Story: "Squiggles" 1513.06.29
Jun. 4th, 2014 09:00 am![[personal profile]](https://www.dreamwidth.org/img/silk/identity/user.png){kind=small}
ysabetwordsmith"Squiggles: Excerpts from Nleimen's Journal"
1513.06.29
The Fall Horse Fair has started! I attended a lecture on equine genetics, presented by a panel from the Painted Horse Fanciers Association. That earns me extra credit for my class. The panel talked about different types of marking that count as "paint" -- apparently those produce distinct patterns. Most make large patches but there is one, appaloosa, which can make little dots instead.
At the lecture, I met a horse farmer, Ebemas, and his son Tosh. I thought Tosh was older -- he is tall, with broad shoulders and plenty of muscle -- but apparently he is just 15. He stayed quiet until the end of the lecture, when we got to talking about genetics ourselves. Then he lit up and told me all about this white filly on their farm, with gray spots in what he called a "square-paint" pattern. That reminded me of my old sketches and notes about the strange horse I saw one year, Hexball her name was. So I mentioned that, which excited him even more. I promised to show him the pictures. Then I told them all about my Squiggle Mice, and we spent a while speculating about the similarities between mice and horses in genetics.
Finally Tosh and I decided to become letter-friends and exchanged addresses. If the boys I knew were this quiet, I'd probably like them more. Ebemas said that's because of the horses -- you can't wave your arms and shout around them, or they'll spook. So that made sense.
Sraffi and I have been showing Squiggle Mice at some pre-fair events and there's another show later this tenday. Maybe Tosh will get to see them. Some reporter from the broadsheet company wants to interview me about developing a new breed of mouse. Apparently readers like "Local Girl Does Good" stories.
See the landing page for "Squiggles: Excerpts from Nleimen's Journal."
1513.06.29
The Fall Horse Fair has started! I attended a lecture on equine genetics, presented by a panel from the Painted Horse Fanciers Association. That earns me extra credit for my class. The panel talked about different types of marking that count as "paint" -- apparently those produce distinct patterns. Most make large patches but there is one, appaloosa, which can make little dots instead.
At the lecture, I met a horse farmer, Ebemas, and his son Tosh. I thought Tosh was older -- he is tall, with broad shoulders and plenty of muscle -- but apparently he is just 15. He stayed quiet until the end of the lecture, when we got to talking about genetics ourselves. Then he lit up and told me all about this white filly on their farm, with gray spots in what he called a "square-paint" pattern. That reminded me of my old sketches and notes about the strange horse I saw one year, Hexball her name was. So I mentioned that, which excited him even more. I promised to show him the pictures. Then I told them all about my Squiggle Mice, and we spent a while speculating about the similarities between mice and horses in genetics.
Finally Tosh and I decided to become letter-friends and exchanged addresses. If the boys I knew were this quiet, I'd probably like them more. Ebemas said that's because of the horses -- you can't wave your arms and shout around them, or they'll spook. So that made sense.
Sraffi and I have been showing Squiggle Mice at some pre-fair events and there's another show later this tenday. Maybe Tosh will get to see them. Some reporter from the broadsheet company wants to interview me about developing a new breed of mouse. Apparently readers like "Local Girl Does Good" stories.
See the landing page for "Squiggles: Excerpts from Nleimen's Journal."
