Toughening up...

Today is Saturday.  I decided to set out for the Farmer's Market at EPIC because Heath's soccer game was all the way over at Dickson today.  I haven't been to these markets in a number of years.  I used to really like going to them.  But the markets turned into one of those difficult scenarios for me.  They were hard to attend during carnival due to my constant travel (although I'd begun going to the same market held in Woden on Sundays) but I often couldn't get the kids organized in time to take them with me, and going without them, well, that just proved hard.  And in the end I stopped going.

These markets are filled with local produce and organic produce. I wouldn't say the food is necessarily cheaper, but it is definitely far fresher and much tastier, and it is at this point I need to point out that I feel like Smeagol asking "Is it......Tasty? Is it.....JUICY??" What was nice is that several stall owners recognized me even though it's been ages. One man even came up when I gazed on the meat in his fridge.  He said I thought it was you, I haven't seen you for a while. So we had a little chat, and I've bought a couple of pies from him.  His meat was always really ace.

I bought a whole blade roast, and talked to the nice stall person about using it in my slow cooker.  She said google pot roast recipes and I would find lots, so I did that.  I think I found one, which doesn't contain nasty mushrooms, but it doesn't substitute for being able to pick up the phone to say 'now what do I do with this contraption I have bought??  So I'm wondering about phoning the lovely Marg from the Flemington Racing Press room, who gave me my recipe book and have a chat with her about it.  

After the markets I headed for Heath's soccer ground.  He ended up in goals, and made a couple of good saves, but his team was hopelessly outclassed in the end, and poor Heath was subjected to a barrage of goals.  When he came off the field he came towards me, and I hugged him, and his face dissolved in to tears.  He said he was too small for those goals. 

But to backtrack a little bit...  Thursday night and Friday morning I worked hard on images of Black Caviar again, which are becoming urgent. I stopped to do my usual Friday housework which was due, then raced out to the rehabilitation place where I'm doing a course of neck and shoulder strengthening exercises. 

After my session I headed to school to watch the school Assembly. Jessica is in the choir and playing the recorder.  She spotted me immediately (I was slightly late due to my rehabilitation appointment) and waved wildly and I made it just in time.  To my added delight she got a Principal's Award as well.  I was so proud of her.

I kept myself busy and worked Freelance in the afternoon.  I'd talked with Grant about Snips (the horse I'm jumping at the moment) and he's advised me to feed Freelance less protein  to keep her less silly.  I only had about an hour, so saddled in a hurry.  I'm pleased with the way she's starting to look, as there's some muscle and tone coming back on her, and she's working in a nice frame and is resembling a pit pony slightly less.

Freelance was less inclined to play hi jinks, and only threw in 2 or 3 bucks on the lunge.  Then I jumped on her, and made her grumble because we did lots of canter, and this time we did figures of 8 in the canter, as Grant wants me (a) cantering more to get fitter and more balanced and (b) he wants me to be changing direction and doing little courses (we're not quite up to that with my warty toad of a horse), so I would canter a circle, trot briefly to change rein, then pop her into the canter on the opposite rein and lead.  And then do the same in reverse.  To begin with she thought that was outrageous, but I thought she worked well.  

Then it was a dash to school to get Jessica for her riding lesson and then another 90 minutes with the horses there.  While I was watching her lesson an email containing some long awaited artwork on something precious arrived.  I wasn't disappointed.  Cover photographs are prestigious.  Some far more prestigious than others.  It's special and looks wonderful, and this is a team that is wonderful to work with. 

Tomorrow I am going to spend my Sunday with Fenella. I'm going to photograph her horse Pirate (or Pie) as she calls him.  He's black. I'm deeply envious. And I'll ride him too.  Evan has always supported her riding.   Pirate wasn't cheap but given you can spend $25,000 on a dressage horse he wasn't expensive either. But the joy and the passion has returned to Fenella's voice now that she is doing what she loves again.  And that's a good thing.

My local Post Office saved me some posters.  Wasn't that lovely of them?
There are publications that I feel especially proud of.  This is absolutely one of them

A recent Aushorse ad.  This is a great image, and great images make powerful and fabulous ads.