When Eagles Fight (Command No. 25)

This last weekend I decided to pull this beauty out of the Cavern of Unplayed Games and give it another try. This was originally published in Command Magazine No. 25 back in 1993 and was designed by Ted Racier. While I'm no fan of Ted's more recent designs, his early WWI stuff is excellent and this one is no exception. There's some interesting subtleties going on, especially in the supply rules and the German's use of the "Ober Ost" counter which allows them two sets of attacks in one turn (the downside is that the counter then isn't available for two turns).

The random events are also interesting and the Germans are constantly stuggling against the demands of other fronts and having to withdraw units (at critical times, it always seems).

The Russians have some hard slogging in this game and the best approach to using them is to pummel the Austro-Hungarian forces while trying to hold off the Germans. Unfortunately, in the game I played, that didn't quite work out too well...another interesting aspect is the ammo shortage rules (the Germans get to place half of the counters for a given turn) and if used judiciously, the Germans can put a real hurt on any Russian offesive (unless the Stavka counter is deployed on the board) or even set up a good counterattack. The effect of ammo shortage is to halve the Russian's conbat factor so weak spots can be created.

Attention also has to be paid to supply. The supply rules appear to be pretty typical with the various towns on the board acting as railheads to which units have to trace a four-hex path back to. If either side can achieve a break-through in the right place (which allows the victors to advance up to three hexes), they can take a key town thereby putting the enemy out of supply and subject to elimination during the appropriate attrition phase. The defender either has to withdraw their front line or coutner-attack and hope to take back the town. It can get pretty tense and in several instances the Germans were able to perform mini-Tannenbergs.

Victory for the Germans requires a die-roll which will result in the Russian Revolution, thus ending the game. The die roll is modified by the number of cities that the Germans take inside of Russian Poland and Russian proper, along with several random event chits (the Germans definately want the "Czar takes command" chit). Russian victory conditions are pretty much impossible to attain unless they are successful in REALLY mauling the Autro-Hungarians and pushing them into Central Europe. In the game I played (solitaire, naturally), the Germans were barely able to squeek out a victory on the last game turn with a lucky die-roll.

In the end, given the overall strategic situation of Germany vis-a-vis the Allies, if the Russians survive without a revolution, then Germany is lost. Basically the Germans are working against the clock and trying to get a better die roll to trigger the revolution.

Overall, a very interesting game and definately one that deseves more play.

More Max Progress

After giving Max Wednesday off, I rode him last night. It wasn't anything major, I rode him over to the public rings by Orcas Park and practiced canter/trot/walk transitions- the idea was to give him some vigorous exercise on soft footing and it seemed to work out just fine. We spent about 20 minutes or so doing this and then just walking around the wash. I rode for about an hour and once again, there appeared to be no issues. I also made sure to inspect his legs and feet afterwards and especially the bottom of the hooves. Looks like we'll be ready for the weekend. :-)

A Difference In Sizes...

Here's an interesting contrast in horse sizes- a full grown horse running with a miniature horse. Pretty cool!

Max Update

After riding Max Monday and Tuesday night, I decided to give Max the night off last night. On Monday and Tuesday, we did some riding mostly in the wash and around the stables, combining some cantering, trotting and walking. Overall, pretty good and it appears that Max is definately back to his old self (lazy and all).

Now I'm going to have to resum my search for a decent trail/endurance saddle for long rides. My last experiment with the Circle Y Western saddle was a disaster so clearly something else will have to be tried. I don't really have $2,000-$3,000 to drop on a saddle so I'm going to have see if I can find something that's good and affordable.

With the general Spring warm-up, the bugs have been out with a vengeance (especially the gnats) and they seem to especially be in force around dusk. Hopefully, this phase will soon pass...good thing I got Max his shots in early March before this became too obnoxious.

Cortes - Part Dos

Well, I replayed Cortes with the Aztecs using the "Northern smash" plan which involves massing most of the better elements of the Aztec Army and launching an all-out attack against the Northern force. True to expectations, the Spanish got severely mauled before the Spanish fleet could make it over to the that side of the lake and provide fire support. But it was a close-run thing.

I also detached a sizeable force of weak units to sit in the lake and delay the Southeastern Spanish force- with the fleet massed in the North to help save the Northern force, the Spanish were without naval support and Aztec bombardment managed to rack up some serious casualties (even with having to roll a "one" to inflict a step loss).

