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February 7, 2010
     On the News they are calling it the Blizzard of 2010, and saying it's one for the history books.  I'm not sure if it quite broke the all-time snowfall record in Washington, but we got well over 30 inches here at Windchase.  To say we are buried is an understatement.  The snow is so deep and heavy that the tractor can't get through it even with the chains on, and Bruce Mountz' truck and snowplow are stuck in my driveway, overwhelmed by the sheer depth.  It is also almost impossible to walk in - you are tired by the time you go twenty feet - and getting from the house to the barn is a major undertaking.
     I have arranged for a guy with a bulldozer to come and dig us out, but he hasn't made it yet.  They haven't plowed Kidwell Road out yet, so nobody is going anywhere.  Melissa and I have been carrying feed by horseback out to the far run-in sheds to feed the broodmares and youngsters; you couldn't get up the hill any other way.  It makes me feel kind of like a cowboy!  
     But for all the extra work involved with the blizzard, I do have to admit that it is beautiful.   

     The girls in the barn have done a great job battling the elements to get all the horses cared for; shoveling paths to empty wheelbarrows and turn horses out is a huge effort, and the single digit temperatures at night don't make it any easier.  I would like to express my sincere appreciation to Jenna Alwine, Xira Bartz, Jess Mullins, Taylor Simmons, Dawn Zambito, and of course Melissa Hunsberger for their fantastic efforts on behalf of the Windchase horses.

     Hopefully things will get easier this week, as we get dug out and life gets back more or less to normal.  Oh, and I hear it is supposed to snow on Tuesday . . .

Cheers,
Phyllis 

February 5, 2010
     I've decided I really like snow.  Bitter cold, too.  That lovely feeling when your hands freeze and you can't feel your feet?  Divine.  Being warm and comfortable is over-rated.  At least that is what I am trying to convince myself.  
     It's getting a little ridiculous - this is the third snowstorm in a week.  I guess the first two hardly count, as we have reached the point this winter where a mere 7 or 8 inches of snow seems barely worthy of notice; but what we are getting tonight is a different story.   It started coming down mid-morning, and so far we have about eight inches (on top of 4  or 5 left over from the last two storms), but it is supposed to get really heavy tonight and tomorrow.  The latest forecast is for upwards of 30 inches of snow by tomorrow evening, along with gusting winds and really cold temperatures.  Sounds like fun!
     Remember when we had two feet of snow before Christmas?  I said then that I considered it sort of an adventure to get a really big snowfall every once in a while - like once every ten years.  But by that reckoning, we shouldn't have had to deal with another one until at least 2019.

Keep warm,
Phyllis 



January 22, 2010
      Out of the Deep Freeze!  After a month of severe winter weather with a lot of snow and ice, we have been really enjoying a bit of warmer weather; its been in the forties the past week, and even up near fifty a few times.  Never mind the inch of sleet this morning, that was just a minor setback . . .
     Winter is kind of a quiet time for us.  Many riders and trainers go to Florida or South Carolina, but I feel that if I am lucky enough to have a beautiful farm like Windchase, why would I want to leave it for three months?  Sure it's cold, but each season has its own unique beauty.  And winter is a great time to concentrate on training the green horses, improving the more experienced ones, and looking forward to the coming spring competition season.  Though after a month in the indoor arena, it sure is nice to get out for a hack around the farm.
     But I have a new challenge at the moment - I just bought a new computer.  My old one was on its last legs, so I finally replaced it, and now I am in the process of trying to get the new one up and running, and installing all the software.  I've heard good things about Windows 7, but it's really different from the Windows XP that I am used to - why do they have to keep changing everything?  Hard to keep up with technology - old dog new tricks and all that.  Hopefully I will get it figured out; if not I may have to find a third grader to help me.

Cheers,
Phyllis 



January 1, 2010
     Happy New Year!
     We had nice holiday season here at Windchase; even though the big snow before Christmas created a lot of work, we did enjoy it.  I bought a cheap plastic sled at Nichols Hardware, and in a display of Christmas Eve silliness, the barn staff all went sledding. 

     Although the snow on the hillsides was not packed enough for the sled, we had a big pile by the barn from clearing the driveway which worked nicely; it was a short ride, but a fast one.  From there, it was on to the bank drops on the cross-country course; I don't think those obstacles had ever been negotiated in quite that way. 

