Notes from Ethel

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2012-02-05T19:08:00.000-06:00

Well, we are still here, and we haven't made any plans to move yet. However, things are definitely happening... I wish I could tell you in detail all that has been going on, but I can't. Just know that God is at work in powerful ways. :)

I am becoming more and more excited about college. I accepted at CSU, and they actually gave me a nice scholarship! I should be starting college at the end of August, if all goes as planned.

Spirit's training is still going smoothly. Judah, his owner, and I have been riding him quite a bit. So far, we have only had one rodeo, and even that ended well. Spirit is now able to be ridden at the walk and trot by both Judah and myself. We'll be teaching him to canter soon. I am gaining a lot of experience from working with him, just as I did with little Ginger.

A New Year, with new adventures

2012-01-02T15:31:00.000-06:00

I spent the morning packing and moving boxes out of our "mystery room" so that Daddy could start painting in there. We have a lot of stuff. The boxes were surprisingly heavy, so I got a good workout. I like organising work like that, especially when it involves plenty of physical activity.

Since all our horses have moved on to their new homes, I have felt lost without a horse to care for. However, some friends of ours have given me an opportunity to train a young horse for them, so I have a horse over here now. His name is Spirit, and he's a four-year-old dark dun gelding. He is pretty cute, and I can't wait to get some pictures of him for the blog. Spirit is here to be broken to ride, and I am also teaching his young owner how to train horses. It is exciting for me, and so far everything has gone well.

Daddy recently painted our sitting room upstairs. It really needed it, because we had not painted over the patched holes in the walls from a little boy with a baseball bat. The room is now a lovely yellow color, and it looks much better. Soon we'll install new carpet, and then it will be like a whole new room.

We found out a few days ago that Fort Collins has passed a law to ban Pit Bulls from the city. We were aware that the passing of the law was a possibility, so it wasn't such a surprise to us. This means that our sweet Bunny will not be going to Colorado with us. Thankfully, we believe we have a good home for her already. Annie's piano teacher is interested in taking Bunny to be a friend to her young, active puppy, Rosie. Annie is really going to miss her little doggie friend, but Bunny should be happier than she has been lately. She deeply misses Abby, and she doesn't quite know what to do with herself as an only dog.

I think that is all the current news. Hope you are having a happy New Year!

My Application Was Accepted!

2011-12-16T15:21:00.000-06:00

My parents and I decided that it would be a good idea for me to apply to Colorado State University using the early action option, which means I needed to apply before December 1st to be an incoming freshman for the Fall 2012 semester. The application process was a lot of work, especially for Momma, since she had to pull together a high school transcript for me. However, we were able to send my application in before the deadline, and I have been waiting on CSU's verdict ever since.

Today, Daddy asked me if I had checked on my application status lately, and I said no. I didn't think there was any way I'd know so soon, but since he brought it up I decided to have a look anyway. To my surprise, I found that I have been accepted! This is very exciting news for my family. Now I am starting the application process for a scholarship. If I am given a good scholarship, I'll be able to be a full-time student at CSU right away. Otherwise, I'll need to become a part-time student, because we can't afford the out-of-state tuition and I won't be an official resident of Colorado until I have lived there for a year.

Needless to say, I'm very excited. I didn't know I'd have this assurance so soon. God is so good! Now we just need to sell the house so we can actually move to Colorado.... :)

Many Happenings

2011-12-13T14:30:00.000-06:00

Things have changed a lot since I last posted. God is preparing us for our move to Colorado, and the preparations have been rapid lately. Some of them have also been very painful.

My sweet dog, Abby, had to be put to sleep two weeks ago. She had many health problems, including mammary cancer, a brain tumor, and severe arthritis, and she was beginning to really suffer. Abby was 13 years old, and I had owned her for almost 6 years. She was the best dog ever, and I never regretted owning her. I miss her very much. Her pals Bunny and Aaron miss her, too. They were both quite depressed for a while after Abby died. Someday I hope to own another Golden Retriever, perhaps a puppy, but I will have to wait a while.

The day after Abby died, we took my old mare, Poco, to her new home. She seemed to settle in well there, which was a relief to me. Poco doesn't always transition well into new environments, so I had some anxiety about her.

On Saturday, we delivered the remaining three horses, Peg, Ginger, and Rusty, to their new home. Their new owners had been working hard to prepare their property for horses, and they had made a nice barn and a well-fenced pasture for their new pets. When the horses arrived there, they seemed to appreciate their new living space. We have had several updates from the new owners, and it sounds like all is going very well. I am so thankful that the horses are able to bless others as they have blessed us.

It is pretty weird to no longer have horses to care for over here. I have to keep reminding myself that I don't have to go and feed. I miss my Peg. He was a close friend of mine if ever an animal could be one. Between Peg and Abby, I was very seldom without my animal companions, and it seems lonely now without either one. I have had a furry friend to help me with my loneliness, though. The dog from next door, Harleigh, has been spending all her time here with me. She is a good dog, and she is good company. I don't know why she spends all her time with me when she has a perfectly good home, but there she is. Maybe God sent her to help ease the pain of losing Abby. I don't know.

Some other happenings have been much happier. We sold our horse trailer two days after we sent our last horses away, and someone came to look at our house. We are getting closer and closer to our move to Colorado!

A Home for Poco

2011-10-21T12:23:00.000-05:00

Poco has a home! A kind friend of ours has offered to take her and put her out on his 100 acre pasture with his broodmares and babies. Our agreement with him is that if she cannot find another home by the time we sell our trailer, he will let us bring her to him. His name is Mr. John, and he is the man from whom we bought Peg, Jack, and Buddy. He does an excellent job of caring for his horses, and he has a really nice pasture. I know Poco will love it there. Maybe she will even be able to be a broodmare for Mr. John. This is a true answer to prayer, and I am so thankful.

Now we just need to find a place for Rusty. I know God has a plan for him, too. He has provided great homes for 5 out of our 6, so I can trust him to do the same for our old man Rusty.

An Update on the Horses

2011-10-03T16:18:00.002-05:00

It has been a while since I posted an update on my charges. Therefore, here are some current photos of the three horses under my care, as well as current information.

Poco

Poco is now 21 years and four months old. She is retired but sound and healthy. Poco needs to find a new home before we move to Colorado, so I am working on that. So far, no one seems interested, but in the meantime, I am enjoying my old girl.

Ginger

Ginger, now four years of age, is coming along well in her training, in spite of the fact that her trainer doesn't have much time to spend with her. :) She is now able to lope, and she is continuing to blossom into a gentle, sweet, calm little girl. I rode her this afternoon, and at the end of the ride I was able to stand up straight and tall on her back. It didn't bother her one bit. She has found a wonderful home with some friends of ours, but I get to keep her around for a little bit longer.

Ginger showing off

Peg on the move

Peg is doing very well, and he is in good health at age 11. We took him to the vet school on Thursday to get some dental work done, and the vet who worked on him told me Peg looks great. He has found a home with the same family that is taking Ginger, so they will get to stay together. Peg's schedule has been quite full lately with teaching riding lessons, giving equine therapy, and keeping my girls in line. However, he still finds the time to play around like a colt, as you can see in these pictures.

Up, up...

And away!

I haven't had much opportunity to ride him since his schedule filled up, but we still spend quality time together. Today that involved a quick nap, because I noticed him sound asleep on the grass in his pasture and went out to join him. He let me lay down on top of him, and we sunned ourselves for about 5 minutes. Then Peg decided to roll over and I had to remind him that I was there. :)

As you can see, my horsey crew is doing fine. They are really enjoying this cooler weather we've had for the past few days. Ginger is starting to look like a little pinto wooly mammoth. I am so thankful that I have been blessed with the opportunity to own and care for these horses, and they have been a lot of fun as well as a chance to learn a great deal.

The Colorado Trip

2011-09-30T13:02:00.000-05:00

We all enjoyed our trip to Colorado, and we feel that we learned a lot about the area to which we will be moving. I, for one, am becoming very excited about it.

Remember, once we are there, we will have an open door policy. Any of our friends are welcome to drop in any time. We'd love to see you and show you around!

Riding the Cog Railroad to the Summit of Pike's Peak

2011-09-30T09:48:00.000-05:00

We all enjoyed our ride on the cog railroad. It has an interesting history, as it has been climbing the mountain since 1890. The locomotives have changed through the years, but the track has stayed the same. Some parts of the track are the original rails laid down in 1890.

The views from the train were spectacular. It wasn't a perfectly clear day, but one could still see for miles. The summit of Pike's Peak is at elevation 14,110 feet, and the air is very thin. We experienced difficulty breathing as we approached the top.

The temperature at the summit was 25 degrees Fahrenheit, with a wind chill of 19 degrees. However, the air was so dry that it did not feel that cold. There were clouds covering most of the peak, but in a few places one could look down on the world below. On a clear day it is said that you can see seven states from Pike's Peak.

We really enjoyed the trip up the mountain. At the top there was a gift shop and restaurant that served fresh donuts and hot chocolate, and it all smelled incredibly good. Annie ordered a cup of steaming hot chocolate, and Momma and Daddy each had a fudge dipped donut. I wanted some, but they hadn't provided anything for people with dairy allergies.

We were given about thirty minutes at the summit, and then our train headed back down to the base of the mountain. The views on the way down were even better than we saw on the way up. We got to have a close look at some yellow bellied marmots that were out sunning themselves on the rocks. Annie and I thought the marmots resembled Spunkabitty.

Our ride on the cog railway was a grand opportunity to see the awesomeness of God's creation.

Garden of the Gods - Colorado Springs, CO

2011-09-27T16:43:00.000-05:00

We drove on to Colorado Springs on Thursday, because we wanted to see Pike's Peak and the Garden of the Gods. Pike's Peak was scheduled for the next day, so we decided to explore the Garden a bit. This was one of the most beautiful places I have ever seen. It impressed me strongly, and I couldn't get enough of the sights. I could have spent days there, walking the trails and taking pictures. Breathtaking! All the rock formations have names, but I was unable to keep them straight.

As one drives into the valley containing the Garden of the Gods, these red rocks suddenly come into view. It is quite a sight, especially since all the surrounding mountains are rather ordinary in shape and color. One gets the impression that the red rocks were just set down in the middle of it all, instead of belonging there.

Balanced Rock

The Hike to Greyrock Mountain

2011-09-24T14:45:00.000-05:00

On Wednesday, we decided to go explore Poudre Canyon, which is very near Fort Collins. We planned a hike there to Greyrock Mountain. It rained all morning, so we entertained ourselves by driving up the canyon to the Continental Divide. The scenery was lovely in spite of the rain.

When the rain stopped after lunch, we drove back to Greyrock to try to do our hike. It was filled with beautiful views, but the trail itself was quite rough and difficult. We ended up losing the trail briefly, but we found our trail again when we decided to backtrack. We had come to a switchback and kept going across the side of the mountain instead of turning. Simple mistake, right? It could have been serious. It did cost us any possibility we might have had of making it to our destination, Greyrock Mountain. We had just made it to the place where we could catch a glimpse of Greyrock when it was time to turn back. On our way down the mountain, we noticed the chokecherry bushes growing on the edge of the trail. Chokecherries are edible, and they are similar to plums in taste. Some of them were ripe, so we all tasted the fruit. It was delicious! Apparently, birds, deer, squirrels, and even coyotes like them, too. We saw signs of all of those critters.

I hope we are able to go back and try Greyrock Mountain again someday. I want to finish the hike and see what it is like from the top. It was a pretty neat hike, and I'd like to see what the surroundings look like on a sunny day.

Annie and I are looking at the trail map and information board.

Annie taking in the view

Touring Houses in Fort Collins

2011-09-24T11:07:00.000-05:00

the first house we visited

We spent Tuesday of our trip to Fort Collins touring houses. We are not ready to buy yet, but we wanted to look so that we and our realtor could have a better idea of what we will want in a house when we are ready. It was a productive tour, and we definitely learned some things about Fort Collins real estate. Architecture is just not the same in Colorado as it is in the South. We missed the big porches, high ceilings, and that southern style of decor. However, it is nice in Fort Collins, and we will get used to it, I'm sure.

house # 2

Digger, an occupant of house # 2

At house number two a special greeter met us at the door. His name was Digger, as we discovered when we read the tag on his collar. Digger was a huge long-haired cat (The picture doesn't do his size justice.) with the sweetest personality. He let us hold him, rub his belly, and pet him. For the record, we did look at the house, too. It just wasn't as interesting as the cat. :)

one of the houses we toured

Get Service

2011-09-20T13:29:00.000-05:00

I know this isn't the next update on our trip, but this video has a powerful message. It really got me thinking, and I hope it does the same for you.

Our Hike to Lulu City and Little Yellowstone - Rocky Mountain National Park

2011-09-16T14:23:00.000-05:00

Our traditional photograph of the trail sign

On Monday, we rose early and met up with my cousin Sarah at Rocky Mountain National Park for the hike to Lulu City. We were all pretty excited about this hike, because we had heard good things about it on a hiker's blog.

The trail to Lulu City is fairly smooth and broad, and it climbs slowly and gently as it winds through its lovely scenery. Most of the hike follows the Colorado River, which is a small and unassuming stream at that point.

A pool alongside the river in the little mountain meadow

This little guy really wanted our lunches, but he couldn't quite get up the courage to come close. He would sneak up to within 2-3 feet of one of us, then dash away like mad.

We stopped for lunch here at the site of Lulu City. Lulu City was a small mining town in the 1800's, with a population of 200. Only a few logs from the foundations of two of the cabins are visible. We did see some of the silver-mining equipment along the trail, but it wasn't much. The views of the mountains and the Colorado River were splendid, however.

Another view from our lunch stop. That water was cold!

After lunch, we discussed the possibility of continuing on to Little Yellowstone Canyon. We had heard that it was worth seeing, and we were only a mile or so from it. The unanimous decision was to push on to Little Yellowstone, and we are very glad we did. It offered some interesting adventures.

Annie is making her way across the stream on the rocks. There is supposed to be a bridge here.

On the way up, we encountered a pair of hikers who informed us that, "The bridge is out, but it is easy to get across anyway." Well, the bridge was out- actually several bridges were out! During the spring snowmelt, the Colorado had experienced a flash flood that sent uprooted trees, boulders, rocks, and gravel down the river. The bridges could be seen in most cases, and we could even walk on them. The problem was that they pointed downstream instead of across. Not a big deal, though, because the same flood had left plenty of rocks to cross on. Nobody fell in, much to the disappointment of some of our party.

In this picture, you can see one of the "altered" bridges amid the debris. This must have been quite a flood.

Looking up Little Yellowstone Canyon

We made it to Little Yellowstone Canyon after a slightly more strenuous hike. It was well worth it, though we didn't obtain any pictures that do it justice. What you can see in the above photo is only half the depth of the canyon. Below the trees, it plunges down to the river in steep cliffs. We all walked out to the rim to get a better look. Annie and Sarah sat right on the edge, and Daddy walked out there to see what he could see. Being afraid of heights, I didn't go quite so close. I did, however, get a fine view, and so did Momma.

The total mileage of our hike ended up slightly over 10 miles, and we were pretty tired at the end. Daddy took us to eat at a restaurant in Grand Lake, which was near our trailhead. The food was great, but we'd have enjoyed it even if it wasn't. Momma, Daddy, and I each got a burger, Sarah had a grilled salmon sandwich, and Annie ordered a salad. Mmmm! Before we headed back to Fort Collins, we found a coffee shop. Perfect.

