The Sprucelands Kokomo Ordeal

This wonderful friend of yours is beginning to eat again.

I don't think there is any camp anywhere that has as much heart as Sprucelands Camp. I'm not just saying that because this is my camp. I'm saying that because this is your camp, and you are the most loving people.

Kokomo has been so blessed to have cards, email, pictures, facebook postings, telephone calls and visits from nearby and across the globe. I didn't realize how many people were invested in his survival until I looked back over all your communications with us. Wow! Impressive.

This has been one of the longest journeys ever. About a month ago, Kokomo seemed to change. We couldn't figure out what was happening, and yet we knew he was different. His energy waned. He stood more in the pasture, watching others eat. He didn't interact and never did I see him trying to remove a halter from his buddies, not the way he used to play. Instead he stood and ground his teeth.

A little over a week ago Kokomo stopped eating and drinking. We had the vet and then an equine dentist in case there was an abcess that was hidden deep in his mouth. The chiropractor worked on him in case his back was out and he was in pain. His sheath was cleaned. What more could we do?


Caitlin traveled all the way from Texas to spend the day with her best friend.

Three different vets paid us visits, directing us to do this and that and another thing. It was long and tedious, especially when Kokomo's hindquarters locked up and he refused to move. That was scary. His temperature was up to 104 degrees.

Well, to make a long story short, Saturday and Sunday were turning points. On Saturday, the vet wanted me to put him down. Kokomo's body indicated he was checking out. The writing was on the wall. And yet, I teach you guys not to give up, and so I said to the vet, I can't give up. We don't do that easily here. We've got to work at this a little while longer. So I cut a deal. We would give Kokomo until Tuesday or Wednesday and then make a decision.

That wonderful vet - her name was Katie - worked with Kokomo and me for three hours on Saturday afternoon. We wormed him for every kind of worm ever known to man. He had paste also that addressed stomach ulcers. We did an IV drip - 2 big bags - and we tubed him again, intending to get as much fluid in him as possible. He was getting 20 cc of antibiotics twice a day along with the wildest buffet you ever saw.

There was a tub here of bran mash with probiotics and salt. Another bucket had alfalfa enticing him. There was a dish of sweet feed, a bucket of warmed water, and piles of fresh hay. Anything Kokomo wanted, Kokomo could have. Apples, carrots, you name it. I would have grilled him a steak if it would do the trick.

I sat with Kokomo a long time Saturday night. We cried together. I was so frustrated and wished I could know what was bothering him. Someone told me years ago that horses think in pictures. I kept searching for a picture and all I got was confusion from him because I don't think Kokomo knew what was going on. He just knew he didn't feel good and hung his head. So I tucked him in and went to bed myself exhausted and spent after a very long day. I didn't know if he would be alive in the morning, especially when the temperatures outside dropped to 4 degrees.


The Vanderwaters stopped by today - Tuesday - to let Kokomo know he is special.

Meanwhile, I communicated with you and you started communicating with each other. Kokomo received more positive vibes and prayers than any horse on this planet. Then Sunday afternoon, he started having company. Folks were coming to say 'goodbye' in case Kokomo didn't make it. They patted him, hugged him and each other, walked with him, and cried. Alicia, Katie, Kalayne, Courtney, Yvonne, and Tsz were here. You guys were wonderful.

I also had a conversation with Kokomo about Fella. Some of us wondered if Fella's passing had affected Kokomo so much that he was determined to follow Fella. I had the same conversation with Fella - yeah I know I'm a little nuts - and told Fella this wasn't fair. He needed to get busy, talk turkey to Kokomo, and convince him to fight the good fight. It was time for Kokomo to dig down into those feed bowls and start eating something...and drinking. I was about pleading with him.

I am a believer. I believe it's all about connections, and you folks connected with Kokomo. He started nibbling hay and grain on Sunday afternoon. Sunday evening when I checked on him around 9 p.m., he was still munching hay. He drank about 2 gallons of water. Monday was better because he finally - after three days - started leaving us manure gifts. They were pure delight because until then he was doing nothing.

Lorie managed Kokomo Monday during the day, giving me frequent reports at school. Then when I came home Monday, Caitlin Gager was here. She actually flew up from Texas for the day just to be with her beloved friend, Kokomo. They walked and talked about old times. She spent the entire day in the art of connection, and Kokomo was eating like he had an apetite again. Amazing.

