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| The boys of winter? |
New Year's never really seems to hold much meaning for me. Okay, so I have to remember when I write the date that a year has passed (and I actually still write cheques, as well as keeping a couple of logs and journals for different things, so yes, I write the date often!). Otherwise, for the most part, one day blurs into the next this time of year. Get up, do horses, do more horses, hey, horses again, then a little break before I have to, yes, do horses once more. I maybe sit down twice a day (not counting driving from one barn to the other), and hopefully eat a couple of times (though not necessarily sitting down!). Evenings are when I paint - not usually for long, but I've been doing a little bit most nights.
When the layups go back to the track, things finally slow down a little. It's that big trade-off, though -– horses leave, income plummets! It would be nice if people decided February was a good time to buy art or commission portraits, but it doesn't tend to work that way. I do have to take advantage of the time, though, and get caught up on, well, everything. Painting, bookwork, farm maintenance, and so on.
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| The girls of winter! |
We're almost at that time, now. The layups will be going back very soon – the Woodbine backstretch opens mid-February. I will be left with a very odd assortment this year. I sent my one and only in-foal mare to another farm in November because I was supposed to be moving, and didn't want that stress on top of everything. The move thing fell through (another story altogether!) and for now I have a stay of execution of sorts, but I'm not going to bring that mare back this close to her due date – the whole reason I sent her in November was so that she could be well-settled in her foaling environment. I have last year's foal, now a yearling, and his mother, who is not in foal. I have my "old" girl, Monster (officially sixteen!), and two off-track Thoroughbreds looking for new homes. Hopefully they will find homes soon, though that will leave things really sparse around here, until horses start coming back from the track, with one need or another.
Anyway...that's where things are at in my part of the world, right now! This means there should be more frequent updates around here. I think one day on Facebook, I don't remember exactly where, but I committed to finishing one painting a month. As the end of January is coming at me quickly right now, I guess I'd better make that happen! Stay tuned!
Happy New Year?
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| One of the WIPs spending time on the easel. |