Fort Collins: Horsetooth Reservoir

2011-09-15T21:01:00.000-05:00

On Sunday, after we visited a nice church in Fort Collins, we decided to go out to Horsetooth Reservoir County Park to take a little stroll. Horsetooth is just a few minutes outside of Fort Collins, and it is a lovely place. The reservoir is large and scenic, and there were many boats on it while we were there. It is surrounded by land with beautiful hiking opportunities, and last time we were in Fort Collins we did a real hike there. On this trip, we contented ourselves with a 1.2 mile walk down to the reservoir and back.

The weather was cool, sunny, and breezy. People were out on the water, skiing, swimming, tubing, and sitting on party barges. It looked like lots of fun. We sat under the tree in the above picture to watch the action on the water.

The photo above gives you an idea of the terrain in Horsetooth Park and the area around Fort Collins. I think it is a beautiful sight.

The American Quarter Horse Museum

2011-09-13T20:01:00.000-05:00

On the way up to Fort Collins, we stopped at the American Quarter Horse Museum in Amarillo, TX. Being Quarter Horse lovers and owners, we really enjoyed exploring the museum! In front of the building were displayed several larger-than-life bronze statues of different riding disciplines and horses influential to the breed. They were beautiful, and we had fun studying the details and reading the plaques at their bases.

This is the statue that greeted us as we entered the museum. This larger-than-life sculpture depicts the ideal Quarter Horse. (We thought it resembled our gelding, Rusty.)

We enjoyed our visit to the museum, but not only because of its horsey theme. The building is truly beautiful with its stone columns, stained wood, and soaring ceiling. An extra special part of our tour was that the annual "America's Horse in Art" exhibit and show was on display at the time. I saw so many pieces that I wanted to take home with me, but they were all too expensive. :(

There was a grand hall (pictured above) with photographs of all the equine and human hall-of-fame inductees displayed along the side walls. We found many of our horses' ancestors in the hall of fame. On the floor, the foundation bloodlines of the Quarter Horse breed were mapped out in a giant chart on which I had fun tracing out Poco's ancestry.

There were displays from the Quarter Horse's colorful history on both floors, including a fully equipped chuck wagon and many saddles of various styles, ages, and functions. The timeline for the breed, with pictures and interesting facts, was fascinating to me.

The museum had a large children's room with interactive exhibits to help teach kids about horses. It had booths with grooming tools, saddles, feed, and horse videos. Even though I am not a child, I admit to having fun with all of it. But of course, I am pretty horsey. ;)

I am so thankful that we were able to see the museum. I didn't think I would ever get the chance to do so, and it more than met my expectations. If you are ever passing through Amarillo, I would definitely recommend touring the American Quarter Horse Museum.

We are back!

2011-09-11T19:47:00.000-05:00

I know, I told you all that I would post updates throughout our trip to Colorado. However, as always, we crammed our days full of activities and had little time for such things. Momma did take lots of pictures, so I will post all about the trip as soon as I get settled again.

It was a lot of fun, and we did lots of exploring. I can't wait to show you all that we saw!

Upcoming Trip to Colorado

2011-08-30T17:22:00.000-05:00

On Friday, we are heading out on a business/vacation trip to Colorado. On the way up, we are going to stop by the American Quarter Horse Museum in Amarillo, TX. Then we'll continue through Denver, where we will meet up with my cousin Sarah and visit her new home. We'll then drive to Fort Collins and spend several days there hiking, touring houses, getting familiar with the area, and enjoying ourselves. After that, we are heading to Colorado Springs for a little fun and exploration. Daddy has planned a ride on the cog railroad up to Pike's Peak, and we are also going to visit a place called the Garden of the Gods. It should all be very interesting!

We have spent the past few days preparing for our trip. Ms. Rae and Ms. Carol will care for the animals as usual, with help from some other friends of ours. It is easier to set the horses up when there are only four of them. However, we do have two rather fragile critters this time. Rusty is really struggling with his heaves, and Abby has a brain tumor. We are trusting the Lord that all will go well while we are away.

The hotels in which we are planning to stay all have free wireless internet, so I am hoping to be able to post updates during our trip. Momma has promised to take an abundance of pictures.

Four Caterwauling Cats and Their Difficult Morning

2011-08-17T15:45:00.002-05:00

Today Momma, Annie, and I took our four cats to the vet for their annual vaccines and checkup. We decided to take all of them at once to avoid the extra time spent on two trips, but we forgot one minor detail: we only have three cat carriers.

The time of departure arrived. I don't know about your cats, but ours know what a carrier means. "A trip to the vet!! Everykitty scatter and hide!" We knew that would be the case, so we had brought all our furry critters inside and closed all the bedrooms (the best cat hideouts) earlier in the morning. We hauled out the carriers and grabbed cats in one smooth move. Spunkabitty protested, but he found himself stuffed unceremoniously into his large carrier anyway. Resistance is futile on vet day.

Momma had decided that we should put Aaron, Flea, and Bitty in our three carriers and let Nancy Drew ride free in the car with us. The plan was to put Nancy in a cardboard box when we arrived at the vet's office. Nancy wasn't too concerned about her ride in the car. She kept looking out the window and climbing around among the seats. The chorus of distressed meows from the other three cats was loud and persistent.

When we made it to the vet's office, I located Nancy and placed her in her box. As I left the car, I realized this wasn't going to be an easy job. Nancy suddenly popped her little fuzzy grey head out of her conveyance and tried to hop out. No, you don't! I shoved her back inside and held the top of the box firmly, but I could hear her rattling around in there.

Once inside the waiting area, which we thankfully had to ourselves, I told Momma that our plan wasn't going to work. We made Nancy and Aaron trade places, and Momma actually held Aaron in her lap most of the time.

In the end, all the cats got their shots and checkups, and they were all pretty healthy. We are thankful for that and for the fact that they (and we) all survived and made it home. And they have forgiven us for what we did to them this morning, as well.

By the way, next time we go to Wal-mart, guess what we are purchasing? Another cat carrier. :)

This Particular Adventure

2011-08-12T18:11:00.002-05:00

Our family has some big news. God has prompted us through many circumstances to leave our little Southern home and move to Colorado! We are calling our endeavor "this particular adventure" (T.P.A.).How did this happen?

This particular idea started with us all dreaming out loud about where we would like to live if we could live anywhere in the U.S. We talked about Montana and Wyoming, but soon the conversation turned to Colorado. As the days went by after our discussion, the idea persisted. We began to realize that God had put this dream in our hearts and minds, and we started researching the area. Soon it became clear that we should head in that direction, so we took a trip to the city in which we will live.

In the meantime, I was feeling God's direction to continue to learn about horses so that I can use them for His glory. I found out that Colorado State University, located in "our" city, has the best equine science program in the country, and it offers courses in everything I want to learn. I am going to enroll there after we move.

Annie is not yet sure what she is going to pursue in Colorado. She is still praying, thinking, and researching her options. She is looking forward to taking her Pit Bull, Bunny, to Colorado and hiking/walking with her. Bunny is learning to have manners and be a civilised doggie in preparation for her new city lifestyle.

The city and surrounding area are lovely, and there are abundant biking, walking, and hiking opportunities. The city is just one hour from Rocky Mountain National Park! We love to hike and backpack, so we're rather excited about that.

We feel that it is important to be part of a solid, bible-believing church. On our exploratory trip, we visited a church that seems to be the type we will be looking for. The members were quite welcoming and friendly.

One of the sad and difficult parts of our move preparations is that we are in the process of selling our sweet horses. Since we'll be moving into the city, we'll have no place for them. The transition would be hard on them, anyway. God blessed us with a wonderful home for Buddy and Jack with an equine veterinarian, and some friends of ours are praying about taking one or more of our remaining four. Parting with our special pets is hard to do. I think we have all cried about it, and I know I'll cry more before the whole thing is over.

I am especially concerned about my old mare, Poco. She is going to be a challenge to re-home. She can no longer be ridden, and I don't know if she could be used for breeding. Poco really needs a quiet pasture and a person who has no expectations of being able to do something with her. That could be difficult to find, and I have to remind myself that nothing is impossible with God. Does anyone have any ideas?

Right now, we are getting everything lined up so that when it is time to move we will be ready. We are planning to put our house up for sale in January, and we want to have the horses and everything else we are selling gone by then. We have already had a garage sale, and I have put several items up on Craigslist. All these preparation are exciting!

I will try to do a better job keeping my blog updated from now on, but who knows? It is getting pretty crazy over here...

Inspiring Ride 2

2011-07-09T09:10:00.001-05:00

This is video number two. Stacy Westfall is a Christian woman, homeschooling mother, and partner in a horse training business with her husband. In this video, she is the first person to ever compete in reining while riding bareback and bridleless. It is amazing! I'd love to do this someday (perhaps not in front of a big crowd, though).

Inspiring Ride 1

2011-07-08T14:51:00.000-05:00

In my pursuit of horse information and such, I have come across several videos of horses and their riders doing various things. Two, however, stand out to me as excellent examples of the amazing things a human can achieve with a horse. The above video is one of them.

I'd love to be able to ride a horse like Moorlands Totilas with the skill and precision displayed by Edward Gal. Maybe someday I will gain the knowledge to do so. In the meantime, I can enjoy just watching performances such as this one.

Tomorrow I'll post the other video, which I actually think is better and more inspiring. I know that few (if any) of my readers will be as interested in this as I am, but I did want to share, anyway. :)

Happy Independence Day!

2011-07-04T20:22:00.000-05:00

How did you spend yours?

We had friends over this morning to ride horses. They arrived at about 8:30 and stayed until almost noon. I had a great time supervising rides for the children and watching the adults ride, as well. Pegasus was the noble steed of the day, and he thoroughly enjoyed his job. He has learned that he likes to give rides.

Then I settled down on the couch with a new book to read. Daddy took a long nap, and Momma and Annie were busy in other parts of the house. It was quiet and peaceful, and I especially enjoyed having my sweet doggy snoring at my feet.

Momma and I ventured out into the jungle (otherwise known as the watermelon patch), and I hunted for ripe melons. The rewards for our labors were two huge Ali Baba watermelons, two little Golden Midget watermelons, and a French Charentais cantaloupe. We brought them all inside and immediately sliced one of the big melons up for supper. It was delicious! We fed the melon rinds to the horses, who expressed slobbery delight over their treat.

After supper, we were seated in the living room talking when we were charmed to hear the clear call of the bobwhite. We had never heard this bird on our property before, so we all enjoyed the experience.

Now we are preparing for bed so that we can play a game together this evening. The game we will play has not been decided upon yet, but we are discussing Mexican Train dominoes, Hearts, Spades, or Pictionary.

Another Day at the Pond

2011-06-01T21:41:00.001-05:00

We are on our way to the pond!

In the pond together

One Sunday, our whole family went back to our neighbor's pond for more water adventures. Annie rode Buddy again, I rode Poco, and Daddy rode Jack. Momma was with us, too, but she didn't ride. I am beginning to think she doesn't want to get wet ... However, she did take lots of pictures.

Poco and I were swimming

Poco is a great, confident water horse. She marched right in and went swimming with me. Her previous owner told me once that she used to take Poco swimming and use her for a diving board. After the fun I had riding Poco on Sunday, I can definitely picture that.

Daddy didn't take Jack into the water, because he had his saddle on. Daddy has never ridden bareback, and Jack wasn't about to get into the pond without quite a bit of convincing. Daddy was afraid that something might go wrong. He did take Jack for a gallop across our neighbor's big, open pasture, and they both seemed to enjoy their run. Jack can sure stretch out and run, and he is really fast!

Daddy and Jack

After Daddy had ridden Jack for a while, and Poco had become bored with the pond, I stripped off Jack's saddle and rode him to the edge of the water. Several minutes later, after many attempts, Jack hopped/slid boldly into the pond. To his surprise, he liked the water. Jack amused himself by dunking his whole muzzle into the water up to his eyes and blowing bubbles. Then he pawed and splashed a bit. I decided it was time to try the deep end, so we headed that way. I was a little worried that I was about to repeat Annie's experience of the first day, but Jack did quite well. He always has to do things differently than the other horses, so he didn't swim at all. Instead, he let his legs hang limp and floated, bobbing up and down with the movement of the water. He makes a good raft. We drifted over where his hooves could touch the bottom, and he waded out of the water. Good boy, Jack!

Jack likes to stick his nose in the water and splash!

In the meantime, Annie and Buddy had an adventure again. As I was walking Poco out of the pond, she stepped in a patch of soft mud and made a hole. Buddy, who was following right behind her, got one of his legs stuck in the hole and jumped to get free. As he did so, -well, I'll just let you see what happened by watching the video!

Ginger's Big Day

2011-05-25T22:23:00.000-05:00

For the past several weeks, we have brought Ginger to GaitWay along with the grown-up horses. We have done this for two reasons: 1) Ginger needed experience with going new places and doing new things. 2) We had hopes that someday Ginger could do GaitWay as well. Last time we went to GaitWay, I even rode Ginger around in the arena, and she did quite well.

Today at GaitWay a very exciting thing happened (in my opinion). Ginger was used in one of the therapeutic riding lessons! We explained to Grace, Ginger's rider, that this was her first time to give a therapy ride, and that the little girl needed to be gentle and quiet with her. Grace enjoyed her ride on "Princess Gingersnap" and they did a lot of fun things together. They walked, trotted, played a game called Red Light, Green Light, tossed beanbags into a bucket, and had a short trail ride at the end of the lesson. After Grace dismounted, she fed Ginger a carrot. Now, Ginger has always refused to eat carrots in the past, with only one exception, a carrot fed by a little girl called Lyla. I fully expected her to refuse Grace's carrot, but she accepted it and ate it. I guess that Ginger only eats carrots from little girls...

Swimming with the Horses!

2011-05-23T20:27:00.000-05:00

Into the pond we go!

Our neighbor down the road has a lovely pond that is clean and free of obstacles. It is the perfect place to go swimming with one's horse on a hot summer day, and we gained permission to play there recently. Annie and I took Buddy and Peg to the pond for a swim on Saturday afternoon. Momma drove over with us to take pictures and see the fun, and the dogs went with her. We had a wonderful time.

This was our first time to actually swim with the horses, although we have gone wading with them several times. We rode bareback and with halters, and all four of us (Buddy, Peg, Annie, and I) got quite wet. Bunny the Pit Bull, who loves to swim and wallow in the mud, thought it was fun that we finally joined her in the water. She became extremely excited and jumped and splashed around in the shallows.

Peg has reached the deep water, and he is swimming. Buddy is still walking.

Peg loves to swim, and he is very good at it. We spent lots of time in the pond. Buddy thought it was fun, too, and he got a little overconfident. He forgot that he had never been in deep water before, and he rushed Annie out into the swimming area. Then....

Oh, no!

When Buddy's feet could no longer touch, he lunged forward and slipped. Annie flew onto his neck, grabbed it, and slid off sideways, pulling him off balance. She ended up accidentally dunking his head under the water.

"I'm getting out of here!" says Buddy. "I've got water in my ears!"

Buddy decided that he was through with Annie riding him in the pond. He swam out of there without waiting to see if she was okay, and she had to swim out alone. Meanwhile, Peg was just a-swimmin'. (I think he was laughing at Buddy.)

Try, try again

Annie was able to convince Buddy that she didn't duck him on purpose, and they enjoyed the rest of the afternoon in the pond.

"Sorry, Buddy."

How time flies!

2011-05-18T19:42:00.000-05:00

I looked up and realized that I have not posted in a very long time. So much has been happening in our family lately that I am going to have to write a longer post soon. However, for now I'll give a bit of a quick update.

Ginger's hoof problem is entirely healed now, and her training is progressing well. I am able to ride her outside of the roundpen now, and a friend came over and rode her all over our property, the neighbors' property, and down the road on Monday. Ginger gave her first pony-rides to children yesterday and seemed to really enjoy it.

