Horse Swapping

Yesterday I said I'd tell you about the weekend. One highlight was a horse swapping that we did.

Our barn manager, Lorie, connected with the previous owners of Buddy. They were the folks who traded Buddy for our paint, Spanky. You might be interested to know that now Spanky's name is Rocket and he's an award winning star at team penning events. I have to tell you I'm impressed. I'm glad we hung in there until we could find a good place for Spanky.

Anyway, these folks have been interested in our 7 year old paint, Cody. They love paints and since Cody chose a bucking bronco mindset last summer (just ask Agy), I decided we needed to talk with them more. The result is that we swapped Cody for a chestnut mare named Sugar. (I think you'll be pleased, Agy.)

Sugar is seven years old and presents with a positive, quiet attitude. She's very personable, loves attention, and seems to go by the rules. I love how she moves. Of course when she first arrived on Saturday, she was full of it. We put her in the round ring and she rolled, ran circles for what seemed like forever, bucked and kicked and rolled some more. It was fun to watch. Tarrah was here. I asked her if she wanted to ride her and she wisely decided to let her settle in.

Well, it didn't take too long. Sugar began to watch the horses in the pasture, looking like she was very ready to meet her new friends. She is sweet, if I do say so myself. We'll fit her to a saddle and bridle and try riding her this week. Then I can let you know more.

For now, we have a horse that will work more effectively and safely than Cody. Sad to say we had to make the decision to trade, but when I realized Cody was standing in the pasture much of the summer, I knew he needed a different placement. He will be ridden western, probably becoming a team penning pro. If he's happy in his new life, then this is a positive move for him.

If you have something to say about this horse swap, feel free to make your comments on my blog. I always love your input. Keeps us in a dialogue of sorts. Happy Tuesday!

Beauty Underfoot

This is a quick good morning. I'm running a bit late, but wanted to say hi to everyone after what turned out to be a lovely weekend with riding lessons, trail rides, horse swapping, and out of town company.

I'll write more later about the trail rides, horse swapping and out of town company. What I want to share right now are some of our Sprucelands views in the fall. The leaves have been so pretty. I so wish those of you who come in the summertime could see how lovely camp is when the colorful leaves are floating from above and covering the ground with yellows, reds, oranges, and shades of fall green.

There are all kinds of poems out there about the fall. I still think the best feeling is when I take a trail ride into the woods. The carpet is crispy colored leaves and as you walk along the trails, our horses swish the leaves underfoot. Often I think I must be dead and everyone is with me in my heaven. It's so beautiful.

Anyway, here are a few photos that I wanted to share just for fun. They give you a sense of camp's beauty in the fall. Enjoy them. I've got to jump in the shower! Happy Monday.

Any comments you want to share, please post them on my blog. I would love knowing whether you'd like me to make fall happen in summer so you could see the color!

Horse Thoughts

Days come and days go. I smile when I do riding lessons though, generally after school and on weekends. They are really fun. During camp, I teach some lessons but am more involved behind the scenes in making sure things move forward.

What I love about lessons first and foremost is my contact with riders. Our weekly rides give me an opportunity to hear about school stresses and homework loads. They also are a wonderful way to watch individuals grow and you know I'm big on how you all 'blossom and grow'.

I get such a kick out of watching my riders master a new skill. I am even more excited when they work with a project horse.

Week after week they struggle to help with attitude and skill adjustments in the horse. Their persistence and genuine loving care makes such a difference to whether or not that horse has a purpose to their off season life. Then when the rider feels a positive difference in their rides, they know success is theirs. The smiles after those lessons are the best. I love it!

Erin is becoming a rider who can partner up with almost any horse in the barn and do well. She is a quiet rider who soothes the horse and politely says, "No. This is how you do it." I am amazed at how well the horses accept her. Lately Erin has worked with Mikey, Marea and Ellie. She even hopped on Honey yesterday. I think Honey had the ride of her life.

Courtney loves Bugler. She makes him feel like a king and I think he makes her shine like the queen she is. Recently Courtney has ridden Fella and Honey to work on balance and using her seat and legs more. Soon she will return to Bugler and I believe she will be surprised by how her riding has improved.

This last weekend Kristen and her mom came for a trail ride. Kristen rode Sunrise and her mom rode Patti. I have to tell you I was flabergasted with Patti's energy. She literally did not want to stay behind me on the trail ride. It was go, go, go for her. We actually had to slow her down. Anyway, here is a picture for Kristen's mom. Is this one for your bulletin board, Sue?

I have quite a number of riders come for lessons who are beginners. Many of them are working with the masters and doing well.

What I mean by working with the masters is that these riders are learning on Fella, Honey and Ozzy, horses that partner with me in teaching new riders how to be confident and skilled on their horse. I thoroughly enjoy their enthusiasm. I've in fact taught many a beginner rider their basic skills so they can move on to compete and do well.

At this point, I want to add a footnote for a horse named Glory. She was one of our masters who taught many of you out there how to manage a canter. She worked long and hard here at camp. We retired her to a wonderful family with a daughter named Zoe who connected heart to heart with Glory these past years. Well, I received word this week that Zoe had to say goodbye to Glory, and I know that was hard. We truly feel your sadness Zoe. Thank you for loving Glory the way we loved her. Glory was a special friend to us all.