The end result was still a decisive victory for the Spaniards but it was a bit more bloody (although no Spanish units were lost). There's definately a method to this game for the Aztecs but it's not revealing itself that well... :grin:

Monday Night At The Stables

Since the days are getting longer and the weather was so nice, I decided to ride Max. For a change, I actually got out to the stables fairly early so I had a lot of daylight to work with. We rose down the wash and made a loop back, passing by the Equestrian Center.

I worked Max with a combination of trotting and cantering and while he was initially reluctant to work, he changed his attitude at my urging (i.e. spurs). As usual, the more I worked him, the more he perked up and by the time we were done, he was moving quite energenically. He seemed to move fine and there appeared to be no issues with his legs and no limping so things are looking good.

Cortes - The Siege of Tenochititlan

This last weekend, I dug deep in the Cave of Unplayed Games and pulled out Cortes. This gem was orignally published in 1993 in Command Magazine, Issue No. 20 and it offers an interesting game of a topic that nobody (to my knowledge) had touched before.

The game system is interesting, the graphics superb, interesting rules and "chrome" to include temple desecration and human scarfice. What's not to love? Well, I played it (or rather, solitaired it) and to be honest, I was a bit disappointed. In the game I played, it was pretty much a slow but steady siege, characterized by a slow grind on the part of the Spaniards and an eventual win. I was very careful to not give the Aztecs and openings and used the Spanish Indian allies as cannon fodder. However, the Aztecs were able to get in some blows in a couple of naval battles on the lake which ultimately wound up in some major losses.

I decided to clear out the south and then make my main effort in the north where two causeways were in close proximtity and there was some clear land on the island where I could bring the Spanish cavalry into full effectiveness. Essentially, the Spaniards were able to attrit the Aztecs from the fortifications blocking the causeways up in the northwest corner with cannon-fire from the fleet (even with the die-roll shift due to firing into fortifications), thus allowing them a toe-hold. The Aztecs were never able to mount a serious conter-attack.

Now, this probably would have been different had I not put so many troops out on the water and tried more of a forward defense. The next time, I'll pile up more of a defense in Tenochititlan itself and abandon the outlying areas (I had left forces there in the hope of slowing the Spaniards down). I think more of a Stalingrad-like defense would do the trick so I'll try this one again. Also, the Spanish Indian Allies with lake crossing ability can be used to turn a flank at the right moment.

One little detail on the rules: Although the rules are silent on this, it seems that cavalry is allowed to assault fortifications and even employ charges. Personally, I would think that cavalry would be prohibited from attacking (or at least charging) Aztec fortifications. Try charging a wall with a horse sometime and see what happens (I have, it hurts). In the end, I instituted a house rule to prohibit cavalry from attacking fortifications.

I'll give this one a try again but it just seemed to be too much of a walkover for the Spaniards.

Max is Back Under Saddle Again

This last weekend I decided to work Max a bit more extensively and get is stamina built up while avoiding most of the rocky areas. The first thing we did was do our weekly lesson and while he was a bit sluggish in the beginning, after a "discussion" his energy level picked up and he was moving like champ (true, it was a warm day in the 90s but he tends to get lazy). We learned quite a bit but I'm going to have to put more work into keeping my hands and arms quiet. New homework...

Afterwards, for something different, on Saturday I decided to start at Gabriellano Park by walking him down Orcas Avenue. Previously, I've avoided walking him down most streets (more a confidence thing on my part that anything else) but I decided that now was the time to get him used to it. Everything seemed to work out just fine except it was a bit eager to cross Foothill Blvd. I don't think Max realizes that cars CAN hurt him. But it wasn't a big deal, he minded my commands and waited. We then proceeded through the park and then followed one of our usual paths that leads across the river and travels in a loop, ultimately winding up in re-crossing the river and heading home. I kind of let Max take it a bit easy after the lesson here.

Sunday, I decided to take him around the Hansen Dam Lake and then along the dam wall, ultimately winding up by the eastern end. We did a little exploring, wandering down to the tunnel that runs under Wentworth. We then rode back accross the river and ultimately wound up by the Orcas Arena in Gabriellano Park. During this whole ride, I alternated cantering, trotting, and walking Max and while he worked up a sweat, I gave him plenty of chances to rest.

The park was a real zoo with people doing all sorts of stupid things so we didn't linger long. The final straw was while working Max in the arena, someone decided to ride in with a horse they were ponying and then release it. Just what I need, a loose hose running around. Fortunately, the horse was more interested in standing and sniffing the ground than running around or chasing Max. Max and I quickly departed.

