24 CHAPTERS!

Update:

24 chapters started--and MOST of these chapters are DONE!

Finished the Goldfield chapter today, polished up the Ledgemere Bounty and Mentor chapters, too.
AND (deep breath) I finished a painting of the mighty stallion, Mentor. Busy, busy, busy!

So, now it's time for some hanging out in my air conditioned living room watching Star Wars.

Yes, I am a geek.


Enjoy your day!

The Morgan Horse!

Here's an ad from a 1941 UConn Block and Bridle program (cool, huh?)

Oh, and don't bother writing for your free copy of The Morgan Horse magazine, they aren't there any more. The Morgan Horse Club, inc. became the American Morgan Horse Association quite some time ago...

Sharing a little history, enjoy!

War Horse

War Horse, the Tony award-winning play, is now a movie directed by Steven Spielberg. It will be in theaters this Christmas. Check out the trailer (and I dare you not to cry!):



The Morgans at UConn are descended from government bloodlines--many of these horses were bred for the cavalry. The forefathers of the UConn Morgan horses carried our men into battle and saved lives with their stamina, surefootedness and courage. They were war horses.

Here's to you, brave souls.

Can you imagine flying over a war--and you know you can never look down. You have to look forward...

or you'll never get home.

Mentor

The government-bred Morgan stallion, Mentor, stood at UConn in the 1950s-60s.

He was...

AMAZING.

He is the subject for my latest painting. I don't have any color photos of him, but I learned from a trustworthy source that he was a deep, dark chestnut. He is buried on a farm in a nearby town--as a matter of fact, I drove down that very street today.

Did I feel awe when I passed by the fields and farms, wondering which grassy meadow held the bones of Mentor? Absolutely.

I hope my painting can adequately honor this great, great horse.

Mentor inspired me to write this poem today:

My Horse, My Heart

Under a tree, my beloved steed

Earth and roots now hold you near.

Twisted branches scrape the painted sky

With sun to soothe and stars to guide.

My old friend, he is there in the nimbus

Wind shapes his hoof and molds his ear.

I see him in the rays through my window

I hear him in the gust through the flue.

My horse, my heart-- he is near.

My horse, my heart--he is here.

-Helen Scanlon, 7/10/11

little horse, big heart

Finished the Ledgemere Bounty chapter. Many thanks to Bob and Patti Brooks for sharing their memories with me.

His was a fun chapter to write! Patti shared a humorous "at home" story of Bounty that is just fantastic. I really want my readers to know the essence of these great horses. They are so much more than just a name and a color-- they are souls.

Love it!

This is somewhat of a short blog entry because I've been writing the book all weekend and I think I have callouses on my fingers. My keyboard has been clicking away....

Okay, time for some stretches and a snuggle with the kitties. It's too early for bed...but I am so tired..YAAAAWN.

Next, I will learn all about the mares UC Taffy and Salem Sentana. Can't wait!

Thanks for sharing this wonderful book journey with me.

Until next time, I will leave you with this:

Ah, steeds, steeds, what steeds! Has the whirlwind a home in your manes? Is there a sensitive ear, alert as a flame, in your every fiber? Hearing the familiar song from above, all in one accord you strain your bronze chests and, hooves barely touching the ground, turn into straight lines cleaving the air, and all inspired by God it rushes on! ~Nikolai V. Gogol, Dead Souls, 1842, translated from Russian (above is combination of translations by Bernard Guildert Guerney, Richard Peaver, and Larisa Voloklonsky)

meeting another legend...

UC Ovation is a daughter of the beautiful UC Sonata, another UConn legend (be sure to read my June 8 blog post on UC Sonata)

UC Ovation's big, gorgeous eyes looked right into my heart. My first impression was "what a perfect Morgan mare face!" Lovely. I could see her dam in those eyes.

I patted her sleek neck and ran my fingers through her mane as she munched on her hay. I could instantly feel her kind, patient energy.

Thank you for a great visit, Mama O.

writing writing writing and after that, writing.

...that's what writers do, after all.

All of my summer weekends are booked for writing and research (with occasional forays into my garden). How cool would it be to actually get the book written this summer? I mean, DONE. Then I can illustrate my heart out....Bliss!

I am giving myself a year to have the book done and ready to go. Publisher suggestions? Support? Encouragement? French fries? Send 'em my way!

Since this book is non-fiction, I can send proposals to publishers before it is completed. But, I am pulling the reins in on that for now and I'm just going to write. Cross the bridge when I get to it and all.

I want to have the manuscript pretty much done before I do the ol' peddle-to-a-publisher. When I work at my own pace, I can hear the muse nicker in my ear.

To my family, friends, interviewees: I really appreciate all of your unwavering support.


Watch this space!