RAINBOW ACRES BLOG

Recently, the Ranchers in Evergreen house decided to take part in a service project and blog about the experience.  This what they had to say:

7.27.2010 – The Ranchers at Evergreen House decided to do a service mission project.  We have chosen to help at Bread of Life Mission in Camp Verde every Tuesday evening for the month of August.  If everyone agrees, we will continue to serve until December.  (Bread of Life Mission provides a free dinner and food boxes to the Camp Verde community every Tuesday).

July 27 was our first Tuesday evening to serve.  Many of the other volunteers from area churches knew about Rainbow and greeted the Ranchers.  There was a brief social time before a message and music.  One of the families attending had a three week old baby.  The Ranchers admired the baby and were especially amazed at how tiny its fingers and toes were.  After the message, we had a tasty meal of enchiladas, beans and salad.  We all agreed that the Gospel Blues guitar music, provided by Paula Drake (the mother-in-law of a Rainbow Acres employee), was a great addition to the meal!  Of course, the cheesecake for dessert was a treat too.

After dinner, the Ranchers carried food boxes to the cars for the group.  Over 50 boxes were carried and given away.  Most of the recipients of the boxes were elderly or families with children.

It was wonderful to hear the Ranchers thanked and praised for their courtesy and hard work.  On the way home, the Ranchers talked about how fun it was to help others and how blessed we are to live at Rainbow Acres  They can’t wait to go next week!

For the June Equine Exploration class, members of Rainbow’s T.E.t.R.A. equestrian program took a walk on the wild side…of art, that is.  The wonderful thing about art is that there are no correct or incorrect methods or assessments, and an individual can create beautiful work (and have fun!) no matter what.  During this class, Ranchers had a blast with two particular art projects.

The first project was a look into the art of black and white photography.  The class discussed the potential of black and white photography, and the dramatic contracts that can be captured with sunlight and shadows.  Furthermore, the class got to experiment with taking photos of their own…of a moving subject!  Our Ranch horse, Rubia, got to be the subject of the photographs, and did a wonderful job.

The second project concentrated on sculptures.  To get the creative juices flowing, the class spent some time learning about some of the great horse sculptures from around the world.  After that, Ranchers had the opportunity to create their own sculptures and paint them.  Some Ranchers chose to create realistic-looking horses, while others chose to create fun and festive sculptures.

All in all, each and every Rancher did an excellent job.  They worked hard and discovered a little artist inside of them.

If you were not on the Ranch this past weekend, we sure wish you had been!

Under the able leadership of Amy Elmore, the All Ranch Choir presented a 35-minute concert of music from the wonderful world of Disney.  It was a performance, both in sound and difficulty, that has been previously unmatched!

This was a concert born out of inclusion.  At Rainbow, there is a by-audition Traveling Choir, but also a choir that anyone can be a part of (deemed the All Ranch Choir).  Amy has a deep belief that the choir experience should, when possible, be inclusive.  With the Ranchers’s hard work and good attitudes, it was not only inclusive, but also beautiful!

Rancher Scott, who had been told in the past that he had no musical ability, performed a solo of The Ballad of Davy Crockett.  When he received tumultuous applause for his performance, he had a quizzical look on his face that seemed to say, “is this for me?”  It was a priceless moment.

Ranchers Pauline and Melodie also presented memorized solos, while Ranchers Nancy and Heather performed a duet.  It was the best I have ever hear any of them!

I am sad that some of you were not able to make it to this wonderful concert,  but we have good news!  The All Ranch Choir will perform a shortened version of the program they prepared for this past weekend at Rainbow’s upcoming family weekend.  Mark your calendars for the evening of September 24th for your chance to hear the Ranchers!  I promise you a great evening of song!

Rainbow Acres is pleased to announce a number of exciting employment changes that will be taking place this summer!  We are sorry to see the departure of valued employees Steve Gable (Rainbow Acres Comptroller) and Sam Gray (Assistant Ranch Director), but are thrilled that they are embarking on exciting new life journeys.

While we regret saying goodbye, we are pleased to welcome two new staff members to the Rainbow Acres Family.  David Perkins, former Baptist missionary to India, will be coming on as the Director of Programs & Counseling (aka Assistant Ranch Director), effective July 1, 2010.

In light of the new responsibilities that the new community center will bring, Ranch Director Eldon Elmore has agreed to accept a new position as the Director of the Palmer Community Center. Mike Kowalski, who currently serves on the Rainbow Acres Board of Trustees, has accepted our offer to become the Director of Ranch Operations & Staff Development (aka Ranch Director).

