Author Archives: ashleekiser

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About ashleekiser

“For in Calormen, story-telling (whether the stories are true or made up) is a thing you're taught, just as English boys and girls are taught essay-writing. The difference is that people want to hear the stories, whereas I never heard of anyone who wanted to read the essays.” ― C.S. Lewis, The Horse and His Boy Join us on our family adventures as I try to tell our stories rather than bore you with more online essays.

Ian’s 2024-2025 Race Season

Posted on 06/23/2025 by ashleekiser

As I sit here by an air conditioning vent trying to escape the 90 degree heat, I think back to the hot days in years past. 15 years ago I would have been jumping a course at Westwind with Elise … Continue reading →

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Lodi, Ohio

Posted on 01/26/2025 by ashleekiser

Back in November, we traveled north to Lodi, Ohio to take Ian to a dryland mushing race running his very own dogs for the first time. We’d finally managed to put together the right combination of dogs for Ian to … Continue reading →

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Ian’s Ragtag Motley Crew

Posted on 01/12/2025 by ashleekiser

I’ve not done a great job updating all of you about Ian’s new dogs. The last two I properly introduced were Falcon and Pilgrim, but it wasn’t much later that I shared about the untimely loss of Pilgrim. Since we … Continue reading →

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Ian’s Industrial Art

Posted on 12/26/2024 by ashleekiser

There are five original industrial arts: Ian’s following an unconventional path for his education, and I’m glad for it. In addition to the heavy emphasis on science and music, he’s also learning one of the original industrial arts. He chose … Continue reading →

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The Gift Thief

Posted on 12/25/2024 by ashleekiser

“No gift can ever replace the value of being there in person.” This is a beautiful sentiment, but Balto would like to call horse feathers on this claim. To say that Balto is a little spoiled would be a gross … Continue reading →

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Dryland Mushing

Posted on 06/29/2024 by ashleekiser

A few Christmases ago, Abby gifted me with a shirt stating: “I was normal two huskies ago.” At the time we laughed and thought it referred to Balto and Jenna. We had no idea how prophetic the shirt actually was … Continue reading →

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Summer Break?

Posted on 06/28/2024 by ashleekiser

Our annual cycle used to follow very predictable seasons. In the fall we attended corn mazes and bonfires on weekends while Tabitha and I took the horses out for evening trail rides after work. Over the winter we ventured out … Continue reading →

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The Soundtrack to Ian’s Life

Posted on 06/21/2024 by ashleekiser

I come from a rich musical background. My brother plays guitar, my mom is first chair percussionist in every band she’s ever joined, and my dad is a bluegrass picker who occasionally plays guitar with mandolin as his primary instrument. … Continue reading →

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Tennessee Mushing Academy

Posted on 06/17/2024 by ashleekiser

Last spring, as Ian completed his requirements for 4th grade, we knew we would soon have to make some major decisions about the future of his education. Our county begins middle school in 5th grade, rather than 6th grade, and … Continue reading →

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Back to the North!

Posted on 03/06/2024 by ashleekiser

Two years ago, Bonnie connected us to Shantel via Julie in the hunt for Ian’s first lead dog. Shantel knew of a dog from a kennel she had previously handled for, and she thought he might be a good fit … Continue reading →

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