tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-53562355119414770352024-03-16T14:53:00.548-04:00Two Bears Farm and the Three CubsLisa @ Two Bears Farmhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/03464839163693785901noreply@blogger.comBlogger1841125tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5356235511941477035.post-30964166635781938682023-12-31T12:57:00.000-05:002023-12-31T12:57:31.018-05:002023 Wrap Up <p> We have all been down with a respiratory virus the past week (not COVID, but either flu or RSV, I think), but I wanted to write my yearly wrap up post anyway. </p><p>The boys are all still homeschooling. Pierce is a junior this year, and interested in pursuing computer science. Cort and Reid are freshmen, and while not quite sure about potential majors, Reid is leaning towards architecture or civil engineering. Cort is enjoying the honors biology class he is taking so much that he would like to pursue biology further in the future. </p><p>We continued our geocaching adventures and I found my 1000th geocache (which was in a tree - I did not go down into the hole in the tree - Paul took one for the team and went in there to get it). </p><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEj1wl_9i8uYIDAcAOtK08uzlQCbpz5l0NT0zgSIGSNit_wWpjqMIvzRTH_B55LimFv0fXO_QobejkZARXu95fPSqusENO2ANwAZstWG5kJ5iKmb79cB1OXZj9PpMjd8d6uSsEL3laxum1puzY-FlsQqHOB0qZCUMXjgHyjWs02Jq6FkBJ10IVPZeGwgMH2H/s4032/May4.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="4032" data-original-width="3024" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEj1wl_9i8uYIDAcAOtK08uzlQCbpz5l0NT0zgSIGSNit_wWpjqMIvzRTH_B55LimFv0fXO_QobejkZARXu95fPSqusENO2ANwAZstWG5kJ5iKmb79cB1OXZj9PpMjd8d6uSsEL3laxum1puzY-FlsQqHOB0qZCUMXjgHyjWs02Jq6FkBJ10IVPZeGwgMH2H/s320/May4.jpg" width="240" /></a></div><div><br /></div>We had a blast taking a few days to travel to Martinsburg, WV to find some of WVTim's caches. Our favorite, by far, was Cave. <br /><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiMh2wo55H3IeHMskwzzqT-RbNL5NhmRG9ViBn1KjWCDq15N5JAhC11ZTkdHq5ipstofqU35JZMtb9B1YRIO5MUG5xRMd4JfBbg-HpXvfVh8Wg5RnB6GIP0Hk2aJM1ErLeMvCwy8VERjFw0hokRVoTaSwy1htSVXK8Deh69JEZy4cfV0kjvr-t-LweGk7CP/s3280/May9.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="3280" data-original-width="2464" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiMh2wo55H3IeHMskwzzqT-RbNL5NhmRG9ViBn1KjWCDq15N5JAhC11ZTkdHq5ipstofqU35JZMtb9B1YRIO5MUG5xRMd4JfBbg-HpXvfVh8Wg5RnB6GIP0Hk2aJM1ErLeMvCwy8VERjFw0hokRVoTaSwy1htSVXK8Deh69JEZy4cfV0kjvr-t-LweGk7CP/s320/May9.jpg" width="240" /></a></div><br /><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjekNEcNMnMTd-djSk_rePLYKPxrNsPGi1qM6kr6hlNvV_rUN86fqg4-NhAqUrOPjcGHmVgCN6MjJ37TcICl61cw37-ffpKRuQbTfBtnjqACC3594gQfg9WGnAiVQDsOv8yCm5Pfb62VxRTQwGIL-GFDx3FuHkIeM_N2ImTAsJxXoNZuv6NOJrK7K0f9A3f/s4032/May9a.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="3024" data-original-width="4032" height="240" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjekNEcNMnMTd-djSk_rePLYKPxrNsPGi1qM6kr6hlNvV_rUN86fqg4-NhAqUrOPjcGHmVgCN6MjJ37TcICl61cw37-ffpKRuQbTfBtnjqACC3594gQfg9WGnAiVQDsOv8yCm5Pfb62VxRTQwGIL-GFDx3FuHkIeM_N2ImTAsJxXoNZuv6NOJrK7K0f9A3f/s320/May9a.jpg" width="320" /></a></div><br /><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjbzTMnre2ExsIADv4kUk0pHJNjvNlzGbG13fh1mJPiHEX_s1D6GKWya_Evs4mqNElXm4Tznv2_d9sjIiTQbmcVj6HKZKSeh4DWkEUBS_YxD88Z1PgzB6sZw6f_I2gKcxGLGhvBxywPkJqvv1sLra17wmkW1aI7BXl5gp2Np3qb0vV12srB-pEx36jENYa4/s4032/May9b.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="4032" data-original-width="3024" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjbzTMnre2ExsIADv4kUk0pHJNjvNlzGbG13fh1mJPiHEX_s1D6GKWya_Evs4mqNElXm4Tznv2_d9sjIiTQbmcVj6HKZKSeh4DWkEUBS_YxD88Z1PgzB6sZw6f_I2gKcxGLGhvBxywPkJqvv1sLra17wmkW1aI7BXl5gp2Np3qb0vV12srB-pEx36jENYa4/s320/May9b.jpg" width="240" /></a></div><br /><p>In August we toured a few colleges in Burlington Vermont, spent a day in Montreal, and also attended our first Mega geocaching event, in Napanee, Canada (where I had the pleasure of meeting Grace from Buttons Thoughts). </p><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjA3_4RBUkuEDrykID7luHhnTTHWxfreW-71eZkE0jooIOk6NVmiCJPtN6QIkSimyD2LXb-050RqcMd5ahxcBJ4gCiv4ed70cwiIh04PCRKFrEJ44bN5JaaKUdGA_yFwOwh5WKTcjHAvTiwlUx_6LZalflZClGda7HfU9wyUySQvCLWoLvDKENx3TjwVidC/s4032/August1.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="3024" data-original-width="4032" height="240" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjA3_4RBUkuEDrykID7luHhnTTHWxfreW-71eZkE0jooIOk6NVmiCJPtN6QIkSimyD2LXb-050RqcMd5ahxcBJ4gCiv4ed70cwiIh04PCRKFrEJ44bN5JaaKUdGA_yFwOwh5WKTcjHAvTiwlUx_6LZalflZClGda7HfU9wyUySQvCLWoLvDKENx3TjwVidC/s320/August1.jpg" width="320" /></a></div><br /><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgLL3JjTrpSIvIdayMqW5s7qRQhtT3g1p70ljrpNL-ZjYURlJf-9haQVtPYad5HUK94uRk0exzcX7F3SJQIA7YE3I27xgTDBdEjMbT0ZezFW3dQQ3hKyuOnWaEMZUMfFAeYCRzYWO263tUg8DjHTmCUPiuSriPMB77XOVoaDYp3Hk7vB7EgqgMBsQeqclxF/s4032/August2.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="4032" data-original-width="3024" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgLL3JjTrpSIvIdayMqW5s7qRQhtT3g1p70ljrpNL-ZjYURlJf-9haQVtPYad5HUK94uRk0exzcX7F3SJQIA7YE3I27xgTDBdEjMbT0ZezFW3dQQ3hKyuOnWaEMZUMfFAeYCRzYWO263tUg8DjHTmCUPiuSriPMB77XOVoaDYp3Hk7vB7EgqgMBsQeqclxF/s320/August2.jpg" width="240" /></a></div><br /><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiP4Ugv0u7NN89r4kRl5fs-AOyHxIzHhV5V3jmL5OeqLyezS2K1toJUIkf5I_E6BgX-TW79UeYrYIrAGUk7PZGx1Jb25ZViDML2gNG3_rWehflwomfEfk12ilhka9Nacxr05O2H8e3LTruSVumeobruo48XthhwSm4Nfy5axuYe84IjNEfJTKQXU59vJAFC/s4032/August4.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="3024" data-original-width="4032" height="240" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiP4Ugv0u7NN89r4kRl5fs-AOyHxIzHhV5V3jmL5OeqLyezS2K1toJUIkf5I_E6BgX-TW79UeYrYIrAGUk7PZGx1Jb25ZViDML2gNG3_rWehflwomfEfk12ilhka9Nacxr05O2H8e3LTruSVumeobruo48XthhwSm4Nfy5axuYe84IjNEfJTKQXU59vJAFC/s320/August4.jpg" width="320" /></a></div><br /><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhgfVd8lOMb4t2hUZRZLxXnMGqe-993LcaO-lSICijxrTIQBvUiBrv2Mk4INbHC-8Pk7wNrxBRNuTGLgDkdjFIKW75743bSr_078jGdTzZcaT9tEuituFlEDtwNmV8B8fiHu6I6ldXeEcCZ_DA618L50fyIPtIqf2VvjFYgsO-4Esk8D3XJv0HikfaWKpxP/s4032/Canada1.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="4032" data-original-width="3024" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhgfVd8lOMb4t2hUZRZLxXnMGqe-993LcaO-lSICijxrTIQBvUiBrv2Mk4INbHC-8Pk7wNrxBRNuTGLgDkdjFIKW75743bSr_078jGdTzZcaT9tEuituFlEDtwNmV8B8fiHu6I6ldXeEcCZ_DA618L50fyIPtIqf2VvjFYgsO-4Esk8D3XJv0HikfaWKpxP/s320/Canada1.jpg" width="240" /></a></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><br /></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><br /></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">Despite the fun of 2023, there were some challenging moments over the past year, including loss and grief. I am hopeful 2024 will be a little kinder to all.</div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><br /></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">Miles run this year: 1127</div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">Books read: 127</div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">Book of the year: Remarkably Bright Creatures</div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><br /></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">I wish you all a Happy New Year and a Healthy and Fun 2024!