- 12 blogs i follow -

     I spend a lot of time reading blogs. On a lazy Sunday afternoon I'll steep some loose leaf tea, prop my feet up and flip open the laptop screen. Before long I get lost in the different worlds of photography, crafting, traveling, living outdoors and so many other lifestyles I love. Because blogging and reading blogs is such a huge part of my life, I'd thought I'd share some of my favorites so you can enjoy them too! It was terribly difficult keeping the list down to 15, but if you're ravenous for more lemme know and I'll send you a looong list!

FARMING + FAMILY
Bundaflicka 
Maggie, (from Maggie's Farm in central New York), keeps detailed accounts of her lovely animals. Her writing captures the joy - as well as the hard work - of shepherding and running her own fiber craft business. Just from reading Maggie's delightful posts, I learned a lot about sheep and Swedish farming. (Notice that our blog names are pretty darn similar?)

Life at Cobble Hill Farm
Whaddya know -- another farm in New York! (Maybe I need to move there.) Staci and her family live on a micro farm and practice a simple, natural lifestyle. They make their own skincare products, raise chickens and bees, and blog about it! Look at her site to see some beautiful photos, get recipe ideas and live vicariously through their stories.

The Vine and Fig Tree
I may be a little biased, but this is my favorite farming/family blog out there. My sister Elissa blogs about their horses, raised garden beds, homemade living and her 6 ADORABLE kids. (I'm a proud auntie :)) You'll love seeing pictures of their cozy Missouri homestead and hearing about the latest equine adventure. You'll become introduced to Peshiwa and Samson and drool over pictures of home-grown food. It will make you want to move onto the +D Ranch.

PHOTOGRAPHY
Fire and Joy
"I was a writer first. Creating new worlds after bedtime, my handwritten words lit by torchlight beneath the sheets. Pouring my heart into my diary on the long bus ride to school. Writing was my outlet for my endless creative energy and an escape from all the emotions I felt. When I was writing everything in the world felt right. Like I was born to tell stories. Then I picked up a camera."

That's how Nirrimi Firebrace introduces herself. She combines her photos with raw, transparent writing - making you laugh and cry right alongside her. Nirrimi lives in Australia with her daughter Alba and travels frequently across the globe.

Rachel Barkman 
Rachel is a photographer based in Canada and her photos are always BREATHTAKING. Whether they are wedding photos, or landscape photos of the Territories, Barkman's artistic work is something to admire. And she owns a Samoyed - which is reason enough to follow her.

Andrew Kearns
Andrew Kearns does photography as his full time job. And he's darn good at it. I usually follow his PNW adventures through YouTube and Instagram, but his blog is also chock full of photo-stories. Most of my photography inspiration is drawn from his work!

TRAVEL
Trekkernaut
My bro-in-law Ben is currently working as a life-coach in Trujillo, Peru - (check out the program SKIP which stands for Supporting Kids In Peru). Ben's blog is an inspiring account of his personal testimonies, world travels and experiences with sports and kids. He address his readers directly - calling them to be "Trekkernauts" - asking us to take a stance and make "sustainable, positive" changes in the world around us. I encourage you to follow his adventures! (Because how awesome is it to live in Peru and make a difference!?)

A Dusty Olive Green
I found this blog by accident when Dad and I spent 10 days in Florence, Italy. The title is almost enough to make me want to move there! Brigitte is Danish but she has lived in Italy for the past 15 years as a blogger and lifestyle photographer. Her photos are lovely, her writing is clear and informative and she artfully captures the romance of Firenze. Jealous. Absolutely jealous.

State of Mind Studio
Cody and Lexi met each other through photography and now they are traveling throughout the country in their van. Their witty posts illustrate the less romantic facets of van life from washing laundry to getting stuck in the snow.

LIVING LIFE TO THE FULLEST
Miranda Leconte 
Miranda Leconte is a young woman working as a U.S. Forest Service Ranger. In a short 3 years she's accomplished several research projects, various wilderness certifications and gained a social media following of 19 thousand people. Miranda uses her knowledge and platform to fight for land conservation; her writing is witty and educational at the same time! Check out her blog and her Insta account too - there are some awesome landscape shots to look at :)

Dirtbag Darling
This outdoor journal for women is comprised of freelance articles and photography. It covers just about everything: rock climbing, kayaking, living out of a van, interviews with #defendersoffun, places to visit and outdoor gear reviews. Look at their site and scroll through some articles -- it will stir up a feeling of wanderlust. If you are a traveling writer, Dirtbag Darling accepts contributions.

