Woodbine Farm Hunter Jumper III - Chelsea, MI

Woodbine Farm Hunter Jumper II - Chelsea, MI

Fall sports

The summer hiatus is over.

The fall sports season is back. It actually returned last Saturday, but I didn't photograph a game. I photographed my first game of the season yesterday. It was a boys soccer game. My life will now be filled with games and events about three to four times a week.

The fall sports season has events that are earlier in the afternoon. Cross country and tennis matches start around 4:30 p.m. Soccer games start about an hour later at 5:30 p.m. Volleyball and football games have late starts at 7 p.m. When I'm schedule to photograph early events, that means I will either have to cut my run short and/or just skip the Jillian Michaels DVD workout. I don't like cutting a run short or skipping a DVD workout. Sometimes that has to be done to fit everything in before going to a sporting event.

My exercise life becomes a jigsaw puzzle. Somehow I manage to put all of the pieces together.

Woodbine Farm Hunter Jumper I - Chelsea, MI

Show jumping

I grew up on a hog farm. I loved hearing the oinks, watching their tails wag and petting their floppy ears. My sister and I would frequently try to name all of the hogs in the barn. As much as I loved pigs, I loved horses too.

I thought horses were so pretty and I wanted one. I was mad when I found out that long before I was born there was a horse on our farm. My older brother and sisters remember the horse. His name was Gray and they said he was mean. I would always get mad that they got to have a horse and I didn't. The closest I ever got to a horse was at the county fair, my huge collection of horse toys and watching show jumping on TV.

There wouldn't be too much to watch on TV on Saturday afternoons. We didn't have cable or satellite and our TV only had about 8-10 channels. My brothers, sisters and I would end up watching equestrian show jumping on CBC. I loved watching the horses jumping over the barriers. I thought it would be fun to do. When playing with my toy horses, I would have them jumping over something.

My toy horse collection over the years has gotten smaller, but my love of horses hasn't. I have four toys horses on my desk at home. My husband and I have decorative horse figurines and horse wall art adoring our home. And lastly as a 33 year old, I have stuffed toy horse named Clip Clop. Clip Clop travels with me on long road trips.

When I was watching the Olympics last week, I was so excited to see that show jumping was being broadcasted. I forgot that equestrian was even an Olympic sport. I was so happy to see it again on TV. It made me remember how much I loved watching it when I was younger.

I did a search of local stables while poking around on the Internet. I found two close locations that host show jumping events. I will be driving about 30 minutes up the road to watch a show jumping event this weekend. I'm so thrilled that I will be watching in person and taking photographs. It should be a fun time.

Photo Credit: Richard Fellers, of the United States, rides his horse Flexible during the equestrian individual show jumping competition at the 2012 Summer Olympics, August 8, in London. (Associated Press/David Goldman)

Books read in 2012

Harry Potter and the Deathly Hallows, J.K. Rowling
Winter Season: A Dancer's Journal, Toni Bentley
Chasing the Runner's High, Ray Charbonneau
The Perfect Mile, Neal Bascomb
Cleopatra, Stacy Schiff
The Carrie Diaries, Candace Bushnell
Summer in the City, Candace Bushnell
Forgotten, Cat Patrick
Deja Dead, Kathy Reichs
Pretty Little Liars, Sara Shepard
Flawless, Sara Shepard
Perfect, Sara Shepard
Unbelievable, Sara Shepard
Wicked, Sara Shepard
Killer, Sara Shepard
Heartless, Sara Shepard
Wanted, Sara Shepard
Twisted, Sara Shepard
Ruthless, Sara Shepard
Fairy Tale Interrupted, Rosemarie Terenzio
The Help, Kathryn Stockett
Pronto, Elmore Leonard
Riding the Rap, Elmore Leonard
Raylan, Elmore Leonard
The Coffin Quilt, Ann Rinaldi
A Life Without Limits, Chrissie Wellington
Tinker, Tailor, Solider, Spy, John Le Carre
Eat and Run, Scott Jurek
Clearing Hurdles, Dan O'Brien
The Sugarless Plum, Zippora Karz
Girl in Motion: A Novel, Miriam Wenger-Landis
Breaking Pointe, Miriam Wenger-Landis
The Cranes Dance, Meg Howrey

Currently Reading: The Eighty-Dollar Champion, Elizabeth Letts
Up Next: Library trip or Kindle purchase

Fourteen years

John Wayne Clark
April 15, 1942 - August 15, 1998

Fourteen years have gone by since your passing. You are loved and missed Dad.

"Death leaves a heartache difficult to heal; Love leaves sweet memories no one can steal." - Epitaph on tombstone in Ireland, 1889

I will wait for you...

I will wait for you...
Though we never had a chance to say goodbye,
Remember me...
When winter snows are falling through a quiet sky
I'll remember you
When, in our darkest hour,
You held my hand and prayed I wouldn't go,
But a silent voice called out to me;
My time had come, and I had to travel Home...

Since then, I know your life has never been the same,
For I visit you each day:
So many times I've felt your pain:
I've watched you cry:
And I've heard you call my name...

But now, further along life's road I stand
In a timeless world, just beyond your sight,
Waiting for the day when I can take your hand and bring you across
to this land of Golden Light...

Till then, remember me, you understand-and try not to cry.
But if you do:
Let your tears fall
For the happiness and joy we knew,
And for the special love we shared,
For love can never die.

Stephen O'Brien

Eleven

These questions come from Ultimate Stamina blog. I wasn't tagged to answer them, but I always enjoy filling out a blog questionnaire.

1. What is your dream job? Traveling the country photographing my favorite things: graffiti, ballet, cemeteries and show jumping. Or an professional ultra runner.

