Saloon

One day we had two visitors show up at the ranch. Their names were Frank and Maddy. Maddy was interested in volunteering for us. (Which she has done consistently since that day.) Frank was along for the ride. As we got to chatting, I discovered Frank used to be a home builder. I jokingly asked him if he wanted to build a play house for us.

Fast forward many months to this beautiful sight. And this one. Mr. Amazing Frank whipped up the most adorable saloon this side of the Mississippi! And if you've been out to the ranch since his masterpiece was finished, you can attest to how popular it is with the youngsters. How could it not be with all all the wild games of poker, piano playin', and belling up to the bar! Good times, folks. Isn't it so cute?! Frank, we sure appreciate your handy work! Saloon don't get any better than ours. Thank you kindly.



And if that wasn't enough wood working for GGYR, his wife commissioned him to make two signs to hang--one for the obstacle course and one for the arena.

I've said it before, I'll say it again--

Our volunteers are the best!!

Hey America--Happy Independence Day!

A Boy, A Puppy, And A Couple Of Quilts

Oh yeah, more pumpkin stand talk.

One afternoon I was taking a picture of a family sitting on the straw bales. I thought it was so cute their little guy was named Major. Right right after I handed them their camera back, I welcomed a couple into the stand who had a little puppy with them. I asked what the puppy's name was and they replied, "Major." You would have thought nothing on earth was as exciting when I realized both the child standing right there and the puppy had the same exact name. Winning the lottery would have paled in comparison. I think I'm pretty safe in saying I was far more excited than any of the people involved. Here you have it--Majorly cute stuff! Changing topics. Every year Max's mom makes a quilt for us to raffle. This year she took it a step further and made two beautiful creations. (Thanks so much, Donna!)
The winner of the brightly colored square quilt was Bernadine seen here sitting with her husband David. (Sure hope I got their names right--it's been a few days.) I thought they looked so nice and cuddly under their brand new blanket. Congrats, you two. May it keep you warm and bonded for all the days of your life. Well, all the days in October at least.
The next winner proved to be a little more complicated. I called the number on the back of the ticket and left a message for the next lucky gal. To my horror, a man called back the next day saying there was no one there by that name. Ahhh. After trying again and getting the same voice mail, we did the only thing we knew to do--picked a new winner.

The name Claire drew out of the bag said "Frank." We all got excited--could it be Sir Bleed A Lot, Mr. Frank that has given his very own blood helping to set up the stand?! Because Claire is seven and drawing names is fun, she proceeded to draw out of the bag four more times. Three of the four names said "Frank." Shock! Fate! Wowsers. When Frank returned our phone call, Claire got on the phone to share the good news.
Frank, buddy, I'd say you earned that quilt. May it always remind you of your good deeds and keep your scarred leg warm and toasty.

Thank you and goodnight.

Please say a prayer for our friend Snoozeball (or Steve if you insist) who is in the hospital with large blood clots in each lung. We love you, big guy! Get better very soon.

Say What?

Sir BleedALot made his appearance the other day to show his lovely bride, Ellen, the scene of his accidents. We all walked beside Frank with pillows to try and keep him safe. I am happy to report we sent him home with nary a bruise. His leg appears to be healing nicely.
October 1--we're officially opening! I cannot wait to show you the finished product. I just want to say what a creative man my amazing hubby is. He wanted the stand to look even better this year--I'd say he definitely achieved his goal.

For the last two years I have refused any donation box placed in the stand. Through much urging by so many volunteers, I'm ready to give it a try. There might be people out there appreciative of all the extra effort we took to make the stand attractive and fun. I think the free horse rides we offer on the weekend might be enough for some to show their thanks. Do any of you have any lovely words that we can hang above the box? "Help us feed the horses" or "Keep the fun rolling." I can't think of anything. Won't you help a sister out? Let me hear it.

Off to bed. Another one of those nights where I feel asleep on the couch before posting. It's 1:50 AM and I'm really lacking creativity.

Thanks to so many!

