A Horse is a Horse, of course, of course

When we were vacationing in Lancaster County, PA....right up the road from our campground, there was an Amish home...and right next to the driveway was a fenced in horse stable/riding rink that stretched right up to the road. There was a little boy, no more than 8 years old, who had a small horse that he would ride on all the time....some kids ride scooters, skateboards, or 2 wheeled bikes....this kid rode a small horse. I must have seen him on it a dozen times during our trip. So did Gavin.
Our boy took an immediate shine to the horses which peppered the countryside of Lancaster County and, during the harvest season, were all over the fields, hitched to various threshing, mowing, and harvesting equipment, under the lead and direction of many young Amish boys. Being the natural leader that we are seeing our boy emerge to be....it seemed natural that he'd take an immediate interest in those Amish boys who held control of these horse teams.
Upon our return to MA, Gavin still showed an amazing interest in horses. We told him how his mama and I saw wild horses (Mustangs) running wild on the beaches of the Outer Banks, NC and he became even more intrigued. We went to the library and he took out a half dozen books on Mustangs and other horses. He was hooked.
The Lord...seeing all of this...decided to hook us up big time.
My father had an old acquaintance whom he had reconnected with a few years ago and kept in sporadic contact with over the last few years. This man, Mr. Jack Scott, owns "Blessings Farm" in Charlton, MA. which provides riding instruction and horse-keeping direction to kids who would normally not be able to afford it. The way Mr. Scott puts it: "Everyone loves horses. Little kids, who have never seen a horse in real life, are drawn to them and they can't even explain why. They keep pictures of them on their wall and dream of riding horses. Learning to ride and care for horses should not only be for the rich but for any of those kids who have an active interest." Mr. Scott is one of those men of God that, after meeting, you walk away from feeling so fulfilled and blessed and inspired.
This afternoon, Mr. Scott invited us to his farm to meet some of his horses.




The Scott's keep 10 horses on their farm. We met about 4 of them including this absolutely amazing horse names "Abi" (she's pictured in the middle and bottom picture). Abi is a 24 year old Arabian who is absolutely gorgeous. Her countenance around children was something amazing to behold. Now....I had very little preconceived notions about what today would hold. Here's, in order of levels of realistic expectation, what I'd hoped would happen today:
A: Gavin and Ivy would get to pet and/or brush a horse
B: Gavin would get to briefly sit on a horse
C: Gavin would get to be led around on a horse for a lap or two by Mr. Scott.

Never, in a million years, did I expect to witness what actually went down.


We saddled Abi and took her down to Mr. Scott's indoor riding rink (which, just the fact that it exists is a miracle in itself. I won't give away the story but, there is no mistake that this place is called Blessings Farm.) When The Lord puts His blessing into something, there is nothing, no act of man, that can stop His might hand. Hearing how this riding arena got built and the obstacles that were overcome in it's construction was a true testimony to the providence of God. At any rate...Gavin WAS able to mount her:


Mr. Scott led him around on Abi for a full lap and a half and then, when they were both down the far end of the rink, we could hear Mr. Scott talking to Gavin but couldn't hear what was being said.

Chrissy and I were thinking that perhaps Mr. Scott was giving Gavin some history about the horse. Either that, or he was correcting Gavin, in his infinite Alpha- Male persona, on some overly-aggressive actions....we couldn't have been more wrong. Mr. Scott, who is one of the most patient men that I have ever met in my life, was instructing Gavin on how to control and lead Abi on his own.
2 minutes later....we saw this:

and then this:

and this:

and this:


for the better part of 30 minutes, Gavin led this horse...weaving her around the rink, around us and then back down towards the far end and back again...over and over and over. I was in utter disbelief. Mr. Scott had told us that Abi was an exceptional horse in that she was so in tune with the youngest and most inexperienced riders, but then, when mounted with a professional rider, could manipulate barrel-racing obstacles like she was shot out of a cannon. I was almost brought to tears watching my son connect with this beautiful animal. While he was mounted...we talked about "dominion" and how The Lord gave us these animals to work along side us....to help us accomplish tasks while we cared for their needs. This was a beautiful afternoon on so many levels.
Ivy even got a turn:


She was fearless. Ivy has had an affinity towards animals her whole life. I know that most kids like the idea of animals...but Ivy has such an interest in them. She wants to pet every animal she sees. She talks about them all the time. She pretends that she's a kitten 86% of her waking hours. I wouldn't be surprised at all if she found her life's work along side animals.

