News

 

2009 Kingston Bedford - September 26, 2009

Here is the new traveling home for Eagle and Rainelle for the next 25 years. We got this exclusive trailer directly from the owner of the Kingston Trailer Company. It is extra wide and a foot longer than our 1998 Kingston Dartmouth (which we sold in only 3 days on Craig's List).

2004 Chevy Avalanche - March 14, 2009

Monty - 10 week old Golden/Labrador Retriever mix - December 21, 2008

Today we picked up our newest dog, Monty. We got him from pawsnewengland, a rescue group who specializes in saving dogs from the south that are in high kill shelters. All of our pets have come from shelters or rescue groups and each has been the best pet ever.

   

Maggie - March 17, 2008 - December 13, 2008

Today was terrible as we lost a huge part of our family. Our Yellow Lab Maggie lost her battle with kidney failure. Maggie lived a charmed life with us and her pal Max our Golden Retriever. We obtained Maggie at a Wal-Mart in 2001 when the checkout lady commented that we were purchasing a lot of dog food (for our previous dog Angel). She then asked if we would like another dog. Of course we said yes and as soon as Maggie saw us she jumped in our car and acted as though we had always been her family. I always told people that we got her at Wal-Mart and either they would nod their heads without knowing or would ask "I didn't know Wal-Mart sold dogs!" I never went anywhere without Maggie being right by my side. We will all miss her greatly but want to thank her for making the last eight years so much damn fun that it should be illegal.

 

Fence posts installed - September 7, 2008

Well Tom Brady went down with a season ending knee injury so I took out my frustration on a couple dozen T-posts. The result is a new fence around the cleared land. I also dug the trench for the feed wire for the electric fence.

   

Riding Ring gate installed - September 1, 2008

I got super motivated and installed the riding ring gate. We got a 14' powder coated gate for $50 because it had a huge dent in it. I worked a bit of old school magic on it. See if you can find the dent!

Side fence and gate installed - August 30, 2008

Now that the stumps are finally gone I was able to install the new gate and fence by the back side of the barn. Nick was on hand to help since he knows all about putting up a solid fence. Very nice!

 

Riding Ring completed! - August 25, 2008

Julie's dream of having a riding ring has come to fruition. Up on the hill overlooking the pond is our new 200' X 65' ring bordered by a natural hedgerow. It is flat and beautiful. The only problem was that we have 2 feet of beautiful loam over the natural under layer of pure sand that was left by the glacier. We will eventually scrape off the loam and use it elsewhere in order to utilize the rich sand for the ring.

Land cleanup - August 15, 2008

Ed Barry has begun to make a pasture out of the rubble left behind by Bill Sisco (who has essentially stolen our timber).

A family of 13 turkeys came to eat breakfast joined by one curious fawn - July 25, 2008

Check the Photos, Slide Shows and Videos pages for the turkeys and the fawn. They were right up next to the house so I had to shoot the photos and the video through the window so as to not scare them. I went outside and the fawn almost came up to me to check me out.

Eagle and Rainelle visit the Duval School in Whitman, MA - July 17, 2008

Eagle and Rainelle visited the Duval School in Whitman, MA. Both horses impressed all the kids who fed them carrots and gave them plenty of hugs and pats. See the Slide Show page for a photo slide show of the visit.

Lambert Reunion 2008 - Memorial Day Weekend

Perfect weather and perfect company marked the fourth Lambert Reunion. Trails rides were the order of the day along with spending time with all of the magnificent horses at Quietude.

Happy Birthday Rainelle - 3 years old - May 1, 2008

Rainelle spent her first day as a mare hanging out in the nice warm Spring sun before going for a nice long walk at dusk. What a life.

Successful Delivery - April 24, 2008

Seashore traveled like a champ and walked off the trailer at Elmcliff Farm in Westminster, MA in great shape. He'll have a wonderful life with Sheila in the pastures overlooking Wachusett Mt.

 

Quietude Seashore - April 10, 2008

I will be traveling to Hillsboro the week of April 20 to pick up and deliver Quietude Seashore to his new home with Sheila King in Westminster, MA.

Product arrived - February 5, 2008

New logo design complete - December 30, 2007

Our new logo is complete. It was a tough task but we think the new logo says it all with elegance and an old style ruggedness.

 

Legal proceedings initiated against Sisco Timber Co. for failure to honor contract - December 14, 2007

Sisco Timber Co has not honored the contract, continues to ignore phone calls and left our property a mess. We will initiate legal proceedings to force Sisco Timber to honor the contract.