Oh, if any of you crave a chance to pick small pumpkins out of a field, we're heading out Friday morning to do just that. Let us know and we'll help you fulfill your dreams. Times don't get any better.

Superman, He's Not!

Would someone please tell Mr. Frank he cannot fly?!

If you do not enjoy gaping flesh wounds, you should probably stop reading.

If you do not enjoy seeing staples in human flesh, this isn't the post for you.

Everyone ready for the show? Who knew setting up a pumpkin stand could be so exciting?


If you ask Jason, who was at the stand volunteering his precious time, Max pushed innocent Frank off the ladder. The truth might not be quite as colorful.

In thinking about the comfort of so many, Frank, Max, and Jason were working on the shade structure in the Kiddie Corral. Honorable, kind . . . dangerous! I guess the ladder (or Frank) was not quite tall enough. Oh, and add in the fact the ladder was set on top of gravel. Max said it fell over with Frank near the top. He held on to one of the beams for a split second before landing right on top of the ladder, arched over it like he broke his back. Max asked right away if his back hurt. "No, it's my leg."

Max looked to see a rather large, gushing area on Frank's leg. Those good ol' CPR classes came in handy again, but who knew it would be on the same patient?! I might also add Jason is a highly qualified nurse. Frank was in excellent care. Max and Jason applied pressure with some snotty handkerchiefs (forgot that word had a D in it!) before loading him up and taking him to the hospital.

Jason took him right in. Max followed shortly after. He was cleaning up the stand and dealing with news from Steph, our GG neighbor, that Cochise was colicky again. AHHHHH. Awesome Steph was right there walking Cochise and providing updates. Marvin, another neighbor and friend, showed up to help Steph. The last we heard, Cochise was pooping, peeing, and drinking--all great signs from what I've been told. Steph said Marvin insisted she sit on Cochise--said the horse wanted her to. Oddly once she climbed aboard, Cochise starting burping a whole bunch. Weird that Marvin suggested something like that and even weirder that it produced results. Marvin must be some kind of horse whisperer. Thanks so much to both Steph and Marvin for being there when we weren't.

Back to our patient. I called his wife to let her know what happened. She kind of chuckled and said he was accident prone. She did verify with me that he was not about to die, and then relaxed right in with the news of her husband's leg. I have never met Ellen, but I can tell I'm going to love her. What a sense of humor she has! She also has a fantastic German accent (considering she is originally from Germany.)

At one point during the ER wait, Frank was bragging about the amazing clotting properties of his blood. Max said, "Frank, if you kept on bleeding like you were, we would have been out of here two and a half hours ago!" What compassion.

Thanks to Jason for taking Frank and staying with him for so long. Thanks also to Trish who relieved Jason and helped Max get Frank home. (I was home with the four kiddos--didn't figure they'd be much fun in the ER.)

How great for me that I don't even have to be at an event to get pictures. BOTH Jason and Trish took shots to put on the blog. Love it! Trish told me Frank told his wife to look for his accident on the blog in the morning. I'd say that gives me full permission to post away. Ellen, here ya go!


From Jason:

From Trish:He got eighteen staples and three stitches!

Check back for the next exciting chapter of Sir BleedALot. I can only imagine what he'll try to pull when we actually have the pumpkins. (Frank, you know I love ya--I just couldn't resist.) :)

Volunteers today at both the stand and ranch:

• Diana
• Maddie
• Frank
• The other Frank
• John
• Jason
• Trish
• Steph
• Marvin
• Jack
• Renee

Thank you all!!!

Painting Party

And this time we weren't painting a horse. It was time to get the display boxes spiffied up and looking fresh. That's where all the cool kids came in.

That's my Misha. She has been there for me since I was four years old. We lived two doors away from each other and were the best of friends.

Did you know we could control the wind with our blankets? We could indeed. We also used to catch grasshoppers to feed our pet lizards, polish rocks together, and wear matching Jordache jeans we bought with our own money after babysitting together all summer as the amazing duo of Mommy's Little Helpers. Good times.

It turns out Misha is still there for me. Now, she cleans and paints pumpkin display boxes and serves on our GG board. I love my Misha!

