raising and rehabbing wildlife

Its that time of year again when mother nature is stirring up the hormones ,and there are many animals having their babies... It is also a time of year when many animal babies are left abandon by their parents do to accident's etc ... Many if not most are hit by car's as people speed along in our hurried world. Some get killed by dogs , some by disease , some are shot while traversing bird feerersor trash cans for that easy quick meal to carry back to their young... Either way it does happen hundreds of thousands of babies are left to their own resources at a critical time in their lives when they may be to small ,or too young to survive without intervention. I do caution however if you see a young animal to use extreme caution when approaching , alot of the time they may not be out and about alone but with their mother hiding near by ,as she may be teaching them , and she can precieve your approaching as a threat and may come out of no where and incrediably fast ,and will make a vicious attempt to protect her young... So never handle or approach babies unless absolutily sure they are aboandon ...

Raccoon's are the ones i most frequently have dealt with ,and my family and i have enjoyed countless hours rasing them and watching them return to the wilds from which they came ...This is not an easy task for baby raccoons are much like are human babies and require 24 -7 care , they like to eat in the middle of the night ,and must be fed ... They usually eat several, several times a day /night so it becomes a real job so to speak caring for them. There are several things you must do when rehabbing them ..first and foremost is feeding them , second is pooping them which is something their mother will do if they are not going ,after all what goes in must come out ... This is done with a warm soft damp cloth . Three keeping them warm and give them lots of contact and a tight shelter ... keep them clean ..etc ..wash your hands everytime you are done handling them , they do carry serveral virus and dieseases that can be transmitted to people some of which are lethal to humans so you have to use caution when handling them... Raccoons will usually have 3-4 babies and they can climb at a very young age ... They must be fed several times a day until they are a few months old ... It takes a lot of patience caring for them ... Most people see them when they are young and they are cute cuddily looking , but before taking this responsibility on remember they will grow up to be a 15-30 pound plus animal that can climb everything and is quite intelligent , their hands are like ours ... They are very destructive and curious have to get into everything ... They do not make good pets all though many have been tamed ...They belong in the wilds when they are grown so they can multiple and be free ... Albeit most in the wild will never live to see their 2nd birthday , usually do to car's and people , not disease as many would think.... In the wild very few reach the age of 8 where in captivity like zoo's etc they often live a long time over 8 years ...but require lots of food and care ...They become quite aggresive as they get older and can and do bite hard ..they have more bite power pound for pound than most dogs of a much larger size ... Also remember that if they do bite some one they will be put to sleep as the law does not protect them , and they are a huge liability if you have one ... also they do not allow vacinating them for rabies (why i do not fully understand nor do i respect the decision that the law has in not allowing them to be vacinated )... They are non the less an awesome animal i have learned much from them rehabbing them over the years and have made some really awesome friends in the process ...It's a very rewarding feeling to know that you have helped assist in helping another animal/ life survive to carry on and raise its own family ..ever time we see one of our rehabbed babies near our home , it makes our hearts leap with joy that they in deed made it and our doing great and we helped them to survive ..Its a feeling like no other ...

If you do encounter one of these amazing creatures , and choose to rehab them there are many sites on the web that can assist you or feel free to contact me , or if you'd like just contact me and i will come get them and rehab them and release them in the wild .I live in a fairly remote area with little vehicle traffic or hunting traffic ...near a lake with plenty of woods and they can join our already extended family of rehabbed raccoons roaming the woods near our home ....but if you choose to tackle this overwhelming task on by your self ,keep in mind this takes lots of patience and time and you become its mother , you have to be there 24-7 for most of if not all of the summer ..but it is a rewarding expericece ...