Making It Beautiful | Adventures While Passing Through
Sara is an elementary school teacher in Nashville, Tennessee. (Look up Rocketship Nashville School.) She is not only a teacher, but an encourager, an explorer, an artist, a comforter, a brave-heart. Her blog brings to light the beauty of life and the joy of following Christ.

black and grey

I am unabashedly sharing kitten pictures because who doesn't love them? They are little balls of fleece fluff, mewing pathetically and pretending to be brave. If I didn't live in an apartment, I would have taken these home with me.

meet mosi

          Take a moment to appreciate this little fur ball of cuteness. This is Mosi: she loves eggnog, crumpled up paper, and attacking your feet. She is the most adorable, cuddly, and mischievous kitten you may ever be acquainted with, so protect your feet and check under the furniture.
          Mosi showed up on my doorstep about a month ago. (Actually, she was curled up in Retta's dog house waiting to be picked up and loved on.) I carried her into the house and the following conversation ensued....
Mom: Oh my.
Me: Yes. It is cute isn't it.
Mom: .........
Mom: Bring it in and feed it.
           Ever since then, life has seldom been dull. Retta is thrilled to have a playmate, except for the times Mosi grapples her butt like a cougar and bites it. The two will chase each other around the basement, tearing up the carpet and generally creating a ruckus. After an especially rousing chase, there is the routine "drinking-out-of-the-Christmas-tree-stand" and "fighting-over-Laurel's-bed."

  
          Sometimes, I pretend that having such rambunctious companions is annoying. After all, they both beg for milk out of my cereal bowl, terrorize the parakeets and constantly demand attention. But in all honesty, Mosi and Retta keep my life in a wonderful state of happy and unexpected.
Every evening when I come home from work, they pile onto the couch with me and sleep peacefully, offering what animals give the best: companionship.
I'm looking forward to many adventures with my pets. Hopefully neither one of them kills the other first.

senior photos

I love horses.

 

I love loyal German Shepherds...

 

...and old John Deere tractors

 

I love greedy horses who try to eat treats straight from your pocket

 
I love my smiling, adventure-loving nieces and nephews.

 

I love my slobbery mustang kisses.

 

I love my Clint Anderson style black saddle.

 

 

not to mention these people right here!

 

 

I  love the country.

memoirs

           Four years ago (on my 13^th birthday), I got the best present a young girl could ask for—a retired quarter horse with soft eyes and a dirty white muzzle. His registered name is JT Santo Peppy though everybody calls him “Tex”. In addition to that, I give him endearing nicknames such as Texy Boy, My Old Man, Pretty Horsey,  JT, etc. He puts up with it fairly well as long as I give him plentiful amounts of apple treats.

 

Legend has it that Tex was a team penning champion—a cow horse that expertly cuts calves from the herd and drives them into certain paddocks. Whether or not he was really a champion, I childishly wondered what stories he could tell from his vast 20 years of experience.

 

 

Our friendship was special. I would ride him bareback and play that I was John Wayne riding through the west, or a contestant in a quarter-mile race. He would follow me around like a great big puppy while I did my chores. If I was going through a rough time I would throw my arms around Tex’s neck and pour out all my emotions into his mane. It felt good to have something solid I could hold onto. I know from personal experience why people say that horses are therapeutic for the human soul.

“The outside of a horse is good for the inside of a man.” (Girls too.) –Winston Churchill

 

 

JT knew every trick in the book. Luckily, he was usually too lazy to try any of them, but occasionally he would blow out his stomach so I couldn’t tighten the cinch or pretend to limp when he didn’t want to work. He’d eat the corn stalks out of the garden, rub on Dad’s trees, chase my dog (scaring her half to death), and crib in his stall, leaving huge chew marks in the wood.

 

To make up for his shortcomings Tex had a special trick that I taught him at one point: whenever he saw I had a treat he’d bob his head up and down eagerly. 

            “Do you want a treat?"

*Tex bobs head yes.*

            “Am I your favorite person in the whole world?”

*Tex bobs head yes.*

            “Are you going to stay out of the garden from now on?”

*Tex bobs head yes.* 

Tex helped me grow as a person—something not just anyone can do for you. During 2011 Tex had three hoof abscesses in a row. Getting rid of them involved soaking his hoof twice a day and wrapping it in a baby diaper held on with gobs of duct tape. I hated it-- it gave me a sore back and took up too much time, but it taught me patience.

During the winter months, I had to carry horse jugs down to him twice a day to keep him hydrated. I hated that too, but it developed my perseverance (and some impressive biceps) 

Lastly, (this-is-going-to-sound-sappy-but-it-is-ever-so-true) Tex taught me how to be a friend and the importance of always being there for someone

 

 

So here’s why I am writing all of this. Exactly four years after Tex came to me, I am sending him to a new home. We are moving to the big city so I must part with my equine friend forever. :’(  He will have a cute little mare to keep company with and his own box stall to sleep in but I won’t have him to talk to or go for walks with. Good-bye sweet friend!

 

 

A World of Horses

     I was especially lucky this year to be able to go to the RolexThree Day Event in Lexington, Kentucky for my birthday!

     It was really quite an adventure we undertook to go see this event. Firstly, our hotel wasn't all that great (besides being surrounded by sprawling horse farms,) and we ended up "roughin' it" for the first day or two. That meant trying not to get lost on highway, trying not to spend too much money, and trying to figure out why that bathroom smelled burnt.

       Secondly, we truly didn't know what to expect on our first day at the Kentucky Horse Park. We must have walked at least 50 miles rushing around trying to see all of the horse shows and exploring the stables and museums.  Still, at the end of the day, we felt that we had managed pretty well----for tenderfoots. Clara and I had been able to watch a good 3 hours of the dressage anyways, getting badly sunburned in the process:) We absolutely loved seeing such beautiful horses.

