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Lisa Thompson

Biddle Ranch

Biddle Ranch
"Are you sure you feel like going? We could just go to breakfast maybe." I could hear by the smallness of her voice that she wasn't feeling very strong. "No, I need to get out there." I smiled. "Okay, I'll be there at 9:30 to pick you up." I have to admit, I was eager to show her how well Commotion would do after his summer experiences but more tha...
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Sheila Varian Lisa varian arabians
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Enriqueta Velarde
Dear Lisa, always a pleasure to read your blogs. It is a special treat when we can visit with Sheila. Also, following the story of... Read More
Sunday, 26 March 2017 20:16
Lisa Thompson
Good morning Enriqueta. He has found a very wonderful woman and is now gone off to his new home. I've talked to her on the phone a... Read More
Monday, 27 March 2017 10:00
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Lisa Thompson

The Long Road

The Long Road
After an oil change and a check up on the trailer brakes and lights, it was time to go. As I loaded my things into the trailer, a mental movie played in my head about the summer and what Commotion V taught me and what I was able to give to him. There were a number of rides that we took that I did not write a story about. One day we focused simply o...
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Sheila Varian Lisa Lily varian arabians Sun Valley
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Lisa Thompson

Pioneer Cabin

Pioneer Cabin
August 22, Saturday This would be our last ride of the summer together. Our route would be up the East Fork of the Hyndeman creek to Pioneer Cabin and down Johnstone Creek, a nice loop of about twelve miles. I called Martina on our way to pick up Carol and the horses, and with very short notice, she met us at East Fork road and we drove out across ...
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Sheila Varian Lisa varian arabians Sun Valley Idaho
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Lisa Thompson

Summit Creek

Summit Creek
August 15. Our 23rd anniversary Carol wanted to drive her big fancy new truck today, which delighted us because our old Ford has about a billion miles on it and the drive up Trail Creek Road to Summit Creek is a hard pull up a steep crazy road. Should have named that road Vertigo Road. The trail starts right out with a simple creek crossing and the...
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Sheila Varian Lisa varian arabians Sun Valley Idaho
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Vicki Wisher
You're such a great storyteller Lisa! You make me feel as though I was along for the ride. Happy Anniversary! (Just a suggestion: ... Read More
Monday, 06 March 2017 11:36
Lisa Thompson
Thank you Vicki. I'm so glad you enjoy the stories. Thank you for the suggestion, and it's a good one. I don't see how I can move ... Read More
Monday, 06 March 2017 13:10
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Lisa Thompson

Oregon Gulch to Fox Creek

Oregon Gulch to Fox Creek
Friday, July 24. There's a funny little place north of Ketchum where an rustic old store sits on the side of the road. Behind it is a number of little cabins and trailers. The place whispers of early Ketchum and the 1960's. "North Fork Store" is what the sign reads, but the store is long closed and I'm always curious about the people that live back...
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Sheila Varian Lisa varian arabians Sun Valley Idaho
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Lisa Thompson

Taylor Canyon

Taylor Canyon
Sheila wrote to me after that ride to Grand Jean. "Great story Lisa!!! Can't call you a scardy cat! I love your reports and pictures... I agree, that would have been too big a step for Commotion. Thanks Sheila" I loved the idea that I was getting her out of her big brown chair, even if only in her imagination. Thursday, July 14 9:00 AM. Still a bit...
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Lisa Thompson

Grand Jean

Grand Jean
August 7.  For days I fretted whether to take Commotion on our three day girls trip to the back country. It could be a good experience for him, but I feared it might be over his head. The trails up there are gnarly and ragged, and if he could not handle it, the repercussions could be pretty tragic. Finally I determined that if I was this doubt...
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Sheila Varian Lisa varian arabians Sun Valley Idaho
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Lisa Thompson

Camp out

Camp out
​July 3 and 4. The fourth of July weekend can be such a nuisance, so many people, so much noise, so on impulse, we hustled to the grocery store, loaded up the horses and headed up over Galena Summit to the Stanley Basin once again. There were plenty of people camping here and there, but here in Idaho there are so many single camp sites, and sure en...
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Lisa Thompson

A Little Adventure

A Little Adventure
​Wednesday, July 1 We arrived at a place that I can't even tell you where it was because it doesn't have a name. We parked near a single campsite on the east side of Highway 75 about half way between Billy's Bridge and Phantom Hill. Wide open spaces, forests thick with aspen trees, beautiful green meadows sprinkled with wild flowers called to us fr...
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Sheila Varian Lisa Lily varian arabians
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Lisa Thompson

