Pony rides and taking dominion!

The kids were so happy today!  Ms. Monica let them ride Cherry, her 26 year old Chincoteague pony!  Pony rides were not part of our deal, so this is such an unexpected treat and blessing!  Monica is so patient with the kids, teaching them how to brush the horses and take care of them.  The kids are loving it!

Hannah had a blast!

So excited!



Ashley



Connor told me later that while he was riding Cherry, he was thinking about the
movie we recently watched, Secretariat, and how fast those horses ran. 
He said he had a hard time just holding onto Cherry and she was going slow!  ;-) 
How do the jockeys hang on?

Ashley and Ty

Going around the pasture...

Hannah

Cherry is so calm, the kids can take each other for rides!

This is the largest mailbox I have ever seen! 
It's holding construction plans now, books later...

Lots of liriope (a vigorous groundcover) along here!  
The kids and I have been working hard digging it up and
throwing it in the woods!  My back is not enjoying this! 
We're planning to mulch the fenced in area soon.

*******

Our neighbor came over while the kids were riding Cherry and I asked her about snakes - how many they've seen, etc.  We saw a few last year and haven't seen any yet this spring.  I've been praying that God would just say the word and cast them off our property!  She said they have killed 30-40 in the last 3-4 years.  Yikes.  Not what I wanted to hear!  I know I might offend some people, but if it slithers, it's dead.  My goal is to kill any and all snakes.  I don't care what type they are or whether they are "good" or "bad".  Dead.  I know God made them, but as far as I'm concerned, they are part of the curse from Eden.  They even look like the devil.  So...this property has been uninhabited by humans for 18 months or so and we're taking dominion over the land (or at least trying to).  Shortly after my conversation with the neighbor, I had the opportunity to exercise my convictions!  I turned over a brick in the backyard and behold - there was a 10 inch snake or so (ie, very little!).  It was embarassing.  It is dead, but I need to improve my technique and not scare the neighbors!  ;-)  I will be heading to Lowe's to buy a supply of flat head shovels...one for the front of the house, one for the back, one for the barn, one for the shed...I need to always have one handy...preferably with a really, really long handle...