     For our second day at the Rolex, we were much better prepared, having examined the map and carefully decided which events to go to.

       One of the demonstrations we attended was performed entirely on Friesians. There were 4 of them pulling a wagon, one of them being ridden in dressage, and another in training for harness. Remind me to get one (or two) of these magnificent creatures when I grow up.

     Also, the five of us were able to see a presentation called "Hall of Champions" where in a large gazebo, famous retired racehorses were paraded about for the audience. Among these horses were Be a Bono, Funny Cide, Cigar, and Da Hoss.

      Cross Country was next on our list. We managed to find a nice shady spot to sit on the grass and eat our lunch as the horses went by. Cabe and Dad became our professional photographers and only got about---300 pictures, while Clara, Mom and I were the cheering squad.

    The picture on the bottom is of William Fox-Pitt who actually ended up winning the Rolex this year.

      Our AMAZING trip concluded with the World Championship Freestyle Reining Competition. There were only about 12 competitors but they were all absolutely wonderful! (Much to our dismay, Stacy Westfall was unable to compete in this event due to a minor injury her horse had.)

      It was a great way to end our adventure---but I plan on going next year if at all possible! 

                                  

      I would like to thank both Cabe and Dad for providing pics for this post!                                                        

                               

Good ol' Xenephon

            With the onslaught of modern technology, our homeschool principal (a.k.a. Dad) decided to buy the class an e-book to keep up with the times.

                So far we’ve been generously taking turns with it and since it was my turn today, I chose to spend my afternoon reading “On Horsemanship” by Xenephon.

Here is one excerpt which I find to be a very true statement: 

                “That a horse takes pleasure in swift movement, may be shown conclusively. As soon as he has got his liberty, he sets off at a trot or gallop, never at a walking pace; so natural and instinctive a pleasure does this action afford him, if he is not forced to perform it to excess; since it is true of horse and man alike that nothing is pleasant if carried to excess.”

               

                And here’s another selection which is excellent advice for horse owners.

               

                “It is desirable that the groom should be ordered to carry out the dung and litter of the horse to some one place each day. By so doing, he will discharge the duty with least trouble to himself, and at the same time be doing the horse a great kindness.”

                Unfortunately, I am not only ‘master’ but also ‘groomer’ or I would wholly agree with the idea of such promptness. As it is, I just cleaned out Tex’s stall this morning and hope I shall not have to do it for another week.

                 Don’t you just love Xenephon? I rather like his common sense and forthrightness which comes through so plainly in his writing.

                “The one best precept—the golden rule—in dealing with a horse is never to approach him angrily. Anger is so devoid of forethought that it will often drive a man to do things which in a calmer mood he will regret.”

                “Supposing a man has shown some skill in purchasing his horses, and can rear them into strong and serviceable animals, supposing further he can handle them in the right way, not only in the training for war, but in exercises with a view to display, or lastly, in the stress of actual battle, what is there to prevent such a man from making every horse he owns of farm more value in the end than when he bought it, with the further outlook that, unless some power higher than human interpose, he will become the owner of a celebrated stable, and himself as celebrated for his skill in horsemanship.”

                The latter is a position I would gladly take if I were only as knowledgeable as Xenephon! But for now, I am very happy enjoying the company of Tex.

                I love horses—perhaps even a little bit too enthusiastically—(the phrase “there’s a pretty horse!” passes my lips more than often during John Wayne movies) so I hope to put this love to work one of these days.....

Life is tough......

And this is what happens to naughty little dogs that run away.......................

It was a pretty torturous experience—both for me and ‘Retta—

but we managed to get through all right and restore the bathtub to a more hygienic condition afterwards.

blow, blow, thou winter wind

With the onset of winter a lot of transitions have been made in our daily routine.

Ÿ            Instead of flipping the faucet handle and using the long hose to fill the horse trough, trips with a wheelbarrow and water jugs have to be made.

Ÿ            Brand new space heaters have been procured for our cold bedrooms in the basement.   

Ÿ            A continuous distribution of hats, scarves and wet boots begins in the mud room creating an absolute mess.

Ÿ            Firewood is gathered and split for our wood-stove (while children collect the kindling).

Ÿ            And extra bedding is applied to goat houses, chicken coops, horse stalls, and my four-poster bed.

Perhaps winter is a little bit harder on us than summer, but we enjoy this season as well as any other. Here’s why:

Yes, that is our dog Ponca, and yes, she’s biting my leg. Good thing I was wearing thick overalls for protection. This winter however, we have an added nuisance to sledding. My brother’s dog Grumman (a big, muscular yellow lab) loves to chase us down the hill and steal our hats when we fall over. And the aggravating thing is that we can’t get them back!

     I love winter. There are good and bad sides to it, but on the whole the cold, exigent season is healthful for one’s mind and wellbeing.

 “If we had no winter, the spring would not be so pleasant....” --Anne Bradstreet