Please feel free to contact me or my family

Thanks Bill Butcher (the raccoon man ) zwdb08wdb@gmail.com

or call me 1-763-226-1836

Posted by: zwdb08 on 6/10/2009 at 10:35 AM | Comments (0) | Permalink

Tags: alexandria area rehabbing raccoon babies in minnesoat, babies, minnesota, osakis, raccoon babies, raccoons, racoon babies, racoons, rehabbing, wildlife

Minnesota State Softball ALL -STARS & Kelsey Proell

Kelsey Proell was one of the very few to make the All Stars , Which made her one of the very best players in the state of Minnesota , as one of only 72 players selected from the litterly thousands that play across the state . I can think of no one better to recieve this esteemed honor as she truly is one of the very best shortstops in the state . This is her farewell to an utterly awesome high school career. It has been a blast watching her along with all the other fans these past 6 seasons , she helped make each and every game utterly exciting with her game exploits and blasting over the fence power....I have seen very few play to her caliber... Thanks Kelsey for making the past years so much fun to watch. I believe that her Thunder teammates will quickly realize what a true talent they have as they play today. I am sorry i couldn;t make the game, but i beat Kelsey and the Thunder will surily rock their opponents ... What an awesome year and high school career Kelsey ....congradulations on making the All-Star team and good luck with your future ,

John Stigman coaches the Osakis Silverstreaks. He has been coaching for twelve
years with a record of 115 wins and 94 losses. He has helped coach the Silverstreaks
to four Conference Softball Titles in 2003, 2004, 2008, and 2009. His most cherished
coaching honors include earning the 2006 3M/MN Twins Playball Minnesota Coaches
Award. He teaches high school social studies and enjoys fishing and reading on politics.
He is married to Tracy and they have three children, Drew, Jenna, and Krista.

And Thanks Coach John Stigman what a season , what a nice job and thanks for all the fine memories ....

Way to go Kelsey making the ALL-STARS team Thunder , what an accomplishment that very few even come close to achieving ,let alone actually making the team ....

Kelsey Proell Osakis/Shortstop
Personal: Parents: Tom and Tammy, Brothers: Kendall, Kolin, Sisters: Elisha and Tanya.
High School Coaches: Head Coach: John Stigman, Assistant Coaches: Kirsten Wessel, Brad Zimmel
Softball Top 10 List: Six Year Varsity Starter, 6 Year Letter Winner, All-State 1st Team in 2007, 2008, All-State 2nd Team in 2006, 3-Time
Prairie Conference MVP
Activities and Honors: Four Year Basketball Letter winner, Basketball Captain ’08-09, Basketball All-Conference, Choir Letter winner.
Future Plans: Attend college majoring in Physical Education and fulfill my dream of playing college softball. College choice undecided.
Boosters: Osakis Lion Club, Nelson Men’s Club

THUNDER
Name High School Name High School
Angie Chuba St. Michael Albertville Nicole Bart Verndale
Jenna Olson Minnetonka Kelsey Pekarna Jordan
Jess Wilson Burnsville Maria Leidner Rosemount
Hayley Buchanan Eden Prairie Meagan Bye Eden Prairie
Kelsey Proell Osakis Jessicca Klein Paynesville
Jennifer Ulmen Houston Lauryn Morris Park HS

Posted by: zwdb08 on 6/7/2009 at 5:52 PM | Comments (0) | Permalink

Tags: all-star osakis silver streaks, john stigman, kelsey proell, softball

Track Team ROCKS at State

The class of 2009 is done with their classes and acedemic excellance at Osakis but not finished bringing in the gold ... As the Osakis Track team Girls rocked today at the state finals at Hamline University track. Led by Osakis silver streak distance champ Stacey Kern who raced her way to Gold in the 1600 meters , for those in the US thats a mile , in 5:08.66,almost a complete 2 seconds over the silver place finisher Melissa Varpness 5:10.38 , who had bested the time of Stacey in the prelimes by about the same amount . Stacey held the best for last ,and They say a 10th of a second is equivilant to two steps... Stacey also took the 7th in the 800 meters ...Stacey was also one of the legs on another Gold medal finishing team that cleaned house on the Girls 4x400 Meter Relay Class A