     Just as well we sledded while we could, because rain on Christmas day melted the snow all at once; I never saw two feet of snow disappear so quickly.  But then snow again for a White New Years - I think we have already had more winter weather this year than the previous three put together.
     Over Christmas when my sister's family was here we went wine tasting; there are quite a few vineyards in the area now, at least three of which are within several miles of Windchase.  There is a fairly new one on Sagle Road that actually adjoins our property on the back, so we decided to give it a try.  It is called Notaviva, which means 'the intrinsic effect of music upon human emotion,' and goes along with their very original approach of pairing their wines with music.  Good wine, beautiful views, friendly hosts; we had an excellent time, and I would highly recommend that you stop in and check it out.  For more information you can check out their website: http://www.notavivavineyards.com/index.html.
     The Windchase Mini Clinics are going strong; I hold these informal jumping clinics every Sunday afternoon through the winter.  We gave groups from Elementary through Preliminary, so there is something for everybody.  Contact me if you want more info or are interested in participating.

Cheers,
Phyllis 



December 26, 2009
     Jineen and I had a wonderful vacation in the Scottish Highlands this summer, and finally, I have finished the trip report and posted it, along with photos.  Sorry it took so long, but its hard to find time for such things.  Click here to read about our trip to Scotland, July 2009! 

Cheers,
Phyllis 



December 22, 2009
     Looking out across the yard this past Sunday morning, the world was pristine.  Deep snow blanketed the ground and the trees were heavily laden. The sun was out and the sky was blue, and everything sparkled with a million diamonds. 

     It had started snowing on Friday night, and it didn't stop until sometime in the wee hours of Sunday morning - we ended up with two feet of snow.  And though I don't generally welcome such weather because of the extra work it makes around the farm, I have to admit that I like to get a really big snowfall every so often - once every ten years is about right - and I guess we were about due for one. 
 On Sunday it was a major undertaking just to get the horses out of the barn.  I spent most of the day on the tractor clearing paths around the stables and to the fields, while Melissa and the working students shoveled out gates and doorways, labored through the drifts getting the horses to their pastures, and got all the feeding and mucking done.  The girls did a super job taking care of the horses during difficult conditions; all you boarders remember to include them in your Christmas baking!

     When the work was done at the end of the day, I spent some quiet time enjoying the splendor of the evening and trying to capture a little of it with my camera.  The snow around the house lay mostly untracked, and the sky was of soft pastels.  I watched across a snowy field as the sun slipped below the horizon, and the sky glowed with a warm light.  I looked up to see that the last rays had turned the mountain ridge to a brilliant rose color.  Making my way through the thigh-deep drifts to the back yard, I saw to my amazement that the lake had turned to a deep glowing pink, the swimming geese totally oblivious to its radiant hue. 

     On Monday morning I took Drifter for a hack out across the fields.  The deep untouched snow stretched before us, an expanse of brilliant white.  We both enjoyed the incredible beauty of a perfect silent world, sharing it with deer, squirrels, wild turkeys and a myriad of small birds.  Along the edge of the woods we paused to examine countless tracks, everything from the marks of a mouse’s tiny feet to the deep hoofprints of a buck.  Out in the hay field, I came across the brush marks of large wings in the snow, converging with a trail of small footprints, where a hawk or an owl had swooped down upon some tiny rodent. 

     I think I might have revised my opinion about White Christmases; they may be worth the trouble after all. Not every year, mind you, but once in a while.

Merry Christmas,
Phyllis 



December 19, 2009
     We are in the middle of a record-breaking December snowstorm at the minute; 18 inches of snow on the ground so far, and it is supposed to keep snowing for another 10 hours.  I just got in from feeding the horses that live in the run-in sheds; the only vehicle that will go in the deep snow is the tractor, which has heavy duty chains but no cab - this makes it a somewhat 'invigorating' activity.  Much thanks to our friend and neighbor Bruce Mountz, who is keeping our roadways plowed out!
     A heavy snow always creates a lot of extra work taking care of the horses, but it really gives you a great feeling at the end of the day when they are standing snug in their stalls, munching hay, warm and happy as the snow piles up outside.  And though I have always considered White Christmases overrated, I do have to admit that this snow is beautiful.

     I bought myself an early Christmas present this year; a new horse trailer.  I have had the old one since 1988, and it has been a great trailer, but was showing definite signs of wear. So now I have a brand new five-horse gooseneck from H.R. Collins, so we will be going to the Events in style!  Though it's so clean and nice, I'm not sure I should let the horses ride in it . . .

     Our friend Laura Murphy has started a little horse blanket business, and she is offering some lovely Windchase dress coolers for sale.  They are navy blue with light blue trim, and the Windchase logo on the left shoulder; they are very smart, as shown in the photo of Drifter modeling one.  She also has some nice turnout blankets available, and shipping boots.  All are quite reasonably priced; $50 for the coolers, $50 for the shipping boots, and $75 for the turnout blankets, including shipping.  If you are interested in ordering one, let me know and I can put you in contact with Laura.

