Basic Training; Springing: TBT

CB has been over at my sisters' over the past couple of weeks for "basic training" under Barbara's tutelage.   

Basic training for a young and growing colt involves tying, clipping, hoof trimming, bathing and some light ground work.

In his young life, CB has passed the test with four different hoof trimmers: Jenn, John, Tim and Tom. 

Tom Selberg did the honors yesterday and was quite pleased with his behavior and with his beautiful hooves. 

May Day was a bit cold yesterday, so the  lawn grass didn't grow too fast and there's still a ways to go before all the trees burst out with their leaves.  

Still, some beautiful scenes, though, including the lone elk grazing in a field next to Center Valley Road. 

Of course, the geese are everywhere and always  a pretty sight. 

Above and below, taken this morning when I went out to get the paper. 

It's always fun in the early morning to have the road to myself.

As for the bench sitting on the shot put circle, I found a story this morning, explaining  why the previous owners, the Stewarts, had the circle built for their son Simon in the south part of the yard. 

There's "history" in that thar circle, even beyond last Saturday's prom.

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 Seniors Joachim Olsen and Simon Stewart had personal best marks to finish second and third in the shot put at the 2002 NCAA Track and Field Championships in Baton Rouge, LA.

Olsen entered this weekend looking to claim his second NCAA Championship in the shot put. To do that Olsen knew he would have to defeat two-time champion and rival Janus Robberts of Southern Methodist University.

On Olsen's third throw of the evening he set the standard for the competition by throwing a mark of 70 feet, 9?Ľ inches. The career best throw would place Olsen in first entering the finals.

Olsen continued to lead the competition until Robberts posted a mark of 70-10?˝ to take the lead. On his last throw Olsen once again threw for over 70 feet, but it wasn't enough to better his previous throw or defeat Robberts.

"I was disappointed right after the event, but I had a great series of throws and I set a career best mark," said Olsen. "It's been an awesome battle between me and Janus and I know if it wasn't for that kind of competition I wouldn't have thrown as far."

Stewart also found a battle of hi own with Monmouth University thrower Jon Kalnas. 

Stewart entered the final round in fourth behind Kalnas, who posted his best mark of the evening with a throw of 63-8?Ľ.

"It was an incredible meet for Simon. You could see his confidence build from round to round," said Phipps. "It is an amazing accomplishment for Simon, considering he came into the competition seeded 12th."

On Stewart's fifth throw of the evening he posted a mark of 63-11 to take over third place. Kalnas had two more opportunities to take the position back, but could not better his mark from the third round.

"I knew that if I went all out and emptied the tank I could maybe finish in the top five," said Stewart. "To finish in third and stand next to Joachim on the podium was unbelievable."

Throwback Thursday

Yesterday, one of my Facebook friends brought up the story of the jet crashing in the pole yard in late 1953 next to Lincoln School where Mike (fourth grade), Kevin (second grade) and I (first grade) were students at the time.

Later, someone in the discussion had found a news clipping about the crash, which, had the plane dropped two blocks away, could have been more than catastrophic.

So, I thought it would be fun to post the story, which is surely etched permanently in the minds of every single Lincoln School student attending at the time.

This is a birthday party for one of my younger siblings.  Hard to tell how many candles are on that cake.  I do recognize Barbara, Laurie, Jim and Lynn Poelstra but am at a loss as to who the other two girls are.

Maybe my sisters will know.

I also like the photo because it reminds me of our kitchen table with the shiny vinyl chairs, which sometimes embarrassingly sat right next to the bathroom door.

I think architects like Jim of late have taken care of that flaw in design. 
For bathroom visitors, location, location, location can be mighty important at times. 

I've been a bit lax at posting photos on a Facebook feature about why we like Arabians.

For our family, however, the horse on the left is rather significant:  first Arabian raised from a foal in the long line horses of the beautiful breed which we've owned since.

We did have a couple of Arabians, purchased from Gene and Etta Balch, way back in the 1950s, but Cricket aka Skean Dhu was the first we ever raised on our farms.

She was born in 1958 at the North Boyer farm, and, oh, she was such a beauty, even from the first day as a gangly, long-legged foal with four white stockings and later, that flaxen mane and tail.



Cricket was a half American Saddlebred out of a crippled brood mare named Janis Love we bought or got from our family friend Pearl "Love" Irwin.

I believe our dad Harold Tibbs is showing her in the photo above.  It's down at the old fairgrounds, and the other horse belonged to and was shown by our close family friend at the time, Bill Cross.

A long and lean gentleman, Bill was a fabulous showman, often showing our Appaloosa stallion Ponderay's Fancy Pants and local and regional Appaloosa shows.

One final note:  Cricket was my first 4-H horse project, and, always she was Mother's pride and joy.

Oh, Joe, nn all his cuddly innocence with one of his first friends, Quinn. 

Soon after, Joe became a member of the family, joining Brooke and Todd at Willie's house.

Twould be an understatement to say that Joe keeps them on their toes. 

This weekend is the local 4-H horse judging contest. 

A few years ago our Lefty participated as one of the Arabian geldings to be judged.  Our friend Angela showed him. 

Door hinge at a Delay Farms barn, taken during the Idaho Forestry Contest.