It was a wonderful day...far exceeding my expectations. It's amazing when you meet a fellow brother in The Lord who has submitted to Him and is doing The Lord's work. You get to see the may facets that The Lord calls us to. To some, it's direct ministry: pastoral, counseling, theology. To others, it's public service and loving the unloved. To some others, it's homeschooling and training up the future generations.
And for others, it's something unique.....like keeping horses and inviting scores of children to learn to ride, keep, and care for these amazing animals...and not "the elite"...but regular, everyday kids of hard-working, blue-collar parents. Mr. Scott has made it very clear that horses should be for everyone who has the desire...not just those who can afford it.
Today was one of those things that you probably couldn't fully appreciate without being there yourself....which you can be: Blessings Farm in Charlton, MA....ask for Mr. Jack Scott.

That farm is the most aptly named place I've ever been to.

A Boy's First Bass

There's something iconic about the Largemouth Bass. It's really the unofficial "posterfish" of American freshwater inland fishing. Don't get me wrong, there's lots of fish species out there that are total trophies but, there's just something about a Largemouth Bass....the way it looks....that HUGE gaping mouth, that unmistakable dark stripe painted down the length of it's strong body...it's jet-black eye...it's blood-red gills...the way it hunts, the way it strikes, the way it fights....There's a reason that the store isn't called Pickerel Pro Shops.

So, I've documented at length about our fishing experiences this year...that Gavin was introduced to fishing about 3 months ago with a simple rod and length of line...and, honestly, that's what I thought "fishing" was going to be for him this year, just dangling off the dock and snatching up bluegills and sunnies all Summer. That rig lasted about a month, then he said that he was ready to cast. I did a few weeks worth of hand-over-hand with him on my rod and reel...he'd flip the bail and hold his hands right under mine as I casted out. Then he wanted to try it on his own. The only reel that I had for him was an open-faced reel and, for those not in-the-know, is MUCH more challenging to use than the traditional kids training reel called a "push-button". I put a bobber at the end of his hookless line and taught him a thing or two and within one afternoon, he was able to cast out on his own fairly well. That led to him casting out a baited hook and eventually nabbing his first completely solo catch: casted, hooked, and reeled in all by himself.
And that's pretty much where we are at. he's still too little to bait a hook or unhook a fish but he's pretty much got everything else down pretty well. There's definitely some "proud papa" moments when I watch this little 4 year old boy sit there as something is nibbling his bait....paitent....waiting for just right moment to set that hook. It's impressive.
A few weeks ago we started dabbling in plastic and rubber bait. I picked us up some off-set hooks and rubber worms/flukes. Personally, I like the live bait. I love catching big fish, but most days I'm more content to catch 15 small/medium fish than 1 lunker. Live bait, on our pond, is a sure thing....and I'm good with that. For me, just being out there on the dock with my boy is the highlight...the fish caught is just the gravy. Gavin, on the other hand, has been much more interested in the rubber baits. He's had this white rubber super fluke on his line for the past week. He'll cast it out and pretend to have something on his line and yell "get the net"....sometimes even before his bait hits the water. He's got nothing all week....and he couldn't care less....I think that he too just mainly likes being out there.
So today, he and I are out there fishing, I'm snatching up the occasional bluegill and he's casting and reeling in next to me. Then he says "I got one"...I don't even really react at that point, thinking that it's just another one of his little pretending sessions. He says it again " I got one...a BIG one". At that point I glance over and see his line laser straight heading into the water and his pole bent sharply. "Yeah...you do" I say...."Reel! Keep your line tight!".
He handles himself like a champ and, in a classic yet inevitable shift in roles, I grab the net to help HIM land HIS big fish:



My boys first Bass. Signed, sealed, and delivered all by himself. Just under 2 lbs. Just over 16 inches. He was psyched, I was more psyched for him. He got his Big Fish.