I happen to be falling in love with a lot of other super nice people.

Melissa started off as mom to Phoebe, a GG participant. Now Melissa is a facilitator running her own sessions. She has shown up at the stand several days offering her support. Phoebe loved the stand last year, so they're both really excited to be a part this year. I love when Melissa is around because she makes me laugh. There are Frank and Carri again. Wowsers! What work horses they are. You'd think the head wound would have discouraged Frank. Nope--not in the slightest. He has been there just about every day working like crazy helping Max get set up. Carri is there almost as often as she juggles her two cutie pies and their school schedules. Both of you, thank you so much! Carri, thanks, also, for all the goodies you bring for Max. Geez, at least someone bakes for the man! (I'm too busy organizing my house and dusting and stuff.) There's the ever helpful Rebekah. She started off as a participant last year, which she still did this year as well, but she is also so much more to GG. She worked many shifts last year at both the pumpkin and Christmas tree stands. She also served as a junior volunteer this past season. She has a servant's heart, that's for sure!! Thanks for all you do, Rebekah!
Here is Katy and her always expanding crew! Max and Trish tease her all the time because she shows up with extra children to almost all her sessions. I'm not too sure, but I think she has one of the biggest hearts in all of Albuquerque.

Max says she takes in strays, but I think she wants other children to experience what her children get to do. Really, who brings SIX young children to help paint???! My nerves wouldn't hold up. Katy was loving and patient and kind--cool as a cucumber! The children worked so hard and were so proud. They left with just a little paint on themselves, but Katy didn't even seem to notice. Please, no one tell my children just how cool other parents can be. Katy, you may not borrow my children to take on any of your wonderful adventures. They'd be so disappointed when they return to me. Jack was back. He's the retired police officer who left a paying job only to work hours and hours and hours on end for Galloping Grace! He has driven at least SEVENTY-FIVE T-posts into the ground by himself in the last couple of days, bucked straw bales, moved wood, etc. When offered food, he flatly refuses. He might be some kind of robot man in disguise. He happens to be extremely camera shy. Isn't that odd? I mean, if someone wants to take my picture, I happily let them. Jack just kept saying, "No pictures." I'll keep trying. He couldn't mean it. No way.

Jack, Frank, Carri and Trish--you four have been more than absolutely amazing helping get the stand ready. A million thanks for all you've done!!

B. Family, you are terrific! Robin read the blog in the morning and saw we were going to be painting.

They finished up their school work only to come do more work at the stand. Polite boys, hard workers--just great people to be around. i'm pretty sure they painted more than their fair share of boxes. Robin, Zachary, Jonathan, and Benjamin--thank you so much! Thanks, also, for jumping out of the car and posing for a group shot. Notice the two younger boys already had their shoes off? Good sports happily hurt their feet so I could take the picture. Couldn't you just pinch him? This young man and his mama had a session at GG in the morning. They heard about the painting party from Trish. Jennifer decided she was going to help out, but Tristan needed to stay home and finish his schooling for the day. I guess he asked his mom if he could please have homework so he could come out and paint. What a sweet guy! I think I know where he gets it--I love Jennifer! GG has introduced me to some of the nicest people around.
T and J, thanks for giving up your afternoon. We really appreciate all the help.

Kaley and Grant were so happy to be painting. Great news came of it--Grant now officially has a pair of jeans and a shirt especially for painting. So does Kaley for that matter. So Ms. Barb gets off work and comes over to see what she can do to help. That is typical Barb for you. She is such a dedicated pumpkin stand volunteer! Some of you might remember one of her kind deeds from last September right after we met her. One day she saw us setting up the stand as she drove by. Instead of driving home, she went to the store and brought back two boxes of Popsicles for everyone to share. Boy, did they ever hit the spot! Barb, you're a great friend and we love you. Wouldn't you know it--Misha was there at the end helping clean everything up. That's her style. She is always in the background doing whatever needs done, seeking no credit along the way.

Thanks, paint crew! You were so helpful I could almost jump for joy.

