Our timing was perfect. The move from dry rocky southern California landed us right in the middle of record-setting rainfall in Tennessee. Seven inches the day the horses came in. And it rained for days prior to their arrival. Gail Murphy's Personalized Equine Transportation Service has a reputation for never being late, but on this day they were. The rains slowed them to a crawl causing them to arrive after dark. Which is when we learned that the turn onto our road was too tight for their rig to make. We had to shuttle the horses off the transport trailer onto our 3-horse trailer which had to be pulled by a generous new neighbor with his 4-wheel drive tractor because my truck would've been mud-bound for sure.
Noelle, our new mustang, went into a paddock in front of the barn and the hillside herd of five got the paddock behind the barn for the night. We didn't think it wise to turn them out on a steep unfamiliar muddy hillside at night. Is that another one of those human things like blankets in the snow :). They hadn't been out of the trailer for ten minutes when every one of them began to wallow in the mud like little pigs.
And through it all I could only think about what all this wet and mud might do to their beautiful, dry, rock-solid barefoot hooves.
Everyone was in fine (however muddy) shape the next morning. Noelle, our mustang who had not been with the herd as yet, was thoroughly enjoying being just over the fence and everybody seemed quite relaxed for being in such a strange place after traveling more than 2000 miles across the country.
We checked the footing on the smaller of the two pastures, the one closest to the house, and decided to open the gate let 'em have at it. It was definitely an YeeeHaaww moment. Cash, my co-author and cover boy, trotted through of the gate and without ever looking back broke into a full run up the steep hill and off toward the house. Within moments the other four were right behind him. Running, romping, and kicking up their heels! It was something to see. Poor Noelle could only hang by the fence and pace. And bellow at them.
When the herd finally calmed down their joy escalated into disbelief . There was grass everywhere! I'm pretty sure that four of the five had lived their entire lives in the west and had never seen anything like this. They were fun to watch, but it was also more than a little bit scary. We had received numerous warnings that horses could not come here from the deserts of southern California and be out 24/7 on the very "rich grasses of middle Tennessee." Too much sugar in this grass, we were told. Some had called the area "Founder Valley." I was worried about it to be sure, but I had done enough study of horses in the wild to feel that something was amiss with the local logic. It's more complex than just sugar in grass. All grass everywhere in the world generates sugar. Can soil alone cause an over abundance? And how much does lots and lots of movement play into digestion and metabolism? Can supplements balance other things that if left unbalanced would be bad for the horse? And how much can stress from confinement and human-adjusted lifestyle play into metabolism imbalances. I didn't know, but I was already researching to find out. One of the points of moving here was to be able to truly let the horses live like horses. Like they were genetically evolved to live. And I wouldn't give that up without knowledge certain.
I was reminded of a piece I had read in a book about the San Diego Zoo's adoption of two gorilla's they wanted to mate. They fed the exact same leaves the gorillas had been eating in the wild, or so they thought. But the gorillas did not do well and did not mate. After a bunch of further research they finally discovered that when they were washing the leaves (so they'd be nice and clean) they were removing all the little bugs and microscopic life that were actually adding 10% to 15% animal protein to the gorilla diets. They quit washing the leaves and the gorillas got better immediately, and mated.
So I was on a mission to "find the bugs" so to speak. To discover why horses in the wild can spend their entire spring and summer on beautiful rich-looking meadows and do just fine, but horses (or at least some horses) in middle Tennessee can't. The answers I found made an interesting study into the way we humans think.
The first thing I discovered was that just when you think you have everything figured out God says, "Not so fast". We simply didn't count on moving into record rainfall. And tons of mud in the pre-selected morning and evening supplement feed zones. I'm glad the washer and dryer were immediately hooked up because I was sliding through a pair of muddy jeans a day! God just wanted us to know after so much complaining about the dust in California that the opposite of dust has its downside as well :).
All the horses learned right away that water was now from a pond instead of a big metal tub. Skeeter immediately got into the swing and went almost up to his knees. Even Cash who especially hated mud drank his fill and it wasn't long before Mouse leapt in belly first.
It turned out to be the wettest fall on record in middle Tennessee. We had over 26 inches during our first six weeks.
I was worried about their feet in such squishy conditions but that worry was trumped by the rich grass warning. I had to solve that issue. I had to find those bugs. I had already learned that wild horses don't founder on grass. And some domestic horses do. And I was determined to find out why. Like the earlier story of the two gorillas at the San Diego Zoo, there had to be answers. And the logical place to begin is out there where there is no human intervention. Where no one is washing the bugs off the leaves. Out there in the wild.
Eddie's answer was, I thought, brilliant. Loaded with super information, analysis, and a road map of questions for further research. It follows. The underlines are mine.
Joe – In the wild the grasses are native grasses…and unstressed grasses. Of course I realize there are times of drought but typically grasses left in their natural state handle such things quite well because they are going through the natural cycle they are meant to go through. They're never mown down (other than naturally grazed, over time, each year), never overwatered, with no pesticides or chemical fertilizer, and not encouraged through genetic modification to grow in a season they aren't meant to. Also the wild horse meadow is not just one kind of rich lush "genetically improved" grass, like all Orchard, or what not. It's a mix. The horses have CHOICES. And the wild area is not lush and thick. Compared to many domestic pastures, wild meadow grasses are fairly scattered, which would help slow grazing and create more browsing… which helps the digestive system handle things more efficiently.
Some native species of grasses are rich, others are not. And these "non-rich" grasses with lower starches/sugars can cut or dilute the sugar of the richer grasses.
Every spring I see changes in my horses hooves…some rings, maybe they lose a little concavity here and there. Not enough to make them sore but I keep my two founder-prone ponies drylotted or they would show more damage. Why? Because our grass pretty much stays stressed. We have nothing but bright green little nubs of "candy grass" as I call it, since the pasture is overgrazed…I have too many horses on too small of acreage, so not much I can do other than keep them penned up the majority of the time which I hate doing of course.
I trim for a few clients who have large 40-50 acre pastures, with just 4-5 horses and tall healthy grass. A small few will show some minor changes but the majority have no problems at all. At least the ones not being fed sweet feed. That's because the grasses are healthy, and non-stressed, thus much lower in starch/sugar. And typically on larger acreage there are a lot of native grasses, not all one type as in small paddocks.
Mustangs start to drop weight in the fall typically, after getting a great weight during spring/summer. This is as nature intended. They get lean after a hard winter with less forage, and what forage is there is dry and dormant. Then spring hits and the horses are more able to handle spring grasses because they need it coming out of winter. Many of the mares are in final stages of pregnancy, they definitely need it to get ready for baby. If they started out being fat and chunky after winter and were put on the spring grass this might be a much different scenario.
Most domestic horses don't need the rich grasses to "come out of winter" the way a wild horse does, which is why it can cause them issues. We keep them fed and fat through winter… and panic if they do drop some weight. What's worse…we keep feeding them the same exact amount of grain/feed, alfalfa, etc. we were feeding through winter, PLUS now they are getting grass. I tell people all the time, if they are getting a lot of grass, you MUST cut back on everything else (really they probably need nothing else). But people still feed…asking them to quit feeding pellets or grain I've found is like asking them to give away their first born child. They look at you like you are plum crazy.
Also, there's movement in the wild. The mustangs are getting a lot of movement. A lot! This helps so much; is necessary! They aren't being confined, they have good firm ground. They aren't living on soft shavings or arena sand part of their day, aren't getting grains, sweet feeds, or alfalfa, etc.
And here's something most folks never think about: Domestic horses, particularly those that are stalled during part of the night/day, tend to gorge when let out on pasture, even when it's baking hot. Their inner clocks are amazing…they know when it's about time for them to be caught up and taken back to their pen or stall and they'll begin to "gorge" when they know that time is running out.
As Spring began to flower in Tennessee and little green nubblets of grass began to come alive I was once again reminded by several people that our horses shouldn't be out 24/7 on the "rich grasses of middle Tennessee." These warnings ramped up my motivation to find answers to the puzzling question of why some domestic horses founder on grass. I was on a mission to prove or disprove Eddie's hypothesis.
Science confirms that it would take a minimum of 5000 years – probably closer to 10,000 – to even begin to change the base genetics of any species. In other words, a few hundred years of selective breeding has no effect on base genetics whatsoever. Which means that the domestic horse and the horse in the wild are genetically exactly the same.
DNA sequencing was performed on bones of horses discovered in the Alaskan permafrost dating 12,000 to 28,000 years old and the results were compared to DNA sequencing from today's domestic horse. There was less than 1.2% difference between the two. Again confirming that the genetics of every horse on the planet are the same, and that "every horse on the planet retains the ability to return successfully to the wild or feral state." Note the scientists use the word: successfully. In other words, today's domestic horse has the genetic ability to grow as perfect a foot and take care of himself with no help from humans every bit as well as those in the wild.
Move a minimum of eight to twenty miles every day of his life in search of food, water, and staying ahead of predators. Living in a stall without this movement causes physical and mental stress to the horse.
Eat tiny bits of forage – mostly grass forage – little bits at a time, virtually around the clock; a minimum of 16-18 hours a day, or more. Their tummies are tiny and not meant to eat two or three large meals a day, and their hindgut requires the constant passage of grass forage through it in order to perform and digest as designed. The horse's digestive acid never turns off. The human's digestive acid turns on or off depending upon the presence of food. In other words, the horse needs free choice grass forage or grass hay 24/7 or the digestive acid has nothing to work on but the horse himself. Thus, ulcers.