We then returned home by riding up Orcas Ave. and except for some barking dogs, Max had not issues. All in all, it was an excellent weekend and Max did not appear to have any issues whatsoever. Looks like we're on our way again!

Star Trek: The Omega Glory (aka more hammy acting from William Shatner)

OK, it's Friday and time for yet another bad Star Trek episode. Today's "gem" is the "Omega Glory" which features one of Kirk's collegues violating the Prime Directive and one of those "oh-so-original" plots involving parallel development ("Yangs" vs "Kohms") which are usually just a way to save money and be able to utilize Paramount Studios' extensive prop and wardrobe collections without having to fabricate new stuff. Yawn. This episode also features some of William Shatner's more hammy acting moments.

Here's some real quality lines from the episode:

"That which is ours is ours again; it will never be taken from us again... I am Cloud William – chief. Also son of chief. Guardian of the Holies, Speaker of the Holy Words, Leader of Warriors. Many have died, but this is the last of the Kohm places; what is ours is ours again!"-Cloud William

"I plegleia neptum flagumm; to pec, liforstand–""–and to the republic for which it stands; one nation under God, indivisible, with liberty and justice for all."

- Cloud William and Kirk, as Kirk translates the Yang version of the Pledge of Allegiance

If you're really wondering what the heck I'm referring to, check out THIS .

It's kind of sad too because this series put out some great episodes but it also put out some real stinkers.

More Bad Star Trek - Spock's Brain

In a similar vein as yesterday, submitted for your amusement is another "gem" of an episode in the Classic Star Trek canon: "Spock's Brain" (aka Planet of the Bimbos). Here are a few pictures for your amusement:

This one was pretty aweful and being the first episode aired in the third season, it pretty much set the tone for the remainder of Star Trek's life on network TV (I believe it was NBC) and ensured it's ultimate demise. While the 60s WAS pretty sexist, this one really pushed the limits.

The Way to Eden: Space Hippies from the 60s

Remember Star Trek? Although it's set some several hundered years in the future, it really said more about the era it was created in. One episode that stands out is "The Way to Eden". Here's a couple of colorful characters from that episode:

Tongo Rad

Adam (looks NOTHING like me!)

By today's standards, it's pretty hokey but it's still fun to watch. It certainly bore the influence of the 1960s...I actually remember watching this when it was first broadcast on network TV in the late 1960s. For more information, go HERE.

Exercise Time w/ Max

Last night I decided it was time to start the rehab/exercise program with Max. He'd done well over the weekend but I noticed that he was breathing pretty heavily even at doing mostly a walk so I figure he's out of condition.

I started with about 15-20 minutes of just walking around the track and then, for a little variety, we walked outside the stables and down the wash. With daylight savings time kicking in early now, there's more time to ride when it's light (not that the lack of light ever stopped us before :-)). We also rode over to the California Polo Club and anywhere else with soft footing. We also trotted in a few soft spots and even cantered a couple of times. I stayed away from going up and down any elevations.

By this point, Max had warmed up sufficiently and it appeared that he was moving normally with no issues. I then rode back to the stables at a walk and we did some more trotting/cantering around the track. I would make transitions fairly often and walk some portions. Everything seemed to work out fine and although he was breathing heavily, he wasn't sweaty. His pulse also was within normal limits.

All said and done, we rode for about an hour and afterwards, Max was rewarded with his usual and customery bucket (after allowing sufficient time for cooling down). Things are looking good here.

Finally, at the recommendation of my trainer, she suggested getting 7% Iodine and applying it to the hooves in order to toughen them up. However, it appears that there might be a problem since it's supposedly used in Crystal Meth manufacturing so the DEA is restricting it (typical government BS). I'll have to look into thsi more.

Happy St. Patrick's Day!

Since it's St. Patrick's Day, I thought I'd post a suitable greeting to commemorate the date:

For more information, click HERE.

Sunday w/ Max

In contrast with Saturday, Sunday opened up bright and sunny with a brisk cool wind and some cloud cover. Perfect Spring weather!

My lesson was not until 3:15 so I decided to spend the day liesurely warming up Max. First, I spent some time grooming Max and combing out all the tangles in his mane and tail. Also, Max is shedding his wintercoat and there's hair everywhere on him. After I got done grooming him, there seemed to be enough hair in weave an Indian rug.

