Heart Boy's Update

Max posting:

I thought I would give you an update on how I am doing.  Great!!  This Monday made it 5 weeks since surgery.  Each day puts me farther from surgery and closer to recovery, and that makes me happy.  Our great friends Dan and Betty warned me that there would come a time when I felt great but still wouldn't be able to do anything.  They told me that it would be a very frustrating time, and boy how they were correct.  My appetite is great, my energy level is high, my pain is minimal and my desire to do something active is unreal.  As a result I try to do just a little more and then all of a sudden I lose my appetite, lose my energy, my pain increases and I wonder why in the world I did that!  Regardless, I couldn't be happier with my recovery.  I will be fully recovered when it is time, and that is fine by me.

After our board meeting on Monday, I am excited about 2009 at Galloping Grace.  Already we have people anxious to participate in the program.  Michelle and I are meeting with the website designer on Friday.  Michael believes that he should have our site up and running by March. This will be one more great addition to the ranch.

More than likely, it will be the early May before I will be well enough to do a lot at the ranch. Even though I would rather be right in the middle of everything, I am excited to be able to analyze what we do and find ways to improve.  This is also a great time to work with all of our current volunteers and to also bring on many more to work with the kids and horses.  

Like I said, every day puts me closer to recovery.   

Michelle here.  I had to add a little funny to this post.  Like Max said, he's getting a little stir crazy.  I am scheduled to be parent helper in Grant's preschool class in the morning so I will not be around to humor him.  He called up his friend and a GG volunteer, Bear, to see if he could tag along on one of Bear's many adventures.  Bear is retired and likes to do all kinds of fun things.  Bear called Max back this evening and asked if he was able to get in a hot tub.  When Max answered that he thought he was Bear said, "Great.  We're getting in my hot tub before we do something.  That's generally what I do after breakfast and before I start my day."  Isn't that sweet?  What an image!  Max and Bear hanging out, enjoying their coffee, getting ready to face the day.  What I wouldn't give for a picture of this fun event!!  I hope your day starts off even half as exciting as Max's will.  

King Of The Hill

Poncho, the rotten little rascal, is being surprisingly agreeable lately. He made us proud last weekend when Max put a saddle on him and he didn't react. Not a care in the world. He was more interested in his buddy Hank. Max then decided to let Grant have a whirl on the stud muffin. Easy breezy. Was the wild child born to give small children rides? We just don't know. So many people have commented that he needs a job to do. This could be his calling. Claire even tried him out. All went well until she inadvertently gave him a kick. Why do I miss such pictures? Let's just say he has quick reaction time. Garrett figured he might be a little too big for Poncho, so he decided to just walk him around. There was absolutely no choler exhibited, just a pleasant little equine on a stroll with his master and his only animal friend in the whole wide world. (His choice!) Garrett later convinced Poncho to climb up the gravel pile with him. (You can barely see Garrett's head peaking over the top.)

These next pictures were taken a few days later. The man in the picture is Bear, a precious volunteer who is so sweet with all the kids. Bear also has a soft spot in his heart for ol' Poncho. Bear makes it a priority to walk Poncho every time he comes out to help. This time he invited two little cuties, Haley and Kelsey, along for the stroll. When they got back from their walk, Grant S. had a turn with him. Grant convinced Poncho that walking on mulch piles was a whole lot of fun. We have high hopes that Poncho might pull a little cart someday. Wouldn't he be so cute delivering people's pumpkins to their cars at our pumpkin stand? I don't know if we can make it work this year, but it gives us (Max and whomever else) a goal for next. Let us know if you come across the perfect little cart--we'd love to check it out.

Here's hoping your week is fantastic. If you get bored, come take Poncho for a walk. He could use the exercise.

Thankful Thursday--The New Fence Edition

This post requires you to do a couple things. Please look at the pictures below. This picture is of Bear, one of Max's friends. Great guy, good poop waterer. (??--Something Max wanted done and Bear isn't one to argue.) You should all know Darren by now. He is our security expert and Max's right hand man. If Darren got to decide, he would seriously live at the ranch. He told his sister that he is getting himself a place by the ranch sometime. We love Darren and his passion for Galloping Grace. This handsome fellow in the green shirt is one of our fantastic, wonderful, helpful and sweet neighbors! We love their family so much! They could have been bitter that a Youth Ranch was going in near their house. Nope. Not these people. Actually, quite the opposite. His parents are Mike and Stephanie who are forever and ever helping us, and his brother is Jonathan (who also helps.) Mikey is in high school and he' still sweet! Pretty cool, huh?

Now cross your eyes while staring at all three pictures. Can you almost imagine these three men building a new temporary horse pen at the ranch today? No? You should try it again. All three of them donated a huge chunk of their day happily building away for a new horse we'll be getting in a couple weeks. (I'll tell you later. It's a longish story.)

It really irks me when picture worthy things happen at Galloping Grace and my camera and I are no where to be found. Well, if you were at Sears in the appliance section, you would have seen me purchasing a brand new refrigerator--ours decided to stop cooling, but my camera was resting at home.

Max said it was another fantastic day with kids all over the place and these guys helping out. Mike came over and asked Max if he needed anything done. Really? A high schooler wants to help out with whatever needs done? That's our neighbor! And Bear is willing to donate more of his time at the ranch after Max made him play in the manure pile last time he was out? Very

kind.

Darren has a vested interest in this new horse pen and couldn't wait to start building it. It will be such a pleasure to share why in a future post. Deanell, Darren's sister, called this evening to tell me that she and Darren went back out to GG to check the fence the guys built. Darren was having a little apprehension that it might have fallen down. Deanell said that the fence looked great and that the horses were having a great time playing in the rain. Rain!!! That just doesn't happen very often out here.

Bear, Mike, and Darren--thank you so much!