last day of 2011

Upon reflection I think the theme of 2011 has been family. I connected with my sisters and their families more this year than in any past, that is the best part . There were sad times, starting with the passing of my Mom on Jan 2nd, 2011 and two weeks ago, learning of the death of a cousin's wife. But I believe the joy of family will be the best memory of this year. Two weddings brought us together, literally coast to coast. Sarah's in California showed us the beauty of Santa Barbara and why she loves the West Coast, while Sam's in Maryland, down home on the "farm" was a beautiful October day with all the Fall colors of the East. There was something just joyful about having so much family together. Day to day we forget how connected we are, we forget how many people care about us and these two weddings were a huge reminder of the love and joy that we share with family. I want to wish a Happy New Year to all my family near and far. I hope 2012 is an awesome year.  I will stay connected. Love to all. Miss you Mom.

Christmas 2011

Truly the best part of Christmas is family. Having all the kids and spouses !! here was wonderful. Sarah and Kevin go back to LA today after fun making music and memories for all of us. And Kevin did not bring a huge snowstorm for which we were all grateful. Sam and Stephanie had their first Christmas as a married couple and new homeowners and Sam also celebrated his college graduation. We managed to pack a lot of partying in between 3 in-law households. Will also had a lot to celebrate, although we missed his girlfriend Annie, who was home in Indiana. He will graduate and start a new job this summer. We are very proud of him. And the basketball continues with a New Years weekend tournament in Lexington. Mike and I enjoyed a quiet Christmas Day followed by a great foxhunting day on Boxing Day. The hunt at Rosaryville was fast and furious , tho no one ever saw the very wily fox himself. The run was exhausting for horses and riders but very fun! Bob and Red are still lying down.

Sam's Graduation Day!

Sam, my oldest son, graduated today with his Bachelor of Science degree in Mathematics from UMBC. A red letter day. I am so very proud of him. I think that this degree means more than any other because he took a little longer and climbed a lot of mountains along the way. We were all there to watch him accept his               "sheepskin" and we cheered the loudest. Way to go Sam! Tonight we are celebrating with Sam and Stephanie at their new beautiful house. Christmas dinners and cheers are getting stretched out to include lots of households. Tomorrow is at the farm, then the kids share Stephanie's parent's Christmas and Paul and Page's on Christmas Day. We are taking Kevin to the Redskins game on Christmas Eve. Go 'Skins!! There is lots of love to go around and a great deal to be thankful for this year. It is so wonderful to have, Will, Sarah and Kevin here too.

more Christmas heart-warming stories....

Merry Christmas Everyone
CHRISTMAS AT ARLINGTON CEMETERY

Rest easy, sleep well my brothers.
Know the line has held, your job is done.
Rest easy, sleep well.
Others have taken up where you fell, the line has held.
Peace, peace, and farewell...

Readers may be interested to know that these wreaths -- some 5,000 -- are donated by the Worcester Wreath Co. of Harrington, Maine . The owner, Merrill Worcester, not only provides the wreaths, but covers the trucking expense as well. He's done this since 1992. A wonderful guy. Also, most years, groups of Maine school kids combine an educational trip to DC with this event to help out. Making this even more remarkable is the fact that Harrington is in one of the poorest parts of the state.
Please share this with everyone on your address list. You hear too much about the bad things people do. Everyone should hear about this.

12 days of Christmas ...origins of the song...

There is one Christmas Carol that has always baffled me.  What in the world do leaping lords, French hens, swimming swans, and especially the partridge who won't come out of the pear tree have to do with Christmas?

This week, I found out.
From 1558 until 1829, Roman Catholics in England were not permitted to practice their faith openly. Someone during that era wrote this carol as a catechism song for young Catholics. It has two levels of meaning: the surface meaning plus a hidden meaning known only to members of their church. Each element in the carol has a code word for a religious reality which the children could remember.
-The partridge in a pear tree was Jesus Christ.
-Two turtle doves were the Old and New Testaments.
-Three French hens stood for faith, hope and love.-
-The four calling birds were the four gospels of Matthew, Mark, Luke & John.
-The five golden rings recalled the Torah or Law, the first five books of the Old Testament.
-The six geese a-laying stood for the six days of creation.
-Seven swans a-swimming represented the sevenfold gifts of the Holy Spirit--Prophesy, Serving, Teaching, Exhortation, Contribution, Leadership, and Mercy.
-The eight maids a-milking were the eight beatitudes.
-Nine ladies dancing were the nine fruits of the Holy Spirit--Love, Joy, Peace, Patience, Kindness, Goodness, Faithfulness, Gentleness, and Self Control.
-The ten lords a-leaping were the ten commandments.
-The eleven pipers piping stood for the eleven faithful disciples.
-The twelve drummers drumming symbolized the twelve points of belief in the Apostles' Creed.

