Tuesday, December 16, 2008

Unseasonable Weather

It's cold. Not New England or Midwest cold, but California cold and damp. I actually considered putting a blanket on Ace last night. If the clouds would rise off the mountains, I would see snow. Oh, someone just oppened a door--there is snow on the mountains in the northeast part of the Valley.

We got a lot of rain, starting around midnight Sunday night. At one point yesterday, there was a downpour at Pierce, and at my house a few blocks away, it was hailing. Len called to tell me about it. It didn't stick. The black clouds were low and big and I almost expected to see a thunderstorm with snow.

Dinner last night consisted of heating up the stock I made from the Thanksgiving turkey and throwing in some dry, mushroom-stuffed tortellini. I ate it with grated Parmesan cheese and some stale baguette. Perfect cold-weather food.

We are currently in a lull in the storm, so it is sunny and the grass and leaves glisten in the wet. The weather reports threaten snow flurries down to 1000 feet between tonight and tomorrow night. I have lived here long enough to actually catch the rare snowflake on my car. I do not look forward to these things.

I did prepare for another dip in temperature by pulling out my favorite fake-fur hat that I bought on a trip to Chicago many years ago. It is very warm and screams "it's winter!" I also decided to wear my leather coat, which goes over my heavy sweater, necessary for a day in my too-cold office.

Since it is the day of the President's Brunch here at the college, I'm wearing my large, designed by Elizabeth Taylor, two-headed horse pin from Avon. It is quite festive, with three faux tear-drop pearls and many rhinestones, and looks festive on my red knit top. One of these days, I'll have to post pictures of some of my favorite horse jewelery. I've only been collecting it since I got Ace, but I do have some very pretty pieces that I've found at flea markets and antique shops. Like my sterling, my jewelery is unlikely to break in an earthquake, making it an appropriate collectible in Southern California.

4 comments:

Grey Horse Matters said...

We are having some crazy weather also. 60 one day and 30 the next with chance of snow/sleet/rain who knows?
I love horse jewelry too, I don't actually have too many pieces and like you they are not too expensive. They do hold memories though so I'm glad I'm not in danger of losing them in an earthquake.

Victoria Cummings said...

I remember that cold California rain and mud. I have to say that I prefer the foot of snow we just got - call me crazy! I too have some special pieces of horse jewelry - my favorite being a Native American fetish necklace with little carved horses and bits of turquoise. How's Ace doing? Are his feet better?

M. C. Valada said...

Tim the farrier is coming today to do a trim and remove the other front shoe. We're supposed to keep him barefoot through the next cycle, but I may just keep shoes off and use boots for a while longer. His foot had better integrity during the year he was barefoot, and he's moving very well with the boot on his left foot, so we'll see how he does with a pair of boots in front. I've never had a problem with his back feet and they've been bare his entire life.

He's so funny. Gayle says he's the most expressive horse she's ever met--we always know exactly what he thinks of things. Yesterday, I brought a knee-high stocking to put over his foot to try and keep his hair from rubbing off the bulbs of his foot while he was working in the boot. The stinker keep stopping and stomping the foot so we would take it off. We tried to just roll it down so it was not so high up the leg, but that wasn't good enough. I had to get off so we could take the shoe and the stocking off and put the shoe back on. Then he was fine except for the fact that he'd like an opportunity to be let loose and run in the arena, which was still too sloppy in places for that kind of free-for-all.

I've looked longingly at full lengths of horse-fetish necklaces. I was at a shop called Keshi in Santa Fe which had a beautiful one, but far outside of my price range. Perhaps one of these days.

I did buy a rearing horse fetish which is about 3" tall and done by the same artist who did a horse head in the same material that I bought in Carmel a couple of years ago. His name is Hubert Pincion and I think the material is snowflake agate. On my two horses, it's a cream color base with silver-grey "snowflakes." The both have inserted turquoise eyes.

Rising Rainbow said...

The weather is crazy here too. I can't even remember a winter this bad since we've been on this farm.

I love horse jewelry as well. Although it seems I always see the pieces I like best on someone else. Never seem to find them when I'm shopping. LOL