Tuesday July 27th, 2010

Dearest Session Three Kiddos and Parents,

I am still sooooo sad not to have been able to say good bye to you all and to be with you for everything from swimming with the horses, to the Candlelight, to the Parents’ Exhibition. Camp is soooo much my favorite time of the year that I hate to miss any of it…especially the show and all the fun night time activities. Please know that if I could have been with you, I would have been.

I try not to focus on my asthma, but it is a major piece of my life in the last 20 years. What seems so mean is that I am allergic to all the things I most love….animals, hay, horses, dust, dogs and kids straight out of the barn after hugging their pony! Most of the time, I keep it under pretty good control due to lots of medicine. However, there are times when the weather and the circumstances just conspire against me….That week of really humid weather, when they cut the hay across the street from my Cottage, and the lack of rain which produced a lot of dust, to just plain being in the barns and at the lodge, all built up to ‘get me’. I had hoped tha,t if I was ‘good’ and stayed in my asthma free, air filtered house, that I could at least see you for the horse show….Sadly, as you know, even that was not possible. I did get to see all the glorious pictures though…You looked terrific.

Please don’t feel badly for me as my spirits are great….I am not a woman to ‘get down in the dumps’. I know I will get better and be back to enjoy camp with you very soon. I am excited that I am about to go to a world famous asthma doctor in Boston this Thursday….I know he will make me better. He has done it before and he will do it again…so, fear NOT, for you have not seen the last of me yet!

Besides, how can I be sad when I get this writing from one of you during Good Night Circle!!!!???? With words like this circulating around in my head, rest assured I feel better….Thank you, “Spidey” for writing so eloquently. I love you! (PS…She did give me permission to share her words with you!)

“Wake up to the smell of horses in the morning.

Grab my boots, I’m out the door.

I’m gonna hit this farm.

Before I leave, I coat myself with some fly spray and block

‘cause when I leave for the day, I ain’t a’comin’ back till Rest Hour!

I’m talking horse steppin’ on my toes, toes,

Tryin’ on ridin’ clothes,

Flies going up my nose, nose….

Ridin’ all those cutest of ponies

Never lettin’ out those groanies

Sometimes, I’m a little bit STINKY!

Don’t stop, never drop

Ride the ponies to the top

Let’s play, in the hay, every night and every day.

Havin’ fun in the sun, Hope this camp is never done.

Ain’t got a care in the world, but got plenty of friends

Got no worries on my shoulders

I hope this camp never ends.

Now the ponies are lining up ‘cause they hear we got treats

But we are turnin’ ‘em away if they step on our feet.

I’m talkin’ ponies, getting cute, cute

If they’re soar, we give ‘em bute, bute

Shining my own boots, boots.

We ride until we get real soar, soar

Pony Farm, Galore, galore

Pony Farm, Galore, galore

You put up the jump

I don’t knock it down

My heart starts a’ poundin’ when I jump it.

With my reins up

Put your reins, put your reins up!!!!

Isn’t that quite a poem or saga of life at camp. Those words encompass all of what I love about Pony Farm…the freedom, the fun, the energy, the right amount of risk, the safety, the ‘no worries on my shoulders’….I think Spidey did an amazing job!

So, I do hope the rest of your summer slides smoothly, happily and healthfully by. Please know that I am thinking of you with a great big old smile on my face. I loved our time together but only wish I could have been with you more.

Do watch our website as we will be announcing lots of fun family and camp kinds of events coming up this fall and winter. We have big plans for lots of good times….We are just now working on creating a new website…so, stay on the look out for all our news, as there will be plenty of it coming down the pike.

Please do stay in touch and know how much you are loved at Pony Farm. Hurry up and come visit…Better, yet book a family or friend weekend at the lodge. Becky, Kris and I are really trying to increase the off season use of the lodge for birthdays, slumber parties, family reunions, anniversaries or other special occasions. Get a gang of your camp friends together and come ride for the weekend…. Think of us as you start planning for that special family event. We have just the right place to welcome you!

Happy Trails to you that come with all sorts of love and hugs. Thanks again for choosing to spend part of your summer at Pony Farm. We hope we met our promise of making this the best two weeks of your year.

Tons of love and hugs and smiles,
Boo & Oscar & Martin!!!!