So there is your history for today. This knowledge was shared with me and I found it interesting and enlightening and now I know how that strange song became a Christmas Carol...so pass it on if you wish.'

getting in the Christmas spirit....

A friend sent me a wonderful email about Christmas . I cannot figure out how to post in entirety but will try to add some every day. Joy to the world! I am grateful for all the gifts in my life.

WAR HORSE was great!

I went to the MD jockey Club and MD Horse Industry's premiere of Speilberg's movie, WAR HORSE last night and it was both a wonderful movie and a memorable night of support for our horse industry. I had heard it was an award-winning play, so was excited to see the movie. Tho' it was not exactly told from horse's point of view( like play) it was a really good heart-warming, uplifting movie. The kind I like. The story is very simple but the cinematography and the directing of the battle scenes were awesome, the horse was charming, straightforward and a star. Don't know how you train a horse to jump over a moving tank!! It is a very touching moving and I highly recommend it. Great Christmas Day movie. Must admit Speilberg has a gift for the simple movie that connects us to each other.  It was nice to see Jockey Club President and politicians and Dept. of Ag representatives all supporting something positive for everyone for a chenge. Let's hope Dec 20th that this spirit of cooperation helps end the stand-off in MD racing and we move forward.

Happy Santa Lucia Day

A friend just told me it was Santa Lucia Day and she would have candles in her hair and be celebrating tonight.  Sounds romantic, she has very long, blond hair and I can just picture this long hair under a halo of candles, her in a white dress in a Yuletide setting! Christmas is coming. My daughter and son-in-law are coming from California ( he brought the record snowfall 2 years ago, landed at BWI in sandals just as that blizzard started) and I urged him to wear real shoes this time, and practice his shoveling technique. Just in case, even tho' it has been really nice so far this December. Heavy frost in the mornings but warming to '50's later, perfect hunting weather. The hounds were able to follow several fox last Sunday that were well ahead but scenting was perfect so we had a lovely day and the fields had many views of Mr. Renard. Who was safely in his den at end of day.  My oldest son, Sam and his lovely wife Stephanie will be here before Christmas. Now there is the juggling between in-law homes for holiday dinners and ex's also. Sometimes they eat three times!! But it's all part of Christmas. Will is in exam week right now and home for a few days before next basketball tournament. Finding the right Christmas gift is much harder for adult children who do not need the latest video game anymore! It transition right into Home Depot gift cards!  Happy shopping everyone - I am getting on board with the buy American, create jobs!

galloping toward Christmas

It has been unseasonably warm and I am not complaining but hard to feel like Christmas. Can't believe it is just around the corner. I hope to get tree up soon, I did get the lights up and the Christmas shopping is going OK, but the predominant feeling I have is rush, rush. Too much to do. Lay awake last night thinking of slow two-year old racehorses and vet bills, Hunt Balls and party planning, seeing family at Christmas and who sleeps where, there is no food in fridge, the washing machine is still broken after two weeks and how can I kill GE, how can I stop racehorse trainer from spending too much on vet bills and there is soo much to do for hunt ball, and I have to finish my book project!!   Yikes. Spent day at horse sale yesterday and the New-York breds , WV breds, PA breds sold pretty well, better than last year,   but MD bred horses   were dismal. It is so sad that politicians missed the opportunities years ago to help our industry prosper. It is in bad shape here in MD.
However my farm is beautiful, my horses healthy, so is my family and I have lots to be happy and thankful for. This big year is wrapping up and I am going to take stock of my blessings.  Happy holidays.

Happy Thanksgiving everyone!

I am happy and thankful to be alive and to be part of my wonderful family. I wish you all a happy turkey day. eat, drink and be merry. Give thanks for all you have and be compassionate to the less fortunate. My filly lost her race, trailed actually,  but son, Will, won his basketball game and life is good. I am thoroughly enjoying watching his last year playing college ball and cheering madly. I will really miss this after graduation. The filly hopefully runs again soon and will "wakeup " to the racing game .    Have a great day  with all your families. My turkey is in oven and I am going hunting.

basketball and maiden races....

