Pony News, Views and Attitudes -- Vol. 1 Number 45 -- May 26-June 1, 2008

Getting up to Speed!

Adventures don't always involve ponies! Amanda and her mom Kerri are chicken outlaws. They have two chickens, a yellow Buff Orpington called Butter Hen and a Rhode Island Red named Red Ruby. Read more in Kerri's letter below.

Local riding game developer and stable owner Jane Crandal announced that a new 'prototype' Pony Pals game is about to begin testing.

"Twelve Club Pony Pals members will get to test our game and help us figure out what they like," Crandal said.

"Their job will be to play our new game and find out if everything works," she laughed.

"No matter how good a job we do, there will be things that we miss and members of Club Pony Pals can help us find them."

One requirement to become a game tester is technical. Volunteers must be able to connect to the internet with their computers. Club Pony Pals' online game has lots of pictures, so players will have to have 'broadband' or 'high-speed' access to the internet.

"If people use a telephone or 'dial up' internet access, we think they will have to wait too long for pictures to download to make playing our game fun," Crandal continued.

This first game will include free online "pony riding" for anyone who plays.

"We know riding and being around ponies is what players want. We also want to know what people think of what we've built. Once we hear from our testers, we will continue to make more parts of the game. Playing a game like Pony Pals is such a new idea that we need players to tell us things like whether Wiggins looks like the town described in Jeanne Betancourt's Pony Pals books," Crandal commented.

To volunteer to become a tester, Club Pony Pals members must email Club Pony Pals and say in the subject line "I want to be a game tester."

Updates about the game and its testing process will be posted here in the Weekly.

Riding in the woods in the new
ClubPonyPals game

This Week's Survey

How many Pony Pals books
have you read?

• 0 to 1
• 2 to 5
• 3 to 10
• 10 to 20
• 20 to 30
• over 30

Vote on the current survey here.

Club Pony Pals
Letters & Drawings

Dear WebMaster

This is one of my favorite photos. My outlaw daughter Amanda with her outlaw chickens.

I did have to put the kabosh on the rooster—he was notorious for crowing loudly when I was on a conference call with clients.

The girls did escape a few times to go cull the neighbors flower beds of vermin. I was able to make a better pen to keep them home and me out of jail.

Nothing helps me more than being able to put a purring chicken in my lap. Instead of the huge amounts of anti-depressants being prescribed, I think people should have hen houses for treatment.

We LOVE clubponypals! I have attached a photo of a rider and pony I drew when I was 5/6 years old (I am 45 now...) Enjoy...

I grew up to be an artist. That sounds like an oxymoron. To be a good artist you cannot possibly be grown up.

Regards from the wild side, and have a good Memorial Day.

Kerrie

Kerrie
Thanks for sending in a wonderful photo and letters about being a chicken outlaw. You can sense potential speed as your daughter's bike races down the road, excited perched chickens with heads stretched out to enjoy the breeze!

Your drawing is also really cute. I'm amazed you still had it!

Editor

 

Hello Club Pony Pals!

Your site is the best! Thanks heaps for making it! I'm new to this site, I just found it when I was looking for Pony Pals Books.

I love the Pony Pals books! My favourite is 'Don't Hurt My Pony', it was the first one I ever read. And my favourite character is Lulu and Mrs Wiggins!

I also LOVE horses, I couldn't live without them!

How do you become a member of club Pony Pals, what I mean is, how do
I get the virtual horse?

And where and how can I write about all my horse adventures?

Better gallop to enter the competition!
Keep up the perfect work!
Thanks heaps again!
Regards, Hannah

Dear Pony Pal Hannah

If you love 'Pony Pals' books, you are in the right place!

You are now an official member of Club Pony Pals. Very soon there will be an online game to play, where you will be able to visit Wiggins and ride a virtual pony.

Please, yes, write us about your horse adventures. Everyone here is looking forward to reading your stories!
WebMaster
_________

hello thanks for sending me emails my mum would appreciate you not to send me emails sorry
i would love you to OK
thanks

Dear Pony Pal
Thanks for your note, we will take your email address off of our mailing list. We never share any information about anyone who's a member unless they ask us to. Anyone who doesn't want to get the newsletter any more can ask to be removed from our list and we do it. You can still be a involved with Club Pony Pals, though. Every week there will be changes to our website and new e-newsletters. Find out what’s going on with the Pony Pals by reading them at http://www.clubponypals.com/
But only members who get the newsletter will be able to help us test our new game! Friends,
WebMaster

DEAR WEB MASTER:
Will the "Click To Play" open next week? Summer

Dear Pony Pal Summer
Read this week's lead article, we are looking for testers for our game. Our game developer needs twelve people to try out the game. Volunteers will need to be able to use the internet to play, but they can be from anywhere. Please email us and say in the subject line "I want to be a game tester"

Once the first testing round is done, then everyone in the Club will be able to try the game. Thanks for asking!

