Cold weather hovers over Sprucelands.



Beautiful and cold. The camp lodge is doing fine.

In my last post, I commented about the cold weather. That wasn't anything like this weekend. Yesterday I could actually hear the water freezing after I poured it into buckets for the horses. Last Monday was easy in comparison.

It was so cold on Sunday that I actually found my breathing in trouble. Never thought that would be an issue. Guess it was colder than I had thought. I was happy there was no wind. 

Kalayne and her mom warmed the day with their smiles.

Anyway, I haven't dressed with so many layers in years. Glad no one was around yesterday because I might have scared them with my getup! Thankfully the horses didn't mind. I will confess there were a few moments when I wished for a fuzzy coat with lanolin to insulate me.

Saturday I was supposed to do a birthday party for Kalayne. We decided to put that off till next week because of the temperatures. Didn't matter to Kalayne and her mom though. They appeared  Saturday bundled for cold. I was amazed that they would come out to camp. Can't keep Kalayne away from Toby!


Watch out! Here we come!

We had a lot of fun working together around the horses. And then Kalayne and her mom took their sleds and made several birthday runs sliding down the hill from the barn on their slippery plastic sleds. Oh my gosh! They were characters. Actually, they were kids enjoying a good ride. I sat at the bottom of the hill with my camera ready to snap a few fun photos.

So now I'm looking forward to the heat wave this afternoon that our weatherman predicts. It's -16 degrees now and going all the way up to a positive 20 degrees. That's like the tropics! Maybe I'll shed my long underwear. You know, we don't hear much about global warming these days. Fact is, when it gets as cold as it is now, I'm thinking the polar bears must be very happy.

Comments welcome as always. Warm my heart.

Very Cold Mornings at Sprucelands

Here is the cold morning right after I got out of my warm car!

Monday was Martin Luther King day. Monday was beautiful and very cold. In fact, it was 4 degrees below zero at the barn. Wonder what camp looks like when it's four below? Well, here you have it.

Doesn't sound like there is lots of news, does it? January is that boring time of year when the horses manage from day to day, easily surviving the cold. We of course bundle in layer after layer of fleece. I am amazed that I need so many layers and the horses do just fine with what looks like a rather simple fuzzy jacket.

I marvel at how crisp and clear the air is on a very cold day. Thankfully there was very little breeze. The trees simply stood still in the sun. With blue sky surrounding us, it really was a perfect morning.


Later in the day, I drove down to the house to warm my fingers and toes.

You can see we have been fortunate so far. There's not too much snow at camp. We have escaped those piles of snow that Buffalo and the East Coast had earlier on. Our snow is just enough to help us avoid mud. Enough to keep the horses clean. Also enough to keep good traction from the house to the barn and back. Snow is so much better than ice.

So take this mental picture and remember these scenes in the summertime when it's 80-90 degrees and you're dying with the heat. Think about the snow on a -4 degree morning. If you use your imagination, you're sure to cool down in that heat. I guarantee it.

Comments always welcome. They'll warm me up!

A thank you to the Sprucelands barn manager.

Fella, Mikey and Indigo enjoying breakfast together.

Just stopping by to let you know that the horses are hanging out being friends in our turnout areas. Not much is doing during the week, or so you might think, when you look at our peaceful equine friends.

Truth of the matter is that our barn manager, Lorie, is working every minute of every day to make sure our horses are happy, well cared for, and safe. It is not an easy job day after day, especially when you are doing that work alone in the snow and cold.

Besides feedings, there are stalls to clean (you know that well), wormings, farrier appointments, generator issues, and grain orders. Lorie also keeps me informed so I'm doing what I need to do with ordering and payments. What would I do without her! We are a good team.

I want to recognize Lorie's continuous hard work. January and February are those months when it feels like summer is years away. Will winter never end? I know from experience that it gets lonely at the barn when it's just you and the horses. So a 'thank you' is very much appreciated. 

If you have a minute, leave an appreciative note for Lorie in our comments below. Connect with her on facebook or send her an email. I'm happy to provide you with her contact information if  you would like it.

Meanwhile, enjoy your busy day at school or work while the horses munch and fuss, nap and roll in the snow. Think of Lorie lugging buckets of water and pushing the wheelbarrow. She is working very hard.

Comments for Lorie are welcome here. Say thank you?

Sprucelands is moving forward.

Let's get the glow going again.

Because this is January, it is time for us to get down and serious about recruiting for the summer season. 2011 is here and actually camp is around the corner. There is much to do so that we have another wonderful season.

I want to inspire parents to send in registrations soon so we know what kind of staff, horses, and supplies we need to line up. It is so much easier and less stressful to put our program together if we can start planning now. Please help us out. Should you have any questions you want answered, either leave a comment below or send me an email at spruceland@gmail.com.

Please know that you can register without claiming a date. That was instituted last fall to honor parental requests for claiming a space even before knowing what dates you want. We will need to know dates by May so that we can see what sessions are full.

Keep in mind that if every one of us recruited one new camper, then camp would be full. That's reality. Just one new camper could make a huge difference. You are Sprucelands best advertizing.

Also, a few tidbits. (1) If you are interested in my photo blog, enjoy reading about how my photography reflects my insights and perspectives. Become a follower if you will because that helps the blog get more publicity on the internet. You will find the blog by clicking here.

(2) My new line of meaningful greeting cards is now up for sale. In fact, I am happy to say that the Artisan Shop across from East Aurora's Roycroft Inn has agreed to sell my cards on consignment. That's really exciting. I have about 75 cards designed already and am working on more. You can see some of them by clicking here. I still have more to upload. Takes time. The profits go toward maintaining the horses across the winter. That is a challenge.