After saddling Max, I slowly warmed him up at a walk, moving around the track and alternating directions. I then decided to take Max out on the trail, following the usual path down the wash, accross the river and ultimately making a loop that would wind up back at the stables. Max seemed to do just fine and there were no signs of any lameness. I mostly moved at a walk with a little bit of a trot here and there on select areas with soft, flat footing.

This took about 1 1/2 hours and I then hitched up Max and gave him a rest. I noticed that he was breathing a bit heavily in places so I would rest him periodically. I ate my lunch while watching Max at the hitching rail (he needs to get used to being hitched up for long periods of time).

About 20 minutes before the lesson was to begin, I mounted up on Max and we did some more walking/trotting transitions with the occassional canter. The lesson went just fine and he seemed to find more energy while working in the ring, to include some energenic cantering. I naturally worked on my seat and in particular, my rein-work. I need to reinforce keeping my arms and hands quiet while keeping my hands stable. This is something that we'll have to practice more.

By the time Max and I were finished, we'd been riding intermittantly for over four hours and Max was definately looking tired out. Max definately had earned a rest and overall everything seemed to work out allright with no signs of lameness.

I'll stick to my plan of slowly working up his endurance while keeping to soft terrain. The stone bruise will eventually grow out dut we'll have to be careful in the meantime.

Angola '87

I had a chance to finally try out Angola '87 and was favorably impressed- kudos to the designer Joe Miranda!

I played it solitaire so admittedly there's all the inherent flaws but it still was pretty good and very fast-moving. It's a see-saw battle like others have pointed out and the airpower greatly helps the South African player. However, I somewhat disagree on the usefulness of Communist airpower- while true it doesn't really help the ground war, it was useful for disrupting artillery and reinforcements. At two key moments I was able to use bombardment attacks on the South African artillery and successfully suppressed them. Also it delayed part of the 82nd Brigade from arriving to throw its weight into the attack.

I do have to agree that there's a slight edge to the South African but not a deal-breaker. I will have to play this one some more but overall, I like what I see.

The second time a played Angola '87 solitaire, the result was vastly different for the South Africans. In short, it was a slaughterhouse with the Communists destroying a significant number of SADF units.

What really hurt was that most of the destruction occurred in two turns where the random event table rolled up "UN Focused on Angola" which in game terms means that the victory points for destroyed units are doubled (4 SADF units destroyed x 6 points each). The Communists were so far ahead in points that they even deployed the two East German special forces units at the cost of 8 victory points and still were way out in front. To add insult to injury, the Communists were able to use the E. Germans on the last game turn in an encirclement move and managed to destroy another 3 SADF units.

The lesson learned here is: ZOCs are everything and be careful how you deploy your troops. Also, don't be greedy for big encirclement battles utlizing airmobile forces if they're exposed to counterattack- I got pretty cockey with the airborne and commando units and got nailed.

I beginning to like this game more- it's tough and you really have to be on your toes- it's pretty unforgiving if you make a mistake.

Blood & Iron

After a hailstorm caught my horse Max and I on the trail totally soaking each of us, I decided to spend the rest of the day with a wargame. Rummaging through my pile of unplayed games, I cam accross "Blood and Iron" that was published in Issue No. 23 of Command Magazine (IMHO, Command Magazine was a great publication until they got caught up in the Warchess/Eastern Front fixation).

I broke out this game this last weekend and reviewed the rules and the first thing that I noticed is that the rules were very clean. I also found that it plays well. However, I found it hard for the Prussians to pull off any sort of a victory. The Austrian artillery is far superior and devastating and the Prussian 2, 3, and 4 Corps lack enough punch. What I ulitimately did was work the Elbe Army and cavalry corps around the southern flank until the Austrians were too far stretched out and their line broke, allowing the the Prussian to seize the Danube bridges. At the same time, the arrival of the Second Army in the far north was enough to unhinge the Austrian defenses from the north.

Maybe it was the command control die rolls- the Austrians did pretty well and were even able to go on the offensive. The Saxon force was able to severely maul the Prussian 2 Corps and drive it back before the game ended with the Prussians seizing the Danube bridges.
I havn't played this one for awhile but it seems that it will be difficult for the Prussians to replicate their vistory barring some poor command control die-rolling on the part of the Austrians.

Riding Through Hail

Not a play on words, it really happened!