Live within a herd. For safety, not for fun. There is safety in numbers. Separation from the herd creates emotional stress, and emotional stress attacks the physical body, and bad things happen.
Have the dietary choices available to keep themselves healthy and strong. A horse's genetics know what the horse needs and when. For example – when a horse needs a liver cleansing the brain will send him after thistle. When he needs vitamin E it might send him searching for a blackberry. Etc. If he's eaten quite enough of high-sugar grasses, the hypothesis is he'll switch to the low sugar grasses to balance. When humans attempt to perform these functions, it's usually pure guesswork, and usually late, behind the curve.
I sat on the porch and pondered these for a while. Clearly the more the domestic horse could live and eat like his wild counterpart the healthier and happier he would be. We had a pretty good start at this in California with our "Paddock Paradise" arrangement. They were never confined, were out 24/7 with the herd, and getting plenty of movement, defined by placing their hay in more than 100 small piles all the way around their 1½ acre hillside pasture. (See our Paddock Paradise video). Not what you would typically call a pasture. There was no grass. Just dirt and rock… and dust!
But had we been able to add grass it would've been a microcosm of how horses live in the wild.
At the time, I didn't know how or what horses eat in the wild. I assumed that grass was grass. Off to Google, landing on safegrass.org and a study of What Feral Horses Eat by Kathryn Watts.
Ahhh. Now we're getting somewhere.
Her study and several others found on the internet were pretty much the same, varying only by geographical availability. The conclusions were that wild horses eat mostly (80% or better) native and naturalized grasses of various species plus orbs (flowering plants and weeds), shrubs of various kinds, tree leaves and bark, and more. In other words, they have lots and lots of choices and they use them. Ms. Watts found that all the grasses in the wild contained lower sugars than any cultivated pasture grasses she's tested. And some of the wild grasses contain substantially less sugar than domestic pasture grasses. Thus the hypothesis that the wild horse will balance his own sugar by eating both kinds of grass, along with those orbs, shrubs, tree leaves, etc.
She also points out, as does Pete Ramey, that grasses in the wild tend to be "bunchy" or "patchy", not in thick, tightly-woven carpets like so many domestic pastures. So the horse in the wild has to move more, cover more ground, to get the same amount of forage that a domestic pastured horse is getting. The wild horse is getting less grass per acre, thus less sugar per acre. And more movement which helps digestion and circulation. Plus he's balancing his intake by what his body is telling him he needs. And he has a wide range of choices of forages to accomplish this as he goes about his day.
I was beginning to carve away at the answer. Only it was obviously not one "answer," but a whole bunch of answers.
We all want this to be simple, but like so much of life, it just isn't. There is not one big difference between the domestic pasture and the wild horse meadow that can solve the sugar problem. There are a lot of differences, and each one is important.
Yet the bottom line is simple. Replicate the wild horse lifestyle and diet as closely as your situation permits and you will likely be good to go. And your horse will thank you.
After digging into this for a while now I think I've found "the bugs on the leaves," or rather they have become self-evident, and there are a bunch of them.
Only a single species of grass and nothing else. No orbs, or shrubs, or weeds, or trees. Nada. One choice for the horse. Eat it or go hungry.
That single species of grass is usually a "cool season" grass like orchard or timothy because they grow longer into the cooler seasons. Cool season grasses are much higher in sugar content than "warm season" grasses because the cool season grasses contain fructan. Fructan that can continue to build forever as long as there's sun for photosynthesis. Warm season grass contains no fructan, only starch. Starch that is self-limiting because once the organ that holds it is full, production stops. Kathryn Watts has found cool season grasses to have NSC (sugar) percentages as high as 25+%. Warm season grasses are much, much less. The generally accepted NSC maximum as a percentage of a horse's overall diet should be 10% or less.
That same single species of grass is usually a genetically modified species to make it heartier and grow longer into the cool seasons. Kathryn Watts' studies find that genetically modified and "improved" grasses are consistently higher in sugar than any natural or unmodified species.
The single species of grass in a domestic pasture is usually heavily fertilized with chemical fertilizer (to make it even richer, and thicker). Chemical fertilizer contains large amounts of potassium which in times of stress can be feeding the horse levels of potassium a thousand times the amount he should be getting. This can cause all kinds of internal problems.
The single species of grass in a domestic pasture is also probably sprayed with herbicides to kill everything except the grass (plants and weeds that might be giving the horses some of the choices he needs). Note: Chemical poison of any kind, regardless of manufacturers' claims, is not good for the delicate balance of the inner workings of the horse's gut.
The single species of grass is also probably sprayed with pesticides from time to time. Another poison.
And, lastly, the soil itself can be worn down and depleted of needed nutrients etc when planted and replanted with only the same seed every year, and fertilized and re-fertilized exactly the same year after year.
So I suppose if you're looking for one big issue to hang your hat on, it would be the issue of choice for the horse. Lots of choices. Not just one species of highly fertilized cool season grass. But rather many species of grasses, favoring low sugar warm season grasses like Bermuda, and lots of other stuff. All scatter-planted in patches and bunches. Not wall-to-wall. I cannot emphasize enough that if your horse has the choices he needs he will make the right choices to balance his diet and thus himself.
The perfect natural pasture for the horse will be ugly. Big time ugly. It will look uncared for. Not a nice, beautiful, thick carpet of a single species spreading out for acres.
Below is one of Ginger Kathrens' photos of the wild horse meadow atop one of the Pryor Mountains of Montana where Cloud's band and many other wild horses hang out during the Spring and Summer. They head up as soon as the snow melts and don't go down until they're forced to by the onslaught of winter weather. From a distance it looks for the world like any cultivated rich green pasture, but it's not even close. The horses have tons of choices to balance their own diets and apparently handle it all quite well.
Not your pristine, manicured pastoral scene you would expect to see driving through Kentucky, or even our little slice of middle Tennessee. As I said, wild horse pastures are ugly with a capital "U" but are just what the horse needs.
The following shot is our hillside pasture, up close and personal. It's hard to discern but it contains at least some Bermuda, orchard, fescue, crab grass and various orbs and weeds.
As I wrote this in October, our herd's favorite delicacy was that flat seed of a weed that is covered in something like Velcro which sticks to anything that gets within yards of it. The horses come in with dozens of those awful things clumped in their forelocks, all over their faces, on their legs, everywhere! As I pull these pesky seeds off, the horses usually want to eat them out of my hand. Obviously there's something there they need or want. If a horse is getting plenty of what he needs or wants, he simply will not eat something that's bad for him. But if he's hungry and something bad is the only choice he has he will eat it.
How many acres per horse? The only answer I know is: it depends. We're at approximately three acres per horse. Last fall, when we arrived, just after we had bush hogged maybe a third of it that had been allowed to grow wild with virtually no grass, and before we had sewn any seed, I was worried that the pasture wouldn't be large enough. But after sewing a bit of orchard and a lot of Bermuda this past spring and summer, there was still plenty of grass in October. I think we're going to be fine. For cutting we follow Melanie Bowles' philosophy at the Horses of Proud Spirit Sanctuary. Nothing ever shorter than 4", grass never longer than 12".
Our two pastures are both open to all the horses at all times. When we moved in, neither pasture had been fertilized for at least eight years. Of course I didn't have sense enough to ask that question before we bought the property, but for reasons I have never fully understood, once again God was taking care of us. The population was mostly weeds when we arrived but we found that once it had been bush hogged there was quite a bit of native grasses underneath just begging for sunlight. You might recall that rain wasn't an issue that first Fall. We planted maybe 50 pounds of Orchard at the tail end of the season. It was already too late for warm season Bermuda but I didn't know about the difference in sugar levels at that time anyway.
By Spring I was armed with research and when we started sewing the mix was heavily skewed toward Bermuda. Maybe a third of it was orchard grass. And now all of it seems to be doing very well.
We continued to feed one bale of Bermuda hay a day during the hot season, split between morning and night, scattered over a long trail through the western pasture to help enforce movement and to add diversity as we attempted to build our "wild horse meadow". The spring-fed pond is located on the far eastern end of the east pasture, which helps a lot with movement. It's their only water source.
So there it is. That's what we've learned and what we're doing. The logic of it all, as with so much of this journey, has left me wondering why in the world I didn't see it before. But in any case, our horses are the beneficiaries. To change a "traditional" pasture to a "wild" pasture, I suspect, wouldn't be as difficult or take as long as one might think. And it's a whole lot easier to manage a messy pasture than to keep a pasture pristine. Stop all chemicals. Throw out (by hand) a lot of differing seeds trying to favor warm season grass or at least 50/50 with cool season grasses. Hike into the nearest woods and bring back some weeds, seeds of weeds, and brambles, and shrubs. Take the fences off your trees. And manage the pasture only by cutting. Grass does well with cutting, weeds do not. So if you cut with Melanie's plan the weeds will not take over. They'll just be a presence. Or so I've been told, and it seems to be working for us.
And please remember, the object of all this is to be able to leave your horses out, living like horses, around the clock, 24/7, without worry about the amount of sugar your horse might be taking in. Or what that sugar might be doing to the health of your horses. To be able to let the horses monitor and manage their own diet and lifestyle instead of us micro managing their entire life. This is not to say that certain supplements might not be needed to cover deficiencies, which requires testing the grasses, perhaps the soil, observing the horses, and filling in the holes. But definitely cut out all processed feeds, all feeds with grain (sugar), and, of course, all sweet feeds. If you need added weight consider maybe a tiny bit of alfalfa, or rice bran (we use rice bran). Our herd gets a small amount of forage feed (Triple Crown Chopped Forage) morning and night and a few minerals and supplements top dressed (see our Diet page). But that is yet another topic. This one was all about what you can do to a sugar-unfriendly pasture to give your horses the lifestyle and health they were genetically designed to live, the lifestyle they deserve.
For your horse's sake, please put the bugs back on the leaves.
September 17, 2017 will mark the eight-year anniversary of our southern California herd's arrival in middle Tennessee.
