4th of July Parade

Linda, Karrie, Jacki, Jenna and I met yesterday to discuss the upcoming week's summer programming.  We decided to combine it with our decision to participate in the Williamstown 4th of July parade.  We have thought about getting involved in one of the local parades as many of the local farms do it and feel like we have a lot of help this week and should be able to pull it off.

Any riders or friends of Cobble Hill should shoot us an email (chuck@cobblehillfarm.com) if they want to participate.  We will probably bring 4 or 5 horses (Blue, Dixie, Hercules, Zeus, Mr. Tee) and have a leader and a rider on each horse.  But we are also going to fire up the tractor and pull the wagon so that we can have other Friends of the Farm riding and (of course!) tossing candy.

Chuck actually ordered something a while ago that we hope arrives in time .... meanwhile, the summer riders this week will be working on tye dye t-shirts for the riders to wear and 'jingle' bells for the horses.  We want to make those anyway after the bear cub sighting by Sandy over at Oak Hollow a few weeks back.

Should be a fun week here at the barn with lots going on with this first full week with all schools out.  I hope to get home by Wednesday late afternoon to at least observe some of the fun.

Buddy returns

At about 4 am this morning, I (finally) heard Buddy barking outside.  He was very excited to see me (almost as excited as I was to see him).  He came bounding through the door and sprinted to each girls room, jumped on their beds to sniff and make sure they were there before heading to the next room.

I am thinking he must have gotten shut in somewhere or something but finally got out.  It was scary to not hear or see him at all last night and the girls went to bed late and sad, but alls well that ends well.

Here is the picture that Sarah was going to use to make posters today.  :)

About ten more cups of coffee and I should be good to go.

BUDDY is missing

Please keep your eyes out for Buddy (Tuesday night -- 10:16 pm).  We saw him this evening although the girls can't remember if it was before the last lesson ended.  It was definitely before the last riders left tonight.  Hopefully, he stowed away in someone's back seat ....

The proof

Krissy got some awesome shots of the downpour (or one of the several downpours) on Sunday.  I guess we are caught up on rain.

Chuck and I are working to get ready for summer riding programs to start next week.  I want to do a pumpkin patch in the 'old' garden area.  I think it would be really fun for riders in summer programs to help us plant and tend it.  Then, if it works (which means our collective green thumb would be much superior to mine alone) everyone could have a pumpkin this summer.

Still to be seen if this is one of my great ideas that Chuck goes along with or not!

We are going to be producing farm-style sit-upons for use during the summer.  And I showed Jacki a great idea for making a 'mascot' for the barn later this summer ..... Jacki seems more enthusiastic about my schemes than Chuck!

I guess we got the rain!!!

I am sure the rain washed out lots of folks weekend plans, but it sure was needed.  The grass was turning brown which is never a pretty sight.

Looks like lots of nice sleeping and riding weather.  As most of you know, we have actually 'flipped' the schedule on most of the horses.  They now stay our all night and remain in the barn on very hot days.

I am hoping our first shipment of fly predators arrives soon.  Seems like they flies are really starting to come out. I think I wrote last year about my amazement with how that product works.  A great and "GREEN" way to keep    the fly population at bay.

Sun, Rain & a brief farewell to Jessie

Wow -- I know we really could use some rain, but these sunny, warm days are good for your soul.  Chuck mowed in the lower field around the new dressage ring and jumping course earlier in the week and said the ground was as dry as he has ever seen it.  As most of you know, Chuck has lived on the farm -- except for a decade plus period in California -- for his entire life so that is more than 30 years of observation.

Yesterday, we got a hard, soaking summer rain shower but it was very brief.  I will pray for some rain to start and be fairly steady starting Monday!

This weekend is Jessie's last day at the farm until August.  Jessie is our wonderful Bennington College student who has been volunteering in the barn on Friday and Saturday (and an occasional Thursday and Sunday) since late winter.  She found us on line and we are so lucky she did.  I've posted a picture of her riding Vixen.  In addition to all the barn and horse-keeping work, she has been riding the horses we need to get in shape -- Zeus, Vixen.  We are really going to miss her for the next month and a half.  We have convinced her though to come back north early and live in the in-law apartment and lend a hand in August.  Thanks for all your hard work and good humor Jessie!!

Hooray for Krissy!

The grapevine shared the great news that Krissy passed her drivers license exam this morning.  I suspect it won't be long before she is truck shopping.  :)  This is a picture of Vixen (don't tell, but she is Krissy's favorite) congratulating her. 

To start your week on a bright note!

As everyone slogs back to work after a wonderful holiday weekend, I thought this picture would make you smile.  It amazes me to watch the interactions among different horses.  Right now I am struck by the fact that while the horses in the lower track have lots and lots of space to roam with fresh hay throughout, they still tend to cluster much of the time.