A Little Bit of Small Town Flavor

Today, my family and I paid a visit to the event of the summer - the county fair.  When we moved about two years ago, we switched county fairs.  I like this one a lot.

4-H-ers almost dominate it, which means lots of horses, drill team performances, and barns full of livestock, photography, Lego creations, and other products of hard-working young minds.  Our family is not part of 4-H, but we enjoy marveling at the creativity and skills of others.

Not that those good qualities passed us by or anything... 

sarah on raisins

One of my favorite things to do at the fair is people watch.  I take in everyone - the groups of young teens giddy at newfound independence, the wispy-haired kids silently marveling the soft fur of a bunny rabbit, and the old ranchers - hats clamped over balding heads, spurs polished and secure on clunky boot heels as they sit back to watch the youngsters ride. 

county fair talent contest

Of course, we all enjoy the cool thickness of a smoothie on a hot summer day and the greasy contentment a french fry bucket can bring.

vendors hawking their wares

I loved watching my friends in a timed O-Mok-See horse show.  I miss you, Grace!

grace on mariah

And then there's the colorful world of the midway - where stray tickets fall underfoot in the hurry to board the Tilt-a-Whirl and Tarantula.  Kids form lopsided lines, jigging in excitement while they wait to pop balloons, chuck rings, and send their stomachs up into their throats.

my least favorite part of the fair :)

Yeah, honey, I'd take a horse over the ferris wheel myself.

little girls, big dreams

I was surprised how many people I recognized at the fair, from other social activities / classes in town and such.  I'm pretty good at remembering faces, but still...that's a small town for you!

a random cowboy on a pretty horse

Are you a regular guest at your county fair?

Love from a tremendously tired,

Ellyn

Hot and Foggy

Have you ever seen clouds on the ground?

I have.  But nothing like how it was last night, as my mom drove me home from Whisper's house.  It was as if we were looking down at clouds from an airplane, except we were on the ground.  The dewy hayfields had become misty seas.  The lake was amazingly clear before it faded into a wall of fog.  

I wished I could have gotten a picture, but the camera wasn't cooperating.  Maybe it had heatstroke.

taken a couple weeks ago, on a cool morning.  how i loved it!

It is so humid here that every morning we can't see out of our windows because of the moisture on them.

Not even rain gives relief.  My cheers at the brief shower yesterday didn't last long - it just made things steamier.  Like the Amazon rainforest.

I was weeding the garden in the shade and came in dripping.  From sweat.

It's too hot to ride.

Too hot to play badminton with my brother.

Too hot to walk the dog.

Oh, how I long for a good thundery storm.

photo by someone else in my large family

Or some homemade strawberry pie...

unedited!

Or an adventure that doesn't involve any type of annoying, winged bug.

Then again, maybe I'll be content to curl up inside with the air conditioning and my computer.  And a pile of books.  Later, maybe I'll douse myself with the hose and go over to give the horses the same treatment.  

my new look for book trapper! check it out!

On another note, I turn sixteen in seven days! Hurrah! I'm praying that God will give me a special birthday wish and make it less than eighty degrees.  With faith, you can move mountains! (And the mercury in thermometers.)

How's your weather? I envy those of you who get dry heat instead of wet heat.  I've never experienced dry heat - ever!

Love,

Ellyn

My Kingdom For a Horse

It seems like my horse life and my writing life are always jogging each other at the elbow, trying to crowd the other one out.  Lately, my horse life has been winning.

--

An older friend recently told me that I needed to start feeding Indy.  He's always been a skinny bone Jones,  so I just took it as part of his genetic makeup.  But the endless feeding swarm of mosquitos, flies, and other summer bugs, weren't helping anything.  I got him some of Purina's Strategy feed and it's been working quite well.  I go over to feed him every morning, and he's already putting on weight.  His eyes are much happier too.  I also gave him a dewormer which should help - I found out my stable guy only worms the horses twice a year.  Hmm.

Since our trail ride, in which all my prayers were answered, I have 100% of my confidence back.  First time since my accident a couple years ago.  I am fearless! Well, as much as is sensible... Indy and I lope all the time now, and it's as if my horse knows something has changed.  He's so much calmer, just as I am.  It's true that they sense your feelings.

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Also, two of my friends just got horses.  Remember Shelby? She bought a horse from the stable named Apache, who needs a lot of TLC.  But when that's over with, she'll have a good pal.  And you knew Whisper got a horse named Marquessa.  We hope to ride together next weekend.

quessa - look at her elegant head!

The last bit of news I will give you is that the two lovely ladies you will see below, Alpha and Red, have been sent off for breeding.  Know what means, right? There may soon be one or two foals at the stable.  How awesome!

alpha

red

Have any of you ever had / raised / trained a foal?


Love,

Ellyn


P.S.  Pray for Seaspear...

For the Glory of God

I am continually fascinated with the story of our nation and the careful work and bloody battles that went into its making.  The dedication and sacrifices that our founding fathers made are really amazing.  

This Independence Day, let's not forget America.  

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But more importantly, let's not forget why America began.


"Having undertaken, for the glory of God, and advancement of the Christian faith, and honor of our King and Country, a voyage to plant the first colony in the northern parts of Virginia [...]" - From the Mayflower Compact


"It cannot be emphasized too strongly or too often that this great nation was founded not by religionists, but by Christians; not on religions, but on the Gospel of Jesus Christ."

- Patrick Henry

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Let's not forget why America is.




"The hand of providence has been so conspicuous in all this, that he must be worse than an infidel that lacks faith, and more than wicked, that has not gratitude enough to acknowledge his obligations." - George Washington to Thomas Nelson Jr.


"We have this day restored the Sovereign to Whom all men ought to be obedient. He reigns in heaven and from the rising to the setting of the sun, let His kingdom come." - Samuel Adams

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Do me a favor today, will you? Spend a few minutes praying for America and her future.


"The propitious smiles of Heaven can never be expected on a nation that disregards the eternal rules of order and right which Heaven itself has ordained." - George Washington 


"The time has come to turn to God and reassert our trust in Him for the healing of America….Our country is in need of and ready for a spiritual renewal." - Ronald Reagan

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Happy Independence Day.