I was able to plant our summer garden, and it is looking great! I am happy with how my plants are doing, and I haven't let the weeds take over yet.... I planted tomatoes, peppers, eggplant, squash, zucchini, cucumbers, greenbeans, melons, basil, marigolds, and zinnias.

Daddy is very busy at work. He has been working so hard, and we hope things quiet down at the office soon.

We took a week-long trip to Fort Collins, CO a few weeks ago. It was a lovely time, and the weather was beautiful there. We were able to hike a little bit, and we had a good time together exploring the city. I'll write more about that later.

Speaking of weather, it has been pretty nice here lately. The highs have been in the 70s and the lows in the 40s. Weather like that makes me want to be outside all day long!

Hoof Woes

2011-04-07T11:28:00.000-05:00

This morning I found myself in an all-too-familiar position: holding the lead of a pinto horse and watching as the vet hunted for a hoof abscess. However, one part of the situation was very different, because this time my unfortunate pinto friend was a little, frightened filly. Gingersnap. Poor girl, she had a trying morning. Her leg hurt, she had to ride all alone in the trailer (her fourth time to ever ride in a trailer), there were lots of dogs barking at her when we arrived, a strange horse stared at her, and the vet squeezed, poked, and pared away at her hoof and administered a tetanus shot. She was quite well-behaved in spite of everything and only jumped twice. The vet said Ginger was a very good little girl.

Ginger doesn't actually have a hoof abscess, but she does have a deep puncture wound in her hoof. Dr. Beauchamp told us that Ginger's injury would certainly have developed into an abscess had we not caught it early. I am going to be changing hoof bandages and soaking her hoof for the next five days, but after that Ginger should be fine. We are thoroughly prepared to take care of this, because we still have all the supplies left over from Peg's ordeal.

Ginger's training has gone remarkably well so far. She can have her feet trimmed, she accepts being sprayed with fly spray, she will wear a blanket, she loads well, is easy to catch, groom, saddle, and mount, she willingly walks off on cue, stops, backs up, turns, and we are working on the trot right now. I have also started hobbling her. It usually takes Ginger about five to ten minutes to learn a new skill or accept a new item. She is really smart, and she has a lot of trust. I am looking forward to seeing what she will do as she advances in her training.

2011-03-31T10:15:00.002-05:00

Your Mission

by Daniel March, D.D.

Hark, the voice of Jesus crying,

"Who will go and work today?

Fields are white and harvest waiting!

Who will bear the sheaves away?"

Loud and strong the Master calleth,

Rich reward he offers thee;

Who will answer gladly saying,

"Here am I; send me, send me!"

If you cannot cross the ocean,

And the heathen lands explore;

You can find the heathen nearer,

You can help them at your door.

If you cannot give your thousands,

You can give the widow's mite;

And the least you do for Jesus,

Will be precious in his sight.

If you cannot speak like angels;

If you cannot preach like Paul;

You can tell the love of Jesus,

You can say he died for all.

If you cannot rouse the wicked

With the judgement's dread alarms,

You can lead the little children

To the Saviour's waiting arms.

If you cannot be the watchman

Standing high of Zion's wall,

Pointing out the path to heaven,

Offering life and peace to all;

With your prayers and with your bounties

You can do what heaven demands;

You can be like faithful Aaron,

Holding up the prophet's hands.

If among the older people,

You may not be apt to teach;

"Feed my lambs," said Christ, our Shepherd,

"Place the food within their reach."

And it may be that the children

You have led with trembling hand,

Will be found among your jewels

When you reach the better land.

Let none hear you idly saying,

"There is nothing I can do,"

While the souls of men are dying,

And the Master calls for you.

Take the task he gives you gladly;

Let his work your pleasure be;

Answer quickly when he calleth,

"Here am I; send me, send me!"

A Trip to Destin, Florida

2011-03-22T12:24:00.000-05:00

Last week, Momma's sister and her kids Ricky, Erin, Wes, Jake, and Luke came down from their home in Oklahoma to visit us. They stayed a few days, and then Momma, Annie, and I went with them on a short vacation in Destin. We haven't been to the beach since I was quite small, so I was excited.

My aunt had rented a condominium in Sandestin Golf and Beach Resort, and we all stayed there. The condo was nice, and it happened to be on the top floor. Thus, it was very quiet, and we had a marvelous view of the beach and the ocean.

We played in the water (The water temperature was about 65 degrees), kayaked on the bay side, went biking, ate seafood, shopped a little bit, and just enjoyed being with one another. Every morning, Momma, Annie, my cousin Jake, and I got up early and went down to the beach to have our time with God, see the sunrise, feed the seagulls, and hunt for shells. As it warmed up, the whole group of us would put on our swimsuits and wade into the surf. I am not a particularly good swimmer, so I never strayed too far out from shore. My cousin Ricky likes to hunt for critters in the water, and he came up with some pretty neat things. We caught a puffer fish, a starfish, two large crabs, and many lovely shells, and also saw jellyfish (We have the marks of their stings to remember them by!) and a small stingray that my cousin Erin accidentally stepped on while wading.

Kayaking was lots of fun. We rented three boats for an hour, and three people went into each boat. Annie and Jake were in the boat with me, and Momma, Auntie, and Luke were in another. Ricky, Erin, and Wes took the last boat. No one flipped their boat, and no one fell out, but we got quite wet. Momma's boat kept colliding with mine, which we thought was funny.

One evening, we went to the bay side, where a band was performing Celtic music (my favorite), and we also got to watch some Irish dancing. It was very good, as both the dancers and the musicians were skillful and talented. I really like Irish dance, and the performance had me wanting to join in and dance, too. After watching for a while, we stopped by Starbucks for coffee. It was delicious.

We really enjoyed our trip and our visit with our cousins. We don't get to be with them often, so this was a special time. I discovered that I really like the beach, and I hope we get to do this again someday.

Annie looks out over the ocean from our 21st story condominium as fog from the bay drifts between the buildings.

The ocean at sunset

The setting moon

Luke enjoyed playing in the sand.

We had fun biking together on the resort.

Ricky caught a puffer fish.

We went down to the beach at sunset almost every evening.

Ginger's First Ride

2011-02-21T16:24:00.000-06:00

This afternoon, I rode Gingersnap for the first time. We took our time grooming and saddling up. I wanted to create a very relaxed mood and make sure Ginger was thoroughly comfortable with me and with her saddle. She was a good girl, and she took everything well. Momma and Annie came out to watch us and take pictures for me.

Saddling up

We moved into the round pen for some longeing and groundwork. Ginger showed her bronco side for a brief second during her longeing session with a few fancy moves, but she quickly settled back down. I put the bit in her mouth and worked her with it for a little while, and then I decided it was time to mount up.

I stood in the stirrup several times, then swung my leg over Ginger's back and settled into the saddle. She was as calm as she could be, and she stood perfectly still. I tried to get her to walk on by bumping her with my legs, but I changed my mind and decided to use the rein instead. I picked up my right rein and held slight pressure until Ginger stepped to the right. I then did the same to the left. We worked on that for a bit, and then I noticed the neighbor's dog sneaking around in the bushes adjacent to the round pen. Ginger thinks that dog is fun to run and buck with. I didn't want to end our first ride by being bucked off, nor did I want Ginger to have a scare on her first ride. Since we had done so well and achieved our goal of a safe first ride, I dismounted.

After our ride

We continued to do a bit of groundwork, and after a while we called it a day. I took Ginger back to the barn, removed her saddle, and hosed the sweat off of her coat. I am very pleased with Ginger's behavior. She remained so calm and happy throughout our ride, and and she almost went to sleep after I dismounted. She is such a sweetie. I can't wait to ride her again. God really blessed us with safe and pleasant training session. Ginger is a true gift from Him.

The Best Dog

2011-02-17T19:18:00.001-06:00

My precious Abby

I have been inspired to write in praise of my dog, Abby. In my opinion, Abby is the very best dog in the world. For those who don't know her, she is a 12-year-old Golden Retriever. Abby is my loyal sidekick, and her loyalty and desire to protect us is sweet. She is my faithful companion wherever I walk, and she never fails to be with me as I go about my outside tasks for the day.

During the summer, Abby stalks ahead of us into the blackberry patch and warns us of the presence of snakes. It is understood that all the blackberries on Abby's level belong to her. She eats quite a few berries in the path of duty.

Abby is always patient with the young folks who come her way. They can pull her fur, lay on her, and even cover her in sawdust, and she will never so much as growl. However, if they have food, she will relieve them of it. Abby considers it one of her duties to make sure that children on our property are supervised. She has been known to sit beside a stroller all afternoon, and she will walk around with the smallest child on the property.

I recently began running for exercise on a path encircling our land, and Abby does her very best to accompany me. She delights in being with me, and I love having her by my side, though she tires quickly.

She is gentle with our pesky cats, and she will even defend them from other cats if needed. Abby has developed a particularly close bond with our oldest cat, Aaron. You can often catch them napping together in the sunshine. Abby is fond of rough-housing with her little sidekick, Bunny. They play hard, and they are good friends.

Abby is also a good watchdog. She is good at alerting us to "intruders." Once we tell Abby that a visitor is friendly, she greets them ecstatically, but if a stranger approaches Abby puts on her scary dog face and barks and growls.

I cannot imagine what it would be like without that dog. She is such a big part of my day, such a constant furry friend. Sometimes, we allow her into the house, and she and I both enjoy that. Abby is very good company. If I call her name, she wags her tail and looks at me.

As far as I am concerned, there is no better dog anywhere. I think Abby is great, and when the sad day comes, I hope I can find another dog half as good as she is. Abby leaves love in my heart... and hair all over the floor. What more can I say? Abby, I love you!!

An Update on Ginger's Progress and Other Things

2011-02-10T14:59:00.001-06:00

Our little project horse, Ginger, is doing well with us, and we have definitely become attached to her. I am currently responsible for her care, and I just love her. I have always enjoyed the company of mares, and Ginger is one of the most demonstrative horses I have ever met.

We are all anxiously awaiting shedding season and its effect on our little painted hairball. I think Ginger will be a lovely little mare when she finally loses her winter woollies. Of course, we think she's pretty now...

In about three weeks, we'll be able to ride Ginger for the first time. Her training has gone very well up to this point. Annie and I have done some groundwork with the bit and bridle, and Ginger is quite accepting of her training sessions. She can be saddled up, and she is comfortable with a rider standing up in one stirrup and even leaning over her back.

Our garden is not very presentable at the moment. As usual, the weather this time of year has turned everything into thick mud. We can't get out there to weed, so there are quite a few "extras" in among the desirable plants. However, the strawberries are doing well and blooming, which means we have to be out there covering them every time it freezes. I am looking forward to reaping the fruits of our labors come spring. I am planning for our summer garden, and I have had great success with my seed-starting efforts this year.

I started the program of study to become a NARHA certified therapeutic riding instructor, and I am really enjoying it. Another girl is studying with me, and I am sure we will be good friends. I'll have to pass a riding test to be certified, so I need a few riding lessons. Peg and I need to improve our skills.

Speaking of Peg, he had been diagnosed with arthritis in his knees, hocks, and fetlocks. The vet should be able to treat him and make him as good as new, which is such a blessing. Peg did make a complete recovery from his hoof abscess, and I started him on his first allergy shots about a week ago. He is taking that very well.

Annie is going to the Symphony this evening with her piano teacher. She is excited, and I know she'll enjoy it. It should be a memorable experience.

Driver's License Woes

2011-02-02T07:32:00.000-06:00

On Monday afternoon, Momma and I went to town so I could take the driving test and obtain my driver's license. Momma asked me if I was nervous, and I told her that I wouldn't become nervous until I was actually starting the test. I was confident that I would pass the test, since I have been driving quite a bit.

When I walked into the DMV office, I found that I would be tested by a lady who hadn't been particularly nice to me in the past. In fact, she is rather gruff. We headed out to our SUV, and I got into the driver's seat. I promptly became very nervous, and I fumbled around with the keys. My car companion wasn't helping me feel any better. However, when I commenced driving, my nervousness quickly diminished. It wasn't too hard, after all. I attempted conversation with the lady sitting beside me, but she didn't answer.

As we pulled back into the DMV parking lot, I heaved a sigh of relief. I thought I had done pretty well, though I did not perform as well as I do with Momma or Daddy in the car. Then came the crushing blow.

I was told that I lacked confidence, and that I had made a mistake right at the end without knowing it. I was told that I had not passed, and the lady thought I ought to wait a month before I took the test over again. I don't always take criticism very well, and I have to admit that I began to cry. I was so disappointed. The lady immediately became much more friendly and tried to comfort me.

After I managed to stop crying so hard, I drove to the pharmacy so that Momma could pick up some prescriptions. Yesterday I drove all over the city of Zachary in the rain without any problems. I am an able driver, as long as I am not nervous with that lady in the car.

My motto is going to be "try, try again." I think I will take the test over again in a week or so. It can't be any worse than it was on Monday!

Happy Birthday, Annie!

2011-01-22T07:35:00.000-06:00

Today is my sister Annie's birthday. This afternoon, we are all going into town to enjoy some birthday activities together. Annie wants to go shopping at Bass Pro, the Backpacker, Massey Outfitters, and Whole Foods. We are planning to go to Zoe's Kitchen for dinner. I am looking forward to an afternoon of spending time with my sis.

Happy birthday, Annie!

Goodbye, Macaroni

2011-01-17T13:18:00.000-06:00

No, not the noodles! My title refers to a sweet old therapy horse who was a vital part of GaitWay at its other location. Mac was a 26 year-old palomino quarter horse with a lovely disposition. He carried many riders and was gentle, patient, and friendly to all. Mac even took one of his favorite riders to the Special Olympics in 2010.

Macaroni always struggled to keep weight on, and towards the end of December he was ailing. Ms. Shelley decided to retire Mac, and she began to look for a good home for him. However, on Thursday it was noticed that our old friend was in trouble. He couldn't keep his balance. Mac couldn't stand still or walk a straight line, and he was at a high risk of falling down and being unable to get up. He spent the night in the equine ICU at the vet school, but he was worse on Friday. The difficult decision was made to euthanize Macaroni, and he was put to sleep on Friday afternoon.

Macaroni will really be missed at GaitWay. He was one of the two horses used at the St. Gabriel location, and his co-worker is due to have a foal in May. She will be off on maternity leave for several months after her baby is born. GaitWay is now looking for a new quarter horse to take Mac's place. That horse will have some big shoes to fill.

Goodbye, Mac. We love you!

One more Peg update :)

2011-01-12T10:02:00.000-06:00

Here I am again, to let everyone know the latest news on my equine trouble-magnet. Our horseshoer came yesterday to trim Peg's feet and nail on some new shoes. He was able to trim out almost all of the hole left by that nasty abscess, and Peg is officially healed. After about three months of battling his hoof problem, I am so grateful that it is over. In six weeks the horseshoer will return to remove Peg's shoes, and Peg will be able to go barefoot once more. Hopefully he'll stay away from broken glass in future.

Some time ago, I had an allergy test run on Peg, because he is exhibiting signs of heaves, a condition similar to asthma. Jack and Rusty also have heaves, and after testing them, we were able to put them on allergy shots. It really helped those two, so we decided to do the same with Peg.

I received a copy of Peg's test yesterday, and he has a really long list of allergies. Among other things, he is allergic to bermudagrass, ragweed, and goldenrod. Poor guy! Hopefully we will be able to get him started on his shots soon, and he will be helped by the treatment. We want to start the shots before summer, which is when his allergies become apparent, so that he will have a chance to build some immunity to his allergens. Please pray that this treatment works as well for Peg as it has for Jack.

UFO? Hmmm...

