Horses

 

The horse (Equus ferus caballus) is a domesticated, one-toed, hoofed mammal. It belongs to the taxonomic family Equidae and is one of two extant subspecies of Equus ferus. The horse has evolved over the past 45 to 55 million years from a small multi-toed creature, close to Eohippus, into the large, single-toed animal of today. Humans began domesticating horses around 4000 BCE, and their domestication is believed to have been widespread by 3000 BCE. Horses in the subspecies caballus are domesticated, although some domesticated populations live in the wild as feral horses. These feral populations are not true wild horses, which are horses that never have been domesticated and historically linked to the megafauna category of species. There is an extensive, specialized vocabulary used to describe equine-related concepts, covering everything from anatomy to life stages, size, colors, markings, breeds, locomotion, and behavior.

Horses are adapted to run, allowing them to quickly escape predators, and possess a good sense of balance and a strong fight-or-flight response. Related to this need to flee from predators in the wild is an unusual trait: horses are able to sleep both standing up and lying down, with younger horses tending to sleep significantly more than adults. Female horses, called mares, carry their young for approximately 11 months and a young horse, called a foal, can stand and run shortly following birth. Most domesticated horses begin training under a saddle or in a harness between the ages of two and four. They reach full adult development by age five, and have an average lifespan of between 25 and 30 years.

Horse breeds are loosely divided into three categories based on general temperament: spirited "hot bloods" with speed and endurance; "cold bloods", such as draft horses and some ponies, suitable for slow, heavy work; and "warmbloods", developed from crosses between hot bloods and cold bloods, often focusing on creating breeds for specific riding purposes, particularly in Europe. There are more than 300 breeds of horse in the world today, developed for many different uses.

Horses and humans interact in a wide variety of sport competitions and non-competitive recreational pursuits as well as in working activities such as police work, agriculture, entertainment, and therapy. Horses were historically used in warfare, from which a wide variety of riding and driving techniques developed, using many different styles of equipment and methods of control. Many products are derived from horses, including meat, milk, hide, hair, bone, and pharmaceuticals extracted from the urine of pregnant mares. Humans provide domesticated horses with food, water, and shelter, as well as attention from specialists such as veterinarians and farriers.

I think of horses as big dogs. They are just comfortable being with others and romping about. They are not predators, but are big enough to do harm. They can be docile enough to have a saddle strapped onto them and a harness with a metal bar stuffed in their mouth used as a guiding mechanism. When mounted and whipped, a horse will run. Left alone with another space to run and frolic and kick up their heels is a wonder to see.

I’ve ridden horses but was never comfortable in the saddle. My first wife was an English rider but never talked about it. My second wife knew horse flesh. We’d go to steeple chase events and she would pick out the winner. I’m not a betting man, but she was always right.

The museum was full of paintings of horses. The pride of horse was beyond a pet. I know people who stable horses and some who ride for ribbons.

The reason I bring up horses is every hero in the movies and on television when I was growing up, rode a horse. Cowboys, ancient knights, desert warriors, civil war cavalry… everyone rode a horse. Indians were chased on horses, wagon trains were pulled by horses, horses were hitched up in every western for the quick getaway. When a rider was shot, he’d pull the rein to the side pulling the head of the horse who would stumble and fall to the grown. The camera would cut to another scene rather than see if the horse got up or not.

Before CGI, masses of horses were ridden into battle scenes without stunt doubles. Hundreds of horses would collide with other horses or people running with sharp sticks. The logistics of these movies to get so many extras dressed alike to ride horses across a field for the camera to follow must have been formattable. People can be shipped by bus, but a horse needs more space to haul. Even the Kentucky Derby has a parade of horse trailers. The equestrian joy associated with watching horses run at full speed beats the pig race at the country fair.

After battle scenes of rifles, cannon craters, soldiers lying still (and mostly intact) and horses. These horses may have been injured in the clashes and had to be put down. There are no scenes of hobbling horses staggering amongst the carnage. Even the wild ponies of Chincoteague are rounded up every year to be auctioned off to a human who may (or may not) treat them humanely but still must be broken.

