2011-11-25

Barelegs in Blundstones


*


Jill was babbling to a new friend how she loved the cover of the blundstone boot catalogue.  And about how her aunt called it garbage soup, while she preferred to call it "All The Vegetables In The Fridge Soup" as if it weren't a delicious, long-handed down recipe.  Everyone she fed it to, seemed to enjoy sharing it with her...

"Just so she could set poles for me, you know." was how the fellow rider described her recent attendance at the Olympian's jumping clinic. Jill realized she would never be able to coach at that level, or feel she didn't need a coach at that level. She admired both the woman's riding level and confidence, but did wonder if it was totally justified.

In the documentary film they attended together, the horse displayed a viscousness Jill was not aware they could exhibit, even in her experience with stallions. It was horrible how the horse so suddenly attacked the man, biting down so ferousiouly to split his scalp. She could only guess it was because he'd lived in a herd with 18 other stallions, in addition to the other challenging environments he'd endured... but, meanwhile she was afraid she might be afraid of horses, having now seen such a thing. Jill avoided horror movies! Yet, she was glad the documentary filmmakers had left the ugliness in, and she was also impressed that the clinician spoke out to the woman horse owner about her lack of responsibility for animal welfare in letting such a creature get to that state.

"There's a guy around the corner in Hillsburgh that uses flags alot. I've enjoyed watching him work. He trained with that Ray Hunt." Jill sneakily said to her date, mid-movie, only to regret it. He proceeded to talk throughout the rest of the film! What a babbler. As a result Jill never mentioned how disappointed she was to see the supposedly kind horse whisper/documentary feature horse person engage in the cruel looking sport of calf-roping. Was it something she should look into?

Roomie announced that furthermore, she'd never liked how the Quarterhorse world was so focused on appearance. What about heart, talent and accomplishment instead of hair extensions?
*

(C)the crepe myrtle is (G)orange and red,
(C)there’s sticky balls (G)the sweet gum shed
between (Am) cypress,
cherry and (E7) palm
verseC I G
i’m leaping from tree to tree
i’m leaping without limbs
like a snake in the everglades
so lonely without him

chorus with accidental extra line(C) the live oaks have (G)their spanish moss
(C) and holly leaves (G)love hickory
could (Am)he, be
missing (E7) me?

chord study C/G/Am/F/C/G/F/C/
verseC I G
where you are there’s christmas snow
above me there’s mistletoe
if i reached out would he come here?
like orchids we could live on air

chorus(C)i’m stranded here (G)in a southern state
(C) and wondering if (G)he might wait
for (Am)me
to (E7) love

repeat chord study C/G/Am/F/C/G/F/C/
chorus
(C) sugar maple meets (G)long leaf pine
(C)you tell me (G)that he is mine
christmas (Am) time
is (E7)here again/not as good as hillside…


The next day Jill changed her facebook profile picture back to one where she knew was crying, but it was taken from the back, as she was leading two large obviously challenging, high performance chesnut horses near the show jumper barn next door, to their overnight paddock and past what she would realize in hindsight was Chester Weber's car.  Right after telling off her boss for expecting her participate in the unsafe turnout practices he was insisting on, but losing the argument to him in that photographic moment.

She remembered how earlier that day she had said "F*ck water buckets," sloshing one around and outlining some of her longer term life goals to Jim. "And, you need a sales horse" he had said authoritatively, surprising her.  He said he recognized her gift with animals.  It was obvious.  And reminded her how moments before the boss had said "You're with me now" tugging on the lead rope attached to the BIG new horse's bridle, because he was following Jill, who going the other way without a lead rope, by mistake.  "He's obviously the kind of horse who responds better to being asked than being bullied," Jill had flatly stated,  before guesstimating he stood more 18 hands.  She was trying to make a point, without actually saying anything, as she was cheerily changing the subject.

"My falling off 17 times story involves a horse that was 17.2" she smiled, wearing the same chaps her parents had purchased for her as a grade 8 graduation gift... No one seemed interested in her, or her past or in sharing her good cheer...


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