finishing with a time of 4:07.22 to take the Gold were
1) Hannah Bailey 10 2) Calista Sadlemeyer 9
3) Kelsie Larson 12 4) Stacey Kern 12 ,

i knew these girls were fast and something special the first time i watched them run and special they were as they turned out to be solid gold. Me i don't knowhow they do it other than a lot of hard work ,dedication ,great coaching and support ,and great lungs ,have you heard these girls , no seriuously what a group... They worked very hard to get here and bring it home. Gold , First ,not many can attmpet to compete for it and even fewer can obtain it , they did both... These ladies are just starting to turn the pages on their lives which anyone that has had the pleasure of meeting them and knowing them knows that it will be a life filled with many gold moments for them .

And not to be over shadowed but Osakis also had a few other kids whom also worked very hard and were very dedicated also compete and did well. Like another group of girls who took a hard fought 7th home in the 4x200 meter relay . With a time of 1:48.42 3

they were 1) Hannah Bailey 10 2) Kari Ludwig 12
3) Becka Sadlemyer 8 4) Kelsie Larson 12

this is where i have to mention that both Kelsie Larson and Hannah Bailey ran in both relay events as part of one of the legs of the relay team.. and are very incredible young woman and gifted runners , and for Kelsey Larson ,it was awesome to see her get back to top speed after an earlier quad injury and in a sport where speed is a must which requires strong legs and great lungs ut was awesome to see her bounce back... and assist in bringing it home. That takes a great team player to do that ,and an extreme amount of dedication ... this has no doubt been a very special team here at Osakis ,and a blast to watch. There was also Becka Sadlemeyer and she is only in 8th grade ,with many years ahead of her to bring home some gold , and Kari ludwig also another very hard working young lady and a senior , which we will sadily miss her and all she has brought to osakis as well. Then Hannah Bailey also brough home a respectful 12th place finish in the 400 ,and it looked like a tight race , very good job and i am sure we will see her at the podium again ...What a great job all these girls did .

Now not all the accolades go just to the girls , there were two members of the Boys track team that also put in a ton of hard work and sacrifice to make state. Both had an awesome season and would end their high school careers with a great effort at the state meet. Not everyone can win , but one thing i have learned getting to know these kids this season is it's not always about winning , but in knowing that with hard work ,sacrifice ,and effort one can at least do what many others in the state couldn;t and that was being able to compete at the best of their abilities and make it to state . What an accomplishment . Thanks for a great season ...

Andrew Nack who had put so much presure on himself to best his personal bests , this season made it to state in shot ,and competed hard albeit not his personal best showing but he was up against some of the states best talent and he was one of them. He threw hard ,and put in a great effort though an off day for him as he finished 16th... He is one of the coolest kids i had the pleasure to get to know this season . He is truly one of the hardest working kids i have seen in a long time. He has accomplished in his high school career something few kids ever get to experience as he made it to state in 3 sports. I truly wished if more kids had his work ethic the halls of Osakis would be loaded ceiling to floor with trophies from state appearances... He is more than just an athlete as he is strong in the class room as well ,and one really darn right nice and a truly all around fine young man.

Coty Massman also made a great showing as he ran hard in the 400 meters finishing 15th. He too made a great showing at state though not his personally best race . Coty is another kid that is lightening fast , and works hard ... He has been very fun to watch this season ,as he always ran hard and fast ....

Anyhow i wanted to thank all the coaches, parents and team for a great and fun season , you all put in a lot of hard work and effort and sacrifice to make it all happen , something we as fans often forget and take for granted as we just enjoy the fruits of your labor in all the excitement and action .... But you have to sacrifice and give to make this all happen ..again thanks and what a season this has been ! You rock ... and it was so great that many of the younger team mates could experience this and give them a peek at what lies in store for them in the future. great job look forward to many more great years ...And to you seniors again what an amazing class and i can honestly say speaking for most fans you gave us some of the most exciting memories we have had and we will miss you all ....

