She Came!

Abby was out in the pasture with seven other horses this afternoon, and we'd just had a good rain. Needless to say, the pasture was muddy. Tim texted me to let me know he'd put her out with everyone, and then cautioned me to be careful of the mud and to not get knocked over by the herd. ("Trouble's a brat," he warned about his big gelding.)

Five of the horses (along with Trouble) were in the west section of the field behind the second barn while Abby and two buddies were grazing in the south wing of the pasture. I knew I could handle three horses without too much difficulty, so I opened the gate, stepped into the field and called to her.

Abby did not seem to hear me at first. She continued grazing, so I called to her again and whistled. She lifted her head, turned and looked at me, and then went back to grazing. I decided I would walk out to see her, when  suddenly she put her head up again, looked at me, and then broke into a brisk trot, and made a beeline over to see me.

She slid to a stop and then put her head down and stretched her nose out to me. I stroked her neck and offered her a treat from my pocket. I spoke gently to her for a few minutes, and then she stepped aside, her knees buckled, and down she went for a roll in the fresh mud. (There went my plans to bring her into the barn and groom her!)

Abby heaved herself back up to her feet, gave herself a good shake, squealed, and cantered off to where Trouble and the others were.

I went back up to the barn, marveling at how much Abby seeks out human attention. I could understand it if she kept frisking me for treats and that that was why she wanted to be with me, but she does not expect them. She simply seems to like to be with her people.

And that is okay with me!

Cartoonist in the Classroom!

As part of the preparation for our Reaction Art Museum, I invite guest artists to speak to my students about their artwork and to explore how art can be a reaction or response to a certain event. The final component is looking at Superheroes - did you know that Superman was created in the 1930s as a response to the rise of Hitler, the Great Depression, The Dust Bowl, etc.? The world needed a hero, some hope, and Superman fit the bill. (Take a look at early comics of him. See who he fights?)

You can also see the rise of technology and cultural changes through Superheroes, so we look at 10-12 of them, see how they reflect the cultural mores of their times, and then look at how they change as society changes. (It really is quite fascinating. So many cultural markers that can be traced - who we fear, racism, feminism, urban trends.... Superheroes truly do reflect us.)

I have mentioned Dave Sattler before, the local cartoonist and the man who has created the Sunday editorial cartoon in The Journal and Courier for the past 42 years. His wife, Nancy, teaches in the classroom next time mine, and is a dear friend. Dave and I have a running battle of wits going over the use of his real-life kitty, Boo, who frequently (to my delight) appears in Dave's editorials. I razz him via email whenever Boo is omitted.

Dave graciously agreed to visit my classroom this week and to talk about his work (which is a reaction to newsworthy events in our world.) I thought his clean-line drawing style would help my students draw their own Superheros which they are creating in response to a current issue of their choice in our culture.

 Part of Dave's discussion centered on how to communicate your ideas by zeroing in an an aspect - for example, a longer nose indicates an older character while a button nose a younger one. Facial length was another good indicator. Here he shows how he illustrates youth with a short face. (I wish my student historian had gotten a picture of Dave's old man character for contrast!)

And he even drew Boo, although he started by just drawing the outline of Boo's head and had them guess what he was drawing. It's a football shape, and that is what they guessed. Boo's #1 fan, aka me, knew exactly what Dave was going to draw!

Dave certainly delivered! He really gave the children things to think about as he discussed how he comes up with ideas, how his editorial cartoon is a reaction or response, and how it reflects us and our culture. Dave's presentation was spot on to what we were learning and thinking about!

Here he shows us several stages of his weekly editorial cartoon - how they begin, what they look like when he sends them to the newspaper, what is added in at that location, etc.

A picture with the students. They were so excited about having him come and what they learned. I cannot wait to see what their Superhero characters look like now that they are chock full of ideas and inspiration!

Thanks, Dave! You're the best! (Even if you leave Boo out occasionally.... :D)

High Flying Cranes!