Our herd of six were virtually maintaining their own feet in California. Dani Lloyd trimmed every 8-9 weeks, usually doing little more than light maintenance. But they were moving 8-9 miles a day on the kind of terrain on which they are genetically designed to live . The trimming schedule changed in middle Tennessee.
Mark Taylor is now trimming every six weeks and the hoof walls are always a bit long by trim day (except in the winter when most of the protein is going to winter coats instead of hooves). We find ways to ensure a lot of movement every day but the new terrain just doesn't provide the wear and tear that they are genetically designed to get. Yet, because it takes 5,000 to 10,000 years to even begin to change the base genetics of any species, Mother Nature has no way of knowing our guys are not on terrain in the American West. She is still growing that hoof as if they were. So we have to help them along with the trim, with movement, and with quite a bit of pea gravel in their well-traveled areas like the barn breezeway, the round pen, and around the pond where they drink.
But with all this, even three to four weeks after a trim, our 24 hooves look for the world like they looked when forged on the southern California high-desert type of terrain.
As mentioned before, the feet were my big concern with the move to Tennessee. But the feet turned out to be the least of our worries. Several things popped up that our high-desert herd had never experienced before. Not the least of which was that Kathleen's and my "humanness" always gets in the way. Like how difficult it is sometimes to stay on the horse's end of the lead rope. To think about things from the horse's perspective. Whether it relates to training or lifestyle.
I'll never forget standing out in the rain one cold October day in California, soaked from head to foot because the rain wasn't expected. The temperature was only in the mid-fifties, but to me, sopping wet, that was freezing.
I looked at our horses, heads down, dripping with water, and I just couldn't stand it. I went for the halters and lead ropes and brought them into three covered stalls. The stalls were open, actually only half-covered, with one solid side facing the usual weather assault, but if we'd had a cozy barn with central heating and warm fuzzy pillows I'm sure I wouldn't have hesitated to take them right in. Or cover them with blankets had there been any available.
It's difficult for humans, especially when cold and wet, to understand that the horses do not feel like we do. Or eat like we do. Or react like we do. Or live like we do. We want to believe that the horse will always be better with human intervention. Human "help." How can they possibly make it without us?
We were only twelve miles from the Canadian border. Winters are not warm here. I was amazed.
The owner walked around the barn to show me a lean-to he had built which was attached to the side of the structure. Just a roof, with divided but open stalls, to keep the horses separated when eating their supplements. They had free access to this shed, but never came into it except for the feed. Again, I was amazed. This ran so counter to everything I felt for my horses. We want to think of them as children, or big dogs, and treat them in the same manner.
They aren't children, or big dogs.
What sometimes seems too simple for me to grasp is the fact that horses have been around for all those millions of years, evolving to survive as a prey species, and those evolved genetics are precisely the same for every horse on the planet, wild or domestic. Given the opportunity they can take care of themselves. They're built to do it. If not, we would have never heard of the horse. They would've been extinct eons ago.
At both our former California home and the new one in middle Tennessee we have worked hard to mimic the wild horse lifestyle as closely as possible. But it never fails. Just when I think I've got it, when I'm certain I understand the concept…WHAP!
Along comes a blow to test my faith.
Last September Mariah quite suddenly went dead lame in her right front foot. With a pounding digital pulse. Couldn't put any weight on it at all. An abscess! Apparently a bad one.
Fear rushed in and faith went right out the window.
It could've happened a few days earlier, before Kathleen and the twins returned to California to dig in for their last high school year. But it didn't. No, it had to be while I was home alone. With no one to help, or soothe, or listen. I was frozen in place.
I love that word from Watership Down. It's rabbit-speak, and there is simply no English equivalent. It's what happens when a rabbit gets caught in the headlights and is so suddenly petrified that he can neither move nor think.
I was tharn. Our vast experience with horses – almost 4 years at that time – had never shown us an abscess. I was told gory stories of digging out all this gross-looking stuff with a knife and soaking the horse's hoof several times a day. High doses of antibiotics. And all the terrible things that can happen if it's not properly cared for. I was so tempted to violate my firm beliefs, my faith in Mariah's systems and the wild horse lifestyle, and lock her up because she was obviously in a great deal of pain trying to walk and keep up with the herd. But keep up she did, wherever they went. It was painful to watch. I was told the vet should come and dig it out.
At someone's advice I tried soaking her foot in Epsom salts. But she quickly grew tired and annoyed with keeping her foot in a tub for fifteen minutes at a time and finally she said enough!
Determined, she found them, and with each step seemingly excruciating, she followed them off to the grove (she's last in the photo above). Deep down I of course knew that movement meant blood circulation and circulation meant healing but it was buried too deep for me to find and take comfort in at the moment. But remember this please: stalling a horse with such a condition is exactly the wrong thing to do.
Mariah followed the herd all the way to the grove on the far end of the western pasture (above), between a quarter of a mile and half a mile away from the group photo above. Here she is surrounded by the herd, all just out of frame. With a long walk back to the barn.
I had to quit watching her move. It hurt me too much.
"Get a soaking boot. You have to soak," someone said.
I made several phone calls and went out and bought a soaking boot.
When I arrived back at the house with the boot, there was an email waiting from Yvonne Welz, the amazing editor of The Horse's Hoof. She said: Joe, when a horse has healthy hooves, abscesses are often here today and gone tomorrow! Just not a big deal. Yes, when the hoof has good blood circulation and lots of movement, the body just absorbs the problem area. Why do abscesses happen in healthy horses? Some sort of trauma or environmental cause, usually.
Natalie Cruz of Shoe Free Performance Horses went a step further: The vets won't like this but abscesses will heal themselves. The best thing you can do for your horse is give it a couple of tablets of bute a day for a week or so and baby the horse a bit for your own peace of mind. Keep the horse turned out so it can move which increases blood flow so the abscess either blows out or disintegrates inside the hoof. But check to make sure the horse was not kicked or otherwise injured, of course. If not, and the horse is suddenly dead lame on one hoof, it is usually an abscess. Take a couple of aspirin for your own headache and wait it out. But don't allow anyone to dig it out! This is counterproductive to healing and can actually introduce bacteria into the hoof and cause problems! No need to wrap the hoof either. It just annoys the horse and doesn't help its healing one iota. So drink a glass of wine and prop your own foot up instead. :) Some drawing products like Epsoms salt may help a little bit though I don't use any of them.
I had barely finished reading these when suddenly Mariah was better. Limping, but putting weight on the hoof. The next morning she was walking fine. A day later she was cantering down our steep hill with the herd racing to the barn for breakfast.
A few months ago we had watched an abscess on Skeeter's belly (caused by an allergic reaction) slowly disappear as the body dissolved it. Likewise my tharn-ness began to dissolve away leaving an embarrassed logic. Of course, it's the blood circulation that does the dissolving. So why shouldn't Mariah's body do it's job. She has terrific circulation in her feet because she wears no shoes. She gets tons of movement which increases circulation even more. Her diet is good. And her body is working as it's designed to work.
The verse Oh ye of little faith came to mind.
The lesson? Nobody says it better than Rick Lamb: Give them as natural a life as possible. Then get out of the way.
Anybody want to buy fifteen pounds of Epson Salt?
During the first couple of years allergy problems from fauna the California herd had never seen before were probably the biggest issue. Soon enough the immune systems got a handle on all that. Cash had a ligament pull from sliding down the hill in the snow. There were a few pricks from thorny brambles allowed to grow too tall. All adding to the learning experience. But although the feet were my biggest concern when we headed to Tennessee, and although we went through two full years of record-setting weather, our herd's feet were terrific.
We didn't see this issue the first Spring because they had been here only about six months and were apparently still adjusting to the move. But when the Spring grasses began to emerge the next year – cool season higher sugar grasses always emerge before the warm season grasses containing less sugar – the horses all blimped up pretty good. We missed it in the beginning because we are with them every day so I'm really thankful that Mark Taylor, our hoof specialist, was coming every six weeks. He spotted the extra weight immediately and we slowly but methodically cut way back on the rice bran.
The next fall we let them go into winter with a decent weight but in January we started cutting back on anything that could add weight – watching and judging as we went – so they hit the Spring grass season nice and lean and were able to handle the higher sugars with less effort. Just like in the wild.
So here we are marking the eight-year anniversary of our guys and gals being out 24/7 on the "rich grasses of middle Tennessee." They're a happy healthy bunch and Kathleen and I are mighty proud parents. As we stress in all of our books, please don't take someone else's word for how you should be caring for your horses just because that's the way it's always been done. Do the research yourself, dig out the answers, and don't stop asking questions until the answers begin to make sense.
Discovering the mysteries of the horse will be a never-ending journey, but the rewards are an elixir. Nothing can make you feel better than doing something good for another being. Not cars. Not houses. Not facelifts. Not blue ribbons or trophies. And there is nothing more important in life than love. Not money. Not status. Not winning. This is the synthesis of our books and why each one came into being.
There are many who teach relationship, riding, and training with principles of natural horsemanship. Others support the benefits of going barefoot with the wild horse trim. Still others write that your horse should eat from the ground, and live without clothes and coverings. Some promote day and night turnout, where your horses can move around continuously. I've found none who advocate the essentials of a wild horse meadow in their pastures. And few have explored how dramatically one without the other can affect the horse and his well being. Few have put it all together into a single philosophy, a unified voice, a complete lifestyle change for the domesticated horse. When I gave Cash the choice of choice and he chose to trust me he left me with no alternative. No longer could it be what I wanted, but rather what he needed. What fifty-two million years of genetics demanded for a long, healthy, and happy life.