2011-01-12T09:44:00.001-06:00

Last night, Annie and I went out to feed the horses well after dark. I had fed Peg and Poco, and I was hurrying out to feed Ginger. Annie was in the back pasture putting blankets on Rusty, Buddy, and Jack. Suddenly, the northern sky was lit up by a ball of blue and orange flame. It fell rapidly across the sky and disappeared at the treeline. I stood in the middle of the pasture for a moment, awed and a bit frightened by what I had witnessed. Ginger was staring up at the sky in bewilderment, but she quickly forgot the strange sight in the more important task at hand: getting my attention so I'd feed her.

Annie didn't see the fireball itself, but she did see the flash of light. We spent a few minutes speculating about what had caused the fireball. When we went inside, we told Momma and Daddy what we had seen.

So, readers, do you have any guesses as to what it was? Any help in finding answers will be greatly appreciated. We are very curious about our UFO.

Trail Ride at Bogue Chitto State Park

2011-01-04T09:15:00.000-06:00

Daddy took Annie and me on a long trail ride at a new horse trail in Bogue Chitto State Park on Saturday. When the trail is complete it will be about 14 miles long, but it has 10 miles of trails currently. We rode all 10 miles and really enjoyed it. The scenery was lovely, with lots of open pine woods and hills. Our trail was muddy, but it was novice-friendly. The footing was good and smooth, and the many hills weren't too steep for comfort. We encountered one deep stream crossing where the water came up to the saddle girths, but our horses took it well.

Of course, Daddy rode Jack, and Annie was mounted on Buddy. I took Poco, which was neat because I have not had the opportunity to trail ride on her in the almost five years that I have owned her. She immediately took the lead and was in front for the whole ride. I had a wonderful time riding Poco, but there was one drawback. I needed both hands to ride my fireball, therefore I could not take pictures. That is why I can't display examples of the scenery. Maybe next time...

I'm Back!

2010-12-30T14:05:00.000-06:00

We drove up to Oklahoma to visit Momma's family for Christmas. It was a whirlwind trip. We left early on Thursday morning and returned on Sunday. It was so good to see everyone and spend time together. Annie and I hoped for a big snowstorm so that we could play in the snow, but the weather didn't oblige us. Annie did report a few snow flurries on Christmas morning.

When we arrived home on Sunday evening, chaos greeted us. The cats had stayed in the house while we were gone, and they made the most of their unsupervised time with the Christmas decorations. Ornaments had been ripped from the tree and shredded on the floor. Some kitty sat in the middle of a potted poinsettia and squished it. We found some of our miniature ornaments hidden under the couch, and there were little paw prints all over the forbidden tables and counters. I suppose the cats got bored...

On the Tuesday before our trip, we had a little girl over to ride the horses. I put her on Peg, and we went for a pony ride all over the property. Afterwards, I was cleaning out Peg's feet when I noticed a nail protruding from the sole of his back left hoof! I groaned inwardly, because he is just recovering from the abscess in his back right hoof. I removed the nail, which turned out to be the axle and one wheel from a little toy car, of all things. I knew that I needed to act quickly to avoid another abscess, so I called the vet. He told me to administer an intramuscular tetanus shot, put Peg on antibiotics, and soak his hoof daily (we are getting lots of practice with that). I called my good friend Rebecca to ask her to pray for Peg, since I wouldn't be able to soak him while I was in OK. She saved the day by offering to come and take care of my boy during my absence. It takes a good friend to come and care for your horse on Christmas day! I was so thankful. Peg seems to be fine, and I don't think the puncture will affect him at all. We are, however, learning that Peg is a trouble magnet.

A broken fence and the demise of a wheelbarrow

2010-12-09T11:54:00.000-06:00

Yesterday was a day of mishaps and adventures. Since the weather report called for snow/rain during the night on Tuesday, we brought the horses into the barn for the night. It didn't rain or snow, but we slept better knowing that we wouldn't need to go out and bring the horses in if it did. The natural result was a set of five dirty stalls in the morning.  I set about the job of mucking out my assigned three stalls, but I filled the wheelbarrow after cleaning the first two. Our wheelbarrow is old and cranky, and it is fond of having low air in its tires when one needs to push it a long way with a heavy load. Yesterday morning was no different. I was supposed to dump my load in the garden, but I decided I would not make it that far. I pushed the wheelbarrow to the compost bins behind the barn and tilted it forward to unload its contents. Crack!! The wheelbarrow body separated from its base.  The other three stalls have not been able to be cleaned yet. We are waiting for our wheelbarrow to be repaired by our handyman Daddy.

Out in the pasture, Annie turned Ginger out with Buddy and Jack. Ginger's Coggins test came back on Monday, and it was negative.  That means she is able to be with our other horses, and we don't have to worry about the infectious disease called EIA. Ginger was having a wonderful time with her new friends, and Buddy was being nice to her (surprisingly). Annie decided to play a game of chase with the horses, to give them a chance to interact. After a short period of fun and games, Jack got bossy and decided to exert his dominance over Ginger. They were all galloping along the fence line when Jack shoved his heavy, strong body against petite Ginger, forcing her through our three railed wooden fence. She broke some boards and knocked a 4x4 post loose as she went through it. This left Ginger on the outside of the fence, running loose on our property. She was excited and nervous. Thankfully, she ran into her own pasture, and I closed the gate. Annie caught Jack, who was fascinated with the hole he had made in the fence. He went into horsey time out in his stall, and we put Buddy in the pasture with his new friend. We were blessed by God, because Ginger was unharmed by her experience. Now Daddy also has to fix the fence.

We took the horses to GaitWay early yesterday afternoon, and we brought Jack along. Annie and Daddy rode him in the indoor arena before GaitWay's first lesson, and he was really well behaved. It was his first time to ride in an indoor arena, and only his second time to ride in any arena. Jack is very good at being calm and level-headed in new places.

Today, we turned Ginger out with Buddy, Jack, Poco, and Rusty. We won't turn her out with Peg until his shoes are removed, because a kick with shod hooves can seriously injure a horse. So far, all has gone well in the pasture. Nobody is upset, and nobody has been pushed through the fence. Peg is sad that he is missing out on the fun.

Speaking of Peg, the farrier came out on Monday to trim all of the horses' feet. He said that Peg looks great, and I can turn him out in the pasture now. I have also been given the okay to begin exercising him again. I am so pleased! Ginger had her feet trimmed for the very first time on Monday, and she was a very well-behaved little girl. We are continuing to be happy with her, and we believe that her training should be fairly easy. She has an excellent temperament.

We are turning into quite the horsey family! They take up a good bit of our time, but it is well worth it (even when things don't go as planned).  I am thankful that God has provided us with so many ways to serve him through horses.

Number Six!

2010-11-25T10:58:00.000-06:00

Yesterday, a new horse arrived on our property. Her name is Gingersnap, and she is a three-year-old Paint filly. Ginger is a pretty sorrel, and she is a bit smaller than Buddy. Some friends of ours were kind enough to give her to us. Ginger will give Annie and me an opportunity to train a horse to ride, since she has never been ridden. Once she is trained, we hope to use her for GaitWay, teaching riding lessons, and Momma's trail horse.

Ginger, enjoying her bath

Ginger is as sweet as she can be. She hopped right on the trailer like a big girl when we brought her home. She leads, ties, and is easy to catch. Annie gave Ginger her first bath yesterday, and she quickly learned to stand still and enjoy it. With the aid of a big bottle of mineral oil, we were able to comb out some large knots in her tail and mane. Although we have not allowed any of our other horses to get close to her yet, two of them have already decided what they think of her. Buddy wants to beat her up, and Peg thinks she looks like a good friend for him. "Spotted horses should stick together!" is his attitude.

After the bath

A Report on the Missions Conference

2010-11-13T18:01:00.000-06:00

The missions conference gave us all renewed excitement about serving the Lord. It was encouraging, challenging, and inspiring. Quite a few missionaries from around the world were there, and they gave reports on their ministries. The two keynote speakers were Brother Bud Lance, a preacher from North Carolina, and Brother Bobby Harjo, a Native American missionary to the Navajo Indians. They both exhorted the young people to fully surrender to Christ and allow themselves to be used by Him. I could tell that Bro. Harjo especially had a burden for the young people.

When we arrived home, we found that Bunny had managed to eat the whole bottle of Abby's glucosamine joint tablets and had also shredded the bottle all over the yard. The cats are all going crazy because they were closed up in the house while we were away overnight, and the horses are a bit grouchy. Ah, life with animals!

The Missions Conference

2010-11-10T11:10:00.001-06:00

It seems that this fall has been busier than usual, but we planted our garden in spite of weather and lack of time. We have kale, collards, mustard greens, broccoli, cauliflower, turnips, scallions, garlic, sugar snap peas, lettuce, carrots, radishes, and strawberries. (And some weeds!) Daddy bought me a little rear-tine tiller, and I have been using it. It is a very helpful tool for the garden.

Tomorrow evening we are going to a Missions Conference at Trinity Baptist Church. It will be held tonight, tomorrow night, Friday night, and Saturday, with a church service on Sunday. Our family will only be there for Thursday, Friday, and Saturday. I am looking forward to it. Last year we were able to attend one night, and it was very interesting. I'll let you all know what we learn at the conference.

More about Pegasus

2010-11-10T09:09:00.000-06:00

Is everyone getting a little tired of hearing about poor Peg? You'll have to bear with me for one more post. On Monday Mr. Eric, our farrier, came and nailed on Peg's fancy treatment shoe. He also shod Peg's other back hoof so that both feet would be the same height. Peg wasn't happy when Mr. Eric started to nail the shoes on, but he tolerated it fairly well. I was thankful that he didn't make too big of a fuss, because this was his first time to wear shoes.

Peg's new shoe has a steel plate screwed to the bottom of it. I can unscrew it to apply medicines and take care of the site of the abscess, but it is well protected at other times. The time that it takes to care for Peg's injury has greatly decreased since he was fitted with the new shoe. Both Peg and I appreciate that.

Well, it wasn't his back.

2010-10-29T22:05:00.000-05:00

Peg hopped into the trailer early on Wednesday morning on three legs. He was very subdued on the way to the LSU vet school, but he perked up when he arrived. He thinks he is something special and always wants to show off when he is in a new environment. There was a lot of activity that morning. It would have been amusing to watch Peg's three-legged antics if I had not known how badly he was hurting. It takes a lot to lower his spirits, so he was behaving like his normal, bright self.

After doing a careful examination of Peg's back, Dr. McCauley decided that Peg's back was not the problem. He went on to look at the rest of Peg's body, and he especially looked at his right hind hoof, the lame one. It turned out to be the source of Peg's acute lameness. Peg has a recurrence of the abscess he had a few months ago. It was large and painful. Dr. McCauley had x-rays taken of the hoof in order to discover the extent of the cavity in Peg's foot. Thankfully, it was not too deep, and it had not penetrated into the delicate inner structures of the foot.

To make a long story short, Peg needs more soaking, wrapping, and care. He also needs a fancy shoe, so we will need to enlist our farrier's help. This time, we ordered a special soaking boot and a hoof protection boot, so I don't have to wrestle with Peg's foot anymore. He isn't sure he approves of that.

We will have to go back to the vet school after this abscess heals in order to diagnose the back/lameness issue. However, I am so thankful that my boy is not hurting like he was on Wednesday morning. Praise the Lord!

Back to the LSU Vet School

2010-10-26T15:19:00.002-05:00

Last time we went to the LSU vet school, we were rushing our little palomino gelding in for an emergency colic surgery. This time it isn't quite as dramatic.

Pegasus has not improved with his month of rest, and in fact he appears much worse. He hurts so badly that he can hardly hobble around, so we are taking him to the vet school for an examination tomorrow. We'll haul Buddy, Rusty, and Peg up to GaitWay in the morning, then continue on to the vet with Peg.

Please pray with us that the vet will be able to diagnose the problem and start the healing process. It is really hard to see Peg in such pain, but I am trusting God in this. I know He has a plan.

The Wood-burning Stove

2010-10-18T13:07:00.000-05:00

We got a wood-burning stove installed in our house this summer. I know, summer seems like an odd time to put a stove in one's house, but we wanted it to be ready for this fall and winter. Our house's previous owners had made a place in which to put a stove, so all we had to do was hire someone to do the actual installation. The stove looks really nice in its little niche. Daddy lit the first fires in it this past week. It wasn't so very cold, but we couldn't wait to try our new stove. We like it a lot, because it lights quickly and allows the firewood to burn well. Our house is going to be cozy this winter.

A Change of Plans

2010-10-18T12:46:00.000-05:00

We had Dr. Justin, our vet, out to do a routine procedure on Peg and Jack a little over two weeks ago. While he was here, I asked him to examine Peg's back. I had been noticing that Peg was sore and that one of his vertebrae appeared to be out of alignment, and I wanted to see what Dr. Justin would think of it. He palpated Peg's back and found that he is extremely sore. Dr. Justin has prescribed a month of rest for Peg, which means he cannot go to GaitWay or be ridden at all. I am missing my horsey friend, and I can't take him on trail rides for a while.

Hopefully the rest will give Peg's back a chance to heal, and he can go back to his normal schedule. I do not know what happened to make Peg so sore, but we are guessing that he fell hard while playing around in his pasture. If the rest period doesn't fix Peg's injured back, we'll have to look at other options.

In the meantime, Rusty is doing Peg's job at GaitWay. Rusty is very good at it, and the exercise will be beneficial to him. He is such a funny old guy, and he dislikes exercise in most forms. However, the work at GaitWay is his kind of thing.

Guess who I am riding?

Poco has come out of retirement to fill in for Peg as my riding horse. I love riding her, and I am glad that she is able to be ridden. Poco was excited about getting back to work, and she has shown plenty of energy and willingness. Retirement wasn't her idea in the first place. She is going to be my trail companion this fall. Hold on to your hats, everybody, because Poco can be a wild ride!

GaitWay Therapeutic Horsemanship

2010-10-05T17:54:00.000-05:00

We have been praying for God to provide us with a ministry opportunity using our horses, and he has abundantly answered our prayers. We have enjoyed having many people over to our house to ride and relax, and it has been a blessing to watch how they interact with the horse. God recently provided Annie and Buddy with a weekly riding student, a young girl named Autumn.

All of that is exciting, but the most recent horse ministry is the most exciting one to me. Momma and I have been volunteering at GaitWay, and we love it. Working with the horses and riders is such a special job. GaitWay has a need for more horses, so we brought Peg and Buddy up to try out for the job of therapy horse. They were a big hit, and we will be bringing them every Wednesday.

There was a Special Olympics event last Saturday, and Buddy was able to be one of the three horses brought by GaitWay. A little boy named Tristan rode him, and they won two second place ribbons: one in Western Equitation, and one in Western Trail. Our whole family enjoyed going and taking part in the Special Olympics. The event started and ended with a prayer, which we appreciated. It was a beautiful day, our riders had a blast, everyone remained safe, and we all had a lovely time. Seeing the expressions on the riders' faces was priceless. They were so happy just to be there and ride that they didn't really care what color their ribbon was.

We feel so blessed that God has provided us these horses and the many ways we can use them for his glory. I can't wait to see what other ministries God may give us.

A Nancy Update

2010-09-14T14:26:00.000-05:00

Nancy Drew, our new kitty, is doing very well here. She recently decided to learn about the computer, and she finds it an intriguing device. It makes queer noises, the cursor is entertaining, and the keyboard is a warm place for a nap. She ignores the fact that someone else was working at the computer first. Trying to compose a blog post with her "help" is challenging. Nancy has a habit of suddenly running across the keyboard and typing a message in an unknown cat language. One of these days, she is going to send an email or write a post of her own. :)

Nancy has grown quite a bit since she first appeared. The big cats are getting used to her presence, and Spunkabitty even condescends to play with the little upstart. To see his big, fat body beside her petite, slender one is a funny contrast. We all enjoy watching them interact.

