Summer 22
It’s been a very busy summer here at Northern Pathways, but we’ve finally reached a little island of calm in the midst of a lot of activity. Our GALLOP, BRONCOS, and HOOFPRINTS programs have finished, and our fall session of COWPOKES is about to begin. We’ve been using the down time to groom the pastures and arena, give hard-working equines Fiddler and Buff (who are handling most of the riding work this year) a rest, and generally catch up on maintenance tasks.
To that end, our friends from Manistee’s appropriately-named Friendship Center are out for the fourth time today to help us paint pasture fences - they’ve been working on this project for about two months, and we greatly appreciate their help!
This spring Manistee ISD brought just over 30 children out - most for multiple visits - to participate in our COWPOKES program. With the help of our loyal volunteers and peers, everyone stayed safe and enjoyed themselves while riding (horses and golf carts!), practicing golf swings, playing with ponies and chickens, generally learning, and making friends. We look forward to seeing kids, peers, and volunteers again this fall.
More recently, we hosted another 30 children - 13 boys in BRONCOs and 17 girls in GALLOP - from Centra Wellness’s SafeNet program. (BRONCOs and GALLOP are popular enough that most children were only able to attend one session, but a few lucky kids were able to participate more than once!) Almost all of these participants opted to ride, so Fiddler was a busy horse on Tuesdays and Thursdays!
In addition, both Fiddler and our pony Buff carried our four participants during HOOFPRINTS. Our physical therapist and program leader Becki Kidd noted that Buff’s shorter, choppier pony stride really helps our HOOFPRINTS kids build core strength, as they have to work a little harder to balance. At the same time, adult volunteer sidewalkers can assume a more natural position, not having to reach up to hold children in place.
All of this work was possible this summer because we've trained about ten new volunteers and peers to add to the five carrying over from previous years. We're thrilled with all our volunteers, new and old, because they make our work possible. We say this a lot, because it never stops being true - we couldn’t do this without them!
On a sadder note, we’ve had quite a few deaths on the farm this summer. This spring we lost our very sweet Cleo, also known as Mama Kitty, on the road. (Please, people, slow down during evening and night hours. We have a lot of animals, wild and domesticated, that cross roads then. With attentive driving, it’s often possible to avoid them.) Our friendly hen Laverne was taken by a predator, as was, very recently, beloved cat Squirt - another longtime resident who is greatly missed. Our chickens (and cats) range freely in order to keep the garden bugs and mice down, and though the chickens roost in the barn and cats are typically in the house at night, it’s practically impossible to keep predators such as weasels, and lately coyotes, permanently at bay. Everyone has to eat, but we really wish Laverne and Squirt were still with us.
Perhaps our greatest loss this summer was our old Fjord, Nana. She lived to the impressive age of 31 years before succumbing to a neurological disorder. She’s deeply missed, as she willingly provided rides to all our differently-abled kids for some years. She’s buried out in the pasture with our other equines that have crossed the Rainbow Bridge, and we hope that they’ve formed a herd and are waiting to greet us one day. We have the comfort of knowing that all our animals understand how deeply they are loved when they’re with us, and we hope they know they’ll always be remembered.
We’re still interested in possibly adopting the right horse to add to our herd, but we’re less concerned than we were, because we’re teaching Belle, Montana, and maybe Kiss, who have varying levels of experience, how to work in the ring. Again, we’re able to do this because our volunteers have stepped up to help. (Many thanks to Abby, Abigail, Jacob, Evelyn, Jody, Lilah, and Annie, who have all been instrumental in this process!)
Our garden is cranking out beans, cukes, tomatoes, and more, which has enabled us to provide healthy snacks to our visitors. We think we’re going to produce a little recipe book for our program participants, so they can try some of our recipes at home. (If you’re interested in having one, let us know - if we do this, we might make it available here, for a small donation. We’ll keep you posted.)
We wish everyone a plentiful, happy, and thoughtful fall. Take time to enjoy the last days of summer, and remember that seasonal change is part of a full life. If you’re a person whose mood dips with the approach of winter, also remember that without it we wouldn’t appreciate the arrival of spring as much as we do. Watch as the leaves begin to turn, and the birds collect themselves to prepare for their long journeys south. Be like our horses, who embrace all that nature has to offer, from the first spring grass, to the apples of fall, to the extra hay of winter. Winter allows the natural world to rest, to refresh itself, to create more life. The seasons are a miracle, enabling growth, death, and rebirth in the endless cycle of existence. As the horses know, we are lucky to have a world that provides so much for us. Celebrate it!
To that end, our friends from Manistee’s appropriately-named Friendship Center are out for the fourth time today to help us paint pasture fences - they’ve been working on this project for about two months, and we greatly appreciate their help!
