HON NEWS: September, 2008

   

I know it’s been said a million times…but where did the summer go? Seems like we wait for months and months for summer to arrive, and then it’s gone before you know it! Looking back, though, the HONS were able to fit in quite a few things this summer.

 

June Camp: Survivor Palmyra

Summer 2008 started out as the wettest one I can ever remember….some of our favorite parks and trails were closed, not to mention washed out highways, bridges and flooded homes. We will never forget the images of the homes floating away with Lake Delton. Our annual camping trip to Governor Dodge State Park looked like it would be a casualty of the floods also, but in true HON spirit, we improvised and “Survivor Palmyra” immerged. Horsemen’s Park (Southern Kettle Moraine Forrest) became the site of the 2008 June camping trip and a good time was had by all. Thanks to Brenda for organizing the event. Check out the photos.

 

4^th of July Parade

The Whitewater 4^th of July Parade came next…and what a great presence we had! Thanks to our Parade Goddess, Sandy O, we had costumes that really showed off who we are. Our pooper scoopers were once again the big hit, especially in their fun clown costumes. A big thanks also goes to those non-riders that helped on the ground with costumes and traffic control and refreshments. Everything went so smoothly and it was a fun time for everyone involved. Once again we earned a first place ribbon and $50 prize. Pictures are available on our website.

 

July Camp

Steamy hot weather and busy schedules led to the cancellation of this ride. Too bad, because Rock Cut is a pretty park with pleasant trails. I don’t know about the rest of you, but I’m hoping to ride there yet this fall. 

 

Moonlight Ride

Another event was the potluck and moonlight ride at Gibbs Lake on August 16^th. Mmmmm…fried chicken, sweet corn, salads, pie…..and fantastic weather. The few clouds may have hid the moon, but our trusty horses led us down the familiar trails without a problem. Thanks to Sue  N. for the glow-in-dark jewelry and to Diane P for taking care of the park permit. There were about 15 of us riding by the light of the moon…..what fun!  As has become our custom, we could be heard howling! More Pictures.

 

Lake Geneva Dinner and Stroll

Kris, Sherri, Pat, Mary, Marise and I met at Popeye’s in Lake Geneva on Wednesday, August 20^th for a relaxing dinner and then walked around downtown admiring the over 80 Painted Ponies on display. It was a beautiful evening and a nice opportunity to get together and admire the artwork. The life sized foals were painted by local artists and are on display until they are auctioned off on October 4^th. Proceeds from the project will benefit SMILES, a local therapeutic riding facility in our area. You can view the painted ponies and vote for your favorite at  http://www.walworthcogetaway.com/horses/ .  By the way, SMILES needs volunteers to help with the big auction, so if  you are available to help with the “Mane Event” on August 4^th, please let me know.

 

August Camp: Wildcat Mountain

What a fantastic weekend!!! Those that met for the weekend of August 22-24 at Wildcat Mountain will agree that it couldn’t have been more perfect. The week leading up to our trip had been hot, hot, hot but by Saturday a cool front passed through and the temperatures couldn’t have been more pleasant. It was my first time at this state park and it has now become my all-time favorite WI Park. The campground was beautiful…nicely shaded with a stream running behind the campsites, pens for the horses, and such a friendly campground host. Camping at Wildcat were Linda and Dan, Audrey, Sandy R, Sherri, Sandy O, the other Sandy R, Kris E., Lynn, Louise, Mary Ann, Maggie and Larry.  The scenery was spectacular and many of the trails, so I’ve been told, had been widened and improved. We loved the water crossings… Sandy O. and her horse had a great time playing in the stream once Ruby horse got over her issues.  Dakota got a little carried away and did a fine job of splashing sand and water all over Rowdy and me! Heck, I found sand everywhere…even in my ears and underwear!!  What a hoot! After a nice long ride on Saturday, Audrey showed us around the sites in town, stopping at a few choice locations.  On Saturday night we watched Dan try his hand at team penning and I never would have imagined that sitting on some bleachers would bring so many laughs. Poor Misha…your mama, Audrey, didn’t mean to dangle you by your leash from those bleachers! Sunday was another great riding day….sure hated to have to leave. Pictures on our website!