Jump through rings of fire. Buck cowboys with your testicles tied. Dance on hind legs. Stand pristine posed for a painting.

Something in the Aire

It is different. It doesn’t feel right. Things just seem odd?

Maybe the change of season. One day it is sweaters and the next day shorts. More than enough clouds and plenty of rain so when the sun shines, everything grows overnight. Rock on the porch one evening and hide under the blankets the next night.

With that noted, there are other things. The delivery trucks are not coming around? Normally there is a parade of trucks riding up and down the street leaving brown boxes on everyone’s doorstep. There is also no food delivery? Did the neighborhood decide to eat out after the pandemic? Are people learning to cook? The sound of construction has died down. There is not the sounds of ladders and hammers (except for the house that is being replaced at the end of the block). Maybe everyone used up their savings preparing their property to sell with the increased assessments? Even the sound of the lawnmowers and blowers only come on Wednesday.

The city came by early in the year, dug a hole at the end of the block, filled it in and left without any warning or announcement. They came back, dug up the hole again, filled in the new hole and then left. The only reason I noticed was they blocked off the street and left a pile of gravel in the alley to climb over. They also put a bump at the top of the hill to slow down speeders. I try to ride in off hours to avoid speeders. My city taxes did pay for a nice resurface of a rough ride side street. A city truck came through the alley cutting branches that lean over to get in the way of the trash pickup. Did get a message about leaves cluttering the street, but my neighbor took care of all the pickup.

Speaking of the city, and why something funky is going on, I noticed there was a water leak at my meter. A pool of water but not blocking the walkway. Of course, I did my civic duty to call the city to register the problem and request a fix. A few more calls as reminders and wait. The water bill hasn’t spiked, but when it all dries out, I’ll get another assessment of my water usage.

Another weird instance has been my request for some home repairs. A month ago, I used the same company to replace my steps, but now they seem to have forgotten me. Several e-mails with detail instructions and attached photos and no replies. Phone calls and no replies. Finally got through to a voice who seemed a bit confused and over whelmed. An estimate and date were agreed on and I’ll wait, and see?

Then there was this bazaar order from an old used and reliable prime-time product purchase online and deliver the next day service. I browse the network (the same as you) not really needing something but just shopping. I check musical instrument sites (as if I needed another one) and compare notes on tone woods and bracing. I order essentials like underwear and socks to avoid going to Target and being followed by security. It is also a solution for heavy bulky items not readily carried on a bicycle. There track record has been outstanding until….

I see these guitar finger picks.

Add to cart and confirm credit card number and expect a small package by the end of the month. Tracking the order, there was a delay and an apology for being late and then ‘the package has been lost’. Wha?

So back online (as we do to waste our time) and cancel the order for a refund.

I’ve ordered many items from speaker wire to audio receivers to sink washers without any problems, so I thought this must have been a fluke.

Why was this item so unique?

These were guitar finger picks that look like a paperclip retwisted to fit a finger. Most finger picks are like extended fingernails that pluck the strings like claws. There are thousands of different guitar picks on the market. Each has their own versatility and qualities. Guitar players have their preference, like baseball players have a favorite bat.

So, I decided to try again.

Another order, another wait, another delay. What was so difficult in getting this product delivered to my house?

Emails to the manufacturer and delivery company, followed by online customer service to finally a voice on the phone. The final solution seemed to refund my payment and an email that stated the problem was being investigated. Well, that’s that.

I sit on the porch watching the trees dance to a cold front moving in. I check my junk mail and there is this package?

 

Then the ice cream truck rolled by.

The yard still needs trimming. The neighbor is moving. Tummy Temple has again become a mundane daily visit to acquire tasteless substance. Still need to go to phone store to find out why my phone drops service and why my bill is so expensive?

