USPC Annual Meeting January 2011

The United States Pony Club Annual Meeting was January 27 - 30, 2011. In addition to a booth I gave 2 lectures: Five Minute Fixes to Improve Your Riding and Have a Ball Improving Your Jumping Position. Both lectures had over 100 people attending - it was great!

Of course I couldn't leave them in their chairs and so a simple Power Point presentation. I had people "volunteer" to demonstrate. For the ball lecture the room was too small so we moved out into the common area and formed a large circle while I worked with 6 kids on the balls.

It was terrific energy and everyone was so attentive and interested. Afterward I never stopped as kids and adults continually came over to my booth for me to help them with their jumping position on the ball.

Needless to say it was a busy 4 days and tomorrow we drive home. I sure hope we don't have the bad weather we had last Wednesday! We passed 5 tractor trailers off the road due to the snow. Tomorrow it looks like it will be mostly rain - keeping my fingers crossed!

Birds in the yard

This winter we have gone all out with bird feeders. We now have two suet, two thistle, two black oil sunflower seed and one hulled sunflower feeders. In addition we have a hanging pan we fill with peanuts, walnuts and black oil seeds and a bird bath with a heater.

This has turned the tree where the feeder hang into a "jungle gym" for birds. Every morning Brad goes out to refill the feeders. Some bird are so brave they fly around behind him while he is filling.

I can see the tree from the kitchen. Every morning I sit with my cup of coffee and binoculars to find out who is visiting today.

Izzy also finds the birds interesting. Every morning she patrols along the fence to the wood pile behind the tree then hops onto a timber where she sharpens her claws. You can hear her saying "don't mind me.... I am just passing by..... you can continue to eat the seed on the ground..... don't mind me...."

So far we have spotted cardinal, yellow finch (by the droves),purple finch, house finch, sparrows, crow, dove, junco, mocking bird, downy woodpecker, red headed woodpecker and a pair of yellow bellied sapsuckers.

The sapsuckers took me a little while to identify. I finally got a good look at them when they sent the day drilling holes into the maple tree in the front yard and was able to capture a picture of the pair close together. Now I have an explanation for all those holes ringing my tree!