The girls golf team also made a nice showing at state Kelsey Ross tying at 6th place and Jackie Bowman at 28th place. Kelsey shot an awesome ,grade 10,day #1 shot a 40-49 ,day #2 shot a 40-45, for a total = 174 for a two day total falling just 20 strokes behind the leader, with junior Jackie Bowman Osakis shooting a day #1 45-48 , and a day two 47-53, for a two day total of 193 ,falling 39 strokes behind the leader ... both putting in some great golf finishing near the top of this 87 lady field . Not bad. Coach Steve Tax did an awesome job , preparing these young ladies all season to make such a great showing in the state finals .... Great job ... I know most people see golf much like Track , not as a true sport , anything could be farther from the truth... I guarantee you speaking from a man that has competed in both ,they are sports "TRUE SPORTS" . They both require a huge amount of dedication , training , practice , motivation, sacrifice , and are both huge mental games as well. They are team sports ,where you compete also as individuals. Have you ever tried to break par on a golf course , where its you against the challenges of the course , its a huge mental game of second guessing your shot or club selection etc... Trying to best the course shooting under the number of shots the course says is the average for that hole or par... Hitting the ball is not a challenge all though many find it difficult to do , it's hitting it and keeping it in the fairway in line to the hole. Then it is just becoming a challenge you need to get the ball on the green and then to the pin or hole ..Yes sir eee it requires a lot of physical skill , practice , dedication and a huge mental game , yes for sure it does ... it also takes some great support and coaching to prepare for the challenge and to guide you and assist you along the way its an easy game as far as batting a ball around the course ,anyone can do that but to make or break par takes a whole other level of play and player to accomplish it. Go girls , awesome job ...and on some of the most difficult courses the state has to offer ... great job ...congradulations ... thanks to Steve Tax and all the parents for teaching and supporting the girls along the way ..great job ....it takes a lot of sacrifice ...

Track is much the same way its not just about running around a circle or tossing a metal ball. It is more than that it takes a certain special athlete to dedicate him/herself to step up and push themselves to break their previous times or marks ...Yes sir it surely does take a special person to do that day in day out ,it sure does , thats what we refer to as an "Athlete" pure and simple. For those in the sport they refer to this dedication to excellance beating their personal best. Something many strive to do but very few succede. But with the Osakis Track and field team i have seen many do it , and that is awesome and takes a huge work ethic. Lee and his coaches,and the parents have done an excellant job of supporting and leading the kids to reach their personal best and break it ... It takes a lot of dedication to set goals and not only reach them but break them and to reach that other to many that seem to be unattainable goal "state" which these kids sure did .. Athletes yes they are , for what is it that makes an athlete - dedication , personal sacrifice , hard work ,and team play and sportsmanship working to achieve their personal best for them and their team , thats an athlete and thats exactly what we have here in the track and field team a group of athletes and yes its a real sport ..just ask those that participate or the parents ,coaches and fans that support and sacrifice their own personal schedules ,and families to be there and support the kids , they know first hand its definatly a sport ,as tough or tougher than most any ... and these kids have raised the bar for sure , and have set some awesom goals for future Osakis tracksters ...Go Streaks ! i challenge any of you that view it as running a circle and not a true sport or one that is fun to watch, come out and see for yourselves all the fun these kids have ...