</div><br /><br /><p><br /></p>Lisa @ Two Bears Farmhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/03464839163693785901noreply@blogger.com2tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5356235511941477035.post-23649763988070696202022-12-31T11:39:00.000-05:002022-12-31T11:39:25.649-05:002022 Wrap Up<p> Hello friends,</p><p>Just here for a year-end wrap up. While I don't seem to be getting any blogging done, I do still post pics fairly regularly on Instagram - @twobearsfarm </p><p>This past year we were fortunate to get to do some travel. We spent a week with my family at the beach in North Carolina, a week in Austin, Texas (Paul had a work conference there, and afterwards we drove up to Baylor to visit our old stomping ground), and a week in New England (with fun days in Salem and Boston Massachusetts, as well as along the coast of Maine). Everywhere we traveled, we had a blast looking for geocaches - it is one of our favorite activities as a family. </p><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEi9XUhoO5pVfSsYKF4eyYtA5Erbd1qhiOEirtLWYRm5iFTNcH35dgMZNBPHWu6i7vqtzBdyziX9MDTSHVGzqpHN_VLqPvFMWVC-GvVHXz21sneB9an4K6jzikTH7z4gKQx8iHY3V1iK5Hn9EFv42K8UiQMkP13gtl4Bs16EIlAfJOV9e7kvYXAI6ct33Q/s4640/AustinCityLimits.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="4640" data-original-width="3472" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEi9XUhoO5pVfSsYKF4eyYtA5Erbd1qhiOEirtLWYRm5iFTNcH35dgMZNBPHWu6i7vqtzBdyziX9MDTSHVGzqpHN_VLqPvFMWVC-GvVHXz21sneB9an4K6jzikTH7z4gKQx8iHY3V1iK5Hn9EFv42K8UiQMkP13gtl4Bs16EIlAfJOV9e7kvYXAI6ct33Q/s320/AustinCityLimits.jpg" width="239" /></a></div><br /><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhssrSQ1VCGFz7sYDDyH6uDrPvXXnQ1Cs7jWGVyJ8GcE01OcYxF7QmI_yqvAwNirclNombo1wpUD3sQMleulPTBJO8-kLHE0Xsq_IvRdYCFDqT2a0hEq8mwyVDM2pNvZbOhriWapg-4AVvEKqCpsaanBMGiAaeRdfupZIbEpKBReVH9QfmczT2dc6lRjg/s4640/IMG_20220602_145914705_HDR.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; 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margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="4640" data-original-width="3472" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEg9Ul8oVeKGmFoZxwQjPFbyzVN75_IWFfrSiNheNJ-NQlgNmZUwM7jvbMvocv8JI2l2YieRYhcq1I-SmVIIP--8EOjwE6YxHgf4hbMX7aqHc6gNrYyr5PlMW11FN5MQcCmmhnThDnagb0-iViimlxYVR_LkHq5jiq_cmnxXgfJNwAcjT6avCWv0IWGCXg/s320/IMG_20220609_140503633_HDR.jpg" width="239" /></a></div><br /><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhrlpMyH7Jiu8v0_cRe1K3sHrl9VgEVtCGmfwW5VaMhj1QodneVCvA9VRUlze46HbGu0yLn7_UAjdswoJVs97FL914IiMSk8TIR_JhHloNvEsETKrFJGL_fhIhGvmyLGPp3CyAyPAvoHMrLQOFvFlcfQ6eHawQWg9hAOlyKgg6bhA-yhhgHXtNI8R7k9Q/s2880/IMG_20220628_141221834.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="2160" data-original-width="2880" height="240" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhrlpMyH7Jiu8v0_cRe1K3sHrl9VgEVtCGmfwW5VaMhj1QodneVCvA9VRUlze46HbGu0yLn7_UAjdswoJVs97FL914IiMSk8TIR_JhHloNvEsETKrFJGL_fhIhGvmyLGPp3CyAyPAvoHMrLQOFvFlcfQ6eHawQWg9hAOlyKgg6bhA-yhhgHXtNI8R7k9Q/s320/IMG_20220628_141221834.jpg" width="320" /></a></div><br /><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiwPWULt2F5buLJNxjhUCVFDsaAAhR6y8NQlKa9puJ0WEIkkqjryrRacZGggW3RtDYSnuo31Q-zmCh0PalGaygEo9QLQhTp4LKjzPKUPE3_xoDi9u18nxIRgTqTJ7317zSYJYtoFTgR3iNANKoBTUbcWEE15mxOxCyOS14tATBnBUJWfO6ZdrGf68uESw/s4640/IMG_20220629_102739458_HDR.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="3472" data-original-width="4640" height="239" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiwPWULt2F5buLJNxjhUCVFDsaAAhR6y8NQlKa9puJ0WEIkkqjryrRacZGggW3RtDYSnuo31Q-zmCh0PalGaygEo9QLQhTp4LKjzPKUPE3_xoDi9u18nxIRgTqTJ7317zSYJYtoFTgR3iNANKoBTUbcWEE15mxOxCyOS14tATBnBUJWfO6ZdrGf68uESw/s320/IMG_20220629_102739458_HDR.jpg" width="320" /></a></div><br /><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjJHZzOHeLP9Pc28YkZ9rsZERUR7MIZhw1MCu-h4KFvurPcA-wNTBZgMh0naDKqwfR-3aVrnO4Dh8VKvOLd4iG0dsWOpVsxsuylAFrOi4YiLkrDSLAzqUxHljeSQ6vY_LPZ21G9r0Nbx9isgXBcS2tHdJM58SHPZOi5ZaussAtLWHqP0YgR-eBKnEv1_Q/s4640/IMG_20220630_105727235_HDR.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="3472" data-original-width="4640" height="239" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjJHZzOHeLP9Pc28YkZ9rsZERUR7MIZhw1MCu-h4KFvurPcA-wNTBZgMh0naDKqwfR-3aVrnO4Dh8VKvOLd4iG0dsWOpVsxsuylAFrOi4YiLkrDSLAzqUxHljeSQ6vY_LPZ21G9r0Nbx9isgXBcS2tHdJM58SHPZOi5ZaussAtLWHqP0YgR-eBKnEv1_Q/s320/IMG_20220630_105727235_HDR.jpg" width="320" /></a></div><br /><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjRYifaxsrEvFudOBrZuj4vsLIVBvX_OBJS_kyYah7HnQAbFb-ngfk_PMGNZvTz08Y9oC1H5YF_y9udEXR6wKnNExJMX4YwUKzTCJxO8vOUmjMzuRWu0T6wTS_PzCPS6tWl371-freZICWPyx8ay4nZLbgeCJGEbIpu8Jojy2D8ScTMEcB3QuTn5o2sWA/s4640/IMG_20220701_100320378_HDR.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="3472" data-original-width="4640" height="239" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjRYifaxsrEvFudOBrZuj4vsLIVBvX_OBJS_kyYah7HnQAbFb-ngfk_PMGNZvTz08Y9oC1H5YF_y9udEXR6wKnNExJMX4YwUKzTCJxO8vOUmjMzuRWu0T6wTS_PzCPS6tWl371-freZICWPyx8ay4nZLbgeCJGEbIpu8Jojy2D8ScTMEcB3QuTn5o2sWA/s320/IMG_20220701_100320378_HDR.jpg" width="320" /></a></div><br /><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEicPZ5CGf6yyTmA2yFPK5IsadyVFMFW7y7UYFLQA6AvHxUW4gEUTZtO6oM8GzEpYtt4-IC1qhpYdaUDkV4ieaS3DIlWtG6K_KDveG77eKw7ci_WcFX683D8XE-N5cxOR3VVTibKb-uWGx6WeKnT6q0OSJ9jEEUfwxs3-ujq5Q7Lz-wc5028E-Ywwd-isA/s4640/WVUnderground.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="3472" data-original-width="4640" height="239" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEicPZ5CGf6yyTmA2yFPK5IsadyVFMFW7y7UYFLQA6AvHxUW4gEUTZtO6oM8GzEpYtt4-IC1qhpYdaUDkV4ieaS3DIlWtG6K_KDveG77eKw7ci_WcFX683D8XE-N5cxOR3VVTibKb-uWGx6WeKnT6q0OSJ9jEEUfwxs3-ujq5Q7Lz-wc5028E-Ywwd-isA/s320/WVUnderground.jpg" width="320" /></a></div><br /><p>We have continued to homeschool the boys - Pierce says he wants to finish high school at home. Cort and Reid will be starting high school next year, and haven't decided yet if they want to continue homeschooling or if they would like to return to the local school system. </p><p>This year I read 130 books. My favorite book I read was Lessons in Chemistry, but I read a number of fun ones. </p><p>This year I ran 1307 miles. This was an increase in mileage for me over the previous few years. I'm not doing long runs, but I managed not to get injured which helped keep my mileage consistent week by week. Hoping for more of the same in 2023!</p><p>I hope you all are doing well and staying healthy. Happy New Year! </p>Lisa @ Two Bears Farmhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/03464839163693785901noreply@blogger.com3tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5356235511941477035.post-82228911720338765262021-12-31T11:59:00.003-05:002021-12-31T11:59:38.562-05:002021 Wrap Up<p> Since starting this blog, I've never failed (yet) to do a year end wrap up post, but some years recently it has been the only post I've done! </p><p>We continued homeschooling this year because of COVID-19, but it's gone more smoothly this year. We figured out some things from last year that worked, and some that didn't. I changed out some curriculum I didn't like. And we've been able to do field trips! This fall we spent a few days in Richmond visiting museums, we rode the train up to Washington DC for a few days and visited the Smithsonian museums, and we spent a couple of nights in Wintergreen hanging out with my brother's family and doing some geocaching. </p><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/a/AVvXsEgo09Dz4ot41BpT0WVRpuYhyXppqvIeovsqH0Ktz1kI9QkRQcP8ZZfU-o8I8kqvibsq0WtpLV6H6ZD5R6tQm0F8O6RAzmvxRBhpLrPq3q0ImWcQvzuYHR07PMQTvYkVd2wxts59Nv9IKUJtM3_I4TI_IG43EBg5p8Gl3TAf4Zj6OCuyzIwV5THQghY0YA=s4640" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="4640" data-original-width="3472" height="640" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/a/AVvXsEgo09Dz4ot41BpT0WVRpuYhyXppqvIeovsqH0Ktz1kI9QkRQcP8ZZfU-o8I8kqvibsq0WtpLV6H6ZD5R6tQm0F8O6RAzmvxRBhpLrPq3q0ImWcQvzuYHR07PMQTvYkVd2wxts59Nv9IKUJtM3_I4TI_IG43EBg5p8Gl3TAf4Zj6OCuyzIwV5THQghY0YA=w478-h640" width="478" /></a></div><br /><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/a/AVvXsEjokeBAnll6x_ZKvTw_ajh-xB0c1dPg6ZTVXBhLRbCjsPJee5CEfzjdhXo2crNYiBYzltT5GFhUtpraRFG5Pw-p5Yt4BL6tYbuhtTtoLYj4iZRYzr0C-_zDJ_yb8_j_aHsGmv4A-rb7iTydc4eUe7uoAjZekDcNitUDN9MfCDIx8PHw7qd8n7VQTg0TyA=s4640" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="4640" data-original-width="3472" height="640" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/a/AVvXsEjokeBAnll6x_ZKvTw_ajh-xB0c1dPg6ZTVXBhLRbCjsPJee5CEfzjdhXo2crNYiBYzltT5GFhUtpraRFG5Pw-p5Yt4BL6tYbuhtTtoLYj4iZRYzr0C-_zDJ_yb8_j_aHsGmv4A-rb7iTydc4eUe7uoAjZekDcNitUDN9MfCDIx8PHw7qd8n7VQTg0TyA=w478-h640" width="478" /></a></div><br /><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/a/AVvXsEjqU6pRbSv4OTG-CkIy9ByP1nnBZnF56Nc0ORBo8Y8utXLQKSfqHOYCs0wg72ztwIWoyeGl0J8RjDQQMjrczmdJjGwRg8dT9pF1I0hPYm6V2w4ptYIVO6s614YKhnxTz2e7qIz8P0om4bICvvGYJ7SdZ3R2ZNjlZ2W_d1hxx9WtiXJNnGaa5v9f2sij1w=s4640" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="3472" data-original-width="4640" height="478" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/a/AVvXsEjqU6pRbSv4OTG-CkIy9ByP1nnBZnF56Nc0ORBo8Y8utXLQKSfqHOYCs0wg72ztwIWoyeGl0J8RjDQQMjrczmdJjGwRg8dT9pF1I0hPYm6V2w4ptYIVO6s614YKhnxTz2e7qIz8P0om4bICvvGYJ7SdZ3R2ZNjlZ2W_d1hxx9WtiXJNnGaa5v9f2sij1w=w640-h478" width="640" /></a></div><br /><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/a/AVvXsEjeXPNFH3O7TjNACx0_6tanyobrAyzZ6HxOpAfvsAIPC6Je6v97_d90OR6xV95PE9SGEqBXEr9NtKrqHpiTqAJeMy3hb4kU8y52uVlu8zdUrsTxcAW-Lfwldi3IQ23jchmcDfIiaZDfWI2u-qENdQApkvjpWDpk3nHldC6PYYvH4EA9JnGFFpwOn4KkDg=s4640" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="3472" data-original-width="4640" height="478" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/a/AVvXsEjeXPNFH3O7TjNACx0_6tanyobrAyzZ6HxOpAfvsAIPC6Je6v97_d90OR6xV95PE9SGEqBXEr9NtKrqHpiTqAJeMy3hb4kU8y52uVlu8zdUrsTxcAW-Lfwldi3IQ23jchmcDfIiaZDfWI2u-qENdQApkvjpWDpk3nHldC6PYYvH4EA9JnGFFpwOn4KkDg=w640-h478" width="640" /></a></div><br /><p>In 2021, I ran 1013 miles. I was injured in February and spend a couple of months on the elliptical, and I don't count those miles in my running total. I am glad to break 1000. </p><p>I read 195 books this year. </p><p>Wishing everyone a happy and HEALTHY 2022! </p>Lisa @ Two Bears Farmhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/03464839163693785901noreply@blogger.com5tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5356235511941477035.post-266563238681176922021-12-21T20:36:00.003-05:002021-12-21T20:36:49.808-05:00Geocaching and Naked Nutrition<p> We're homeschooling again this year, and Cort and Reid have been taking astronomy as an elective. About a month ago they had a lab learning to read maps that sent us out geocaching, and we've been hunting geocaches several times a week since then. A few weeks ago we found stage one on a two part geocache, which had coordinates to the second stage. It was on a busy day, and we knew that we didn't have time to hike that far. So today we finally returned with hiking shoes, hiking poles, and some <a href="https://nakednutrition.com/collections/protein-cookies" rel="nofollow" target="_blank">Naked Nutrition snacks</a> to find stage two. </p><p>Having a fifteen year old and two twelve year olds, it feels like someone is always hungry. I think we were on the trail for all of five minutes before Cort wanted to dig into the snacks. But I told him we needed to wait until we got to the top of the ridge. We had a couple of miles of walking to get to the top. We didn't see a soul, and it felt so nice to be out in the woods, the leaves crunching underfoot.</p><p>Once we located the geocache hidden in rocks at the top and signed the log (success!), we were all hungry, so we broke out the snacks. Naked Nutrition sent us their Chocolate Fudge protein bars and their Naked protein Sugar Cookies to try. </p><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/a/AVvXsEgdkSuKx8piDByU0JByxxOdtp_4VuEIS06wvWufF7pgjBsTBym9HB4GNa9XIETMGKFlWgJFZ5o7fN4AwydQzJ34e9eZXuDCvMSYNAOhBkofpmaykQxTkZXa0y9iZiQvNJXtKoA9z3qah5ahWTQ-GxQcPlumdlBRfauqDJ73-IvOW5AhrhdM_FV7vb0VLQ=s4640" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="3472" data-original-width="4640" height="478" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/a/AVvXsEgdkSuKx8piDByU0JByxxOdtp_4VuEIS06wvWufF7pgjBsTBym9HB4GNa9XIETMGKFlWgJFZ5o7fN4AwydQzJ34e9eZXuDCvMSYNAOhBkofpmaykQxTkZXa0y9iZiQvNJXtKoA9z3qah5ahWTQ-GxQcPlumdlBRfauqDJ73-IvOW5AhrhdM_FV7vb0VLQ=w640-h478" width="640" /></a></div><br /><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><span style="text-align: left;">We decided to sample a little bit of each. I was pleased with how they didn't crumble in the packs during the hike. The Chocolate Fudge bars are nice and chewy, with a dark chocolate flavor, 180 calories, 10 grams of whey protein and GMO free, soy free, and gluten free (Cort still doesn't eat gluten - these are made from almond flour). All three of my boys decided they liked the chocolate fudge bars best. </span></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/a/AVvXsEjVtDQGzCzrkLlBXvzhZE1xx7QRcAla98MJlrXT_stYQ85x4LTnHYhiajEInqOddeqBfDSOnb-qC0cX5fAtR-UHm0KIO_6abdxE6MTnmsb2HB-4WY5EcGxAA143-TcPODxPPeQ6b6K2Ah_460o9S-OgMuvSNdCE0z5PXLQBDuVHW88mTLMwlRAjuGHInQ=s4640" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="4640" data-original-width="3472" height="640" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/a/AVvXsEjVtDQGzCzrkLlBXvzhZE1xx7QRcAla98MJlrXT_stYQ85x4LTnHYhiajEInqOddeqBfDSOnb-qC0cX5fAtR-UHm0KIO_6abdxE6MTnmsb2HB-4WY5EcGxAA143-TcPODxPPeQ6b6K2Ah_460o9S-OgMuvSNdCE0z5PXLQBDuVHW88mTLMwlRAjuGHInQ=w478-h640" width="478" /></a></div><br /><p>I thought the sugar protein cookies had a bit of a 'birthday cake' flavor to them, and they were my favorite. The cookies are clean eating just like the fudge bars. Cort asked, "<i>Are these snacks healthy?</i>" Pierce replied, "<i>They're Naked bars, they have nothing to hide</i>." I thought this was pretty clever, until I realized he was reading the slogan off the package! I do love portable snacks like this with simple ingredients, that serve as healthy and tasty fuel for our adventures in the woods.</p><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/a/AVvXsEhXmtx208VHm6U1XN7C9DG6b3HgnYg-JN-X5HRugb7RJPpTnEqBlVTFXUFHAfX1h_laSb-y973jDgdlRpVFzKPQYiDZwXqoUWBMwZs0PE5s-6kwHcYebCVZ9K1-daL7OfB29LAzqo81yvWkyF0VS7pwQtvZ5zWGEp_ExdbZqY3M1nBU0uiDliOhWrwlow=s4640" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="3472" data-original-width="4640" height="478" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/a/AVvXsEhXmtx208VHm6U1XN7C9DG6b3HgnYg-JN-X5HRugb7RJPpTnEqBlVTFXUFHAfX1h_laSb-y973jDgdlRpVFzKPQYiDZwXqoUWBMwZs0PE5s-6kwHcYebCVZ9K1-daL7OfB29LAzqo81yvWkyF0VS7pwQtvZ5zWGEp_ExdbZqY3M1nBU0uiDliOhWrwlow=w640-h478" width="640" /></a></div><br /><p>The view from the very top of the ridge was so worth the hike up there. And after our refueling stop, we had no trouble completing the rest of our hike - even having the energy to hit up a couple more geocaches on the way home. If you're looking for a new protein snack to try for your geocaching adventures, or to fuel a gym workout, or even for the afternoon slump at work, check out Naked Nutrition!</p><p><i>Disclaimer: I received samples of the Naked Nutrition chocolate fudge protein bars and protein sugar cookies for review purposes. The opinions expressed above are my own. </i></p>Lisa @ Two Bears Farmhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/03464839163693785901noreply@blogger.com5tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5356235511941477035.post-3881533436220344662021-12-02T12:00:00.000-05:002021-12-02T12:00:07.990-05:00Devil's Bathtub Hike<p>How's everyone hanging in with the tail end of 2021? I hope you all are doing well. We are still here and fine - the boys are homeschooling again this year because of the continued pandemic, so that is keeping me busy (on top of continuing with teaching psychology).