For now, I think I'll leave that to the experts.

Rockin' Start

Fall is in the air!

The Galloping Grace 2009 pumpkin stand is getting under way. My stellar photo journalistic instincts kicked in. I pulled into the lot right as Max and Jack (a new AMAZINGLY DEDICATED AND STRONG volunteer) were unloading the very first items off the trailer.

Jack was one of the volunteers last Saturday at the big work day. He has recently retired from the police department in Albuquerque, and now finds himself with a little time on his hands before he starts up with another job in a couple months. We have taken that time and turned it into a torture session of sorts. He has worked like crazy. Thanks, Jack!

A big shout out to one of my mom's best friends, Sharon. Turns out Sharon reads the blog all the time.

As she was driving by, she noticed Max out there setting up so she swung in to say hi.

I then saw Carri hard at it. The lady is one strong cookie. I have had to coach her on hugging me gently because she has come close to breaking my fragile ribs. As strong as Carri is, she's equally kind and helpful. We're so grateful for all she does.

The crew carried on building the perimeter fence. I was near the cars tending to the kiddos as they sat watching a cartoon in Carri's vehicle. We were happy to contain them for a few minutes. The lot sits right at a very busy intersection. Having two four year olds and an almost four year old out there is a little nerve racking, especially with the fence still having gaping holes. Suddenly I see Carri sprinting to her car and announcing, "We have a man down!" (The picture below was taking before the accident.) I run over there lickity split to see this! That would be the bloody scalp of yet another great volunteer, Frank. We met Frank through friends of my mother. Frank has been out to water trees at GG on many occasions, cleaned up lumber, etc. Just today he and Jack built over 25 fence panels for the stand. You know, it just doesn't pay to be super helpful and kind sometimes. Frank was carrying a panel when his legs became entangled. From eye witness accounts, he did a super slow motion fall hitting his head on the gravel and then being hit in the chin by the panel. Poor Frank! I really did make sure he was sort of OK before I started clicking away. The picture below cracks me up. Months and months ago Trish, Max and I took a CPR class. We were taught one of the very first things that we should do is to announce that we know CPR and then send someone for help. That is exactly what Trish is doing here. Yep, she and I are having a laugh about proper procedure as Frank was listening to the bells toll in his head. Although I did absolutely nothing to assist in his care, I did throw my two cents in about a band aid on his head. I voted no. My rationale was that it wasn't really bleeding, so why bother. It would only be painful to remove it later. Clearly my vote didn't matter. The bandage was put on his spikey hair, far away from his lacerated scalp. Can you see it balancing below?

I'm sure he was later cursing Carri's helpful ways when he had to remove it.

The next half hour or so was spent unloading ginormous pieces of lumber off the trailer. I could only take so many pictures before it became obvious I was avoiding a mid afternoon sweat. I got myself in there and participated in the unloading process. No pictures--I was working too hard.

When it was all over, I asked Darren if he would take a group picture of us. I teased him and told him he couldn't be in the picture because he didn't unload any of the wood, I did! He might have been a little intimidated by my camera, but he gave it a shot. Gotta love those clouds.

Thanks, Darren.

Thanks, set up crew! We're off to a rockin' start.

Root A Toot Toot

Something positive that came out of the news story done on GG (besides all the new families interested in coming to the ranch)was getting to meet this cute couple--love the New York accents.Madeline heard about GG from a friend who had seen the story. She called the other night to inquire a little more about the program. She is very, very interested in volunteering at the ranch. She is gaga about horses and excited what we have going on. Frank is a master carpenter--he is building a three story castle in his garage. I filled him in on an idea I had for a playhouse in the park area. He is willing to run with the idea and actually seems pretty excited to do so. Pennies from heaven! I love meeting new friends.

These two ladies are from the local chapter of Root and Shoots,a national service organization for children. They talked to Max in depth about creating a task force of youngsters to work for Galloping Grace--plan service days, organize fundraising, etc. The whole concept sounds very intriguing. They are going to come to our next board meeting and pitch the idea.

The fun continues.