Happy Birthday [to my blog]

A year ago today I wrote my very first post.
A year ago today I was experiencing things drastically different from my life now.
A year ago today I was still enrolled in college and had yet to think about the real world; thoughts of graduate school weighed heavy on me and my hopes of a graduate position were still so high.
A year ago today I was more scared and lost-feeling than ever before, and so I began this blog.

And then tons of amazing things (some very good and some very difficult) happened.  I built a lot of character over the past year.  A lot.  Its been a huge growing year for me.  I'm really happy I started this blog to look back on it all and document it.  I got my first horse & sold him, graduated college, entered the real-world, and realized that life can be fun and trying all at the same time.

There are multiple times throughout a year where I think back on where I was "back when" and realize how much I've grown; now I have this blog to look back on and really see how I've changed.  I'm rather amazed with myself that I stuck-with-it and continued writing so long.  Its become a normal occurrence for me to write in here.  Its also given me a reason to take more pictures and pursue my love of photography a little more.  All-in-all, nothing but good has come from starting this little pursuit.  Here's to hoping it continues for a long while to come!

Oh, herro!

Feeling good

I feel GOOD.  I had no idea how much pain I'd been dealing with and hiding away for the past ½ year, maybe more.  The issues with my jaw aren't completely resolved yet, but the suggestion to take some pain killer twice a day has made soo much of a difference.  I don't take pain killers unless I really can't handle something; the pain in my jaw was something that set in slowly over a long time so I settled in with it.  I guess I'd forgotten for a bit what it was like without that pressure constantly.  AMAZING!  Couple this with YOGA and my increasingly steady diet of healthier recipes for a pretty happy body. 

Now, hopefully that I'm back in balance my riding will get back to where it was!  Time will tell.  Yoga, diet, and some added grace is bound to help!

What changes have you made to boost your mood or health?
What changes would you like to make?

The colors of winter

Snow!

I love these boots; so happy I got them!

Such a happy snow dog!

Look at that smile.

I'm farm-sitting again for my favorite farm I've been to yet this weekend!  Peacocks, chickens, horses, and mastiffs coupled with a 100+ year old home, multiple barns and an aviary for the birds - photos will abound!  I'm so excited, opportunities like this set my mind whirring with possibilities of what I want to do with my own farm/land one day.  Its great to get to see the different ways to keep animals now so I know what works and doesn't for later.  This farm is one of the cleanest I've ever been around, so its definitely winning in my mind for design right now!  

Crafffftttttttting

***THIS POST HAS BEEN INTERRUPTED TO BRING YOU THIS NEWS:  MY JOB HAS BEEN EXTENDED THROUGH SEPTEMBER 2012 (or as long as I can stay)  -squeal!-****

Since most the folks who I made these for have received them - and because I'm pretty sure  none of them read this blog anyway - it's safe to share now!

I did the bracelets for all of my equine friends for Christmas.  For the three ladies who have helped me a ton (since March mostly, though Sonya has been super-involved in my horse life since 2006 - she even gave me my first saddle/pad/bridle!) I made these:

Suzanne's is of her two most treasured horse things - her Arabian mare Reighnny and the beautiful new barn - that earth symbol is one of her favorite things, and it was a surprise from the barn builder, Charlie, to her (one of many surprise details on that barn).

Sonya's and Angie's are photos of their mares with this year's foals - both fillies.  The mother  with the palomino foal got EPM several years back.  I helped when she was better trying to get her to ride again, but hills - even the slightest incline - really hurt her.  So they decided to breed her.  And WHAT a pretty little girl, Kali, came out!  Bug, the sorrel mare, basically birthed her mini-me - in both appearance and temperament.  Except that now the formerly sorrel filly, Ziva, is a smutty palomino.  Can't wait to watch what these girls turn into!

These gifts were so fun (and easy!) to make.  I've still got some other projects lined up - for myself now.  I just need to get the sewing machine figured out!!

 : : :

In horse news:  Planning on heading out to see Stanley today and see if he feels like tooling around on those jumps a little more.  I punched some higher holes in my leathers to hopefully achieve a better position for it all.  We'll see!  Having fun is the goal.  And I know we can achieve that!

Yoga updates

I've been good about getting in my daily yoga-ing so far!  I'm noticing how certain things are already getting easier.  I've always been naturally flexible, so when the video (YouTube) says to try the "more advanced" version I can often do it.  But I'm careful to not strain myself beyond my level.  I don't want to risk injury.