Winter is coming November 24,2007

Timber clearing is complete. Many stumps have been pulled, lots more to do though before the pasture is ready and now the winter is here to slow me down. One thing is for sure, we have enough wood for the winter!

Timber Clearing September 10, 2007

Timber clearing is underway.

 

Gates are up 7/4/2007

I finally got enough motivation to build the fence and gate across the driveway. Now the horses can't escape up to the street if they get loose. That's a huge relief. While I was at it I continued on and installed a fence and gate across the front of the barn replacing the electric fence and gate. Nick helped me on both projects and I was glad to have him as my apprentice.

Happy Birthday Eagle 6/23/2007

Eagle turns five today!

Another milestone for Rainelle 5/7/2007

Today was a major milestone as Rainelle loaded onto the trailer like a champ. It was the first time she has been on since arriving in October and the first time she has seen the divider installed and with Eagle already loaded. Having a horse that loads as easy as Eagle is certainly a dream (he just walks right on without a care every time) and we know that Rainelle will be just as easy in short order. She's already demonstrated the trust and intelligence we admire so much in Eagle.

 

A breakthrough day for Rainelle!  5/5/2007

 After a few training sessions with Pam, Rainelle stood as steady as a rock for our Farrier and offered her rear feet for a much needed trim.

Sisco Timber Co. selected to clear for more pasture 3/1/2007

We are delighted that Sisco Timber Co. will begin clearing approx. five acres for new pasture. The additional pasture will ensure that our pasture management program works as intended. We will also be clearing a spot up on the  hill for a new round pen.

Rainelle begins ground training with Pam 12/5/2006

Pam has started ground training Rainelle. Rainie is quickly establishing a reputation as being an intelligent student and a quick study. We are looking forward to watching Rainie's progress!

Rainelle and Eagle have settled in 11/25/2006

Eagle and Rainelle quickly became best friends and are inseparable. Rainelle becomes quite agitated when Eagle has his lesson with Pam as she does not like to be alone. Eagle plays it cool however and keeps his mind on the business at hand.

Quietude Rainelle has arrived 10/15/2006

Quietude Rainelle made the 13 hour and 44 minute ride from WV with flying colors. After a two day crash course in trailer loading/unloading Rainelle boarded the Kingston Dartmouth at 7:00 am Saturday morning 10/14/2006. She drank water twice during the trip, ate at every stop. I was able to monitor her every move from the cab of my truck (see photo below) as I installed the wireless stall camera that we use in the barn into the trailer.  She backed off the trailer like a seasoned pro once home. Rainelle and Eagle met and have been inseparable ever since.

Rainie at a rest stop in VA

Rainelle on the "Rainie Cam"

Enjoying the view.

Kingston Dartmouth trailer added to inventory 9/24/2006

We have purchased a 1998 Kingston Dartmouth trailer. The trailer is being overhauled by Steve and is getting new brakes, frame paint and a good clean and polish. It is a two horse, bumper pull, ramp load, dual axle, electric brakes on each wheel with screened windows, aluminum skin on a steel frame. It has a removable full center divider and mats over a wood floor. The trailer can hold over 60 bales of hay!

 

Quietude Rainelle is newest addition to Tuhawke Farm! 8/16/2006

We returned to the Quietude Stud during the first week in August. While all the fillies, foals, geldings and stallions are exceptional there was one who impressed Julie as being the perfect barn mate for Eagle. Quietude Rainelle is a one year old filly who is Eagle's half sister out of Quietude Jubilee Kingdom x Quietude Coralee. Kingdom is also Eagle's sire and Coralee is a daughter to the famed Criterion.

Eagle begins training 7/04/2006

Eagle has begun his formal training. Pamela Ring is training Eagle to ride under saddle. Pam works with Eagle at our farm on Mondays and Wednesdays from 5:00pm-6:00pm (weather permitting). You are welcome to stop by and watch.

