Earlier tonight I watched A Winter's Bone and loved it. It's not a feel good movie, but it is. It's got a wintery, washed out look to it, but the story of Ree Dolly, who at 17 years old takes care of her younger siblings while navigating through a family that's mean and treacherous, but who ultimately take care of their own, is mesmerizing. It's set in the Ozarks in Missouri and the landscape is just as much a part of the movie as are the people. Get it from Netflix.

Rode both Asia and India today. What a lucky day for me when I get to ride both my mares! India was very adamant today while tacking her up that she does not like my Stubben. The Wintec is being shipped from Dover, but apparently brown 17" AP with Cair panels remain elusive, so it's taking some time to get me one. I imagine the Wintec elves are hard at work fashioning the saddle. I have decided that until the Wintec arrives, I'm not going to ride India again as I don't want her developing ugly habits about saddling.

That said, we rode just long enough to walk, trot and canter both directions and work on the turns on the haunches, which was no longer than 20 minutes. India shows real progress in the turns and I'm so glad we went to work with Kathleen Lindley last weekend.

Asia was calm and cool and we worked in the arena. I asked her to stand quietly while Jenny gave Marissa and Sarah lessons, so she had to stand while Pony Pie and ChooChoo zoomed around her. She did very well.

I got home in time to take a run, the first in a week. The temps have just been so bitterly cold in the mornings, and I like to run before going to work, but I've decided that my cut off seems to be 32 degrees, or when any water out there becomes ice. Since I'm running in the dark, I can't see the ice and I don't want to slip and crack my head wide open, so I've not run. I'll get to run tomorrow in daylight as it's Martin Luther King, Jr. Day and the state agency for which I work will be closed. I will run early as there's a 90% chance of rain starting around 10:00 a.m. Ugh. And it was so gorgeous today, with lots of sun and blue skies.