Friday Foto Friends - Just Horsing Around

Well, today is Friday Foto Friends day, and I haven't really taken any new pictures that most of you haven't already seen this week, so I was thinking about one of my most favorite and interesting jobs that I've ever done back in my "younger" days about twenty years ago (exactly! 1997!), and I thought you'd like to go back in time with me.  Actually, I wanted to post all these pictures for my dear friend Beth, who was responsible for me being in this job in the first place.  Beth was my "boss", and there could be no better "boss" than my dear friend, along with her sweet hubby Curt.  So, without further delay, let me show you these pictures, and I can tell you more about it as we go...

Yes, that's me, petting one of our more popular rides...a huge draft horse.  Sadly, I've forgotten all the names. I hope Beth will remember!

Here's Beth...one of my most favorite people ever!!

Curt is the big guy in the middle with the purple shirt. My son Benton is on the right, and I forget who the other fella was in the white shirt. One of the helpers.

And this is my hubby (20 years ago!), when he came to visit me at the Stables:

At that particular time in our lives, we were in between our "real job" of serving in the ministry.  God had sort of set us aside from that role for a while to do some healing and restoration due to years of "neglect" of our own personal lives while ministering to so many others. You see, when you don't take time for REST and proper personal spiritual, emotional and physical care, you may "burn-out", or even "act-out" in strange ways....and God then has to take matters in hand and give you a change of pace, and perhaps even a change of "heart".  That change may come in a lot of different ways...and only God knows exactly what is best for each of us.

I like what Psalm 147 says:

3.  "He heals the brokenhearted and binds up their wounds.

4.  He counts the number of the stars.

He calls them all by name.

5.  Great is our Lord, and mighty in power;

His understanding is infinite.

6.  The Lord lifts up the humble;

He casts the wicked down to the ground....

10.  He does not delight in the strength of the horse;

He takes no pleasure in the legs of a man.

11.  The Lord takes pleasure in those who fear Him,

In those who hope in His mercy."

And that's where we were...humbly hoping in His mercy...

 God blessed me with the privilege of working for my friends Beth and Curt during this time in a varied and fun role.  They happened to own and operate a couple of different businesses, one being a Housekeeping business for several large resorts in the greater North Conway/Jackson, New Hampshire area. Their other claim to fame and more fun business was operating a summer horseback riding stable at one of the local Bed & Breakfasts in this popular resort community, in addition to a horse-drawn carriage and sleigh rides business at another resort year round.  My primary role was to help with some bookkeeping for the cleaning business and marketing and reservations for the trail rides at "The Farm by the River".  (Link is to the current B&B and Stables, now under different management) My duties included everything from advertising, meeting and greeting the guests and helping people get ready for their trail ride, and scooping up the horse poop in between rides. (Talk about being humbled!) Most of all, I just enjoyed watching people have a great time, many of whom had never ridden a horse before, and being a part of a family of some of the kindest, sweetest, hardest working people you'd ever hope to meet in this life!

Here's a group of happy riders all lined up and ready to roll out...

From here on I will just post a lot of pictures of horses and some of the riders. I'm hoping this will bring back some happy memories for my friends Beth and Curt as well. They no longer operate this particular trail ride at this location, but they DO still operate another called "Riding in the Clouds" at "The Castle In The Clouds" in Moultonboro, NH.   Click this link for more info and to meet Beth and Curt and family for yourselves:   http://www.ridingintheclouds.com/

 That's me in the long dress ? Why? I don't know...but anyway, that's me taking a picture of the riders on their way out...

 That's Lucy, the owner of the B&B 's pet Weimaraner dog, running along to greet the horses

Can you see the riders way down there in the valley?  This was such a beautiful location.

Here are the horses at rest in the field after a hard day's work.

Aren't they all such gorgeous horses?  I loved being with them, although I was not truly an experienced horse-person.  My worst experience while working there was when I decided to give a child a pony ride, which really wasn't part of my job, but no one else was available to give it and I hated to disappoint the child...so I thought, "Hey, I can do this!"   So I managed to get the child safely seated on the horse (a smaller horse, not really a pony), and we started walking around the fenced corral with me guiding the horse, when all of a sudden the horse accidentally stepped on my foot!  Without thinking I yelled out loud and moved my foot quickly, startling the horse as well as the parents of the child who were watching from the sidelines.  I managed to regain my composure as well as control the horse...but it was a very scary moment for all.  I thank the good Lord that He was definitely watching out for that child as well as for me!  After that, I always had to tell anyone who came that they would have to wait until the professional horse guides were present before any pony rides could be given.

This is Jenna, who was the professional horse guide. I still don't remember who the other guy was!

It was a bittersweet day when summer was over and hubby and I decided to move back home to Florida to be near family and start over again with new jobs in a new direction.

  Curt and Beth brought me this farewell cake.  It was meant to be funny...but we were all sad that I had to go.

I will never forget this fun time at the Stables at the Farm by the River,

and I will definitely always remember my good friends Beth and Curt!  Thankfully we are still able to stay in contact through Facebook, which is a real blessing!

I hope you enjoyed this little trail ride down memory lane.  I must say it was the most beautiful place I've ever worked, even WITH the horse poop shoveling!
And it was definitely exactly the kind of healing and restoration that God ordered.

"Praise the Lord!
For it is good to sing praises to our God;
For it is pleasant, and praise is beautiful!"
Psalm 147:1

So, what was YOUR most memorable, interesting or fun job?  Perhaps you can share some of your memories here in your comments or in one of your blog posts. 

Now, trot over to Deb's page at Breathing in Grace and check out what our other friends are posting today for Friday Foto Friends! 

"Happy Trails to you, until we meet again!"

Roy Rogers and Dale Evans

singing "Happy Trails to You"

Who Remembers?