Slight Detour: Fun Moments in the Neighborhood

A hint of fall on this holiday, signaling the end of most summer activities. Our maple tree in the front yard has begun the color change.

Pets of the Lovestead on a mission: Kea and Festus.

A fish out of water and a lone petunia. No fishy smell here.

Some pansies are bouncing back after their move to the deck, hopefully out of range from deer teeth. Yesterday afternoon Bill watched a momma and her twin fawns start in on the plum tree next to the garden. Now, that's a first, like so many other firsts for deer diets this year.

Pretty little lone pansy hiding under the leaves.

Traveling jumpers: I think there were about 12 horses in these two trailers. I kinda knew they were coming late yesterday afternoon.

They were headed to my neighbor Roxane's where the horses would stay for the night at the halfway point between their home in Oregon and a show jumping event in Calgary.

Jet (the groom) Chris and Shelley: part of the Rich Fellers Stables LLC team from Wilsonville, Oregon.

Chris celebrated his birthday Saturday. When I wished him a Happy Birthday on Facebook, he said he would be in our neck of the woods. I was surprised to learn it would be yesterday. He said they'd be rolling by our place sometime after 5.

Here's the story of Chris. It was a chance meeting, as many of my meetings with interesting people happen to be.

We sat side by side on a flight from Phoenix to Palm Springs a few years ago. I was immediately impressed with Chris, who was at the time attending Linfield College in Oregon. That particular weekend he was going to a show jumping event in Palm Springs where his family had some jumpers.

We parted as friends. Later, we were Facebook friends.

Chris and his family have a great story. His dad Rich is a world famous rider of a world famous jumper. In fact, Rich's horse Flexible has amassed a significant collection of wins and high placings at show jumping events throughout the world, including a world championship at the FEI World Finals in The Netherlands.

Rich Fellers (he's the handsome man leading the horse from the trailer) and Flexible (he's the handsome stallion looking out the trailer window in the second photo below) competed for the United States in the 2012 Summer Olympics in London.

Since then, son Chris has graduated from college and now competes, along with his family, in show jumping.

Since that chance meeting on the plane, I've kept track of the Fellers but last night marked a reconnection of sorts, in person, with Chris.

What a nice, hard-working and talented family. You can learn more about their stables in Wilsonville by visiting http://www.richfellersstablesllc.com/Home_Page.html

Probably the most fascinating aspect of last night's arrival of the Fellers team at Roxane's farm was that three Olympians were on the grounds at the same time.

Rich and Flexible AND our own local Roxane, who, as a Marine, participated in the 1992 Barcelona Olympics as a sharpshooter.

She has since retired and has built a beautiful training and boarding facility about a mile away from the Lovestead. Plus, she has high hopes for her adorable new baby (pictured at the bottom) born earlier this year.

Definitely a fun experience in the neighborhood last night. It's truly an honor to know and follow the Fellers family and always fun to visit with my longtime friend Roxane and her nice hubby Kerry.