Every other year I do a unit on conflict in Social Studies with my students. We study US history through this lens, and then make applications to global, national, local, and personal conflicts. I tie in an Art component (some of our greatest works of art, music, and literature were created in reaction to conflict) and we create our own artistic reactions to a conflict and then have a day-long museum at school.

We read the book Sadako and the Thousand Paper Cranes and learn the true story of a Japanese girl, ill from radiation sickness, who follows an ancient Japanese tradition of folding 1000 origami cranes in exchange for a wish (Sadako's is to live.) Unfortunately, she dies before she can fold them all, but her classmates honor her memory by folding the rest of the cranes. (There is a memorial park in Japan to Sadako and every year children worldwide fold cranes in her memory and send them to the park.)

My students have folded 1000 cranes and they are hanging in our classroom. We also invited classes and staff members in the school to decorate a 3'x3' piece if paper which we then folded into what I have dubbed "pterodactyl" cranes. We just hung them in the school foyer for all to enjoy.

I wish I had better pictures. I had not planned on taking them at this time, but the children were so excited that I whipped my iPhone out of my pocket and began snapping, hoping I would get a picture or two of their excitement. I love how some of them have their arms up, pointing at a particular crane.

Double Bonus Day!

But wait, there's more!! (As they say on TV.) Not only did we get a beautiful new grandbaby yesterday, I also brought Abby home!

I picked Leslie up at 6:15 just as the sun was coming up, and we headed down to Frankfort to sign the papers on our two new horses. Cocoa hopped right into the trailer, but Abby needed a little persuading to join him.

Travis Horton, a friend from Church, hauled for us, and took us to Horizon Vet in Delphi for a vet check (both horse and pony passed; we learned Abby throws her head when she does not like something - she bent a needle doing so) and then dropped Cocoa off at Leslie's and Abby off at her new home, Tim Gibb's ranch in West Lafayette.

 Abby was quite calm; no milling around while on the lead rope, no mad dash for freedom when I turned her loose. She just walked off, looked at her surroundings, and then began grazing.

I admit I got  bit teary as I looked at her. She is SO like Amy.

Tim Gibb's mammoth Quarter Horse, Trouble, was the first of his herd that we introduced to Abby. Trouble was anxious to get to know her but she made it very clear that he had to be friends on HER terms and not his. (Just look at that gorgeous, floaty trot!)

Travis, Tim, and I hung out with Abby and Trouble for about a half hour to make sure things were good, but truly, Abby and Trouble were doing fine and did not need monitoring.

I breezed home on cloud nine, feeling very humbled at the blessing of having a horse in my life again. And then I took a shower and napped for a couple hours. Needless to say, the previous night I did not sleep much (well, it WAS sort of like Christmas Eve!) and ended up taking a two hour nap!

New grandbaby, new horse... what a wonderful day it was!

Corinne's Here!

Welcome to our newest grandbaby, Corinne Isenbarger!

 Daddy Kyle holds his newest child.

 Mama Ashley shows us Corinne's face as she yawns a bit.

(I think Corinne looks a lot like Addie!)

 Is this a proud big brother or what??

Look at that smile!! Addie is excited about her new little sister.

Corinne Isenbarger was born at 8:32 A.M. at home in Saint Augustine, Florida. She was 9 pounds 14 ounces ( a week overdue) and 21 1/2 inches long. Welcome to the family!

Abby's Rescue Page

Here is Abby's listing at the Indiana Horse Rescue in Frankfort.

Sassy

Appaloosa/Grade Mix: An adoptable horse in Frankfort, IN

Medium • Adult • Female

  

Sassy is a 12 year old mare that stands about 14.2 hands. She leads, picks up her feet and stands for the farrier. She is very green and has very little saddle time. She was shown in 4-H too...seen a picture of her last night and she was shown in halter. I haven't put her on FB yet. Jamie told me when I was putting the new ones up a few weeks ago to not list her yet because of her hooves. She was the one that had a TERRIBLE flare. She was trimmed and did just fine. She seems very sound. If you are interested in adopting this horse or another horse from Indiana Horse Rescue, please visit our website www.indianahorserescue.com from more information on the adoption process!