It's been a crappy week at work and the threat of layoffs didn't help any. And to top things off, I wasted the entire morning trying to get my DSL connection re-established on a new phone line and dealing with idiots somewhere off in India whose knowledge of the English language is questionable.

So by about 2 PM I'd had enough so I decided to check up on Max. The weather in the morning had been sunny with a little brisk wind. When I got to the stables, it was a different matter. It was blowing pretty fierce and it appeared that a storm front was moving in. I turned out Max in the arena but it was cut short when the storm finally arrived. Great, and I didn't even bring a rain coat or hat. It was definately coming down in buckets.

15 minutes later, the deluge stopped and it cleared up again, almost by magic the sun was back out and it was actually getting a bit warm. At this point, a couple of my stablematers asked me if I wanted to go on a trail ride. I said sure, but I'd have to keep to soft surfaces so we decided to go out along the Hansen Dam Lake.

I could tell from Max's attitude that he definately wanted to get out and he made it a bit difficult taking up. I finally did it and we headed out. Max seemed to move just fine and we even trotted a couple of short segments.

We headed down the wash and towards the river crossing when we noticed another storm front moving in. At this point, we decided to head back since none of us had any rain gear. Naturally the rising wind, clouds, and our heading back to the stables ot everyone buzzed up including Max. I figured if we had to trot, Max was going to want to trot and I wouldn't be able to hold him back (and if he reinjured his foot, oh well).

We made it almost to the path under the 210 Freeway and Foothill Blvd. before the storm broke and did it break! At first it seemed weird that nobody was getting we until I noticed that it was hail bouncing off of us and the horses. Max was definately annoyed by this time. Then it turned to rain, accompanied by some thunder and lightening. Great...(I had visions of lightening strike).

As things turned out, we made it back somewhat soggy (especially on the windwards side where the storm was coming from) and we completed the last leg at the trot (I know, it's not recommended to trot back to the barn but there's an exception to every rule).

I quickly got his saddle and bridle off and got him in his stall and then fixed up his bucket, all the while dashing through the rain.

While we had to end the ride a bit early and we both got hosed pretty bad, Max did not appear to have any issues with his legs and he was quite energenic. I was definately happy and glad to have him back. I'm going to have to be careful though and ride him in areas with soft footing.

WWI - The Lost Batallion

One of my favorite eras of gaming is WWI and Lost Batallion is one of the more interesting titles I've played. Originally published in S&T 217, this game depicts the US Meuese-Argonne Offiensive of 1918 and offers both a two-player and solitaire version. I started with the solitaire version and it works on the principle of the US player moving units and rolling on an event table for what is encountered in that specific hex. The results vary by the type of terrain with Hindenburg Line hexes having more drastic results such as encountering enemy units or a gas/artillery attack versus moving into clear hexes which can often be uncontested.

The overall result was interesting but it still felt like a bit of a walkover for the US.Playing the two-player version was a different story- it was a real bloodbath for the US player. In the beginning of the game, the Germans have abundant reinforcements and the ability to deliver two gas attacks per turn, along with 9 artillery factors. If used judiciously, the Germans can severely stall or blunt the US offensive effort, especially since the US has very few viable avenues of attack.However, while it's a slow slog in the beginning, the game subtly begins to shift about halfway through the game as the reinforcements begin to thin out and the US is finally able to break out beyond the Hinderburg Line.

Once the Hindenburg Line has been breached, it's difficult for the Germans to maintain a continueous line, especially since there are no Zones of Control, like in other games. Finally, the ability to declare a "Final Offensive" where the US can attacke while moving (WWI-style overrun attacks).It's a very interesting game system and the US has to manage his resources and replacements very carefullly and time his final offensive at the right time.

P.S. The "Lost Batallion" was neither a batallion nor was it lost.

Rehabbing Max

Since I've decided to give Max some more time off, I've been coming up to the stables on a regular basis to check up on him. Tonight I decided to run him around the arena a bit to see how things are progressing on the front right foot.

I chased Max around with a lunge whip and while he was slow to move, he eventually fired up and was running around the arena bucking, snorting and farting (yep, they actually do that). After about five minutes of this, I rested him some and walked him around the stables and let him graze. Everything appeared to go OK until walking him on the track when he seemed to start limping a little bit. Maybe it was the light but it didn't look good. Great, another setback!

After cooling him down, I gave Max his bucket and added some Bute for good measure. I guess we'll give him some more days off.