Please pray for Rainbow Acres during this time of great transition.  We regret saying goodbye, but look forward to welcoming new and able talent to the Ranch.  To read more about the employment changes, click here.

On Tuesday, June 1, the members of the Rainbow Acres Horse Crew eagerly boarded a van at 8:30 a.m. to head over to Future Hope Equestrian – a horse training facility just outside of Cottonwood, AZ.  Recently, the Ranchers have been anxiously following the story of Mercedes – a mare who gave birth to a foal only about two weeks ago.  They were all so excited to see the little one!  The two weeks the Ranchers had to wait before seeing the foal were well worth it.  They immediately fell in love with the little foal, and some began to ask when Rainbow could have one of their own.

In addition to the excitement and learning afforded by the opportunity to see a baby horse, the day at Future Hope was filled with love, support and service.  Future Hope Equestrian has been a wonderful supporter of Rainbow’s journey into the equestrian world.  They often provide rich educational opportunities, and the Ranchers have made several trip to Future Hope to observe and participate in training activities.

For this particular visit, some members of the Horse Crew were asked to help clean rocks and debris out of a few of the riding arenas.  All of the Ranchers pitched in and did a wonderful job!  Picking up rocks can seem like mundane work, but the Ranchers who have worked with horses know it is an important task in horse management.  The Horse Crew often discsses the consequences of too many rocks or sharp objects in the riding area.  These included hoof bruises and punctures.

It is amazing how much information the Horse Crew has learned when it comes to working with the Ranch horses.  Opportunities to put that information into practice in a new environment, like Future Hope Equestrian, help show that the knowledge is solid and can be practically applied.  The Ranchers take their equestrian education seriously and show a deep sense of responsibility and pride in all that they have and continue to accomplish.

Hypertactility can be a real pain to live with – literally!  The tags on your clothes constantly itch and rub.  The feel of fabric on your skin can be a constant distraction.  You sneeze when you encounter sunlight.  Fragrant perfumes and foods with great texture illicit strong, negative reactions.  You may even be more ticklish than normal!

Individuals suffering from hypertactility often fidget more than others and avoid social contact to relieve some of the symptoms.  And really, who can blame them?  It takes a lot of energy to not run screaming into the night when any encounter with sound or feel can be a painful experience.  Individuals who experience hypertactility use extreme amounts of energy coping and compensating for the many uncomfortable and distracting sensations in their lives.  And, as was discussed in previous posts, these compensatory responses can be misinterpreted as  behavioral problems.

One of the main focuses of Neurodevelopmental Therapy is helping individuals with hypertactility become more comfortably in their own skin.  By helping the brain build new pathways – the pathways it needs in order to appropriately take in tactile stimulation – Neuro can help improve the quality of life for hypertactile individuals.

In the last entry, we spoke about the various levels of the Tactile System.  We learned where each level or reflex is located in the brain and which fine motor skill each controls.  Today, let’s take an even closer look at the Tactile System and how it affects our life.

Do you know someone who is loud in all of their movements?  They walk loudly, shut doors loudly, hug too firmly, handle objects too roughly, and often are clumsy?  These actions are often seen as behavior issues, leading us to want to respond saying something like “gently, please” or “quiet, please”.  The reality is, however, that this kind of loud behavior can be a result of how the tactile system is developed.  If an individual has missed the steps that help regulate fine, quiet movement, loudness might be the only thing the individual is physically capable of.

The Neurodevelopmental Approach can help interpret this kind of behavior and identify how an individual takes in tactile information.  There are many types of nerve cells that are responsible for taking in and absorbing all types of touch, pressure, temperature, and other tactile input.  If these nerve cells do not receive input correctly, the output will be skewed.  For example, if the neuro-network that processes temperature is damaged or skewed, you may not be able to dress appropriately for the weather (e.g wearing a sweater in the summer or a t-shirt in the winter).

If an individual walks up stairs too loudly, it is likely due to deficiency in their muscles’ proprioceptors.  Proprioceptors help us know where we are in space in relation to other things.  The problem may also be with the nerve cells that sense pressure.  When an individual walks up stairs too loudly, their nerve cells may not be correctly taking in the information that their foot has touched the step, leading to a harder footstep in order to feel the stair.  The same is true for fine motor capabilities.  An individual will not be able to grasp a pencil or tie shoes correctly if he or she cannot sufficiently feel the pencil or laces.  One could spend months trying to correct an individual’s behavior, but until the issues with the Tactile System are addressed, the loud behavior will continue.

