Week's End

It's the end of the weekend.  We have been living in Victoria for almost a whole month now.  It's still a strange feeling.  I'm still discovering where so many things are, and many times I still feel like I am blindfolded because of this.

On Friday poor little Luke Batty's funeral was held just up the road from us in Tyabb.  I am going to do some casual work for one of the papers as things come up but I couldn't face trying to cover the funeral, even as a freelancer.  It didn't seem right, and personally, it was an event I simply couldn't face.  I watched some of it on the online news.  It made me cry.  I will need to toughen up somewhat if my dreams of branching out come to fruition.

I often wonder how people claim (or insist) they love someone yet act in a way that hurts the person they are supposed to love.  I wonder at the strength shown by Luke's mother Rosie.  She seems capable of great forgiveness and strength.  Am I capable of such forgiveness?  I'm not sure...  I guess I took a deep breath and I am trying my best in the last week or so...  Does it pay off?  It's sad when someone stands firm and says 'this isn't ok, please show me some respect' but is instead met with constant anger.. 

The day at Caulfield yesterday went well for me.  I continue to be amazed by the achievements of Redoute's Choice.  His son Lankan Rupee, the love heart horse, won the Oakleigh Plate in breathtaking fashion.  The real shame for me is that I can never photograph him as a stallion because they gelded him. It's made him as a racehorse, but wouldn't he have been gorgeous to photograph.  My son Heath asked me if someone had painted the love heart onto his face.  I smiled and said it was real..  It's so fantastic.  

I admit that I wished the colt Rubick had of won the Blue Diamond Stakes.  I like Earthquake and she's clearly exceptional.  But, as I am far to prone to, I had grown fond of the bright bay colt Rubick. 

My mum is here overnight and my sister and her family visited us briefly this afternoon.  She got to meet the Bad Ass Maxie for the first time today.  Then later in the afternoon we all went to Lyn's house.  I wanted to work Archie and Jessica rode Khadet.  Archie was prone (again) to stargaze and he didn't want to go forward and he didn't want to work into the bridle.  I am endeavouring to ride him patiently and firmly.  After much perserving he finally consented to going better even though it took him twice as long as it should have.  If I'd had a friend photographing us today I'm sure I'd have hated 80% of the images.  He's better when he puts his hair on and agrees to go forward....

Postscript:

It's midnight. I should be asleep. But tonight it is hard. And it's just made much harder by a rasping noise right outside my bedroom. I'm told it is a possum. Bastard!!  Ordinarily I like possums but tonight it is making me feel rattled and Maxie pace the house. It sounded like it was on the path outside my window but when I went outside there was no sign of it, only the sound. I sigh and wonder how long it will keep a bad sleeper like me awake for. 

Speaking of sleep, want to hear my latest dream??  I was riding Archie (in my dream). He got cross about things. He wouldn't go forward. He wouldn't canter. Instead he lay down on the ground. Crazy, right????  I'm sure I've used the wrong word there but that's my dream. These here are crazy times...

Fiorente.  I love that he won yesterday.  I wanted him to...

The Love Horse...  Do I still believe in it?  I'm trying to..
Lankan Rupee.. Breathtaking in the Oakleigh Plate. 
 



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