In which our "holiday card" is sent out just a couple of days late

You know those annoying "Holiday Cards" that folks send out, listing their unbelievable achievements in the past year?

This post is my annual substitute for that.  Hopefully, it's not completely annoying.

(Typically, I'm sending it out after most folks consider that the holidays are over.)

January 2011 brought the biggest change yet to the farm:
Barn-Roof-Raising party looks a lot like Whack-a-Mole
 a barn roof!
barn frame with roof, January 2011

Working on the barn took most of our time in the winter, but it finally got finished.  Hooray! 
Jim makes walls, despite the weather
assembling the gutters
barn!  Complete with horse and lights!

We met up with bloggers this year, too. 
lytha from the HorseCrazyAmerican blog, visiting from Germany!
L-to-R: Monica from Horsebytes, me, and Laurie from Evensong
We hung out with friends (mostly horse folks)
PNER Convention, Portland OR 2011
Duana on Hana

Sky with Cricket

Standardbreds and their riders!


and, I went riding.
riding, January 2011
riding, February 2011.  Bah.

blue skies over Home on the Range, March 2011

riding, April 2011.
Mt. Adams Endurance Ride, May 2011

Renegade Rendezvous Endurance Ride, June 2011
riding, July 2011

with"I'm a Pocket Picker" at the
Standardbred Game Day in Canada, August, 2011

In September, our weather changed suddenly from summer
Sky and Cricket, the day before the Bare Bones Endurance Ride
to winter.
Bare Bones Endurance Ride, September 2011
but I kept riding.
riding, October 2011

riding, November 2011
We did some practical farm-stuff this year, like put in the garden and deploy a new Chicken Tractor.
the Tiny White Van

We took a little time off to visit the water slides.
Lisa always screams right before she hits the water

In August, we acquired a new "family member"

Pickles Marie Tinydog's first day on the Farm

We celebrated some holidays.



I wrote Endurance 101 stuff for NaNoWriMo
Endurance: crazy is okay, dummy isn't

and then, I went riding.
riding, December 2011

It's a good life. 

Thanks for hanging out for a whole year of it!

Comments

  1. Thank you for the photos Aarene. They were fun, not annoying at all (though I know what you mean about those annoying/boring holiday cards). I love all your "Fiddle's ears" photos. The ones I have of my own horse's ears looking out at various things are some of my favorite photos, and I really enjoy everybody else's, too. Here's to many fun rides in the coming year.

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  2. That was nice. I remember your posts about the Standardbred game day - that was awesome!

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  3. Hey, I resemble that remark. I'm one of those annoying people.

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  4. I love it! Definitely one of the best "cards" I have seen! :-)

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  5. I was beginning to wonder where December was, 'cause I KNEW you went riding...then it popped up.

    Isn't having a efficient barn a wonderful thing? I often say to Hubby Al, as I walk in the house after chores, "Thank you for my barn!" just 'cause we have more time and money and blood, sweat and tears invested in the farm than he ever would have wished for! But he wants me to be happy...

    btw, I once sent out holiday cards with the three kings on them, the first week of January, and called them "Epiphany Cards"--so you're not too late for the holidays. Just sayin'.

    wv= "shose" --> "Wellll, shose are nish pitchers. Now pour me another rum and whatever."

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  6. I've enjoyed following your blog for this past year, and look forward to reading it in 2012. Happy New Year - and here's to many more horse ear photos!

    wv: helfo: a greeting used when you've just taken a big bite of peanut butter sandwich.

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  7. Great idea Aarene! To "highlight" the year in photos! I do know that last New Years Day was just a BLAST for us! So much fun to have a "working" holiday & great meal with friends! (Too bad we've lost one... guess I was the last to know...)

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  8. Looks like you had a fun and exciting year.

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  9. Awesome post!!!!! I was thinking about doing something similar on my blog.

    BTW - I managed to ring in the new years with a trail ride. A local endurance vet that I really respect offered to take me out on one of his horses. Had a blast, saw some new trail, and totally stoked about 2012.

    I love the horse ear pictures. Must take more of those....

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  10. Loved the post! I ask all of my blogging buddies to please, please, please share photos of what their horsey life is like (or Foreign life is like as I love reading those, too!). The reason I blog is share and connect with other horse crazy people. I love to read about vet stuff, endurance stuff, dressage stuff, eventing stuff, or just barn life somewhere else. More please!

    Karen

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  11. I still love your barn! Thinking about doing something similar, only on a larger scale as I have 5 horses.

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  12. Just thought of something! We (those of us who participated in some small way :-) should have all signed a "plaque" to be hung on the barn!

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