This instance of a gap between tactile sensitivity is known as Hypotactility.  Next time, we will look at Hypertactility.

At Rainbow Acres, the T.E.t.R.A. equestrian program plays a vital role in the holistic care for the Ranchers.  As part of the program, Ranchers learn responsibility, gain self worth, and have a whole lot of fun!  Recently, T.E.t.R.A. has been working through the cirriculum for Anatomy & Physiology 101 (AP101) in Equine Exploration class.  As part of this class, Ranchers are learning about the nine different physical systems (skeletal, respiratory, endocrine, etc.) of the horse.  The goal is to be able to identify at least two parts from each system and the physiology, or function, behind each system.

But who wants to sit in a classroom all the time?  Not our Ranchers!  To make AP101 more hands-on, the Ranchers painted various internal structures that they had been learning about on Rubia – our patient and understanding Ranch horse.  By making the images, the Ranchers identified and learned more about the heart, stomach, intestines, kidneys, lungs, trachea, esophogus and the skeleton.  After the lesson, they got to give Rubia a bath!

The Ranchers had a blast painting Rubia, but in addition to all the fun, they had a real sense of learning and understanding.  It is one thing to watch a power point, but being able to transfer that knowledge to a living horse takes some skill.  When a person looks at a horse and is asked to identify where a specific part is, there are no arrows pointing to the correct answer.  The person must use their imagination and think about what goes on underneath the skin, and then make a judgment call as to where that particular part is.  As always, our Ranchers do an excellent job!

One thing Neurodevelopmental Therapy has taught us here at Rainbow is that the brain is a complicated place.  In our Central Nervous System, we have nerve pathways that both take in information and put out information.  These are called input and output pathways.  In just one of these input pathways, there are up to nine levels!  Let’s take a look at one such system – the tactile system:

Level I: Babinski

- The Babinski reflex is located in the early brain stem and cord.  It is present at birth and by one year of age should show up negative.  The presence of the Babinski reflex in anyone over one year of age is indicative of lower level reflexes not progressing the way they should.

Level II: Pain

- Pain is located in the Brain Stem and Early Subcortical areas.  Perception of sensations vital to the continuation of life such as deep pressure.

Level III: Gnostic

- The Gnostic reflex is located in the Midbrain and Subcortical areas.  It is marked by an appreciation of more intricate pressure, such as light touch.

Level IV: Third Dimension

- The Third Dimension is located in the Initial Cortex.  It is characterized by fine motor tactile ability.  An example of this kind of motor ability might turning pages in a book.

Level V: Trigeminal and Temperature

- These are located in the Early Cortex.  They are characterized by appropriate responses to stimulation of the trigeminal nerve (which covers the entire head area) and to varying temperatures.

Level VI: Olfactory and Gustatory

- These are located in the Early Cortex.  They are characterized by appropriate responses to various smells and appropriate eating of different textures and tastes.

Level VII: Stereognosis I

- This is located in the Primitive Cortex.  It is characterized by the ability to manipulate large objects and tell by feeling what an object is.

Level VIII: Stereognosis II

- This is located in the Sophisticated Cortex.  This is the fine motor ability to tell without looking which coin you are holding and which side of the coin you are feeling.

Level IX: Proprioception

- This is located in the Sophisticated Cortex.  This is brain’s unconscious knowledge of where the body is in space.

Weaving is an important crew activity at Rainbow Acres.  Along with other activities like crafts and stepping stones, weaving is part of Rainbow’s vocational program that helps Ranchers find a purpose and a role on the Ranch.  Furthermore, weaving is an excellent way for Ranchers to engage in artistic expression.

The Rainbow Acres weavers were winners at the Verde Valley Fair held last weekend in Cottonwood, AZ.  Each Rainbow Acres weaver entered at least one item that they had recently made.  Brent and Robert entered rugs.  Safia entered placemats.  Pauline entered a purse.  Julie entered potholders.  Jack entered a shawl.

Brent’s rug, which had shades of white, gray and black, won second place.  Robert’s rug, which was made of silky gold and cranberry shag, won third place.  All other Rainbow entries received ribbons for Honorable Mention.  What an accomplishment!  The competition was against members of the Verde Valley Weavers guild, as well as other weavers in the area, so competition was stiff!

At the event, the Verde Valley Weavers Guild made a special display in memory of Betty Saylor – a former member of the Guild, as well as a former Rainbow Acres caregiver and weaving crew leader.  It was lovely to see Betty honored at the event.  It was also great to honor her contributions to the weaving program by doing so well in the competition.