5/4/2024

Why should I believe you?

 

In this time of misinformation and confused reporting from viable news sources, why should I believe what you say without vetting and fact checking?

You believe your family for you know nothing else. Extended family brings some insight from cousins and aunts and uncles, but they are still family so it must be true.

Then you meet a stranger.

What is your name? Really? A name carries a lot of baggage like birthing location, political assemblies, and history of power and wealth. Your name is on the ancestry tree of the previously famous family.

What do you do? The answer reveals what the stranger wants you to believe of his/her importance. A title in a recognizable establishment implies a steady smart icon of the community. How long the title adds to the prestige and wealth of their position.

To keep prying (or sharing notes trying to find a point to bond with) history of schooling, relationships, living space and area, type of mobile vehicle(s) and number and names of offspring.

Dig deeper into the lexicon of culture to books read, television or movies watch, performances attended, fashions, political persuasions or even religious beliefs could become topics of conversation that could become fluid with the answer.

Reading demands some effort to combine the words into someone else’s thoughts. Videos and movies require less effort to sit and watch someone else’s interpretation of history, fantasy, color, sound and movement to wash over you without any interaction. A live performance art is a personal one-on-one to make you laugh or sing or cry at the words and movements of someone who looks just like you. They hear the applause.

Other than emotional connection, that is all we know about people (friend or foe). Is the information you know or were told about the other person truth (or dare)?

Sitting on a long plane ride, striking up a conversation with a stranger in the next seat, what do you say? Sloping hash at a corner store burger bar will guarantee snoring in your ear. Being the CEO of a multi-million-dollar software corporation can make for a long intense make-believe play that teases the listener and keeping the stand-up story teller alert and creative.

The best is to go into a crowed conference room or adult beverage sports bar establishment or a religious meeting hall and give a different name and story to each stranger you meet and when you leave, they must congeal their notes to find out who you are (were). It depends what you want to trail behind.

What I knew about my wife’s history was what she told me. There were no photos or newspaper clippings, selfies, family videos or friends to confirm and add to all I had been told to believe. The rest of what I knew about her was how she reacted to life in my company. What she did when I was away was creating her own history. It could be a secret or whatever story she wanted to make up? We never shared confidential information or beliefs or desires.

When you tell me a story, I’ll just put it in your folder full of opinions, statements, experiences and gaps of communications. As time goes by, it may be reviewed with new knowledge or aged wisdom to reflect how it affected the readers life?

Don’t Stop! Nothing to see here!

 

There is this little blue marble. It is the third planet from the sun of its solar system. It is one of eight planets (nine if you include Pluto) that was just in the right spot to create an atmosphere. This group of spinning rocks, one formed a protective bubble around it to keep space out and keep clouds in, thus creating water.

After a while, junk fell in the water and evolved into microbes that could join together and split into new forms that could join with others. Eventually the water was bubbling in life. These beings learned over time to survive with techniques to fed and grow. Then they got bored and crawled out of the water onto land.

They grew into gigantic creatures roaming the land until (as some suppose) a big rock smashed through their atmosphere ceiling and changed the air to the point where all creatures died.

All would have been lost, but this perky little planet regrouped and formed another blue sky full of clouds bringing rain and wind and letting in just enough sunshine to grow plants. Somehow creatures came down from the trees and started walking around. They found shelter, food and began procreating.

These new creatures formed families and became tribes. They learned how to grow crops, kill animals and find water. They found how to create fire and became chefs. They formed alliances with other tribes for protection and trade. The tribes intermingled and formed diversity.

As they expanded their curiosity, some other tribe may resist their invasion into their private space. Borders were being formed over a tribe’s property rights. Some would respect the restrictions while others, who had enough members to fight, invaded the territory to pillage and loot taking property, goods, food, animals, buildings and women. They had created war and enjoyed the rewards of the winners. This would last them until extinction.