A Haircut!

2010-09-11T13:35:00.000-05:00

I made a big decision recently! I decided to have my long hair cut, because it was taking a lot of time to care for it properly. Hairstyles were limited, and washing it took a long time, lots of shampoo, and patience while the hair dried after washing. This was a big decision, because my hair has been long for a very long time. Daddy wanted me to think about having my hair cut, because he thought it would be easier for me and would look nicer. I wasn't sure if I would like shorter hair, but I did want to know how it would look. I have learned to listen to my parents' advice on the subject of physical appearance. It helps me to discern God's will for me. I timidly made an appointment with our hair stylist friend. She was quite encouraging, and she suggested that I donate my cut off ponytail to a company that makes wigs for children with hair loss. I had already had the idea of donating my hair, and I took her suggestion as direction from the Lord to go ahead. That made me feel even better about the impending haircut.

After the first cut was made, I began to be excited about my new look. When the stylist finished her work, I really liked the way my hair appeared. I have continued to be pleased with it, in spite of an unpleasant encounter with a hot curling iron that left me with a burned forehead. Hmm, I think I need more practice with that device. It is a little bit scary. That incident aside, my attempts to fix my shorter hair have been met with success.

This is the second big change that has been made to my appearance. I tried contact lenses this year for the very first time. That was an even bigger event than the haircut. I have worn glasses since second grade, and I have always resisted contacts. I don't like putting things in my eyes. However, recently the lenses in my glasses have become so heavy that they make my glasses slide down my nose. I don't see well with them down there, and they will not stay up where they belong. My only option was contact lenses. God had been prompting me through my parents to try contacts, but I wasn't interested until I had no other option. I am very glad that I finally considered wearing contacts. They allow me to see so much better than I could with glasses. It was pretty funny to observe my family and friends' reactions to me without my glasses. I look very different without them, and I had to become used to seeing myself!

I thank God that he prompted me to make some changes this year. I don't usually like change, and I can be fairly stubborn about resisting changes in my life. However, as in these examples, change can be quite beneficial. I can now see better, and I don't have to spend so long working with my hair. I am glad that I followed His direction. It seems like a small detail of life, but I am learning that every part of my life matters to God. Each thing in my life can teach me to submit to God's will and trust Him to lead me in the right path. Even a little matter like a haircut or a pair of contact lenses can help me to learn a lesson from the Lord.

Nancy

2010-08-28T13:39:00.000-05:00

We have a new little friend at our house. Her name is Nancy, and she is an eight-week-old kitten. Nancy made her presence known to Daddy and Momma as they were taking a walk down our road on Tuesday evening. She meowed to them from the ditch on the side of the road, and proceeded to stroll out to meet them. Momma and Daddy were quite surprised, because that is very unusual behavior for a wild kitten like Nancy. She allowed Momma to pick her up and even began to purr. What can a cat-lover do when faced with such a tiny, lovable kitten? They carried her home with them.

Nancy has continued to be one of the sweetest kittens that I have ever known. She climbed into Daddy's lap on her first evening with us and then went to sleep. She is an excellent napping buddy and prefers to snuggle up right on one's chest. She is not afraid of people in the least, and none of our noises or activities bother her. Nancy wants to be in the middle of whatever is happening. She also possesses the essential skill of using her litterbox.

The only drawback to Nancy's presence among us is that our other cats object strongly to a new kitty. She isn't thrilled with them, either. She growls and hisses when one of the other cats approaches her. We hope that they will make peace soon. In the meantime, Nancy amuses herself by playing with the dogs' tails. She has no problems with canine company.

We have not officially decided to keep Nancy as yet, but if no suitable home can be found, she will enter the ranks of our pets and be added to the menagerie. I love her already.

On another note, Peg had a return of lameness from his abscess. It had not drained fully, so we had the vet out to open it up. Now I have started the round of treatment all over again. He is pretty tired of the hoof-soaking routine, and he is making me aware of that fact. He likes to kick the soaking bucket and spill its contents over the floor. Peg has also become adept at removing his hoof wrap and packing the hole in his foot full of manure and dirt. I am ready for this treatment to be over! However, I am grateful that he is healing nicely, and I am glad that his injury was only an abscess and not a joint problem. I have seen horses crippled with arthritis and other such conditions, and I can't complain about Peg's problems. His injury is only temporary.

Peg's Big Problem

2010-08-18T21:19:00.000-05:00

Who, me?

On Saturday, I rode my good horse, Peg, down the gravel road to Mrs. Carol's house. She was out of town, and she had asked our family to let her chickens out during the day. My trusty steed and I felt equal to the task of liberating a few poultry, so we volunteered for the job.

After a leisurely stroll, we arrived at the chicken pen. Peg was surprised that I let the hens out, and he seemed a bit concerned, as well. He had never seen chickens on the loose, and I think he was afraid they might attack. Vicious chickens! Our mission completed, we headed for home to finish our ride.

The ride was lovely, and we both got our exercise. I hosed the sweat off of Peg and put him away in his stall for the day. He was looking forward to a long nap, and I wanted lunch.

When I went out to feed and turn out my horses for the evening, Peg had an obvious problem. He was limping badly on his right hind foot. This sort of thing has happened before, and he is always quite dramatic. He knows how to get sympathy by holding up the ouchy leg and staring at me with his big, blue eyes. Pitiful. There were no signs of swelling, inflammation, or injury, so I decided to wait it out.

On Sunday afternoon, the lameness was worse, and I knew that it was time to call the vet. In God's providence, our farrier called that evening to say he'd be coming on Monday to trim all the horses' feet. We determined that we should let him look at Peg before the vet was called.

When Mr. Eric, our farrier, arrived, he discovered the cause of Peg's lameness. Peg had a shard of glass stuck in the sole of his hoof, and it had caused an abscess to form. Mr. Eric drained the abscess and gave me instructions on how to treat it.

I have to soak Peg's hoof in a bucket of Epsom salts and water twice a day. In the meantime, Peg tries to knock the bucket over or step out of it, looking perfectly innocent the whole time. Then I must put iodine in the hole, during which Peg does his best to make me spill the iodine on myself. After that, I wrap the hoof in an elastic bandage to keep it clean. The bandage is supposed to stay on all day, but Peg is good at getting it off. The treatment process is really quite amusing.

Yesterday, Peg was hurting so badly that he would not use his sore leg. The poor horse was hopping along on three legs and holding the fourth leg up off the ground. He looked as bad as if his leg was broken. Thankfully, he is back to his usual perky self today. This morning he chased Jack out of the pasture, and I could barely see his limp. I hope and expect that Peg will heal quickly. It is always sad when one of my pets is not well.

A New Season

2010-08-16T09:41:00.000-05:00

This year marked the beginning of a new season in my life. I have finished my homeschooling, and I am now learning what the Lord has for me to do. I have learned that the most important priority in my life is to serve the Lord by serving others.

One ministry opportunity that God has put on my heart is volunteering at a therapeutic horseback riding facility. A friend brought the idea into my mind, and I had been praying about it when we went to Oklahoma. While we were at the rodeo, I came across a booth for the Right Path Riding Academy, a therapeutic riding facility near my grandparents' home. I really enjoyed talking with the volunteers there, and we decided to consider sending me to Oklahoma in the spring to volunteer with Right Path. After I came home, I researched therapeutic riding facilities in our area and found a place called Gaitway. After talking with people at Gaitway and seeking the Lord, we have decided to pursue volunteering there. I am excited about the possibility of serving at Gaitway, and I will probably start in September.

I am about to begin teaching sewing lessons to two sweet, young ladies we know. That will be an exciting new project, since I have never taught sewing before. These young girls are both a lot of fun to be with, and I know that teaching them will be a pleasant experience. With help from my friend and neighbor, Mrs. Susan, I am working out a lesson plan. I have so many ideas!

A Master Gardeners' Program is about to begin in my area, and I have signed up to take part in it. I love to garden, and this class should be quite informative. My friend Rebecca has also signed up to take the class, so we can learn together. Lord willing, when the program is finished, we will be able to claim the title of Master Gardener.

God has been giving us an abundance of direction this summer. We don't know exactly where we will end up, but we do know He is in control. I can't wait to see where He will take me.

Lyla's Riding Lessons

2010-08-14T08:28:00.000-05:00

We had Lyla, a neighbor's granddaughter, over to ride Buddy three times this week. Lyla is five years old, and she loves to come and play with Buddy and Miss Annie. Annie has been teaching Lyla to ride, and she is definitely a talented student. Lyla's only problem with riding is that her tiny feet don't quite reach past the saddle. She has to work hard to give Buddy his cues, but she manages very well. She can ride him all by herself.

Annie put Lyla on the longe line this week to practice posting the trot and to work on her balance and position in the saddle. That can be challenging when the saddle is big enough to fit two Lylas. Buddy is just the right size for her, though. It is really cute to watch the three of them working together.

Lyla won't be able to come back and ride until Thanksgiving. She will probably be a lot bigger by then, and perhaps she will be able to do more things with Buddy. She loves her Buddy, and she told Annie that if Annie ever gets ready to sell him, she will buy him! I don't know that her mom would like that idea as much as Lyla does.

We will sure miss our little friend Lyla with her pink cowgirl boots. I hope we can have her over again soon.

Coffee

2010-08-04T15:37:00.001-05:00

Coffee is a very important beverage in our home. We drink quite a bit of it. Some of us sip it in moderation, while others tend to enjoy it in large quantities. One year we found a special coffee for Daddy's birthday gift. It is "the coffee that won the West." This brand, Arbuckles' Ariosa Coffee, has been in existence since the 1800s, and it was the most common brand used by the chuckwagon cooks of the West. Many cowboys did not know there was any other kind of coffee. Arbuckles' has been in business ever since, and they have never changed their packaging. The label looks just the way it did out West in the 1800s.

Arbuckles' Ariosa is the ultimate cowboy coffee, so we had to purchase some for our favorite cowboy. Daddy likes his Ariosa, and we usually save it for drinking when we have an afternoon to savor it together. Mmmm. Now all we need are some cowboy hats...

Bread-making Day

2010-07-24T09:02:00.000-05:00

Yesterday we made our weekly batch of sourdough bread (Thanks for the starter, Ms. Elizabeth! It is delicious.). I shaped the loaves, and I decided to make two loaves and one batch of sourdough rolls. Annie concocted a delicious cinnamon swirl filling for one loaf. It smelled so good while it was baking, and it came out of the oven at lunchtime. Perfect! Of course, I had to have some of the fragrant, hot rolls as soon as they became cool enough to handle.

Our garden has been giving us an abundance of tomatoes this year. Maybe somebody planted too many tomato plants... But we have enjoyed having tomatoes any way we want them. Yesterday we dried some of our plum tomatoes in the dehydrator. They turned out quite well, but we ate them before we could put them away. I've made an abundance of fresh tomato salsa, and I experimented with tomato sauce as well.

I tried a new heirloom variety of cucumber this year. It is called the Lemon Cucumber, and it really does resemble a lemon. The flavor is excellent, and it does not become bitter. This is a variety I will definitely grow again next year. We are also growing Rattlesnake pole beans, which are green with dramatic purple stripes. They are very good, productive green beans. I must confess to a fondness for growing unusual veggies. That is one reason why I am interested in heirloom seeds. There are many different varieties. I am thankful for our large garden area, which allows me to experiment so freely.

Our Oklahoma Trip

2010-07-16T11:40:00.001-05:00

We had a lovely time with our family during our trip to Oklahoma. The three full days that we were there were packed full of fun activities. Momma, Annie, and I swam in the pool every day. The first day, we were able to go and watch one of my cousins play a baseball game. Then we went to tour the historic winery where my grandfather works. We went out to dinner at a nearby restaurant. After dinner, we all headed out to drive around my uncle's cattle farm. It was muddy and wet, so the ride was full of adventures like sliding and crossing creeks.

Roman Riding!

The next day we were able to go and see a rodeo. We enjoyed some of the events, but others we could have done without. One of the entertainments was a lady who had trained her horse to do tricks. Her performance inspired me to work more with Peg. She had her horse do the Spanish Walk and other fancy moves, she dropped a handkerchief from the saddle and had the horse pick it up and hand it to her, and at the end he reared up and waved to the crowd! An eleven-year-old boy performed Roman riding atop two galloping, white Tennessee Walking Horses. He jumped from one horse's back to the other, rode them backwards, jumped over a big jump, and straddled three fiery poles. It was quite a show.

One of my cousins fishing at the pond

On the last day, we went to the local farmers' market with my grandmother. On the way home, we stopped at Starbucks. Mmmm! We also went shoe-shopping with my aunt. She introduced us to a neat frozen yogurt place called the Orange Leaf. That afternoon we took their boat out to the pond at the local country club.

I am in the boat with two of my cousins.

The visit with our family was a special time. It is never long enough, so I am already wondering when we can see them again.

Jasmine, the little horse, is doing quite well. She is receiving the medication that will cure her illness, and her coordination issues have disappeared. We are so thankful.

EPM - Equine Protozoal Myeloencephalitis

2010-07-06T07:37:00.000-05:00

Equine Protozoal Myeloencephalitis, or EPM, is a serious disease that affects the brain and spinal cord of the horse. It is transmitted by possums, and it causes muscle wasting, droopy ears and eyelids, loss of coordination, paralysis, and death. The progression of the disease can be rapid, taking less that three days to kill a horse. I always hoped that I would never have to deal with EPM.

On Sunday morning, as we were all getting ready to leave for church, we received a call from our neighbor, Ms. Rae. She was concerned because Jasmine, the yearling filly, had suddenly fallen down three times that morning. After a lightning fast change from church-going clothes to horse clothes, Momma drove Annie and me to Ms. Rae's house. I was praying hard, because I was afraid Jazzy might have West Nile virus or EPM.

After examining Jazzy, Annie and I agreed that she was exhibiting symptoms of neurological problems. Ms. Rae decided to call the vet, and we went home, changed back into our church clothes, and went on to church. After church, I called Ms. Rae to find out what the vet said. She told me that the vet diagnosed Jazzy's problem as EPM, but thankfully it was in an early stage. The vet was able to give an IV drip to prevent the further progression of the disease. The medicine that can cure EPM was not on hand, but it should be available today.

We are all thankful that Jazzy has such a good chance of recovery. If God had not allowed Ms. Rae to be late going out to feed, she would not have seen Jazzy fall down. By the time her problem was noticed, it could have been too late to save her. Now, she is getting treatment and responding well to it. Jazzy's balance and droopiness has already improved. Praise the Lord!

We are off to Oklahoma to visit our family tomorrow. It should be a really fun time. I cannot wait to see everyone. We will be gone through Sunday, and our kind neighbors will care for our animals again. I hope all the critters behave themselves.

Destruction and Repair

2010-06-30T15:27:00.000-05:00

I have mentioned in a previous post how Jack likes to scratch and rub on things, which often results in the destruction of whatever he rubs on. His most recent act of itchy demolition was in the barn, in Peg's stall. Peg and Jack share a pen behind the barn that connects the two stalls, so they switch places frequently. Jack apparently got an itch while he was dozing in Peg's corner, and he leaned with all his considerable weight and strength against the plywood wall. This caused all the nails in that section of plywood to be pulled through the wood. The sheet of plywood was hanging loose, like a curtain, from the top nails. Very interesting!

What an innocent face!

