Good for the Soul....

Two banana peanut butter smoothies and a great book.

Anne and I have been doing a lot of reading lately. Reading is so good for my soul. It can instantly send me to a different place. I love my life and wouldn't change a thing, but sometimes forgetting everything that you are dealing with and engulfing yourself in a fictional character or learning about a new subject is...well...good for the soul. I have been reading "In Defense of Food" by Michael Pollan. This book was part of my Valentines Day gift from Paul. It is a really good read so far. The first paragraph of the book says to "Eat food. Not too much. Mostly Plants." It goes on to say that for a while it used to be that food was all that you COULD eat but now there are other edible foodlike substances in the supermarket. WOW! This is so true. I watched a documentry earlier this week on the raw food movement and one of the nutrionist on the program said "Once you leave the produce section of the grocery store you have just left the food section of the store." That really hit home to me. I am glad that Anne and I have made a conscious effort to eat healthy. Trust me, I still enjoy my Doritoes or fries as much as the next person but I try to enjoy them in a LOT smaller portions and less frequently. I also appreciate how hard it is, changing any habit is not easy, especially an eating habit.

Anne is currenlty reading "Eat, Pray and Love" by Elizabeth Gilbert. I read this book months ago and HIGHLY recommend it. I thought this book was beautifully written. It left me with a sense of ownership of my decisions and my pathway in life. The calming feeling that I felt when reading this memoir is something that everyone should experience.

On another note Anne and I are working out like crazy and loving every minute of it. Our exercise of choice at the moment is running. Lots of people hate to run but it was always around us when we were growing up. My mom and dad both were runners. I look forward to my daily runs. I step off my treadmill with the sweat dripping off my nose and feel so calm. Running to me is a form of meditation. I can get on my treadmill and work through any thought or feeling. Like a good book, running is good for the soul.

So as this beautiful spring season arrives, I wish all of you find something that is good for your soul.

Vaca with Tri Gang...

70.3 IRONMAN KANSAS!! Leigh and I are so happy because we get to go with Ken and Mary on another adventure. We will be leaving on June 13th, to drive to Lawrence, Kansas, to support Ken and Mary on June 15th while they compete in a half Ironman. Leigh and I have had so many great experiences with Ken and Mary. The 4 of us competed in The Mooseman Triathlon in 2006, and it would not have even been possible had these two not been with us. They are wonderful motivators and by far amazing to go on a trip with. The one thing you can always expect with Ken and Mary is the unexpected! We had many unexpected things happen while in New Hampshire and it couldnt have been a more exiciting trip! Our time in Maine with them was absolutely priceless, those memories I will always cherish.

Leigh and I also had the pleasure of doing a marathon relay with Ken and Mary in September of 2005. Our good friends Amy and Chuck competed in the race with us as well, and completed our 6 member team. The 4 of us left to come back to Lexington on that Monday after the race and had decided we would be back in town around 3:00. We arrived in Lexington at 12:30 that night. We always love the spontaneous fun we have when we are with the two of them. The only thing we have to remember is "GET TO THE RACE ON TIME"

Leigh and I have way to much going on right now, to try to train for a half ironman, so we found a road race in that same area, to run that Saturday morning. So we all get to do something athletic while we are there. But it is going to be so much fun, just getting on the road with the two of them, and cheering them on during this race. I know it will be an AWESOME TRIP!

Wonderful weekend....

This has been a wonderful weekend! I havent left the house once!!!! The weather has been great and Leigh and I have used this weekend to get some much needed work done. We got out website completed, if you have a moment please go and check it out. We are not sure if this is the final website, but it will work for now.

http://www.twinbayfarm.com/

Leigh and I spent the day today, getting some work things organized which was great. Then we headed down to the barn, and spent the afternoon with the horses. The weather was just wonderful today and the horses were feeling sassy!! I rode Drifter and he did great, he is really coming along. Leigh rode Rebo and he was a pro as usual. He looks amazing this year. The vet was out last week to give them all their yearly vaccinations and he couldnt believe Rebo is 21, he looks like he is in his teens!! Leigh also gave Dually a really great massage which he very much appreciated.

I hope everyone got to get out this weekend and enjoy this wonderful weather!!

20 DAYS TILL COLORADO!!!!!!

In twenty days Anne and I will be leaving for Colorado to go see our best friend Colleen. I can’t freaking WAIT!!!! We planned this trip back in January and I can’t believe it is already here. We are going to be staying with Colleen and her fiancé Mark and we finally are gonna get to meet Marks children. I have heard such great things about them, I feel as if I already know them. Mark and Colleen have planned some great things for us to do while we are out there. What excites me the most is just hanging out with them and riding their horses and just enjoying Colorado. Anne and I haven’t been to Colorado in over three years so it will be great to be back. Actually Anne and I flew to Colorado the very DAY that Colleen moved there so it will be great to go back and see where she lives now and meet all her horses that we talk about every day. We will finally get to meet Lilly, Fancy, Jack, Sammy, Hallie Chanelle and of course all the other ones. Going on vacation is always fun but going to visit friends means a bit more I think. Anne, Colleen and I have known each other since we were kids. We just have a great little history. We know her parents, Colleen knows ours, I know all her past horseys and she knows ours. We spent weeks together as kids at Horse Camp, as we got older we have still maintained our friendship through our horses. There is just something very comfortable about a friend that has been in your life for over 20 years. So, to say the least Anne and I are totally pumped bout bumming around Colorado with Colleen and Mark for a couple of days and talking horses NON STOP!!