 

Filly Fling

What a fantastic way to end the summer! A dozen fun-loving fillies took to the waters of the Rock River and Lake Koshkonong on Labor Day, thanks to Dee S. We met at Dee’s house, south of Edgerton, and drifted down the river, cowboy hats and all! The

“Party Barge” docked at the Anchor Inn for lunch and drinks and then continued into Lake Koshkonong. Everybody took the plunge into the lake when we got to the beach…all except Ronda who had just had knee surgery….poor girl. Pushing the pontoon boat out again from the shallow waters and sand (was it sand?!) was a bit of a challenge, but we got ‘er done! It was great fun (despite the sunburn!) and we all decided that it should become an annual event. Thanks to Dee for being such a great hostess (and boat captain) and to those that participated: Deb, Ronda, Kris, Linda, Mary, Michelle, DeDe, Diane, Donna, and me, Sandy R……forever known as the Silly Sisters of the Sea!

Check out the pictures on our website.

 

September Camp: Palmyra

Rain again was a threat for the weekend of September 5-7 when we were scheduled to camp at Horseman’s Park at Palmyra. I understand the campers were Diane and Floyd, Ann and Kris and her grandson. Several HONs met for a day ride, including Ronda, Sherri, both Sandy R’s, and Dee and we met up with the others and even picked up a few “strays” along the way!  The rain held off and it was a nice ride. See the pictures.  

 

 

Looking Ahead……..

 

 

 

Hagmania

Coming up on Sunday, September 21^st is our annual fun show, Hagmania. It seems like every year this event gets better and better and this year is bound to be no exception. The games start at 10:00 a.m. and there promises to be something for everyone, kids through senior citizens. Besides some of our favorite games, there will be some new twists, including jack pot classes for a chance to win cash prizes. Back again will be a trail course too, which is always a favorite. Lunch will be provided by the Lima 4 H….you’ll love the walking tacos and the other good things to eat and drink. Something new this year will be professional style photographs of you and your horse. Marise will be our official photographer, tri-pod and all. For a few dollars to cover a CD and postage, you will get your images mailed to you on a CD Rom, with which you can make your own prints and enlargements….as many as you like!  We will have some official Hags on Nags clothing and other items (can coolers, flags) for sale at Hagmania.  In addition, we will be accepting advance orders/payment for your cookbook (s) to insure that you get as many as you want. (More details below)  Hagmania is pure fun and we encourage you to bring friends and family. The cost is still just $10 for the entire day, $25 for a family. We have ribbons and trophies and door prizes….you won’t want to miss this event! Check out pictures from last year!

 

 

Cookbook

You are going to LOVE this book!!! Take it from the people who worked on the project,  there are some great recipes…afterall, we do know how to eat! As Cindy’s husband, Bob, says, our club name could have been named “Ride a Little, Eat a Lot.”

In addition to being a fabulous collection of recipes, there are some wonderful photos of our horses, along with some clever quotes and hilarious sayings. Best of all, unless postage comes in higher than expected, the cost of the cookbook will be only $6.00!!!  At this price, they will make fantastic Christmas gifts. As of now, we have ordered 200 copies, so if you want to insure that you get as many as you want (for gifts and such) you will want to pre-pay. Contact Sherri for more information on advance sales.

 

 

Breast Cancer Ride

Five years ago, one of our members, Suzanne Daniels, rode with us at Bong for the Ride for the Cure Breast Cancer fundraiser. It was especially meaningful, as Suzanne had been diagnosed with breast cancer just months before.  Suzanne died the following spring after a tough battle and much pain. Those of us that knew Suzanne will always remember her as a very talented woman with a passion for horses and life itself. It is her memory that makes an October ride for breast cancer fund raising so important. ALL of us have, no doubt, had a friend or relative that has faced cancer. Please plan to ride on Saturday, October 4^th with us as we make a donation to the Susan G Komen foundation with the hope of never again losing a loved one to this disease. This will be an informal ride with no special bells or whistles…just a time to reflect and contribute to a worthy cause. I hope you will join me….and consider volunteering to head up this project next year and make this event something spectacular. Please RSVP to me and let us know if we can count on you to be there with us.

