I had an interesting day, so I'll share, even though it has nothing to do with e-cigs.
This morning, my friend Mariah and I planned to get together. She told me to plan our outing, so I made it a surprise. I went and picked her up with some projects in mind. She is fascinated by our local Amish community, so I was sure she'd appreciate what I had in mind. First, we drove up to Countryside Produce in Interlaken. I had some empty hanging pots from plants of yesteryear that I thought I might donate to them. They gladly took them. I also asked if they had carrots, but of course, there wasn't much yet in the way of produce. Later, I will
buy a hanging basket of flowers from them -- maybe in one of those pots I just gave them -- and I was thinking of having them fill my planter with something, too, but later for the flowers, since we're still getting freezing temperatures at night. I figure sometime around the beginning of May will be safe.
I have some throw rugs I got at another Amish store years ago. The store is closed now, and the rugs are starting to fray, so I took one along that's very frayed to show them and ask them if they knew of anyone selling them. They didn't, but the Amish man in the store suggested I make them, and he'd sell them. No, I just want to buy a couple to replace the ones I have. You need a loom, which is a major purchase, so even if I was inclined to do it, I'm not sure where you'd get such a loom (but probably a search of the Internet would find one) and I have no place for such a large object in my home. No, I just wanted someone making those rugs, not to go into business. The man did give me some names of people that might know, but we moved on.
We went to Barbara's Quilt
shop in Romulus. She had a neat variety store with lots of quilting supplies, plus some finished quilts. No price tags. I said to Mariah, it's probably a case of, if you have to ask the price, you can't afford one. But the lady (Barbara?) behind the counter did know someone who was making the kind of rug I had as an example. She gave us rather involved directions. Luckily, I sort of know the area, though not the specific back road.
We found the place, and sure enough, the lady did make the rugs. She took us out to her workshop, where she had a loom with a rug in progress on it. Actually, it was several rugs. She said she makes several in a long strip then cuts them apart. She would fix my rug! I really didn't expect that. I figured it would go in the trash when I found a replacement for it. But she will take it apart and use the materials to make it over again for slightly cheaper than a brand-new rug. I want to take another rug to her when that one's fixed and see if she can reproduce the colors. Mariah & I told her that the guy at Countryside Produce said he'd sell those rugs if I'd make them and suggested she leave some there for him to sell. I mean, who could ever find her place way back on that road? There isn't even a sign. It must be a totally word-of-mouth business.
By this time, we stopped for lunch in Ovid at the Golden Buck. I had been there once for dinner years ago, and it was good then, so I figured it would be OK for lunch, though it was really sort of a new place to go for me, and Mariah had never been there. The lunch was excellent, and the atmosphere was cosy and a bit fancier than a plain old diner. Mariah treated me to lunch.
There's a tack swap on Saturday, and I wasn't going to go over there early to leave the few things I have for sale, but Mariah said she was going early to take some things, so I came home and got my things labeled and priced and then dropped them off at her place on my way to the barn.
I thought maybe I'd ride Penny out on the trail again, but Heather is still off from school on spring break, so I decided to give her another riding lesson instead. This time it was a longe lesson to develop an independent seat. What this means is that I control the horse on a long rope so the horse goes around me in a circle, while Heather is riding. I put the bridle on, too, but tied up the reins so she could grab them for extra control if needed, but she basically rode hands-free. We mostly practiced posting and her keeping her hands still, not depending on them to lift her out of the saddle. She got pretty good at this, so after she had worked so hard, I took off the halter and line and just let her ride around the ring by herself with no direction from me. She even left the ring area and went over the hill into another section of pasture -- all by herself! She is gaining confidence all the time. She probably should have a few more longe lessons, but I want my horse back! So next time, I think we'll try King. When she gets comfortable riding him, like she now is with Penny, then we can venture out on the trails together.
So I had a busy and productive day. I can ride Penny next week when she'll be back in school all day.
OH MY - Nothing "Natural" about thinking that I was complimenting "You" as being "Hot" . . . WAIT - I forgot You're just being a Typical Heterosexual "MAN" 
. . . Well Now - Pot Calling Kettle Black are WE . . . Isn't it You making it to be something else or "More" than what it was ? ? ? Are "You" actually a "FLAMMER" at Heart ? ? ? 
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