My two year old filly, Pia's Hope, races today in her maiden start. Ever hopeful I will be there to cheer her on. She is a very cute, very "testy" filly and I hope she races better than she works in the morning. We will see. My youngest son is playing basketball again tonight at Shenandoah College, never heard of it but love the name. So after watching my youngest race horse I will head out Rt. 66 to see my other youngest!!  He may be the faster one! Can't believe it is already Thanksgiving and I have seen lots of Christmas light already. Too much already! I had hoped that something might  have been resolved about Maryland racing dates but it still does not look good. I am waiting before making any breeding decisions. I believe next meeting is Dec 20th.

November routines: basketball, and foxhunting

It is still rainy and cold out. Second day of wet. Hunting cancelled, I stayed in all day working on my book for hunt club and plans for a Diamond Jubilee Hunt Ball. The house feels emptier now than when the kids left first time, so I talk to the dogs! Basketball has resumed and it was an awesome game on Wednesday at Dickinson College. The Washington  and Lee Generals ( and son Will) gave a nail-biting performance that had me screaming encouragement and pulling hair in frustration in equal measure. They won by the skin of their teeth! I was the only Generals fan sitting in the 'visitor' bleachers, but I yelled enough for a whole group of parents. This weekend we are going to Amherst, Mass. to support team. Never been, looking forward to weekend with hubby, walking around a little university town in Northeast. In other picture, Will cleans up very well, looking very handsome with Annie at a formal at W&L. Meanwhile, back on the farm, horses have  settled into winter routine, broodmares expanding, yearlings playing, foxhunters playing hard -to-get on hunting mornings!

Zen and the art of foxhunting....

It is a month ago that Sam and Stephanie had their beautiful wedding here on the farm. They have now moved into their new, "first" home and that whole adventure starts for them. I told Sam the first time you cut the grass or shovel the snow from driveway is when home ownership will really hit.  Two kids married, the youngest has a job offer and is graduating from Washington & Lee in May.  He is planning to be in Charlotte NC next summer working extremely hard. He tells me this job will be like a "financial" internship- 18 hours day- on call all the time etc. They are all grown up!! I do miss telling my mom about all the comings and goings. She passed away in January and I still reach for the phone sometimes. Trying to keep in touch with my sisters instead and the weddings helped to bring us closer.  The house is back to being very silent but the weather has been so beautiful that I am giving in to the urge to go foxhunting all the time. I went out with Howard County yesterday and although warm it was fun to say hi to my friends there and watch visiting Kimberton's PennMaryDels hunt their territory. Today we travel across the Bay Bridge to a member's farm and it should be another lovely day. The full moon had Jupiter as a starry companion this morning, very spectacular. Such a full moon means that the foxes will have been up and about all night which means there will be lots of night lines and hopefully some beautiful hound music today. As the new chapters begin in my life, I think riding and foxhunting, in particular, are a Zen-like meditation. One must be present in all your senses to hunt. It is quiet mostly as you walk through the woods and the rhythm of body and horse in unison is soothing. Then there is a terrific gallop through fields or fast tree dodging flight and suddenly it drops back to a relaxing walk. I know nothing better to feel peaceful and alive at the same time!

the rhythms and ripples of life....

I am back to my "real" life, after the fun of hunting in Virginia. The weddings are done and Sam and Stephanie have moved into their new house!! Life on the farm is slowly resuming its old rhythm. I need to start planning a few matings, check the broodmare stall camera, finish my book on the Hunt Club.  I am prepping a yearling for the December sale and watching the broodmares 'grow'. All important things, just not as exciting as the past few months. Christmas promises to be fun with Sarah and Kevin visiting and we are all looking forward to seeing Sam and Steph celebrate in their new home. I had dinner with Stephanie in the new house last night, sitting on one of the two pieces of furniture, listening to her plans for decorating and watching the delight on her face. They are at the beginning of such a great adventure and I couldn't help but compare where I was 25 years ago, buying that first house and thinking about kids etc. Now two of those kids are married and the youngest  is looking forward to living in Charlotte NC, starting a great job after graduating. Some much happened in those years and the joy is in seeing the dream in your children come to fruition and ripple outward for another generation. Amazing!

