NEWS - Jan & Feb 2010

***Feb 12/13 - 2.5" of snow - again "shuts down" NC. Since it's Saturday, it's not too bad! ***Feb - 11 - Joined JROTC for Honor Flight award presentation - held during 1st Battalion' 505th Parachute Infantry Regiment's Change of Command Ceremony. Pictures can be seen here *** 10 - Sierra's 1st meeting/lesson w/ her mentor for her Sr Project. *** 9 - Took JROTC quilt project to Imagination Quilt Shoppe but didn't take sewing supplies. Liked project. *** Rain again, but not as heavy! *** 7 - "Stuffy" is still stuffed! *** 6 - At Joanne Fabrics, Madira finds a burgundy/maroon wool for her sewing project in school. *** Madira, Sierra & Mom (ME) get a sample ribs together at Lone Star (wow). *** Dira finds two dresses at Ross, Sierra is disappointed in finding nothing. ***5 - Can someone make this rain stop? Everything is flooded. "Stuffy" is trying to float away. *** I meet PonyDriving List member Bobby McEntyre in Sanford at the newly re-opened Imagination Quilt Shoppe. EXCITING - talk about quilting, driving and her new pony/cart/harness - Maggie. ***1 - No "Stuffy" baby, yet.

***Jan - 26 - 27 - JROTC does presentation at 4th Brigade Conference - Myrtle Beach, SC. Sierra & Paula go. On the way back - visit Ripley's Aquarium & the USS North Carolina. *** 18 - Martin Luther King Parade in Dunn. JROTC participates & Paula a volunteer marcher. ***1 - rings in quietly... Even the girls' go to bed early. *** Larry starts back on NIGHTS. He is much happier.

NEWS - Nov & Dec 09

*** Dec - 24 - Jan 3 - Christmas Holiday for Paula. 21 - Jan 3 - Christmas Holidays for the girls. *** WH JROTC participates in Christmas Parade in Broadway and Lillington. A Jeep "dies" and Paula stays with Cadet Barnett. Part way thru - jeep stays running and we join the parade, too. Fewer "snafus" in the Lillington nitetime parade.


***Nov - *** 25 - 27 - Thanksgiving Holiday for the girls & I. Larry working - so we have our Thanksgiving family celebration on Saturday. ***16 - Teachers meeting canceled, so Madira ends up presenting her Sr Project to only 2 teachers after school. ***11 - Veteran's Day celebration held inside at Govenment Complex in Lillington, NC due to rain. ***7 - Veteran's Day Parade in Lillington - JROTC participates. Sierra rides as Calvary on Loverboy & Paula in a jeep. ***6 - JROTC colorguard & parking detail support - home game. ***2 - JROTC Brigade Inspection - Sierra gives instruction on S4 & Paula a Booster Volunteer. *** 1 - CFTR show in Wade, NC. Paula & Madira volunteer.

NEWS - Sept & Oct 09

***Oct - 30 & 31 - Madira at Drama Competition in Little Washington, NC. Competition plays are "And" & "Reservations".

*** 27 - L rides Stuffy. ***Riding in barn due to nasty weather - but finish outside in round pen.

***D & V ride in the roundpen. *** Haystring braided reins finished & D riding Bit w/ them.

*** 25 - Magic, Koalah have trace clips finished. ***Koalah & Bit are grounddriven. ***24 - Madira carves a pumpkin at Miranda's house. *** Bell trace clip finished. ***24 - 26 - Sierra goes w/ JROTC to Honor Flight in Huntsville, Al (The Cadets send off the Veterans in uniforms matching what the vets wore in the wars they participated in. The Vets are flown, thru Honor Flight, to the Memorials in Washington, DC w/ guides/helpers if needed, then flown back to Huntsville, AL). *** Sierra wears Paratrooper uniform in the Colorguard. *** On the way home, JROCT Cadets stop at the Military Museum & the NASA Space Flight Museum.

*** 23 - JROTC support for football game. *** No school. J & L no lessons. D & V learn to clip ponies (helping w/ trace clipping Bit & Koalah). D reallly likes clipping! V is not thrilled. V rides Koalah by himself for the first time in the round pen. Turning and stopping. Using a crop to encourage forward movemnt. ***20 - L practices lounging Stuffy on line outside of roundpen before riding. *** Lessons in paddock next to barn - under the trees. ***J getting good @ lounging Magic. Mounting and riding by herself. Over and thru/around obstacles. *** D lounges Bit over obstacles and rides on the line. Practicing using the reins for stopping & turning. ***17 - Koalah worked in bitting rig in round pen with Eclipse. **16 - L rides Stuffy outside of the roundpen on her own. ***D riding Bit - doing balancing exercises on the line. At end of lesson - he handles reins to start turning & stopping by himself. Boy's Dad, Ace, comes to pick them up and watched them during last part of their lesson.

***10 - Madira takes SAT @ Lee Sr HS in Sanford. ***9 - *** JROTC support for Homecoming game. ***L & J ride in paddock behind the barn.

