arts where one of our horses models, “Civilization as we know it rests in the gap in a horse’s teeth.”
(Remark heard downtown: “Horses need to live in the country, on a farm. I can’t believe those horses can live in the city. How can these horses possibly live here in Philadelphia?”
Response: “The same way they’ve been living here since 1682.”)
I’m one of the lucky people who gets to experience, every single day I go to work, one of the great mysteries and beauties of our humanity: how it is that we can connect with another species, so absolutely alien to us, and learn from each other how to work together. Our history is commingled with the horse’s. It’s a minor miracle of the partnership between man and the domestic horse every morning when my horse chooses to do what I ask him to do. (He weighs 1600 lbs. I can’t make him, even if I wanted to.) And I’ve learned how to listen to my horse. It’s a special thing to groom a horse (as I did this morning) and he decides to groom you back.
Unfortunately, most people never get to experience that partnership. The closest they get is a brief glimpse walking down the sidewalk in front of the Liberty Bell. All that special knowledge, all that understanding that’s been established from centuries of cohabitation between horse and human, has been lost for most people, people who think that they “know” horses, because they read Black Beauty and played with My Little Ponies.
Yet I can’t tell you how many people have pointed at my horse, taking a nice nap in the carriage stand between rides, his hind leg cocked because he’s relaxed, and exclaimed, “Oh, look, his leg is hurt!” only to have Pete shift his weight from one hind foot to the the other. Oh, look. Now his other leg is “hurt.” Other people ask all the time about the chestnuts (dew claws) on the inside of EVERY horse’s legs, making accusations about the “scabs” or “sores” there. News for you: all horses have them; they’re vestigial thumbnails.
The same ignorance about basic equine physiology and behavior is demonstrated every time someone tells me that my horse is about to drop dead of heat exhaustion “because he’s sweating.” Of course he’s sweating! It’s summertime! I’m sweating, too. Thankfully, horses, like humans, have sweat to operate as an efficient cooling system (modern horses, like humans, originally evolved on the grassy, hot savannahs and plains). It’s really when a horse is blowing (panting/breathing hard), and can’t cool himself down through sweating, or when a horse is dehydrated, that is cause for concern. Horses are like people: some people handle the heat better than others (fit people better than fat people, young adults better than the very old or very young). The key is taking precautions (proper hydration, staying in the shade when possible, not overexerting oneself, building up physical cardiovascular fitness, respecting one’s individual limitations) and knowing the horse in question (which is a lot easier to do when one spends 40-50 hours a week with that horse, rather than 10 seconds driving past on 5th Street shouting PETA pablum out an SUV window).
Don’t hesitate to actually TALK to us carriage people. (We are individual people working for individual companies, just as our horses are individual horses, after all—blanket generalizations are not at all useful). I, for one, am happy to continue this discussion with anybody, so long as it is a DISCUSSION, not the previous slander based on the continued blind spouting of misinformation and politically charged rhetoric.
Ask questions. A nice one to start with is, “May I pet your horse?” or “What’s his name?”
Just please don’t ask me, “DOES your horse have a name?” (I actually get this a lot. In a holier-than-thou, accusatory tone, at that. My response: Does your cat have a name? Does your child?)
Of course he does.
My horse’s name is Pete. And yes, he knows it.
And the other horses have names, too. The horses of 76 Carriage Company (Bud, Teddy, Bill, Trump, Noodle, Turk, Jim, Bubba, Tom, Rex, Carter, Merlin, Spot, Buzz, Chip, BB, Nick, Ben, Pete, Mike, and Prince), Philadelphia Carriage Company (Obie, Omar, Dominic, Da Vinci, Napoleon, Murphy, Caesar, Vernon, Cartman, Louie, Little John, Madison, Hershey, Smoky, Mickey, and Blue), and Olde City Carriage (Willy, Woody, Suzie, Moe and Truman) appreciate that y’all love them (for how could you not love the horses?), and hope you’ll be better informed about them in the future.
12.6.07
9.6.07
A Pun from Peter
Which patron saint do horses pray to?
Saint Thomas Equinas.
(Ba dum bum ching!)
Thanks, Peter.
