Horsepower

Last summer I went to learn and work with horses for two weeks in Horsepower.

Horsepower is a camp that teaches about horses. It teaches about food they eat, the stalls they have and how to clean the horses. This helps with memory and other things for people with communication disorders due to traumatic brain injuries.

The people that helped with Horsepower were some professors from UNC-Greensboro and some graduate students.

It was fun to learn of foods that horses can eat and some that they cannot. I learned that horses cannot eat cherries. Horses also have small stomachs and cannot eat a large amount at one time. Horses drink between 5 and 15 gallons of water per day.

When we learned about horse racing, we learned that horses typically only race at the age of 3. The jockeys are an average of 5'3 and weigh no more than 126lbs. with equipment on. In 131 years of having the races that make up the triple crown, only 11 horses have won the triple crown.

To learn more about the horsepower camp go to www.horsepower.org.

ITS BEAUTIFUL FLYING WITH THE BIRDS

Parasailing is a fun activity. You can parasail at any beach. Parasailing isn't physically difficult. All that is needed is to sit in the harness on a boat and be pulled up into the air. The last time I went, I went up 9 floors high. Even though I'm scared of heights, I have gone twice. Parasailing is one of the most peaceful experiences I've had. Being able to look down and see dolphins below you and buildings beneath you is amazing. Floating above all you can see is a beautiful thing. The only thing to worry about in the air are the birds flying toward you.

Some of the parasail workers like to parasail themselves. They said they sometimes go up about 50ft and let go of the handles to fall into the sea. I would worry to much about landing next to sharks to try that. I enjoy parasailing for the peacefulness of it but some people are much more adventureous than me. I will just stick to the regular way to parasail.

Walk to support those with TBI

A Way to Help Some Soldiers

Traumatic Brain Injury (TBI) is the most common injury to soldiers returning from the war. TBI is also common in sports such as football. These injuries are not always taken seriously because the injury is not always visible. The Brain Injury Association of North Carolina is having a "Walk and Roll-a-Thon and Joggin 4 Your Noggin" to raise money and awareness for people suffering from these injuries and their families.

There are a lot of symptoms associated with TBI. These families need help to support them. Some of the victims have vision problems and memory loss. Awareness is needed for people to understand these injuries to people across the state.

The "Walk And Roll-A-Thon" is sponsored by the Brain Injury Association of North Carolina (www.bianc.net) . It is $10 to participate in the event. This includes a t-shirt and lunch. The "Walk And Roll-A-Thon" will be at High Point Lake Park in Jamestown, NC. This event will be April 4th from 10am-1pm. For more information, call 1-800-377-1464 or go to www.bianc.net.

It's not always serious

As a police officer, you don't always expect funny cases. While I was in training I pulled a car over for having an expired license plate. I informed the driver that I was going to write them a ticket and I would be back with them soon. I went back to my police car and began writing the ticket. The police officer in the car training me asked if I was going to give the driver a ticket. When I replied yes I was, he said I needed to catch them. I looked up and saw the driver getting her three children out of the car and begin walking away. I approached and asked why they were leaving and she said that in the country she was from, a ticket meant that the car would be taken too.