The LaCrosse Leader!

This gentleman was clearly the leader of the LaCrosse game.  He seemed to have the most experience, ease, grace, and gentlemanliness of the group.  And he just sat like he was sitting in his recliner with a beer.  I have never seen such a relaxed deep straight seat, no matter what he was doing -- playing hard, grabbing the ball midflight, instructing a young person, watching the entire play of action while galloping.  He was truly a marvel!

Equine LaCrosse!

Okay, so I bet you thought I'd never end that navel-gazing walk along the river!  I couldn't stop my head from feeling sorry for itself, so I walked on back to my car and what do you think I discovered?!  To my astonishment, that gathering of horses was for teams of equine LaCrosse players.  You could have bowled me over with a feather.  I had a great time watching them competing.  And what was cool is that it was such a diverse group of people - diverse by race/ethnicity, gender, age, apparent riding skill -- it was totally the coolest sort of spectacle to watch!!  A real treat!

River Walk Made Small

This entire experience has really been profound.  I learned how much my family loves me.  I learned about the deep kindness of people.  I have learned that I am such a small part of this cosmos, such a small fleck.  And that's okay.

River Walk with Hope

And though I had many mean-spirited and sad and self-pitying thoughts along that river, I also had a few good and hopeful ones.  I was hopeful because G*d clearly had passed his hand over this situation and cleared way for a miracle for Hailee.  He sent her to decent kind skilled expert people with love and understanding in their hearts.  He sent a family of earthbound angels to her in that stock yard.  And you can't help but be hopeful when a miracle like that occurs in your life for a loved one.  I didn't deserve His mercy and grace, but that's what I got.  Do any of us ever deserve the miracles that are worked in our lives?

River Walk with Sadness

And as I walked along that Tallahatchie River, I felt profound sadness that I could be so stupid and self-serving as to send Hailee to such an awful person.  And I felt sadness that the person who arranged it, could not even be bothered to come see me and talk with me about how Hailee ended up in such bad circumstances.  I felt sadness and loss caused by my hand and choices.

River Walk with Ambivalence

Over the next few days, I'll be posting pictures from my walk along the Tallahatchie River in McIntosh Reserve when I visited Hailee  in her new home in Georgia on a Saturday in late January, 2011.  I had just left her and her family and had lunch and then ventured out to this park.  And I have to admit that I wasn't feeling like a very good person.  As I walked along this river, I was very upset about what that man that I had sent Hailee to had done -- I was mad at him for taking Hailee's new blankets and halter and sending her to become underweight and scared at an auction.  I was so upset.  He didn't have to be so horrible.  And he was never sorry.  He's never been sorry for what he did.  And, in fact, when I contacted him to tell him that he didn't need to be so cruel, he responded by contacting the Provost of my university.  So, he's just about anything but sorry for the pain he causes in this world.  And that's the emotion I was feeling as I took a walk along this river. 

The Gathering

Again, when I visited Hailee in January, I also went to the McIntosh Reserve.  In these photos, I had just parked my car by the river and was looking around.  There was this big plain and lots of horses, by these trailers.  On the plain, a group of boys from camping families were playing football. 

Armadillo Dens and Holes!

When I went to visit Hailee in January, 2011, I had such a nice visit with her new family.  And at the end of their visit, they gave me some advice about places to visit in the area for a nice day of hiking and walking and perhaps horse sight-seeing.  They directed me to McIntosh Reserve right outside of town, along the Tallahatchie River.  Here I am at the Ranger Station, thinking about armadillos, and getting ready for a nice walk!

Renny and Flat Stanley

Here is a photo taken in early February of my little guy, Renny, after a riding lesson with his many pals on a Saturday morning.  He is posing with Flat Stanley to send to Allison and her class. What a happy looking sweet relaxed obedient talented pony.  I am as happy as I can be.  But you can also see in this photo that I want to drop my shoulder and lean to the left.  What's up with that!!!

My Sleeping Winter Garden!

Here are photos of my sleeping winter garden, dreaming about the richness and beauty of Summer 2011!

Snow Week! A Cozy Home Again!

Namaste.

Snow Week! A Cozy Home!