(The pic above is of the barn's very own Thomas, the tallest horse in Philadelphia. Tom is a 19hh Belgian gelding.)
8.6.07
Like a racehorse...
In honor of tomorrow's Belmont Stakes, I found this column on Slate today. Apparently racehorses pee 1.5 to 2 gallons a day. And Clydesdales pee more. (I could have told y'all that, having seen some of the draft horses around the barn down a five gallon bucket of water, and then having sat through not one, but TWO cycles of a traffic light waiting for Bud to finish up.)
Trump's favorite place is in front of Signer Park.
Many of the carriage horses participate in the long history of public urination outside of the Powel House (Samuel Powel and his wife Elizabeth were famous for their parties there...).
Trump's favorite place is in front of Signer Park.
Many of the carriage horses participate in the long history of public urination outside of the Powel House (Samuel Powel and his wife Elizabeth were famous for their parties there...).
1.6.07
See? I AM famous in Asia.
Or at least in cyberspace on flickr. One of my fares mslalowe took this photo May 8. I'm on 4th St. driving Spot the Wonder Horse (who didn't make it into the picture).
31.5.07
It's a greenhorn extravaganza!
On Tuesday, I reported the content of a conversation I'd had at work to Peter. Basically, a coworker had complained about "all these greenhorns" we've got running around the company at the moment. Peter looked surprised--he'd never heard the term "greenhorn" before.
On Wednesday, Peter and I settled down to watch Mythbusters, and Jamie made some comment during their segment on Wild West Myths about "greenhorns." "See?" I said to Peter, "He used 'greenhorn'. Why, it's a veritable greenhorn extravaganza!"
Then I got to thinking, "Now there's a phrase: 'greenhorn extravaganza.' I bet that doesn't show up on Google any place."
For the record, "greenhorn extravaganza" returns no hits on Google. Until now.
{cackles maniacally}
On Wednesday, Peter and I settled down to watch Mythbusters, and Jamie made some comment during their segment on Wild West Myths about "greenhorns." "See?" I said to Peter, "He used 'greenhorn'. Why, it's a veritable greenhorn extravaganza!"
Then I got to thinking, "Now there's a phrase: 'greenhorn extravaganza.' I bet that doesn't show up on Google any place."
For the record, "greenhorn extravaganza" returns no hits on Google. Until now.
{cackles maniacally}
19.4.07
Beautiful French Percherons
I was working on my links page for thedrafthorse.com, and I came across this blog. It belongs to French photojournalist Jean-Leo DUGAST. He's got some AMAZING photos of French Percherons, and now I really want his new book, "Sur les traces du cheval percheron" (On the Trail of the Percheron Horse).
Which reminds me, all of the Percherons on Dugast's page, as well as my Philadelphia colleagues--Teddy, Noodle, Lance, Carter, Rex, Prince, Trump, et al.--are all kissing cousins. All Percherons are descended from Jean le Blanc, a Percheron stallion foaled in the Perche in 1823.
Another interesting fact about Percherons in America: They were first imported to this country in 1839 by Edward Harris, of Moorestown, New Jersey. That's right across the Delaware from us in Philadelphia. So my horsie friends listed above are carrying on a long, proud tradition of Percherons in this part of the world.
Photo: Teddy modeling his Percheron-ness. This is my Percheron photojournalism--someday I'd like to take as nice photos as Dugast does.
17.4.07
Ooooh, pretty!
Having a record nor'easter interrupt my work schedule hasn't been all bad... I've gotten to spend most of my Monday inside playing on the web.
I am the master of my domain. And it is www.thedrafthorse.com.
There's hardly any content yet, but the bones are there, as is this blog.
I am the master of my domain. And it is www.thedrafthorse.com.
There's hardly any content yet, but the bones are there, as is this blog.
13.4.07
Do you believe that forks are evolved from spoons?
That was my random question in the Blogger profile.
Do you believe that forks are evolved from spoons?
No, I believe forks and spoons are both evolved from a common ancestor, a "proto-" or "ur-spork." Due to separate ecological niches (firm and soupy environments), forks and spoons have, through divergent evolution, become separate species. The fact that forks and spoons can mate to create sterile sporks reveals a common heritage. Sporks are the mules of cutlery.