More about Sassy

Pet ID: Sassy • Up-to-date with routine shots • Primary colors: Chestnut or Sorrel, Gray

The Old Swimming Hole

In anticipation of getting Abby, I have been going through my tack trunk, old photos, etc. Here's a picture of me with my horse, Cee, swimming in Burnett Creek in Battle Ground - right behind the battlefield. Cee loved to swim, and we spent a lot of time in the Wabash, too.

Imagine my chagrin when, while taking my students on a field trip to Battle Ground last year, we hiked down to this very spot and did water quality testing with the county naturalist. She went on and on about water quality and keeping the water pristine. (Horses churn up the water and poop in it occasionally.) I did not have the heart to tell her that Leslie and I used to take our horses swimming there...

Failing Grade, Sirs!!

To: Mitch Daniels, Governor of the State of Indiana, Tony Bennett, Superintendent of the Indiana Department of Education

Dear Sirs,

Enough is enough.

I do not mind being held accountable as a teacher; in fact, I think I should be. I don't mind administering state mandated tests as long as they are fair to the children. But I do mind the following:

1) Losing 20% of our corporation's teachers due to budget cuts. This meant I had 31 kids in my classroom last year  and 29 this year. Then to learn you "found" $300 million dollars and later another $260 million that had been "lost" due to a computer error... A little hard to swallow as I look at the havoc those two mistakes played with people, adults as well as children, whom I love and the quality of education I was able to give those families. Can we have our money back now that it has been "found"?

2) Not testing things before you mandate them. I am happy to do the ISTEP online, and we piloted it last year. But no one tested the test itself before it was sent out (it may have been a pilot, but it still counted), and it shut down computers DURING the ISTEP. You said I HAD to mark down every error code as well as the time the child was booted off the test. Pretty hard to do when most of your class has been kicked off.

3) Changing things with short notice. Today you sent us a chirpy email saying the test times of the ISTEP had been changed. That test is a week away! To get all the tests done in the computer lab, we are scheduled down to the minute. If one teacher is late for her turn, then the day's schedule goes down like dominoes.  Why change the test times a week before the test? When will we find time to redo our testing schedules? And will we be penalized if we cannot fit them into the days you said they HAD to be administered?

4) The state's bumbling and fumbling with pre-ISTEP issues. For example, you sent the Tippecanoe School Corporation and the Winamac School Corporation the very same test codes and passwords for the kids. Big oops, huh?? It took all weekend for us to redo ours with the second set you sent. But wait, they still weren't right. Believe it or not, the second set of passwords and codes you sent us were flawed and missing a digit. Which meant we could not get into the site for the practice test. Even bigger oops!

And when that was straightened out, we discovered to our dismay that the practice test online does not follow the script you have given us and FROM WHICH WE MAY NOT DEVIATE per your stern instructions. Well, if the test does something that the script does not call for, what else am I supposed to do? OOPS!! Oh, I see; you forgot to tell us that the script was changed but the administration books were already printed when that happened. Couldn't you have told me that??

In light of the fact that you are counting erasure marks on the written portions to make sure I am not changing my students' answers (and threatening that YOUR NAME WILL BE PRINTED IN THE NEWSPAPER IF WE SUSPECT YOU HAVE DONE THAT) and all the other caveats and minutia you are requiring of us as teachers in order for this test to be "fair" and without the cloud of suspicion, it is AWFULLY HARD to continue jumping through your hoops without feeling sour, angry, and frustrated.

5) And don't forget that you gave my school a C+ ranking in error, and published that as a fact on the Indiana Department of Education's web site. When it was discovered to be in error, and that we really were an A school (have I told you how much I love your new school grading system, by the way?) you refused to change it publicly and told us it would have to stay on our record. Even though we earned that A and YOU made the mistake.

Sirs, in light of all this, I have decided to give you a grade based on your performances relating to education in our fine state of Indiana.