Last night if you were at home or visiting Osakis ,you probabily heard lots of sirens and horn honking coming through town at around 10:20 pm , i was the one most notablily laughing ,and yelling Beep ,beep hysterically out my drivers side window, you know me i'm the one trying not to standout , "BEEP BEEP" mouth horn extrodinaire, as the parade of cars made there way through town . Sorry if i seemed mental but i had to borrow the mother in laws car to meet the track team as they returned back to their haven their home of Osakis from their huge perfomance at state. What a parade ,what support ,and most of all what a team, what a performance .... Even if you were not from Osakis and you were just visiting last night you heard sirens and tons of honking and most notiably would know something big was going on... Heck as we lined up out at the interstate, lined up and awaiting the arrival of our Kids, to welcome them back home ..There we sat lined up approx 30 or more car loads of anxious and supportive fans and a couple of fire trucks , i couldn't help but notice as i looked out over the interstate at the huge line of passing lights , all seeming to slow from their hectic pace looking up at the exit MN 127 , Mile post 117 ...at all the cars parked along side the road ,and the fire trucks . All were wondering and mentally enquiring as to what great event was happening in the little rural berg of Osakis at 10:00 pm , that would attract so many people to the one little location on a rainy saturday night ...Well we knew , we knew exactly what we were waiting for the arrival of some truly awesome young people , representing our community , our families ,our school , our town, and we were there to thank them and support them for representing our little piece of Minnesota , and rural america in front of the rest of the state. Yes they are our kids ,and we are very ,very proud of them ... To be honest as i sat there in mom in laws car , most of you know her from Village video as the little gray ,and balck short haired lady we affectionatly call Brenda amongst other things ...lol .... thinking will this car even make it back into town , you can tell what i am used to driving ..I began to chuckle to myself thinking of it all... But my pulse was running rapid with excitement as a ran through the events of the day recalling the how great the kids did this day down at state , and how great they represented us and how much fun and the experiences they had along the way... Then the realization came to my mind as the van's carrying the precious cargo eased up the off ramp towards our awaiting parade , this is for many of them their last big high school hoorah , and for the others a big step towards the rest of their careers here at Osakis High School. I was sad and overwhelmingly excited and happy at the same time for all of them...what a team.. Then as our parade of cars headed through the streets of Osakis welcoming our champions (all of them are true champions ) home , the sirens blazing the horns honking then there was me i pushed and pushed the center of the steering wheel but no horn , so being caught up in the excitement and not wanting to miss out i lowered that window and began yelling honk, honk, beep, beep out the open window as rain wet my face and arm..I saw kids and families onlooking out their windows at our caravan and with me in the group it was a caravan of misfits , as they looking out at this large bald man yelling and hysterically laughing as echo's of honk,beep could be heard coming out of the little gray car. No i am not crazy people of Osakis just trying to have some fun and support the kids... and what a bunch they are ...

Anyhow we concluded the parade at the high school ,and i managed to snap some shots of the kids ..Coach Lee VanNyhuis gave an awesome heart felt speach about the kids of his team our team , you could tell right away that this was not just a man going through the motions of coaching as an extra part of his teaching at Osakis but a man that deepily cared about these kids , a man , teacher a parent and most of all a coach and a truly good one...He was so excited and proud of all these kids and it shown in his words his expression ...He will like many of us truly miss these seniors , what a class...

I took some more snaps of the kids ,nothing that will do justice to all that they have accomplished. My apologizes as well that i missed being their for the big day , i am sorry kids i didn't get my press credintials sent in on time ...But i was there in spirit for sure ...

I had the time between snaps to meet some really awesome people who also shared my excitement in the high school sports,and the kids...

And i have to shout out a special thanks to Kelly VanNyhuis, she is an awesome woman ,wife, and mother and great supporter of Osakis sports and the kids and one that has to sacrifice a great deal for Lee to do what he does ... Thanks much anyhow congradulations kids what a job well done ...we are so proud of you all. GO STREAKS!

Owe and also a special thanks to Keith and Linda Nack and Christy and Ron Calvert , and Casey Grundman for all your support and for supporting the kids it has been an assume year and its been great getting to know you all....

one last thing if you think track is not a fun and exciting sport filled with adventure , ask the the kids about the blue parking permit , or the eating of the last slice of pizza , sounds to me like they had some assume laughs as they created another memory and adventure down at state.... If your sitting on the bleachers looking for something fun to do in the spring Osakis has many fun activities, softball, baseball, golf, and yes in deed track come on out give them a try....

