Author Archives: ashleekiser

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.

And Out Like a Lamb

Posted on 03/30/2017 by ashleekiser

While March may have roared in with rain and snow, it has yielded to a mild and dry spring as it exits quietly. The middle and end of this month have flown by with some of the most fun that … Continue reading →

Posted in Family, Farm Life, Friends, Holidays, Ian, My Critters, paddling | Tagged Aire, baby ducks, boating, Bull and Thistle, Clear Creek, Ian, Jett to Lilly, Muddy Rivers Festival, Spring Creek | Leave a comment

Healing and Recovering

Posted on 03/10/2017 by ashleekiser

As winter considers belching one more cold front before spring officially rolls in next week, the Kisers are healing up and almost ready to resume our normal lives. For the past four months, we’ve been tiptoeing around our usual activities … Continue reading →

Posted in Family, Farm Life, Friends, Ian, My Critters, paddling | Tagged 'Boro Kayaking, Badger, Brinn, Chaco, chickens, Fun1, Ian, indoor camping, Mogwai, physical therapy, Reggie, rehab | 1 Comment

Ian’s Favorite Prayer

Posted on 03/02/2017 by ashleekiser

Prayer can be a really hard concept to teach to adults, let alone children. Ian’s been asking some tough questions lately. Particularly at Christmas, when he asked why he couldn’t see God in the nativity scene set up in the … Continue reading →

Posted in Family, Friends, Ian, My Critters | Tagged cur dog, hiking, Ian, Mogwai, prayer, Standing Stone State Park | Leave a comment

“Badger, You Rotten Pony!”

Posted on 02/23/2017 by ashleekiser

Communication issues about and between Badger and Ian abounded this last Sunday. The first instance occurred around mid-morning. Brinn was one-week post op on his arm, and still not feeling too well, so we made the lazy decision to skip … Continue reading →

Posted in Family, Farm Life, Ian, My Critters | Tagged adventures with carrots, bad pony, Badger the Pony, Ian, riding, Shetland Pony | Leave a comment

Let me tell ya ’bout the best friends…

Posted on 02/02/2017 by ashleekiser

Brinn’s carpal tunnel and nerve damage to his elbow has worsened recently, so his surgeon has scheduled surgery for next Thursday. Two weeks out from surgery, Brinn started brining pork loins and preparing to smoke a feast so I called … Continue reading →

Posted in Family, Friends, Ian, paddling | Tagged boating, Brinn, Campfire, Catoosa, Children, Crooked Fork, Daddy's Creek, Friends, Grandma Cross, hiking, Obed River, Party, Terry, Wartburg, white water kayaking, white water sports | Leave a comment

What’s in Your Tack Room

Posted on 01/10/2017 by ashleekiser

We horse people easily perplex the rest of the world. We take the horses, a former source of transportation, and transport them around the country and pay other people to look at them and tell us which ones are the … Continue reading →

Posted in Farm Life, My Critters | Tagged Absorbine, Chicago Screws, Horse Shows, horses, Hunter Jumper, Show Bow, Show Sheen, Sleazy Sleepwhere, Wesetern Pleasure, Western Pleasure | Leave a comment

Different River, Different Man

Posted on 01/05/2017 by ashleekiser

“No man ever steps in the same river twice, for it’s not the same river and he’s not the same man.” –Heraclitus, Greek philosopher While Brinn and I have been working on maintaining a positive outlook regarding the end of 2016, … Continue reading →

Posted in Family, Friends, Holidays, paddling | Tagged Brinn, Crooked Fork, Daddy's Creek, Dagger Mamba, white water kayaking, white water sports | Leave a comment

Fare thee Well 2016

Posted on 01/04/2017 by ashleekiser

If you scroll through any Facebook feed, you’re likely to see a barrage of posts likening 2016 to a force cutting a path of destruction through the lives of many. I’m not sure I like to jump on the bandwagon … Continue reading →

Posted in birthdays, Family, Friends, Holidays, Ian, Uncategorized | Tagged car accident, Christmas, Go Vols, Music City Bowl, Mustard Seed Ranch, Tennessee Football, travel | Leave a comment

The Horse and His Boy

Posted on 11/03/2016 by ashleekiser

If you happen to remember my posts from two years ago, Ian went through a short phase when he loved to get Reggie out and take short rides around the field on her. Despite Reggie’s stellar performances as a lead-liner, … Continue reading →

Posted in Farm Life, Ian, My Critters | Tagged Badger the Pony, First Horse, Ian, ponies, Shetland Pony | Leave a comment

Cooking on the Square

Posted on 11/02/2016 by ashleekiser

Small town charm is an idealized concept most often associated with places like Mayberry or Stars Hollow. Places we all wish we could visit, but they just simply don’t exist. While the most charming small towns may be fictional, Cookeville … Continue reading →

Posted in Family, Kitchen Adventures, Recipees | Tagged Broccoli Cheese Soup, Cooking on the Square, Habitat for Humanity, Venison Stew | 1 Comment