Let's Help Our Beloved Five Lakes

As most of my scouting friends know, an EF3 tornado hit in Bush this past week. Along with many homes being destroyed or hurt Five Lakes Campground was hit really badly.
Yesterday my husband, son and I spent the day at Five Lakes with over 100 other scouts and families, cleaning out and trying to get it ready for Day Camp in two weeks.
Although our beautiful Five Lakes will take time to recover, it's still beautiful to me. It's not it's setting that strikes me to my heart, it is what it is, what it means, what it provides to our scouts. Five Lakes is the home of day camp, the place where many boys spend their first campout, a place for flag ceremonies, funny skits and heartfelt talks around a fire. It's a place to go and be a scout, away from those who judge our boys from scouting, a place to be proud of what a scout is.
Troop 602 is taking it upon ourselves to help Five Lakes by coordinating the renewal of picnic tables and replanting of trees.
We challenge each troop and pack out there to come plant trees, live oaks, pines, whatever you'd like...all sorts were lost. A great project is for your boys to build a picnic table together. If you cannot build it, but can provide the materials to do so, we will set up a day when we can all come together and build tables.
For so many years the Colonel and Jimbo have done so much for us....now is time to really give back - our Five Lakes needs us!
Feel free to contact me, Heather Truett, and let me know how you'd like to help. I encourage each pack and troop to involve themselves and encourage their members. You can reach me by email at heathercooks1@bellsouth.net or by phone at 985-630-2551. As I told boys yesterday, this is OUR camp....my love for it, my pride in it and my faith that we can build it again will keep moving me towards my goal...I challenge you to do the same.

FYI, it was also on the news, and here is the link to that broadcast:
http://www.fox8live.com/news/local/story/Destroyed-campground-hopes-to-rebuild-soon/gFBOMlXc9U2Eh2caa0rFTw.cspx

The patience of Jobe....four legs and a tail....

We have decided perhaps Red's name should have been Jobe. That boy is such a sweetie, a babysitter for my girl, and has the patience of Jobe.
Yesterday they had their first jumping show, very slow going, but she is just learning and was very nervous. He of course took great care of her, very careful to make her confident.
They did 2 jumping classes, and two PreCaprilli tests for dressage. Two fifths, a sixth and a seventh ribbon were brought home, which although that's not top of the class, for a first jumping show I was proud of her for just getting out there and doing it.
They scored their personal highest in dressage, which made her smile, and made it clean through their 2nd jumping course...had a refusal in the first....so it was a very positive day for all.
Mom is tired, so not very witty or wordy, being the groom is HARD work I tell ya. So here are some photos for ya!
We also had a blessing of the horses, which was wonderful. God has given us these awesome creatures, entrusted us with them....








The blessing: Look at all of those gorgeous creatures