Timothy Stark Raisbeck

Martin Luther King fought for civil rights. What set him apart from those so called leaders today? His focus was not on “himself”, it was on others. His desire was not to be on the six o’clock news like Al Sharpton, or on the clothes he wore. No, it was a genuine interest in bringing equality to all. God granted equality to all men and women regardless of origin or color. Martin Luther King believed firmly in this. We all remember Reagan’s famous words of “tear down this wall”, so too was Martin Luther Kings belief, let there be no difference or wall between any of us. In spite of the fact of whether or not Monday should or should not be designated as a holiday, the lighter load it brings to traffic for one day, the son or daughter who celebrates being out of school, the MLK street that exists in every city, let us remember in our “own way” what MLK fought for and the hope that more individuals of his integrity exists in this great country of ours.

Sun hitting a Pecan tree at just the right time, produces beautiful depth with the shadows on the front of the hay barn.

The Atlanta Garlands drove all day yesterday, through much of the evening and arrived just before midnight last night. Christy’s brother Steve, his lovely wife Julie and their girls, Kaitlin and Kassandra made the journey to our little town to catch up with family and celebrate the arrival of the new year.

Dawn brought sunny skies with cool temperatures. That didn’t stop Kaitlin and Kassandra from making the barn rounds early and reintroducing themselves to the barn tenants, since their last stay here two years ago. I met them at the front door with cereal bowls in hand after their early morning tour. A bowl full of Reese’s Puffs followed by Tom and Jerry on Cartoon Network and they were ready to go again. A busy first day.

The day may have been misty and overcast but I couldn’t resist stopping and taking a picture of this Red-Tailed Hawk next to the road. Not the best picture but a certain “winterish” feel to the scene. The hawk tends to meld into the background but without leaves on the tree, one can see the size and feel the weight of such a bird.

I love the hawk. For me they are one of the most fascinating birds that God put on the Earth. Such a majesty and grace about them. They seem to be quite a “loner” but in reality they are very devoted to their mate and only leave the relationship if the mate dies. At that point they go in search of another.

The Red Tailed Hawk typically weighs from 690 to 1600 grams (1.5 to 3.5 pounds) and measures 45–65 cm (18 to 26 in) in length, with a wingspan from 110 to 145 cm (43 to 57 in).

It is legally protected in Canada, Mexico and the United States by the Migratory Bird Treaty Act.

Because they are so common and easily trained as capable hunters, the majority of hawks captured for falconry in the United States are Red-tails.

In flight, this hawk soars with wings in a slight dihedral, flapping as little as possible to conserve energy. Active flight is slow and deliberate, with deep wing beats. In wind, it occasionally hovers on beating wings and remains stationary above the ground. When soaring or flapping its wings, it typically travels from 20 to 40 mph (64 km/h), but when diving may exceed 120 mph (190 km/h). When the Red-tailed Hawk walks, its steps are slow and awkward.

Because of its robust crispness, a certain recording of the cry of the Red-tailed Hawk is a cliché cinematic sound effect. This high, piercing scream is often featured in the background of adventure movies to give a sense of wilderness to the scene. However, the cry is often inaccurately used for the Bald Eagle, whose own vocalizations are quite different and less robust.

Snow came to our little town on December 04. Depending on where you were you might have had up to 3” worth of the new fallen blanket.

On the average our area receives snow every 7 years. I believe it has been about 5 or 6 years since the last snow fall and that was on Christmas Eve, which made it even more special. The snow never sticks around long but to most people it is always a joy to see. We have hot and humid weather for so much of the year that for many it is a welcome change.

Having grown up in the midwest, seeing a little snow fall always brings back memories. Our house was situated at the top of the street so when the snow came my brother and I were poised to throw on our winter gear, grab our sleds and head for the hill. A little bit of ice made the runs even faster.

Kendall and Vegas braved the elements during the dressage phase of the event at Pine Hill December 06.

Kendall and her new mount Gus aka Vegas competed at the Pine Hill Combined Training Show this past Sunday. Despite the constant drizzle of rain the two of them brought home the blue. Congratulations!

This was the second time they had shown in the beginner novice division and only the third time to compete in an overall eventing competition. Kendalls’s comments after picking up her ribbon “my riding was sloppy along with the weather but we were able to pull it off”. She and Vegas will most likely move up to the novice division at the next show.

The turnout was good for the show, there were a few scratches, but all in all there were quite a few rides over the course of the day. The show moved along at a good pace and if you were from the UK, you would have thought the weather was ideal for the event. Phil and Ruth always host top quality shows and this one was no exception.

Kendall rode her mom Christy’s horse Upan, a Westfalen gelding (who is now 18 years old) for the first time the other day. With Upan’s tutelage, Kendall got to experience her first piaffe and passage. She had a great time, I’m not sure if its enough to draw her away from jumping the big fences with Gus, but the seed has been planted!