text:
Wings Theatre
Wings Theatre is a non-profit, Off-off Broadway company founded in 1986. Our mission, since our inception, is the development and production of new plays and musicals by American playwrights and composers.
In April, 2011, Wings lost the lease on our home of twenty years in the Archive building on Christopher Street. As a result we are on hiatus and not currently producing as we regroup and examine our options for the future.
Watch this space for upcoming news and developments. In the meantime, for more information on our past seasons or adding your name to Wings' mailing list, just click on your choice below...
Wings Mailing List (add or revise your personal information -- and receive discounts on many shows!)
Script Submission Guidelines
Clint Jefferies' Page (Production info, show photos, music on mp3 and more...)
Contact Us (Contact information and directions to the theater.)
Other Theatre Resources on the Web
The IT Awards were organized to bring recognition to the great work being done in Off-Off-Broadway and help create a community base for the estimated 40,000 artists working in the Off-Off-Broadway venue.
New York Broadway Tickets, New York entertainment site with theater history, reviews, bio's and Broadway tickets information providing all the information needed for a great night out in the big city.
Playbill On-Line
nytheatre.com
Playwrights on the Web
Bill Springer's Playscript Library
New York Theatre Guide
E-Mail: jcorrick@wingstheatre.com

redpajama_set_name: RedPajamaCommonCrawl


text:
About the New Bern Post
Category: Parks and Recreation
City makes way for a newer, better Kidsville playground
February 3rd, 2019	by newbernpostadmin
Kidsville Park, shown before demolition. City of New Bern photo
A sentimental favorite among parents and children past and present, Kidsville playground is no more. At least for now.
Last week, the city announcement was posted on its Facebook page:
"Kidsville, located at Seth West Parrott Park, was torn down today. This unique playground served the community well for 24 years. In April of 2018, the structure was closed due to extensive maintenance issues and safety concerns. All sponsor signage and name pickets were removed prior to demolition.
This photo provided by the City of New Bern shows Kidsville playground following demolition.
"We are now preparing for the construction of Kidsville 2.0. Construction is scheduled to begin later this spring. Stay tuned for information on how you can be a part of the new playground, which will have a similar look and feel to the original."
Image shows Kidsville 2.0. The city is budgeting $300,000 for the project, half of which it hopes will come from donations.
Kidsville playground was 24 years old, four years older than its intended life expectancy, according to city documents provided in response to a New Bern Post Freedom of Information Act request.
According to a report from Playgrounds by Leathers, "The original materials used in the playground were pressure treated wood posts and framing. The original wood was treated with CCA. It is apparent from its condition that this playground is a well-used
attraction in the area. There is a strong emotional connection with the community and the playground."
According to audits by Leathers in 2018 and a risk assessment of the playground conducted in 2015, the condition of the park had degraded to the point where some safety hazards were severe.
I can attest. I hit my head hard several years ago climbing on the structure while playing with my son. It nearly knocked me out. I was lucky. In April 2018, a man lost his finger when his ring was caught in an opening and he lost his balance. The city closed the park three days after learning of that incident.
Leathers said, "Due the structures age and condition, we have provided an estimated cost to replace the playground with a new design utilizing all of today's latest materials (no wood). Today's playgrounds are expected to last minimally 30 years with minimal maintenance needs. A custom designed community built replacement estimate is around $250,000-275,000 for a playground with similar square footage as your existing playground. This includes engineered wood fiber as the ground cover. If poured in place rubber is wanted in the tot lot as currently designed, this cost will be determined upon final design. This cost estimate is based on utilizing our community built model. It's anticipated that the work can be completed in five (5) days. While a renovation is an option, consideration should be given to the total amount budgeted vs. the expected longevity of each option. Also, yearly maintenance cost and needs for upkeep must be kept in mind."
The replacement estimate did not include demolition.
The cost to renovate the park was put at $200,000. The cost to build anew with modern materials and safety features, plus an expected 30-year lifespan, is $250,000, City Parks and Recreation Director Foster Hughes said in an early report to the Board of Aldermen.
A social media survey conducted by the city resulted in 2,700 votes, 86 percent of which preferred something similar to Kidsville as a replacement, rather than more conventional playground designs found elsewhere in the city and county.
Article by Randy Foster / New Bern Post
Posted in Board of Aldermen, Parks and Recreation
Cancelled: Board of Aldermen agenda for Sept. 11
September 8th, 2018	by newbernpostadmin
UPDATE: Meeting cancelled due to approaching hurricane.
Editor's note: Changes to how City Hall posts its agenda with background information has made it difficult to translate it into a single webpage. Below is the basic agenda, with New Bern Post editor notes in bold. To see the entire packet, go here.
CITY OF NEW BERN BOARD OF ALDERMEN MEETING
SEPTEMBER 11, 2018- 6:00 P.M.
CITY HALL COURTROOM 300 POLLOCK STREET
Meeting opened by Mayor Dana E. Outlaw. Prayer Coordinated by Alderwoman Harris. Presenting and Retirement of Colors by New Bern Fire and Police Departments. Pledge of Allegiance.
Roll Call.
Request and Petition of Citizens.
Consider Adopting a Proclamation Acknowledging Constitution Week.
Approve Minutes.
Presentation by Friends of Kafer Park.
Note: Kafer Park has been used for professional and semi-professional sports in the past but has gone disused since a Negro League team disbanded in 1965. A group proposes the baseball field be brought back to life, including a stadium. Check out the PowerPoint presentation for these plans. – Ed
Presentation on Preliminary Plans for Use of Grant Funds Received for Martin Marietta Park.
Note: Check out the PowerPoint presentation for plans for this huge undertaking. – Ed
Presentation on National Night Out.
Discussion of Part-Time Animal Control Officer.
Note: Last we heard, the city was having trouble filling this position. There was talk about making it full-time to make it easier to fill. – Ed
Consider Adopting a Resolution Authorizing the City Manager to Execute a NC Department of Transportation Grant Agreement on behalf of the New Bern Area Metropolitan Planning Organization.
Consider Adopting a Resolution Authorizing the City Manager to Sign a Grant Contract with NC Department of Natural and Cultural Resources.
Note: City has received a grant to extend the Riverwalk from near New Bern Towers through to First Street. – Ed
Consider Adopting a Resolution Approving the Installation of Additional Street Lights Near Duffy Street.
Consider Adopting a Budget Ordinance Amendment Acknowledging the 2018 Entitlement Cities Grant.
Appointment(s).
Attorney's Report.
City Manager's Report.
New Business.
Closed Session.
Adjourn.
INDIVIDUALS WITH DISABILITIES REQUIRING SPECIAL ASSISTANCE SHOULD CALL 639-7501 NO LATER THAN 3 P.M. THE DATE OF THE MEETING
Posted in Board of Aldermen, New Bern, Parks and Recreation, Planning and Zoning, Public works
Martin Marietta Park gets $475,000 state grant to kickstart work
August 27th, 2018	by newbernpostadmin
Aerial photo provided by the City of New Bern shows Martin Marietta Park in the foreground.
The City of New Bern will receive $475,000 to begin Phase I of Martin Marietta Park located on S. Glenburnie Road. This funding will help kick off creation of the city's largest ever park.
The Governor's Office released a list of 27 parks and recreation projects across the state that will receive funding through the NC Parks & Recreation Trust Fund, including Martin Marietta Park.
New Bern Parks & Recreation staff applied for the NC PARTF grant in May and learned last week that the City would be awarded funding. The money will be used to install a children's playground, boat launch, fishing pier, picnic shelter, park benches, multi-purpose trails, nature trail, and nature observation deck.
The funds will also be used to create gravel parking lots, improve road conditions throughout the park, and purchase appropriate park signage. General site preparation and supportive utility work are included in the grant funding.
"This is a big step toward the development of Martin Marietta Park," Foster Hughes, director of Parks & Recreation for the City of New Bern, said in a prepared statement. "This park is a valuable asset to the City and this grant will help us enhance residents and visitors ability to enjoy recreational amenities across nearly 900 acres of land and lakes." The City anticipates construction will begin in January 2019.
Last September, Martin Marietta donated approximately 55 acres along South Glenburnie Road to the City of New Bern with the recommendation that the land be used to create a regional park. The additional acreage completed a contiguous stretch of land totaling 888 acres owned by the City of New Bern.
In the spring of 2018, the City invited public comment on proposed amenities residents would like to see inside the park. Those surveys and comments were collected and analyzed by independent consultant McGill & Associates, which assisted the City in creating a master plan for the park.
In April, the Board of Aldermen approved moving forward with the master plan which includes walking, running and cycling paths and trails, an outdoor performance area, open space for recreation and environmental stewardship, water activities and adventure activities.
Posted in Board of Aldermen, Community, New Bern, Parks and Recreation
Public hearing today for how city will spend your money
May 8th, 2018	by newbernpostadmin
Aldermen meet this evening to hold a public hearing into how the city will spend taxpayer and user fee money during the next fiscal year.
This is the first budget for the newly coined Board of Aldermen, which met during budget workshops last week that lasted just over 11 hours.
