joflasher | why I did not finish my paintings

Excuse # 1
Horses

I decided last week that I was going to go to a show this weekend and finish out the show series I had started this spring. The show was on Sunday, so Saturday the Boy and I went up to the farm to spiffy Tisa up. Weather was nice, so we decided to go out trail riding before giving Tisa her bath and polishing. Turned out to be a bad idea.

We went out to the trail system we found last week and started exploring the little offshoot trails. One of them when up the side of a fairly steep ridge. It was basically a deer trail that was balanced tightly to the edge of the ridge with a dropoff right down below it. At the top of the ridge, it went about 30 yards and then petered out. Boy and I decided it was a dumb trail and turned around to head back.

All of a sudden, Tisa balled herself up tight and started stomping all four feet as hard as she could. She also started doing half rears and the two-four stride that normally indicates that she's going to bolt on you. Josh, who was riding Tisa, yelled back "what's wrong with her" as he struggled to keep her from taking off down the hill. I was following on Magic and just about then I saw them. Yellowjackets. Tisa's right back leg was sunk down in a hole and up to her hock was just covered in them. They were all over her back end. I yelled up "she's in a yellowjacket nest, walk on, get her out of here before they swarm her". About that time, the bastard things came after Magic. Because of the hill, we couldn't outrun them, we had to just walk really fast and trot really slow and try to keep the horses from sliding out from under us. After we got past the worst of them, the Boy and I hopped off and trotted the horses the rest of the way down the hill. Not a good trail ride. Magic had 4 or 5 stings, Tisa had about a dozen. Took them home, iced them up and made over them for not killing us while they were getting stung.

I still took Tisa to the show today. Out of 5 classes I entered, I got 2 sixth places, 1 fifth place and first in the Green Trail class.

Excuse #2
Costumes

This weekend I made a reversable waist cinch complete with boning (think corset without the boobs part) and a pair of matching gauntlets. I also made two small velvet bags and one HUGE one. Why yes, I am going to the faire next weekend. I didn't have time to make a complete corset and my old one I made 5 years ago when I was a good 40 pounds lighter. The cinch will do for the time being. One side is dried blood red with a dark blond pattern in it and the other is ivory with a gold pattern. I trimmed it in one of those weired brushed satins they have out now. It turned out well. I still have to put the grommets in it. I figured I could wear the dark side out with my light colored dresses and the gold side out whenever I wasn't being my standard wench persona and wanted to be a big fancier.

But I'll finish them this week, I promise.