About this time, they had to create gods to explain what they couldn’t understand. Later they would call it religion and would worship in different forms. They also created language. Now they could speak words that designated names and places and objects. Unfortunately, each tribe created its own language and had to be translated to other tribes.

Tribes agreed upon their borders and formed countries. Some were ruled by kings or emperors (the rich or the best warrior) or smart leaders who declared the rules for everyone to follow. They started to build roads for their new invention the ‘wheel’ and harnessed domesticated animals to carry heavy loads instead of just dragging them. Religious leaders started to transcribe but only a few could read them so writings were held sacred.

Noticing some animals preferred certain berries, tribes produced drugs and they like it. Some became attached as spiritual sacraments while others were just to get wasted.

To unify countries and identify armies, flags were designed. They were waved at celebrations and followed into battle.

Learning to ride horses not only made travel faster but overwhelmed standing armies. Raiders would ride into other countries to expand empires or colonize. Some did this action in the name of their gods.

For entertainment, these countries would take animals to torture until they decided to do the same for each other. It started as competition until it became battles to the death.

Then someone invented gunpowder. That changed everything.

Celebrity fireworks turned into bullets and shells fired through tubes to increase the carnage of constant wars. Countries have continued to spend much of their monetary resources on build bigger and badder weapons of mass destruction.

Didn’t we mention money? Each country started placing value on goods of trade. A cow was worth so many shoes or a basket of fruit could be traded for a loaf of baked bread? First with coins of valuable metal to designate their value, then with the introduction of the printing press, paper with the image of a countries dead leaders and a number referenced to a banking system.

The printing press manufactured books that could be stored in home libraries but as more people learn to read spread knowledge. Schools were formed. The skill of reading became essential for survival.

Once roads and bridges were constructed, these bipeds with opposable thumbs traveled over mountains and valleys exploring every corner of this planet. Always wanting to be bigger and faster, they created trains and railroads, highways, cities to construct centers of commerce.

Churches were the first buildings to be constructed. They became community gathering places, governmental debating halls and acceptable religious spots for comfort, unified singing, verbal teachings and communal feasting. Their steeples designated their location. These were also buildings that sold people.

Mail was the only method of communication between family that lived beyond sound until electricity was invited and thus the telephone. These tribes were never satisfied so they invented the radio, television, computer and the internet.

All the while, there were wars. If a war wasn’t happening in your neighborhood, you went out to join another’s. There were no winners except for the industries than manufactured the tools of death.

A strange feature of this species is there is another side who don’t hate and kill with no mercy or compassion. There are those who toward disaster rather than flee for shelter. These are the ones who pull the bodies out of the ruble. These was the ones who pick up the pieces of humanity and give them proper care or disposal. Without them, we couldn’t have the daily body count.

There are fields of scared land with mounds of bodies and markers naming the deceased and birth and death dates if available. First, they surrounded churches, but the continuing wars kept creating a need for more land so cemeteries were created for people to visit on holidays or in passing but mostly sit unattended and decaying.

With all the inventions there was a constant and every growing need for energy to power the cell phones, refrigerators, big screen TVs, computers, washers, automobiles and trucks to deliver us and our stuff back and forth. Coal, petroleum, natural gas, oil shale, bitumen’s, tar sands, and heavy oils seemed the best choices to burn and create heat to turn the turbines that create electricity. Without them the light bulbs wouldn’t light and the mobile machines would not move.

Again, finding a weapon that could destroy the planet, nuclear energy was converted to make the atom fission be controlled for power, but like other resources that vaporized in the air or soil the water or soil, nuclear takes a bit longer to denigrate into harmlessness.

Then they invented plastic. It seemed the perfect material made from a reliable source to construct chairs and bottles and toys that will last long after usage. Recycling didn’t solve the pollution.

All the while, these countries feared each other and fought for religion or some other petty reason, slaughtering young men and women who were sent to fight back along with all the bystanders. Children just die.