As presented by city staff, the draft budget is fairly status quo and would not result in any additional taxes or fees. However, City Manager Mark Stephens also laid out a number of steps aldermen could take to raise addition revenue to pay for new projects. (Fun fact: "Raise revenue" is boffin-speak for new fees and higher taxes.)
That's where you come in. This evening's meeting is when average citizens (that is, those who don't have board members on speed dial or over for a round of golf) have their say on how the city should spend its money.
During last week's workshops, which were public but extremely tedious to sit through (video here), board members set up a virtual "parking lot" that includes projects, initiatives and wishes that were not included in the draft budget.
Included in the parking lot are things like $75,000 toward a long-promised community center in the Pleasant Hill community, employee pay raises, aldermen pay raises, and a second animal control officer.
But the biggest thing in the parking lot is $350,000 for six additional firefighter positions that would be based at Fire Station 2 on Thurman Road.
One truck company is based at the station now, but because of OSHA rules, those firefighters can't enter a burning building until a second truck arrives, usually from the Headquarters Station near downtown New Bern. That could take as long as 10 minutes, an eternity in terms of protecting life and property in a structure fire.
Much of New Bern is well-protected by existing Fire Department manpower and equipment, but the fringes of the city are not. Increasing staffing at Station 2 would plug one gap, but others remain that will have to be addressed over time and as money becomes available.
(A third fire station is on Elizabeth Avenue, covering the north and west ends of New Bern.)
City Hall provides a wide range of services: electric, water and sewer; street maintenance; parks and recreation; law enforcement; fire protection and EMS; and dozens of smaller services.
Keeping it all going while at the same time controlling costs is a challenging thing.
For example, the city operates and maintains 25 parks, many of which are small neighborhood playgrounds. Some of these playgrounds were built in neighborhoods that once crawled with children but are now dominated by senior citizens. City officials estimate about a half dozen city parks go unused.
At the same time, the city has acquired a huge parcel that will become Martin Marietta Park, but work on that won't commence until the city has secured a $475,000 grant to kickstart plans.
Newly minted City Parks Director Foster Hughes has been rolling out maintenance of city parks, some of which have been sorely neglected for years. Kidsville, a popular wooden playground, has been closed until it can be renovated, for example.
Meanwhile, over in water and sewer, a funny thing happened. The city has been growing at a respectable 2-3 percent, according to city officials, but water usage (and subsequent sewer usage) are declining because of effective water conservation.
At rates seen a decade ago, the city would be looking at expanding water and sewer capacity about now, but conservation has given years of life to existing capacity.
Still, revenue has not increased to match demand. To avoid fee increases, the city will need to maintain its current growth rate of 2-3 percent. A downturn in the economy will force the city to raise fees to make up the difference.
Posted in Board of Aldermen, New Bern, New Bern Fire Department, Parks and Recreation, Public works
City unveils Artist in Residence program
April 17th, 2018	by newbernpostadmin
City of New Bern News Release
New Bern Parks & Recreation is looking for artists who need studio space. The Artist in Residence program offers emerging to mid-range local artists the opportunity to work in an open studio with public interaction. The open studio space is located at 408 Hancock St., formerly the New Bern Firemen's Museum.
The open studio space, located downtown, gives artists an opportunity to be a part of a growing art scene and to bring culture and vibrancy to our community. Artists can apply for a rented studio space by completing an application. If approved, they'll have access to 96 square feet of space with Wi-Fi access included. Rents are currently charged at $175 per month. Applications and rental requirements are posted on the city website.
"This is a perfect opportunity and a beautiful open space for artists who want to contribute to the community," said Foster Hughes, Director of Parks & Recreation. "We're hopeful that artists with talents in multiple disciplines and media will fill the space with creative expression and a spirit of collaboration."
The Artist in Residence program also gives renters access to exhibition, teaching, and professional development opportunities. The building is fully handicap accessible and all artists are encouraged to apply. Applicants must be 18 years of age or older to rent space and a commitment to volunteering through docent services or teaching/workshops for the public and youth groups is strongly encouraged. Space will be awarded to applicants who best demonstrate commitment to their practice and experimentation and innovation in their work.
If you have questions about the Artist in Residence program, studio accessibility, or would like more information, email Foster Hughes, Director of Parks & Recreation.
Posted in New Bern, New Bern business and commerce, Parks and Recreation
Martin Marietta Park plan – wowsa!
March 15th, 2018	by newbernpostadmin
Preliminary plans have been released for the proposed 850-acre Martin Marietta Park that depict something the size and scope of which would make it one of the most significant municipal parks in the state.
Aldermen, the mayor, staff and advisers will meet upstairs at City Hall at 1 p.m. Monday to discuss the park and a proposed city redevelopment area and commission. (Link to agenda; note that the link has a limited shelf life.)
As depicted in maps, Martin Marietta Park would include a large amphitheater, swimming area, boating area, hiking trails and numerous other features. The plan does not indicate how the city would pay for developing the park.
Posted in Activities, Aldermen, Board of Aldermen, Mayor, Parks and Recreation
Adventure Day at New Bern Battlefield Park is March 24
The popular Harry Goodman Battlefield Adventure Day for children is Saturday, March 24 at New Bern Battlefield Park.
A day full of learning activities, period games and living history, it is held annually at the park, which has been recently upgraded by the New Bern Historical Society. The event is for boys and girls ages 6-12 years old and an adult. Check-in begins at 11:30 a.m. with activities from noon to 4:00 p.m.
Young recruits and their parents will be greeted by re-enactors from the 5th N.C. Regiment, the 7th N.C. Regiment and artillery from McCullough Living History. The newly "enlisted" recruits can choose to participate in practice drills or Civil War period activities and crafts. They will also take part in Civil War era games.
Historical Society battlefield guides will provide an informative and entertaining walking tour of the battlefield. A commissary lunch, provided by Moore's Olde Tyme Barbeque will be served to each young recruit and adult. After lunch, the day's activities will conclude with a battle re-enactment that includes the children.
Cost is $10 for one child with accompanying adult, plus $5 for each additional child or adult, with a $20 maximum for a family. Special price for active duty military and families qualifying for free/reduced school lunch program.
For more information or to register, call New Bern Historical Society at 252-638-8558 or go register online.
New Bern Battlefield Park is located off U.S. 70 at the entrance to the Taberna subdivision at 300 Battlefield Trail. This program is supported through the generosity of the family of Harry K. Goodman, who was key to the preservation and restoration of the Battlefield Park.
The mission of the New Bern Historical Society is to celebrate and promote New Bern and its heritage through events and education. Offices are located in the historic Attmore Oliver House at 511 Broad St. in New Bern. For more information, call 252-638-8558 or go www.NewBernHistorical.org or www.facebook.com/NewBernHistoricalSociety
Posted in Activities, Community, New Bern, Parks and Recreation
Martin Marietta Park Master Plan ready for input
March 8th, 2018	by newbernpostadmin
New Bern Parks and Recreation is holding a public input meeting on Monday, March 12 to review the proposed Master Plan for Martin Marietta Park.
The meeting will be held at the West New Bern Recreation Center, located at 1225 Pine Tree Drive in New Bern. Doors will open at 5:30 p.m. for an informal review of the Plan. A formal presentation will begin at 6 p.m.
During this meeting, results from the previous public input meeting as well as the recent Recreation Needs Survey will be discussed. City staff as well as planning partners, McGill Associates, will be on hand to answer questions.
"McGill Associates took the recommendations received from the previous public input meeting and the Recreation Needs Survey and combined that information into, what we think, will be an exciting park that will draw not only residents, but visitors from all around. I look forward to hearing comments from the public at this meeting." said City of New Bern Director of Parks and Recreation Foster Hughes.
In September of 2017, Martin Marietta donated 55 acres along South Glenburnie Road to the City of New Bern. These 55 acres complete a contiguous stretch of land and lakes totaling approximately 888 acres that are owned by the City of New Bern.
Martin Marietta's donation coincides with the city's vision to create a regional park with multi-recreational opportunities and the potential for an outdoor amphitheater capable of hosting various entertainment and performances.
For additional information on the master plan process, contact Hughes at 252-639-2915.
Posted in New Bern, Parks and Recreation
Innovation? Hell, let's just steal ideas
The late Steve Jobs is often touted as one of the great innovators of the age, but his real genius was in taking ideas from others, tweaking them, and selling them.
Jobs didn't invent the computer mouse, smart phone or the MP3 player, for example; others came up with those ideas, but his tweaks changed everything.
Taking cues from Steve Jobs, the City of New Bern has gone into he business of taking others ideas, as well.
For example, take the Farmer's Market.
For $1 per year, the Farmers Market was leasing city-owned land at South Front and Hancock streets coveted by developers. Everyone was happy, the Farmers Market thrived, and neighboring businesses enjoyed the extra foot traffic Farmer's Market attracted.
Meanwhile, the city was saddled with a blighted piece of property off First Street zoned for heavy commercial use that it will never be able to sell because of decades of accumulated pollutants from the power plant that once stood there.