Ah, to explain the speciation of knives! Or the speciation explosion that was the Victorian period! (Or are fish forks, pickle forks, butter forks, salad forks, desert forks, carving forks, etc. etc. just breeds of a single species, the fork?)
Do you believe that forks are evolved from spoons?
No, I believe forks and spoons are both evolved from a common ancestor, a "proto-" or "ur-spork." Due to separate ecological niches (firm and soupy environments), forks and spoons have, through divergent evolution, become separate species. The fact that forks and spoons can mate to create sterile sporks reveals a common heritage. Sporks are the mules of cutlery.
Ah, to explain the speciation of knives! Or the speciation explosion that was the Victorian period! (Or are fish forks, pickle forks, butter forks, salad forks, desert forks, carving forks, etc. etc. just breeds of a single species, the fork?)
The Inaugural Post
Well, I've set up a blog to go with my "new" website, www.thedrafthorse.com.
Back in January-ish, over on the National Novel Writing Month forums, Chris Baty started the Year of Doing Big, Fun, Scary Things Together (YoDBFSTT). One of my goals for 2007 was to set up my own website. It's still under construction (i.e. not started other than having a nifty "Under Construction" page.
For the sake of introduction, though, here's my original posting over on the NaNo boards for my goals for 2007.
Well, it turned out that 2006 was my year of doing Big, Scary, Fun things...For instance, since November 1, 2005, I have:
1. Won NaNo 2005, though I didn't FINISH my novel, I just wrote 50K words. Nonetheless, participating in the amazing experience of writing a novel in 30 days changed my life. Becase after that, I decided to do other Big Fun Scary things, rather than putting them off for that proverbial "Someday." Hence, I:
2. Decided I did NOT want to be a history professor, so I dropped out of graduate school--3.5 years in to graduate school and close to being ABD, but who cares if it's not what you want to do! Major life change. Now what?
3. Moved to eastern France to be with my husband, who was doing research, for 3 1/2 months .
4. Walked between my city in France and the town two towns over (about 13.5 miles). Just because.
5. Lost about 40 lbs.
6. Returned to U.S. and took a hourly wage job developing photos so we could afford to have:
7. Moved to Philadelphia.\
8. Decided to follow a lifelong dream and work with horses. Consequently, I found THE MOST AWESOME JOB IN THE WORLD. I drive a horse and carriage in downtown Philly for a living now. Full time. Year round. And I give the best d**n history tour in town. But this is all kinda scary because A) I'm naturally a shy person who now has to approach total strangers all day and talk to them...I'ma performer now, and B) it's a commission job, so income is very variable and let's not even talk about taxes, and C) I've spent my entire life thinking I couldn't do physically demanding things. This winter I'm mucking stalls and am in the best shape I've been in my life.
So, what are my goals now? Where do I go from here?
drumroll
NAPOLEONDANCE's 2007 ADVENTURE LOG (In no particular order):
1. Actually finish that first draft of a novel I started for NaNo 2005. It's at 60K, but wants to be twice that long.
2. Spend more time not only taking my ceramics classes but spending time outside of class during open studio on them. I need to not be so afraid of people seeing my work.
3. Finally set up my own website with my own domain name for me and my DH.
4. Stop dreading financial things so much. That way I can be more proactive about paying off debt and building savings.
5. Cut back on the ol' calorated beverages. I'd like to lose 10-15 lbs more to be at my goal weight (probably closer to 10 lbs... I've gained a good bit of muscle...). Just because I burn so many calories grooming my 2000 lb. horsie that I can drink seemingly gallons of Coca Cola doesn't mean that I should. (OK, so I suppose that this means I have to put batteries in the digital scale we have...)
6. Write that article about urban horses that my friend has been suggesting I do, Figure out what to do with it then.
7. Keep in better touch with my friends from college and grad school. Generally try to be a little more social.
8. Find a 2 bedroom apartment that is in our budget and in Center City to move into. Though I HATE the thought of packing up everythign AGAIN and hauling it around, my DH deserves a nice place to do his work (and get all the books out of the general living space).
9. To avoid having to haul so much around again, finish sorting through my old papers and notes and GET RID OF STUFF. Do I really need notes from PE 101 from college 8 years ago? NO!
