Family Athlete!

I love this photo of Sierra Audrey, jumping off our dock!  She's a bold brave talented athlete!

Such a Wonderful Family!

Here we are, on the 4th of July holiday -- my Aunts Mary Lou and Shelley, my mom, my Grampa, my Aunt Vicki, cousin Audrey, Uncle Rick, Aunt Anita...and my father.  We are such a good family.

Touches of Love!

Here is a photo taken over the 4th of July holiday.  I love this photo.  I didn't even realize this feeling was happening as I took the photo.  But here you see each lovely lady reaching out to my dad, reaching out with love.  Namaste.

Important Ladies

Here's a photo, taken over the 4th of July, on the dock at my parents' home.  Here is a photo of my mom, Aunt Anita, cousin Audrey, my dog, Zelia, and my mom's and Anita's dog, Lucky.

Rhinelander for the July 4th Holiday

I went home for the 4th of July holiday to visit my mom and dad.  Dad is in a nursing/rehabilitation center and has been in one since March.  He was being visited by me, his brother Rick and Rick's wife Shelley and daughter, Audrey.  And he was visited by his father, my Grampa.  And he was visited by his sisters, my Aunts Anita, Mary Lou, and Vicki.  And he even had Conchita and Donald visit too.  It was a busy fun 4th.  I spent most of my time with Audrey -- we were little water girls, playing in the river right at the park by my dad's rehab center.  We paddled in a kayak, hung in an inner tube, swam out to a water ski jump, paddled to a local dairy queen, rode inflatable toys.  It was fun to hang out with this wonderful child!

Plans...

Here's a photo from Sunday, August 12th, the day I am writing this entry.  Renny's had a wonderful first three years of training with Stacey, Kelsey, and Alyssa and Melinda.  And his Grama!  He's had lots of ladies to love on him and bring out his best.  And Violet's had Stacey, Kelsey, Emily and myself.  She has blossomed into her work.  Both my ponies are proud of themselves and have a wonderful work ethic.  They bring good cheer to their tasks.  And so, I don't know what faces us next.  We've been so busy.  But I imagine freestyle musical dressage awaits, and maybe jumping 2.6 a little more, or practicing lead changes...we have lots of happy times ahead...

Loving My Herd!

Relaxed Violet Rising to Challenges

Here's a photo of Violet, working with Kelsey this Summer 2012.  You can see my mare, bringing her best heart to her work.  I love watching them at their work and watching them grow with Kelsey.  I love growing carrots for them in my garden and feeding them hoof and probiotic treats.  I love giving them smartpak supplements to give them vitamins and joint care.  I love that their farrier and veterinarian are wonderful.  I love grooming them and talking with them.  I love fussing over them.  I love the life of my herd.  I love how pleasant and agreeable and kind my ponies are.  I'm proud to know them and proud to b owned by them.

What I Learned from Violet this Summer!

Beautiful Violet Works on the Flat!

I'm writing this entry on Sunday, August 12th, on the last day that my herd and I got to ride with Kelsey before she left for Law School.  We had such a good summer.  One of the smartest things I did this summer was put both Renny and Violet into training.  Violet just excelled from the very first lesson.  I told Kelsey that I wished she would help her with softness and maybe working toward lead changes and she jumped on and got lead changes the very first 15 minutes.  It was amazing!  So, I got over-confident and thought maybe I could jump the box, since both Renny and Violet jumped the box with Kelsey with no problems.  And so on a beautiful Friday morning, we tried.  But it didn't work.  I tried like 4-5 times and Violet would give a powerful but careful refusal, rolling to a halt with her head held high or carefully moving around the jump.  She was clearly trying to refuse without unseating me.  She was being so good in her badness.

And that's when I learned how much Violet takes care of me.  She literally knew I wasn't ready and so was refusing to take care of me, and managed to refuse without hurting me.  I don't have that many arrows in my arsenal, so couldn't figure out how to make her jump that box.  Kelsey got on and made her do it.  And so, she's been jumping true and straight and well to everything I've put her toward so far, just because of her good and honest heart and not so much because of any particular skill or talent on my part.

And so I learned yet again just how wonderful and kind and sensible and honest and decent my hunter mare is.  She's a treasure!  I learned a good and wonderful lesson from my failure!

Keeping Quiet, Paying Attention

March 2012 Pasture!

I'm writing this entry on Sunday, August 12th of what has been a bittersweet fun wonderful but challenging summer.  I went home twice to see my dad and didn't necessarily bring my best heart to that task.  And I've dealt with pets who are sick or old or injured all summer.  I'm just sort of tired.  But I've learned so much.  I've learned that it's really important to be vigilant, diligent, and caring.  It's important to be scared and worried, but still press forward.  I've learned that sometimes the answers to prayers may be no, but that if you work at your best, you can at least bring comfort and relief or some margin of betterment, if not perfection.  I'm learning the importance of keeping quiet and making myself smaller.