Posted by: zwdb08 on 6/6/2009 at 8:00 PM | Comments (1) | Permalink

Tags: golf, osakis silver streaks, softball, state, track

Lady Streaks put exclamation point as they clinch prarie conference title

Lady Streaks clinch conference championship in a dominating performance as they dominate game and sweep series with another 10 run rule victory as they win 11-1 .

It was a stellar performance all the way around. The defense was spot on as usual , and the bats were singing against a very good Swanville pitcher. Swanville came to play ,but the Streaks were just overwheleming as they jumped off to a 4 run first, started by a 3 run triple by Mercedes Klimek, and a single by Kelsey Proel . After blasting for a 4 run first , there was no looking back as the Streaks were just to much today as they were spot on their game. The pitching was again right on the money as Sabrina Zimmel's fast ball was on the money in at the knee's. The Osakis defense was on fire as Swanville threatened , and there was some amazing fielding as Brittney Woltersdorf came up huge with a fabulous backhand deep behind second base turning and throwing out the speeding runner . Then again with Swanville threatening,with two outs and the bases loaded, the All-star shortstop Kelsey Proell knocked down a hot shot over towards the bag at second turning on a dime and pivoting ,and firing gunning down the speeding Swanville runner , to an awaiting Kayla Maus to stymie any comeback chance that swanville could muster.

There were several players that came up big today . kiera Zimmel poped a hard shot over the first basemans head ,leading to a triple and adding two more to the Streaks tally. Brinttney Hendricks, Sabrina Zimmel and Brianne Giesler all had some very nice hits, some doing by bunting and hustling out the play..This is a team that never quits ...

Then with the game in hand the Lady Streaks again came to the plate guns blazing as they again got runners on the bags , and with a great Bunt by Brittney advancing the runners into a game winning situation and with Kelsey Proell at the plate. A hitter that with one swing of the bat could put it away, and put it away she did , but instead of risking the home run she kept her head in and waited for the perfect pitch to smoke a hot single sending the Osakis base runner home to seal the deal with an 11-1 victory. Albeit the Streaks gave up 1 run and had 1 error on the game it was a virtual perfect game all the way around... Way to go ladies.

What a fine job John and Brad in keepin the girls focused , coming in with a huge game plan and executing it to perfection ,and with the playoff's looming, this looks to be the team to beat ... What a game ... I tell you these girls are the real deal , a perfect mix of talent, and age playing together as a well honed and focused team.

and their having a blast ,winning ugly and taken names ! GO STREAKS !

MEET SOME OF THE PLAYERS OF THE PRAIRIE CONFERENCE CHAMPIONS !

Posted by: zwdb08 on 5/11/2009 at 6:26 PM | Comments (0) | Permalink

Tags: osakis silverstreaks, softball

Trail Blazers Rock !

Now most of you know that i spend a great deal of time following Osakis sports and events, and am i big fan of highschool sports ... Now every once in a while i run across a sport i may not have spent a lot of time following or know much about do to time restraints , but become fastly hooked once i am introduced to them... Well Mothersday was one of those days, and one of those fast action events that just reach out and grab you and pull you in. Something i have known about but haven;t had much time to attend in the past and had all but forgotten about it and those memebers involved. Some may even be as bold to say or think that this is not a true sport ,like football, softball ,basketball etc ... but i assure you nothing could be farther than the truth for really what is a sport ,its individuals doing the best they can and working together to perform or achieve a common goal , and yes it can be argued its all about the victory or all about fun , or maybe both... Now i was invited out on Mothers day to an Osakis event on the south east side of town by some great friends , The Gavin's and the Parks girls "young woman " , my wife and i couldn't be more excited to attend along with the mother in law Brenda . Anyhow Kell asked me to bring my camera along for some shots for the paper ,and the blog here ..she thought it would be something very newsworthy and fun to report on. She couldn;t be more right on. Now granted many of the faces looked familar to me , the names escape me for most of the attendee's and participants , but even so they left a deep and lasting impression on me as i watched and clicked away ... It didn;t take long before i recalled many years back when our own daughter was involved with horses and shows , not quite to the degree these folks are though. In those moments as i watched and clicked away i quickly came to realize my wife, and Brenda the mom in law , were quite right this is indeed a sport. For where else can you see this much team work between rider and horse , there is a definate connection there.That horse sure they are well trained , some maybe not as much so , but its more than just routine and training , for the rider has to be in tune with that horse and vice versa , for they are a team working as one...I quickly realized that there is an extreme bond between some of these teams , you could see the joy on the faces of both as they ran the course full throttle. Team work yes in deed ,young ,old, man, woman doesn't matter it all boils down to team work, and fun.