Steve and Nick visited the Quietude Stud on June 6 and 7, 2006. Read about it here: 6/12/2006

When Julie's nineteen year old Morgan mare Izzy passed away in January (2006) our bad luck turned out to be a blessing as we have now been introduced to the wonderful Lambert Morgan Horses . We have marveled at our luck in obtaining Eagle and all the benefits that have come with it. The best one happened last week when I had a most wonderful visit to the Quietude Stud. For those of you who haven't had the opportunity to visit with Susan and Shannon at the Quietude Stud I'm going to tell you that the reality far surpasses anything you could hope for in a visit. For those of you who have been fortunate enough to make the trip I'm sure you all know exactly what I mean. One of my dearest friends from my days in the Navy is sick with pancreatic cancer. I felt compelled to visit him as soon as possible so I took some time off to make the drive to Roanoke, VA. My eldest son Nick is making the passage into high school in the fall so I thought that it would be a good chance to spend some time with him, away from mom (sorry Julie), before he grows up and heads off to start his own life. The trip to Roanoke went better than I anticipated, my friend is doing as well as can be expected and we had a great time with lots of laughs. Nick got to see another side of me that he had no idea existed. Of course I couldn't go all the way to Roanoke without a least driving over to Hillsboro to say hi and so Nick and I headed to WV. Susan's website has intrigued me from the first time I opened it. The photos of the stallions, mares and foals are simply captivating. The information available is more than one can hope for and with every visit you will find something new. I just had to go by and see where our wonderful horse got his start in life. Julie was rightfully jealous of Nick and me but was thrilled at our opportunity. Julie is the horse expert in our family. She has had horses her entire life. It's part of what makes her tick. I can claim no amount of knowledge other than the basics. Although apparently I do have some ability to find good Morgans. I bought Julie's beloved mare Izzy (Holly Ridge Inez) many years ago for her as a Christmas present (she was leasing her at the time) and I know the love she has for these fine animals. By association I've been able to come to appreciate the majesty of the breed as well as understand how many people have such a tremendous connection with them. When I was a boy baseball consumed my life. Part of the burden of growing up and living in Massachusetts is that at birth you become a fan of the Boston Red Sox . When I was 7 years old my dad took me to Fenway Park. The first time you see the left field wall (the Green Monster for you baseball fans) and see and smell that green grass it is like no other experience in your life. It is a moment that stays in your soul forever. When Nick and I negotiated the final turn into Quietude I got that exact same feeling. It is one of those rare moments that touches you to the core. As much as I had Quietude built up in my own mind it paled in comparison to being there in person. It is hopeless to try and do justice with these words. Shannon and Susan welcome you like family and you instantly feel comfortable. The horses, in their natural state, are one of the most beautiful sights in the world. They took us over to the barn and what happened next was impossible to explain to Julie. Here we were, fresh off the road, total strangers standing INSIDE the stall with Coralee and her new filly foal (now named Cambria). You would think that it couldn't get any better than that, right? Well guess what? It did get better. Susan took off with Nick in the John Deere 'Gator' to find Eagle's half brother Quietude Homeward. I was able to walk around and take in the fresh air, the beautiful scenery, watch the horses play and marvel at the name Quietude. It is a perfect name for a perfect place. After one of the most restful nights in memory at the summer home of Susan's daughter and son-in-law Marcie and Richard called Highland Trace we headed back up to see Susan and Shannon for what I thought would be a thank you and a reluctant good-bye. Susan and Shannon asked us if we were going to stay another night. Nick jumped at the chance and worked on convincing me to stay. I was trying to figure out how I was going to make it up to Julie if we spent another day in paradise without her. Soon we all hopped in the pick-up to go down to see the river farm, Nick and I in the back along with Trace, their Golden Retriever, who became our instant new best friend. When we got to the lower farm the Angus bull had found his way through the fencing and had bought many of the new calves out to the street. We were more than happy to finally be of some use and Nick got a real thrill helping Shannon and Susan driving the cattle to another pasture. Nick and I spent the rest of the day taking photos, looking at the horses and making pains of ourselves when Nick ran out of gas in the Gator. Shannon took it all in stride and made Nick feel better when he told Nick it was better for Nick to run out of gas down the driveway rather than for Shannon to run out up on the mountain. Thanks Shannon! We ended our visit the next morning. Nick told me on the way back to MA that he will never have another vacation as good as that one. What a great thing for a father to hear. Of course he will get a chance to relive some of his trip when we return with Julie and our other son Anthony. Ever since we returned with the stories and photos, all the conversation in our house revolves around making plans for another visit. After all, Eagle does need a companion and there are now no other horses in the world for Julie except Lambert Morgans. I now understand why he is so great. He comes from a place where all the horses are great. I can't wait for Julie and Anthony to experience the Quietude Stud for themselves. I'm sure it will be the new "best trip ever".