Anticipation (Not Just a Carly Simon Song)

A friend and I were just having a little e-mail exchange about the value of anticipation. She agreed with my theory: Life's just not as fun if you don't have a reason to look forward to something. Anticipation is one of the juicy, delicious emotions. Quite unlike dread, which generally goes along with dental visits, and doing your taxes!

At right: I'm looking forward to spending a few nights in my cowgirl trailer, with Button tucked into her suitcase that slides in under the bed.

I've spent the last couple of days revved up in anticipation of a Sisters on the Fly outing I'm taking with my cowgirl trailer. I get just as big a kick out of looking forward to these little adventures as I do from the actual participation. Same thing with trail rides into new areas, or the article-seeking missions I go on for Horse&Rider. That sense of "I can't wait!" is a psychological elixir that I think of as my mental vitamin A.

At left: "Take me, too, Mom!" For a lesson in the rev-up value of antici-pation, look no further than the dog who knows what's coming next as soon as she sees you start to pack.

There's another anticipator in the household today, namely my Schipperke sidekick, Miss Button B. Barksalot. As soon as she saw me get my suitcase out, she loaded herself up into her own suitcase that serves as her traveling dog bed.

"An-ti-ci-pa-a-tion...."