Ahhh, Thanksgiving. Also Guitar Hero.

These are my two excuses for not blogging.

I am making duck for my extended Thanksgiving feast. My husband's not so crazy about duck, so on Thursday we just had homemade rolls, mashed potatoes, tasty gravy, and ham. I also started my enormous duck prep - I took a duck apart, salted the legs and wings for confit, stuck the breast in the fridge, and made some excellent stock with the carcass, rendered all the extra fat. Yesterday I went to work and was way too tired to futz with the breast, so I waited til tonight.

I made this recipe, which was exceptional and highly recommended. I also cooked the confit tonight; I'm going to try to wait a few days before I reheat it. Supposed to be better if you can wait a bit. And the stock? Duck risotto, I guess; I just felt bad about letting Cersei eat such an expensive carcass.

Also, Graham brought the enormous TV and Xbox 360 down here with him. I am now ROCKIN OUT!! on Guitar Hero at night, which cuts into my blogging time. Tonight I unlocked Welcome to the Jungle and Pride and Joy. I WAILED on them. (On easy. Cut me some slack, I've been playing for a week.) Finally, my misspent youth, in which I listened to classic rock nonstop, is paying off. \m/

Aaaaand I took Dixie on a short trail ride today. Kelly rode her daughter's (totally laidback BTDT) Quarter Horse, and a calm buddy was just what Dixie needed. We had a fairly major freakout about a white washing machine at the side of the trail.

I kinda thought she might come unglued, because you know how horses are about Strange White Monsters. She quivered and kept trying to spin to bolt and backing up snorting when I asked her to walk forward, but I just kept her pointed at the Monster. It was kind of a delicate dance between urging her forward when I thought she could do it and reassuring her when I thought she was about to completely flip her lid. It took several minutes, but I eventually got her past the Washing Machine of Death. The far side of it is covered in rust, so coming back was no problem, and then we went past it again and she was fine.

I always wonder if the horse isn't just testing me after something like that, but I don't think that was the case today. She was really terrified of the Maytag zombie. We got through it, though.

We all trooped past the first big lake, down to the second big lake (the skeet shooting lake), and grazed there for a long time. Then we headed back. A very short ride for the horses, but a big one mentally for Dixie.

More horse stuff soon, I promise! I've got a lesson tomorrow, and I feel pretty good about my legs. (I am sure this hubris is going to doom me, but we'll see!)

Housekeeping: Vet came out on 11-25 and pulled Coggins, vaccinated for West Nile.