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Goodreads Book Giveaway

The Hazel Tree by Julia Debski

The Hazel Tree

by Julia Debski

Giveaway ends May 01, 2014.

See the giveaway details at Goodreads.

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Tuesday, February 28, 2012

Parelli Conyers Tour Stop- PREVIEW

I have watched several of Pat Parelli's demos with problem horses. At live events, on Celebration DVDs and in the Savvy Vault. I watched him work with Beau, the rescue horse at Franklin, I've watched dozens of trailer loading make over videos. I've watched the change dozens of times. 

And I've never really understood what was happening. I watched, took it in...could see the horse at the start and saw the horse at the end but couldn't SEE what was happening.

This weekend I saw the change. I watched it and understood it. With the mismatch horse, with the trailering horse AND with the problem horse. Oh the wonders of understanding.

Thursday, February 23, 2012

Tastefully Picked - 4

Theme: Color
What do you think?

col·or

  
noun
1.
the quality of an object or substance with respect to lightreflected by the object, usually determined visually bymeasurement of hue, saturation, and brightness of thereflected light; saturation or chroma; hue.














Monday, February 20, 2012

Silence Session

Hello everyone!


It has long been a lesson that Kara has tried to explain to me.
Silence.
You don't need words to communicate with horses.

Think. When you are level 4, you shouldn't have to use any voice commands- in my opinion anyway.
You use your body language, your legs, your seat...
Your focus. Your gaze.

With Casper a few weeks back, we were alone at the stables. Just us. No noise, no commotion, none of those bothersome things.

We did join-up before I began to play with him in silence. It was a connection that I could not really explain. An invisible thread that connected us.

He didn't move off, he allowed me to stroke him all over and pick up his feet without dispute (which is unusual)
He even let me play with a mechanical pencil to prepare him for shots when the vet came.
(That payed off today. The vet complimented his good behaviour, adding that ponies usually put up a huge fight.)

~Julia

Conyers in 5 days!


Sunday, February 19, 2012

Wednesday, February 15, 2012

Absent...

Yes,
I realize I have been absent on and off for a while. Most of my posts since the new year have nothing to do with horses.

So a quick update.

I've been looking for a Wintec Pro Saddle for Sharlie. Not sure what size ... anything, but we will find something soon I hope.

Started working on goals. I need some for this year. They are based on auditions this year, rather than just specific tasks.
I would like to audition Casper for Level 1 in the spring, as well as Sharlie for Level 2 in the summer...
How I will find 120 dollars to spare evades me.

Lessons wise, I am making sure both horses are continuing to be polite while also advancing through Level One. I plan to write a post about how Casper has flourished as a lessons horse- the right way.

Hmmmm...how are you?

- Julia

Monday, February 13, 2012

Tastefully Picked- 1

I spend more time than I like to admit going through photos and pictures online- whether it be crude or perverted humor (we all have our guilty pleasures) or just a photo that catches the eye. I'm going to start doing these now and then because God knows I have a whole collection saved on my computer!

Theme today: Horses
Why don't you tell me which one is YOUR favorite out of these?






One of my utmost favorites



Friday, February 3, 2012

Metallic Moon Sample


Copyright @ Julia Debski 2012

The howl of a faraway wolf calling its comrades for a hunt echoed through the dark woods. The horses snorted anxiously as they pranced in place before the crack of the whip over their heads sent them forward.

The silver orb perched in the sky supplied barely enough light for the girl in the dim carriage to see out the dirty glass pane. She could only make out the shadows of the trees that bordered the tiny road that cut through the forest. She shivered again as another gust of wind rocked the frail carriage. Pulling her cloak around herself tightly, she turned to look at her father's sleeping figure. The gloomy light reflected slightly off his bald head. It was all that could be seen of the short round man wrapped in a worn out blanket.

Claire had always appreciated her sensitive ears until tonight. At the snap of a twig just  beyond the carriage, Claire turned her head to face the haunted forest once again. She leaned closer to her window to see the driver glancing toward the trees nervously. His knuckles were white as he gripped the reins.

"Yah!" he cried suddenly before flicking the whip repeatedly. The horses broke into a gallop, panicked by the continuous cracks and yells that rang out through the air.

Claire knew why they were running. They were trying to escape something. She glanced at her father as she reached to grip the seat as the carriage bounced into the air after hitting a large bump. He did not wake, instead he simply shifted his position and licked his lips. She wished for a brief moment that she too could sleep so deeply.

Returning her eyes to the world outside, an uneasy cold sensation crept through Claire gradually, as if building suspense, and she realized that whatever they were trying to run away from was keeping up with the wagon easily as it traveled beside them under the cover of the trees. It was right there, just beyond the moon beams. Something terrifying enough to have the driver whispering his final prayer. The moon disappeared behind the clouds, plunging everything into blinding darkness. The carriage slowed to a stop. The tension in the air was thick enough to suffocate on.

Yet Claire was not afraid.

Suddenly the carriage shook and a girlish scream was to be heard before being cut off by a dreadful gurgling sound. Finally her father woke.

"Claire sweetheart? Is everything alri--" The carriage door beside him was suddenly flung open and a pair of gold eyes glinted, even though there was no light. Everything was completely still until a low growl traveled through the small space.

Wolves.

No, Claire thought. Wolves would not know how to open a carriage door.

Werewolves.

The words were indeed much more ominous. The hairs on her arms and back of her neck rose to attention. Everyone knew about the werewolves.

There were many small packs that were friendly and kind, usually taking part in village life like humans.

Unfortunately there was only one werewolf pack in this area of Great Britain and it was said to be far from the welcoming type. The Saxon Pack was the fastest growing and most powerful pack in all of Europe. Possibly the world even. It was also infamous for kidnapping, raping and killing in order to achieve that status.

Thursday, February 2, 2012

Goals Aren't Just for Horses

I have realized that goals are not just for horses.

They can be for writing too.

So I have develloped a timeline for my novels so I can try and keep to is as a timeline of goals.

Current Novel I'm working on:
Cinderella Wolf (CW)

Novels in Progress but On Hold:
His Red Motorbike (HRM)
Ellipsis Blue (EB)
The Light (L)
The Cat Journal (MEOW)

Future Novels:
Metallic Moon (MM)
NaNoWriMo novel (??)

Here is a general idea of this year:

January: Continue CW
February: Continue CW
March: Continue CW
April: Continue CW
May: Finish CW, Finish HRM
[ My 2 Summer Projects: Ellipsis Blue & Metallic Moon] 
June: Continue Ellipsis Blue, Start Metallic Moon
July: Continue Ellipsis Blue, Continue Metallic Moon
August: Continue EB, Continue MM
September: Finish EB, Finish MM
October: Editing/ submitting
November: Pick a novel for NaNoWriMo
December: Continue NaNoWriMo book

Its a tight schedule but I think if I really commit, then I can get it done.
The real challenge will be juggling EB and MM in the summer, but with no school I can see myself managing. I want to challenge myself.

Also I realize that The Light and The Cat Journal are not included in the schedule. I'm sure I will find time for them in there somewhere, if I finish something early. The Light may become my NaNoWriMo book, even though I've already started.

That was my bit. I'm going to post a sample of MM tomorrow. >:)

Cheers,
Julia