Hello

Hi Everyone! I always want to write more, share more, post more pictures than I do. I think, "if I write more, then I'll write more." How can I accomplish this?

I'll try to start and just write what's on my mind...where to start? I just got back from a bbq hosted for my friend Sarah Spooner. Her birthday is tomorrow. This time last year she lived with Chris and me. What a great friend she is to me now. And was then too...it was just one of those friendships that you have no idea what will happen to. I'm so glad she's in Asheville and we are still friends. Happy Birthday Spooner! (you have to call her by her last name, because, well it's obvious.)

We will be on day 3 of summer camp at Windy Gap tomorrow. I'm exhausted and super excited at the same time. I feel like I have a lot of adrenaline running through my veins these days. I've had a clear mind to remember the things that need to happen during this precious training time. I'm training an intern who has never run the sippie (snack bar) before, training the crafts girl who will be running that part of camp for the next month, and new this year, I'm ordering, restocking, and collecting money for the 7 vending machines at camp. Yep, I have an interesting job. One day it's milkshakes and restocking the vending machines, the next day I'm picking t-shirts to sell in the store and learning how to make earrings so that I can teach someone else how to do it. It does keep me on my toes and keep things interesting. There are so many days that I literally thank the Lord that I don't sit behind a desk anymore...well, at least I have the option.

Please pray that I can continue to think clearly and communicate well to the summer staff and interns and care for them well as they begin a hard month. Camp is hard. It's that good hard though. It's demanding of you in every way--physically, spiritually, emotionally, mentally. It is also relationship overload. I really battle this come third session and I've said goodbye to two groups of volunteers already and I'm welcoming and training new ones...and yes, tomorrow is day 3...

These days I've picked up the popular book Eat, Pray, Love. It's a little whacked out theologically, but still interesting and keeps me reading.

Okay, so I think we're off to a good start me and you. What's going on in your world?

Happy Mother's Day!

Way to go all you mothers out there! You have been successful in bringing another human being into this world--no small feat! I'm happy to know that my grandma and mother and aunt are all together today to celebrate family. They are gathered in Cambria, CA at my aunt Connie's house.

I want to show you another mother at Windy Gap. A few weeks ago one of the landscaping guys at camp came over the radio and wanted to know if we had purchased a miniature horse. Of course the guy in charge of the horses at WG was out of town for training in Colorado. Upon closer inspection the guys found the animal to be a newborn horse (only hours old) that had been left by its mom. The guys loaded him up in one of the camp trucks and brought him into a stall at the barn. They brought all of the horses in to try and determine who the mother was. Eventually, they found her and put her in the stall with her baby. They desperately needed to bond in order for the baby to feed. Although it took the little guy awhile to figure out the system for this, he had a lot of help and encouragement from all of us at camp.

Maybe I should stop here and explain why this whole thing was so unexpected. First of all, there are no stallions at WG. Second, no one knew the mare was even pregnant...even the vet, who had been out a few weeks prior. Third, no one had experience with this kind of thing before (except for Bruce, who was humble enough to milk the mom and try to get out some of that initial very nutritious stuff). I wish I had a picture of the 2 liter Cheerwine bottle with a nipple on the top that was used to give the baby milk for the first 24 hours. Unfortunately, the mother's milk dried up quickly and the Cheerwine bottle was never very full. The situation was precarious for several days as the mother had not been treated or fed with extra care for her condition. We were not sure that the baby would get what he needed from her and there was a general feeling of unpreparedness that took over.

That first weekend out guest services coordinator was having to feed the baby 6 times a day. We often laugh because our jobs at camp are so, uh, varied, but this took the cake and then some. Luckily, the vet was able to come by later the same day the baby was found and check him. We had strict orders to leave mom and baby alone so that they could bond and not be disturbed and to give the mother extra grain and hay. This was 3 weeks ago now, so you can see that the baby is doing well and that he has bonded with mom. Enjoy these pictures...

Most recent picture. As you can tell, he has filled out and is healthy.

Beautiful spring green all around us these days. I love this color.

Never a dull moment...

Denton (the dog, not Texas)

This is Denton, Blair and Cara's dog, also Homer's girlfriend. Yep, he's no longer the innocent puppy you've all known and grown to love.
Denton was with us for a week. The best week of Homer's life. They played 23/7.
This might have been the one hour when they slept...and dreamt about playing together. Notice the slober marks on the floor.
Actually, towards the end of the week they got creative. One mat, two dogs. It's called spooning.
This is more of a yin yang thing.

Catch you later! My girl's here yo.