Chaturanga was impossible for me the first several days.  I was pathetic.  Now, its still not where it should be, but I'm not flopping onto the ground like a dead fish.  Improvement!

My ankles (my weakest point) are getting stronger from the numerous exercises.  I LOVE the standing balance poses for this.  Swimming - go figure, a non-contact sport - ruined my ankles.  (I was originally planning to start running and was thwarted by this...maybe after yoga.)

Canaan Valley - where I'll patrol this winter

I love looking at all the advanced poses and dreaming of the day I can do them.  Bakasana, or the crow pose, is the hardest hand balance move I've tried thus far.  I managed to stay in it for all of 1-2 seconds and was thrilled.  

The two-feet-on-the-ground balancing poses that stem out from triangle or warrior (ones with one arm in the air) I have fallen over from a couple times.  Not sure what's going on there.

Focusing on my breathing, choosing a single point to focus on to aid my balance and focus helps tremendously. I'm having quite a fun time.  The more balancing the better.  Yay Yoga!

And in addition to my home workouts, Wednesday nights are now Liz-goes-to-yoga-class nights.  Here's to improvement!

Canaan resort on the right; Timberline on the left.

Not-so-Wordless Wednesday

The "warm up" jump.  Don't hate on my ghetto chairs and poles; gotta make my limited resources work for me.

So, folks, if I have him canter in instead of trotting, will his take-offs get more coordinated?

Artsy fartsy shot;  Chris was my photographer.  Thanks, dear.

Oh, hey there bareback pad.  I see where I could connect stirrups to you, but I'm happier without.

Yes, I fully plan on focusing on my elbows next time.  That just looks silly.  But hey!  My head is up and forward!

Laughing at Chris.

Lopsided Liz.  Evident from my cock-eyed elbow.  

And I suppose my elbows are now far too hyper-extended.  At least I never jerked on his mouth?  Sigh.

Taking a break; making Christopher ride.

Aaanndd then he decided to mock me with a stick horse.

Stan: "You want me to do WHAT?!"  The fences were necessary as he would blatantly ignore the barrels otherwise.

I like to call this "the swerve"

The first fly-over.  Can you tell I'm just as surprised?

Preview

More photos will follow, perhaps on Wednesday, for now, here's Stan and I on Sunday jumping with the bareback pad.  All you people who do this for real aka those with qualified lessons on jumping, what the hell should my elbows/arms be doing?  I think they look funny.  The rest of me is just latched onto him to avoid slippin' off!  Proud of my boy.

Official

Its official.

I am certified.  I am a National Ski Patrol member.

Big ol' strike is through that huge goal on my 30 before 30 list. 

6 months of training; 180+ hour certification accomplished.

HAPPY.

Today is the day...

You're reading this.  I'm being tested.

Beginning at 8am I will be taking my written test for Nat'l Ski Patrol.

Throughout the afternoon I will be put through numerous rounds of practical skill set stations and several scenarios.  Our victims in the scenarios are typically very convincing.  Through the past six months of training they've done a fair bit of screaming and hollering; its rather unnerving.  Being able to pull yourself out of that and focus and be calm and do what you were trained to do is key.

Mid-shaft femur fractures; proper alignment of a broken bone; removing a helmet from a patient with a spinal injury; assembling an oxygen tank and applying the mask to a victim with the proper dosage; splinting joint injuries; splinting other bone/sprain/strain injuries; keeping the cervical-spine in proper alignment; using proper barriers between patient and myself - gloves and the like; knowing good vs. bad vital signs in children and adults; caring for infants, adolescents, adults and geriatrics; yeah, I guess I might have learned something along the way.  Being able to quote all this off right now and all...

Wish me luck.  Hopefully it will go well and I'll be an official Nat'l Ski Patroller by this evening!  Either way its gonna be a huge-crazy-awesome party with a ton of amazing outdoors-oriented folks!  Bring on the food and home-brews!

Off my front porch Thursday morning.

Film Friday?

Does that work like Wordless Wednesday?  'Cause to my knowledge I just made it up...

Livin' the life

Well, well, well, YouTube is failing me currently.  I'd planned today's post to be a video of me riding/jumping this cute little 13+hh Arab x Welsh pony but alas, the video won't upload right now.  I promise to post it soon.

