Today I went over to my Mom's farm to meet up with a student that I have been teaching about showing and driving miniature horses. Here is a picture of Hannah Joy W. with miniature mare Crossroads Silver Rose aka Hannah Joy. Hannah (the girl) is the daughter of our pastor at Mt. Zion Worship and Family Center. Hannah Joy (the horse) is the name sake of the girl. My mom has this thing about naming her animals after people in her life.

The two Hannah's are going to try their hand at showing this summer. Hannah (the girl) is eleven years old, and Hannah (the horse) is six years old. We started teaching Hannah (the horse) to drive last fall. We kind of let it got through most of the winter because it was just plan and simply too cold, but today we harnessed her up and she stepped right back out there like we just drove her yesturday. When we first start out Hannah (the girl) always takes her horse out for a walk just to loosen her up. This is when I took this picture today.

The two Hannah's walk up and down the plowed drive-way since that is the only place to be even at this late date to walk without being knee deep in snow. Hannah (the girl) is very excited to be able to try her hand at showing this summer. I am just hoping that the snow is gone soon enough to get Hannah (the horse) hitched to a cart. We never did that last fall because the snow came in so early and we were reduced to the drive-way up and down, up and down and it is too narrow to correctly turn a horse in a cart.

I didn't keep the camera out once we harnessed Hannah (the horse) because I had to help Hannah (the girl) since neither are fully trained and ready to be set free. Plus it was so slippery out I didn't want Hannah (the girl) to slip and fall and loose control of Hannah (the horse).

We worked on some showmanship skills while we were out and about with them. The pair will hopefully be ready for the show in Cadillac in June. If not there are a couple of other shows later in the summer.

Enjoy
Wendy

It is finally March

No this not a huge mountian, it is a snow drift that showed up just a few days after our nice February thaw. Since I live in Michigan we just have to wait a day or so and everything will change.

The tempature in early February was in the high 40s and now the second day of March we are breaking record lows because we can not even break the mid teens. It was -22 below zero this morning when I woke up.

Here is my miniature horse stallion standing in front of that snow bank a couple of weeks later. We had a huge snow storm just a few days earlier dropping over a foot and a half of snow in 36-hours.

I know that I am really getting tired of this snow and it needs to go away and take the bitter cold weather along with it!!

This last Saturday February 28th I spent the day manning a booth at the local tack sale to help promote the Wolverine Morgan Horse Associaton that I have belonged to for many years.

This is the table (booth) that I ran for eight hours. My friend Shirley sat with me for several of those hours. We have known each other for several years through the club but we had a great time getting to know each other even better. I found out that Shirley and my husband's Uncle Bob worked together for over eight years. That was funny.

I got to see many old friends and make a few new ones as the day went on. I also got to buy a few really good buys too, but it is a good thing that I didn't take a whole lot of cash with me bacause I would have over spent!!

Take Care,

Wendy

As the winter storm sets in around us here I thought I would go through some of my photos from past springs and dream a little. Here is my most favorit picture of an Iris I took when I went to a friends house to see her new miniature horse foal about five years ago.

Then here is an beautiful flower that I snapped a picture of at a friends garden center some many years ago.

I just thought I would brighten up the day with some nice spring flowers.

Feb. 20th

Wow! has it been ten days since I last checked in? I guess it has. Going through some on my stock pictures from my photography job inventory I found this one. I took it in November of 2006. I don't use any filters when doing nature photography so this is what the sky looked like on that November night two and a half years ago.



Today was another day that God's blessing shined down on me. I have to give him glory when my day has been as great as it has been today. I got a chance to sit down and talk with a friend that I haven't had the time to speak with in a while. It was a wonderful talk and I was so glad to have the time to talk with them.



When I got home from my visit I got a great phone call about my job interview that I went on last week. I got the job!! PTL. I will be going back to work for the grocery store whee I started my baking career 23 years ago. It will be strange but I am excited. It will just be part time but that is what I need so that I can still do my Photography and enjoy my horses. I will be working again for Ray Haase, who was one of my supervisors when I worked at Prevo's where I spent ten years as a baker. I haven't seen Ray yet but I did talk to him a few months ago. I am excited to be going back into the bakery world. The store that I will be working at is just a few miles from the house so I won't have to travel over twenty miles like I did when I worked for Tom's before. This store will be brand new and opening the doors in April.