Whipping -in with Barclay Rives at Keswick

Day 9 was my grande finale. I decided to skip Bedford County (too far away) and was invited to come back to Keswick on Wednesday. This is a premier hunt in North America and I was delighted to have the chance to hunt with them again. To my surprise, Tony Gammell, their wonderful and talented huntsman, offered to let me ride up with their equally renown whipper-in Barclay Rives. I accepted and had a great day following one of the best whippers- in in the country. We followed Tony and their fast American pack,  exchanging comments about PennMaryDels and American/Crossbred hounds. Barclay was wearing a video cam for a documentary they are making. It was a slower day than Monday but it was a great honor for me to whip with one of the best hunts in the country! At one point Barclay took me deep into a lovely woods we were hunting through and showed me a lone headstone, in the middle of nowhere that said,  "Here lies three Confederate soldiers. Deserters. Shot and Buried. May God Rest Their Souls 1864."  Wow, it was amazing. I wondered about the soldier who came back to mark their final resting place. It was a quiet woods, just birdsong and the sounds of Tony hunting his hounds through the covert. I felt transported back 150 years and felt a deep love for this sport that has changed little in centuries. I thanked Keswick for a lovely day, a couple good runs, big jumps and the  honor to go out with Barclay. It has been an awesome 10 days of hunting in the most beautiful hunt country in the land. Thanks to the organizers, it was great!!

Farmington Hunt -Day 8

Farmington Hunt is close to Charlottesville and was the largest turnout so far I think. A lot of riders. Another picture perfect fall day along the Blue Ridge, we spent most of the day in lovely woods, up and down hills and back and forth across a big stream (little river?). American hounds worked very well for the huntsman and wife whipper-in Irish duo who have been at Farmington for 11 years I was told.They didn't look that old, must have been very young when they started here! Nice big jumps and a couple of decent runs. I think I liked the river fording the best , as we entered the stream and walked several hundred feet downriver ( or up) each time to exit riverbed. It was very beautiful. I wonder what trout think of horses? I can't believe it has been 8 days of beautiful weather, this trip has been fantastic.

Keswick Hunt- Day 7

Today was the BEST!!  We galloped and jumped lots of fences and saw some awesome hound work. Today was fantastic, exactly what hunting in Virginia should be like.  I have a humongous smile on my face that will not stop. I realized that this really is an adrenaline junkie sport. In the first twenty miutes at Keswick we were galloping so fast I was hard pressed to keep up and I was riding first flight, right behind Jennifer Nesbitt, our terrific fieldmaster. She and I met at the Field Hunter Championship this year and it was great to ride together again. She has a faster Thoroughbred than me and mine's fast! After the first wild gallop trying to keep up with Tony Gammell and Keswick's American pack, I asked Jennifer about worrying about holes. She said, " I was watching." Yeah, right, the tears were flying out of my eyes we were going so fast!. Slightly, well maybe more than slightly, out of control, this is what fast, hard hunting is really like. I think it compares to ocean surfing big waves, or skiing black diamonds or white water kayaking- out of control, exhilarating, mind-blowing sensation. Going downhill at a gallop is like skiing big mountains and you hope you don't fall in either. The jumps were great, fairly big coops but very inviting and the thrill of jumping at speed and it just being right is awesome. I had fun today. Weather was also perfect, the countryside is big pastures and ponds and lovely woods. I wish I lived here and could hunt this country all the time. I did not have time to take many photos today, just at opening and coming home!

Oak Ridge Foxhound Hunt Club -Day 6

Ms. Rita Mae Brown hosted us today at her Oak Ridge Foxhounds Hunt Club, in Afton, VA.  The mountains and pine woods we rode through were spectacular. The air was crystal clear, that same heartbreak blue sky we have had most of the week was overhead and the pine trees were cool and fragrant.  Scenting was difficult again, I don’t know if it is something about the leaves falling or the temperature but none of the days has been rip-roaring hunts, but the scenery has been incredible. I have had a great time seeing the different hunts, both hound –wise and country side hunted. I will never hear an owl hoot again and not think of Rita Mae Brown. As she weaves through the mountainside or swampy pastures she softly “hoots” to her hounds, calling them “ Good children! “.   All huntsmen are unique but Ms. Brown is very entertaining. Announced at the start that, “ (she) hunts the old way! I let my hounds go and trust them. Sometimes it seems they have gotten away but I trust them and let them hunt”. I am not sure what that means, although she only uses one whip. Our fieldmaster was excellent and kept us very close to Ms. Brown and her hounds. It was really fun to watch her, with all the stories from her books in my imagination. The fieldmaster did whisper to me that she watches her “P’s and Q’s” for fear that she will end up as a character meeting a bad end in one of Rita Mae’s books

