Yesterday Dad and I worked at the farm sale getting the last of the pictures done. It was hot and sticky! Dad and I both got sunburned. What a change today!! It's cool and rainy. Seth had an appointment with the foot doctor and he and Dad both had eye doctor appointments so they are in Caro right now. I was working on a new quilting project...I had planned on doing some stuff outside but it looks like that won't be happening now! Levi is chopping wood...I think, Mom is working on some stuff for the auction and Lydia is...playing! I'll probably be going to the auction hall with Dad later today after he gets home.
Last night, after we got home from Lennon, I took Smoke for a ride. It was getting dark and she was being stubborn...but we got a fun, fast ride in before it got too late. I'm getting her a new bitless bridle....I rode her primarily in the rope halter last night and she did much better than with the bridle. She is very light and sensitive and she does not like the bit at all...so I'm hoping this bitless setup will be much more to her liking. We did some good circles...she's a lot of fun.
I'm hoping to get a video of her doing this stuff soon...then I'll post in on the website.
I haven't been doing much with the third book...I think I'm on page 40...or around there somewhere!! It's the beginning of Chapter Six: The Storm.
I'm working on getting an illustrator for the first two....then I'll need to get them edited and choose a publisher. I'm hoping to have both published by this time next year...if not sooner.
Well, I'd better get back to work on my quilt....its a gift for someone and I have less than a month to finish it.
Enjoy your summer!
Lauren

It has finally gotten cool after a very warm streak.....aaahhh! Its been in the 70's and rainy. Much better riding weather!
I just got a pair of spurs...rosebud spurs. Lately, Smoke has been getting lazy in riding. She wouldn't back up with energy, she was responding slowly to my cues and so on. Yesterday was the first time I rode her with spurs.....wow! Immediate results! After touching her with the spur the first time...she was a totally different horse!
My theory is that on the ranch she came from, she was probably ridden 90% of the time with spurs...then she comes here and I don't ride her with spurs so she figures we're just playing and she doesn't have to take me seriously. Then come the spurs...oh boy! After that, she was  a yes ma'am horse all the way! She spun faster, backed up as fast a ever, and joy of joys....I got her to sidepass!!! I had never been able to get her to do it....I needed the pinpoint pressure of the spur to get her to remember because it had been a long time since she'd done it. And surprisingly, the spurs actually made her respond better to my reins and my voice cues.
When I finished my ride and was taking her back across the road, I rode her bareback with a halter. As we neared the road, I got ready to stop her. I'm used to having to pull pretty hard to stop her with a halter so I did. She shot backward so fast I nearly fell off! Then she was dancing around and started to sidepass on her own. We got a cross the rode and I sidepassed with just my feet.....wow! We're really getting somewhere now!
The next few weeks are going to be busy getting our regular auction ready as well as the onsite farm sale we're doing in Lennon. It's right down the road from  The Wire Horse tack store....I've already been there once!!
Time for lunch!!
Lauren

Today I finally got the courage to canter Smoke bareback. I wasn't completely totally bareback....I was using a bareback saddle that has stirrups but it is a lot more unsteady than a real saddle. I trotted her for awhile, trying to concentrate on not hanging on and keeping my feet out of the stirrups. Then I loped her! It was so thrilling! You can feel the horse so much better than when you're using a saddle...and they're nice and warm if it's winter! Anyway, As we were loping, I was able to not support myself with the stirrups and hang on with my knees and not hang on with my hand....just loping! It was so amazing! And she was such a good girl. Before I rode her I did the round penning. I'd the initial exercise with her about a month and a half ago but I hadn't done it again since. She did very well for not having done it in so long. She turned in and when I stopped her, she followed me all over. I think Charlie was a little put out that I didn't take him out...maybe later tonight after it cools down. It's too hot right now. Poor Smoke was all sweaty after just 20 minutes of work. She's getting fat so I'm going to have to concentrate on getting her in shape before fall.
Today Levi has a friend, Johnny, over for the day. They went for a swim in the pond and came back starving!
There are supposed to be tornado like storms later this afternoon and hurricane like winds. The wind is already picking up. Hopefully it doesn't get too bad. Dad and Mom have a funeral to go to later this afternoon and I'm supposed to babysit the kids. It'll be a busy afternoon!
Mom has updated her website so all the animals are on there and tons of pictures. This is the link: http://edenglenfarm.weebly.com/index.html
I'm on page 39 in my third book....this one is going faster than I thought it would. I should be done with it by the end of the year and hopefully by next year I'll have the first two published.
Well, I'd better get to work on it if I expect to get it finished!
Mom was just showing me on the computer about high winds closing the Mackinaw Bridge....a semi truck almost went over the edge...it was being held up by the guide wires!! Pretty nerve wracking!
Lauren

