A very nice start to 2008

In one of my first get-out-of-the-house days this year (aside from going to see Alvin and the Chipmunks with my family, all of whom are really too old for that sort of thing, so sue us), we went to see our horses, who have been quarantined due to the equine influenza virus since before Halloween. The background is that my horse, despite his having attitude and emotional toughness to burn, is somewhat frail physically. He's got a gammy foot, he loses weight quickly, and he's prone to a nasty thing called rain scald (and if you know what that is, you are already shaking your head in sympathy; if you don't, I will say only that it's visually gross and persistent and very unpleasant indeed for the horse, and leave it at that). The last time we were away for a while, I got back to find him limping badly; the time before that he was half-dead with parasites (and rain scald). It's taken several years of diligent and observant collaboration between the property owners and me to get him sound and parasite-free and beefy enough to be a happy horse. So I was a little worried about what we'd find today when we went up there.

Lo! A happy, sound horse who had had only a minor brush with equine flu! And his 'tude intact!

2008 is already a good year.