Middlebrook Hunt - Day 5

This was another PennMaryDel pack, almost exclusively bluetick and black and tan hounds. The master, who hunted the hounds was an energetic, brusk fellow who announced himself by saying, "Welcome, ride anywhere you want , just keep up!"  The few of us who were from Hunt Week sort of looked at each other and wondered, "What now?"  The day started very promising with a fast run on the first fox, who went to ground after about 20 min. Their countryside is another incredibly beautiful range of pastures and woodlands. More hilly than Glenmore, but we enjoyed vast panoramic views of the mountains. Reminded me of Ireland  in that you were on one hillside and could  see very far across the valley to other farms and distant beautiful green pastures. Lots of cows. Not too many fox. I am not sure if these hunts are experiencing a downturn in fox population or if the scenting has just been very tough, but I have been surprised at the lack of fox. I remember years past when foxes would jump out of covers everywhere in Virginia. Not the case on this trip. But we had a good day and I hope these members realize how fortunate they are to have this beautiful countryside.

Glenmore Hunt- Day 4

Today was windy and cold. I did not bring warm enough clothes for this wind. We were hunting near a place called Buffalo Gap with Glenmore Hunt in the Shenandoah Valley and the members said it is windy there most of the time. Yikes!  The best part was they have PenMaryDel hounds like Marlborough (my hunt) and it was very nice to hear their beautiful voices again. I have been hunting with Crossbreds and American hounds these past few hunts and I love PenMaryDels the best. The former do not have the deep voice that you can hear all over a covert or a pasture. The Crossbreds are fast, but that just means they disappear fast and then you can't hear them!! In the kind of windy conditions we had today the Penmarydels were perfect. Glenmore even has some drafts from Marlborough, so I was able to see some old faces, Nimble, Lansdale, Leia and Oprah to mention a few. They were doing very well and are beloved! The country is so gorgeous, open and unending views of the mountains. We really have nothing like it in Maryland so I am enjoying the beauty of these different hunts and everyone is so friendly and inviting. I saw some old friends also, Hugh Brown and his friend Jim. They were respectively field secretary and fieldmaster!. I remember loaning them a horse for their first hunts with Marlborough quite a few years ago. Tomorrow is Middlebrook, another hunt in the Shenandoah. The colors of the fall leaves are peaking right now, so it is spectacular.

Old Dominion Hounds -Day 3

Another fabulous fall day. We have been so lucky with this weather so far. Today was with Old Dominion in Flint Hill, Virginia. They have a mostly American pack, very consistent in coloring (tan and white). That is the legendary Melvin Poe in the foreground of photo,talking to Old Dominion's huntsman. We hunted with bitch pack today and they gave us several good runs. It warmed up very quickly again today and I think scent diminishes as the temperature goes up. The countryside is so incredibly lovely with large tracts of pastures, cool wooded trails and trout streams that both hounds and horses are happy to traverse and get a drink during the morning.We hunted about 3 hours and called it a day after putting one fox of a brace we jumped to ground. The landowner came out to watch and was relieved that "her" fox was safely into his den! I came home this afternoon to rest horses, wash clothes and see my husband ( not in that order!). Tomorrow is off and Thursday it is down to Staunton area and the other side of the Blue Ridge. Someone said it is the Shenandoah Valley, so I am looking forward to some more beautiful scenery.

Day 2- Bull Run Hunt

Today was another gorgeous fall day, the kind you wait all year for. We met at The Hill and everyone had said how wonderful this fixture would be. Well, I don't know if it was the late start (10AM) or just a tough scenting day, but it was a fairly tame hunting day. We had one good run but that was it; but beautiful views of the Blue Ridge and lovely, large pastures to gallop in although the hounds really only fixed on the one run.  We did jump some decent size coops and some large logs but all in all it was just a pleasant fall day of hunting. They have tremendous country in Virginia and Bull Run is no exception. The hounds were Crossbred and this time we did not lose them but they had a tough time following a line. Our fieldmaster, Jerry, was a delightful Southern gentleman who declared that we had not lost the rest of the field, but they had lost us, after a fall and a loose horse had derailed the majority of the first field. The five of us left, myself, two women from Dallas ,Texas, and a member of Bull Run had a fast run for about 10 min and then spent the rest of the morning just enjoying the day.

