February Story Contest

Camp Bumblebee

by Spuds1997 & Montana

age 13

 

Chapter 1

 

   “I am so excited!” I said as we pulled into our new house. Right in front of me was 2 humongous barns, 2 summer houses,  a huge riding arena, and our huge house. It was surrounded by woods were there was trails that we could ride on. There was a sign by the driveway that said Camp Bumblebee. It was beautiful!

  “Abby, go and unload the horses into barn 1.” my mom said as she grabbed a few boxes out of the car. I did as I was told, eager to see the what the inside of the barns looked like. I had 2 horses of my own Jazz and Sugar. Jazz is an Icelandic gelding, he is completely black. Sugar is a Lipizzaner mare, she is completely white. I decided to put Jazz in stall 1 and Sugar in stall 3 right beside him. Then I went back to get my moms Haflinger mare, Holly. Holly is the sweetest horse we have, she was 3 months old when we got her at an auction. My mom and I trained her. I decided to put her in stall 2 across from Jazz. Our other horses would be coming later. My cell phone vibrated in my pocket just as I shut the stall door. I picked it up and read the message.

Mom: please come and help me bring in the boxes

Me: O.K. I’m coming.

  I said goodbye to the horses and started on my way to the house. I packed boxes for 2 hours. We stopped at 7 and both decided to go to sleep. I walked up to my box filled room and started to look for the box I had put my diary in. I picked up a few boxes till I had found the one marked first night. In this box I had put my diary, blankets, pillows, and my pajamas that were covered in horses. I got dressed made my bed and picked up my diary. I wrote:

  First day:

The place is gorgeous! The barns are huge! I cant wait for the rest of the horses to come tomorrow. Right now I am exhausted from carrying boxes, so I am going to bed.

Night  

   I woke up from a beautiful dream of me and Jazz galloping down the trails, just at sunset. I looked around and everything was wet from morning dew. I forced myself up and walked downstairs to see that mom was making bacon and eggs.

  “Good Morning! How’d you sleep?” asked my mom

  “Just fine.” I replied stuffing a piece of bacon into my mouth.

   “Good. I need to go and hang up some signs for people to know that if they need to get rid of a horse they can bring it to Camp Bumblebee. Want to come?”

   “I think I will hang out round the barn. Ride Jazz a little and unpack some of the riding gear.”

   “O.K., I shouldn’t be long.”

   “O.K. well I am going to go feed. Bye, mom.” I hurried out of the house and ran down toward the barn. Holly saw me and gave the first whinny, then Jazz and Sugar started. I walked over to the big box we kept the grain in. It had an unopened bag of grain in it. I gathered up my strength and pulled the 50 lb bag of grain out of the box. I opened it up and poured it all in. Then I started to look through boxes for the scoop. I found it in the box on the bottom of the stack, of course. The grain was in the buckets in no time. The horses whinnied happily as I poured in their food and gave them their hay. The first box I went through was the bridles and bits I hung them and spent the next 30 minutes going through the saddles. Then 30 more minutes hanging them up. My phone vibrated on the table I had put it on. When I picked it up it said:

   Mom: I am home. Tack up Jazz and lets go for a ride before grandpa gets here with the rescues.

    The rescues is what we call Spice and Oreo. They are rescue horses that I am training. They had been abused by their owners. I train horses all the time. Spice is a Palomino mare and Oreo is a black and white paint stallion. They are both 5 yrs old.

  Me: ok.

   I walked down to Jazz’s stall. He whinnied as I fished in my pocket for a treat. I pulled out one of the apple treats and gave it to Jazz. I laughed as he tried to eat it out my hand, it tickled. I unlatched the gate, grasped the halter and lead rope hanging on the wall and lead him out over to the hitching post. I walked back in the barn to get his saddle. I picked out my favorite western saddle that I have had for years and hung Jazz’s bridle over it. On my way back over to Jazz I saw my mom walking toward the barn. Jazz danced impatiently as the blanket and saddle were placed on his back.

   “Hey! Looks like Jazz is ready for a good ride!” mom said as she walked over with Holly.

   “Definitely!” I replied, trying to put the bit in his mouth. I tightened up the girth and hoped on. He buck when he felt me in the saddle and tried to take off. I was used to this so I stayed perfectly still in the saddle. Mom was on soon afterwards and I followed her into the round pen. We would’ve road on the trails but Spice and Oreo were coming in about 45 minutes. I let up on the rains and let Jazz take off. He cantered up ahead in front of Holly. His tail was swishing back and forth in rhythm of his gate. He let out a loud whinny to show that he was having fun. I pulled him up and went back over to Mom and Holly.

    “He’s looking good!” Mom said enthusiastically patting him on the neck.

    “Feels good to!”  I replied gathering up my reins as he tried to take off again.