I am so grateful to have rediscovered my love of fishing, especially with my boy. There is nothing in the world like getting to spend that much time with him, so close together, talking, joking, teaching, laughing. Being out there gives me so much time and opportunity to pour into his little life on so many levels. I look forward to many more years of quality time on the dock with my boy. Big Fish or not.

"Many men go fishing their whole lives without knowing that it is not the fish they are after" - Henry David Thoreau

Lunkers and Leafy Greens

Let me just start by posting the best first:


I pulled this mother out of the lake this afternoon. Now....let me post my "fish story"...
I started Gavin fishing for the first time early this season....we had pulled a million bluegills and sunnies out of the lake, along with the occasional catfish and the gift pickerel that we nailed....He's becoming quite the fisherman, even at 4 years old, the kid is learning how to set the hook like a champ....in fact, today...I taught him how to cast an open-face reel....I figured, why bother with these push button junkers...just teach him the real deal...anyway, he nailed it. He's a bit sketchy on the back swing but, he's nailing the release. Very "proud papa" moment there, but nothing like what would come later in the day.
So today, we're on the dock...a pretty standard day of fishing for us....he's pulling in bluegills every 5 minutes or so...usually, a day fishing on out dock turns out like this:

a bucket full of bluegills, fun as anything for a four year old...but after a while, Gavin decided that he wanted to practice casting. I took the hook off his line, showed him a thing or two, and let him rip, bobber only. I, in the meantime, strung up my pole, sent the line low and casted to an area that I I've pulled some impressive catfish out of this season. I'll spare some details here but....suddenly...I got a hit...I mean, a HIT. If you've fished long enough, you learn how certain fish hit. "Kivers" poke and prod and then zig-zag the whole way in. Bigger stuff like Catfish and Bass hit quick and strong and pull strong in one direction. This thing took my bait (just a simple hook and night crawler) and RAN. I said "Gavin...I got a big one"...he immediately knew what his job was...drop his pole and get the net. I reeled this guy in and Gavin was right there with the net in the water. I wasn't sure what I had on the line until it was about 7 feet out from the dock. After I saw that it was a MOTHER of a Bass, I was freaking out. Gavin got the net in the exact right spot in the water. I got down on a knee to start to lift this lunker to the surface and grab onto his bottom jaw with my fingers when.....suddenly....**SNAP** my line broke.
The biggest Bass I've ever pulled out of my lake in my life dropped and fell.....right into Gavin's net. We pulled him up onto the deck and got the hook out. It wasn't until things calmed down that I realized that....the only reason that we landed this fish is because my son...my 4 year old son, knew exactly what to do in the moment and performed marvelously. I realized that, through it all, I didn't give him 1 command or instruction. he just knew what to do. He was trained for this moment, and did exactly the right things. Had he not been at the ready and on point, this would have been just another story of "the one that got away", but...not the case today. I have to say....that was more impressive than the fish we landed (well, almost :^).
We showed the girls, snapped some pics:


and then let him go . I know, I know...here come the comments "why didn't you eat him"..." I can't believe you let that thing go"....well...gutting, cleaning, and filleting will be next years training. This year, we'll just continue to focus on catching them.

Also tonight....
I had to thin out our lettuces. I planted way more than we needed....which I guess is a good problem. Anyway, I decided to do a major harvest and give individual bags of lettuces and spinach to the participants of the day program that I run. Both kids helped me harvest. Ivy helped me wash:


then we dried:


Then bagged:



I'm sure that the folks at my program will enjoy these garden treats.
It was a very busy, yet very fulfilling weekend for our family. The Lord is using us to serve others in so many neat ways. I'm grateful for the Servant Heart of my wife and kids. That He is using us (and especially the little ones) to bring Him glory through service. I'm specially thankful for the down time that He gives us...and the blessings, like garden greens and this HUGE fish, that He sends our way....

"Dominion" wins and fails

Genesis chapter 1 gives man "dominion" over "every living thing that moves on the earth".
"Dominion" is a cool word. The fact that we are allowed, by God, to "have dominion" is even cooler.
"Dominion" is defined as:
1: supreme authority.
2: the right of the owner of a thing to use it or dispose of it at his discretion.
3. a territory or sphere of influence or control; a realm.