F

Sincerely,
Fed Up at Hershey Elementary

Finished!

I met this evening with Linda Burke, the new Stake Relief Society president who is replacing me, and trained her for her new calling.  As I prepared for this meeting and outlined an agenda of everything I needed to discuss with her, I was a bit surprised at how much I had been responsible for during this calling. I remember feeling overwhelmed by it all when I was trained, and driving home later while wondering how I would ever keep everything straight. There is a LOT to do as Stake Relief Society president!

When I was called and trained, Ruthanne Thompson gave me five boxes of "stuff." I asked her if she had a binder for me, and Ruthanne replied that she had just kept everything in those boxes. I had to have some order, so I sorted everything out and I made myself a binder to keep my notes and things in.

 After three plus years of service, that binder is chock full of notes, driving directions, newsletters, and other things I had written or received and placed in there. The new president did not need all that.

So, I pulled out or made copies of everything Linda would need - rosters of the current ward and branch Relief Society presidencies, three years of budget and calendar proposals, the form I created for ward conference visits - and gave them along with a binder of some other materials for Linda to have.

The things she did not need (my personal notes, etc.) I kept in the original binder as a keepsake.

Saturday evening I was online and decided to take a photo of my name in the stake directory as a keepsake. Good thing I did - the information on the site was changed immediately after Stake Conference! Linda said she was surprised at how quickly they put her on there, and so was I!

 I have felt a bit sad, and it feels strange to not have a calling (aside from being a visiting teacher) but I am sure that will change soon.  However, I don't feel like a burden has been lifted from my shoulders. This calling has never felt that way - in fact, it has probably been one of my favorite callings in which I have ever served.

But, Linda is going to be a wonderful Relief Society president and I feel confident I am leaving things in good hands.

Last Act of Service

Tomorrow I will be released from my calling as Stake Relief Society president. I feel a little sad tonight - it is a calling I have truly loved. But, I have been in for 3+ years, so it's time for someone new.

Tonight I did my last act of service in this calling. President Ellis asked me to have six sack lunches for Elder Pieper of the Seventy and the Stake Presidency and others to eat in between priesthood leadership and the Saturday evening session.

Sarah Richardson, my secretary, helped me. She made chicken salad and chocolate chip cookies, while I did the rest.

 Sarah's yummy chicken salad had grapes and Granny Smith apples in it.

 I put the salad on oversized croissants that I cut open.

 Chocolate chip cookies, carrots, grapes, Pringles chips, and bottled water rounded out the meal.

 Then, I decided to put some notes on the bags, much as a mom might put her children's names or a little note to them there. "Come 'back home again' to Indiana and see how we've grown!" and "Thank you for  super missionaries we get! We love our friends and want to share with them!" were on two.

 "The Church is strong in Indiana!" and "We are so grateful to be getting a temple on Hoosier soil!" on two more.

"Hoosiers know the gospel is true!" and "Welcome to Indiana!" rounded out the lot.

I don't know what Elder Pieper thought of my messages, or President Ellis and the rest of the Stake Presidency. But I guess it shows how comfortable I am in this calling in that I didn't even hesitate to write those little notes. And when you get that comfy in a calling, usually it is time to be released!

The Season Begins!

And it begins with a WHOPPING 3 mile ride.

It has been a long time since I have had a real riding season. The summer we moved here (2006) I had had three surgeries on my left ankle in April and was in a cast until the end of July. (In fact, I got it off the day before we moved to Indiana!) Needless to say, that summer I did not ride much at all.

2007, 2008, and 2009 I was taking summer classes at Purdue. Despite having received my Masters from the University of Illinois in May, 2006, I had agreed to do the 15 hours it took to get my license to teach Gifted and Talented kids at Hershey. So, not a lot of riding happened those summers, either.

Plus, my knees, already in poor shape, really had begun to hurt. I'd had the left knee scoped twice, but it continued to deteriorate. To stop the pain and continue riding, I had to have cortisone injections. Then I "progressed" (i.e. my knees got worse and no longer responded to cortisone) to Synvisc injections. Those are shots that fill the knee with artificial joint fluid in the hopes of  cushioning them and providing space in the joints so the bones do not rub on each other.

