Halfway done!

Despite such setbacks as real life, work, procrastination, and one Sunday with an under the weather Wild Rumpus, in which we spent most the day watching various cartoons or just napping on the couch, I have finally reached the halfway point in NaNoWriMo. As of right now, I have 25209 words written since November 1st!!!!

To celebrate here's an excerpt to share (please keep in mind that I'm just trying to get the bare bones of the story on the paper; I'll flush out details and edits...in December, after I reach 50000 words).

About two weeks later, over a dinner that for once isn’t eaten between homework problems, my mother brings up the really crucial point. “Fodder for the horses is the single biggest problem you will be running into. They’ll need a good amount of hay, you can’t carry that with you, and sweet feed and beet pulp can only go so far. You’ll be leaving here in early summer, so at some point you’ll run into fall, as you probably won’t reach Maine by the time the grass starts to die,” my mother points out.

I nod and take a bite a burger. “We’ve thought about that. Along with my list of vets I have a list of feed stores and hay suppliers that advertise on the web to call, and where they are located. It’s mainly across the plains I’m worried about. I don’t know a lot of people there, and I can’t let the horses stop long enough to graze their fill if I’m ever going to make decent time.”

My mother munches on a french fry while she thinks. “You might not like this idea, but for some portion of the trip, you could look into a small wagon for Simon to pull, just enough to hold a few days’ worth of hay. You can still pony him, but you won’t have to worry so much about fodder.”

I take a sip of apple cider as I consider my mother’s idea. “It wouldn’t work for certain portions of the trip, mainly the mountains. I want to be on trails, not roads, as much as possible. But through the Plains and the Midwest, it’s actually a great idea. There are not enough trails there so I’ll be spending most of my time on roads, and it’s those areas I’m most worried about hay anyway. That’s actually a great idea! Thank you mom!”

I jump up and hug her, so happy that one of my biggest worries has been allayed. She laughs and hugs me tight, then says as I sit back down and pick up my burger again, “You’ll have to find the right wagon and train with it beforehand, then figure out a way to get it to where you want to start with it. You can’t just expect Simon to be okay with it, especially if you spring it on him while on the road every day. He’s a good horse, but he needs to be trained like any animal, and it’s been awhile since you’ve driven him.”

I just sigh and make a note in the small journal I’ve taken to carrying with me everywhere. It’s helping me plan for my trip, so every time I have an idea or new worry or a new contact or anything related to my trip, I jot it down. At the end of the day I add it to the master plan document on my computer. The document was actually my idea, which I started over a year ago when I first thought about just taking off and horse packing cross country.  So far it includes details of my route, including typical weather, elevation changes, and population centers, a collection of maps from varying sources (Department of Forestry, Google, etc.) my growing list of vets, farriers, endurance contacts, and now contacts through my friends and their families, all my training notes on the horses and myself, insurance information for myself and my horses, and equipment lists, as well as tips on how to repair tack on the road with just a few tools-and duct tape.

Even though I can’t wait to start my trip, I do have a feeling like the hourglass sand is running out too fast. There are still so many details left to plan, yet with all the work of being a senior and helping mom with the farm it’s tough to squeeze in the time to plan that I need to. I want to leave just a few days after graduation, but I’m increasingly worried that I won’t be ready in time and I’ll have to put off the trip until next year, so I don’t miss the best summer weather. I’m so anxious by the time the first of May rolls around that even Stan, the most emotionally awkward of my friends, notices my distress. AP tests are next week and we are all in major crunch time.

My friends have their college offers, and by now most of them have accepted a school. Calista is headed to University of Washington in Seattle, her resolve to pursue a medical degree only hardened by the increased time she’s been spending on her reservation. Where she finds the time for that drive and the energy to volunteer, I have no idea. Stan has accepted a place at Stanford, Huon is thrilled to flying all the way to New Hampshire to attend Dartmouth, and Katrin is heading off to do a year abroad in Germany, of all places.