Happy Thanksgiving!

Happy Thanksgiving everyone! I am sure your turkeys are in the oven roasting away until dinner time! 

In light of the current events, use this holiday to reflect and enrich relationships with friends and family.

Photo Credit

It's Thanksgiving Week, but Almost Christmas...

Oh goodness, just a month from today it will be Christmas Day! How crazy is that? You know what that means, we have to get to Thanksgiving in order to be in full Christmas mode. But before Christmas, there are finals to get done, which means an overload of studying.

I need to find an event for my feature story proposal, which is due on Monday and my last installment on my Recreation project is due Monday as well. Thankfully, my feature story is basically my final exam for Journalism. 

Since it is winter, I started a new project. I am knitting an infinity scarf for myself. I will wear it during the winter and probably to few school games if there are any. I am pretty sure there is one or two home games for the hockey team, but I'll have to check the sports calendar for some more.

MudLynn and I are back in Poulsbo for Thanksgiving with Mom and Dad. This picture was from last night when the power went out due to the wind. It was so cold, I gave her my blanket and I huddled in my sleeping bag! Hopefully soon, the propane guy will get here soon to light the pilot light on the fire place! Can't wait to have a fire!

The Week Ahead

Outside my window… The weather is sunny, but cold.

I am thinking… about how I need to pack all of my stuff  and load my car to go home for Thanksgiving.

I am thankful… that I have my dog with me in Bellingham.

From the dining hall/kitchen… I had chicken and rice for dinner.

I am hearing… The clicking of keys as my fingers type on my Macbook and students in the stairwell.

I am watching/listening… Nothing.

Always one of my favorite things… is watching Netflix and riding.

I am reading… Nothing.

I am making… Nothing.

I am writing… This blog post and two articles for the Odyssey.

A Few Plans for the Rest of the Week… Today - I went to class and had at lesson with Tara at Kim's barn. Friday - I have class in the morning and then I may be bathing MudLynn before I go home for Thanksgiving. Saturday - I am getting together with some friends from St. Albans because one of our coworkers is coming up to visit the staff in Bellingham! Sunday - I am probably going to be doing homework at day. Monday - Class and homework, the usual. Tuesday - Packing in the morning, class, and then I am heading home for Thanksgiving break!

MudLynn Update… She is doing well, been a bit needy though. 

College Update… I am all registered for classes next quarter!

Riding Update… I am currently training for the rest of the quarter since we only had two horse shows. I placed 1st at LBCC two weeks ago. Time to work hard for next year!

A Little Fun at Practice Yesterday

At practice yesterday, I learned to ride on the buckle. What that really means is we ride with our fingers on the buckle of the reins and we let the horse stretch their neck for their comfort, then we slowly bring them back so that they work up to the bit. It was so much fun! I rode Fiesta who is owned by the team's trainer, Suzie. I had a little fun with her by riding her through blocks by using simple tap of pressure on her neck as well as my seat and legs. I was so sore after the ride.

And then I went to the gym... Which was good and bad. I am really sore, but I am going to be very strong for next years competition.

First Show of the Season!!!

We started the year off with a bang! The first show for the WWU Equestrian Team was the Linn Benton Community College horse show in Oregon this weekend. We did so well individually and as a team. I was extremely proud of myself when I won 1st place in my class out of 8 riders. Ironically, my horse's name was Karma and he was an Arabian. Let's just say I want an Arabian now. Hah!

Now it is time to start preparing for the shows next quarter! I won't ride every day of the week until then, maybe 2-3 times a week. Once it is the week of the show, then it will be every day of the week. I want to thank my two coaches, Kim and Suzie for helping me prepare for this show. Hard work really does pay off. I also want to thank Karma's owner for letting me have the pleasure of riding him in my class, he was a dream. 

The president of the team, Emily and I were the two blues on the team. Overall, with the other riders who placed, we basically had a rainbow of colors. However, we did place in nearly every class we had a rider in.

Let's work hard and do amazing next quarter!

I Love My Job

I thoroughly love my job. I get to be around horses and my dog at the same time.

Working in the mornings is totally worth it. I get to see the sun rise and be greeted by the horses every morning. I'm that kind of person that prefers to work around animals than people, but I still like to work around people.

I like cleaning stalls though, I did all the time when I was in 4-H so I am pretty much a pro at it. Is there an award for best stall cleaner? I am so picky about stalls, I sift so much bedding out of the fork before I throw it in the wheelbarrow. Bedding is SO expensive.

Mud loves coming to work. She gets to run around and sniff every spot. She is getting better at coming when I whistle for her. She usually goes off to do her thing and then comes back to check on me as I clean a stall. It's funny watching her act around horses. I think she finds them interesting but she is on guard around them. It's funny watching her get excited around Abe the Mini Horse.

Thus concludes why I love my job.

Pumpkin Patches and Jack O'Lanterns

What a glorious day for Halloween! Oh wait, it was raining all day and night yesterday! Anyway, rain or shine, we are always on the move. Rain never stops me from having an adventure. I went to a pumpkin patch with my friends T, Shana, and Reilly. It was a little drizzly but we found two awesome pumpkins! Bellewood Acres was an awesome place and I am so going back next fall before Halloween to do their corn maze and corn cannons. Hey, I at least got to carve a pumpkin. That was on the checklist!

Not my pumpkin, just one I was able to pick up and snap a picture with!

Hehe, we're cool! Reilly took the picture. I used to not want to do this photo ops with these cut outs but now I always want to do them.

Many of you are probably wondering what I carved into my pumpkin... Is it a bird, is it a plane? Why no, it's a New England Patriot!! I am a huge fan of the Patriots since I lived in Rhode Island and I decided to carve this, but my friend T helped me shave it down so the light could come through.

We also did even roast the pumpkin seeds from the pumpkins, well it was really all Reilly. He made them with Paprika, salt and pepper and good gravy they were good!