Begin With a ... Clip Clop?

Some weeks start with a bang, some with a whimper, mine with a clip clop. Horses, that is.

Our only reserved meal for the day was at the Whispering Canyon Cafe over at Disney's Wilderness Lodge. Since we were going to be in the area, Bigger Girl and i decided that our horseback trail riding should be on the same day. So while my servants the automatic washer and dryer were taking care of our clothes, i went to Old Port Royale for coffee and a visit to the reservations and information desk.

It took a bit of finagling, as they often won't make same day reservations and walk ups aren't permitted, but finally we had a spot secured on the 10am trail ride at the Tri-Circle D ranch (think the 3 Mickey Mouse circles, large for the head and two smaller for the ears, and a D in the middle of the largest circle).

Make sure you have closed toed shoes, bring a picture ID, sign that you do or don't want the helmet (yes, of course you do, even the trail guides know accidents can happen), put everything in one of the free lockers. Make sure you have used the rest room back at the start of the trail. There's poison ivy out there, you don't want to have to try to find a convenient bush like my father-in-law once made my mother-in-law do. She never let him forget it, and he never tried that again.

The ride was beautiful and adventurous. Bigger Girl's mount was Casper and mine had the same name as my always hungry Brother-in-Law! Turns out there must be more in a name than you would think, my mount was an inveterate snacker and i had to keep on the alert every minute to keep him out of the bushes or from grabbing every overhanging tree branch. They are given plenty of feed and pasture, but several of them will do everything they can to get a little something extra on the trail.

One young man's horse tried to trot away with him, breaking out of the one behind the other formation that they are supposed to maintain. He was very good with her and got her slowed and back in line where she belonged. Once he had her back in place, she stayed, no more nonsense.

We saw deer grazing, grooming each other, and just resting along the 45 minute ride, and it all reminded me of good times on horses in the past. It's so expensive to own them, and there is so much work involved in their care, that i couldn't do it myself, so this opportunity to ride and leave the rest to others was savored.

Once we were back at the ranch, we were freezing (it was a very cold morning, low ceiling, but warmed up through the day), so we drove out to Wilderness Lodge and met up with Sweetie. There i got my first look at the inside of the lodge itself, which i had always wanted to see. It is impressive, and although most of our party canceled and Bigger Girl went to do her own thing, Sweetie and i ate there as scheduled, and enjoyed looking around and admiring the five story carved totem poles and western themed architecture.

We drove the Cherry Bomb back to the Caribbean and went to Epcot from there. Off Kilter, the Canadian band, was performing, and of course the British Invasion, and we wandered until supper time, where we managed to get a table at the Japanese restaurant. There is a choice of table service or the Hibachi grill, and we got table service, which we had never tried before. Next time we will stick to the grill, even though it was good, we both like the other a bit better.

A launch brought us out to Disney Hollywood Studios for a look around at what the world was like, sort of, in the early part of the last century. Then back to Old Port Royale for a cup of decaf, and off to bed. The rest of the gang wandered in when they were done with whatever they were doing, but all came in very late, most assuredly.


Today is:

Alfred Hitchcock Day (Some internet sources say March 8, and no one knows who picked either day, but he is worth celebrating.)

Arbor Day -- China; Taiwan

Girl Scouts Birthday -- US

Graekarismessa (Mass of St. Gregory) -- Torshavn, Faroe Islands (traditional day on which the oystercatcher, their traditional bird, returns)

National Day -- Mauritius

Middle Name Pride Day

National Baked Scallops Day

Plant a Flower Day

St. Fina's Day

St. Gregory the Great's Day

World Day Against Cyber Censorship -- sponsored by Reporters Without Borders and Amnesty International


Birthdays Today:

Frank Catalano, 1978
Darryl Strawberry, 1962
James Taylor, 1948
Liza Minnelli, 1946
Al Jarreau, 1940
Barbara Feldon, 1932
Andrew Young, 1932
Edward Albee, 1928
Jack Kerouac, 1922
Gordon MacRae, 1921
Clement Studebaker, 1821


Today in History:

Martyrdom of Hypatia of Alexandria, philosopher, 415
Witiges, king of the Ostrogoths ends his siege of Rome and retreats to Ravenna, leaving the city in the hands of the victorious Roman general, Belisarius, 538
Orvieto, Italy, rules it will behead and burn Jewish-Christian couples, 1350
Jews are expelled from Syria, 1496
New Jersey becomes an English colony, 1664
The first steam engine in America installed, to pump water from a mine, 1755
Andrew Watson makes his Scotland debut as the world's first black international football player and captain, 1881
In Vicksburg, Mississippi, Coca-Cola is sold in bottles for the first time, 1894
The first main line electric train in UK, from Liverpool to Southport, begins running, 1904
The Girl Guides (later renamed the Girl Scouts of the USA) are founded in the United States, by Juliette Gordon Lowe, 1912
The foundation stone of the new Australian capital in Canberra is laid, 1913
Mohandas Gandhi begins 200m (300km) march protesting British salt tax, 1930
The Truman Doctrine is proclaimed to help stem the spread of Communism, 1947
The Church of England ordains its first female priests, 1994
Former Warsaw Pact members the Czech Republic, Hungary and Poland join NATO, 1999