*** D rides Bit & V rides Koalah - both on the loungeline. When wating for their turns to ride, they practice mounting and dismounting while their mounts are standing tied. ***Bit's braided headstall done except for throatlatch snap. Hers is braided from haystring - solid orange. *** Koalah's headstall done - braided in purple paracord w/0 filler. Bit needs bit guards. ***Madira helps and Mark takes pictures of todays lessons. ***3 - Vicki out to work w/ Eclipse. Both James and I take pics. I take video. *** 1 - Madira's Bday. *** V works with "Bit" - grooming & saddling. *** D works w/ Koalah - grooming and saddling. ***
L rides Stuffy & J rides Magic.

***Sept - ***26- Madira meets w/ Connie Davis Thairapy. ***JROTC Raider Challenge - Sierra and Paula help out. ***24 - Southern Oaks calls to confirm Stuffy is in foal. ***19 - Madira and Anna go to Lillington Public Library to research their Senior projects. ***15 - 21 -Trip to NE thru KY, MO... ***12 - Madira meets with her Mentor - Connie Davis at Thairapy. ***10 - J ride in round pen. Spent lots of time on putting boots on today.*** L doesn't ride - has a headache & sleeps in the truck. ***D & V start riding. The boys spend time learning to put on boots. D rides Stuffy english & V rides Magic.

***J plays w/ AJ - practicing mounting bareback. ***New synthetic child's saddle is fit on Magic - the rear girth IS NOT fastened. Using Vicki's barrel racing pad - she's brought 3 out to try on the ponies. ***7 - Ordered synthetic saddle thru eBay. ***4 - Madira's roughdraft Letter of Intent is typed and gone over by class. Mentor's name/number is called and first appointment set up. *** 1 - J rides Magic on a trail walk - 2.3 miles around the AC Morrison Loop. V walks along w/ us, Paula leading Stuffy. *** L is sick today. *** At end of ride, V sits on Stuffy for a while.

NEWS - Jul & Aug 09

***Aug - 28 - Sierra - Color Guard - WHHS football game. ***Madira chooses "Massage vs pain relivers" for her Senior Project. ***27 - J rides herself outside of round pen. *** L gets lots of practice on her own in the roundpen and does balancing exercises.

*** Dr. Dean, DVM from Southern Oaks Animal Hospital arrives and all 4 of the children get to watch as he does shots and coggins for Sami & Flower. Sami is gelded, does great and is very "drunk" when allowed to get up. Stuffy has blood drawn to see if she's in foal. Rhythem is examined and it's determined that the problems she's having are due to a broken elbow - to learn more she'll need exrays. ***26 - School starts. *** 25 - J rides on her own outside of round pen. Practicing w/t and turn/stops. ***L practices riding in the round pen by herself. She wants to go out, but doesn't want to practice her stops & turns outside...

*** 20 - After warming up in the roundpen, J does a lot of riding offline on a trail walk. *** L and Stuffy also go out - but they are on the line. Stuffy's leather bridle breaks when doing water work and it's "jerry rigged". The "new" braided one will be completed soon.

***18 - J is riding more on her own. Practice going over cavaletti. *** L is riding on her own in round pen. She's working over cavaletti to get her balance. Still having many steering problems, but it'll come. Stuffy is patient. ***14 - "Magic" is better. *** 13 - Morning - "Magic" found in wrong pasture (nearer AJ) w/0 water. *** late afternoon - Jasmine & Laura ride. Laura cleans "Stuffy's" hooves by herself. 2nd time in roundpen. Both girls bothered by helmets w/ new hairstyle - Jas has a headache. "Magic" off as well - and acting colicy when lesson finished. Given an Epsom Salt drench.




***11 - Jasmine & Laura ride. 1st time in roundpen - work loose - "Magic" unhappy with this. Laura just laughing happy.



*** 10 - Round pen post replaced by Larry & gate re-hung (YEA!!). Skye finishes mowing the back pasture. Sierra & Danielle clean the Star paddock. *** 9 - Paula spends morning mowing the front yard & Rhythem paddock. The afternoon is spent mowing the roundpen pasture and 1/2 the back pasture. *** 8 - Ashley (spending the weekend) & Sierra ride and take pics of ponies. Flower is 3 1/2 months old. ***





*** 4 - Jasmine rides "Magic". No rein exercises - arm stretch, trunk twister, touching dock & poll. Rein handling - guiding over obstacles on the ground. Laura has forgotten shoes & socks - so doesn't get to ride. ***


*** July 28 - Jasmine riding "Magic".



Laura rides "Stuffy" - need to get boots/heeled shoe.



*** July 25 - Jasmine rides "Magic". Laura is introduced to "Stuffy" - scared but willing to pet her. She graduates to sitting on her bareback and getting led around. She watches Jasmine's lesson and realizes that she, too, wants to ride. *** 4 - WH JROTC goes to the Carolina Lakes Independence Day Parade. They are split into 4 groups - Jeeps, Horse, Joint Service and Color Detachment. ***