Welcome to Fern Valley

Here in central Alberta prime farm country,my husband Martin and I work together raising beef cattle and Appaloosa horses. Fern valley appaloosas have long been known for their quality of temperament conformation and color.I have recently rediscovered a love of writing and have published 2 collections of poetry. "Telling Tails" and Tails Trails and Campfire stories" . I look forward to a future spreading my wings as an author and as a horse woman .

Tuesday 6 March 2012

some stuff to say

This is a different post, barely  a post I guess. I have noticed a few bloggers of late  had chosen to stop blogging . Sad , I guess, but they have each chosen to stop for their own reasons. And I wanted to say farewell, to ,Deanna, at My Country Genes, and Lisa of Laughing Orca Ranch to name a couple . Others have reduced how often they post , and still others have quietly just faded away. I wish all of them well, and have so enjoyed getting to know you over the years.
I have by times thought about  stopping the blog, but for the most part I still really enjoy the journalling . I don't feel a huge obligation to post every day, and  while I do try to get a few up per week it just depends on the week.Ultimately I blog  for me. I  love the feedback and comments , and the friendships I have made, but at the end of the day ,it has to be because I enjoy the journalling and the sharing of my life and thoughts. So far I still do .
So to those who have hung in there with me, thanks so much  , and to those  who have moved on to other projects, thanks to you as well, and the very best of luck in whatever you  do.

As for me , I have some good things coming up, I quite liked the trainer I met and have agreed to send the girls in August . I  have communicated with another trainer as well for Phoenix, and it looks quite promising , he could be headed south  to go to work with him as soon as April, though we do have to meet face to face  at some time first. It certainly looks good.
I will be attending the local tack sale on the weekend with my books, calender, cards and some tack that needs to  stop gathering dust in my barn and maybe be pressed into service by some other .
Final touches on editing the new book, and hopefully it will be in print soon.
Then calving , and at the End of April , like I said off to the Mane event !
Then before you know it we will be on the lookout for  the Fern Valley Foals of 2012! I can feel the excitement of spring coming , just as soon as the snow stops!
Stay safe and warm my friends! Love ya!

18 comments:

Reddunappy said...

Oh I agree totally about blogging. It has to be for yourself first. I do still enjoy it too.
I will miss those blogs too. It is really fun connecting with people in different parts of the world!!

Cant wait to see the new babies!!! Hurry up Spring!!! :o)

Anonymous said...

I feel the same about blogging, and I like being in touch with others, like you, in the horse community whose words and thoughts I value.

Glad you've found a couple of good trainers - can't wait to hear how the horses progress!

Linda said...

It does have to be for yourself or it becomes just another job. Taking a hiatus helped me to realize that. I talked to a friend and we're planning to make it to the Mane Event (for a day) this year.....as long as the weathers good and we're not having too many calves.

RoeH said...

I think that's the secret of blogging. Do it for yourself. Although I do admit that the comments and followers are a compliment of what we write. I've done this for five years and have had three blogs. I gotta have change in life. Which will kill the followers but I got over coveting those who have hundreds of commenters. I care about it but I'm not obsessed with it. In five years my commenters have not really gone over about ten or eleven of the same people. I don't know how you get more. But I'm okay with it and I love my regulars. :) I don't forsee me ever quiting completely though I go into times when I'm totally blank. I like it too much. And meeting fellow bloggers for lunch is the icing on the cake.

Nicole said...

The comments are nice, but you're right, in the end, it's for the person writing it!

I'm glad I found your blog!

Leah said...

I also feel a bit sad when a blogger quits but understand the time restraints... That is why I do as you do - when I can and I still enjoy it!

Crystal said...

I too have been thinking about this alot and know some who quit blogging (and one who quit facebook to blog) but so much is going on in my life now I want to tell everyone so my blog is there for me too. I enjoy your blog and cant wait to see how the horses do this summer for you, exciting!

Laughing Orca Ranch said...
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Laughing Orca Ranch said...
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Laughing Orca Ranch said...

(sorry for the deletes...I must be typing with boxing mitts on. Way too many typos. ugh!)