This spring Manistee ISD brought just over 30 children out - most for multiple visits - to participate in our COWPOKES program. With the help of our loyal volunteers and peers, everyone stayed safe and enjoyed themselves while riding (horses and golf carts!), practicing golf swings, playing with ponies and chickens, generally learning, and making friends. We look forward to seeing kids, peers, and volunteers again this fall.
More recently, we hosted another 30 children - 13 boys in BRONCOs and 17 girls in GALLOP - from Centra Wellness’s SafeNet program. (BRONCOs and GALLOP are popular enough that most children were only able to attend one session, but a few lucky kids were able to participate more than once!) Almost all of these participants opted to ride, so Fiddler was a busy horse on Tuesdays and Thursdays!
In addition, both Fiddler and our pony Buff carried our four participants during HOOFPRINTS. Our physical therapist and program leader Becki Kidd noted that Buff’s shorter, choppier pony stride really helps our HOOFPRINTS kids build core strength, as they have to work a little harder to balance. At the same time, adult volunteer sidewalkers can assume a more natural position, not having to reach up to hold children in place.
All of this work was possible this summer because we've trained about ten new volunteers and peers to add to the five carrying over from previous years. We're thrilled with all our volunteers, new and old, because they make our work possible. We say this a lot, because it never stops being true - we couldn’t do this without them!
On a sadder note, we’ve had quite a few deaths on the farm this summer. This spring we lost our very sweet Cleo, also known as Mama Kitty, on the road. (Please, people, slow down during evening and night hours. We have a lot of animals, wild and domesticated, that cross roads then. With attentive driving, it’s often possible to avoid them.) Our friendly hen Laverne was taken by a predator, as was, very recently, beloved cat Squirt - another longtime resident who is greatly missed. Our chickens (and cats) range freely in order to keep the garden bugs and mice down, and though the chickens roost in the barn and cats are typically in the house at night, it’s practically impossible to keep predators such as weasels, and lately coyotes, permanently at bay. Everyone has to eat, but we really wish Laverne and Squirt were still with us.
Perhaps our greatest loss this summer was our old Fjord, Nana. She lived to the impressive age of 31 years before succumbing to a neurological disorder. She’s deeply missed, as she willingly provided rides to all our differently-abled kids for some years. She’s buried out in the pasture with our other equines that have crossed the Rainbow Bridge, and we hope that they’ve formed a herd and are waiting to greet us one day. We have the comfort of knowing that all our animals understand how deeply they are loved when they’re with us, and we hope they know they’ll always be remembered.
We’re still interested in possibly adopting the right horse to add to our herd, but we’re less concerned than we were, because we’re teaching Belle, Montana, and maybe Kiss, who have varying levels of experience, how to work in the ring. Again, we’re able to do this because our volunteers have stepped up to help. (Many thanks to Abby, Abigail, Jacob, Evelyn, Jody, Lilah, and Annie, who have all been instrumental in this process!)
Our garden is cranking out beans, cukes, tomatoes, and more, which has enabled us to provide healthy snacks to our visitors. We think we’re going to produce a little recipe book for our program participants, so they can try some of our recipes at home. (If you’re interested in having one, let us know - if we do this, we might make it available here, for a small donation. We’ll keep you posted.)
We wish everyone a plentiful, happy, and thoughtful fall. Take time to enjoy the last days of summer, and remember that seasonal change is part of a full life. If you’re a person whose mood dips with the approach of winter, also remember that without it we wouldn’t appreciate the arrival of spring as much as we do. Watch as the leaves begin to turn, and the birds collect themselves to prepare for their long journeys south. Be like our horses, who embrace all that nature has to offer, from the first spring grass, to the apples of fall, to the extra hay of winter. Winter allows the natural world to rest, to refresh itself, to create more life. The seasons are a miracle, enabling growth, death, and rebirth in the endless cycle of existence. As the horses know, we are lucky to have a world that provides so much for us. Celebrate it!
Changes In Our Board of Directors
Change is inevitable, as we all know, and NPEC is no exception. With the arrival of covid, as well as our increasing sustainability planning, we’ve had a lot of changes over the previous few years. This summer brought us even more, as the makeup of our Board shifted a bit.
First, our longtime Board member Shelly Newman is stepping down from the Board to serve on our new Fundraising Committee, where her efforts will be enormously appreciated. Shelly was instrumental in making our first annual Run For The Roses fundraiser a success this spring, and given the importance of fundraising for all nonprofits, we’re happy that she’ll continue to assist Northern Pathways with her abilities.