So, the moral of this story is this place called ‘earth’ was a Garden of Eden, but the species who inhabited it decided to party like there is no tomorrow and their prophecy came true.

Keep moving. This is a dying planet full of possibilities but lacking foresight.

Happy Earth Day 2024

Novelty Items

 

Don’t know how I stumbled upon this wacky item, but I used to have one. It hung on my pegboard in my bedroom along with other strange items given to me growing up.

My parents, being the typical 50’s parents, were drawing to novelty items shown in the back of magazines. Shrinking heads, fly in an ice cube, carved coconut heads, oversized ties and sunglasses…. any outrageous item to get a laugh in the atomic age.

Fanny – Whacker

A spanking good idea

Bottoms up!!

For Nervy Guys

And folks that swear

For swatting flies

And bottoms bare

For training brides

And children too

For taking sides

And mixing stew

For naughty brats

That scream and howl

For wailing cats

And men that growl

For stirrin paint

And help in battle

For ladies that faint

And gossips that tattle

For pups that tussle

And mosquitoes that bite

For husbands that guzzle

And stay out all nite!

Use briskly

Until object is blushing

Pink!!

I took it to work. The secretary threw it away.

Late

 

There are lots of pronouns being thrown about identifying people. ‘They’, ‘Them’, ‘He’, She’, ‘Sir’, ‘Miss’, ‘Doc’, ‘Squire’, ‘Princess’, ‘King’… to name a few.

Recently I heard the pronoun of ‘Late’ before a name to define the person is deceased.

Using the term ‘Late’ usually means the recently passing of a person described. Don’t have any understanding of how long someone can be late before the term is dropped.

We may be late for class or fashionably late for dinner or have a late train arrival or a late period, not all get here on time. A ‘Late’ person won’t be coming back at all.

We don’t refer to the ‘Late’ George Washington or the ‘Late’ Abraham Lincoln, for we all know after one hundred years, they are dead. Jack Kennedy is still referred to as President (former) that was many years ago. Martin Luther King is still referred to as Reverend or Doctor but neither are called ‘Late’.

So, if you invite me to visit and I’m not there on the arranged time, I maybe late. Or I may be ‘Late’.

Leave a message on my phone and see if I call back.

Three Days Coming, Three Days Here, Three Days Going

 

So, whether the winter doldrums or a bad cough over a beer at O’Toole’s or just hot and cold days; I got the sniffles.

Before you start searching the web for possible solutions or old family remedies, I’m using my ‘3 Day Rule’. I believe I’m on the downside of the bell curve, but it is just annoying to continuously snuffle and sniffle and blow only to refill with the river of mucus.

No headaches. Minor sore throat. Some tummy rumble from all the pills and potions trying to defeat common cold.

The good side is I’ve lost my appetite so everything I see at the Tummy Temple has no appeal. Chicken noodle soup and ginger ale and crackers are the recipe for wellness. Even alcohol doesn’t seem to wash away the boogers. This too will pass.

A nice warm day on the porch in the sun will bake out the rest of this stuffy head.

Until then, excuse this whining. I’m getting enough rest (sleep?) but waking up every hour sweating or shivering with cement dreams of old buildings is just another reason of not playing ‘Let’s Spend the Night Together’.

Meanwhile, the rumors and gossip of ‘covid’ or ‘flu’ or ‘respiratory syncytial’ or ‘Ping-Pong disease’ or just ole man rotting away, I’ll suffer few a few more days of coughing, blowing, sniffling with nothing worse than a running nose.

Just want to tell all the avid readers, this hasn’t met the obit pages yet. Tomorrow the sun will shine and the radio will announce the latest disaster and death toll and political blunder that ponders how this country continues on cruise control? If no one comes by tonight and knocks on the door or the sirens stop here, I’ll get to my routine, saddle up my pony, mail my bills in the big blue box and hopefully return home whizzing and puffing to enjoy the antics of the spring time and maybe even do a load of clothing. Oh, and wash the dishes. Maybe my memory is slipping?