Little Gem, owned by Kilronan Farm

Tulla Gold, owned by Guy DeCorte

     A couple of nights ago, I was sleeping soundly in my bed at around 5:00a.m. when suddenly I was awakened abruptly by a loud explosive noise and the sensation of the house shaking and the windows rattling.  I jumped out of bed, heart pounding, sure that the furnace had blown up, or perhaps the air conditioner unit had exploded.  Listening intently for smoke alarms, I searched the house for damage.  Finding none, I went outside to see if a plane had crashed in the back yard - but no smoldering remains were in apparent.  Presently I concluded that no catastrophes had occurred and returned to bed - but I had a hard time getting back to sleep, because for the life of me I couldn't imagine what could such a ruckus and then leave no trace.  Surely I couldn't have dreamed the whole thing.
     But in the morning, the mystery was solved.  After checking the yard to see if perchance a large tree had fallen on the house in the night (it had not), I got in my car and turned on the radio - to be greeted with the news that we had experienced an earthquake!  OK, I know you guys in California are rolling your eyes and saying no big deal, but to us here in Virginia, a real live seismic event is an occurrence to remember.  Imagine, our very own earthquake.  That's the great thing about life; you never know what will happen next.

Cheers,
Phyllis 



July 15, 2010
     Melissa had an excellent day at the Maryland Horse Trials at Loch Moy last weekend, winning both the Training division with her talented Starstruck, a Windchase homebred by Brandenburg's Windstar, and also winning the Beginner Novice with Michelle and Larry Robbins' Irish Draught mare Little Gem.  Those double victory days don't come along too often, so we enjoy them while we can!
     We celebrated Independence Day as we usually do, by going to the annual party at the home of Dr. Howard, my veterinarian for many years while I was growing up.  Always great to see old friends, and many of them were there.  I have a new camera and was experimenting with some fireworks photography; click here to see the photos.

     Recently I drove through Montgomery County, Maryland, to go to the Seneca Valley Horse Trials, and I am now thrilled to find that out they have a wonderful new service.  As you drive down some of their roads, they will take a nice color photograph of your car, and mail it to you - all you have to do is send them $40 to pay for the photo.  I am now the proud owner of such a portrait of my car; if you want one of your car let me know, and I can send you details of where to drive to take advantage of this service.  All you have to do is go 40mph in a 25 zone . . .

Cheers,
Phyllis 



July 1, 2010
     Last weekend Windchase hosted the 2010 Dawson/Jarman Family Reunion.  Our family has been trying to have a get-together each summer the past few years, and Jineen and I put on the party this time.  It was great fun, with pretty much all of the family here; at best count we had 73 for dinner on Saturday.  Of course, I had prepared about twice as much food as we needed - we will be eating leftovers for weeks.
     We used this weekend to celebrate Mom's 90th Birthday; one of the highlights was a team scavenger hunt style game which we dubbed 'The Amazing Grace Race.'  It was super to get to see everyone; we are lucky to have such a close-knit family.  Mom especially enjoyed the chance to spend time with her four great-grandchildren, ranging in age from 2 to 5; it was a treat to watch the members of the youngest Dawson generation get to know each other and play together. 

Cheers,
Phyllis 



June 21, 2010
     Windchase has always been a haven for wildlife.  Every time we hack out around the farm we are in the company of deer, squirrels, and rabbits.  We see foxes often; when we are very lucky we can watch the fox cubs at play.  Twice in the last week I have ridden very close to a newborn fawn - one following its mother, and one lying hidden in the grass until I was within feet of it.  Coyotes have moved back into the area and are occasionally sighted in the fields, drawing attention away from the multitude of small creatures that are easily overlooked; field mice, chipmunks, moles and shrews.  The nocturnal possums, skunks and raccoons are rarely glimpsed in the daylight, but can often be encountered if one is out in the wee hours.
     Birds are abundant, from the songbirds inhabiting the hedgerows and forests to the hawks and vulture soaring aloft.  Most days we will see bluebirds flitting along the fencelines, red headed or pileated woodpeckers flying high among the trees, or a lone great blue heron winging his way over the farm, its distinctive silhouette and flight pattern making it seem a throwback from the Jurassic era.  Occasionally an osprey puts in an appearance, spending a day at the lake en route to somewhere else, and wild ducks, grebes, and cormorants sometimes stop by when passing through, hanging out with the ubiquitous Canadian geese.  In the evenings we can hear the owls calling, their knowing voices welcoming the dusk, and sometimes as the light fades we will catch a glimpse of them, or hear the whoosh of their wings as they go by.  And just once, I sat on my horse on a high hillside, and watched as a bald eagle flew from a tree right in front of me and spiraled down the air below.
     Other, colder creatures live here too; black snakes, water snakes, snapping turtles and terrapins all reside on the farm, as well as the chorus of tree frogs and bull frogs that make music in the night.  It is always with great appreciation that I observe the diversity of the wildlife around me.
     But today, something special happened.  This morning, a black bear crawled under the fence and strolled across the front section of the boarder field, not far from the outdoor arena.  Unconcerned with Melissa riding in the ring, it crossed the fenceline over into the next pasture, then loped on through the top of the mares field, before disappearing behind the treeline and out into the cross country field.  We knew a bear had been glimpsed several times around the area, but this was the first time one had openly crossed the pastures in plain view.  You never know what you will get to see at Windchase!

Cheers,
Phyllis 



June 13, 2010
     We had a good time at the Seneca Valley Horse Trials this weekend, despite the hot humid weather.  Melissa had excellent rides in the Training division with her two up-and-coming mounts, placing 5th with River Star and 6th with Starstruck.  Both of these talented youngsters are by our Irish stallion Brandenburg's Windstar, and both are very special. 
     Heidi Wardle competed her Gemini (a.k.a. Moving Illusion) in the Preliminary, jumping around clear in great style to finish 8th.  Melissa also rode two for me in the Novice, placing 2nd on the talented youngster Almost Heaven, and 4th on Jazz Time.  (See the Horses for Sale page.)  For the time being I am still on the sidelines at the competitions after having neck surgery earlier this year, but I don't intend to let Melissa have all the fun for too much longer. 

Gemini and Heidi

Melissa riding Jazz Time

     My mother is doing really well following her emergency surgery a few weeks ago; her recovery has been amazing.  She has regained most of her strength, and it is all I can do to keep her off the lawn tractor at the moment.  We have plans to celebrate her 90th birthday properly, with a big Family Reunion the last weekend in June.  She is looking forward to seeing everyone, especially her great grandchildren!

Cheers,
Phyllis 



June 5, 2010
     It has been a tough week at Windchase.  I had planned to spend it riding and training, but all of that changed abruptly when my mother, Grace, became sick.  After having her checked out in the emergency room at Leesburg, I ended up driving her down to the hospital in Lynchburg, VA, where my brother is CEO.  She had to have emergency surgery to remover her inflamed gall bladder.  The surgery went well, but recovering from something like that is hard on someone her age, and there were many sleepless nights for my brother George, my sister Patty, and myself.  Mom celebrated her 90th birthday in the Intensive Care Unit.