Bloom Where You're Planted Farm

The horses are really shedding their winter coats now.  Our nearly one-year-old Dash has some of the softest, fluffiest fur I've ever felt on her neck.  And look, she's becoming such a young lady, with a long mane and everything!

 I'm usually happy when the shedding is done and everyone is looking glossy and shiny.  This year, I think I may be a little sad...

What a difference a year makes!  One year ago today, the 120-year-old Center Hill-District 94/105 schoolhouse made the move to our farm from the Cass County fairgrounds. 

We started out at around 9 a.m. when the schoolhouse, on the back of a semi,  first pulled out onto a narrow two-lane highway.  Several trucks from the house moving company and our local power company, OPPD, made the journey with us.  The move itself took around two hours, with another couple of hours spent shimmying the building into place and setting it onto wood block towers where it would await its new foundation. 

Terry and I experienced every emotion possible that day.  We were excited and relieved that moving day was finally here after months of planning.  We were worried, stressed, scared...  Would the windows break? How much work would the power company have to do (and how much would that cost us?) How long would it take?  Would the road be too narrow?  Would the bridges along the country roads be wide enough?...  The questions were endless.  When the moving crews finally pulled out of our driveway we were happy, relieved (again) and tired!

A full summer of work followed the move.  There was a foundation to build, and then the movers had to come back and slide the building onto the foundation.  There were many exterior renovations, including removing the white vinyl siding to reveal the original wood underneath.  That wood needed to be repaired and repainted, as did all the trim.  We replaced the roof, added new doors, replaced the original transom window, had a septic tank installed, built steps and a ramp, and landscaped around the building.  Inside we added a handicap-accessible restroom, repaired holes in the wall, painted, refurbished the original light fixtures, and hired a plumber and electrician. 

It was around 11:00 p.m. the night before opening day when we finally finished everything up!  This spring and summer we plan to renovate the original coat room into a concession kitchen, add ceiling fans and exterior lighting, and would like to build a bell tower if there is time.  

Here are some photos of the move and the schoolhouse before and after renovations: 

 At the fairgrounds

 We just hit the road and are already holding up traffic!

All done!

We had a happy Easter here at the farm and hope you all did, too.  Terry and I hosted sixteen members of the family (my side) for Easter dinner, the first time we've had a big indoor gathering like that since moving here over six years ago.  It was cozy, but we all fit.  I made rolls from scratch, another first for me.  They were a success and I kind of enjoyed it.  I like baking when there are other people to help consume the calories!

We have three little girls on that side of the family.  My cousin Kris has two daughters, Tenley and Whitley, and we have one niece, Grace, who recently turned two. 

The girls' dads hid eggs after dinner, and we all headed outside to watch the fun unfold. 

Tenley spots an egg but can't quite figure out how to get it...

 Dad to the rescue!

The Three Musketeers after a successful hunt 

Abbie and Sachi wanted in on the Easter action

We were a little worried about rain in the forecast, but the few sprinkles we had held off until evening.  All in all it was a fun but tiring day.  Hope you all had a special day filled with family and friends!

We often see two or three deer crossing our driveway as they head from one field to another.  Usually it is just before the last light is gone from the west and all we can see are their silhouettes as they go by.  Saturday evening they came earlier when there was still enough light to observe them better, and I sat and watched them for around 20 minutes.  At first we counted six in and around the yard.  One doe was braver than the rest and came within 25 feet of the house.  She got scared by our cat on the porch and ran away.  The others stuck closer to the tree line and we could see two lying down, one of which was looked smaller and younger than the rest.

Eventually they moved on, and as we watched them head south we saw that there weren't six, but eleven in all.  What a great way to end the day!

Terry and I went to a really neat event this past Saturday.  "Blue Jeans & Dreams" was a benefit for the Heartland Equine Theraputic Riding Academy (HETRA) and was held at Five Star Stables near Bennington, NE.  Here's a little bit about HETRA, taken from their website: 

   "Heartland Equine Therapeutic Riding Academy was started in 1989 by Steve and Janet Henthorn of Omaha, Nebraska. The program started with one student, one horse and three volunteers. We have grown significantly over the last 16 years, we now have 13 wonderful therapy horses, 13 NARHA certified instructors, and over 90 students. We also offer services in Therapeutic Riding, Hippotherapy and Therapeutic Carriage Driving. HETRA is a non-profit 501c3 organization, and was the first NARHA Premier Accredited Therapeutic Riding center in Nebraska!

HETRA serves a variety of clients including Children and adults with disabilities such as cerebral palsy, spina bifida, muscular dystrophy, cystic fibrosis, brain tumors, head injuries, blindness, autism, and strokes. Last year HETRA served 90 riders (both children and adults) per week and our goal is to continue to expand the program this year. Also, in 2008 we completed 2841 individual student sessions and volunteers donated 12,576 hours.

Our students benefit from therapeutic riding in a variety of ways. The rhythmic motion of the horse at the walk helps to relax tight spastic muscles. Sitting on the horse encourages students to hold themselves up which strengthens neck and trunk muscles. Riding also stretches hip and thigh muscles, and improves balance. Interaction with the instructor helps students follow directions, extend their attention span and work on concepts such as right and left. Interaction with the horse allows the students to develop a bond with the animal that improves self-esteem and builds confidence. Each student rides for approximately 30 minutes one time per week, and most students are assisted by a leader and two sidewalkers throughout their session. Two of our instructors are Occupational Therapists who monitor the students progress throughout their participation in the program."

The benefit was a lot of fun.  Dinner was catered by Skeeter Barnes Barbeque.  Following dinner we watched a demonstration by Mark Lyon and his mustang Christian, winners of the 2008 Extreme Mustang Makeover.  Christian is an amazing horse who just a year ago was untouched by humans.  Mark, who is from Elkhorn, NE, had just 90 days over the summer to train Christian, and they ended up winning the whole competition.  To learn more about the competition and Mark's win visit www.extrememustangmakeover.com.

One of the tricks that helped win the Extreme Mustang Makeover competition

Later, some of the HETRA riding students demonstrated some of the therapy they do from horseback.  This is Kelly riding Skippy who was chosen by the students as "Horse of the Year." 

  After the demonstrations there was a live auction, silent auction, and dance.  We were told that 665 people had registered for the event--the place was packed!  To learn more about HETRA, please visit their website www.hetra.org.