On a tear to unload surplus property, here was one property the city could not unload, so it sought alternatives.
City officials thought they could kill two birds with one stone. They approached Farmers Market leaders about moving to the First Street power plant property, a concept called City Market. Moving Farmer's Market would free up city-owned land it could sell, and put to use city-owned property the city could not sell.
Farmers Market board members didn't like the idea. They are doing well where they are and the rent they paid to the city for the property was almost nothing. Also, the present location brings in casual visitors who are downtown for other reasons.
Downtown businesses didn't like the idea, either. They see Farmers Market as an additional attraction that fills restaurants and shops with customers on mornings when the Farmers Market is open.
At the moment, almost nobody goes to the old power plant, and other than Lawson Creek Park across the road, there is nothing else for people to do in that section of town.
It started to get ugly, as things often do when one opposes City Hall. There were veiled threats of eviction countered by a petition that gathered 15,400 signatures from people opposed to the Farmer's Market moving.
At some point city officials realized that the Farmer's Market had an ace up its sleeve: Although its lease with the city was about to expire, it had the option to extend it for one more year. That would have put the city in the awkward position of evicting a beloved downtown institution right in time for the 2017 municipal elections.
The city backed off. Rather than let a squabble with Farmers Market and downtown merchants drive the 2017 municipal elections, the city was forced into another lease. This time, however, it increased the rent from $1 a year to $500 per month.
The idea seemed to wither away. There was no further public discussion about outdoor vendor sales at the old power plant property. But meanwhile, city officials worked out a deal for Craven Community College to use the First Street main building for vocational classes, calling it the Volt Center (a nod to the building's past as an electric plant).
Then on Feb. 13, the City Market plan sprang forth once more. The city is now seeking grant funding to help pay for outdoor vending areas, a market, a commercial kitchen accelerator, and an inventor's space.
As city director of Development Services Jeff Ruggieri said, the idea never went away. But now, rather than forcing the Farmer's Market to move, the city now looks poised to go in head-to-head competition with the Farmer's Market.
It's an odd thing, the city trying to compete with an existing commercial operation. Alderman Jeffrey Odham has said he wanted to run the city more like a business, but this? Start a business? One that competes with existing businesses?
And it's not the only one.
In January, a private artists group approached the city seeking approval to rent the old Firemen's Museum on Hancock Street.
A little background on that: after he became mayor, Dana Outlaw began a push to unload as much surplus city property as possible. The Hancock Street museum property was on the list, and the city gave the bum's rush to the Firemen's Museum, forcing it to rush fundraising efforts to pay for renovations of the old Broad Street Fire House so the museum could move there.
Outlaw and city staff envisioned selling the old museum site on Hancock Street, but when bids came in, they didn't meet minimum requirements. The building is a fairly large commercial space suitable for a restaurant or even a microbrewery, but there's a problem: it has no parking.
True, there's a city-owned parking lot right next to it, but the downtown parking plan calls for the city to reduce the number of leased spaces, not increase the number. And the city parking lot at New and Hancock streets is a pretty important component to the city's master parking plan.
So, like the old power plant on First Street, the city found itself with a substantial piece of real estate that is virtually unsellable.
It makes one wonder whether city officials do any research into these things before jumping in.
Back to the artists' group. It had lost its existing location and was basically homeless and in a bind. They thought that perhaps they could rent the Hancock Street property from the city for, say, $500 a month — the same thing Farmer's Market was paying for its piece of prime real estate.
Good idea, Mayor Outlaw said. More research is needed. Could be the city would pay them, rather than the other way around.
But that's not how it turned out.
Meetings were held and the city came back with a plan: The city Parks and Recreation Department would open up its own art gallery and artist space at the old Firemen's Museum — and make money doing it.
That private artists group? Still homeless, although they are welcome to apply to use the city-owned, city-run artists gallery along with everyone else.
So, yeah, those are two examples of the city shouldering its way into areas previously the domain of private groups.
A little bit sneaky, a little big underhanded. But unlike Steve Jobs, who bought or stole proven, successful ideas and made them better, the city still has to prove whether it is any good at running an outdoor market and an artists gallery, both of which have existing and entrenched competition in the city.
But, paraphrasing a line from Steve Jobs when he would announce new products, in the sneaky, underhanded department, that's not all.
More on that here.
Posted in Aldermen, Board of Aldermen, Community, Craven Community College, Economy and Employment, Mayor, New Bern business and commerce, Parks and Recreation, Planning and Zoning
Treachery on a side street
For companion story, click here
City Market is a triangular piece of property, with the Ghent neighborhood on one side, a mixed residential-commercial street on one side, and Country Club Road/First Street on the remaining side.
City Hall is giving that section of the city a lot of love and attention recently. Lawson Creek Park is right there and has benefited from a lot of improvements: a reconfigured and beautified entrance, a ball field, and more.
The city moved its Parks and Recreation offices to a building off Country Club Road, and is seeking funding to improve boat access there.
And it has worked with the state to reconfigure Country Club Road/First Street from four ugly, unsafe, ugly lanes of traffic, to two beautiful, safe, beautiful lanes of traffic with a center turn lane, bike lanes on both sides, and broad sidewalks stretching from Broad Street/Neuse Boulevard all the way to Pembroke Avenue.
Because that stretch of street is actually part of N.C. Highway 55, the state is paying for the improvements with a couple of small conditions: the city has to take care of moving street side utilities, for example. Oh, and the city can't put the entrance to City Market on First Street.
Seems like a pretty small thing for the state to worry about, but the reasoning is sound: the entrance would be close to a blind curve and too close to the onramps and offramps at U.S. 70.
That means the entrance to City Market will have to be behind it, on Rhem Street (not to be confused with nearby Rhem Avenue).
Shouldn't be a problem. The city gas station is there, but it is going to move it.
But if state Department of Transportation engineers take a close look at what the city has in mind, they'll find that it's a much worse option than a City Market entrance on First Street.
Rhem Street and the entrance to Lawson Creek Park form a four-way intersection with Country Club Road. There's that same blind curve that DOT was worried about in one direction, and it's even closer to the U.S. 70 offramps and onramps than a First Street entrance to City Market.
With traffic throttled from four lanes to two lanes after the street is reconfigured, traffic at that intersection is going to get very cosy. Many motorists will opt to reach City Market from the other direction, turning on to Second Street from Trent Boulevard.
Oh, but wait. Second Street is where Ghent Neighborhood residents have been complaining about heavy traffic (an average of 1,500 cars per day on a four-block, two-lane residential street). Full disclosure: I live off Second Street.
Second Street is an example an exasperated City Manager Mark Stephans sidesteps by pointing to all the things the city — no, he himself — has done for the Ghent neighborhood to address speeders on Spencer Avenue. (Ignoring complaints about speeders on Park Avenue.)
Referring to Second Street, Stephans said the city has moved its warehouse and will be moving its filling station, so that should be enough to satisfy the Ghent neighborhood. He says it as if they have gone to so much trouble, but they were doing it anyway.
What he's not saying, and this is where "sneaky and underhanded" comes in, is that Second Street at Trent Boulevard is going to become a major access point to City Market.
Now let's put this in perspective. If a private company were to propose putting a high-use business where the city plans to put City Market, say a hotel, the city planning department would be all over the developer to deal with traffic issues.
But the city is not a private company. It is free to ignore any issues its projects cause on surrounding properties.
This is why we can't have nice things.
I've been wondering for some time why City Hall is so resistant to solving the high traffic problem on Second Street. When Alderman Sabrina Bengel suggested that Second Street be blocked at Trent Boulevard, city staff dug in its heels.
Whatever reasons city officials give against closing Second Street or reconfiguring it to reduce traffic, the real reason has been lurking in the dark for well over a year.
City Hall doesn't want to decrease traffic from 1,500 cars a day. City Hall wants to increase traffic even further.
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Posted in Aldermen, Board of Aldermen, Community, Craven Community College, Economy and Employment, Mayor, New Bern, Parks and Recreation, Planning and Zoning
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Young Victor in Tijuana, Mexico, describes how participating in IYF's Orale initiative, in partnership with the TK Foundation, has given him the drive to complete his education and be more confident.
Listen to young people explain about the power of Passport to Success® life skills training in Mozambique. In this video, students participating in the Escolhas initiative, a partnership of IYF and Mozal, came together for a career fair.
Learn about a unique initiative that combines soccer with life skills and in-demand technical training.