There was some relief from that, but after three series, I developed an allergy to the Synvisc. And that was it. There was no other recourse except to live with the pain (which I did for several months) or have my knees replaced (which I did after I began falling because my knees became so unstable.) The right knee was replaced on December 1, 2010, and the left on June 7, 2011.

I did ride briefly a few times in March, 2011 as my right knee healed, but the left knee was still very painful. (When it was replaced, Dr. Daluga said that there was absolutely no cartilage left in that knee. No wonder it hurt!)

So.... it's Spring, 2012. I just completed a three mile ride at more than respectable, early-season speeds, and I feel pretty good. The knees? No pain. None whatsoever. (Although the right knee protested once or twice when I twisted it.) That makes me smile. I am sure I will experience some soreness in my thighs, but that will dissipate the more I ride.

My goal for the summer? Three hundred miles! Although I am secretly hoping to go much further than that.

Three miles down; two hundred ninety seven to go.

I think I can, I think I can, I think I can....

Beach Party

Every year, the Hershey Office staff throws a spring party for the faculty and staff. The first year it was Oscar Night themed, the next year a Country and Western theme, and this year it was....

Beach Party Night!

Jackie, Jennifer, and Linda go all out to make it a night to remember. Tonight's was the most fun yet.

 The tables were brightly (and aptly) decorated.

 Those three ladies go to so much work on these parties - and after working a full day, too!

After we ate, the "cast" from Gilligan's Island appeared, sang us their theme song, and then whisked us away to a deserted island.

 Mrs. Howell (Jennifer Lahey), Mr. Howell (Jennifer's husband), Mary Anne (Jackie Spitznagle), Gilligan (Ed Spitznagle), Ginger (Linda Fields), the Professor (Steve Fields), and a dummy in an inflatable lifeboat is the Skipper.

I wish I had gotten better pictures! Notice the "water" along the edge of the stage?

Then, we were divided into groups, given a suitcase of items, and told to create a skit as castaways on a deserted island. There were five groups, and the skits were HILARIOUS.

At the end of the evening, several awards were given out. To my surprise, I won one - a jeans pass to wear jeans to work one day. It was called the "Packing Heat" award. At the last minute, I had decided to bring a twelve pack of squirt guns along, loaded one, and then began squirting. I gave away the others, and throughout the night, random squirts would catch people unawares. (I actually lost mine. Kim Mitchell snuck up behind me and snagged it right out of my hands!)

Who'd have thought that spontaneous idea would turn out to be so much fun. And, win me a prize!

It's Not Just Me!

When I was seventeen, I got the bright idea of seeing if I could get Pokey, our large cobb pony, up the porch steps and into the house. He was in an small, fenced enclosure by the porch; since it was difficult to mow, we would just bring him up from the pasture, put him in there and let him graze it down.

He was there, no one was home, and so... up the stairs he went and through the door into the back foyer! And then I heard the crunch of gravel as my mother came home and caught me with Pokey half in/half out of the house. Needless to say, she was NOT happy.

Ask me then why I did it, and I would respond, "I don't know." Ask me now, and you get the same response. I have no clue!! (It does help me in the classroom when a student gives me a similar response after I have asked them why they did something. And you know, I get it! I understand that sometimes you do things and don't know why!)

The story of me bringing Pokey into the house is a favorite one of my kids and they like to tease be good naturedly about it.

Saturday I learned that I am not alone in the impulse to bring a horse into a home:

That's Jamie at the Indiana Horse Rescue with Louise. I was sitting with Melanie discussing possibly adopting Sassy/Abby, and in came Jamie to work with Louise trotting right alongside!

Hey, kids, it's not just me!!

Abuse and Neglect

This is the news article from Fox 59 about how Sassy and her friends came into the care of Indiana Horse Rescue. There was also a film clip but I could not upload it. But, I could pull off this picture of one of Sassy's barn mates:

Horrible, heart wrenching, infuriating.... How can people do this to animals??

