I have spent the past 24 hours just steeped in inspiration for my new book. So today, I awoke with the dawn and decided I would spend all morning writing. I had plans to meet my friend Dani for coffee at 2:30, so I took a shower and put on a cute outfit (which I rarely do in the country) and donned a pair of adorable Marni flats that I bought at a 75% off sale at Louis in Boston over the summer. I knew that only Dani, who is very stylish, would appreciate the cunning little flats, as, honestly, to the untrained eye, they look like a tattered pair of canvas slippers. I fed the dogs and walked them up to the barn to feed the horses. There I found my poor old Gabriel lying stretched flat out in his paddock, right outside his stall! I know some of my readers are horse people and they will understand how horrifying it is to see a horse lying, flat out, with his head on the ground, groaning. Gabriel had decided to roll next to one of the columns that supports the overhang of our barn roof. When he rolled he got his forelegs on one side of the column and his hind legs on the other side. It's hard to explain, but it's called being "cast" when a horse gets stuck lying down and it's very dangerous. In 20 years, Gabriel has never been cast, and this summer it has happened to him twice. The dogs and I encouraged him to try, once again, to get up, but he was so exhausted and he was starting to scrape his legs on the column. So, I ran and got a lunge line (long rope) and sort of lassoed his hind fetlock (horse ankle). He was thrashing so much I was afraid he'd kick me accidentally if I got too close. Then I managed to pull the top leg forward enough to clear it of the post. Once that leg was free, he was able to release the other and he leaped to his feet and though I feared he was in shock from exhaustion, the blessed horse walked quite briskly into his stall and had a nice long drink of water. I cleaned him up and fed him his breakfast and that's when I saw that my delightful little flats were caked in mud and manure. It rained last night so there was actually mud and manure inside the flats and oozing between my toes. See, this is why I never bother with nice clothes in the country.

After I sorted Gabriel out I got caught up in all sorts of other barn chores and it's now the afternoon and I haven't written a word (except this).

Tomorrow, BACK TO THE BOOK!