Ironwood Maine Blog

It has been cooling down and the weather has been very pleasant with temperatures in the mid to low sixties and many days reaching low seventies. It has been getting darker earlier which is a sign that winter is upon us. The leaves are changing and are becoming vibrant colors of orange and red. Recently the barn has began starting it’s winter preparations.

So far, the hurricane did not do much to Ironwood, and on the day of the hurricane, as the skies were opening up, the Farmhouse was doing deep clean. Both crews did pretty good and, even though we could not go outside to release some energy, we still completed deep clean in a short period of time which meant we had some free time afterwards.

Ironwood has had many horses come and go. Few horses remain from when I first arrived. Ironwood has a special Equine program that allows residents to learn what being responsible for another living thing is like. Recently, the Farmhouse barn has received a new horse. Her name is Athena.

The skills residents learn in the barn provide them with the empathy, commitment, work ethic, responsibility, and people / animal relations which are essential to becoming hard working and caring citizens.

The appearance and dynamic of the group is changing greatly, and with this acceptance and resilience is becoming more important and prominent than ever. The campus is growing closer through new experiences and changes, with many residents seeing themselves and their paths in the success of graduating residents.

A little more than a year ago, I wrote about the concept of “moving forward”. I will be touching on the concept again in this writing. I believe now, as the summer is quickly coming to a close, it is important to take a moment to reflect on the fun moments had and on the experiences that allowed us to grow. However, we all should have the courage to not get caught in the moments that didn’t go as we would have liked and accept that it is crucial for us to take the next step in our journey.