</p><p>I have a number of things I want to share from the past year, but I need my tech savvy fifteen year old to help me get the pics off my phone and onto my computer. In the meantime, here's a start:</p><p>Back in June we took a few days to do some activities around the state of Virginia that we've always wanted to do, but never had the time. We wrote down all those things on a list, and then took family votes for the top five activities. We managed to fit in so much good in just five days. </p><p>One of the top ranked choices was a trip to Devil's Bathtub. Years ago I saw images on Pinterest or somewhere, and couldn't believe it was in my state. Way down in a corner though. In fact, in our rambling drive to get there, we tipping across into Tennessee for a few minutes, before passing back over into Virginia. We managed to find the trailhead though. </p><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjsngX4L9FPTfTizYg09SFp174hznkamOXsYl7ty2pixG4AJAk2exI5jUarqvEi_SBqoV5KiubsJtYYRSb_UgLcEq23v32vDayXBJVUHXhpJGMz1Q7CkDEzOE1C05lcFFBKKMrgXZFauqaP/s518/DB2.PNG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="518" data-original-width="517" height="640" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjsngX4L9FPTfTizYg09SFp174hznkamOXsYl7ty2pixG4AJAk2exI5jUarqvEi_SBqoV5KiubsJtYYRSb_UgLcEq23v32vDayXBJVUHXhpJGMz1Q7CkDEzOE1C05lcFFBKKMrgXZFauqaP/w638-h640/DB2.PNG" width="638" /></a></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><br /></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;">It didn't disappoint. We found two rope swings and any number of lovely (but frigid) swim holes along the route. The actual bathtub was just a little bit further back on the rocks (which were rather slick). </div><br /><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhFJaZz0qLH1-3xIEnJbUqHTL7lJFCGSOP_gRUNu-U-vHOXx7EP0tme0LmBAytu53SIHgOXwuCirUBmvoipzd7TZkmTsYQSEYgWYXc6NIMhc8EY7hokZ2Qx1UKlc6hCRX_3xa0QTwk1IQ9z/s523/DevilsBathtub.PNG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="523" data-original-width="467" height="640" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhFJaZz0qLH1-3xIEnJbUqHTL7lJFCGSOP_gRUNu-U-vHOXx7EP0tme0LmBAytu53SIHgOXwuCirUBmvoipzd7TZkmTsYQSEYgWYXc6NIMhc8EY7hokZ2Qx1UKlc6hCRX_3xa0QTwk1IQ9z/w572-h640/DevilsBathtub.PNG" width="572" /></a></div><br /><p>All except Pierce and I took the plunge in the deceivingly deep bathtub, which judging from the whoops was also freezing cold! </p><p>We had to make quick hiking to get back to the car, because there was a massive storm brewing that we were trying to beat. We just barely made it - only a little damp from the rain. </p><p>If you did something you've always wanted to do this summer, let me know what it was in the comments! </p>Lisa @ Two Bears Farmhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/03464839163693785901noreply@blogger.com5tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5356235511941477035.post-88303050849267582492021-01-01T18:09:00.000-05:002021-01-01T18:09:14.390-05:00Moving on from 2020<p> It's hard to know where to start with 2020. It certainly wasn't the year that anyone expected. We made the most of it, though, because really - what else can you do? </p><p>While I haven't written on my blog, I did do some writing this year, and had articles published in Chicken Soup for the Soul - The Magic of Dogs, All Creatures Magazine (Nov/Dec issue), and Backwoods Home Magazine (Nov/Dec issue). </p><p>Cort and Reid graduated from elementary school in May - they did a drive thru graduation and it felt a little bittersweet that their elementary school, which Pierce started in Pre-K, would no longer be a part of our lives. One of the biggest changes this year brought for us was that we decided to homeschool the boys for the 20/21 school year. It was a little terrifying to pull them out of school, but it's been going well, and they seem to like it. Depending on how things are going with the pandemic, perhaps they will be able to return to public school next year.</p><p>Paul and the boys built a tiny cabin on our land. I even helped a few times! They hewed all the wood from fallen trees on our land. They are hoping to build another at some point. This one has three bunk beds inside it. It was still in progress in this picture. </p><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjZFfZ9uHoMt9OdLkQiHXngq94kq1JMv-mJ912uYMWrPZzPtr3Rghnr-cdF6e5zSnKKsZOnsDJ6-2BeSdBH9KY1GwosahMDCiQhX-4t7n07x-VHxJn-iPhOzmfu7JDMgjpwBrNBwxVwUOqk/s2048/IMG_20201018_142826284_HDR.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="2048" data-original-width="1536" height="640" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjZFfZ9uHoMt9OdLkQiHXngq94kq1JMv-mJ912uYMWrPZzPtr3Rghnr-cdF6e5zSnKKsZOnsDJ6-2BeSdBH9KY1GwosahMDCiQhX-4t7n07x-VHxJn-iPhOzmfu7JDMgjpwBrNBwxVwUOqk/w480-h640/IMG_20201018_142826284_HDR.jpg" width="480" /></a></div><br /><p>In 2020 I read 173 books (it was a great year for reading). A few favorites include Why We Sleep, Running with Sherman, Caravan (Dorothy Gilman), The Adventures of Robin Hood (Roger Lancelyn Green), The Thing About Jellyfish, Wolf Hollow, Around the World in 80 Days, The Cook and the Gardener, Boy's Life (Robert R. McCammon) and The Ice Cream Queen of Orchard Street.</p><p> I ran 1051 miles this year. This was up from the previous couple of years in which I struggled so much with Lyme, but still not at my typical mileage of 1200+. I'm still getting there - but was happy to break a thousand miles this year! </p><p>I had a decent garden this past year. I just yesterday picked some kale - I have a few greens left (but not many). I've already ordered seeds for 2021 and am eager to see what the growing season will bring. </p><p>Kids and animals are all doing well. I hope if you're reading this, that all in your family are also well, and that your 2021 is happy and healthy! </p><p><br /></p>Lisa @ Two Bears Farmhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/03464839163693785901noreply@blogger.com10tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5356235511941477035.post-76653375937266917412020-01-03T15:07:00.000-05:002020-01-03T15:07:00.845-05:00A Trip North and Happy New YearI just got an email from the twins' teachers asking for baby pictures to be used in their graduation ceremony this spring. As in graduation from elementary school. Which means I will have THREE middle schoolers next year. Of course all the best baby pictures are on the blog, so here I was looking at old posts and I figured why not write a quick recap for 2019?<br />
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Last summer we went camping in the White Mountains of New Hampshire. I've wanted to make this trip since reading about it on someone else's blog years ago. It's gorgeous up there and so much cooler in July than Virginia. Reid sprained an ankle, so we ended up taking the COG up to the top of Mount Washington. It was quite an experience! <br />
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We also did a number of shorter hikes around the White Mountains. And we took a day trip to Portland Maine, where we rode the mail ferry around to various islands and had lobster for lunch. <br />
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The boys have continued to play music - here's a picture of them playing Old Joe Clark with the Junior Appalachian Musicians at a festival this past fall. <br />
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My running wasn't the best this year - I've continued to struggle with some health complications, likely related to the lyme disease from the summer of 2018 (I do feel I finally have a doctor that is knowledgeable and helpful). I ended up with 981 miles for 2019. I'm disappointed about being 19 miles short of my minimum running goal, but am hopeful this next year will be much better. <br />
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I read 107 books this year. I was behind for a while - so I wasn't sure I would meet the goal. Favorites included the Truly Devious series, The Remarkable Journey of Coyote Sunrise, Shadow Divers, The Weight of Silence, Range: Why Generalists Triumph in a Specialized World, Where the Forest Meets the Stars, Call Your Daughter Home, The Sun Does Shine, The Traveling Cat Chronicles, The Distance Home, The Honey Bus, Lassoing the Sun and The Book Woman of Troublesome Creek. <br />
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I hope you all have a great 2020! Lisa @ Two Bears Farmhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/03464839163693785901noreply@blogger.com17tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5356235511941477035.post-85600462400157254882019-05-08T08:26:00.000-04:002019-05-08T08:26:24.754-04:00A Sense of WonderSometimes in your life you stumble upon a place so magical that you are struck with a sense of wonder. <br />
