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.

via

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.  

via

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

via

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

via

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

via

Happy Independence Day.

Pixar Strikes Again

For all of you who love tasteful humor, suspense, and great animation....

via

Pixar's newest film, complete with horses, a Scottish princess, and beautiful animated scenery.

via

It's coming Summer of 2012, folks.  Click here to watch the trailer.


- Ellyn

Good as Gold (Better, Actually)

This is a post about the long-awaited "camping trip" - it turned into a trail ride, because my friend Kaylee had to work the day before the ride.  But as you will see, it was no less fun for that.

I spent Thursday afternoon preparing all my tack for the trail ride the next day, and on Friday afternoon, I went over to sponge and groom and spiffy up my horse.  I prayed like crazy as I worked, hoping that Indy would load well and get along with the other horses okay.  He would be trailered with my friend Kaylee's horse, Honee, and another mare named Sami.

God is always faithful.  Indy was good as gold.

indy in his awesome makeshift stall at kaylee's.  her little brother liked him :)

Saturday morning, early, we left for the trail ride.  It was a long trip, and I flinched every time the trailer went over a bump.  But there was no need to worry. Indy and Sami were loving it up inside, and Honee was calm as well.

Finally, we arrived.  

kaylee and honee, accompanied by a wonderful view

ditto the above caption!

The trail ride was supposed to start at 9, but we got there at 9:30 and no one was tacked up.  (There were only nine riders, sadly.)  But we had this lovely field behind our home base.

ze field

I've never raced Indy against another horse at full gallop before.  Never.  I didn't think he was competitive.  Was I wrong.

Kaylee's friend Anna, who I had met before, had her horse Shiloh there as well.  Anna and Shiloh are a wild pair who love to gallop, and she suggested a race.  No one was sure about that at first - we didn't know how the horses would react.  But then I grabbed the chance and said, sure, I would race.

Indy took off at full gallop when I nudged him and barreled down on the ever speedy Shiloh.  At a certain point, I leaned down over his neck and he shot off even faster, like he was determined to catch Shiloh.  Shiloh still won the race, but we were in second, and I was so proud and exhilarated that I couldn't wait to gallop again.

The trail itself was very stony and muddy, and Indy was not enjoying himself.  Therefore, I wasn't either, at first.  He almost scraped me against trees a couple times.  But then I realized something.  I was concentrating so hard that I wasn't breathing.

I started taking regular, slow breaths, and it was an instant change.  All of a sudden, Indy didn't try to lope through slippery mud, he just pranced or plodded.  After that, it was fun.  And finally, the trail group emerged on a high, grassy hill overlooking a beautiful view.  Sorry I don't have a photo - I couldn't risk my mom's Canon in the saddlebag.

kaylee and anna, tandem on shiloh

The last hours at camp were spent eating hobo dinners, lying around on bareback horses, and doing Redneck Barrels - using a manure pile and two buckets in your cloverleaf pattern.

I didn't want the day to end.  But it did, like all good things do on this earth.  But usually, I've found that when one good thing ends, another one is on the way.  Indy and I are off to search for it.

we're a team

*Thank you, Kaylee's family and mine, for making this work!!

The Inside of a Horse

Have you horse lovers ever heard that quote by Winston Churchill? "The outside of a horse is good for the inside of a man"? There's no denying it's true.

But with therapy riding, you can almost switch things up and say that the inside of a horse is good for the outside of a man.  Or a kid.

remington on keebler

Besides getting self esteem and encouragement from being in a good environment, physically disabled kids get stronger and improve their balance and coordination on horseback.

jack on amigo

Sitting a horse's walk make your hips move the same way as if you were walking yourself.  But this way, there's not as much danger of falling.

At the therapy riding place where I volunteer, we go in teams of one horse, one rider, one leader, and, depending on the stability of the rider, zero to two side walkers.  

We do exercises with the kids like hands on helmet and arms "out like an airplane".  We weave cones and stop and start to increase balance.  There are flags, balls, and squishy rings to hold and throw, all in vivid, bright colors.

amelia on beauty

During each session, the therapy horses patiently carry riders on to peace and progress, physically and mentally.  Each week, both our riders and volunteers reap the rewards that come with the inside and outside of a horse.

Along with very sore limbs the next day.

- Ellyn