The pictures of me and Dad at the Lake Michigan were on his phone and I had no idea how to get them to my computer!!! Then my ingenious father....suggested emailing them to myself from the phone! Tada!! So here they are...with a few others!
I have now finished the second draft of my second book...yippee!
And I'm on page 37 in the third book. The story is great!
Smoke is really mad at me...I haven't had time or energy to go riding lately and she is full of spirit!! The other day when I did get a chance to ride her....we ran around a 25 acre field 3 times before she would settle down and canter nicely. It was nice to have her go slow for a change!!
As we were riding, I saw a movement in the grass and there were 3 little killdeer chicks! I got off and got a closer look. They were absolutely adorable!!! They were creamy white with brown and stripes and a fantastically long beak. The mother bird was having a fit trying to get me away from them. Smokey was totally bored with the whole process....I tried to show them to her but she wasn't interested!!!
I am going to try to get some videos up of the horses...maybe yet tonight. Then you'll be able to see some action!!
Okay, gotta work on those videos!!
Lauren

Okay, I'm finally getting around to posting the pictures of Lena and Uncle Ben's visit...we've been working at the auction hall non stop and today I had some time!!
Yesterday we had shoes put on Smoke and Lena, just fronts. Smoke needed them to support the crack in her right foot and Lena is pigeon toed, so she needed shoes to help support that. Now I'll be able to run Smoke on the road and on the gravel...yea!!!
Today I finished the first editing of the second book....it's still got a lot of work to go but very pleased with how it's turning out. The kids are heading out to go swimming...and Dad wants some lunch!!
Lauren

Lena has joined the family!!! A week ago Saturday, Mom, me, Lydia and Levi went to look at a horse on the other side of the state. She was an 18 year old Qrt Horse mare. She was working at a riding stable but the other horses were beating her up. She was covered in cuts and scrapes. Jan, the lady that owned her said she just needed to be in a family home with a few horses. We spent nearly an hour riding her and she was sweet as can be. Lydia rode her with no problem and I rode her bareback with a halter and lead rope. She really was a sweet girl. So last Saturday, Dad and I went alone to pick her up. Jan had her in a pen by herself...Lena had lost a lot more weight than when we had seen her. She is home now and alone in her own pasture. She seems very happy that way. Eventually we'll turn her out with the others, but we wanted her to settle in first. Lydia, Levi and I rode her in the pasture today and she did great. She needs a lot of tlc but I'm sure will bring her around. I don't have any pictures of her yet, but hopefully soon.
   After we picked her up, Dad realized we were only 20 minutes from Lake Michigan. I had never been there, so he took me. We walked down a whole flight of stairs to the beach and dipped our toes into the cool water. Such a treat!! Pictures coming soon of that too.
  My dad's brother and his family were staying at my grandparents across the road for the weekend. We had so much fun with the five cousins!! Carina, Evan, Kadean, Moriah and Quintin. We hadn't met Quintin before, he's 15 months now and sooooo cute!!! We had a blast do horse rides, fireworks, tractor rides, s'mores and lots more!!! Mom took lots of pictures and videos as usual...I just have to get them off the computer and (yawn) I'm too lazy to do it right now!!! Anyway, I'll get a bunch of pictures up soon!!
  I'm on page 35-36...I can't remember which...in the third book....the story is getting exciting!!!!
  I don't know how much I'll post this week....I'll be working at the auction hall every day....we're picturing right now.
Hope everyone is enjoying our lovely summer!!
Lauren