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Last weekend we took a hike to a place called The Channels. It was almost three hours of driving, a portion of it far off the beaten path, to get there. But I had discovered an article about this hidden gem a month ago and knew we had to make the trip. <br />
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Three miles of well maintained trail, all up, to get to these slot canyons. We saw an abundance of wildflowers the whole way, and barely any other hikers. You know you are almost there when you reach the old fire tower.<br />
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I cannot begin to describe how fabulous The Channels were. It didn't feel like Virginia. It felt like the American Southwest. <br />
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The rock formations go on and on. You can explore for hours. The twins were deep into crevices, but I stayed in more habitable areas.<br />
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I have to say, this is one of my most favorite places, my most favorite hikes, that I've found in Virginia. <br />
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As for Pierce and Paul, they explored a little. But they spent much of the time trying to get a SOTA contact on the portable ham radio at the summit. <br />
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I hope everyone is having a marvelous spring, and enjoying their own sense of wonder in nature. </div>
<br />Lisa @ Two Bears Farmhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/03464839163693785901noreply@blogger.com22tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5356235511941477035.post-80822917564332306392019-01-02T14:17:00.001-05:002019-01-02T14:17:14.057-05:002018 Wrap UpLooks like I haven't posted since last July. I don't have much to say, but here's a few fun pics from the last half of the year (and yesterday). If you follow me on Instagram, these will be repeats for you.<br />
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From this fall's GoFest festival. This is the outdoors focused festival in Roanoke. </div>
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We got a new puppy. I had a pic of him and Pierce at the vet from when we first got him at 7 weeks old, but when I uploaded it Blogger kept turning it sideways. But here he is being bratty, having thrown his ball in my coffee because he wanted to play fetch. He's an Australian cattle dog/blue heeler. </div>
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Cort was an elf in his school musical. He also played a newsboy in a community theatre production of Gypsy last fall. This picture is coming up sideways too. I'm just going to leave it. </div>
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We went to Fairystone state park with my brother and his family over Thanksgiving. Here's a picture from the area by the dam, following a hike we did.</div>
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We got 15 inches of snow last month. This is A LOT for us. Cort made an igloo.</div>
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Yesterday we went to Smith Mountain Lake state park to start off 2019 with a hike.</div>
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It was mild weather for January, and we had fun on the trail around Turtle Island. I usually do a wrap up post for my books and running each year. Last year I ran 679 miles. I broke my running streak of 536 days last June, when I got lyme disease. It's been a long recovery and I'm running short distances a few days a week and trying to rebuild my stamina, even so many months later. Last year I read 124 books. Standout reads were The Stand, Far from the Tree, Educated, and Where the Crawdads Sing.<br />
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Thanks to those of you who checked in. Wishing you all a happy 2019! Lisa @ Two Bears Farmhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/03464839163693785901noreply@blogger.com23tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5356235511941477035.post-32154844180644704032018-07-30T05:20:00.000-04:002018-07-30T05:20:24.357-04:00Roanoke GargoylesWhen visiting other cities, I always like to track down gargoyles on older buildings. But Roanoke has a couple of gargoyles, too, standing on either side of the street. Some people would call these grotesques, because they aren't on a building a do not have spouts. But most of the folks around Roanoke speak of them as the gargoyles.<br />
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They are kind of off the beaten track. You really have to want to see these gargoyles to find them. <br />
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I suppose they were meant to keep evil out of the neighborhoods. A lady that lives nearby tends to them if they get any damage. I'm glad they are still standing - they have so much character. Lisa @ Two Bears Farmhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/03464839163693785901noreply@blogger.com23tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5356235511941477035.post-26387911384129038212018-07-23T05:03:00.000-04:002018-07-23T05:03:16.132-04:00Udvar Hazy National Air and Space MuseumReid in Pierce are smitten by all things aviation, so we took them to a branch of the National Air and Space museum that is located outside DC, near the Dulles airport. It has a huge observation tower to watch planes taking off and landing. The boys were going crazy running back and forth from side to side, trying to see every plane.<br />
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They did a number of flight simulators. There were several different types to choose from.<br />
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Of course, one of the highlights was the Discovery space shuttle. We enjoyed watching a video of its last flight.<br />
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With two hangers and the tower, this is a huge museum. We spent about 4 1/2 hours going through it. <br />
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It was much less crowded than the Air and Space museum in DC, which was also nice (plus, the boys had been to the one in DC before). Being Smithsonian, admission is free. Lisa @ Two Bears Farmhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/03464839163693785901noreply@blogger.com17tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5356235511941477035.post-9174596758375994492018-07-16T05:01:00.000-04:002018-07-16T05:01:01.843-04:00A Day in Baltimore, Part 2You may remember a couple of summers ago I took the boys to the Edgar Allan Poe house in Richmond. There is also a Poe house in Baltimore. It's located in a seriously scary neighborhood (like so bad I didn't want to stand outside to take a picture), but we decided to brave it briefly. This is the attic bedroom of the tiny old house.<br />
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After we headed back towards downtown so that we could visit the Poe graves (there are two markers). This was the boys' favorite part of the day. The cemetery is mostly 18th century and is so interesting.<br />
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There are graves and catacombs all throughout the churchyard. It was fun exploring.<br />
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Here is the newer Edgar Allan Poe marker. It's on the corner by the street and has easier access for visitors.<br />
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Isn't it an unusual cemetery? And the graves were willy nilly all over the place. <br />
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Here's the original burial place for Poe. You can see that visitors have left tokens at the stone recently. <br />
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There are a number of prominent people who were buried in the cemetery. Historical markers are dotted throughout.<br />
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And then look at this section - it actually tunnels under the church. There are even graves located beneath in the crawlspace. <br />
