Spring....One of my favorite times of year....

"And everything that’s new has bravely surfaced

Teaching us to breathe

What was frozen through is newly purposed

Turning all things green

So it is with You And how You make me new

With every season’s change

And so it will be As You are re-creating me

Summer, autumn, winter, spring"

Exerpt from Nichole Nordeman's "Every Season"

Wow! How blessed are we? I find myself in awe of the beauty around me. Last weekend we planted our garden and I would stop and look up to see the bluest sky with the whitest, puffiest clouds, lazily hanging in the air. Everything here is popping. I did a walk-about and decided to share some of our spring colors. We love our little yard and all the life it surprisingly gives us. We have a resident bunny who hangs in the front yard and beautiful bulbs of iris, lily and bushes of lilac. The really cool thing about living somewhere that has seasons is that as each one comes, everything changes, slowly at first then you see the big picture. The changes make you appreciated what is coming and also what was, and you get to look forward to the next season, the next change, the next year..... Life is good.

More camp pictures....

Okay... Inquiring minds (apparently) want to know.... I had some email requests for more details.

We spent 2 absolutely gorgeous days in Custer State Park enjoying ourselves at French Creek Horse Camp with our new friends, who keep introducing us to more strangers, who quickly become new friends. Green meadows, peaceful winding creeks, blue skies, and trails, trails, trails....who could ask for more? We decided to go out with a "trail blazing" bang. On Sunday we went on a 4 hours ride that revealed the true nature of our new horse. You see, in trail riding when one goes "trail blazin" they go off the map....off the charts.... basically, in a word, "wing-it" in the hills, on the range, you get the idea, right? You find a new road, or not, but you find your way somewhere... usually it's where there is a fantastic view... and your horse basically trembled the whole way taking you there. Yeah, we went out with a bang. We went THERE. So, on the way down from the "peak" we find ourselves on really steep slope/mountain and my young horse is taking really small steps, working her way down, when she suddenly stops.... and she won't move.... but you see... I didn't stop moving... slowly.. very slowly... me and my saddle are sliding down her neck. So I holler to my "fearless" guide Frank ... "Uh Frank... we have a problem....my saddle horn is between her ears...literally." Needless to say, he told me I needed to get off my horse's neck... not so easy on the slope we were on, but I did as quickly as I could. So, I fixed the saddle for the remaining trek, she and I on foot, down the mountain to more stable (no pun intended) ground. You see, I learned two HUGE things on that mountain....1) It's really, really, really important to have a rear/back-cinch on your saddle if you're gonna trail blaze mountains (nope, I didn't have one) & 2) I have the best damn horse in the world.... another horse would have probably bucked me off, just to get "the fatty" off her neck... she just stood there, not a buck, not a flinch, not a move... She figured it out before I did (which she usually does) and stood there patiently waiting for me to catch up... which I usually do. Lord how I LOVE this horse. She has such a gentle spirit. Her patience helps me understand that maybe, just maybe, she trusts me.... when the reality is that I trust her. Frank also apologized for forgetting that I didn't have a rear/back-cinch. : ) It's okay.. I trust Frank. He hasn't done me wrong yet, and I usually have fun when I do. Anyone up for a trail blaze?

Back in the saddle again... Out where a friend is a friend.....

We just got back from a fantastic weekend of sunshine, friendship, camp fires, and awesome trail rides. The pictures following are just our way of sharing the fun we had. Wish you were here.....

"It's snowing, it's blowing, the Old Man is going......... crazy..."

Yepperdooooo..... we woke up to no electricity this fine morning. It was snowing sideways. We called our handy "511" and found out that the entire interstate was shut down from the Wyoming State Line to Wall, SD (about 150 miles of pavement in all). So I called the office and left a message that it was officially a "snow day" for us in Piedmont. We went back to sleep and when we woke up we had TV!!!! Yeah..... The TV guy said no travel, all roads closed. It's 2:45 pm and we have had between 1 - 2 feet fall overnight and today. It's suppose to snow more tonight - 80% chance. So some hot soup and a lot of lounging. We're keeping warm and enjoying our very strange climate. So who wants to come visit first??????? : )

PS This is a picture of CeCe (short for Cindy Crawford, they wouldn't let me call her Crawford) - she's 17 hands and built like a brick horse : ) Maybe Rick will buy her. Ain't she purdy? The video was taken today after the clouds moved out and everything began to melt and quickly. You'll see we have green grass under our drifts of snow.... go figure....

Just some chatter this time.....

It's May Day ..... and snowing.... and there is a Blizzard Warning for the next 18 hours..... 2 days ago it was 80, beautiful, and we were golfing..... now... the power goes on and off.... we're gathering blankets, provisions, supplies.. (just kidding)... We're actually hoping for our very first "snow day".... can't go to work, gotta stay home.... WHAT THE HECK???!!! It suppose to be spring????? Well, gotta go... the little puppy loves the snow... and it's snowing... we think.... maybe hope... it may be the last snow of the season, but who really knows????? We live in the Dakotas, where gambling is legal, and if you don't like the weather, you don't have to worry.... it will change, in the next 2 hours......