And then there were eight!

It's been a busy season for Jordan's Crossing at the B5 Barn! We are very proud to announce the birth of our youngest family member! At 6:09 p.m. on Tuesday, February 5th, while surrounded by an awe struck B5 gang, our 13 year old mare, Star, gave birth to a beautiful little filly. Within moments of her birth, the barn was bustling with visitors anxious to greet the eighth and most recent member of the B5 Boogietime barn family. Already living up to her name, Zoe (which, we have learned, is a Greek word meaning "Life"), is a lively, loving, inquisitive, and energetic little foal. She absolutely LOVES greeting our littlest visitors by poking her little pink nose into their faces as if to say "Hey, you're just my size!" (A photo of Zoe will be posted in the coming days.)

Speaking of our "littlest visitors," we now have 5 students who attend scheduled lessons on a weekly basis, not to mention the growing number of visitors who stop in periodically just to visit, pet, or groom the equine members of our family. Not surprisingly, our horses (even Zoe in her short 7 days of life) are willing to fulfill their duty by providing support to each and every child who visits. It is such a thrill to watch these children blossom in the presence of a horse. What a miracle to behold!

Of course, no new adventure is without its share of hurdles. First and foremost, 4H has begun and our calendar is bursting at the seams. Our girls don't do anything half-way. They are of the opinion that if you don't do it ALL, then it must not be worth doing AT all. That's why they've chosen to be in four different 4H clubs. Add ballet, tap, and tumbling class to that meeting load, and it's no wonder I'm on the road driving the wheels off my truck on a daily basis! During the really busy times, I feel a little sorry for myelf and long for a quiet night of "HOME." Then I kick myself and remember that "this too shall pass..." all too quickly! We must always look on the positive side. At least I have these moments of conversation while on the road with my gang! The second minor hurdle involves our most popular lesson horse, Dixie. She surprised us with a broken molar and had to have surgery at Purdue two weeks ago. She was immediately taken out of our lesson-horse line up, and we were a bit concerned that her favored riders wouldn't accept any other horse. We need not have worried. Dixie's momma, a 15 year old mare named Baby, gracefully stepped into her place and the students seemed content riding her for back up. In full confirmation of their contentment, I was blessed to overhear a conversation between one of those students and a friend of mine in our barn the other day. After being introduced to my friend, the young student told him that she used to ride Dixie, but now she rides Baby for her lessons. My friend responded by saying "I know Baby. She was born on my farm. She was my horse when she was little." The student looked up wide eyed and said, "Wow...you must really miss her!"

Well, I'm not sure how much Baby is missed at my friend's farm these days, but I am sure that Dixie was sorely missed around here while she was gone! One young student was so concerned about her that he called us following her surgery to check on her. Daily visits to her stall with pats of love by little hands and "oohs" and "ahs" over the "boo-boo" on her face have helped her heal. She can't yet be used in lessons, but everyone is sure glad to see her again fill that once-empty stall. No one was quite as excited as Dixie herself, though, on the day she returned home. As we led her through the barn that day, we laughed as she stopped and pranced at each stall, poking her nose between the bars and softly knickering hello to each of her equine family members. Upon entering her stall and taking a sniff around the place, she settled into her familiar living space with a sigh. I took a moment to join in her pleasure of peace and quiet with a sigh of my own. A few short minutes later I exited the barn with a smile and thought You're absolutely right, Dixie, there's no place like home!