Horse rescue group not confident rescued horses will survive

A horse rescue group caring for 18 horses removed from an Indianapolis home on the south side is trying to rehabilitate all of the horses, but the rehabilitation is proving difficult.

By Ann Keil

Fox59

8:01 a.m. EDT, August 9, 2011

Indianapolis— A horse rescue group caring for 18 horses removed from an Indianapolis home on the southside is trying to rehabilitate all of the horses, but the rehabilitation is proving difficult. Nineteen horses, two dogs and a cat were removed from the home last Wednesday.

Volunteers with the group, Indiana Horse Rescue, said the neglect was not short-term. They claim several of the horses are severly underweight.

"It's an obvious sign of neglect," said Melanie Masunas, assitant manager of a Frankfort horse farm managed by Indiana Horse Rescue.

Officials with Indianapolis Care and Control also claim the animals were being neglected.

All but four of the healthier horses were taken to a 27-acre farm in Frankfort operated by Indiana Horse Rescue. The staff is currently preparing to haul the four horses being cared for by animal control to their farm.

On Friday, the homeowner would only explain himself on camera if his face was not shown. He could not explain why some of the horses were underweight. He also said he and his wife were not neglecting the horses or the other animals.

Still, the staff at Indiana Horse Rescue has said some of the horses are fighting for their lives, mostly because they are severely underweight.

Masunas also said the majority of the horses have overgrown hooves. One horse was already euthanized because of a painful hoof condition.

"Her hooves were twisted. It has been neglect, not just for a week, it was a long time," Masunas said.

Animal control officials said there was little water on the homeowner's property, and some stalls had three to four feet of feces inside. They took pictures that they plan to use in court.

Also a topic of concern, one horse is blind and, according to animal control officials, was not living in a safe environment. 

"I don't know how you shut yourself off to that and convince yourself you're doing right," said Masunas.

There are some healthier horses in the bunch that will be available for adoption after the homeowner appears in court on Tuesday, but the current focus for the non-profit is rehabilitating the horses, which does not come cheap.

"The cost of grain, the cost of hay, and the cost of vet care. It adds up," said Masunas.

Those interested in making a monetary donation, hay or other resources including volunteer hours are encouraged to contact Indiana Horse Rescue online. 

In the Tack Trunk!

As I contemplate possibly getting a horse again, I thought I ought to see what I have left from past horse ownerships, just in case I do take the plunge. So, Saturday I pulled out my tack trunk from its place in the garage, opened it, and was whisked back through time.

The sight that met my eyes as I lifted the lid:

All my western and english things, plus Cee's show halter and a bag of ribbons I'd won.

 Indy's stall nameplate, a western bridle, an english girth, and some grooming tools.

 My english bridle with the egg butt snaffle bit.

 A western show blanket and my cowgirl hat.

 The bridle (or pieces of what is left) of Oh Boy's bridle. (Oh Boy was a circus pony that my grandfather bought on a whim for my dad over 70 years ago.)

 A close up of a decorative browband piece on Oh Boy's bridle.

I was actually surprised at what I found was in there as well as what wasn't there. (Hoof pick? Where's my hoof pick??) But, I have a good start.... IF I choose to get a horse.

Puppy Eyes and Horsey Hips

Over spring break, I went to look at horses with my sister, Leslie. Her Standardbred, Loomis, had recently had to be euthanized, and she was looking for a replacement. The Indiana Horse Rescue in Frankfort had a Standardbred listed, so we went down. I was NOT looking to become a horse owner.

Long story short, there was an Appaloosa mare there named Sassy who is the spitting image of my beloved mare, Amy. In fact, I burst into tears when I saw her as the resemblance was so uncanny. She has been on my mind ever since, and I have been exploring options as I think about adopting her.

Today I went down to see her again. I wanted to see if she was gentle and good on the ground, if I could pick up her feet, tweak her ears, and do other things that show a horse is gentle and sane.