A common raven (Corvus corax) at the Grizzly & Wolf Discovery Center in West Yellowstone, MT.
1st place in Birds-Club Close-Ups Photo Contest, July 2012.
Can't get more perfect than this.
May I use this as a reference for a drawing ... ? I would credit you & this picture in the deviation description of course !
You are welcome to use this photo as a drawing reference, thanks for asking!
And thank you for the permission - I'll tag you in the drawing description !
Can I use this as a reference for drawing please?
You are welcome to use it as a reference, thanks for asking!
One cannot take too many portraits of birds...especially Ravens. Have you seen the work of Berh Moon? Her platinum prints are mind blowing!
Awesome! Never saw a craw this near and with that so sharp as a photo.
Wow this is a really cool picture.~ I love ravens.
yay!!!!! told you nuthin common bout me, he says!!!!
I don't understand how people can think of ravens as anything but beautiful.
Lovely- the different textures and layers of the feathers, amazing!
What a handsome raven Nice shot!
I just love this picture and would like to atempt doing a drawing with it as a reference image, do you mind?
You're welcome to use it as a reference, thanks for asking.
Your entry has been added to the Photo Contest - Close-ups journal and fave folder!


Though a born and bred Londoner, Lorraine now splits her time between the UK and the French Alps where she works from a mountain chalet. Though her early surroundings were very urban, a move to the West Country to study gave way to a passion for the countryside.
This psychedelic collection is inspired by the mountain landscape. Lorraine uses a mixture of bold contrasting colour and geometric shapes to create 'visual conundrums'. Clever, flowing line-work and repetitive pattern give her work its' very linear feel and her puzzle pieces inject a sense of playfulness.


text:
Head of School Search Committee
Ty McMains '84
Chair, Head of School Search Committee
Katheryn Flournoy,
Trey Godfrey '97
Chris Kiesel '92
Skully Knight
Chaplain and Associate Head of School for Service Learning
Rebecca Kuhn
Global and Social Studies Director, Exchange Program Coordinator,
AP Psychology Teacher
Kimberly LaMotte
Leslie Berg
Past President of Parents' Guild
Upper School eFund Chair
Download Position Profile
Episcopal School of Baton Rouge Announces Carrie Steakley as New Head of School
Episcopal School of Baton Rouge is pleased to announce that Carrie Steakley, Ed.D. has been named the new Head of School.
Carrie Steakley will become the fifth Head of School in Episcopal's 50 plus year history on July 1, 2020. She will succeed the current Head of School, Hugh McIntosh, who announced in August 2018 his plans to step away from Episcopal.
"On behalf of Episcopal's Board of Trustees, our students, parents, faculty, staff, alumni and friends, I am very pleased to welcome Carrie Steakley as our next Head of School," said Chris Kiesel, Chair of the Episcopal School of Baton Rouge's Board of Trustees. "She brings incredible enthusiasm and commitment to Episcopal education. Carrie will bring a vibrancy and energy to Episcopal that will excite everyone. We are all very grateful to Hugh McIntosh for his outstanding service, dedication, and commitment during his 10 years as Head of School. Under his leadership, Episcopal has grown and reached new milestones while always remaining focused on our mission and values. I am confident that Carrie Steakley is the right choice to lead as our next Head of School based on her background, experience, and the very thorough search process that was undertaken to make this selection."
To select its new Head of School, Episcopal appointed a Search Committee consisting of members of the Board of Trustees, parent leadership, and faculty that conducted a national search with the assistance of School Strategies and Solutions LLC, a highly-respected consulting firm which specializes in Head of School searches for independent schools. An exceptional pool of candidates was evaluated, and seven semi-finalists were invited for on-campus interviews in July. Out of those seven, four finalists were selected for additional visits to Episcopal in September to meet all stakeholders. Carrie Steakley was the Search Committee's unanimous recommendation to the Board of Trustees.
Carrie Steakley stated "It may be impossible to fully convey the sense of honor, responsibility, and excitement I feel to serve as the next Head of School at Episcopal School of Baton Rouge. Throughout the entire search process, every member of the Episcopal family with whom my husband and I interacted embodied the school's mission with remarkable clarity, enabling me to understand why the school is so well-positioned for continued success in the years ahead. It became readily apparent that the foundation for the future has been established over the past 50 plus years because of Episcopal's unwavering commitment to its Episcopal heritage within a diverse community where a life of honor and service to others binds generations of graduates past, present, and still to come."
Carrie Steakley comes to Episcopal with decades of educational experience. She currently serves as Head of the Upper School for St. Mary's Episcopal School in Memphis, Tennessee. Prior to her current position, Carrie has served as an advanced placement teacher and Director of Studies at St. Mary's. During her career, Carrie has served as an Adjunct Professor at Christian Brothers University and as a Biology and Chemistry teacher in the Shelby County (TN) Schools, in addition to holding various senior administrative responsibilities. She was also a founding Board member for One Schoolhouse, an online educational institution. Carrie holds a Bachelor of Science degree in Biological Sciences from Mississippi State University, a Master of Arts in Education Curriculum and Instruction from Bethel College, Education Specialist Degree in Leadership and a Doctorate of Education in School Administration and Educational Leadership from Union University. Carrie and her husband, Darryl, have one son, DJ.
"It was a pleasure to have met Carrie Steakley during her on-campus visit and to have heard her insightful plans for the future. Clearly, she is a dedicated, experienced professional educator with a long record of putting students first in her excellent teaching and administrative career. Looking forward, she represents a very good fit for the needs of the Episcopal community and is poised to lead the school with a healthy mix of continuing traditions and innovation. I salute the successful work and leadership of the Search Committee over the last almost two years which has culminated in a unifying and laudable choice for the next Head of School in Carrie Steakley," said Hugh McIntosh, current Head of School.
Episcopal continues to expand, including the recent opening of the Academic Commons for Upper School students, the soon-to-be renovated QUEST Center in Foster Hall for Lower and Middle School students, and the Athletic Field House, which is the last phase of the Spirit • Mind • Body capital campaign scheduled for completion in December.
Episcopal School of Baton Rouge is a coeducational college preparatory day school serving students in PreK-3 through 12th grade. Founded in 1965 and grounded in the Episcopal tradition, Episcopal School of Baton Rouge is a close-knit community of approximately 930 students. The school emphasizes a comprehensive approach to education through outstanding spiritual, academic, athletic and artistic programs. Episcopal is a nationally recognized academic institution with excellent college placement and a strong commitment to being a diverse and inclusive community.
Ty McMains, '84
August 2019 | Letter to the Episcopal Community by Hugh McIntosh
Dear Episcopal School of Baton Rouge Community Members,
Here we are, reflecting on a great start to the 2019-2020 school year. My 10thand final year at Episcopal as head of school has begun! It will go quickly.
After the new head of school is chosen and revealed in the next month or so, the two of us will begin working on a smooth transition. Officially, the formal transition does not take place until July 1, 2020. In the meantime, the new head-designate and I will be working hand-in-glove with a Transition Committee appointed by the Episcopal Board. We are all ready to have a deeply professional transition, designed to position the new head of school for great, early success leading Episcopal into the future.
In the relatively quiet few days before the public part of the search begins with visits by the finalists, I want to let each member of the Episcopal community know that I will remain forever grateful for my ten years of service to Episcopal. Much has been done, thanks to all involved in this community. And, yet, we all know even more remains to be done in the territory ahead.
Please know that the single most meaningful improvement for me is seeing our community become stronger and stronger - more united and more united - more and more collaborative. That, in my view, as much as any more specific accomplishment, bodes well for Episcopal's future.
Thank you for the opportunity to work for all The Knights. Please forgive or forget my mistakes. Do what you can with the positive accomplishments going forward. Please, throw yourselves anew into maintaining our high - and joyous - level of service to students. And, embrace - with the zeal of a new believer - the Mission and Ministry of this meaningful educational institution and its importance to Baton Rouge.
In Gratitude,
Hugh M. McIntosh
"For last year's words belong to last year's language
And next year's words await another voice.
What we call the beginning is often the end
And to make an end is to make a beginning.
The end is where we start from."
T. S. Elliott, Little Gidding
September 2018 | Letter to the Episcopal Community by Katheryn Flournoy
Board of Trustees Chair
Dear Episcopal Community,
Episcopal has been blessed during its more than 50-year history, especially with its strong community and clear purpose.
These blessings have been abundant since Head of School Hugh McIntosh arrived in 2010. Hugh's creativity, strategic thinking and numerous abilities have attracted talented students and faculty. His leadership and energy have refined and enlivened our school community and its Mission and Ministry in ways that will reverberate for years to come.
Several years ago, Hugh determined his tenure as Head of School would conclude June 30, 2020. While his departure is still nearly two years away, the Board is putting in place a plan and the resources to find Hugh's successor.
The Board has formed a Search Committee headed by Ty McMains, an alumnus, parent of four students, former Trustee and long-time supporter of the school. The committee is made up of Episcopal Trustees and faculty and has hired search firm School Strategies and Solutions. Firm partners Bob Hallett and Ted Lingenheld have a deep understanding of independent college prep schools and broad experience in finding the right match for a school's needs.
Our school is in a strong physical and financial state. Our faculty is superlative. Our students are among the brightest minds in the Baton Rouge area. Episcopal is in excellent shape to attract its next superb Head of School.
In coming months, the Board will be assessing Episcopal's future needs. The Search Committee will host a series of conversations asking for input from you and other stakeholders — parents, students, staff, faculty, supporters. You also will be asked to participate in a survey.
In January 2019, the search firm partners will visit the school. Shortly afterwards, a profile of the school and our community's needs and wants will be completed. By next spring, the search will be underway.
By this time next year, the pool of candidates will have been narrowed to a list of finalists who will visit Episcopal in the August-September timeframe.
Before the end of October 2019, a new Head of School will be identified and announced.
Much work will be done in coming months. On behalf of the Board, thank you for supporting Episcopal and participating in the conversations and survey.
Katheryn Flournoy
September 2018 | Entrances and Exits by Head of School, Hugh Mcintosh
- Entrances and Exits -
All the world's a stage, And all the men and women merely players;
They have their exits and their entrances. As You Like It(Act II, Scene IV)
Dear Episcopal School of Baton Rouge Community Members,
Thank you for allowing me to have an entrance into your intriguing school community over eight years ago in 2010. A lot of doing and living has happened since then here at 3200 Woodland Ridge Boulevard. Of course, much remains to be done.
A few years ago, the Board of Trustees and I agreed to extend my contract through June 2020. Since that very generous contract extension, our strategic plans and actions have guided us ever closer to preparing for a new Head of School in June 2020. In departing Episcopal, I will be saying goodbye to a bigger bunch of bright and motivated students, great friends and colleagues, a supportive Bishop, and an effective Board of Trustees. Leaving a school operating with a healthy dissemination of decision making power among faculty and staff fills me with confidence in the future. Today, Episcopal's faculty-and-staff is truly a highly collaborative "community of leaders." Palpable pleasant positive ubiquitous momentum results.
In the independent school world, the exiting Head of School has a limited role in the search process. This is definitely the right approach. Known widely as one of Episcopal's biggest fans, I will eagerly provide any assistance when asked by the Board or the search committee. In my view, today's version of the Episcopal community is well prepared for a truly remarkable Head of School who will bring great vigor and wisdom into the territory beyond June 2020.
In less than two years –in the summer of 2020 – a very fortunate new Head of School will be settling into Perkins Hall. Your senior administrative team and I, in the meantime, will be hard at work putting Episcopal in its best light and arranging a seamless transition. That will be our contribution. Your continued support and interest will be greatly appreciated as we all work, metaphorically, to put a giant blue and gold ribbon around the gift that Episcopal will be for the next, fortunate Head of School.
Thank you for the privilege of serving the Episcopal School of Baton Rouge community.
Hugh M. McIntosh
October 2018 | Community Solicitation from Chair, Head of School Search Committee,
Ty McMains. '84
I am writing today to outline the upcoming Head of School search and solicit your input.
It is my honor to be appointed by the Board of Trustees to Chair the Head of School Search Committee. The Search Committee is composed of current parents, former parents, alumni and faculty which include Katheryn Flournoy, Trey Godfrey, Chris Kiesel, Skully Knight, Rebecca Kuhn and Kimberly LaMotte. The Board has engaged two excellent consultants in Ted Lingenheld and Bob Hallett of School Strategies & Solutions (www.schoolstrat.com) to assist us with this process. They will be on campus in January for several days to observe our school in action and gather perspectives from many members of our community before beginning the candidate recruitment phase.
The attached document addresses many of the questions that have been asked of us over the last month, including the engagement of the Episcopal community as we seek a new Head of School. In the coming months, we will create opportunities for you to provide us with your input. An online survey is being prepared and I hope you will participate. Additionally, we welcome you to come have a cup of coffee and share your ideas and vision for the future of Episcopal. These meetings are informal, no RSVP necessary and are scheduled on the following dates:
Tuesday, October 23rd, 8 a.m., Alumni House, Episcopal School of Baton Rouge
Wednesday, October 24th, 2:30 p.m., Alumni House, Episcopal School of Baton Rouge
Thursday, October 25th, 10 a.m. at CC's Coffee House, 7960 Jefferson Highway
Tuesday, October 30th, 8 a.m., Alumni House, Episcopal School of Baton Rouge
Wednesday, October 31st, 2:30 p.m., Alumni House, Episcopal School of Baton Rouge
Thursday, November 1st, 10 a.m. at CC's Coffee House, 7960 Jefferson Highway
The Search Committee, under the direction of the Board of Trustees, begins its process in the search for the new Head of School with a commitment to the school's mission, to our current students, and to Episcopal students in the future.
The Search Committee and I look forward to hearing your input as we move forward in this important process.
April 2019 | Chair, Head of School Search Committee | Position Profile
It has been several months since the Head of School Search Committee has communicated with you. A lot has happened and we wanted to inform you of our progress before school breaks for the summer.
As a reminder, the committee is comprised of parents representing all three school divisions, former parents, alumni, faculty, and members of the Board of Trustees. Search Committee members are Leslie Berg, Katheryn Flournoy, Trey Godfrey, Chris Kiesel, Skully Knight, Rebecca Kuhn, Kimberly LaMotte and me.
WHAT WE HAVE BEEN BUSY DOING
Beginning last September, the committee held meetings with faculty and parents about Episcopal and desired qualities in our next Head of School. We received helpful input and valuable information. The committee also conducted an online, anonymous survey of the whole Episcopal community - students, parents, alumni, and faculty. We are grateful for the strong participation. Thank you for taking the time to respond. Data from the meetings and survey helped shape the school's Position Profile - more on that in a second.
In January, our consultants, School Strategies & Solutions, visited Episcopal and met with students, parents, faculty, and staff. From these meetings and the feedback received from the Fall meetings, the consultants came away with a treasure chest of knowledge on Episcopal. The consultants, working with the committee, developed the attached Position Profile.
RECRUITING SEASON
Now, the consultants are receiving applications, contacting potential candidates and sharing our Position Profile. The application deadline is June 1st. The consultants report enthusiastic responses and expect an impressive list of applicants for our consideration. The consultants are also vetting applicants as applications are received.
LOOKING DOWN THE ROAD
After the June 1st deadline, the consultants will complete their vetting process by conducting personal interviews, checking references and contacting their bank of colleagues regarding the particular applicant. Before mid-July, the committee will have reviewed the applications and narrowed the list into a semi-finalist group. By late July, the semi-finalists will be invited to Baton Rouge for personal interviews.
After the semi-finalist interviews, finalists will be identified for a more intensive interview. The finalists and their families will be invited back to Baton Rouge in late August through mid-September to spend time at the school, see the city and for the committee and the candidate to explore the "fit."
In October, the Search Committee will make its recommendation to the Board of Trustees.
I appreciate your support of Episcopal and your interest in the process. The committee is working hard to secure a leader to carry on the traditions, strengths, and successes of our school. If you have any questions, thoughts, or opinions, please feel free to contact any of the committee members.


