This is My Passion...

This is my passion. My Cause. My Calling. My Ministry. My Goal. My reason for trying.

Found Causes "Sunset Therapuetic Riding Center" from DALE EPPERSON on Vimeo.

If you know me at all, you know that I am not an outwardly emotional person. I am more likely to laugh than to cry. This video had me in tears for approximatly three fourths of the run time.

http://www.americanhippotherapyassociation.org/
http://sunsettrc.org/therapeutic-riding/


Hippotherapy (Equine Assisted Therapy)


Benefits
Physical Benefits:
• Improved balance.
• Strengthened muscles.
• Improved coordination, faster reflexes, and better motor planning.
• Stretching of tight or spastic muscles.
• Decreased spasticity.
• Increased range of motion of the joints.
• Reduction of abnormal movement patterns.
• Improved respiration and circulation.
• Improved appetite and digestion.
• Sensory integration.

Psychological Benefits
• General sense of well-being.
• Improved self-confidence
• Increased interest in the outside world.
• Increased interest in one’s own life.
• Improved risk-taking abilities.
• Development of patience.
• Emotional control and self-discipline.
• Sense of normality.

Social Benefits
• Friendship.
• Development of respect and love for animals.
• Increased experiences.
• Enjoyment.

I am St. George!

Today, we celebrated Labor Day by... Wait for it... Laboring. Three-ish hours of weed-whacking. (Or weed-eating? That's what we always called it, but now it seems odd, since I really am not interested in consuming any weed I have met up til now...Maybe I am just hanging out with the wrong crowd of weeds.) A nice rest and then a few more hours of mowing. ( I ruled that riding mower/atv/four-wheeler. Yeah, I am one tough lawn/jungle controller. You know it.) Meanwhile, boss-lady took care of pulling and burning those weeds (nee. trees.) that were so large my poor lawn tools were not up to the task. She also rebuilt the barn door and completely de-winter-coated the mamma dog that has been too busy to worry about those kinds of things. Yeah, you can be impressed. We are wild-west, rockin', ranchin', tough chicks. We got this. 

Speaking of that, there was only one small screech when this lovely snake fellow turned up on the porch after supper. (The sound did not come from me. Sure served to get my blood pumpin' though.) Apparently he was not too pleased with the amount of unrest we had been creating on the property.  

While alive, He looked like this...

 And closer...

 And blurrier...

There may have been extreme zoom, long armed aiming and slight trepidation involved in the blurriness of these shots. I had not yet determined what kind, and hence, what level of danger was present...

Here he is... less cohesive...

Don't worry, I got it.
But good.

Here, I saved this for you...

 (*Big evil grin*)

 I am only very slightly hoping this creeps someone out.

Okay, maybe more than slightly. But to be kind, I will not describe the shovel technique, or the strong curl and strike he tried several times, or the decapitation itself, or even how cool it was when the body hit the hot ashes in the fire-pit causing... muscle freak out. (It's a technical term, okay?)

Just cause I am so very sensitive like that. Or something. Plus, the boss really isn't hot on the whole subject matter, so I might want to keep my own counsel. 

Just imagine Saint George & the Dragon and you have the exact picture of me in this situation. 

Yeah, I rocked today. 

In case anyone was wondering, I think the consensus is leaning towards Mesa Verde Night Snake as the official calling card of the visitor. They are only very slightly toxic, so not as bad as finding a rattler or some such on the porch. 

But I am open to other opinions...

Gazing Upon A Grazing Aberration...

One of those things you never think you will see? Three of these:

randomly grazing on the top of a mesa rise by the highway in-between Cuba, NM and Albuquerque, NM.
And yet...
I did.
Of course, no one saw them but I, probably due to the fact that I was so taken aback that I could not clearly enunciate what I wanted her to look for. I still think she is a bit unsure of my mental strength. However, in my defense, they were clearly outlined against the sky, kind of like this:

so the likelihood of my having been mistaken is actually really close to nil. There were three, one was larger and had much longer horns,with the very straight backward slight angle. The others were smaller, with thinner horns, more of a curve to them. I am assuming it was a male and two females, though I only saw them for about a minute.

It took a lot of research to make sure I was not losing what bit of control I have up there in my tiny brain, and yet, 'tis a fact. The African Oryx, or Gemsbok. They are really kind of neat looking, and I've been keeping an eye out every time we pass that area, but have yet to see any more. Or to get any pictorial proof.
But I will persevere!

 ~~~~~
For those who choose to believe I am clinically insane:

• In 1969, the New Mexico State Department of Game and Fish decided to introduce gemsbok to the Tularosa Basin in the United States. The introduction was a compromise between those who wanted to preserve nature and those who wanted to use it for profit and promotion. Ninety-three were released from 1969 to 1977, with the current population estimated to be around 3,000 specimens. The reason they thrived is because their natural predators, including the lion, are not present.

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Gemsbok

• The Oryx - This African antelope was introduced to the White Sands Missile Range in New Mexico. The oryx was brought from the Kalahari Desert in Africa to an experimental range at Red Rock New Mexico. Federal law prohibits introducing a wild animal from another country into the wild in this country so offspring were obtained at this experimental range to introduce onto the White Sands Missile Range.

http://www.nps.gov/whsa/naturescience/oryx.htm

•  Small populations of several oryx species, such as the Scimitar Oryx, exist in Texas and New Mexico (USA) in wild game ranches. Gemsboks were released at the White Sands Missile Range and have become an invasive species of concern at the adjacent White Sands National Monument.

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Oryx

"Those who don't try..."

The other day, we ran down to the dollar store to check for pup collars. As we got out of the car, there was a large explosion of change behind the car. Now, normally, I wouldn't take the time when we were in a rush, but one particular coin caught my eye. It had the look of a peso or some such. Since I collect coins, and the events of half magic jumping to the fore of my thoughts, I reached down and snatched it on my way past. I stuck it in my pocket, and went on my way. When I did think to pull it out and look at it, much to my surprise, it was...

A token for the "NYC transit authority". In the middle of Nowhere, NM. Random. (It looks a lot like the ones in "While You Were Sleeping", except that it is a bit larger.)

"Good for one fare". Yahoo, I am set up now. Just in case I ever need to get somewhere in NYC.

~~~~~

This is the next stage musical I want Hollywood to make into a movie...

~~~~~

Ah, life, in all it's gory, wait I mean glory...

Vaccinated Dreams

This past Saturday, I helped the Boss with vaccinations for the raging pack of pups. Such fun. And nice to do something in my future vocation, even if it was small. It has been way too long...

The used up ones...

The to be used ones...

The mess afterwards...

 Actually got me believing that I could reach this lofty goal I have set for myself.