Today is Tuesday. Kokomo whinnied to Lorie this morning. He continues to eat and is now drinking more. Believe it or not, Katie Withowski came this afternoon, drove from Pennsylvania, to reconnect with Kokomo. Several winters, Katie leased Kokomo and they were best buds. Talk about feeling the love. Kokomo should be realizing he's royalty about now.

Katie came. It was terrific seeing Katie again. I just know it made a difference.

Hope, Henry and Amy Vanderwater stopped by. Together they walked Kokomo, exchanging greetings and sharing memories of good times. Their hearts were about bursting with love. They even left a bag of treats and a creative homemade greeting card hanging on Kokomo's stall.

I've just been to the barn and the entire bucket of water is gone. Lorie, I know you're glad to hear that. Kokomo is enjoying the bran/sweetfeed mix. His water is freshened again, and he seemed annoyed that I was there. I got the message to leave him alone so he could just eat. I really think he thought I was going to give him another shot or take his temperature. It appears he's done with that. A little grumpiness on his part is such a good sign.

With tears in my eyes, I want to say thank you for your support. This has been a very difficult week. You are people who love so much and share that love not only with this special paint horse, but with me and Lorie. I don't know if we could have kept going as long as we have without you. Lorie reads your facebook messages to Kokomo as she walks him. Makes me laugh. It's all about connection.

Jenn Metz and Caitlin with Kokomo. What more can I say?

At this point, I think I would like to create a Kokomo page on facebook. I'd like for you to submit your photos to that page so we can all see the wonderful memories we have with Kokomo. He still isn't out of the woods, and yet I'm truly optimistic. Even the vets are calling me. They are amazed he is doing as well as he is and are even more flabergasted when I tell them he has a fan club that extends around the world.

This entire adventure has been quite an expense at a time in the year when I don't yet have much cash flow. I've talked with others and wonder now if I could start a Kokomo Fund, asking for donations, however small, to help us meet the nearly $1000 expenses we have to absorb. If you are so inclined, please consider helping us out. Kokomo and I would be extremely grateful. You can make checks out to Sprucelands and send them to P.O. Box 54, Java Center, NY 14082.

What really caused all this? None of us is truly certain, even the vets. Was Kokomo upset about Fella? Did he have an internal abcess? Could he have had a tape worm? I don't know. I don't know if we will ever know. What I am certain about however is that you are the reason he is fighting the good fight, and that in fact is all any of us can ever do. Fight the good fight, and never give up easily.

Your comments are always welcome. They make me smile.

Equifest Fair and Sprucelands

Equifest, Hamburg, New York ~ Sunday, March 20th

I just want to pop in here and share that the Equifest in Hamburg, New York was worth our time. I didn't know if it would be an investment in finding future campers or if it would be a tiring day of watching lots of people walk by the Sprucelands table. So I went there excited about the possibilities and was pleasantly surprised.

There were actually quite a number of families who were curious about our program and seriously talked with us about what Sprucelands is about and what it can offer their child. Those families took information, watched some of our DVD and said they would look forward to exploring our program for the summer. Even their children seemed interested and excited about the possibility of coming to camp.

Alicia, Katie, Kalayne, Courtney, Tarrah, Lisa and Yvonne were at the Equifest helping me out with the selling. I was amazed to hear them talk to families about camp. They were outgoing and clear in their testimonials. I was proud of them, especially when I realized that they were quite shy when they first became involved with Sprucelands. Ah, the magic of our place!!!

Anyway, it was a fun and interesting Sunday. I hope the Equifest happens again next year because it was a very positive experience. Now I am going to pursue these interested families and see if we can enjoy their children this summer.

Comments always welcome.

Sprucelands will be at the Equifest in Hamburg, NY

This photo is on a new camp banner that will hang near our table at the Equifest.

On Sunday we are fortunate to be included in the Equifest that is happening at the Hamburg Fairgrounds Professional Building. Eileen will be there representing Sprucelands Equestrian Center and Summer Camp. This is an awesome opportunity to get Sprucelands name circulating, and I'm sure it will be fun for all.

Clinic helpers, campers and staff in the area are encouraged to come. Take turns manning the table and spread enthusiasm about our summer camp program. Meet other camps and riding programs in the area. Enjoy the scheduled program and possibly win prizes. We may even discover new ideas for what we can offer our riders.