 

Endless Valley

October 18^th is the date set for Endless Valley. We plan to arrive Saturday morning and get settled in before we ride the beautiful trails. Once again we have the lodge reserved, so arrangements will be made for sleeping and meals.  We’ll have some hot dishes (casseroles and such) for dinner and then enjoy games and movies in the lodge that evening. Sunday morning after breakfast we will have time for another ride before heading home. If you have never visited Endless Valley, this is your chance!  Right now there is a waiting list for stalls for the horses, but if you can do your own fencing and don’t mind bunking up wherever…we’d love to have you join us. Contact Sherri for more information. 

 

Other News…..

 

 

Our Website

I hope by now you have all had a chance to check out all the wonderful improvements on our website. Our new webgoddess has been busy cleaning up code and developing new features. At last our database with member phone numbers and addresses is available with a password!!! Please contact me if you need the password or are having trouble logging on.Webgodess has done a fantastic job with the calendar, adding photos from previous years, as well as new pictures, and linking maps and other important information. I hope you all take advantage of all the resources now available. On the home page you will find links to the Video Recap from 2007 (How ‘Bout Those Cowgirls!) and Hags in the News
(which includes links to newspaper articles from 2004 and 2008). In the future, we are hoping to possibly add a Discussion Page that would be password protected. The bios from our newer members have been posted and there are some new things on the Links page.  We are hoping to get the For Sale page utilized a little more, so please check that out and feel free to contact Webgodesswith items you may want to sell or trade.. Kudos to Webgodess for all her hard work!!!

 

Our Funds

As you may recall, last spring I set up 3 committees to look at various options for using our funds, which is currently about $900.  The survey from the January meeting had indicated that members were interested in seeing money go towards Charity, hosting a “big name” Clinic, and for Club Entertainment. Unfortunately, the committee work didn’t go anywhere. A discussion among the Filly Forumn ended up with a tie vote, likewise going nowhere. So, as an update, the funds are still there and will remain there. Hopefully, 2009 will bring a definite direction. Start thinking about ideas, make contacts, do some research and be ready for discussion in January. If you currently have any concerns or comments, please let me hear from you. 

 

Red Hats and Purple Chaps

I was recently contacted by a group in Indiana called Red Hats and Purple Chaps. Some of you may be familiar with the group from a meeting at Road to the Horse or from our website links. The “Queen Mum” of the group is organizing women with horses across the country to be part of the Red Hats society…but with horses. We would still keep our name, but we would become part of a world wide network. Membership would cost about $100 for our group and benefits would include joining organized trips in places such as New Zealand and Ireland as well as discount afforded to Red Hat Society members.  Probably the most important benefit would be the network of women if you need a place to stay out of state, etc. At any rate, this will be something we will be discussing at our annual meeting in January. Give it some thought.

 

 

 

 Please welcome two new members! Christine Chrzbak lives in Janesville and is working towards certification as a vet tech. Christine would love to meet new people and help out where she can and to learn from others who love horses. Another new member is Amy Janecek. Amy lives in Watertown and, among other things, does some homebrewing! She is looking for people to trail ride with and go camping with. Both new members are youngins’….25-30 years old. Isn’t it funny how a common passion for horses unites us, no matter what age we are?!  We’re looking forward to happy trails with you, Christine and Amy!

 

To those of you with birthdays in July and August…I hope they were happy ones! In September, the following people will be celebrating birthdays: Kris Lasica-Soltis on Sept 2^nd,  Jan Meyer on Sept 4^th, Sandy Olds on September 5^th, Ginny Cavanagh on Sept. 16^th,  and Shirley May on September 21. Remember, birthdays are good for you. The more you have, the longer you live!!! Happy Birthday to you all!   

 

 

Happy Trails,

Herd Mare - Sandy