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Today, Callie and I decided to just clean stalls (which took forever because our ponies were down to about 1 inch of dirty bedding) and free lunge the ponies, but the stupid lesson people were in the small indoor so we couldn't. So we took the ponies on a trail walk (no riding, just leading) instead because I was too lazy to tack up. So we went to the landfill place and found the HUGE puddle (more like a pond) that was in it. I wanted to see what Codemeister was like in water because he fears puddles. So I walked him in it and he was awesome! He splashed around a little bit (very cute- pawing w/ splashes) and I let him do it a couple times. I let him go to the middle of the puddle (as far as he could go on the lead rope) and he made a HUGE splash. He got water ALL over me and himself. Callie laughed cuz I had muddy water running down my face. The school is right next by, so we could hear the little kids screaming "LOOK! HORSIES! A BROWN ONE AND A WHITE ONE!!!!" I walked Cody up to the fence so they could pet him and he was soooooo good. He didn't wiggle his lip around or nibble at them at all. He just lowered his head and let millions of tiny little hands pet his nose (remember, this is head-shy Codelina here). So they all ask me what her name was and I told them it was Cody and he was a boy. So, immediately, they all told me that they thought SHE was pretty. I think I told them about 8 times that Cody, despite his looks, really was a boy. Then we moved out of the way so Harry could get petted too. He was good until the little kids started screaming for no reason. Then they started climing up the fence and when Callie told them not to, would jump back down and then climb back up again. They also told Callie that Harrison looked like a giraffe. I think that's when Callie decided they'd petted him enough. There was only one place close enough for a horse to get petted from, but I took Cody to the next nearest spot so the little kids could still see him and maybe pet him if they stretched. I didn't want to take him closer because there was a branch in the way and I told the little kids that. So one of the kids (the bratty one, of course) tells me (in snotty voice) "I don't see a branch. Bring him closer!" I said no, but Cody eventually moved forward on his own because he loves attention. They asked me how old he was and I said eight. The bratty one says "I'm eight too. But I'M eight and a HALF." impressive, huh? was she trying to be superior to CODY??? The best part was the little kids' questions. They ranged from "I have 3 horses at my house. How come you only have one?" (from a little girl who shrieked everytime Cody breathed) to "I have my own horse. She looks like yours. Her name is Snowbelle" (from a little girl who kept petting Cody's nose, smelling her hand, and telling me it smelled funny and did I want to smell too?) to "I once rode a horse at a ranch thing. it looks just like cody. it was brown, though. he was mine and his name was shawnay" (from a little boy who continuously climbed and fell off the fence). Eventually we had to go (as did the kids) so we left, but Harrison freaked out spun in a circle, hit my arm, ripped his lead rope, and TOOK OFF! We thought he had gone home and went to follow him (with the kids screaming "he's so pretty!" "can you make YOURS do that too?" "make cody run through the puddle!" I LOVE YOU CODY!") but as soon as we had gotten out of sight of the kids (and Cody had stopped running in circles and trying to take off), Harry immediately comes right back out of the woods. It was sotra funny (callie doesn't think so though). i gtg not- long letter but it was a very exciting adventure! don't tell kim about our adventure or she'll tell us how irresponsible we are and it's all our fault because we stayed behind. vanessa- we are missing some stuff and kim probably took it with her. so if you see a: -red lead rope -green front slplint boots -purple and pink whip -green jelly scrubber thing PLEASE save them for us. i gtg now- really i do. i'll write more later! -Caroline

Someone recently brought this book to my attention, it is called God Is Not Great, How Religion Poisons Everything. A little harsh don't you think Christopher Hitchens? A good friend of mine gave it to me because he knew I would be blogging about God and he thought this would give me some ideas. He's right it should provide lots of topics of conversation, but having been raised a good Catholic girl I can't bring myself to even open it's pages. The truth is that I am afraid of reading this book. I'm not a practicing Catholic anymore and I don't go to church unless my mom makes me. And I long ago stopped believing in God, almost around the same time I stopped believing in the tooth fairy. But for some unknown reason I don't want to hear what Mr. Hitchens has to say about God. It's not that I would disagree or feel offended since I haven't actually read his book. It's that I don't really want to read about why he doesn't believe in God or religion. So Christopher Hitchens hates God, does he have to tell the whole world about it? Has anyone actually read this book? Am I going to burn in hell for eternity if I read it?

These images from the Hubble telescope are breath-taking. I haven't been able to stop looking at them. Some of these photos look like abstract or surreal art. It's an amazing universe that we live in, and we're very fortunate to have the tools to be able to look past the heavens into outer space. I can't help but wonder how in all this vastness we could possibly feel alone. It seems silly, I know, but you know there's other life out there. they're probably peering at us through their telescopes and wondering what we're looking at.

If you want to help in the preservation of turtles look to the ODFW and they'll tell you how. Check out this story about how Washington and Oregon zoos are working with everyday people to help keep track of endangered turtles in their natural habitats. And take a look at this inspiring picture by Darren Hoyt of a turtle, a frog and a spider.