Virginia Hunt week- Day 1: Rappahannock

Today was a gorgeous fall day, one of those kind when the air is crystal clear and the sky is heartbreak blue. We met at Red Oak Mountain to hunt with Rappahannock. There were three fields, about 40 riders I think. I went first flight and our fieldmaster, Virginia did a great job. The jumps were fairly big coops , a couple of timber rail things (bigger) and just pasture after pasture with incredible views of the Blue Ridge mountains. We topped Red Oak Mt. after about 1 hour and enjoyed some picture -taking of Old Rag. I know this mountain because my kids have all climbed it with school trips. It is tall but it felt like we were equally as high. We went up and down the mountain twice, no bears thank you ( always mentioned) and the scenery was really spectacular. The hounds, Crossbreds mainly, ranged far ahead it seemed. We were on a different mountaintop than the hounds several times it seemed. The huntsman called for quiet and we listened, hoping they were circling back. Which they did a couple of times, then the last time they booked it out of country. The huntsman remarked that " Wouldn't you know, they had 2000 acres on the north side of the mountain and the fox and hounds went south - where we could not follow!". But it was actually a great day, five hours long. We did not come in until 2Pm, our group picking up 11 hounds as we went.  I loved it . Tomorrow is Bull Run and now after a shower and rest, there is a cocktail party in Culpepper.

2011: Two weddings and a funeral

After two weddings and a funeral this year I am taking a break. Can't believe it was a week ago that I was preparing for Sam's rehearsal dinner and then wedding. It was a beautiful wedding with gorgeous weather and all a dream wedding should be. Seeing family together and your child so happy makes all the work and  effort so worth it.  Sarah was married in April, Sam a week ago and the funeral was that my Mom died in January. 2011 has been a very big year. I want to just chill for a bit.  Decided to do Virginia Hunt Week, which means I am trying to do 10 hunts in about as many days. The first one was Casanova this Saturday but was unfortunately canceled due to Tommy Lee having pneumonia I heard. Hope he feels better soon. So now it starts with Rappahannock on Sunday. I am taking two horses and staying at Hunter's Rest, a horse B& B near Warrenton. Bull Run on Monday and Old Dominion on Tuesday. Can't wait. I will post a picture or two and a description of each hunt if I can.

wedding day

It is here and it is a gorgeous day. All is done and there is a moment to enjoy and wait. My eldest son is getting married in three hours and embarking on his biggest and best adventure. I think the best part of weddings may be that I get to see my family. They have come from Edmonton and Los Angeles, even Hawaii! We cram so much catching up in a few days,  I wish I lived closer to all of them ( kinda impossible)  So I will now ENJOY today.

after wedding

It was a wonderful, beautiful wedding. We are finally catching our breath after all the festivities and clean-up. It was a whirlwind and now I can relive it in all the photos. Sam and Stephanie shone like bright stars, beautiful and beaming. Family and love were themes that reached through the whole wedding, from the farm ceremony to the wonderful dinner setting and dancing to the wee hours.

Piedmont Hounds- Day 4

Well, they saved the best for last. We had the most awesome run yesterday at Piedmont. We met at Atoka which is one of their best fixtures I was told and we ran and ran and jumped and saw the most beautiful scenery. The Piedmont is gorgeous. Everyone needs to hunt with this group once in their life. Once may be enough for some but it is an exhilarating experience. They have a lot of fox, hounds never seem to check for long. The last run of the day was miles of galloping through manicured farms and estates (seemed like golf course type manicuring). We ended up and Ben Zohar's estate, beautiful red fox ahead by 100 yards, all hounds on, stretched out with maybe 40 riders galloping in a row behind. Gregg Ryan said to me later, "looked like a National Geographic photo", I wished my friend Isabel had been there for that photo op. I did not get picked , seems ex-racehorses are not quite the type that wins but it was so much fun. Polly banged her knee on one big wall, it blew up, we lost a shoe and I still have a sh**-eating grin on my face. I guess you can tell I loved it. Now to focus on son's wedding plans . One more week! Can't wait to see my family too!