She was all that. And more.

I asked the facility manager to let me go out in the pasture and get her to see if she would be hard to catch.

She wasn't. She came right over and stood quietly while I haltered her. (I fumbled a bit - after all, it's been twenty years!)

She led quietly to the barn despite the fact that her pasture mates were following her and even trying to nip her out of the way so they could get some attention from me. No problem.

No problem walking through the barn, either, even with scary objects in the aisles and the occasional stalled horse who nickered at her and even ran against the stall door, trying to get to her. Not an ear twitch.

We put her in the round pen to see if she could longe (no) or how she would react. I was very impressed that she was not trying to get back to her pasture mates, although they were a bit agitated, nickering and calling to her. She answered once, but she never seemed bothered to be away from the herd. That's a very good sign.

Melanie had to go into the office for a phone call, and left me alone in the round pen with Sassy. I unclipped the longe line and turned her loose to see what she would do. And a very interesting thing happened.

Sassy went over to the bars of the pen and began nibbling some grass.

But then she put her head up, walked over to me for a few moments, and then past me to another spot to graze. I decided to move to another spot in the pen and see what happened. After a few bites, she put her head up and walked over. I patted her, and then she went back to the rail to eat. I began moving around the pen to see how she would react, and every single time, she would come over for a moment, no matter where it was I had moved, and then return to eating.

This, of course, is the horsey equivalent of PUPPY EYES.

But then she did something that really surprised me. Melanie was coming out of the office and walking back to the round pen. I walked over to the fence, rested my arms on the rail, and was talking to Melanie as she approached. Sassy came up behind me, then turned sideways so she was perpendicular to me and stood still, leaning her hip against my backside. And she stood there, just content to have some body contact with me!

Oh, no!! HORSEY HIPS!! Combine that with the puppy eyes equivalent, and I was sinking fast!

Interestingly enough, Sassy did not go to greet Melanie. In fact, she paid no attention to her, instead facing away from Melanie and just leaning her hip into my backside. I have NEVER had a horse do that, and my heart melted.

So, what am I going to do now? I don't know for sure. I have checked out two possible places to keep her, and I did fill out the adoption papers. Craig has given his blessing, and I told Melanie I would let her know by Tuesday. I will think and pray. Hard.

But, I did stop at a farm supply store on the way home and purchase a halter, lead rope, two brushes, and some tack cleaner....

Henryville Tornado

Henryville, Indiana was hard hit by a tornado in March. Thirteen people were killed. While traveling down to visit Cole and Emily last weekend, we saw this road sign and realized we were at the scene.

 So, we pulled over. Despite the fact that it had been 2-3 weeks since the tornado hit, the view was still one of devastation as we exited the freeway.

 Our first view of Henryville itself.

 The high school - full of kids at the time the tornado hit.

 A snapshot of the broad path of the twister as it plowed up a hill after hitting the school.

 A home, and behind it a church, both boarded up. Look at the snapped pine trees on the left.

 Another home, minus its roof.

 Two relatively unscathed homes with a view of the hill behind them.

 The school from another angle.

 A relief vehicle parked at the school.

 Another shot of the hill. Scary.

 Debris from wrecked buildings piled high for pick up.

 The hill.

 And again. (It fascinated me and terrified me at the same time.)

 A neighborhood, mostly gone, was at the top of the hill. Here is a frame and concrete pad along with a forlorn mailbox - all that's left of a building.

 Another neighborhood shot looking down the hill.

 And another. You can see me reflected in the side mirror of the car as I take photos.

 A really good shot of the top of the hill looking back toward town. You can see the wide swath of the damage path.

 Down from the hill and to the side. The contrast of the new, green growth on either side of the dead trees in the damage path is sobering.

 Debris and detritus.

 A final shot of the school as we leave town.

 Damage seen from the interstate. You could clearly see where the tornado crossed the freeway.

 More damage seen from the highway.

Our last shot of damage as we continued toward home.

Pray for the people of Henryville. Healing and recovery is going to take a long, long time.