No Surprise - It's Never Done!

I'm not talking about artwork today - at least not directly. In a couple of days, I'm endeavouring to do the unlikely, and leave behind the farm for a week. Seven...whole...days. Just the thought stresses me out. The separation anxiety kicks in the moment mere contemplation of such a thing enters my head. But in the name of continuing education, I'm heading to Saskatchewan (you read that right!) for a workshop with renowned equine artist Valerie Hinz. An opportunity like this doesn't come along very often, so I really wanted to pull it off, but the whole prospect is a challenge right up to the wire! I feel like life's throwing everything at me short of something that would make me cancel altogether.

I'm in the final stages of my preparation...to the extent that I'm having to prepare to be prepared, if that makes any sense! It started with the art supplies, which I ordered nearly two weeks ago, from a company that has always been very prompt with delivery. When did they arrive? Today. The rest of today will be spend prepping masonite panels in a frenzy, as both new gesso and panels were in the order. Some of the paints I ordered will be staying home, as I sent my oils off this morning with Canada Post to meet me there. Apparently they don't like you to take paint on airplanes!

The breeding program is in it's usual state of flux. I never imagined I would still be dealing with this - I fully expected to have everybody bred and maybe only Clever not confirmed in foal by late May. Silly me! I wonder what it is this year, the weird weather, maybe? Speculating about mares is a crapshoot at best, but that's what I'm doing today, as I consider what I may be looking at after the vet pays us another visit tomorrow for a status report. Makes me think of that completely useless Computer Programming course I took at university, before they gave the students nice languages like html to learn! "If [blah blah] then...." I've got all the variables lined up, so that I'm ready to set the necessary course into action -->RUN. Hoping, of course, that I've got the bases covered!

Add to that I'm on standby with the chiropractor, trying to get an appointment today, thanks to Leo's antics yesterday while I was holding his mom for the vet. It probably looked kind of scary, me with a three-and-a-half month old Thoroughbred colt hanging from my earlobes. Who needs pierced ears, really? Of course the vet had his own troubles to deal with on the other end, so probably missed the full impact of my adventure. Yehaw!

So...better get back to it. If I'm lucky, I'll remember to pack clothes! Hearing reports of the weather in SK of late...I'll be thinking in layers!

(The painting above is a 10 x 12 oil on canvas I finished during the April 30 Days project. It's almost a daily painting, one I did as an EAG pARTy early in 2008. I'd just decided it needed a little bit of sprucing up..and this is the result! It's titled 'Ready To Roll' and I'm trying to decide if that's appropriate or not right now!)