Here is the program. I hope it comes through okay so you can easily read it. The day starts at 9 a.m. and lasts until 6 p.m. There's an opening ceremony with the Erie County Mounted Division. That should be awesome. I'm particularly interested in the saddle fitting class that is scheduled around 10:00 a.m.

The Western NY Chapter of NYS Horse Council is sponsoring this wonderful gathering of horse people. And there is no admission fee for demonstrations by the Pony club as well as classes in saddle fitting, training for respect, bandaging, clipping and more.



I have learned there is a free chance for a $50 door prize and also a $250 gift certificate (in a free raffle) donated by Dover Saddlery. There's a 50/50 raffle and over 70 vendors have donated items that are available in a drawing where you can purchase tickets. All of this with FREE ADMISSION!

So come and join us on Sunday. I'd love to see you and share hugs. We're hoping to play our DVD's for all to see. It will give us exposure and at the same time give us wonderful memories to talk about. Hope to see you there!

Comments always make me smile.

Sprucelands Staff Planning is 'out of this world'.

Hill parents, cook, nurses, and camp director were in on planning for 2011.

Our brainstorming sessions are always the best! Every spring whatever staff can get together gathers at my house to throw camp ideas around for a full Saturday. It gives us an opportunity to evaluate last summer and then cultivate new ideas for our 2011 season. We catch up on each other's news, share hugs, and tell funny stories from past camp years. It's a day I look forward to once March rolls around.

We talked about our camp theme Toy Story and decided to clarify that we will be drawing from all the movies not just Toy Story 3. So if you have the chance to watch those movies, we will all be on the same page with some of the silly fun and more serious messages that the movies put out there.

It is our hope that each camper and staff will create a costume either bringing to life one of the Toy Story characters or creating a toy of your own. There will be opportunities for us to use that costume.

Also, we are going to continue our Whacky Wednesdays so you'll want to pack some mismatched plaids, polka dots and stripes for those silly days. This year we are going to call them Woody's Whacky Wednesdays. New campers can see a photo on the left sidebar of this blog from a past Whacky Wednesday. What fun we have! No one cares how silly we look. We simply dress up violating every fashion rule that exists.

Riding and barn staff anticipate fun names for riding classes as they join in planning fun.

Our sessions will vary a bit this year. The first session and the third session will be Woody's Whacky Roundup with a more western emphasis. The second session and the fourth session will be To Infinity and Beyond with some 'out there' fun.

First session we are doing a big carnival. Second session there will be a big Chuck Wagon Barbecue, third session a Luau, and fourth session, star gazing with expert guests and a telescope to give us up close and personal knowledge to understand those awesome meteor showers in August. Every session will be a bit different this year.

We are changing cabin inspection too. This year campers will have the opportunity to earn camp money and then cash their money in for prizes. The prizes will be anything from purchasing a party or buying a desert delicacy to getting served breakfast in bed or skipping chores for a day. Our list of options is long and getting longer. This should be novel and fun.

So this gets us started on thinking about summer. I imagine you'll have ideas to add to ours. Please be open and send them our way. I will write more to you about program across the spring. This is only the beginning. We have a variety of twists and turns to keep your interest.

Stay tuned. Meanwhile, celebrate our awesome staff. I'll share counselors with you soon. They are genuine and real, caring about you and a quality summer. Their sense of humor is infectious and the friendship they maintain with us long after camp is treasured...to infinity and beyond.

Comments always welcome.

March Newsletter for Sprucelands



CLICK HERE AND YOU WILL GO TO THE NEWSLETTER!

Here is a quick post to get the current newsletter into your hands. I've been working on putting a newsletter together for some weeks now. I got slowed up during February. So catching up feels good. I will add here not to get impatient after clicking on the newsletter link. It takes a couple of minutes for the newsletter to download.

I very much want to inspire enthusiasm about 2011 and the Toy Story theme. It's going to be a lot of fun. Some of you are already writing to me about the character you want to be in our Toy Story summer. I would think you could even create a new character. Why not? Get a costume together because I'm sure we'll be going there in an evening program.

Also, if you have news you want me to share with other campers, let me know. I'll post it in the next newsletter and even put it on the website if you like. I've got quite a bit of work to do on the website. Soon!