Awwww..thanks for the kind words. That means so much to me. I'm still around keeping up with my blogger friend's blogs, especially yours, just not posting on my own.

I still miss blogging sometimes and I've always blogged for myself, but after 6 years of blogging, it was time for a rest. My life has become so busy this past year and one day I just realized that my kids are growing up soooo fast and will be out on their own before I know it. I realized that I was spending way too many hours composing blog posts and not taking the time to make sure my kids had their needs attended to.
Since we homeschool, I am fully aware that I am responsible for what they are learning and how well they are becoming prepared for life as adults, and I must take that seriously.
So, blogging must take back seat, no matter how much I have always enjoyed it.

And of course, I am still trying to make time for me, which usually consists of riding on the weekends, and I just can't seem to fit any time in there for composing blog posts....at least for now. Perhaps when school is over at the end of May, I'll be able to post again. We'll see.
Summer can get pretty busy...albeit with lots of fun stuff....but at least that'll be some pretty fun blog fodder, right? hehe!

You've got some busy weeks ahead of you and I hope your sales go well at the Tack Sale. And you know I will be around when you start sharing updates and photos of all the wobbly, prancing, gorgeous foals that will be born at your place this Spring!

So, it's not goodbye....just, see you later :)

~Lisa

Shirley said...

Blogging for me isn't about comments and followers, no matter how much I appreciate them, it's about journaling, as you said, a way of keeping track of all the things that mean something to me. The very best thing about blogging is the way it puts you in touch with like minded people, and it's always a bonus when you get to meet some of them.

Confessions of a Closet Hoarder but you can call me Judy said...

I'm glad to hear you're not going anywhere anytime soon. :)

I'm always saddened when bloggers decide to leave their blogs. I think it's because, I don't know what I'd do without mine. At the same time, I also totally understand it. I was lucky to post twice a week on average in the last year. I really missed it. It's helped me tremendously in processing things and has helped me to slowly but surely get through this thing called hoarding, and I find that I don't make as much progress, if I'm not blogging. I wish I'd found the big beautiful world of blogging years before I did! :)

I am SO looking forward to pictures of the FV Foals this Spring, too!! :)

IanH said...

I know what you mean about folks leaving. I checked my Google Reader inactive list yesterday and deleted a dozen bloggers that haven't posted in 8 or more months. Sad, but I learned a lot from all of them.

kden said...

I've been blogging for 4 years now and still enjoy it a lot. I miss those who have moved on. One of mine stopped blogging to write a book, so at least she is still writing, but I still miss her. As long as you write, I will be back.

Anna Larson said...

I"m one of those off and on bloggers. I don't compose my blog post, they just happen. If I don't post it's because I don't have anything to say.

Nuzzling Muzzles said...

You've got a lot of exciting things going on. The face of blogging has changed a lot for us old timers. I'm a compulsive writer. Someone once told me that I am probably the most prolific writer in Nevada. Even when the comments stop coming, I'm still posting. Can't help it. Writing posts is my time to relax. I enjoy it. I just hope that people who choose to leave don't do it because they aren't getting enough comments. People always get busier when the weather gets better. I've seen this happen through the years. Dozens of comments once the snowstorms hit, and then very little or none when the birds start hatching. It's just the cycle of blogging.

Laura said...

I too have noticed some of the regular blogs I follow stopping suddenly. I started my blog in the hope that it would show people we were utterly transparent about the horses we breed. So that people could see them muddy in the paddock and when they were going through those odd growth spurts as well as the nice stood up and shiny shots. Mostly I do blog for me, I like to look back and see how the year panned out. I also get my blog printed once a year at blog2print, maybe a bit tragic but I'd hate to completely loose it!!

Sherry Sikstrom said...

Laura, I had the first 2 years of my blog printed ,and lucky I did! I had a hacker last summer and lost almost all of it , eventually got much of it back but it was sure nice to have the hard copies. I like to "keep it real" too ,show my horses as they are, sometimes beautiful, and sometimes, well diamonds in the rough