I both succeeded and failed at "having dominion" over my land this weekend.

"Taking dominion" over the earth and that which lives on it is one of the first jobs that God gave Adam. He gave him this job even before The Fall...which tells me that, original sin or not, we ought to have an understanding of how our environment works and how to control what lives on it. We were going to be doing this whether or not we screwed up. It's a mandate that is both simple and daunting.
We feel that a big part of "taking dominion" over the land is to understand how things grow and to utilize the soil to produce food which sustains us. In doing this, we are in control of our our land, we understand the basic principles of planting, germination, growing, and harvesting, and use what The Lord had provided for us to survive, as well as to bless others with produce. Given our proximity to water, it also includes having a knowledge of fish and fishing.
In that aspect, while being humble, I'd give our family a "Win". This year. The fish are biting and our garden is doing very well. Many of the first time crops that we tried this year are producing wonderfully and we have been harvesting this-and-that since mid-May. All of the "warmer weather" crops have taken nicely and we anticipate a nice harvest of veggies as the months progress.

But....there was also a big "Fail" attached to this weekends "dominion".

Traditionally, we do not have a problem with varmints and critters eating up our garden. I'm not exactly sure why but, there are a number of nut trees surrounding our property, as well as the lake, and maybe there is enough food being produced by those to keep the squirrels, rabbits, woodchucks at bay. We have never had any widespread varmints getting into our garden.

Until recently.

There's a rabbit....one rabbit...that keeps showing up in our yard. I snapped a pic of it earlier in the year, maybe you remember...it was in our yard while the swan was right off out dock and it seemed like a cute little photo op (See if you can spot him):


Well, that little cotton-tailed nuisance has been back here just about every day....and every day, it has been content to sit and nibble the clover in the backyard. When we spot it, we send The Boy out to chase it out of the yard...we'll yell "Go Get 'I'm Mr. McGregor" and everyone has a laugh...it's all innocent fun...yeah...until today when he was spotted in my carrot patch. Now, say what you will but, one rabbit can absolutely decimate an entire garden if it wants to. I've got way too much invested in our garden to allow some twitchy-nosed long-eared rat to take down our plants. It was time for action

Now remember, we were given dominion, or: supreme authority, over that which moves across the earth. I set out the have-a-heart trap but the little bugger didn't take to it. We had to get more serious. The fate of our crops were hanging in the balance (can you feel the Hollywood-like suspense building?!)....It was BB gun time. (just so you know....we, by law, can't shoot "real" guns on our property due to the closeness of other houses or else...this things head would have been turned into a canoe.)
My BB gun is a sweet one. A Crossman 10-pump with a fantastic scope that could allow you to shoot the wings off of a gnat at 30 yards. It's 14 years old, a bit rusty, but still fires true. I pulled that baby out and lobbed an old diet coke 2 liter into the yard to take aim to dial in the scope which needed a few adjustments. I got it true and by this time, the rabbit was along our side yard, less than 25 yards out....an easy kill-shot.

I pumped the BB gun up, chambered a BB, took aim....the thing was so close that I could have decided which eye I wanted to shoot out. I drew a bead on this adorable little Destroyer of All Leafy Delicacies.......and fired......

nothing

The little bugger just sat there, twitching his little nose at me....then he hopped into the neighbor's yard.

Turns out, the misfire happened due to a misshapen BB that got hung up in the breech of the barrel. I've fired thousands of shots out of that gun and never had an incident like that before. The weapon WAS old, unoiled, and not kept in the best possible operating condition. I'm left wondering if The Lord was telling me to be merciful over the creatures in my yard or to take better care of the weapons that he's led me to learn to use. I may have to pray this out a bit.

But...I'll tell you this much.....

WalMart opens at 7am and you better believe that I'll be there purchasing a brand new air rifle....If this new one hangs up at the moment of truth...then I'll KNOW that God wants me to let him go....Otherwise, I plan to have unmolested veggies and a nice new pelt for Gavin at about this time tomorrow evening.