Counting My Blessings!

November and December are such busy months around here. We finish putting camp to bed, laying in supplies for the winter (it is tough to get hay delivered in the snow), attend the annual WAIC Conference(www.waic.org), and then you add in the holidays, school, and... Well, it's crazy! As if that wasn't enough, I start working for Northstar in November. I have managed the ticketing department there for many years. I just love the excitement, energy, and fun of ski season. But with the work around here, at Northstar, the holidays, and the driving back and forth, I sometimes forget to stop and smell the roses.

So, today, I am taking a moment to remember my favorite part of the day and sharing it with you: After homework time, and dinner time, and bath time, and reading time, and dinner dishes time, and pick up the toys time, when I walk in to each of my daughter's rooms, make sure they're tucked in and look at those beautiful sleeping angels. That's the moment, my very favorite one each and every day!

This moment here:


And this one, too:



Have a great day!

Veteran's Day 2009!

Craig, Ryleigh, Makenna and I headed down to Greenville at 11 am this morning for the Annual Veteran's Day parade. There are so many things I love about living in our small town. Today's parade was just another affirmation of many of those things. I believe the whole town came out for the Parade and Ceremony. The American Legion, the Boy Scouts, Greenville High School's band, the Quincy Elks Lodge, and of course our local Fire Departments were all represented. We sang the National Anthem, said the Pledge of Allegiance, and were able to express our gratitude to the brave men and women who have served and those who currently serve our country. We feel blessed and grateful for their and their families' sacrifices.

We hope you are enjoying this Veteran's Day!

Fall Fun and our Christmas Card Preview!

It has been a very busy Fall here at camp. We hosted several groups, including the AERC National Championship Endurance Ride. There were over 150 riders between the 2 days of the ride. Both the camp and ranch meadow were filled with horse trailers, horses, riders, and their crews! It was a wonderful event, and great exposure for our little town!

Lornie and Sutter have been busy with Greenville High School varsity volleyball. Lornie is coaching and Sutter is a starting setter. The team has had a very successful season and beat arch-rival Quincy last week! Sutter is also knee deep in the college application process. She and Lornie visited University of Oregon a few weeks ago and Sutter loved the campus. So far, the Ducks may be in the lead!

Ryleigh just finished Fall soccer season and is a busy 3rd grader. The rest of the Hoglands are enjoying the quiet of Fall. Craig is madly putting camp to bed now that group season is done, and Becky is starting back with Northstar a few days a week.

Here are a few more shots from our photo shoot this weekend.
Happy Fall!

Kenna loved the apples from the tree!

Our beautiful Sutter Butter!

Reasons why we love Coppercreek
FBI 2009 4th session
Maddie Milligan, Emma Shupper, Jackie Monetta,
Savannah Bocknik, Lizzie Goulder, Kara Fellows, Ella Hormel

1. Someone else does your laundry
2. You get ice cream if your cabin is clean
3. Waking up to music
4. We choose where to go for activities
5. Your cabin is your family and your counselor is your friend
6. You meet people you never knew who happen to live close
7. You’re given chance to leave camp for things like the lake or the fair
8. No one cares what you wear
9. You make friends from anywhere
10. You never get bored
11. No worries. No stress. No pressure
12. You’re friends with people you’d never be friends with at home
13. There’s something here for everyone
14. You can dance like no one’s watching even when people are watching
15. You feel like you’ve been friends for a lifetime, even if it’s only been a few weeks
16. There’s always someone to cheer you on when you think you’re about to give up, whether on high ropes or at boondoggle
17. The food is amazing
18. The counselors love it here as much as we do
19. You hear songs throughout the year that remind you of camp
20. All counselors are different: loud, funny, quiet, crazy, understanding, neat, messy, happy
21. You can wear your PJ’s to breakfast
22. You can learn from anyone-campers or counselors
23. The shirts become collector’s items
24. If you look on a map it’s a tiny little place, but it holds a MILLION MEMORIES

Barn News for Second Session

Wow! I can't believe we have already finished one week of Second Session. The barn has been hopping with lots of girls on "ponies". The jumping arena has full lessons every hour. Amy has been working on bending lines and cloverleaf patterns to crossrails. In our middle arena, girls are working on their posting trot, two point and in a few lessons, their first cross rails with Sarah. Ellie, Princess of the Small Arena, has the girls of Treehouse already trotting up the hill in two point.

Our Barn Rats are very experienced this session and are quite good at keeping the horses moving in and out of lessons. The Rats get the horses out, tacked up, and connected with their rider at the beginning of lessons. At the end of each lesson, the Rats take each horse from the rider and "strip and flip" them as I say. They pull the saddle and bridle, sponge the horse off, fly spray them and then ride bareback back to their pen. That's the fun part!

Amy has taught a "how to longe a horse" lesson during her Specialty group and today she will continue on with bandaging. Sarah has Marissa and Laura working on their Level 4 ribbons for CHA and Ellie took the minis for their first spin this session. As always, Annie, our beautiful draft mare, is happily keeping our vaulters on board and looking forward to the Talent Show next Thursday night.

Pictures of all the riders will be up shortly on our website! Keep a look out!