Editor

 

Dear WebMaster

I get the Wiggins Weekly and saw your address. I would have emailed the picture but our scanner isn't working. I can't wait till you get the game finished.

Kayla

P. S. Please put my picture in the Wiggins Weekly.

 

Kayla

Thanks for your letter and picture. It's here in the Weekly and also on the Pony Pals Art Gallery page.

You can read more about what's happening with the game in this week's lead article.

Editor

 

"Lightning" by Kayla D, age 9

NB Elementary News

Hi...

NB kids are in testing so I won't see much of them this week. The fabulous news on that front is that Brandy has passed her PP book. That would be worth noting in the weekly ...congratulations to Sunshine, Nick, Meredith, Sadie, and Brandy for passing the PP quiz and earning their barn party ticket...with a bit (pun intended) of encouragement to Garland to finish his book and pass his quiz. Actually a word to Ms. C's class would be fun if it would be a contributing part of the weekly. I can print the weekly and take it to the class.

ride on!
Mrs. S.

Dear NB Elementary Pony Pals
What great news that congratulations are in order! Sunshine, Nick, Meredith, Sadie and Brandy have passed their Pony Pals RC quizzes and have earned barn party tickets!
Garland's beautiful artwork about "The Blind Pony" is up on the Club Pony Pals website home page for everyone to see! Check it out at http://www.clubponypals.com
Rumor has it there are a few others about to finish reading their Pony Pals books, too. Thanks for writing Mrs. S and it's great to hear how you all are doing so well!
Your friend,
WebMaster

We want your drawings or letters! Send them in to the Wiggins Weekly.

Mail them to

Club Pony Pals
16654 Soledad Canyon Rd. #382
Canyon Country, CA 91387
email WebMaster@clubponypals.com

Picture It

The story so far....

Ponigirl writes:
In the picture it looks like the horse is saying, "What's that? Is it edible?"

Pam Crandal writes:
Meredith tells her horse, "You silly, I'm learning to drive…."

NB Elementary writes:
"You'll hurt my feelings. Why are you riding that funny little machine instead of me?" whinnies Squirrel.

Pam Crandal writes:
Meredith laughs. Then she says, "You are too big for me, Squirrel. I want a pony. Then I would ride with the Pony Pals, and...."

Summer F. writes:
"I'm not too big!" neighs Squirrel. "I'm just the right size!"

Lulu Sanders writes:
Meredith thought Squirrel was funny. She looked very serious. Really she was trying not to laugh. Then she said, "Some little ponies want to be big horses. You're lucky to be so big. "

Summer F. writes:
"I am not too big!" yelled Squirrel. "See, I can lay down and you can just hop on!"

Anna Harley writes:
Squirrel sniffed the ground with his nose. He pawed the dirt and bent his front legs. Then he bent his back legs. Whump. He was on the ground. "Its nice down here," Squirrel thought. "While I'm down here I'll ...."

What happens next? Write in and tell us -- you can help write this new Club Pony Pals e-story!
Send your e-story idea to WebMaster@clubponypals.com

LETTERS TO ANNA

From Taylor

Hi Anna I am so loving the book "Ponies on Parade!" It’s so cool how the Pony Pals make plans for Mike and Sam I think that was their name but I am just lovin it!

Dear Taylor

What a great letter! We had fun with that art contest. I was scared and surprised when they chose me to paint Acorn! But when we needed to, it was all the Pony Pals plus Mike who made our painted pony perfect.

When we figured out what to do, it was Tommy (not Sam) who really was surprised when he found out where the painted Acorn pony was going to live.

My pony Acorn is really an inspiration for me. I really like to draw pictures of Acorn! (After I finish studying of course! ;-)

Thanks for writing!

_________________________

From Summer

Do any of the Pony Pals make their own horse or pony stories?

Dear Summer

Everyone makes their own stories with how they live each day. In class sometimes when I have to write a story I write about Acorn and Lulu and Snow White and Pam and Lightning.

Like all stories, what I write is about things I remember and sometimes about things I think.

In this e-newsletter I thought what you wrote for "Picture It" was so good. I made up what I thought a horse would say or do.

 

Last Week's Survey Results

Pony Pals Thought for the Day --

Reach out for your life like a pony at the long trot.