Cooper's Crossroad recently held our second annual "Luck of the Irish" fundraiser. It is a simple, outdoors, farm-friendly, mud-friendly, artistic, musical, and somewhat "if you want to be a redneck…" event.
One of the games is the very popular Cow Plop Bingo. Prior to Dusty Dog Farm hosting this event last year, I had never heard of Cow Plop Bingo.
Designed loosely around the game Bingo, the Bingo moment is literally a cow pooping. Every year as I lead Molly (the one cow on the property that knows how to lead), from her pasture to the arena to do the job, I am amazed at the popularity of the game.
Simply, CCR "sells" squares of land in the riding arena. Whoever "owns" the square that Molly blesses is awarded 50% of the total earnings.
The number of folks watching a cow walk, occasionally trot around the arena, waiting for pooping to happen is astonishing and hilarious. In defense of those of us enthralled, there is great music playing and we have been fortunate with lovely weather for two years. It sure is nice to just SIT in the New England spring sun and take it all in.
It was a fabulous time and Molly will likely be hired (her pay is a LARGE amount of German Horse Muffins) again next year.
Other activities at this family-friendly, welcome-to-spring event are the ever-popular pony rides, rock painting, making s’mores over a fire pit, farm tours, meet and greet of animals around DDF and a “Choose Love” scavenger hunt. The hunt sends kids and adults racing across our Big Field to trails in Sue's Enchanted Forest. All the questions lead to places of courage, gratitude, forgiveness, and compassion.
I love the little trails in The Forest and ride them frequently. This year several of the signs of the scavenger hunt were left in the woods through oversight (or exhaustion) during clean up after the event. As I rode Cooper in the quiet peacefulness of a recent early morning, I saw a sign for courage and my heart grew full.
Could it be that signs are all we need?
Imagine moving slowly and rhythmically through the murky early morning and seeing signs of courage—maybe leading us on a different path.
Signs of gratitude—soft sighs of pleasure in moments of peace.
Signs of forgiveness—a weight lifted, a dance in a step.
And signs of compassion—the ability to just meet humans, horses, or heroes right where THEY are.
And maybe the signs are already out there, just waiting for us to see them.
Keep your eyes open. Courage, Gratitude, Forgiveness, and Compassion are all choices we take on our life's scavenger hunt.
Bring on the spring flowers.
All the best, Christina