Summing Up Summer

special moment

As Apache broke into a run on the dirt road, I urged Indy to do the same.  The stampede strings on my hat sawed against my neck as he took the lead, hooves pounding in perfect rhythm.

As the dirt turned to gravel, Shelby and I straightened up to slow our horses.  I plopped my hat back on, shadowing the huge, silly grin that had spread across my face.

What am I going to do when summer is over? I wondered.  What am I going to do when I have to actually think about things and solve problems? Math problems?

l-r: pheona, demetria, guinivere, me (gisella)

"What shall we crash next?" Pheona asked the rest of us, leading the way across the parking lot.

"County Market," I replied.  "They have candy.  Although we might already have enough at Guinivere's."

The rest of the party agreed, and in we went.

Guinivere got snagged by the bridal magazines, and so we settled down on the floor of the supermarket, oblivious to passing stares, and "oohed" and "aahed" with great pleasure.

I looked around at my three best friends (I have more than three, but these three all go together) and smiled with anticipation for our long weekend ahead.  I don't ever want this to end.  We can't go another year without doing this again.  We just can't! What will I do when summer's over?

kaylee and anna running tandem

As I galloped over fields during the benefit trail ride...

lovely

As I gathered sea glass with my brothers at Duluth...

unedited!

As I plucked the first strawberry from our garden...

the brothers being very supportive of me in my old age

As I turned sixteen...

war and peace

And as I lounged in the hammock, reading - sometimes ignoring the background noise - I would think to myself, What will I do when the summer's over?

The answer? I'll start school.  And I'll realize that life is not over.  I'll still ride, I'll still read, I'll still enjoy the simple pleasures of life.  And added to those pleasures will be the crisp pages of my textbooks and my new black moccasin school shoes.  When I start PSEO classes on the 22nd (that's in three days, in case you didn't know), I'll get to exercise my naiveté.

I'll also get to smell my newly sharpened pencils.  I've always thought they smelled like brown sugar.  Your thoughts?

In short, summer is over, but life is not.  Not by a long shot.

Horse Hopes, Summer '11

not me - via

This summer, with Indy, I want to...
Lunge him: twice a week
Ride him: 5 days a week

I want to work on...
- Jumping
- Riding in the "scary" arena, especially loping.  I want to be able to lope without him making for the opening in the fence.
- Going down the road alone.  Not the dirt road, the actual road.
- Loping in the pasture.  Any pasture.

As for myself...
- I need to use the reins less than I do and depend more on my weight and my legs.
- I need to maintain confidence even after a nasty spook.
- I need to not be afraid to lope somewhere new for the first time.


Exciting things coming up...
- Therapy riding is going to start up soon, and I want to volunteer more there.
- The therapy horses need more exercise.  I want to ask their owner if I can take care of that - at least some of it.
- This is the best one.  My friend Kaylee, owner of the wonderful horse Honee, has invited me to go camping with them this summer! With Indy! We have the Coggins Test scheduled and I am so excited I grin every time I think about it.  We might even get to take the horses to the beach.

kaylee on indy

me on honee

P.S.  Did I mention that my friend Whisper - the famed girl of our JoinUp session last fall - got a horse? Her name is Marquessa and I can't wait to meet her.  :)  She's a dark bay Arabian mare.  Maybe I'll post a picture if I get permission.


Love,

 Ellyn

Miracle Mountain Ranch

This post has been long delayed! Nela asked about MMR a long time ago, and I want you to know I have not been paid to advertise them in any way.  I plan on going there if God wills it and want you fellow horse-lovin', Bible-believin' Christians to know about it too.

Miracle Mountain Ranch Ministries, set in Pennsylvania, do a variety of things but what I am mainly interested in is their apprenticeship program.  I love how horses, although one of the main aspects of the program, are not the reason or the very center.  The reason you work with the horses is to glorify God, improve your character, and learn lessons that you can apply to other parts of your life.  Through hard work, good Christian company, and Bible classes, you learn how to keep God the most important part of your life.

And one of the best parts - you don't have to be really advanced with horses! They've got classes for beginning riders, intermediate, and advanced, as well as horse training classes which would totally be a go for me! :)

So, if you think you're interested, pray about it and check out their website: http://www.mmrm.org

To hear one of the apprentices talk about her time at MMR, watch here.


Apprentices - Episode 1 from Miracle Mountain Ranch on Vimeo.

Here's the Horse Lover's Camp video.


Fall Horse Lover's Weekend 1 2010 from Miracle Mountain Ranch on Vimeo.


Thanks for reading!
I hope you're having a merry Christmas season.

---

And now, for pure random enjoyment, here's what happens when a girl and her brothers are home alone for the whole day and snow is falling hard and fast outside.

Sorry, I couldn't resist.  We had videos too, but I decided against that....you know, better to "keep your mouth closed and look like a fool than open it and remove all doubt." :)

Love, your very 'umble pirate,

Ellyn