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It was a memorable ending to a full day. And all three of the boys loved this cemetery the most. Lisa @ Two Bears Farmhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/03464839163693785901noreply@blogger.com13tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5356235511941477035.post-61591394369752019822018-07-09T05:36:00.000-04:002018-07-09T05:36:10.413-04:00A Day in BaltimoreWe headed north for a couple of days last week. We spent a day in Baltimore. I wanted to take the boys to the National Aquarium. Here they are petting horse shoe crabs and stingray.<br />
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There was also a tank full of jellyfish to pet. Even though we got there right when they opened at 9 am, it was still busy.<br />
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I've always like these fish. They seem friendly and kind of have a smiley look to them.<br />
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In the Amazon section. This aquarium is huge and wraps around and around. There is so much to see.<br />
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Maryland is well known for its crab cakes, so we had to take a break from the aquarium for lunch at Phillips.<br />
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Only Reid will eat crab cakes (despite Cort's drawing). But he was suitably impressed.<br />
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After finishing up the aquarium, we found a fun playground. Tunnels and merry go rounds.<br />
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And stretches of music making instruments. We spent some time hanging out here. <br />
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As fun as it was, none of this was the boys' favorite thing we did in Baltimore. Any guesses as to what was? It'll surprise you. Stay tuned!</div>
Lisa @ Two Bears Farmhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/03464839163693785901noreply@blogger.com16tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5356235511941477035.post-57024576061203568232018-07-05T20:27:00.002-04:002018-07-05T20:27:30.194-04:00Beating the Heat with a Waterfall and a MineI've blogged about hiking to the Cascades before, but it was about 7 years ago. We were overdue for a visit. It's always much cooler there. We left at around 6:30 in the morning to get an early start. <br />
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It can get crowded at the Cascades, but we timed it right and there weren't many people around. It's a two mile hike to get to the falls.<br />
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I have never been there when the water was warm. Even though temps all week had been in the mid 90s, you can see from Cort's face that the water was shockingly cold.<br />
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The falls are higher than they look in the pictures. This one of Cort at the base gives you a better idea of their height. <br />
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I fell on some wet rock steps on the hike back and busted my elbow. While I tried to clean it up with a first aid kit, the boys discovered butterflies all over. Here, Reid had two that landed on his hands. <br />
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Aside from the crash down the steps, it was a fun hike. Afterwards, we took a massive detour to go to the Beckley Coal Mine Expedition. I had fond memories of a visit there with my cousins when I was a kid. Here are the boys getting ready to ride down into the mine.<br />
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I think the boys were impressed by the history on our tour. They asked a lot of questions. It was a full day, but one we all enjoyed. Lisa @ Two Bears Farmhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/03464839163693785901noreply@blogger.com17tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5356235511941477035.post-23757286438848877672018-06-18T12:02:00.000-04:002018-06-18T12:02:03.341-04:00My Kids Didn't Know About TubingWe decided to take the boys tubing for father's day. Paul and I hadn't been since the mid 90s, so we were pretty excited for a relaxing day on the Pigg River. We were alarmed to discover that morning that our kids didn't even know what tubing was! We had to explain to them about the intertubes they would float on and the river.<br />
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The water was a little chilly initially, but it was a warm day so it felt refreshing. We had a short hike to the spot where we put in.<br />
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All smiles and ready to go! The water was flowing gently. There were one or two spots you had to walk a few steps, but overall it was perfect. We saw frogs, a turtle, and three snakes.<br />
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It took about 90 minutes total to float the whole stretch. Here we are at the end. <br />
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It was a really fun experience, and the boys are all begging to return. Turns out they are big fans of tubing!Lisa @ Two Bears Farmhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/03464839163693785901noreply@blogger.com26tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5356235511941477035.post-8316337062120186652018-05-24T09:35:00.001-04:002018-05-24T09:35:20.585-04:00A Rising 6th GraderYesterday was Pierce's 5th grade graduation. It's hard to believe we have a middle schooler now.<br />
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For Pierce, the highlight of the day was getting to go up in the ceiling crawl space of the school. He's been asking the P.E. teacher, Mr. Banks, to go up there since he was in Pre-K. Mr. Banks always told him he would show him what was up there on the last day of 5th grade.<br />
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Pierce got to take a few of his friends up the ladder to walk to cat walk. It sounded like a herd of elephants in the ceiling. He was so thrilled to get up there.<br />
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We are excited to see what adventures middle school holds next year. Most people don't seem to have the best memories of the awkward middle school years. But Pierce has always been such a happy, curious kid, who adores learning and school, so we are hoping he will thrive there. <br />
Lisa @ Two Bears Farmhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/03464839163693785901noreply@blogger.com18tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5356235511941477035.post-89172070525714711872018-04-04T05:41:00.000-04:002018-09-20T13:21:21.709-04:00Sima's HomeI posted back in January about finding Sima for the boys to have a kid-friendly horse. We did a three month free lease to make sure that he was the right horse for us (and that his owner, who loves him dearly, felt he was going to be the right semi-retirement home for him). I think everyone involved has been thrilled with the situation, and this week we are making it official. <br />
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Sima is enjoying a slower, rural lifestyle. He no longer is part of a show barn life, or spending his weekends doing eventing. He has fully embraced this muddier, lazier way of living.<br />
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The boys adore him. He's a gentleman for their rides. They are practicing the basics right now, like trying to learn how to post to the trot.<br />
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And I enjoy him, too! I've been taking him on trail rides, and sometimes do a little jumping. Last week I showed Pierce how to use the good camera, and he worked on getting action shots. I took three fences, and Pierce caught two of them just right. <br />
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It's been a long time since I've jumped much, or worked with a trainer. It's good for me to see the pictures to pick out my flaws. I got a tad left behind on this one.<br />