Cheers,
Phyllis 



November 25, 2009
     Happy Thanksgiving! 
     Windchase working students finished up the season well: Xira Bartz won with Shamrock at Loch Moy in their first ever event, and Taylor Simmons placed second in the Novice with Ulita.  Windchase student Vicky Gray also won at BN with Razor's Edge, so it was a good day all around.  Jenna Alwine was 6th with Anthracite at the Waredaca Starter Trial.  Melissa also took some of the young horses to Waredaca, placing 2nd in the BN with Mystery and having nice runs on Ali and Jackson; these promising youngsters can be seen on the 'horses for sale' page.
     Most of my family is visiting this week for Thanksgiving, and I am really looking forward to spending time with them.  I am very lucky to be part of a close-knit family; though we don't all get together very often, we have a great time when we do!

Cheers,
Phyllis 



November 13, 2009
     Drifter and I had a nice end to our Event season, winning the Training division last weekend at Rubicon.  He is really an amazing horse to ride, and I look forward to moving him up to Preliminary in the spring. 
     Melissa had good runs with her two, with Jazz jumping clear around the Preliminary cross-country, and River Star going well in the Training.  And our working student Jenna Alwine did very well in the Beginner Novice on her new horse Anthracite, as did Windchase boarder Vicky Gray on Razor's Edge.
     We were lucky to have perfect weather for the competition at Rubicon, and the cross-country course was especially nice, very open and gallopy.  I had so much fun that I am really sorry to see the season come to a close!

Cheers,
Phyllis 



October 29, 2009
     The Windchase horses all went very well at Waredaca last weekend.  I had fun as usual with Drifter, finishing 4th in the Open Training.  Melissa did well with both of her horses, with our homebred River Star going well at his first Training, and Out of Jazz moving up successfully to Preliminary with a really good performance in all three phases.  Pedro Gutierrez also had an excellent run in the Preliminary with his stallion Orujo de la Galerna, so it was good weekend all around.

     Jineen and I decided to take a little getaway, so on Monday we headed for Skyline Drive in the Shenandoah National Park to go hiking.  It was a beautiful sunny day, and the trees were showing the full array of autumn colors.  I had gotten a book of hikes in the park, and we decided to do the route to Bear Church Rock.
     Our guidebook described the hike as very scenic, and the destination, Bear Church Rock, was reported to be a place of such beauty that even bruins would consider visiting it a godly experience.  The book told us that it was a nine mile hike there and back, and the estimated hiking time round trip was three and a half hours.  We figured to make such good time it must be very easy walking. 
     We set out, full of anticipation.  We followed the Appalachian Trail for a while, then branched off on a narrow path through the woods, with glimpses of the valley below as we traversed the ridge.  It was very secluded; the only people we met the entire day were a group of three backpackers on the trail.  But after about two hours, we realized that we had been duped!  The trail was good, but there was plenty of rock scrambling and some very steep stretches, and we soon came to the realization that there was no way anyone was going to cover that nine miles in three and a half hours.  Apparently it was a typo in the guidebook, and the estimated hiking time was for one-way, not round trip. 

     Sure enough, after three hours the path dropped sharply, and we scrambled down to a huge rock outcropping, Bear Church Rock.  It lived up to all expectations; we could definitely see how bears could find religion there. The solitude was complete as we looked down over the valley, and the view was sensational.  We could see almost no signs of civilization; it could have been a thousand years ago and it would have looked the same.  We sat on the rock and ate our lunch, and enjoyed the peaceful afternoon.  The only drawback was that we then had a four and a half mile hike to get back to the car!

Cheers,
Phyllis 



October 15, 2009
     Exciting news: our stallion, Brandenburg's Windstar, is currently the leading Eventing sire in the United States Equestrian Federation (USEF): Click here to see the listing.  It is really fun to see how many of his offspring are competing so successfully.  We have a whole crop of really lovely babies coming along, and I am really looking forward to watching their progress.

     I have been having a blast competing Drifter this season; he went very well at Morven Park to finish in the ribbons in the Training division, and then we won last weekend at the Maryland horse trials at Loch Moy.  Drifter is a really fun horse to ride; I imported him from Ireland several years ago, and he is very well bred - his dam is a sister to my former four-star horse Star Bright, and his sire is Master Imp, one of my favorite Irish sires.  There is nothing like having really nice horses to ride.

Cheers,
Phyllis 


September 26, 2009
     Congratulations to Carlin Vickery; her lovely horse Wellfleet won the AEC Training Championships. Carlin purchased Wellfleet from Windchase several years ago, and we are proud not only to have sold the national Training Champion, but to also have played a hand in converting Carlin to Eventing from hunters!  Heidi Wardle also did well at the AECs with Moving Illusion, finishing 6th in the Training Championships.

     The weather has been nice and autumn is gradually painting the trees.  We are focusing a lot on training the young horses, as well as preparing the more experienced ones for competition.  We really have an outstanding group of homebreds; there is nothing quite like watching a herd of beautiful homebred youngsters galloping in the fields.

Cheers,
Phyllis