text:
Q: How do I create a database pipeline to create/update/merge/delete pandas/csv/sql data in a central database? I have 1300 csv files in a directory in a google cloud storage bucket.
Each file has a date in the first column, followed by daily data for the last 20-30 years which spans another 8 columns.
So like this,
Data1.csv
Date source1 source2 source3 source4 source5 source6 source7 source8

I have 30 separate servers which asynchronously update the Data. Server1 will handle Data1-Data40, Server2 will handle Data41-Data80.. etc. When a server gets an update in data, I store them to a bucket using the following command.
import pandas as pd

def some_update_function(DataNumber):
    #somefunction
    return dataframe

listofDataNumbers = ['Data1','Data2','Data3',....,'Data40']
for i in listofDataNumbers:
    df = some_update_function(i)
    df.to_csv('gs://storage-instance/files/'+'i')

Currently, I am storing them in a google cloud storage bucket. I am doing this so that I have a central location where I can access the files. However, when I want to merge them, I first have to download them 1 by 1, then run the merge command like this.
First i use this terminal command to download the files one by one.
gsutil cp -r gs://storage-instance/files /Users/user/Documents/files

Then I merge the files into a one big dataframe.
import pandas as pd
frame = []

for filename in os.listdir(filepath): #filepath has the rest of the files
    file_path = os.path.join(filepath, filename)
    df = (pd.read_csv(file_path, index_col=0)
          .groupby(['Date']).first()
          .add_prefix(f"{filename}-"))
    frame.append(df)

frame = pd.concat(frame, axis=1, join='outer')

I am merging these files column wise.
Now I have dataframe which is 1+(1300x8) by number of dates for 30 years which I can run data analysis on.
Right now the merge of the frames only takes around 2 minutes, however, the download takes 20 minutes.
Is there a better way for me to store this data and access it faster?
I want to be able to:

*

*continue updating my 1300 dataframes on a daily basis they could each take up a table in a database or a column in a database, but I must be able to easily access and update them

*Access the database quickly to quickly to create a big dataframe like i did above.

*It must take less than the current 22 minutes in total it takes to download and merge the frames.
I tried to create a postgresql database and upload files using sqlalchemy in python.
import pandas as pd
import sqlalchemy
import psycopg2

engine = sqlalchemy.create_engine('postgresql://user@127.0.0.1',isolation_level='AUTOCOMMIT')

engine.execute('CREATE DATABASE Data1')

df = pd.read_csv("/Users/user/Documents/files/Data1.csv",index_col=0)
df.to_sql('Data1',con=engine,if_exists='replace')

But I can't figure out how to concat all the tables together at once, I can only seem to store table by table. Can someone help me figure a better way to do this? I have no idea where to start.

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