Do you purchase these kitchen wall calendars anymore? Do you remember when they used to be made of linen, now made of cotton. I still like them. Do you?
Thursday Thoughts #204
Brought Over
I am a docent at the oldest home in Winchester, VA, Abram’s Delight Museum. It is a beautifully built limestone home constructed in 1754. Please come take a tour should you be in our town. To step back in time and walk through this lovely, well-built home gives visitors a true glimpse and feel for the arduous life of our frontier folk who fought hardships we have never seen the likes of. It is very nearly embarrassing the lack of knowledge and know-how we no longer possess.
As a docent, it is surprising how little of our own country’s history people know. I have heard some astonishing statements in regards to historical fact.
One of the most astounding is that Native Americans taught the white man how to ride horses!
Obviously whoever made that silly statement does not know history.
Here is the truth: Horses were not indigenous to America.
I know there is “new” evidence of horses being here, oh around 20 million years ago and then became “extinct” 11 million years ago.” Really? Who was ever around to record that “history?”
For years all school children knew this fact because they read Misty of Chincoteague. They knew horses were brought over by the Spanish explorers.
Even if this far-fetched idea was reality, American Indians, never saw or used horses before Spanish explorers brought them over. In fact, they used dogs. They fashioned a travois (as the French called them) for dogs. Dogs did the work for them.
The Indians quickly learned the immense value of the horse. Stealing horses was very common in our country back then. Do you know horse thieves could be hanged for stealing them? So valuable were they to mankind.
There are many beneficial things the Indians taught the white man, but nothing to do with horses. Mankind truly owes more to the horse than horse to mankind. Thank God for the horse.
History, accurate and true history, is important. Nothing beats visiting real historic places and reading good history books.
Look back at our struggle for freedom,
Trace our present day strength to its source,
And you’ll find that man’s pathway to glory,
Is strewn with the bones of a horse.
——–Unknown
Thursday Thoughts #203
We enjoy afternoon coffee. Do you?
Thursday Thoughts #202
Our God is Amazing! Wouldn’t you say? Glory!
A Small Herding Dog
Do you know any of the small herding dogs? There are several breeds, and we have one of them, Pembroke Corgis. Affectionally know to many older folk as “the Queens dogs.”
As well they should be. It was because of Queen Elizabeth II that the Corgi officially became a registered dog. Someone wisely decided the Queen should have registered dogs, after all she bred them all her life, and she was the Queen of England!
I must like herding dogs too (of mostly mixed breed) as I have had several over my lifetime. They are energetic, active dogs—most certainly not lap dogs.
For the first time we now have purebred ones, the Pembroke Corgi. HoneyPie is five years old, Buster is three.
They came from breeders in south-west, Virginia. We waited a couple years before getting Buster because we still had our good, old mixed-breed herding dog, Dandy.
We purchased Buster two years later. Bill wanted a tri-colored, HoneyPie. I wanted a gold and white one, so we got Buster.
I have always admired the herding dogs ability with livestock. Sheep trials are thrilling to watch the way those well-trained dogs and owners work sheep together.
It interested me to train our dogs to herd. With only articles off internet I worked at training mostly HoneyPie. We do not have sheep. We have chickens. The articles I studied said it helps to have the flock (in my case) know where they were to go. This was very helpful because at dusk chicken head to the henhouse.
She learned as well, I suppose, as any greenhorn could teach her. We have had fun. She will do right nice with the cattle as well.
Having a second dog made for more difficulty with training two dogs. Buster is exuberant, but not as well disciplined. That is my fault.
They enjoy bringing the horses in, though they would never win any herding competition.
Really, they are far from being a good herding dog, but we have enjoyed learning and trying.
Have you ever gone to sheep dog trials?
Thursday Thoughts #201
Sometimes it is hard to “ask”, do you think? It is not hard for Duke—he always gets a treat when he asks!
Meet Napoleon
We have a new addition to our farm. His name is Napoleon. This name given to him by his previous owner.
We like the name. It seems to fit this little fella very well. Good thing he is not a fit travel companion, otherwise he would now be on the PCT (Pacific Coast Trail) with our son, Gordon, who likes him very much. I believe if he could have figured out how to take Napoleon he would have.
I can see him right now riding on Gordon’s shoulder! Since he was not able to join Gordon, Napoleon sent him good wishes for hiking.
He earned the name Napoleon, because, well, he is tiny! He is a Bantam rooster. His previous owner did not want another rooster. Neither did we, but she gave him to us anyway. Such is the way with daughters that think we need more chickens!
In spite of ourselves we like him. He is so little. When he crows he sounds like a wind-up toy! He is also quite friendly. The hens do not seem to have any opinion of him. He is still a baby and has a bit more growing to do.
We get a kick at how his tail goes straight up. Like a sail. He is fun to watch.
He has settled nicely into life here at the farm. He will be here when Gordon returns from his hike.
Thursday Thoughts #200
What does your heart reveal about you? Tough question wouldnt you say?
Oops! I’m a day late!
The Bicentennial Wagon Train Pilgrimage to Pennsylvania
It happened 50 years ago this summer. Do you remember? Did you see any of the five wagon trains that retraced their trails from West to East to Valley Forge, PA to celebrate our Bicentennial?
An article in Western Horseman magazine about the Wagon Train sparked the interest of our adventurous mother. She planned running the caverns without us around our summer help. She wanted Chipley, myself and two fellas that worked at the caverns, Kent and Jeff, to join us for this month long adventure.
We four teenagers loved horses and a month off from summer work sounded great. Especially a month of seeing the country on horseback and being a part of this unique countrywide Bicentennial celebration.
She invited the Southern Train to camp on our property, Endless Caverns in New Market, VA. They arrived on June 10, 1976. Colonel Toby was the Wagon Master.
What a day it was! None of us had ever seen so many wagons, teams of horses and outriders. It was spectacular!
They camped one night. I remember as the host for the night we were to have a bit of entertainment. Mom wrote a little play about John Sevier. Not a Broadway show, but fun just the same as all pitched in.
Early next morning was heard our Wagon Master Colonel Toby call out loudly, ” Wagons Ho!”
When the sounds of hooves, harnesses, wagon wheels and men telling their teams to “Git up!” began to fill the air.
There we joined in the ride and an adventure of a lifetime.
We have our strong, adventurous mother to thank for this remarkable ride. Mounted on her Saddlebred, Snip, she was the force behind we four teenagers to make it the entire 370 miles to PA. Her strength and determination carried us to the end of the trail.
Riders were invited to ride for as long as they wanted. Some rode for a day, or several days. We rode to the end—Valley Forge, PA. Arriving July 3, 1976.
Truly the ride of a lifetime. Thank you, Mom.
P.S. This was not the only adventure our mother went on. She and Carl canoed 1,000 miles on the Mackenzie River and the next year 1,400 miles on the Yukon River in the Northwest Territories of Alaska. Life was and is a great adventure.
Thursday Thoughts #199
Scripture says work is good. The world says work is a dirty four-letter word. What say you?
I sleep sweeter after a long days work. Do you?
one_local_gal 