It's Shark Week at the Barn!

Week 6 week 6....where did you come from?!  We are almost 2/3 of the way through the summer and here we sit, on the edge of week 6.  Week 6 got off to a fairly smooth start.  I had two classes to teach every morning that week so chores were out of the question.  Monday afternoon's goal was to get the round bale feeders filled during clinic time.  After I got the kids out the door and extra horses in the barn to eat, I got to work.  I thought this task might go easier this time with the horses being out of the paddock and at first that was true.  Then I got a radio call saying that Amie needed me to call her on Karissa's cell phone.  I went to grab my phone only to find that I got no reception.  No surprise so I headed in the house to see if the microcell tower might pick up the reception (like it's supposed to).  Nothing.  Walked all around the barn, driveway, and backyard.....nothing.  I grab Rachel's phone....nothing.  By now, at least 45 minutes have passed and so, lacking a vehicle, I run over to Scheumann to use the landline.  I can't get a hold of them.  Now I have counselors calling me to see if trail rides were still going out and I'm wondering where all the help has gone!  I run back over to the barn (still no reception for me but now Rae's phone has limited reception) and finish up the round bales and eventually I hear them back on the radio and my phone, after about 2 hours, picks reception back up and all the messages come through about them needing me to do the 4 pm trail ride demo....oops!  Wasn't through a lack of trying.  That evening, we go to the DeMoss' for some food and fellowship.  I come home to water the garden and dump pig buckets (and get the last one all over me and it was rank) and get a few things done for the morning (ice in the cooler, alphabetical list of campers for each cabin) and go on back to Amie's house.  Unfortunately, Gavin was getting sick that night and was a poor hot vomiting boy.  I stick around a bit because it's just Sara and the kids and she's a sympathy vomiter so I didn't want to chance anything.  ;-)  A little bit after they get home and a bit of chatting and it's off to bed.

Wrangler Class

Group 2 Riding Class

Tuesday morning trail ride went smoothly and my two lessons went okay. I have a group of very experienced kids and I was challenged to write up awesome lessons plans that would entertain them and still get them learning.  Very challenging and after the emotional toll last week took on me and my head being all sorts of messed up, I wouldn't say that they were my most stellar classes but I still did a good job.  Plus my first class wasn't entirely interested in learning but rather sitting on their horses talking.  I finally had to get somewhat stern and tell them that while I had a bunch of fun things to teach them, I wasn't going to waste my time if they weren't willing to listen.  My second class which were about 1 1/2 levels behind the first one, was actually a very fun class.  The girls did a great job listening and applying and improved so much in their position in the transitions.  I was so excited when they really started riding their horses with correct form and influencing their horse for the better.  Such fun times.  Afternoon was spent doing our second day of clinics-driving, bathing, bareback, and mounted trail obstacles.  We had some light rain and lightning try to disrupt us a few times but we managed to get all the clinics in.  Second clinic was shortened a bit but we got them all in otherwise.

Rain Dance!

By now, all the kids are sick and while Amie went to be on duty, I stayed at the house with them and also ran the sprinkler in the indoor arena.  I got all the rest of my postcards written then snuggled with Reagan while we watched Narnia.

Wednesday morning ride was Iowa and after a breakfast of sausage and gravy, I wasn't feeling too hot.  I made it through the lessons and went to the house afterwards to lay down in the A/C.  It was a pretty hot day and I hadn't planned on doing too much but a communication issue meant that I was going to a Nancy lesson with Sara who was going to ride twice.  A rushed load of some horses and gear and we were off.  I wasn't too pleased because all I wanted to do was sleep in the A/C.  It was so hot in the suburban with no A/C and we were dripping sweat before we even got on our horses.  Had a hard ride with learning to really open up my hips and sit the trot.  Ouch.  That hurt and took all my core.  And it took all my sweat too!  It looked like it was going to storm while we were there but, as usual, all thunder and lightning and no rain.  :-(  We got home and chatted with Amie around the table and then off to bed I went.  I was praying for rain so that I didn't have to go on the early morning trail ride......

Crazy Sharkbait

Steven all "cool"

.....And at 5:30 am I got my wish.  Thunder and lightning and pouring down rain.  When I got back up around 6 am, I had to look at the radar and make the call as to whether or not the ride was going out.  One radar said one thing and the other said another but I went with my gut and it was the right call.  The skies opened up around 7:45, right around the time we would have been heading out.  I get to sleep in a bit and then breakfast at Amie's followed by lessons in the indoor.  After the morning lessons, we head to Rossville and the new trails at Wildcat Creek.  We played some "hot horse" Chinese fire drill style and had a good time riding other's horses (I took Latigo).  We eat out at Pizza Hut and then Amie, Sara, Rae, and I head to Kathy's for another night of "relaxation."  I needed that because I've been unable to "unwind" at the end of the day lately and I've needed to just chill and forget about all the stuff that's been going on and the lack of money.






Friday morning make up ride with Crow went well and lessons went okay.  I had a girl fall off when her horse slipped slightly at the jump and as the horse and rider tried to correct themselves, she flew over the horse's neck.  Yeah, it happens but it still bothers me because I always think I could have prevented it.  She was a little banged up and shaken but okay.  The afternoon saw me doing a few chores and then Sara took Amie and I into town to  pick up my truck and then I went to the bank.  A not so stellar dinner later and trading post was here.  Margo Gray, a counselor from 2004, was here visiting and I only got a few minutes to catch up with her until I had to get going to the horse parade.  Unfortunately I didn't get to talk to her anymore and catch up but camp relationships are awesome because it's not always about quantity but quality.  After horse parade and EQ awards, it was back to the dining hall to grade tests.  I got about halfway done when I lost all focus and decided that the tests could wait so off to bed I went.  I had to work the weekend so sleep was priority.

Saturday morning was spent grading and returning tests, meeting with counselors on duty, and straightening up some rooms at the EC, finishing feeding and sweeping, and spraying helmets before it was off to begin weekend duty.  After lunch, Amie and I spent a few hours getting all the tripper material organized and finalized (KOA reservations, destinations inbetween-Horse Cave and Churchill Downs, and maps printed).  We gave the trip leaders a few hours off (they'd just come back from a 2 week Florida trip) and let the kids go to the pool.  After the pool, it was off to dinner with the stayovers and I did their pool laundry so it'd be dry to pack the next day (and Ben's 2 weeks of laundry too!).  We went over the trip itinerary while the kids watched "How to train your dragon" and after some last minute details and late night chats with the trippers, it was off to bed!

Trail Riding at Wildcat Creek on Thursday

Justin and Keeghan in my Wrangler class

Sunday morning I saw them off around 9 am and then hung with stayovers.  This is the roughest part of the weekend as you never got to click "off" from the previous week and recharge for the 2 pm check in but rather you roll right into the next week without a break.  I decided to let Rachel run my staff meeting so that I didn't have to run around and worry about getting there on time.  After check in and swim checks, I got to working on schedules.  Just when I thought I'd be going home early, Amie had me address a ton of envelopes sending horsemanship certificates out.  We got a lot of stuff done and were done about midnight and off to bed at 1 am.  Hello week 7!