Odds and Ends

This is just a quick post this morning to check-in with you all and mention a few things. First of all, winter is coming. Did you know that? Of course you probably did. Wanted to say we've already had two inches of snow here on a few occasions. This week however has been lovely and warmer. Must be our Indian Summer. As far as I am concerned, it can last forever.

Secondly, October 31st is a Saturday. Did you know that? I'm sure you know Halloween is coming and that's Halloween, isn't it? I have a few special needs riders returning with Carol Reis in the afternoon of that Saturday. If there are a couple of clinic helpers wanting to join us, I would love it. If you came early, maybe we could get in a trail ride? That would be fun.

Third, the November 6th weekend is a girl scout riding clinic. Did you know that? Probably not. If you are a clinic helper and would like to come help out, we could have a lot of fun. It's been a while since we've seen each other. The scout troop is bringing about 20 people. This will be Sandy Spencer's girls. They are awesome kids. So bring your enthusiasm and let's connect again.

Finally I want to say that we have things straightened out with the girl scouts. Apparently last spring the young woman who paid us the annual update visit didn't process things and also no longer works for the council. So we fell through the cracks. Now that Yvonne - one of our Hill Moms - talked with the council leaders, we are on the list again. Hallelujah! Thank you, Yvonne. You're our hero for the day!

So have a wonderful Wednesday. Did you know it was Wonderful Wednesday? You do now! Good morning, sunshine! Leave a comment on my blog should you be so moved. Meanwhile, hugs to you all. Go out there and make a difference. Oh and by the way, Lily and Pudge say 'hi'.

After Camp Entertainment

Lots of fun things happen at camp. Lots of interesting and different things happen at camp after the summer season is over. We settle into off season routines. The scenery changes. Everything here is very quiet. Gradually, the land seems to accept that our wonderful campers have returned to their busy life in the city. A little at a time I move beyond missing you every moment of my day.

Lorie - our barn manager - and I keep trucking along. Lorie works all week long to make sure the horses are clean and fed. I manage them on the weekends while teaching lessons and doing trail rides or slipping into clinics. Day after day we do what we do so that everything is ready for camp again come July and August. Guess you'd say we are working behind the scenes so the summer is a success.

Even though camp is over, the horses still like to have fun. They make everyday different. We never know what they will do to entertain us. A week ago I went to the barn on Saturday morning and Fella was out eating hay in the green stall barn. He looked so smug because somehow he figured out how to open his door. While all the other horses were banging on their doors for breakfast, he was fat and happy in the mud.

The same weekend I went to the barn on Sunday morning and Casper was out of the ring. It had been a warm night and so the horses stayed in the pasture. I had separated Casper and Mikey because Casper has been a bit of a kicker with the horses lately. They had plenty of hay in ring #3 but Casper was having none of that. He wanted grass included in his buffet and so he broke the fence and was waiting for me to ask what in the world he was doing.

And so it goes. We are of course amused daily by the ongoing contest the horses run with each other, decorating manes and tails with burdock. I need to take a few photos of them because you wouldn't believe how many burdock get a free ride into our barn. Usually Kokomo wins the contest although Audi is running a close second.

So this is my quick blog for today. Write me a comment or two if you have something to say. I love getting comments because then I know you are reading what I write. Happy Monday!

Trip to the Adirondacks

Time to catch up. My blogging rhythm was interrupted when my folks came from Indiana for a week long visit. They wanted to celebrate my birthday with me because they couldn't believe they had a daughter that was so old. I had to laugh at that because I can't believe my parents are so old. At 89 and 91, they drove all the way from Indiana. Of course, when you do the math, you can see I'm getting up there as well. Ah...life is good.

Anyway, as part of our week I took two days off school and we drove to the Adirondacks to see the leaves. My mom and dad wanted to see them at peak and see them at peak is what we did. They were beautiful. Actually, the Adirondacks is 2-3 weeks ahead of us. I was pretty amazed.

We visited our old haunts - Old Forge, Inlet, Seventh Lake - and relived memories of camping on the shores of Seventh Lake as we posed, snapped photos and giggled.

Something we love to do is drive the back road from Old Forge to Inlet looking for deer. These days the road is paved smooth. There are beautiful homes everywhere. Civilization has come to what used to be such wilderness.

Well, when I thought my mom would be disappointed at not seeing any deer we came upon four of them not far from where we were staying. They walked up to our car and would have kissed my mom had she let them. That had to be the highlight of her trip.

Anyway, it's been a week since my folks were here. They drove all the way home to Indiana and snuggled back into their routine. Now my dad is in the hospital because he fell while shaving and broke his hip. Go figure. Sounds like he had a bout of vertigo and the vertigo won. So maybe the doctors can do the figuring and help him with that so the room doesn't become a fun house at the fair. Glad he didn't experience that vertigo thing while driving on his long trip.

I guess I put this out there because we never know how our lives can change in a week's time. We can so easily be thrown a curve and suddenly we're dealing with a whole new set of challenges. I thank the good Lord for everyday that I wake up to face the normal routines. No matter how easy or difficult those routines become, I know I am alive and well and happy in what I am doing.