Winter has returned sadly. Today was not as cold as the day before but it was still cold compared to the 50s we had ten days ago. We are suppose to have more snow coming in tonight.



I had a small accident with my seven year old gelding last Sunday. My friend Trina was coming to pick me and Missy up to go over to Janet's to ride for the afternoon in Janet's indoor arena, and for some reason Sammy decided to spin and kick out and caught me right in the middle of my lower back. It hurt for a few minutes but then I went riding and felt better.



Well for being gone for so long not much has happened with me so I am going to close this post with just saying that the Lord is wonderful and I am so Thankful that he is in control of my life.

Tuesday Feb. 10, 2009

Tuesday Feb. 10, 2009

Today is another beautiful day for just being the tenth day of February it is absolutely beautiful and in the 50s. I decided to grab a bridle and get a quick ride to the end of the road and back while I could. So I took Missy out for that quick ride. I didn't even saddle her since we just would be out for a quick ride. I jumped on her bareback and headed out. Luckily I still have her borium shoes on from our trip to Washington DC because though it is sunny and warm there is still a lot of ice in our drive-way to get to the good ole dirt road that I live on. Once out on the dirt road it was easy riding.

I haven't ridden bareback for more then just a few minutes, in twenty years. It felt good to get out on my trusty mare Missy and enjoy the sun on my face and the wind through my hair. I even let Missy trot a little. I was happy to just be able to stay on her as she trotted along. She actually has a nice trot on her. We did a trot and walk, and a trot and walk thing for a little while. Our road is only a little over a half mile long one way.

At the end of the road in the field stood two deer. Everyone just stood and looked at each other wondering who was going to move first. Missy snorted a little but didn't spook. Though she is 18 years old, she still likes to act like a 2 year old at times. After just a few minutes the deer decided that they would move and trotted off into the woods and down the hill.

The weather is suppose to be cooler this coming weekend and we have a parade to ride in with our friends Janet and Trina. Even though it is suppose to be cooler, it still won't be as cold as the parade experience in DC:-)

Well back to school work I must go. So until the next time I post, have a good day everyone.

Wendy

Spring like day in February

Saturday Feb. 7, 2009

Today was an beautiful day. The temps finally rose high enough to actually get some things done around the place that has been need done for several weeks but the cold tempatures were hindering it.

Today the horses actually spent the entire day out in the pasture and the dogs were out playing instead of sleeping on their chairs. It just makes a body ache for spring and train riding season to start that much sooner.

The picture that I posted here is one that I took of my Morgan stallion Quinn last summer in the early morning sun light. He is such a beautiful horse, and no I am not saying that because he is mine, that I love to take pictures of him. I knew after a few mornings of seeing him in the early morning light that I had to get his picture. So I planned one morning ahead of time to take the camera with me when I went to do chores. He always stands in the corner of his paddock and talks to me until I take him his breakfast. I can hardly believe that I have owned this wonderful horse for fifteen and a half years now. Hopefully he will be around a long time to come yet. He is a dream to ride and I plan on riding him a lot more this summer.

Spring is just around the corner, you can feel it in the air:-)

Wendy

Today was a beautiful day, if you were inside looking out. The temps were in the high 30s but the wind chills brought it down just a little bit.

I went to the Wolverine Morgan Horse meeting today. It was held this time at Sarah's house north of Kalkaska. What an amazing place Sarah has. My friend Trina was suppose to go with me, wish she had, Sarah has three beautiful German Shepherds and Trina has one too. Sarah's big male dog is just beautiful and we are talking BIG.

I was voted to be the photographer at the annual show in June. I am very excited. I have been wanting to do it for years. I just hope I don't let anyone down.

While I was at the meeting my husband had called to tell me that my mare Missy had gotten loose when he tried to bring the mares in out of the wind before he left for the Super Bowl Party at his brothers house. When Missy gets loose she can be a pain to try and catch. She made several circles around my stallions paddock causing him to run around and around and then slamming into the six foot paddock fence, in the cammotion on board was broken and several came off the post. Phil wasn't very happy by the time I got home. The meeting was an hour and a half away so I couldn't just run home and help him out.

I don't think I will be asking Phil to help me out with my horses anytime soon:-)