If you have never been out to see a Trailblazers event , stop by , its a very exciting day for the whole family , lots of action , and fun ... bring a lawn chair or blanket there is plenty of places to sit and every seat has a great view..

Now i surily wasn't disappointed by the action , for it was fast ,and exciting... i will say this though for years i had watched many Clint Eastwood and John Wayne movies to think that riding ,was all about the cowBOY... But after watching the events unfold my illusion of Clint and John speeding across the desert guns blazing ,the cowboy tall in the saddle, as the horse speed them over and around all terrain as they chased the outlaw finally catching him in a fury of horse manuevers ..i realized that was all wrong ,for it should be shown truthfully that the Marshal should be a woman ,for after watching these ladies ride , they, i believe are the only true riders that could ride down ,and capture the outlaw through blazing fast horsemanship , wow can these ladies ride ... Holy cow all i can say is "COWGIRL UP" and heck they look good doing it as well ... looking back to the ages of old the wild west i can honestly say that maybe it wouldn't be The Duke or the man with no name you should fear catching you as you flee that stage coach robbery , but the lady horseman ...

There sure was some awesome riding and great displays of horsemanship, and team work , and you could tell that horse and rider had a language unheard except by the true horseman or horse woman .. Me i grew up thinking that only a dog (ok maybe some cats) could be your companion your friend and together you shared this silent language of love and devotion , a bond of true friendship , a real partnership . I was wrong because i see that same bond of friendship,loyality and devotion between the horse and rider as well. You can see it in some of these teams and that's what makes them so successful and have so much fun doing what they do , they love it and each other... And they COWGIRL UP ,,ok lets be fair the guys do a great job as well , so lets ride !

Anyhow i wanted to give a special thanks to Mollie ,Claire and Carmen and the Gavin's for inviting us ,it was a blast and i look forward to catching some more events , and grabbing some more shots of you all... thanks Trailblazers YOU ROCK !

CONGRATS on seeing Debbie Rutten back in the saddle again ,not that she really left as true cowgirls/cowboys never do, they just ride on Ghost riders in the sky.

anyhow if any of you out there are a trail blazer or familar with many of the riders please fill me in as to who is who in the pictures ? and if you would like to see more events like these let me know ... sorry i am not familar with many of your names , would love to get your stats as well , i know there was some blazing fast speed there for sure , Men not to knock us but those woman blew our doors off ... Cowgirl Up ! again thanks Bill Butcher

if anyone is interested in pictures from any of the events you can contact my Wife the lovily Kelly Butcher at Village video or email me zwdb08wdb@gmail.com or visit any of my web sites just copy and paste this http://osakissilverstreakssportspicture.shutterfly.com/

into your address bar of your web browser ... again thanks what an event sorry i didn't get to see it all i had to do the whole mother's day gig with the mother in law sweet Brenda , guys can you imagine being chased down by your mother in law on horseback , now that is a scary thought ..lol seriously she is a sweet lady ....Happy mothers day Mom and Mom in law your both mom's to me ... love you ...Bill and to all you Mom's and future mom's happy mom's day and cowgirl up!