Hi to all -
Things are great here; here being Teen Ranch Scotland, just outside of Dundee - Scotland. The place my sister and I are staying at is a Christian outreach ministry, and I'm loving the Bible times and the Christian atmosphere. It's amazing - just like a big camp all the time, which of course, it is, but not too! (I know - doesn't make sense, but I can't explain it any better...)
The place we are staying is magnificent - it's an old Georian Mansion set amongst rambling oak trees, shocking green grass, puddles of water (water, water everywhere!) and acient evergreens. The people are soooo friendly and it's great to have this huge house to find our way through - however, we have both gotten lost on more than one occasion...
I really can't find the words to describe the ranch; inside and out it is stunning. The people, the settings, the expiriences - every little thing weaves together with such a richness of serenity and laughter that it really feels, at times, like you are truely floating in a bubble world that exists outside this realm - the world on the other side of the gold cloud curtain of a hazy, purple swept sunset.
We are still working hard, but getting on with it as we like to. EmJand I have moved on from painting the inside dorms to a better(?that's questionable, but I will explain) job. Layering the new wood fences with this toxic, lethal, fumey, rancid, feral, horrid, icky, disgusting black goo called Keriso or something. It's deisel oil mixed with something really dangerous! We are protected (sort of) - and working outside is the plus, however, the stuff we are working with is not....
The other big news is that EmJ and I went for our first ride yesterday evening - it was a "slow" one - as we just walked them out. We enjoyed the ride anyway - it was soooo good to be back on horse back after I've been itching for a month and a week to ride. The girl who went with us is so much fun, it's great to have horsey people to chat with.
The area we 'trail' ride in is TINY as they can only use the property - if they want to go further they have to get on the roads and then apparently they can use the farmer's fields. Seems rather constricted to me, but that's because I'm used to our nature reserves and stuff. They do have, however, the corral (arena) lit - so we can ride after dark if we want to. If it's not raining that is! (Everything is sooo WETTTTTT!)
We also rode again this arvo. - this time by ourselves; we just followed the path from yesterday. I rode a different horse, a Tri-bald called Mojave - I liked her better than yesterday's black Friesan mare, Chiquita.
Not much else to tell of, we are making friends already 'coz everyone is super nice, and if there was a reason that I wouldn't come home, I think this would have to be it. I love Teen Ranch! But: I haven't expirianced my first camp yet, so I guess we'll both see how we feel AFTER that.
Anyways, really have to go to bed - I have to get up at 7:00am or round about here if I want to have breakfast, so I will sign off and EmJ will update this post later.
TTFN, b.