2. If you could live anywhere, where would it be? Not sure. There are so many places that I enjoy visiting, but can't image living there. As for now, I like living in Michigan.

3. What is your favorite board game? Clue. Miss Scarlett committed the murder with a lead pipe in the ballroom.

4. Favorite pair of shoes? My running shoes: Mizuno Wave Riders. I have been wearing that brand since 2003.

5. Do you salt your food before tasting it? Yes, I salt corn and green beans. Nothing else.

6. What is your favorite wine/beer/ or juice if you don’t imbibe in adult beverages? My favorite non-alcoholic drinks are chocolate milk/2% milk, Fierce Strawberry Gatorade and water.

7. What is your biggest fear? Family members dying before their time.

8. The name of the last book you read? Breaking Pointe by Miriam Wenger-Landis

9. What is the best thing that you can cook? My mom's meatloaf with scallop potatoes.

10. What is your main motivation in following your dreams? Finding out if I can accomplish what I set out to do.

11. What is one food you detest? Most seafood. The only seafood I'll eat is canned tuna.

Graffiti Alley - Ann Arbor, MI

Mackinac Island

Mackinaw City II

Books read in 2012

Harry Potter and the Deathly Hallows, J.K. Rowling
Winter Season: A Dancer's Journal, Toni Bentley
Chasing the Runner's High, Ray Charbonneau
The Perfect Mile, Neal Bascomb
Cleopatra, Stacy Schiff
The Carrie Diaries, Candace Bushnell
Summer in the City, Candace Bushnell
Forgotten, Cat Patrick
Deja Dead, Kathy Reichs
Pretty Little Liars, Sara Shepard
Flawless, Sara Shepard
Perfect, Sara Shepard
Unbelievable, Sara Shepard
Wicked, Sara Shepard
Killer, Sara Shepard
Heartless, Sara Shepard
Wanted, Sara Shepard
Twisted, Sara Shepard
Ruthless, Sara Shepard
Fairy Tale Interrupted, Rosemarie Terenzio
The Help, Kathryn Stockett
Pronto, Elmore Leonard
Riding the Rap, Elmore Leonard
Raylan, Elmore Leonard
The Coffin Quilt, Ann Rinaldi
A Life Without Limits, Chrissie Wellington
Tinker, Tailor, Solider, Spy, John Le Carre
Eat and Run, Scott Jurek
Clearing Hurdles, Dan O'Brien
The Sugarless Plum, Zippora Karz
Girl in Motion: A Novel, Miriam Wenger-Landis
Breaking Pointe, Miriam Wenger-Landis

Currently Reading: The Cranes Dance, Meg Howrey
Up Next: Library trip or Kindle purchase

Mackinaw City I

Up North

It is back to reality today.

My husband and I took a short, but much needed break over the weekend. We traveled up to Mackinaw City and Mackinac Island, Michigan over the weekend. The last two times we vacationed up there, we actually stayed on the island. Not this year. We stayed in a hotel right on the shore of Lake Michigan. Before leaving on the trip, we checked for rooms online. No rooms were available in the hotels on Mackinac Island. While we were walking around on the island, we did see some vacancies at some a couple of bed & breakfast.

While in Mackinaw City we visited a couple of the lighthouses: Old Mackinac Point Lighthouse and McGulpin Point Lighthouse Museum. Besides the lighthouses, we mainly took it easy and relaxed by the pool or sat on the beach behind our hotel on Lake Huron. Usually on our trips we are constantly going and doing something. It was nice for once to really not have any plans.

We visited the island on Saturday and it was crowded with so many people. While in the visitor's center, I overheard a worker say to another person that this past week is always the busiest on the island. They don't know why. There are no special events planned on the island. The first week of August is always attracts the most visitors.

While on the island we visited Arch Rock, walked to the Grand Hotel, walked on the Lake Huron shore and visited shops. We were on the island for six hours and probably walked a total of 3 miles.

Mackinaw City and Mackinac Island are always fun to go back to. If you want to visit somewhere that offers historical sites, lighthouses, boat rides, food and shops then this is your place. It is a beautiful location for summer travel.

Mackinaw City & Mackinac Island

Woodlawn Cemetery II - Toledo, Ohio

Books read in 2012

Harry Potter and the Deathly Hallows, J.K. Rowling
Winter Season: A Dancer's Journal, Toni Bentley
Chasing the Runner's High, Ray Charbonneau
The Perfect Mile, Neal Bascomb
Cleopatra, Stacy Schiff
The Carrie Diaries, Candace Bushnell
Summer in the City, Candace Bushnell
Forgotten, Cat Patrick
Deja Dead, Kathy Reichs
Pretty Little Liars, Sara Shepard
Flawless, Sara Shepard
Perfect, Sara Shepard
Unbelievable, Sara Shepard
Wicked, Sara Shepard
Killer, Sara Shepard
Heartless, Sara Shepard
Wanted, Sara Shepard
Twisted, Sara Shepard
Ruthless, Sara Shepard
Fairy Tale Interrupted, Rosemarie Terenzio
The Help, Kathryn Stockett
Pronto, Elmore Leonard
Riding the Rap, Elmore Leonard
Raylan, Elmore Leonard
The Coffin Quilt, Ann Rinaldi
A Life Without Limits, Chrissie Wellington
Tinker, Tailor, Solider, Spy, John Le Carre
Eat and Run, Scott Jurek
Clearing Hurdles, Dan O'Brien
The Sugarless Plum, Zippora Karz
Girl in Motion: A Novel, Miriam Wenger-Landis

Currently Reading: Breaking Pointe, Miriam Wenger-Landis
Up Next: Library trip or Kindle purchase