I took it upon myself to fix the damage today. It was raining a bit, but I wanted to cross the task off my list. Out I went, and I got started. The boys (Peg and Jack) were in residence, so I was expecting some amusement during my work. They always think it is great fun to "help" me do things. However, Jack hates getting wet. He stood in his stall and ignored me entirely.

Peg dutifully stood beside me and watched each stroke of the hammer as I nailed the siding back in place. When I had to crouch down to put in the last nail, he put his head down to get a better look. I offered him the hammer and told him to help me. Peg took the hammer and swung it a few times, but he apparently thought it was more fun to watch than to work.

"Am I swinging it right?"

He gave it back to me. In the meantime, it had begun to rain hard. I told Peg that I was getting too wet to stand out there anymore, and I went into his stall for shelter. He had only been standing in the rain because I was, so he came in, too. Peg always makes my jobs in the barn more fun. He is great company. I am so thankful that God has given me such a special horse!

The Beast

2010-06-25T14:08:00.000-05:00

Yesterday, I was folding clothes in Momma and Daddy's room when I noticed a sleeping beauty on Daddy's chair. Or should I call him a sleeping beast? Spunkabitty loves to show of his unusual features for the camera.

A frightful sight, but we love him anyway.

Here are some of the pictures that Momma took of us giving pony-rides to our neighbors' grandchildren. Peg and Buddy behaved admirably, as usual. They really seem to enjoy giving rides to their little friends. Buddy especially does a good job.

Ben perches atop Buddy as his sister swings

He takes all the activity buzzing around him in stride. One of his many child-pleasing tricks is to allow them to slide off over his tail.

Malcolm prepares to slide down Buddy's tail

(Of course, Annie has put in extensive training and testing to make sure everything goes smoothly and safely. The credit cannot all go to Buddy, though he thinks it should.)

Busy Life

2010-06-18T13:21:00.000-05:00

We have been sooo busy!

Over the past few months, we have held a tea,

a place setting at our tea

doctored a dog with a haematoma in her ear,

poor Abby felt miserable, but she got to be inside

helped some friends pack so they could move to Texas, gone on vacation, given lots of pony-rides, put in our garden, and more.

Poco and I also had a birthday.

my dairy-free Chocolate Truffle Cake

We've also had a few horsey incidents. Poco had an eye infection, then Peg got a strange, unexplained leg injury that caused his whole lower leg to swell (He is better now, thank the Lord.). Rusty is struggling with his summer heaves. Poco apparently had an encounter with a poisonous snake, and she has a nasty bite on her belly. Thankfully, Buddy and Jack are healthy and well. All of them are looking really nice now that they have their summer coats. There are dapples on Jack's sleek, dun sides. He is such a pretty boy.

I am sorry I have not been regular in my blog posting. I hope to do a better job in future.

Home Again: Part Two

2010-06-01T11:43:00.000-05:00

Daddy, Annie, and me walking down the trail

After our backpacking trip, we went to the airport and picked up Momma. We got settled in at the chalet, which was called Southern Exposure. Southern Exposure is a pretty nice chalet, but one of the best features (at least in my opinion) is that the National Park boundary is a few feet from the back door. The park was practically our back yard. We were all excited to look out the back door one morning and see a juvenile black bear. He was apparently attracted by the Jimmy Dean sausages Momma was cooking for Daddy's breakfast. Our rush to the window startled him, and he quickly left. Momma and I saw him one other morning, as well. On two evenings, we heard howling right outside the house. It was a pack of red wolves or perhaps coyotes. However, we didn't spend much time in our chalet. Most of our days were spent hiking, bringing Daddy, Annie, and me to a total of 42.7 miles and Momma to 20 miles.

Daddy and Annie on Charlie's Bunion

Our favorite hike for the week was Charlie's Bunion. It was 4 miles one way, thus 8 miles round-trip. We hiked out to a rocky outcrop from which one had almost a 360 degree view of the surrounding mountains. We had lunch there, and then Daddy and Annie climbed out onto the point of the rock. Momma and I, being of a more cautious temperament (and somewhat afraid of heights) took some convincing to go out there. Once we were up on the rocks, I was glad that I went. The views were amazing.

Annie and me at Charlie's Bunion

One of the views from the Bunion

Another fun hike led us to an old homesite. We were able to see the old cabin, the barn, and the springhouse. The remains of an orchard stood nearby. This cabin belonged to the Walker sisters, who stayed on in their home even after the National Park was created. I enjoyed reading about their history.

The Walker Sisters' Cabin

We also went to Chimneys picnic area and played in the stream. There are many boulders in the stream there, so many that it is possible to hop across and back without getting wet (unless you slip and fall in, like Momma did). We play in that stream every time we go to the Smokies. On our last day, we went into Gatlinburg and had dinner. We rode the skylift up and down the mountain, and we went to the top of an observation tower. It was all quite interesting. We were also able to meet up with a friend of ours who is working as a park ranger in the National Park. It was good to see her again.

Home Again

2010-05-31T14:21:00.000-05:00

We are back at home after our Smoky Mountains adventure. This post will be part one of the tale of our trip. Daddy, Annie, and I had fun on our backcountry hike. It was a strenuous hike, but not so difficult that it ceased to be pleasant. The first day was the easiest day. We got to see Tom Branch Falls, a lovely waterfall. When we stopped to filter water in the creek, I lost my balance and fell in. Thankfully, I had on my quick-dry hiking clothes, so I wasn't wet for very long. That evening we swam in Deep Creek, which ran near our campsite. Nothing feels better than swimming in an icy cold mountain stream after a long, sweaty hike.

At each campsite, there is something called a bear apparatus. It allows one to hoist one's pack up on a cable, out of reach of bears and other varmints that want a hiker's dinner. Everything with a scent to it must be hung up. Those who fail to comply may wake up in the night to an unwelcome camp visitor.

Poor Annie ended up with blisters on all ten toes. Her tried-and-true hiking boots wore out just before the trip, and she had to wear brand-new ones. It is asking for trouble to take new, stiff boots into the backcountry. Boots need to be broken in to prevent blisters. However, Annie had no choice. She didn't seem to mind much. She was glad to be hiking.

All the afternoon of the second day, we were searching for water. Usually, there is no difficulty about finding water in the Smokies, but that day we didn't see any. By the time we arrived at camp, we had no water left. It was disheartening, therefore, to see this sign:

We were up on the top of a mountain, Newton's Bald to be exact. The sign pointed down a steep incline into the forest, and we were really tired. No water could be seen from the top. However, once we were down there, we discovered a lovely little spring of cold water bubbling up from the earth. It was probably the best water I have ever tasted.

Here is our camp on Newton's Bald. It was threatening to rain when we walked in, so we set up our camp rather hurriedly. After the rain had passed, we noticed that we were set up right in the middle of the trail. It is a good thing that trail is little used. I don't think anyone passing through would have been pleased.

To finish my story of our backpacking trip, we had a nice time. We hiked 22.7 miles and saw some beautiful scenery. The trail we took was infrequently used, so we saw almost no other people. I had opportunities to see wildflowers that I likely would not have seen elsewhere. It was a good trip.

Vacation!

2010-05-21T14:22:00.000-05:00

Daddy, Annie, and I are leaving tomorrow morning for our trip to the Smokies. We are all excited about it, and we've bee working hard to get ready to go. We'll drive up there tomorrow, camp at a campground tomorrow night, then hit the trail on Sunday morning. We will spend three days and two nights in the back country.

After the back country portion of the trip is done, Momma will fly in. Daddy has rented a lovely chalet for the rest of the week, and we'll stay there and do some nice day hikes. It should be a special family time. Daddy has planned Bible times for us, both on the trail and at the chalet.

So, what will the menagerie think about this abandonment, and who will care for them? Our wonderful neighbors are splitting the tasks (and the menagerie). Ms. Rae is going to care for the cats and dogs, and Poco and Rusty will live at her house while we are away. Mrs. Carol is going to take on the job of feeding Buddy, Peg, and Jack. We may also ask her to water our vegetable garden. It is such a blessing to have nice neighbors to help out. I am sure the animals will be well cared for.

Thanks, Ms. Rae and Mrs. Carol! We really appreciate it.

What's been happening over here?

2010-05-12T11:41:00.000-05:00

Pegasus is modeling his new fly bonnet. It is designed to be worn while riding, and it keeps the bugs out of your horse's ears. Reactions have been varied. Some people, like me, think he is cute in his little hat. Others laugh at him. However, it is undeniable that he is more comfortable with it than without it. The deerflies have been terrible lately.

Massacre in the pasture!

Poco, Peg, and Jack decided that a long nap was in order. Usually they designate at least one horse (Jack, because he is the youngest) to stand sentry, but the weather was just too nice. They were snoring and nickering in their sleep.

The current big news over here is that we are taking a vacation as a family. We will go to the Smoky Mountains and rent a chalet. First, Daddy, Annie, and I will drive up and backcountry hike for three days and two nights. Then, Momma will fly in, and we'll spend four more days dayhiking as a family. We are all excited. We have not had a family vacation since we got the horses. It is going to be a lovely time. Daddy says our total mileage may be around 50 miles. If you know Annie, you know that will make her very happy. Although I believe she'd be happier with 100 miles...

Here is today's scripture.

Cast thy bread upon the waters: for thou shalt find it after many days.
Ecclesiastes 11:1 KJV

Property Updates

2010-05-03T19:57:00.000-05:00

Here is a photo of the irrigation system that Daddy installed in our garden. It is a big help, as long as you don't forget to turn it off when you're done... like I did once. It turned out okay, though.

My herb garden is enjoying the warmth and sunshine. Everything is coming up abundantly, especially the ever-invasive mints. They have creatively escaped the confinement of their bed, and they are now sprouting in the grass. I like it, but I think Daddy would classify it as a weed. It is an herb in the garden and a weed in the grass.

This is the view from the left side of our house looking toward the front "yard." This is my Seven Sisters rose and one of our bluebird houses (no bluebirds inside, though. Spunkabitty terrorizes any bird foolish enough to nest there.).

I'm sorry my posts have been so brief lately. We are quite busy. Hopefully things will calm down soon, and I will be able to fill you in on what has been happening over here.

What does a 47-year-old want for his birthday?

2010-04-26T20:06:00.000-05:00

REAL MAN FOOD!

Cube steak, white rice, and lots of brown gravy...

followed by a rather large piece of turtle cheesecake.

Daddy's birthday was Saturday. We went to breakfast as a family, did a bit of shopping (Home Depot, etc), and finished with the meal of his request. It was delicious. We bought him two kinds of cake at Whole Foods Market and had him choose the one he wanted. He chose the cheesecake, but the chocolate mousse cake looked splendid to me. When we read the ingredients, Annie discovered that there was tofu in the mousse cake. Daddy will not eat tofu, so guess who got the chocolate mousse cake? Momma and I shared it, but I confess that I ate more than half. Mmmm!

I am so thankful for my Daddy. He is a strong leader, and I know he prays for me daily. His wisdom and love are special to me. God has really blessed me in my earthly father. I love you, Daddy!

The Summer Garden

2010-04-22T07:55:00.000-05:00

We planted our summer garden last week. It was great fun, and the plants are doing well. Our strawberries have been producing abundantly, and we have peaches on our peach tree. The only problem is that Bunny has discovered a taste for strawberries. She sneaks into the garden when we are not looking and eats her fill. We had noticed that we were not harvesting as many as we thought we should be, but we did not suspect Bunny until it rained. The next morning there were paw prints in the garden. That evening, we watched as the sneaky little Pit Bull squeezed under the fence and wandered up and down the rows, hunting for the perfect berry. Bad dog! Hopefully we will be able to dissuade her from raiding our berry patch in the future.

Daddy installed a drip irrigation system in the garden for us. It has been such a time saver, since the weather has been warm and dry lately. I was watering by hand every day, and that takes a while. Now all one only has to turn on a faucet to water the whole garden. What a blessing. We now have more weeding time, so we can keep the weeds in check.

Here is today's memory verse.

Obey them that have the rule over you, and submit yourselves: for they watch for your souls, as they that must give account, that they may do it with joy, and not with grief: for that is unprofitable for you. Hebrews 13:17 KJV

Lovely Weather, Lazy Pets

2010-04-12T14:50:00.000-05:00

We've been having splendid weather here. The sun is shining brightly, a nice little breeze is blowing, and the temperatures are in the 70-80 degree range. Our animals think this is napping season, and I'm tempted to join them.

Momma, Annie, and I frequently have lunch on the front porch. It is wonderfully peaceful there. The dogs and cats usually come up to be with us during this time. Abby and Bunny are always interested in the contents of our plates, but they aren't allowed to beg. Therefore, they go to sleep instead.

Zzzz!

Watch Bar McCue turns 20 today.

2010-04-07T13:58:00.000-05:00

Rusty, or Watch Bar McCue if you want his registered name, is 20 years young today. The grand old gelding is a treasured member of our family. Rusty has been on our property longer than we have, since he actually came with the house. His previous owner didn't want to sell him, so she gave him to us. We can't imagine life without him.

Rusty is quite a character. He is an accomplished escape artist, and if he gets loose he is nearly impossible to catch. We have learned to leave him alone and wait until he decides he has had enough freedom. Then and only then will he turn himself in, in exchange for a treat, of course. Rusty has been known to drink warm apple cider out of a mug, and he is fond of homemade biscuits. The only foods he doesn't like are onions, bell peppers, and his daily joint supplement.

Occasionally we turn Rusty loose on purpose to graze around our house, and he likes to wander over to our neighbors' houses. He'll peer into their windows, hoping for a handout. When he's in the pasture, he's the boss horse. He rules the others with an iron hoof. He is pretty fair to his pasture pals, unless there is food involved.

Rusty has his own opinions about riding. He doesn't approve of giving ponyrides, nor will his majesty put up with any structured exercise. Momma, whose primary riding goal is to sit on him and follow the group, is permitted to ride. Annie, whose goal is to make Rusty fit and obedient, is not. Easygoing trail rides are permissible, but not workouts. If pressed, Rusty can display a neat and efficient buck which lands his rider in the dirt.

Now, don't think that Watch Bar McCue is a terrible beast, because he isn't. Rusty is strong-willed, but he is also very sweet. He dedicatedly watches over Jasmine when he is with her, and he loves to play with Jack. He enjoys bareback rides around our property, and he likes to be groomed by visiting children. Rusty will stand perfectly still and let kids pet, groom, and play around him (Some children once got into a water-fight while giving him a bath!).

My tale of Rusty wouldn't be complete without this last story. One day, Momma was petting him in his stall. He was resting his mouth gently on her hand, when suddenly he put his teeth on her wedding ring. She pulled her hand away, only to see that the diamond had vanished from its setting. Momma said, "Rusty!" He perked up his ears and spit out the diamond, which landed on the stall floor. Momma picked up the stone. With shaky legs, she sat down on a bench. We thank the Lord that Momma was able to get her diamond back from Rusty.

So, if you ever stop by our house, look out for our big, furry, diamond thief. He'll be the one standing at our back door looking for goodies. That is, unless he's down the road, sleeping in a neighbor's front yard.

Strawberry Success!

2010-04-05T12:06:00.000-05:00

We harvested our first strawberries this past week! We are always pleased when the first ones begin to turn red. I think we've picked 5 or 6 so far. Every one of them was delicious. Strawberry season is a fun time for us. When one buys the berries from a store, one never gets enough. We can consume an enormous quantity of berries.

Before the Mother and Daughter Tea, Momma and I went to a small antique store to look for nice, old table linens. When I walked in, there was a large display of Franciscan Apple china. I am collecting this china for my hope chest. It can be hard to locate it at antique stores, and it is usually rather expensive. This display of china, however, was reasonable in price. I became very excited and jotted down some of the prices. After several days of prayer and consideration, I decided to purchase some of the pieces. The seller gave me 25% off the items I purchased, and them she offered to sell me the rest of the set at 50% off. After I bought a few more things, she gave me the rest for free. It was such a blessing. I have nearly 10 place settings now.

