Our friend with cancer died in October, which was both a relief and the beginning of a new chapter of sadness. To help get past that as quickly as possible made a point to get more organized, cleaning out some of my cupboards and files, organizing my laptop (still needs a TON more. Did you know there is actually a program call "PC De-Crappifier"? I do, now), and doing some long undone house projects like installing and finishing trimwork. Only the floor trim, of course, anything that can be done sitting on one's ass I am pretty good at :) I can't figure out how to do the ceiling trim unless I can master husband mind control or get a house tractor. Yes, a house tractor, it's a scooter with a backhoe and other various attachments like a dishwashing arm, a bathroom blaster, and a bed maker. Of course it is part vacuum cleaner, like a riding lawn mower. This is only in my mind, though. Hey, it's my body that's disabled, not my imagination!
The house tractor idea came from hours spent on an outside tractor ripping out bushes. There is nothing quite as empowering as a tractor and 'ripping' 'tearing' 'scraping' and 'power raking' for a cripple chick like myself. Dead trees, annoying thorn bushes, logs, small boulders, heaps of horse manure, none of you can resist the power of my tractor forces. All this is possible because of the 'tractor stick' which is essentially a hand control for a tractor, except it didn't cost an arm and a leg. It's a small shovel handle (like the short shovels, they look like they are made for kids or dwaves or something) with the shovel part removed. A nylon webbing loop is attached to the end of it, I simply slip this over the end of the hydrostatic pedal thingy and twist. Whalla! Push the stick to go forward, pull back to reverse.
We have resumed riding for the season, with a short trip to Arch Canyon Utah and local rides once or twice a week. I'd like to get closer to my goal of 500 miles per season, barring any unforeseen circumstances that plagued us the last 3 summers. My husband has been asked to do a packing demonstration at the local Backcountry Horsemen's packing clinic in a few weeks. We sure have come a long way from total novices to somewhat experienced packers, at least enough to teach a few basics to other novices :)
I'd like to take my horse to the local therapeutic riding center this year, they asked me several years ago, but with the aforementioned summers of crappiness it didn't happen. I'd love to meet someone else who is disabled but can ride independently, or has the potential to do so. It's becoming a dream of sorts with me to somehow, someday, be involved in a pack trip for people with disabilites. A real pack trip. Into the wilderness. Like at least 3-4 hours of riding on mountain trails. There are tons of logistical problems with this idea, obviously, and I am surely not an organizer of people. For starts, not everyone with a disability could do this. Many paraplegics have no feeling in their butts, and no butt meat, so the probability of pressure soars is very real and can be deadly serious. I have feeling, but no butt meat, so I know how much pressure goes right down to your seatbones with very little natural padding and little use of legs to take some of the pressure off. I ride with two pads and still my seatbones will get very soar, since I can feel though I can shift my weight to relieve the pressure.
The first step is to put myself out there and see what connections I make.Wish me luck!
