Spring, Lessons and Superhero's

It's been a hectic and fun couple of weeks since my last post....lots and lots going on here at HP Haven!

First up...the 2 most adorable mutts got a spa day with their Aunt Terrie.    She prepped them perfectly for mud season spring!  Nice short coats below and tidy little tiny paws.

Aren't these the cutest little white bums you have every seen!   Thanks Terrie…xxoo

These two have also been the best two assistant trainers while Diane has been away competing in Florida!

As I may have mentioned a time or 2...I love spring.   I love the birth of all the animals, the new shoots of plants emerging from fertile soil, the return of the robin and the birds of summer.   Spring is a time of rebirth, beginning and starting new.

Have I mentioned tho that spring also brings the worst time of year too?...the mud!   AND it has started here on the farm.    Look at this paddock!   Yick!   

And the tails and legs and necks and ears and foreheads are caked with that unforgiving Cayuga clay.    When I moved here I had no idea what people were talking about until that first spring.   I come from land that is sandy loam.  Horses get muddy and dirty and you use a nice stiff bristled brush and just flick the mud off.   Nope, not here in Cayuga....I use a hard metal scraping blade that I bought in the Cattle section! 

This weekend I had 2 lessons.  One, with FEI O judge, Cara Whitham.   Cara is one of only 23 elite listed O level judges in the world; which is the highest level ranking for equestrian judges.   What a fantastic ride and at the time in my training plan just when I needed it!   Sometimes the reminders that we get when other see us interact with our horses are the most priceless part of the lesson.    It was great to have the perspective of a judge and hear her positive and caring comments to help us further our journey both inside the show ring and in the schooling sessions day to day.   Looking forward to another lesson in the coming weeks.

The second lesson of the weekend was with 'A' Circuit hunter/jumper trainer, Scott McKay of Greenhaven Farm.   What a fun and pressure free school at the beautiful Summerleaze.   It was my second jumping lesson and Izzy was a complete superstar!   She jumped a full small course.   It had obvious blips but she was so easy going and brave.   Just love how Scott sets you up for success and lets you have some bobbles along the way so that you are sure to take home the point of his lesson through experiencing both how it fell apart and how it went perfectly.   A special shout out to my friend Andrea, who gave me an opportunity to re-home her well loved Crosby XL saddle.   I might even have to take it back to the show ring for another victory lap with Izzy in the future!  :-)

This is my happy grin after we cantered a full course of 9 fences!

I have to give mention to this stunning orchid that lives in my second floor bathroom.   This was a very thoughtful house warming gift from my dear friends Tony and Linda.   It has taken more than a year but with a bit of research on the net and some TLC, I got it to bloom a second time!   Thank you Linda...it's a gift that has truly kept on giving.

With the temps in the house rising now that the wood heat is harder to regulate when the outside temperature goes up...my tropical plant is also flowering for the second time.   Again...why I love spring.

And because this blog seems to contain lots about food and running lately...what would a post be without those!?   Ventured out on a guilt free noon hour run as the network was down in my office.   The upper trail along the mountain brow was still snow covered but what a beautiful run!   I had the wrong shoes but I endured!  :-)

I also tried baking vegan cupcakes for a guy that works on my team.   I frequently take in baked goods but because I am a farm girl at heart my food always contains eggs and butter; which are 2 things he cannot eat!   I was pleasantly surprised how light and fluffy these cupcakes were.   They got 2 thumbs up from him and the guys on break that he shared them with, so I was a happy baker!

Now that spring has sprung...we all know that mother natures sugar has started to drip from maple tree all over the province!   One of my favourite breakfasts...Bacon Pancakes with 100% pure local maple syrup!   

Here at the farm DH and Papa Bear cleaned up the lower barn.   Kayaks are now hung up and the manure pit that runs the full length on both outside walls is starting to get filled in.    Papa Bear also helped out with the driveway.   More gravel to top dress the new parking lot has started.

Lastly, I want to muse a bit on something that has been on the front of my mind for quite sometime.   I've spent a lot of time lately thinking about the strong women in my life.   The mentors, friends, role models, artists, sisters, supporters, kickers in the asses, care givers, acquaintances and even women I just know about but may never meet.    This quote from a favourite narrative artist, Elizabeth Gilbert crossed my screen recently and it spoke to me in a deep and meaningful way.