Middle East Battles

I've been playing solitaire the Suez '56 game quite a bit lately and I've discovered, no surprise, that the Anglo-French have no chance of winning with the historical scenario. The 18 Victory Point advantage that the Egyptian player starts with is impossible to overcome, especially with the Egyptians racking up VPs for occupying the vicotry point hexes (it takes awhile to dig out the defenders).

I then decided to try out the variant with the extra Egyptian forces but no 18-point VP lead. It was a bloody fight but if done properly, the Anglo-French can come out ahead (the final score was Anglo-French 90 VPs, Egyptian 75 VPs) and that was also extending the game until Turn 9.

I found that once I was able to get the French artillery ashore, it was a lot easier to blow the Egyptians out of position. The ideal situation is for the Anglo-French units to advance into City hexes and force the Egyptians to counter-attack at a severe disadvantage (and sometimes killing them off in the process). It's an interesting situation.

I also tried out El Arish '67 and it struck me as a bit of a walk-over for the Israelis. The only problem is how to reduce the fortified areas- the combat results can be very bloody for the Israelis.

Subsequently, I replayed Suez '56 using the 8 VPs rather than the 18 and it worked out a lot better for the Anglo-French. However, with control being defined as having a unit sitting on the hex, it was almost impossible for the Egyptians to reinforce in the right places (i.e. cover objective hexes) so the Anglo-French had an easier time of it.

I also tried it again with the additional Egyptian reinforcements and that turned into more of a blood-bath for the Anglo-French. Lots of exchanges.

I realize that there's some flaws with the game but hey, I've been having fun with it. I'd like to see some more games with this and/or Cold War battles system.

More Veterinary Stuff- Max (or Where the Hell is the Shoer?!)

Per the vet's recommendation, I had to arrange to have Max's front hooves trimmed and his shoes reset so was to lessen the breakover on the toes (thus, making it easier for him to lift up his feet and reducing muscle strain) and provide greater support to the heels. Naturally this was easier said than done since since my shoer nver returns calls (he does good work but communication is not a strong point).

After three nights of leaving numberous phone messages, I gave up in frustration and called another shoer, Jose, who one of my stablemates highly recommended. What a difference, he called back promptly and we set an appointment for early Saturday morning at 9:30 am.

Saturday morning rolled around and Jose showed up at 9:30 am on the dot. After some discussion and showing him a drawing the vet had made of what she wanted to the hooves to look like, the shoer got to work. It was amazing to watch him work and he trimmed back the hooves and custom fit the shoes, heating them up in a portable oven and hammering them to fit on an anvil. This was the first time I'd ever seen a shoer hot shoe a horse and it was interesting, even with the smoke coming off of the hooves (Max didn't flinch a bit and even fell asleep).

After everything was done, he then showed me a small dark spot on the the front right hoove located towards the heel on the frog- basically Max had stone bruise and that was the source of his problems, besides the usual artritis-related issues. This certainly explained Max comining up lame a second time when I was warming him up- the driven dressage area at the stables had gotten a bit rough, with small rocks and the like, due to the rains. Jose also worked on the hin hooves and discovered that Max is also putting excessive weight towards the outside part of the left rear hoof so he reset the toe to counter this.

So while I still have to give Max some more time off, it looks like his foot problem is manageable and nothing major- that was certainly a relief for me because I'd been fearing the worst. My plan now is to rest him until Saturday and then begin to work him on soft footing and then have a lesson on Sunday. I figure if anything bad is going to happen, it will happen then.

As for shoers, Jose just got himself a new client. It was a real education and I'm amazed that he only asked $100 for replacing all for shoes and all the extra hoof trimming. Truely amazing and I was ready to pay a lot more.

Well, it could have been worse....a lot worse.

Columbus- Maybe Next Year

Well, with great regret I have to say that I won't be going to Columbus, New Mexico this year. First, I got an email from the park ranger at Pancho Villa State Park advising that Pablo's owner will be out of town so Pablo will be unavailable for riding. Then, I got the vet bill for Max in the some of $340 which pretty much wiped out the travel budget. Finally, to make things worse, I got an email from my compadre, who I was depending on for transportation since my van is no shape for long distance travel, that he'd miscalculated his schedule and there was an event he'd have to attend with this kids on the same weekend as the Pancho Villa commemorative events.

Jeeze, I just can't win. Well, I've already put in for the vacation time so I might as well as enjoy it as best I can so it looks like I'll be hanging out with Max and riding some of the other horses in the barn.