Equestrian of 10+ years, adventurer/traveler extraordinaire. An aspiring student journalist, I dabble in film and digital photography as well.
I have to admit, my motivation has been low these past few weeks. Imagine the perceived “senioritis” that happens to upperclassmen – now times that by a hundred. Do I want to do art, sketching and painting and creating, something I haven’t done seriously in several years? Hmm … maybe, but I don’t know if … More The balancing act of work, school, and … quarantine?
With nearly all travel-to shows being cancelled across the globe for equestrians, it seems the only way for these folks to get their competition fix is online, provided their barn hasn’t shut down due to the virus. Virtual horse shows aren’t a foreign concept – they’ve actually been around for several years now. They are, … More Loping into the world of virtual shows
It’s a Monday morning and I took care of quite a lot over the weekend. I guess first I should start on Saturday, when I spent nearly 7 hours at the barn getting ready for and filming 13 classes/tests for three different virtual horse shows. (The filming only took about 3 hours, and that includes … More A waiting game
While I’m still waiting for the weekend to come so I can get the manure I need, I figured this would be a good opportunity for me to try learning something new in the horse world: Western Dressage. This is something I’ve been wanting to try with Hank for the past few years, although we’ve … More Even more horsing around
Since I finished the frame yesterday evening, the only thing that really remains now is getting a load or two of manure (which can’t really happen until the weekend). I realize that I’m pretty lucky in that I have easy access to this type of fertilizer, and I know where it came from and how … More Horsing around – virtually
Since it’s currently rather chilly and rainy (48 F), I figured today was a good time to plan out where things might go once the frame is complete and the sprouts start growing. I came up with a simple sketch of where these veggies (and herbs) could be planted. The plants include: Lettuce – Iceberg … More Rainy day sketches
Over the weekend I braved the hysteria for a quick lumber trip to Lowes, picking up two 2x6x6 and two 2x6x10 boards to make a frame for a raised garden bed. While there I also picked up some wildlife netting – gotta keep those critters out if you want to harvest anything later. The main … More Framing a new hobby
Here I’ll be blogging my adventures during the COVID-19 pandemic of 2020. This is in conjunction with my position at the University of Tennessee’s library, having had a position there since Dec. 2017 as a “knowledge courier” (library materials deliverer to professors and graduate students through Library Express, the library’s material logistics department). Since the … More Growing and thriving in a new “normal”
Clad in t-shirts and jeans, two riders loped their western mounts around a shadowed arena on a crisp November evening. The riders, Sarah Shipp and Anna Wermert, are members of the University of Tennessee Equestrian Team. Members of the team take riding lessons under the careful instruction of trainer Carol Hodge at Hidden Hollow Farm. … More A stable sports team: The University of Tennessee’s Equestrian Team
The chilly fall air enveloped Carol Hodge as she stood in the soft area dirt, instructing her two lesson riders as the sun slipped below the horizon. Hodge ignored the nipping breeze. She had a job to do, a job she loves: training the next generation of equestrians. She and her husband Cliff own and … More Trainer/Barn Profile: Carol Hodge and Hidden Hollow Farm
Roaming Appaloosa 