Yes, the women I admire the most have shown their strength when things haven't always gone their way.   They have persevered or given in when it was right to do so.   They have scars and wrinkles from life experiences that have shaped them into better people.   They smile and cry and are authentic women that live with their whole hearts; knowing full well that being vulnerable is a risk worth taking.   They are women that have touched my life in some of the biggest and some of the smallest ways but they have helped shape me and for that I will always have a special place in my soul for them.   These women are my superheroes because when shit didn't work out for them...they handled it...and they have taught me to handle shit too; in a thousand different ways.   Love you ladies...you know who you are.  xxoo

And a very special happy birthday to one of my best friends...You are certainly a superhero in my world!   Love you to the moon and back Reta.   Cheers to many more.   Much Love!

Winter Full Moon BBQ, Beautiful Winter Outside and Dust Control Inside

The full moon on the farm has a significance for moon light rides, howling coyotes and in general the true beauty of the night with moon shadows casting onto the snow.
This full moon DH and I decided to have a wiener roast.

The deer have been abundant again this winter.   Enjoying the bean field and also the neighbours alfalfa field next door.   This big one made an appearance at chore time last night just as the large flakes of heavy snow started to fall.   What a feeling to be able to walk into its presence and not have it dart away in fear.   (Mind you, I left the 2 mutts locked up in the barn!)

The weather has seriously broke from the nauseating cold that we have been enduring in this record breaking February.   I made my way through the woods and even got lost for about 10 minutes as the trail was heavy with snow and since it's not well marked…all the trees look the same in the winter!  LOL
The snow is still deep and heavy and even after 45 minutes of mostly walking Izzy was hot and wet with sweat.

But really; on a beautiful day like today with the big sky…why wouldn't you want to get lost in the woods!

The deer have made highways throughout the woods.  Here a well worn path from the edge of one bush line that links directly to the ravine bush that is beside the farm.

Dust control for the season has been laid in the indoor.   After 2 years of maintenance I believe I am now down to one treatment per winter season with about half as much MAG as the first treatment 2 years ago.   It's hard to tell tho as my arena gets light use…mostly just me.  :-)   No need for cross fit today, I raked the arena track by hand to ensure that there was no build up along the walls before DH harrowed and then I laid the MAG.   Arena is out of commission now for at least 24 hours until the MAG dissolves and moistens the sand.

My 2 fur kids were not happy about being abolished from arena play!

And to end this post…I am hoping a last look at the snow covered fields of HP Haven for this winter.  Cheers!

Book Keeping Blahs and First Race of 2015

Remember in Dec when I posted about the people hating this time of year?   Well, this time of year has arrived and the days are noticeably longer and the sun is higher in the sky giving us that warm sun even on the bitter cold days.   The melting at -10 has started and the time change is about to take hold and give us dark mornings and wonderful later evenings.   I am a morning person and having the sun crest the tree line at the back of the farm on a brisk morning like this past Saturday is something that can take your breath away.   I do weekday morning chores, at the present time, before the sun has begun it's lazy accent.   On weekends however, I afford myself the luxury of a bit of a sleep in til 6:30 or 7 and the sun is casting long cool shadows over the snowy fields.   It's such a weekend treat to walk out to the barns and see the horses peacefully enjoying the sunrise and awaiting their breakfast.

I know mother nature has spring in store for us...all the horses are shedding their long winter coats.  The season of polar fleece at the barn has officially ended!

The deer have been once again active on the fields around the farm.   Very large herds are visible at dusk and dawn.   I have counted 30+ in a recent group over the weekend.  It's interesting how their presence first made the horses uneasy in their fields.   They are now so common right up to the fence lines and in adjoining pastures that the horses still stare but do not blow and become uneasy.   The quiet, alertness is one of respect and understanding now.

I had the pleasure of having a trimming lesson from a very talented and respected farrier this past weekend Terri Gerber.   Terri has been helping me for the last couple of years stay on track with my horses and ensure that the finesse of trimming doesn't become lost as I continue on my personal journey to better understand the relationship my horses feet have with their health and their overall wellness.

Here is a picture of Terri working her magic on Izzy.

Here she is demonstrating with Elvis a back foot technique for ensuring you get the right angle and posture for rasping.

If you would like to learn more about Terri and her method, message me and I will pass on a wonderful article that she was featured in regarding barefoot trimming racehorses that are her clients and a second of how she rehabilitated a small pony with founder.    I can't say enough good things about her.   She is so open to share her knowledge and expertise for the betterment of our equestrian community.

Now that the cold snap (I hope) has finally given way to more moderate temperatures leading into spring, I will get my training mojo back for both moving Izzy up the levels and running 5 days a week!   