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Compared to Francie, he's an easy going, straightforward ride. He's very sensitive to cues - like changing diagonals or asking for leads.<br />
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Riding him makes me feel like a teenager again. It's such a treat to ride a more finished horse. <br />
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But this is the best part of it - he's gentle with the boys, trustworthy. And here's my photographer. Didn't he do a wonderful job?<br />
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We all look forward to more rides with Sima. Once the boys are more balanced, I'm hoping we can even do some trail rides on our land.</div>
Lisa @ Two Bears Farmhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/03464839163693785901noreply@blogger.com29tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5356235511941477035.post-32224021813639556532018-03-29T20:03:00.002-04:002018-03-29T20:03:36.710-04:00Singin' in the RainLast December, Cort auditioned for a part in Singin' in the Rain. It had been a while since he'd done any tap dancing, but he was thrilled to get the part of "Young Cosmo" despite that. <br />
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The production ran for three nights last week. It was put on by a local performing arts high school. I cannot begin to tell you how impressed I was by the teenagers in the show. They could sing and dance and act with the best! The grand finale was spectacular! Even after all the practices and performances, I never got tired of it.<br />
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And all the teens were extra nice to Cort and helped showed him the ropes. He sure had a good time. His new friend, "Young Don", who danced with him in the show, told him about another audition for a different musical coming up. Cort is interested in doing another. Me? I may just need a couple of months to recover...but I certainly did enjoy seeing Singin' in the Rain! </div>
Lisa @ Two Bears Farmhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/03464839163693785901noreply@blogger.com17tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5356235511941477035.post-24072267241126140692018-03-07T05:35:00.000-05:002018-03-07T05:35:25.778-05:00Odyssey of the Mind 2018 I've blogged before about Pierce participating in Odyssey in the Mind, something I did myself as a kid. If you haven't heard of it, Odyssey of the Mind (or OM) is a creative problem solving challenge in which teams of seven kids choose from one of five problems and create a skit or structure or vehicle. There is also a portion called "spontaneous" where they have to do a short term problem the day of competition that they don't know about beforehand. Pierce was on a primary team in first grade (they present their project/skit, but don't compete), but has been on a competitive team the other years.<br />
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Last year Cort and Reid saw how much fun he was having, and asked to be in OM as well. I talked to the teacher coaching Pierce's team last year, and she was nice enough to coach a primary team with the twins if I would coach that primary team with her. She has a lot of experience, and the kids all love her. This year Pierce migrated to a different team of mostly 5th graders (everyone else on his team from last year left for middle school), but Mrs. Harden and I stuck with the primary team from last year - only they progressed to being competitive this year.<br />
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The kids chose the problem of Stellar Hangout. They had to create a space relay station with aliens. There had to be a human worker, space food, entertainment, and a quest for treasure. The kids have been working on this since October. The last couple of weeks we were meeting for a couple of hours after school every single day to try to tie it all together. The coaches are only allowed to give guidance and provide supplies - the kids have to create everything and write all the lines. The more creative and outside the box, the higher the score. (Pierce's team chose a problem where they made a Mockumentary of a children's classic - they chose Peter Pan). <br />
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Saturday was the regional competition. Here are Cort and Reid in their alien pop star costumes:<br />
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The teams worked really hard and had so much fun. What energy! What creativity! <br />
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At the awards ceremony, we found out that Pierce's team placed second in their category. They were thrilled - they really did have an adorable skit.<br />
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And then came time for the Stellar Hangout awards. They were up against 13 teams total. I think Mrs. Harden and I were both a little shocked when they won first place. They have a wonderful skit with very creative elements, crazy costumes and unusual props, and a catchy and hilarious song, but they're a young team (all 2nd and 3rd graders). I just never expected it to happen, especially their first year. So they get to go to the state competition in Newport News next month. <br />
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So it looks like I have a few more weeks of OM practices in my future. I'm happy for the kids - they really worked hard for this. It's going to be a fun adventure, and I'll let you know how it goes! <br />
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Lisa @ Two Bears Farmhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/03464839163693785901noreply@blogger.com24tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5356235511941477035.post-37016963224886239682018-02-14T05:43:00.000-05:002018-02-14T05:43:19.148-05:00Running Recap 2017I don't know how it got to February and I still haven't done a running recap for last year. It was a good year, in spite of an injury in October that almost shut down my running. I ran more than ever before, for a total of 1850 miles.<br />
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I also did a running streak. This is where you don't take any days off. So you must run every single day, for at least one mile. I had two days that I found this exceptionally challenging. The first was in January, when I was sick with a fever and sore throat, and had to run on the treadmill at 5:30 am. That was rough. The second was in November, on the day following the CR24 (in which I covered 33 miles) when my IT band was really hurting from injury and the rest of my body was very sore. That was a rough mile too. But I stuck with it. This was the first time I ever attempted a running streak.<br />
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So it was a good year. My favorite run was the 9 miler I did in the desert in Arizona, around 4:30 am last summer. It was amazing!<br />
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I don't have any recent pictures of me running. So here's a picture of Pierce hanging from the ceiling. Because that totally makes sense, right?<br />
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Wishing you all a Happy Valentines Day! Lisa @ Two Bears Farmhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/03464839163693785901noreply@blogger.com19tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5356235511941477035.post-31924238256462524292018-02-07T05:17:00.000-05:002018-02-07T05:17:04.086-05:00Francie's DNA ResultsI have often mused over Francie's background over the past four and a half years. Recently I discovered that I could send off her DNA to Texas A+M, where they have a horse breed registry. So I shipped off some hair samples and waited with great curiosity. Here's a recent picture if you want a reminder.<br />