Wednesday - Sunday of last week I house sitted for some friends and their menagerie of animals:

• 2 Welsh ponies
• 1 Arabian x Welsh pony
• 1 Arabian
• 1 ?????? horse; she's a blue roan is all the more definitive answer I can provide, haha
• 1 guinea pig
• 5 dogs - only 1 in the house, the others have a brilliant yard and run-in
• 9(?) cats - only three in the house though
• 4 chickens
• 1 rooster
• 4 goats
• 2 turtles
• 2 (?) fish

So what is that, a grand total of 33 animals.  Oh, and Kenai came with me.  So there, a solid 34.  Fortunately most were outside!

I used to think I wanted goats.  Just two or three.  I thought they would be brilliant for keeping the nastier greenery out of my future horses' field(s).  You know, since they eat basically everything.  No more.  Not unless they are in a place that they can't easily escape.  Every. Single. Time. I went through their field to gain access to the Welsh ponies to feed them the goats escaped.  Every. Single. Time!  Ugh.  And its not like they listen to you when you're maniacally screaming, "NO!  NO!  You come back here RIGHT now."  Luckily they're pygmy goats (or something) so they're little and easy to carry.  I had Kenai herding [read: running around them in I-must-kill-these-things manner] them by day two so I could keep 3 of the 4 in and manageable while I toted the hay wagon through.  (No worries on goat saftey, Kenai's remote training collar was on the whole time so he was afraid of me dishing out the pre-zap beep-tone; I rarely have to zap him thanks to that beep!)

Isis; a photo of her from summer.  The other goats are mostly black with very little white; all have those blue eyes.

At any rate, it was fun taking care of all the animals.  Kenai loved it.  I schooled around on 1 of the Welsh ponies (Nanny), the Welsh/Arab cross (Maggie), and the blue roan mare (Bella) while I was there.  

Bella is only 4.  She was at training for jumping ALL SUMMER.  She's very ornery.  Obstinate, too.  She wants to do what she wants to do when she deems its okay to do it.  On the trail, she's great.  In the little jump area they have set up?  Uh, uh, no sir.  She did one or two clean rounds for me on stuff I'd set up.  I know she'd been jumping 2'6" at her training towards the end.  So what I was asking wasn't impossible (nothing above 18").  She just seemed to resent it all.  Her headset is so low its getting in her way.  And she wouldn't collect or anything I asked.  She really tried my patience.  I ended up getting her to do a few things very positively and called it a day.

The next day my friend Jordan came and helped me work with Nanny and Maggie.  && played photographer!  Hoorah!  I'd ridden Nanny before and I know that horse loves to jump and boogie.  Maggie was a first ride though.  Ooohhh I like that pony.  She's VERY forward moving.  Once I showed her the jumps and let her know, "No, you can't trot beside them, you must go over them" she was brilliant!  Forward moving and wanting to rush to all the jumps.  The ground was damp and slick after a lot of rain earlier in the week so I kept her to a trot.  She was SO much fun though!  I want to be little again and go show with this little mare.  Granted, I don't like shows, I can't handle the pressure.  Hence my want to do endurance and be alone most of the ride...

Maggie this summer with her girls.

I don't know that I ever mentioned on my blog - or posted the photos - of the barn these folks have?  Because its drop dead gorgeous.  Took 2+ years for the builder - all by himself - to build.  Raising the beams for the standing foundation took the work/help of many, but after that it was all Charlie.  The standing foundation beams of this barn are all held together by only wood.  No metal whatsoever.  Wooden pegs.  The barn doors?  400lbs each.  When you pull them closed you've got 400lbs per arm you're wheeling back and forth!  Its a solid barn.  Its a beautiful barn.

The custom earth symbol on the large doors.

Note the escaped goats in the barn and associated crazy children...
Oh and the really pretty bridge between loft areas; and the pretty stalls...

The ponies and horses aren't in the barn often; only if the weather is absolutely
nasty for a long period of time.  These ladies all get 24/7 turn out.  No
blankets.  Barefoot hoof care.  Natural diet/minerals/supplements.

Associated crazy children...welcome to my life, haha.

The door below the window on the side is where I hucked hay out of while house sitting.  Pretty fun.

A nicer shot of the earth symbol on the door.

Now tell me, what does your dream barn look like?  What special features will it have?