Family and Friends

Here are some pics of a typical Sunday afternoon on the river, and a typical weekday on the farm! We are truly blessed.
I also got the rare opportunity to care for a baby blue jay who blew out of a nest high in a tree last week. Jordan, our ASAP intern, found her before the cats did. We began feeding it after consulting with our friends at Coulee Wildlife Rehab Center and the licensed songbird rehabilitator from Holmen named Sheila. Baby Blue was the only thing that could motivate me to get up at 5:45 am for morning feeding! He was so precious and so innocent, and it was obvious I was getting attached to the little thing that called every time it saw us coming out of the house!
Today he went to the song bird specialist, and I cried tears - mainly because this little bird had to leave the place where it was hatched, only because if it stayed and learned to fly here it was in danger of cats and dogs. This way, baby blue has a great chance of surviving. I hope I can be a part of the release when it happens!

Horses in need of homes:
Fox Valley Deon
Kung Fu Guru
K Macaroni (this mare is something very special - she is 14'2-14'3 hands tall, kid broke, and sound!)
Gelding in Michigan - more to come - this STB is also very well trained for young riders

Enjoy the pics of Skippy, Sheba, Taser Gun, Timesareachanging, Tilly, Cricket, Stormy and Runters the cats, Peanut, Tucker, Girlie, and Blue the dogs, and Cash Wilco with is beloved llama Sid and alpaca buddy, Dart!!! What a zoo!!!

See the full gallery on Posterous

Please Help This Mare

ASAP has been unsuccessful in finding this mare a place to go. Breal is
coggins tested and has an interstate paper to enter Wisconsin, but anyone
is invited to make an offer to help her.

If we cannot place her the owner says she has to go.

Please help!

Hay from Ridgeview Stables!

Many many thanks to Ridgeview Stables for their donation of 200 square
bales of hay to ASAP!!!!!!!!

This is also the home of Broadway Pete, adopted by Bryan and Kim.

Thank you Michelle and hubby!!!!!!!!

iGive.com - Please!

http://www.iGive.com/AmericanStandardbredAdoptionProgram

When you register with iGive and shop online through the iGive portal, a
percentage
of the sale is donated to ASAP when you indicate us as the charity of
your choice. This is painless giving! Hundreds of your favorite stores are
registered with iGive, so shop and donate at the same time and make room
for our
horses in your heart.

WISH LIST

Special thanks to Tony, who has toured the ASAP farm this week and desires
to do some grant writing for us! He said when he arrived at the farm and
was greeted by a variety of wagging tails and curious faces at the barn
door, he had a great feeling about the atmosphere of ASAP and can clearly
see the passion in what we do. PRICELESS.

Also thanks to M.W. for volunteering at ASAP. After seeing many of the
horses, and hearing their stories and the things that are so badly needed
in terms of care, she has decided to assist Taser Gun in getting the
diagnostics he needs to help him become sound again. Originally when he
first became lame last summer, vets speculated that he had hip arthritis
after the initial exam. With Prevacox, totally funded by ASAP, his
condition has not greatly improved. Dr. Dean Meyer suggested sacroiliac
problems and suggested that an injection is available that may help him
become sound again (if this is the diagnosis). We put out a plea from
past fans of Taser Gun, owners, trainers, but have not received any
donations to date. Thankfully, M.W. has stepped up to help. We will give
you the play by play as plans come together to help Taser!

Our wish list includes:

Sponsorship $$ to help the following horses with badly needed hoof trims:
Cobrador Kosmos
Bob Cook
ARNE
Taser Gun
Timesareachanging
Taz
Market Analysis
Holly

A garden cart or other larger cart (besides our wheelbarrow, which loses
its bolt all of the time and dumps the hay bale), or wagon to pull behind
a lawn tractor or Ford 8N (wishful thinking!).