Day 2 at Casanova Hunt

Tuesday was at Casanova and the best thing about Casanova is Tommy lee Jones. My husband asks me every year, " you mean, the actor?"  No, but this Tommy Lee is a great huntsman and a legend in his own time. Beloved for his Jack Russell races, he is like a character out of Jorrocks. A little rotund ( hope he doesn't read this) and very fun to watch. The staff all wear red polos and they were all mounted on greys- very polished looking. The day started very slowly, we walked for about 1hr 1/2, which was fine after Middleburg's mad dash. Ground was very wet  and flat, also nice after rocks and hills. Unfortunately, as soon as Tommy Lee and hounds found their fox, the fieldmaster couldn't keep up and we lost them! Bummer. But it was fun anyway, some jumps, some big ones and lots of nice people. It is so fun to meet fellow hunt fiends from other places and reconnect with friends that you only see at the Field Hunter Championship. Tailgate breakfast was lovely and the four who qualified truly had lovely horses.  I never get picked, probably because I ride OTT racehorses who want to run and my gag bridles are never perfectly clean!  But I have the most fun!

 Today I was home and Marlborough  hunted on the Eastern shore. After waiting for the rain and lightning to pass I thought I was going to be carried off by the mosquitos!! Lots of fox, sweaty horses and riders. 80 degrees is too hot to foxhunt I am convinced - can't wait for cold front to get here. I am skipping Blue Ridge on Thursday but am going to Piedmont on Friday, for the final Field Hunter Hunt  . Their fixture is lovely and my mare should be ready! Yippee. I did post the picture of the Scottish Highland cattle where I stayed Monday night . So cute.

North American Field Hunter Championship

First day. We hunted with Middleburg this morning, met at 7:30Am at Glenwood. Started slowly, the judges checking out how quietly the horses stood and if boots were polished etc.  Then once hounds struck we just ran up and down hills for about an hour and a half. My poor mare, Polly, was exhausted. Not quite fit enough, high humidity and lots of hills took a toll. I think most of the entries all dropped back to Jeff Blue's hilltoppers! after our first check. I chose to go in with the judges after two hours but enjoyed the run immensely. Not too many fences, but they were inviting walls and couple coops. Polly was great and she stood quietly. I must admit I rarely get "picked" because I do not ever have perfect tack or a horse that uses a snaffle and never twitches! but I have the most fun. Tomorrow is Casanova with Tommy Lee Jones,a charming Southern gentleman. Tonight I am staying at a horsey "bed, breakfast and stable" in Flint Hill, Virginia. Very convenient and a most gracious host, a fieldmaster with Old Dominion Hounds. The horse is tucked in and I am going to cheer on the Redskins for about an hour then goodnight. Forgot my phone charger, so can't upload pictures of the Scottish Highland cows at this farm. Impressive horns, but this is photo of Polly.

my favorite time of year

My favorite time of year is here, foxhunting, football and friends! I am riding couple of horses every day trying to get them fit and am looking forward to Field Hunter Championship, which is next week! and Virginia Hunt week in October. Squeezed in there is my son's wedding and my Hunt Club's 75th Anniversary Opening Hunt. I think I am glad that I do not have any yearlings in this year's Yearling sale. It would have been too much. I am doing a retrospective book about Marlborough's last 75 years and the research has been very interesting. We have been doing the same thing basically every fall for a long time, just different players. Puts all our problems in perspective when the same themes run through the club in all era's, same money problems, same membership issues etc. It is nice to be part of something that endures. This photo from 1955.

beautiful morning

It is a beautiful morning, lots of birdsong, tho' have not heard any more geese. Those few must have been confused or fooled by hurricanes! Want to keep enjoying coffee but need to go feed horses in barn. I am so sick of hoof abscesses, "scratches", yearlings with eye ulcers. Why, when you are planning for sales yearlings or hunting in Virginia for days, they find a way to sabotage all that effort. I am grateful for beautiful days and my lovely farm, but hurt horses, not to mention tons of moldy hay after Hurricane Irene have me slightly p*** ed off .  Hubby is away, far away, and wants to Skype just when I am under a mare, plopping Icthamol on hoof and trying not to get stepped on while trying to open a vetwrap with my teeth. Sound familiar to anyone! Needless to say I didn't want to Skype at that moment, sorry honey, just come home soon. Son's wedding plans are going pretty well, it is going to be beautiful. Pray for a lovely first weekend in October! We did start cubbing yesterday which was lovely and so nice to be back on horseback, listening to hounds. Penn Mary-dels really have the most beautiful voices. We had a couple runs, I viewed twice, ran thru a development hoping to turn fox back into woods (worked) and found two completely overgrown paths  (had to turn around and pray fox turned again- he did). It was a good morning. I was tired but happy and I took my mother-in-law to dinner. Big points with hubby!