Second, Board member Kelsey Purgiel opted to depart from our board this summer. Kelsey brought a lot of ideas and enthusiasm to her position, and we will miss her. Board service isn’t always easy, especially as our Board transitions from an advisory to a working role, and sometimes life interferes! We thank Kelsey wholeheartedly for her time and energy, and we wish her the very best with her future endeavors.
Creating and maintaining the right Board is always a challenge, so we’re very pleased to welcome our two new members, Sherry Kilpatrick and Gretchen Tabaczka. Neither are strangers to us - Sherry has volunteered with our HOOFPRINTS and GALLOP programs for two years, and Gretchen has often visited the farm in her former role as a teacher at Manistee ISD. In addition to joining our Board, both Sherry and Gretchen will continue to assist as program volunteers. We’re sure their familiarity with our goals and mission will be of great help to us, as we continue to communicate what we do (and what we need to do it!) to our area community.
A big thanks to both Shelly and Kelsey for all their work, and a heartfelt welcome to Sherry and Gretchen!
First, our longtime Board member Shelly Newman is stepping down from the Board to serve on our new Fundraising Committee, where her efforts will be enormously appreciated. Shelly was instrumental in making our first annual Run For The Roses fundraiser a success this spring, and given the importance of fundraising for all nonprofits, we’re happy that she’ll continue to assist Northern Pathways with her abilities.
Second, Board member Kelsey Purgiel opted to depart from our board this summer. Kelsey brought a lot of ideas and enthusiasm to her position, and we will miss her. Board service isn’t always easy, especially as our Board transitions from an advisory to a working role, and sometimes life interferes! We thank Kelsey wholeheartedly for her time and energy, and we wish her the very best with her future endeavors.
Creating and maintaining the right Board is always a challenge, so we’re very pleased to welcome our two new members, Sherry Kilpatrick and Gretchen Tabaczka. Neither are strangers to us - Sherry has volunteered with our HOOFPRINTS and GALLOP programs for two years, and Gretchen has often visited the farm in her former role as a teacher at Manistee ISD. In addition to joining our Board, both Sherry and Gretchen will continue to assist as program volunteers. We’re sure their familiarity with our goals and mission will be of great help to us, as we continue to communicate what we do (and what we need to do it!) to our area community.
A big thanks to both Shelly and Kelsey for all their work, and a heartfelt welcome to Sherry and Gretchen!
Maple Ridge Residents Visit Pathways
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Pathways was recently very happy to host a visit from residents of Manistee’s Maple Ridge Manor, our nearby assisted-living facility. About a dozen of our neighbors came out for Cream Cup Dairy ice cream, farm tours via golf cart, and visits with our horses. The volunteers who participated felt that this was one of their favorite activities of the summer, and Maple Ridge residents enjoyed their afternoon with us a great deal. “They’ve had fascinating lives,” one volunteer noted. “It was really interesting to hear about their adventures, and also to hear how many people ended up coming back to Manistee County after living all over the country and the world.”
According to another volunteer, “I think the people who came out saw how much we valued them, how interesting we found their stories. They were a great group!” We’ve been wanting to have this sort of event for awhile now, and are working out more ways to make our facility accessible to those using walkers and wheelchairs. We’ve installed a ramp and lift for our arena, and now we’re working out the best way to get people to the arena itself. As the slope of the land prevents us from creating a paved path, the best route will likely be a wheelchair-accessible golf cart. We’re exploring cost and availability options as we teach our horses that dangling humans (from the lift) are no big deal. These days, a lot of elderly folks end up residing separately from families. While this can provide greater independence, it often means that children do not grow up surrounded by grandparents. As a result, there's sometimes a tendency to think that your generation is the only one that has had to deal with particular issues. When we spend more time together, we realize that our life experiences can actually be quite similar, and we're all reminded of how much we enjoy each others’ company! We hope to bring the Maple Ridge gang out again before winter sets in, but if that isn’t possible, we know they’ll be out next spring and summer! |
Maple Ridge residents share introductions and stories in the Northern
Pathways clubhouse.
Maple Ridge activities staff Erin communes with Boy.
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Laverne and Shirley, agreeable about making friends.
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Fiddler gets a hug from a happy rider.
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GALLOP participant gets a ride to the arena from volunteer Amber.
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Nana and Belle appear to share a horse laugh, about a month before Nana's
death, Nana enjoyed her life, and is very much missed.
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Two of our three Isa Brown chicks a few days after we got them. They're now
MUCH larger!
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HOOFPRINTS participant gets an assist from volunteer Becki.
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Montana and peer volunteer Abby head to the round pen for a little training.
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Our peerless peer volunteers, ridin' the hay courtesy of Gary Carmichael.