On one of my days shoveling, I glanced up and saw two birds dancing about this remnant of my birch tree.  And I noticed that there was a perfectly carved circular hole of a happy nest.  I have birds nesting right outside my front kitchen window in a lovely comfy home!

Snow Week! Namaste!

Here are some photos of my beautiful black dog in a white world of snow in February!  Love that dog!  Namaste!

Snow Week! My Little Helper!

My lovely Zelia is slowing down.  She went to the daughter in early February and we discovered that she might need a little surgery to take off some of her growing lipomas.  This surgery is non-invasive, so I am not too worried.  But I will admit that she's a bit slower, stiffer, and ouchier.  Though she is still her charming, loving self!  Anyway, this past week (the first of February), we ended up getting about 13-14 inches of snow over the course of three snow days out of 5 consecutive days.  And one of those snow days was with ice, so we have really had quite the winter week.  I'll be posting a few photos from how pretty this all looks!

Violet and Flat Stanley

Here is an early February photo of me and Violet on a happy Saturday morning, posing for our Flat Stanley photo for Alison, Jean's daughter.  Look at my sweet mare, looking all curious and happy.  You can just see the intelligence radiate off that creature.  She makes me feel like an adventuress!

Breaking News! So Handsome after First Jumping!

I'm writing this entry on Monday, May 16th, my father's birthday and the first day of summer classes!  Last week was easily among the coolest of my entire riding life.  Here's what happened in day by day coverage:

1. Sunday -- Violet was wonderful, just wonderful on a trail ride to Oak Openings - relaxed, lovely, kind, funny, happy.
2. Monday -- Renny jumped for the very first time and lifted his knees quite happily.  He's amazing!
3. Tuesday -- In our jumping lesson, Violet did a show quality performance of a relaxed, light, balanced, effective rollback!  Amazing!
4. Wednesday -- Renny was ridiculously cool for his first outdoor riding lesson of the year.  He walked surefooted and calm all over the farm and then just banged out walks, trots, canters, circles and serpentines like he was at a show.  Stacey even said that she had no comments at all because he was just so show ready!
5. Thursday -- Violet was an angel for her first outdoor ride of the year -- happily walking all over the farm, in and out of the indoor arena, and not placing a foot in any direction by forward for business.  She didn't even think at all about shying.  And her upward transitions were light and lovely. 
6. Friday -- began Parelli again with Renny and Pessoaed the quiet lovely Violet
7. Saturday -- I finally fell off Renny!  And because we are a team, we fell together!  He stumbled and went to his knees and as he fell in very slow motion, I rolled off him. And as I stood, up, he was looking at me and I could see he was waiting calmly for me to help.  So, I helped him to his feet and then he stook stock still while I unknotted the reins from his legs.  And then he calmly sweetly steadily just simply went back to work.  He was looking out for me and I was looking out for him.  AND THEN, he quietly happily in a no-nonsense fashion belted out an auto lead change, during a figure-8 cantering exercise.  He's just that great.
8. Sunday -- Spent a fun day with the herd while enjoying the Spring St. George Schooling Show.  Got to Pessoa Violet and Parelli Renny again.

Basically, I cannot believe that in one week, I trail rode Violet, rode both outdoors and all around the farm, jumped Renny and got an auto lead change, plus fell as a team!  Unbelievable!!

Winter Pony! Trail Ride?

This year, I look forward to taking Renny on a trail ride to see how my bright smart quiet boy behaves!

Easter 2011 in Texas!

Many blessings.

Winter Pony! My Brave Happy Boy!

I love this pony.  Namaste.  Rock on.

Easter 2011 in Texas!

Look at that mover and shaker!

Winter Pony! My Loyal Guy!

I love this pony.  And I know that he loves me.  We belong to each other! Namaste.

Easter 2011 in Texas!

Rock on!  Namaste.

Winter Pony! Improving My Training Skills

My little guy is a wonderful pony.  In lessons, he's just a true sport about going over ground poles and cavaletti.  Even if they are set for a distance for the likes of Parker or Pan, he just picks his distances and pops gracefully through them with his hind end engaged.  And he's so sweet about traffic and circling.  He's really coming along.  But I have not been the best trainer.  Though I am quiet and sweet to him and don't transmit fear or concern to him, I have not been working on a few things that I could and should.  I need to get his canter straightened out and sharpened up -- made more precise.  And I do need to start thinking of a way that I could help him learn a flying lead change.  I will put these on my list of tasks for him!

