Happy Halloween!!

Happy Halloween, readers! I hope you all get lots of candy and frights tonight!

I don't think this is what they usually mean when they add the Arabian "Costume" class to the show bill.

The Ugly Turkey

My morning sounded like this:
Jeff: Hey someone's selling a peahen on Craig's List.
Mom: What would you do with a peahen?
Jeff: Breed it to the peacock that's been running around Herb's farm.
Mom: Herb has a peacock?
Jeff: It's not his, it just showed up one day and is living with a flock of wild turkeys on his land.

He made whole thing sound absolutely normal. Mom and I thought it was pretty damn funny that a peacock is living with wild turkeys.

Hurricane Sandy

Just want to tell all my readers on the East Coast to stay safe! The rain has hit here already, but no sign of the strong wind that's promised to come. Be careful everyone!

We are the champions!

You have to sing that title. It's more fun that way. Anyway! Our lesson girl is a STATE CHAMPION!!!!!!!!! We're so immensely proud of her and her pony, Redd! They worked so hard for that ribbon and they deserve it!

States!

The PA 4-H State Horse Show is one of my favorite shows of the year. Even though I've graduated and can no longer compete at it, I still get to go because one of our lesson girls made it this year. It's a great show for kids because it's not just their county, it's kids from all over the state competing against each other. To make it to States is an accomplishment alone. We'll be leaving bright and early tomorrow morning for Harrisburg.

This is Redd, Kerrianne's horse, at States last year.

Interesting Facts

Thanks to UberFacts on Twitter, I learned today that about 56 million years ago, horses the size of ducks roamed North America.

I want one.

Country Humor

We don't have sheep. But we do have a border collie. But she doesn't herd.

Corn mazes aren't just for kids

For my Travel Writing class, we met at a local farm where they sell all kinds of homegrown produce and products. In the fall, there's a ton of activities geared mainly for kids, a box of corn kernels to play in like sand, a pick your own pumpkin patch, and a little corn maze. But the best part was the big corn maze.

I created a new blog!

Hey readers, I made a new blog to help my frustrations as an English major deal with the world. Check it out!

A World Misspelled

A delicious surprise for Wilma

I was driving home today when I passed a pumpkin on the side of the road. It was a big guy, hollowed out with a hole in the side. So naturally, I pulled over on a busy mid-town road and tossed the pumpkin in my trunk.

Despooking your horse

Today was a really windy beautiful day, and it got me thinking that the world is terrifying. At least to horses it is. With the autumn leaves and breezy days here, I found some great tips on how to despook or desensitize your horse.

Grand National & World Championship Morgan Horse Show

We show Morgan horses, and this week in Oklahoma is the biggest show of the year for our breed. It's my goal some day to be able to show at Nationals, because this is where all the big guys compete.

Pumpkin Fun

Again, found this on Facebook courtesy of United States Equestrian Federation.

"Bruno Bohrer and the Trojan Horse he made entirely of pumpkins and gourds on his farm in the German district of Breisgau-Hochschwarzwald."

I love what people will do for art and horses! 

Autumn

It's autumn for sure. The leaves have changed and are falling, the weather can't decide if it wants to be warm or chilly, and the ponies are growing thick, fluffy, winter coats. But just because summer is gone doesn't mean we can't still enjoy time outside or at the barn.

Stinkbugs...attack!

For a few years now we've had a major stink bug infestation problem. But I've only ever seen them like five at a time. Until this week. We had a warm front come through after a week or so of chilly, rainy days and the little suckers came out of the woodwork. They were literally, all over the girl I babysit's house, all around the barn, everywhere. I've never seen so many at once.

Social Media!

Hey readers, Suburban Hoofbeats has a twitter where I tweet the link to every new blog post. Some of you social network savvy readers might find that more useful. It goes by @suburbanhooves if you want to follow!

I also have an Instagram account, which just posts fun pictures. Most of them have to do with the farm, so if you want to follow that, go right ahead. Although, not ALL the pictures will be farm related. ;)

Twitter: @suburbanhooves
Instagram: audreya007

Barbara Ann's Country Shop

Yesterday was my wonderful momma duck's birthday. (That's my mom's nickname, we don't actually have a duck. Yet.) And I wanted to get her a present that she would really like, and not something that would just sit around the house.

Raising piglets

At a day over one week old, the piglets are already twice as big, and twice as cute. They're learning so much also. At first it was how to run, then it was what to chew on, and now one of them has learned how to escape. The world outside the stall door is a much bigger place, and much more interesting.