9/11/11

The sun has just broken the horizon at 7:08 AM and I just remembered it is the anniversary. Ten years after a day of disbelief and incredulity that we  were so vulnerable and that some people hated us that much. Ten years of looking for the madman that caused such a terrible thing to happen. We found him and stopped him from hurting anyone else. How have we all changed in that ten years? I believe we are smarter, stronger and more compassionate. The world became united in horror for a time and forever showed us that despite our differences we are one race and we all want our children to live without fear. That is why madmen will never win in the long run.  Because courage is made stronger by adversity. Courage and the desire to protect, to help, to run and lend a hand to a stranger in a burning building is stronger than fear.  Love of family is the common bond between all humanity, it is the universal language, and it will always defeat evil in the end.  We are all firemen who sacrifice themselves to save another, we are all mothers who lift a car off a child, we are all strangers that jump terrorists to prevent an attack. We are what a hero is because we care about one another . I am proud to be an American and to know that ten years later we are still helping the unfortunate, still trying to protect the weak, and giving aid when asked. That is what makes us a great nation.

I need sunshine

This is a lot of rain. I am almost afraid to go look at the trees, their roots are saturated. I am posting a sunny picture as a form of "sunshine" dance. Hope it clears up before Sunday- I want to go hunting!

rainy Wednesday

Well, the first day of cubbing got rain canceled. Bummer. It is quiet right now but the radar is showing lots more on the way and the ground is so saturated I am sure more trees are coming down. I am just hoping the wind stays away. On a good note the grass seed I put down after cleaning up the last tree mess will surely come up now. And, as I am looking forward to the Virginia Field Hunter Championship, all this rain will ensure that the ground is not too hard as it has been in years past. I am looking for the silver lining here! I even pulled out fall clothes and put away the real skimpy summer clothes yesterday. Feel bad for those Texans, wish we could send them some rain.

September is here

September is here, which means it is Christmas tomorrow!  Just kidding, but it feels like the year is flying by. Roading hounds was fun last night. Red was a complete idiot and so excited to see hounds. He reared and wheeled and said Yes, then No then Oh Boy. I was saying curse words. He eventually calmed, gave a big sigh, then resigned himself to being  a whipper-in's horse for another year. Will and Annie were here for a few days and just left- senior year for them at WLU. Spent the day at State Fair , Will won a huge pig playing basketball!!! Wedding preparations are going well and hopefully this lovely fall weather will stay around .  I even got all the downed trees removed yesterday. The right tool for the job, Ike showed up with an amazing "bobcat" with a big gripper attachment. He just picked up those big trees and moved them around like Lincoln logs. Every boys dream- to grow up and play all day with really big toys! He was having fun. The yearling colt is about to leave and start his education and the baby is about to be weaned, as soon as I get fence fixed. And the Redskins play tonight- all a girl can ask for.

fall is coming

Foxhunting preparation 101.  I have oiled all my tack, dusted helmet off. I am cleaning my gun ( my 'rat' shot gun for whipping -in), recharging my radio, pulling out stock ties and deciding if I need to polish boots. I am getting there. The dew is very heavy in the mornings and the sun does not break my horizon until almost 7AM. I saw my first V of geese yesterday, truly early birds but honking and in formation already. That is the sound of fall- the geese calling overhead. The cicadas are still humming so it is a transition but I love these cool mornings. The blacksmith put borium on all my foxhunters yesterday and the horse dentist gave them all a 'float' checkup. Some were pretty bad but hopefully they are all set now too. So, another season begins. We are roading hounds tonight on horseback and I am back in the mood.  This season is going to be wonderful. Actually every season is wonderful.

post Irene

Monday morning is beautiful. Spent Sunday cleaning up after Mother Nature. Michael worked so hard, we were dead by afternoon. And why is it always cherry trees, that have to be picked up right away. Many, many trees down. I think a mini tornado went thru the bottom of back pasture during Irene's worst because 6 or 7 big trees were laid flat, all along my fence in a neat row! Moved all the horses in that field to the back. Will have to wait on weaning for a bit. I think it may be too big a job for our chainsaws, best if I could let it wait through winter and all the sap descends. Then it is much easier to cut up, but I need the field so we will see. The cherry tree, that I inadvertently poisoned, lost all its leaves, so does not look quite as sad anymore just into early fall! Now it is cool and a beautiful sunrise, feels like California. I was just there and remarked on how blue the sky was. Well it only took a hurricane to duplicate here. Gorgeous. Mother Nature sure is multi-faceted, but I like the sunny side best. May try to ride thru the back today and see the extend of tree damage in the woods!