Worried about Chickens

So, I'm writing this entry on Sunday, August 12th and it's been kind of a stressful summer, chicken wise.  Both Thelma and Louise got sick, so I've become quite the expert at giving antibiotics, rimadyl, and calcium supplements to my girls.  Thelma got 20 days straight of medication and now Louise is on 10 days straight of medication and both girls are on 30 days straight of calcium support to strengthen and nourish their little bodies.  I think they are responding and they are back to enjoying their garden and yard.  I've learned more about how better to care for them and I've visited two veterinarians that I think are skilled and wonderful for them -- Dr. Orosz and Dr. Reicherd.  I especially like the latter and think he has excellent coop-side manner.

The other sort of stressful thing is that I've been attending city council and city planning sub-committee meetings all summer to try and get my ordinance passed so that my chickens can be legal.  That's okay, but I don't much like conflict, so it always takes a toll.  There's this retired organizational psychology professor who is often quite mean at the lobbying visitation -- and he's said that it's only taken him 10 seconds to find that it's illegal to keep chickens and that I'm a lawbreaker who should be punished.  I don't much like hearing mean comments like that or hearing that people are writing mean comments in letters to the editor or that they are leaving flyers against my "vermin-attracting" girls on cars in town.  But I do like my chickens.  So, it's worth it.  I'm having my own little Henry David Thoreau summer, I guess.  I can't imagine not having these girls, so I hope it all works out!

Renny as a Fancy Dressage Pony!

Beautiful Happy Pony!

Here is a little photo and video of my happy relaxed pony working for his trainer.  He just loves making her happy and taking on new challenges.  At any rate, I'm writing this entry on Sunday, August 12th, our last training day with Kelsey.  And here's the benefit I already had from her work.  I rode Renny in his regular Saturday morning lesson with Gay and Mary.  He was wonderful.  We rode a dressage pattern and he was very obedient and filled with impulsion and light in my hands.  He got his transitions in the correct locations and was round in his turns.  He was an angel.  Stacey said he looked fun to ride.  And he even got gaits within gaits, he was happy to trot a big fancy bold reaching extended trot.  I just loved him!

Violet Takes Care of Me!

Violet Jumping Sweetly!

Midway through the summer, I put Violet into training with Kelsey and it was such a smart thing to do. She got Violet to be rounder and softer.  And she figured out how to help me listen to her better, so that Violet is better able to communicate with me how she would like to be ridden.  And she got Violet to jump rounder and softer and more consistently.  Violet is just a better athlete and partner who has leg yields, shoulders-in, haunches-in, and lead changes at her disposal.  It's amazing.  And here's one day how I benefited.  I've been worried about the health of my pets (I must be struggling with depression).  I was thinking that Louise might be really ill and I talked to my mom one Thursday and she told me that my dad is doing very poorly.  He's not well.  He's slipped backwards since the July 4th holiday and anxiety and depression have a hold on him.  So, I went to the barn for our Thursday night lesson and I was so stressed out.  I was kind of a mess.  Stacey had us ride out in the rain -- and that was fun.  It was a steady, non-stop rain for the whole lesson.  Rain fell quietly around us and dripped off my visor.  My gloves were a mess, Violet was wet and cheerful.  And here's what she did -- while we were jumping, I dropped the reins twice, lost a stirrup, leaned left, stood up in the stirrups, came completely out of the saddle, lost my legs too many times to count.  And Violet brought her best -- she took care of me.  She jumped every jump I put her to.  She was obedient, soft, and solidly solidly took care of sloppy me.  I felt my heart grow two times larger, realizing how she treats me like precious cargo!

A Good August Day!

A good August day for a ride and farewells!  I've learned so much this summer and over the past few years.  My herd and I have had a wonderful thoughtful skilled teacher.  We wish her well on her next adventures!  And though it's a random thought, on this August day, I was made very happy at the end of the ride.  I was sitting on Violet and Kelsey was sitting on Renny who was snuffling and blowing and slobbering with contentment.  And I was talking about how Renny would be good to sit on on top of a ridge looking down on cattle.  And Kelsey looked down at him and patted him and asked him if he'd like to go on vacation to a dude ranch and she looked casually over at Violet and said she wouldn't like it because Violet loves her current job of being a hunter -- she was a classic hunter, hunter, hunter.  I was proud of both my ponies.  And I felt blessed to learn from one of the best riders I ever met.  It's been magic!!!

Just Happy!

Rock on!  Namaste!