I have officially kicked off the running season with my first race on Mar 1st.   It was a cold morning for a run with light snow at the start of the race but with the Frosty 5K being a flat out and back course it was a run that set the race bar pretty high right out of the gate for the 2015 race season!   I ran a strong race, clocking the 5K in less than 25 minutes.    My race buddy Theresa was there to share the glory with a fantastic finish of her own.   Both of us finishing 4th in our age groups...just out of the medals...AGAIN!   When we started on this fun run trek 2 years ago, we where happy runners to finish and post a time better than our last race.   As we have become fitter and faster we have become somewhat competitive!  I finished in the top 5% of all the women finishers in the run.  I was 75th overall from 606 runners and 22 from 394 women finishers.  :-)   

Thanks Theresa for being such an awesome race buddy...you have motivated me, tempted me and been a great friend.  xo

Theresa and I at the finish line!   

Lastly, I would like to end this post with a shout out to all my friends who are accountants or book keepers.   You know who you are!

I just finished the book keeping for the farm in preparation for the 2014 tax season.   This is the most suffering pain I have endured since this time last year!   I'd much rather gouge my eyes out with a fork than do the book keeping.    I have no idea how ANYONE can do this for a living!   I am sorry if I am offending anyone here but I just can't imagine this day in and day out.   Two weekends of data entry and spreadsheets was tough!   It's 2 weekends of fun I will never get back!   So kudos to the bean counters out there and I am hoping Aden gets us a hefty return for my misery!

Baby It's Cold Outside!

Well…what else do Canadian's talk about…but the weather!   Especially when it's this frickin' cold!!
I got up this morning and I thought the thermometer was lying.   It said -32ºC!   Yep, walked outside and it was colder than I have felt in a VERY long time.   My eye lashes were freezing up from my breath rising in the crisp still air.  
Here are DH and I.  Both frosty within 10 minutes outside!  Nice dead rodent hat on DH!  LOL

Emmy and Izzy were both frosty too!   Emmy had frosty lashes.

Izzy ended up all frosty from having her hot breakfast steam her muzzle into her forelock.

I spent my weekend with this awesome, creative group of women.   These women represent a significant aspect of my life.  There is a special energy that comes from being in a group of like minded people that all have passion and creativity.   These women are both inspiration and mentors.   They are critics without being critical.  They are my support group.   They give advise, they share love and laughter.   They hold a special place in my life.   They are my friends.   Thank you ladies for another wonderful weekend.  xo

Excitement on the farm has been low with the cold but we did have a visitor that lead to a couple very excited mutts!   A racoon got into the barn!    I put on my Grand River Trapping hat and wrangled the little beggar into a trap.   A rather exciting adventure with 2 very protective and curious Golden's!
This little cutie got taken for a truck ride to the other side of the river for release.

DH made from scratch, vegetarian ravioli for dinner tonight for Meatless Monday.   Another success.
:-)

Stay Warm Folks!
xo

Snow Day = Izzy Time and Hot Yoga

Since my marathon of overtime I have spent a decent amount of time in the saddle.    That equals happy me!   Izzy on the other hand maybe not be so happy to be back to work after a short hiatus!

She has however enjoyed drying under the new heaters in the wash stall on several occasions!

Thanks to electrician Jeff from Yager Electric for running the new hydro to the wash stall.  AND no I was not giving you the stink eye at the arena that night when I seen you before they were completed!  

:-)

The weather was even nice enough to venture out to the back 40 for a hack.    The deer have been very active both on the trail in the woods and the back bean field.

Deer have been very busy foraging for food on the bean field.

This beautiful sunny afternoon gave way to our first real snow day on the farm.

There was no going into work that morning…my car was buried!

I took a snow day selfie with my little ham.   I actually caught her yesterday with her front feet IN the hay feeder!   This little horse gets into everything!   She is fierce, fearless and curious…characteristics I have learned to love more everyday.

And as proof…the trail cameras have picked up a great deal of activity.

Marley is one of those dogs that just steals the heart of everyone that meets her.   She's so sweet and friendly.   It turns out this winter one of her favourite places is on the hearth with a roaring fire in the firebox!

Amaryllis update…the 2 stalks that had not bloomed in the previous post are in full bloom.   This beauty has been providing winter colour since Christmas.   Thanks Mom!

This was last week.

This was today.

A new business has opened in Caledonia…one which I have waited a long time for and I am so very happy that FINALLY a hot yoga studio is now local to me!   No more driving to Woodstock or Hamilton for hot yoga classes.  The studio opened on Jan 31st and I have taken 3 classes in the last week.  There is not a better detox that I can think of than turning into a puddle during a hot flow class in a 104º studio or enjoying the heat and relaxation of hot ying yang class.   Check out Caledonia Hot Yoga and if you're interested in going, lets meet up to get our sweat on together!