Some Good News

I can't believe I'm actually typing this, but Adam has completed his training. He passed his CFII checkride yesterday just 18 months after he began. He is now a Certified Flight Instructor with the ability to teach Instrument flying. It took a lot of hard work and determination and weekends upon weekends (and weeks) of studying. He is now ready to dust off the kayak and go have some fun for a little while. No more tests to prepare for. YES.

We're not really sure what's next for us, but we've learned over the last couple of years to expect the unexpected. I'll keep you posted.

Life

Yesterday we received some terrible news from a friend of Adam's out in Oregon. Adam's first flight instructor was killed in a crash while instructing on Sunday. The student died as well. We both sort of stared at each other for like 5 minutes not really knowing what to say when we first heard. Then admitting not knowing what to say, it started a dialog about life and risks and reflection about a man with a wife and a baby and how precious our time here is.

My heart hurts today for Doug's wife and his baby boy who will not know his father. I have that sick feeling in my stomach because I know that someone on the other side of the country got the phone call or the knock at the door that we all dread.

The reality is that people die flying helicopters, paddling rivers, riding horses. Although it's tempting at times like this to stop doing the things we enjoy because of the risks involved, it's also true that people die slipping in the shower and I'm sure as hell not going to stop taking showers! Instead, I think it's important to remember that life is unpredictable. To honor those we've lost, we should do the things we enjoy. Don't sweat the small stuff. Don't hold grudges. Treat people in our lives with love and respect. Because you just never know.

Time to register

Casey is a registered American Saddlebred and it's time for me to name him and submit it to the registry. I decided since music is one of my other passions, to go through my library and pick some song names that I thought were cool, then I went into the registry and did a search and had to eliminate some, because they were already taken. Here's what's left. Got a favorite? Let me know in the comments section. So far, the leader is Who Knew.

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Colorshow
Hey Baby Hey
Move You
Gimmeakiss
Sanguine
Wanted Man
Nothing Short of Thankful
Please Pardon Yourself
Someday Never Comes
Out of My Hands
Right Here, Right Now
Business Time
Ooh Ahh
Go On
Have a Little Faith
Bold As Love
Would You Go With Me
If You Only Knew
I Told You So
Lookin for a Good Time
Last Call
Keepin’ It Real
I Love to Move In Here
Who Knew
I’m Movin’ On
Gossip in the Grain

Sunset on the lake.

Whoa, boy...

I got the chance to ride Casey this past weekend, for the first time since I bought him. It was awesome! It wasn't all that pretty...I had an almost unplanned dismount, which Scott caught on video, and I will be sure to post as soon as I get it from him...It was pretty funny.

Casey is young and still has moments of "baby-ness" but when you say "whoa" he will. He had one of his baby moments this weekend, sorta took a leap through the air and caught me off guard...and when I said "whoa" he slammed on the brakes and I almost went over his neck. Haha! Havin' a great time, I love him! Here's a photo from that first ride...It's from Adam's phone, so the quality is not the greatest, sorry.

Avetts Rocked It (duh)

We had a fantastic time at the Avett Brothers show Sunday night.

Marc was SOOOO embarassed because I made him play tourist...


The show was at a beautiful little theater in Northampton and we were in the front row! Setlist:

Weight of lies
A Gift For Melody Anne
Shame
Down with the shine
At the beach
Tear down the house
Paranoia
Signs
Salina
I and love and you
Love like movies
Wanted man
Black, blue
Never been alive
November blue
Walkin for you
Colorshow
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Hand me down tune
Laundry room (the absolute best hoedown ever)

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Good times! The Avetts brought it, as always, and we were on our feet the entire time. I can't wait for the new album to come out this fall. Love those boys from North Carolina...Time to go check their tour schedule obsessively until I see that they're coming around here again. ;-)

Welcome, Casey