Week 2 Recap

Here's a quick look back at week 2.  I'll say it wasn't as nuts as week 1 but it had its share of craziness.

Sunday check in went well.  Here's me and my partner.  I think we make the greatest team.

Maybe I was wrong about this week not being crazy.  Monday was nuts.  I can't put my finger on it but Monday morning was a circus.  Answering tons of radio calls, bringing in horses, running between barns to gather up saddles.....and all before 9 am.  Then the kids arrived and we were mostly on our way.  Lake village horsemanship was bursting at the seams with 21 campers over 3 clinics and equestrian camp has been over capacity each week as well.  But we found all the horses needed and everyone got a good ride in.  Monday afternoon brought the medieval games, vaulting, race relay, and clipping and braiding clinics.  Nothing too exciting happened that afternoon.  After a nice dinner, Sara ran me to Delphi to drop off my truck at Dick Kreigs to explore the mystery of why doesn't my truck stay running.  As we stopped by my house to grab her car and my truck, I walked around the corner of my garage and I encountered the above pictured creature.  For the record....this is NOT okay with me.  No, no, not okay. It's a 6 ft rat snake who passively looked at me and slowly slithered BACK UNDER my house.  After I yelled and ran back towards the front of the house and told Sara that there was a very unwanted creature at my door, she ran in to grab a broom and I stood behind her watching it slither away.  For the record again....this is not okay.  I hate snakes.  They are just wrong and unnatural.  And knowing that mice can get into my house through the cracks, my mind reasons that a snake could just as easily.  I keep seeing this snake wherever I go.  Not cool.  But I settle down a bit and we head into town and I drop off my truck.  When I get back, I find Amie hooking up the mini-ponies to the cart and I spend the next several hours helping with that.  Unfortunately, my phone met it's eventual doom that night too when Amie accidentally dropped it on the road, causing the screen to shatter inside its case.  It's still usable, but not for much.  Calls are fine.  Thankfully I had bought a warranty on it but the downside is that I have to drive to Indy to the Apple Store for a new phone.  That's not going to happen till Tuesday.  But all it'll take is a $50 deductible.  Not too shabby.

Tuesday had an uneventful trail ride followed by a normal morning of lessons.  Tuesday afternoon found me finishing chores here and there,  running to Delphi to get Amie an unsweetened ice tea, and riding Gus and Latigo, two newer horses at camp.  I ran to Monticello for a much needed Walmart run and to pick up Amie's kids.  Tuesday night I helped load up the round pen and consequently unload it in Brookston with Amie and then it was off to bed.

Wednesday's trail ride had me taking out Latigo on the ride and he's a good boy but he sets a record setting pace so I'm always having to check him back so we don't cruise too much.  Lessons take me through the morning and after a rushed lunch so that I could put out round bales in all fields before Sara, Rachel, and I took off to Lebanon for a Nancy lesson.  By the time we were back by 10:30 pm, I'd put in a 14.5 hour day and I was beat.  Oh yes, one more trail ride in the morning.  I can do it!



 Thursday is always a bit rougher to get out the door on time as this is the day Iowa goes on their trail ride.  They are the youngest EQ cabin and this week, they were true to their age. We finally get out the door and the entire ride they are screaming, "This is so scary" while laughing.  At the end they were saying, "That was awesome!"  Mission accomplished.  Three more safe trail rides.  Lessons involved my pirates vs ninjas game and a little bit of jumping on the cross country course.  The afternoon brought driving a pair of ponies, mounted trail obstacles zombie apocalypse style, bareback, and bathing.  It was quite epic.  I'll let the pictures show.

Donica in Zombie 

Mo and Me

So there you have it.  Our week mostly in a nutshell.  Friday was the day of testing for the campers and for the most part they all did fairly well.  It's also a good chance for me to see if the instructors are doing their job in teaching the kids the material.  Our kids mostly escaped the "crud" (stomach flu) that has hit a few cabins this week.  Friday afternoon was catch up on chores and I started to grade some tests.  At the end of the week, I said goodbye to a great camper, Mo, who had won Character Counts again and was just the true embodiment of the "I am Third" motto.  Grace and elegance in an awesome loving package.  I told her I expected to see her again in a blue shirt and purple bolo.  See ya later Mo!  Theme dinner was disco night and the horse parade saw 4 horsemanship counselors getting the chance to ride.  Another appearance onstage to present awards and we were off to finish certificate and tests.  In bed by midnight and up again Saturday to say good bye to the campers.  I left work about 2 pm to head to West Lafayette to the AT&T store to see what they could do for my phone (from there I was told about the Apple store) and then off to Reagan's softball game (they won!) with the Gleasons, Forrest, and some other counselors.  Amie and Ben headed off to a work party and Lynne, Forrest, the kids, and I (and counselors) went to Chinese and to see the movie Brave.  Good cute movie.  I took the kids home and off to bed they went while I continued to work on postcards.  To home I went and sleep in I did on Sunday.  I had to drag myself out of bed because I figured I shouldn't be getting up right before I had to go to work (12:30 pm).  And now it's on to week 3!

It's going to be a hot week 3 but we're looking to make it awesome.  Until then......