CET Test Cases....

This has been such a great week so far and it is only Wednesday! I wanted to take a quick moment and report on my test cases. They are all out in the field growing. I couldn’t be happier with how this product has worked and the farm is just as happy with the progress. I also have the farm giving a water conditioner to incoming cattle, which is all natural as well, and it has been AMAZING! They are very, very, thrilled with it and my sales on this product has really taken off. I honestly cant keep it in stock which is always a wonderful thing! I love to see the product HELP people and even though, I continue to make money, the benefit of seeing their herd health improve is wonderful as well.

I am lucky enough to be meeting one of the co-owners of Cutting Edge Technology tonight for dinner. He drove down here to speak with me and introduce himself. I am really looking forward to talking with him over dinner. Leigh will be attending as well, she handles my advertising and she will speak to him concerning my plans for advertising in 2008.

I am very happy with how these products are taking off and how well they are working. I have been fortunate to get some amazing clients in the past 2 months!!

On another note, the weather is great today and I hope everyone gets a chance to enjoy it!

There will be more updates in the future.

As Seasons Change...

Well we are all ready for spring, and it is right around the corner. Such great things happen in spring, the grass grows, flowers bloom, and the world chirps. Plus there is all the wonderful outdoor activities that come with it. Keeneland will be here in a couple of weeks, late night beers on a local patio, and riding after work as well. I always feel like this is sort of when the year starts, when we can all actually get outside and enjoy it. I am so excited for spring this year, I feel like it is a preview for how wonderful the summer will be. I thrive on the days being longer and feeling like when I get off work, I have an entire day ahead of me.

Leigh and I were down at the barn last night, feeding the horses and brushing them while they ate, and their winter coats, were just pouring off of them. It is so nice to see them shed and get ready for the spring season. For me that is always a sign spring is so near. The horses all feel great and are so ready for nicer days. I feel that this spring and summer is going to be an amazing one. Leigh and I have so many great things planned this year. We will be going to Colorado at the end of April to see our great friends Mark and Colleen. It will be so nice to see them, and we are going to get to participate in a local branding while we are there! I have a feeling it will be a wonderful trip, as there is nothing better than catching up with old friends.

Leigh and I both have some new possibilities on the horizon that keep us both so excited. My feed adventure is really taking off and I have some ads coming out in some local equine magazines real soon, which I cant wait to see. It is funny, because Leigh and I look back on past weeks, past months and past years, and even though so much has changed, some for the good, some for the bad, we always have great things in the works, and couldn’t be more fortunate for that.

I hope everyone is excited about this coming summer and we look forward to having all of our wonderful friends over for a cold beer on our patio, and some new friends as well.

A Snowy Weekend.....

This weekend has been great. Earlier in the week I was on the phone with my mother and she told me that we were supposed to get a winter storm this weekend. I took that with a grain of salt because (no offense Bill Meck) the weather people are rarely right. Yet on Friday afternoon my offices let out early and Anne and I met at Tractor Supply to load up on feed for the horses just in case we got snowed in. Friday night we went down to the barn to get the horses all settled in their stalls. There was probably about about an inch of snow blanketing the farm at that point and it was starting to get pretty cold. Anne was holding my horse Dually when he was startled by something. Anne and I both looked up and there was our little friend, the red fox. He walked all the way over to the fence and sat down to watch us. He was absolutely beautiful. He was so red against the white snow and his tail was so fluffy, it was the same size as him. Dually knickered at him as so say "Hello my little friend." It was so neat! After we got them fed, Anne and I came in and I put a lasanga in the oven and we cleaned the entire house. I have never been a huge fan of snow or cold weather but there was something very comforting about it this weekend. Just knowing that we may be snowed in and that we weren't EXPECTED to go anywhere or do anything was very nice.

Saturday morning we woke up to about five inches of snow. The farm was gorgeous. We fed the horses and left them tucked in to their warm stalls and then we made waffles for breakfast. I ran on the treadmill and Anne did laundry and read her new Larry McMurty book. That night Paul ventured over and brought the movie In to the Wild. I saw this movie in the theater but Paul didn't get to go with me so we watched it last night. In to the Wild is one of my favorite books. My brother insisted that I read it years ago and I can honestly say that it did change my life a bit. So Paul and I snuggled up on the couch and watched it. It is such a beautiful film.

This morning we all got up and Paul headed to Starbucks while Anne and I headed to the barn to turn the boys out. All three of them were so excited to play in the snow. They ran and played and had such a great time. Anne and I headed to the grocery to buy some groceries for the week. When we got home Anne made her famous cheese dip and we have munched on it all day while lounging around the house, just reading and relaxing. PLUS, we turned our clocks forward today which is so exciting. It is just a matter of time that Anne and I will be riding until 9:00 at night, and drinking beer on the deck with our friends!! I can't wait!!!!

The above pic is of Difter making snow horses this morning, not to be confused with snow angels!