DO NOT DISTURB

Janine is the most assiduous, hard-working woman I have ever known, and her focus is unflappable. Okay, well, maybe that last part isn't exactly true...not if her Forever Sky family has anything to do with it.

Janine is taking an online physics course through UWF as part of her pre-vet degree. Her class is required to use a certain computer program that simply will not run on Janine's laptop, so she is stuck using the computer in the FSR break room. Our break room is the social center of the ranch, and people are in and out all day, which means that every five minutes someone is saying,

"Oh, Janine! Hey, I didn't see you there. What's up with you?"

Random people interrupting Janine's study time on the computer would not be an issue if

1) Janine liked Physics

OR

2) Janine didn't enjoy chatting.

(She really needs a sign to put on her back that says DO NOT DISTURB.)

I have to admit I am guilty of hogging Janine's time. She's such a delight to be around. She's straightforward and funny, sweet as she can be, honest, caring.... I could go on. She's just lovely. It's hard not to talk to her, especially when she's right there.

And unfortunately for Janine's school work, Janine would rather



It was especially hard for her to concentrate this past Sunday because we had the Forever Sky Schooling Show going on. Not only was she bombarded with boarders and guests talking to her, she also had to deal with the temptation of going outside and watching everyone ride.

You can guess what Janine chose to do. I would have made the same choice.

The show was FANTASTIC!

All the riders looked great. Really great. And there was plenty of laughter, especially when we discovered that Nugget had doused Bingo in glitter and put blue bows in his mane. (Poor Bingo, he's so abused.) For me, it was wonderful seeing all those new horses in the barn. But I have to say that Sky didn't think it was so great. She got kicked out of her stall for the day so another horse could use it. In her book, that's outright betrayal. She used some pretty foul horsey language when I checked on her in the pasture. I tell you what, that's a mare who knows how to pout. But hey, she's Arabian.

And I LOVE Arabians.

It's rare that I find someone as enamored with Arabians as I am, so it was such a delight to see Keri Sims and her mother, Leslie Leland, out with their beautiful Arabian ponies. Tstardust, pictured here on the left, got quite fond of using my body as a scratching post for her sweaty face. Yes, I already miss that horse.



Horses. Rides. Ribbons. Laughter. Glitter. Bows. Yummy muffins. (Did I mention there was food???) Our own Indiana Jones even showed up to help out, as did our resident model!


It was a great show.

And I'm not worried about Janine. As far as physics goes, what horsewoman (or man) doesn't understand the principles of Physics? We totally get Newton's law of motion: An object at rest tends to stay at rest, and an object in motion tends to stay in motion, with the same direction and speed.

It's simple. If you're galloping down a trail or cantering up to a jump and your horse suddenly comes to a screeching halt, your body continues moving...with the same direction and speed...right past the horse. And THEN the law of gravity comes into play. You hit the ground.

We horse people have Physics down to a science.

Where studying is concerned, Janine is a master. I for one caught her writing formulas on the barn whiteboard. (REALLY glad I was an English major. Wow.) But as dedicated as she is, I suppose we should stop giving her excuses to leave the computer and join the play. Don't worry Janine. We love you! I'll make sure you get that DO NOT DISTURB sign.