   We road for about 30 more minutes, then got off to wait for Spice and Oreo. I put up Jazz’s tack and brushed him down before putting him in his stall. We walked back down to the house. I went to my room and took out a box and began to put some of my things away. I had my room looking great and box free by the time Spice and Oreo arrived. I ran toward my Grandpa while he parked and got out of the truck.

   “Well, what do you think of your new place?” asked Grandpa.

   “It’s beautiful! There is so much room to ride! And room for more rescue horses!” I said as I walked into the trailers to see how Spice and Oreo were doing. Grandpa opened up the doors on the trailer as I was untying Spices lead rope. She backed right out and looked around. She seemed to love all of the room she had around her. I walked her into the barn and put her next to Holly. They all nickered a greeting to Spice as she walked by. I walked Spice into her stall and took her bucket to get her some water as she explored her cage. I noticed Mom had put Oreo in his stall.  

  “How’d he back out?” I asked, scared of what the answer might be. That was one problem with Oreo, he would always put up a fight with you when backing out. He is a very smart horse, he has got to the point where he will only back out for me but not for anybody else.

   “He was amazing!” mom replied kissing Oreo on his soft velvety nose. “He backed out perfectly for me! Then I put him in for Grandpa and he backed out for Grandpa! It was fantastic!”

   “Amazing! But we need to see if he would back out for a person he doesn’t know. Well, better get some water to this impatient horse.” I pointed to Spice neighing and pawing the ground and laughed. I walked to the hose to put some water in the buckets. I picked them up, then noticed a girl and a guy in a truck coming up the drive. I gave them there water then ran over to see who it was.

   “Hey!” Yelled the guy jumping out of the truck. He stopped and stared at me for a while then snapped back to his senses and introduced himself.

   “I’m Blake and this is my older sister Katie. We are your neighbors!” said Blake cheerfully. He looked 16 the same age as me and I have to admit he was hot. He had this gorgeous smile and perfect body. He caught me starring at him and I blushed.

   “Hey! I’m Abby. It’s nice to meet you” I shook hands with Blake and we seemed to never stop but then his sister who looked about 18 stepped out of the truck.

    I looked in amazement at the two. They looked nothing alike Katie was wearing high heeled shoes with a very expensive outfit on. While Blake was wearing a basic white shirt and had on jeans and boots. She groaned as she stepped out of the car.

   “Hey!” I said as she began to freak out because she stepped in the muddy spot in the yard where we had dumped out Spice’s and Oreo’s water from there trip.

   “This place is disgusting!!” Katie screamed. “Its so dirty! I am going home! I never wanted to meet the neighbors anyway!!”

    Blake seemed to be used to her tantrums and just watched her get into her car and drive away.

    “I guess I will be walking.” he said annoyed with his sister. “Listen I’m sorry ‘bout that. I shouldn’t have even had her come.”

  “It’s fine. Is she always like that?”

  “Yeah, all the time. Well I guess I better get going.” he replied.

   “You can stay if you want. I will show you around.” I said with a pleading look in my eyes.

    “I would love to! But I better call my mom and tell her.”

    “Ok” I said. I was so happy I had only been here for 2 days and Oreo had backed out of the trailer and I just met this guy with looks anybody would die for who wants to hang out with me. This place was going to be exciting. He put his phone down and walked toward me.

   “I will show you the horses first.”

     After I showed him the farm and the horses mom came out and invited him for dinner. He called his mom and asked if he could stay. She loved the idea of him staying and getting to know the neighbors. We walked into our new house and sat down around the table, tonight’s specialty steak! We talked between bites. We learned that Blake wanted to be a equine vet. Dinner seemed to fly by.

    BRING! BRING! BRING!

    “That’s me!” Blake searched in his pocket for his phone. He stood up and walked over to the door. He hung up and walked over, phone in hand.

   “I have to get going. Thank you so much for inviting me for dinner.” Blake said gratefully.

   “I’ll drive you home.” I said as I grasped for my keys to my truck and got my coat.

   “Thanks A lot. Bye Mrs. Lawson!” he put on his coat and gloves.

   “Bye and call me Joshlin. Mrs. Lawson makes me feel old.” She said with a laugh as we headed out the door.

    It took no time to get there and as soon as we did he took my number and I got his. I headed home. I saw my mom already feeding in the barn I ran out to help her. She gave the grain as I filled the haynets. We hurried through it all and went to our rooms. I sat on my bed and thought of the day, then grasped my diary and quickly wrote it down.

    It’s only the second day here and I am loving it! Oreo came out of the trailer for Mom and Grandpa! I also met this cute guy named Blake. He is also my neighbor. He loves horses and wants to become a equine vet.

                                                     I am sleepy so night.