Brushy Creek

2010-03-31T13:24:00.000-05:00

On Saturday, Daddy, Annie, and I loaded up our horse trailer and headed for Brushy Creek to trail ride. We took Jack, Peg, and Buddy. We would have liked to take Momma and Rusty as well. However, Rusty is not physically fit enough for the work, and our trailer only holds three horses. Rusty was sad that we left him out of the fun.

It was a lovely day, and there were quite a few groups of riders at the trail. One of the groups had a donkey, whose loud, unearthly bellows had Buddy rather concerned. We headed out onto the trail right after lunch. The first obstacle was a wide, clear creek, and all the horses willingly crossed it. This was exciting to us, since Jack has been known to refuse to cross water. The last time we rode at Brushy Creek, Annie had to wade back across on foot to lead Jack through the scary water. As we continued along the trail, Buddy plopped down on the warm, sandy beach with Annie aboard. He thought it was a good place for a nap. Annie got him up, and we laughed as we kept going.

The trail at Brushy Creek is rough, with plenty of mud, protruding roots, rocks, and steep grades. We like it, because the scenery is pretty. Our horses, especially Jack, need the practice and experience that such a trail can offer. We covered about 5 miles of the trails and had a very nice time.

This is part of the trail. We almost went down this way, but realized that it was the wrong direction. There is no clear map of the trails, and there are many paths winding through the woods. The first time we went to Brushy Creek, we got lost.

I took this picture near the end of the ride. You can see the creek, the sandy bank, and a fallen tree. There are a lot of trees down along the trails.

I was the photographer for the ride, so there aren't any pictures of me, and there are few of Peg. I took this one to document our presence. Taking pictures from the back of a horse can be a challenge. He always seemed to move at the wrong moment.

Annie and Buddy had to stop after a big climb to adjust the saddle. She was borrowing my saddle, since she is waiting to purchase a new one. It slid back as they went uphill because it isn't an ideal fit for Buddy. He was glad for a chance to taste the grass while Annie fixed his gear. Isn't Buddy cute?

Today's scripture:

All scripture is given by inspiration of God, and is profitable for doctrine, for reproof, for correction, for instruction in righteousness: That the man of God may be perfect, thoroughly furnished unto all good works. 2 Timothy 3:16-17 KJV

A Batty Update

2010-03-30T07:52:00.000-05:00

This is the 30 foot ladder that Daddy used to climb up to the roof of our house. He was going to stop up the bats' entrance hole after they flew out for the night. We all sat outside to watch them leave, so that we would not seal any latecomers up in our wall. We waited and watched, watched and waited. No bats made their appearance. After further bat research, Momma discovered that they hibernate in winter quarters until March, then fly away to other roosts for the summer. Therefore, the bats are gone. It was an answer to prayer, and we did not have to do anything. Daddy is still going to block up the hole so that we won't repeat this experience next year.

Lessons From a Horse

2010-03-29T10:44:00.000-05:00

One of the things that working with the horses has shown me is that I am a somewhat impatient person. I knew that I occasionally became impatient with my family, but it never struck me as a big problem. It is easy to focus on what the other person is doing wrong when there is a problem, instead of on myself. When I am training a horse, however, what goes wrong is clearly due to me. For example, as I teach Jack to turn on cue, I will respond to his awkward attempts and protests in the correct manner 15 times. Then, when he still hasn't figured it out on the 16th try, I may jerk his head around and force him to obey. This is wrong, and I've just taught him that the 15 gentle responses meant nothing. He can't trust me and yield his tender mouth to my control if he thinks I'm going to pull hard without warning. In the same way, if I am sometimes impatient with my family, I cannot build a true, close relationship with them.

I don't want my horses to be unable to trust me, and I don't want to use my relationship with them to foster sinful attitudes in my heart. As I have made an effort to deal patiently with them at all times, I have begun to learn to be patient in my interactions with my family as well. I am thankful for the lessons that God is teaching me through my horses. I have a long way to go, but He is still working on me. It is good to know that He never gives up on me.

Here is the Scripture of the day.

Study to show thyself approved unto God, a workman that needeth not to be ashamed, rightly dividing the word of truth. 2 Timothy 2:15 KJV

Planting Corn

2010-03-25T09:27:00.000-05:00

Yesterday, we planted corn. Although I was the only human on the job, I had lots of help and supervision.

Peg and Jack observed me curiously. They seemed to wonder why I kept walking up and down the garden so often.

Abby thought the seed corn was for her to eat. I'd drop some into my furrow, and she would come behind me to find it.

My very best helper was my kitty, Spunkabitty. He followed me up and down the garden, watched me hoe the dirt (at the risk of his little pink nose), and actually planted a few seeds for me. He pounced upon the corn as I dropped it into the row. As he dug around in the soil in pursuit of his seed, it was thoroughly buried. Thanks, Bit!

We have 150...

2010-03-24T11:51:00.000-05:00

We have recently discovered that we have 150 uninvited houseguests living with us. They are bats, and they are living in the wall next to my room. We can hear them scratching around in the wall as they come and go. It is really quite interesting.

How did we discover these guests? One of them was so bold as to come down the chimney and join us in the house. He apparently thought he was entitled to better accommodations than his crowded attic room. It was difficult to persuade him to leave, but Momma and Annie finally did so. He reappeared a few nights later, and we were once again forced to escort him out of our home. The cats, offered their assistance, but Momma had recently mopped the floor. She didn't want them to mess it up, if you know what I mean.

Annie estimated that we had about 20 bats in the attic, so we went outside at dusk to count them. It was amazing to watch them come swooping out of their entrance hole one by one. We kept counting and counting, and my neck grew sore from looking up for so long. At 150 bats, the noises in the wall died down. We went inside, and Daddy began planning how he could get rid of them. I'll keep you updated as there are further developments.

After the Mother and Daughter Tea

2010-03-23T20:37:00.000-05:00

On Monday, we hosted the Mother and Daughter Tea. It was lots of fun, and we ended up having 28 people. Annie did a lovely job with the decorations, and our friend Rachel's cheerful help was much appreciated. Our friend Jessica made two kinds of scones, plain and cranberry walnut, which we served with lemon curd and mock clotted cream. The savory course included radish tea sandwiches, cheese crisps, stuffed eggs, and spinach phyllo triangles (phyllo pastry filled with feta cheese, spinach, and onions). Our dessert plate consisted of brownies, date blondies, Greek lemon-herb cookies, and cream puffs. I really enjoyed baking all our tea food. We provided four tea selections, as well. The teas were Bengal Spice, Tropic of Strawberry, Vanilla Apricot White, and Scottish Breakfast, which is my personal favorite. Everyone seemed to have a good time, and we stayed up late talking about the experience.

Here are two of Annie's lovely tea tables. We enjoy using our collection of antique teacups and table linens. It adds to the charm of having a tea.

The puffs are waiting for their cream as they cool on the counter. Mmmm!

These delicious-looking pastries are the spinach phyllo triangles, hot out of the oven. They were surprisingly easy to make.

This is what our kitchen looked like after the tea. I don't think there was a bit of empty counter space in the whole kitchen. We left the clean-up for the next day, because it was late.

The Date Approaches

2010-03-16T08:54:00.001-05:00

Yesterday was the RSVP date for our Mother and Daughter Tea. We have a count of 25 people who are planning to attend. One of them is a friend of ours who is coming early on Monday to help us finish our preparations. I'm looking forward to having her over to help. I always enjoy her company, and it will be a real blessing to have her assistance with the baking and cooking. Another friend is going to make the scones for us. We're thankful, because her scones are always a big hit. Our oven is going to be pretty full all day, so I'm glad I won't be baking scones, too.

This tea is an opportunity to minister to mothers and daughters in a special way, and we enjoy allowing the Lord to work through us in it. My prayer is that the families who come will be able to grow closer and more loving toward each other and toward God. We are excited!

A Chocolate Cake

2010-03-12T09:41:00.000-06:00

Yesterday we had a friend over to experiment with baking a wholesome, dairy and gluten free, chocolate cake. This delicious cake contained no flour of any kind. Our friend had discovered the recipe on the internet, and we had all the ingredients. It was a lot of fun, and it turned out amazingly well. It actually tasted, smelled, and looked just like a white flour, white sugar, and butter cake. You will never guess what was in it, so I'll tell you. This lovely cake was made of two 15 oz. cans of black beans! It was quite good, too. After spending the afternoon baking the cake, we devoured a quarter of it in about five minutes. I'll even confess to going back for seconds.

Since our family has quite a few diet restrictions, it was really neat to make a cake that we could all partake of that also tasted like the real thing. However, too much of a good thing is not a good thing. With that in mind, we sent the rest of the cake home with our friend. She decided to give it to her family without telling them what it contained. I can't wait to hear what they thought of the chocolate cake. If you would like the recipe, let me know. I promise that you won't be able to tell what it is made from.

The Mother and Daughter Tea

2010-03-10T12:00:00.000-06:00

We are preparing to host our third annual Mother and Daughter Tea for the local homeschooling group. The tea will be on March 22nd, so we are getting our timeline together. There is more to planning a tea than one would think. We have planned our menu and selected the teas we'll serve, but I still have to make the grocery list and finish drawing up the timeline. I need to type up the menus for the tables, and Annie has to determine how she wants to decorate. We are quite excited about the tea. I won't post the menu on my blog, because it must remain a surprise to those who will attend. This year we will be attempting a few new things, so I can't wait to see how it goes.

He'll never forgive me...

2010-03-03T13:14:00.001-06:00

... But I can't resist posting these photos of Spunkabitty.

He's so cute...

... and he is always laying around.

I love to take his picture, and he is usually on display when I have the camera. In this one, you can see his messed-up lower lip if you look closely.

A Good Report

2010-03-02T13:06:00.000-06:00

I went to the oral surgeon for a checkup on Monday, and he told me that my surgery site is healing well. I can now go back to regular activity and eat whatever I want. Although I may experience pain for up to 3 weeks, I won't damage anything by physical exertion or eating crunchy foods. I was glad to hear that, because I was growing tired of fruit smoothies. I celebrated by going home and eating a large green salad for lunch. It was delicious!

I am looking forward to being active once more. I can't wait to ride my horse, take a long walk, work in the garden, and clean stalls again. :) It will probably be a few days until I can do some of those things, however, since we've had some heavy rain. The first activity will probably be stall cleaning, and my horsey friends have provided me with plenty of work in that department. They are always happy to oblige.

I am deeply thankful for my family's care while I was recovering. They took good care of the horses, the dog, and all my seedlings for the garden, as well. I love my family. I was also blessed during my recovery by a visit from some friends of ours. They brought me cards and pictures that the children had made. Annie took them to pet the horses and cheer up Peg, who was feeling lonely without me. I think he did feel better after seeing them, and I know that I did. It was really nice to see our friends.

Horse Versus Fence

2010-02-24T11:05:00.000-06:00

There he is. He looks like the picture of innocence, doesn't he? Jack is known for his sweet, sleepy countenance and for his ability to get into trouble before you can shout his name. His most recent accomplishment is his discovery that his head fits between the rails of our pasture fence. Since the grass inside the pasture is in poor condition due to the season, Jack has been enjoying the somewhat better grass on the outside of the fence. You know the saying, "The grass is always greener on the other side of the fence." I don't think this grass is greener, but it is certainly taller and thicker. There are several problems with Jack's newest activity. The first is that Jack is BIG. When he leans on the 1x6 fence boards to reach the outermost blades of grass, the brittle, old boards tend to break. Daddy recently went around the pasture and patched about eight broken boards, only to have Jack break two more within a few days. The second problem is that Jack sometimes gets caught with his head through the fence when another horse is disciplining him. This means he must jerk his head through the rails quickly, often leaving a piece of his dun hide on the fence. The third problem is purely cosmetic. Jack had a beautiful, long mane and a glossy coat, but his habit of constantly pushing his neck between the rails has worn a short, frizzy patch more than six inches long in his mane. He also has a bald spot on the underside of his neck. We love him anyway. He certainly keeps things interesting over here.

I feel so loved.

2010-02-23T09:13:00.001-06:00

My family has been taking such good care of me. Annie has made some yummy food, Momma got up every two hours last night to change my ice packs, and Daddy is very comforting to me. I cannot imagine trying to get through this by myself. God has blessed me with a wonderful family.

Our pets are doing their best to make me feel better as well. All three cats have been sleeping with me, but Spunkabitty is the most dedicated. He spent all night by my side, and every time I moved he patted me softly with his little paw. He even decided to stay in with me this morning, which is usually not his favorite place. Abby, my sweet dog, came inside to visit me last night and this morning. Both times she tried to get in the bed with me, and she acted excited to see me. The sweetest of all, though, is my horse, Peg. Annie led him up to the porch to look in the window at me. When he saw me through the window, his whole face brightened and his ears stood straight up. Momma opened the window so that I could say hello to him. When Peg heard my voice, he tried to climb up onto the porch to get close to me. The porch won't hold his weight, so after his second determined attempt, Annie had to take him away.

It is over.

2010-02-22T15:03:00.000-06:00

I'm relieved to have my oral surgery behind me. It went fast, and the sedative knocked me out before the doctor had finished the injection. I do remember being aware of having my mouth propped open, and I recall the doctor standing over me with the drill, but that is about all. I had taken off my jacket before the procedure, and on the way to the car I realized that I must have put it back on. I do not remember that. I wonder what else I did.

Momma took me to get a smoothie from Smoothie King, since a friend told us that is what she did. It was quite good, but eating with one's lower lip and tongue numbed is a challenge. Momma kept having to tell me that I had smoothie on my chin, because I could not feel it.

Once we arrived home, Momma set me up with ice packs. We found that frozen peas and carrots make a pretty good ice pack. If I can't eat my veggies, at least I can wear them! Since then I've been asleep more than I've been awake. Thank you to all who have been praying for me. I appreciate your prayers.

I'm about to lose some wisdom.

2010-02-17T11:29:00.000-06:00

Wisdom teeth, that is. On Monday, the 22nd, I am going to an oral surgeon to have all four of my wisdom teeth removed. I'm told that having one's wisdom teeth removed is painful, but for some reason my brain is more worried about the sedative than the pain. I don't know why.

Anyway, I'll be laying low, eating soft foods, and reading lots of books next week. Annie will take over the horses for me. I hope they behave themselves. . . but I told Annie to expect the worst. Poco likes to take advantage of people she isn't as familiar with.

I'd appreciate prayers as the day approaches. I know God is with me, and I'm looking forward to the opportunity to be an ambassador for Christ. Still, I am a bit nervous.

We got snow!

2010-02-13T08:38:00.000-06:00

When we awoke yesterday morning, it was snowing thickly. The flakes were big and fluffy, and we were able to watch as our property gradually turned white. It was a lovely sight. We always thank God for the opportunity to enjoy snow.

My everyday barn chores had extra appeal because I was able to enjoy the snow at the same time. After the horses had finished eating, I turned Pegasus and Jack out to let them play in the snow. Peg looked at me as if to say, "This white stuff is cold, and I'm getting wet!" Jack thought that snow was made for eating. He ate as much as he could and seemed to like pushing it around with his nose. When I decided to bring the boys back into the barn, Jack gave me a big, wet, icy kiss on the face. Brrr.

After we had finished playing with the horses, Annie went for a walk, and I took pictures of our property. Abby joined me, and we had a nice time playing in the snow together. She managed to wander into quite a few of my photos, so I made her the focal point of several. Abby likes snow, but we learned not to throw snowballs to her. It distresses her when she chases them and they disappear.