Monday's Daily Schedule

7:30 MUSIC
7:45 WAKE UP
8:00 BREAKFAST
8:30 CABIN CLEAN-UP
9:00 CAMPFIRE
9:15 HORSES: LORNIE, Kate, Amy, Sarah, Ellie, Taehli, Molly, Lia
Nathan, Curtis, Chance, Kyle, Ryleigh, Taylor K,Claire
2-HOUR MOUNTAIN BIKE RIDE: JORGE, Ryan
KAYAKING AT THE POOL: ADELAIDE, Karol, & Sarah F
CLIMBING WALL: Emily, Sophia,
RIFLERY: James, AJ
SMALL ANIMALS: Cindy
ARTS & CRAFTS: Ali, Chloe
SOCCER: Emma, Gina
NAMEBALL: Kevin, Monika

10:15 HORSES: The horse staff and Horses
Teal, Agnes, Grace, Michael S, Jennifer, Gretel, Cassidy, Laura,
Carly
MOUNTAIN BIKING CONTINUES
KAYAKING CONTINUES: ADELAIDE, Karol & Sarah F
CLIMBING WALL CONTINUES: Emily, Sophia, Taylor
WEIGHTS: AJ, Chloe
LACROSSE: Ali
ARCHERY: Cindy, Kevin
ARTS AND CRAFTS: Emma
ROLL CHECK: Monika, Gina
11:15 HORSES: The horse staff, including the JC helper
Andrea, Brianna, Salome, Taylor W, Mackenzie, Emily
Kayla, Mollie, Marissa, Gabby, Emma
KAYAKING CONTINUES: ADELAIDE, Karol, Sarah F
MOUNTAIN BIKING (ONE HOUR RIDE): JORGE, Sophia
BMX: Cindy, Emma
SLING SHOTS: James, Monika
ARTS AND CRAFTS: Ali, Chloe
CLIMBING WALL: Emily, Kevin, Taylor hangs out to help, too!
KICK BALL IN THE MEADOW: Gina, AJ
12:15 TABLESETTERS
12:30 LUNCH
1:00 REST HOUR
AFTERNOON LAKE: Lindsay, Ryan (Expedition or Buick)
Alcatraz!
1:30 LIFEGUARD FOR SWIM CHECKOUTS: Lucy
CITS & JCs to Pool go to pool for swim check outs
1:40 FBI, Alcatraz to Pool
1:50 Swamp, Treehouse to pool
2:00 Hotel Cali, Times Square
2:10 Club Med , Oasis, Graceland to pool
2:20 Battleship, Phules to pool
2:30 POOL: LUCY, Emma
CABIN AREA SUPERVISION: Karol
ARTS AND CRAFTS: Ali
CLAY: Sophia, Taehli
DECK FUN: James, Chloe, Molly
3:00 OPEN HOUSE SPECIALTY GROUP: LORNIE, Kate, Amy, Sarah, Ellie
CHA, SADDLECLUB, VAULTING, MINIS! Come Check It Out!
POOL: EMMA, Kevin
ART: Adelaide
CABIN AREA: James
FISHING AT THE POND: Cindy
BASKETBALL: Karol
DECK FUN: AJ, Sarah
CLAY: Emily, Lia
Roll: Taehli, Molly
4:00 RIDING EVALUATIONS: Riding Staff
Caitlin H, Jaycze, Alexandria, Dani, Chloe R, Ellen D, Evie,
Alexandra B
POOL: KEVIN, Ali
CLAY: Emily, Lia
CABIN AREA: Sophia
RIFLERY: Jorge, AJ
DRAMA: James
GOLF: Roger
SMALL ANIMALS: Adelaide
SWING DANCE: Cindy, Taylor
DECK FUN: Monika, Gina, Sarah
Mail Sorting and Delivery: Chloe, Sarah
5:00 FAMILY HOUR
Package Duty: Monika, Gina
5:45 TABLESETTERS
6:00 DINNER

7:00 EVENING ACTIVITIES
TEEN SOCIAL AT LYNNE”S POND: Steve, Lucy, Lindsay
CITs & JCs
CANOEING: Roger, Emma, Karol
FISHING AT ROUND VALLEY: Cindy, Ali
MOUNTAIN BIKING: Jorge, James
SOCCER: Sophia, Kevin, Ryan
CHARADES: Emily
9:00 CABINS
9:30 LIGHTS OUT

Barn News

Another lovely day at the barn. The campers are settling into lessons and the horses are taking care of business. A few notable moments- Chloe, Daniela, Emma G., Marissa, Laura, Carly, Gabby and Jayne all began canter work. The small arena campers reviewed their information from yesterday and will learn their two point position so they can begin trotting in a couple of days. The middle arena lessons focused on perfecting their position at the trot and in two point. The sounds of "heels down", "outside rein will straighten the horse's shoulder", "easy on Tulip's mouth", "thumbs up", "Hank loves pets!" rang out all morning while the Barn Rats kept the barn running by tacking up, cleaning the corral and doing barn chores.

Very exciting stuff!

Our first specialty groups met today. Ellie and the Saddle Club girls; Emma G., Ryleigh, Teal, Salome, and Grace, drew all over Phinney learning the parts of the horse. They finished with giving her a bath and making her pretty, white coat shine. Sarah took the mini drivers out for some ground driving lessons with Jiggy and Beauty. The campers who took part were Evie, Cassidy, Daniela, Chloe, Ellen, and Kyle.

Wow! It is already 10:00 pm and I still need to go close the alley gates, the barn door and check on the horses. Good night!