Mystery man

All we know is what’s on his papers. We don’t know where he’s been, what he’s done, how he was treated, or why he ended up at auction. 

But thanks to those papers that followed him for 12 years he got lucky. They traced back right anlocal Arabian farm that no longer exists.  Friends who are fans of the bloodline bailed him out of the kill pennto find him a good home. 

Then there’s me, fresh out of horses and looking for something to ride. While he was a little more of a project than I was looking for, he was pretty, and sweet, and level heads. I took a chance. This week “Riesling” arrived home after 60 days at the trainer. He’s still got a ways to go but I think he will work out just fine. 

Twins and FAQs

In August we officially become a family of four! We will be hosting two (yes, two) foreign exchange students this year.  No, they aren't actually twins but that's how they refer to double placements such as ours.  We are super excited to have them here.  Both girls come from the same prestigious scholarship program that brought us Nadin.  Only a small percentage of applicants from each country are selected for this program and we are excited to learn all about their countries and cultures.  Last time we did this we got a lot of questions.  So, I'm going to address those again, edited for our new students!

1.  Where are they from? Not surprising I'm sure-this usually comes first!
Mariyam is from Pakistan and Oishi is from Bangladesh.

2.  How old are they?
They are both 16

3.  Do you have to teach them to drive?  Usually this follows the age question.
No.  They are actually not allowed to operate any motorized vehicle while here.  

4.  Do they speak English/good English?
Yes.  This one always surprises me-they have to attend the public high school and maintain satisfactory grades, so somewhat fluent English is a required for the program.

5.  What are their native languages?
Mariyam speaks Urdu and Oishi speaks Bengali.  Students placed in the same household are not allowed to share a native language

6. Is it expensive?
No, you are required to provide three meals a day and reasonable transportation to school events and exchange program events.  Plus the increased cost of electricity or water (if you have a water bill) for an additional person.  Additional costs for eating out, travel or other activities are at your discretion.  Scholarship students come with a monthly stipend plus an allowance for specific incidental costs. 

7.  How long will they stay?
Approximately 10 months-they will return home sometime after the school year ends. 

8.  How is it determined which student you get?
You get to pick your student.  You can filter based on gender, country, scholarship vs non-scholarship, hobbies and interests.  They also write an essay, answer several questions and describe their daily life and activities.  You are also provided with basic academic and biographical information. 

Jeannie

Jeannie is a sweet girl. She’s about 1-2 years old and was a stray. She loves petting and food. We will know more about her soon!

Weekend updates

Last weekend Epic passed three odors at the ORT. So now he’s ready for big adventure!

This weekend I ran a 5k and won my age group. It wasn’t a spectacular time, but about what I expected. Hope to improve my training over the summer. 

We are also working on painting yet another room of the house. We chose a nice light gray. It’s going to make the room look bigger and won’t clash with any of the cute new artwork I have. 

Old color

In progress 

Goats! And a pony.

We just love these guys. They are so fun to watch. Handel is getting very tame. Gretel will come up and take treats but she still doesn’t like to be touched. 

And is there anything cuter than a napping pony?

AKC Nosework Take Two

This weekend we headed to Oklahoma city for three days of AKC Nosework. We stayed with an agility friend and had a really nice time visiting and Legend got to enjoy their lovely house and yard rather than be stuck in a hotel room. 

The trial days were long, and a little warm, but we did pretty well! Friday Legend went 4/4 finishing all her novice titles and earning first place in exterior and second in buried. 

Saturday she went 3/4 and got second in containers and second in interior. Sunday we only got two. Containers was rough on everyone and we only found one of the two in buried. But overall we got 9/12, finished 5 titles, earned 4 placements and had a fun time with friends. And Legend enjoyed her time away from siblings.