Hose - we are forever needing hoses as we fill water tanks year round

Hay - small squares - or $$ to purchase more

We are currently waiting on three adoption fees, which makes the
difference between $0 or $1000. Outstanding bills include:

$2000 - veterinary bill for 2011 (we are making payments)
$2000 - feed bill for 2011 (we currently pay for each order as it arrives
rather than adding to this bill)

With the current offer for grant writing (Carmen, you too and thank you in
advance for what you will do!)..........hopefully we can climb out of the
hole from last year and sail through 2012 with out any debt.

Thanks for all you do!
Susan

Mom

I walked into the assisted living facility where my mother now lives last Sunday night around dinner time. She was seated in a wheelchair in the dining room with two other residents, slumped over in her chair and fast asleep. Her warm meatloaf dinner and soup growing cold, I immediately was moved to tears. How dare I be away from her? How dare I not know she is here alone and tired with no one to help her eat?

I sat down and nudged her, greeting the other two at the table. She looked up at me, and for the first time, she didn't smile, and her eyes did not light up. She simply shook her head in exasperation and lowered it again to sleep. My eyes welled up until they could hold no more, and tears streamed down my face while I tried to ignore it happening. I cut up her food and nudged her again. "Mom, let's have some good meatloaf!" I faked my enthusiasm. It took many minutes to coax her, but finally she took one bite, then another, never uttering a word.

Lately she has been "declining". I guess that is the medical term for her Parkinsons and accompanying dementia. I minimize what I see, encouraging her to once again become engaged in life. Tonite it seemed futile, until after about a half an hour of me striking up a one-sided conversation. When I hit a topic she recognized, she began to smile, and soon tried to dialogue with me. The words came easier, but she did not even turn to validate my daughter's presence. Rachel had been so excited about showing grandma her new glasses - now we just prayed she would smile and say "hello" to Rachel, but that did not come.

I flashed back to a much earlier time, when mom used to sit and coax me to eat as a young child. I was wild with motivation to explore my surroundings and play with toys and friends, and often forgot or refused to eat. My mom would take the spoon and make the "choo choo" noise......"here comes de train" in her Norwegian accent. It is like it was yesterday.............and now today.........I sit and the roles are reversed. I will do it, mom! I will always be there for you. It takes courage to see things through to the very bitter end...........it takes so much courage. But love is stronger.....and God has richly blessed me with the best mother in the world. Here's to you, mama!!!

Hay Equals Happiness

66 impala 128 lf 009.JPG.77mkbd7.partial Download this file

Ahhh the smell of freshly "made" hay!
Thanks to Mitch Moore today for loading up 25 bales for ASAP and thanks to
Todd W. for selling it to us.

25 bales x $2.50 equals $62.50 worth of yummy happiness for the horses!

We are also currently looking for the following (wish list items):

* big solid wheelbarrow or cart to haul individual bales, pails, etc.
* wagon that a riding lawn mower or small tractor can pull to take small
square bales to various horse turnouts

We have located a tractor and are $350 short for the purchase of a solid
8N that comes with disc, plow, blade, and chains!!!! The owner of the
tractor is actually donating $500 off the purchase price for it - he had
the tractor at $3000 but is now at $2500. We have raised $2020 so far!
ASAP's very own tractor - what a gift thanks to you! If you wish to
donate towards this tractor before it is sold, just use Pay Pal on our
site at
www.4thehorses.com

Thanks!

Kickapoo Reserve This Friday?

Just putting it out there - some of us gals will meet at the Kickapoo
Reserve to ride the trails this coming Friday at 10 am.

Would love for any of you to join us!

Call Sue at 608-792-5126 or email asapinc@mwt.net

Correction to Antique Appraisal Event

Sorry, in last night's post I incorrectly listed the antique appraisal
event as being at Stoddard Lions Club.
The event will take place at the Stoddard LEGION Hall!
Norwegian moment!

FUNDRAISER JULY 8 - Antique Appraisal Event!!!

ASAP Antique Appraisal Event.doc Download this file

ASAP will host an antique appraisal fund raiser at the STODDARD LIONS CLUB
in Stoddard, WI on Sunday, July 8

RSVP if you are able to attend!! Pre-registration is required. Food will
be served.