(3) We continue to earn for your purchases at Amazon.com as long as you enter Amazon through this blog. Just click on one of the Amazon links on this page and it will take you into the Amazon store. Use the search bar on the Amazon page to find what you want to purchase. It's easy and it helps Sprucelands. We're excited. Someone recently purchased a $500 TV!

(4) Finally, if you like to support recycling, then so are we. Sprucelands is involved with Planet Green which means we not only collect empty ink cartridges, we also sell recycled ink cartridges. They are much more inexpensive than buying brand new. You can purchase recycled by clicking here. Help us out. Support a green planet.

So this catches you up on all that we're doing to get Sprucelands moving again. This is the very quiet time of year and I'm looking to spark our momentum toward spring and summer 2011. Onward! Charge!

Here's a true Sprucelands cat nap.

A foot here, a whisker there...snoring cats in my chair.

You know there are days when I need to snuggle and cuddle. What is really fun is when the cats want to snuggle and cuddle at the same time I'm feeling the need.

When I open the door and step into my kitchen, I always smile at the menagerie waiting for me. Four cats are usually sitting there ready to tell me about their day. There is Oliver our black cat, J.I.B. (Jack-in-the-Box) the black and white 'cow' cat, and the two kittens that you see above. They have been my babies since they were two weeks old. Now they are independent and soft and snuggly.

Thought you would get a kick out of seeing how far they have come. They love to take over my rocking chair in the kitchen. That's where I sat when I fed them their bottle for weeks on end. Now they still like to be rocked, and to remind me they are waiting for that rocking time, they sleep in the rocker.

Comments make me smile.

Thank you! Thank you! Thank you!

I'm over here! Peek-a-boo!

Everyone has their heroes. I have mine right here at Sprucelands. They are the wonderful staff, CITs, campers and riding lesson students who stepped up to help me over Christmas weekend. In reality, they were another gift at a difficult time.

These are folks who have Sprucelands deep in their heart. They - and their families - give their time and love to make sure the horses keep going no matter what. Sometimes they come to help me on weekends. That helps them learn all there is to know about feeding routines, turnout schedules, and stall maintenance.

I have always said that Sprucelands needs to be more than one person. It needs to be a wide group of people who can keep it running. Many learn the routines so they can step in as needed to make sure things happen smoothly.


Keep the humor going. You make me smile.

We are fortunate to have adults who keep camp running in the summer when I have to step out. There are riding instructors who can teach as well or better than I can teach. The kitchen stays afloat because we have dedicated moms who want good food and a good atmosphere at the heart of camp.

Then there are those who manage the horses. They do so with kindness, knowledge, and an undying desire to make sure their beloved equine friends have their needs met.

In the process, there is fun with a sense of humor that creates stories to tell long afterwards. I like also that there is a developing appreciation for what I do and what Lorie our barn manager does everyday.

I give a standing ovation to Katie and Matt, Courtney, Tsz, Alicia, Katie, Kalayne, and Stacey for helping us out over the Christmas weekend. Thanks also to your parents. They are saints. I so appreciate your giving up your time so that I could be with my family and as it turns out, my mom and dad during a difficult time.

Comments welcome always.

The best gifts of Christmas 2010.

Best friends.

This was a different kind of Christmas. I can't explain my holiday in detail. I can say my mom went into the hospital on Christmas Eve, and that was the beginning of a Christmas week like none other.

I have a mother who works all year long on homemade, handmade projects for giving at Christmastime. Knitting and crocheting, she creates thoughtful presents that are a piece of her. She also flips through catalog after catalog, searching for gifts that are a perfect match for the receiver. Christmas is her hobby. She gets a twinkle in her eye when she talks about her 'elfing'.

This Christmas I watched mom become passive about Christmas. Her spark was gone. Our family knew something was very wrong. So after 9-1-1 and hours in the emergency room, mom was admitted to a long week in the hospital fighting pneumonia. At 92 that's scary. She could not breathe. Her breath was so labored that for the first time ever she knew genuine fear.

This felt like the Christmas that wasn't. Yet when I think of how I spent this week with my 90 year old dad, I realize he was my gift. We had quality time together. Back and forth to the hospital broke all routines. We frequented the hospital cafeteria, talked about death and dying, shared common concerns, and brainstormed ideas for projects I have at school. One thing I love to do is talk with my dad about ideas. He inspires me.


Lily seemed to understand that something was wrong.

As an added challenge to our cumbersome week, Lily had come with me to Indiana. Thankfully, she is a dog that loves to travel. This time around was hard for her though because we were summoned to the hospital with frantic phone calls, and that meant Lily lived in her cage.

Interestingly, I think Lily understood how our lives were turned upside down. She was so patient. I was actually glad she was with me. We took quick walks in the morning and snuggled together at night. As both a comfort and distraction, she kept me sane. Another gift.

So this was the Christmas for meaningful conversations and hard decisions, all the while feeling exhausted and yet grateful for the relationships that sustain me. It was a Christmas for taking baby steps forward with mom before sliding backwards, only to start again with more baby steps toward health.

Throughout our confused and hectic schedule, my dad and I benefited from our time together. In fact, I overheard him say that this was the first time in years he felt the strong connection we had enjoyed when I was a little girl. That comment moved me almost as much as his plea to a nurse: "Please help my wife. We have been married 67 years and I'm not ready to say 'goodbye' yet. I would like to experience year 68. She is my best friend." These heartfelt words will stay with me forever. Wouldn't you agree? They have to be the best gifts of Christmas 2010.

Comments welcome.