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When the results came back I was surprised! The primary breed that came back was Holsteiner, which is a type of warmblood (a draft breed mixed with a more athletic breed, often thoroughbred). Holsteiners are known to be good jumpers. I could really see the Holsteiner in her head, and they are often bay in color with minimal white markings, so this isn't what surprised me.<br />
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The secondary breed that came back was Caspian. This is a breed native to Iran, and I wasn't familiar with them, so this was very surprising. Indeed, they are rare in the United States. They are small horses, but known to be good jumpers. <br />
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The third breed that came back was Arabian. Francie doesn't look Arabian to me at all. But sometimes she gets a wild hair and does stick her tail straight in the air like an Arab while running in the pasture.<br />
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It was exciting to find out a little more about Francie's background. I'm still as baffled as ever about where her origin may be, but I'm happy to know a little more about her breeding. DNA is so interesting, don't you think? Lisa @ Two Bears Farmhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/03464839163693785901noreply@blogger.com19tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5356235511941477035.post-8716907335738545022018-01-31T05:14:00.000-05:002018-01-31T05:14:05.250-05:00Snow HikeWe got a few inches of snow, and the boys talked Paul and I into hiking up the mountain. The snow was blowing all over. At the top, we found three black dogs. Not ours, and wearing collars without names. They were friendly and well-fed though.<br />
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I bought snow shoes with my Christmas money this year. They strap onto my snow boots. The are long and grip the ground. Excellent for going up steep mountains in snow. I didn't slide once.</div>
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As I write this, I'm getting a little tired of winter. I'm looking forward to garden season!Lisa @ Two Bears Farmhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/03464839163693785901noreply@blogger.com22tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5356235511941477035.post-56798172523670598742018-01-24T05:39:00.000-05:002018-01-24T05:39:02.177-05:00Welcome, SimaI've been looking for a beginner horse for the boys since last summer. Pierce really wants to learn to ride. I got preapproved with a rescue for adoption, but they never got in the type of horse we needed. Finally I placed an ad on an equestrian site for Virginia. I got great response, but immediately fell for Sima, and formed a friendship with his owner. We were chatting back and forth online for weeks. I could tell how much she loved him.<br />
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He's been doing eventing (a combination of jumpers, cross country, and dressage) up in Northern Virginia, and became sour with all the jumping. He is 18 and ready for a quieter lifestyle. I reached out to my old riding friends from high school that are still in that area, and was able to make a connection through one that vouched for Sima, and reassured us that he would make a good horse for a beginner. We were so happy the day he arrived.<br />
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He's affectionate. He loves head rubs. And he's so calm. I gave him a couple of days to settle in and then took him for a test ride. He was a perfect gentleman, with a big bouncy trot. He's very responsive to the rider - the slightest shift in weight or turn of my head would change his direction. He has one of the softest mouths of any horse I've ever ridden, and on a long rein at the walk was practically dragging his nose on the ground. <br />
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The next day I looked at him and told him to take care of Pierce for me. Then I stuck him up there. He took a few turns on the lunge line, and then I let him loose. Sima was happy to just walk calmly around the arena. Pierce kept saying, "Mom, this is so fun!". And the kid hasn't even trotted yet!<br />
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I'm enjoying riding Sima once in a while myself. Although Francie gets jealous and throws temper tantrums in the pasture. So I have to make sure I ride her too! <br />
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He looks so much like my show horse in high school, Chico, in the above picture that I have to do a double take every time I see it. It was so cold on this day that I had on three layers to stay warm.<br />
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We look forward to many more rides with Sima. I'm excited for when Pierce learns to ride enough that maybe he can ride Sima and I can ride Francie and the two of us can head off on the trails around our place. Lisa @ Two Bears Farmhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/03464839163693785901noreply@blogger.com24tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5356235511941477035.post-31114636914169167332018-01-17T05:32:00.000-05:002018-01-17T05:32:12.075-05:00Christmas Break RecapChristmas break was super cold this year! We didn't venture far from home. It was nice to have some down time.<br />
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Pierce has suddenly become relentless about learning how to ride. Francie is not a beginner horse. But I did let him walk her around on the lunge line one day.<br />
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Cort spent a great deal of time in frigid temps riding this spinning big wheel on my parents' driveway (ours is gravel). <br />
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Reid asked for a biohazard suit for Christmas. Santa delivered. He needs to grow into it. They just don't make biohazard suits in kid sizes.<br />
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Twice we met up with cousins for some rollerskating. Rollerskating is a great activity during the cold winter months. I enjoy getting out there, too. <br />
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Overall, we had a nice break. It was over in a blink, and now back to school through May. Lisa @ Two Bears Farmhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/03464839163693785901noreply@blogger.com22tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5356235511941477035.post-3578433799492150252018-01-10T05:21:00.000-05:002018-01-10T05:21:08.757-05:00Favorite Reads from 2017Usually I do the top ten novels I read over the year, but this year I had a list of 12 top reads from the 167 books I read in 2017. And I realized that there were four that stood out from the list. So I've narrowed it down to my top four. <br />
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By far, my favorite book of the year was The Snow Child, by Eowyn Ivey. It's a great fiction read for winter, so go get yourself a copy now!<br />
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I also loved The Dressage Chronicles by Karen McGoldrick (I also read one of the sequels). This is probably not going to go over well with readers unless they are horse enthusiasts, but I enjoyed it so much.<br />
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I actually read a book for the second time this year, which is unusual for me. Last time I read it I was about twelve years old. My grandfather recommended it to me. House of a Thousand Lanterns by Victoria Holt. It did not disappoint. I was surprised by what a great read this was.<br />
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Finally, a nonfiction read. The Stranger in the Woods by Michael Finkel, about a hermit that lived in the Maine woods alone for over 20 years. <br />
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Readers, do you have any books you want to recommend for me in 2018?</div>
Lisa @ Two Bears Farmhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/03464839163693785901noreply@blogger.com20