Bill, who co-founded the Bright Lights Book Project, used this phrase in reference to my asking him to put a door on the Buggee Park Little Library. I did not realize how important this was to me until he said he was going to do it. The phrase, though, this is in reference to my asking him to do this, as well as other things.

And it’s a truism. I have been asking him to do a lot, and for Pete to do even more. If these guys did not put their shoulders to my wheel, there would be no book project. This quickly got really big, really fast.

Bill with Turkey Red Bookcase

Pete’s been working very hard on the capital assessment form, which the Mat-Su Health Foundation says is a prerequisite for getting the Big Grant. It followed the pitch letter; this being the letter in which you give all the reasons why you need grant funding. I do not know if they liked our pitch letter and then decided to send this form, or this was just a pitch letter formality. All I know is that Pete has been working really hard on it.

I still have my shoulder to the wheel, and I am pushing for all I am worth. Sad to say, I am not worth very much. I am worth at best, a plugged nickel. What’s a plugged nickel? Too much escapes me because I am living in an age in which there is an information glut.

I do pretty well at not being overwhelmed by too much information input. Today, for example, I went for two horseback rides, first on Hrimmi and the second on Raudi. Hrimmi was feeling chipper, so we rode to Ridge Runner. She trotted quite a bit. She also spooked at something in the brush by the side of the road – Pete surmised that it was a black bear. She’d never spooked before. After, she really moved out.

Raudi both trotted and cantered; after, I did some Centered Riding exercises. Interesting, to see her go from being low energy and slouchy to higher energy and balanced. I am concerned because she’s coughing when she exerts herself. I am going to start watering her hay and see if I can find a supplement that will take care of the problem. I think she has heaves. It’s way different than when Tinni had it; she coughs when exerting herself and he coughed when standing around.

I must tend to this. I will. I am motivated by the fact that I truly love this horse. My shoulder is to her wheel.

The pen is drying up. It turned out to be a quick break up. I did not have to shovel water or dig any trenches. Pete did divert some of water, using the hoe and rake. But there was not as much water as in previous years.

I say, enjoy the good weather because soon enough, it will start to rain. And it will keep raining. And after this it will rain some more.

Next: 118. 4/29/24: Whaaaaaaaaaaat?