Hot Summer Day

Hot Summer Day
June 28, Sunday 8:00 AM and already it was very warm. My phone buzzed as I was watching my Sunday morning program. It was Carol inviting me to go ride before the heat really kicked in. We settled on Eagle Creek, where we'd had our first ride with Commotion and all that angst with the water crossing. We wriggled the trailer into a parking slot amids...
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Lisa Thompson

Big Basin

Big Basin
​June 23 Big Basin. Aptly named. The last mile of road before you get to the trail head is a skinny twisty road, one lane only, with a steep high drop off on the right. It's a little intimidating because heaven forbid you should run into a horse trailer coming the other way. Turning around to park is another challenge, with a four horse trailer loa...
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Vicki Wisher
Hi Lisa, I just want to tell you how much I am enjoying your journey with Commotion V. It really makes for good reading and the go... Read More
Thursday, 26 January 2017 19:15
Lisa Thompson
Thank you Vicki, I'm glad to get your note and happy you are enjoying the adventure!
Friday, 27 January 2017 05:01
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Lisa Thompson

Chemeketan

Chemeketan
June 21 The temperature at Smiley Creek, where we were headed, was 34 degrees. It was only 8:00AM but I knew it would take some time to gas up the truck and get ourselves up there. By the time we saddled the horses, near Chemeketan campground, it was almost 10:00 and 50 degrees. No wind. Perfect. Quiet. Peaceful. My main objection of the day was to...
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Sheila Varian Lisa Lily Smiley Creek
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Enriqueta Velarde
Dear Lisa, I just love to read your blogs. When I see a new blog from you comming out I can´t wait to read it. They are so full of... Read More
Saturday, 21 January 2017 17:01
Lisa Thompson
Thank you Enriqueta. It is pretty up here, and the second best thing to riding out in the country is to relive it by writing about... Read More
Thursday, 26 January 2017 07:02
Carolyn Johnson
I hope to get to know Commotion (now "Mo") by reading all of your wonderful adventures with him! I consider it very special that ... Read More
Friday, 03 March 2017 15:31
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Lisa Thompson

A Brand New Day

A Brand New Day
Don't you love it when your horse trots over to greet you when you walk in the gate? Armed with a new set of shoes, we were ready to get back out there. I tied Commotion and Roy to the trailer where we saddled them up. This was the first time I'd saddled him tied to the trailer, which is a different deal for a horse than cross ties. Sometimes they ...
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Sheila Varian Lisa Lily
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Lisa Thompson

A Long Way to Go

A Long Way to Go
David backed the trailer into the open area at the trail head, insuring that we could get out when we left, and leaving plenty of room for anybody else that might show up at Eagle Creek. It was a beautiful Wednesday morning. Eagle creek is a great first ride for a young horse. It's a pretty boring road ride, but beautiful, and not very well known, ...
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Nancy Csonka
Really enjoying Lisa’s stories! Her straight forward style of writing coupled with an intuitive sense of her horse makes me feel t... Read More
Wednesday, 27 May 2020 15:11
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Lisa Thompson

Commotion V: In the Beginning

Commotion V: In the Beginning
Jaime handed me the reins and I reached up and stroked his long brown neck. His eyes were alert and bright. He looked at me straight. Little perfect ears pointing forward. "He's a little hotter than what you're used to" Sheila said. I raised my eyebrows to her. "His breeding is for the show ring, he's a trotting horse. His bloodline can be pretty h...
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Maureen Leaman
Hi Lisa, I loved reading your blogs, he sounds like a wonderful horse. Ok so Im curious was he your horse, or did you just get him... Read More
Saturday, 14 October 2017 12:51
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Lisa Thompson

A Journey Begins

A Journey Begins
Seven degrees this morning. Looking out the window at the white landscape as the sun came up, I said to myself, "hey, I'm not the only one out there that can't ride all winter!" I don't have a toasty indoor arena, and I'm really not much into arena riding anyway. Sure, I sometimes like to work on precise skills and break things down to practice and...
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Wes Hoskins

Early Memories of Bay-Abi

I helped my Dad farm our leased 160 acres with draft horses; now the Palouse is farmed with machines and the units are in two thousand acres. For years I made house calls in my Chevy with a black bag; now an emergency house call results in four EMTs, three firemen and two big rigs with flashing lights. I knew Sheila Varian when she had two Arabian ...
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