10. Although I was too busy finesse-ing the finer points of standing down SEPTA buses and Jersey drivers from atop a carriage to participate in NaNoWriMo 2006, participate in NaNoWriMo 2007.
11. Start on the research I've been meaning to do. That means going to the library.
12. Take more artistic photos.
13. Figure out how to make money from my artistic stuff and then make it.
14. I love to cook. My husband loves my cooking. So I should do it more.That's about it for now... Stay tuned for updates.
Yes. Stay tuned for updates. And more.
Back in January-ish, over on the National Novel Writing Month forums, Chris Baty started the Year of Doing Big, Fun, Scary Things Together (YoDBFSTT). One of my goals for 2007 was to set up my own website. It's still under construction (i.e. not started other than having a nifty "Under Construction" page.
For the sake of introduction, though, here's my original posting over on the NaNo boards for my goals for 2007.
Well, it turned out that 2006 was my year of doing Big, Scary, Fun things...For instance, since November 1, 2005, I have:
1. Won NaNo 2005, though I didn't FINISH my novel, I just wrote 50K words. Nonetheless, participating in the amazing experience of writing a novel in 30 days changed my life. Becase after that, I decided to do other Big Fun Scary things, rather than putting them off for that proverbial "Someday." Hence, I:
2. Decided I did NOT want to be a history professor, so I dropped out of graduate school--3.5 years in to graduate school and close to being ABD, but who cares if it's not what you want to do! Major life change. Now what?
3. Moved to eastern France to be with my husband, who was doing research, for 3 1/2 months .
4. Walked between my city in France and the town two towns over (about 13.5 miles). Just because.
5. Lost about 40 lbs.
6. Returned to U.S. and took a hourly wage job developing photos so we could afford to have:
7. Moved to Philadelphia.\
8. Decided to follow a lifelong dream and work with horses. Consequently, I found THE MOST AWESOME JOB IN THE WORLD. I drive a horse and carriage in downtown Philly for a living now. Full time. Year round. And I give the best d**n history tour in town. But this is all kinda scary because A) I'm naturally a shy person who now has to approach total strangers all day and talk to them...I'm
So, what are my goals now? Where do I go from here?
drumroll
NAPOLEONDANCE's 2007 ADVENTURE LOG (In no particular order):
1. Actually finish that first draft of a novel I started for NaNo 2005. It's at 60K, but wants to be twice that long.
2. Spend more time not only taking my ceramics classes but spending time outside of class during open studio on them. I need to not be so afraid of people seeing my work.
3. Finally set up my own website with my own domain name for me and my DH.
4. Stop dreading financial things so much. That way I can be more proactive about paying off debt and building savings.
5. Cut back on the ol' calorated beverages. I'd like to lose 10-15 lbs more to be at my goal weight (probably closer to 10 lbs... I've gained a good bit of muscle...). Just because I burn so many calories grooming my 2000 lb. horsie that I can drink seemingly gallons of Coca Cola doesn't mean that I should. (OK, so I suppose that this means I have to put batteries in the digital scale we have...)
6. Write that article about urban horses that my friend has been suggesting I do, Figure out what to do with it then.
7. Keep in better touch with my friends from college and grad school. Generally try to be a little more social.
8. Find a 2 bedroom apartment that is in our budget and in Center City to move into. Though I HATE the thought of packing up everythign AGAIN and hauling it around, my DH deserves a nice place to do his work (and get all the books out of the general living space).
9. To avoid having to haul so much around again, finish sorting through my old papers and notes and GET RID OF STUFF. Do I really need notes from PE 101 from college 8 years ago? NO!
10. Although I was too busy finesse-ing the finer points of standing down SEPTA buses and Jersey drivers from atop a carriage to participate in NaNoWriMo 2006, participate in NaNoWriMo 2007.
11. Start on the research I've been meaning to do. That means going to the library.
12. Take more artistic photos.
13. Figure out how to make money from my artistic stuff and then make it.
14. I love to cook. My husband loves my cooking. So I should do it more.That's about it for now... Stay tuned for updates.
Yes. Stay tuned for updates. And more.
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