The snow was beautiful while it lasted, but it was short-lived. At about noon, it began to rain, and the snow quickly melted away. All that is left are the pictures and the memories (and the mud!).

Our Trip

2010-02-09T10:29:00.000-06:00

We had a special time on our trip to pick up the kiln. It was great to be able to reconnect with our friends. We realized that it has been four years since we last saw them. Our friends were so hospitable, and they made us feel loved. They took us on a hike down to a beautiful waterfall on Saturday. There had been heavy rains in the area, so the falls were large. We even had a few snow flurries while we were there. We played a game together on Saturday evening, and we spent time talking with each other. The trip just wasn't long enough! We want to see each other again soon.

Abby enjoyed her visit, as well. She got to go for a long car ride and share my food on the way. She lived inside with all of us while we were at our friends' house. Then she got to go on another long car ride and share my food on the way home. It was great fun for a dog.

The Escape

2010-02-09T09:59:00.000-06:00

It was my fault. I opened the stall doors in our horse barn so that it could air out, and I left them open for the afternoon. While I was in the house, the wind blew one of the doors shut. The forecast called for heavy rain during the night, so Annie and I brought everybody into the barn for the night. Since Poco's door had blown shut, I forgot that I had opened it. We went on with our evening chores of feeding, watering, and giving out hay, then hurried indoors for supper. In the middle of the night, as the rain poured down and the wind blew gustily, Poco's door came open. She merrily splashed out into the weather and apparently had a good time with her freedom. She was grazing along our back garden area this morning. That mare! When I called her to come in for breakfast, she came as if it was perfectly normal for her to be out all night. Poco had an air of smug satisfaction as she strolled into her stall this morning. I could just see her telling the other horses, "I got to be free all night and you didn't." That is the kind of horse she is.

Although I wouldn't have chosen to leave Poco out, it was nice not to have to clean her stall this morning. She has a knack for leaving the worst, muckiest stall in the barn. It was probably healthier for her, as well. She's battling a minor eye irritation, and the dust of the barn doesn't help. I am thankful that Poco didn't get herself in trouble last night, and I am determined to close her door in future!

Carrots

2010-02-03T14:45:00.000-06:00

We were able to harvest our carrots and our cabbages this week. It is always fun to care for the garden, but there is an extra excitement in bringing the harvest in and eating it. We made an Asian slaw salad with some of the cabbage, and sampled the carrots as carrot sticks. Momma, Annie, and I really enjoyed our home-grown vegetables.

We are preparing to take a weekend trip as a family, something we have not done since we moved out to the country. We are going to visit some friends and to pick up a pottery kiln we are purchasing from them. We'll leave the horses, cats, and one dog behind, but Abby, the Golden Retriever, is coming with us. She'll be happy to come, once the much-needed bath is over.

Peg has a new routine. He spends much of his afternoon stretched out on the grass, basking in the winter sunshine. Poco usually joins him for part of the afternoon, but she doesn't believe in being lazy. She is up and back to grazing after thirty minutes or so. Since Peg is my hyper boy, I was surprised to notice how much he sleeps these days. I guess he's recharging his battery, because he has plenty of energy during our riding time.

This morning, Momma, Annie, and I were able to rescue a neighbor's colt. He had become separated from his mother and tangled up in his fence. The poor baby had all four legs caught in his chain-link fence. By the time we got to him, he had freed himself from the wire. However, we needed to catch him, because he was outside of his pen and beside a busy road. He would not let us touch him, but we did manage to lure the little fellow into his pen. He was hurt, but none of his injuries looked too serious. I'm glad we saw that colt, because he'd have been hit by a car before his owner returned home.

What a Lovely Day

2010-01-27T11:03:00.000-06:00

We have had some truly beautiful weather here in the last few days. I'm thankful for the bright sunshine, blue sky, and light breezes, as well as for the warmer temperatures. I think our garden is confused. Not long ago, it was below freezing, and now it is in the 60s! The poor veggies don't know whether to give up and die or live and thrive. I was able to harvest some collards, broccoli, and rutabagas this morning. I think we will eat some of them for lunch.

My summer garden seedlings have come up. I am having a good time trying some new tips on seed starting, and God has really blessed our gardening efforts. In the pictures, you can see our very professional seed trays, which are made of two cake pan lids and some cardboard, and the shoe tray beneath them that protects the table. Fancy! It seems to work well, however. At least I don't have to wonder which tomato is which. We put the seed trays in our sewing room, because we can keep that door closed. That means the cats (a seed-starter's worst enemies) cannot sleep in them, chew the seedlings, or make a litter box out of the dirt. I am determined to keep the furry marauders out of my tomatoes this year.

Here is a picture of Miss Bunny, the Pit Bull, in her cosy coat. She is the happiest dog around. That blanket has kept her quite warm. However, since Bunny leads a very active life, she keeps getting tripped up by her new clothes. She goes tumbling head over heels many times while she is wearing her coat. Does it bother her? Not a bit. She just picks herself up and keeps on running (and leaping, and jumping, and hopping....).

Today's memory verse is 1 Peter 1:15.

But as he which hath called you is holy, so be ye holy in all manner of conversation. 1 Peter 1:15 KJV

Happy Birthday, Annie!

2010-01-23T07:03:00.001-06:00

Yesterday was my sister Annie's birthday. To celebrate her special day, we all went into town and shopped in some backpacking stores. Annie really likes to look at backpacking gear. We tried on packs, tested trekking poles, and laughed at the variety of unusual freeze-dried, vacuum-packed hiker food. When I read the titles of some of that food, I realized that hikers aren't a picky bunch. I'd have to get pretty hungry to eat packaged, powdered, no-bake cheesecake on the trail, not to mention the dehydrated navy beans and salt pork. We don't do hiker food. The rest of the hiking gear was really interesting. I liked looking at kayaks. Annie admired the Camelbak hydration packs.

After we went shopping, we went out to eat at one of Annie's favorite restaurants. Then we headed home and had dairy-free ice cream sundaes with chocolate and caramel syrups, bananas, dried mango, and dried figs. It was good! The activity for the evening was an old Western movie. I think Annie had a good birthday.

Buddy may not be very pleased with my gift to Annie. I gave her a set of horse clippers and a bunch of grooming supplies. Now he'll have to become beautiful. We'll see what he thinks of being clipped.

What A Morning!

2010-01-13T10:07:00.000-06:00

We went down the road to feed the neighbors' horses yesterday morning. Their water was shut off because of the cold, but we needed to refill the stock tank in the horse pasture. Daddy turned on the water and noticed that the pipes in the barn had burst. He quickly shut off the water, and Momma drove home to call the neighbors. In the meantime, Stretch, Lady, Julie, and Tux had no access to water. Annie and I led them to the pond so they could drink. Nobody seemed thirsty, and they were too busy being frisky to pay much attention.

After consideration, we became worried that pipes had burst in the house as well. Since we were unable to enter the house, we decided to fill the stock tank from the broken pipes at the barn. We were so thankful that before we were able to drive down and do that, a helpful neighbor filled the tank for us. We are blessed with really nice neighbors.

When we returned home from the neighbors' house in the morning, a neighbor from the other end of the road called us. She had hit a Red-faced Screech-owl with her truck on the way to work. It survived, and she took it home. Since we needed to go to her house yesterday morning anyway, we got to go and see the owl. It was so cute, poor little thing. Our neighbor took the owl to the vet school to be cared for.

Cold Weather

2010-01-12T12:17:00.002-06:00

The weather has been quite frigid here lately. A few nights have dropped down into the teens, and I think that every night this week has been in the 20s at least. Pipes have frozen, although thankfully we've had no burst pipes so far. The animals, who are not accustomed to such wintry temperatures, are complaining. Our cats, with the exception of Spunkabitty, are spending all their time indoors. Bitty has a desire to hunt that sends him out in all weather, and he also possesses a thick, fluffy coat (and a significant layer of fat). The horses have grown their winter coats, but we like to put on their insulated blankets when we bring them into the barn for the night. Abby, the Golden Retriever, has a lovely warm layer of golden hair to keep her cosy, but poor Bunny is slick and shiny with hardly any hair. She shivers and looks miserable, so we bought her a winter coat. Bunny loves her little jacket!

Sadly, our garden has suffered from the cold. I'm not sure what will be left when things finally warm up a bit. The strawberries are doing well, however, thanks to the layer of black plastic with which we covered them. The first blooms have made their appearance, so the berries are on their way.

Yesterday, I started the seeds for our summer garden. It seems odd to be doing that while the temperatures are so low, but I am excited. We purchased some new varieties of heirloom tomato this year, as well as some old standbys that are proven to be delicious. This year, I am going to try growing paste tomatoes so that we'll be able to make tomato sauce. Polish Linguisia and Cosmonaut Volcov are my choice for paste tomatoes. I also started seeds for three different cherry tomatoes: Black Cherry, Sungold, and Mexico Midget. The Mexico Midgets grow to be just half an inch in diameter! I think that they will be perfect in salads. I started eggplants, hot and sweet peppers, kiwifruit, and a garden berry called Chichiquelite Huckleberry. I am praying that God will bless my seeds with abundant growth.

It Has Been a While

2010-01-08T06:46:00.000-06:00

We had a lovely holiday season, but now it is time to get back on schedule. I'm looking forward to settling into a routine once more.

After Christmas, Annie, Daddy and I began step one of renovating the horse barn. We started with demolition, and that was a lot of fun. One doesn't realize how entertaining it can be to cut, rip, hammer and pry out lumber. We really tore into the barn. The reconstruction was an interesting project as well. We rebuilt the divider between Buddy and Rusty's stalls, and we did the same between Poco and Peg. Buddy and Rusty lived in very large stalls, which required large amounts of bedding. To gain more space in the aisle and save on pine shavings, we made their stalls smaller. Resizing Rusty's stall left us with a strip of the aisle that was bare dirt, so the next task was pouring concrete. Now we are finished with our first project in the barn. Annie and I feel very blessed by our better barn every time we go out to do something with the horses.

We had to move some of our horses into different stalls after the barn project. One of the rearranged equines was Jack. He found his new home quite interesting. Jack especially enjoyed playing with his gate latch, which was different from the one in his old stall. One morning before Annie and I had been to the barn, Daddy opened the outer gates to release the dogs. As he continued on his way to his workshop, he thought he heard one of us letting the horses out. Soon I headed outside to feed and care for my horses, only to see Jack and Rusty happily grazing in front of the barn. We determined that Jack had opened his own gate and then freed Rusty. Jack's best buddy, Peg, was mad, because Jack didn't help him escape. I captured the mischievous Houdini and put him back in the barn. His gate now sports a double-ended snap that he cannot open (at least, not yet).

We have a real soft spot for animals in trouble. Momma, Annie, and I were driving home from a trip to the grocery store and the feed store one morning with 150 lbs. of feed, 250 lbs. of pine shavings, and our own groceries. There, standing beside a busy intersection, was a beautiful Great Dane. She was thin and had a sad, lost look about her. We passed her, then turned around and went back. One doesn't see a Great Dane on the side of the highway every day. After convincing her to climb into the car, we drove home with her. Annie was in the back seat, so she got most of the slobber. We got the dog home , named her Bella, and found her to be sweet, loving, and extremely strong. Thankfully, Abby's walking harness fit her, so I put it on. It took Annie and me with two leashes to hold Bella when she pulled on us. I suppose she'd never had a leash on before. Momma called several veterinarians to see if anyone had lost a Great Dane, and one vet's office knew the dog. :( They told Momma where Bella lived and that she wanders frequently. With that information, we loaded the dog into the car and took her home. She made it clear that she'd rather stay with us, but we left her there. Her owners were not home, so we never found out her real name. We enjoyed having Bella around.

Annie and I are horse-sitting for our neighbors while they take a trip to Colorado. There are four horses, and we feed them twice a day. We drive down in the morning, because the horses get grain and hay, which takes a little while. In the evening, Annie and I ride down there bareback on Buddy and Peg, and we give the horses hay. We like to help our friends in this way. These particular horses are quite well-behaved and easy to manage, and that is an added blessing. Their names are Stretch, Lady, Julie, and Tux. Lady is my favorite, but they are all sweet. Stretch is a big clown, and he likes to pick things up in his mouth and wave them at you. He'd like to eat my scarf, but I won't let him. Horses are entertaining creatures. I'm glad God has blessed us with so many opportunities to be around them.

Here is today's memory verse. I have been blessed by reading Psalm 51. It is filled with spiritual meat.

The sacrifices of God are a broken spirit: a broken and a contrite heart, O God, thou wilt not despise. Psalm 51:17 KJV

Christmas Day

2009-12-25T12:09:00.000-06:00

Merry Christmas, everyone!

We are blessed by the true meaning of Christmas, the ultimate Gift of God.

And she shall bring forth a son, and thou shalt call his name JESUS: for he shall save his people from their sins. Matthew 1:21 KJV

Joy to the world! Our Lord is come.

Delivering Christmas Goodies

2009-12-19T17:51:00.000-06:00

This afternoon Annie and I decorated the horses, and we all went out to deliver our Christmas bread to our neighbors. We bought red and green yarn and gold bells and braided their manes and tails. Daddy rode Jack, Momma rode Rusty, Annie rode Buddy, and I rode Peg. We had a really nice time, and everybody behaved. It has been over a month since the younger horses were ridden, and Rusty has not had a rider in over a year. They were good boys, especially since we encountered a four-wheeler, several dogs, some cars, a few chickens, two frisky, galloping horses, and a loop of loose barbed wire in which Rusty entangled his foot. Jack said it was all quite interesting.

I really like to hand out our Christmas goodies that way. Our neighbors seem to enjoy it as well. This year it was extra special, because Daddy and Momma came with us. Riding down the road on our horses, bells jingling, carrying cranberry bread (it smelled so good!) really puts one in the Christmas spirit. Peg and Jack thought the bread they were carrying smelled like something a horse would like to eat. They kept trying to reach it while we were riding. Thankfully, we were able to keep it away from them. We fed them horse cookies when we returned to the barn.

Tonight, Daddy is hanging our outside Christmas lights. They are not cooperating, and some of them won't light up. Our house will be lovely when Daddy finishes, though. I think white icicle lights on a house are pretty.

Cranberry Orange Bread

2009-12-16T11:39:00.000-06:00

Today we made cranberry orange bread to give as Christmas goodies. Momma and I made six big loaves and four little ones, and they look really good. I know that the dough was tasty, because we tried it.

We made it all in one batch, which posed a few problems. The volume of the ingredients made stirring difficult, but thankfully barn work strengthens one's arms. Our bread is in the oven right now, and Momma and Annie tell me it smells delicious. I can't tell, because I have a cold.

Annie and I plan to deliver the bread to our neighbors on horseback. Last year we decorated Peg and Buddy with greenery and red yarn. Then we rode down our gravel road and gave out our goodies Pony Express style. At one house, the resident horses bolted across their pasture, and Peg took off running, too. However, the bread we were carrying was none the worse for the excitement. This year we hope to have none of that sort of adventure on our rounds.

Garden Harvest

2009-12-07T11:39:00.000-06:00

I harvested our first crops from the garden last week. We got turnips, lettuces, cilantro, parsley, and green onions. Momma and I are enjoying the turnips very much. We prepare them by roasting them in the oven. We also had a fresh lettuce salad yesterday, and it was delicious.

We were blessed with such an abundance of produce that we were able to share it with some of our friends. God has been good to us by causing our garden to grow so well. We know we cannot take credit for it ourselves. We just plant the seeds and weed, and God waters and sends the sunshine. Our garden is a constant reminder of God's care for us.