The sisters come to town!

A brisk fall afternoon, I headed out to find the Santa Fe Airport.  Marsha and Eileen were coming to visit and celebrate Marsha's 60th birthday!  I finally found the airport, next to a junkyard.  I'm not sure I've ever been to a smaller airport.  Well, maybe the landing strip in a small village in Belize, years ago. But that's another story.  Santa Fe Airport is quite sensible, easy parking ($3.00 all day) no parking meters, and entering the building I found one gate for arrivals, one for departures., and no security?!  Those of us waiting made small talk, as two planes were lined up on the tarmack.  Were you waiting for the flight from LA or Denver?  The doors from the tarmack open, and soon I see the sisters; it was the flight from LA!

Soon we arrived and the celebration began.

And, birthday dinner at Geronimo's in Santa Fe..

As you can see by Terry's face, what a fine dinner it was!  Thank YOU, to Eileen and Mike!

Always a sucker for a pretty horse, had to catch this gorgeous painting on the wall...

A rare treat to get together, we celebrated into the night, and then the sisters bunked up, just like in the old days...we did miss baby sister, Janie.

We all agreed we laughed so much more now, than we did in the old days.  Speaking of the old days, Janie was with us in spirit, when I took the girls to go visit Terry at the "farm".  We all stopped and looked at this goose.  We looked at each other and said, "remember when..." and we all cracked up, because we remembered!  Janie must have been 6 or 7, running and crying trying to get away from this big goose flapping his wings and almost airborne hanging for dear life to poor Janie's rump!  It's not nice to laugh at Janie's misfortune, but, this picture of the goose got us laughing so hard we almost cried!    

Poor Janie and the goose

More laughs as we visited the Shidoni foundry and sculpture gardens in Tesuque...

more silliness...

and sitting around a jig saw puzzle brought back good memories of those days long ago...

And best of all...the girls didn't have to do dishes!

And Bella doesn't miss an opportunity for attention, puzzles or not...

Ah, one of the best  things about getting older, is getting together with your sisters.  And, so sad to see them go.  But, they promised to return, and we're all really hoping they do.

Our new job!

They say one should strive to do what you love.  It's our good fortune Terry happened to find a flyer for the New Mexico Therapeutic Riding Center, "volunteers needed, will train."  Hmmm... should we, could we? Both Terry and I have a healthy love, and fear, of horses.  It didn't take long for us to say "let's try" and we contacted the Center. A few calls and a 6 page application later, we were invited to visit the NMTRC and observe what they do.  This is the view as we approached the center on Goose Farms Road...

The road to NMTRC...not bad!

The Center is a wonderful non-profit organization with an amazing and dedicated instructor, Ashley, that works to pair horses and folks with disabilities, and to teach volunteers how to help in the process.  The clients, to the degree they are able, learn how to take care and to clean their horse before their riding lesson.  We volunteers learn a lot as well.  We now have the confidence to approach the horse in the stall, put it's halter on and walk it out of the stall, and tie it up for the client.  

We've learned how patient and intuitive these special "therapy horses" are.  This is Terry helping one client, Thomas, riding Tosca, who patiently allows instructor Ashley to add more Halloween decorations that Thomas has chosen for Tosca.  Terry has a Masters degree in Special Ed, so it's a joy for me seeing him really enjoy his work with these clients.  It's all part of a carefully planned learning exercise for Thomas that Ashley has created for Thomas's special needs.  Ashley will tell you it's her life working with the disabled. We've seen how much joy and confidence the clients gain on horseback.    

Terry and I go home feeling we get much more than we give.  Speaking of giving, it was pretty cool to learn that Tosca was given to the NMCTR by the actor, Val Kilmer's daughter.  

Halloween at NMTRC, Instructor Ashley dressing Tosca, therapy horse 

As we were given a tour of the farm, we saw an incredible menagerie of animals, feathered and four footed. But, I was most touched when we saw this wild young colt, Mr. Bill and heard he was discovered in the wilds, standing all alone at the side of his dead mother. Lucky for him, they were able to rescue him, but he remains very wary of people.  He doesn't let anyone get near him, and he'll turn his back to you when you try.  

Mr. Bill

Well, as you can see, we really enjoy our time at the farm in New Mexico.