Easter 2011 in Texas!

Stephen, dressed in his best, just jumped up on a ledge and started booking.  He looked so sweet strolling up that hill on Easter morning.  Such a good boy!

Winter Pony! Violet and I Play!

So, because Violet's been on stall rest for part of January and February, we've been working hard to keep her active and happy.  She gets turned out in the indoor arena for a little bit each day which is not much, but at least is a little bit of time "out in the yard" for good behavior, poor thing.  Anyway, this past Friday, the 4th of February, I went out to the barn and was the only one there in the evening.  We had a happy time lunging and working all sorts of trotting and cantering circles.  But the real fun was early Sunday morning. I arrived at the barn and Jen had already put Violet in the indoor ring.  I went to visit her and Violet and I spent the happiest little hour, playing.  Violet is such an intelligent sweet girl.  She was happy to trot and canter and hand gallop around me in big looping circles, and she was happy to change directions quietly.  And she was happy to play the snort and run game when I acted like a tiger.  And she was happy to receive a massage.  Then I rode her and she was terrific, being happy and sweet and very bendy and flexible and giving on serpentines.  And we cantered and cantered and cantered with ease. And then she was happy for a parting grooming and massage session. 

But she will be most happy when she can finally be outdoors with her pals, enjoying her life as a horse should.  I do love my Violet.

Easter 2011 in Texas!

Namaste.

Winter Pony! My Good Patient!



So, here are February photos of my beautiful pony in a snowstorm.  He looks so happy with himself.  I don't have any photos of Violet in this storm because she was on stall rest and was on day 6 of her lockdown, poor thing.  I had Dr. Zimmerman visit her that Monday and he said that he could tell she was having an uncomplicated heal, but that she needed stall rest to let the scab do it's work.  He didn't want it getting knocked off or wet by being out in the snow and ice.  She knocked herself good on her coronary band, but did not damage to the hoof wall, so she'll be fine.  She has to wear bell boots all the time, but I am very happy with the soft gentle tuffrider boots.  I ordered a set of front ones for her.  And she's going to be on three months of Grand Hoof, just to make sure that her coronary band and hoof are okay and to get her through the slow-growing winter.  Her front hooves are pretty short from pawing and non-growth.  Anyway, she's such a good girl.  I just can't wait for her to get a chance at turnout again!

Easter 2011 in Texas!

I am glad for my sister and her family -- her husband is doing well, she is a wonderful mother, and the children are all happy and healthy.  And their home is so beautiful in such a lovely town.  But they live so far away.  I miss them very much.

Winter Pony! We Kiss and Make Up!

So, on Sunday, February 6th, I went to the barn in the morning to have another ride on my boy.  And he just trotted right up to me from his pasture with love in his face.  And he was happy about being saddled and ridden.  I lunged him a bit while Chloe and Belle were riding and something happened to scare all of us -- Renny jumped and tried to scoot away as Belle spooked into him and tipped off Chloe.  I was so impressed by how quickly he quieted down and was fine.  But then Tara and Mattie opened up one of the doors while I was putting away a lunge whip and Renny scooted again.  I was getting a bit worried that maybe he was channeling a new side of his personality, but when I got on him, he was his old sweet self!  We had a wonderful half hour ride and did working, collected and extended trots and precision halts and immediate trots from the halts and a lovely bending relaxed fluid serpentines and big figure 8s of relaxation.  And he was so darn happy to be in the arena with Belle and Mattie. He couldn't keep his eyes off the new girl.  And at one point, he was in a halt and we were facing Tara and Mattie in a halt and were just having a relaxed Sunday morning chat.  And I could just feel Renny's satisfaction.  We were back to being Team Renegade, after our disagreement the previous morning.  He walked back out to his pasture afterwards with his long happy stride and his head in a low hang of contentment.  He has crushes on some of the horsie girls in the barn, but he loves his grandma!