Every Weekend Like the Last!!

     I must start this blog off with saying my thank you's! This past weekend has made me feel so grateful in so many ways!!! It seems hardly adequate just writing about it, but if you could see inside me then you would know!!!

     We had planned to leave at 7 AM Thursday morning to go audit a Mark Rashid clinic, BUT things happen.... LIKE SNOW!!! I could not leave without spending time with the girls, in the snow, with my camera, and I did!!! The girls had a blast!!! Our pasture has open spaces but the horses also have access to some woods, and watching 6 horses run through snow covered tree's as one animal was magical to watch. They leaped, kicked, reared, galloped and just enjoyed themselves.

I got some beautiful pictures of them, but this one is our favorite!!! Indy, Aurora and Catori, layered up!! We have such beautiful girls!!

     After I got done playing in the snow, we did leave, and actually made some pretty good time, until the inevitable happened... we got distracted.  We made it close to Dothan when we realized we were close to where we got Aurora and Catori! I called Stephanie, who sold us the girls, and told her we were close and if we could come see Aurora's brother and maybe see Catori's parents. Catori had a rough start to life, which is its own blog one day soon, but to sum it up, her parents are extrmemly malnurished and her mother knew she could not take care of her, so she left her to die. We drove to the old man's pasture and saw a paint standing on the top of the hill.

     "Thats her dad" Stephanie pointed out to us. He really was a good looking boy. We walked the fence and rattled bags hoping to spark their interest. It worked. 5 horses ran down the hill to us! Catori's dad is a very pretty very thin black and white paint, who shares a remarkable resemblance to Salita's grandfather. Her mother was heavy with her next foal, but we could easily tell she was a well bred horse. Come to find out she is straight foundation bred!!! Next was her brother, who looked so much like her!! Then a few more skinny mares. It was so exciting to see her family, but at the same time, so sad. This old man was not going to give up his horses, nor was he planning on taking proper care of them, including gelding the big paint!!! I hope we can figure something out with these horses, its such a shame. I could get into a HUGE debate over gelding studs, but again... thats another blog.

     ONWARD!!! We had wasted 4 hours!!! Thats okay, we enjoyed every bit of it! We finally made it South/Central Florida on Friday! We said hello to family and headed south once more to Ft. Myers. We ambled our way to the ranch were Mark would be teaching! We made it there right before lunch, just in time for the break! We laid out a blanket in a sunny spot in front of the arena. Mark's clinics are so interesting. Its the same amount of time as a normal clinic, but it is one on one only. He wears a mic so everyone can hear, but, each person gets time with him alone, it is surprising what you can learn from that!!! Well, first of all, let me say, Mark is a funny funny guy!!! He has that dry sarcasm that I just love!!!

When the first lesson started I was getting a bit bored, it seemed that is was just beginner stuff, and review for us, but Mark has a way to teaching the same thing on a new level! He was discussing ground work basic's and making it seem like I have never learned them! IT was so interesting to see the lightbulbs in his students head go off and their horses sigh in gratitude. I learned something in everyone of his mini- sessions with his students, and was well entertained the whole time!! I think next time we will be brining our own horses!!

   After a wonderful clinic, we were starving, and had only one thing on our mind! STONE CRAB!!! We drove around for an hour to find the perfect restaurant, and even phone in help! finally we found one... with a 45 minute wait!!! BUT we stuck it out and it was wonderful! We were happy girls!!

  Sunday was an equally good day! We have cousin's that are in a blue grass band called "Tomorrow's News" and they just happend to be playing at a show only a half hour away!  So we went to see family and enjoy some wonderful music in some fabulous weather!!! It was set in a beautiful park with wild life 

all over!!! What a fantastic time!

  http://www.tomorrowsnewsband.com/

  

     Then we had to make the drudge home! I swear the drive home is always longer than the drive there! We stopped by to see Nana, Poppy, Jill and Cassidy which is always nice, but unfortunately we could not stay long. We made it home Monday around 1 to a BEAUTIFUL sunny 70' day!!! Our horses came right up to us happy that we were home! We played for 4 hours! It was the perfect ending to a perfect weekend!!

    My moral of this blog can be applied in anyway you want. Everyone has bad days, weeks, months, or even years, but there are those times that God gives us, of pure happiness and bliss. Horses, people, music, food, love, or anything. There is so much in this world to be thankful for, you just have to take the time to see it. Sit still for one minute out of your life, let the sun warm your face and the wind blow your hair, and think about everything you love.... your blessing will start to add up, I promise! I may not be where I want to be right now, but I am where I am supposed to be, and the people and horse that surround me make me the happiest most grateful girl you will ever meet!

-E